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| Wednesday,
April 18, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Cong accused of not consulting Left Cabinet clears Lokpal Bill Taxi operators call off stir North India in
Parliament Patwant: Zail Singh was indifferent to riots |
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| SC lays down norms for PILs New Delhi, April 17 Laying down guideline for courts to entertain public interest litigations, the Supreme Court has said that courts could exercise jurisdiction on PILs only when it was shown that the interest or legal right of a group of people was being threatened and that they did not have means to approach the courts. Constable found dead in Mughal Gardens
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Cong accused of not consulting Left New Delhi, April 17 “Though we are not opposed to the JPC probe, we want that the guilty should be prosecuted first,” the CPM leader, Mr Somnath Chatterjee, told newsmen, adding that by demanding the JPC, the Congress had shown that it had decided to go on its own without consulting the Left. He said in view of the demand for a JPC probe by the main opposition party, the government might accept it but refrain from prosecuting the guilty. “A JPC probe can only follow a proper criminal prosecution,” Mr Chatterjee said. Asserting that his party was not withdrawing the demand for the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee’s resignation, he said the Congress was now demanding a JPC probe and action against the guilty and not the Prime Minister’s resignation. “We shall go back to the House as we want a discussion on Tehelka under Rule 193,” he said. The May 10 assembly elections are crucial for the Congress and the Left and in two states they are engaged in a direct fight. In a scathing attack against Mr Vajpayee, the CPM leader said, “The Prime Minister is in a way encouraging corruption in this country by showing callous disregard to clinching evidence that have come forward (in Tehelka tapes).” He said “no single step” had been taken in the Tehelka case except for the “cover-up action” by appointing a retired Supreme Court judge. “The commission will take time. It cannot punish anybody and its job is of a fact-finding nature.” On Subramanian Swamy’s charges against the Congress president, he said it was up to the government to decide the course of action. Mr Chatterjee said his front was of the view that constitution of a Joint Parliamentary Committee would not be the answer to punish the accused. It was time-consuming for a JPC to come to a conclusion. The Marxist leader said he had discussed the issue with NCP President Sharad Pawar, Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and other leaders and they, too, had agreed to participate in the parliamentary proceedings. They also shared the view that the government must be cornered on issues like the serious crisis in the share markets, corruption in high places, especially in the context of arrest of former customs chief B.P. Verma and the Uzbekistan connection, he said. |
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Cabinet clears Lokpal Bill New Delhi, April 17 The Bill, which is expected to be introduced in the current session of Parliament, aims at ensuring probity in public life. The approval of the Cabinet, at its meeting chaired by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, comes barely a month after the Tehelka expose on corruption in fictitious defence deals. The Bill would be placed in Parliament for passage. The Bill provides for inquiry into complaints of alleged commitment of offences punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, against public officials, including the Prime Minister. With a view to ensuring that the Lokpal is able to act independently and discharge his functions without fear or favour, the Bill provides that the chairperson/member of the Lokpal shall not be removed from his office, except by an order made by the President on the grounds of proved misbehaviour or incapacity. The ruling NDA, in its election manifesto had pledged that its government would enact the Lokpal Bill with adequate powers to deal with corruption charges against anyone, including the Prime Minister. “In the administration of justice, we shall not allow discrimination between the rich and the poor, the empowered and the powerless, restore the majesty of law and objectivity of the state,” it had said. Sources said the Cabinet was informed about the dispute of overpaid bills of US energy giant Enron promoted by the Dabhol power project in Maharashtra and appointment of conciliator to resolve the controversy. Enron has slapped an arbitration notice after the Centre refused to honour the counter-guarantee for December power bill of Rs 102 crore. Meanwhile, the Group of Ministers (GoM) has opposed the payment of the Rs 225.26 crore to the controversial Dabhol Power Corporation project of Enron. |
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Taxi operators call off stir New Delhi, April 17 The strike was called off following assurance by Delhi Transport Minister Parvez Hashmi that only new vehicles would require electronic meters for plying on the roads. The vehicles which are already plying have been given two years’ time to install electronic meters, Mr Lakshmi Chand Kashyap, president of the south Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Tipahiya (auto-rickshaw) Chalak Sangh, said. Mr Hashmi, who held a meeting with the protesting auto and taxi drivers yesterday, assured to look into their grievances. He also offered orange juice to the protesters, signalling the end of the strike, which began yesterday. Mr Kashyap, however, said the assurance by the Transport Minister was only a temporary respite for thousands of auto and taxi owners. “We have decided to file an application in the court to prove that electronic meters are not a sound arrangement as it appears.” An electronic meter is not only costly (it costs Rs 3300) but is also not water-proof and when the battery is weak, it stops functioning, he claimed. “First the CNG kit was imposed on us, and now we are asked to buy electronic meters. This has put massive economic constraints on our meagre resources,” Mr Kashyap said. Commuters, however, heaved a sigh of relief as they had to suffer the brunt of the strike yesterday. With not enough buses plying on the roads, commuting to railway stations, airports and inter-state bus terminals had become a veritable nightmare.
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North
India in Parliament New Delhi, April 17 Fake telephone exchange: Minister of State for Communications, Tapan Sikdar, told the Rajya Sabha that an illegal set-up for passing incoming international voice calls by-passing the gateway of the Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) by a private party was unearthed in Gurgaon on March 20. He said that incoming voice calls were being received through Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) and associated equipment and were being distributed to various subscribers through local telephone lines of Gurgaon Telephone Exchange. The minister informed the House that instructions have been issued to keep a watch on premises where VSAT antenna
(Satellite Disc Antenna) were installed and bulk telephone lines were taken. Employment: Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Munni Lal, said that employment opportunities for unskilled and semi-skilled labourers had not witnessed a steep decline in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi during the past two years. Development of HP areas: Minister of Tribal Affairs, Jual Oram, told the Lok Sabha that a proposal for integrated tribal development with assistance from the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) for tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh was received in 1997. After holding consultations with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Himachal Pradesh Government had been requested to send a revised project proposal. Import duty: Minister of State for Finance, Gingee N. Ramachandran, told the Rajya Sabha that the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister’s request for waiving import duty on purchase of 10,000 Japanese light-weight orchard machinery for spraying and jetting agro-chemicals was duly considered. He said that the request could not be acceded to in view of the amended provisions of Section 25 (2) of the Customs Act, 1962. He explained that the amended provisions have restricted the government’s powers for exemption in particular cases and the request falls outside the scope of the said Section. |
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Patwant: Zail Singh was indifferent to riots New Delhi, April 17 Breaking his silence for the first time, noted writer Patwant Singh, first witness to depose before the Justice Nanavati Commission, set up to inquire the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, said “I had not given my experience and those events within my knowledge to earlier commission (Justice Ranganath Mishra) as I had no faith in them.” Remembering the events, almost 16 years after the incident, as if they had taken place only yesterday, Mr Patwant Singh, said “I along with Lt Gen (retd) Jagjit Singh Arora, Brig (retd) Sukhjit Singh and Gurbachan Singh called on the President on November 1, 1984.” “We made clear that he (Zail Singh) as the President was morally and constitutionally bound to put an end to it (violence). He (Zail Singh) replied ‘I do not have powers to intervene’. I was stunned by this astounding remark. I said, Mr President you mean to tell us that if the nation is going up in flames and anarchy and bloodshed.” “We insisted the President should speak forcefully to the new Prime Minister to put an end to the barbaric acts which were taking place outside. Zail Singh said, ‘I will do so in three or four days time. I want to give him some time’,” the noted author said. Even as the city was burning, Mr Patwant Singh said there was no activity at the Home Minister, Mr P V Narasimha Rao’s house. “The Minister was looking impassive and seemingly without a care. The atmosphere at the Home Minister’s house did not show at all that there were any crisis in the country and in the very Capital around the Home Minister’s own house,” he said. |
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SC lays down norms for PILs New Delhi, April 17 A Bench of Mr Justice K T Thomas and Mr Justice R P Sethi said the PILs filed by third parties could be entertained only when it was shown that the affected persons were not being able to approach the courts due to poverty, helplessness or disability or were in a socially or economically disadvantaged position. As for the general rule, the apex court said a person could not file a writ petition unless he was personally affected or his fundamental right had been affected. “The relief under Article 226 of the Constitution is based on the existence of a right in favour of the person invoking the jurisdiction,” Mr Justice Sethi said. The exception to this general rule was only in cases where the writ of habeas corpus or quo warrant or file in the public interest, he said. |
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Constable found dead in Mughal Gardens New Delhi, April 17 The constable, Asman Singh (39), who was posted in a picket in the Mughal Gardens inside Rashtrapati Bhavan was found in a pool of blood last night. He was taken to RML Hospital, where he was declared brought dead. His colleagues heard the sound of a gunshot. When they reached in the Garden, they found him in a pool of blood. His service revolver was lying on the right side of his temple. His body has been sent for a post-mortem examination. The constable belonged to Rohtak. The police believe either it is an accidental case of firing or suicide. However, no suicide note was recovered from his person. |
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Minister’s brother
dies in mishap New Delhi, April 17 |
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Violence in Kanpur Kanpur, April 17 |
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