S P O T L I G H T

MP Pollution Board dissolved
Bhopal, February 28
The Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB) has been dissolved. The state government has issued a notification to this effect in exercise of the powers conferred upon it under Section 62 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974. An official statement said the Principal Secretary to the Department of Housing and Environment will perform the functions of the board for one year or till the reconstitution of the board, whichever is earlier. This was necessitated by the arrest of board Chairman V. K. Jain by the Special Police Establishment of the Lokayukta organisation on corruption charges. There is no provision for the suspension or removal of the Chairman of the board in such circumstances. On remand with the Lokayukta police Mr Jain is at present being interrogated in connection with the recovery of unaccounted wealth, said to be worth over Rs 3 crore, from his various residences. Member-Secretary of the dissolved board G.D. Agrawal is suspected to have helped Mr Jain in his underhand dealings. FOC

Envoy tenders apology
Tokyo, February 28
The USA’s special envoy to Japan today met and apologised to the kin of nine persons missing after the accident, in which a US military submarine sank a Japanese trawler. “I am here to request, in the most humble and sincere manner, that you accept the apology of the people of the USA and of its navy, as the personal representative of President Bush,” Admiral William Fallon told the kin of the missing people. AFP