tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Saturday, December 5, 1998
weather today's calendar

G.G. Swell resigns from BJP
SHILLONG, Dec 4 (UNI) — In a major blow to the BJP in the North East, former Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha Prof G.G. Swell has resigned from the primary membership of the party. In a letter sent to BJP national president Kushabhau Thakre yesterday, Prof Swell said he was resigning in protest against atrocities on Christians in many parts of the country and the failure of the Centre to arrest the spiralling prices of essential commodities. The letter further said "the breakdown in law and order in many parts of the country has also made it incompatible for me to remain a member of the BJP".

11 Naxalites killed
HYDERABAD, Dec 4 (PTI) — In a major blow to the Naxalite operations in the Telangana region, 11 Naxalites, including two women, belonging to the Janashakthi group, were killed in an encounter with the police at Nagampeta village in Karimnagar district. Arms and ammunition, including two pistols, three double barrel guns, two tapanchas, and a revolver were seized from the scene, the police said. The encounter in Sircilla division of the district was part of an intensive drive to contain extremist activities in the region.

PM meets President
NEW DELHI, Dec 4 (PTI) — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had a 30-minute meeting with President K.R. Narayanan at Rashtrapati Bhavan this evening. Officials described the meeting as a "routine one." This was Mr Vajpayee’s first meeting with the President after his party’s rout in the recent Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram.

PM convenes meeting
NEW DELHI, Dec 4 (PTI) — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is convening a meeting of leaders of all political parties on December 9 to reach a consensus on the Women’s Reservation Bill for 33 per cent quota in legislative assemblies and the Lok Sabha. Mr Vajpayee has written to leaders of all political parties and allies inviting them for the meeting since the government wanted to accord highest priority to this legislation, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Lal Khurana told reporters here today.

IRA Bill
NEW DELHI, Dec 4 (UNI) — The Congress has not taken any stand on the proposed Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) Bill and party president Sonia Gandhi has not given any direction to its members. Prof P.J. Kurien, chief whip of the party and the convenor of its Parliamentary Affairs Committee, said the issue was briefly discussed in the committee but no decision had been taken. He said it was decided to wait for the Bill and react to its provisions. The party would hold further discussions on the subject, he added. He said reports that Mrs Gandhi had hinted supporting the Bill were incorrect.

US Nagar issue
NEW DELHI, Dec 4 (PTI) — A crucial meeting of the three-member committee on the Udham Singh Nagar issue, headed by Defence Minister George Fernandes, will be held here on December 10. Sources close to Mr Fernandes said the meeting will be attended by the other two members — Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Kalyan Singh. The committee was set up by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in October to resolve the impasse over the creation of a separate state of Uttaranchal.

Portfolios
NEW DELHI, Dec 4 (PTI) — Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit will hold home and law and justice as per the allocation of portfolios among the new seven-member ministry in Delhi announced today. The finance portfolio has been given to former Mayor, M.S. Saathi. Ms Dikshit will also look after administrative reforms, general administration, water, services, vigilance and all other departments not allocated to any other minister.