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| Wednesday, January 31, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Supplies arrive from USA, Pak Narmada
dam in focus again
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Separate
body for disasters mooted Kandla highway damaged Rail link restored till Ratnala Govt efforts lack coordination: Sonia Relief camp for
children Confusion over death toll Little girl’s big
tale of fortitude
Engineers flouted codes: scientist Advani heads group on relief AIIMS
building develops cracks Shelter
built for quake-hit animals Change MP fund norms: Heptullah Hindujas’ plea reserved till tomorrow Security beefed up around
police HQ Celeste to
continue for time being Ten hurt in mob attack Kolkata book fair
from today HC discharges
Sukh Ram Water being sold illegally Meagre relief for
famine-hit areas Jaswant leaves for
Syria, Egypt
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Supplies arrive from USA, Pak NEW DELHI, Jan 30 —International assistance is pouring in to India as it struggles to come to grips with the one of the world’s worst natural disasters in living memory. A Pakistan air force C-130 aircraft, carrying relief material arrived at the Sardar Patel International airport in Ahmedabad this noon, while two more planes with aid will be coming in the next two days. The aircraft carries 200 tents and 2,500 blankets, Director-General of Pakistan’s emergency relief cell Ilyas Hussein, who accompanied the aid team, told newspersons here. The Indian Air Force planes will carry the relief materials provided by Islamabad to Bhuj. Expressing grief over the tragedy, Mr Ilyas said, “What we have brought here is a goodwill gesture. We expect good relations with India.’’ A cargo plane with 100 tonnes of relief material has arrived from the USA here which will be dispatched straight to Gujarat for the aid of the quake-affected victims. The supplies include blankets, tents, water containers, plastic
sheeting, water containers, purification and distribution kits and generators, an US Embassy spokesman said, adding this relief material is expected to benefit about 8,000 families. The US President, Mr George Bush, has written to Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, to express concern over the calamity, US Ambassador, Mr Richard F Celeste said. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has granted $ 5 million for relief work. Israel has also announced that it was sending an entire field hospital, including an Israeli emergency aid mission of 150 personnel is being sent to Gujarat. The team comprises doctors, medical staff and equipment is being headed by Moti Amihai, a senior Foreign Office official. Israeli President Moshe Katzav and Prime Minister Ehud Barak have sent messages to the Indian Government, expressing condolence and their government’s readiness to extend all possible assistance. The US Ambassador Celeste said under instructions from President Bush, that he had been authorised to increase contribution from $ 25,000 dollars to $ 100,000 to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. An emergency medical team has also arrived from Japan and assistance of valuing Rs 4 crore has already been sanctioned by the government. The German Foreign Office will provide an additional Rs 2.1 crore to support the mobile hospital run by the International Red Cross in Gujarat. Funds made available by the Disaster Relief Fund of the German Federal Foreign now aggregates Rs 6.5 crore. Greece has granted $ 285,000 to which will used by its NGOs for carrying out relief operations in Gujarat. In addition, Greek Petroleum Company has announced that it would give assistance to the quake victims. A Greece Embassy press release said two Hellenic air force aircraft C-130, carrying 300 tents, equipment and medicine for relief of around 2,000 people, will reach Ahmedabad tomorrow. The British Government has increase its grant of funds to Rs 70 crore for carrying out relief and rescue operations Gujarat, UK Secretary of State for International Development, Ms Clare Short said. A British High Commission statement said that three aircraft carrying 1200 tents and other shelter items were being flown to Gujarat from the UK. Australia has also increased its emergency assistance to the earthquake victims to 1.5 million Australian dollars (Rs.3.9
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Narmada dam in focus again AHMEDABAD, Jan 30 —The Bhuj quake, which occurred about 300 km from the Narmada valley, has once again brought the focus and fears about the Sardar Sarovar Project, as it is being constructed in one of the most seismically active zones of the country. Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel said work on the dam would continue. Enough care had been taken to prevent the dam from collapsing if an earthquake occurred, he added. The Narmada dam had not sustained any damage from the earthquake, state officials said. “There are no cracks in the dam. It is fine,” a spokesman for the Gujarat chief minister’s office, told The Tribune. The Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), however, expressing concern about the safety of building such a huge dam in a seismic active zone, has urged the government to reconsider its decision to increase the height of the dam. Baroda-based spokesperson for NBA Shripad
Dharmadhikary, said, “The Bhuj quake has again sent a warning signal to all those dam supporters to rethink and take measures now.” The Supreme Court had recently allowed the state government to increase the height of the dam up to 90 metres with immediate effect, and higher if necessary. The controversial projecting costing over Rs 18,000 crore is projected to benefit Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Mr Dharmadhikary said the apex court had not given any direction to the state governments to increase the height of the dam. It had only told the state government to go ahead with the project and it was for the government to take a policy decision on the issue. The Supreme Court order was not a unanimous view of the Bench. While two judges (Chief Justice A. S. Anand and Mr Justice B. N. Kripal) of the three- member bench gave their ruling in favour of the dam, Mr Justice S. P. Bharucha gave a dissenting order. He
said: ''environment studies have not been done properly and the norms of environment have been flouted totally. No proper research was done and new research needs to be done immediately.’’ Even the President, Mr K. R. Narayanan, in his address to the nation on the eve of Republic Day, indirectly joined the issue by calling for a transparent consultative process and for a judicial system that had respect for “the social commitments enshrined in our Constitution’’. The state government plans to increase the height of the dam to 135 metres, submerging large areas in the basin. The NBA spokesperson said if the dam was extended to 135 metres and a quake occurred it would be devastating for people of the area. Water stored in the dam would engulf nearly 230 villages downstream, encompassing parts of Baroda, Narmada and Bharuch districts and submerging them. Several chemical and industrial units were located in the region and it would result in an “unimaginable environmental catastrophe.” Since the dam fell in the fault zone, which meant it was seismologically very sensitive and geologically disturbed area, the reservoir induced seismicity (RIS) factor was of utmost concern, he said. RIS was a tectonic activity which was accelerated by a large mass or large body of water. RIS meant water that was stored and impounded seeped into the earth and changed the stress-regime. This pressure would facilitate tectonic movement and could trigger earthquakes. Prof Harsh Gupta, geologist with the National Geo-Physical Research Institute, in a scientific journal had written that the best known site of reservoir-induced
earthquake in the world was at Koyna in Maharashtra, where the largest known reservoir inducted quake of the magnitude of 6.3 on the Richter scale occurred and where tremors occurred regularly. He said there were a dozen other sites in the country vulnerable to RIS. Dr J. G. Negi, emeritus scientist at the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) in Hyderabad, in a scientific journal wrote that evidence did not show any direct relationship between earthquakes and dams. There were only four instances in support of “reservoir-induced earthquake” theory, and science had not yet been able to establish a concrete link between the two. |
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Quake-hit make calls free of cost NEW DELHI, Jan 30 — The government has roped in private telecom operators to restore communications network in quake-hit Gujarat on a war footing. Telecommunications have been partially restored in the industrial township of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, but there are still large parts of Gujarat that cannot be contacted through normal communications network. The Chairman of Telecom Commission, Mr Shyamal Ghosh convened a special meeting of telecom industry representatives late last evening to work out a detailed plan of collaboration between the private telecom companies and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited and the Government of Gujarat to provide communication links to the people. The industry representatives responded generously to help the victims of the earthquake by providing their expertise and equipment which includes setting up of mini telephone exchanges, public call offices, satellite phones, mobile hand sets, pager facilities, free Internet access and special web sites with helpline facilities. DoT is already coordinating massive operations to restore telecommunication links in the quake-affected areas of the state. It has deployed 22 satellite phone terminals to enable the people to make calls free do cost and monitor the status of telecommunication facilities in the state. People are also being allowed to make calls free do cost from the public call offices provided by BSNL at Bhuj and Gandhidham. The number of calls being made is over 5,000 per day. The optical fibre system which was dislocated has been restored connecting Bhuj, Bhachau, Gandhidham and Rajkot to the national network. A 256-line exchange has been installed at Anjar, Bhachau, Rapar, Gagodar, Mandavi, Mundra and Nakhatrama. At Naliya, a 1000-line C-DoT exchange has been installed. The cellular operators in Gujarat, Birla AT and T Communication Ltd. and Fascel have provided special helpline numbers to the people of Gujarat to send short messages from the state to any mobile subscriber in the country through their mobile network. The helpline number of Birla AT&T is 9824012345 and that of Fascel is 9825098250. The paging operators have provided unique nationwide number 9622030040 for providing details regarding relief measures. |
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Bhuj presents scene of decomposed bodies BHUJ, Jan 30 (PTI) — A stench of decomposed bodies pervades the quake-hit areas of Kutch, with badly disfigured bodies scattered around. The buildings which escaped the quake’s fury wear a haunted look as the scared survivors have chosen to stay out. The townships of Bhuj, Anjaar, Bachau and small demolished villages now fear epidemic attacks. The survivors of India’s most tragic calamity have taken up the job of extricating bodies from under the rubble and performing their last rites. The otherwise busy trading centre of Kutch will now take several years to recover from the scars inflicted upon it by the devastating earthquake. “I am not going to enter my house anymore. Every other second there is a tremor and a resultant crack in the wall, Mr
R.J. Palaria, Deputy Collector, Bhuj, said. Many echo similar fear and spend their days in make-shift tents outside their houses or in bylanes, braving the chilly weather. The region continues to be cut off telephonically from other parts of the country. However, officials of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited are trying to restore the service on a war footing. Gujarat Electricity Board officials have claimed that power would be restored in the region’s key areas within two or three days. The mass exodus of the rich and the poor continues relentlessly, with people and their belongings laden on trucks, tractors and any other mode of transport heading towards safer parts of the state. BHACHAU
(KUTCH) (UNI): Special rescue teams from Russia and Turkey are still looking for possible survivors in the huge mass of rubble in the town which has been virtually wiped off the face of the earth by the earthquake. In the past four days, more than 100 survivors have been rescued in Bhachau, 77 km from Bhuj, and some of the nearby villages. A one-month-old child was rescued on Sunday and an eight-month-old on Monday in the small town. Bhachau and Vondh village, barely 6 km away, give the worst reminders of the quake, with almost all houses flattened. Similar is the scene in other villages like Lodai, Adhoi, Lakhdia and Manpura. |
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Separate body for disasters mooted NEW DELHI, Jan 30 — The health ministry plans to set up a separate department for crisis management in view of the large-scale destruction caused by the earthquake in Gujarat even as it was bracing itself to tackle the outbreak of epidemics in Bhuj and other areas of the state. The proposed department would be an independent body in all aspects, including financial autonomy, so that it would be able to act fast in cases of disasters, Health Minister C P Thakur said today. Emphasising that there was a need to improve country’s disaster preparedness, the minister said the proposed body would purchase equipment and machinery to manage disasters. In the hour of crisis in Gujarat in the aftermath of quake in the country had to depend on equipment from other countries to remove huge debris of the buildings that collapsed on January 26. The proposed department would train people on managing disasters and train dogs and experts attached to the department would conduct scientific analysis to identify the quake-prone areas. Stating that no efforts were spared to treat the injured, Thakur said the ministry was gearing itself for treating cases of pneumonia, typhoid, gastroenteritis and filarial and malarial attacks. “Since the survivors are exposed to cold, pneumonia would be a likely fallout,” he said adding that bleaching powder, chlorine tablets and other medicines needed for containing the spread of epidemics were kept ready and would be despatched to the affected areas after getting a report from the state government. Dr Thakur said there was no dearth of drugs but carrying the material to the actual spot caused a problem. He conceded that there was shortage of equipment to detect the survivors trapped under the rubble with only some of the foreign teams armed with such equipment. The authorities were able to provide treatment to 20,000 injured people in Bhuj alone so far where the only Government hospital had crumbled. “The Army hospital and camp hospitals have done a wonderful job in providing treatment to the injured,” he said.
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Kandla highway damaged BHUJ, Jan 30 (PTI) — The earthquake in the Kutch region of north Gujarat has torn apart several stretches of national highway No. IV with cracks as big as eight by 20 feet. The 400-km highway from Ahmedabad to Kandla resembles badly bruised and bandaged length with the military trying to restore traffic with temporary repair. The Surajbari bridge, the only link to this town, has been repaired but still has large cracks and policemen keep a strict vigil on the traffic inflow. Heavy vehicles like buses and trucks are not allowed to pass through simultaneously and volunteers maintain a one way traffic flow. The administration has not yet taken up relief work in these far- flung areas nor have there been efforts to extricate the possibly trapped people. Several outlets of Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and
IBP have been destroyed but there are no reports of any damage to the underground storage tanks for petrol and diesel. The famous salt industrial area, adjacent to the nh-4 near Bhachau, has been
completely wiped out. Complexes of well-known salt companies like Indo Brands, Well Brands, Satyam, Western India and Ankur Salt Company Ltd have vanished with scores of unorganised labourers from Orissa, Kerala and Karnataka feared dead under the debris. |
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Rail link restored till Ratnala NEW DELHI, Jan 30 — With the restoration of rail link till Ratnala, about 20 km from Bhuj in Gujarat today, relief materials can now be sent by trains to quake-ravaged areas, official sources here said. Special trains are likely to run on the section and relief materials, Agriculture Secretary Bhaskar Barua told reporters here after a meeting of the Crisis Management Group (CMG). The power supply on the outskirts of Bhuj has been restored and communication facilities improved with more PCOs being set up in Bhuj, he said. Medical teams are reaching the interiors of Gujarat where 86 are already present and an equal number are on the way. There are 921 doctors and para-medical personnel in addition to 20,000 defence personnel involved on ground in relief and rescue operations. Mr Barua said 9,522 major surgeries have been performed so far and serious cases are being sent to Mumbai or Pune.
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Govt efforts lack coordination: Sonia NEW DELHI, Jan 30 — Congress president Sonia Gandhi today said that the government efforts in Gujarat lacked coordination and it was betraying “helplessness’’ in dealing with the massive human tragedy. Mrs Gandhi, who presided over a special steering committee meeting here this evening, said though people from all over the country were willing to help, they were not getting proper guidance from the government. The meeting lasting nearly three hours was attended by almost all CWC members besides several Congress Chief Ministers. Describing the Gujarat quake as a national catastrophe, Mrs Gandhi expressed sorrow and anguish over the massive loss of life and property in the quake-hit areas. The party has set up a control room at AICC office in Delhi that will coordinate rescue efforts with party’s control rooms in Bhuj and Ahmedabad as also with its state units that are contributing to the relief efforts in the earnest. All Congress MPs would contribute Rs 10 lakh from their respective constituency funds for the suffering people of Gujarat. Senior party leader Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the presiding officers of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha had appealed to the MPs to make contributions from constituency fund towards Gujarat rescue efforts and all Congress MPs would be sending their contributions soon. In addition, each party MP would contribute Rs 10,000 towards the Rajiv Gandhi National Welfare Trust which would send the money to the quake-hit people. While a similar contribution will be made by the PCC chiefs and CLP leaders, the party MLAs and MLCs would contribute Rs 5,000 each.
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Relief camp for
children NEW DELHI, Jan 30 — The SOS Children’s Villages of India has decided to set up a relief camp in Ahmedabad. The SOS emergency relief team would visit Bhuj and set up emergency transit camps for children. The organisation has offered to provide temporary care to children orphaned or separated from their family due to the earthquake. A local centre has been established in Ahmedabad which would be manned by SOS co-workers who are experts in child care and SOS mothers, who would provide emotional support to children to help them overcome the trauma of the disaster. |
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Confusion over death toll ANJAR, Jan 30 — As hundreds and thousands of people struggle to pick up pieces of their lives in the quake-devastated Gujarat, confusion prevails over the number of deaths in the aftermath of the calamity. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, while refusing to be drawn into the number-guessing exercise, observed that extreme caution should be undertaken in declaring the death toll. “We should neither exaggerate nor reduce the numbers”, he told newspersons during his brief stopover in the military base hospital in Bhuj on Monday. Defence Minister George Fernandes, on the other hand, has estimated that the killer tremor might claim in excess of 1,00,000 lives — a figure far beyond those quoted by various agencies at different points of time. A straight and simple head count, however, suggests that Mr Fernandes, may after all, be quoting the closest approximation to the actual death toll. Anjar, a nondescript township 42 km west of Bhuj, is a case in point. It was a city of approximately 40,000 people comprising largely small traders and merchants, besides migrant labour from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. The demographic balance of Anjar today stands totally nullified after the catastrophic tremor of January 26. Locals, whom this correspondent spoke to, claimed that about 30,000 people are still missing since the quake and the chances of their survival were virtually nil. “At least 30,000 are still missing. Obviously, they have not fled the town nor are they seen in relief camps. If someone is alive after four days, it would be a sheer miracle,” a visibly traumatised Shantibehn said in a choked voice. Thanking the Almighty for saving her and her family members as they managed to rush out of their building at the right moment, she hoped that the administration will extend some help in rehabilitating the survivors. Once a bubbling commercial town, Bhuj enjoying a population of 1,50,000 resembles a ghost town with corpses strewn all around and all dwelling units, barring an odd one, reduced to rubble, forcing the survivors to flee to nearby places of safety. The local authorities were tightlipped about the extent of loss of lives in the quake. “We would not be able tell that,” officials at the Collector’s office in Bhuj told The Tribune. Affected people, however, have different figures to narrate. “There are several cases where all the members of a family have died. Almost every family has lost two to three members”, locals said. “There are still a large number of people trapped under the debris,” Brig S P Mehla, who is overseeing the relief operations in the quake-ravaged military hospital in Bhuj, said. “Our top priority is to save as many lives as we can,” he said refusing to speculate on the death toll. |
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Little girl’s big
tale of fortitude AHMEDABAD, Jan 30 (PTI) — The tale of fortitude shown by a seven-year-old girl of quake-hit Bhachau in Kutch district is on everybody’s lips here. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee heard the big tale of little Foram Thakkar on a visit to the Civil Hospital here. When a concrete slab fell on the right hand of her father Maheshbai Thakkar, who had just recovered from a brain injury in a road accident, Foram pulled him out and guided him to safety amidst crumbling
masonry. She then kept encouraging him to walk miles for a transport to Ahmedabad, ignoring fatigue and sore feet. When Mr Vajpayee walked to the bed where Foram lay and asked “who had done it?” she replied: “I am not aware”. |
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Mother’s lap
saved him BHUJ (Kutch), Jan 30 (UNI) — Last Friday’s earthquake here has had its share of miracles in its trail of devastation. As rows of buildings were razed to the ground killing and maiming thousands, a number of small babies were rescued without a scratch from underneath the pile of rubble in various worst-affected areas. But the case of an eight-month-old Murtaza Ali in Bhuj, the epicentre of the ravage, belies belief. Murtaza was rescued by a team of BSF personnel, 81 hours after the quake struck, in the Gora Noor Fali area of old Bhuj town last evening from the lap of his mother’s badly decomposed body. His father’s body was lying by the side. Personnel of 1011 BSF Arty Regiment, who had been scanning for the possible survivors in the area rendered inaccessible by the mound of debris, retrieved the baby with minor scratches around 5.30 p.m. The BSF men heard some sound akin to the crying of a cat while rummaging through the remains of the building. That led the team under Deputy Commandant Diwakar Kumar to Murtaza who was found under the arms of his mother’s highly decomposed body. “Murtaza was perhaps breast-feeding when the quake struck.... His mother’s body had decayed and there were insects all over. Probably Murtaza had also fed on the blood oozing out of his mother’s head,” Diwakar told a UNI correspondent who was present in the area when the baby was brought to a makeshift medical camp. Stains of blood were found in Murtaza’s mouth though there were no injuries. |
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Engineers flouted codes: scientist BANGALORE, Jan 30 (PTI) — One reason cited for the spiralling Bhuj earthquake death toll is that the affected areas had several high-rise buildings which were not designed to be earthquake-resistant. A senior scientist at the Civil Engineering Department of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has called for improved construction methods using quality material and earthquake-resistant designs for multi-storeyed buildings to prevent devastation in such events. Blaming construction engineers and builders for ignoring and flouting codes laid down by the Bureau of Indian Standards, Prof K. S. Jagadish said there was an urgent need to tutor them in earthquake-resistant designs for multi-storeyed buildings. The major reasons for building collapses during an earthquake were the brittle concrete and masonry materials used and the faulty construction designs by engineers. Ductile concrete reinforcement or confinement reinforced structuring could cost about 20 per cent more than the present construction costs, but the benefits in terms of safety were high, Professor Jagadish said. He suggested an alternative method of using steel reinforcement instead of concrete with plaster, as steel could bend without breaking and could prevent walls from collapsing under strain. Ferro-cement technology was also another option for improved construction work. This technique involves using chicken mesh and welding cement mortar cast over them. Professor Jagadish said quake-prone countries like Japan and the USA had done research on advanced technologies to support buildings during an earthquake. He said these countries developed giant hydraulic jacks at the base of the building structure which were automatically operated to counter violent building movements during earthquakes. “But these are extremely costly projects and will not suit Indian conditions”, he said. Referring to introduction of ductile materials and steel reinforced structures with additional ferro-cement technological features, he said: “These have not come into vogue in our country, despite codes laid down about them. And in some cases, though engineers have used good material, the design is not conducive to withstand big earthquakes”. Prof Jagadish, who developed low-cost housing technique a few years ago, said the IISc’s Civil Engineering Department was presently working on developing earthquake-safety construction features for low-cost single-storied buildings. |
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Advani heads group on relief NEW DELHI, Jan 30 — For extending more focussed and speedy relief to the quake-affected victims of Gujarat, an Empowered Group of Ministers (GoMs) has been constituted under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister L.K. Advani. The Defence Minister, Finance Minister, Railway Minister, Agriculture Minister, Power Minister, Public Distribution System Minister, Textile Minister, Consumers Affairs Minister and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission will be members of the group, an official spokesperson told newspersons here today. The terms of reference of the GoMs would be to consider the report of the Crisis Management Group (CMG) and give such directions as considered appropriate. It will decide all action necessary to provide immediate relief to quake-affected people, to consider measures necessary for relief and rehabilitation of the affected people and restoration of infrastructure damaged in the quake and to consider long-term institutional and organisational measures that were necessary for management and mitigation of such natural calamities. |
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AIIMS
building develops cracks New Delhi, Jan 30—The earthquake on Republic Day, which rocked the Gujarat region, has left a minor impact in the national capital too. Two of the well-known buildings here, the All-India Institute of Medical Science’s
(AIIMS) building in South Delhi and the Delhi Police Headquarters building in the heart of the capital, have developed minor cracks due to the quake that lasted for about 20 seconds. “Minor superficial cracks have appeared in the building of AIIMS after the earthquake tremors jolted Delhi on Republic Day,” sources said. The 40-year-old AIIMS is one of the most sought-after hospitals in the country. When contacted, Chief Protocol Officer B. K. Dash said a team of engineers had inspected the entire hospital after the quake and they did not notice any visible cracks in the structure. On the other hand, some visible cracks had been noticed in the 13-storeyed Delhi Police Headquarters. The cracks had occurred in the fourth floor and above, the sources said. According to a senior police official, the entire building will be surveyed by experts to assess whether any repairs are needed and that the building is safe. The building also houses the office of the Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department. |
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Shelter built for quake-hit animals BHACHAU, Jan 30 (PTI) — While human beings are crying for relief, a local organisation has set up a shelter to provide aid to animals in the interior of Bhachau, which has been completely erased from the political map of Kutch district. Over 10,000 cows and bulls have been provided shelter by the Tamji Mahajan Trust under its “Bhachau Panjrapol” (animal shelter), which has a capacity to house only 3,000 animals. “We are expecting at least 6,000 more animals here, including goats and sheep in the coming days”, said Shakha Bhai Wadaj, a caretaker at the shelter. According to unconfirmed reports, around 3,000 domestic animals are feared dead and over 50,000 seriously injured.
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Change MP fund norms: Heptullah NEW DELHI, Jan 30—A change in the guidelines on the use of Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) can enable Parliamentarians to contribute hundreds of crore of rupees for relief work in earthquake-hit Gujarat. The Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Dr Najma Heptullah, and the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr Pramod Mahajan ,have taken the lead in the matter and have urged the government to change the guidelines on the use of MPLADS. Existing guidelines permit an MP to commit up to Rs 10 lakh of the Rs 2 crore allotted to them annually for development work outside their constituency. Making the suggestion to change the guideline, Dr Heptullah in a letter to the government said the guidelines should be suitably amended to facilitate donations by MPs to Gujarat in view of the grave calamity. Dr Heptullah, who was the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha committee on the MPLADS, said she was donating Rs1 crore out of her annual MPLAD fund for the relief work in earthquake hit areas of Gujarat. She had also written to MPs to make similar contributions to overcome the effects of the huge calamity. Dr Manmohan Singh, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, and other members had agreed to contribute substantially, her office said. The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs also made similar suggestions to Dr Heptullah and to Mr B.B. Ramaiah, Chairman, Committee on MPLADS, Lok Sabha. In the same letter, the minister committed to contribute his entire MPLADS fund of Rs 2 crore for 2000-2001 to the Gujarat Government once the change came into effect. Mr Mahajan said the initiative could lead to the possibility of generating Rs 500 crore from the Members of the Rajya Sabha alone. It also provided the Lok Sabha Members the opportunity to disperse their available share under the given scheme for facilitating relief work in Gujarat. |
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Hindujas’ plea reserved till tomorrow NEW DELHI, Jan 30 — The Central Bureau of Investigation today opposed the plea of the Hinduja brothers before the designated court to allow them to travel abroad even as the special court reserved till Thursday orders on the European-based industrialists’ applications. Special Judge Ajit Bharihoke reserved his verdict on the applications of the three brothers —London-based Srichand P. Hinduja and Gopichand P. Hinduja and Geneva-based Prakash P. Hinduja — after hearing them and the CBI. The Judge also fixed the next date of hearing on the case for March 19. The CBI maintained that the three Hinduja brothers had been evasive during the interrogation over nine days in regard to their alleged involvement in the Bofors payoff case. Filing a progress report of the interrogation done so far, CBI counsel N. Natrajan said all three accused were foreign nationals and once allowed to go abroad, securing their presence during the trial would be difficult. He urged that in case they are allowed to go abroad, then the court should put appropriate conditions to secure their presence during the trial. While agreeing to comply with any kind of condition put by the court for permitting them to go abroad, counsel for Hindujas took strong exception to the CBI stand saying, “Nothing could be farther from truth to say that the three brothers were evasive during the questioning”. “They cooperated and answered all kinds of questions during the nine-day long grilling and the investigating agency has nothing more to know from them,” their counsel Rajinder Singh said. Mr Srichand Hinduja later told newspersons, “The CBI did not present the correct picture before the judge. We were grilled for nine days and we answered all kinds of questions from the investigating agency to the best of our ability. They told us that there was nothing more they wanted to know from us and now they say that we were evasive.” The Hindujas’ counsel said the CBI’s apprehension was not based on facts as the three brothers came to
India to face trial voluntarily without even getting summons and went through the questioning honouring the court’s direction. “The Hinduja brothers were among the first to avail themselves of the People of Indian Origin (PIO) scheme floated by the Indian Government so that they could come to India without even using their British passports,” counsel said and added this also should be counted by the court before deciding on their plea for going out of the country. The brothers said their long absence from their headquarters at London was adversely affecting their global business, running into billions of dollars, and expressed their keenness to get back. “The request is to go back to our normal avocation and home,” the brothers said adding, “We will be available for all future requirements of the court.” |
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Security beefed up around
police HQ NEW DELHI, Jan 30 — Security has been strengthened around the Delhi Police
headquarters (PHQ) following the threat by Lashkar-e-Toiba that it may attack vital installations in the Capital. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Headquarters) T.N. Mohan said the security had been strengthened and lights had been installed in front side of the
PHQ building in wake of the threat given by Lashkar-e-Toiba. A senior police official said the Delhi Police had received specific intelligence inputs that Lashkar militant now would target PHq, ISBTs and other crowded places in the Capital. The police received information before the Republic Day celebrations that four militants — Ejaz Rasool alias Dinesh Sharma, Hashim Begh, Usman and Sikandar — had sneaked into the Capital to carry out attacks to disrupt the RD celebrations. |
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Celeste to
continue for time being NEW DELHI, Jan 30 —Washington has asked current US Ambassador Richard F. Celeste to continue on his post till his successor is named. “Newly appointed Secretary of State Colin Powell has asked me to stay put until a successor is appointed,” Mr Celeste said here last night. Mr Celeste, who was appointed by the previous regime of Mr Bill Clinton, was set to return in accordance with the US convention after a new administration took over early this month, but the Bush dispensation urged him to continue, understressing the “importance” of the bilateral ties. The Ambassador said that the President, Mr George W. Bush, had authorised him to contribute $ 100,000 to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund, in addition to the $ 5 million made available to India for relief work among the victims of Gujarat earthquake. |
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Ten hurt in
mob attack
NASIK, Jan 30 (UNI) — Curfew has been clamped in some parts of Bhadrakali from midnight tonight till 7.00 a.m. tomorrow after miscreants set fire to three houses and two auto rickshaws in the night. According to the police, members of a particular community started throwing stones on vehicles, houses and shops in Dwaraka area after anti-encroachment department removed the illegal construction, including a wall compound, and wall of one religious place with the help of the police in the Rajivnagar area today. More than hundreds of vehicles including truck, state buses, city buses, auto rickshaw and private luxury buses were damaged in stone throwing. The mob also set fire to some houses and auto rickshaw and cars in the Nanawati and Kathada areas tonight. The fire brigade rushed to the spot to take control of the situation, but the angry mob attacked the fire brigade personnel. About five fire brigade personnel, including their station master, were injured. A total of about 10 persons, including one Anil Deshmukh,five fire brigade soldiers and three policemen were injured. The police have arrested seven person in this connection. |
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Kolkata book fair
from today KOLKATA, Jan 30 — The 26th Kolkata International Book fair organised by Publishers and Booksellers Guild was formally opened this evening with a sad note of mourning for the thousands of victims of the devastating earthquake in Gujarat. It will, however, be open to the public from tomorrow till
February 11. The new millennium’s first book fair, the theme being “India”, was inaugurated by Mr Pere Vicens, President, International Publishers
Association, Geneva, with an assurance from the publishers and booksellers to contribute generously to the earthquake affected people. Renowned Oriya writer Sitakanta Mahapatra, also Chairman, National Book Trust, was the chief guest while West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattachryya was the guest of honour, among hundreds of other eminent dignitaries, litterateurs and booklovers. Over 70 publishers, including several from France, UK, USA, Holland, Brazil, Cuba, Columbia, Panama, Afro-Asian countries, ILO and Bangladesh and over two dozen news papers and news agencies are taking part. The daily entry fee has been fixed at Rs 3. There are 572 general book stalls and 174 for little magazines getting their place in the grounds at the crossing of Park Street and Chowringhee Square. |
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HC discharges
Sukh Ram NEW DELHI, Jan 30 — The Delhi High Court today exonerated former Communication Minister Sukh Ram from corruption charges in the Rs 1.6 crore telecom equipment deal. Mr Justice R.S. Sodhi also discharged co-accused Runu Ghosh and Patalu Rama Rao of the charges framed by special CBI Judge Ajit Bharihoke under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Mr Sukh Ram and the co-accused had filed a revision petition in the high court contending that there was no sufficient ground made out by the CBI against them. The CBI had chargesheeted Mr Sukh Ram for the alleged favours shown by him to Patalu Rama Rao’s firm in the purchase of telecom equipment. However, the high court found Mr Sukh Ram’s decision as bona fide. The decision to grant a higher price to the firm was taken because the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) had earlier purchased the same equipment from Patalu Rama Rao’s firm at a higher price, the high court said. The DoT was operating under the same tender and hence the price could not have been reduced, it said. Mr Sukh Ram’s counsels Anil Nag and Anand Prakash also contended during hearings that the decision was based on rational grounds and as such no motive could be attributed to it. Meanwhile, in a statement issued here, Mr Sukh Ram said his stand had been vindicated by the judicial pronouncements and the verdict of the people. |
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Water being sold illegally HANUMANGARH, Jan 30 — With the water supply from various canals getting fixed in turns resulting in danger to the survival of the crops the practice of illegal selling of water by big cultivators is adding to the woes of small farmers. The issuing of tubewell connections in abundance by the Electricity Department has become a new source of income for some. With the supply of water from canals getting fixed in turns in the area, this business is flourishing. Under the fodder production and other special schemes the Electricity Department has issued 666 tubewell connections. Where the department has allotted connections in a large number no regular raids are conducted. The result is that the water is sold illegally at large from these connections. According to information, advantage of the taking fodder production scheme and other special schemes, big tenants got tubewell connections issued but they do not produce fodder from these. Instead, they are busy selling water from these. As the amount of electricity bills for these connections is fixed these big cultivators are misusing the facility by selling water from these connections to small farmers. During times, when the water level in the canals is low water is sold at a rate of Rs 50 per hour. But these days the rate has doubled and now the water is sold at Rs 100 per hour. Sources in the Agriculture Department said a survey conducted by the department revealed the production of fodder was not up to the level it should be, considering the number of tubewell connections issued under the fodder production scheme. There has been no action against the guilty as the Electricity Department seldom conducts any raid and the big cultivators are making full use of the situation. Members of the vigilance staff of the Electricity Department revealed no step had been taken in any area from the past two months because in the rural areas electricity supply was not regular and when they ventured to take any action against the culprits they had to face resentment. The department, however, says the practice is totally illegal as farmers own use water only in their fields and selling of water is incorrect.
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Meagre relief for
famine-hit areas HANUMANGARH, Jan 30 — Relief operations started by the administration in the famine affected areas in the district are proving inadequate as very few are getting the benefits. In Bhadra tehsil in the district, 154 villages are reeling under the famine, but the relief operations have been started in six villages only. Crops have been damaged badly. In 97 villages, the damage to crops is 75 to 100 per cent, whereas 40 villages of the tehsil record 50 to 74 per cent damage. The people are disappointed with the relief schemes. The administration has declared relief operations costing Rs 7,50,000 under which 100 labourers are to be given employment daily but this is only a small proportion of the total famine affected population of the area. Construction of a primary school has been started at Dobhi village. The expenditure incurred on this project is Rs 50,000 and 10 labourers have been assigned the job. In Kunji village, 10 labourers have been assigned for digging a lake and the project costs about Rs 1 lakh. Employment is to be provided to 30 and 10 persons, respectively, in Malaisar and Ramgodhia villages. The relief announced by the administration is insufficient as compared to the magnitude of the destruction. Villagers are going from pillar to post in search of employment.
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Jaswant leaves for
Syria, Egypt NEW DELHI, Jan 30 — As part of the Vajpayee government’s determined bid to strengthen ties with West Asia and Africa, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh today left on a four-day official visit to Syria and Egypt.
The ongoing Middle East peace process will figure prominently during Mr Jaswant Singh’s wide-ranging discussions with the Syrian and Egyptian leadership, a spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs said here. The External Affairs Minister, who was recently in Saudi Arabia, has been assiduously building and strengthening traditional ties with the Arab and African countries. |
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Indo-Japan group meeting ends NEW DELHI, Jan 30 — The first meeting of the Indo-Japan Eminent Persons Group (EPG) concluded its deliberations today, making significant suggestions which will be considered by the leadership of the two countries during Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s visit to Japan next month.
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Jeweller robbed of pearls Congress MP passes away Punjabi author Sarna dead 8 ultras killed in Manipur Probe ordered into
ill-treatment case Venue chosen for Meghalaya
session |
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