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March 12, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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TMC, Cong reach pact with AIADMK NDA secular: Karunanidhi Shourie dares Jogi on Balco Disinvestment to continue: PM |
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BJD MPs plan cut motions on rail Budget Money, muscle power
‘eroding’ CPM base EC meeting on poll arrangements today Marandi faces dissidence Govt refutes reports on FMD Subdued note marks Holi, 1 dies in Jaunpur MP liquor baron held, remanded 7 Cong activists hacked to death Poll agent can’t
pass the buck: SC 14 of marriage
party killed
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TMC, Cong reach pact with AIADMK Chennai, March 11 The agreement signed by TMC President G.K. Moopanar and AIADMK General Secretary J. Jayalalitha on Saturday night provides for 47 seats for the TMC-Congress combine and was formally announced to the media by Mr Moopanar yesterday. Mr Moopanar was authorised by the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) on Friday to negotiate the agreement with the AIADMK and sign an accord. The Congress which had been seeking 15 seats might be allotted 12 seats, TMC sources said. An agreement regarding Pondicherry remained elusive since the Congress heading the coalition government there now, wanted a principal party status and the Chief Ministership if the alliance won, while Ms Jayalalitha had earlier signed an accord with the PMK providing for Chief Ministership.
UNI |
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Cong to fight
ADMK in Pondicherry New Delhi, March 11 “We will have no truck with the PMK in Pondicherry. We are part of the AIADMK alliance in Tamil Nadu where the PMK is a junior partner,” chief spokesman for the Congress, Mr S. Jaipal Reddy, told reporters here. “We can’t share power with the PMK in Pondicherry because of the PMK’s pro-LTTE philosophy,” he said. Defending the Congress’ tie-up with the AIADMK-led front in Tamil Nadu in which the PMK was also an alliance partner, Mr Reddy said: “In Tamil Nadu it (PMK) is not a senior partner. The government will be formed by the AIADMK and not the PMK.”  |
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NDA secular: Karunanidhi Madurai, March 11 He was talking to newspersons at the airport here on his arrival from Chennai to participate in various programmes, including the ongoing fourth state-level conference of temple priests. Answering a question on the AIADMK-led front projecting itself as a secular front, he claimed that the front was cheating the minorities by claiming itself as secular. Asked if the present seat-sharing in the
DMK-led front for the coming Assembly elections in the state would be concluded without any problem, he said talks were on with the alliance partners.
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Shourie dares Jogi on Balco New Delhi, March 11 Denying Mr Jogi’s allegation of corruption in selling 51 per cent government stake in Bharat Aluminium Company (Balco) to Sterlite Industries for Rs 551.5 crore, Mr Shourie asked the public to write letters to the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) to force him seek proof of charges of corruption in the disinvestment of Balco from Chhattisgarh Chief Minister. “If Jogi comes out with names, these officers will haul him to courts for defamation. In my opinion, the government should assist these officers to fight such baseless allegations,” Mr Shourie said in a programme on a private television channel. “Its the duty of the CVC to implement the Prevention of Corruption Act,” he said adding that disinvestment process would be cleaned of such controversies and would be further strengthened. He warned that unnecessary delay in the process of disinvestment would prove costly to the nation. On the Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL), he said today there were six more gateways apart from the VSNL and by March, 2002, monopoly of the VSNL in international telephony would end and then no company would be interested in buying it. Asked about selling the so-called crown jewels of Air India and Indian airlines, the minister said none of the international airlines were willing to take over the “headache” of operating 23 airplanes with a staff of 18,000. Mr Shourie said “this whole business that the public sector is discharging a social responsibility by running in losses is just not founded in truth. Getting aggressive strategic partners into these companies is probably the only way left today to save the jobs of persons.” “The Industrial Dispute Act had enough safeguards for providing job security to employees in private companies. No one can just throw out (of the organisation) employees,” he said adding that trade unions were being misguided about the whole issue of job security in private companies. Denying that most disinvestment decisions were being made in secrecy, he said the disinvestment policy had been discussed in both Houses of Parliament seven times and in the last two sessions itself more than 320 questions had been answered. The whole process of disinvestment in public sector undertakings was being done in most transparent and accountable way and records of every deal would be put before the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, he added.
PTI |
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Disinvestment to continue: PM Bangalore, March 11 “No no, it will continue’’, he told newspersons on arrival from Delhi when asked whether disinvestment would suffer a setback in wake of the Balco controversy. The decision to disinvest in the Bharat Aluminium Company (Balco) in favour of Sterlite had sparked a controversy with the Centre and the Chhattisgarh Government locked in a war of attrition, besides the employees going on agitation. The Supreme Court, acting on an urgent interim application moved by the Centre, has directed the Chattisgarh Government to give full protection to workers wanting to join at its Korba plant even as the BJP warned Chief Minister Ajit Jogi that the Centre could recover the losses suffered by the Balco from the state grants if he continued his “irresponsible’’ attitude towards the ongoing strike. Mr Jogi had declared that the state government was considering moving the Apex court over the management’s threat to declare a lockout if the striking employees did not resume work. Answering another question as to whether the states had been warned not to meddle with industries in which the Centre had made investments, he said no warning had been given. The Supreme Court had taken some steps and they would have to be implemented. The Prime Minister skirted questions on Indo-Pak and ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir stating that the Parliament was in session. Asked as to why the Centre had not followed up extension of ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir with political initiatives, he said, “the Parliament is in session, I don’t want to be hauled for breach of privilege’’. When a reporter sought his reaction on the reported suggestion for resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue, he said: “I will say tomorrow in the house.’’
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BJD MPs plan cut motions on rail Budget New Delhi, March 11 “BJP MPs are ready with cut motions after holding several rounds of discussion among ourselves. We will give notice for moving it in the House at the appropriate time”, BJD sources said here tonight. Asked to name the MPs, who are planning to move the motion, the sources declined to give such details and simply said, “Many of the 10 party MPs are ready to give notice for it”. When contacted, one of the MPs confirmed the move and said the strategy to be adopted on the floor of the House during discussion on the rail Budget would be finalised tomorrow after all members return here from their constituencies after the festival holidays. He said BJP President and Chief Minister Naveen
Patnaik, who had been asked by MPs to decide whether to continue in the NDA government, was likely to come here tomorrow to hold consultations with the party MPs on the issue.
PTI |
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Money, muscle power
‘eroding’ CPM base Kolkata, March 11 Mr Bhattacharyya regretted that the values and ethics in politics nowadays had been eroded because of money and muscle power and the CPM was no exception. “But we want those unwanted elements who are damaging the party to quit,” he added. Mr Bhattacharyya is confident that the CPM-led Left Front government would once again come to power in the state. Later, talking to mediapersons at the Calcutta Press Club, Mr Bhattacharyya said he had asked for additional force from the Centre for ensuring a peaceful election in the forthcoming state Assembly poll. The Chief Election Commissioner, Mr M.S. Gill, will meet the Chief Election Officers of the four different states (West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and Tamil Nadu) and Union Territory of Pondicherry in New Delhi tomorrow. Mr Bhattacharyya said there was no alternative to the Left Front which could provide a better government. “We had worked for the welfare of the people and would continue to do so after coming to power”, he added. The Marxist leader’s interview was virtually an admission of their mistakes committed in the past. He admitted that they committed mistake by disallowing induction of the computers in the government offices and private sector companies, which had invariably delayed the progress of the state. Mr Bhattacharyya admitted that they committed a mistake a by supporting Morarji Desai as well as Mr V.P. Singh to form the government at the Centre with the BJP as their partner. The CPM leader admitted that the division and dissension in the party had now come in the forefront and there were many indisciplined leaders and workers which were somewhat unthinkable in the past when Mr Promode Dasgupta was in power. |
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EC meeting on poll arrangements today New Delhi, March 11 The meeting will be attended by the Chief Secretaries, Home Secretaries, Directors-General of Police and Chief Electoral Officers of these states, EC sources said. While Chief Election Commissioner, M.S. Gill would preside over the meeting, the Election Commissioners and other senior officials would also be present. The day-long meeting would have two sessions with the Election Commissioners meeting the senior government officials in the morning and the Chief Electoral Officers in the afternoon to discuss the poll arrangements. The meeting would also take stock of the law and order situation in the states, deployment of forces and poll personnel and review of the issue of photo identity cards. It would also discuss the possible election dates, taking into account various factors such as school and college examinations, local festivals besides the availability of paramilitary forces. The EC would also hold a meeting with the Union Home Secretary Mr Kamal Pande before finalising the dates. |
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Marandi faces dissidence Ranchi, March 11 Allies of the NDA have mounted pressure on the Chief Minister to make him bow to their demands. Their main demand seems to emanate out of their displeasure over the bureaucracy not submitting to their diktats. The Excise Minister, Mr Ramesh Singh Munda, has written to the Chief Minister that the departmental Secretary and Commissioner do not pay heed to his orders and requests. Mr Munda has threatened that if the Chief Minister does not take concrete steps to solve the problem, all Samata party MLAs will withdraw support from the government. Mr Munda claims to have the support of 12 ministers of the Marandi government. The All-Jharkhand Students’ Union’s Sudesh Mahato, who is holding Road Construction Department, too is said to be in the dissident’s camp. The Urban Development Minister, Mr Bachcha Singh, is sore over the Chief Secretary not allowing the person he wanted on a key post. |
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Govt refutes reports on FMD New Delhi, March 11 “It will be illogical to conclude that the outbreak of FMD, which affects cloven-footed animals, in Britain occurred due to entry of virus from India even though the strain isolated may be related to an Indian strain of 1990,” Animal Husbandry Commissioner Dr V.K. Taneja told PTI. He said though the “so called Pan Asia” FMD virus type-O had been isolated in 1990 in northern India, the isolation of a similar strain has been reported in other countries including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Taiwan, China, Korea and Japan. Regarding factors contributing to the spread of the disease, Dr Taneja said the virus had the capability of transmission from animal to animal, infected bedding, meat, milk, semen, water, human beings and even wind. “The spread of the virus, therefore, takes its own course under different conditions available in different countries mostly related with trade, animal movement and disposal of waste”, he said. Both Dr Taneja and Dr A.K. Mukhopadhyay, National Project Coordinator of the National Project for Rinderpest Eradication, said the virus could travel from any corner of the globe with liberalised trade and rapid globalisation. “It is not fair to level insinuation against India just because a virus strain found in Britain relates to one isolated here,” they said. EU veterinary experts have banned all live animal transport for two weeks to prevent the spread of the FMD epidemic from Britain. The EU Standing Veterinary Committee (SVC) also extended a ban to March 27 on British exports of animals, meat and dairy products, and banned animal markets throughout the EU for “at least a week.” Dr Taneja said complete eradication of FMD, which does not involve heavy mortality rate but causes high morbidity among cattle and other animals, would involve a gigantic nationwide campaign and huge investment. He said the disease leads to considerable decline in productivity among cattle but was unable to gauge the magnitude of loss suffered on this count. Dairy industry sources, however, claim that according to conservative estimates the country loses about Rs 10,000 crore per annum because of the disease which lowers milk production, reduces the performance of draught animals and causes slump in export of animal products. Citing heavy economic loss caused by the FMD, they strongly favour vaccination of all animals, including cows, buffaloes, goats, sheep, and pigs, through a national drive similar to the pulse polio campaign. Such a campaign, experts and scientists said, would require massive efforts and a very large number of doses involving an expenditure of over Rs 600 crore annually over the next four to five years.
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Subdued note marks Holi, 1 dies in Jaunpur New Delhi, March 11 However, the festivities were on a subdued note following Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Home Minister L.K. Advani’s decision not to celebrate Holi, as a mark of solidarity with the Gujarat people who suffered largescale death and destruction in the January 26 quake. Muslims also took part in the celebrations with their Hindu brethren with enthusiasm expressing Hindu-Muslim harmony. However, the usual fun and frolic was missing in Rajasthan, affected by severe drought and famine for the third consecutive year. A lesser number of people joined in the festivities in urban and rural areas alike, reports received in Jaipur said. The unique event of playing Holi by groups of people stoning each other at Bheeludi tribal village in Dungarpur district was also subdued as the famine-hit area attracted lesser people. Jaunpur: One person was killed and six injured in a Holi-related incident in the district yesterday, the police said on Saturday. Trouble started with two persons picking up a fight under the influence of liquor while playing Holi at Dharnchanpur village, near here, which later led to a free-for-all in which one person was killed and six injured, SP Ram Singh said. The injured were hospitalised, Mr Singh added. Ahmedabad: People in Gujarat on Saturday added a little colour to their lives on Holi, but revellery was missing from the first festival after the January 26 killer quake.
PTI, UNI |
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MP liquor baron held, remanded Bhopal, March 11 The proprietor of the Som group of industries, Mr Arora is the 14th person to be arrested in connection with the attack on IT officers. Four more persons are still absconding. Mr Arora, who was once literally dictating the Digvijay Singh government on excise matters, was grilled by the police for over six hours on Wednesday reportedly in a farm house on the outskirts of Bhopal. In the early hours yesterday, he was admitted to the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) of a government-run hospital. Mr Arora was taken to the court yesterday on a stretcher complete with drips etc. Mr Arora and his group of industries had hogged the headlines last year for submitting a fake draft for Rs 3 crore as deposit for the auction of liquor shops in Raipur. Though the case was handed over to the CBI for investigation, the high-ups in the Digvijay Singh government reportedly helped out Mr Arora. Only some of his minions were arrested. Early this year the IT Department raided various premises of Mr Arora and was said to have recovered a large number of incriminating documents. As the IT officers were leaving with the documents around 3 a.m., they were ambushed by more than a dozen persons who attacked them and snatched the documents from them. A small-time liquor vendor, Mr Arora first came to limelight during the BJP regime when he befriended the then Chief Minister, Mr Sunderlal Patwa, with the ambition of putting the House of Kedias out of business. The Kedias had for long had a near-monopoly of the liquor business in Madhya Pradesh. Mr Arora started with a beer factory and received ample cooperation from Mr Patwa and the bureaucracy to give a concrete shape to his dreams. As Mr Patwa’s regime was short-lived Mr Arora drew closer to Mr Digvijay Singh, considered as cash hungry as Mr Patwa, Mr Arora’s business escalated from beer to whiskeys and rums; he became the benami owner of all liquor shops in Bhopal and these shops sold nothing but the Som products. When there was a public outcry, the shops did start selling some other brands also, but there was a general complaint from the consumers that these brands did not have the same taste. |
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7 Cong activists hacked to death Hyderabad, March 11 The attack by lorry-borne rivals came when a group of 10 Congress activists were proceeding in a jeep to a police station in Durgi village as they were on conditional bail in a murder case. The victims were chased and hacked to death even as some of them desperately tried to escape running across the farm fields, the police said here. The lorry, carrying TDP supporters, rammed into the jeep at Atmakurubodu, about 120 km from Guntur town, and before the occupants could gather their wits, the assailants, armed with axes and sickles, jumped out of their vehicle and attacked them. The leader of the Congress group Mr J. Sambi Reddy (42) and his son Mr Kosireddy (20), died on the spot while three others —Mr K.Narayan Reddy, Mr P. Pedanagireddy and Mr K.Nagi Reddy, — who ran for safety into the nearby fields, were chased and done to death, the police said. Another two persons Mr N. Balavenkat Reddy and Mr P. Venkat Reddy succumbed to their injuries in a hospital at Macherla. The condition of three others, was serious, the police said, adding that a long-standing faction feud, within a family at Veldurthi village in the district, was the motive behind the attack.
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Poll agent
can’t pass the buck: SC New Delhi, March 11 The Bench comprising Chief Justice A.S. Anand, Mr Justice R.C. Lahoti and Mr Justice Shivaraj V. Patil gave this ruling while upholding the election of a Maharashtra MLA during a by-election held in 1996. “Those indulging in corrupt practices at an election cannot be spared and allowed to pollute the election process and this purpose is sought to be achieved by these provisions contained in the Representation of People’s Act,” Mr Justice Patil said writing the judgement for the Bench.
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14 of marriage
party killed Giridih (Jharkhand), March 11 Deputy Commissioner Satyendra Singh said 13 persons died on the spot and another person in hospital. He said the accident occurred when the driver lost control over the vehicle. The injured were admitted to hospitals. The bus was en route to Mahutarh from Tegojori. Senior administrative and police officials had rushed to the spot.
UNI
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