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| Thursday, March 9, 2000, Chandigarh, India  
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NHRC: pay 2.5 lakh to
tortured cashier Centre ‘to play’
proactive role on Chandigarh issue PM seeks support on women’s
Bill President salutes Indian women |
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Naxalite-hit states’
meeting on April 3 Minister’s murder
‘pre-planned’ Daily wagers to get maternity
benefits Karmapa ‘may’ live in
India CBI moves Pande to prosecute Laloo Gas tragedy: CBI produces papers ‘Review support’ to
Vajpayee government
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NHRC: pay
2.5 lakh to tortured cashier NEW DELHI, March 8 — The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the Punjab Government to pay a compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh to a bank employee of Hoshiarpur who was tortured by the police. It has also asked the Punjab government to initiate criminal proceedings against the police officers concerned and hold an inquiry into the incident. In his complaint to the commission, Ram Rattan, a cashier, said he was picked up by the police on the suspicion that he was involved in a case of theft. According to the complaint, Ram Rattan was detained and tortured for 13 days in two police stations. The torture inflicted on him resulted in the fracture of his femur bone in the leg. The commission’s investigation division found that he was innocent and had been falsely implicated and tortured by the police. It found that the nature of injuries was such that the victim would have to undergo periodic operations every eight to ten years. The commission opines that the Punjab police has disabled Ram Rattan permanently and violated his fundamental right to life. In its interim report submitted in response to notice issued by the NHRC, the Punjab Government denied the charges levelled against the police officers. Instead, it suggested that the complainant fractured his leg after he fell in the bathroom. The report denied that Ram Rattan was detained for 13 days or that he had been tortured. The commission’s
team said the report of the Punjab Government was an
attempt at covering up the actions of the police. The
team also relied on the opinion of the Head of the
Department of Orthopaedics, PGI, Chandigarh, in drawing
an inference. |
Centre ‘to play’ proactive role on Chandigarh issue NEW DELHI, March 8 (PTI) — The Government today said that it would play a proactive role in resolving the long-pending dispute between Punjab and Haryana over Chandigarh.Home Minister L.K. Advani told the Rajya Sabha that the government would consider taking an initiative in bringing together the two states for talks to resolve the issue. Replying to supplementaries, he said the Centre could not abdicate its responsibility over the issue. “Both states should sit together and resolve the issue amicably,” he said, adding that “it is a suggestion to both states.” There had been some suggestions to break the city into two between the two states, he said, adding that “no decision can be imposed on the states by the Centre and the states should arrive at an amicable solution.” On questions by opposition members as to why the Centre was not taking a proactive attitude considering the fact that both states were being ruled by constituents of the National Democratic Alliance, Mr Advani said his government would play such a role in bringing together both states for talks. The states should also bear in mind that the people of Chandigarh wanted the city to continue with its status of union territory instead of joining one or the other of the two states. He said no proposal relating to the construction of a new capital for Haryana was under consideration and the question of transfer of Chandigarh was linked to other issues. He pointed out that the
Shah Commission had recommended the transfer of the city
to Haryana. |
PM seeks
support on women’s Bill NEW DELHI, March 8 — The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee has appealed to all political parties to support the Women’s Reservation Bill and ensure its expeditious passage in Parliament. Presiding over a function held here to mark the International Women’s Day, Mr Vajpayee said political parties should fulfil their obligation to bring about a legislation to politically empower women. The function was organised by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, the National Commission for Women and the Central Social Welfare Board. Mr Vajpayee said that the time had come to increase the representation of women in administration in Union and state governments. He expressed confidence that if women were given one third reservation in Parliament and state Assemblies, it would not only give them a fair representation but also make the democratic structure more healthy and strong. The Prime Minister also remembered CPI leader Geeta Mukherjee who passed away recently. He said that she played a very active role in raising women’s issues inside and outside Parliament. Mr Vajpayee said that the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendment has facilitated one third reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions. This increased the participation of women in politics and administration. He said that the increased representation of women in gram panchayats, zila panchayats and municipal institutions too, had shown positive results. Mr Vajpayee said the government would constitute a task force headed by experts to review the existing provisions and other related issues. The task force would help the government in chalking out a programme to observe the year 2001 as “Empowering the women year”, he said. The Prime Minister also gave away the Durgabhai Deshmukh award to Ms Prema N. Pauran of the Anapoorna Mahilla Mandal. Union Minister for Human Resource Development Murli Manohar Joshi said that the government would try its best to ensure that by 2003, every child of school-going age attended school. He said girls would also benefit if this target was met. Dr Joshi said that the government had set a target of increasing the literacy rate to 75 per cent by 2005. Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptulla today also said the Women’s Reservation Bill should be passed without delay to give reservation to women in Parliament and state legislatures. “Today we miss a great supporter of women’s rights in Geeta Mukherjee who dedicated her life for this cause. The Women’s Reservation Bill is still pending before Parliament,” she said. Mukherjee had been relentlessly fighting for quota for women and instrumental in moving the bill in the lower House. First Lady Usha Narayanan also regretted that India’s development had become lopsided due to denial of opportunities to women to participate in the many spheres of life. “Our country’s development has not specifically focussed on women. Therefore, in spite of economic growth, enhancement of food grain production and impressive strides in human development, the male-female ratio has not increased, rather it is declining’, she observed at a function in the capital marking International Women’s Day today. Women’s strength and resilience were reiterated variously by other speakers at the event, including Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Human Resource Development Minister M.M. Joshi and Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Arun Jaitley. Mrs Dikshit said women
as a gender were more honourable and humane with an
inborn sense of commitment, whether at home or at work. |
President salutes Indian women NEW DELHI, March 8 (PTI) —President K.R. Narayanan today said the goal of gender equality had eluded the country and asked people to work towards achieving it. “I salute the women
of India, who through their hard work and dedication to
the values of our culture have sustained our society and
civilisation from generation to generation,” the
President said in a message on the occasion of the
International Women’s Day. |
Naxalite-hit states’ meeting on April 3 HYDERABAD, March 8 (UNI) — Union Home Minister L.K. Advani today announced that a meeting of the Chief Ministers of Naxalite-infested states would be convened in Delhi on April 3. Mr Advani, who arrived here to pay his last respects to Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Minister A Madhava Reddy who was killed in a landmine blast set off by the PWG extremists, told reporters that he originally planned to have the meeting on March 31 but had to change the date as it was the last working day of the financial year. Mr Advani said in the past 25 years, the internal security in the country had worsened and the extremist activity was one of the reasons. Another problem faced by the country was the militancy promoted from across the border. Asked about central
assistance, he said the Centre was trying its best to
equip the states to tackle the Naxalite problem. A part
of the security expenditure incurred on combating
naxalism was reimbursed by the Centre. |
Minister’s murder ‘pre-planned’ HYDERABAD, March 8 (UNI) — The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet, at an emergency meeting here today, mourned the death of Panchayati Raj Minister A. Madhava Reddy in a landmine explosion last night, even as the police began investigation into the incident which has sent shock waves across the state. The minister, a senior Telugu Desam Party leader, was killed along with his Chief Security Officer and car driver when suspected PWG Naxalites exploded two powerful landmines on his convoy’s route on the newly constructed road overbridge near Ghatkosar. A top police official said the plan to assassinate the minister, on the PWG hit list, was well executed. The landmine must have been planted at the site some two months ago, he said. The Toyota-Qualis in which Mr Reddy travelled at the time of the landmine explosion at Ghatkesar last night had helped the PWG Naxalites to target the minister with pin-point accuracy. Being a new model car, it made a decisive difference as the remaining two cars in the convoy were Ambassadors, Andhra Pradesh Director-General of Police H.J. Dora, who was among the first to reach the spot, told reporters here today. The shuffling of cars would have helped in dodging the attackers if the car the minister occupied was also an Ambassador, he said adding that the make of the vehicle made all the difference. The Naxalites used the precision of the landmine blast with “deadly accuracy’’ and the headlights of a Maruti van trailing the minister’s convoy might have helped the extremists in identifying Mr Reddy’s vehicle. The police chief said the extremists used two buckets full of gelatine sticks weighing 100 kg in setting off the blast. He said the extremists might have planted the landmine two to three months ago. It was obvious that the minister’s movements were conveyed to the extremists waiting at the site to set off the landmine. Mr Dora said the blast was the handiwork of a specially constituted team. Later, the mortal remains of the minister were consigned to flames with full police honours, amid moving scenes, here today. Union Home Minister L. K. Advani, Andhra Pradesh Governor Dr Rangarajan, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Lok Sabha Speaker G.M.C. Balayogi, several ministers, legislators and TDP functionaries were among the multitudes who attended the funeral at the Panjagutta cremation grounds. Madhav Reddy’s son Sandeep lit the pyre as contingents from the state police sounded the last post and reversed arms. The policemen also fired 21 shots in the air as a mark of respect to the departed leader. Meanwhile, the Andhra
Pradesh Government today decided to conduct a high-level
inquiry into the killing of the Minister. |
Daily wagers to get maternity benefits NEW DELHI, March 8 (PTI, UNI) — The Supreme Court today ruled that daily-wagers are entitled to maternity benefits in a decision that will benefit lakhs of them in the unorganised sector. Directing the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to pay maternity benefits to daily-wagers, the court said “a just and social order can be achieved only when irregularities are obliterated and everyone is provided what is legally due. “Women, who constitute half of the society, have to be honoured and treated with dignity at places where they work to earn their livelihood,” the court added. Dismissing an appeal against the order of a tribunal, a Division Bench comprising Mr Justice S. Saghir Ahmad and Mr Justice D.P. Wadhwa said “to become a mother is the most natural phenomenon in the life of a woman.” “A just social
order can be achieved only when the inequalities are
obliterated and everyone is provided what is legally due.
Women, who constitute almost half of the segment of our
society, have to be honoured and treated with dignity at
places where they work to earn their livelihood”,
the court observed. |
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NEW DELHI, March 8 (PTI)— The Dalai Lama has said the Indian Government has “unofficially” indicated to him that the Karmapa, who recently fled from Tibet to India, will “most probably” be allowed to remain in this country. “The formal
response has not yet come but unofficially some of my old
friends in the Ministry of External Affairs have
indicated that the Karmapa will most probably be allowed
to remain in the country” he said, when asked about
the response from the government to the Karmapa’s
request to stay and study in India. |
CBI moves Pande to prosecute Laloo PATNA, March 8 (PTI)
— The CBI today moved the Bihar Governor V.C. Pande
seeking permission to prosecute former Chief Minister and
RJD president Laloo Prasad Yadav in connection with a
disproportionate assets (DA) case against him, CBI
sources said.Governor’s Principal Secretary
Mithilesh Kumar, when contacted, told PTI that a group of
CBI officials came to Raj Bhavan to meet the Governor and
seek the permission. But Mr Pande refused to give them an
appointment for the time being. |
Gas tragedy: CBI produces papers BHOPAL, March 8 (UNI) — The CBI today produced documents showing the leakage of methyl iso-cynate (MIC) from the Union Carbide Corporation Limited’s (UCIL) pesticide plant here causing death of thousands of persons on the intervening night of December 2 and 3 in 1984. Deposing before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court on the concluding day of the three-day hearing in the Bhopal gas tragedy criminal case here, prosecution witness and then ASI of Hanumanganj police station Daulat Singh and then provisional Sub-Inspector G.S. Rajput testified the death of large number of people due to the leakable of MIC from the UCIL plant. They produced several inquest reports prepared by them on that night. The CJM, Mr L.D. Borasee, has fixed May 4 and 5 as the next date of the hearing. Mr Daulat Singh said
even though a “chaotic” condition was
prevailing in the city at the time of the incident, his
police station, situated two-three km from the factory,
received no information from UCIL regarding the leakage
of MIC gas or how to protect oneself. |
‘Review support’ to Vajpayee govt NEW DELHI, March 8 (PTI) — The Delhi unit of the Shiv Sena today urged party supremo Bal Thackeray to review its support to the Vajpayee government in the wake of police raids at Sena offices in the Capital and alleged harassment of party activists. “Sena activists in
the BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh and Punjab are
being harassed. In Delhi too, where the police is
directly under the Union Home Ministry, party workers are
unnecessarily being harassed”, party’s northern
India chief Jai Bhagwan Goyal said. |
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