The Tribune...Spotlight

			Sunday, July 5, 1998
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50 fall sick after eating food
MUZAFFARNAGAR (UP), July 4 (PTI) — At least 50 persons, including the bridegroom and the bride, were hospitalised after taking food at a marriage party in Adampur village here yesterday, the police said today. The police said the victims were rushed to various hospitals of the district after they complained of stomach pain and vomiting after eating the food.
Salary hike
CHENNAI, July 4 (PTI) — The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) today announced a salary hike for its 80,500 workers and 9,500 officers, involving an additional annual expenditure of Rs 180 crore for the board. State Electricity Minister Arcot N. Veerasamy and TNEB Chairman M.B. Pranesh finalised the revised pay scales for the TNEB staff at a meeting with representatives of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Workers' Federation and various unions here. Mr Veerasamy said the salary enhancement ranged from 16 to 18 per cent, on an average, with the minimum benefit for employees ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 1051, and the maximum benefit ranging from Rs 711 to Rs 1711.
Group clash
NEW DELHI, July 4 (PTI) — A private security guard received pellet injuries and several others were injured in a clash between contract and company security personnel at a soft drink bottling plant in West Delhi this morning. Rupinder Singh, a private security guard with the Moti Nagar bottling plant of Pure Drinks Ltd, received pellet injuries when a company guard opened fire from his .12-bore rifle during the clash between private guards and the security staff on the company's payrolls, police sources said. Six more were injured in the clash in which bottles were freely used, the sources said.
Ex-minister shot
KARACHI, July 4 (DPA) — Terrorists today shot a former minister in Karachi even as the Pakistan Government charted a new strategy to counter growing violence in the troubled southern city, eyewitnesses said. The attackers fled the scene after killing Mr Zwhair Akram Nadeem in the western Orangi area of the city. No one has claimed responsibility for the murder.
SP suspends MLC
LUCKNOW, July 4 (PTI) — The UP unit of the Samajwadi Party (SP) today suspended the membership of one of its sitting members of the Legislative Council (MLC) Lallan Yadav and expelled three others for six years for indiscipline and anti-party activities. State unit party president Ram Saran Das said action had been taken against all those party workers who had worked against the official party nominee in the assembly byelections held in the Madiyahon constituency last month.
UPSC exams
NEW DELHI, July 4 (PTI) — The UPSC said today that all examinations, interviews and personality tests fixed for July 8 would be held as scheduled despite a public holiday on account of Id-e-Milad un Nabi.
Turkey quake
ANKARA, July 4 (DPA) — One week after a devastating earthquake which left 144 persons dead, Turkey's southern Adana province was jolted again this morning by a quake which left more than 500 persons injured, officials said.
Cong worker killed
HYDERABAD, July 4 (PTI) — A Congress supporter was murdered by some persons, suspected to be followers of the TDP at Velugoda village in Kurnool district last night. The assailants hurled three bombs at Hussain Sahib, said to be a supporter of a former Congress MLA, and stabbed him to death.
RJD leader shot
gopalganj, july 4 (pti) — Fulwaria block president of rjd Kalamuddin Siddiqui was today shot dead by assailants at a village in Bihar’s Gopalganj district, according to official sources. Siddiqui was shot dead when he was on his way to a village market under Phulwaria police station area, the sources said. rjd supporters blocked the busy hospital chowk at Gopalganj for several hours in protest against the incident.
Award scheme
NEW DELHI, July 4 (PTI) — In a two-pronged strategy to prune government expenditure and increase efficiency among government servants, the Centre has announced a special award scheme for its employees as well as the public. The new scheme invites central government employees and the public to come up with suggestions that will save money by cutting down on manpower and material, an official release said today. "Even ideas which do not directly reduce costs but increase efficiency could earn up to Rs 10,000" the release said.
Jiang Zemin
ALMATY (Moscow), July 4 (DPA) — China's President Jiang Zemin today called on India and Pakistan to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and refrain from future nuclear tests, the Itar-Tass news agency reported. There was no more important task at hand than to end the nuclear confrontation in South Asia, Mr Jiang said Almaty, Kazakhstan's former capital. He blamed India for exploding the first nuclear device.