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| Wednesday, September 27, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Cable TV blackout begins Indo-US pact on terrorism Left warns against intervention Karnataka beefs up security for bandh |
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APMC covered by industry Act: SC W. Bengal flood may cross 1,000 Miraculous escape
for passengers SC admits plea in
Lok Pal case PM’s surgery on Oct 10 Model code: Centre ‘will’ withdraw case Four hitmen of Dubai-based
extortionist held CDS results declared Vietnamese show interest in
DNA labs Abducted boy recovered
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Cable TV blackout begins NEW DELHI, Sept 26 — The Cable TV operators in the Capital began their three-day blackout today to protest against the amendment to the Cable Networks Act. The government, however, maintained that the amendments were aimed at creating a “fair and honest relationship” between the entertainment industry and cable operators. The operators are protesting against the amendment which holds them liable for the transmission of satellite television programmes which violate the code. While the government and the operators maintained their respective position, the viewers were the most hit especially on a day when the Indian hockey team was playing Poland in a deciding match in Olympics. “Why today?,” asked hockey fan Rakesh Kumar. “We have been waiting for this match eagerly and it is the only game where India can think of winning some medal. We have been denied an opportunity to even see all matches that our boys are playing,” he said. Prasar Bharati said DD Sport channel, which has been broadcasting the Olympics, would be available on DD Metro. Agitated were the die-hard fans of the latest money-spinner Kaun Banega Crorepati. Housewife Rama Sharma said, “Watching TV serials has been our daily routine. With cable blackout it is very difficult to spend our time. Evenings are reserved for the Crorepati show. I don’t know how I will spend my time for the next couple of days.” Delhi-based Cable Operators’ United Front has called for the strike against the “lopsided” amendment to the Act whereby the operators rather than the satellite channels they beam were held accountable for implementing the government’s advertisement and programme code checks. The Information and Broadcasting Minister, Mr Arun Jaitley, said the amendment in the Cable Act, requiring the operators to be prudent in transmitting programmes and advertisement violating the code had been brought to check advertisements selling cigarettes and liquor and pornography. Mr Jaitley said, “We (the government) understand that the operators are merely carrier agencies and therefore all satellite channels have been notified to abide by the new codes. In case of channels, which continuously violate the rules, the operators will be told not to beam them.” However, the operators said that the Act was too stringent for comfort and insist that they were unnecessarily being hauled up for something that they had no control on. “The government should ban the source, the people who make these programmes. Why should we suffer for something we have no control on,” said the front. Mr Jaitley said, “Earlier, we did not succeed in effectively implementing the laws to check piracy, which has direct commercial ramification on the entertainment industry and deprives it of its legitimate benefits.” Under the amended Act, a district magistrate has powers to order the seizure of equipment of cable operators in case of violation of copyrights. |
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Cong blames govt
for stir NEW DELHI, Sept 26 — The Congress today said that holding cable operators responsible for the content beamed by the foreign satellite companies was patently absurd. Charging the BJP government with ‘‘continuing ineptitude and misgovernance,’’ Congress spokesperson Anil Shastri said that cable operators’ strike had caused undue hardship to millions of people. ‘‘While the government talks about the information age but it functions in the dark ages,’’ he said. The spokesman said that government’s bungling had lead to the strike by the telecom employees resulting in chaos and confusion. It was also a blot on India’s international image as an emerging IT power. Meanwhile, Qari Ascher Ali, Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, Muradpur, Patna, joined the Congress today. |
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Indo-US pact on terrorism NEW DELHI, Sept 26 — India and the USA today agreed to further enhance cooperation between counter-terrorism and law enforcing agencies of the two countries to fight international terrorism. An agreement to this effect was reached during the second meeting of the Indo-US Joint Working Group (JWG) on counter-terrorism which also finalised a specialised training programme for security personnel in curbing narco-terrorism and drug trafficking, a senior official of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said today. The meeting was co-chaired by Mr Michael Sheehan, US Chief Coordinator for counter-terrorism, and Mr Alok Prasad, Joint Secretary in the MEA. The two countries expressed their concern over the activities of terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan and shared information on their mode of operation. Mr Sheeha, who led a nine-member delegation at the talks, also held meetings with the Foreign Secretary Mr Lalit Mansingh, the Home Secretary Mr Kamal Pande and other senior officials where he reviewed the progress made by the two countries in tackling terrorism. The activities of Saudi fugitive Osama bin Laden also figured at the talks along with various terrorist organisations operating from Pakistan, the MEA official said. He said US agencies had already given training to the NSG and CRPF and state police officials were being trained to counter terrorism. Referring to the Taliban’s support to international terrorism, he said the UN proposed to take further action against the Afghan regime. The Security Council had already imposed sanctions against it. The official said that during the recent visit of the Prime Minister Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee to the USA it was decided to expand the mandate of the JWG to cover issues such as narco-terrorism and Afghanistan. The two sides expressed concern at growing terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking and condemned all acts, methods and practices of terrorism as criminal and unjustifiable in whatever form they are. The Indian Government welcomed anti-terrorism assistance programmes from the USA and the increased level of counter-narcotics training and assistance. Left warns against intervention NEW DELHI, Sept 26 — The Left parties today said all attempts by the NDA to tarnish the image of the West Bengal Government would fail. Addressing a convention on the West Bengal issue, leaders of the CPM, CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc said the BJP and its allies would not succeed in their designs to wrest power in the state. Asserting that imposing Article 356 would not be easy for the NDA government, the Left leaders warned the Centre that any attempt to amend the Disturbed Areas Act to impose it on West Bengal would have repurcussions on Centre-state relations. Coming down heavily on what they called attempts to dethrone the West Bengal Government, the leaders said that even if the Centre succeeds in its designs, the move would backfire. ‘‘We, however, will fight against it and defeat all attempts to weaken the Left,’’ the leaders asserted to cheers from the assembled gathering. They said although raising a continuous alarm over the law and order situation, NDA representatives from West Bengal had not cared to seek relief for the flood-affected people of the state. The leaders said that the help sought by the state from the Centre was yet to reach it. Hinting that the violence in West Bengal districts was instigated by Trinamool Congress activists and those opposed to land reforms in the state, CPM general secretary Harkrishan Singh Surjeet quipped that, ‘‘If Railway Minister keeps sitting in the state and doing something, it is bound to lead to some results.’’ Coming down heavily on the globalisation and economic policies of the Centre, a senior CPI leader, Mr A B Bardhan, said the assets built over decades were being given to capitalists. ‘‘India was now more referred to as market than a country,’’ he said. Mr Bardhan said the BJP-led government had taken India away from its position as a natural leader of the Third World and was now singing to the tunes of the USA, he said. Reminding BJP allies like the DMK and TDP of their opposition to imposition of Article 356, he wondered if they would stick to their stated positions. Referring to the letters written by Home Minister L K Advani to the West Bengal Government and to the visit of Defence Minister George Fernandes to the state, Mr Bardhan said the prejudice against the state was self evident.
BANGALORE, Sept 26 (PTI) — The Karnataka Government today put security on top gear to face the September 28 statewide bandh to press for the release of kidnapped filmstar Rajkumar even as senior Congress leader S. Bangarappa virtually embarrassed the S.M. Krishna ministry by throwing his lot with Thursday’s protest. Home Minister M. Mallikarjuna Kharge told reporters this evening that the state had already secured adequate forces from the Centre and neighbouring states and a tight security cover would be thrown in all parts of the state. In an attempt to dissuade the bandh sponsors — Rajkumar Fans Association, Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce and other pro-Kannada outfits —, Chief Minister S.M. Krishna appealed to the organisations to call off the bandh. Justifying the bandh call, Bangarappa said even state governments had sponsored bandhs in the past when it came to matters of national and state interest. Meanwhile, Karnataka High Court today directed the association and KFCC not to call for bandh “through use of force” on the kidnap issue and asked the state government to maintain law and order. |
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APMC covered by industry Act: SC NEW DELHI, Sept 26 — The Supreme Court has ruled in a significant judgement that an Agriculture Produce Marketing (Regulation) Act, 1966, is an “industry” as contemplated under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, and its employees are “workmen” governed by the Central Act. The court gave the ruling after holding that the APMC does not carry out “sovereign functions” of the state which constitute only “inalienable functions” to be exercised merely by the state. A two-judge Bench comprising Mr Justice A.P. Misra and Mr Justice Y.K. Sabharwal held that all government functions could not be construed as either primary or inalienable sovereign functions. “Hence, even if some of the functionaries under the state Act could be said to be performing sovereign functions of the state government that by itself would not make the dominant object to be sovereign in nature and take the aforesaid Act out of the purview of the Central Act”, the judges said. Pointing out that the dichotomy between sovereign and non-sovereign function could be ascertained by finding which of the functions of the state could be undertaken by any private person or body, the Judges opined that most of the functions of the APMC could be undertaken even by private persons. “The mere fact that some of the employees of the appellant are government servants would make no difference as the true test to find has to be gathered from the dominant object for which functionaries are working. It cannot be doubted that the appellant is an undertaking performing its duties in a systematic and organised manner, regulating the marketing and trading of agricultural produce, rendering service to the community”, the judges said while dismissing APMC’s appeal. Delivering the judgement for the Bench, Justice Misra observed, “Section 2(a) of the Industrial Dispute Act defines ‘Appropriate Government’ in relation to any industrial disputes concerning any industry carried on by or under the authority of Central Government, or railway company etc. and refer to large number of corporations and corporate bodies which fall in the category of ‘industry’”. Holding the APMC to fall within the definition of industry under Section 2(J) of the Industrial Act, Justice Misra maintained that those functions which could be undertaken by a private person or body cannot be sovereign function. “In a given case, even in subject on which the state has the monopoly may also be non-sovereign in nature. Mere dealing in subject of monopoly of the state would not make any such enterprise sovereign in nature. Absence of profit making or mere quid pro would also not make such enterprise to be outside the ambit of ‘industry’”, the judge added. Referring to the cases of seven employees of the APMC who raised the dispute initially before a labour court which set aside their termination and directed their reinstatement, the court in its 39-page judgement held that the order favouring the respondents which was also confirmed by the Single Judge and Division Bench of the High Court did not call for any interference. The judgement further stated, “What is approved to be ‘Sovereign’ is defence of the country, raising armed forces, making peace or war, foreign affairs, power to acquire and retain territory. The other functions of the state including welfare activity of the state could not be construed as ‘sovereign’ exercise of power”. |
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W. Bengal flood may cross 1,000 CALCUTTA, Sept 26 (UNI) — The death toll in the current floods in West Bengal is likely to touch 1,000 mark as the state government today demanded that the Centre should declare the calamity as a ‘national disaster of rare severity’. Reports reaching from the districts headquarters said 500 persons had died in Murshidabad alone. In all 300 deaths were reported from Birbhum district. Deputy Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee confirmed 505 deaths and said 201 persons reported to have washed away in the surging flood waters were still missing. He said Birbhum accounted for highest deaths of 222 and 10 missing, followed by Murshidabad 189 deaths and 179 missing, Bardhaman 35, Nadia 24 dead and 12 missing,
Hoogly 12, Midnapore 10, Bankura 8, Howrah three, North Dinajpur two, taking the toll to 505. The toll might increase further. Finance Minister Ashim Dasgupta said the Centre should send within 24 hours an advanced team for aerial survey of the
flood-affected areas to assess the damage. He said the total damage, estimated by the state government, was Rs 3,089 crore and demanded immediate release of Rs 962 crore from the funds related to the Centre for the National Calamity Relief Management. Describing the flood situation as very serious, Chief Minister Jyoti Basu said his government has requested the Centre to send a team immediately to assess the situation. “We are sending another report today and requested the Centre to immediately sent a team to assess the situation before the water recedes,” Mr Basu told reporters here. He said the Centre could send another team as per the procedure later. “But they must assess the situation now,” he said, adding his government was not thinking of calling an all-party meeting right now. “The main task is to save the people. We may call the all-party meeting later. However, all-party coordination is being done at the district-level.” PCC President Pranab Mukherjee, who led a delegation to the Chief Minister, said the state government should immediately ask for additional assistance, both financial and material, from the Centre. NEW DELHI: The Railway Board has decided to rush all relief materials to the flood affected areas of West Bengal free of cost. According to official sources, the decision to this effect was taken by the Minister of State for Railways, Mr O. Rajagopal, at an emergency meeting held here today. Miraculous escape
for passengers CHENNAI, Sept 26 (UNI) — As many as 187 passengers and 11 crew members on board a Singapore-bound Indian Airlines flight had a miraculous escape when the aircraft hit an airpocket over the Bay of Bengal just 30 minutes after it was airborne, early today. Thirtyseven passengers, however, suffered injuries, including 10 of them seriously while the seriously injured were admitted to a hospital, the others were given first aid at the airport. Capt Chandrasekhar, who was commanding the A-300 aircraft, managed to bring back the flight to the airport here and landed safely, airport sources said. |
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SC
admits plea in Lok Pal case NEW DELHI, Sept 26 — The Supreme Court has admitted
an appeal filed by the Punjab government challenging a judgement of
the Punjab and Haryana High Court quashing the appointment of Harbans
Rai as the Lok Pal of the state. A bench comprising Justice B.N. Kirpal, Justice M.B. Shah and Justice Ruma Pal, while staying the High Court order pertaining to the quashing of the reports of the Lok Pal on corruption cases, yesterday admitted the appeal. The Bench noted that there was no proper consultation between the Punjab Government and the then Chief Justice of the High Court while appointing Rai as the Lok Pal and gave liberty to the state to appoint a new Lok Pal. The Bench, it is clarified, did not uphold the quashing of Rai’s appointment. However, it refused to stay the High Court order pertaining to the same question. Solicitor General Harish Salve with advocate Rajiv Dutt contended that Mr Badal had appointed Rai as Lok Pal after consulting the then Chief Justice orally though nothing was there on the High Court records to show that it was done. |
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PM’s surgery on Oct 10 MUMBAI, Sept 26 (UNI) — It is now certain that Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee will undergo surgery at Breach Candy Hospital in South Mumbai on October 10. Tentatively Mr Vajpayee will arrive here on October 8. “He may or may not go directly to the hospital. After the surgery the Prime Minister will remain in the hospital for four days and after that at Raj Bhavan for another three to four days,” Information Technology Minister Pramod Mahajan, who is here to oversee the arrangements for the Prime Minister, said today. The Prime Minister will be here from October 8 to 18. Care would be taken to ensure that other patients of the hospital and vehicular traffic outside was not affected during his stay. Arrangements would also be made for health bulletins to be provided for the media, Mr Mahajan added. |
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Model code: Centre ‘will’ withdraw case NEW DELHI, Sept 26 — The Chief Election Commissioner, Dr M.S. Gill, today expressed confidence that the Centre would withdraw its case pending before the Supreme Court for the past seven years pertaining to the implementation of the model code of conduct in the wake of “consensus” on the issue among all recognised national and state political parties. “I have written to the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, about the consensus arrived at the September 16 all-party meeting which agreed that the date of implementation of the code of conduct should be from the date of announcement of the poll schedule and not from the date of actual notification of the schedule”, Dr Gill told reporters here. He was speaking after releasing a publication “Elections in India, Major Events and New Initiatives, 1996-2000”. Dr Gill said even the four-five parties, which had opposed the implementation of the code from the date of announcement had also fallen in line with the majority view a day after the meeting. “Now the controversy is finally dead,” he said. Asked whether the Election Commission had sought the intervention of the Prime Minister for the withdrawal of the case pending before the Supreme Court, he said “it is obvious”. The controversy on the model code of conduct had started after a few political parties demanded that the date of implementation of the code should not be from the date of announcement. However, the Election Commission managed to muster a consensus on the issue following the all meeting. To another question on the issue of derecognition of the CPM, Janata Dal and Janata Party as national political parties on the basis of their performance in the last general elections, he said the commission had heard their cases and would pronounce its verdict soon. The 400-page publication of the Commission documents comprehensively various electoral, events, especially the electoral reforms and large-scale computerisation initiated by the Commission. Describing the publication as a “good piece of work” by the commission’s officials for the past many months, he said after 13 long years, the commission had produced a major report. The period between 1996 and 2000 was unique and unprecedented in the annals of the Indian electoral history, he said, adding that within this short span three national elections for the 11th, 12th and 13th Lok Sabha were conducted, the last two on account of premature dissolution of the House. Elaborating on various hi-tech activities, Dr Gill said the commission launched a massive programme for application of information technology like computers, communication and the Internet which had permeated every aspect of its work from the Nirvachan Sadan to the remotest corners of the country where electoral activities took place. |
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Four hitmen of
Dubai-based extortionist held NEW DELHI, Sept 26 — Four hitmen of a Dubai-based extortionist, Fazlu Rehman, alias Fazlu Bhai, have been arrested by the crime branch from the Hari Nagar area in West Delhi. Five cases of extortions have been solved. Jaspreet Singh, alias Ginni, Aamir Siddiqui, Karambir Tyagi and Sunil Notiyal were arrested while they were allegedly planning to make an extortion call, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime), Mr B.S. Brar said. Jaspreet Singh was the leader of Fazlu’s gang in Delhi, who was allegedly involved in other cases of extortions also. Fazlu belongs to the Irfan Goga gang who was killed abroad. After his death, Fazlu went to Dubai to take charge. Babloo Srivastava, who is in Naini Jail in UP was also an accomplice of Irfan Goga. The modus operandi of this gang was to select a businessman, call him, leave a telephone number of Dubai and ask him to talk to Fazlu Bhai. When the businessman would telephone Fazlu, he would ask him to give the required ransom to his hitmen. Therafter, the hitmen would go to the businessman and collect the ransom, the police said. The police said a Chandni Chowk businessman complained to the police in August that he got an extortion call of Rs 1 crore. “The extortionist threatened him that in case the payment was not made, he and his family members would be eliminated”, the police said. Three other businessmen of different areas of the Capital had lodged similar complaints. The police raided Jaspreet’s house in Hari Nagar and arrested him and his accomplices. |
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CDS results
declared NEW DELHI, Sept 26 (UNI) — The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has declared the results of the combined defence services (CDS) examination held in September, with successful candidates qualifying on the basis of written examination and interviews held by the Services Selection Board of the Defence Ministry. The selection is for admission to the Officers Training Academy in Chennai for the 72nd short service commission course commencing in October, 2000. The list also includes the names of the candidates who were recommended earlier on the result of the same examination for admission to the Indian Military Academy Dehra Dun Air Force Station, Begumpet, Hyderabad courses. The number of vacancies as intimated by the government for short service commission course, is 220. The candidature of all candidates is provisional. The result of medical examination of candidates has not been taken into account in preparing the list. The UPSC has a facilitation centre and candidates may obtain any information/clarification regarding their examination/recruitment on working days in person or over telephone numbers 3385271 and 3381125 from this counter. Candidates can also get their results on the UPSC website www.upsc.gov.in. |
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Vietnamese show
interest in DNA labs NEW DELHI, Sept 26 — A three-member Vietnamese delegation, which was recently in India on an official visit, has shown keen interest in the Indian DNA/Finger Print Laboratories shown to them. The delegation comprising Mr Le Thang, Mr Cao Zuan Hong and Mr Tran Viet Trung were in India between September 15 and 20. During their tour, the delegation interacted with Indian agencies like Narcotics Control Bureau, National Crimes Records Bureau, Bureau of Police Research and Development, CBI and Border Security Force, official sources said. They held a wide-ranging discussion on and drugs and money laundering crimes and international organised crimes with top Indian police and Home Ministry officials. |
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Abducted boy
recovered NEW DELHI, Sept 26 — The Delhi police has recovered a nine-year-old boy from Kashmir, who was kidnapped from the Welcome colony area of the Capital. The victim, Javed, was allegedly kidnapped 18 days back by a 34-year-old woman, Sama Parveen, as she had personal grudge with an uncle of the boy, the police said. To take revenge, she took the boy to Kashmir to live with her husband. When she did not find her husband there, she came back to Delhi leaving Javed in Kashmir. Javed was found weeping on road by a woman, who took her to the Sahid Ganj police station. |
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