Tuesday, August 11, 1998
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N A T I O N |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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Pak gifted PoK India
ready to sign fair treaty: PM |
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SC
issues notice to UP Speaker |
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IAS officer’s wife
raped, seeks probe |
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Pak gifted PoK areas to China: Fernandes CALCUTTA, Aug 10 (PTI) — Defence Minister George Fernandes today said Pakistan had “gifted” parts of occupied Kashmir to China and the Government was trying to engage in a dialogue on this. He was addressing newsmen here after the commissioning of missile corvette Ins Kora, when he was asked about his statement that parts of Kashmir were lying with China. He said “we have got evidence” of this and “we are trying to engage in a dialogue.” Stating that Pakistan was encouraging subversive activities in Kashmir, he said the Centre has taken up “a well-thought out plan” which is being implemented to tackle the situation. He, however, did not give details. He said post-Pokhran sanctions by the USA would not affect India’s defence research and hardware production. “Their decision not to supply critical technology to India is nothing new. They have blacklisted our defence and agriculture laboratories, but I do not think there would be any major effect.” Talks, however, were on with defence laboratories of some other countries for research alliance, he said. The sanctions would also not affect the country’s defence hardware production as India had been for long procuring components from Russia and some other countries. Mr Fernandes said the West
Bengal Government’s stand on the Bangladeshi
deportation issue was not in the interest of the country. |
Ministry admits rise in crime NEW DELHI, Aug 10 — The Home Ministry, in its status report on the law and order situation in the Capital filed before the Delhi High Court today. Admitted that heinous crimes like murder, dacoities, robberies and kidnappings had gone up in the Capital this year. The report, which came in the light of a direction by a Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Mahinder Narain and Mr Justice Mukul Mudgal asking the government to place entire facts on the situation before the court, further admitted that the general feeling among people was that law and order situation had “deteriorated” and it was not an “encouraging” sign for the government. The report to be taken up for hearing tomorrow by the court, stated that a meeting convened by Home Minister L.K. Advani on July 18 to discuss the issue and attended by Lt Governor Vijai Kapoor, Chief Minister Sahib Singh Varma, MPs and MLAs from the Capital was unanimous in its view that real indicator of law and order situation was public opinion apart from the statistics. The Minister admitted that heinous crimes increased from 1520 cases during last year to 1593 cases up to July this year with May registering a phenomenal increase in the crime rate, while the non-heinous crimes declined from 34.030 to 32.031, the report said. Meanwhile, the order of the Home Ministry, sanctioning the creation of 17 new police stations in the Capital, with a total strength of 3,100 personnel, is expected to be issued in the next few-days, says UNI. Keeping the huge financial implications of creating additional 59 police stations, the ministry has cleared the formation of only 17 in the first phase. Not a single police
station has been set up since 1988. Even after the
creation of new police stations, there will be a
shortfall of 42 police stations in the city. |
India ready to sign fair treaty: PM MUMBAI, Aug 10 (PTI) — Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today asserted that India was prepared to sign any non-discriminatory treaty aimed at nuclear test ban, non-proliferation and actual disarmament and lambasted the industrialised countries’ attempts to restrict the country’s pursuit of research. India would never be found wanting in any “collective international endeavour” to achieve nuclear disarmament, he said but termed as “unwarranted” the restrictions imposed by the USA and some other countries on participation of Indian scientists in overseas conferences and hindrances created to their normal activity abroad. Mr Vajpayee was addressing the golden jubilee fete of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) here. Mr Vajpayee hit out at the restrictions imposed on Indian scientists by the USA and other countries asserting these would not deter India from pursuing research in key areas of science and technology. “The restrictions imposed on Indian scientists by the USA and other countries would be futile. India will not be discouraged and disheartened from pursuing research in frontier areas of science and technology,” he said. In an unspecified but obvious reference to the denial of visa to AEC Chairman R. Chidambaram for attending an international conference in the USA, Mr Vajpayee said “apart from being unjustifiable, these measures were also futile as they were not going to discourage and dishearten India from the chosen path of research and development. Condemnation of the use of nuclear weapons in the Second World War, voiced by Gandhi and other leaders of the freedom movement, was as valid today, he said that adding “no more Hiroshimas” was a “mantra” chanted even today by India’s soul. The Prime Minister, who
received a standing ovation from scientists at the Bhabha
Atomic Research Centre (BARC) here, observed that after
the Pokhran tests the BARC had graduated from its earlier
demonstration of “atom for peace and
development” to “atom for national
security.” |
SC issues notice to UP
Speaker NEW DELHI, Aug 10— The Supreme Court today issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker, Mr Kesri Nath Tripathi, on a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by Ms Mayawati challenging his judgement and order recognising the breakaway group of 19 BSP MLAs as the Jantantrik Bahujan Samaj Party who had voted for the Kalyan Singh government during the confidence vote in October, 1997. Earlier, the court had allowed impleadment of the Speaker as a necessary party in the petition. The Bench comprising Chief Justice M.M. Punchhi, Mr Justice M. Srinivasan and Mr Justice S. Rajendra Babu issued notice returnable by August 25 even when Mr Ashok Desai, senior advocate, appearing from the respondents, informed the court that a similar petition filed by Ms Mayawati was pending before the Allahabad High Court. The judgement of the Speaker could not be simultaneously challenged in two different forums, he submitted. In his order of March 23
last, the Speaker had held that the whip issued by Ms
Mayawati as leader of the BSP in the House was not
competent since it was not issued by an authorised person
within the meaning of Para 2(1) (d) of the Tenth Schedule
of the Constitution, which contains the anti-defection
law. |
IAS officer’s wife raped, seeks probe PATNA Aug 10 (PTI) — The wife of a senior IAS officer in Bihar has urged State Governor Sunder Singh Bhandari to order an inquiry, preferably by the CBI, into alleged rape by the son of an RJD leader of her, her mother and other female relatives. In a complaint petition sent to the Governor on June 13 from New Delhi, Mr Champa Biswas alleged that the leader’s son along with other accomplices, raped her, her mother, female domestic helps and other relatives on September 2, 1995, and had made several attempts to kill her husband and two minor sons since then. Keeping in view the threat perception, her husband, Mr B. B. Biswas, was “forced to proceed on long leave for an uncertain period and hide outside the state since November 28, 1997,” she said in her complaint. Her husband, a 1982 batch officer who was the Director of Social Security in the State Labour Department, has formally applied for central deputation as his return to Bihar “is sure to be greeted with (his) murder along with (that of) his minor sons”. Raj Bhavan sources confirmed that the Governor had received the complaint. When contacted, the
Inspector- General (Administration), Mr Neyaz Ahmed, said
he had received a copy of the petition from the National
Human Rights Commission last week. |
Cong seeks Advani’s resignation NEW DELHI, Aug 10 (PTI) — Concerned over the spurt in terrorist killings in the Jammu region, the Congress today demanded the resignation of Home Minister L.K. Advani. The demand was made by a three-member AICC team which visited Rajouri, Poonch and adjoining areas of Udhampur district which said the situation there was “grim” as there was a “complete absence” of coordination among the civil administration, the paramilitary forces and the Army. This has led to a situation where people have been left to their fate, the delegation members — Mr S.S. Surjewala, Mr Venod Sharma and Mr K.M. Khan — told reporters adding that the “resentment against the Union Government symbolised by the Home Minister was loud and clear among the people”. “The Home Minister has no moral or political authority to stay in office and hence he should quit to create some confidence among the people,” they said. Stating that the strength of the Army, the paramilitary forces and the police was “highly inadequate” in the region, they said there was urgent need to strengthen the forces without any loss of time. They met party President Sonia Gandhi earlier in the day and presented their report. The Congress also condemned his statement making light of the party’s demand for dismissal of the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra in the wake of the report of the Srikrishna Commission which probed the 1992-93 Mumbai riots. The party spokesperson, Ms Girija Vyas, told reporters the response of the Home Minister on such a sensitive issue needed to be condemned. She said the issue was serious as it was for the first time a government has rejected a report under the plea that it was against a particular community. The Congress also condemned his statement making light of the party’s demand for dismissal of the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra in the wake of the report of the Srikrishna Commission which probed the 1992-93 Mumbai riots. The party spokesperson, Ms Girija Vyas, told reporters the response of the Home Minister on such a sensitive issue needed to be condemned. She said the issue was serious as it was for the first time a government has rejected a report under the plea that it was against a particular community. Ms Vyas said the commission has passed severe strictures against sena chief Bal Thackarey holding him responsible for instigating the riots. Asked whether the party
planned to approach the election commission seeking
disqualification of the Shiv Sena in view of the
Srikrishna panel report, she said "I don’t
think so". |
HC warns against misuse of
PIL NEW DELHI, Aug 10 — The Delhi High Court today passed a stricture against the filing of public interest litigation by persons who have a personal interest in the case. The court took serious view of the tendency of petitioners of PIL to hide facts related to their interest in the case and directed that it would not entertain such petitions. A Division Bench comprising Mr Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and Mr Justice K.S. Gupta took note of the growing trend of filing of “personal interest petitions” in the guise of PIL. “We have made it very clear that when you file a PIL, you have to disclose the genesis of the whole matter,” the Bench observed while dismissing a PIL alleging large scale irregularities in the functioning of the Capital’s Azadpur vegetable market. The objection of the court was that the petitioner who himself was holding a licence to operate in the market did not disclose all information relating to his and his father’s interest. Rejecting the prayer of counsel for the petitioner, Mr Rajeev Awasthi, for allowing his counsel to place the information before the court through an application as the matter was significant, the Bench said it was important for the court to know the antecedents and bona fide of the petitioner in filing a PIL. “We will not entertain a PIL from a petitioner who himself had interest attached to the case”, the Bench said. In its brief order, it
said, “This petition in the shape of a PIL has been
filed making a grievance about large-scale irregularities
in the working of the Azadpur market by the Agriculture
Produce Market Committee. Except stating that he had a
licence in the mandi, the petitioner has not revealed any
other fact or his interest in the matter.” |
Surgeons make world record NEW DELHI, Aug 10 (UNI) — Indian surgeons have recorded a world first by borrowing a heart bypass technique to save a woman’s leg from amputation. The operation, carried out at a Jalandhar hospital, involved removing the radial artery from the left arm and using it as a bypass graft for a leg which had turned pre-gangrenous from lack of blood circulation. With her leg turning blue for lack of oxygenated blood, surgeons were preparing to amputate it to prevent fatal blood-poisoning when a cardiac surgeon, Dr Harinder Singh Bedi, decided to try out a long-held hunch. Assisted by an orthopaedic surgeon, Dr P. Lal, and a team of doctors at the Tagore Heart Care and Research Centre at Jalandhar, Dr Bedi linked the femoral artery to the poplitial artery using a radial artery from the arm for the first time in the world. The technique became the
talk of the 44th Annual Conference of Cardiovascular and
Thoracic Surgeons at Jaipur in March this year. |
Notice to school for hiking fee NEW DELHI, Aug 10 — A contempt of court notice was issued to Naval Public School by the Delhi High Court today for allegedly increasing the fee beyond the permissible 40 per cent limit. Mr Justice S. N. Kapoor issued the notice to Ms Neera Chopra, Principal of the school, and asked her to file a reply by September 4, when the case would next come up for hearing. The petition, filed by parents of students of the school, alleged that in spite of the high court’s order of December 7 and May 4, most of the schools, including Naval Public School, had enhanced the fee beyond the permissible limit from April 1. Mr Ashok
Aggarwal, counsel for the petitioner, submitted that
Naval Public School, had enhanced the fees by 58 per cent
for Class VI and by 61 per cent for Class IV and urged
the court to initiate action against the school. |
Man chops head of “witch” JAMSHEDPUR, Aug 10 (PTI) — A tribesman has surrendered before the police with the chopped head of a woman suspecting her to be a witch. The police said Syamsundar Mardi of Kasibera village believed that Dulu Murmu had cast a spell on his family which led to recurring illness and the death of one member. Mardi shot Duli at a
lonely place on Saturday with an arrow and then beheaded
her with a sharp weapon. Mardi hid the torso in a bush
and took away the severed head in a bag. He kept the head
in his room that night and surrendered before the police
in East Singhbhum district yesterday, police said. |
Reshuffle in Delhi administration NEW DELHI, Aug 10 — Top ranking officials in the Delhi Government, including the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, were transferred today. The Chief Minister of Delhi, Mr Sahib Singh Verma, said that the administrative changes would give the people a more responsive bureaucracy. The reshuffle comes a few weeks after the senior BJP leaders, including party vice-president and outer Delhi MP, Mr K.L. Sharma, blamed the bureaucracy for the ills plaguing the Capital. The Chairman of the Delhi Vidyut Board, Mr Naveen Chawla, has been appointed Principal Secretary (Services). He has been replaced by Mr Virendra Singh, Principal Secretary (Finance). The Principal Secretary (Planning), Mr K.S. Baidwan, would hold the additional charge of Finance. Mr Chander Mohan, Managing Director of Delhi State Industrial Development Corporation (DSIDC), has been appointed Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister. He replaces Mr Madan Jha. The Secretary (Industries), Mr J.P. Singh, would hold the additional charges of MD, DSIDC. Ms Savitri Kashyap, Director, Training (UTCS) has been appointed as Commissioner (Excise). She will hold the additional charge of Member Secretary of the women commission. Ms Kashyap replaces Ms Satbir Silas, who was appointed Excise Commissioner a few months back. Ms Satbir has been appointed Director Training (UTCS). Mr Manish Gupta, Additional Commissioner (Sales Tax), would hold the additional charge of Secretary (Information and Technology). Several joint secretaries
and deputy commissioners have been promoted as additional
secretaries. |
| In
brief Cop bites driver Cancer cases up in
UP Mizoram’s
plea on loans HC no to
withdrawal of plea Malayalam film
star dead |
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