Wednesday, October 28, 1998

Ex-CMD of Indian Bank charge-sheeted
NEW DELHI, Oct 27 — The CBI has charge-sheeted former Indian Bank Chairman-cum-Managing Director M. Gopalakrishnan and 28 others in six separate cases pertaining to the Indian Bank scam accusing them of having cheated the bank to the tune of Rs 30 crore, the agency said here today.

Govt trying to destroy democracy: Sonia
NEW DELHI, Oct 27 — Congress president Sonia Gandhi today charged the BJP-led government with conspiring to destroy parliamentary democracy by attempting to change the Constitution.

Move to link police stations via satellite
NEW DELHI, Oct 27 — A countrywide police telecom network using satellite communication would be among the issues expected to come up for discussion at the three-day conference of All-India Police Radio Officers starting here tomorrow.

President turns 79

Efforts on to placate Khurana
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Oct 27 — Efforts are on to placate the former Chief Minister of Delhi, Mr Madan Lal Khurana, who was conspicuous by his absence from the election rally addressed by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in the Capital on Saturday.

Mr Khurana, who was reported to be unhappy with the change of guard in Delhi with Ms Sushma Swaraj being chosen Chief Minister, today attended the election committee meeting at the Delhi-unit party office at Pandit Pant Marg.

He was present at the meeting when the “Mandal” heads of the areas falling under South and West Delhi were proposing the names of the candidates, whom they felt should be given the party ticket.

The former Chief Minister’s absence from yesterday’s election committee meeting had fuelled speculation about Mr Khurana still being annoyed and the Delhi unit of the BJP being a divided house.

Although Mr Khurana’s visit to the Delhi unit office has put to rest some of the speculation, to what extent he would actually participate in ensuring a victory for the BJP at the November 25 hustings is still to be seen, party workers feel.

Incidentally, Delhi Chief Minister Sushma Swaraj was elected to Parliament from the South Delhi constituency.

Among others, the former Chief Minister, Mr Sahib Singh, senior city leaders, Mr V. K. Malhotra and Mr OP Kohli, and president of the Delhi unit, Mr Mange Ram Garg, were present at the election committee meeting.

A large number of ticket seekers today thronged the Delhi unit office where the Mandal heads falling in South, West, New Delhi and Karol Bagh area were recommending the candidates.

The BJP has divided Delhi into 140 mandals and 16 “Zilas”. The interview of candidates for areas falling in East Delhi was completed yesterday. Tomorrow and the day after, the area falling under Keshavpuram, Bawana, Punjabi Bagh, Najafgarh, Sadar, Chandni Chowk, Narela and Mehrauli would be taken up by the election committee.

The Delhi unit till now has received more than 1000 bio-datas of candidates, although a demand for a bio-data had not been made by the party unlike in the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee where a form had to be filled.

The final list of candidates is likely to be declared two days before the last date of filing of nominations — on November 6.

Meanwhile, there is growing resentment amongst the members of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi who feel that they too should be given an opportunity to fight the Assembly elections.

It had been earlier made clear that the BJP corporators would not contest the election.

The corporators are planning to take up the matter with the party high command. They cite the example of a Member of Parliament who may contest the Assembly election and another example of an MLA who fought and won a Parliamentary seat in a byelection.

Dal (Babbar) move on united Akali front
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Oct 27 — The All- India Shiromani Akali Dal (Babbar) plans to form the United Akali Dal Front by seeking alliance with the Panthic Akali Dal, the Khalsa Conference, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Mann) and the Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha.

Mr Gurcharan Singh Babbar, President of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Babbar) told The Tribune that he was trying to bring together all secular parties. “We plan to have an alliance with parties which are anti-BJP and anti-Congress,” he added.

He said that he had made the alliance offer to senior leaders including Mr Jasbir Singh Rode, former Jathedar of the Sri Akal Takht and President of the Panthic Akali Dal, Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, President of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Mann), Mr Satnam Singh Anandpuri of the Khalsa Conference, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mr Laloo Yadav and Mr Shankarsinh Vaghela of the Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha.

Mr Babbar said that the formation of the United Akali Dal would be announced in the Capital in a day or two. He said that his party proposes to field candidates from five or six Assembly segments including Tilak Nagar, Hari Nagar, Vishnu Garden, Rajouri Garden and Govind Puri.

Mr Babbar said that once the United Akali Dal Front was set up, the working committee of each party would be given freedom to finalise names of candidates for the coming Assembly elections. He said that his party would form a Panthic Committee to shortlist names of candidates.

He said that the Sikh population in Delhi was not happy with the performance of the BJP government. “They feel that the BJP has not kept its promises on various fronts. These include inaction about the welfare of the 1984 riot victims, failure to get Sikh women exemption from the “Helmet-must” rule and failure to reconstruct the Majnu Ka Tila gurdwara which was demolished a few years back,” he said.

BJP asks Cong to clarify stand on Pokhran
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Oct 27 — The Bharatiya Janata Party today asked the Congress to make its stand on the Pokhran-II nuclear test clear.

In a written statement, the BJP General Secretary, Mr Venkaiah Naidu, demanded that the Congress and its President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, should take a clear stand on Pokhran- II saying that “let them either condemn the tests or support them”.

Taking strong objection to Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s remarks about the nuclear tests made at the election rally in Bikaner yesterday, Mr Naidu said: “The subterfuge cannot be allowed any longer because what is at stake is the nation’s security”. “What is extremely shocking is that she should have criticised the tests a short distance from Pakistan”, he said.

“We also demand that the Congress openly state its position on Pokhran-II. If Sonia Gandhi is critical of Pokhran-II, then she should also criticise the test conducted in 1974 when Mrs Indira Gandhi was in power”, the BJP General Secretary said.

Refuting Mrs Gandhi’s charge that the BJP Government had internationalised post-Pokhran-II, Mr Naidu said that the previous Congress governments were responsible for internationalising the Kashmir issue. “India’s tragedy is rooted in Congress’s folly; let those who lead the Congress today not try to distort history to whitewash Congress crimes”, he said.

Scoffing at Mrs Gandhi’s words that “development, and not personal welfare, is our priority”, Mr Naidu said it was amusing as the Congress governments in the past have come to be known as “cash and carry governments”.

Water ‘might have to be imported’
From Ravi S. Singh
Tribune News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Oct 27 — The Centre today expressed concern over the continuous depletion of the water table and the progress of recharging water in several states.

The Union Minister of State for Rural Areas and Employment, Mr Baba Gouda Patil, cautioned if remedial measures were not taken to recharge water, the country would have to import the commodity. The minister expressed his views on the water crisis in the states in his review meeting of the Centre-sponsored Rural Development Schemes in Kerala with the state government officials and the local minister concerned.

Referring to the crisis in Kerala, Mr Patil expressed the need for the coastal states to link the remedial measures against water crisis to the rural development schemes, especially the employment assurance schemes.

The problem faced by Kerala in harvesting water was the high gradient terrain. With the sea and river being very close to the land mass, the rain water proved to be elusive.

Although the minister did not name any state, senior bureaucrats of the Ministry who were here, told TNS states like Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and parts of Tamil Nadu had thrown up problems which were different to the one faced by Kerala. In some of the northern states, especially the falling water table was on account of heavy usage of sub-soil water.

Incidentally, these were the areas which had witnessed green revolution. Some of the officers and water experts this correspondent spoke to said mechanised farming using heavy amount of sub-soil for irrigation appeared to be hitting back on the areas. The problem has been accentuated as the states were not taking enough measures for water conservation or recharging water.

According to the Managing Director of the Kerala Water Authority, Mr N.S. Balachandran Nair, 50 per cent of the source of potable water in the rural areas is open wells. Here the irrigation is rain-fed. Therefore, there is almost no drawal of sub-soil water for irrigation.

Mr Patil expressed the need for states to go in for small schemes for supply of water as the big ones were not sustainable and did not involve public participation. He urged that schemes to recharge water and water harvesting programmes should be implemented through the Panchayati Raj institutions.

‘1999 to be Year of Jawan’
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Oct 27 — The Army will observe the next year as Year of the Jawan.

This was announced by the Chief of Army Staff, General V.P. Malik while addressing the biannual meeting of Army Commanders here today.

General Malik defined the role of the Army and called for a change to meet the challenges of the future. “The only constant thing is change,” he said. Stressing the need to assimilate the latest technology, he emphasised that the other aspect of change was a shift in the mindset.

Gen Malik said the present hierarchical structure of the Army was created long before the age of information technology and it would be a great disadvantage if the value of networking is not understood correctly. “The back bone of the Army is its rank and file — the jawans and ensuring their fighting fitness is imperative”, he said and urged for a special focus on the requirements of troops by declaring the next year as “Year of the Jawan”.

He advised the commanders that the best way to build trust, confidence and discipline among troops was only through personal example. Stressing the need for a “people friendly” Army, Gen Malik stated while the average Indian had high regard and respect for the soldier, the ethos and culture was not well understood. A greater interface with the people will inculcate national spirit in public and motivate youth to opt for the Army as a career.

Ex-CMD of Indian Bank charge-sheeted

NEW DELHI, Oct 27 (PTI) — The CBI has charge-sheeted former Indian Bank (IB) Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) M Gopalakrishnan and 28 others in six separate cases pertaining to the Indian Bank scam accusing them of having cheated the bank to the tune of Rs 30 crore, the agency said here today.

The CBI said nine Indian Bank officials, Chairman of MVR group of companies, M Vardharajulu, and Directors/partners of six firms of MVR group were among those charge-sheeted in the court of special judge in Chennai yesterday for alleged criminal conspiracy, cheating and criminal misconduct.

It alleged that Mr Gopalakrishnan and other accused bank officials conspired during 1994-95 with Mr Vardharajulu and his employees to cheat Indian Bank while sanctioning secured overdraft of Rs 30 crore by submitting false documents as security in the name of MVR group’s firms.

These funds were sanctioned for building activities but diverted to various other companies of MVR group to settle their old liabilities, the CBI alleged.

It alleged that funds were diverted overlooking all norms and procedures of banking and by presenting forged and fabricated documents for the purpose of developing residential-cum- office complex at Quindy.

Govt trying to destroy democracy: Sonia

NEW DELHI, Oct 27 (PTI) — Congress president Sonia Gandhi today charged the BJP-led government with conspiring to destroy parliamentary democracy by attempting to change the Constitution.

Charging the Vajpayee government with "careless approach to governance", she said that taking advantage of the plight of people, the BJP-led government was making attempts to "destroy" parliamentary democracy and change the Constitution.

In her 10-minute speech, Mrs Gandhi said no system other than parliamentary democracy was suited to the country and questioned the need to tamper with the Constitution.

In her valedictory address to the national delegate convention of the Indian Youth Congress, she also criticised the government for failure to arrest the rise in prices of essential commodities.

"Prices of essential commodities have shot up in the past six months and the value of rupee halved. The government is neither bothered nor competent to arrest the trend," Mrs Gandhi said.

Painting a bleak economic scenario, she said the situation was worsening day by day as fresh investment had stopped affecting industry and employment.

Move to link police stations via satellite
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Oct 27 — A countrywide police telecom network using satellite communication would be among the issues expected to come up for discussion at the three-day conference of All-India Police Radio Officers starting here tomorrow.

The biennial conference to be inaugurated by the Union Home Minister, Mr L. K. Advani, is being held close on the heels of recent cabinet clearance to implement the Rs 137 crore Integrated Police Telecommunication Network (POLNET) project.

The project which was under consideration of the Centre for nearly a decade got the nod recently. With the availability of Vsat terminal the scheme was remodelled to take advantage of satellite communication.

President turns 79

NEW DELHI, Oct 27 (PTI) — President KR Narayanan turned 79 today and was greeted on his birthday by Vice-President Krishan Kant, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and the Chiefs of Staff of the Army, Air Force and the Navy.

Among others who visited the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan to greet him were former President Shankar Dayal Sharma, Leaders of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha Sharad Pawar and Dr Manmohan Singh, respectively, Haryana Governor Mahabir Singh.

A Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesman said there was no function to celebrate the birthday and Mr Narayanan only received visitors who came to wish him.

Sinha calls on Jaya
CHENNAI: Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha and Union Minister of State for Coal Dilip Ray called on AIADMK general secretary Jayalalitha at her residence on Tuesday afternoon. AIADMK sources said it was a courtesy call. Union Minister of State for Finance KMT Janarthanam was also present when the Union Ministers met Ms Jayalalitha. — PTI

YC activists hold rally
NEW DELHI: Hundreds of Youth Congress activists from Orissa on Tuesday held a rally here in front of the Parliament Street police station in support of their five-point charter of demands, including special status to the state considering its backwardness. Their other demands are: execution of various rail projects in Orissa, provision of adequate funds for Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput and effective steps to counter natural calamities in the state like droughts, floods and cyclones. — PTI

IGNOU cautions students
NEW DELHI: The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) on Tuesday cautioned various “fake” institutions were misusing its name for offering B.Ed. course through advertisements containing false information. IGNOU was yet to launch its B.Ed programme, a statement issued here by the university said, adding that it would inform through advertisements in leading newspapers. “All concerned are informed they should not be misguided by misleading advertisements deceiving public in the name of IGNOU”, it said. — PTI

Couple poisons son
BHABHUA (Bihar): In a bizarre incident, a couple poisoned their son at Kalai village under the Durgawati police station in Kaimur district. The police said the reason behind the murder, which was committed on Sunday night, was yet to be ascertained. In another incident, a person was shot dead under the Aghaur police station while he was returning home to take part in the Chhath festival. — UNI