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| Saturday, December 16, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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RS impasse resolved Divorce Bill put
up in RS ‘Lower’ age for IAS selection ‘Janata Pehra’ to check police Row over ban on beauty contests
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Film financier
questioned MUMBAI, Dec 15 — Leading diamond merchant and film financier Bharat Shah was today questioned by Crime Branch sleuths in connection with the underworld-film industry nexus.
North India in Parliament Govt assurance to 3 new states Fake drug racket busted Undertrial dies in jail Rs 50 lakh fund
for Palestine
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RS impasse
resolved NEW DELHI, Dec 15 — With the Treasury Benches agreeing to Opposition’s demand for discussion on Ayodhya issue, the eight-day long impasse in the Rajya Sabha ended today. As soon as the House assembled, Opposition members raised the issue which had been rocking the House for the past several days. Chairman, Krishan Kant announced that the discussion on the Opposition-sponsored censure motion would commence at 12 noon on Monday. He, however, did not say if the motion would entail voting. The House resumed its normal functioning after the Chairman’s announcement. Later, Congress leader Margret Alva said that motion would be taken up under a rule which entails voting. The Congress, which along with nine other Opposition parties had said on Wednesday that nothing short of discussion under Rule 170 would be acceptable to it, today targeted the government saying that the “Treasury Benches could have agreed to the genuine Opposition demand earlier and precious time of the House would not have been wasted.” However, the government which defeated Congress-sponsored motion in the Lok Sabha yesterday, had its own reasons to agreeing to the Opposition demand today. Though it was always known that motion to be moved in the Rajya Sabha would not touch the issue of resignation of three Union Ministers and a defeat in the Upper House would not directly affect its stability, the government apparently did not want voting in the Rajya Sabha to take place earlier than in the Lok Sabha. Having defeated the Opposition motion in Lok Sabha rather comfortably, there is thinking in the NDA that even if Opposition motion is carried through in the Rajya Sabha, it would not cause any major embarrassment to the government. The government feared that if the stalemate remained unresolved and the Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die, important legislative business including supplementary grants for next year’s budget, would not be approved. Since time to be allotted to various political parties in discussion under Rule 170 is decided in consultation with the Leader of House, the stalemate could not have been resolved without the consent of Treasury Benches. The nine parties which had moved the motion earlier — Congress, the CPM, the AIADMK, the Forward Block, the CPI, the Samajwadi Party, the RJD, the RSP and the UNP — have together a strength of 121 in the 245-member House. The motion may attract the support of the Tamil Maanila Congress (3), the Muslim League (2) and some small groups. |
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Divorce Bill put
up in RS NEW DELHI, Dec 15 — Three Bills, including the Indian Divorce (Amendment) Bill, were introduced today in the Rajya Sabha. While Law Minister Arun Jaitley, introduced the Divorce Bill, Mr Ajit Kumar Panja, introduced a Bill to establish a Haj Committee for making arrangements for the pilgrimage of Muslims for Haj. Another Bill that was introduced was to repeal the Vaccination Act of 1880. When Congress member Eduardo Faleiro rose to propose amendments to the Bill, Dr Heptullah reminded him that it was against the practice of the House to oppose the Bill at the stage of introduction. Mr Faleiro suggested that the archaic provisions in the Christian Marriage Act be removed and the Christian women organisations consulted. Dr Heptullah said, “You cannot move an amendment when the Bill is under consideration. I permitted you to raise an objection. The Bill is yet to be introduced. You write a letter to the Minister. When he brings the Bill for discussion, he will take care. Your precedent will be taken by others.” The Deputy Chairperson asked the Law Minister to consider Mr Faleiro’s suggestions. Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Pramod Mahajan said that if a precedent was set to oppose the Bill at the stage of introduction, it will amount to introducing a discussion at the stage of introduction. He said that the government may improve upon it. |
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‘Lower’ age for IAS selection NEW DELHI, Dec 15 — A think tank on public administration, comprising well-known former civil servants, set up by a non-governmental organisation, Surya Foundation, has suggested reduction of the age for recruitment to IAS to boost the standards of administration in the country. “Catch them young is a sound policy for the higher service. The age for recruitment should, therefore, be from 21 to 25 years for general category and 21 to 28 years for the reserved category,” a report on the recommendations on governance and IAS, released by the Chairman of Surya Foundation, Mr Jaiprakash, here today said. The think tank which prepared the recommendations comprised of a former Cabinet Secretary, Mr P.K. Kaul, former Central Vigilance Commissioner, Mr U.C. Agarwal, former Director-General of Police, Jammu and Kashmir, Mr B S Bedi, former Revenue Secretary, Mr Harbans Singh, and former UPSC Chairman Mr S.J.S. Chhatwal. It has recommended the use of new techniques and tools for judging the aptitude and potential of candidates for civil services similar to the one followed by IIMs, IITs, defence services and business schools in the USA and Britain. The think tank has also recommended that once a candidate qualifies in the preliminary examination, he should be allowed to appear in the main examination twice instead of only once as at present which is harsh and wasteful. It has also suggested a more transparent system for appointment to the IAS against state promotion quota through a limited competitive examination and interview by UPSC. The think tank has recommended a fixed tenure of three years but not less than two years of the Secretary, the Chief Secretary and the Cabinet Secretary for efficient administration and continuity. Successful prosecution and punishment of those guilty of corruption has a greater deterrent value than mere registration of cases, it said adding that this requires effective and proper investigation of corruption cases. To overcome the ad hocism in postings and transfers which need to be depoliticised the think tank has recommended the establishment of civil service boards in the states. It is necessary that except for a few top level posts in the State, the recommendations of the civil service board should be sought and accepted, it said. |
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‘Janata Pehra’ to check police PATNA, Dec 15 — Centuries ago, somebody had mooted the idea of the police to protect the public from criminals. That idea, however, is now old-fashioned and redundant, at least in Bihar. Therefore, a section of the public in the state capital has revolutionised the idea of “self-defence is the best defence”. Local traders and other residents have organised “Janata Pehra” groups to counter police extortion and atrocities. The groups keep a vigil on business areas. They chant anti-police slogans and take out processions in protest against the police-criminal nexus. Recently, the number of cases of extortions by the police has gone up. The local traders are on the receiving end. The latter are out to embarrass the state police which is on the “hit list” of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for its “devilish” working style. On December 9, a police patrol party looted Rs 1 lakh at gunpoint from train passengers near Baksar station. This is a common occurrence in the state. The NHRC has time and again taken
cognizance of the criminal activities of the RPF and the GRP. The latter have the notoriety of running rackets of extortion and loot in various stations of the state. Recently, the state capital witnessed a brutal attack on a minor servant by a police officer. The Bachpan Bachao organisation stormed Patna over the alleged harassment of the child labourer. The SSP started proceedings against the said officer. The response of the masses has changed over the post few months. They have now decided to battle it out with the erring cops. On December 8, locals at the PMCH thrashed the two traffic constables who had beaten a child worker. The cops retaliated by ransacking shops and were involved in a long pitched battle with traders and other locals. Later, a probe revealed that the cops were collecting “nazrana” (extortion money) from the traders. As the boy refused to pay them, he was beaten up. Few days back, locals caught a Havildar who was collecting “rangdari tax” (another local term for extortion). The locals beat him up and later handed him over to the police. It is to be mentioned here that police atrocities on arrested persons has shocked the NHRC. On a query of the NHRC as to why the arrested persons were tied with ropes to trees or pillars, the state government replied that 263 police stations did not have any lock-ups. The DGP, however, said the NHRC had actually “restrained the police from taking bold steps”. He said the NHRC should “filter out the number of cases of human rights violations” referred to the state police. |
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Row over ban on beauty contests LUCKNOW, Dec 15 (UNI) — Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Rajnath Singh today reiterated his opposition to the organising of beauty contests in the state and expressed displeasure over the role of multinational companies
(MNCs) in this regard. Addressing a press conference here, he categorically stated that no beauty contests would be allowed to take place in the state, and no compromise would be made on this issue. He was critical of the
MNCs, which according to him, were responsible for spreading the culture of beauty contests to enhance their business interests. “How come there was no talk of Indian beauties five years ago”, he asked suggesting the globalisation of economy was directly related to Indian women winning world beauty contests during the past few years. Meanwhile, the Loktantrik Congress Party
(LCP), the main ally of the BJP government, today demanded that the ban be withdrawn. Talking to newsmen, LCP President and state Energy Minister Naresh Agarwal said the Chief Minister’s decision impinges on the democratic rights of the women.
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Beauty contests not ‘fixed’: Diya HYDERABAD, Dec 15 (UNI, PTI) — Miss Asia-Pacific Diya Mirza today refuted charges that beauty pageants were ‘fixed’ and exploited women, asserting that they focussed on the “overall personality” of contestants. Addressing a press conference here, the 19-year-old said she had participated in two beauty pageants — Femina Miss India and Miss Asia-Pacific — and could sense no element of exploitation in either of the events. “The two contests were not mere beauty contests. They assessed the overall personality and the way you carried yourself,” she said. It is not what the feminist groups call it. It is much more than that,” she claimed. Asked to comment on the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet’s decision to ban beauty contests in the state, she quipped: “Don’t you think that the government should be concentrating on more important social issues?” Ms Mirza, who called on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, said she would promote social causes and participate in charity shows. On whether she had plans to enter the film world, the beauty queen said she had received offers from Bollywood but was yet to finalise them. She said the Indian fashion and modelling industry had a bright future. Ms Mirza, who also writes poetry, recited one of her poems to mediapersons, and described Lord Tennyson as her favourite poet and Ayn Rand as her favourite author. Her favourite Indian writer is Arundhati Roy, she said. To another question, she said she had no role models but she greatly admired and respected her mother. “I do not think there could be any ‘fixing’ in these international events. It is just the merit and being the best of all,” she said. On judges being biased towards Indian contestants of late, she said: “Judges should be biased towards talent and intelligence and that is how more and more Indians are getting their rightful place.” |
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Film financier
questioned MUMBAI, Dec 15 (UNI) — Leading diamond merchant and film financier Bharat Shah was today questioned by Crime Branch sleuths in connection with the underworld-film industry nexus. The police said Shah was questioned at the Crime Branch office this morning for about two hours. This followed the arrest of Nizvi Rizvi, producer of “Chori Chori Chupke Chupke”, on information that underworld money was used to produce his film. The police said Shah, the film’s financier, was asked about the source of the film’s funding. |
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Son donates piece
of liver to mother
LUCKNOW, Dec 15 (UNI) — Drawing a piece of healthy liver from a man, doctors at the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) have successfully transplanted it into his mother who was suffering from hepato pulmonary syndrome. A team of around 60 doctors assisted Dr Rajan Saxena of the Department of Surgical Gastroenterology during the 19-hour surgery performed on December 10. The son of 50-year-old Sarla Saxena donated a section of his liver to help his mother survive. Dr Saxena said the patient was taken off the ventilator 60 hours after the operation, but would be on a respirator for another 12 weeks. She would continue to get immuno suppressants for about a year, he said. The cost of the transplant and the subsequent medication would amount to about Rs 5 lakh, but this one was done for free, SGPGIMS Director S. S. Agarwal said. |
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North India in Parliament NEW DELHI, Dec 15 — As per the 53rd round of National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) survey conducted in 1997, the female literacy rate of Punjab was 62 per cent, the Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Mr Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, informed the Rajya Sabha today. While the female literacy rate of Himachal Pradesh was 70, Haryana recorded 52 and Jammu and Kashmir 48, the minister said in a written reply to a question from Mr Kripal Parmar. Navodaya Vidyalaya: Four districts each in Haryana and Punjab and one district in Himachal Pradesh are likely to be covered under the Navodaya Vidyalaya scheme, Mr Hussain informed the Upper House. While Ludhiana, Faridkot, Moga and Hoshiarpur in Punjab would be covered under the scheme, Yamunanagar, Ambala, Fatehabad and Jhajjar will be covered in Haryana. Kulu district in Himachal Pradesh will benefit under the scheme, the minister said. VLP/LP Transmitters of Doordarshan in hill areas: One low power transmitter and a very low power transmitter have been commissioned in Himachal Pradesh between April 1, 2000, and November 30, 2000, the Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Mrs Sushma Swaraj informed the Lok Sabha today. Three more very low power transmitters of Doordarshan are likely to be completed by March 31, 2001, she said. In Jammu and Kashmir, two low power transmitters and seven very low power transmitters of Doordarshan have already been installed between April 1, 2000, to November 20, 2000, while nine more low power transmitters and 10 very low power transmitters are expected to be completed by March 31, 2001, the minister informed. Government investment in industry : A total of Rs 144.68 crore worth investment outlays for the industrial sector have been approved for the Ninth Plan (1997-2002) for Haryana, the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Dr Raman Singh informed the Lok Sabha today. While Rs 150 crore have been approved for Himachal Pradesh, Punjab has got an outlay of Rs 281.30 crore and Jammu and Kashmir Rs 395.00 crore (proposed outlay only), the Minister said. The total
investment, including share application money, pending allotment made by the government in central public sector undertakings across the country during 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99 works out to Rs 4,920 crore, Rs 6,541 crore and Rs 2,606 crore, respectively, he said in a written reply to a question from Mr Ganta Sreenivasa Rao. Market development assistance by FIEO to export/trading houses: Fourteen export trading houses in Punjab have been paid a total of Rs 15,33,408 during 1999-2000 by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) to promote exports of Indian products, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Mr Omar Abdullah informed the Lok Sabha. Foreign direct investment: A total of Rs 2,511.80 crore worth foreign direct investment (FDI) proposals were approved in Punjab between August 1991 and October 2000, the Minster of State for Commerce and Industry, Dr Raman Singh, informed the Lok Sabha. Affairs of Dehra Dun Institute of Technology: All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) granted approval to Dehra Dun Institute of Technology, Dehra Dun, in 1988, the Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Mr Syed Shahnawaz Hussain informed the Upper House. The intake of students approved by the AICTE in respect of the institute for the academic years 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 were 240, 320 and 260 respectively, he said. |
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Govt assurance
to 3 new states NEW DELHI, Dec 15 — The government today assured full assistance and support to the three newly created states of Jharkhand, Uttaranchal and Chhattisgarh for their speedy and balanced development. Replying to a debate in the Rajya Sabha on a Private Members’ resolution moved by BJP member S.S. Ahluwalia on December 1, Minister of State for Home Affairs, I.D. Swami said that the small states had been carved out of big States to meet the aspirations of the people. Mr Swami said the government was committed to the development of these states and would extend all support to them. “States have to take initiative and formulate plans for assistance from Central government,” he said. Responding to apprehensions that the small states carved out of the big States had got little in their share, Mr Swami said that similar apprehensions were voiced when Haryana was carved out of Punjab. He recalled that people wondered how it would manage without any revenue. “But Haryana is as developed as Punjab and progress has not diminished in either state.” Referring to Mr Ahluwalia’s suggestion that the three states be made model states, the
minister said, “why not make other states model states? Why should India not lead the entire world?” Convinced of the government’s assurance and commitment to support development in the three states, Mr Ahluwalia withdrew the resolution. |
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Fake drug
racket busted NEW DELHI, Dec 15 — The Economic Offences Wing (EWC) of the Delhi Police busted a racket of spurious drugs with the arrest of two persons. The accused, Dhanraj Jindal and Raghu Nath Gupta, supplied Nimulid, Glizid tablets to several medical stores in different areas of the Capital. These medicines are supplied to Bihar also. The actual manufacturer of Nimulid and Glizid tablets is Panacca Biotech company, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Dinesh Bhatt said. The DCP said that Panacca Biotech Limited had registered a complaint with the EOW that spurious drugs were being supplied in the market using its trade mark. This information was developed. A raid was made at a godown-cum-shop of the accused in Shakurpur area of West Delhi and seized 301 packets of Nimulid and 301 packets of Glizid diabetic tablets. During interrogation they disclosed that they were supplied medicines by Harminder, who lived in Ambika Vihar in West Delhi. His house was also raided and incriminating wrappers and foils of various companies like Nise, Ranbaxy etc were seized. Harminder is absconding, the DCP said. Samples of these medicines have been sent for testing. A case under Sections 420, 120-B of the IPC and the Trade Mark Act, Copy Right Act has been registered, the DCP said. |
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Undertrial dies in jail DEHRA DUN, Dec 15 — Death of an undertrial prisoner in the district jail of Hardwar on Wednesday led to resentment among people here and the opposition parties. According to a report Ramesh (28) died in the jail under mysterious circumstances in the morning of Wednesday. He was arrested under the Forest Act on December 10 and sent to judicial custody following orders of a Roorkee court. Family members of the deceased charged that the local police and the jail authorities had murdered Ramesh. Hundreds of people from the native village of the deceased protested in front of the residence of the SSP Hardwar and demanded action against the guilty and ex-gratia grant of Rs 10 lakh to the family members of the deceased. Meanwhile, family members of the deceased have complained to the CM, the DGP and the
Human Rights Commission. When contacted, the District Magistrate, Mr Harish Chandra Joshi, said that the local administration has ordered a judicial inquiry into the death of Ramesh. The orders of inquiry have been passed following intervention of the local leaders of the Samajwadi Party and the Samata Party. Both parties earlier had threatened to launch an agitation if the inquiry was not ordered. On the other hand Hardwar police had denied hand in the death of Ramesh. |
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Rs 50 lakh fund
for Palestine NEW DELHI, Dec 15—India today announced the setting up of a Rs 50 lakh special fund for sending medical supplies and other relief material to the people of Palestine. This was conveyed to the Palestine President, Mr Yaseer Arafat when the
Secretary (East), Mr K.V. Rajan called on him in Gaza on December 4 this year, a spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs said here. Mr Arafat had appreciated India’s gesture and recalled New Delhi’s unwavering support to the Palestinian cause, the spokesman said. |
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