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| Saturday, August 12, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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New states by Nov 1: Advani J&K was given special aid NEW DELHI, Aug 11 — Apart from the normal central assistance for other state plan schemes distributed according to the Gadgil-Mukherjee formula, special assistance was provided to Jammu and Kashmir for filling its non-plan gap and to allow it to have a reasonable plan size, the Minister of State for Finance, Mr Dhananjaya Kumar, told the LoK Sabha today. Press a pillar of democracy: AG US staff visit: Atal’s assurance
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| Punjabi ‘kudi’ Mayor in
Holland NEW DELHI, Aug 11 — She is just sixteen, an age when most girls are just beginning to feel the vibrations of the approaching adulthood. She is an Indian — which imbibes in her traditions that go back thousands of years, including fasting and praying regularly — And she is a Mayor in a tourist resort in Holland. Veteran actor Jairaj dead 3 new Arty Colonels Commandant
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New states by Nov 1: Advani NEW DELHI, Aug 11 (UNI) — The new states of Chhattisgarh, Uttaranchal and Jharkhand will come into existence by November 1. This was announced by Home Minister L.K. Advani while replying to the debate on the Bihar Reorganisation Bill, 2000, in the Rajya Sabha today. Parliament had approved the creation of these states by approving all three state reorganisation Bills. Mr Advani said he had been asked again and again about the creation of the new states. As per the schedule prepared by the government, these states would take shape by November this year. All formalities for the new states, such as the selection of the capital town and creation of high court would be finalised before the date. Chhattisgarh was being carved out of Madhya Pradesh, Uttaranchal would consist of the hill districts of Uttar Pradesh while Jharkhand would comprise areas of southern Bihar. Earlier, the Bill seeking to create a separate state of Jharkhand was approved by a voice vote. The Home Minister said the Centre was committed to the economic development of the new state as also the truncated state of Bihar. Mr Advani admitted that the debate on the Bill concentrated on the economic development of the truncated state of Bihar. He announced that it had already been provided in the Bill for setting up a unit in the Planning Commission under the direct charge of the Deputy Chairman of the Commission for adequate devolution of funds for multi-faceted development of Bihar, particularly the core infrastructure. About the demand to merge Seraikela and Kharsuan areas of the new Jharkhand state with Orissa, Mr Advani said this was not the occasion to correct any injustices done 50 years ago. He said it would be up to the leaders of Jharkhand and Orissa to find a solution. To the opposition voiced by the CPM and some other parties to the creation of smaller states, Mr Advani said while the formation of new states was no substitute for good governance, at the same time stengthening democracy was not contrary to development. While the creation of new states would entail additional expenditure, he said it was a small price to pay for fulfilling the long-standing aspirations of the people. The minister said no one party should claim credit for the creation of the states and he would commend both Houses of Parliament and all political parties, particularly the main opposition party and the ruling alliance for the smooth passage of the Bills. |
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North India
in Parliament NEW DELHI, Aug 11 — Apart from the normal central assistance for other state plan schemes distributed according to the Gadgil-Mukherjee formula, special assistance was provided to Jammu and Kashmir for filling its non-plan gap and to allow it to have a reasonable plan size, the Minister of State for Finance, Mr Dhananjaya Kumar, told the LoK Sabha today. Besides the annual special Central assistance of Rs 850 crore given in the past three years, Rs 200 crore had been given in special plan assistance in 1997-98, Rs 250 crore in 1998-99 and Rs 300 crore in 1999-2000. An additional assistance of Rs 400 crore was given in 1999-2000, the Minister informed Mr Dilip Kumar Mansukhlal Gandhi. Asked if the assistance provided had been utilised properly, the minister said that the Central assistance for state plan, allocated by the Planning Commission to states, was released in the form of block loans and block grants. However, the expenditure incurred out of this assistance is subject to audit by the C&AG, he said. HP project: To a question by Ms Chandresh Kumari whether some proposals regarding GTZ (German Agency)-assisted basic health systems in five districts of Himachal Pradesh were lying pending with the Union Government, the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prof Rita Verma, said that a fair note of exchange between the Centre and German government was signed on June 6, 2000, for implementing a basic health project in five districts of Himachal Pradesh. The project, with an outlay of DM 6 million, aims to improve access to basic medical and health services in these selected districts by strengthening the delivery of services at the primary and secondary level. TFCI projects:
The Tourism Finance Corporation of India (TFCI) has sanctioned financial assistance to six projects in Haryana involving a total amount of Rs 4,953 lakh, the Minister of State for Finance, Mr Dhananjay Kumar, told the Lok Sabha today. Replying to a question by Mr Rattan Lal Kataria, he said that the Centre had received one complaint regarding irregularities in disbursement of funds by the TFCI. The Minister said that according to the TFCI, no guidelines have been issued by the Reserve Bank of India specifically for disbursement of funds by the TFCI. The disbursement to the assisted concerns is made by the TFCI on execution of loan documents and on compliance of pre-disbursement conditions as per policy approved by the Board in accordance with the general prudential regulations and exposure norms prescribed by the RBI from time to time. Scientists’ plea:
To a question by Dr Dasari Narayana Rao whether scientists have written to the Prime Minister about their constant
harassment by the Central Vigilance Commission, especially in the National Physical Laboratory, Delhi and Central Scientific Instruments Organisation, Chandigarh, the Minister for Human Resource Development and Science and Technology, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi said that the scientists of the NPL, New Delhi, had addressed a joint representation on May 16,2000 to the Prime Minister who is also ex-officio president of the CSIR. He said that without specifically mentioning the CVC, they had stated that frequent inquiries in the recent past had created a fear
psychosis, resulting in serious impediments in the implementation of time-bound projects. The Minister said that no assessment of the inquiries’ impact on research undertaken by the CSIR scientists been made so far. Steps were afoot to evolve a mechanism to educate the scientists and make them more aware of the vigilance procedures through suitable awareness programmes, he added. |
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Press a pillar of democracy: AG NEW DELHI, Aug 11 — The Attorney-General of India, Mr Soli J. Sorabjee, today said “Press is one of the important pillars in a democratic society and it should exercise its role with the “fullest sense of responsibility.” “We rightly prize press freedom and should be vigilant in repelling encroachments, direct or indirect, on the exercise of this precious freedom,” Mr Sorabjee said, while delivering the fifth Prem Bhatia Memorial Lecture on “Press Freedom: Problems, Perils and Paradoxes”. “It (Press) is the means for ensuring that in a democratic society there is good governance, transparency in administration, enforcement of accountability on the wielders of power and that human dignity and other rights are respected,” Mr Sorabjee said. He said: “While we must vigorously defend this freedom against onslaughts from fanatics, we should not be fanatical about it and forget that the public function which belongs to the press makes it an obligation of honour to exercise this function with “the fullest sense of responsibility”. The lecture was organised by Prem Bhatia Memorial Trust and was presided over by eminent journalist George Verghese. Talking about the real perils facing the Press, Mr Sorabjee said “One of the real perils facing the Press arises from the fact that it is not an uncommon feature in capitalist societies that the ownership patterns lead newspapers to reflect and support the interests of its proprietors who are also engaged in other commercial and industrial activities, and also to protect the interests of its advertisers.” There is also the peril of a newspaper being closely aligned to a political party to the extent that it becomes a “mouthpiece” of that party, he said. Mr Sorabjee pointed out that a newspaper which systematically and intentionally suppresses or manipulates information, restricts the content of information and denies its accessibility to the public who are its readers, betrays its “true role and forfeits its trust as the trustee of a vital public resource.” “It has ceased to be its watchdog and sentinel and it no longer guards the Ark of the Covenant of democracy,” he said. Stating that freedom of expression and freedom of the Press are not absolute and unlimited, Mr Sorabjee said the potentiality of the clash between freedom of the Press and laws and measures protecting reputation which is the purpose of the law of defamation is “inevitable”. “Constitutional guarantees and judicial interpretation prioritise freedom of expression and freedom of the Press, while accommodating, inter alia, reputational interests. This clash of priorities gives rise to tension and poses serious problems and perils for the Press,” he said. Another peril which daily confronts the Press arises from the present law of contempt, he said adding: “Any person, including the Press, is free to criticise a judgement, to comment on it pungently, severely, because justice is not a cloistered virtue and can suffer the outbursts of even the wrong headed.” “Today under the law of contempt as it stands and has been interpreted in India, truth is no defence to an action for contempt,” he said. “Consequently many journalists and mediapersons succumb to self censorship and are deterred from exposing the misconduct of some errant judges, the few rotten eggs who tarnish the image of the judiciary and which is most unfair to the overwhelming majority of honest and conscientious judges,” Mr Sorabjee said. Earlier, the prestigious Prem Bhatia Award for Excellence in political reporting and journalism for the year 2000 was presented to Mr Amit Baruah of “The Hindu.” The award has been given to Mr Baruah, Special Correspondent, until recently posted in Pakistan, for his excellent reporting and analysis under very difficult circumstances such as Kargil, Indian Airlines hijacking to Kandahar and the coup by Gen Pervez Musharraf. |
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US staff visit:
Atal’s assurance to CPM team NEW DELHI, Aug 11— The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, today promised a Left
parties' delegation that no foreign embassy would be allowed to interfere in the internal politics of the country. The assurance came during a meeting between a delegation of the Left parties and the Prime Minister. The delegation had gone to meet the Prime Minister to demand action against the two officials of the US Consulate in
Calcutta who had allegedly visited some areas in West Bengal to make in on-the-spot inquiry into some incidents in Birbhum district. Briefing newspersons about the meeting, the CPM MP, Mr Biplab Dasgupta, said Mr Vajpayee informed them that the US Embassy had assured the government that such visit by the US officials would not be undertaken in future. The Left parties, in their memorandum to the Prime Minister have alleged that the two officials were former journalists and one of them was associated with the CIA. They demanded that suitable diplomatic measures be taken against them. The West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr Jyoti Basu, had also written to the Prime Minister on the issue and had protested against interference in the state’s internal affairs by the Consulate officials, the Left parties said in their memorandum. |
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Punjabi ‘kudi’ Mayor in
Holland NEW DELHI, Aug 11 (UNI) — She is just sixteen, an age when most girls are just beginning to feel the vibrations of the approaching adulthood. She is an Indian — which imbibes in her traditions that go back thousands of years, including fasting and praying regularly — And she is a Mayor in a tourist resort in Holland. Ms Sumit Kaur Atwal, a student of the International School at The Hague, was first elected to represent her school on the 23-member students council at Madurodam — which is named after George Maduro, a soldier who died in the Second World War. Later, she became the first foreigner to be elected Mayor of the tourist town, which is a mini-Holland with smaller replicas of all important monuments in The Hague and the rest of the country. Born to Punjabi parents (Her father comes from Phagwara and mother belongs to Delhi), she loves jazz and athletics, and is also active in student politics. |
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Veteran actor
Jairaj dead MUMBAI, Aug 11 (UNI) — Veteran actor and Dadasaheb Phalke awardee p.
Jairaj, who dominated the silver screen since the silent era of Hindi cinema for more than eight decades, passed away in a city hospital here this evening following kidney failure. He was 91 and is survived by three daughters and two sons. He was admitted to Leelavati Hospital on August 4. Family sources said that the end came at 4 p.m. due to complications in kidney and heart. Jairaj, who passed in the pages of history leaving his towering impact in more than 300 films, was popular for his portrayal of historic characters like Maharana Pratap, Tipu Sultan and Chandrashekhar
Azad. |
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3 new Arty Colonels
Commandant NEW DELHI, Aug 11 — Lt Gen S. Padmanabhan, GOC-in-C, Southern Command and the COAS designate presented the
baton and scroll of the regiment to three newly appointed Colonels Commandant of Artillery (Arty)
at a function here yesterday. According Lieut Gen M.P.S. Bhandari, Commandant School of Artillery, Lieut-Gen. A.S. Khanna, General Officer Commanding 16 Corps and Major-General R S Nagra, Additional Director-General Staff Duties of Army Headquarters, have been installed as Colonels Commandant of the Artillery regiment. Other Colonel Commandants of Artillery are Lieut-Gen Vinay Shankar, Director-General Artillery, Lieut-Gen Avtar Singh, Director-General Rashtriya Rifles; Lieut-Gen C.R. Sampath Kumar, Director-General Discipline, Ceremonials and Welfare and Lieut-Gen G.S. Sihota, General Officer Commanding 2 Corps. |
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