 |
| Friday, December 8, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
|
Striking staff seeks PM’s help CJ for more women judges
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
India scouting
for 130 mm guns S.P.S. Rathore’s
arrest sought Pahari case Professionals helped Rajan Trinamool men stage dharna Man fires shot at Rabri’s house, held Only Indian who can practise in 3 continents SC ruling on property disposal Orders reserved
against advocate
|
|
Striking staff seeks PM’s help NEW DELHI, Dec 7 — As postal services across the country remained disrupted for the third day today, the employees unions spearheading the strike appealed for Prime Minister’s intervention, while the Communication Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said the government may consider seeking the Army’s help to run the services if the situation so warranted. The postal services across the country have been badly hit with agitating postal employees and the government sticking to their guns. Large number of agitating postal employees today demonstrated near Parliament and submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister highlighting their charter of demands. The protesting employees are demanding higher wages and full benefits and pension for three lakh part-time members besides filling up of a large number of vacant posts. The three employees’ federations which have called the strike — National Federation of Postal Employees (NFPE), Federation of National Postal Organisations (FNPO) and Bhartiya Postal Employees Federation — claimed that the strike was near total on the third day. “We are continuing the strike till our major demands affecting more than six lakh employees are met. These demands include revision of pay scale of clerical, postmen and group D employees and those related to extra departmental (ED) employees,” Mr G.K. Padnabhan, Secretary-General, FNPO, said. The National Federation of Postal Employees (NFPE) and the Union Communication Minister held talks last evening but failed to resolve the deadlock. The postal employees have not, yet, received any communication from the government for conciliatory talks. Mr Paswan, after three hours of talks, said the issue of paying more money to postal employees would run into legal problems. “That would mean other government departments will also seek higher wages. This is a legal issue and I shall talk with the Law Minister,” he said. Mr Chandran Pillai, General Secretary of the NFPE, said, “The strike has virtually paralysed the entire mail service in the country and the government’s so-called skeletal service is not working.” Meanwhile, replying to newsmen’s questions whether government had any plans to seek Army’s help to run the services, Mr Paswan said in Calcutta, “we may consider that if the situation so warrants, but we are hopeful that everything would be settled through discussions”. |
|
CJ for more women judges NEW DELHI, Dec 7 — The Chief Justice of India, Mr Justice A.S. Anand, has taken cognisance of the Bar Association’s suggestion that more women lawyers be given due representation on the bench of the country’s Apex court. Speaking at a Law Day function here recently Justice Anand observed, “Henceforth, the Supreme Court will spot the talent among women lawyers for appointment as judges”. Supreme Court has had only three women judges since its inception. At present, Justice Ruma Pal is the only woman judge in the Supreme Court. The two other judges have since retired. While Justice Fatima Bibi is the Governor of Tamil Nadu, Justice Sujata Manohar is a member of the National Human Rights Commission. Of about 500 judges in all high courts in the country, women judges are only 12. In a letter to Justice A.S. Anand, the Supreme Court Bar Association President, Mr R.K. Jain, has conveyed the Bar’s concern over the inadequate representation of women in the judiciary. The Bar is of the view that at least 10 per cent of the judges in High Courts and Supreme Court should be women. Mr Jain has pointed out that there have only been three women judges since the inception of the Supreme Court and very few women judges in High Courts. Mr Jain told TNS that the Delhi High Court has two women judges, Justice Usha Mehra and Justice Sharda Aggarwal (appointed only recently), the Mumbai High Court has Justice Ranjana Desai and Justice Baam, the Patna High Court has Justice Indu Prabha Singh, the Himachal Pradesh High Court has Justice Kamlesh Sharma and the Punjab and Haryana High Court has Justice Bakhshish Kaur. The SCBA representation has been hailed by lawyers. Senior advocate Dr Shyamala Pappu is of the view that there is an overwhelming talent among women lawyers. |
|
Basu lashes out at Vajpayee govt NEW DELHI, Dec 7 (PTI) — A month after relinquishing power, former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu today took to the streets here to “highlight” Vajpayee government’s “apathy” towards the flood-ravaged state. Mr Basu, accompanied among others by
CPI (M) General Secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet and CPI leader A.B. Bardhan, led a short-distance march as part of the “joint dharna” of Bengal’s Left Front MPs and MLAs protesting the “Centre’s negligence” in releasing fund for the flood victims. The agitation has been “compelled” on Left parties as the Centre despite repeated assurance from Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee “did not keep its promise” and create a “Natural Calamity Fund” as per the recommendation of 11th Finance Commission, Mr Basu said. The veteran Marxist leader, addressing a gathering here, lashed out at Trinamool Congress and the BJP for “going back on their stand” in demanding Central assistance of Rs 900 crore for the state. Attacking his arch political rival, he said, “Today Mamata Banerjee is saying that it is a man-made disaster. Why did they support us then. This is a low type of politics if at all it is one”. He also criticised Defence Minister George Fernandes for his “reported” claim about the Centre already releasing some amount and said “the fund he is referring is nobody’s ‘paitrik sampati,”. Mr Basu claimed that both Prime Minister Vajpayee and Agriculture Minister Nitish Kumar had earlier described the flood, which left 2.18 crore people affected, as “natural calamity”. He said a 13-member delegation led by party MP Somnath Chatterjee would be meeting the Prime Minister and added “now let us see what happens. Let us see the result”. “Earlier, while Mr L.K. Advani justified the demolition, Mr Vajpayee had expressed regrets, today he says it is political issue,” former Chief Minister said adding the demolition was a “barbarian and criminal
act”. |
|
North India in Parliament NEW DELHI, Dec 7 — The Union Minister of State for Power, Ms Jayawanti Mehta, has denied delay in work on power projects in Himachal Pradesh for which foundation stones were laid by the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee. In a written reply to a question from Mr R.K. Anand in the Rajya Sabha, she said the Prime Minister had laid the foundation stone for the development of Hydro Power Projects in the Parbati basin (2051 MW) at Sainj in Kulu district on December 12, 1999. Three hydel projects in Parbati basin have been entrusted to National Hydro-electric Power Corporation (NHPC) for funding execution and operation/maintenance. The Prime Minister had also laid the foundation stone for the development of the Kol Dam HE project (800 MW) on June 5, 2000. This project would be developed by National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), she said. The minister said the NHPC had completed the investigation work of the Parbati HE project (Stage II). Tenders for appointment of “Prime consultant” for the Kol Dam Project were invited in August 2000 and bids were opened in October 2000. Six parties have submitted technical bids for prime consultancy work and bids are presently under evaluation, the minister said. PSEB plant in Ropar — Replying to another question raised by Mr Parmeshwar Kumar Agarwalla, she denied that the Super Thermal Plant of PSEB at Ropar had become a major source of pollution making life miserable for thousands of people living in about 30 villages in its immediate periphery. “The STP (1260 MW) of Punjab State Electricity Board at Ropar is a “pollution free” plant and its environmental standards are well within the permissible limits prescribed by the Punjab Pollution Control Board as well as the Central Pollution Control Board,” the Minister said in a written reply. |
|
India scouting
for 130 mm guns NEW DELHI, Dec 7 — After the deal for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), India seeks to add 130 mm field artillery guns to its armoury from Israel. According to sources, India also intends to upgrade its existing 130 mm guns to 155 mm guns with the help of Israel. Although defence sources refused to divulge the exact number of guns India wants to purchase or get upgraded they said the deals were in the final stages of negotiations. India also wants to purchase more 155 mm guns that performed so well during the Kargil conflict. According to reports, price negotiations were under way. While there would be direct purchase of 130 mm guns, India would probably seek to upgrade the existing 130 mm guns to 155 mm with Israel’s help at its ordnance factories. The Israeli field guns very not only efficient but also have latest technology. The 130 mm field gun is an excellent indirect fire weapon with a high muzzle velocity and exceptional range (27,490 metres) it is a formidable anti-tank weapon with impressive armour penetration
capability. |
|
S.P.S. Rathore’s
arrest sought NEW DELHI, Dec 7 — The National Federation for Indian Women
(NFIW) today staged a demonstration, demanding the suspension and arrest of former Haryana DGP
S.P.S. Rathore following the filing of a CBI charge sheet against him. To send Mr Rathore on long leave is no punishment. In order to have fair investigation, his suspension is essential, the demonstrators
said. NFIW, general secretary Saheba Farooqui said that Rathore’s past conduct in this matter was sufficient reason to expect that he could misuse his position to influence the investigation. Rathore should not only be tried for molestation but also for creating a situation which led to the suicide of
Ruchika. Members of the family of Ruchika (father and brother) should be given adequate compensation for mental and physical torture inflicted upon them by the police and administration. Making the same demand, the complainant, Mrs Madhu
Prakash, said that Rathore had been sent on long leave following political, social and other pressures. Mrs Prakash told The Tribune that Ruchika’s father and brother, who were at present in Calcutta, were tortured by the Haryana police and administration. Pahari case NEW
DELHI, Dec 7 (UNI) —CBI sleuths have seized several incriminating documents in raids on the premises of the Directors of two private media firms, who bribed suspended Doordarshan Deputy Director-General M.B. Pahari against whom the
CBI has lodged a corruption case. Agency sources said here today that the office and residential premises of Softline Media Ltd, Director Rakesh Gupta and Managing Director of Creative Eye Ltd, D.D. Kochar were raided yesterday. During the searches at the premises of Mr Gupta, incriminating documents showing payment of illegal gratification amounting to Rs 8.50 lakh by way of cheques/demand drafts for part cost of a commercial flat in Masjid Moth, a dda flat in Dwarka, a flat in Mumbai and a residential house at Calcutta purchased by Dr Pahari in the name of his wife during 1996 and 1999 were seized. During the searches at the premises of Mr Kochar, documents showing payments of Rs 29,664 to a travel agent towards the cost of three air tickets of accused and his family by way of cheques were seized. Professionals helped Rajan NEW
DELHI, Dec 7 (PTI) — Underworld don Chhota Rajan has said his escape from a Thailand hospital last month was handled by a thoroughly professional
mercenary group and no Thai national was involved in the operation. “I had no alternative but to escape as I had received intelligence reports about my rival (Dawood Ibrahim) camp making another attempt on my life,” Rajan said in a statement faxed to the
PTI from an undisclosed place. “As there was grave and imminent danger to my life, I had to use this route,” Rajan said in the statement signed as Vijay Kadam, the name he used to enter Thailand. “The escape was handled by a thoroughly professional mercenary group with commandos trained for this kind of job who have been paid very handsomely for this service,” said Rajan, who mysteriously fled on November 24 from the hospital in Bangkok where he was undergoing treatment for gunshot wounds sustained during a murderous attack by Dawood Ibrahim gang members on September 15. “I alone with my friends, had planned and masterminded the escape and the whole operation was handled and coordinated by my close associates in which no police or immigration officials were involved,” claimed Rajan who is reported to have said that he was somewhere in Europe. The Mumbai underworld don said he used professional rock climbing equipment to descend from his fourth floor room. “The veracity of my claim may be confirmed by cross-checking with detectives investigating the case as I had left the rope, pulley, hooks, etc used at the ground where I had descended,” he said. “With the help of professional mountain climbers, my descent was like a child’s play,” he said.
|
|
Trinamool men stage dharna NEW DELHI, Dec 7 — Trinamool Congress MPs staged a dharna in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in Parliament House today demanding “maximum funds” for the flood affected people in West Bengal and immediate central intervention in the face of alleged killing of weaker sections by CPI (M) activists. In a memorandum to the Prime Minister, the MPs alleged that large number of people in the state had to suffer because of the floods, which they said was a “man-made calamity.” The state government released unlimited water from dams and barrages without any prior intimation to the people, the MPs alleged. The MPs also alleged that Mr Jyoti Basu, after demitting office as Chief Minister was functioning as an “extra-constitutional
authority”. |
|
Man fires shot at Rabri’s house, held PATNA, Dec 7 (PTI) — A mentally deranged person, who fired a shot at the entrance of Chief Minister Rabri Devi’s residence while forcing his way in, was arrested today, the police said. Deputy Superintendent of Police
S.S.P. Yadav said the person identified as Dilip Kumar Nirala hailed from Sitamarhi district and appeared to be mentally unsound.
Nirala fired from a countrymade pistol at havildar Kamala Yadav when he stopped him from forcibly entering the Chief Minister’s house. The havildar escaped unhurt. The
DSP said Nirala wanted to contest the forthcoming panchayat elections and had come to Patna to seek redressal of grievances from the Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal President Laloo Prasad Yadav. Only Indian who can practise in 3 continents NEW DELHI, Dec 7 — Dr Inderjit Singh Virdi, a former senior resident doctor in cardio thoracic surgery in the PGI, Chandigarh, has earned the distinction of being the first Indian surgeon who can practise in three continents. Dr Virdi, who is at present a senior consultant in cardio-thoracic surgery at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, has recently got a fellowship from the Royal Australian College of Surgeons Council. He is the only doctor in the world who holds a masters degree in surgery from Patiala, M.Ch in cardio-thoracic surgery from the PGI, the FRCS From Edinburgh and the FRCS in cardio-thoracic surgery from UK and recently from Australia. An MBBS from Government Medical College, Patiala, Dr Virdi did his masters in general surgery in 1980. He worked in the PGI from 1980 to 1983. A meeting with an Australian surgeon in London in 1985 helped him get an opportunity to work as a senior registrar in St. Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, in Australia. Dr Virdi said that when he returned to India in 1987 he could not get a job. Left with no option, Dr Virdi went back to Australia and trained in neo-natal and paediatric cardiac surgery in Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children in Sydney. He was 36 then and the youngest non-Australian surgeon to perform operation on babies. By the time he returned to India in December, 1988, he had the experience of over 200 adult heart surgeries and 60 operations on babies. But there were no job opportunities to match his expertise. In 1989 he returned to Australia and joined St. Vincent’s as a honorary visiting medical officer to fill the vacancy of a consultant surgeon. From 1989 to 1994, he operated on 1200 patients. In 1995, he joined Indraprastha Apollo Hospital as a senior consultant cardio thoracic-surgeon. |
|
SC ruling on property disposal NEW DELHI, Dec 7 (PTI) — the Supreme Court has ruled that a person adopting a child has a right to dispose of his property except when he is bound by an agreement that the adopted son would inherit his property. Bringing an end to a protracted legal battle, a Division Bench comprising Mr Justice M. Jagannadha Rao and Mr Justice m. b. shah said: “Adoption does not deprive the adoptive father or the mother of the power to dispose of his or her property by transfer or by will.” “This power to dispose of the property would be subject to any agreement between the parties,” the Bench said. The issue came up in an appeal by legal representatives of the late Chiranjilal Srilal Goenka against the decision of an arbitrator, who had decided that the adoptive father or mother was prohibited from disposing of a property as the adopted son was to inherit it due to an
agreement. |
|
Orders reserved
against advocate NEW DELHI, Dec 7 — A two-Judge Bench of the Supreme Court comprising Mr Justice
K.T. Thomas and Mr Justice R.P. Sethi today reserved its orders in the case of court’s suo motu contempt proceedings against a Chennai-based advocate, Mr
S.K. Sundaram, for his threatening telegram to the Chief Justice of India, Dr
A.S. Anand, to step down or face criminal action in view of the latter’s age controversy. The judges reserved their order after conclusion of arguments in the proceedings. The Solicitor-General, Mr Harish Salve, appearing as amicus curiae submitted earlier that the contemnor lawyer had prima facie committed contempt of court as expressed by the tenor and language of his telegraphic communication to the
CJI. |
|
Warrant against
Rajesh Khanna MUMBAI, Dec 7 (UNI) — A Mumbai court today issued a warrant of arrest against filmstar and former MP Rajesh Khanna in an income tax
(IT) returns case. However, the court stayed the operations of the warrant till December 21. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate B.C. Thool issued the arrest warrant as neither the accused nor his counsel was present when the court was to deliver its order. |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 120 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
