tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Friday, March 19, 1999
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Gajapati clash: probe ordered
BHUBANESWAR, March 18 (UNI) – A single-man commission, headed by retired Orissa High Court judge Kishore Chandra Jagdeb Ray, will probe into the clash between Christians and tribesmen at Ranalai village in Gajapati district on March 16, Orissa Chief Minister Giridhar Gomang told the state Assembly today. Amid an Opposition walkout, Mr Gomang said the commission, which had been appointed under the Commissioner of Inquiry Act to probe into the December 8 jail break violence in Ramgiri Udayagiri, would now also be asked to inquire into the the clash at Ranalai.

MBT production approved
Tribune News Service
NEW DELHI, March 18 — The government has approved the series production of indigenously developed main battle tank (MBT) Arjun with the Army placing orders for 124 tanks, the Lok Sabha was informed today. Replying to a question in the House, Defence Minister George Fernandes said the Army had accepted the indigenously developed tank after putting it to user's trial. He said 15 tanks had been handed over to the Army in 1993-94 for trial and testing and these were found acceptable.

Pak may sign CTBT
ISLAMABAD, March 18 (Reuters) — Pakistan today said it could sign the comprehensive test ban treaty (CTBT) before September under "pressure-free conditions". "Pakistan may sign the CTBT even before September 1999," the official APP news agency quoted Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz as saying in a written reply to a question in the national assembly (Lower House). "But that will happen only under pressure-free conditions and in the best interest of the country," he said.

Gujarat Governor
GANDHINAGAR, March 18 (PTI) — Mr Sunder Singh Bhandari was today sworn-in as the Governor of Gujarat. The Acting Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court, Justice C.K. Thakkar, administered the oath of office and secrecy to him. State Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, Speaker Dhirubhai Shah, Leader of the Opposition Amarsinh Chaudhary, Union Textiles Minister Kashiram Rana, Chief Secretary LNS Mukundan, Ministers, MLAs and senior officials were present at the function.

1,062 YC men held
CALCUTTA, March 18 (PTI) — As many as 1,062 Youth Congress workers, led by its state president Paresh Pal, today courted arrest to press for a CBI probe into the assets of Chandan Basu, son of state Chief Minister Jyoti Basu, besides other demands. The police said the arrested included 129 women, they were later sent to the Presidency Jail.

Kid charred to death
NEW DELHI, March 18 (PTI) — A four-year-old girl was charred to death and at least 200 hutments destroyed in a fire at Jehangirpuri in North-east Delhi today, fire brigade officials said. The girl has been identified as Mamti, they said. The fire which occurred around 12.40 p.m. was brought under control in about one hour with the help of 15 fire tenders, they said, adding the cause of the fire was not yet ascertained.

BJP rally disrupted
NEW DELHI, March 18 (UNI) — A group of 70 lathi-wielding hooligans disrupted a Jan Jagran function of the Bharatiya Janata Party at Nagloi in the capital last evening. Sources said the men reached the venue around 6.30 p.m. yesterday just before the function was to begin. They reportedly told video cameramen at the function not to shoot anything, one cameraman who did not pay heed was allegedly manhandled. He has lodged a written complaint with the Nangloi police station claiming that his kit containing software worth above Rs 10,000 had been taken away.

Iraqi diplomat
NEW DELHI, March 18 (UNI) — Mr Mohammed A.H. Al-Dani, second secretary in the Iraqi Embassy in India, has been "missing" for the past 10 days and is believed to have sought asylum in a western country. Sources said the diplomat, who was about to complete his term in India, abandoned his house in the posh Anand Niketan in South Delhi and the official car and telephoned from a five-star hotel to the Embassy, informing it to collect the car keys and other documents before disappearing.

Plane crash
GUWAHATI, March 15 (PTI) — An Indian Air Force MIG-21 plane crashed in upper Assam's Dibrugarh district today, official sources said here. Both the pilot and co-pilot of the aircraft bailed out to safety. The aircraft, which took off from Chabua air force base, was on a routine flight.