S P O T L I G H T

Ex gratia for passengers
NEW DELHI, Feb 18 (UNI) — Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee today announced an ex-gratia for the 16 passengers of the Gomti express who were injured in an explosion in the train last night. The explosion in coach number 10 occurred when the train was near the east cabin of Jhinjhak station on the Allahabad division of Northern Railway. Preliminary police inquiry revealed that a crude bomb of the kind used by criminals of the area, caused the explosion, a report from Kanpur said.

Hukam Singh quits
ROHTAK, Feb 18 (UNI) — Former Haryana Chief Minister and senior INLD leader Hukam Singh has quit the party.Mr Hukam Singh, however, did not spell out which party he would join but was seen at a Congress rally near here this evening.“I have quit the INLD. I will now work for the success of honest candidates with clean image (for the ensuing assembly elections), irrespective of party affiliations,” he told mediapersons .

Nepal ministers
KATHMANDU, Feb 18 (AP) — Eleven members of Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai’s Cabinet resigned today, joining party rebels who have demanded his replacement after nine months in office. “Since a majority of the members of our own party had expressed no confidence in the Prime Minister, it was not right for us to continue in our positions,” said resigned Water Resource Minister Govinder Raj Joshi.