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| Saturday, September 2, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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BJP executive before
Atal’s US visit
Pt 5353 on
LoC: Defence Ministry |
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Bachchan’s KBC show
echoes in HC again Remove hiccups in
procurement : Badal
Rain claims 18 lives in UP Governor should
quit: Mayawati No ‘compassionate’ ruling this! Panel on Indian
Diaspora formed Cong seeks PM’s assurance Special trains for festivals Monsoon active in
Punjab, HP and J&K 
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BJP executive before
Atal’s US visit NEW DELHI, Sept 1 — The new BJP President, Mr Bangaru Laxman, is working to constitute his team of 20 office-bearers in close consultation with the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee. Mr Laxman, who has already held a round of discussions with the Prime Minister, the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, former party President, Mr Kushabhau Thakre, and other leaders, is expected to announce his executive before Mr Vajpayee leaves for the USA next week. The new party President also spoke to the former Cabinet Minister, Mrs Sushma Swaraj for persuading her to join his team as one of the General Secretaries. But Mrs Swaraj is understood to have declined the offer and is said to be sulking. She is away from the union Capital, the sources said. A senior BJP leader said that he was at a loss to understand the reasons for Mrs Swaraj’s refusal to come to the party. Both the Cabinet reshuffle and party spokesman, M. Venkaiah Naidu’s induction into the Cabinet is being delayed because the party high command is still hopeful of convincing Mrs Swaraj to come to the party. Mr Laxman would appoint the former Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Mr Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi as one of the General Secretaries, thus bringing a Muslim to the party’s important position. Mr Naqvi, after he lost the previous general election, was appointed as the National Secretary of the party by the former President. The name of Mr Laxmi Narayan Pandey, who has been the President of the Madhya Pradesh state unit and has won the Lok Sabha election five times, is also being tipped for the post of General Secretary. The Prime Minister is understood to have told Mr Laxman that he would expand his Council of Ministers only after the latter has finalised his team. Mr Laxman is also considering bringing Mrs Sangeeta Singh Deo from Orissa into the party as the new President wants to give importance to women and minorities. Meanwhile, Mr Laxman asked the foreign media not to call his party as ‘Hindu nationalist or right-wing’. He said that both these labels were “erroneous and did much injustice to party’s reputation in the international community. Talking to foreign correspondents at their club, Mr Laxman said the BJP was a nationalist party and not a Hindu organisation. It did not subscribe to one religious community nor was it a “prisoner of any dogma”, he said. |
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Veerappan seeks concrete action CHENNAI, Sept 1 (PTI) — Forest brigand Veerappan, holding Kannada film icon Rajkumar and three others hostage, in a fresh video-taped message to the Tamil Nadu Government has demanded concrete action on his earlier demands, the office of journalist-emissary R.R. Gopal said here today. The video cassette, received yesterday from Gopal, also contained a message from Rajkumar, a press release from Tamil bi-weekly “Nakkheeran” said. The actor has talked about his health in the tape while the Veerappan has demanded that a firm date for the unveiling of the statue of ancient Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar in Bangalore be announced over the radio. The fugitive has also asked for the announcement of the date for the resumption of hearings by the Sadashiv Commission probing alleged atrocities by the police during anti-Veerappan operations in 1992-93. “Nakkheeran” Associate Editor A. Kamaraj, who issued the press note, said he was hopeful that Gopal would be able to explain the situation arising out of the Supreme Court stay on the release of prisoners as sought by him and successfully negotiate the release of the hostages. He had already informed Veerappan that Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka had agreed that the statue could be unveiled on “Thiruvalluvar Day” during the Pongal festival next January and that the commission had fixed September 11 for the resumption of hearings, Mr Kamaraj said. |
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Veerappan: man
did not seek son’s consent TIRUCHIRAPALLI, Sept 1 (PTI) — One of the five Tamil extremists, whose release has been sought by forest brigand Veerappan, has stated that his father, who filed a petition in the Madras High Court seeking a direction to prohibit his son being handed over to the outlaw, had neither sought his consent to file the case nor consulted him. The lawyer of four of the extremists, Mr T.N. Karthikeyan, told reporters here yesterday that when he visited Manickandan, whose father P.S. Annamalai filed the petition, in prison, he was told that Mr Annamalai had not sought consent to file the case and also had not consulted him. Manickandan’s parents also visited him in the jail here. Mr Karthikeyan said the four lodged in the prison — Radio Venkatesan, Manickandan, Muthukumar and Sathyamurthy — had said they were willing to cooperate with the Tamil Nadu Government and preferred to go to the forests, provided all pending cases against them were withdrawn. The lawyer said the four had told him that their priority was loyalty to the movement (all four belong to the Tamil National Retrieval Force) and not towards the family. Following a writ petition filed by the Annamalai on August 30, the Madras High Court had directed the District Judge here to send a magistrate to the Tiruchirapalli prison to ascertain whether Manickandan was unwilling, as alleged in the petition, to be taken to the jungle after his release. The court had said a report should be sent to it by September 8. |
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Pt 5353 on LoC: Defence Ministry NEW DELHI, Sept 1 (UNI) — The Ministry of Defence said today that the controversy on the issue of Point 5353 is based on “distorted facts’’ and reiterated that the feature in the Dras sector lies on the Line of Control (LoC) and not inside the territory under India’s control. In response to reports that Point 5353 is being occupied by Pakistan on the Indian side of LoC, a Defence Ministry release said, “The controversy being raked up on this issue is based on distorted facts as borne out from the maps of delineation between India and Pakistan in 1972.’’ “The ground situation is well-known to the government and India’s posture along the LoC is militarily sound with an edge over the other side,’’ it said. The release said the latest controversy “appears to be motivated and was harmful to India’s security interests’’. Noted lawyer and JMM Rajya Sabha member R.K. Anand had on Wednesday alleged at a press conference that the Army was “covering up’’ the lapses of its Kargil operations and named six features, including Point 5353, which he said were under Pakistani occupation on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC). Besides Point 5353, the other features under Pakistan occupation, as mentioned by Mr Anand, are Aftab-I, Point Saddle Ridge, Point Bunker Ridge, Shangruti and Dhalunag. Chief of Army Staff Gen V.P. Malik yesterday declined to comment on Mr Anand’s allegation, saying the matter is in the “political domain’’. “We are waiting for political clearance. Mr Anand had also raised certain points which relate to the situation quite a few years back. We are going through the documents. We need to check them,’’ Gen Malik said. Meanwhile, India today rejected the Pakistan’s charge that New Delhi was not respecting the sanctity of the Line of Control (LoC), stating that it was Islamabad which had shown scant respect for the inviolability of the LoC. A spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs said it was India which had been calling for sanctity and the inviolability of the LoC which was one of the confidence building measures, envisaged in the Simla agreement. Pakistan is violating the LoC when it secretly occupied several peaks in the Kargil area. It was violating the LoC for sending the mercenaries for subversive activities in the country. |
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Bachchan’s KBC show
echoes in HC again NEW DELHI, Sept 1 (UNI) — The Delhi High Court today issued a notice to lawyer Salim Akhtar on a petition filed by News Television India Limited (NTIL), promoter of Star TV channel seeking the transfer of a civil suit before the trial court against cable operators and producers of famous TV programme ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’. Mr Justice B.A. Khan said the reply must be filed by September 21. On Wednesday, Additional District Judge Talwant Singh had issued summons against Siticable, In Cable, Seven Star Cable Network, Zee Telefilms and the NTIL. Mr Akhtar had claimed that programmes like “Kaun Banega Crorepati”, Jackpot Jeeto and Zee Malamal Utsav violated provisions of the Prize Competition Act, the Delhi Gambling Act and the Cable Network Regulation Act. His suit claimed the programmes were against public interest and public policy. NTIL counsel Rajiv Nair said a series of substantially identical litigtions were pending in various courts across the country — at Calcutta, Indore and Mumbai. “such litigations cannot be coincidences.’’ Last week, the Delhi High Court dismissed a petition seeking a ban on ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’, alleging that it amounted to gambling. Yesterday, a public interest litigation was filed at the Bombay High Court seeking a direction to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry for banning the show hosted by superstar Amitabh Bachchan, alleging that it encouraged gambling. The petition, filed by former corporator and social worker Nicolas Almeda, will come up for hearing on September 13 before a Division Bench headed by Chief Justice B.P. Singh. |
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Remove hiccups in
procurement : Badal NEW DELHI, Sept 1 — The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal today, urged the Centre to review its decision on the commencing procurement of paddy from October 1 and start the purchases at least 15 days in advance to help the farmers in the state. In a meeting with the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, the Punjab Chief Minister pointed out that the Centre’s decision had led to the distress sale of paddy by Punjab farmers. He sought the Prime Minister’s intervention to solve the problem. Mr Badal also met the Minister of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Mr Shanta Kumar, and urged him to solve the food procurement bottlenecks in Punjab. He pointed out that till the middle of the 90s, paddy procurement in the state commenced from September 1. This was postponed to September 15 and later to October 1. He said the Food Corporation of India should start lifting stocks all over Punjab latest by September 15. The State Government’s displeasure over the unilateral recommendations of the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Ministry Committee on the specifications of Kharif foodgrains was also conveyed to the Centre. The Committee has overlooked the viewpoint of the foodgrains producing states like Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. According to the recommendations, the maximum permissible moisture content of paddy at the time of procurement has been reduced from 18 per cent to 16 per cent. Further, the Centre has concluded in favour of reducing the maximum limit of broken gains in parboiled rice from 16 per cent to 14 per cent without any commensurate increase in the out turn ratio. The specification have also been made more stringent with regard to damaged or slightly damaged grains and discoloured grains. Even with the earlier stipulations, it was difficult to get paddy milled and with the stipulations becoming more stringent it would become impossible. |
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1 Trinamool man
shot, 8 hurt MIDNAPORE, Sept 1 (UNI, PTI) — At least one Trinamool Congress activist was gunned down and eight were injured when marauding CPM supporters swooped on eight villages in volatile Keshpur and started firing indiscriminately today. Deputy Inspector-General of Police Rajendra Singh said here that the armed CPM workers went on a rampage and drove away the Trinamool Congress supporters from the eight villages after a day-long gun battle. NEW DELHI: Senior Samata Party leaders from West Bengal on Friday met Union Home Minister L.K. Advani and demanded that a brief spell of President’s rule be imposed in the state before the coming Assembly elections to ensure fair polling. |
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V.P. Singh held, let off PADRAUNA, Sept 1 (UNI) — Former Prime Minister V.P. Singh and his supporters were taken into custody today for defying curfew restrictions in Padrauna town of Kushinagar district. Senior police personnel took him into custody as he was trying to enter the curfew-bound town. He was sent back to Gorakhpur later. Mr V.P. Singh told mediapersons that if the payment was not made to the cane growers and mill workers by September 23, he would start an agitation. |
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Rain claims 18 lives in UP LUCKNOW, Sept 1 (PTI) — Eighteen persons were killed in rain-related incidents in UP during the past 24 hours, taking the toll to 244, official reports said here today. The reports said Bijnor accounted for six deaths, followed by Pilibhit and Pratapgarh (four each) and Sant Kabir Nagar, Nainital, Bahraich and Sauraiya (one each). |
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Governor should
quit: Mayawati NEW DELHI, Sept 1 — The Bahujan Samaj Party vice-president, Ms Mayawati, today said if the Uttar Pradesh Governor, Mr Suraj Bhan, is sincere about his complaints against the state government over issues concerning SCs and STs, he should resign from his post. Referring to Mr Bhan’s reported remarks at the Governor’s conference about poor implementation of schemes relating to SCs and STs by the Uttar Pradesh government, she said that if the Governor feels that his advice is not being followed by the state government, he should not only resign from the post of Governor but also from the BJP. “If he does not resign, people would take all his complaints as a farce,” Ms Mayawati said. She said that Mr Bhan, a former BJP MP, had complained to the President at the Governor’s conference about the state government not properly implementing Dalit component of the state plan. “The President has constituted a Governors’ committee headed by Mr Bhan to look into the issues,” she said, adding that as the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh government is not following his advice as is the Centre, Mr Bhan should resign on moral grounds. “He should sever his links with the BJP and RSS also,” she demanded. Terming Mr Bangaru Laxman’s elevation to the top BJP post as a “mere mask,” she said that he was in the grip of “manuvadi forces.” He cannot do anything as he is in a party which is basically anti-Dalit, Ms Mayawati alleged. Even if a Dalit in the BJP becomes the Prime Minister, he would not be able to deliver the goods to the weaker sections, she said. Terming the recent steps taken by the BJP to win over SCs and STs as its “Dalit agenda,” Ms Mayawati maintained that the Dalits would not be swayed away. Criticising the Union Cabinet’s decision regarding restructuring of constituencies on the basis of the 1991 census, she said that it should be done on the basis of the 2001 census so that SCs and STs get more representation in Parliament. |
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No ‘compassionate’ ruling this! NEW DELHI, Sept 1 (PTI) — The Supreme Court has ruled that if a person dies in service and his children are minor, the provision for compassionate employment cannot be held in abeyance for years till they become majors. Unless there are some specific provisions, “there cannot be reservation of vacancy or vacancies till such time the child becomes a major after a number of years”, a Bench comprising Mr Justice M. Jagannadha Rao and Mr Justice Doraiswamy Raju ruled. The decision followed a special leave petition filed by Sanjay, son of an Excise constable, after whose death, Sanjay, a minor at the time, made an application seeking employment on compassionate grounds. Rejecting the contentions of counsel, the Bench said “This court has held in a number of cases that compassionate appointment is intended to enable the family of the deceased employee to tide over sudden crisis resulting due to the death of the bread earner who has left the family in penury or without any means of livelihood”. The court said “there cannot be reservation of a vacancy till such time as the petitioner becomes a major after a number of years unless there are some specific provisions”. |
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Panel on Indian
Diaspora formed NEW DELHI, Sept 1 — In another effort to forge mutually beneficial ties, the government today announced the setting up of a high-level committee on the Indian Diaspora under the chairmanship of the former Indian High Commissioner to the Britain, Dr L.M. Singhvi. Briefing newspersons about the committee, a spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs said that the committee would recommend a broad but flexible policy framework and country specific plans for forging a mutually beneficial relationship with the region of persons of Indian origins (PIOs) and non resident Indians (NRIs), and for facilitating their interaction with India and their participation in India’s economic development. Stating that the Government of India attached very high importance to the Indian Disspors and its relations, including cultural and emotional bonds with India, the spokesman said the committee would submit its report within 180 days from today. The concerns, needs and problems of the overseas Indian communities and their potential for contributing to India’s socio-economic and technological transformation and development were matters of priority concern, the spokesman said. The terms of the reference of the committee include the review of the status of PIOs and NRIs in the context of constitutional provisions, laws and rules applicable to them both in India and the countries of their residence. The committee would also study the characteristics, aspirations, attitudes, requirements, strengths and weaknesses of the Indian Diaspora and their expectations from India. Apart from studying the role that the PIOs and NRIs may play in the economic and social and technological development of India, the committee would also examine the current regime that governed the travel and stay of PIOs in India and investments by PIOs in India and recommended measures to resolve the problems faced by NRIs in these areas. |
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Cong seeks PM’s assurance NEW DELHI, Sept 1 (UNI) — The Congress today sought a categorical assurance from the Prime Minister that during his coming visit to the USA he would not give any concessions on issues on which there was no national consensus. The government was talking about a consensus on the CTBT but even in the BJP there was no consensus on this issue, Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma said. Commenting on the corporatisation of the Department of Telecom Services he said the government had not taken Parliament or employees’ unions into confidence. Communication was a very sensitive area and it should not be treated as hotel or bread making, he said. Expressing serious concern on the economic policies of the government he said the Opposition was yet to be taken into confdence on the disinvestment issue. There had been no transparency despite the Finance Minister’s assertion that they would adopt a transparent approach on the issue. He also sought a clarification from the government whether it would go ahead with the disinvestment in four PSUs, cleared by the Cabinet the other day, when the market was depressed. Mr Sharma said the government was yet to respond to their demand for a White Paper on disinvestment and the plea that proceeds from disinvestment be used only for capital assets. He wanted the constituents of the NDA, especially the DMK, the TDP and the SAD, to clarify whether they shared the same agenda of the BJP. The BJP had mastered the art of double-speak and their stand on the Ram Temple, Article 370 and the universal civil code remained unchanged, he said. Meanwhile, Mrs Prasanni Devi has been appointed general secretary of the All-India Mahila Congress, according to its President, Mrs Chandresh Kumari, MP. |
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Special trains for festivals NEW DELHI, Sept 1 — The railways have decided to run special trains in the festival season, the new Minister of State for Railways, Mr O. Rajagopal, said here today. Briefing newspersons here today, the minister said 16 special trains would run between Chennai-Mangalore-Bangalore and Trivan-drum-Quilon routes from September 7 to 18 to clear the rush during the Onam festival. He said a second class sleeper coach would be added in the Chennai Trivandrum Mail and the Chennai-Allepay Express from September 3 to 17. Mr Rajagopal said a special train would also run from Vasco to Tanjavur via Mangalore on September 5 and would be back from Tanjavur to Vasco Via Mangalore. The minister said 18 special trains would run between Mumbai and Goa from August 27 to September 13 to clear the rush during the Ganpati festival. |
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Monsoon active in
Punjab, HP and J&K NEW DELHI, Sept 1 — Monsoon has been active in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and east Uttar Pradesh. Rainfall: Rain thundershowers occurred at most places in Himachal Pradesh, east Uttar Pradesh and hills of west Uttar Pradesh, at many places in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, at a few places in the plains of west Uttar Pradesh and at isolated places in Haryana. Weather was mainly dry in Rajasthan. The chief amounts of rainfall in cm are: Haryana: Kaslka 5, Chandigarh 3, Naraingarh 2 and Ambala, Chhachhrauli and Jagadhari 1 each, Himachal Pradesh: Ghamroor 9, Jogindernagar 8, Nagrota Surian and Una 7 each, Nadaun 6, Bangana and Baijnath 5 each, Nalagarh and Nahan 4 each, Dharampur, Paonta, Sarkaghat and Sujanpur Tira 3 each, Barsar, Bharari and Hamirpur 2 each and Dehra Gopipur, Guler, Kasol, Kasauli and Kumarsain 1 each, Jammu and Kashmir: Jammu 3 and Batote 1, Punjab: Mukerian 8, Nawanshahr 5, Gurdaspur 4, Anandpur Sahib, Nangal and Ropar 3 each, Balachaur 2 each and Batala, Garhshankar and Ludhiana 1 each and Uttar Pradesh: Chhatnag 16, Hanuman Setu 13, Ayodhya 11, Varanasi 9, Marora 7, Ghazipur 6, Ballia, Banda, Banbasa, Chillaghat, Elgin Bridge, Fatehgarh, Gorakhpur, Haripur, Mukhlispur and Uttarkashi 2 each and Birdghat, Bani, Bareilly, Dehradun, Dabri, Hardwar, Khadda, Lucknow, Mohana, Palliakalan , Rae Bareilly, Shardanagar and Tehri 1 each. Forecast valid until the morning of Sept 3rd: Rain or thundershowers will occur at most places in east Uttar Pradesh, at many places in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and the hills of west Uttar Pradesh, at a few places in Haryana, Punjab and the plains of west Uttar Pradesh and at isolated places in Rajasthan. Heavy rainfall warning: Isolated heavy rain is likely in east Uttar Pradesh during next 48 hours. Forecast for Delhi & neighbourhood valid until the morning of Sept 3rd: Partly cloudy sky with possibility of thundery development and light rain in some areas. Farmers weather bulletin for Delhi: Forecast vaid until the morning of Sept 3rd: Light rain is likely at a few places. Outlook for the subsequent two days: No large change. |
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MP girl pulls
plane with teeth bhopal, sept 1 (pti) — Seema Bhadoria of Datia town in Madhya Pradesh has created a record by becoming the first woman in the country to pull a plane with teeth. Eighteen-year-old Seema, a student of class X, told a “meet-the-press” programme here today that she now planned to drag a ship with her teeth to enter the Guinness Book of World Records. |
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Cactus named after PM NEW DELHI, Sept 1 (PTI) — A unique cactus variety, ferocalycium, named “Atal” after Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has been presented to him. The cactus, along with a book “Trees of world — Volume I”, which describes 1,440 tree species found in tropical and sub-tropical parts of the world, was presented to Vajpayee yesterday. |
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