tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Monday, September 14, 1998
weather today's calendar

10-digit phone numbers by November
NEW DELHI, Sept 13 (PTI) — Telephone numbers throughout the country will change into a 10-digit system by November to cope with the growth of telecom networks and introduction of value-added services. The new numbering plan being prepared by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in consultation with the Department of Telecom and private operators would be implemented by November, official sources told PTI. A new numbering system was planned since the present system having a capacity of a billion numbers is getting congested just with 20 million numbers, especially following introduction of new value added services, the sources said.

Hazare's appeal
MUMBAI, Sept 13 (PTI) — Social activist Anna Hazare, who was sentenced to simple imprisonment for three months in a defamation case, will file a revision application next week before a sessions court against his conviction. This was disclosed today by his lawyer P. Janardhan, who met Hazare, in Yervada prison on September 11. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate K.H. Holambe Patil had on September 9 found Hazare guilty of offence under Section 500, IPC, for defaming Maharashtra Social Welfare Minister Babanrao Gholap in an interview to a Marathi newspaper "Navakal".

BJP dharnas
HYDERABAD, Sept 13 (PTI) — The BJP's Andhra Pradesh unit will organise dharnas at all Telengana district headquarters to demand that September 17 be declared a public holiday in commemoration of Hyderabad Liberation Day. "Liberation of Hyderabad is in no way inferior to the Andhra Pradesh formation day, which is celebrated with pomp by the state, and hence September 17 should be declared a public holiday", BJP state president C.H. Vidyasagar Rao told newsmen here today.

Farmers' stir
MANDSAUR (MP), Sept 13 (UNI) — The Bharatiya Kisan Union President, Mr Mahendra Singh Tikait, today announced that 56 organisations would demonstrate in the capital on September 18 against the 'anti-agrarian' policies of the Vajpayee government and the 'ongoing exploitation' of farmers. Talking to newspersons here, Mr Tikait alleged that the entire process of first hiking and then rolling back the price of urea was done by the Centre to benefit industrialists, who had an excess stock of urea.

'Personal pay'
CHENNAI, Sept 13 (PTI) — As many as 2.47 lakh government employees in Tamil Nadu will get a 'personal pay' of 5 per cent of their basic salary from next month as per the recommendations of the Sivasubramaniam Commission. The employees who will benefit include record clerks, junior assistants, assistants and superintendents in the Tamil Nadu Government's service. The state government would incur an additional expenditure of Rs 82.66 crore in a year on account of this, a press note said here today.

Hindi Divas
NEW DELHI, Sept 13 (PTI) — The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, today called for concerted efforts to increase the use of Hindi in government offices. In a message on the eve of Hindi Divas, Mr Vajpayee said, "The use of Hindi in government offices has increased remarkably but we need to put more efforts in this direction." He felt people should opt for it as an official language voluntarily.

Bihar flood toll
PATNA, Sept 13 (PTI) — With 16 more deaths reported today, the toll in the current spate of floods in Bihar has risen to 336 with the situation showing little signs of improvement. According to the flood control cell, major rivers, except the Punpun, are receding. The Ganga , Gandak, Bagmati, Kamala Balan and Adhwara rivers are still flowing above the danger level at different places. Floods have affected over 1.3 crore persons in over 7,600 villages in 28 districts of north and central Bihar.