tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Sunday, November 22, 1998
weather today's calendar

BJD MPs' case
BHUBANESWAR, Nov 21 (UNI) — Two Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Parliament members, who had moved the court here yesterday challenging their suspension from the party by its President Naveen Patnaik, today decided to withdraw the case in view of the recent ruling of Lok Sabha Speaker G.M.C. Balayogi. Mr Prabhat Samantray and Mr Tathagat Satpathy had filed a joint petition before the senior civil judge here describing the action of party president as "illegal, void and in violation" of the party constitution.
Deve Gowda
JABALPUR, Nov 21 (PTI) — Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda had a narrow escape today when an alert police official diverted a jeep speeding towards his helicopter which was preparing to take off from Dumna airfield here, the police said. Hardly had the pilot switched on the choppers engine, when a jeep was seen rushing towards it. An alert in charge of Khamaria police station Mr P.R. Mishra, pounced upon the driver and swerved the vehicle away from the tarmac. The jeep belonged to a contractor working at the airfield.

Cyclone threat
NEW DELHI, Nov 21 (PTI) — A high-level meeting today discussed emergency measures to be taken in view of a weather forecast of a severe cyclonic storm likely to hit the coastal districts of West Bengal and Orissa tomorrow. The meeting presided over by Cabinet Secretary Prabhat Kumar was attended by senior officials of the Meteorological Department and other departments, according to official sources. The necessary steps to meet the situation and undertake relief and rescue operations, if needed, were discussed at the meeting.