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Iraqi oil scam: probe authority issues notice
News Analysis
‘Help Quattrocchi mission’ under Sonia: BJP
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SC notice to Basu on plot allotment
LS Speaker’s daughter heckled in train
Saudi King to arrive today
Maoists blow up panchayat office
Functions mark Netaji’s birth anniversary celebrations
Delimitation work to be over by July
Honour for school Principal
Siropa for PM, Sonia
Raj greets Bal Thackeray on his birthday
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Iraqi oil scam: probe authority issues notice
New Delhi, January 23 The one-man authority, was set up by the government under former Chief Justice of India R.S Pathak to look into the payment of money by Saddam Hussain regime to former Foreign Minister K.Natwar Singh and the Congress, as was alleged in the Volcker report, that had probed the “oil-for-food” scam during the UN sanction on Iraq. The authority, having its head office at Vigyan Bhawan here, said in the public notice “all persons having knowledge of the facts and circumstances relating to matters referred to it, and having interest in the proceedings…or who wish to assist the inquiry authority in making suggestions…have been asked to submit their statements in prescribed manner… within 15 days.” But the inquiry authority at the same time cautioned that any one found to be making false and misleading statements or allegations, “shall be liable to punishment under Section 193 of the Indian Penal Code,” the notice said, reminding that the authority was inquiring the UN “oil-for-food” programme issue as reflected in the Volcker report, under the provisions of Section 5 of the Commission of Inquiry Act. As per the procedure laid down for the proceedings of the authority, any affidavit filed or being invited by it “shall be attested by a Metropolitan Magistrate or Judicial Magistrate, first class or any other authority empowered under law to administer oath” to file such affidavits. It further said if information contained in the statement was derived from any document or records, the precise particulars and nature of the documents, the name of person in whose custody or control these were, should be indicated with the source of the information with five copies of the affidavit. Such persons, making statements, could be called for “oral evidence and submit himself to further examination by the authority,” the procedural rules drawn said. The statements or affidavits, which did not follow the procedures drawn by the inquiry authority, were liable to be rejected by the panel, which “reserves the right to alter, modify, delete, or add to, any of these regulations at any time during the inquiry as and when it considered it necessary.
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News Analysis
New Delhi, January 23 The difficulty in the implementation of the Indo-US nuclear agreement is not the lack of political will in either country but the fact that such an exercise has never been undertaken by any country in the world. What has been outlined in the July 18, 2005 Joint Statement by the two countries is only a declaration of intent and the actual agreement is far down the road, subject to how the highly technical and complex negotiations take place. To make it happen and to bring about an Indo-US civilian nuclear energy cooperation agreement, the two countries have to thrash out five key documents — each one of them a novelty. First, comes the separation plan which the Indian Government has to prepare for separating its civilian and military nuclear facilities — a document on which the US can have views. Second, is the legislation which the Bush Administration has to hammer out to amend the existing US laws which prohibit cooperating with India on nuclear-related matters — a document on which India can have views. Third and fourth, India has to sign two agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) — which India would do well in preparing with US help, considering Washington’s clout with the IAEA. These two agreements are: a safeguards agreement and an additional protocol. While the safeguards agreement would relate to the usage of nuclear-related materials like uranium or plutonium during the nuclear enrichment process, the additional safeguards are activity-centric to make sure that no individual is able to lead the international community up the garden path. After the A Q Khan episode, the activities of those engaged in a nuclear programme, even though it is civilian in nature, have also come under a scanner. Fifth and finally, India and the US have to sign a bilateral civil nuclear cooperation agreement. This will mean the grand finale of the entire exercise. This agreement will give legality and teeth to the July 18 Joint Statement which is not a legal document. Before the third round of talks between US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns and Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran (January 19-20), the two sides were trying to take up preparing these five documents one by one. It was only during this round that the two sides realised that all the five documents are inter-related and all have to be negotiated simultaneously. This is what the Indians and the Americans did during the January 19-20 talks. The two sides are going to engage themselves in a fourth round of discussions about a month later so that they have a fair idea what they have in store for each other before President George Bush visits India in early March. Though the White House has not made any formal announcement of Mr Bush’s India visit, it is likely that the “historic” visit — as described by Mr Bush himself in anticipation — could take place from March 1-3. The enormity and complexity of the task dawned upon the Indian and American negotiators only recently. There is no precedence in the world for these kind of negotiations. Moreover, the two countries engaged in these discussions have absolutely different nature of nuclear programme. The Americans started off their nuclear programme with military applications and only later branched off to civilian usage. The Indians have done just the reverse. Mr Burns comments at his press conference jointly with Mr Shyam Saran here assume significance in this context. He had remarked thus about the nuclear negotiations: “It is a very difficult undertaking and it is a unique undertaking. I am not sure any two Governments have actually had a negotiation quite like this because the situation is unique, India’s position is unique, and there is a complexity and a difficulty to these talks which is inherent in the subject. And yet we worked very well together for two days here.” Also, Mr Burns described the Indian position as “unique”. He said what was unique and difficult was that this kind of thing had not been done before. “India is a unique country and its position on this particular issue and this industry is unique obviously. So, President Bush has taken the position that this is in the interest of the US, it is in the interest of the other countries of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. “He said the two sides had their work cut out over the next several weeks. “But we are dedicated, as a friend of India, to work on a respectful and equal basis with the Indian Government.” Though Mr Burns did not spell out how Indian position was “unique”, diplomatic sources explained it to this correspondent. First, there is no precedence for negotiations for any of the five documents which India and the US are currently engaged in thrashing out. Second, India is a nuclear country which is not recognised by the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Third, the IAEA safeguards agreements with other countries-like Japan, Brazil and South Africa, which are not nuclear weapon states-do not apply to India. These factors, coupled with the fact that India is not a P5 country, make the implementation of the July 18 agreement a long haul. |
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‘Help Quattrocchi mission’ under Sonia: BJP
New Delhi, January 23 "The rap by the Supreme Court that it should have been approached before the decision to defreeze the London Bank accounts of Quattrocchi, key accused in the Bofors pay-offs case, was a slap on the UPA's face which scripted the 'help Quattrocchi mission' under the directions of the Congress President," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said reacting to the CBI's confirmation of withdrawal of Rs 21 crore by Quattrocchi. The revelation of Crown Prosecution Service that the defreezing was done at the instance of the government of India showed that the country was taken for a ride by the establishment, he said. Referring to the slogan "Ateet ki neev bhavishya ka nirman" given by the Congress during its ongoing plenary session in Hyderabad, Mr Javadekar struck a sarcastic note, "The Congress should alter this slogan to Quattrocchi ki neev Rahul ka nirman." Accusing the Congress of exhibiting 'shameful sycophancy', similar to the scenes witnessed during the emergency days, by clamouring for ascendency of Mr Rahul Gandhi to a coveted party post, the BJP leader said the Hyderabad AICC session has exposed the party as "one devoid of ideology, ideals, ideas and any new programme." Expressing disappointment with the Congressmen egging on Mr Gandhi at the AICC session at Hyderabad to accept a greater responsibility in the party, Mr Javadekar said the worst outcome of the plenary session was the exposure of "shameful sycophancy", a true characteristic of the Congress which has nothing but dynasty as its only weapon for survival. The BJP leader also took a dig at the Congress stating that it would fight the Left parties in the coming West Bengal Assembly polls. "The Congress attempt to fight Left parties in West Bengal through a 'B-team' was nothing but a surrender to the Left parties for the sake of remaining in power at the Centre," he said.
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SC notice to Basu on plot allotment
New Delhi, Januay 23 A Bench of Ms Justice Ruma Pal and Mr Justice A.R. Lakshamanan also issued notices to Jyoti Basu’s son Chandan Basu state’s Municipal Affairs Minister Ashok Bhattacharyya, two former Urban Development Ministers Asmi Dasgupta and Prasanta Sur, and the Salt Lake City Municipality Chairman. All the respondents were directed to submit their replies to the PIL by Joydeep Mukherjee, who alleged the Calcutta High Court, which had rejected a petition on the issue in November 2003, had not dealt with the matter on merit. “The present petition is being filed to bring to the notice of the court, illegal, arbitrary and clandestine allotment of lands in Salt Lake by highly designated persons for their own interests, which are contrary to original master plan as framed in 1967,” the PIL said. “The Chief Minister’s discretionary quota was created by unlawful confidential executive orders without even informing the Cabinet and illegally usurping the statutory powers of the officials administrator,” it said.
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LS Speaker’s daughter heckled in train
Bolpur (WB), January 23 According to sources, Basu and her troop were returning to Kolkata from Bolpur when some youngsters entered the first class compartment and started heckling them and asked them to vacate their seats. Basu then called her father, who was at Bolpur over the mobile phone from the train compartment. Chatterjee informed the railway officials who rushed to the compartment as soon as the train reached the Guskara station. The youth apologised for their behaviour, sources said adding Basu let them to. Meanwhile in Bolpur the Speaker described the incident as “unfortunate.”
— PTI |
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Saudi King to arrive today
New Delhi, January 23 He will hold talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on January 25 which will be followed by signing of three agreements — a Memorandum of Understanding on combating terrorism, a Double Taxation Avoidance Treaty and one for promoting bilateral investment. |
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Maoists blow up panchayat office
Kolkata, January 23 Recently, CPM district committee leader Rabindra Kar and his wife were gunned down inside their home by the guerrillas. Afterwards, their bodies were burnt down by setting the house on fire. Nearly 200 armed MCC and PWG guerrillas attacked the village and paraded the entire areas, threatening CPM leaders and workers with dire consequences. They asked the villagers to join with them in their fight against the bourgeois and other vested interests who were ruining the nation. They asked the villagers to boycott the Republic Day celebrations. They blasted several landmines at the panchayat office and three government bungalows as a mark of protest against the killing and arrest of their several activists by the police. |
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Functions mark Netaji’s birth anniversary celebrations
Kolkata, January 23 Interestingly, almost all political parties, including the CPM, utilised the occasion to campaign for their respective party candidates in view of the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state. The Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, and the CPM politburo member, Mr Biman Bose, while garlanding Netaji’s statue at the Maidan, recalled the significant role played by him in the country’s freedom struggle. Mr Bhattacharjee asked the young generation to follow Netaji’s freedom spirit. The Congress (l), Trinamool Congress , Forward Bloc and several other social and political organisations also organised various functions and meetings separately in the city and other districts in the state. At Netaji Bhavan on Elgin Road, several functions were organised through out the day.These were organised by the Netaji Research Bureau. In the morning, Shyam Benegal, director of the film, ‘Netaji : A forgotten Hero’ and actor Sachin Khedker, who had played Netaji’s role in the film, were honoured and felicitated by the research bureau. The Governor, Mr Gopal Krishna Gandhi, and several other prominent personalities and scholars were present at Netaji Bhavan to grace the occasion. Later in the afternoon, a seminar was organised in which several historians and Netaji experts participated.
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Delimitation work to be over by July
New Delhi, January 23 The Delimitation Commission headed by Justice Kuldip Singh has completed its work in Goa, Mizoram, Tripura, Kerala, and Pondicherry and given its final orders to the government. The work in Rajasthan, Sikkim and West Bengal is about to be completed, an official release said. The commission was initially given a term of two years to complete the task. But due to factors such as amendment in the Delimitation Act 2002 replacing the 1991 census with that of the 2001 census as base year and dissolution of the 13th Lok Sabha, the term of the panel was extended twice. The present term of the Commission is up to July 31 this year and the “delimitation work is expected to be completed within the stipulated time,” the release added. — TNS
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Honour for school Principal
Lucknow, January 23 Sadhana Bedi (40), principal of CMS, Chowk branch, left for Lahore last night at the invitation of the prestigious chain of 90 schools spread all over Pakistan which has been founded by Mr Kasuri, has his wife as its chairperson and his son as the CEO, informed Jagdish Gandhi founder of the CMS schools, Lucknow. After attending the function on January 25, Ms Bedi is scheduled to meet the Punjab Governor and other Pakistan dignitaries during her stay there. President Musharaf was the chief guest at the school’s function last year, said Mr Gandhi. Earlier, a student’s team from Beaconhouse had visited CMS, and both schools also formed an Indo-Pak Friendship Club called ‘Aao Dosti Karen’.
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Raj greets Bal Thackeray on his birthday
Mumbai, January 23 Raj, who cut short his tour across Maharashtra, dropped in for half an hour accompanied by wife Sharmila, his children and other relatives. |
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