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Sunday,
July 27, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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PM: need to combat AIDS effectively
Teachers’ list fake, SC told |
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Army called in Assam after 7 die in police firing SC observation on civil code ‘divisive’ Mann denies
speech on Khalistan Home Ministry official held in bribery case
Govt to hold CMs’ meeting on PDS Expedite cases of kin of Kargil martyrs, says Naik Punjabi singer held in fake visa racket Lok Sabha MP Eden dead CBI begins probe
into Taj corridor row Rare surgery on
Lankan patient Madhu enters Limca book Charges against
Sikh pilgrims withdrawn Birla centre to sponsor scientists for NASA
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PM: need to combat AIDS effectively New Delhi, July 26 Admitting that India’s response to the epidemic, affecting nearly four million Indian men, women and children had been “somewhat belated”, Mr Vajpayee said “HIV/AIDS is not only a grave global challenge, it is also a national concern, one that demands effective and quick response.” Opening a two-day National Convention of Parliamentary Forum on HIV/AIDS, the Prime Minister lamented that public health issues were not finding their place on the political agenda in the country and said it needed to be reversed. “In India, issues pertaining to public health do not normally find a place on the nation’s political agenda. This is not so in other democracies where, sometimes, even elections are won or lost on the basis of health issues,” he said. Expressing the hope that in India, too, elected representatives would be more sensitive to public health challenges, he said “we must recognise that fight against HIV/AIDS is more complex and requires greater courage and commitment.” “It requires leadership that is ready to go to the heart of the problem and is ready even to go against the stream of public opinion.” Congress President Sonia Gandhi called for political commitment at the highest level and increased public health expenditure to fight the AIDS epidemic in the country. Delivering the keynote address at the convention, Ms Gandhi said HIV/AIDS was not only a medical or scientific issue, but also a human issue with its patients needing love and care besides family and community support sustained over time. She regretted that India did not have drug therapy as part of the national AIDS control programme. It was paradoxical that while Indian companies were world leaders in the manufacture of anti-AIDS drugs and were supplying them to other countries, the same drugs were not available under the government’s AIDS control programme. The Congress President also stressed upon the need for expanding health insurance coverage in the country. She said the Congress had supported liberalisation of insurance industry only for this purpose four years ago, but ‘’unfortunately progress has been very slow’’ in this regard. Speaking on the occasion, Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi said though he could not assure a special session, he would have no hesitation in granting a long discussion in the House so that a message could reach the people. He said the cooperation shown by ruling and Opposition parties on the issue of combating AIDS could become a trendsetter to resolve other vexed issues. “If they could do it in the Lok Sabha also, a number of issues could be resolved. I am sure the Women’s Reservation Bill could also be passed, if there was a will,” he said evoking peals of laughter. On allocation of portion of funds from the MP local area development fund for HIV/AIDS control, he said this required some changes in the norms of spending the fund and he would take it up with the concerned committee. |
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227
cases in Punjab, says Amarinder
New Delhi, July 26 Addressing the two-day national convention of elected representatives on political leadership in combating HIV/AIDS organised by parliamentary forum on HIV/AIDS, he said till date 90 persons had died due to AIDS in the state. He said the state government was alive to the formidable situation arising out of the growing incidence of HIV/AIDS and was gearing up to meet this challenge. He called upon parliamentarians to
chalk out a time-bound strategy to combat the menace of HIV/AIDS
through the dissemination of adequate information by involving the
legislators, Zila Parishads, Block Samitis and even panchayats to
bring awareness amongst the masses. Referring to the demands of the HIV/AIDS patients, he urged the Centre to fully exempt the life saving drugs from the sales tax and other duties to enable the HIV/AIDS patients to seek treatment within their reasonable means. He said the state government had already exempted life saving drugs from the sales tax and assured that medicines for the treatment of HIV/AIDS would also be soon fully exempted from sales tax. The Chief Minister said AIDS was not merely a medical and scientific problem but must be viewed from a human angle in comprehensive way. He said the stigmatic aspects attached to the patient afflicted from this disease should be taken care of meticulously. This objective could only be achieved through treating the patients psychologically by giving them proper counselling. He said the important component of the strategy to fight HIV/AIDS should be awareness building and education programmes in schools, access to care and treatment, scientific and medical endeavours towards a vaccine. Mr
Amarinder Singh asked the authorities concerned to evolve measures to
maximise the outreach of anti-retroviral therapy and diagnosis
facilities to contain AIDS epidemic efficaciously and in a
result-oriented manner. |
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Virbhadra launches
anti-AIDS project New Delhi, July 26 However, the overall prevalence of HIV infection remained much below one per cent in the state, he said while addressing the National Convention on HIV/AIDS organised by the Parliamentary Forum at the Vigyan Bhavan here. He said a World Bank-aided project had been launched for the prevention of HIV/AIDS in the state. He said the NACO had released more than Rs 11.77 crore against the approved Budget of over Rs 12.29 crore and of which the state had utilised more than Rs 10.48 crore. Mr Virbhadra Singh said the Union Government had provided more than 7.90 crore under the phase 1 of the National AIDS Control Project launched in the state from September 1992 to March 1999. The Chief Minister said all 11 blood banks in the state had been modernised to ensure safe blood transfusion adding that voluntary blood donation was being promoted. He said a blood component separation unit had been set up at Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, and two new blood banks would be established at Jogindernagar and Palampur soon. He said voluntary counselling and testing centres would be set up in all zonal hospitals/district hospitals in the state and added that such centres had been already set up at Shimla, Dharamsala, Mandi, Hamirpur and Bilaspur. Mr Virbhadra Singh said one community care centre would be established in the NGO sector to provide holistic care to people suffering from HIV/AIDS. The Chief Minister said a telephonic computerised counselling service on HIV/AIDS/STDs had been started in Shimla and another such project would be established at the zonal hospital at Hamirpur. He said about 1,300 teachers had been trained by experts at Kangra and Shimla under the School AIDS Education Programme. One pilot project on AIDS education was implemented in Sirmour district through the State Council for Science Technology and Environment, Solan. |
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Teachers’ list fake, SC told New Delhi, July 26 Their allegation is contrary to the claim of suspended IAS officer Sanjiv Kumar, who had said that he had refused to release the “fake” selection list, prepared at the behest of Mr Chautala and had published the genuine one for appointment of 3206 JBT teachers in 2000. The candidates, led by Tejpal from Gurgaon district, in a joint writ petition, alleged that the genuine list was in the possession of Mr Kumar, who was then holding charge of Director, Primary Education, and had filed the first petition, accusing Mr Chautala of trying to pressurise him to release the “duplicate” list. “There is a genuine apprehension that respondent 4 (Mr Kumar) may destroy the said select list as he, the Haryana Government, the Chief Minister, and the Secretary, Education, are seriously negotiating among themselves for an amicable settlement of the dispute”, the candidates, alleged in their petition. A Bench comprising Mr Justice
R.C. Lahoti and Mr Justice Ashok Bhan, seized of the earlier two petitions — by Mr Kumar and seven candidates — on the alleged preparation of “fake” lists, issued notices to the Haryana Government, Mr Chautala, the state’s Education Secretary and Mr Kumar on the new petition, seeking their replies. “The respondents, for reasons best known to them, on November 7, 2000, released a fake select list and appointed 3206 persons on the basis of the same,” the candidates claimed. All candidates belonging to Gurgaon district, in the petition filed through their lawyer P.V. Yogeshwaran, said two sets of lists were prepared by 57 members of the District Selection Committee and each list for a particular district was signed by three members of the panel. Seeking direction to the state government and all respondents to produce the genuine list in the court, the candidates claimed that they were entitled for appointment as their names figured in the valid selection list. Like Mr Kumar and the seven earlier petitioners, the 12 candidates have also sought a CBI inquiry into the entire episode and the registration of criminal cases against the persons who were found guilty of alleged bungling in the appointment process. The seven candidates, who had filed the writ petition earlier, had alleged that two politicians from Gurgaon and Faridabad had demanded Rs 1 lakh from each of them at the behest of Chief Minister’s OSD Vidyadhar and they had paid Rs 10,000 in advance to the duo. Since they failed to meet the demand of full payment, their names were excluded from the selection list, they had alleged. The Haryana Government and Mr Chautala in their replies had submitted that the allegations levelled by the petitioners, including Mr Kumar, were false and at no stage any second or duplicate list was ever prepared. |
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Army called in Assam after 7 die in police firing Guwahati, July 26 Official sources said here today that the district administration had called out the Army to maintain law and order in the area where situation was tense but under control. Meanwhile, Home Minister Rockybul Hussain visited the area to take stock of the situation and instructed the administration to take precautionary measures to prevent recurrence of violence. A magisterial inquiry has also been ordered into the incident, sources added. A group of tribesmen yesterday tried to close down shops by force at Kachubeel, under the Panery police station, on a 12-hour Assam bandh called by the All-Assam Adivasi Students Association of Assam. A clash erupted when the All Bodo Students Union resisted the move and the police arrived at the site. A group of 3,000 tribesmen armed with bows and arrows, reached the site and attacked the securitymen. —
PTI |
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SC observation on civil code ‘divisive’ New Delhi, July 26 Reacting to the apex court observation, AIMMM president Syed Shahabuddin said though the observation was not binding on Parliament, it had come as a "windfall for the Sangh Parivar to stir communal polarisation in the already much divided nation". Disagreeing with the observation, he said it had "unwittingly revived a controversial issue" which was put to rest by the NDA in 1999. Stating that the AIMMM failed to understand the logic of the apex court on the issue, Mr Shahabuddin said, "The idea of a common civil code was impracticable today." "There is always a case for social reform within the framework of the Shariat, but not for the separation of the Muslim Personal Law from the Quran and the traditions of the Prophet," the former MP, who is also a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), said. "Integration does not mean assimilation, coercion cannot promote integration. Equality does not mean uniformity. Diversity of laws flows from social plurality and does not attract Article 14," he said arguing that the Constitution brackets freedom of conscience with freedom of religion, therefore, it cannot ignore the essentials of religious faith based on scriptures. A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Justice V.N. Khare had on July 23, while pronouncing a judgement on a case relating to the applicability of the Indian Succession Act 1926 to Christians, had observed that a common civil code could be a factor for national integration. It also said the Article 44 of the Constitution, which provided for the state to "endeavour" to secure a common civil code for its citizens throughout the country, had not been effected. "Parliament is still to step in for framing a common civil code in the country. A common civil code will help the cause of the national integration by removing the contradiction based on ideologies," the SC bench had observed. |
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Mann denies
speech on Khalistan New Delhi, July 26 Rejecting the charge, Mr Mann told Additional Sessions Judge S N Dhingra that he was not even present at the site of the alleged incident. Mr Mann, who represents the Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency in Punjab, was recording his statement in a TADA case for supporting disruptive activities through the speech, alleged to have been delivered at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib on April 7, 1991. The Akali leader claimed that like many other cases registered against him, this one, too, was a "cooked-up story". He also claimed that the prosecution had only produced "official witnesses", adding that no independent witness had come forth so far. The Delhi Police had chargesheeted Mr Mann for allegedly delivering the inflammatory speech, which it claimed supported the cause of Khalistan and also exhorted people to take up arms for achieving the cause. —
PTI |
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Home Ministry official held in bribery case New Delhi, July 26 A case has also been registered against his colleague Vijay Chaudhary, a UDC, a CBI press note said here today. The complainant had approached the cell in connection with a pension case. Mr Dass and Mr Chaudhary had allegedly asked him to pay Rs 5,000 for releasing the pension. They had given their mobile telephone numbers to the complainant, the press note said, adding that the complainant had then approached a senior official in the ministry, who advised him to contact the CBI. Acting on the complaint, the CBI laid a trap and arrested Mr Dass while accepting the bribe from the complainant, the press note added. Mr Dass was produced in court here to seek his police remand, it said, adding that a probe was on. |
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Govt to hold CMs’ meeting on PDS New Delhi, July 26 Speaking to newspersons after an all-party meeting chaired by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee here, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Sharad Yadav said that a concept called “universal public distribution system” had been discussed which would be devoid of all structural bottlenecks existing in the present scheme. The concept seeks to merge the people above poverty line with those below poverty line. In fact, there was also a suggestion to merge the Antodaya, the APL and the BPL PDS systems. Earlier, the Prime Minister regretted that despite several steps taken by the government, the offtake of foodgrains under the BPL category had not exceeded 55 per cent during the last two years. Regarding the food subsidy, which has increased to about Rs 24,000 crore in 2002-03 from Rs 9,200 crore in 1999-2000, he said the purpose of food subsidy was that it should benefit the poor and needy. |
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Expedite cases of kin of Kargil martyrs, says Naik New Delhi, July 26 Asking officials to give highest priority to the implementation of the “Operation Vijay Scheme” for allotment of retail outlets and LPG distributorships to the families of Kargil martyrs, the minister said 312 petrol pumps and LPG agencies had already been commissioned for their families. Speaking at a function here, Mr Naik said for the first time government decided to bring the mortal remains of the war martyrs to their residences with national honour. The families of soldiers were given a relief package in keeping with the needs of their families. As part of relief measures, the government decided to allot petrol pumps and LPG agencies to the dependents of the martyrs. The minister said he had recently reviewed the progress of commissioning of petrol pumps and LPG agencies allotted to the families of the Kargil martyrs. —
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Homage paid Sikar, July 26 Homage was paid at a programme organised by the Zila Sainik Kalyan Board. District and Sessions Judge R.P. Singh, District police chief Anil Paliwal and board welfare officer Major H.R. Yadav led a large number of persons including ex-servicemen and NCC cadets, in offering floral tributes to the martyrs. —
UNI |
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Punjabi singer held in fake visa racket New Delhi, July 26 The three, suspected of being agents of persons sending people abroad on forged visas, were nabbed following information by two persons arrested at the Indira Gandhi International Airport two days ago. The two others, arrested from a hotel at Paharganj in central Delhi along with Sukwinder, were his secretary Punjab Singh alias Bitoo and Mangal Singh Dhillon. The racket came to light when Jaskaran Singh and Devinder Singh from Jalandhar district in Punjab were nabbed at the airport on Thursday night when they were about to board an Air France flight to Paris. During interrogation, they revealed that the agents who were sending them abroad were staying at a hotel at Paharganj. —
PTI |
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Lok Sabha MP Eden dead New Delhi, July 26 He was 50. A two-time MP from Ernakulam, Mr Eden was a member of the Standing Committee on External Affairs. A lawyer by profession, Mr Eden was a prominent Congress leader and a member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly from the year 1991to 1998. Mr Eden who was suffering from various complications was admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital a few days ago and was later shifted to the AIIMS where he breathed his last. His body will be taken by a special flight to Kochi. Mr Eden is survived by a son and a daughter. Mourning the death of Mr Eden, Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi described him as a young and dynamic parliamentarian. He said he took keen interest in House debates and the functioning of various committees, particularly the Standing Committee on Science & Technology and External Affairs. Me Joshi also laid a wreath on the body of the parliamentarian. —
UNI |
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CBI begins probe
into Taj corridor row Lucknow, July 26 About eight officials of the Environment and Finance departments were questioned yesterday by CBI sleuths on the basis of the details made available to it by the Uttar Pradesh Government through the files submitted to the agency earlier in the week, the sources said. The agency had also decided to summon some other senior officials and sought additional information from the Environment Department, the sources added. —
PTI |
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Rare surgery on
Lankan patient Chennai, July 26 The 45-year-old Firthouse, who underwent replacement of the aortic valve earlier, was airlifted here from Colombo last fortnight in a critical condition. The patient was suffering from acute dissecting aneurism of the root and arch of the aorta which could burst anytime, leading to instant death. Thoracic surgeon V.V. Bashi, whose team at MIOT Hospital saved the high-risk patient in an eight-hour operation, told reporters here last night that the tests showed that blood had leaked into the torn aorta and coronary arteries. —
UNI |
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Madhu enters Limca book
New Delhi, July
26 Madhu achieved the feat when 305 of the 4,094 letters she had written to newpapers or magazines appeared in those publications, a press note said. —
PTI |
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Charges against
Sikh pilgrims withdrawn New Delhi, July 26 The shopkeepers had clashed with pilgrims while the devotees were trekking to the hill shrine on June 29. The National Commission for Minorities took up the issue with the state government and, as a result of it, charges against 26 youths have been withdrawn, the Chairman of the commission Mr Tarlochan Singh, said today. —
UNI |
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Birla centre to sponsor scientists for NASA Hyderabad, 26 July This was announced by centre President Nirmala Birla after Union Minister of State for Railways Bandaru Dattatreya inaugurated a pictorial exhibition — “Reach out for the stars,” dedicated to astronaut Kalpana Chawla and crew members of the Columbia space shuttle, which crashed on its return journey to earth, early this year. —
UNI |
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