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| Sunday, May 14, 2000, Chandigarh, India  
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CBI registers case against IAS
officer Fernandes rules out arms supply to
Lanka ‘Glamour, sophistication she
has in plenty’ |
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Congress resents order on
ex-naval officers Rebels move UN peacekeepers Cyber crimes: panel for 3-year
jail 501 IMA cadets commissioned No water, no job trigger migration Khairnar vows to fight to finish Famine relief work started late:
Governor Samata seeks Bihar Govt’s
dismissal 2 held for molestation
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CBI registers case against IAS officer NEW DELHI, May 13 (PTI) — The CBI today registered a case against an Indian Administrative Service officer for allegedly accumulating assets worth several crores disproportionate to his known sources of income. Following a tip-off, the anti-corruption wing of the agency carried out raids at the residence and other relevant places of Mr Virender Singh, a 1969 cadre office. The sleuths detected huge assets in the name of his family members or benami on the power of attorney, an official spokesman claimed here today. The officer is Principal Secretary, Training and Technical Education, Delhi Government. Attempt to get his comments on the CBI claim did not succeed as he was not available at his residence. The CBI recovered cash and bank balance in the house and lockers of the accused officer amounting to Rs 22.82 lakh, fixed deposits worth Rs 18.55 lakh and gold jewellery worth Rs 13.72 lakh, the spokesman alleged. Six cars, including two of foreign make worth Rs 32 lakh were also seized by the sleuths. The CBI recovered papers relating to possession of land worth Rs 25 lakh at the time of purchase in Nangloi where his son was running a car workshop. Other assets included
industrial building worth Rs 60 lakh in Okhla Phase-II,
plots in Lado Sarai and Kirkhi worth Rs 75 lakh and a
flat worth Rs 15 lakh at Sukhdev Vihar purchased in name
of the firm owned by his son, the spokesman claimed. |
Fernandes rules out arms supply to Lanka KARWAR (UTTAR KANNADA), May 13 (UNI) — The Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, today ruled out military intervention or supply of arms by India to Sri Lanka, where intense fighting was raising between the armed forces and the LTTE. After visiting Sea Bird Naval Project, he said there was no question of reviewing the government’s decision. The decision taken by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on the Sri Lanka issue "is final", he added. Referring to recent
Bharatpur Ordnance Depot fire, he said there was no
evidence of sabotage. It was an accidental fire caused by
dry grass near the depot. Nearly 12,000 tonnes of
ammunition worth about Rs 376 crore was destroyed in the
fire, he added. |
‘Glamour, sophistication she has in plenty’ BANGALORE, May 13 (UNI) — It was an exhilarating experience for the family members of Lara Dutta who was crowned the new Miss Universe at Cyprus early today. Family members and their close friends were glued to the television set and watched live coverage of the pageant. Her sister Sabina Dutta danced with joy the moment Lara was declared Miss Universe with tears rolling down her cheeks, a close family friend told UNI. Lara’s another sister Cheryl Dutta is a pilot in the Indian Air Force and is based in Jamnagar. NEW DELHI: Ms Manpreet Brar, a former first runner-up in the Miss Universe pageant, feels that no one out of all contestants this year deserved the crown more than Lara Dutta. Ms Brar strongly refuted the charge that Indians were being crowned only as part of a gameplan by multinational cosmetic manufacturers to enter India. "If you had seen the contestants minus the sash and everything, you would still have known who will walk away with the crown and the sash", she said. Speaking to UNI from Chandigarh, former Miss India Gul Panag said she was jubilant to hear the news as she had known from the very beginning that Lara would win the crown. She said Lara had everything going for her and therefore it would have been unfortunate if she had not emerged as the winner. Former Miss India Nafisa Ali, expressing her joy, said it was clear that Indian women were going global. Lara’s poise made her a natural winner, she said. Ms Ritu Beri, who designed some of the dresses worn by Lara, said she had been confident about Lara the moment she had seen her. MUMBAI (UNI): The dull sleepy morning suddenly turned into a scene of general euphoria and celebration when the news of Miss India Lara Dutta winning the coveted title of Miss Universe 2000, spread like wildfire throughout the country. Lara, tipped as a favourite early by the local media, came out strongly to defend the beauty pageant, the start of which was marred by protests by religious and Leftist groups. Impressing the judges, the economics graduate affirmed that such pageants gave "women a platform to follow the field we want, a platform to voice our opinions and make us stronger.’’ Jamuna Pai, who was looking after the Beauty Queen skin care, said that Lara had a reasonably good skin. "We helped her tone her body skin to one colour, remove patchiness, stretch marks and generally she took good care of her skin,’’ she said. Lara used to come to her parlour once a week for herbal treatment she described Lara as a soft-spoken person, confident of herself. She is basically a good person and responded well to the advice. "We are really happy to know that she is on the top of the world today,’’ Jamuna said. Girish Talwalkar of the Talwalkar Fitness Centre said Lara was determined to win the title. "The Centre has given her a personal trainer Pooja Sherlekar, who is accompanying her to Cyprus. She was a healthy and fit person, but we tried to give her the finishing touches, by toning the body, shaping it by removing excess fat and give perfect curves,’’ he said. She has undergone around two months training with Talwalkars. PTI adds: "At the time Lara Dutta won the Femina Miss India title, I knew she would make it", Femina Editor Sathya Saran today commented after the Bangalore girl was crowned "Miss Universe" at Nicosia in Cyprus. Saran told PTI here that
Lara, sponsored by Femina, deserved the crown. "She
is confident, full of poise and able to hold completely
on her own". |
Lara Dutta wants to be a scribe NEW DELHI, May 13 (UNI) — Miss Universe Lara Dutta, who left home at 17 for a career in modelling, wants to be a journalist and go out in the field to unravel the truth. "I like writing,’’ says Lara (21), whose role model is CNN’s Daredevil war correspondent Christian Amanpour, wife of ex-US State Department Spokesman James Rubin. The newly-crowned Miss Universe, whose hobbies are bungee jumping, conoeing, para-gliding and white water rafting, was confident of winning the title earlier won by only other Indian, Sushmita Sen. Dutta, who is born of a Punjabi father and a half-European mother, knew even when she was 17 that beauty and glamour would take her to the pinnacle of glory. And that came today at the attractively decorated basketball stadium in Nicosia, Cyprus this morning. The beauty queen, who belongs to software city Bangalore, is also a culinary expert and claims she can claim she can prepare a mouthwater "moong ki daal". Dutta chose not to go on a crash diet. "A crash diet never works. You lose weight one day and add it the next.’’ The Miss Universe, who eats very healthy, right food and right quantity, was on three meals a day, half vegetable, half normal, in the runup to the event. She jogs to keep fit. "I haven’t gymed seriously till I had to take part in the pageant’’. Dutta, who describes herself as an "independent and ambitious girl who is learning every moment’’ was aware of the challenges beauty models faced before they faced the flashbulbs. "New faces are coming in every moment and one has to keep learning.’’ The Indian emerged winner over Miss Venezuela, Claudia Moreno, who was first runner up and Miss Spain, Helen Lindes, the second runner up. "I think pageants like Miss Universe give young women a platform to follow the field we want, a platform to voice our opinions and make us stronger,’’ Dutta told the panel of judges. She also plans to work for AIDS education among women. "The majority of women in my country are illiterate and uneducated so we have to start there to educate them. That is what I will do with India and progress to the rest of the world.’’ Seventy-nine beauty
queens from as many countries participated in the
contest. Dutta, an economics graduate, was a favourite
early by the local media. Indian students living in
Cyprus gave her a standing ovation. |
Congress resents order on
ex-naval officers NEW DELHI, May 13 —The Congress today resented the recent government order which denies the former naval officers opportunities of absorption in the Merchant Navy. In a statement issued by the ex-servicemen cell of the AICC, its convener Mr Dalbir Singh said that the order of the Surface Transport ministry was discriminatory as it makes it mandatory the clearing of written examination and other proficiency tests despite the ‘‘certificate of service’’ which earlier was accepted as a qualifying standard for the selection into the Merchant Navy. He pointed out that most of the coastal trading vessels today were being manned by former naval officers. This was also in keeping with the government’s attempt to rehabilitate ex-servicemen. The decision of the
government belittles the competence of the former Navy
officers without valid justification, the Congress said. |
Rebels move UN peacekeepers NEW DELHI, May 13 — Peacekeepers held hostage by rebels in Sierra Leone, including 32 Indians, were shifted from Giema to Kailahun last night, a move seen by observers as a step towards the final release of the detainees, an Army spokesman said here today. Till now three Indians, two of them officers, have been released by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels. The Indians being held hostage are in good health, the spokesman added. The shifting of hostages to Kailahun was consequent to the confidence building measures initiated by the Indian contingent in the West African nation, the spokesman said. A meeting of all factions was also proposed to be held tomorrow at Daru which is expected to be attended by the RUF brigade commander. It was likely to help in thawing of relations among the warring rebel groups and bringing about peace in the most troubled areas of East Sierra Leone. The situation in Sierra
Leone continued to be tense. The Indian quick reaction
company was expected to play the lead role in holding
certain important communication centres which would
prevent the RUF from getting a free run to Lungi or the
Capital Freetown, the spokesman added. |
Cyber crimes: panel for 3-year jail NEW DELHI, May 13 (UNI) — The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology has suggested three-year imprisonment for cyber crimes like hacking and making it mandatory for all Internet service providers and cyber cafes to maintain details about the persons accessing the services. The suggestion follows the deposition by the Delhi Police Commissioner, Mr Ajay Raj Sharma, that the Internet service providers should allow the Internet access through digital telephone to keep records of caller identification in the respective server as criminal minds could easily cause damage from the mushrooming cyber cafes. He had suggested that all ISPS be allowed the accessing after identification procedures like inserting ration card, electoral card, passport, driving license, permanent account number card for Internet accessing. The failure to comply with this requirement entails one-year imprisonment and or a fine up to Rs 5 lakh. The committee headed by Mr C. Ramachandraiah which went through the Information Technology Bill, 1999, during its sittings in May also recommended three-year imprisonment and or a fine up to Rs 2 lakh for ‘hacking’ or causing wrongful loss or damage to the public through alteration, destruction of any information residing in a computer source or diminishing its value or utility. The committee presented its report to Parliament yesterday. The committee which examined divergent views on the issue of according powers to the police officials above the rank of the Deputy Superintendent of Police to search a premises without warrant for cyber crimes suggested creation of a special task force with the recruitment of persons with knowledge and experience for tackling computer crimes. While the Delhi Police Commissioner had stated that it was the knowledge of computers which was important and the rank of the officer should not be the criteria for investigating offences. The DSPs were already overburdened with work and assigning them with the job of cyber crimes would leave them with very little time for their other responsibilities. The National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) had sought deletion of clause 79 of the IT Bill providing the police above the rank of the DSPs unlimited powers to search the premises without warrant for a cyber crime and such power was open for misuse. They had also questioned the competence of the police in handling the cyber crimes as the concept of cyber law was of recent origin. The organisation had suggested revision of clause 78 in the Bill in conformity with the legislations in the USA’s Digital Millennium Copyright Act and the Draft European Union Electronic Commerce Directive which provided for network service providers to engage in responsible operating activities and to respond quickly to remove illegal activity. The committee also
recommended retaining the provision for Constitution of
cyber regulations appellate tribunal with the same
composition and powers of appellate tribunal constituted
under the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act
1992. |
No water, no job trigger migration BIKANER, May 13 (PTI) — The Jogira tank here, which provides drinking water to 40 villages in Kolayat tehsil, has completely gone dry for the first time in the past 40 years, forcing many to migrate and making life miserable for the drought-hit people of the area. On several occasions in the past, when another reservoir Kapil sarovar in Kolayat went dry in summer months, Jogira talab (tank) sustained the people and their livestock in the desert land. But this time, it also has gone dry due to the failure of monsoon for the second consecutive year, say villagers of Madh. People have to walk for 10 km to 20 km in the Kolayat tehsil to fetch drinking water or pay private transporters Rs 400 per tanker for water, which is not always clean, they say. There is also no gainful employment for people of the area forcing them to migrate to neighbouring states like Punjab and Haryana. And in the village of Sumorkhi, only five families of the total 60 households, residing in the village have decided to stay back. Relief works, opened by the district administration have provided employment only to a minuscule population and that too in areas far away from the villages affected the most. Under the relief operation, the administration has started digging Jogira talab deep so that it may contain more water in the next monsoon. But only 100 persons are being provided employment in this work while at least 5,000 persons need employment here. The labourers employed on this work are being paid a meagre amount of Rs three a day, complains 50 year old Kanu Devi. People in Bhaneka village also complain about the absence of any relief work for 5,000 people in eight neighbouring villages. Although we passed a resolution for starting relief work in our gram panchayat and the vikas adhikari forwarded our resolution to the government, nothing has happened so far, says Rodu Mal. Although relief work has been started at Khariya village Malinath but it is 15 km from Bhaneka and there is no transport arrangements for the drought-hit people to reach there for employment. The government has fixed a ceiling of 100 labourers on the work and there is no chance of our getting jobs there, even if we go there, villagers in Bhaneka say. "Drought-hit people are financially broken. Nobody gives us ration on credit these days," says Gaura Devi of Dera village. She is also sore about the lack of medical facilities in villages. There is only one primary health centre in village Gudha but it remains closed most of the time, she said. At least four to five cows are dying every day in the absence of fodder and water in this area and 100 cows have already perished, claims Ilmu Ram, of the same village. Carcasses of animals are found littered over the desert land if one drives from Roi to Dhore village. Similar is the scene in the 5 km stretch between Kolayat and Jhujhu. People in Khakhusar, whose cattle have perished are in a state of despair. If the situation persists "Minakh Bi Marsi (humans will also die), say Khakhusar villagers. Although, the administration has set up cattle camps, there is no facility for shade in them, say villagers. There are also no
veterinary doctors to attend to the ailing animals, they
complain. |
Khairnar vows to fight to finish MUMBAI, May 13 (UNI) —‘Demolition man’ G.R. Khairnar is going to be around with his bulldozer for another six months. The Deputy Municipal Commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), who was due to retire on May 31, has been given an extension sounding alarm bells to encroachers and illegal builders. The extension follows his reinstatement and withdrawal of a pending petition at the Bombay High Court against him by the BMC. "I am going to continue with the demolition of illegal structures," says Khairnar, who has recently razed illegal structures in south Mumbai and other areas. For the general public, the efforts of the Deputy Municipal Commissioner, who in the past has faced suspension for around four years, is welcome. They feel that encroachment, which had reached alarming proportions in the past few years, can be handled by a man like Mr Khairnar. Nearly all political parties support the demolition man in his mission. "I am enjoying the work, and I am getting good support from the residents of this city," Khairnar says. "I would like to work in whatever capacity the BMC asks me to work." he said. Things have become
easier now for the officer, who had faced suspension and
undertook social work, six years back. |
Famine relief work started late: Governor JAIPUR, May 13 (PTI) —The Rajasthan Governor, Justice Anshuman Singh has said that the state government started famine relief work quite late which led to the migration of people from drought-affected areas. The Governor, who visited the relief works in a number of villages in Dudu and Sambhar tehsils of Jaipur district, yesterday said that after talking to labourers, he felt relief work started late in these areas. This is evident from the fact that villagers migrated due to scarcity conditions, he said. He was informed at the Narena Talab relief work that only 75 persons have been employed, while large number of villagers were still seeking gainful employment. At Kalya Nadi, villagers told the Governor that drought-affected people were provided employment on relief work for 15 days in a month only. For the remaining 15 days of the month, people of other village, Dobari, are given jobs. The Governor suggested that more people should be given employment and asked the District Collector to send proposals for the same to the government. He also said that there
should not be any discrimination in providing jobs to
drought-hit people. |
501 IMA cadets commissioned DEHRA DUN, May 13 (UNI) — As many as 501 cadets were commissioned into the Army here today. The GCS, along with 11 foreign cadets and four Assam Rifle cadets, stepped into commissionhood at an impressive function at the Indian Military Academy here presided over by Chief of Army Staff Gen V.P. Malik. Congratulating the GCS, General Malik said the victory in Kargil last year had been largely due to the outstanding leadership provided by young officers most of whom passed out of the IMA. "I have no doubt that you will succeed again and again in the event of any future Kargil-type threat". He said the Army was doing its duty in fighting the many challenges to the country’s unity and integrity from outside as well as within, adding that efforts were also being made to file the 29 per cent shortfall of officers in the force. The Army was short of 12,500 officers at present. The gap would be slowly and gradually filled, General Malik said. For the first time in the history of the IMA three batches of cadets would be passing out this year. Measures had been taken to accommodate 300 more GCS at the academy so that more number of officers could be fed into the Army. The Commanding Officer, IMA, Lieut-Gen Yuvraj Mehta, said no compromise would be made on quality in any effort to increase quantity. There would be stress on military and physical training rather than academic and other activities. The Army chief gave away
awards to the winners in the courses. C.S. Mankotia won
the Sword of Honour and the silver medal, Digvijay Singh
took the President’s Gold Medal while the bronze
went to S.S. Tanwar. I.S. Samyal bagged the silver medal
in the technical graduates course. |
Samata seeks Bihar Govt’s dismissal NEW DELHI, May 13 (PTI) — The Samata Party today demanded dismissal of the Rabri Devi government in Bihar in the wake of massacre of 10 Dalits in Lakhisarai district there, and asked the Centre to seek a report from the Governor on the overall law and order situation in the state. The party President, Ms Jaya Jaitly, and the General Secretary, Mr Shambhu Shrivastwa, told reporters here that the RJD Government has also violated the Constitution by not holding panchayat elections in the state and giving wrong information in this regard to the court. The Rabri Devi
government has failed to run the administration in
accordance with the provision of the Constitution as
holding of regular panchayat elections is a major
constitutional requirement, they said, adding that the
government should be dismissed forthwith. |
2 held for molestation NEW DELHI, May 13 — Owner of Kamal restaurant, Rakesh Dewan and a resident of New Friends Colony in south Delhi have been arrested on charge of molestation in a beauty parlour. The two allegedly
entered Pelican Beauty Parlour in Rajouri Garden in west
Delhi where they allegedly went to ladies’ cabin and
molested some girls. When the owner of the parlour
objected they reportedly beat him up and damaged the
parlour. |
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