S P O T L I G H T

No election to CWC: Mirdha
NEW DELHI, Jan 1 (PTI) — The chairman of the Congress Central Election Authority, Mr Ram Niwas Mirdha, tonight said there would be no election to the party’s highest policy-making body, the Congress Working Committee (CWC). “Now it can be said with certainty that there will be no election to the CWC as party President Sonia Gandhi will suggest the names of 12 members of the body,” Mr Mirdha said.

Calcutta is now Kolkata
KOLKATA, Jan 1 (PTI) — The metropolis Calcutta has been officially renamed as Kolkata from today, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee said today. Finance Minister Asim Das Gupta said all official communications would now carry the new name with effect from today.

Train cancelled
NEW DELHI, Jan 1 (TNS)— The Amritsar-Howrah Express from Amritsar will remain cancelled between January 12 and 17 due to the cancellation of 3049 Howrah-Amritsar Express by Eastern Railway. A press note issued by Northern Railway here today said the 3049 Howrah-Amritsar Express will remain cancelled from January 10 to 15.

Motion on Koirala
KATHMANDU, Jan 1 (Reuters) — The ruling Nepali Congress Party will vote on Thursday on a motion calling for Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala to step down, state radio said today. The radio quoted party official Benup Raj Prasai as saying that all 113 Congress deputies in the 205-member Lower House of Representatives had been asked to attend the vote.

2 insurgents killed
AGARTALA, Jan 1 (PTI) — Two insurgents were killed and four jawans of the Tripura State Rifles (TSR) injured in two separate encounters in Tripura’s Dhalai district last night, the police said here today.

PM’s way blocked
KOTTAYAM, Jan 1 (PTI) — A group of freedom fighters, demanding Central pension to them, staged a “rasta roko” demonstration in front of Kumarakom’s Taj Garden Retreat where Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was spending his year-end holidays. The demonstrators marched towards the retreat to block the road when the Prime Minister left for the helipad at Kottayam en-route to Delhi.