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| Saturday, July 8, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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UK
arms sales resumption flayed Fodder scam: AG denies lapses India, Nepal to have passport
system Maneka to visit Nandankanan |
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SAD drafts autonomy
document AITUC: make Kaul panel report
public Cost of VP Singh’s treatment Cong sets up panel on economic
reforms Blast outside ex-minister’s
house All-India weather Tension along B’desh border LPG truckers threaten stir
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UK arms sales resumption
flayed NEW DELHI, July 7 — India has taken strong exception to the British decision to resume arms sales to Pakistan. While the spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs declined to comment on the British arms sales issue saying "we are ascertaining facts" official sources said the Vajpayee government was deeply disappointed by the British government’s decision to approve twenty licence applications for military equipment sales to Pakistan. New Delhi is surprised over the sudden U-turn in British foreign policy as London had made its opposition known to the military regime of General Pervez Mushrraf. Interestingly the decision has come within days of the official visit of the Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes to the United Kingdom. While on the surface New Delhi expresses surprise the reason for the policy shift is closely related to Mr Fernandes’s visit and his subsequent press comments. The Labour Government, which has been keen to sell Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers to India, has information that New Delhi is actively reconsidering purchase of Alpha Jet Trainers from France. Mr Fernandes, on his return from his trip abroad, told newspersons that high-level Indian delegation led by Defence Secretary, Mr T.R. Prasad was in Paris to consider the purchase of Alpha Jet Trainers along with Mirage-2000 fighter aircraft. India has been insisting on a British guarantee that it would never stop sale of spare parts of Hawks if New Delhi decided to purchase them. Britain had stopped the sale of spare parts for its C-King helicopters and Sea Harriers after the nuclear tests. Mr Fernandes even had a meeting with the British Prime Minister , Mr Tony Blair on the issue. As part of its pressure tactics on the trainer issue and under the influence of the powerful British arms lobby, London decided to resume arms sale to Islamabad. But the move might boomerang on Britain besides clouding bilateral relations. Apart from the likely
strain Indo-British ties, the UK’s position within
the Commonwealth will be compromised as London has been
for suspension of Islamabad from the Commonwealth. |
Fodder scam: AG denies lapses PATNA, July 7 (PTI) — Accountant-General of Bihar Nand Lal today denied reports of lapses and slackness on the part of his office relating to fraudulent withdrawals of crores of rupees by the State Animal Husbandry Department that led to the multi-crore fodder scam. There has been no lapse or slackness in the Accountant-General’s office in dealing with the detection of fraudulent withdrawals from the state treasuries by the AHD between 1990-95, Mr Nand Lal, told reporters here. His reaction was in response to the allegations by the RJD national spokesman, Shivanand Tiwari, and the questions raised in the state legislative council castigating the AG for alleged failure to highlight fraudulent withdrawals taking place from the state treasuries. The AG office sources said though the failure of the AHD in controlling expenditure was persistently pointed out in audit reports, the Department had not resorted to remedial actions to arrest over grants, unjustified surrenders and growth of non-Plan revenue expenditure since 1990. On the contrary, the excesses have been mounting high over the years and the department did not furnish explanations to audit. The AG office sources said huge sum of advance from contingency fund had remained unrecouped at the end of every year. Giving details, sources said the then Comptroller and Accountant General (CAG), Mr T.N.Chaturvedi in a letter to former Bihar Chief Minister Chandrashekhar Singh on February 11, 1985, had pointed out the delay in submission of monthly account by the treasuries and work divisions, stating that delay in accounting of money withdrawn from the exchequer was fraught with serious risk such as temporary misappropriation, defalcations and frauds. The AG office sources claimed that the repeated reminder from the office of the CAG and the AG and rounds of meetings with top state government officials had prompted the government to take action and the Principal Accountant General (PAG) got the delayed treasury accounts and prepared finance accounts and appropriation accounts and then the CAG prepared the reports from 1990-91 to 1991-95 from July 11, 1994 onwards . UNI adds: Mr B.N. Sharma, one of the prime accused in the multi-crore fodder scam in Bihar, surrendered before the special court of the CBI here on Friday. Mr Sharma who was an officer in the State Animal Husbandry Department, was sent to judicial custody in Beur Model Jail. He is an accused in the
regular cases of 31A/96 and 66A/96 of the fodder scam
besides a disproportionate assets case. |
India, Nepal to have passport
system NEW DELHI, July 7 — Indians and Nepalese travelling by air between the two countries will soon require passports for the purpose of identification. Both countries have agreed to move towards a passport system without requirement of visas for the identification of people of both countries when they travel by air. The agreement was reached between the two countries during the four-day visit of the Union Home Secretary, Mr Kamal Pande, to Kathmandu which ended today. A pruned down list of admissible travel documents will be introduced with effect from October 1, to tighten the existing system of identification of such travellers from both countries, according to Additional Secretary in the Ministry, Dr P.D. Shenoy here today. These decisions were taken as part of the enhanced cooperation between the two countries towards improving the security scenario, he said briefing correspondents on the visit. The two sides also decided that there would be closer cooperation between the law enforcing agencies, particularly among districts on the two sides of the border, more regular and frequent meetings and communication. Other measures agreed to
include enhanced sharing of information on criminal
activities, cooperation in training, quicker disposal of
pending requests for assistance in investigation of
criminal cases, looking for ways and means to improve
legal and institutional framework for cooperation between
law enforcement agencies and updating of existing
extradition arrangements. |
SAD drafts autonomy document NEW DELHI, July 7 (UNI) — The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which initially sought to distance itself from the autonomy resolution adopted by the Jammu and Kashmir assembly, is now finding similarities between it and their own autonomy document, the ‘Anandpur Sahib resolution’ and the view that the former should have been put to a thorough debate rather than being rejected outright. "Instead of rushing to reject the autonomy resolution of Jammu and Kashmir, it should have been put to a thorough debate," party general secretary and Rajya Sabha Member Balwinder Singh Bhundar said here yesterday. He said that like that of the J and K resolution, the Anandpur Sahib resolution, demanding more powers to states, was also blown out of proportion by the then ruling Congress which even dubbed it as "a secessionist Khalistani document." The same party which described the Anandpur Sahib resolution as ‘untouchable’ referred to it before the Sarkaria Commission on Centre-state relations and some of its clauses were brought to discussion and even included in the Rajiv-Longowal accord of September 1985, he said. The Akali leader finds no problem in debating the J and K autonomy resolution within the Constitution of the country and said the democratic polity could effectively work only if the states were given back all the powers usurped by the Centre during three-decade of Congress rule. Mr Bhundar avoided any comparison between the Jammu and Kashmir autonomy resolution and that of the Anandpur Sahib resolution and said it was a matter of debate whether the Centre should retain three, four or more subject reverting the rest to states. The Akali leader said we have not dumped the Anandpur Sahib resolution, that has been in the eye of a controversy for a decade. Rather its clauses are again being revived and reshaped in the form of a new autonomy document, the party is going to submit to the Centre within a month. The Anandpur Sahib resolution was adopted at the All-India Akali Conference at Ludhiana in 1978, which espoused that all powers be given to states leaving just three or four subjects with the Centre. The SAD will submit its autonomy document to the ‘national commission set up to review working of the Constitution’. It has already set up a committee of experts to prepare the document seeking more powers for the states, Mr Bhundar said. Punjab Chief Minister and SAD President Parkash Singh Badal, who presided over the meeting of the experts committee on Tuesday here, has already spoken for more powers to the states to make the country a "true federal set up." Like his colleague and
state Finance Minister Kanwaljit Singh who had demanded
more devolution of financial powers to states, Mr Bhundar
said in the changed era of globalisation the states
should have no restrictions even in interacting with
other countries and entering into economic agreements
with them. |
AITUC: make Kaul panel report
public NEW DELHI, July 7 — The All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) today urged the Haryana government to make the Kaul Commission report, which inquired into the firing of workers of Pashupati Spinning and Weaving Mills, Kapriya (Dharuhere), public and implement its recommendations. In a letter to the state Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, AITUC said "since the findings of the Commission have wide ramifications the early implementation of the same is necessary to instil in the workers the confidence in rule of law and fairness of the present government." Mr D.L. Sachdev,
secretary, AITUC, said: "The police in its
desperation and cover up registered cases against the
workers. The district administration withdrew the cases
but the same were revived later and re-arrested the
workers. Two cases still remain. In view of the report
submitted by the commission these deserve to be
quashed." |
Cost of VP Singh’s treatment NEW DELHI, July 7 (UNI) — Former Prime Minister VP Singh today said his medical expenses abroad, borne by the Central Government during the past four years, were only Rs 2.27 crore but the cost of maintaining the Special Protection Group in London and the USA worked out to Rs 4.8 crore. Mr VP Singh released a copy of the letter he wrote to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee at a press conference here today wherein he has demanded that his security be withdrawn forthwith since the thought of the huge expenditure on his security had added to his mental burden. On his medical treatment abroad he said he left it to the government to do what it thought fit. The former Prime Minister said he wrote to Mr Vajpayee last summer from London that since his haemoglobin was up to the mark, he was keen on returning home at the earliest. The Prime Minister had, however urged him to continue the treatment in London. He said the government
had also clarified that adequate facilities for the
treatment of diseases he was suffering from were not
available in the country. |
Cong sets up panel on
economic reforms NEW DELHI, July 7 — The Congress finally shed its inhibition and today announced the setting-up of a 44-member panel to be headed by Mr Pranab Mukherjee to undertake a study of the economic reforms programme pioneered by the party since 1991. Called the "introspection workshop", the panel has been asked to identify areas where course correction in the economic policy, if any, was required and give an explanatory note to support as to why such an alteration was required and how it would yield the desired results. The formation of the panel had been delayed after the former Union Finance Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, refused to either head or be part of such an exercise which was seen as review of the economic reforms which he piloted. The idea to set up such a panel was mooted several months ago after many party MPs and leaders opposed the reforms on the grounds that it had been anti-poor and affected the party’s image. The panel has the Chief Ministers of all Congress-ruled states, pro-reform members like Mr Murali Deora, Mr Jairam Ramesh, Mr Prithiviraj Chavan, staunch opponents like Mr A.K. Antony, Mr Arjun Singh, Mr K. Natwar Singh, Mr N.D. Tewari and Mr Vylar Ravi among others. Two prominent members
from the north include Chandigarh MP, Pawan Bansal, Dr
Karan Singh, Rajya Sabha MP from Delhi and leading lawyer
Ashwini Kumar. |
Blast outside ex-minister’s house NEW DELHI, July 7 (UNI) — A crude bomb exploded at the residence of former Delhi Industry Minister Harcharan Singh Balli in the Tilak Nagar area of West Delhi this morning and the police were kept on their toes throughout the day with hoax calls. Two calls were received by the police of bombs being planted at Shastri Bhawan, housing the offices of many ministers, senior officials of various ministries and the Press Information Bureau (PIB), and the Turkman Gate police station building. At the residence of Mr Balli, the bomb, described by the police as a crude device, exploded at around 9.30 a.m., more than one and a half hours after it was detected. No one was injured in the incident. The former minister was not at his residence as he had reportedly left for Lucknow at around 5,00 a.m. According to the local police, a bag containing the device was seen by the sweeper around 7.50 a.m. near a coal godown adjacent to the makeshift tent of the Rajasthan Armed Force, which has been deputed for the protection of the former minister. One of the personnel of the Rajasthan Armed Force informed the police about the bag, but before the bomb disposal squad could arrive the device exploded after being tampered by an unidentified youth. An unidentified bag was
found lying near the gate of Shastri Bhawan at around
4.00 p.m. and the police immediately rushed its bomb
disposal and dog squads. After cordoning off the area,
police carried out a search only to find an ordinary bag.
|
Maneka to visit Nandankanan NEW DELHI, July 7 — Union Minister and animal rights activist, Maneka Gandhi plans to visit Orissa’s Nandankanan zoological park where 11 tigers have died of trypanosomysis. Mrs Gandhi has also succeeded in persuading Born Free Foundation, a UK based non-governmental organisation, to send a team of doctors and zoo management experts to camp in India and suggest remedial measures. Founded by Virginia Mc Kenna, the actress who featured in Born Free, the foundation is dedicated to zoo animal management and has branches all over the world. Mrs Gandhi said that the People For Animals, an animal welfare organisation, would bear the expenses of the visit. "Let’s see what they can do with Nandankanan," she said. It is reliably learnt that the proposed visit of the team of doctors from the foundation has already met with stiff resistance. Responding to hostile statements that India has enough experts and does not need any foreign help, Mrs Gandhi said, "It is an international crisis. Animals have no country." She said that she planed to leave for Nandankanan by Tuesday. She added that the Nandankanan zoo has "a glorious reputation of one animal dying every day. The most well known case is that of slow loris, a type of monkey brought from Malaysia which died of exposure to heat. They had been bought from Malaysia in exchange for Indian animals. They were featured in a television show and died the same day." She said that a local animal welfare organisation had reported corruption and mismanagement after surveying the conditions in the Nandankanan zoo. A copy of the report was sent to the Chief Minister, Mr Naveen Patnaik, but no action was taken. "Even I sent a letter to the CM on the issue but I was told he did not receive it." The animal rights activist said that India had a tiger population of 900. "There are only 25 white tigers in the world and we have lost seven of them." Commenting on the tragedy in the zoo, she said, "Trypanosomysis is a simple disease known as tick fever. It strikes during monsoon." Pointing to another
lapse on part of the zoo authorities, Mrs Gandhi said,
"You have to weigh the animal before you give an
injection. If you give more dose than what is needed, the
animal dies." |
All-India weather PUNE, July 7 (PTI) — Rain or thundershowers are likely to occur at most places in Konkan and Goa, Andhra Pradesh, coastal Karnataka and Kerala, at many places in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Assam and Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, north Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Lakshadweep and at a few places over the rest of the country outside Gangetic West Bengal and west Rajasthan where it will be at isolated places. Heavy rainfall warning: Heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places in north Uttar Pradesh, Konkan and Goa, coastal Andhra Pradesh, coastal Karnataka and Kerala during the next 48 hours. The southwest monsoon
has been vigorous in coastal Karnataka and active in east
Uttar Pradesh and Konkan and Goa. Rain or thundershowers
have occurred at many palces in sub-Himalayan West Bengal
and Sikkim, west Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala, at
a few places in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Assam and
Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, Bihar,
Madhya Pradesh, Marathwada, coastal Andhra Pradesh and
Rayalaseema and at isolated places in Gangetic West
Bengal, Orissa, Himachal Pradesh, east Rajasthan,
Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and interior Karnataka.
Mainly dry weather prevailed over the rest of the
country, according to the forecast issued by the central
observatory here. |
Tension along B’desh border AGARTALA, July 7 (UNI) — Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Cr PC have been issued along the Indo-Bangla international border in south Tripura district to check infiltration, trans-border movement of militants, arms smuggling and various other border crimes. The official sources
said here today that the prohibitory orders issued by
District Magistrate Tajinder Singh would remain in force
during the next two months. |
LPG truckers threaten stir NEW DELHI, July 7 (PTI) — The Bulk LPG Transporters Federation of India today threatened to go on an indefinite strike from July 10 midnight if the government decides to order additional vehicles for LPG transportation in excess of the existing 10,000 tank trucks. The federation alleged
that Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) was planning
to issue letters of intent for manufacturing of
additional 6,500 tank trucks and was delaying the tender
for tank truck for over a year. |
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