Saturday, January 16, 1999
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Pak bus delegation meets CM NEW DELHI, Jan 15 — The Pakistani "dry run" bus delegation called on the Delhi Chief Minister, Ms Sheila Dikshit here today. Delhi
white paper on power |
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 PATNA: Bihar Governor S. S. Bhandari with RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav and Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi at an Iftar party in Patna on Friday. — PTI
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Man sets wife on fire
Police
team to apprehend gang SC
reserves judgement in
Rajiv case |
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Pak bus delegation meets CM NEW DELHI, Jan 15 — The Pakistani "dry run" bus delegation called on the Delhi Chief Minister, Ms Sheila Dikshit here today. The leader of the 19-member Pak delegation Dr Tajul Islam Yusufzai, general manager of the National Highway Authority of Pakistan, expressed optimism that the service between Lahore and Delhi would commence soon. Delhi Chief Minister stressed that relations between the two countries would further strengthen with the formal launch of the bus service. The Pakistani delegates held detailed discussions with their Indian counterparts on certain details relating to insurance, drivers’ accommodation, bus garage, parking facilities, early clearance at Wagah border, improvement in communication facilities and the security aspect. The Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation bus, which arrived in the Capital late last night from Lahore, was today stationed at Indraprastha Bus Depot to prevent any vandalism by Shiv Sainiks. The Sainiks had threatened that they would not "allow the bus to go back" to Pakistan at "any cost." The police said it would take all possible measures to thwart any attempt to harm the PTDC bus or the Indo-Pak cricket match scheduled to be held from February 4. Police sources said the Centre had asked the police to take effective action if the Sena activists tried to harm either the members of the Pakistani delegation who arrived last night or the Pakistani cricketers scheduled to reach Delhi later this month. Police officials said they had taken a serious note of the threats being issued by the Shiv Sainiks which gave the impression that they were calling the shots in the Capital. Senior police officers at Hotel Intercontinental where the Lahore-Delhi bus passengers are staying, told TNS last night that any attempt to sabotage would be met with strong measures. Incidentally, most prominent Shiv Sena leaders, including the head of the Delhi unit, Mr Jai Bhagwan Goel, have gone underground to avoid preventive arrests. The bus, which would run four times a week from both sides would take nearly 14 hours to cover a distance of 526 km passing through Wagah border. The bus would travel on those days when the Samjhauta Express does not run. The stoppages the bus is likely to have are Pipli in Haryana and Sirhind and Kartarpur in Punjab before stopping at Wagah border. The first trial run with members of the diplomatic corps, was flagged off on November 2 till Wagah border. The decision to begin such
a service was taken at the New York round of talks
between the Indian Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari
Vajpayee and his Pakistani counterpart, Mr Nawaz Sharif,
in September. |
India-B’desh bus service from Feb CALCUTTA, Jan 15 (PTI) — The much-awaited bus service between Calcutta and Dhaka has gone on reverse gear once more with the state government now targeting February 21 as the date for starting the service. Though the Chief Minister Mr Jyoti Basu, had earlier urged the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee to take steps to begin the service on Republic Day, it could not be done as the details could not be worked out in time, according to the State Transport Minister, Mr Subhas Chakraborty. Following a request from the Centre, representatives from Bangladesh would meet Indian officials in Delhi on February 3 or 4 to sort out obstacles in the way of introducing the service. The Bangladesh Premier, Ms Sheikh Hasina, is arriving here on January 27 to inaugurate the Calcutta Book Fair and during her stay in the city, the state government would request her intervention in expediting the formalities on the Bangladeshi side, Mr Chakraborty said. Referring to the proposed expansion of the Metro railway to Garia in southern suburbs, he said he would meet the Railway Minister on January 20 in Delhi in this regard.
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Delhi white paper on power NEW DELHI, Jan 15 — In a major step towards the privatisation of the power sector in the Capital, the white paper prepared by the Delhi Government has suggested setting up companies for distribution and transmission of power in Delhi. The white paper prepared by a seven-member committee headed by the Delhi Power Minister, Dr Narendra Nath, was presented to the Delhi Chief Minister, Ms Sheila Dikshit, here today. The white paper recommendations will be placed before the Cabinet for approval, the Delhi Power Minister has said. The white paper indicated the government’s open invitation to the private power companies to generate power in the Capital. The distribution and transmission will be under government-owned companies initially. The six companies, which will be formed as government undertaking, will have an option to go in for joint venture with the private sector. The new power distribution companies will look after “consumer power supply, metering and revenue collection in the existing six circles of the DVB,” the white paper says. Allaying fears that the Delhi Vidyut Board would be defunct, the minister said the DVB would continue to have control over the grid management and coordination. The minister said the DVB employees would be given an option to join the proposed companies. The white paper has recommended the establishment of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission. “The commission should undertake licensing of new capacity, prescribe performance standards and fix tariffs after appropriate consultation,” the paper stated. The white paper emphasising the need for the appointment of consultants — NTPC for generation and PGCIL for transmission — for evolving professional work culture said the Delhi Government should emulate the restructuring programme followed by Haryana, Orissa, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. As a short-term measure, Dr Nath said the Delhi Government would hold talks with the Himachal Pradesh Government, which has surplus power, to buy it at competitive prices. Talks would also be held with the eastern power grid to augment the shortfall. The Union Power Minister, Mr P.R. Kumaramangalam, holding out a carrot-and-stick policy vis-a-vis- Delhi, where half the electricity supplied is stolen, has cautioned against a severe power crisis in the city during the next summer if the DVB does not strengthen its transmission and distribution system. Stating that the peak power demand in Delhi during the coming summer season was projected to be 2700 MW, he said Delhi’s transmission network is not equipped to take more than 2100-2200 MW. In the past five years, Delhi’s peak demand has increased from 1631 MW in 1993-94 to 2422 MW in 1998 summer – an addition of 791 MW. Yet, the DVB’s own generation has risen by merely 102 MW, The three units, being attached to the gas turbines at the Indraprastha power station, work only when the gas turbines work. The other power projects
have remained on paper and the DVB continues to purchase
power from the northern grid. Efforts are on for timely
completion of Bawana phase I (421 MW), Bawana phase II
(600-650 MW), Pragati (300 MW) and Apollo and replacement
of Indraprastha power station (900 MW) to reduce
dependency on outside sources. |
CWC to focus on Mahila
Congress NEW DELHI, Jan 15 — Several organisational issues including the future of Mahila Congress and the strength of the AICC are likely to be decided at the meeting of the Congress Working Committee, scheduled for tomorrow. The official agenda for the meeting is to discuss and decide on outstanding issues from Pachmarhi conclave pertaining to organisational changes. However, that the meeting is being held in the backdrop of attacks on minorities in Gujarat and Karnataka and also the Anjana Mishra episode in Orissa, the likelihood of these issues coming up for discussion cannot be ruled out. The Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, is keen to ensure that the party decides on the issues that were debated at the Pachmarhi brainstorming session during September last year but could not be put into effect. One of the major changes that has now been effected is reservation of one-third posts in the party echelons for women at all levels which now require logistics change. For instance there was a suggestion that the All India Mahila Congress, a frontal organisation, be wound up since the party has granted one-third reservation. The suggestion was made by senior CWC member Rajesh Pilot during the one-day special AICC session last month, which many members accepted in private. Yet another aspect that needs to be worked out is how to go about it at the level of AICC delegates. At present, of the 1100-odd delegates the women members constitute a miniscule minority. The party will have to decide whether to add nearly 300-odd fresh AICC women members to the existing list or provide for them within the existing numbers. By going for the first option, the Congress will only bloat its members while the second option would meant that duly-elected members will have to give way for those 300-odd women now. On the political front the CWC may prefer to adopt a formal resolution on the situation in Gujarat and Karnataka, the two States recently affected by attacks on minorities and communal riots, respectively. The Congress President had personally visited the Dangs district in Gujarat where attacks on Christians are being reported regularly and also Suratkal in Karnataka, where communal clashes occurred. The party has already expressed its views on the situation in these two States. Meanwhile, the embarrassing development in Orissa has resulted in the Congress President summoning the Chief Minister, Mr J.B. Patnaik, to Delhi. It is likely that Mrs Sonia Gandhi will hold a separate meeting with Mr Patnaik rather than discuss it in the CWC. Incidentally, the meeting
will succeed ‘Iftaar’, being hosted by Mrs
Sonia Gandhi at the AICC Headquarters at 24, Akbar Road. |
Apang ministry faces crisis ITANAGAR, Jan 15 (PTI) — Three days before the vote of confidence in the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly, another state minister today resigned further deepening the crisis in the Gegong Apang ministry. In his resignation letter, Mr Tobar Jamoh, Minister of State for Tourism, said he resigned on "moral grounds" as Arunachal Congress was no longer popular. With Mr Jamoh's resignation, the total number of ministers to resign so far has gone up to 20. There was, however, no indication of his joining the Arunachal Congress (M) under the leadership of Mr Mukut Mithi. Chief Minister Gegong Apang, whose Arunachal Congress suffered a vertical split under the leadership of Mr Mithi, will seek vote of confidence on January 18. The breakaway group, the Arunachal Congress (M), has claimed the support of 36 members in the 60-member House. The Congress has issued whip to its four legislators to vote against the Apang ministry. Meanwhile, the newly formed Arunachal Congress (M) denied allegations made by AC chief Talor Doye that some legislators of his party were being illegally confined by AC (M) leaders. AC (M) spokesman L Wanglat said Mr Doye was welcome to meet the legislators who were staying at a local hotel. The Arunachal Congress (AC) meanwhile today claimed it would be able to prove its majority in the state assembly on January 18, when the confidence motion for the government headed by Mr Apang would be taken up. Mr R.K. Khirmey, party spokesman and the state's Planning Minister, and Mr Omak Apang, Union Minister and eldest son of the Chief Minister, told newspersons here they had confidence in the leadership of Mr Apang who had been working ceaselessly for maintaining peace not only to the Himalayan state but to the entire region. Making a fervent appeal to the ministers and legislators who had deserted the party for reconciliation, the two leaders said they should settle their grievances amicably in the interests of the state. They denied any of the AC
legislators, including Mr Zara Tata, were illegally
confined as alleged by the AC (M). Mr Tata had been
admitted to Apollo Hospital in New Delhi, they said. |
Man sets wife on fire NEW DELHI, Jan 15 — A 30-year-old woman was set afire by her husband in the Mehrauli area yesterday over a trivial matter. The police has arrested the woman’s husband, Shankar. According to the police, the woman, Sushma, had just come home from Ranchi with her two children. Her husband Shankar was working as a labourer. Yesterday, the couple had a fight over a domestic problem following which Shankar doused Sushma with kerosene and then set her ablaze. Their neighbours informed the police who took Sushma to a hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. Meanwhile, the East district police today claimed to have solved a robbery case with the arrest of six persons. The robbery was committed on January 1. The accused, who are residents of Mandawali, have been identified as Tony, Junior, Kundan, Shameem, Azad and Anil Yadav. They allegedly robbed five persons while they were going to the New Delhi railway station on two autorickshaws to board the North-East Express. The accused left with Rs 49,000 in cash and six briefcases containing newly purchased clothes. Acting on a tip-off, the gang members were arrested from Paharganj bus depot where they had assembled to commit yet another robbery. In another success for the Delhi Police, a manager and two operators of Lokesh cinema hall in Nangloi were arrested last night by the West district police for showing obscene scenes in between the film being screened. Manager, Mahender Saini, and two operators — Ram Varan Thakur and Ramesh Kumar Pandey — were arrested. Also, the crime branch of
the Delhi Police claims to have busted a pirated
cassettes racket in the city. Sleuths of the crime branch
raided a house in Jeevan Park and seized a large quantity
of infringed in-lay cards worth over Rs 3 lakh. Negative
sheets of T-series albums were also seized. |
Crime hogs limelight HYDERABAD, Jan 15 — It is a telling commentary on our times that the films that draw large crowds are the ones that have a crime-oriented storyline. High production values, good craftsmanship and sharp direction ensure a slick product that sells. A crime thriller must have rapid-fire action sequences. The storyline, though familiar in most cases, has a scope for suspense, and if all this is packed in unfamiliar locales with the best cinematographer at the helm, the formula works. And it has worked ad infinitum everywhere. Besides, there are no limits to variations in this mode of story-telling. Quentin Tarantino did it in “Pulp Fiction” as a tour de force and won the Academy Award for the film. Now, he is at it again with his latest film “Jackie Brown” screened the other day in the world cinema section of IFFI. The crime drama revolves round Jackie Brown who finds herself trapped in a dangerous situation after having had her day smuggling cash into the USA for an armed dealer named Ordell Robbie in addition to her normal duty as a stewardess. As she is caught by the custom police and faces trial she is sure to be bumped off if she bargains for her release from prison by involving Robbie. And that puts her on tenterhooks. The rest of the film is about her scheming to get out of the trap. Out on bail, she strikes a deal with Robbie which would mean jail for her but a huge payment as compensation. But that is a ruse. She has other plans. Like in any such film, others in the gang are pursuing different ends. The narrative thickens with schemes and counter-schemes and nobody knows who is going to succeed till Jackie Brown ends up richer by half a million dollars. Thematically, the film has nothing much to commend itself except that like other crime thrillers made in the USA it has visual rapidity and quick action which is enough to hold the interest of the people for whom cinema is nothing but a momentary thrill. As against this, “This General,” an entry from Ireland, studies the mind of a criminal who opts for crime as the only course available to him to redeem his self-image. Rebuffed and humiliated, his anger against all kinds of authority turns him into a daring and desperate person. He revels in causing embarrassment to the authorities. His dare-devilry earns him the title. ‘The General’ and that is enough to make him feel great. But he perhaps is unaware that a criminal has only his past to build the logic of his identity; he has to fight all the while to ensure a locus in the present, and nothing can be said of his future. It is this inability of a criminal don that makes him exceedingly vulnerable. Having settled himself in a new house at a respectable locality, he overreaches himself when he enters into confrontation with the IRA treating the militant Irish organisation as yet another face of authority. His hold over the present slips out of him and the so-called General meets his nemesis. “Little Tony,” an entry from the Netherlands, in another variation on the theme of the human mind driven to an act of crime. The film is more a study of complex relationships caught in the web of passions where the boundary line between desire and crime gets very thin. An illiterate farmer,
Brand, hires the services of a young teacher Lena and
falls in love with her. His childless wife Keet,
suspicious and overbearing, keeps an eye on both when the
teacher gives lessons to the farmer. Then suddenly she
hits upon a plan and drives Brand to the arms of Lena so
that a child, when born, could be had and later the
teacher could be got rid of. Like any one with a criminal
mind, Keet forgets that the path of crime is never linear
and straight and thus the consequences are normally not
predictable. As the complicated three-cornered
relationship develops it is the scheming Keet who gets
killed by her husband. |
Police team to apprehend gang New Delhi, Jan 15 — The Delhi Police formed a special team to apprehend the gang involved in the looting of several jewellery shops, particularly in West Delhi, even as culprits struck an outlet in Uttam Nagar in the wee hours of the day and decamped with silver and other valuables. “From the modus operandi adopted, the looting of the jewellery shop appears to be the handiwork of one group. We have formed a special team to nab the criminals involved. We hope to make a breakthrough soon,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (West District), Mr Uday Sahay told reporters here. The tempo-borne gang usually targets jewellery shops located in isolated spots in the early and late hours, breaking into the shops and making off with the goods in their vehicle. In the West District itself, the gang has so far targeted four shops, three in the Tilak Nagar area and one in the Rajouri Garden area. Meanwhile, the gang struck in the wee hours today at Balaji Jewellers in the Uttam Nagar area. The gangsters, numbering four, first abducted two watchmen by wrapping them from behind in a blanket and dumped them in the Dabri area only to return and break open the shutters of the shop and take away 4 kg of gold, a television set and a generator. A case of abduction and
burglary has been registered, the police said. |
SC reserves judgement in Rajiv case NEW DELHI, Jan 15 (PTI) — After hearing marathon arguments for over two months, the Supreme Court today reserved judgement in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case in which the trial court had awarded death sentences to all 26 accused. A three-Judge Bench comprising Mr Justice K.T. Thomas, Mr Justice D.P. Wadhwa and Mr Justice S.S.M. Quadri reserved judgement on the special leave petitions filed by all 26 accused, who were charged with being part of a conspiracy by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) of Sri Lanka. Rajiv Gandhi was killed on May 21, 1991, at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu when the human bomb, Dhanu, blew herself up before the former Prime Minister as he arrived to address an election rally. The trial court in its judgement, which ran over 2,000 pages, had awarded capital punishment to all accused after the special investigation team which probed the assassination had arrested the accused. The apex court had in March last year stayed the operation of the sentences against the accused pending the hearing of the SLPs. Arguing for the accused, senior counsel N. Natrajan contended the main accused, LTTE chief V. Prabhakaran, and the other persons Sivarasan and his associates who were directly responsible for the conspiracy and assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, were either dead or were outside India. "All those arrested
were minions, who had no knowledge of the manner in which
the former Prime Minister was killed. They only helped
the main accused in very small ways," he said. |
PM hosts Iftar NEW DELHI, Jan 15 (PTI) — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today hosted an Iftar which was attended among others by Vice-President Krishna Kant and Congress President Sonia Gandhi. Among the special invitees were members of the Pakistani delegation who arrived here last night as a part of dry run of the proposed bus service between Lahore and Delhi. Besides Sonia Gandhi, other Opposition leaders present at the breaking of fast (Iftar) included Janata Dal leader Ram Vilas Paswan, Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh and Congress leader and former Finance Minister Manmohan Singh. Home Minister L.K. Advani, Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, Steel Minister Navin Patnaik and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit also attended the Iftar which was organised at the sprawling Hyderabad House. Prime Minister wearing a
traditional Muslim cap freely mingled with the invitees
and exchanged pleasantries. |
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| Less foreigners visit
Khajuraho KHAJURAHO: Number of foreign tourists to Khajuraho has declined over the past two years even as the world heritage site braces itself to the millennium celebrations. Mr A.P. Srivastava, conservation officer in the Madhya Pradesh Archaeological Department, told UNI that only 53,793 foreign tourists visited the temples last year against 61,793 in 1997. In 1958 the number of visitors was 234,000 against 220,000 in 1997. “Though the tourist graph has shown an increase of five per cent last year compared to 1997, this was largely due to inflow of domestic tourists who congregated here on special religious occasions,” Mr Srivastava said. He said the figures of the last two years were low as compared to 269,000 visitors in 1996. — UNI Racket
in stolen properties Medicines worth Rs
30 lakh looted Training cops to
combat ISI |
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