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| Saturday, January 29, 2000, Chandigarh, India  
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Narayanan for quick justice BJP seeks White Paper on taxation Delhi CM promises dental college President’s medal for 8 ITBP
men Coast Guard to induct hovercraft Dacoits take to kidnapping |
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Roshan undergoes bypass surgery HP seeks extension of tax holidays
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Narayanan for quick justice NEW DELHI, Jan 28 (PTI) — President K.R. Narayanan today lamented that justice was not affordable to the people and hoped the Supreme Court would lead the way for an accountable judiciary in India for dispensing quick, affordable and incorruptible justice. Speaking at the golden jubilee celebrations of the Supreme Court, Mr Narayanan said it was heartening that under the leadership of Chief Justice A.S. Anand, judges of higher judiciary had adopted a statement of values of judicial life as a step towards self-reform. "I hope this statement of values by the judiciary would pave way for an accountable judiciary of India, for dispensing quick, affordable and incorruptible justice to the people," the President said. Referring to several examples in delay in dispensation of justice in lower judiciary, he said: "Judiciary in India has become the last refuge for the people and the future of the country will depend upon the fulfilment of the high expectations reposed by the people in it." Without naming the
"Mattoo murder case", Mr Narayanan said
"recently one of the judges in India let a person
accused of murder go free on the ground that clinching
evidence was lacking, though the judge himself was
convinced that the person did commit the deed he was
charged with. |
BJP seeks White Paper on
taxation NEW DELHI, Jan 28 — BJP MPs from Delhi today demanded the Congress-led Delhi Government to bring out a White Paper on the taxation system in the Capital. The MPs alleged that the Delhi Government had entered into a ‘hidden deal’ with the traders here for reducing sales tax rates on certain goods. ‘‘It is a lie propagated by the Delhi Chief Minister, Ms Sheila Dikshit, that the Centre has increased the taxes. Through uniform sales tax policy, the Centre has only fixed a tax slab for products and states are empowered to fix the rates between those particular slabs," Mr Madan Lal Khurana, who along with other two party MPs met Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha yesterday, told reporters. Mr Khurana also charged the government with the ‘hidden deal’ and alleged that ‘‘for the forthcoming Assembly elections in four states, the Congress government had taken money from some traders and had reduced the tax rates on their products.’’ Without disclosing the names, who were involved in the deal, Mr Khurana said,‘‘I will also demand a CBI inquiry into the whole issue at the right occasion but for the time being I just want an explanation from the Delhi Government on the present imposition of taxes on certain goods.’’ ‘‘There is
always a rationale behind the taxation system.We are just
demanding as the elected representatives of the city that
the government should disclose that rationale by
presenting a white paper on the taxation scenario
now,’’ he added. |
2 Pakistanis held in fake
currency racket NEW DELHI, Jan 28 — The Delhi Police today seized counterfeit notes amounting to Rs 8 lakh and arrested two Pak nationals and four Indians, including a woman, in this connection. A Pakistani national, Kamran, was arrested by sleuths of the special cell of the Delhi Police from Karol Bagh, the police said. Another Pakistani national, Hameeda, staying in the Turkman Gate area of the walled city, was caught red-handed from the Old Delhi railway station when she was receiving two "savaris (carriers of counterfeit notes) from Pakistan. Their interrogation led to the arrest of more people involved in the racket, including a woman from the Amritsar railway station. Acting on intelligence inputs, the sleuths raided several places in the Capital since January 24. The counterfeit seized from their possession was in the denomination of Rs 500 and Rs 100, the police said. Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence is reportedly supplying fake currency notes in the country through "savaris" for funding subversive activities in India. During interrogation, Kamran disclosed that counterfeit notes were smuggled from Pakistan through "savaries" travelling in Samjhauta Express. The fake currency notes were reportedly concealed in boxes of cashew nuts, almonds and other items. The counterfeit notes were supplied by Wahid and Shamul Shafi in Lahore, the police said. The police said Rs 5
lakh counterfeit notes were recovered from a hideout of
Kamran in the Chandni Mahal area of the walled city along
with 96 litres of acetic anhydride acid which was used
for making drugs. |
Delhi CM promises dental
college NEW DELHI, January 28 — The Delhi Chief Minister, Ms Sheila Dikshit, has promised to set up a dental college this year. The Chief Minister made this announcement at the inauguration of the five-day dental Congress being organised jointly by the Indian Dental Association (IDA) and the Commonwealth Dental Association (CDA) here today. The conference which would provide a global platform for the exchange of information, experience and expertise, is being attended by over 5,000 dental professionals from 54 countries. A dental exposition featuring 350 leading manufacturers of dental care products is also being held at the Pragati Maidan simultaneously. Ms Dikshit told TNS that the building housing the dental wing at MAMC would be constructed further to convert it into a dental college. The Minister of Health in the Delhi Government, Dr A K Walia, said that the construction of the college was likely to start within a month. Dr Mahesh Verma, Head of the Dentistry wing of Maulana Azad Medical College, said at present, the dental wing of the MAMC offered only 20 seats for an undergraduate course in dentistry. He said that the government had already earmarked Rs 14.3 crore for the project. The Vice President, Mr Krishan Kant, who inaugurated the conference, said that the science of dentistry and oral hygiene had been known in India for a long time and found a mention in Ayurveda. He said that the country had the highest number of dental colleges where 6000 dental surgeons graduate every year. He cautioned that dentists must not compromise on standards. Mr Krishan Kant also gave away prizes for excellence in various fields of dentistry. In his message, the
Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, expressed the
confidence that the Congress would provide participants a
common platform to discuss latest technologies and new
materials. |
President’s medal for 8 ITBP men NEW DELHI, Jan 28 — The marching contingent of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) for the Republic Day parade was adjudged as the best contingent among the police units. With this year’s award, ITBP has completed a hat-trick as its marching contingent also bagged the award in 1998 and 1999. Meanwhile, eight personnel of the ITBP have been awarded President’s Police Medals. Mr Kripa Ram Negi, Commandant of the 23 Battalion, has been awarded the President’s Police Medal for distinguished service. The President’s
Police Medal for meritorious service has been given to Mr
D.K. Pandey, DIG, Mr Mangal Singh Danu, Commandant, Mr
J.S. Ghuman, Second-in-Command, Mr M.S. Panwar, Deputy
Commandant, Mr Kanshi Ram Thakur, Inspector, Mr Ranbir
Singh Chauhan, Inspector (Shimla), Mr Gurdwara Ram,
sub-inspector. |
Coast Guard to induct
hovercraft NEW DELHI, Jan 28 — The Coast Guard is to induct six hovercraft into its fleet as part of a new plan to curb the increasing incidence of piracy on Indian high seas. Addressing the media today, the Director General of Coast Guard, Vice Admiral J.C. d 'Silva, said that the force was also planning to induct two interceptor boats, two fast patrol boats and two advanced offshore patrol vessels by 2002 as per the Coast Guard developmental plan. The government has accepted in principle the 1985 plan for Coast Guard development. Although Vice Admiral d 'Silva did not give the details of the new Coast Guard plan on high seas due to operational reasons, he said there would be more intelligence sharing and collation and analysis among the affected countries. At present the Coast Guard has three advanced offshore patrol vessels, nine offshore patrol vessels, eight fast patrol vessels, 15 inshore patrol vessels, 16 interceptor boats and seven interceptor crafts. In addition it has 17 Dornier aircraft and 17 helicopters. Despite this fleet,
Vice-Admiral d 'Silva said that the number of ships and
other vessels were not enough for guarding the 7700-km
coastline and 2.1 million sq km of the exclusive economic
zone (EEZ). There had to be heavy patrolling of the
contiguous zone as well as the EEZ and the number of
ships was just not sufficient, he said. |
Dacoits take to kidnapping KANPUR, Jan 28 (UNI) — An increasing number of dacoits operating in the Chambal ravines are kidnapping people for ransom instead of indulging in their traditional form of livelihood-committing dacoities. According to the police, dacoits from active gangs led by dacoit Man Singh, Nirbhay Gujar, Raju Singh Kushwaha, Rajjan Gurjar, Ramesh Kushwaha and Ram Asrey alias Fakkar, were found involved in 90 per cent of the cases of kidnapping in the dacoit-infested areas. Cases of kidnapping had gone up in six districts of Uttar Pradesh including in Kanpur, Aurraiya, Etawah and Jalaun and two of Madhya Pradesh—Bhind and Muraina, they said. In the Kanpur zone 100 cases of kidnapping were registered in 1999 but the police claimed this was not the exact figure because many cases were labelled only as missing. On the other hand the number of dacoities fell from 132 in 1998 to 32 in 1999. According to the police, with the changing times, the mode of operation of the dacoits has changed. They now find it more lucrative to kidnap for ransom. Unlike in dacoities, in case of kidnapping the dacoits can let their agents operating over large areas do the dirty work of actually lifting the victims — mostly, the children of the rich. The agents sell the victims to the dacoits who are then free to demand a price for the catch. The victims’ family generally does not inform the police for the fear that this might invite danger to their offspring’s life. Deputy Inspector-General of Police A.K. Mitra said the police had also changed its strategy to deal with these activities of the gangs. The state police in coordination with the Madhya Pradesh police would work for the eradication of the dacoit gangs, he said. The question before the police of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh was inter-state movement of the dacoits because the Chambal ravines fell in both states. After committing the crime, the dacoits crossed the borders and fled to the other state leaving the police helpless. Senior police officials of both states met on Monday to prepare a joint action plan to check the incidents of kidnapping. Official sources said it was decided at the meeting that to make exchange of information easier the two states would be linked through wireless of the same frequency. Officials of the rank of SP would be the nodal incharge in the affected districts. The sources said the
affected police stations would be equipped with the
latest weapons. The state police of Uttar Pradesh and
Madhya Pradesh, seven units of the Provincial Armed
Constabulary and six units of the Rapid Action Force
would be involved in this operation. Later, Rajasthan
would also be involved in the operation because a part of
it too fell in the Chambal ravines. |
BJP denies Gupta made statement NEW DELHI, Jan 28 (PTI) — The BJP today denied that its Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Ram Prakash Gupta had made a statement regarding the construction of Ram Temple at Ayodhya by the Bajrang Dal or the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). In a statement here tonight, party spokesman Venkaiah Naidu said, "The BJP central leadership got in touch with the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister regarding the construction of the temple at Ayodhya. The Chief Minister has categorically denied having made the statement. "What he said was
that maintenance of law and order was the duty of the
state government and the construction of the temple or
masjid was not the responsibility of the state
government." |
Roshan undergoes bypass surgery MUMBAI, Jan 28 (PTI) — Film-maker Rakesh Roshan, who survived an attempt on his life by gangsters last week, has undergone a bypass surgery at a private hospital here. Roshan, whose heart
condition had aggravated due to the stress resulting from
the recent shooting incident, was forced to undergo a
"six vessel arterial surgery" on Wednesday,
Director of Cumballa Hill Heart Institute K. Shetty told
PTI today. |
HP seeks extension of tax
holidays NEW DELHI, Jan 28 — The Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, has requested the Centre to extend tax holidays to industrial units of the state up to March 30, 2008. Mr Dhumal said the Centre had extended income tax holidays for these industrial units of the state up to March 31, 2000, through an amendment in the Finance Bill, 1998, a state government press note said. He said this incentive would help in attracting new industrial units to the state and would effectively match the location advantage and low cost of operation facilities available in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. The government, he said,
would spend about Rs 20 crore on export promotion and an
industrial park at Baddi in Solan district. |
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