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| Thursday, December 21, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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TDP upset
over PM’s remarks Reject PM’s agenda, say minority
leaders JMM backs Kamtapur stir Bhopal gas victims still await hospital |
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Hrithik, Suzanne enter wedlock
North India in Parliament |
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Sudershan disowns
remark on Ayodhya HC disposes PIL
on postal strike Cong issues whip
on women’s Bill EU envoys meet Chautala ‘Raise loading of
trucks to 15 tonnes’ Anupam loses legal battle Ayurvedic staff not paid salary
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TDP upset
over PM’s remarks NEW DELHI, Dec 20 — The Telugu Desam Party is upset over Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s remark that the allies should remain within limits. The TDP MP, Mr Yerran Naidu, has sought an appointment with Mr Vajpayee, the sources said, adding that the TDP which is giving support to the NDA government from outside would like to know directly from the Prime Minister what he meant by his remarks about the allies. The Prime Minister, addressing the BJP Parliamentary meeting yesterday, had said that the allies should stay within limits (seema ke andar) and within the parameters of “decorum” (maryada ke andar). The allies were taken by surprise at the Prime Minister’s remark and were all the more taken a back when they learnt that the BJP spokesman, Prof Vijay Kumar Malhotra, was asked to convey this to the media at the regular media briefing. Professor Malhotra said that the Prime Minister had told the party MPs that while they (allies and supporting parties) were free to raise issues of concern to them, they should keep in mind “national interest” and they should stay within “limits and decorum”. Both the TDP as well as the Trinamool Congress, which have off late started evolving a common strategy over issues and policies which are dear to them, have been rather surprised at the aggressiveness shown by the Prime Minister. |
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Reject PM’s agenda, say minority
leaders NEW DELHI, Dec 20 — Senior leaders of minority communities and Dalits today urged the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners to reject the “anti-minority agenda” of the Vajpayee government. “All secular forces, and particularly the minorities, expect you to display the courage of your convictions by walking out of the alliance that is now no longer an agency of governance, but a prison for our conscience,” the leaders said in a joint statement issued here. The statement was signed, among others, by Mr Syed Ahmed Bukhari, Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, Mr Vincent Concessao, Archbishop of Delhi, Bishop Karam Masih, CNI Bishop of Delhi, Mr Bhagwan Das, Regional Secretary of the Indian Buddhist Council, Syed Shahabuddin, Convener of the Babri Masjid Coordination Committee, Dr Richard Howell, General Secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of India and Dr K.S. Chauhan, Convener of the Dalit Forum of Social Change. |
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JMM backs Kamtapur stir CALCUTTA, Dec 20 — The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief, Mr Sibu Soren, has extended support to the Kamtapur movement in North Bengal. Kamtapuri people have been agitating for a separate statehood for the Rajbanshis and other minorities in the north-eastern region. Mr Soren also agreed to take active part in the Kamtapur People’s Party’s militant movement, which he says, is “justified and legitimate”, the KPP chief, Mr Atul Roy, claimed. Mr Soren will be in Jalpaiguri next week to meet Mr Roy and prepare a plan for a joint movement in the region. The West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadev Bhattacharyya, has alleged that the ISI-backed ULFA is directly involved in the KPP movement in North Bengal. He was warned that firm action will be taken against the JMM and other militant forces if attempts were made to disturb peace and normalcy in North Bengal. The KPP leader announced that they would soon launch the second phase of the movement with the participation of the JMM and the Gorkha Liberation Organisation (GLO) in the Assam-Coochbehar-Jalpaiguri-Duars region in support of their demand. Mr Roy claimed that the Railway Minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee, and the WBPCC chief, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, had supported their cause, which had been described by them as legitimate and genuine. Mr Roy alleged that Mr Jyoti Basu and Mr Bhattacharyya had been spreading canards against the Rajbanshis and gave a distorted signal to the Centre, which he had officially complained to Ms Banerjee and the Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr Ajit Kumar Panja, who had visited Jalpaiguri recently. He alleged that Mr Basu was in Siliguri last week when he had openly criticised the sentiments of the Rajbanshis and other minorities in the region. Mr Basu had also threatened them with dire consequences. Mr Bhattacharyya echoed Mr Basu’s stand and directed the police to take appropriate actions without delay. “But we are not going to bow down and are determined to gear up our movement,” the KPP chief said. Meanwhile, the Darjeeling Gorkha Liberation Front (GNLF) and the break-away group, the GLO, have decided to separately observe a bandh in the hills for an indefinite period from January demanding a separate state for the
Gorkhas. |
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Bhopal gas victims still await hospital BHOPAL, Dec 20 — The Supreme Court had ordered to establish a hospital for the Bhopal gas tragedy victims in its judgement delivered on October 3, 1991. The court had fixed an 18-month time limit for the establishment of the hospital. The hospital is nowhere near completion even after nine years and now the organisations working for the gas-affected people are doubting whether it will ever be completed. The whole project appeared to have been bungled from the beginning like other schemes such as the medical, economic and social rehabilitation of the gas-affected people. The land for the hospital was selected by the then BJP government beyond Karond village, more than 5 km away from the gas-affected localities and without any road and means of transport. The complaints of the survivors and their organisations against setting up the hospital at a distant place fell on deaf ears. It was said that the land selected by the State government belonged to relatives/ acquaintances of a minister who had a vested interest in acquiring that land for the hospital at the government expense. While the state government was acquiring the land, the Union Carbide set up the Bhopal Hospital Trust (BHT) in February 1992 in England with $ 1,000 as its contribution. A former Attorney of the UK, Sir Ian Percival, was made the sole trustee. The rest of the BHT funds came from the sale of Union Carbide’s Indian shares that were confiscated by the Bhopal District Court after proclaiming the company ‘absconder’ in the criminal cases pending against it. This became possible with the Supreme Court reversing the district court order. Meanwhile, official complaints against unauthorised withdrawal and expenditure of Rs 5 crore by the sole trustee of the BHT are pending in the Supreme Court while a case of violation of the Child Labour Act by the BHT is pending with the Deputy Labour Commissioner for employing children as young as 10 years old during the construction of the hospital building. |
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Hrithik, Suzanne enter wedlock BANGALORE, Dec 20 (PTI) —Bollywood heartthrob Hrithik Roshan entered into wedlock with his childhood sweetheart Suzanne Khan today at a private ceremony marked by Hindu and Muslim rites. In a confluence of Hindu-Muslim culture, the “Kaho Na Pyar Hai” fame superstar performed Hindu ceremonies while Suzanne, the third daughter of actor-director Sanjay Khan, conducted Muslim ceremonies at a heavily guarded resort owned by her father on the city’s outskirts. In a brief appearance before the media in the midst of the “haldi” ritual, Hrithik said he did not share the view that there would be heartburn among his female fans with his marriage. “There will be no heartburn,” he said with a laugh. “They (the fans) are my well-wishers. They will continue to wish me luck and success. Hrithik flanked by father Rakesh Roshan and father-in-law Sanjay Khan, said. A total family affair, the marriage at the Golden Palms Avenue was attended by nearly 70 close family members of the proud fathers Sanjay Khan and Rakesh Roshan. The guests included Dimple Kapadia, Rishi and Randhir Kapoor and Jitendra. Sanjay Khan said the Hindu and Muslim ceremonies would culminate into a registered marriage slated for this evening. “I and Rakesh Roshan have decided to hold a grand reception for the film industry and the media at Mumbai in January end,” he said. Rakesh Roshan said the couple would fly to Europe for honeymoon. “We are still planning it”, Hrithik added. |
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North India in Parliament NEW DELHI, Dec 20 — For the financial year 2000-2001, the Centre has allocated Rs 9.70 crore under the border area development programme (BADP) to Punjab, the Minister for Planning, Statistics and Programme Implementation, Mr Arun Shourie, informed the Lok Sabha today. While Himachal Pradesh has been allocated Rs 4 crore for the said period, the militancy-hit Jammu and Kashmir has been allocated Rs 33.52 crore, he said. The BADP is in operation in the border blocks of 17 states which have an international border, including states which border Pakistan namely, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan, he said. The BADP was extended to the blocks bordering China and Bhutan in 1998-99 and to the blocks bordering Nepal in 1999-2000, he said in a written reply to a question from Mr Ramchader Bainda. Number of villages with population of 1000 persons: There are 4,981 villages in Punjab with population 1000 and above, the Minister for Rural Development, Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu informed the Rajya Sabha. While there are 4,132 villages in Haryana with population of 1000 and above, Himachal Pradesh has 636 villages, the Minister said. Special schools for persons with mental retardation: There are 18 special schools for persons with mental retardation functioning in Haryana, the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Mrs Maneka Gandhi, informed the Lok Sabha. While Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh have four such schools each, Punjab has two special schools for persons with mental retardation, she said. During 1999-2000, a provision of Rs 204.49 crore was provided for the disability sector, including mental disabilities, in the Budget of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Mrs Gandhi said. The provision during the current financial year, 2000-2001 is Rs 292.85 crore, she said adding that this do not include provision for miscellaneous scheme. Biogas programme:
The Centre has allocated Rs 182.30 lakh during 2000-2001 to Punjab for the development of biogas programme, the Minister of State for Non-Conventional Energy Sources, Mr M. Kannappan, informed the upper house. While Haryana has been allocated Rs 62 lakh, Himachal Pradesh has got Rs 29.30 lakh and Jammu and Kashmir Rs 2.60 lakh for the development of biogas programme, the minister said in a written reply to a question from Mr Dilip Singh Judev. He informed that the Ministry was supporting research and development projects in new areas of energy like fuel cells for power production, hydrogen energy, geo-thermal and ocean energy with the aim of developing indigenous technologies. Computerisation of land records (CLR): The Centre has released Rs 365 lakh and 301.53 lakh for CLR and strengthening of revenue administration (SRA) and updating of land records (ULR), respectively, to Haryana, while Punjab has been given Rs 282.62 lakh and Rs 1,265.35 lakh for CLR and SRA and ULR, respectively, the Minister of State for Rural Development, Mr Subhash Maharia, informed the Rajya Sabha. Himachal Pradesh has been given Rs 240.20 lakh and Rs 694.87 lakh for CLR, SRA and ULR, respectively, he said. The main objective of the CLR scheme is computerisation of ownership and plotwise details for issue of timely and accurate copy of Records of Rights to the landowners at a reasonable price so that these documents are honoured by financial institutions for grant of loans, he said. |
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Dosanjh: I work for collective goals NEW DELHI, Dec 20 — “I work for collective goals rather than for individual goals in my political life”, says India-born Premier of British Columbia Ujjal Dosanjh who was born 53 years ago in Dosanjh Kalan in district of Jalandhar. This is possibly an advice to his fellow political brethern in the country of his origin from someone, who became the Chief Executive of one of the largest provinces of Canada within 32 years of his arrival in the North American continent. Mr Dosanjh, who was interacting with a group of mediapersons today morning at a five star hotel where he has been staying during his official 15-day visit to India, said “I have been activist all my life pursuing popular causes. Political power has never been my pursuit”, he replied rather coyly to a reporter who had asked as how he felt being the Premier. At the same time, his words are also a sad commentary on “the pursuit of power” that Indian politicians have been indulging in for some time now from a person, who left India in 1964 as an “economic emigrant” for Britain against his parents’ wishes. Mr Dosanjh, who stayed in Britain for four years doing all kind of jobs including working in a crayon factory and bringing out a Punjabi weekly, left for Canada in search of better opportunities. Once in Canada, “I started working in a saw mill as a cleaner”, Mr Dosanjh said and added that “I went for studies in the evening as I saw education as the only way out of my predicament”. At that point of time, there were not many Indians who were interested in public life and were educated also, Mr Dosanjh remarked while talking about his political
career. When asked about the role of the people of Indian origin in the background of the efforts of the Indian Government to rope them in the development of the country of their origin, Mr Dosanjh said while most of them would always like to come back but would never be able to do as “quality of life” plays a very crucial role. So far the issue of NRIs’ investments in the country of their origin goes, the Premier said relative insecurity of their investments was a major cause for their reluctance. Another irritant is related to the issue of “dual citizenship”, he pointed out adding that “ability to move between not only two cultures but between two countries” would definitely be an encouraging factor. “Those, who can afford to make investments, would be very happy” if dual citizenship issue was addressed. |
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Punjabi of the
Millennium award for Dosanjh NEW DELHI, Dec 20 — The India-born Premier of British Columbia, Canada, Mr Ujjal Dosanjh, was today honoured as the “Punjabi of the Millennium” Award of the World Punjabi Organisation (WPO) at a glittering ceremony here at the Parliament Annexe. The award, a silver trophy, was presented to the visiting dignitary by the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, in the presence of the chief guest of the evening and the former Prime Minister, Mr I.K. Gujral and the Union Minister Mr S.S. Dhindsa. Sudershan disowns
remark on Ayodhya NEW DELHI, Dec 20 (UNI)
— RSS chief K.S. Sudershan today absolved himself of floating the so-called explosion theory on the demolition of the Babri mosque at Ayodhya. Deposing before the Justice Liberhan Commission, he said in his Thiruvananthapuram speech, at the centre of the controversy, he had merely quoted noted Gandhian Nirmala
Deshpande on the explosion angle, and blamed a section of the press for twisting his remarks. The Liberhan Commission, probing the sequence of events leading to the demolition of the Babri mosque, had summoned Mr Sudershan to explain his position on the issue. However, the RSS chief said he had only quoted Ms Deshpande from her interview in The Pioneer. Mr Sudershan handed over to the commission an audio cassette of his speech. He also placed on record two clippings of a newspaper from Chennai and a Malayalam newspaper in which there was no mention of the explosion theory. Blaming a particular newspaper for distorting his observations, Mr Sudershan quipped: “They converted the explosion into a blast, the blast into a bomb blast and put it all into my mouth.” |
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HC disposes PIL
on postal strike NEW DELHI, Dec 20 (PTI) — The Centre today informed the Delhi High Court that the postal services in the country had almost been normalised and all-out efforts were being made to clear the piled-up mail across the country. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) R.N. Trivedi, submitting a compliance report on court’s directive to end the strike, told a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Arijit Passayat and Mr Justice D.K. Jain that two of the employees’ federations called off their stir on December 17 and the third on the following day. |
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Cong issues whip
on women’s Bill NEW DELHI, Dec 20 — The Congress has issued a three-line whip to its members on the women’s
reservation Bill. The party has also welcomed the extension of ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir. Congress spokesperson, Mrs Margret Alva, said while the Congress was committed to support the Bill, there appeared a lack of consensus within NDA. “The government should have tried to evolve a consensus before introducing the Bill. There is no use of going through this face-saving exercise on the end of each session,” she said. EU envoys meet
Chautala NEW DELHI, Dec 20 — Ambassadors from nine-member countries of the European Union have complimented the Haryana Government for effecive implementation of the Aravalli greening project. At a meeting with the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, the Ambassadors from France, Finland, Sweden, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Portugal and Britain led by the Ambassador of the European Union, Mr Michel Caillouet, praised the state for its thrust on industrialisation and ensuring environment protection. The ambassadors yesterday visited the greening project, launched in 1990, to select it as a role model for other states. |
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‘Raise loading of
trucks to 15 tonnes’ NEW DELHI, Dec 20 — Mr B.S. Ramoowalia, MP and President of the Bhalai Party, today demanded that the government should maximise the loading capacity of trucks to 15 tonnes from the present nine tonnes and save the truck operators, taxi-owners and inter-state running vehicles from the “vagaries of open loot” by the transport and traffic police authorities. Mr Ramoowalia alleged that despite holding documents, medium and small truckers were being treated as criminals and forced to give money all through the route on one pretext or the other to unscrupulous officials from state authorities down to police stations and even police posts under threats of harassment, insults and humiliation. He suggested various measures to the government to save the trucking business from ruin, including rationalisation of the octroi system, cutting down waiting lines at octroi posts to save wastage of time. |
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Anupam loses legal battle MUMBAI, Dec 20 (PTI) — Anupam Kher, film actor and host of game show “Sawal Dus Crore Ka”, suffered a setback today with the Mumbai High Court rejecting his plea to restrain Zee Telefilms Ltd from continuing with the programme without him as a host. Anupam had moved the court after Zee terminated the contract with him as host of this money spinner show. Ayurvedic staff
not paid salary HANUMANGARH, Dec 20 — More than 200 employees working in 74 ayurvedic hospitals in rural areas all over the district have not been paid salary for November even after its sanction by the state government. According to sources, the state government has already sanctioned the amount for the payment of salaries to the employees. The salary bills were sent to the Treasury Office but the office put some objection over the payment. Now the salary bills will be passed only after the objection is cleared for which the bills have to be signed by the District Ayurvedic Officer. Workers said the officer concerned Mr Narayan Sahay Sharma, was never available at the district headquarters and that was the reason why the salary bills were not cleared. The workers alleged that earlier also they had faced such a situation, as the authority was not present in the district. The Ayurvedic Nurses Association has demanded a departmental action against the District Ayurvedic Officer. |
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