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March 24, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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PM: Oppn should observe limits MPs: review arms purchase modes Tehelka tapes doctored: Advani Laxman to keep off executive meeting Parliament adjourned, to meet on April 16 |
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Vincent got Rs 3.82 cr from abroad: CBI North India In Parliament Order on Hindujas’ plea reserved
Judicial probe ordered into Siwan incident Ayodhya issue: Joshi blames Cong, Left Holy book burnt in AP town, 3 held M’rashtra Oppn seeks minister’s dismissal Oppn viewpoint ignored: CPM Controversy over privileges to Basu 6 police stations to
follow UN norms DC visits tehsils to check water supply
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PM: Oppn should observe limits New Delhi, March 23 Accusing the Opposition of spreading bitterness, the Prime Minister said: “Aaj sachmuch maryada ka sankat hai...kis sima tak jana ye dekhna hai. He was speaking after presenting the Panchjanya Nachiketa Award for 2000 here at Vigyan Bhavan. Referring to continuous stalling of Parliament proceedings by the Opposition, Mr Vajpayee said the Leader of the Opposition was given facilities so that the incumbent could oppose the government. Expressing confidence on sailing through the present crisis, Mr Vajpayee said, “We have with our consensual polity passed through several difficult phases in the past three years and we will pass through all hurdles in the next two years too.” Without naming the news portal tehelka, which has rocked the BJP-led government with its video tapes, the Prime Minister said the media should desist from sensationalism, but ruled out any government control. “The question of regulation by the government does not arise, but the media should adopt self-regulation,” he said. The RSS chief, Mr K.R.Sudarshan, attacked the Opposition for stalling Parliament proceedings and wanted them to deliberate the tehelka issue in the House. While rejecting the Opposition’s demand for the resignation of the Prime Minister on moral grounds, the RSS supremo wanted the government to punish not only those who were found guilty, but also those who were found to have showed the intention to accept bribes. Mr D.N. Bejboruah, Editor, Sentinel, Guwahati, was presented the Panchjanya Nachiketa Award for journalism for displaying exemplary courage, truthfulness and a spirit of nationalism. Seven other special awards were bagged by Asim Kumar Mitra, former Assistant Editor of Aajkal, Girish Chandra Mishra, eminent journalist, Sidhartha Sharma, special correpsondent Zee Television network, Kishore Makwana, Editor, Sadhna, Sharad Chavan, columnist, Rakesh Sinha, freelance journalist, and Virendra Parikh, economic journalist.
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MPs: review arms purchase modes New Delhi, March 23 The Standing Committee on Defence, which presented its report in Parliament today, said the government should examine the feasibility of setting up a broad-based high-powered committee to take a deeper look at the acquisition procedures in all their dimensions and suggest long-term measures in this regard. ‘’It is observed that defence procurement procedures are coming in the way of time-bound acquisition by the armed forces where time is an important factor especially when India is facing an extraordinary hostile security situation’’, the report said. It said the setting up of a broad-based committee could be examined after the government took a view of the recommendations made by the Defence Ministry’s committee, headed by the Vice-Chief of Army Staff. The parliamentarians took the Defence Ministry to task for entering into major purchase deals for weapon-locating radars (WLRs) with the Ukranian firm Iskra despite the reservation expressed by the Ministry of External Affairs because of Ukraine’s proximity to Pakistan. The committee has once again recommended to the Defence Ministry to keep its options open for procuring the much-needed WLRs from Germany and other countries. On the T-90 tank issue, the committee urged the Price Negotiating Committee to conclude its negotiations with the Russians at the earliest since a long delay may result in obsolescence of technology. The parliamentarians also expressed concern over the delay in the completion of the design, development and upgradation work on MiG-21 BIS fighter aircraft. The committee said adequate and timely funding should be given to all major air force projects and the ministry should streamline the procedures for the acquisition of all equipment so that delays as in the case of the advanced jet trainer (AJT) were not repeated in other projects. UNI |
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Tehelka tapes doctored: Advani New Delhi, March 23 Addressing BJP Parliamentary Party meeting, the Home Minister said the government was deeply committed to curb corruption irrespective of the personalities involved. Describing the Opposition’s demand for the Prime Minister’s resignation as “illegal and unconstitutional”, Mr Advani said the new developments had raised serious doubts over the credibility of the Tehelka tapes, particularly after the
Web site’s efforts yesterday to show the tapes after their bungle. Initially, they had claimed that the money was handed over to Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs Sreenivasa Prasad at the behest of the then Samata Party President Jaya Jaitley but now they were saying that they had handed over the money to a “Samata functionary”. The latest tapes being shown by Tehelka were showing some other room and where Jaya Jaitley was not present, Mr Advani pointed out. “If the tapes are doctored and edited then it would raise doubts about the credibility and motives”, the Home Minister said. Briefing about the meeting, BJP spokesman Prof Vijay Kumar Malhotra said that the Home Minister told the meeting that the Opposition was attacking the honour and prestige of Parliament by ignoring the sanctity of the apex forum. Recalling the Congress demand to convene a session of Rajya Sabha, since the Lok Sabha stood dissolved, when the country was fighting the Kargil war, Mr Advani said the same party was running away from a debate when the government was ready for discussion and probe. Defence Minister Jaswant Singh also apprised the party MPs about the action initiated by the government which had suspended three defence officials figuring in tapes, Mr Malhotra said. When various newspersons questioned Professor Malhotra about the government’s double standards for using tapes as evidence for uniformed personnel and political leaders, the spokesman was visibly ill at ease. Professor Malhotra said no minister’s name had figured in the tapes while two political leaders had quit as Presidents of the BJP and the Samata Party. Meanwhile, continuing its attack on the Congress, a BJP statement said that its actions during the last one month had exposed its lack of faith in democratic institutions and the people of the country had again recognised the true fascist face of the Congress. The statement, released in the name of party’s General Secretary Narendra Modi, accused the Congress of resorting to negative politics by “disrespecting Parliament”. Meanwhile, the government today dismissed reports of any proposal to extend the three-day recess in the Budget Session and maintained that it was ready for a discussion on the Tehelka expose when Parliament meets on April 16. “We are ready to discuss the issue under any rule and to any extent,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan told reporters here. Asked why government did not convene an all-party meeting to end the deadlock which went on for nine days, he said the issue had nothing to do with Parliamentary rules and added that the Opposition was demanding resignation of the government on the “strength of noise”. Rejecting reports that the government was mooting a proposal to extend the recess, he said “there was no such proposal from our side.” |
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Laxman to keep off executive meeting New Delhi, March 23 In a letter to party president Jana Krishnamurthi, Laxman said he was not attending the meeting to “enable members to deliberate and discuss the matter relating to the so-called Tehelka expose in a free and frank manner in my absence.” Mr Laxman met Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee this afternoon and apprised him of his decision, he told reporters here. Madan Das Devi who is RSS joint general secretary had also met Mr Laxman which was described as a “casual meeting”, by Mr Laxman. The national executive is expected to discuss the Tehelka expose in detail and its political fallout on the image of the party, the NDA coalition headed by the party and its impact in the coming assembly elections. The party is expected to finalise its strategy to counter the opposition offensive against the party and the coalition government. The executive will discuss the resolutions on political, economic and international situation, including the destruction of Budha statues in Bamiyan, Afghanistan.
PTI |
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Parliament adjourned, to meet on April 16 New Delhi, March 23 In the Lok Sabha, the Opposition, led by Congress, stormed into the Well of the House shouting slogans. The House was first adjourned for one hour and on resumption, when the Speaker, Mr G.M.C.Balayogi realised that there was no let up in the mood of the Opposition, he adjourned the House for the day. A similar scene was enacted in the Rajya Sabha. Opposition members were up on their feet soon after the House reassembled at noon vociferously pressing their demand. Amid the din in both Houses, papers and reports were tabled. There was some respite in both Houses when the Presiding Officers lauded the supreme sacrifices of revolutionary leaders Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev on their 70th martyrdom day. |
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Vincent got Rs 3.82 cr from abroad: CBI New Delhi, March 23 Prior to 1991 and during his tenure as a public servant between November, 1984,and December, 1990, Mr George had assets worth a little over Rs 18.82 lakh and of this, Rs 9,61,308.82 was found to be disproportionate to his income known sources. CBI officials said tonight that the gifts, supposedly from close family members and others, started coming from November, 1991, and the last major chunk of cash gifts was received in November, 1999. The family invested the gifts for the purchase of immovable assets and fixed deposit receipts (FDRs). The CBI could only find details of investment worth Rs 3.08 crore by the family in the purchase of moveable and immovable properties and the FIR had no reference to the remaining Rs 74 lakh.
UNI |
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North India In Parliament New Delhi, March 23 Kalka-Parwanoo rail section: Minister of State for Railways Digvijay Singh told the Rajya Sabha today that work on Kalka-Parwanoo section was to be taken up after necessary clearance. The length of the line was 5.35 km and the cost was estimated to be Rs 23 crore. He said that the final location survey had been completed and land acquisition papers had been submitted to the state government. UGC and for computer facilities: Union Minister for Human Resource Development Dr Murli Manohar Joshi told the Rajya Sabha that the University Grants Commission had been providing financial assistance to
universities for setting up and augmenting computer facilities. Giving details, Dr Joshi said that computer centres had been set up in Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Jamia Hamdard besides Guru Jambeshwar, and Maharshi Dayanand universities, Guru Nanak Dev, Panjab and Punjabi University. WB-aided projects in HP: Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, C.P. Thakur told the Rajya Sabha that World Bank-aided programmes were being implemented in various districts of Himachal Pradesh. He said that the World Bank-assisted Reproductive and Child Health Programme was launched in 1997-’98. |
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Order on Hindujas’ plea reserved New Delhi, March 23 Mr Justice S.K. Agarwal refused to accept written submissions by Hindujas’ counsel Kapil Sibal who said that since his clients had already been in India for 65 days, he would appreciate if the judgement was delivered at an early date. The judge called lawyers of the Hindujas and the CBI in his chamber on March 29 to segregate voluminous documents of the trial court so that he could scrutinise them before pronouncing his judgement. Mr Srichand Hinduja and Mr Gopichand Hinduja briefly appeared in court but left early as the court could not hear the matter in the pre-lunch session.
UNI |
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Judicial probe ordered into Siwan incident Patna, March 23 Replying on behalf of the government, Bihar Water Resources Minister Jagdanand Singh admitted there was resentment in the police and tension prevailed in the area. Outlining the details of the incident, he said a minor clash took place between the police, headed by Deputy Police Superintendent Sanjeev Kumar, and RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin when the police tried to arrest a criminal Majoj Kumar, alias pappu, accompanying the MP at the Daroga Rai matriculation examination centre. The minister said the MP tried to obstruct the police from discharging its duties. He informed the House that Mohammad Shahabuddin had on earlier occasions attacked the local police which had led to a series of clashes from December last year. Cases had already been registered in these connections, he said. In another development, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has rejected Mohammad Shahabuddin’s complaint against the Bihar police for the alleged violation of human rights and his request for immediate intervention to douse communal tension arising out of police atrocities.’
UNI |
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Ayodhya issue: Joshi blames Cong, Left New Delhi, March 23 Deposing before the commission probing the sequence of events leading to the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya for the second day, Dr Joshi said the issue which should have been considered as having historical background was converted into a dispute between Hindus and Muslims by these parties. Also blaming the erstwhile Janata Dal led by Mr V.P. Singh and some Muslim leaders, the former BJP President said all these people had been keeping this divide alive for the sake of their own political interests. He also mentioned the name of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh in this regard. He alleged that while the BJP made consistent efforts to get the issue resolved through negotiations between Hindus and Muslims, meetings were not allowed to take place in this connection.
UNI |
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Holy book burnt in AP town, 3 held Hyderabad, March 23 Three persons were arrested in connection with the incident. The police said today that the miscreants went to the shamiana where a gospel meeting was in progress, pulled down the tent and set fire to the Bible. They also tore some copies of the Bible. Later, they fled the scene on noticing two beat constables approaching them. Home Minister T. Devender Goud visited the town. The situation, however, was stated to be normal. Soon after the incident, security was enhanced at the venue of the three-day prayer meeting, which will resume this evening. Condemning the act, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said some miscreants were trying to disturb communal harmony in the state.
UNI |
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M’rashtra Oppn seeks minister’s dismissal Mumbai, March 23 The Opposition combine forced repeated adjournments of both the Houses disrupting business as the issue of alleged ministerial corruption dominated the day. The Opposition sloganeering was matched by the ruling party members who also raised counter slogans condemning BJP-led NDA government for the expose of graft in fictitious defence deals. Both the Houses were adjourned on two occasions before they were finally adjourned for the day. The issue was raised in the Assembly by the Leader of Opposition Narayan Rane through a point of propriety. Since Mr Rane had not given an advanced notice to the minister concerned before levelling the charges, Speaker Arun Gujarathi expunged the references of ministerial graft from the House proceedings. PTI |
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Oppn viewpoint ignored: CPM New Delhi, March 23 “There is no single move by the Prime Minister or the ruling party to have any dialogue with the Opposition. From the first day onwards the Opposition has been totally ignored”, CPM Parliamentary Party leader Somnath Chatterjee told reporters. “Whatever may have been said to downplay it (the issue) by the government media, I think many issues are coming up”, he said adding the Tehelka tape revelations had shaken the whole country. Mr Chatterjee also questioned the time-frame of four months provided for the inquiry commission to complete its work on the Tehelka expose on fictitious defence deals and said this might not be sufficient. “Neither is the name of the judge to head the inquiry known, nor are the terms of references known”, he said adding it might not be possible to complete the inquiry within four months.
PTI, UNI |
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Controversy over privileges to Basu Kolkata, March 23 The octogenarian Marxist leader, stepped down from the Chief Minister’s chair on November 6, after running the CPM-led front government for 24 years. But the official privileges and other facilities, which Mr Basu had been so long enjoying, still continued. The Tribune exclusively carried a news item on February 24, narrating how, Mr Basu without holding any official post, could enjoy an unusual privileges which neither any former Prime Minister nor Chief Minister, so far did enjoy. The following day, Mr Saugata Roy, one of the vice-presidents of state Congress recently switched over to Trinamool Congress, raised the issue in the Assembly, which created an uproar. The Left Front chief whip, Mr Rabin Mondal, tried to defend the granting of privileges to Mr Basu “on security ground but failed. Interestingly enough, Chief Minister, Buddhadev Bhattacharyya, Finance Minister, Asim Dasgupta and other ministers were present in the Assembly but none came forward defending. On March 22, the state Cabinet at its last meeting, approved the decision of granting official privileges and other facilities to Basu. It was also decided that, henceforth, other former Chief Minister and Assembly Speaker would also get similar official privileges after retirement.” Mr Siddhartha Sankar Ray, the lone living former Chief Minister (1972-76) of Bengal, had not only refused to accept these privileges, which he termed as “unethical and illegal”, but advised Mr Basu to do the same. Congress (I), the TMC, the BJP and other non-Left parties in the fray, have also brought the issue in the public in their electioneering, which has now forced the CPM leadership to amend the decision. Basu too, has decided to forgo the official privileges to stop public criticism on the eve of elections. CPM sources said Mr Basu might continue to live at Salt Lake bungalow on security ground, but he would no more enjoy other privileges on government accounts. The party will, henceforth, bear the expenses of his livelihood. |
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6 police stations to
follow UN norms Hanumangarh, March 23 The Inspector-General of Police, has written to the SP, to make arrangement for following the UNDP guidelines. The SP, Mr
M.C. Mann, said afforts would be made to set up model police stations. Community coordination committees would be constituted in the police stations comprising public representatives. At the police-station level, the SDM and the DSP would choose members for the committees, which would include a woman representative and one person each from the bar council, education field, medical association and media, and these members would further elect other members. A receiving room would be set up in the police stations where complaints would be given guidance. |
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DC visits tehsils to check water supply Hanumangarh, March 23 In his visit, the Collector examined the Netharana water works reservoir to view availability of drinking water in the village and talked to the residents. He also went to the Bhirani head of Sidmukh feeder and issued necessary instruction to the officers concerned. During the visit, in a meeting held in the Bhirani police station, attended by the administrative staff of Bhadra
Tehsil, officials of the Irrigation Department and Public Health and Engineering Department
(PHED), Mr Chandellia, said the water, which was presently supplied in canals, should be primarily used for drinking and wastage must be avoided. He said the administration was making arrangements to ensure the availability of drinking water in the region. Mr Chandellia said the PHED and the Irrigation Department must act with mutual corporation and should take help from the police and the district administration so that the public should not face any problem regarding the availability of water. In the meeting, the SP, Mr
Meena, informed officials of the PHED and the Irrigation Department about various legal provisions in the water theft cases. The SP said the Police Department, the Irrigation Department and the Public Health and Engineering Department should constitute their respective teams to stop water thefts. |
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Singhal threatens fast over Tehri Dam New Delhi, March 23 This move by a member of the Sangh Parivar will further embarrass the Vajpayee government, which is still shrouded in the Tehelka ‘arms deal’ expose. |
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Bhagat Singh’s portrait in House sought New Delhi, March 23 The Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Mr P.M. Sayeed, Congress spokesperson Anil Shastri and Mr Nafisa Ali were among those honoured at a function organised by the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Sewa Dal. The president of the dal, Mr Jitendra Singh Shunti, urged the government to place a portrait of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev in Parliament in recognition of their contribution to the freedom struggle. |
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Rs 140 cr package for Gujarat New Delhi, March 23
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DG was cleared of charges: govt New Delhi, March 23 CPM MP Hannan Mollah had written to the Prime Minister, saying that an officer who had been sentenced for an offence committed while he was undergoing a course in the USA in 1986 should not be appointed to such a high post. When he had returned to India, the government had issued Rameshwar Singh with a show-cause notice regarding disciplinary action to be taken on the basis of a complaint made by a hotel employee in the USA who had charged the officer with “sexual battery”. DG Rameshwar Singh gave a reply to the show-cause notice explaining the circumstances and the then government, after consideration of the reply, decided to close the matter in February, 1987”, the ministry said.
UNI
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Bail to Kerala ex-minister New Delhi, March 23 A three-judge Bench asked them to furnish bail bonds for Rs 20,000 each and two sureties in the like amount. However, the court refused to stay the trial court order imposing a fine of Rs 10,000 on each of the accused. PTI |
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