The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Wednesday, March 29, 2000,
Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

S P O T L I G H T

7 die in blast
PESHAWAR, March 28 (AFP) — A bomb exploded on the Pakistan side of the border with Afghanistan today killing six Afghan children and a Pakistani tribesman and injuring 16, officials said. The blast occurred in a shop at Torkham, about 50 km from Peshawar, capital of Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province.

Japanese aid
NEW DELHI, March 28 (UNI) — The Japan Government today agreed to extend to India a relief grant of about Rs 3.9 crore. Formalising the agreement, Dr E.A.S. Sarma, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, and Mr Hiroshi Hirabayashi, Japanese Ambassador to India, signed and exchanged notes at a ceremony held in the Finance Ministry.

Environment award
ALWAR (Rajasthan), March 28 (UNI) — President K.R. Narayanan today presented the “most outstanding environmental community” award to a village in Alwar district of water-starved Rajasthan in recognition of its role in reviving the Arvari river, which had been reduced to a seasonal drain. Mr Narayanan presented the Down-to-Earth-Joseph C John Award to the Bhaonta-Koyala village community.

Basu’s successor
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, March 28 (UNI) — Senior Marxist leader and West Bengal Minister Budhadev Bhattacharya will be the successor to Chief Minister Jyoti Basu if the latter sticks to his stand on quitting electoral politics after the current term. Speaking at a meet-the-Press-programme here today, West Bengal Minister for Transport, Agriculture and Sports Subhash Chakraborthy said the decision would be finalised after discussion with coalition partners.

Pak delegation
ISLAMABAD, March 28 (PTI) — A high-powered Pakistani delegation today left Islamabad to represent its case in the International Court of Justice at the Hague over the shooting down of the Atlantique maritime aircraft by Indian jet fighters over Gujarat airspace in August last year. The delegation is being led by Pakistani Attorney General and Minister for Law and Justice Aziz A. Munshi, official sources here said.

Inquiry panel set up
NEW DELHI, March 28 (PTI) — The Centre tonight announced setting up of an inquiry commission to look into the alleged lathicharge on advocate here on February 24 during a procession. A notification to this effect issued by the Union Home Ministry said the commission would be headed by retired judge of Rajasthan High Court Justice N.C. Kochhar. The commission has been asked to file its findings within three months.