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| Wednesday,
November 22, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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LPG, kerosene price rollback is official Sonia assails govt for fiscal mess Whip issued to NDA
members Centre to amend Delhi Master Plan Mahanta alleges
Cong hand in massacres |
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CM-minister feud on Hrithik nite Govt delayed deployment: Brig Mizoram
Governor resigns Threat to CJI: lawyer faces charges Disrespect to
deities: ‘take up’ issue with USA Indo-Russian group snubs Pak Differences on area
control: Army Barnala revives
age-old tradition Karnataka House summons IAS officer 
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LPG, kerosene price rollback is official NEW DELHI, Nov 21 — The decision of the National Democratic Alliance to partially rollback the price of cooking gas by Rs 10 and kerosene sold in ration shops by Re one was formally announced in Parliament today. Making identical statements in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, the Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Mr Ram Naik, said the new prices would be effective from Tuesday midnight. With these reductions, the subsidy on LPG would go up to Rs 152.31 from Rs 143.76 per cylinder and kerosene Rs 7.87 from Rs 6.98 per litre. Announcing the revision in the prices, Mr Naik said the oil prices had been showing a volatile trend for the past 18 months. They have increased by more than three times. The price of brent crude which was $ 10.23 per barrel (Rs 3,313 per tonne) in February, 1999 increased to $ 27.26 per barrel (Rs 8,944 per tonne) by March 2000 and to a 10-year high of over $ 37 per barrel (Rs 12,000 per tonne) in September 2000. The average price during the period October 1 to November 19 has been $ 31.65 per barrel (Rs 10,828 per tonne). India imports 70 per cent of its total crude oil needs. The import bill which was Rs 53,500 crore in 1999-2000 is expected to reach over Rs 80,000 crore in 2000-01. Justifying the earlier price rise, the minister said on account of the volatile trend in the prices of crude oil and petroleum products in the international market, the oil pool deficit which had come down to Rs 3,408 crore at the end of 1998-99, increased to around Rs 6,300 crore as on March 31, 2000 and would have gone up to Rs 23,000 crore by March 31, 2001 at the prices that were put in place on March 23, 2000 and continued
up to September 29, when the prices were revised. Mr Naik said after the revision in the consumer prices, the Government had received many representations from various quarters and the partial rollback was on account of these. He said the increases in selling prices effected from September 30, 2000 were expected to give an amount of about Rs 8000 crore to the oil pool account during the current financial year. After the downward revision in the prices of kerosene for public distribution and domestic LPG the inflow into the pool account during the current financial year from the price increases of September 30 would now be around Rs 7,400 crore, which is Rs 600 crore less than the amount estimated earlier. Mr Naik hoped that crude oil prices would come down to the levels that are affordable to the country. Kerosene prices (per litre): Delhi
Rs 7.35 Mumbai
Rs 7.53 Calcutta
Rs 7.75 Chennai
Rs 7.60 LPG prices (per cylinder): Delhi
Rs 222.25 Mumbai
Rs 225.20 Calcutta
Rs 245.65 Chennai
Rs 228.65 Sonia assails govt for fiscal mess NEW DELHI, Nov 21 (PTI) — The Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, today welcomed the government’s announcement of unilateral ceasefire against militants in Jammu and Kashmir during the holy month of Ramzan and hoped that the Vajpayee ministry was ready with a contingency plan in case it did not work out satisfactorily. “The government has offered a unilateral ceasefire in Kashmir for the duration of Ramzan. We welcome this and any such move or action aimed at de-escalating the tension and violence in the valley”, Mrs Gandhi said while addressing the general body of the Congress Parliamentary Party
(CPP). At the same time, in an apparent reference to the offer of talks earlier to Pakistan-based
Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, she said, “We do hope that unlike last time the government has thought through its policy and contingency plans are ready in case things do not work out satisfactorily”. Mrs Gandhi today mounted a scathing attack on the BJP-led coalition, accusing it of landing the economy in a mess with industrial production stagnating, prices rising and inflation growing as the ‘’government of the day limped along’’. She said the economic performance in the current year was going to be ‘’even more dismal’’ than last year as ‘’every parameter of growth is in disarray’’. “The rupee is
plunging....There is a net outflow of foreign institutional investment, foreign direct investment is languishing, foreign exchange reserves are declining, domestic capital formation is hopelessly inadequate and stock market is in the doldrums,’’ she said. Mrs Gandhi, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said the party’s worst apprehensions on the economic front have been proved right in spite of the ‘’vain claims’’ of the Finance Minister and Prime Minister that the country would witness a sustained growth path of 7 per cent to 8 per cent. Stating that the party would revive the debate on disinvestment in the current session, she demanded an immediate stop “to the wanton wastage of national wealth through indiscriminate disinvestments of national assets’’.
NEW DELHI, Nov 21 — The BJP and the allies of the ruling National Democratic Alliance have issued whip to all their members to be present in the House if the adjournment motion moved by the Congress is admitted in the Lok Sabha tomorrow, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr Pramod Mahajan, said tonight. Briefing mediapersons, after a meeting of the Cabinet, Mr Mahajan said, “we are ready to discuss any subject under any rule at any time.” Mr Mahajan said it was for the presiding officer to decide the time for admitting the motion. The Congress, which had presented the adjournment motion to censure the government for its “failure” to protect the interests of farmers, had stalled proceedings in the House today to protest against it not being admitted. The adjournment motion was a serious weapon, only less than a vote of confidence. This was why a whip had been issued to the NDA members to be present in the House if it was admitted, he said. The TDP, a ruling ally which had given notice for a Calling Attention Motion on the issue, had demanded more time for a “free and frank” discussion on it. Meanwhile, the Cabinet, which met to take certain administrative decisions, approved the revised cost estimate of the geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) project at Rs 1405.19 crore which includes a foreign exchange component of Rs 756.47 crore. Mr Mahajan said the previous sanction, accorded in 1995, was of Rs 1105.30 crore, with a foreign exchange component of Rs 559.03 crore. The GSLV project envisages the first launch for 2000-01, which would be followed by two launches in the next two years. He said the project was first approved in 1990 and the last revision was made in 1995. The Cabinet also approved a revival package for the Kanpur-based British India Corporation, purchase of more than 1.5 lakh electronic voting machines (EVMs) at an estimated cost of Rs 150 crore and introduction of Water (prevention and control of pollution) Cess Amendment Bill, 2000. The Cabinet also decided to refer the amendment in the Companies Act relating to converting cooperative societies into companies to a Group of Ministers. Mr Mahajan said the Cabinet also decided to deal with all defence land related issues at the Defence Minister level. The Cabinet, through a mid-90s decision, had passed a resolution that all land related issues should be approved by the Cabinet in order to avoid any controversies. |
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Centre to amend Delhi Master Plan NEW DELHI, Nov 21 (UNI) — The Centre will amend Delhi’s Master Plan to allow non-polluting industries in residential areas of the Capital, BJP parliamentary party spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra announced today. Talking to newspapers, Professor Malhotra said the decision was taken at a meeting held by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee with Home Minister L.K. Advani and Urban Development Minister Jagmohan. He said under the amended plan, the industries which had been using electricity
up to 5 kv and employed less than 10 workers would not be removed from residential areas. Meanwhile, in a frontal attack on the Delhi Government, Mr Jagmohan said today that its plea to amend the Delhi Master Plan to reclassify certain areas as industrial was a gambit to cover up its inaction in implementing Supreme Court orders. In a letter to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Mr Jagmohan observed that the present situation had arisen due to the ‘‘total failure’’ of the Delhi Government to develop even a single plot for relocation of industries in Narela, Bawana and other such areas. ‘‘It also needs to be underlined that the Supreme Court started passing orders from February 2, 1996, and up till December 9, 1999, no one talked of amending the plan. It was only when the Supreme Court started making adverse comments against the Delhi Government for not implementing assurances and undertaking given in the court, that the proposal to amend the plan in a major way to convert a number of residential colonies into industrial areas was mooted. Clearly, this was done to cover inaction on the part of the Delhi Government,’’ he added. |
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Mahanta alleges Cong hand in massacres NEW DELHI, Nov 21 (PTI, UNI) — In the backdrop of sudden spurt in violence in Assam, the Chief Minister, Mr Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, today accused the Congress of working in league with ULFA militant outfit to carry out four major massacres during the past one month. Mr Mahanta told reporters here that he would approach the Election Commission to seek the Congress’ derecognition to disallow it from contesting the forthcoming Assembly polls. “The Congress in Assam, in league with the ULFA, has been hatching an ominous conspiracy to carry out a series of large-scale disturbances in Assam in run up to the coming Assembly polls with the ulterior motive of justifying their demand for President’s rule in the state by hook or crook,” he said. “The most alarming factor behind the ghastly killings, in which 40 persons were killed within a month since October 22, have been the involvement of a national political party, the Congress,” Mr Mahanta charged, adding the state government has “enough evidence at its hand to prove this stunning fact.” The chief of ruling Assam Gana Parishad charged that the Congress “has masterminded the conspiracy behind the massacres in the state with the help of ULFA.” |
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CM-minister feud on Hrithik nite CALCUTTA, Nov 21 — Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan is in the centre of a controversy between West Bengal Chief Minister, Buddhadev Bhattacharyya, and his Transport Minister, Subhas Chakraborty (older in age and politics), over the question of decadent culture (‘Apasanskriti’), which has now become a public issue. Chakraborty organised a Hrithik Roshan nite at the Salt Lake Stadium on November 11, that had drawn a large crowd of 1.3 million and fetched a collection of over Rs 5 crore. Chakraborty says the outgoing Chief Minister, Jyoti Basu, had expressed his approval for it. Bhattacharyya (also Minister of Information and Culture), however, opposed it as he felt it was “Apasanskriti”. But still he could not stop his colleague against sponsoring such a function, which, he feels, symbolised an ‘ugly aspect of Bengali culture’. Chakraborty, however does not think he has done anything wrong in organising that function as there was nothing vulgar or obscene about it. As Bhattacharyya did not want to create any controversy soon after assuming the Chief Minister’s office (he took over charge on November 7), he kept silent at that time. But now he wants his ministers not to take part in functions that reflect an ‘ugly decadent culture‘. Chakraborty, however, is not ready to accept Bhattacharyya’s directive silently. He says he has not done anything wrong in sponsoring that function and in the past also, he had organised Hope’ 86 and similar functions, which had the blessings of Jyoti Basu — “a leader of the leaders” — and he would keep organising similar functions, for any novel cause. A great organiser and basically a pragmatist, Chakraborty claims he has thousands of party men by his side, who would always mean business. He says the enthusiasm and large audience which the Hrithik Roshan nite drew itself showed that there could be nothing wrong in it and he himself was present there till the end of the show and found everything normal. Moreover, the show has fetched a lot of money which would be spent on a novel cause of relief and restoration work of the flood-hit people in the districts, he contended. The matter, however, does not end there. Bhattacharyya wants the party to discuss the matter and hold a public debate to decide whether he is right or Chakraborty. A similar debate was also raised in the eighties when the then state PWD minister, late Jatin Chakraborty (RSP), had refused to grant permission to pop singer Usha Uthup to perform a show at the government theatre, Mahataji Sadan, as he claimed that her performance reflected ‘decadent culture’. The issue was raised in the Calcutta High Court and the late justice P.C. Barooah gave a verdict in favour of Usha Uthup, who could finally hold her performance at Mahajati
Sadan. |
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Govt delayed deployment: Brig NEW DELHI, Nov 21 — The Nanawati Commission, set up to probe the 1984 anti-Sikh riots afresh, has issued a notice to the Centre on an affidavit filed by an Army ex-commandant alleging that the deployment of troops in Delhi to quell the violence was delayed by the then government deliberately. “I kept on pestering the Headquarters, Delhi area for orders but none was received and distress calls continued to come to my office from various areas for help,” said Brigadier Amarjit Singh Brar, who was the then Commandant of Rajputana Rifles, Regional Centre, here. Justice G. T. Nanawati, taking the affidavit of Brigadier Brar on record, issued a show-cause notice to the Centre and asked it to file its reply by November 30, the next date of hearing. Brigadier Brar said he had rung up the then Senior Staff Officer, Col R. Kapoor at the Headquarters, Delhi area, to find out about the situation and orders, if any, for his regiment. But, I was told that “the situation is under control and when Army help is sought, I would be informed.” Brigadier Brar also alleged that the Army troops, which had reached Delhi borders from outside areas in time, were held back till November 4, 1984, while the riots continued. The affidavit stated that the Rajputana Rifles was “not probably deployed because its commandant was a Sikh.” Mizoram Governor resigns NEW DELHI, Nov 21 (UNI) — The President has accepted Mizoram Governor A. Padmanaban’s resignation and asked Manipur Governor Ved Prakash Marwah to discharge the functions of Governor in the neighbouring state till the appointment of new incumbent. It was learnt that Mr Padamanaban had tendered his resignation on health grounds.
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Threat to CJI: lawyer faces charges NEW DELHI, Nov 21 (PTI) — Taking serious view of the threat a Chennai advocate gave to the Chief Justice of India while questioning his age, the Supreme Court today framed contempt charges against him after Solicitor-General of India produced documents to show the CJI’s date of birth as November 1, 1936. A Bench comprising Mr Justice K.T. Thomas and Justice R.P. Sethi framed contempt charges against the advocate S.K. Sundaram, who had in a telegram threatened to initiate criminal proceedings if Chief Justice A.S. Anand did not step down from his post on the ground that his year of birth was 1934 and that he had already attained the age of superannuation. The Bench granted time till Monday as requested by the advocate-contemnor to reply to the documents submitted by Solicitor-General Harish Salve and directed him to be present in the court on November 27 when the case would be heard. A letter from Chief Executive of the General Council of the Bar in England, Niall Morison, to Salve said, “According to the original documents ... the date of birth of Dr Anand given in those documents was November 1, 1936.” Referring to 1934 given as the year of birth of Mr Justice Anand by one S. Behr to a solicitor firm in England, which was cited by former Law Minister Ram Jethmalani to question the “real age” of the CJI, Morison said, “Information on the date of birth given by Behr to Sohul and co was incorrect.” Morison said, “The letter of September 4 reproduced at annexure II on page 149 of the book ‘Big Egos, Small Men’ by Ram Jethmalani is not identical to the copy we hold and Behr does not believe it was sent in the form that it appears at annexure ii.” Salve said that the contemnor advocate had already executed his threat by filing a criminal complaint before a Chennai court, which had dismissed the same on November 10. The Solicitor-General said the documents relied on for fanning the controversy over the SJI’s age “are not an innocent error but a systematic attempt to bring the Indian judiciary into ridicule.” Salve said this was a conscious and deliberate attempt by the contemnor “to bring to disrepute the Indian judiciary and the judicial system which is headed by the Chief Justice of India”. “A telegram which threatens the Chief Justice of India in this manner also constitutes an attempt to interfere with the administration of justice” the Solicitor-General said and requested the court “to pass appropriate orders issuing rule on the contempt, finding the contemnor guilty and framing charges to award appropriate punishment to the contemnor.” |
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Disrespect to
deities: ‘take up’ issue with USA NEW DELHI, Nov 21 — Agitated Rajya Sabha members today urged the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government to take up with the US authorities the issue of reported insult to Hindu gods by American sanitary ware companies depicting them on toilet covers. The matter was raised through a special mention by Mr Vijay Singh Yadav (RJD) who said that while India was keen on improving relations with the USA, a concerted bid was being made in that country to hurt the feelings of the Indians by pasting the pictures of Indian gods and goddesses on the toilet lids. The US companies were deliberately hurting the feelings of the Indians, he said. Stating that this amounted to hurting the sensitivity of Indians living in that country, Mr Yadav said with New Delhi currently enjoying a good rapport with Washington, the US authorities should be urged to take legal action against the offenders. |
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Indo-Russian group snubs Pak NEW DELHI, Nov 21 — In a strong message, India and Russia today asked Pakistan to stop its interference in the Afghan
affairs. The newly constituted Indo-Russian joint working group (JWG), which concluded its two-day
deliberations today afternoon, called on those states who give the Talibans all kinds of assistance, including military ones, to cease their interference in the Afghan affairs. With increasing convergence of views and approach on Afghanistan
between Washington, Moscow and New Delhi, noose around the Talibans regime appears to be tightening. Structural cooperation between India, the USA and Russia already exists and some tangible progress is likely in coming weeks, the sources said. The UN
Committee on sanctions against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan is going to deliberate on the issue in next few days and it is likely that economic sanctions would be further strengthened. In a joint statement, issued at the conclusion of the first meeting of the JWG, New Delhi and Moscow noted that direct foreign intervention in Afghan affairs had exacerbated the civil conflicts. Calling on those states who give the Taliban all kind of assistance,
including military ones, to cease their interference in the Afghan affairs, the JWG asked Taliban to respect the wishes of the international community and abandon the path of violence failing which they called for the strengthening of the United Nations sanction regime against the Taliban. |
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Differences on area
control: Army NEW DELHI, Nov 21 — The Army today said there were “perceptional differences” over control of certain areas across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Sino-Indian Border in Eastern Ladakh. Although there was no official comment from the Army on the media reports that the Chinese had constructed a 5 km road stretch near the Sirijap area on the eastern end of the 158 km-long Pangong lake, sources said the perceptional differences between the two sides had been taken up with the Chinese at the biannual commander-level border point meeting. The sources said even as map references differences had been taken up, both the sides were patrolling the disputed stretch. However, there was no official reaction from the Defence Ministry on the subject. This is not the only region where there were differences of perception over the LAC. Earlier last month, the Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr Mukut Mithi had also mentioned about Chinese intrusions in the state. |
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Barnala revives
age-old tradition DEHRA DUN, Nov 21 (UNI) — Uttaranchal Governor Surjit Singh Barnala brought back to life the age-old tradition of a public welcome of the Governor at Tallital when he visited Nainital yesterday. By stepping out of his car at the crossroads of the Tallital roadways station while coming down from the airport, Uttaranchal’s first Governor revived history. Decades ago, whenever the UP Governor reached Nainital, he was given a rousing public reception at this very place. Later, the tradition was stopped due to security reasons. A big crowd stood in the way of the Governor’s motorcade which had to stop at the spot. At this, Mr Barnala alighted from the car and came towards the people who garlanded him and accorded him a warm welcome. |
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Karnataka House summons IAS officer BANGALORE, Nov 21 (PTI) — For the first time in the history of the Karnataka Legislative Council, an IAS officer was summoned to the House today on the ground that he had committed a breach of privilege by not inviting a member to a meeting. The Chikmagalur Deputy Commissioner, Mr K.H. Gopalakrishna Gowda, was called to appear before the House for committing a breach of privilege against Mr S.V. Manjunath, a JD (U) member. Appearing before the House, Mr Gopalakrishna Gowda tendered an unconditional apology, which the acting Chairman, Mr David Simeon, accepted. |
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