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| Saturday, August 26, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Telecom panels urged to call off stir Veerappan raises
fresh demands VDIS under fire
from CAG
PM departs from tradition Din over women’s
quota Bill Kant rejects
privilege notice against Paswan |
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Soren stakes claim for
CM’s post Christian priest
‘paraded naked’ Rain in
Rajasthan, UP areas Maintain dignity of
question hour: PM
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Telecom panels urged to call off stir NEW DELHI, Aug 25 — The Union Communications Minister, Mr Ram Vilas Paswan, today appealed to three telecom federations to call off their proposed indefinite strike from September 6. He said all pending issues would be resolved and there was no question of dilution of employees’ rights after corporatisation. The government had sorted out 19 of the 36 staff related issues raised by the three federations, Mr Paswan said, adding that the demands relating to pensionary benefits and job security in the corporation were being looked into by the inter-ministerial core group set up for the purpose. “A steering group is looking into the demands of pensionary benefits and job security and hoped to solve the issues to the satisfaction of staff federations”, said an official release quoting to Mr Paswan. In a clarification in the wake of two-day strike by Left-wing trade unions and the proposed indefinite strike by federations, Mr Paswan said issues which were not within the competence of the department had been brought before the group of minister (GoM) headed by himself. “It is only a matter of time that a final view on these were taken”, he said, adding “a committee of secretaries headed by a Cabinet Secretary is looking into these issues before being placed before the GoM.” He reiterated the government would take all possible steps to protect the financial viability of the corporatised Department of Telecom Operations (DTO). A strike call was given yesterday by the National Action Committee of Telecom Organisation opposing the privatisation of telecom organisations. Reports said it affected telecom services in Kerala, West Bengal, Assam, North Eastern states, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka. About the indefinite strike call given by National Federation of Telecom Employees, Federation of National Telecom Organisation and Bharatiya Telecom Employees Federation, the Union Minister said the government would ensure that adequate steps were taken to facilitate smooth transition from a department organisation to a corporate entity. |
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Veerappan raises
fresh demands CHENNAI, Aug 25 (PTI) — In yet another new twist to the Rajkumar hostage crisis, forest brigand Veerappan has raised fresh demands for dropping of cases against 70 more of his supporters as the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka Governments agreed to set apart Rs 10 crore as compensation to victims of atrocities during anti-Veerappan operations by a special task force. Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka met here today for the fourth time since the crisis began on July 30, discussed Veerappan’s fresh demands and decided that journalist-emissary R.R. Gopal would go again to the jungles to negotiate the release of Rajkumar and three others. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi told reporters after a two-hour meeting with his Karnataka counterpart S.M. Krishna that the compensation would be paid soon after the Justice Sadashiva panel, constituted by the National Human Rights Commission to probe the atrocities, submitted its report. He also said steps were being taken to release 121 Tamil prisoners detained for many years in Karnataka for allegedly assisting Veerappan. Enquiries with official sources revealed that the additional 70 accused were those already given conditional bail but directed to stay in Mysore itself. Gopal told newsmen later that Veerappan had demanded dropping of all charges against 121 persons arrested in Karnataka for allegedly helping the outlaw over the years. These included 51 lodged in Mysore jail. He said Veerappan was aware that 70 of the arrested persons had obtained conditional bail but were directed to remain in Mysore to sign court register everyday and that the release of the remaining 51 in jail might lead to their continued confinement in the absence of sureties. Gopal said he would leave for the forests on his third mission on August 28 only after receiving the governments’ response on these two issues. He said Veerappan had set August 29 as the deadline for getting these responses. |
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VDIS under fire
from CAG NEW DELHI, Aug 25 — The voluntary disclosure of income scheme (VDIS) launched by the Union Government in 1997 has come under fire from the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (CAG). In his report laid in Parliament today, the CAG held that the scheme had several lacunae which in turn were compounded by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) which issued circulars, clarifications and press briefings that benefited the declarants. The CAG concluded that the implementation of the scheme left several gaps in procedural matters with an impact on revenue realisation. The post-VDIS exercise was lacking in the Income Tax Department. The undervalue of jewellery and bullion deprived the department of legitimate revenue. The CAG observed that the capital loss that was certain in jewellery and bullion declarations would contribute in wiping out the immediate revenue generated through their disclosures within a few years. Coming down heavily on the CBDT, the CAG said its various circulars and notifications (many of which were not consistent with the provisions of the Finance Act, 1977) provided the declarants with an opportunity for widespread misuse by undervaluation of jewellery, bullion, shares and real estate and also “creation” of capital loss to be set off against income in future years. The CBDT also created categories of eligible persons not envisaged in the Act such as minors whereby benami declarations were made possible. Moreover, Parliament was not informed of these circulars and notifications though expressly required under the Act. The CAG observed that the track record of the declarants showed a clear scenario where they were found to have taken the advantage of earlier amnesty schemes also. A few business houses and family groups declared huge unaccounted income which pointed towards the failure of the department in properly assessing such high tax groups in its normal tax collection efforts. The VDIS attracted 4,75,477 declarants, of which only 77,107 were new assessees. The total amount declared was Rs 33,697.32 crore on which Rs 9,729.02 crore tax was paid. However, having declared the amount under the VDIS, a number of declarants in the category of Rs 1 crore and above chose not to pay tax. |
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Din over women’s
quota Bill NEW DELHI, Aug 25 (UNI) — The Lok Sabha was adjourned amidst noisy scenes when Congress members on the one hand and the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, and the Republican Party of India on the other trooped into the well, raising slogans for and against the Women’s Reservation Bill. Speaker G.M.C. Balayogi was forced to put off the proceedings till 2 p.m. when his pleas for restoring order fell on deaf ears and members continued to disrupt the proceedings for almost 30 minutes from 12.30 p.m.. The unruly scenes began when Congress member Madhavrao Scindia said the monsoon session was ending today without the Bill being passed, despite the fact that the process of empowering women had begun when Rajiv Gandhi was Prime Minister. He was interrupted by Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh leading to SP, RJD and RPI members trooping into the well, followed shortly thereafter by the Congress members raising slogans of “Mahila Bill — pass karo, pass karo”. Ms Phoolan Devi sat in the well of the House. The Speaker called on different members who had given notices for mentions and several of them, including Mr Madan Lal Khurana (BJP), Mr Nitish Sengupta (Trinamool Congress) and Mr Mohan Rawale (SS) responded, but nothing could be heard in the din. |
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PM departs from tradition NEW DELHI, Aug 25 — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee departed from tradition today after he intervened during a debate on a private member’s resolution on population control in the Rajya Sabha. Mr Vajpayee made an
appearance at about 4.30 pm on the last day of the monsoon session to share Mr Rama Muni Reddy’s (TDP) concern over rising population. The resolution moved by the TDP member on August 4 took note of the alarming population of the country which crossed the one
billion mark in May this year. It urged the government to take steps such as giving incentives to couples with a small family and to spread the message on the necessity of small family. Mr
Vajpayee said the government wanted to start a mass movement to control population and would encourage non-government organisations to play a key role. He said the government had already set up a population commission and was against using coercive measures to control population. He said the government was committed to providing primary education and healthcare to all. He sought the cooperation of parliamentarians in making population control a reality. Deputy Chairman Dr Najma Heptulla said never before in the Indian parliamentary history had a Prime Minister come to the House to speak on this sensitive issue. Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha, Jaswant Singh said this was the first time that a Prime Minister had intervened on a private member’s resolution. He said this signified Mr Vajpayee’s concern at such a serious issue. |
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Panel to probe
Ranga’s treatment NEW DELHI, Aug 25 — The Centre has constituted a six-member committee to inquire into the treatment given to former Union Power Minister Rangarajan Kumaramangalam at Apollo Hospital. The inquiry committee is being headed by Dr C.P. Singh, Medical Superintendent, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. The committee will submit its report within two weeks to the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr C.P. Thakur. The 48-year-old minister, popularly known as Ranga, was suffering from acute myeloid leukaemia, a kind of blood cancer. He died on August 23 after his vital systems collapsed despite life-support measures. He was admitted to the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences on August 12 with multi-organ failure and was on life support since then. The Union Minister’s last days were mired in controversy over the treatment he received in Apollo Hospital five months ago. There were allegations that the hospital did not diagnose his disease properly and had treated him for TB. However, Apollo Hospital denied the allegations and said it was prepared for a public probe on the issue. Meanwhile, reports indicate that there is confusion on what was the disease Kumaramangalam was suffering from — hairy cell leukaemia (a rare kind of blood cancer) or acute myeloid leukaemia. While the survival rate in myeloid leukaemia is very low, hairy cell leukaemia is a rare disorder and can be treated in 80 per cent of the cases. |
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Pinto remanded in CBI custody NEW DELHI, Aug 25 — A Delhi court today remanded a key accused in the Rs 133 crore urea scam, A.E. Pinto, an agent of Turkish firm “Karsan”, to CBI custody for six days. Pinto, who has been extradited from the UK, was produced before the Special Judge V.B. Gupta, here this afternoon. The judge remanded Pinto in the custody of CBI till August 31, as the investigating agency sought custodial interrogation of the accused. The UK-based Brazilian businessman was brought to India yesterday by a three-member CBI team. He is the third person in the case to be extradited. With the arrest of Pinto, all nine accused in the urea scam case have been apprehended. According to CBI officials, Pinto, who had introduced a key accused Sambasiva Rao to the Karsan company, had received $ 1.2 million from the Turkish firm in his account in London. |
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Redraw statute on US pattern: Tohra NEW DELHI, Aug 25 (UNI) — The Sarb Hind Akali Dal (SHAD), headed by Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, in a presentation to the National Constitutional Review Commission today sought the statute be redrawn on the US federal pattern, empowering states to legislate on their matters, and constitutional recognition of separate Sikh identity. The supplementary memorandum, based on the Anandpur Sahib Resolution of 1973, said Articles 26, 29 and 30 — which ensure citizens right to manage their religious affairs, educational institutions — be made more specific, providing constitutional guarantee to Sikhs to pursue the “rehat maryada’’ as ordained by Akal Takht and treat Sikh educational institutions in Punjab, too as “minority institutions’’. Mr Tohra, who led a party delegation which included former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra to present the memorandum to the commission, asserted Article 1 be reworded to declare India a “federal state’’, restricting Central authority to defence, foreign affairs, currency and communications. Mr Tohra had, a month ago, made the main presentation to the commission with a copy of the Anandpur Sahib Resolution of 1973. The memorandum said the union, state and concurrent lists be redrawn on federal principles, vesting residue powers with states and Article 3 be modified to preserve the self-identity of constituent states. It pleaded for constituting the Rajya Sabha with “equal representation’’ to all states, irrespective of their size and population. Also, it sought state governors to be “elected’’ on the American pattern and to serve as only constitutional heads while deleting Article 356 and 357 which empower the Centre to impose the President’s rule and legislate during emergency. The memorandum said the Parliament should have no right to make law on subjects contained in the ‘state list’ under Article 249 on plea of national interest. It demanded deletion of Articles 200 and 256 which mandated President’s approval on state legislative matters and states’ compliance with the union law. Also, the presentation suggested advisory role for the Planning Commission, and that the Finance Commission be made an autonomous and permanent body with half its members from states based on the principle of rotation. It said “discretionary grants’’ allotted to states by the Centre must be curtailed. The memorandum demanded the Centre consult states in matters related to trade and commerce with foreign countries. “The Election Commission should not succumb to federal or state government pressure for postponing assembly elections or byelections,’’ it added. The ratification of amendments should be equally shared by the Centre and states on the basis two third majority of the latter. Besides, the memorandum lay special emphasis on Sikh issues, demanded amendments in Article 371, which grants legal protection to the customary practices of the Nagas, to extend similar benefits to the Sikh community. According to a TNS report from Chandigarh a supplementary memorandum submitted on Friday to the Commission for the Review of the Working of the Constitution (CRWC), Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, President of the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal (SHSAD) has sought the inclusion of right to recall elected representatives, right to education and right to information in the Constitution. Copies of the supplementary memorandum were circulated to print media here on Friday by Mr Gurcharan Singh Bahia, press secretary of the party. Mr Tohra had stated that for disciplining “greedy” politicians, there should be a right vested with people to “recall” their elected representatives, including MLAs and MPs like in Switzerland. Setting up of a judicial commission for the appointment of judges in high courts and Supreme Court, a central communication council to check the misuse of mass media by the Union Government, state funding of elections were among the provisions sought by Mr Tohra in the constitution. Either there should be a direct election of the Governor of the state concerned or appointment should be made from a panel recommended by the Chief Minister concerned. |
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Soren stakes claim for
CM’s post NEW DELHI, Aug 25 — Leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Shibu Soren today staked claim for the post of the Chief Minister of the newly created state of Jharkhand saying that his party was the “natural claimant” as the party had led the movement for a separate state from the front. Addressing newspersons in the Capital at his residence this afternoon, Mr Soren said that all 12 JMM MLAs were in the capital to convince the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leadership about their claim. A JMM delegation, consisting of all MLAs, the two Rajya Sabha MPs and former MPs, is meeting Union Home Minister for not only staking claim but also to remind his party of the promise which was given at the time of the NDA coming to power under the Chief Minister, Mr Nitesh Kumar, Mr Soren said. When asked about his move if the BJP declined to concede the JMM demand, Mr Soren, who is popularly known among his followers as ‘Guruji’, said “We shall wait for a fortnight” and then decide about our next course of action. The NDA has 51 MLAs in the new state with the BJP, the JMM, the
JD (U) and the Samata having 32, 12, three and five MLAs respectively. The Congress, the Left , the RJD and Independents have 11, five, nine and four, respectively. The JMM delegation will also meet the Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, the Civil Aviation Minister, Mr Sharad Yadav and other leaders of the NDA, Mr Soren said, adding that an appointment with the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, had also been sought. Asked about his priorities if he became the Chief Minister, Mr Soren listed education, drinking water and environment as one and said that Jharkhand would become number one state within five years. |
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Kant rejects
privilege notice against Paswan NEW DELHI, Aug 25 — Rajya Sabha Chairman Krishan Kant today rejected a privilege notice against the Communications Minister, Mr Ramvilas Paswan saying the announcement of guidelines for National Long Distance Services by the government outside Parliament does not constitute a breach of privilege of the House. Mr Kant gave his ruling on the privilege notice submitted by Mr Nilotpal Basu (CPI-M) that government had announced the guidelines when the House was in session and that in these guidelines government had departed from the approved National Telecom Policy. The Chairman said Mr Basu, who had given notice under Rule 187, had cited newspaper reports for his contention of breach of privilege. He said the wording in the news item in question varies from the provisions actually given in the guidelines and that the guidelines appear to be in the nature of an operational rather than a policy document. |
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Christian priest
‘paraded naked’ AHMEDABAD, Aug 25 (PTI) — A priest, attached to the Church of North India (CNI) in Gujarat’s Surendranagar district town, was allegedly “beaten up and paraded naked” by some unidentified persons at a religious fair on Tuesday, the police said today. In a complaint to the police yesterday, Arthur Chimanlal Rajwadi, alleged that he was beaten up and paraded naked by some unidentified persons after he and two other priests distributed religious pamphlets at the fair. Rajwadi (29) was approached by a group of some 15 to 20 persons who allegedly threatened him and then forcibly removed his clothes, the police said. The group beat up Rajwadi and paraded him naked on the main road before leaving the venue. The police has registered a case under Sections 323, 504, 506(2), 114 of the IPC. Meanwhile, the All-India Christian Council, in a faxed memorandum to the President, has condemned the incident and demanded strong action against the culprits. |
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Rain in
Rajasthan, UP areas NEW DELHI, Aug 25 — Rain or thundershowers have occurred at a few places in east Rajasthan and at isolated places in west Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Weather was mainly dry in the rest of the region. The chief amounts of rainfall in cms are: Rajasthan: Bandra Sindri 3 and Chittorgarh, Gogunda, Thanagaji and Udaipur City 1 each and Uttar Pradesh: Katerniaghat and Kakardharighat 5 each, Bareilly and Shardanagar 3 each and Banbasa 1. Forecast valid until the morning of 27th: Rain or thundershowers will occur at many places in the hills of west Uttar Pradesh, at a few places in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, south Rajasthan and the plains of Uttar Pradesh and at isolated places in the rest of the region. Heavy rainfall warning: Heavy rain is likely at isolated places in the hills of west Uttar Pradesh during next 24 hours. Forecast for Delhi and neighbourhood valid until the morning of 27th: Generally cloudy sky with one or two showers/thundershowers in some areas. Farmers weather bulletin for Delhi: Forecast valid until the morning of 27th: Light to moderate rain will occur at a few places. Outlook for the subsequent two days: No large change. |
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Maintain dignity of
question hour: PM NEW DELHI, Aug 25 (PTI) — prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today said differences on various issues should be voiced in Parliament in a “controlled” manner, saying the dignity of question hour must be maintained. In his customary remarks at the end of the monsoon session of the Lok Sabha, Mr Vajpayee said in a democratic set-up, differences were bound to crop up but these should be expressed in keeping with parliamentary traditions. Stating that attempts should not be made to disrupt question hour, he said whatever the members had to say, they could do so after it was over. |
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