Thursday, August 27, 1998
|
N A T I O N |
|
| weather n
spotlight today's calendar |
 |
 |
|
|
New lineups emerging |
 |
No PIL for CAT, directs SC NEW DELHI, Aug 26 — In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court has held that administrative tribunals, established to deal with service matters, have no jurisdiction to entertain public interest litigations.
|
|
RLM
seeks arrest of Thackeray Ex-MLA’s
son held on rape charge Tanwar
murder case: HC asks CBI to expedite probe ED
counsel sack: Minister denies involvement PM
for peace on NAM agenda Unleaded
petrol must in Delhi from Sept 1 Genes
from Indian cattle ‘pirated’ Deaths
attributed to gastro disorder Proposed
visit of British MPs flayed PM
sets up two high-level panels Jethmalani
to sue Swamy Chandraswami's
visit cleared |
|||||
|
||||||
New lineups emerging NEW DELHI, Aug 26 — The clouds of uncertainty, in relation to the short term longevity of the government, seem to have blown over. Even if the AIADMK with its 18 MPs (plus Dr Subramaniam Swamy of the Janata Party) part company with the ruling coalition, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee may be able to emulate Mr P.V. Narasimha Rao and carry the day on the floor of Lok Sabha in the event of a trial of strength. The BJP, at last, has started talking like a ruling party (example: the Jaipur resolution of the party accusing the Congress and other Opposition parties of "trying to reverse" the people’s mandate by attempting to "destabilise" it. The Congress, on its part, has now started talking like an Opposition party (example: Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s criticism at Gorakhpur of Mr Kalyan Singh’s absence from UP, to attend the Jaipur executive of the BJP, instead of attending to the relief in the natural disaster affected state). While the BJP would like to prepare itself for heading a coalition which will need machiavellian political management and various forms of permutations and combinations to be on the right side of the number game, the Congress seems to be preparing for either pulling down the government before the winter session of the Lok Sabha (due in November) or asking for a fresh mandate from the people in case the results of the November assembly elections in four states do not favour the BJP. The two Communist parties are slowly veering round to the viewpoint that the Congress led by Mrs Sonia Gandhi is not evil after all. Three significant meetings have taken place over the past fortnight which augur well for a possible Communist-Congress tieup. Mrs Sonia Gandhi has received at 10, Janpath, Mr A.B. Bardhan, CPI General Secretary. This meeting was preceded by a tete-a-tete between her and former Union Home Minister and CPI strongman, Mr Indrajit Gupta, in Parliament House premises; and a visit by Mrs Sonia Gandhi to the residence of CPM General Secretary, Mr Harkishan Singh Surjeet. The two Communist parties are holding their respective party congresses over the next five weeks. According to available indications, while the CPM meet at Calcutta is likely to alter the 1995 Chandigarh formulation of "equidistance" from both Congress and the BJP; the CPI congress at Chennai is likely to reverse the 1978 Bathinda resolution which had catapulted the party away from the Congress. Both parties are likely to conclude that between the BJP and the Congress, the latter is "less evil" and thus pave the way for future cooperation. While on the political plane, cooperation between the Communists and the Congress on the basic minimum understanding of the BJP being a front of the "fascist" RSS is easy to attain, speedbreakers and roadblocks are galore on the economic front. Before the two Communist parties hold their congresses, the much-awaited "Narora-type" camp of the Congress is being held at Pachmarhi. led by hardliners like Mr Arjun Singh, a section of the party is keen to correct the economic line injected by Mr P.V. Narasimha Rao and his Finance Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh. It may be recalled that in 1991 itself, Mr Arjun Singh and other hardliners, who later clashed with Mr Rao and even left the party, had been pointing out that economic reforms should be carried out with a "human face". If the efforts of this
camp succeed, then the task of the CPI and the CPM
leadership at the Chennai and Calcutta party congresses
will become easy. |
No PIL for CAT, directs SC NEW DELHI, Aug 26 (PTI) — In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court has held that administrative tribunals, established to deal with service matters, have no jurisdiction to entertain public interest litigations. A three-judge Bench comprising Justice S.C. Agrawal, Justice S. Saghir Ahmed and Justice M. Srinivasan ruled that "administrative tribunals cannot entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) at the instance of a total stranger." The court rejected the stand that considering the nature of proceedings before the tribunal, a PIL could be filed by any public as he was an aggrieved person if public interest was affected. The apex court negated an order of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) at Bhubaneswar, which while entertaining three PILs, had cancelled appointment of a doctor Duryodhan Sahu as junior lecturer in the surgical gastroenterology discipline at S.C.B. Medical College, Cuttack. The Bench said, "there is no doubt that a total stranger to the concerned service cannot make an application before the tribunal." It may be recalled that on December 31, 1997, the CAT at Delhi had stayed extension in service given to then Cabinet Secretary T.S.R. Subramaniam while entertaining a PIL. The Delhi High Court had later stayed the CAT order. The apex court said in its 22-page judgement that "if PILs at the instance of strangers are allowed to be entertained by the tribunal, the very objective of speedy disposal of service matters would be difficult." It said the constitution of administrative tribunals was necessitated because of large number of pendency of cases relating to service matters in various courts in the country. "It was expected that the setting up of administrative tribunals to deal exclusively in service matters would go a long way in not only reducing the burden of the courts but also provide to the persons covered by the tribunal speedy relief in respect of their grievances," the Bench said. It said the basic idea as evident from the various provisions of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, was that the tribunal "should quickly redress the grievances in relation to service matters." The Bench while
interpreting Section 3 (Q) of the Act said that in order
to bring a matter before the tribunal, "an
application has to be made and the same can be made only
by a person aggrieved by any order pertaining to any
matter within the jurisdiction of the tribunal." |
Defence pension revised NEW DELHI, Aug 26 — The Ministry of Defence has issued orders for revision of pension of pre-1986 pensioners and pre-1996 ordinary family pensioners belonging to armed forces personnel below officer rank (PBOR). According to an official statement issued here today, these orders will apply to all personnel drawing pension or family pension on January 1, 1996. The pension disbursing authorities (PDAs) including public sector banks disbursing defence pension, have been authorised for refixation and consolidation of pension from that date without any further authorisation from the pension sanctioning authorities concerned . PDAs have also been authorised to pay the arrears of such refixation of pension. For the purpose of refixation of pension from January 1, 1996 PDAs were being provided tables indicating original pension as sanctioned in the Pension Pay Order (PPO), existing pension as was payable on January 1, 1996, and the revised consolidated groups of PBOR pensioners of Army, Navy and Air Force discharged during different periods of time. The orders also provide that ordinary family pension payable from January 1, 1996, will be calculated at a uniform rate of 30 per cent of the basic pay in all cases subject to a minimum of Rs 1275 per month and a maximum of 30 per cent of the highest pay in the government. This benefit will be extended to all pre-January 1, 1996 family pensioners. Dearness relief on the pension sanctioned by the government from time to time will continue to be paid on the revised consolidated pension or ordinary family pension. Notional fixation of pay as on January 1, 1986, will not effect death-cum-retirement gratuity (DCRG) entitlement already determined and paid with reference to rules applicable at the time of discharge or death of PBOR. Each pensioner and family
pensioner who was in receipt of a pension on January 1,
1996, is required to apply for revision of his or her
pension in the prescribed form in duplicate to his or her
PDA latest by February 28, 1999. |
‘We are used to landslides here’ DHARCHULA, Aug 26 (PTI) — The primary health care centre here presents a gory sight with stinking maggot-ridden bodies of the victims from the landslide-hit Malpa region being brought here. A pervasive depression fills the small 15-bed ‘hospital’ located in the region bordering Nepal with screaming relatives, a nauseating foul-smell, mask-wearing nurses and attendants, aggravated by incessant rains. Heart-rending scenes are witnessed at the hospital and the cremation sites with inconsolable relatives of local porters — many of them teenagers and the sole bread-earners of the families - who lost their lives along with the pilgrims in the mishap pouring their hearts out at the loss. Grief stricken relatives of Subhash Singh (18), who had accompanied the 12th batch of pilgrims, which was wiped out, screamed aloud and huddled together in one corner of the hospital compound as his highly decomposed body was brought here late on Monday evening. Seeking to hide their faces behind shawls and mufflers, they turn away from the bright lights accompanying TV cameras and flash bulbs of press photographers trying to capture their devastated emotions on film. “The subdivisional officer’s office, only yards away from the hospital, which has been converted into a control room, has become a centre of activity with anxious relatives seeking information. Even though local inhabitants here carry on their daily chores like on any other day, the Malpa disaster has become the talk of the town. “We are used to the landslides here. Landslides have been a part of our lives. But this was the greatest disaster. So many lives lost. It is unbelievable,” says a local hotelier. Finding accommodation here has become a difficult proposition, what with scores of relatives of pilgrims from all over India, mediamen and officers descending on this sleepy little town. With only three STD lines out of Dharchula, two of them taken over by district administration, communication with other parts of the country including Pithoragarh, just 90 km away, takes hours as relatives of ill-fated yatris and mediamen desperately try to send across information. Locals advise anybody bothering to listen to walk across to the nearest Nepalese town of Dharchula where more phone lines and fax machines are available. People from Dharchula are also trickling in to the Indian side inquiring about the mishap. Life in the town will
gradually return to normal. But the shock of the disaster
will remain etched in its memory for a longtime to come. |
RLM seeks arrest of Thackeray NEW DELHI, Aug 26 (PTI) — The Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha (RLM) today held countrywide dharna to demand implementation of the Srikrishna Commission report on Mumbai riots and action against those indicted by the panel. Morcha leader Ranjan Prasad Yadav said the 12-hour dharna was staged at state headquarters all over the country. Mr Yadav criticised the remarks of Maharashtra Chief Minister Manohar Joshi that he would step down if the Supreme Court asked him to arrest the Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on the Srikrishna Commission issue. The morcha will hold a rally in Mumbai on September 9 in support of its demands. PATNA: The RLM charged the Centre with having "prompted’’ the Maharashtra government to reject the Srikrishna Commission report on 1992-93 Mumbai riots and demanded immediate arrest of Shiv Sena chief, Bal Thackeray and resignation of Chief Minister Manohar Joshi. RJD leaders led by party president and former Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav staged a day-long dharna today in front of B.R. Ambedkar statue here under the banner of the RLM to protest against the rejection of the commission findings. Mr Yadav flayed the Centre for allegedly having "backed’’ Mr Joshi to reject the report which indicted Sena chief. While talking to reporters at the dharna site, he demanded the institution of a case against Mr Thackeray and others indicted by the commission. Charging Mr Joshi with having committed "contempt of court by rejecting the findings of a judicial commission,’’ Mr Yadav said the Chief Minister should resign immediately. Several RJD MPs, host of Bihar ministers and legislators participated in the dharna. Mr Yadav said the RLM would continue to fight for implementation of the commission’s findings. He said the government should provide adequate security to Mr Justice Srikrishna. Alleging the Centre "had failed’’ on all fronts, he said the RLM would soon launch a country-wide agitation to caution people against the "rise of communal and fascist forces’’. Mr Yadav said RJD
activists would also hold demonstrations and dharnas at
district and block headquarters on August 28 and 29 to
press their demand. |
98 pilgrims evacuated from Gunji MALPA (Uttar Pradesh), Aug 26 (PTI) — In a swift three-hour operation, Indian Air Force (IAF) choppers today evacuated 98 pilgrims and their relatives from landslide-hit Gunji village, even as four more bodies were recovered from slush and debris here taking the total number of victims in this village to 36. Ninety-eight persons, including Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrims of ninth, 10th and 11th batches, stranded at Gunji village, their relatives and some officials, stranded at Gunji village were airlifted to Pithoragarh by IAF helicopters today. There are still a little over 60 persons stranded at Gunji and would be evacuated tomorrow if the weather permits, officials battling with rescue work said. Quoting latest reports from Pithoragarh, IAF sources in New Delhi said five MI-17 choppers took off soon after the weather cleared late afternoon and rescued the victims and their kin. The IAF on Monday evacuated 20 persons, including two injured in the Malpa incident and a body, who died at Gunji. Principal Secretary (Home) Naresh Dayal told reporters at Lucknow the rescuers at Malpa had recovered a purse containing the passport of noted danseuse Protima Bedi but her body was not yet traced. According to Brig N.S. Dhaliwal, supervising the entire relief and rescue operations in this village, said engineers would be engaged to clear the boulders to create a platform at the site to make way for ponies and also construct a ropeway across the river Kali to speed up rescue operations. "Search for more bodies at Malpa is continuing and every effort is being made to open the pony track between Malpa and Dharchula which was washed away at number of places,’’ Brig Dhaliwal said. The Chief Medical Officer of Pithoragarh Dr M.S. Kunwar, told PTI that 17 doctors from various hospitals in the district have been posted at Dharchula, a primary health centre has been upgraded while two doctors have been stationed at Malpa. Meanwhile, Chief Engineer Maj Gen Karki visited Dharchula to supervise the technical team involved in clearing the boulders and putting a ropeway. The Corps of Signals has
for the first time integrated different communication
channels including satellite communication, radio relay,
VHF and microwave lines to streamline communication
network in the entire region. This measure was taken by
the Corps of Signals because of the failure of civil
communications. |
Ex-MLA’s son held on rape charge PATNA, Aug 26 (PTI) — Mritunjay Yadav, son of former MLA and RJD leader, Hemlata Yadav, was today arrested by the police from her Bailey Road residence here in connection with the Champa Biswas rape case. Champa Biswas, wife of a senior IAS officer, B.B. Biswas, had in an FIR lodged with the Kotwali police station alleged that she was raped by Mritunjay over a period of two years. Besides Champa, her aging mother, Padmarani Biswas, married sister, Reba, teenage niece, Kalyani and two maid servants were also "subjected to outraging of modesty, criminal coercion and intimidation, rape with violence, seduction and inducement through promises of government jobs and gift of expensive cars she charged. Senior Superintendent of Police (Patna) Sunil Kumar, and Kotwali inspector, Hasnain Ahmed, told reporters that acting on a tip-off, the police raided the RJD leader's house early this morning to track down the accused persons. The police could only lay its hands on Mritunjay (Babloo) as his mother and former MLA was not present there. Claiming that the police had made a breakthrough in the case, SSP Kumar said the four other accused would be arrested soon. He said the kotwali police would interrogate Babloo today. The case was registered
under Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe (atrocity
prevention) Act and several sections of the Indian Penal
Code, Mr Kumar added. |
Tanwar murder case: HC asks CBI
to NEW DELHI, Aug 26 (PTI, UNI) — The Delhi High Court today directed the CBI to expedite the probe into the murder of Dr S. Tanwar, a personal consultant of former Congress President Sitaram Kesri, in October 1993. A Division Bench comprising Mr Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and Mr Justice K.S. Gupta said "something can be achieved if you properly pursue it" while perusing a status report filed by the agency on the probe conducted so far. While fixing the next date of hearing on December 7, the court said "we give you three month’s time and want to see how far you reach" when CBI counsel A.K. Dutt submitted that it would take some time to complete the probe. The investigation was handed over to the CBI on April 22 after Delhi Police failed even to name a single "suspect" in the case though it had recorded statements of over 50 persons including that of Mr Kesri. Severed parts of the body of Dr Tanwar, who was working in a Central Government Health Services (CGHS) dispensary, was found on October 29 and November 4 in 1993. The court transferred the case to the CBI on a writ petition by the All India Young Lawyers Association through its counsel S.N. Pandey, which sought speedy investigation into the matter. After getting a positive reply from Superintendent of Police (CBI) V.B. Singh, the Bench observed, "despite the fact that five years have elapsed, if you (CBI) pursue this line of investigation, you can lead somewhere." The officers and CBI counsel urged the court to give them six months time to complete the probe into the matter. However, the judges said that they had already made it clear since the beginning that they were interested in early completion of the investigation and hence such a long period could not be granted to the agency. "We have already indicated the requirement of expeditious proceedings," the judges observed and gave the CBI three months to come up with the latest progress in the case. Today's status report was submitted before the court in a sealed cover and after perusing the same, the judges returned it to Mr Singh who was present along with Deputy Superintendent of Police Dhankhad. "We will have it (the case) after three months and we will see how far have you reached," the judges observed while posting the matter. The CBI has been probing the matter after the case was transferred from the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police to the prime investigating agency in May this year. The step to transfer the case was taken as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Crime Branch after a thoroughly pursuing all possible leads was not able to achieve any breakthrough. The court was hearing a public interest petition filed by the All-India Young Lawyers Association (AIYLA) through its counsel Kamini Jaiswal and S.N. Pandey alleging that police were deliberately going slow in the probe to shield "certain people" alleged to be involved in the murder of Dr Tanwar. Dr Tanwar disappeared
under mysterious circumstances on October 28, 1993, and
his severed body was later found in pieces at several
places. |
ED counsel sack: Minister
denies involvement NEW DELHI, Aug 26 — The Union Law Minister and AIADMK leader, Mr M.Thambidurai, today, however, sought to distance his party from the government’s decision. He said he had no hand in the central government’s decision to sack the special prosecutor of the Enforcement Directorate in Chennai. Talking to newspersons after a Cabinet meeting this afternoon, Mr Durai said "I cannot change the ED special prosecutor since it is not under my jurisdiction". The services of special prosecutor, Mr K.Kumar, who was a counsel for the ED for the last 13 years and was presently handling cases related to Mrs Sasikala Natarajan, a close friend of Ms Jayalalitha, was terminated last evening. Mr Kumar was representing cases related to FERA violations in the Sessions Court as well as the Madras High Court. The Law Minister said the last time too, when the Enforcement Director, Mr M.K. Bezbaruah, was transferred, the blame had been put on the AIADMK. "How can we be responsible for all the transfers?", he asked. The Centre too made efforts to describe Mr Bezbaruah’s transfer as an administrative matter and there was no politics involved in it. The Union Urban Affairs Minister, Mr Ram Jethmalani, defended the transfer of Mr Bezbaruah saying as per the Supreme Court direction he was not qualified to hold the post. He said according to the apex court, the ED should be of the rank of a Secretary or Additional Secretary and Mr Bezbaruah was not of that rank. Yesterday, the Union
Government told the Supreme Court that the transfer of Mr
Bezbaruah was made for "administrative" reasons
and was ordered on the request of the Home Ministry after
the Delhi Government requested for services of an officer
of proven ability |
PM for peace on NAM agenda NEW DELHI, Aug 26 (PTI) — Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee today strongly favoured non-aligned movement (NAM) evolving a new agenda for the developing nations and asked member-countries to re-assert their unity by taking common positions on core issues of peace, disarmament and development. In an interview to news agencies, the Prime Minister, who will attend the NAM summit in Durban next week, cautioned that efforts to press particularist regional or sub-regional agenda beyond a point could adversely affect an overall South solidarity. Mr Vajpayee, who touched on issues that would figure prominently at the two-day summit, stressed “it is more essential than ever to maintain and reinforce NAM’s traditional thrust on nuclear disarmament.” Calling for a unified response from NAM countries on issues like nuclear disarmament, steps to combat terrorism and negotiations in the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Mr Vajpayee said NAM should ensure that its concerns were placed squarely at the centre of the global agenda. Reiterating India’s commitment to disarmament and elimination of nuclear weapons within a time-bound framework, Mr Vajpayee warned that a monopoly of nuclear weapons with five countries could not be a stable basis for a world nuclear order. Defending the Pokhran nuclear tests, Mr Vajpayee said it had in no way detracted India from its long standing commitment to disarmament and urged the NAM to press hard for the establishment of a nuclear weapons convention. “Pokhran-II has demonstrated India’s capability and, in this sense, has shown that a monopoly of nuclear weapons with five countries cannot be a stable basis for a world nuclear order,” Mr Vajpayee said. Stating that NAM had consistently emphasised the imperative necessity of making progress towards a time-bound framework for a nuclear weapons free world, he said the grouping had strongly supported establishment of a nuclear weapons convention. “NAM is committed to negotiating such a convention that would be universal, non-discriminatory, verifiable and legally binding, as in the case of conventions on chemical and biological weapons,” Mr Vajpayee said. He stressed that “at a time when opinion in the West including nuclear weapon states is veering towards this view, it is more essential than ever to maintain and reinforce NAM’s traditional thrust on nuclear disarmament.” Stating that the priorities of NAM continued to be core issues of peace, disarmament and development, Mr Vajpayee remarked these could be achieved only through solidarity, collectivism and tolerance. “Intolerance and conflict can lead us nowhere. Instead of frittering away energies in disputes, NAM countries should work together so that the common agenda of promoting and achieving peace, disarmament and development could be carried forward with full vigour,” he said. Mr Vajpayee said the nineties have demonstrated the continued relevance of NAM even as the majority of developing countries which constitute its membership face new challenges and opportunities in the post-cold war world. He underlined the need for NAM to deal with these challenges “from a position of strength that is underpinned by their solidarity.” Calling for a unified response from NAM countries on issues like nuclear disarmament, combating terrorism, negotiations in the World Trade Organisation and the environment, Mr Vajpayee said the grouping should reassert their unity and solidarity for common positions. The Prime Minister said there was a pressing need for NAM members to develop “a new agenda for the South”. “To ensure a broad acceptance and solidarity, such an agenda need to include all the major concerns of countries of the South, notwithstanding the varying degree of interest and commitment” that they individually might be facing, he said. Mr Vajpayee said only then would NAM be able to have a major say in the major forthcoming international economic negotiations and ensure that its concerns were placed squarely at the centre of the global agenda. Focussing on the need for
NAM to come together, Mr Vajpayee said this could enhance
their capability to negotiate with interlocutors from the
north on major global issues including international
trade in goods and services, resources for development
especially financial flows, and the role of international
financial institutions. Systemic issues that include
institutional and UN reforms and environment. |
Unleaded petrol must in Delhi from
Sept 1 NEW DELHI, Aug 26 — The use of unleaded petrol will be made compulsory in Delhi for all vehicles, including those without catalytic converters, from September 1 but there is no proposal to extend this measure to other cities in the country. According to Petroleum Ministry sources, other cites would continue to have the supply of both unleaded and leaded petrol. However, it would be the respective state governments’ prerogative to introduce such a measure. At present unleaded petrol is provided in other cities for new vehicles fitted with catalytic converters while old vehicles continue to use normal petrol. The Delhi Government had to take the drastic step as the pollution level in the city had reached alarming levels and the Supreme Court had directed it to take such a step. The decision to supply only unleaded petrol in Delhi was taken after tests showed that use of this fuel in vehicles without catalytic converters did not do any damage to their engines. Unleaded petrol was first introduced in the four metros of Delhi, Calcutta, Madras and Mumbai on April 1, 1995 and it was later extended on June 1 this year to those state and union territory capitals and major towns which had a population of 10 lakh and more. Unleaded petrol would be made available throughout the country by March 31, 2000. Unleaded petrol is now
available in Chandigarh, Gurgaon, Hisar, Ambala, Shimla,
Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Jammu and Srinagar in the
northern region. |
Genes from Indian cattle ‘pirated’ NEW DELHI, Aug 26 (PTI) — Edinburg-based Roslin Institute that cloned Dolly the sheep, has been accused of pirating genes from a unique and nearly extinct Indian cattle breed ‘Vechur’ for its new genetic engineering technology. A controversy has erupted in Kerala over the extinction and piracy of the state’s Vechur breed, a short draught cattle that is the smallest cattle variety in the world, the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology (RFSTE) in Dehra Dun said in a press note here. Vechur is famous for the high fat content in its milk that exceeds that of European cattle. The name Vechur has been repeatedly coming up in the context of research and patent application by Roslin Institute. But it has been denying the use of genetic material from Indian cattle and applying for a patent based on such research. A patent search by the foundation in collaboration with public interest groups in Europe has confirmed that Roslin Institute and its commercial partner PPL Therapeutics (Scotland) Ltd has 14 patent applications with the European Patent Office (EPO), of which one clearly refers to an Indian cattle breed. This patent number ‘EP 0765390’ states that the invention provides recombinant gene technology for a milk protein, a-lactalbumin, in bovine cells. It states there are three known variants of bovine a-lactalbumin of which the B form of ‘Bos Nomadicus F.D. Indicus’ is the most common. The RFSTE says Vechur, one of the famous Indian cattle breeds, has 6.02 per cent to 7.86 per cent fat in its milk. The butter production capacity of milk depends on its fat content, and an institution in a developed country can earn billions of dollars each year by transferring the Vechur genes into foreign cattle. The rare Vechur breed is being conserved by the Kerala Agriculture University (KAU) livestock farm at Mannuthy. But in India, the rich cattle biodiversity is under a severe threat due to extensive cross-breeding programmes that are replacing unique indigenous breeds with cross-bred Jersey and Holstein cows. The foundation says several issues that need to be investigated include which of the many Indian cattle breeds was used by Roslin Institute for its patent, and whether the breed was the famous and nearly extinct Vechur breed. Other questions are whether the research on a-lactalbumin was done at Kerala University, and if not, then who did it. How did Roslin scientists know about it and did KAU scientists work with Roslin researchers? Since India is in the
process of drafting its biodiversity law which will
regulate and govern access to Indian biodiversity, the
case of Roslin patents and the status of Vechur are
important examples of piracy that need to be prevented. |
Deaths attributed to gastro
disorder NEW DELHI, Aug 26 — Gastro-intestinal disorder has been identified one of the causes for the deaths of three of the five inmates living in a home for mentally retarded, says the interim report submitted to the Lt-Governor. The report was prepared by the Deputy Commissioner (North West) and Dr Vijay Rai after a probe into the circumstances leading to the deaths of inmates of Asha Kiran, a home for the mentally retarded. “The committee has concluded that two of the deaths occurred on account of asphyxia due to aspiration of vomit following an epileptic seizure, and acute myocardial infarction on the underlying heart disease,” a Raj Bhawan release said. The other three deaths could be attributed to a disease syndrome characterised by diarrhoea and vomiting. These symptoms are commonly associated with gastro-intestinal disorders of viral, bacterial or toxic origin. No common single cause could be attributed to the five deaths. There was no outbreak of cholera, as was being widely speculated, the release said. According to the report, a definite conclusion regarding the precise causes of the deaths can only be reached after obtaining reports of detailed clinical and pathological investigations. The agencies concerned
have been asked to expedite their reports in order to
facilitate early submission of the final report and
implementation of the consequential remedial steps. The
institute authorities and the public health functionaries
of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi have been directed
to maintain a strict vigil over the inmates. |
Proposed visit of British MPs
flayed NEW DELHI, Aug 26 — The proposed visit by a group of British MPs to Punjab next month to assess the human rights situation in the state has been deplored by the Indian Overseas Congress (IOC), United Kingdom. The former Rajya Sabha member, Mr Surinder Singla, who attended the convention of the IOC at Osterley, Greater London, last week-end said here today that the proposed visit by Mr John MacDonald, member, House of Commons, UK and four others was criticised by the delegates. Though the proposed visit
by the British MPs in the last week of September would go
ahead as scheduled, Mr Singla said the delegation would
not announce “human rights assessment” as their
purpose of visit officially. |
PM sets up two high-level
panels NEW DELHI, Aug 26 — Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee today set up an Economic Advisory Council and another on Trade and Industry comprising leading industrialists and economists, as part of the government’s effort to help refashion economic policies to spur growth. The 10-member Economic Advisory Council and the 12-member Council on Trade is headed by the Prime Minister with Mr N K Singh, Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office as the Member-Secretary. Mr Brajesh Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, will be a member of both Councils, according to a release from the PMO. The members of the Economic Council include the former Finance Minister and RBI Governor, I.G. Patel, Chairman of the Disinvestment Commission, Mr G V Ramakrishna, Economists, Prof P N Dhar, Mr Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Dr Arjun Sengupta. The Council on Trade and Industry will have industrialists, Mr Ratan Tata, Mr Mukesh Ambani, Mr R P Goenka, Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla, Mr Nusli Wadia, Mr Parvinder Singh and Mr A C Muthaiah. Creation of the two
councils is part of a series of measures proposed by the
Prime Minister to give impetus to economic and industrial
growth. |
Jethmalani to sue Swamy NEW DELHI, Aug 26 (PTI) — Union Minister for Urban Affairs and Employment Ram Jethmalani today reacted sharply to Janata Party President Dr Subramanian Swamy’s "land scam" allegations against him and said he would sue Mr Swamy for defaming him. Asked as to what action he was contemplating, he said, "I will sue him for defamation." Asked when he proposed to file the defamation suit against Dr Swamy, the minister said, "of course, tomorrow." Dr Swamy today demanded a CBI probe into alleged attempt to re-allot a prime land here to a "defaulting" allottee and sought prosecution of Mr Ram Jethmalani in this regard. He claimed at a press conference that Mr Jethmalani had passed an "unprecedented order’’ restoring the land worth Rs 350 crore to M.S. Shoes Ltd. owned by Pawan Sachdeva, for construction of a guest house-cum-shopping complex. Earlier, Mr Jethmalani had
declined to comment on Dr Swamy’s allegations. |
Chandraswami's visit cleared NEW DELHI, Aug 26 (UNI) — The Centre has cleared a six-member team, including controversial tantrik Chandraswami and his aide K.N. Agarwal, alias Mamaji to proceed to Canada for the purpose of cross-examining a witness in connection with the Lakhubhai Pathak cheating case. The other members of the team are CBI DSP K.P. Singh, CBI counsel A.K. Dutt, Chandraswami’s counsel Rajinder Singh and Mr A.M. Khanwilkar, counsel for former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, also an accused in the case. The government will bear the cost of the trip, the CBI counsel informed Special Judge Ajit Bharihoke, who is hearing the case. All earlier efforts by the
CBI to bring the witness, Mr W.E. Miller, here had failed
and thus, the court, on September 5 last, had asked the
investigating agency to proceed to Canada to examine him. |
| In
brief Ganesh
festival begins Murder case solved Floods cut off N.
Bengal |
 |
 |
 |
| Punjab
| Haryana | Himachal Pradesh | Jammu & Kashmir | Chandigarh | | Editorial | Business | Stocks | Sport | | Mailbag | Spotlight | World | 50 years of Independence | Weather | | Search | Subscribe | Archive | Suggestion | Home | E-mail | |
