 |
| Saturday, December 23, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
|
Nadeem case: Mumbai cops can’t appeal in UK Industrial imbroglio: BJP ‘finds’ solution News Analysis Convergence Bill not being delayed: Sushma |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gill’s stress on 50 pc quota for women 21 get Sahitya Akademi Award Dawood gang active in Calcutta HC stays UP order on forest funds CWC poll: Scindia
to follow leadership North India in Parliament Cops kill criminal in encounter Central aid for Uttaranchal
|
|
Nadeem case: Mumbai cops can’t appeal in UK MUMBAI, Dec 22 (UNI) — Defence advocate Abdul Majeed Memon, who represented music composer Nadeem Akhtar Saifee in the British courts, today claimed that the Mumbai police or the Government of India have little scope to approach the House of Lords to extradite the music director as their prayer for leave to appeal has been rejected. Mr Memon said a request by Crown prosecution counsel Paul Garlick to grant leave preferring an appeal to the House of Lords was rejected by the Division Bench of the British High Court presided over by Britain’s Deputy Chief Justice, Lord Justice Christopher Rose, and Mr Justice Paul Newman. Mr Memon, who represented Nadeem of the Nadeem-Shravan duo fame since the beginning of the Gulshan Kumar murder case, claimed that the British court rejected the extradition plea made by the Indian Government and the Mumbai police as there was no case against his client. However, Mumbai police’s special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam has said they would appeal against the order in the House of Lords. “The cumulative effect of all these circumstances causes us to infer that the accusation of murder and conspiracy made against the applicant (Nadeem) is not in good faith and in the interests of justice,” he said quoting extensively from the 26-page order in the Supreme Court of Judicature, Queen’s Bench (Divisional Court) in the Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London. Meanwhile, Nadeem in a statement issued here said, “Finally, the high court was satisfied that it would not be fair and would be unjust to return me to India because of the appearance of misbehaviour by police (Mumbai police) in pursuing its inquiries and the significant risk that the activities surrounding that misbehaviour have so tainted the evidence as to render a fair trial impossible.” He said, “For me personally this has been a great victory but a terrible experience, which nobody should have to endure. Only my music, my family, the support and confidence of my friends, the industry, the admirers and my lawyers have sustained me, as well as my love for the people of India to whom, I pray, one day I will safely return.” Addressing a news conference, Mr Memon came down heavily on the Mumbai police and asked city police chief M.N.Singh, to explain their position after the British court’s order. Nadeem’s name, however, still figures as an absconder in the trial in respect of the Gulshan Kumar murder case. Cassette king Gulshan Kumar was gunned down allegedly by assailants of the Abu Salem faction of the Karachi-based underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s gang on August 12, 1997. On August 30, 1997, former Mumbai police commissioner Ronnie Mendonca named Nadeem as the prime accused in the sensational killing and the next day the then Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde, who also held the Home portfolio, reiterated what Mr Mendonca had said. |
|
Industrial imbroglio: BJP ‘finds’ solution NEW DELHI, Dec 22 (UNI) — The BJP today claimed that a solution to the present uncertainty caused by the Supreme Court order on relocation of small-scale industrial units had been found with Union Urban Development Minister Jagmohan agreeing to redefine the criteria for house-hold industries. Addressing a press conference, senior BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra, who is in charge of party’s Delhi affairs, said the Union Minister had broadly agreed to allow consumption of 5 kw power instead of the earlier 1 kw by these house-hold industries. Further, a small scale industry in which five workmen were employed and four family members were also working would be declared as a house-hold unit. “In the present situation, we have tried to find out the best possible solution. We also have to keep in mind the Supreme Court’s order which has to be implemented. But we have saved more than 95 per cent of the industrial unit owners and workers from possible uproot,’’ Mr Malhotra said. Accusing the Congress Government of committing “criminal negligence” on the issue by their evasive attitude, he said the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will also be re-allotted to the Delhi Government for relocation of industries. Delhi BJP President Mange Ram Garg, Delhi MP Lal Bihari Tewari, Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Jagdish Mukhi and former Health Minister Harshwardhan were also present at the press conference. Mr Malhotra said the decision was reached after a delegation of the BJP met the Union Urban Development Minister this afternoon. Apart from the leaders present at the press conference, the delegation also included Mr Madan Lal
Khurana. |
|
News Analysis CALCUTTA, Dec 22 — Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee’s skipping of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s as well as BJP chief Bangaru Laxman’s Iftar parties and subsequently, her presence at the Iftar party hosted by Ms Sonia Gandhi created suspense and uproar in the country’s political circles, particularly in the CPM-ruled West Bengal on the eve of the forthcoming state Assembly election. State Congress and other anti-BJP parties have welcomed Ms Mamata Banerjee’s “Iftar diplomacy” and they are jubilant and enthusiastic about the future political scenario which could foresee a secular but anti-CPM force in power in West Bengal after the Assembly election. For sometime, the Trinamool Congress supremo has not been keeping well in her relations with BJP-bosses on various issues, like on the decision of closing down six central public sector undertakings in West Bengal, employing over 200,000, despite her objection, the Centre’s reluctance to apply Article 356 in the state as demanded by her, enhancement of prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene and LPG, which she had opposed. She had resigned once and then withdrew the resignation as she had no other option, keeping in view the political reality, though she was not happy to remain a partner of the BJP-led front. But she had no other alternative but to remain a silent protester in the Cabinet. She was realising her popularity among the people as a mass leader was gradually eroding because of her existence in the BJP Government. But soon, another opportunity came in, when she could stand up and challenge the Prime Minister in a bid to regain her losing popularity. And it was with regard to Mr Vajpayee’s recent observation on the construction of Ram temple vis-a-vis Babri mosque at Ayodhya. The construction of Ram temple has been in the agenda of the BJP but not the NDA’s. The BJP and the Shiv Sena apart — remaining 22 odd partners of the National Democratic Alliance do not want to get themselves involved in the Ayodhya politics with BJP but want to see the impasse amicably resolved. The NDA has its own agenda which all the partners had endorsed and there is no scope of bringing the BJP agenda in the NDA, though the BJP has been the major partner of the front. The BJP Prime Minister has an emotional attachment to Ram temple which he could not suppress all the time. Recently, at a public meeting, he had pleaded for construction of Ram temple at the disputed land in Ayodhya and recommended construction of Babri mosque at a separate place, which the RSS and the Bajrang Dal had been demanding. Prime Minister’s remark on the controversial issue has not only created a major controversy in the NDA but also irked Ms Mamata Banerjee. Other partners which are not happy with the Vajpayee’s playing as a puppet in the hands of RSS also protested. The angry young lady has taken the opportunity of mobilising all these unhappy secular partners in a separate block in the NDA to take on the BJP on the temple issue. It is now an open secret that Ms Banerjee’s main target is Writers Buildings and not New Delhi Bhavan and not even South Block. She considers the CPM as her first enemy and she would fight to the last to dethrone the CPM-led Front Government in the state, which has been in power since 1977. Ms Banerjee must be now thinking more about her party’s political future in her home state. She has realised her popularity has been eroding, not only because of her attachment to BJP but her very style of functioning becoming redundant because of the gradual mass popularity of the state’s newly appointed Marxist Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharyya, who by virtue of his sincerity and pro-people stand, is becoming a friend of the common people — a place Ms Banerjee has been enjoying so long. The present “Iftar party diplomacy” of ignoring Mr Vajpayee’s invitation and responding to Ms Sonia Gandhi’s call instead, has been the beginning of Ms Mamata Banerjee future gameplan and her success will much depend on how successfully she plays her role. |
|
Convergence Bill not being delayed: Sushma NEW DELHI, Dec 22 (PTI) — Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj today dismissed suggestions that the Convergence Bill was getting delayed, saying that there was “hardly any convergence” in the country as yet. “Convergence is a priority because we do not want haphazard laws. But considering that there is not even 1 per cent convergence in the country we are formulating the law quite early. There is absolutely no delay,” she told reporters today. To a query why yesterday’s meeting of the Group on Convergence was postponed, Mrs Sushma Swaraj said as far as she knew the reason was inability of the Finance Minister, who heads the group, to hold the meeting. However, she refused to divulge any details about the changes suggested in the draft Bill, saying that these were yet to be discussed by the group. The Bill, which was to be introduced in the current session, has now been deferred to the Budget session. About the Conditional Access System (CAS), which would give cable TV viewers the choice of channels, she said Prasar Bharati CEO Rajiv Ratna Shah would soon have a meeting with cable operators on the issue. She added that the Law Ministry was also likely to clarify soon whether the CAS could be allowed through a notification or had to be cleared by Parliament. |
|
Ties with Greece to be developed NEW DELHI, Dec 22 (UNI) — India and Greece today held wide-ranging discussions on various bilateral, regional and international issues and agreed to further develop their economic, cultural and trade relations in the future world “where India has a very important role.” External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh and Greek Foreign Minister George A. Papandreou told reporters after emerging from a 30-minute meeting that the discussions covered all economic and regional issues and those related to the European Union (EU) and “in this part of the world.” The Greek minister welcomed the “extension of truce” in Kashmir and said his country supported India’s permanent membership of the UN Security Council. Mr Jaswant Singh said discussions also centred around improving bilateral trade which, at present, was “unacceptably low.” He denied any move to form a “strategic triangle” between India, China and Russia, saying that the world had been rid of power blocks and cold war had also ended. India was not in favour of “re-inventing the cold war.” Defending India’s nuclear programme, Mr Jaswant Singh said it was one of the oldest in the world. India realised the inequalities of the new security environment and the nuclear paradigm required it to take minimum precautions that were not at the cost of development. On the future of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in the changed world scenario, Mr Jaswant Singh said the NAM represented certain other realities like the voice of the undeveloped countries where majority of the world population lived. Mr Papandreou said India had a very important role to play in the future world as a leader in information technology. Gill’s stress on 50 pc quota for women NEW DELHI, Dec 22 (UNI) — Chief Election Commissioner M.S. Gill today said reservation of legislative seats is not the best way to ensure women’s political empowerment and hoped the centre’s willingness to look at the EC’s proposal in this regard would break the deadlock on the women’s reservation Bill. The commission’s suggestion that a certain percentage of ticket be allotted to women and that parties defaulting on this would lose the EC’s recognition and attendant privileges was made at an all-party meeting in April, this year. With the government failing to bring about a consensus with other parties on reserving 33 per cent of Parliament and state legislative assembly seats for women, it was time to look at other, more workable proposals, he added. “It is very clear that there must be a substantial representation of women in Parliament and state assemblies. We have already lost three years on this. A solution should be found quickly so that women are legally guaranteed a natural and equal space in the political arena,” Dr Gill said here today. Stating that it was up to the political parties and Parliament to decide on the percentage of ticket to be given to women candidates, Dr Gill said, it could not be less than 33 per cent. “Though it is for them to decide, I will say why not 50 per cent,” the CEC said. Pinpointing several lacunae in the women’s reservation Bill, Dr Gill said the rotation of seats suggested therein would break the mechanism of loyalty and accountability that binds a member to his or her constituency. “If some 350 seats (those reserved for SC/ST and women) are perpetually in motion like the stars, it may not be a workable proposition,” he said.
21 get Sahitya Akademi Award NEW
DELHI, Dec 22 (PTI) — noted Kashmiri drama writer Hari Krishen Kaul and Hindi journalist and poet Manglesh Dabral are among 21 persons selected for this year’s Sahitya Akademi Award. Announcing this Akademi secretary
K. Satchidanandan said “poetry dominates this year’s awards as eight poets have been chosen for their work.” The other recipients are six short-story writers, three novel writers, two literary critics and one each for playwright and essay writing. While the awards for all recognised languages have been announced, that in the Sanskrit category was awaited “due to some differences among the jury till the last moment”. Kaul was selected for his collection of short stories titled “Yath Raaz Daanay”. Dabral, an assistant editor of a Hindi daily “Jansaata”, has been awarded for his poetry collection “Hum Jo Dekhte Hain”. In English the award has been given to Kiran Nagarkar for his novel “Cuckold”. The other recipients are Apurba Sarma (Assamese, short story), Joy Goswami (Bengali, poetry), late Bandhu Sharma (Dogri, short story), Vinesh Antani (Gujrati, novel), late Shantinath Desai (Kannada, novel), Pandurang Bhangui (Konkani, poetry), Ramamnand Renu (Maithili, poetry), R.Ramchandran (Malyalam, poetry), L.Premchand (Manipuri, short story), N.D. Mahanor (Marathi, poetry), Ramlal Adhikari (Nepali, essay), Pratibha Ray (Oriya, short story), Waryam Singh Sandhu (Punjabi, short story), Jyotipunj (Rajasthani, play), Param Abichandani (Sindhi, criticism), T.G. Sivasankaran (Tamil, criticism), N. Gopi (Telugu, poetry) Ambar Bahraichi (Urdu, poetry). The awards comprising a copperplaque and Rs 25,000 would be presented at a function here on February 20. |
|
Dawood gang active in Calcutta CALCUTTA, Dec 22 — Mafia don Dawood Ibrahim is now in action in this Marxists-controlled city. After terrorising the corporate barons in Mumbai, the Dubai-based international mafia kingpin has extended his operation to Calcutta, where multinationals and NRIs have flocked together with investment proposals at the call of the Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadev Bhattacharyya. The Calcutta police admits that a leading corporate baron in the city recently received a mobile phone call from the mafia don, directing him to be ready with an amount of Rs 2 crore, which his agent, named “Bhai”, would collect from him. The mafia don further told the industrialist that he would send in further instructions about when and how the transaction would take place at an appropriate time. The businessman, who initially had ignored the phone call, got panicky after receiving the same call with the same voice five times. The caller introduced himself as Dawood Ibrahim. On being approached, the police made arrangements to trace the caller. And within two days, another phone call was received and after intercepting the telephonic conversation, the police detected that the caller was the mafia don, who, it suspected, might be calling from Karachi’s Clifton place over his mobile phone. The last phone call was made on December 13 and since then there has been no communication from the mafia don or his agent. |
|
HC stays UP order on forest funds DEHRA DUN, Dec 22 — The Nainital High Court has stayed the order of the UP Government to withdraw an amount of Rs 210 crore from the reserve funds of the UP Forest Corporation. The order was issued by Mr Justice P.C. Verma following a public interest litigation filed by a former MP, Mr Mahendra Pal Singh. The single Bench also ordered to send the stay order immediately to the UP Government through its Chief Secretary. The forest corporation is still under the control of the UP Government as the assets are yet to be divided between the two states. The amount of Rs 219 crore had already been transferred into the privilege ledger account (PLA) following orders from Mr K.N. Singh, Managing Director, UP Forest Corporation, but was not withdrawn by the UP Government. The petitioner pleaded before the court that the money which was transferred into the PLA was from the profits of the corporation. The profit was made from the Uttaranchal region and hence the UP Government had no right to use that money to meet its short-term financial crisis. He alleged that the corporation was also planning to transfer more amount into the PLA at the instance of the UP government. Mr Justice Verma has given the UP Government six weeks time to file an affidavit against the stay order. |
|
CWC poll: Scindia
to follow leadership NEW DELHI, Dec 22 (PTI) — Senior Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia said today that he would go along the leadership on the issue of elections for the party working committee. “I don’t think it is a major issue either way. I will go along whatever the leadership decides,” the deputy leader of the congress in the Lok Sabha told reporters, adding that there was “no harm” if elections were held or the Congress President was authorised to nominate the entire CWC. He said if there was a feeling in the party that Mrs Sonia Gandhi should be authorised to nominate the CWC, then “we should authorise her”. A section of party leaders, including Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh and former AICC spokesman V.N. Gadgil, have favoured Mrs Gandhi being authorised to nominate the entire CWC, maintaining that she should be given a free hand to select her team. |
|
North India in Parliament NEW DELHI, Dec 22 — A plot of land measuring 0.75 acres at the rate of Rs 2,615 per sq yard (valid up to March 31, 2001) has been offered for allotment by HUDA for construction of CGHS dispensary building in Gurgaon, with the condition that the entire cost of land would be deposited in lump sum, the Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr C.P. Thakur, informed the Rajya Sabha today. However, the payment of HUDA towards the purchase of land would depend upon the availability of resources, assessment of suitability of the plot and other administrative formalities, the minister said in a written reply to a question from Mr Nagendra Nath Ojha. Family welfare schemes of Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust, Dehra Dun: Under the family welfare schemes of HIHT, Dehra Dun, adolescents and young girls/boys who are likely to be married shortly will be motivated about reproductive health concerns and the desirability and ways of keeping the family small, the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Mr A. Raja, informed the Upper House. The Government of India has designated this organisation as the Mother NGO under the RCH-NGO Scheme for six districts of Uttar Pradesh. The first instalment of Rs 25 lakh has been released to the organisation, he added. Collision of Howrah-Amritsar Mail: The government has asked seven officers — Chief Engineer, Northern Railway, Chief Track Engineer, Northern Railway, Chief Motive Power Engineer (Diesel), Northern Railway, Divisional Railway Manager, Ambala, Senior Divisional Safety Officer, Ambala, Senior Divisional Mechanical Engineer, Ferozepore and Divisional Superintending Engineer-1, Ambala — to proceed on leave in order to facilitate an impartial and unbiased inquiry into the collision of 3005 Howrah-Amritsar Mail with the wagons of a goods train, in which 43 passengers died and 145 were injured, the Minister for Railways, Ms Mamata Banerjee, informed the Rajya Sabha. All seven officers have been asked to proceed on leave till such time the enquiry is completed, she said in a written reply to a joint question from Mr Ram Jethmalani and Mr Raj Mohinder Singh. Forest cover: Himachal Pradesh has a forest cover of 13,082 sq km and the Centre has provided Rs 554.08 lakh to the state government from 1997-98 to 1999-2000 for afforestation under various centrally sponsored schemes, the Minister for Environment and Forests, Mr T.R. Ballu, informed the Upper House. While Haryana has 964 sq km of forest cover, Punjab has 1,412 sq km of forest cover as per State of Forest Report, 1999, the minister said. |
|
Cops kill criminal in encounter NEW DELHI, Dec 22 — The North-West district police of Delhi has killed a criminal in an encounter in Mukherjee Nagar. He had escaped from Hisar jail twice. Sachin was arrested twice in Hisar and jailed. He was involved in 24 cases of crime committed in Delhi and Haryana, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Sunil Garg said. The police received information yesterday that he would visit Batra Cinema along with his accomplices Neeraj and Jaipal. A team of the police was deployed near Cinema hall. He reached there in his Maruti Esteem car at 9.15 p.m. As the police approached the accused, he tried to run away. When the police chased him, he lost the way and went to Batra Market Place through the stair case. While running, he fired at the police. In return, the police also fired. The fourth floor of the complex building was locked so he stopped there. When the police reached the fourth floor of the building, the accused was lying in a pool of blood. He died on the spot. A pistol was recovered from his possession, the Additional DCP said. His accomplice Neeraj surrendered before the police while Jaipal managed to escape under the cover of darkness. |
|
Central aid for Uttaranchal DEHRA DUN, Dec 22 — Mr Nityanand Swami, Chief Minister of Uttaranchal, today said the Prime Minister had agreed to release Rs 1,000 crore to bail out the state from the debt of more than Rs 1,700 crore inherited by it from Uttar Pradesh. He was addressing a gathering at Almora. He reiterated that efforts would be made to create employment opportunities for the educated youth. He said the state government was working out the possibilities of filling the vacant posts in the various departments. Self-employment schemes would be a priority for the government, he said. Mr Swami emphasised that primary education would be made compulsory from the coming academic session. The parents who don’t send their children to get basic education would be penalised by cancelling their ration cards, the Chief Minister said. Before addressing the gathering, Mr Swami paid tributes to late Pt Govind Vallabh Pant at a park named after him. He also formally opened General B.C. Joshi memorial library for the public. |
 |
| 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 | |
