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| Monday, September 18, 2000, Chandigarh, India  
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Trinamool Cong to brief Advani
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Chhota Rajan alive, recovering Project that has saved Sukhna Musharraf’s policies
helped India: paper Centre gives nod for 8 CBI courts |
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Law panel chief for ‘one-child norm’ CBI books bank manager for fraud Woman panch to attend “Hunger project” CVC for amending IT Act ‘MCI should probe
Ranga’s treatment’ Opposition walkout in AP Assembly Khurana, Verma’s assurance to people Cyclone:
jury blames Orissa Mumbai riots: STF constituted Dr Ramdoss
escapes unhurt
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Trinamool Cong to brief Advani CALCUTTA, Sept 17 (PTI) — The Trinamool Congress today charged the
CPM with unleashing terror at the pilgrim town of Jairambati in Bankura district and said the party would inform Union Home Minister L.K. Advani of the situation prevailing at the holy place. Trinamool Congress chief whip Sudip Bandopadhyay, who returned here during the day after visiting Jairambati and some adjoining places, said the ‘’cpm goons who unleashed terror against Trinamool supporters and innocent villagers in the area, even threatened the swamis of Ramakrishna Mission for providing shelter to those driven out from their homes’’. Mr Bandopadhyay said he had spoken to party chief and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, at present in Delhi. He said he would apprise Mr Advani of the situation prevailing there. Two
MLAs of the party — Ms Ambica Banerjee and Mr Jatu Lahiri — he said, were now camping at Jairambati. Concerned over recent ‘political disturbances’ at Kamarpukur and Jairambati, the birthplaces of Ramakrishna Paramahansa and Sarada Devi, Ramakrishna Mission had sought central and state intervention to ensure that ‘no harm was done’ to the pilgrim spot. The general secretary of Ramakrishna Math and Mission Swami Smaranananda in a statement yesterday had appealed to the people besides the state and central governments to see that no harm was done to these holy places. Recent violence in these parts had affected the normal life of the people and even swamis who managed the centres received threats of ‘dire consequences’, he said. Chennai: BJP President Bangaru Laxman will visit West Bengal on September 23 for an on-the-spot study of the law and order situation in that state. “Once Laxman returns, the party will try to take steps to restore democracy in West Bengal and release the people from the cruel hands of the government”, BJP General Secretary Venkaiah Naidu said at a press conference here today. Ratlam: President’s rule should be imposed in West Bengal to ensure free and fair Assembly elections, Mr Dilip Singh Bhuria, Chairman of the National Commission for scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, said on Sunday. Looking at the present violence in West Bengal, free and fair elections do not appear possible there,” Mr Bhuria said. He said Union Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee was getting full support from alliance parties in her demand for President’s rule in the state.
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Chhota Rajan alive, recovering MUMBAI, Sept 17 (UNI) — Underworld non Chhota Rajan has been shifted to Malaysia for security reasons by his family and is out of danger, reports today said. According to highly placed sources in Bangkok, the gangster, who is currently on oxygen, has been shifted to Malaysia by his wife Sujata fearing his security in Thailand. The sources said Rajan was “doing fine” and had started speaking. He agreed to be shifted to Malaysia, they said. The toll in the shootout, meanwhile, has risen to six. Those killed include the don’s aide Rohit Verma, his wife Sarita, his two-year-old daughter, the watchman of his apartment, a bodyguard and Mr Jadhav whose professional identity is yet to be confirmed. The sources said the attempt on Chhota Rajan’s life may lead to an outbreak of gang war between his gang and the Dawood gang. The Mumbai police has reportedly been put on red alert. The targets may be the supporters of the Dawood gang. Sources said he had earlier been admitted in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Smitivej Hospital at Bangkok. He sustained two bullet injuries. The Chhota Shakeel faction of the Dawood Ibrahim gang have claimed responsibility for the attack. Dawood and Rajan had parted ways after the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai. Rajan was trying to project himself as a “patriotic don.” After sustaining bullet injuries, Rajan reportedly jumped from the first floor of the building and both his legs are said to have been fractured in the incident. The attack took place on Friday evening at 7.30 p.m. (IST) at the house of Rohit Verma at 26, Sukumig
Soi, Bangkok. Trinamool, DMK
oppose hike in petrol price NEW DELHI, Sept 17 (PTI) — Constituents of the ruling NDA have opposed the move to increase the prices of petroleum products and have suggested that the Government should try other avenues to reduce the oil pool deficit. Almost all partners of the NDA and the TDP are against the hike in the prices of petroleum products. The Trinamool Congress and DMK have stated that such a move would be suicidal for the NDA government. The Petroleum Minister, Mr Ram Naik, had hinted at an increase in the prices of petroleum products after the return of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee from the USA on September 19. While opposing the proposed hike MP and Trinamool Congress leader Krishna Bose, said the increase in the prices of petroleum products would lead to a hike in the prices of all essential items and that her party would never support such a step. The Samata Party MP, Dr Arun Kumar, said the proposed hike was unnecessary and anti-people Janata Dal (U) leader Ramjivan Singh also opposed the proposed hike and said it would have an adverse effect on all sections of society especially the agriculture sector. |
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Project that has saved Sukhna DEHRA DUN: The Operational Research Project (ORP) under the concept of Integrated Watershed Management at Sukhomajri village (Haryana), 25 km from Chandigarh, has not only saved Sukhna lake from siltation but also changed the entire way of life for 89 families of that village. Although it is hard to believe but it is a fact that if the Chandigarh centre of the Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute (CSWCRTI), Dehra Dun, would have not taken the initiative, Sukhna lake might have been possibly buried under muddy sediment originating from Sukhomajri. When this project was undertaken by Dehra Dun institute in May 1975, more than 65 per cent of the lake was filled with muddy sediment coming from 4,214 hectares of hilly area lying in the Shivalik hills. Till 1974, the net sediment getting deposited in the lake was 141 tonnes per hectare per year, which has been now reduced by scientists to just 18 tonnes. The large-scale denudation of hills near Sukhomajri was probably the major cause of rapid siltation in the Sukhna. Dr V.N. Sharda, Director of CSWCRTI, says: “As a result of water resource development and associated activity of the institute, the total foodgrain production in the village increased from 45 to 85 tonnes per year, farm produced fodder from 73 to 317 tonnes per year and milk production from 248 to 1200 litres per day. Similarly, the grass yield in the hills increased from 0.1 to 2.5 tonnes per hectare. “ORP also changed the composition of animal husbandry in the village. Before the project was started there were 246 goats in the village but with the progress of ORP their number was reduced to just six. Goats — the worst enemy of forests — were gradually replaced by stalled buffaloes whose number increased from 79 to 300. Eighty-nine families now own seven tractors. Kuchha houses have now been replaced by pucca houses. Most residents have two wheelers and a few cars too.” Most interesting about Sukhomajri is that in the 70’s and 80’s the people collectively formed a water sharing organisation, now renamed by the Hill Resource Management Society (HRMS). The most important factor about this traditional method is that every resident of the village has a share in water. Some farmers who are unable to use their share have benefited by a suitable mechanism for marketing surplus water from their share. HRMS has a board which decides to distribute water equally among member families. Initially, three earthen dams were constructed by the institute under a Ford Foundation-financed ORP to store rain water from the barren hills, which was not only going waste but also creating environmental hazards. Subsequently, seven more earthen dams were constructed in the hills around Sukhomajri providing the facility of supplemental irrigation to farlands of adjoining villages namely Jattanmajri, Dhamala and Lohgarh with a total storage capacity of 4,52,400 m3 of water at a cost of Rs 16.12 lakh. These dams benefit 181.19 hectare of farmland, including 52 hectares of Sukhomajri, in the valley area. When the project started, there was hardly any forest cover and no source of water in the existing forests. As a result, wildlife was very little in the Sukhomajri watershed. The forest has now been rejuvenated with the thick green cover grass. There are 10 reservoirs in and around Sukhomajri having water almost round the year. These reservoirs prevent soil erosion down to the Sukhna lake and other adjoining areas. Palatable grasses like crysopogon fulvous, dicanthium annulatum, heteopogon controtus, pennisetum purpurium and panicum antidotale, have started growing in the forest area. Bushes of lantana, dodonia, carissa and zizphus have generated and are providing suitable places for wild animals to take shelter. As a result, wild life in the form of rabbits, jackals, wild bears, blue bulls and red deer have reappeared. Peacocks, quails and ducks are commonly found in this area. However, farmers of this area are not very happy with the increase in wildlife because of the increasing damage to their crops. |
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Musharraf’s policies helped India: paper NEW DELHI, Sept 17 (PTI) — A Pakistani paper has said the wrong policies of the Gen Musharraf regime virtually gave a walkover to Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee during their just concluded visit to the United Nations. In its editorial, Pakistan’s weekly newspaper “The Friday Times” said “if Gen Musharraf had given his blessing for an unconditional dialogue between New Delhi and the Hurriyat Conference or Hizbul Mujahideen, the international community would have given him a standing ovation.” The weekly said Pakistan should not have insisted on making it a trilateral exercise at present and could have argued its case at a later stage. The editorial said “apologist and official drum-beaters apart, his (Gen Musharraf) offer of a no-war pact to India and his readiness to meet the Prime Minister of India for meaningful talks on Kashmir anywhere, any time was neither new nor bold.” The no-war offer, in particular, has been flogged by Pakistan since Gen Zia-ul-Haq’s time and countered by India’s demand for a “no-first use strike” agreement, the paper said. The weekly said had Gen Musharraf agreed to India’s offer it would have been genuinely a “breakthrough for peace in South Asia which would have been credited to him.” Criticising his comments about the Pakistani press in New York, the editorial said “Gen Musharraf should not forget that the press and journalists, whom he is quick to condemn, are the very ones who stood by him and gave him a degree of sorely-needed acceptability when he made his coup.” |
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Centre gives nod for 8 CBI courts NEW DELHI, Sept 17 (PTI) — The Centre has sanctioned eight new special designated courts to try corruption cases pursued by the CBI to ensure speedy justice. “Three new courts have been set up in Mumbai for trial of all CBI cases while four others, which include three in Delhi and one in Gandhinagar (Gujarat) will be set up soon,” CBI sources said here. Besides this, they said a special court had been sanctioned by the Centre and would be soon set up in Chennai to try the 25 cases of Indian Bank scam on the basis of the principle that “justice delayed is justice denied”. CBI Director R.K. Raghavan had told reporters last week that the agency’s concerted efforts to improve its rate of conviction had yielded results as the agency secured a conviction rate of 72.5 per cent during the first half of this year. “Effective monitoring of all cases in the courts of law has yielded good results for the agency and conviction was secured in 145 cases out of 200 sent for trial,” the CBI Director said. The sources said the agency had formed a special group comprising two joint directors and a legal official which would monitor the judgement of all such cases where the court had cleared the accused. “This group analyses the judgement and submits a report to the director and of course some action is taken if the fault lies with the investigating officer,” they said. To boost the morale of the sleuths of the agency, the Ministry of Personnel had given its nod for creation of two new ranks — Senior Superintendent of Police (10 posts) and Additional Superintendent of Police (75 posts) in the CBI. |
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Law panel chief for ‘one-child norm’ HYDERABAD, Sept 17 (PTI) — The Chairman of Law Commission and member of the Constitution Review Commission Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy today advocated adoption of “one-child norm” to check the population growth in the country. “China is implementing this norm and has been able to control its population growth. To say that we can not do it because we are a democracy is no answer,” Justice Reddy said while delivering a memorial lecture here on “Directive Principles of State Policy in the Indian Constitution and Poverty Alleviation” on the occasion of the birth centenary of Late Dr Burgula Ramakrishna Rao. The people must be convinced that the good of society and our future depended on such a measure which could be “part persuasion and part compulsion,” the eminent jurist said. How could India seek to achieve any meaningful development while “adding two crores of population every year”, he wondered and cited the recent outcry from “reactionary forces” in Maharashtra to the state government’s population policy. |
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CBI books bank manager for fraud NEW DELHI, Sept 17 — The CBI has registered a case of cheating and forgery against a former Manager of Punjab and Sind Bank’s (PSB) Mallian branch in Amritsar for allegedly cheating the bank to the tune of Rs 35.20 lakh by forging fixed deposit receipts (FDRs) and raising loan thereon. According to sources at the CBI Headquarters here, the FIR was registered against K.S. Duggal recently by the CBI’s Chandigarh unit for cheating the bank during his posting as the Branch Manager between 1996 and 1999. Duggal had allegedly raised loan against 11 non-existent FDRs amounting to Rs 12,21,500. Besides, the preliminary investigation conducted by the CBI revealed that the extension counter of Punjab and Sind Bank, Darbar Sahib, Tarn Taran had transferred Rs 4.72 lakh to the branch office, Mallian, on March 30, 1999 without any authority and Duggal had allegedly issued fake FDRs against the amount. After issuing the FDRs he again transferred the entire amount to the extension counter, Tarn Taran on April 7, 1999. Then, he allegedly utilised the amount himself, the sources said. According to the FIR, Duggal had paid the amount of four FDRs amounting to Rs 2.30 lakh to the account holders Dilbagh Singh and others by crediting the amount to their SB and LABD accounts and while making the payment of the FDRs the same were not attached with payment vouchers and instead kept them “illegally” in his possession. Thereafter, fictitious loan amounting to Rs 1.80 lakh against these receipts, was raised by him in the name of Sawinder Singh. Further Duggal also allegedly tore three blank FDRs (Nos. 674334, 674335 and 674336) from a new FDR book and raised three fictitious loans in the name of Charanjit Singh, his nephew and Kuldip Kaur. Besides, the accused allegedly raised a fictitious loan of Rs 1.25 lakh on August 28, 1999 at Punjab and Sind Bank, Fatehgarh Churian road, Amritsar, against three fake FDRs, the FIR said. While he allegedly raised a fictitious loan of Rs 50,000 on August 4, 1998 against the security of FDR no. 088773/100/96 favouring Sukhwinder Kaur Bhatia and J.P. Singh (both staff members), another fictitious loan of Rs 45,000 was raised the same day by him against fake FDR no. 774049 for Rs 62,522 favouring the same staff. Duggal also allegedly prepared fictitious credit vouchers of Rs 4,49,363 on March 26, 1999 to the debit of FD accounts in the name of Amarjit Kaur and Jagtar Singh and transferred the amount to Punjab and Sind Bank, extension counter at Guru Ram Dass Dental College, Amritsar, for the credit of S.B. account no. 61/1, it said. On May 27, 1999 a sum of Rs 4,49,363 was transferred to SB account no. 5999 in the name of Rajinder Kaur, wife of Duggal at Punjab and Sind Bank, Darshani Dheori, Amritsar and subsequently entire amount was withdrawn. Earlier, on March 27, 1999, Duggal had also allegedly prepared two fictitious credit vouchers to the debit of FD accounts of Gurmeet Kaur, Mukhtiar Singh and Amarjit Kaur, Jagtar Singh and an amount of Rs 4,70,777 was remitted to branch office Darshani Dheori, Amritsar for onward credit to SB A/c No. 5999 of Rajinder Kaur, wife of Duggal and subsequently entire amount was withdrawn, the FIR said. The CBI’s Chandigarh unit is probing the matter further and a charge-sheet against the accused is likely to be registered at the earliest, the sources added. |
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Woman panch to attend “Hunger project” BHOPAL, Sept 17 — A village woman of Sehore district, who has barely visited the cities of even Madhya Pradesh, has been invited to attend the international launching of the Hunger Project in New York on September 23-24. The time has been chosen keeping in view the session of the United Nations General Assembly. Nanda, wife of Mr Premdas Bajrangi, is the elected Panch of Siddikganj village Panchayat. She has been chosen “to represent the women Panchayat leaders of your state at this important event,” states the letter from Dr John Coonrod, vice-president of Commitment, Leadership, Strategy and Action, an international NGO. The Project aims at empowering grassroots women leaders in India and Bangladesh as key change agents for a new future for their countries. In all, four women Panchayat members have been invited from India and two grassroots women activists from Bangladesh to participate in the launching events, and in a series of events when they return home accompanied by an international delegation of Hunger Project supporters”. Nanda is scheduled to leave on September 19. The Hunger Project, has a commitment to empowering rural people to build lives free from hunger by giving the women key responsibilities for all key issues related to the end of hunger — health, education, nutrition, and increasingly, family income. |
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CVC for amending IT Act NEW DELHI, Sept 17 (PTI) — In a bid to weed out corruption and cleanse politics, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has suggested amendment in the Income Tax Act to give tax exemption on funds donated to the political parties. Stating that in the USA there was transparency on the expenditure incurred by candidates in the fray, Chief Vigilance Commissioner N. Vittal asked why the same could not be adopted in the political system of the country. “One way of doing this would be to amend the Income Tax Act and anybody giving donations to the political parties should be eligible for tax deduction,” Vittal told PTI. He said that Assocham and CII had already agreed to help in eradicating corruption from public places. The CVC said he would be writing to leaders of various political parties early next week on the need to remove corruption at various levels. Mr Vittal said he had already written to Election Commission on the importance of barring persons with criminal background from contesting elections. The CVC said he would be writing
to the Prime Minister, the Home Minister, Leader of the Opposition and “some serious thinking ministers” about the importance of implementing the Forfeiture of Property Act to recover
ill-gotten wealth from public servants. |
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‘MCI should probe Ranga’s treatment’ NEW DELHI, Sept 17 (PTI) — Apollo Hospital today said the government should hold an inquiry by the Medical Council of India (MCI) to know the “definite scientific conclusions” about the complete treatment of late Union Minister P.R. Kumaramangalam after his discharge from the hospital and his death in AIIMS. Senior doctors of Apollo while “unanimously endorsing” the line of treatment given to Kumaramangalam during his nine-day hospitalisation between April 14 and April 23, in a statement said “unwarranted conclusions are being drawn without any focus on the facts of the case.” The faculty of 390 senior consultants of the hospital in a resolution said the doctors, who treated the late minister “consider taking up the matter with the Delhi Medical Council.” “It is the opinion of the medical faculty at Apollo that Kumaramangalam’s treatment was of the best international contemporary standards,” a spokesperson of the faculty said adding that any international faculty would ratify its correctness. “We strongly protest against the attempt to paint a bleak picture of the treatment process at Apollo,” he said adding that the medical faculty would meet again to consider “more drastic course of action if attempts to cast slur on the medical treatment given to the late leader at Apollo continue.” |
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Opposition walkout in AP Assembly HYDERABAD, Sept 17 (PTI) — The main opposition Congress and CPI (M) members today staged a walkout in Andhra Pradesh Assembly accusing the TDP government of trying to postpone elections to Zila Parishads and Mandal Parishads under the “cover of its special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court”. The government contended that polls would be held subject to the outcome of its SLP before the apex court challenging the high court order quashing an earlier ordinance that sought to postpone elections. They also questioned the constitutional propriety of the SLP on the ground that the ordinance had already ceased to exist following government’s failure to pass the Bill replacing the ordinance and alleged that the ruling party was deliberately trying to postpone polls fearing rout. |
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Khurana, Verma’s assurance to people NEW DELHI, Sept 17 (PTI) — Senior BJP leaders and former Chief Ministers of Delhi Madan Lal Khurana and Sahib Singh Verma today assured house owners in the capital to protect their interests in the face of demolition drive launched by Urban Development Minister Jagmohan. Launching the “Delhi bachao, Vikas Karao (Save Delhi while undertaking Development)”, sponsored by a local organisation — the Janata Sangharash Samiti (JSS) — Mr Khurana and Mr Verma said every efforts would be made to protect people’s interests, a statement issued by the samiti here said. While accusing the Shiela Dikshit government of ignoring various problems faced by the people, JSS president Sukhbir Saran Aggarwal criticised Mr Jagmohan for his demolition drives saying the beautification of capital should not be at the cost of citizens” interests. He criticised the Centre and the state governments for not being able to resolve the issue of unauthorised colonies due to lack of coordination between themselves. Absence of coordination between the Delhi government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was also responsible for the demolition in many places, Mr Aggarwal said. Cyclone:
jury blames Orissa BHUBANESWAR, Sept 17 (UNI) — Human failure was the
cause of the super cyclone, which wreaked havoc in Orissa on October
29 last year. The attitude of the government and its lack of foresight of the magnitude and intensity of the tidal waves caused large-scale loss of life and property, a six-member jury, led by former Delhi High Court Chief Justice Rajendra Sachar said today. The
jury, which heard the cyclone victims in a two-day public hearing said
even though the government was aware of the cyclone, it failed to take
any initiative to evacuate the people in advance.
Mumbai riots: STF
constituted NAGPUR, Sept 17 (UNI) —
The Maharashtra Government has constituted a three-member special task
force (STF) under Deputy Inspector-General of Police K.P. Raghuvanshi
for further action and filing of charge sheets based on the Srikrishna
Commission’s report on the Mumbai riots. An announcement to this
effect was made by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Chagan Bhujbal at
a press conference here this evening. Besides Mr Raghuvanshi, who is
on deputation at the Centre, the committee comprises Mr S.M. Sayeed
and Mr Y.P. Singh, SPs, Mr Bhujbal said.
Dr
Ramdoss escapes unhurt PONDICHERRY,
Sept 17 (UNI) — Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder leader Dr S.
Ramdoss escaped unhurt, while 12 persons, including policemen, were
injured when a mob attacked his convoy at Abishegampakkam, near here,
this evening. Dr Ramdoss, who was on a flag hoisting campaign, was
passing through Abishegambakkam to Karikkai Ampakkam when a
1000-strong MOB, said to be activists of the Dalit Panthers of India
(DPI), attacked his convoy.
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