Sunday, July 19, 1998
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Centre told to explain stand on
Eradi panel NEW DELHI, July 18 — The Eradi Tribunal today gave the Central government a month’s time to explain its position on the Yamuna water sharing dispute... Pull out of govt, Jaya urged CHENNAI, July 18 — Janata Party President Dr Subramanian Swamy today urged AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha to "unilaterally withdraw" support to the BJP-led coalition if the Vajpayee government sought an adjournment on the resumed hearing on the Cauvery waters issue on July 21 in the Supreme Court... |
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Let people decide Udham Singh
Nagar's fate, says Tohra NEW DELHI, July 18 — The government should leave it to the people of Udham Singh Nagar to decide whether the district should remain with Uttar Pradesh or form part of the proposed Uttaranchal state...
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Jethmalani:
dearth of good law teachers NEW DELHI, July 18 — Eminent jurist Ram Jethmalani today suggested that the executive, judiciary and Parliament should be jointly involved in deciding judicial appointments... I did not carry weapons to house: MP NEW DELHI, July 18 — Rashtriya Janata Party (RJP) MP Anand Mohan today categorically denied that he ever carried any firearm or knives to the Lok Sabha and would place the facts before the House on Monday... West ‘polluting’ Indian culture NEW DELHI, July 18 — “The present living conditions are fully influenced by western culture and excessive consumerism. These things deviate us from the main traits of Indian culture and our traditional values,” said Mr Virender Mohan Trehan, President, Bharatiya Dharam Prachar Parishad... UK changes visa rule for N-experts CHENNAI, July 18 (UNI) — The Deputy High Commission of the United Kingdom, here, has decided to refer to London the applications of atomic research scientists seeking visas following the Pokhran nuclear tests... Three arrested in robbery case NEW DELHI, July 18 — The Delhi police has arrested three persons from Sonepat in connection with a robbery cases reported recently in the Capital... APCC urges Centre to intervene HYDERABAD, July 18 — Expressing concern over the "rapid deterioration in the law and order situation" in Andhra Pradesh, the newly constituted Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) today urged the Centre to intervene... Major demolition drive in Delhi NEW DELHI, July 18 — In one of the major demolition drives in recent times, over 60 structures, including many residential houses, were demolished near Mehrauli in South Delhi today... Ranade awards announced PUNE, July 18 — Dr P.N. Takkar, a former Director of the Bhopal-based Indian Institute of Soil Sciences (IISS), has been selected for the “Ranade memorial” life-time achievement award for excellence in micronutrient research... BJP approach 'half-hearted' NEW DELHI, July 18 — Former Union Minister Buta Singh today accused the BJP of adopting an "half-hearted" approach towards the women’s reservation Bill and sought 30 per cent quota for women belonging to Scheduled Castes and Tribes...  |
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| Move
to merge Hardwar areas opposed From K.G. Dutt Tribune News Service HARDWAR: Udham Singh Nagar is not the only bottleneck in the formation of Uttarakhand state. Murmurs of revolt are visible both in Hardwar and the adjoining Bijnor districts against the recommendations of the Kalraj Mishra Committee to include some portions of these districts in the proposed Uttarakhand state. The committee had recommended that certain parts of Bijnor and Kumbh areas of Hardwar should be included in the new state. Sadhus of Hardwar as well as Samajwadi Party workers, had already raised the banner of revolt against the proposed move. While the Samajwadi Party and different sadhu akharas here are not against the inclusion of Udham Singh Nagar in Uttarakhand, there is resentment among them over the move to bifurcate Hardwar. The Samajwadi Party MLA from Hardwar, Mr Ambrish Kumar, has already brought the voters' resentment to his party's notice, particularly that of Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav. Information gathered from various Samajwadi Party leaders by this correspondent indicated that they are in no mood to join the proposed state. The Kumbh area falls within a radius of about 52 km starting from Roorkee to Muni-ki-Reti in Rishikesh. The Kalraj Mishra Committee is reported to have proposed that this area should be included in the new state to keep the Kumbh area under one administrative unit. This would make things easier during the Maha-Kumbh Parvs and other religious fairs held at Hardwar. However, an opinion is being expressed that the Kumbh area should be bifurcated and the area adjoining Rishikesh should form part of Uttarakhand. There would be no danger if a dual authority makes arrangements for various melas in Hardwar. But strong arguments are being advanced against the inclusion of parts of Hardwar in the new state. Even the late Swami Chinmayananda, a former BJP MP, who was the think tank of the VHP, is reported to have opposed the Kalraj Mishra Committee proposal. It is understood that he had already brought the peoples' resentment to the notice of the BJP high command, as well as VHP leadership. Hardwar being a strong VHP base, its leadership can never reconcile itself to the idea of the holy town going to Uttarakhand. There is a strong feeling among the VHP leadership that once the holy city is merged with Uttarakhand, the VHP would lose its hold amongst saints, sadhus, and heads of various akharas at Hardwar. This would upset its apple cart vis-vis the construction of the Ayodhya temple and "liberation" of Kashi Vishwanath and Mathura temples. If Hardwar is merged into Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh would lose its religious identity, considered paramount by the VHP for the propagation of the BJP ideology (and of course, its own). Therefore, in-built pressure is reported to have been put on the BJP government in UP not to include Hardwar in Uttarakhand despite the Kalraj Mishra Committee proposal. Prominent members of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad are also opposed to the move. Mahant Girdhar Narain Puri of the Mahanirwani Akhara, told TNS that inclusion of Hardwar in Uttarakhand would not be advisable. He maintained that already the four dhams — Yamnotri, Gangotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath, would form part of Uttarakhand. Besides, other religious places like Hemkund Sahib, Uttarkashi, Gomukh etc would also fall in the new state. If the pilgrim centre of Hardwar was also transferred UP would be deprived of its strong identity of being a centre of religious activity. He also stated that Hardwar was a major pilgrimage centre for the people of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Bihar, UP and other such parts of the north-western region. The pilgrims from these states would face difficulties provided Hardwar was included in the new state. Moreover, he held that the agitation to carve the new state was confined only to Rishikesh, Dehra Dun and other hill areas. Both Roorkee and Hardwar had little in common with hill culture. Likewise, some senior saints of the Nirmala Akhara are also reported to be opposed to the move. The members of the Nirmala sect have also expressed their resentment to the UP Government over the move. In the adjoining district of Bijnor, people are upset over the Kalraj Mishra Committee proposals. They admit that certain parts of Bijnor are contiguous to the hilly terrain, but none the less there is no affinity between the culture of the hills and the people of Bijnor district. Almost all political parties here are opposed to the move. Though the BJP members are not as vocal in their opposition as other parties. The opposition to the move to include Hardwar and parts of Bijnor in Uttarakhand, though, still not a force to reckon with, may gain momentum in the coming few months. |
| Let people decide Udham Singh Nagar's fate, says Tohra NEW DELHI, July 18 (PTI) — The government should leave it to the people of Udham Singh Nagar to decide whether the district should remain with Uttar Pradesh or form part of the proposed Uttaranchal state, senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader and SGPC President Gurcharan Singh Tohra has said. "Reorganisation of states had been on the basis of linguistic and cultural affinities and this should be applicable in the case of Udham Singh Nagar as well," Mr Tohra said in ‘Janata ki Adalat’ TV programme. The district has a high percentage of Sikh, Bengali and Haryanavi farmers who have nothing in common with the people of Uttaranchal. Topographically too, it is at a height of 1,200 feet above sea level, while a hill area normally begins at 2,200 feet above sea level, he said. Mr Tohra denied the charge that relatives of several SAD leaders owned vast tract of agricultural land in the area and these could fall within the purview of the Land Ceiling Act once the new state was formed, a press release from the TV channel said. "Can you name one SAD leader who has property there? Even Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal sold away his property there seven to eight years ago", he said. Asked if he would apply the same yardstick to let the people of Chandigarh decide on making a choice between Haryana and Punjab, the SAD leader’s reply was negative. "Many non-Punjabis have settled in Chandigarh during past 20 years. If the opinion of people who have been living there for more than 20 years is sought, they would naturally want Chandigarh to be part of Punjab," he said. Mr Tohra said there was no threat to the government at the Centre on the Udham Singh Nagar issue. "We discuss, debate and settle any issue as good partners. There was no option for SAD but to align with the BJP at the national level after the treatment meted out to Punjab by the Congress," he said. On his reported differences with Mr Badal, he said there were no problems within SAD. |
| Centre told to explain stand on
Eradi panel Tribune News Service NEW DELHI, July 18 — The Eradi Tribunal today gave the Central government a month’s time to explain its position on the Yamuna water sharing dispute. The tribunal has postponed its proceedings till October 16. The Tribunal comprising chairman Justice V Balakrishna Eradi, Justice P C Balakrishna and Justice U C Banerjee made a clear stipulation that the whatever documents, including affidavits, the parties may wish to file, shall be filed much before October 16 so that the paper work may be completed by then. The Punjab government through its counsel pleaded that the SYL canal was beyond the terms of reference of the issue, as had been submitted in an affidavit filed on March 2. The legitimate entitlement of Haryana in surplus Ravi Beas waters could be carried through the existing Bhakra main line and there would be no need the of Sutlej Yamuna Link(SYL) canal, the counsel said. Regarding verification of the river water utilisation, the Punjab government had submitted that by reducing its utilisation to 3.106 MAF i.e to a figure lower than even its allocated share under the 1981 agreement (4.82 MAF) the Tribunal has struck at the very root of the accord, which aimed at protecting the existing utilisation (regardless of legitimacy) so that the contingency of withdrawal of water from already irrigated fields did not arise, the affidavit submitted on March 2 said. Contrary to Punjab government’s submission, the Secretary of Irrigation, Power and non-Conventional Energy sources, Mr S Y Quraishi in a 11-page affidavit submitted on March 30 had said Punjab was taking "undue" advantage of the indulgence of the Tribunal and was delaying the hearing of references under Section 5(3) read with Section 14 of the Inter State Water Disputes Act 1956. Even if circumstances change, the order of the Tribunal dated January 30, 1987 under the Act was final and non-reviewable. Consequently, this should result in allocation of further O.10 MAF to Haryana from Punjab’s allocation and not vice-versa, the Haryana government had submitted. The Ravi and Beas water Tribunal, is going into the distribution of river Yamuna water among Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi and has asked the Centre to furnish details about its stand by the two major sharing states - Punjab and Haryana - before the next date of hearing. |
| Pull out of govt, Jaya urged CHENNAI, July 18 (PTI) — Janata Party President Dr Subramanian Swamy today urged AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha to "unilaterally withdraw" support to the BJP-led coalition if the Vajpayee government sought an adjournment on the resumed hearing on the Cauvery waters issue on July 21 in the Supreme Court. "Anything is better than a government which betrays us on vital Tamil people’s interests," he said in a statement here. He also demanded the resignation of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi for, what he called, "betraying" the state’s interests by "deliberate non-action" on the Cauvery water dispute with Karnataka and over the issue of raising the height of the Mullaiperiyar dam, its main bone of contention with Kerala. Though the apex court had last year directed the Centre to prepare within eight weeks a scheme to implement the interim order of the Cauvery Water Tribunal, no action had been taken till date. Similarly, in the Mullaiperiyar dam issue, though the Central Water Commission had opined in June 1996 that sufficient repairs be carried out to the dam to raise the water level to 152 ft from the present 136 ft, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and TMC leader G.K. Moopanar had "deliberately slept over it," he alleged. With the "complete mismanagement" of international relations and the staging of a play extolling Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse in Mumbai, the eyes of Congress leaders had been opened to the "deteriorating reality" caused by the BJP-led government, Dr Swamy said. Patriotic Congress leaders must now join other secular and patriotic parties to form an alternative, even by risking instability for the sake of nation’s integrity, he said. For this, "it is imperative in the national interest that Sonia Gandhi and Jayalalitha come together soon on a common platform, so that from August 15, the nation can breathe fresh air," he added. TIRUCHIRAPPALLI: The Puthiya Tamizhagam will convene an all-party meeting soon to focus the peoples attention on the Cauvery issue and help the state fight for its share in the river water. Party president Dr K. Krishnasamy told reporters here that political parties over the years had not cared to fight for the state’s due share. "They were more interested in capturing power," he said. He said major political parties in Tamil Nadu should clearly spell out their stand on the issue. Politicians from the state were yet to issue a joint statement in this regard, unlike their counterparts from Karnataka, who had sunk their differences and advocated the state’s rights, he said. Dr Krishnasamy alleged that the state government had "deliberately" neglected the welfare of students in self-financing colleges and polytechnics.Nandes met Ms Jayalalitha at her residence this evening. He told mediapersons after his 30-minute meeting that he had discussed many things with her, but not the demand for dismissal of the DMK regime in Tamil Nadu. To a question, he said the issue of notifying the Centre’s draft scheme to oversee implementation of the Cauvery Tribunal’s interim order was presently on the government’s agenda and a decision would be taken in a day or two. Asked if the Cauvery issue came up during the meeting, Mr Fernandes said: "It may have come up." "The AIADMK is strongly with the government. They are as much part of the government as anybody else," he said in reply to a question whether the AIADMK would withdraw support to the government, if the scheme was not notified before July 21 (when the matter is to come up before the Supreme Court). To a query whether there was any trade-off with Ms Jayalalitha to get her to waive the demand for dismissal of the DMK government, he said there were no demands or offers in this regard. |
| Jethmalani: dearth of good law teachers NEW DELHI, July 18 (PTI) — Eminent jurist Ram Jethmalani today suggested that the executive, judiciary and Parliament should be jointly involved in deciding judicial appointments. “The time has, in fact, come for the judiciary and the government to share power of judicial appointments along with the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, the academic world and the Bar,” he told a national conference on ‘Legal Education at Crossroads — Problems and Perspectives.’“Involving these five interests can bring about a happy balance and remove ills bedeviling the process of selection of judges which is inevitably showing up today,” the Union Urban Development Minister said. He regretted that judges at the highest level were involved in the lesser pursuit of propping up unworthy appointments to the Bench.“The time has come when even the judiciary needs to be told that something is wrong somewhere in the experiment embarked upon two years ago by which the judicial power of appointments was vested with the highest judiciary,” he told the conference organised by the Bar Council of India. Referring to the state of legal education in the country, Mr Jethmalani said it was unfortunate that whatever defects or frailties had been pointed out by him 40 years ago, when he was in the Bar Council, still exist.“This is a sad reflection of the decline of standards in every department of our lives,” he said, recalling how he was asked by Bar Council members to scuttle the five-year law course if he wanted to be elected to the bar council several years ago. Mr Jethmalani said there appeared to be a terrible dearth of law teachers in the country today and it was time senior lawyers took to law teaching as a sideline.The union minister said the existing law teachers seemed to have no experience in the practice of law unlike the teachers in the medical profession. “In our profession we seem to have teachers who have not seen a single brief. The need of the hour is to have more and more practising lawyers instead of petti-fogging type to teach the younger generation what law means,” he said. Seniormost Supreme Court puisne Judge Dr Justice A.S. Anand, who inaugurated the conference, said the decline in the standards of legal education in the country and the prestige of the profession was a cause for concern. |
| I did not carry weapons to house: MP NEW DELHI, July 18 (PTI) — Rashtriya Janata Party (RJP) MP Anand Mohan today categorically denied that he ever carried any firearm or knives to the Lok Sabha and would place the facts before the House on Monday. Talking to reporters, Mr Madan said he had spoken to Home Minister L.K. Advani, who has asked for a copy of the letter he sent to Speaker G.M.C Balayogi explaining his position. Mr Advani denied reports suggesting that the Home Ministry was getting the matter inquired, Mr Mohan said and urged the Speaker to display the weapons, if at all they were found from his person. He said media reports on recovery of weapons from him were false and baseless and aimed at tarnishing his image. About the threatening phone calls to reporters who had filed stories on the alleged recovery of weapons, he said none had made those calls. “However, if anybody ever threatened the reporter, I am begging pardon with folded hands,” he said. *“He maintained that he did not do anything in the House to lower its dignity. “Where were the marshals when some members snatched papers from the chair and the Law Minister and tore them off or when they trooped into the well,” asked his wife and former MP Lovely Anand. |
| West
‘polluting’ Indian culture Tribune News Service NEW DELHI, July 18 — “The present living conditions are fully influenced by western culture and excessive consumerism. These things deviate us from the main traits of Indian culture and our traditional values,” said Mr Virender Mohan Trehan, President, Bharatiya Dharam Prachar Parishad. *He said Indian culture was praiseworthy throughout the world because it assimilated religious harmony, welfare, non-violence, fraternity and high respect for women. *Mr Trehan said Indians were adapting Western civilisational traits and forgetting their own values and morals. The hatred feeling was increasing day by day. “This is polluting the atmosphere”. *Mr Trehan said the Parishad had taken the initiative to make members from various religious such as Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Parsi and many more so that the religious preachers of all these religions could share the same platform to spread the message of religion to the masses. The Parishad will soon organise a huge-all-religion seminar where the religious heads of various religions will give their message to the nation. |
| UK
changes
visa rule for N-experts CHENNAI, July 18 (UNI) — The Deputy High Commission of the United Kingdom, here, has decided to refer to London the applications of atomic research scientists seeking visas following the Pokhran nuclear tests. The change in the policy towards issuing visas by the High Commission came to the fore when Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) Director Placid Rodriquez and Dr Baldevraj, Director, Metallurgy and Materials group of the centre, applied for visas in June. The two scientists were invited by Elsevier Publishers in the United Kingdom to participate in a meeting of editors from all over the world and to be the subject area editors for “The Encyclopaedia of Materials: Science and Technology”. Dr Baldevraj had filed his application on June 15, and Dr Rodriquez on June 20, according to IGCAR sources in Kalpakkam.When the two scientists wrote to the Deputy High Commission on the fate of their visa applications, they were informed that the office had sent a reminder to London, outlining the imminent travel arrangements but the visas never came. Finally, an official in the Deputy High Commission said, “I am sorry I can’t give you a more welcome response at this time. But I can assure you I will inform you of the decision as soon as we have a reply from London”.But the reply never came and the international meeting organised by the publishers in Oxford University took place without the participation of the two leading Indian scientists. Similarly, Mr S.B. Bhoje, Director, Reactor Group, of the IGCAR, and Dr Baldevraj had to abandon their trips to Germany as the German authorities who had invited them to visit the country, withdrew the invitation following the nuclear tests, the sources said. Mr R. Ravi, Scientific Officer of the Reactor Group also could not attend a coordinated research project meeting at Hertfort in the United Kingdom as he was denied visa by the Deputy High Commission here, the sources added. |
| Three
arrested
in robbery case From Our Correspondent NEW DELHI, July 18 — The Delhi police has arrested three persons from Sonepat in connection with a robbery cases reported recently in the Capital. Announcing this Deputy Commissioner of Police (North West Delhi) Satyendra Garg said. A police team deployed at Narela police station last evening spotted three suspicious persons. One of them had a deep injury mark on his forehead. On interrogation they confessed to their involvement in the case. One country made pistol, two live rounds of cartridges were recovered from their possession, the DCP said. The police identified them as Anil, Bijender and Pradeep, all from Ganaur in Sonepat district. All gang members who had planned a robbery at the house of Harish Kumar of Sawarup Nagar in North-West Delhi, the police said. They also disclosed that their accomplices were to assemble at Kanya Gurukul Pio at the Delhi-Haryana border at 9.30 pm. The police team conducted a raid at the mentioned spot and arrested Anil, Bijender, Jai Bhagwan and Karambir, alias Tamla. They took away a Maruti van from Jahangirpur yesterday. The police recovered one country-made revolver, two live rounds of cartridges, one sickle and a stolen tape-recorder from their possession. The abandoned van used in the crime was found at Holambi Kalan village in Narela, the DCP said. |
| APCC urges Centre to intervene HYDERABAD, July 18 (PTI) — Expressing concern over the "rapid deterioration in the law and order situation" in Andhra Pradesh, the newly constituted Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) today urged the Centre to intervene and initiate quick measures for restoration of peace in the state. A resolution, adopted at the first executive meeting of the Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy-led APCC here which was attended by former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao and other senior Congress leaders, including CWC member K. Vijayabhaskar Reddy, flayed the ruling Telugu Desam Party for its alleged failure in checking the spurt in political and factional killings, dowry deaths, rapes, lock-up deaths, bomb explosions etc in the state. "The TDP regime has forfeited the confidence of the people since it had not only failed to ensure protection to the life and property of the common man but could not prevent even the sacred temples from being looted of its properties, including gold ornaments of deities", a resolution piloted by APCC vice-president Dronamraju Satyanaryana said. The meeting, attended by 89 out of 91 executive members, also passed separate resolutions condemning the state government’s failure in tackling farmers’ problems, leakage of examination question papers, misuse of central funds, price rise in essential commodities and abuse of official machinery and distribution of money in the recent byelections. Meanwhile, former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao has advocated the need for unity and discipline in the party saying that these would help the party regain its pristine aura and glory. "It is necessary that partymen remain united and work in a disciplined manner for revival of the party’s old glory and values," he said at the executive meeting of the APCC here today. Mr Rao expressed confidence that the Congress would come back to power at the state and the Centre as well and said people were once again drawing nearer to the party by reposing confidence in its policies and programmes. Mr Rao also reportedly expressed happiness at the unity among state Congressmen, party sources said. Later, replying to queries at a press conference, APCC president Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy said most of the speakers focussed on the need for remaining united and fighting against "anti-democratic and anti-poor policies" pursued by the ruling TDP in the state. The speakers included former Chief Minister and CWC member K. Vijayabhaskar Reddy, former Chief Minister N. Janardhan Reddy, former Union Minister G. Venkatswamy and others. |
| Major demolition drive in Delhi NEW DELHI, July 18 (PTI) — In one of the major demolition drives in recent times, over 60 structures, including many residential houses, were demolished near Mehrauli in South Delhi today. The illegal structures which were on the gram sabha land meant for forest cover were demolished under the direction of Deputy Commissioner (South) G.D. Bodgaiyan. Mr Bodgaiyan told PTI that the demolition which started at 6 a.m. went on for over eight hours and 50 houses and over 10 boundary walls were demolished in the drive. He said the drive was launched as the land had been declared as the Ridge area by the Delhi Government and there was a standing ruling from the Supreme Court to protect the Ridge area in the capital. "Land mafias were indulging in illegal buying and selling of the gram sabha land measuring approximately 36 acres,’’ he said. The demolition was carried out under the supervision of area subdivisional magistrates and a large number of police personnel including the Rapid Action Force (RAF) were deployed to prevent any untoward incident, he said, adding "there was not even a single incident and it went off peacefully." The decision on the demolition was taken at the district task force meeting on July 7 held under the chairmanship of Delhi Lt-Governor Vijai Kapoor, he said. The land cleared of the encroachments had been handed over to the Forest Department, he added. |
| Ranade
awards
announced PUNE, July 18 (UNI) — Dr P.N. Takkar, a former Director of the Bhopal-based Indian Institute of Soil Sciences (IISS), has been selected for the “Ranade memorial” life-time achievement award for excellence in micronutrient research.The award, which includes a cash prize of Rs 81,000 and a citation, is being presented to Dr Takkar for his contribution in the field of Micronutrient in Soils.The award has been instituted by the Pune-based Institute for Micronutrient Technology, which released the list of its second annual awards here today.The institute has selected Dr H.P. Singh, Horticulture Commissioner in the Union Ministry of Agriculture, and Dr (Ms) C. Chatterjee, Professor of Botany, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Lucknow, for the “senior scientist” awards carrying a cash prize of Rs 51,001 for their contribution in the fields of micronutrients in horticulture and plant nutrition, respectively.The junior scientist award for contribution in the field of soil chemistry and fertility, carrying a cash prize of Rs 31,001, would go to Dr J.K. Saha, scientist in IISS, Bhopal, the release said.The awards would be sent directly to the recipients. BJP approach 'half-hearted' NEW DELHI, July 18 (PTI) — Former Union Minister Buta Singh today accused the BJP of adopting an "half-hearted" approach towards the women’s reservation Bill and sought 30 per cent quota for women belonging to Scheduled Castes and Tribes, backward classes and minorities within the proposed 33 per cent seats. The manner in which the BJP was handling the Bill seeking reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies showed lack of commitment and sincerity to get it introduced and passed in Parliament, he told reporters here. "Both in Parliament and the all-party meeting called to discuss the bill, the BJP appeared to have adopted a half-hearted approach,’’ Mr Buta Singh said. Mr Buta Singh is president of the All-India Safai Mazdoor Congress (AISMC) which endorsed his demand for sub-quota. He said a demonstration would be held outside Parliament House on July 28 by the AISMC and the Rashtriya Upekshit Dalit Morcha to press for 30 per cent sub-quota for women belonging to SC, ST, OBC and minority communities within the proposed 33 per cent reservation. Mr Buta Singh claimed his stand was supported by all MPs belonging to SC and ST in their parliamentary forum. He said the decision to demand 30 per cent sub-quota was taken into consideration the population of women belonging to these categories. He said the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) were also in favour of reservation for backward women within 33 per cent. |
| In
brief Teacher kills husband HOSHANGABAD: A school teacher, alleged to have had illicit relations with her nephew, has been charged with seeking the help of two students — Sonu Vajpayee and Manish — to kill her husband by promising them to pay a sum of Rs 40,000. The Sub-Divisional Officer (Police) of Itarsi, Mr Mahesh Jain, said the husband was murdered on April 22 last year. The teacher denied having illicit relations with her nephew but admitted that she had got her husband killed as he used to beat and torture her. — PTI Gaumukh glacier receding DEHRA DUN: The famous Gaumukh glacier, the source of the Ganga river, is receding due to the effects of environmental imbalances being created in the Garhwal Himalayan region by unchecked tourist and mountaineering activities. According to environmental experts of Jawaharlal Nehru University, this glacier has shrunk by 800 metres. If this is not checked, the existence of the Ganga river will be jeopardised within the next century, they have opined. — UNI Show-cause notices to 8 Imams CALCUTTA: The Calcutta High Court on Friday issued a suo motu contempt rule asking eight Imams to show cause why they should not be committed to prison or penalised for having violated the court order on the use of microphones while giving azan. The environment Bench of the court said the court had passed a judgement on April 1, 1996, imposing certain restrictions on the use of microphones, by all concerned. — PTI Veerappan's accomplice shot COIMBATORE: An accomplice of forest brigand Veerappan was shot dead in the early hours on Saturday in an encounter with special task force (STF) in the Bannari forest range, the police said. Madesh and another gang member fired at STF personnel, who were carrying out combing operations in the range. — PTI 4 killed as wall collapses HYDERABAD: Four persons, including two girls, were killed and an equal number injured in a wall collapse following heavy rain in the Banjara hills area in the city on the night of Friday. The huge compound wall collapsed and fell on their huts. The injured were admitted to the Osmania general hospital. — UNI  |
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