 |
| Saturday, May 6, 2000, Chandigarh, India  
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Left walkout over ‘Sankhya
Vahini’ RS adjourned after uproar over
book Meeting on poll reforms on May 13 India to import rice from Myanmar Astronomical wonder goes unnoticed
‘Garden of five
senses’ for Delhi A providential escape |
|
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Chinks in UP BJP exposed Illyasi case: HC notice to police SC reprieve for Jaya in TV case Council to check economic frauds Kerala scribes burn
Manisana’s effigy
Questioning of Kalra futile: ED Ganguly committed suicide: Basu Congress recasts media dept Two UT cops top law test 2 Punjab MPs on SC, ST panel M.M.S. Cheema No subsidy on unmilled paddy
|
Left walkout over
‘Sankhya Vahini’ NEW DELHI, May 5 — ‘Sankhya Vahini’ network project generated heat in the Rajya Sabha as the Left parties staged a walkout when the Communication Minister, Mr Ram Vilas Paswan refused to heed to their demand for the setting up of a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the Rs 1000 crore deal. Members of the Left staged a walkout after being dissatisfied with Mr Paswan’s reply to a calling attention motion on the ‘Sankhya Vahini’ project. The Left had sought the setting up of a JPC probe, besides cautioning the government on the possible security threat. In his reply, Mr Paswan attempted to allay fears of the members that the proposed Rs 1000 crore ‘Sankhya Vahini’ project would in any way affect the national security. He said the joint venture would have arrangements for a monitoring facility of the network by the Home Ministry. Mr Paswan said the project had been mooted by two well-known non-resident Indians in the USA, including Mr V.S. Arunachalam, former Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister, who was well versed with security requirements of the country. Instead of doubting the integrity of such persons, we should appreciate their efforts to help the country in technological advancements. Mr Paswan said the project was not cleared by the national task force on information technology, but by the Planning Commission when Mr Jaswant Singh was the Deputy Chairman. The task force had only recommended the project. The project had taken all required clearances, including that of the Telecom Commission and the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) and was approved by the Cabinet on January 19, 2000, he said, adding, the Telecom Commission had discussed the project in November 1998 and July 1999. Mr Paswan also assured the members that the public sector Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) would not suffer on any account because of the ‘Sankhya Vahini’ project. However, Mr Paswan did not entertain the members’ request for tabling legal documents related to the project. The minister said the equity structure of the venture would be in such a way that its control would not be with the foreign partner. Of the eight directors, three each would be from the Department of Telecom Services and IUNet, while one director would be nominated by the participating educational institutes. In case of differences,
the matter would be decided by a majority with at least
one director from the Department of Telecom Services and
IUNet voting favourably. |
RS adjourned after uproar over book NEW DELHI, May 5 (PTI) — The Rajya Sabha was adjourned abruptly for the day two hours ahead of schedule today amidst uproarious scenes over remarks made by an RPI member, Mr R.S. Gavai about the controversial book "Worshipping False Gods", written by a BJP member and Union Minister, Mr Arun Shourie. Trouble arose when the House took up the resumed discussion on Mr Ramdas Agarwal’s (BJP) resolution to review the Constitution. Mr Gavai, whose remarks had created uproar in the House during his speech two weeks earlier on the same resolution, was again at the centre of turmoil today. He was allowed to speak during the resumed discussion by the Vice-Chairman, Mr T.N. Chaturvedi, following Mr Gavai’s request. Displaying the book, Mr Gavai alleged that the author had made objectionable remarks against B.R. Ambedkar and whatever was written about Ambedkar was "false". BJP members protested, saying the matter had been closed already and the member should not be allowed rake up the controversy in the House again. Mr Chaturvedi also appealed to Mr Gavai to confine himself to the subject of the resolution and not drag in extraneous issues. But a defiant Mr Gavai
continued in the same vein, contending that the matter
involved the sentiments of millions of followers of
Ambedkar and amidst shouting and counter shouting the RPI
member tore a page from the book. |
Meeting on poll reforms on May 13 NEW DELHI, May 5 (PTI) — An all-party meeting to consider the delimitation of constituencies has been convened by the government on May 13, the Lok Sabha was informed today. Announcing this, Minister of State for Law, Justice and Company Affairs O. Rajagopal said the government would soon table a comprehensive legislation on electoral reforms which would take into account the concerns of members over various matters including the use of money and muscle power in elections. The minister’s statement came during a discussion on a Bill to amend the Representation of the People’s Act, 1951, moved by RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh. Mr Singh, who withdrew the Bill after the minister’s statement, pointed towards poll-related violence, not only against polling staff and officers, but also against the weaker sections of the population. Replying to the debate, Mr Singh also pointed towards the ad hoc and selective designation of polling booths as sensitive and over-sensitive stressing that a law should be enacted to prevent subjective and selective declaration. Participating in the discussion, the members sought a comprehensive central legislation to ensure free and fair elections by effectively checking the role of money and muscle power in elections. They also favoured the state funding of elections and the full implementation of the Dinesh Goswami Committee report to check electoral malpractices. Mr Ramesh Chennithala (Cong) urged government to bring a comprehensive legislation to ensure free and fair elections and implement the Goswami Committee report in toto, while P.H. Pandiyan of the AIADMK demanded stringent provisions in the RPA to check booth capturing and rigging saying use of money and muscle power was rampant in all elections. Favouring the routing of
names for appointment of Election Commissioners, he said
returning officers and presiding officers of polling
stations in all states should be brought from outside. |
VP asks Basu to form front CALCUTTA, May 5 (UNI) — Former Prime Minister V.P. Singh has urged the Left Front to take lead in forming broad-based front to save the country from the "communal design" of the BJP government. "You are a regimented party having mass bases and therefore, you should lead the movement to unite the people against the BJP and other communal forces", Chief Minister Jyoti Basu quoted Mr V.P. Singh as saying. Mr V.P. Singh, who was here to address two seminars yesterday, had a meeting with Mr Basu over dinner last night. Mr Basu called for uniting all secular people, irrespective of their political affiliation, for formation of a broad-based front to save the country from the "misrule" of the BJP-led NDA Government. "The BJP is ruining
the country with their anti-people policies and we
believe we can unite secular people to save the country
from the clutches of communal forces", Mr Basu told
reporters. |
Tributes paid to Zail Singh NEW DELHI, May 5 —
People from different walks of life today paid floral
tributes to former President Giani Zail Singh on his 84th
birth anniversary at ‘Ekta Sthal’, in the
Capital. A sarva dharma ‘pararthna sabha’ was
organised on the occasion. |
India to import rice from Myanmar NEW DELHI, May 5 (UNI) — The Union Cabinet has decided to import 50,000 tonnes of rice from Myanmar to distribute it in the North-East through the public distribution system at the prevailing rates. Announcing the decision after a two-hour Cabinet meeting presided over by the Prime Minister, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan told reporters that the decision had been taken to enhance bilateral relations between to two countries. All imports would be made from the road route and there would be no subsidy involved in the imports even after paying custom duty at the current rates, he added. The Cabinet also clarified that the foodgrains supplies in drought-affected Gujarat, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh at BPL rates would be in addition to the normal quota available to the PDS beneficiaries. The total quantity available to BPL family would be 40 kg at BPL rates while an APL family will get 20 kg foodgrains at BPL rates and 10 kg at APL rates. Mr Mahajan said the allocation made by the Centre to these states was in addition to the monthly quota, fixed on the basis of population. The Cabinet also cleared the draft MoU, to be signed between India and France in the near future, on cooperation in the highway projects. It has also cleared the
proposal of leasing three additional transponders from
M/S Shin Thaicom of Thailand at a cost at Rs 40.02 crore. |
Astronomical wonder goes unnoticed CALCUTTA, May 5 (PTI) — In a rare astronomical occurrence, five planets lined up in their nearest proximity to the Sun for three days from May 3, but the event went unnoticed as it took place during the day. The astronomical wonder, which took place neither on a total solar eclipse nor an annular one, also went unobserved by the India Meteorological Department’s Positional Astronomy Centre here, its Director, Mr K.K. Chakraborty, told PTI. Astronomers here had been eagerly awaiting the "grand alliance" of five naked-eye planets — Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn — after 38 years. "But we could not make any observation since the planets were placed near the horizon during the alliance time of about 7:00 pm," Mr Chakraborty said. Twilight, coupled with the glare of city lights in the metropolis, marred the only prospect of observing Mars around sunset and Venus just before sunrise, he said. The last such occurrence was observed on February 5, 1962, when the moon’s shadow of a total solar eclipse passed from Borneo through New Guinea across the Pacific and was slightly short of the West Coast of the USA. "We knew the total
effect of the phenomenon would not be visible with the
Sun in the same constellation. But due to the rising and
setting time of the Sun and helical rising and setting of
the planets, we were expecting some of them to be
visible," he said. |
‘Garden of five senses’ for
Delhi NEW DELHI, May 5 — The Delhi Chief Minister, Mrs Sheila Dikshit, today laid the foundation stone of the ‘Garden of five senses’ at Said-ul-Ajaib in the Capital. "There cannot be a more enchanting way of articulating tourism than by promoting the culture of gardens and parks," she said. She called for preserving the environment and conserving natural heritage to make Delhi attractive and popular amongst the tourists and also citizens. The garden, spread over an area of 20.5 acres, will be an environment-friendly recreational park with dramatic and natural features. It is being developed in a manner that the users awareness of his five senses is brought out into focus in extremely pleasant environment by making use of nature’s own resources without diminishing their worth. Natural sound in the proposed park will be supplemented by human invested sound scriptures (contemporary and traditional). The sense of smell shall be stimulated by creation of special zone having a strong, fragrant plants. For the users, the sense of touch will be achieved through textured walls, sculptures strategically designed to encourage sense of touch. Sense of vision will be achieved by large section of the garden being landscaped in particular hue and colour. Also telescopes at strategic locations will provide commanding views of the heritage surrounding the park. The sense of taste will be stimulated through serving international food suitable to the Indian palate. This unique project,
first of its kind in the country, is being developed at
an estimated cost of Rs 4 crore, with the first phase
likely to be completed by early 2001. |
A providential escape BHARATPUR, May 5 — Residents of Bharatpur had a providential escape and they can only thank their stars as none of the missiles or shells from the ammunition depot fire on "black Friday" landed on the storage tanks holding millions of litres of petrol, diesel and kerosene. Barely a kilometre from the storage tanks, a shell exploded in the village of Tonthpur. About 1000 metres from the shell explosion were the storage depots of the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petrochemicals Limited and Hindustan Petrochemicals Limited, all lined up at Jaghina. "We were keeping our fingers crossed as any missile or shell landing on the storage tanks would have been catastrophic," workers at the IOC said. The three depots, having a capacity to hold millions of litres of inflammable substance, were set up around the same time in 1993. In the event of being hit by a shell, this massive stockpile of highly inflammable liquid, which caters to the needs of about eight adjoining districts in the state, could have spelt doom for the about two lakh population of Bharatpur town. The three petroleum companies’ depots have sent urgent messages to their regional headquarters seeking immediate intervention in disaster-management, should such a thing happen again. The BPCL depot manager, Mr S. C. Sharma said, "We had never imagined such an incident will take place. we must now be prepared to face such an eventuality." Stating that the depot had disaster control management plan in case fire breaks out at the depot, he said, "In case there is a fire in an ammunition depot, there are chances that missiles or shells could hit the storage tanks. Then the quantum of blaze would be very high and we have to be prepared for it." The storage depots have water tanks and other chemicals within the complex for fire-fighting operations. However, they have the capacity to fight fire for a limited period of time. But, a fire as a result of missile or shell explosion on the storage tanks would be difficult to manage all by ourselves, officials said. Fire in the ammunition depot raged for nearly 12 hours and it was controlled with the use of nine columns of troops and 15 fire engines pressed into service from the cities of Bharatpur, Agra and Mathura. Fire personnel had to abandon the conventional fire-fighting operations after the ammunition began to explode due to the heat generated by the fire. The firefighters concentrated on measures to prevent the fire from spreading to other ammunition stocked in the depot, apparently saving the missiles that could have sparked a major disaster had they gone off and landed on areas of human habitation. The ammunition, which was engulfed by the fire include 155-mm, 130-mm and 120-mm shells, anti-tank shells and multi-barrel rocket launcher shells, many of which were imported. The ammunitions stored in 20 open plinths and nine sheds were affected in the fire and their estimated cost was around Rs 376 crore. What the fire did not touch were the air defence missiles such as the SAM-6 and SAM-7 and anti-tank guided missiles stored in air-conditioned rooms. While 30,000 tonnes of
ammunition was stored here, the fire in the depot
destroyed nearly 10,000 tonnes of ammunition. |
Chinks in UP BJP exposed LUCKNOW, May 5 (UNI) — The chinks in the BJP in Uttar Pradesh have again been exposed, this time with elections to the legislative council. In the biennial elections to 13 Council seats, one of the six official candidates of the party suffered a humiliating defeat and two independent candidates scored a rather unexpected victory, apparently due to large-scale cross voting by the BJP MLAs. According to political observers here, more than 50 MLAs of various parties, including at least 25 from the BJP, cross-voted resulting in the defeat of the BJP candidate, Mr Sunil Shastri. The only solace for the party was the first round victory of the Chief Minister, Mr Ram Prakash Gupta, and the party’s state General-Secretary, Mr Rama Pati Ram Shashtri, who secured 35 and 31 votes, respectively. All other candidates could win in the next rounds only and one of them, Mr Ram Chandra Balmiki, a Minister of State in the Ram Prakash Gupta government, came through in a nail-biting finish. The party had suffered on account of cross-voting in the elections to fill the Rajya Sabha seats from the state also. According to party sources, Mr Gupta and the state BJP President, Mr Om Prakash Singh, held a meeting late last night after the results were out. Later, they apprised the party’s National President, Mr Kushabhau Thakra, about the development. The Chief Minister, who took over the reins of the state about six months ago, was constitutionally required to become a member of the state legislature by May 12 to continue in his post. The BJP’s management capability was exposed in this election as it unsuccessfully tried to ask all the party MLAs to mark a code on ballot papers. This would have caused the BJP vote declared invalid in case of cross-voting. The BJP, however, had to give up this plan even before the polling started because the Samajwadi Party members and the election officials objected to it. According to the senior Cabinet Minister, Mr Kalraj Mishra, about 24 party MLAs, including some ministers, had not voted for their official candidates in the recent Rajya Sabha elections from the state. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is the only party whose MLAs did not cross-vote in the election and both its candidates easily won with the support of the Congress. The Congress had not put up any candidate as it did not have the required number of MLAs to put up a candidate on its own. The Congress support to the BSP is being considered significant in view of the possibility of a realignment of political forces in the state which is to go to Assembly polls late next year. The BSP leader and former Chief Minister, Mr Mayawati, was quick to reciprocate the Congress gesture by extending her party’s support to the latter in the by-election to one seat of the Vidhan Parishad from the local bodies segment of Mirzapur. In this connection, the
support extended by the CPI and the (CPM) to the
Samajwadi Party (SP) also was significant. The SP was not
affected much by the cross-voting but one of its four
candidates, Mr Vinod Batrhwal, was defeated. The party
State President, Mr Ram Sharan Das, was among the six
candidates elected in the first round. |
Illyasi case: HC notice to police NEW DELHI, May 5 (UNI) — The Delhi High Court today asked the Delhi Police to file a reply on the bail application filed by television producer Sohaib Illyasi and said the statement of his sister-in-law Rashmi Singh must be submitted. Mr Justice Dalveer Bhandari said in his order that a statement recorded by the Subdivisional Magistrate should also be placed before the court by May 23. Illyasi is currently detained at the Tihar Jail pending investigation into charges of harassment which led his wife Anju (sister of Rashmi Singh) to commit suicide on January 10. He has moved the high court with a bail application through his counsel R.K. Naseem. On April 14, the court, while hearing another petition, took on record, assurances by Ms Rashmi Singh that she had no intention of taking Illyasi’s two-and-half year old daughter Aaliya to Canada or any other place. She also denied having taken Aaliya’s passport or that she had visited Illyasi’s apartment to look for it. Mr Justices Mukul Mudgal and Madan B. Lokur had then said that Illyasi was free to take steps permissible in law for the child’s custody and welfare. Illyasi, had in his petition, alleged that Rashmi had illegally taken possession of Aaliya’s passport and expressed the apprehension that Rashmi Singh was planning to forcibly take the child to Canada without his consent. Notices were issued to Illyasi’s mother-in-law Rukma Singh and Rashmi with whom Aaliya has been living since March 28, a day after Ilyasi was arrested from his Mayur Vihar residence. A criminal complaint before the Metropolitan Magistrate alleges that Aaliya was kidnapped by his mother-in-law and sister-in-law. However, Illyasi’s
father-in-law and brother-in-law who have supported him
all along have refrained from joining Rukma and Rashmi in
their endeavour to take custody of Aaliya. |
SC reprieve for Jaya in TV case NEW DELHI, May 5 (UNI) — In a reprieve to AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalitha, the prime accused in the Rs 9 crore colour TV scam, the Supreme Court today directed the Chennai special trying the case to grant her one more opportunity to examine the defence witnesses in the case. "As a court of justice, we are of the view that one more opportunity should be given to her to examine the defence witnesses," said a Division Bench, comprising Mr Justice K.T. Thomas and Mr Justice R.P. Sethi, when a list of four witnesses, including Ms Jayalalitha, was filed as per the Judges’ direction yesterday. The Judges said that the trial court should hand over the summons to be served on the witnesses on May 9 to her counsel and examination of these witnesses should begin not later than May 15. The Bench, with this direction, disposed of a special leave petition (SLP) by the AIADMK leader. The SLP was directed against a Madras High Court order, dismissing her two petitions against refusal of the trial court to recall prosecution witnesses as also against its order closing the evidence in the case. As the prosecution evidence was closed in the case, the special judge proceeded to question the accused in the case and on the completion of this process, it posted the case for defence evidence on March 29. Since Ms Jayalalitha did not produce any defence witnesses nor submit a list of them, despite three opportunities given to her for the purpose, the trial court closed the defence evidence and posted the case for argument on April 12. Ms Jayalalitha filed an
application before the trial court for recalling 12
prosecution witnesses which was dismissed. She,
therefore, filed two writ petitions before the high
court. |
Council to check economic frauds NEW DELHI, May 5 (UNI) — The Central Government has set up an Economic Intelligence Council (EIC), headed by the Finance Minister, Mr Yashwant Sinha, with the RBI, SEBI, CBI, Department of Revenue and Department of Company Affairs as members, to check and curb economic frauds in the country, it was announced today. The secretary in the Department of Company Affairs, Mr P.L. Sanjeev Reddy, said this while inaugurating a two-day Fraud Conference, the first of its kind in the country, organised by the India Chapter of Association of Certified Fraud Examiners to evolve ways to curb "white collar crimes" like securities scams, extortions, hawala transactions, cyber-fraud and match-fixing. He announced that his department, along with the RBI, SEBI and the Company Law Board, were working out measures to deal with Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCS) which have siphoned off larger amount of money from stock exchanges and individual investors. Dr Reddy said a list of all such defaulting companies would be made known to the people regularly as a measure of standing warning that such companies would be delisted. The Government was also planning to form code for corporate government for reducing frauds by trade, commerce and industry, he informed. Dr Reddy said his Department was working out a caution list of defaulting companies and would put it on the website as also on the notice board of the offices of the Company Registrars all over the country and in the offices of the Reserve Bank of India and the Security and Exchange Board of India to warn people and investors who were duped by unscrupulous companies in the corporate sector. He called upon the fraud examiners to help the government in evolving a new code for corporate governance so that with a better degree of legal provisions, discipline by financial institutions and enforcement of various economic regulations, corporate frauds could be curbed, if not eliminated altogether. The senior government official exuded confidence that the two-day-long conference would come out with a concrete action plan which would be handy for the government to include in its agenda a collective action plan to deal with the menace of all sorts of frauds in the country. The conference stressed
the need to formulate measures and better professional
investigation methods to counter the growth of white
collar frauds. |
Kerala scribes burn Manisana’s effigy THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, May 5 (UNI) — Hundreds of journalists and non-journalists from various newspapers and news agencies in Kerala today staged a dharna in front of the state secretariat here and burnt an effigy of Justice Manisana Singh to protest against the inordinate delay in the submission of the report of the wage board headed by him. Earlier, they came in a procession from the Kesari Memorial Journalists Trust building to the secretariat. The march was organised as a prelude to the nationwide stir on May 8. The protestors, carrying placards, raised slogans against the wage board. Leaders of the
Newspapers Employees Coordination Committee, Kerala,
formed recently by the Kerala Union of Working
Journalists (KUWJ) and the Kerala Newspapers Employees
Federation (KNEF) to spearhead the agitation, condemned
the "conspiracy" to sabotage Manisana Singh
Wage Board by the Indian Newspaper Society (INS). |
BJP leaves Panskura, Aska seats to allies NEW DELHI, May 5 (PTI) — The BJP has left the Aska and Panskura Lok Sabha seats where byelections are to be held to their allies BJD and Trinamool Congress respectively. This was decided by the party’s central election committee (CEC) which met today chaired by party Vice President Jana Krishnamurthy in the absence of President Kushabhau Thakre, party spokesman Venkaiah Naidu told reporters here. The Aska seat fell vacant following the resignation of the Union Minister for Mines and Minerals, Mr Naveen Patnaik, who had become Orissa Chief Minister. The byelections for the Panskura seat is being held due to the death of sitting member and veteran CPI leader Geeta Mukherjee. For the assembly byelections in Bhongira, Andhra Pradesh, the party would support the Telugu Desam while for the Raghopur and Jamui Assembly byelections in Bihar, discussions with allies, Janata Dal (United) and Samata, were on, Mr Naidu said. The Raghopur seat fell
vacant following the resignation of RJD chief Laloo
Prasad Yadav who won from here and Danapur and the Jamui
seat fell vacant as the sitting MLA Narendra Singh won
from two assembly constituencies and resigned from here. |
Questioning of Kalra futile: ED NEW DELHI, May 5 (PTI) — The Enforcement Directorate (ED) today told the Delhi High Court that the interrogation of match-fixing accused Rajesh Kalra in judicial custody in the alleged FERA violation case had been rendered "futile" due to presence of police officials. "The interrogation of Kalra by ED officials so far has been rendered futile due to the presence of police officers as the statement recorded under such circumstances will not be admissible as evidence as per the law", Additional Solicitor-General (ASG) S. B. Jaisinghani told a Division Bench comprising Mr Justice Usha Mehra and Mr Justice Madan Lokur. The ASG made this submission while seeking permission from the court to interrogate Kalra at the ED office for eight hours under judicial custody but in the absence dismissed the petition for his remand to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) as it became infructuous. The High Court had earlier on April 28 allowed the ED to interrogate Kalra, the first to be arrested in the match-fixing case, for 48 hours in judicial custody, but he could not be properly interrogated as the police around him refused to leave the place during questioning, Jaisinghani said. The police counsel,
however, said since the accused was in judicial custody
it was responsibility of the police to ensure his
security under the court order and that there was no
direction from the court that the ED would ensure his
security during interrogation by its officials. |
External Affairs Secy made Haj panel chief NEW DELHI, May 5 (PTI) — Effecting drastic changes in the committee managing thousands of Haj pilgrims every year, the Supreme Court today appointed the External Affairs Secretary as its head after dropping several ex-officio members saying that they played no role in the management of pilgrims as the mode of transport had changed from ship to aircraft. A Division Bench comprising Mr Justice S. Saghir Ahmad and Mr Justice Doraiswamy Raju said "the Haj Committee Act, 1959, which regulates the Haj pilgrimage, has become redundant with the passage of time." Several officials from various authorities located in Mumbai are ex-officio members of the committee as in earlier days the pilgrims used to travel to Mecca by ship from Mumbai. "Since 1993 no ship has sailed from Mumbai. Pilgrims have been travelling by air mostly from Delhi and Mumbai," the Bench observed. The Bench said,
"Till the new act or ordinance comes into effect,
the Secretary, External Affairs, will head the committee
and it will be his discretion to nominate experienced
people in place of these ex-officio members so that the
Haj pilgrimage is not hampered." |
Ganguly committed suicide: Basu CALCUTTA, May 5 (UNI) — West Bengal Commerce and Industry Minister Bidyut Ganguly, who died of severe burns on Monday, had committed suicide, Chief Minister Jyoti Basu said today. "We have received the post-mortem report. He had committed suicide," Mr Basu told reporters. The state government had already sought forensic report in connection with Mr Ganguly’s death. Mr Ganguly sustained
serious burns after he set himself afire at his residence
at Bhatapara on Sunday. He was rushed to City Hospital
where he succumbed to his burn injuries the next morning. |
Congress recasts media dept NEW DELHI, May 5 — The Congress today recast its media department while retaining its Chairman Mr Pranab Kumar Mukherjee. The party has drafted in party MPs Mrs Ambika Soni, Mr Kamal Nath, Mr Vylar Ravi, former MP Dr T Subbarami Reddy, advertising man Rajiv Desai, lawyer Abhisekh Reddy, Mr Vayalar Ravi and media baron Vishwa Bandhu Gupta. In addition Mr Ajit
Jogi, Mrs Margaret Alva, Mr Anil Shastri will be the
spokespersons while Mr Prithviraj Chavan and Mr Anand
Sharma will be the additional spokespersons. Mr Tom
Vadakkan will continue to be the secretary to the
department, according to an announcement by Mr Mukherjee
today. |
Two UT cops top law test NEW DELHI, May 5 — Two CBI officers posted at Chandigarh are among the top five sleuths who have cleared a law test conducted by the bureau for its investigating officers. Inspector S.S. Gurum topped the examination, which was conducted for the first time by the CBI to test the knowledge in law of its investigating officers and their supervisory ranks. Superintendent of Police P.S. Sandhu was placed fifth in the test with Mr Abhay, SP, Bhubaneswar, DSP N.P. Rajeeveakshan, computer cell, Delhi, and Inspector J.N. Rana, posted in Calcutta, figuring among the top five, a CBI press note said today. These officers will be
given cash awards and commendation certificates at a
function to be held at the CBI headquarters here soon,
the note added. |
2 Punjab MPs on SC, ST
panel NEW DELHI, May 5 — Punjab MPs, Mr Santosh Chowdhary and Mr Sukhdev Singh Libra, have been elected to the 30-member Parliamentary Committee on the Welfare of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Mr R.L. Bhatia and Mr
Surendra Singh Barwala are among the members elected to
the 22-member. Committee on Public Undertakings while Mr
Ajay Singh Chautala, Mr Vinod Khanna and Mr Maheshwar
Singh have been elected to the 30-member Committee on
Estimates. |
M.M.S. Cheema NEW DELHI, May 5 — A veteran trade union leader from Punjab, Mr M.M. Singh Cheema, has been appointed vice-president of the Punjab Congress Human Rights Department. Mr Cheema’s appointment was made by Mr Ranganath Misra, MP, and Chairman of the AICC Human Rights Department. Mr Misra has said maximum human right violations have taken place in the state. Mr Cheema hails from
Cheemakhuddi village in Gurdaspur district, which was a
centre of militant activity during the eighties. |
No subsidy on unmilled
paddy NEW DELHI, May 5 — The Centre has urged the state Governments to complete the unmilling of paddy procured by them by the stipulated time. In a letter addressed to the Secretary of Food and Civil Supplies, Haryana, the Food Ministry indicated that 41,493 tonnes of unmilled paddy lying with the state government would be treated as the property of State as the milling was not completed by the stipulated time. The Government of Haryana was asked to take measures to dispose of the stocks without claiming any subsidy from the Centre. The Department of Public
Distribution in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and
Public Distribution had asked the Government of Haryana
to complete the milling of paddy procured by the state
government and its agencies by April 30, 2000. Out of a
total quantity of 260,431 tonnes of paddy procured by the
state about 41,493 tonnes remained unmilled as on May 1,
2000. |
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