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| Monday, March 27, 2000, Chandigarh, India  
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Gangster shot in Delhi SAD seeks security for Sikhs in
valley CPM’s strictures on Saifuddin Prasar Bharati faces uphill task India not to sign CTBT: BJP chief |
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Prem Bhatia scholarships
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Gangster shot in Delhi NEW DELHI, March 26 (PTI) — An inter-state gangster and his two accomplices, involved in several crimes in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan were killed in an encounter with the police in north-west Delhi today. The gangster, Sanjay alias Bunty, who had escaped from the custody of the U.P. Police in Modi Nagar on January 18, was involved in more than 40 cases, including murder of Bharatpur jailer Jai Prakash, while his accomplices Dinesh Gujjar and Subhash were involved in several heinous cases, Special Commissioner of Police (Intelligence) S. Ramakrishan told media persons here. The police also nabbed two "spotters", Chander Shoba alias Pappu and Hari Om, he said. An AK-56 rifle, a .455 revolver and a .45 pistol along with 21 empty cartridges and 11 live cartridges had been seized, he said. The encounter took place at 0815 hours on the terrace of the house owned by R.C. Sharma, a section officer with Delhi Development Authority (DDA), on Lawrance Road. The gangsters fired 21 rounds from automatic weapons and the police team fired 37 rounds, killing them on the spot. Bunty, who began his criminal career in 1989, was involved in bank dacoities, multiple murders and kidnapping for ransom, Mr Ramakrishnan said. He had escaped in 1997 from the custody of the Rajasthan Police which had booked him under the National Security Act and also from the custody of the Haryana Police, he said. The Special Commissioner said the special police cell, which had been trying to nab these gangsters for quite some time, reached Sharma’s house on a tip off. However, two "spotters" engaged by the gangsters saw the police and rushed inside to alert them. Meanwhile, Bunty and his other accomplices rushed to the terrace of the flat and opened fire on the police in a bid to escape, Mr Ramakrishnan said, adding the police team returned the fire, killing Bunty and two more. Of the 21 rounds fired
by the gangsters, four bullets hit three Policemen but
they escaped unhurt as they were wearing bullet-proof
jackets. |
SAD seeks security for Sikhs in valley NEW DELHI, March 26 (PTI) — The Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) today demanded removal of Article 370, which prohibits people other than the subjects of Jammu and Kashmir from buying property in the valley and appointment of a Sikh as the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. It also demanded adequate security measures to instil confidence among the minority community in Jammu and Kashmir and distribution of weapons to Sikhs residing in the valley. "Article 370 must be abolished and weapons should be given to the Sikhs living in Jammu and Kashmir for their self-protection," all-India general secretary of SAD (B) Onkar Singh Thapar said while addressing a gathering after "Akhand Path" at Bangla Sahib Gurudwara here to pay homage to 35 Sikhs massacred in south Kashmir recently, a party release said. Hundreds of Sikhs,
including members leaders of the party’s Delhi unit
and members of DSGMC, participated in the akhand path and
kirtan. |
CPM’s strictures on Saifuddin CALCUTTA, March 26 (PTI) — In a fresh stricture on dissident leader Saifuddin Chaudhury, the CPM today asked him not to air his views to any news media other than the party organ "Ganashakti". The party’s stricture follows repeated statements by Mr Chaudhury to media on inner party democracy and CPM’s mode of functioning. Discussing the issue at its meeting, the state committee today read out the reply of Mr Chaudhury against the show cause notice served on him following the decision of its last meeting. The state committee was
clear that right from the Dunlop issue till the issue of
seat adjustment with the Congress in the forthcoming
Calcutta Municipal Corporation election, Mr Chaudhury
continued airing his views on various aspects. |
Prasar Bharati faces uphill task NEW DELHI, March 26 (UNI) — Prasar Bharati, which is to be funded as a full-fledged autonomous body with effect from next month, faces an uphill task with declining commercial revenue and a major resource crunch affecting its future growth. According to a decision taken by the government, the public broadcaster will only receive a grant-in-aid amounting to Rs 963 crore to cover the gap in its resources in meeting its revenue expenditure and will for the first time get a loan in the new financial year to the tune of Rs 170.30 crore to finance its capital expenditure. The total budgetary support for Prasar Bharati has thus been fixed at Rs 1130.30 crore. Media pundits regret that the decision has been taken only keeping the revenue from commercial advertising in mind and ignores the strong remarks by various parliamentary committees that sufficient funds have to be provided for filling vacant posts, strengthen existing infrastructure and announced programmes, and boost reach, particularly in border areas. The total expenditure budget for broadcasting for the new financial year is listed as Rs 1384 crore compared to Rs 1244.85 crore in the revised estimates for 1999-2000. In the revised estimates for 1999-2000, the expenditure on the broadcasting sector is Rs 1018.77 crore as against the budgetary allocation of Rs 897 crore. The revised estimates for the current year for Doordarshan are Rs 485.50 crore (compared to the original budgetary allocation of Rs 406.98 crore) while the revised expenditure on Akashvani for 1999-2000 is Rs 533.27 crore as against the original allocation of Rs 490.02 crore. The standing committee on communications, headed by Mr Somnath Chatterjee, in a report on the action taken on its twelfth report relating to the I and B ministry has noted that Doordarshan’s share in the overall television business now stands at just 43 per cent. The committee regretted that the revenue from the electronic media had been declining sharply after the peak generation of Rs 572 crore in 1996-97. The committee has said that if firm steps were not taken by Doordarshan, "It will be in a totally disadvantageous position in the competitive environment". It has said corrective steps should be devised urgently to arrest the declining trend in revenue generation which in turn will help them to have more outlay at their disposal for quick development of the electronic media. Meanwhile, the I and B Ministry sources admit that there had been delay in executing projects for setting up studios and transmitters for AIR and Doordarshan due to constraint on resources apart from problems like site acquisition, power supply, law and order and contractual problems. At least 30 projects of All India Radio and installation of 13 studios and 95 transmitters of Doordarshan are running behind schedule in view of these problems, the sources admitted. The government had set
up an expert committee headed by Mr S. Sen some years ago
to suggest ways to increase revenue, but no action was
taken on a report submitted by it in 1997. Prasar Bharati
appointed the private sector Quadra Advisory in July last
to update the recommendations of the expert committee. |
India not to sign CTBT: BJP chief CHENNAI, March 26 (UNI) — "There is no question of India signing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) in its present form," BJP president Kushabhau Thakre asserted today. Addressing a press conference here, he said India had its own security concerns and unless these were adequately addressed, there was no question of the country signing the CTBT. Mr Thakre was replying to a question on US President Bill Clinton’s call to India during his visit to sign the CTBT and his assertion that a nuclear India was not necessarily a safe India. Even the US Senate had rejected the CTBT, he recalled. The BJP president said with Mr Clinton’s visit there was better understanding now between the two largest democracies in the world and this was also good for global peace. Mr Thakre said the country had more pressing work such as insurgency and tackling law and order than examining the CTBT. He claimed that Mr Clinton had a better appreciation of the Indian position after his visit. As against the past when the US always supported Pakistan, the US understanding had now changed after this visit, he said. Mr Clinton’s assertion in Pakistan that its borders could not be redrawn with blood, his claimed had strengthened India’s position vis a vis Kashmir in the international community. However, there was no room for third party mediation in the Kashmir issue as it would have to be sorted out between the two countries, Mr Thakre added. Mr Thakre ruled out the imposition of President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir on the ground that there was breakdown of law and order in that state, in the context of the recent massacre of 36 Sikhs. Addressing a press conference here, he said invoking Article 356 of the Constitution to tackle insurgency would not serve any purpose. Since the problem had to be tackled with people’s support, he said an elected government always offered the best option. "You have to take the people into confidence", he added. The Khalistani movement
was tackled only with the active support of the people
because they had realised that the movement was hampering
development of Punjab, he pointed out and added that a
similar situation was emerging in Jammu and Kashmir |
Lawyers asked to alter mode of protest NEW DELHI, March 26 (UNI) The National Human Rights Commission Chairperson, Justice J.S. Verma, has urged the lawyers to devise some better way of ventilating their grievance rather than strike which has resulted in the closure of the courts and denial of access to justice to litigants. Justice Verma said the recent trend of lawyers resorting to strike was disturbing as it had led to an increase in the backlog of cases. He said even assuming that the demands of lawyers were legitimate, it was necessary to devise some other mode of protest instead of the closure of courts. "One can easily visualise the setback in the functioning of the subordinate courts and the high courts during the last one month. To say the least, the adverse impact on the ltigants who suffered for no fault of theirs is startling. This result, when the pendency is already considerable, is certainly not that even the lawyers would like", he said, while delivering a lecture on judicial delays here. The former Chief Justice pointed out that the Supreme Court had addressed the issue while hearing a PIL and made certain orders which according to him needed serious consideration and compliance by the Bar. He said, "Any action of the Bar which results in denial to the litigants of access of justice and impedes speedy justice has to be a matter of serious concern to the Bar itself." The NHRC, while taking suo-motu cognizance of the news reports regarding alleged police brutality against protesting lawyers had earlier issued notice to the Delhi Government and the Police Commissioner of the city, dismissed the case as it had become sub-judice, NHRC sources told UNI. A full Bench of the
commission heard a petition filed by a Supreme Court
lawyer in the case on March 23 and decided that as the
case was pending before the Delhi High court, the NHRC
could not deliberate on it. |
Haven for arms smugglers LAWNGTLAI (Mizoram), March 26 (PTI) — "You can get anything from the smallest handgun to a rocket launcher, from Russian Kalashnikov to a Chinese version of AK-47, from American M-16 to German HK 33", says a Chin Army (CA) cadre Laldina. Welcome to Mizoram’s southern Chhimtuipui district, the safe haven for foreign insurgents and gun-runners. The insurgents are here because the area is close to the "no man’s land" of India-Myanmar-Bangladesh (called ‘tri-junction’). The gun-runners are here and allegedly have access to Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazaar, widely regarded as an ‘arms bazaar’. Even some government officials of the district benefit from the business, claimed former Chin Independent Army (CIA) Chief J. Kiauluaia, now in police custody at Lawngtlai. He claimed to PTI that he supplied hand guns to many including officials and politicians. The Chin and Arakanese rebel groups are fighting the Myanmarese military Junta for restoration of democracy in that country and autonomy for their respective areas. The areas surrounding Chhimtuipui district are infested with insurgent groups. F. Rozathanga, a former leader of the Chin Liberation Organisation (CLO) alleged that while Bangladesh side of the "no man’s land" had bases of the NSCN (I-m), the Chin National Army (CNA) and the Chittagong Hill Tracts Liberation Organisation (CHTLO) the area closer to Myanmar were occupied by Arakanese and Chin rebels. The southern tip of Mizoram is full of Arakanese outfits like the National Unity Party of Arakan (NUPA), the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), Arakan Army (AA), the Khumi Liberation Army (KLA), the Dragon National Party (DNP) and the Arakan Communist Party (ACP) led by its former chief the late Mongshe. However, the biggest outfit in the area is the Chin National Army (CNA) which, according to Laldina, has around 300 cadres in its ‘victoria camp’ alone which is inside Chapui forest near Zawngling hamlet. Even Karen and Kachin
outfits are having camps in areas close to south Mizoram,
Chin Army sources said. |
35 landmines unearthed in AP HYDERABAD, March 26 (PTI) — Thirtyfive landmines planted by the outlawed People’s War Group (PWG) have been unearthed by the Police in Warangal and Khammam districts of Andhra Pradesh. Thirtytwo landmines placed in plastic buckets within a distance of 200 metres were dug out yesterday from a narrow unpaved strip between Mallayapalli and Gandikamaram villages in Warangal district, the police said here today. On a tip-off that a "military platoon" of PWG was scouring the area, a special party was despatched to seize them, the police said. During combing operations, the police found some loose soil on the "kutcha road" in thick forest and suspecting something amiss dug up the place, the police said. In Khammam district,
three landmines were detected between Rallavagu and
Battulpalli villages during combing operation. |
Prem Bhatia scholarships NEW DELHI, March 26 — The Prem Bhatia Trust has announced that it plans to give scholarships to three young journalists this year for research in media-related subjects. The three "Scholarships 2000" would be of Rs 60,000 each, one sponsored by the K.C. Mahindra Trust and two by the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust. This is the third consecutive year that the trust is awarding scholarships aimed at providing opportunities to young journalists to make in-depth studies by making available funds necessary for research requirement such as travel and books, a press note from the trust said. The last date for receipt of applications for the scholarships is May 31. The awards would be given on August 11, on the birth anniversary of the late Prem Bhatia, one of the most outstanding editors of independent India in whose memory the scholarships are named. The scholarships would
be awarded by a distinguished jury comprising veteran
journalists and media experts headed by Mr Ajit
Bhattacharjea of the Press Institute of India, the note
said. |
JMM stir from April 3 RANCHI, March 26 (UNI) — The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (Soren) will launch a mass movement from April 3 to press the demand for a separate state, and protest the "corrupt" regime in Bihar. According to Morcha (Soren) sources, the agitational programme is aimed at the "anti-Jharkhand" stance of the ruling RJD in Bihar. The party would also expose the Rashtriya Janata Dal’s alleged involvement in corruption and failure on the developmental front. The decision was taken
at the party’s central, executive committee meeting
here last evening. |
400 arrested at Almatti BIJAPUR, March 26 (PTI)
— Some 400 persons, including leaders of a body
spearheading a stir for increasing the height of the
Almatti Dam, were arrested at Almatti, 60 km from here
today, as they made an abortive bid to hold kar seva to
erect crest gates at the dam. The police said the
agitators violated prohibitory orders, as part of their
kar seva in continuation of the 17-day-old relay hunger
strike here on the issue. |
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