Saturday, December 12, 1998
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Bofors case: HC refuses to intervene NEW DELHI, Dec 11 — The Delhi High Court today refused to intervene in the Bofors pay-off investigation and dismissed a petition seeking monitoring of CBI probe by the court and initiation of prosecution against persons named in the report submitted by the agency to the government. Opposition forces RS adjournment |
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 NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit with a National Akali Dal delegation led by its president, Mr Paramjeet Singh Pamma (on her right), when it called on her in New Delhi on Friday. — PTI
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New population policy soon NEW DELHI, Dec 11 — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today said the government would soon finalise a new Demographic Policy providing a judicious mix of incentives and disincentives for population control.
‘BSP
to oppose women’s Bill’ Draft
guidelines to protect environment Jaya
fires another salvo at BJP SP
leaders in UP join Congress |
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Bofors case NEW DELHI, Dec 11 — The Delhi High Court today refused to intervene in the Bofors pay-off investigation and dismissed a petition seeking monitoring of CBI probe by the court and initiation of prosecution against persons named in the report submitted by the agency to the government. A division Bench of Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and Justice K.S. Gupta, while dismissing a public interest litigation, said: "In our opinion it is not a fit case to entertain the PIL and issue notices to the respondents." The court also rejected the request of the petitioner seeking a direction to the government to take up the issue of procuring spare parts for the 155mm Howitzer field guns from Sweden or indigenously manufacturing them. The Bench observed: "We do not think a direction is required to the government to secure necessary spare parts (for the guns)." The PIL by advocate B.L. Wadhera had sought monitoring of the investigation by the court and direction to the Centre to grant sanction to the CBI for starting prosecution against those named in the report submitted by the agency to Home Ministry on May 12 last year after perusing the voluminous papers received from Switzerland. The Bench observed that investigation in the case was being carried out in various countries and the difficulties faced by the CBI were obvious. The petitioner pointed out that the 349-page CBI report gave entire evidence against the persons indicted by it. "The country cannot wait any more to know the reality. Since the governments had not been doing anything, the court should intervene and pass necessary directions," he contended. Dr Wadhera further said that the guns were lying unused and the spare parts which the firm was to supply, as per the condition of the deal, have not been asked for by the Defence Ministry. The petition urged the court to direct the Defence Ministry to hold fresh negotiations with the Swedish Government and Bofors company to supply the spare parts and backup technological services. Making a plea for admission of the petition, Wadhera said "if the court will not intervene, where shall we go. The politicians are not doing anything and the country cannot go on waiting for so long." He said since the CBI report had indicated the names of some of the beneficiaries of the Rs 64 crore pay-off of the Rs 1437 crore deal and claimed there was "enough" evidence against them, immediate legal proceedings should be started. The petitioner claimed that the CBI’s special investigation team had sought government sanction for prosecution of former External Affairs Minister Madhavsinh Solanki, former Defence Secretary S.K. Bhatnagar, former Additional Secretaries in Prime Minister’s Office Gopi Arora and Sarla Grewal, Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, his wife Maria, Bofors agent Win Chadha and his son Harsh Chadha. Five successive governments had done very little and any further delay would hamper the progress of the investigation, the petition said adding that Quattrocchi, accused of getting 3 per cent commission, was "consciously and deliberately" allowed to flee the country. The High
Court on August 5 had dismissed Quattrocchi’s plea
against non-bailable arrest warrant by a special court
here and red-corner alert by the CBI against him.
Quattrocchi is presently residing in Malaysia. |
Opposition forces RS adjournment NEW DELHI, Dec 11 — The Rajya Sabha was adjourned just after 15 minutes without transacting any business after the non-Congress Opposition members insisted that the question hour be shelved and a discussion on the nationwide strike be initiated. The opposition members in the Rajya Sabha forced the Chairman Krishan Kant to adjourn the House for the day without transacting any business. The Chairman adjourned the House after slogan shouting from the non-Congress opposition members, who were demanding the suspension of the question hour to discuss the nationwide industrial workers strike. The opposition members stalled the proceedings for almost 15 minutes following which Mr Krishan Kant adjourned the House for the day. The Chairman said: "If the question hour cannot take place, the House stands adjourned till Monday". Before adjourning the House, Mr Krishan Kant also ordered the closure of the television cameras as the opposition members refused to take their seats. He also said that nothing — from the slogans or the protest from the members — would go on record. The nationwide one-day strike led by the Left-leaning central trade unions began this morning to protest against the Centre’s economic policies. Earlier as soon as the House assembled at 11 a.m., the non-Congress opposition members were on their feet demanding the suspension of the question hour for discussing today’s countrywide industrial strike. The Chairman, however, refused to listen to the agitating members and while rejecting the demand said that he would only allow the matter to be raised through special mentions immediately after the question hour. This was not acceptable to the agitated opposition members, specially those belonging to the CPM, the CPI, the Janata Dal, the RLM, DMK, BSP, TMC and others. The members who were on their feet, however, kept demanding the suspension of the question hour. The Chairman, not bowing to the demand of the opposition members asked them to resume their seats so that the questions could be taken up. The Chairman said: "We have decided once for all that the question hour will not be suspended". Mr Krishan Kant also said that he had received notices from some of the members, including J Chitharanjan and Gurudas Das Gupta (both CPI) and Jayanthi Natarajan (TMC), for the suspension of the question hour but he could not allow it. When members insisted on their demand, asking the Chairman to take into consideration the mood of the House, Mr Krishan Kant said, " After my ruling , there was no question of taking sense of the House". However, when he attempted to take the first question listed in the name of Mr K.M. Saifullah (TDP) some of the members, including Saroj Dubey (RJD), tried to walk into the well of the House and also raise slogans. Mr Krishan Kant ordered them to take their seats. BJP member Onkar Singh Lakhawat said the opposition members, by their behaviour, were murdering democracy. The noisy scenes continued for nearly 15 minutes. The Chair then asked the members to allow the question hour as "you have done enough." When the opposition
members did not accept the Chairman’s request for
resuming the question hour saying "no, no," Mr
Krishan Kant adjourned the House for the day. |
Remand of Laloo, Mishra extended PATNA, Dec 11 (PTI) — Former Bihar Chief Ministers Laloo Prasad Yadav and Jagannath Mishra were today produced before a CBI Designated Court which extended their judicial remand by two weeks in a conspiracy angle case of the fodder scam. Special CBI Judge S.K. Lal ordered the jail authorities to produce them before the court on December 23. Today was the first time that Mr Yadav appeared in the court for routine attendance since he was remanded to judicial custody on October 28. He had failed to appear in the court for four times in a row. Former Union Minister C.P. Verma, former Bihar Minister Vidyasagar Nishad and RJD MLA R.K. Rana, also appeared in the case which related to fraudulent withdrawals of more than Rs 97 lakh by the state and officials through ‘’fake and forged’’ bills. Among others who were also produced, include senior IAS officials Mahesh Prasad, Beck Julius, K. Arumugan, former Assistant Director (Ahd-Ranchi) K.M. Prasad and former Commissioner (Income Tax Department, Ranchi) A.C. Choudhary. Their judicial remand in the Beur jail was also extended till December 23. Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav today charged the BJP with having conspired with the CBI to put him behind bars and prevent him from blocking the "discriminatory" Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament. "The BJP used the CBI
to put me behind bars to restrain me from attending
proceedings of the Lok Sabha so that I cannot oppose the
Bill," Mr Yadav told reporters in the civil court
premises where he was brought to be produced before a
designated CBI judge in a fodder scam case. |
New population policy soon NEW DELHI, Dec 11 — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today said the government would soon finalise a new Demographic Policy providing a judicious mix of incentives and disincentives for population control. Inaugurating the 78th annual general meeting of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) here, Mr Vajpayee said “All the good things the country has achieved, all the plans that are laid , the enormous power projects, dams, industries, urban infrastructure and housing will be diluted in their impact, if the growth of population remains unchecked”. While some states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu have made significant progress in this regard, other states like Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have still a long way to go, he said adding that these states together make up 40 per cent of the country’s population. Underlining the need for focussed attention in human resources development Mr Vajpayee said despite making significant gains on the industrial front, India’s record had been disappointing in terms of human development indicators. “We regrettably rank below most countries in this area”, he said. Regarding gender equality, Mr Vajpayee said the government would soon take major steps to politically empower women, “which is the key to improving public governance in the country”. Providing free education to women up to the college level, including professional education, was also under consideration by the government, he added. Stating that education was a key agent for social transformation and for attaining the goal of modernisation, Mr Vajpayee said “education should perform the dual role being a liberating as well as harmonising force”. Regretting that universalisation of primary education had so far remained elusive, the Prime Minister said efforts of the non-government sector would be harnessed towards this end. The government was also looking at regional and local factors to achieve the objective of eradication of total illiteracy. To protect the vulnerable segments of society from the adverse consequences of an economic collapse, Mr Vajpayee said “credible social safety nets must accompany the process of global integration”. International agencies and regional development banks had an important obligation in devising, encouraging and supporting such actions, he added. On health services, Mr Vajpayee said the government had decided to review the health policy of 1983 “to meet the new challenges that face us and the new frontiers that rapid technological changes have made possible”. The need for capacity building in the central organisations and institutions and upgrading and renovating the rural health infrastructure would also be addressed in the new health policy. Regarding AIDS, he said the “government’s approach to AIDS will be suitably incorporated in the National AIDS Policy”. Regarding telecommunication, Mr Vajpayee said since the existing problems of the sector cannot be resolved within the present framework of licensing conditions, the government would adopt fundamental and durable solutions to give an impetus to the sector. Underlining the need for adopting a balanced growth strategy, Mr Vajpayee said the agriculture sector had responded positively to the measures undertaken. It will, this year, grow by 3 per cent, thus reversing the declining trends. On the issue of insurance, the Prime Minister said once the Insurance Bill is approved by Parliament, it will offer a significantly improved quality of service, new products and catalyse large investments for infrastructure projects. Acknowledging that it is imperative to have a “responsive and clean government” Mr Vajpayee said the “efficacy of public governance critically depends on the broadening and deepening of democracy”. “It is, therefore, vitally important that we continue to strengthen our federal structure along with the Panchayati Raj institutions which are the cutting edge of our democratic framework”, he said. Mr Vajpayee reiterated the
government’s commitment to achieve higher rates of
economic growth and said “We will strive to create
investor friendly policies, remove procedural
bottlenecks, and create a harmonious environment for high
industrial growth”. |
Corrupt not scared of law: CVC NEW DELHI, Dec 11 (PTI) — The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has strongly favoured enactment of a new law to confiscate properties, including benami, of corrupt public servants saying that existing laws had "limited scope". "I want to create a fear among really corrupt officials by suggesting that we should have a law in this country to confiscate ill-gotten wealth of corrupt both movable and immovable property," Central Vigilance Commissioner N. Vittal said. The Law Commission, headed by Justice Jeevan Reddy, has already prepared a draft for the new legislation the Corrupt Public Servant (Forfeiture of Properties) Act — on which the CVC had already given its opinion, he said. The prevailing laws the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulation Act, Prevention of Corruption Act and Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance Act of 1944- had limited scope as these provided for confiscation of property only after conviction, he said. "But I want a method for confiscation of property of public servant even when disproportionate wealth is found during departmental enquiry," he said adding that there should also be punitive measures like jail sentence in such cases. Meanwhile, Justice Reddy will release a working paper proposing legislation to forfeit property of corrupt public servants tomorrow. Mr Vittal regretted that really corrupt people were brazen and not afraid of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) because the present system helped them escape sometime with the help of their ill-gotton wealth. "Our departmental and judicial processes are time consuming ... for example CBI prosecution cases are pending for two to 35 years. Time is the great healer," he said. Stating that corruption flourished since it was a low risk high profit business, he said "I want to make it high risk low profit business. The new provisions should make it possible to confiscate property in the name of individual, relatives, associates or benami." Admitting that he had not thought of every detail, the CVC said it should also be possible to have provisions to confiscate properties abroad. "I know all this international relations... But if the Philippines G overnment can do it in the Marcos (former President) case, why cannot we have similar provisions?" He said there should be methods to freeze whole assets of public servants even during the trial, as conviction took a very long time and there were possibilities of ill-gotton wealth helping them to provide an escape route. The draft stipulated that burden of proof, in case of detection of disproportionate wealth through raids or other methods, would be on individuals, he added. Asked specifically whether
the CVC would focus on politicians or bureaucrats, Mr
Vittal said "I will focus on bureaucracy and
improving the system." |
‘BSP to oppose women’s Bill’ LUCKNOW, Dec 11 (PTI) — The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) today asserted it would oppose the women’s reservation Bill in its present form and accused the Congress and BJP of being “opposed” to Dalits and minorities. The BSP would oppose the women’s reservation Bill, providing for 33 per cent quota for women in Parliament and state assemblies, as it has no provision for a separate quota for the Scheduled Castes, scheduled tribes, minorities and backwards, BSP Vice-President Mayawati told reporters here. Accusing the Congress of joining hands with the BJP in tabling the Bill in Parliament in the present form, she said the Congress’ action made it clear that it was opposed to Dalits and minorities. “In fact, both the BJP and Congress are opposed to Dalits and minorities... They are two sides of the same coin,” the BSP leader alleged. On the controversy revolving around rendition of ‘Saraswati Vandana’ and ‘Vande Mataram’ in Uttar Pradesh schools, the former Chief Minister denied that any Government order had been issued during the erstwhile BSP-BJP coalition rule, headed by her. She maintained that if her party returned to power, it would rescind such a scheme. She also demanded a CBI probe into the alleged raids at the Rae Bareli residence of noted Islamic scholar Ali Mian last month. The BSP ruled out forging alliance with any party in future elections to the Lok Sabha or the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, which it predicted could be held early next year. Ms Mayawati said the party would contest the future elections, “at our own, considering that the BSP alone can give a fight to the ruling BJP.” Predicting these elections
to be held in February-March next year, she said the BSP
was fully geared to face the mid-term poll. |
Draft guidelines to protect
environment NEW DELHI, Dec 11 — A working group meeting of the Asia Crime Prevention Foundation (ACPF) has formulated detailed guidelines for an integrated approach to sustainable development harmonising conflicting interests of material development and environmental protection. The ACPF, a premier non-governmental organisation engaged in the field sustainable development, peace and stability in the Asian region and worldwide for the past 17 years, has prepared a draft of 27 guidelines with detailed commentaries and illustrations for environmental protection which will be adopted at its annual conference here next year. Briefing newspersons about the three-day deliberations which concluded here yesterday, the President of the India chapter of the ACPF, Dr B.K. Modi, said the idea behind these guidelines was to reconcile the national needs of material development with often conflicting requirements of environmental protection. The ACPF Chairman, Mr Minoru Shikita, who attended the working group meeting, said safeguarding the environment was of crucial importance for both present and future generations."It is an intrinsic good but also an essential condition for sustainable development that would maintain its momentum and translate into a better life for all the people, including the disadvantaged. They are now usually the primary victims of environmental depredations linked to critical poverty which perpetuates them, exacting a further toll in human misery and impairment of the biosphere", Mr Shikita said. The criminal law and
criminal justice system, which have a key role to play in
preserving recognised values, equity and access by all to
the benefits of development, can be a prime means of
forestalling further environmental deterioration and
ensuring compliance with standards designed to protect
it, the ACPF Chairman said. |
Jaya fires another salvo at BJP CHENNAI, Dec 11 (PTI)
— The AIADMK supremo, Ms J. Jayalalitha, today
launched a veiled attack on the BJP, accusing it of
resorting to "divide and rule" and attributed
the demise of the front led by her party in Tamil Nadu to
her allies "devising their own individual
path"Reacting sharply to state BJP General Secretary
L. Ganesan’s remark that she did not like the idea
of front partners like the PMK, MDMK and Tamizhaga Rajiv
Congress (TRC) taking up issues directly with the BJP, Ms
Jayalalitha said, "I am indeed surprised at the
pontifications of those accustomed to divide and
rule."Claiming it was she who had secured "due
recognition" from the BJP for the PMK leader, Dr
Ramadoss, MDMK General Secretary Vaiko and TRC President
V.K. Ramamurthy, Ms Jayalalitha, sought to justify the
end of the AIADMK-led front when allies of her party
started "devising their own individual
pathways." |
SP leaders in UP join
Congress NEW DELHI, Dec 11 — The Congress got a major boost in Uttar Pradesh with the several senior leaders from the Samajwadi Party, including its treasurer, Mr Amitabh Aadhar joining the party. Besides Mr Aadhar, a former minister of the party, Krishna Veer Singh Kaushal and the head of the ex-servicemen cell of the party Col G.P. Yadav also joined the Congress. Announcing the decision here in the presence of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) president, Mr Salman Khurshid, the party spokesman Ajit Jogi said the SP’s former state president of the mahila cell, Ms Susheela Chauhan also joined the party. Along with the SP leaders, a former BJP MLA from Saharanpur, Ms Shasilata Pudir, also joined the party. Another general secretary
of the Samajwadi Party, Rao Ajit Singh was also likely to
join the Congress. |
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| Militants attack SP’s
convoy AGARTALA: The SP (North), Mr Joydip Nayek, escaped a bid on his life when militants of the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) fired on his jeep in remote Machhamara in the Kanchanpur police station area on Thursday night. The militants stopped the SP’s convoy after barricading the road with logs as he was driving to Kanchanpur in the district and fired two rounds, IG Police (Law and Order), Mr Salim Ali, said on Friday. — PTI Students
on indefinite fast Tea estate manager
killed 90 p.c. lock-up
deaths ‘suicides’ Marine engineer,
others missing 5,000 teachers to
be appointed Marxist leader
dead Rights
activists’ plea |
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