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| Sunday, April 23, 2000, Chandigarh, India  
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More foodgrains for drought-hit Rangachary to head IRDA Maintain ecological balance, says
PM
Fixed term for LS ‘not
necessary’ |
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Azad: no problem in
aligning with Mamata France sees CTBT as
‘hindrance’ Patnaik orders probe into scams
Mayawati foresees cross-voting Sheila’s statement likely on
April 24 French handcuff deal likely HC ruling on bail in SC atrocities
case Paswan hints at new party
|
More foodgrains for drought-hit NEW DELHI, April 22 (UNI) — The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today decided to release additional quantity of foodgrains for the drought-affected areas. Announcing the decision, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan told mediapersons, after the CCEA meeting, that all families in the drought-affected areas would be given an additional 20 kg of foodgrains at the BPL rates irrespective of their status. The Centre has also decided to provide additional foodgrains for work programmes. Under the scheme, two kg of foodgrains will be given to a person per day for carrying out work at BPL rates. Mr Mahajan said the government had decided to give "any quantity" of wheat for the drought-affected areas and it was the responsibility of the state governments to take advantage of the scheme. He said the government will come out with some scheme for the affected people during the discussion under Rule 193 in the Lok Sabha, on Monday or Tuesday. Replying to a question, Mr Mahajan said the government would be open to any state government request for special trains carrying water in the drought-affected areas. The government may also consider the economic demands of the state for carrying out rehabilitation programmes. The states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh are facing drought and potable water problems. JAIPUR (PTI): Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and all his ministerial colleagues have fanned out to different parts of the state to supervise relief operations in famine-hit areas where more than 2.50 crore persons are reeling under scarcity of drinking water, food and employment. More than 2.50 crore persons in 23406 villages of 26 districts are reeling under famine conditions, facing an acute shortage of drinking water, food and employment opportunities. Scarcity of fodder has hit about three crore cattle. There have been reports of people abandoning their cattle in Barmer and Sirohi and Jalore districts because they cannot maintain them. As many as 119 cattle died in a single day last week in the Mandore area of Jodhpour district after consuming brackish water, according to former minister Devi Singh Bhati. Mr Bhati, a BJP MLA,
said here yesterday the cattle died because the
government failed to arrange for potable water. |
Rangachary to head IRDA NEW DELHI, April 22 (PTI) — The government has constituted the much-delayed Insurance Regulatory Development Authority to hasten the opening up of the insurance sector to private domestic and foreign investors, official sources said today. Mr N. Rangachary has been reappointed as Chairman of the statutory body, the sources said adding Haris Ansari and H.O. Sonig have been appointed whole-time members. The remaining three whole-time members will be appointed by this month end, the sources said. The IRDA will initially function from New Delhi and a final view on its location will be taken by this year end, the sources said adding it could be located either in Chennai or Hyderabad. Mr Rangachary’s term would be till June 2003. The Insurance Regulatory Development Authority Bill was passed by Parliament during the winter session last year and President’s assent came 14 days later. But its notification got unusually delayed as it could be done only along with the constitution of the IRDA on April 19. A formal announcement of its constitution will be made in Parliament early next week, the sources said. With the notification of IRDA, rules and regulations for opening up the insurance sector was in place and first private insurance company with foreign participation was expected to be set up by October this year. IRDA will be a statutory regulatory body on the lines of the Securities Exchange Board of India and will act as a watchdog to oversee the operations of private insurance companies. It will also be the licensing authority for private domestic and foreign companies to operate in the country. Foreign investment upto
26 per cent will be allowed in the private domestic
insurance companies. The domestic companies will have to
bring down its equity to 26 per cent in 10 years so as to
ensure healthy competition in the sector. |
Fixed term for LS ‘not necessary’ NEW DELHI, April 22 (PTI) — The Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) today said ensuring a fixed term for the Lok Sabha was not an essential ingredient of parliamentary democracy, but the issue might come up for discussion before it. "Executive renders accountability to Parliament on day to day basis and fixed term is not a necessary ingredient of the parliamentary system. The issue of fixed term may come up for discussion," commission spokesman Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy told mediapersons after a meeting of the 10-member commission headed by former Chief Justice of India M.N. Venkatachaliah. Strictly ruling out any change in the parliamentary system and the basic structure of the Constitution, the spokesman said the commission would certainly focus on ensuring stability and good governance. "We certainly will go into the aspects of political stability and good governance," he said. Identifying 10 focus areas for the commission, he said, "Parliamentary democracy, basic structure of the Constitution and rights of minorities, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other backward classes are non-negotiable." "These areas will
in no way be curtailed or diluted and efforts will rather
be made to strengthen them," he said. |
Azad: no problem in aligning with Mamata BELLARY, April 22 (PTI) — AICC General Secretary Gulam Nabi Azad today said the Congress "has no problem" in aligning with the Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress in West Bengal but would have no "direct or indirect" truck with the BJP in the alliance against CPI(M). "Minus BJP, minus Left, anybody is welcome", Mr Azad, who was here to attend a rally by Congress President Sonia Gandhi told mediapersons. The Congress, he said, would field candidates against the BJP if Mamata Banerjee allotted seats to them from the alliance quota. Meanwhile, Railway
Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee
today bluntly asked the Congress to join the
‘mahajot’ against the CPM-led Left front in
West Bengal and said if the grand alliance, including
BJP, was not formed she would campaign only for "our
candidates" in the civic polls. |
France sees CTBT as ‘hindrance’ ON BOARD AIR INDIA’S SPECIAL AIRCRAFT, April 22 (PTI) — The President, Mr K.R. Narayanan, has said France wants India to sign the CTBT as not doing so was an "inhibiting factor" for Paris to cooperate in the nuclear field, specially in the power sector. "France is keen to give us nuclear technology for power but says our not signing the CTBT is an inhibiting factor and if this can happen, cooperation in the nuclear field can take place in an unlimited manner," Mr Narayanan told newsmen on his way back home from France after a five-day state visit. Mr Narayanan, who is the first Indian President to visit France, said he told the French leadership that the Indian Government was trying to evolve a consensus among all political parties on this issue. "We have to create a consensus and we are involved in doing so. The French side understands this and felt if this hurdle can be overcome France, can cooperate in the field of atomic reactors," he said. The President described his visit as "very productive and fruitful" and said it had deepened India’s understanding with the government of France on various issues as well as "our eagerness to cooperate with them." Mr Narayanan said another positive outcome of the visit was that it has enhanced defence cooperation between the two countries and "various defence items were under active negotiations at operational level." He said the French Government was interested in defence cooperation and felt that "it would indirectly have impact on the course of negotiations though we shall have to wait and see." The President said France categorically and publicly supported India for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council with Mr Chirac spelling it out at the banquet hosted in honour of Mr Narayanan. But, they felt that
Germany and Japan’s claims too cannot be ignored as
the view was that "the world would not like to go
back to the power structure of 1939." |
Maintain ecological balance, says PM NEW DELHI, April 22 (PTI) — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today said all development-related activities should be based on the concept of sustainable development, taking into account the need to protect the environment and maintain ecological balance. Talking to a group of 20 children on ‘Earth Day 2000’ at his residence, the Prime Minister said, "The most effective weapon against pollution and environmental degradation is increasing participation by the people and voluntary organisations’’. Endorsing the concern of the children, who presented him a 13-point "Children’s Manifesto on Clean Air’’, Mr Vajpayee said that their charter would be looked into and that the government would take necessary steps to reduce pollution levels. Lauding the efforts of the children for mobilising public opinion against environmental degradation and pollution, he pointed that the government had already taken several steps in this regard. The children’s manifesto wanted the government to provide among other things cleaner fuels, efficient public transport systems, ban on diesel cars, promotion of alternate fuels like CNG, to control and manage the chaotic traffic on the roads, issue prior warning when pollution reaches emergency levels and to tax and fine the polluters. Meanwhile, Anil Agarwal,
Director of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE),
and Denis Hayes, who initiated Earth Day in 1970, have
been selected for the "Global Environment Leadership
Award for 2000’’ by the Global Environment
Facility. |
Patnaik orders probe into scams BHUBANESWAR, April 22 (UNI) — Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has ordered a CBI inquiry into the allegations of scams in the Water Resources and Agriculture Departments during the previous Congress Government in the state. According to a press note issued by the Chief Minster’s Secretariat late last night, Mr Patnaik ordered a CBI inquiry after going through the details of the large-scale irregularities and misappropriation of funds in the execution of various projects under the Water Resources and Agriculture Departments. The ruling Biju Janata Dal and the BJP in their common minimum agenda had hinted that it would probe the corruption and misappropriation of funds in the Water Resources and Agriculture Departments during the Congress regime. The demand for a CBI inquiry into the irregularities and misappropriation of funds in the Water Resources and Agriculture Departments was the main poll plank of the BJD and BJP alliance partners during the last assembly elections. The issue of corruption
and misappropriation of funds in the Water Resources and
Agriculture Departments had rocked the state assembly
several times during the previous Congress Government.
The opposition then all along demanded a thorough CBI
probe into the allegation. |
Price negotiations for AJT
under way NEW DELHI, April 22 — Negotiations for the purchase of the much wanted Advance Jet Trainers (AJTs) for the Indian Air Force (IAF) are in final stages with Ministry of Defence (MoD) officials starting price negotiations with the British ‘Hawk’ vendors. While the Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes had informed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence in its last meeting that a single vendor situation had been reached and that the MoD was looking at the ‘Hawk’ offer to negotiate on flyaway aircraft, sources said negotiations with the British Aerospace were in the final stages. The IAF had projected a need for 66 AJTs and had initially shortlisted the French ‘Alpha Jet’ and the British ‘Hawk’. Sources said the British Aerospace representatives were recently in town and carried out the price negotiations with the MoD officials. Although the negotiations for the purchase of the AJTs have been going for some time, it is for the first time that the Indian officials have begun price negotiations for the much-needed purchase. The Defence Minister had also informed the Rajya Sabha earlier this week that the French ‘Alpha Jet’ and British ‘Hawk’ had been shortlisted. This was the second time that Parliament Standing Committee on Defence had raised the issue of purchase of the AJTs. In its previous meeting the committee members had expressed concern over the delay in the purchase and also over the fact that only two of the AJTs had been shortlisted, and that too on basis of the assessments made in 1980s. The committee had, however, raised the issue of overlooking other AJTs available in the market, specially since some of the others available were much cheaper than the offers made by the British Aerospace and Dassault Aviation. The committee members had asked the MoD to also consider the other offers before making a final decision. But the IAF had later said there would be no new assessments and a choice, from the two shortlisted earlier, would have to be made. However, later the choice of trainers had come down to just one as Dassault Aviation, manufacturer of the Alpha Jet had stopped production and was offering second hand AJTs to India. As per reports, the ‘Hawk’ will cost Rs 105 crore minus the avionics or the other state-of-the-art technology, including the electronic warfare system. This would mean the aircraft would be more of a trainer and would not be used in combat. The ‘Hawk’ package of 66 aircraft would cost more than Rs 6,500 crore. Reports also said that
in the first phase of direct purchase the delivery
schedule could vary from 24 to 36 months. However, in the
second phase, the remaining 42 aircraft could be
manufactured in India by the Hindustan Aeronautics
Limited (HAL) through the complete transfer of technology
in a phased manner. |
Govt trying to ‘tamper with’ statute SANGLI, April 22 (PTI) — Congress President Sonia Gandhi today accused the Vajpayee government of trying to tamper with the Constitution to remain in power. Addressing a "kisan rally" at Wangi village in Maharashtra, Mrs Gandhi said the setting up of the Constitution Review Commission "is a ploy to destroy the basic structure of the Constitution". "Though the BJP maintains that it is not interested in changing the basic structure of the Constitution, people should not forget that the same party had earlier given an assurance that the religious structure at Ayodhya would not be destroyed. But it did the very opposite. Hence, when these people say that the basic structure of the Constitution will not be tampered with, one should take their word with a pinch of salt", she said. Admitting that the party had failed to get a majority in the last Lok Sabha elections, Mrs Gandhi said: "I have taken a pledge to revitalise the Congress so that it regains its lost glory". This is the second rally addressed by Mrs Gandhi after the April 14 meeting at Nagpur where she kicked off the "save Constitution" rally. Maharashtra Chief
Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, AICC General Secretaries
Motilal Vora, Sushil Kumar Shinde, MPCC chief Govindrao
Adik, Rajya Sabha member Suresh Kalmadi, state Industries
Minister Patangrao Kadam and others were present. |
Mayawati foresees cross-voting LUCKNOW, April 22 (UNI) — BSP Vice-President Mayawati said today the UP Legislative Council elections, due on May 4, may also witness cross-voting on a large scale. Talking to newspersons here, she said the manner in which various parties were fielding candidates, there was every possibility of cross-voting in the council elections as well. The BJP had fielded six candidates while the Samajwadi Party had put up four, and this would encourage cross-voting as neither party had the numbers in the Legislative Assembly to ensure the victory of all its candidates. Almost all major parties had to face the embarrassment of cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha elections last month. The former UP Chief
Minister also announced that Babu Singh Kushwaha and Mr
Dharveer Singh Ashok would be its candidates for the
council. |
Sheila’s statement likely on
April 24 NEW DELHI, April 22 — The Delhi Chief Minister, Mrs Sheila Dikshit, is likely to issue a statement on Monday countering the claims made by rebel Congress MLAs. Terming Mrs Dikshit as a "corrupt" and "incompetent" Chief Minister, the rebels have demanded her resignation. Sources close to the
Chief Minister said "Mrs Dikshit, who is indisposed
due to fever, is expected to resume office on Monday and
could issue a statement countering the claims of the
rebels." |
French handcuff deal likely RAISEN (MP), April 22 (UNI) — Known for its perfumes and fashion, France is likely to make a name in handcuffs as well — if they manage to rein in ingenious inmates of the Raisen Jail. The Madhya Pradesh Government is "seriously" considering to import French handcuffs following successful attempts made by some inmates of the Raisen Jail to open their handcuffs "by using polythene." The "unique" method of unlocking currently used handcuffs came to light when the police captured three inmates who had absconded after opening their metal rings last year. Subsequently, a five-member "handcuff-testing committee" with the Raisen Superintendent of Police as its president was created which examined 12 specimens of indigenously made handcuffs but found them unfit. Priced at around Rs 3000
a pair, the proposed French handcuffs can be opened
"only" with key, according to police sources. |
HC ruling on bail in SC atrocities case JAIPUR, April 22 (PTI) — In a significant judgement, the Rajasthan High Court has ruled that an accused cannot be granted anticipatory bail if facts stated in the first information report (FIR) make a case of atrocities on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes against him. A full Bench including Mr Justice P.P. Navlekar and Mr Justice A.K. Parihar, held yesterday that Section 18 of the Prevention of Atrocities on Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) Act bars anticipatory bail of an accused. Therefore, if the facts
stated in the FIR make a case of atrocities on SC and ST
people, the application for anticipatory bail of an
accused cannot be accepted by the court, the full Bench
ruled. |
Paswan hints at new party NEW DELHI, April 22 (UNI) — Union Communications Minister and Dalit Sena chief Ram Bilas Paswan today hinted that the Dalit Sena might be converted into a political party, but did not give any timeframe for the same. He told a press
conference here that at the two-day national convention
of block and district-level activists of the Dalit Sena,
which concluded here today, most delegates were of the
opinion that it should be turned into a political party.
A proposal to this effect was moved at the convention by
Mr Ramchandra Paswan, younger brother of the Union
Minister. At least 5000 delegates attended the
conference. |
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