Sunday, October 17, 1999
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DMK engaged in
‘vindictive’ actions |
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 Calcutta: A unique pandal of Tibetan Pagoda and an idol of Devi Durga at Amhrst Street in north Calcutta during the festive season on Friday. — PTI photo
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JD (U) seeks repoll in
Outer Manipur George can ‘explain’
Hegde’s exclusion Brother asks Dara to surrender Transporters unite on diesel price
issue Elephant battles for life Device to prevent train collisions |
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DMK engaged in ‘vindictive’ actions CHENNAI, Oct 16 (UNI) — The All-India Anna DMK General Secretary Ms J. Jayalalitha today alleged that the Karunanidhi government in Tamil Nadu was continuously engaged in vindictive actions against her and vowed to defeat it with the support of the people. In an appeal to the party cadres, on the occasion of the 27th anniversary of the party’s founding, Ms Jayalalitha claimed that party founder and former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran and she herself, when she was Chief Minister, had never targetted DMK President M. Karunanidhi or his family members for any punitive action. Mr Karunanidhi was bent on politically “finishing” the AIADMK in the last elections, but failed, she alleged. Claiming that her party’s support-base in the state was intact as evidenced in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections, she reiterated that the AIADMK remained the largest single party in the state judged by the percentage of votes polled by it. There was nothing to be disheartened about the poll outcome, she told the cadres. The victory of the
AIADMK front in the Natham and Thiruvattar assembly
by-elections pointed to the party’s bright future,
she added. |
Cong sought ULFA’s help: Mahanta GUWAHATI, Oct 16 (UNI) — The Asom Gana Parishad President and Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta today accused the Congress of taking the help of surrendered ULFA in Upper Assam to garner votes during the elections. “The AGP has not used ULFA for electoral gains,’’ he told reporters at a press conference here. On his party’s poll debacle, he said it was because of the electronic media that the polarisation took place in Assam as well. “Whenever you switch on the television it is always the BJP and the Congress,’’ he claimed. Mr Mahanta, however, accepted the verdict saying, “We have accepted the verdict of the people and have resolved to carry out serious introspection and rectify the mistakes that have been committed without any intention.’’ Stating that regionalism is the only path for the preservation and development of the identity of the indigenous people of Assam. He stressed “AGP advocates the strong philosophy of regionalism, not that of opportunistic politics. It is noteworthy to mention that even the new regime in Delhi is talking about stability and development with support of a number of regional parties.’’ Mr Mahanta said his party was opposed to all forms of killings and violence. “It is for a peaceful atmosphere that the AGP-led government has been relentlessly and uncompromisingly striving for. At the same time, the government has been demanding from the Centre a long-lasting peaceful political solution to the insurgency problem,’’ he said. He refuted the Opposition allegation that Assam’s economy had collapsed. The Congress rule of 1991-96 had left the state with a debt burden of over Rs 6,000 crore. The AGP-led government had been repaying these loans in the past three years, he said. The roads and bridges of the state were damaged and left unrepaired during the Congress rule. It was the previous government which had left national highways and state PWD roads unrepaired. “The AGP has so far repaired about 70 per cent of the road and bridges,’’ he maintained. Mr Mahanta said the
government should not be blamed for non-receipt of
salaries by a section of school teachers. “The
Congress government during 1991-96 had illegally
appointed about 7,000 teachers by not including them in
the state’s budget estimates,’’ he
charged. |
JD (U) seeks repoll in Outer Manipur NEW DELHI, Oct 16 (PTI) — Janata Dal (United) today demanded repoll in the entire Outer Manipur Lok Sabha constituency and deployment of "adequate and competent" security in all booths. "If the Election Commission does not take effective steps, I will be forced to go on an indefinite fast "the JD (U) candidate for the seat, Mr Kim Gangte, said here. Alleging that the October 4 polling for the constituency was rigged by supporters of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate Hol Khomang, Mr Gangte said she had sent a letter to the EC and would meet the Chief Election Commissioner on Monday in support of her demand. She also demanded an inquiry into the "lapses" on the polling day and punishment to the guilty. Mr Gangte said seven of her supporters were killed for defying the poll boycott call given by underground outfits and 11 were kidnapped. Meanwhile, the
commission today ordered re-poll on October 28 in 173
polling stations in 15 assembly segments of the
constituency on the basis of the reports of the Returning
Officer and the commission’s observers. |
Y2K compliance ensured by
Rlys NEW DELHI, Oct 16 — The Railways has claimed that its passenger reservation system will have smooth sailing into the new millennium without getting affected by the Y2K bug. Briefing media persons on the Y2K preparedness of the Indian Railways, Mr V Kumaran, additional member, Computer and Information System, Railway Board said all train services would function normally on January 1, 2000 and later. He said the Indian Railways received 3.75 lakh applications and provide reservation related services to about 5.75 lakh passengers everyday. This facility was available in 480 locations over 2500 terminals. He said cities having over 200 reservation-related transactions everyday would have computerised reservation facility by the end of the financial year. Mr Kumaran said the Railways had ensured Y2K compliance and would start booking tickets for January, 2000, in November. He said online systems were loaded with Y2K compliant versions early this month and were now completely Y2K compliant. The acquisition of hardware system and software network entailed an outlay of Rs 4 crore. He said a system could be said to be Y2K ready if the scope and functionality for which it had been originally designed continued to work uninterruptedly without loss of function or disruption. He said any valid date should be acceptable to the system and it should recognise the leap year as a valid date. Mr Kumaran said the
Government of India had set up a task force headed by Dr
Montek Singh Ahluwalia to look into Y2K compliance in
four core sections of the economy, including the
Railways. He said the Railways had set up an action force
comprising additional members from various disciplines of
the Railway Board. |
Brother asks Dara to surrender KEONJHAR, Oct 16 (PTI) — Arvind Pal, a younger brother of Dara Singh, the prime accused in the killing of Australian missionary Graham Steines and his sons, has appealed to him to surrender. Arvind, at present in CBI custody at Anandapur, has asked his fugitive brother to surrender before the authorities “even if he was innocent.” “After coming to know that you have gone underground, I have come to Anandapur to meet you. Father feels that you should abide by the law,” he said in an appeal issued to the media. “We don’t know if my brother is involved in these crimes and whatever we came to know was from newspaper reports,” he said. Picked up by the CBI from his home in Kakor village in Auria district in Uttar Pradesh recently, the 27-year-old daily wage-earner was taken to Delhi and then brought to Anandapur. He went to several places including Patna, Karanjia, Saharapada, Thakurmunda and Mahuldiha in the area in a bid to establish contact with Dara, but without success. Dara, whose actual name is Ravindra Kumar Pal, has also been linked to the broad daylight killing of a Muslim trader Shaikh Rehman, at Padiabeda village under Thakurmunda police station. Arvind said his brother
had left home 14 years ago in search of job. |
George can ‘explain’ Hegde’s exclusion BANGALORE, Oct 16 (PTI) — Union Minister for Culture and Youth Affairs, H.N. Ananth Kumar today said it was for JD (U) leader and Defence Minister George Fernandes to explain the non-inclusion of Lok Shakti leader Ramakrishna Hegde in the new Vajpayee Cabinet. “Your question is relevant”, Mr Kumar said at a press conference here when asked about the former Commerce Minister being denied a berth. “But you have addressed it to the wrong person. Ask George Fernandes”, he said. The Vajpayee government was a coalition and “each party gets representation based on its strength”, he said. Mr Hegde has already said Mr Fernandes did not consult him while suggesting names from JD (U) for Cabinet berths. Asked if he would miss Mr Hegde in the Cabinet, Mr Kumar quipped: “This is a train. Passengers get in and get out”. The BJP leader declined
to comment on JD (U) leader and former Chief Minister
J.H. Patel’s announcement of severing of his
party’s ties with the state BJP. |
Transporters unite on diesel price
issue NEW DELHI, Oct 16 — All transport associations of Delhi have formed a united front to fight the hike in diesel price. The Vice-President of the All-India Motor Transport Congress, Mr J.L. Khanna, has been appointed the convenor of the front and they have decided to start an indefinite “chakka jam” from October 21, if the diesel prices were not rolled back. All transporters of Delhi under the banner of the united front will participate in ‘chain fast’ at Jantar Mantar from October 17 to 20. Meanwhile, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) fares were doubled from today. The Delhi Government had decided on the hike after the increase in diesel prices. The ticket slab will start from Rs 2, with the charge for 4 to 8 km being Rs 4 and 6 between 8 to 12 km and a flat fare of Rs 10 beyond 16 km. The hike has also
affected concessional bus pass rates which have doubled.
However, the rates of passes, for the students, will not
change. |
Elephant battles for life THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Oct 16 (UNI) — A nine-year-old wild elephant, seriously wounded in a crude bomb explosion, is waging a grim battle for survival, helped by a group of animal lovers, forest officials and vets at Theviayarkunnu settlement near Nedumangad in the district. The pachyderm was wounded after chewing a crude bomb left behind by hooch-brewers, who often covered it with salt or jaggery to trap and kill wild boars. The elephant sustained sharpnel injuries, its upper palate was damaged and right cheek blown away. It landed in the settlement on October 8 and was treated by doctors and forest officials. But the officials gave
up hope of treating the jumbo and took it back to the
forest. However, it returned to the settlement on
Tuesday. |
Device to prevent train collisions MUMBAI, Oct 16 (UNI) — In a revolutionary breakthrough which promises to change the safety scenario in the Railways in the whole world, the Konkan Railway has developed an innovative device which will prevent collision of trains. According to Konkan Railway Managing Director B. Rajaram, the device, called as the anti-collision device (ACD), will prevent “Khanna’’ and “Ghaisal’’ kinds of railway accidents in future and render railway travel safer. The first laboratory
prototype of the device has been made ready by the Konkan
Railway within a record 40 days of the launching of the
project. |
SAD’s plea on price hike NEW DELHI, Oct 16
—President of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar)
Delhi state, Mr Jasvinder Singh Virk, today demanded that
the diesel price hike should be rolled back. |
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| Second labour commission
set up NEW DELHI: The second National Commission on Labour has been constituted under the chairmanship of former Labour Minister Ravindra Varma, it was officially announced on Saturday. The 10-member commission will suggest rationalisation of existing laws relating to labour in the organised sector and an ‘’umbrella’’ legislation for ensuring a minimum level of protection to workers in the unorganised sector. — PTI Luxury tour to Shimla
inaugurated Dadar-Chennai
Express derailed 11 cops
suspended Journalist
passes away Pakistani
national held 2 killed in gas
leakage Bogie gutted Highway
gangsters held |
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