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| Tuesday,
May 15, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Government cautious on CDS Decks cleared for non-NDA CMs
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NDA has lost moral right to rule: Cong Gowri
is ‘grand dame’ of Kerala Assembly Border forces not to be called for internal duties BSF to continue border fencing Jailer booked for undertrial’s death Fake currency seized from Dawood’s man ‘Monkey man’ strikes
in Delhi; 15 hurt Uttaranchal to promote tea cultivation
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Government cautious on CDS New Delhi, May 14 Sources in the government say that the difference of opinion between the three services aside, the issue for the government is not to just make the appointment but to actually create a post. This would entail outlining its functions as also defining the chain of command, particularly as it would involve the complex issue of maintaining the ‘civil-military’ balance. Reports say that the government would not take a decision on the issue only after soliciting the views of other political parties on the issue, explaining to them not only the nuances of creating this position but also what would be its stand in the parliamentary form of democracy. The complex issue of creating a Secretariat for the CDS and its chain of command also needs to be discussed threadbare. The government is apparently of the view that it could possibly create political disharmony and is seeking a wider consensus. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on Friday night while accepting all recommendations of the Group of Ministers relating to national security deferred the decision on appointing the first CDS. Later, the government said it wanted to seek the views of other parties before taking a decision. Sources say that there are a number of issues which the government wants to sort out before taking a decision. The most important is regarding the accountability of the CDS, besides the composition of his Secretariat and the extent of powers to be bestowed on him. Since the CDS would be the single point to be advising the government on national security matters and would mean the integration of the three forces, the issue is also to find the right balance where nuances of deployment of all the three forces, which have different characters, are understood. Senior Ministry of Defence (MoD) officials don’t deny the fact that there is a difference of opinion and opposition, specially from the Indian Air Force, over the choice for the appointment to the CDS as most of the delivery systems for the nuclear warheads are with it, but point out there is also a strong debate under way within the government over the accountability of the CDS. In the present system, although the President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, the three Chiefs of Staff report to the Defence Minister, who is accountable to the Cabinet and to Parliament, which is the body of the elected representatives of the people. The problem now is to whether or not to change this accountability. There is a feeling that if the CDS is made directly accountable to the Prime Minister, it would be disturbing the present chain of command which in turn could have a political fallout besides rendering the Defence Ministry jobless. The CDS, the focal point controlling the three services, could disturb the present civil-military balance and also possibly emerge as a threat to the democratic norms which the country has been following. There is also the issue of controlling the nuclear command structure. The issue is not just of creating a post with a conception, but also of filling it rightly. The understanding of not only the present security scenario but also of meeting the threat perception would be important. The government is also looking at the fact that there is already a Chiefs of Staff Committee where the seniormost of the three Chiefs assumes charge. Again, in making the seniormost Chief of Staff as the CDS would only mean changing the nomenclature while maintaining the existing system. The government, according to sources, is also wanting to clarify what the integration of three forces and the Ministry of Defence means. The government is likely to take time verifying and clarifying various issues involved in creating the post of CDS, rather than taking a hasty decision which might create political instability. |
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Decks cleared for non-NDA CMs New Delhi, May 14 A tussle for the chief ministership seemed imminent in Kerala and the picture remained hazy in Pondicherry after the fractured mandate delivered by the electorate, with the odds favouring the Congress. But for the Congress, these were only teething problems. An AIADMK ministry headed by Ms J. Jayalalitha was sworn-in in Chennai this evening. Tamil Nadu Governor M. Fathima Beevi today invited Ms Jayalalitha to form the new government, setting at rest intense speculation about whether the AIADMK General Secretary would head the state in view of her disqualification to contest the May 10 poll following her conviction in two corruption cases. The invitation came after Ms Jayalalitha handed over her a letter intimating her election as leader of the AIADMK Legislature Party, which has secured an absolute majority in the Assembly. In Kerala, where the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) made a spectacular comeback to power on the crest of an anti-incumbency wave, a new government headed most probably by Congress Working Committee member and Opposition leader A.K. Antony would be installed within a few days. The formation of a new ministry in Kerala, where the UDF won two-thirds majority in the May 10 elections, is likely to be delayed by the intense groupism within the state unit of the Congress. Though CWC (I) member A.K. Antony stands a good chance to become Chief Minister for the third time, it seems that the first meeting of the Congress Legislature Party will be held only on Thursday. AICC observers Ghulam Nabi Azad and Motilal Vora arrived here today to mend fences between Mr Antony and senior leader K. Karunakaran, who have been heading the two predominant rival groups in the state Congress. The emissaries of the high command could not meet Mr Antony and Mr Karunakaran today as the former was in Cherthala, from where he won the election, and the latter in Guruvayur. Both the leaders are slated to meet the emissaries tomorrow. The new ministry would be in place before May 20, when the outgoing E.K. Nayanar ministry completes five years, according to highly placed PCC sources. The Congress in Pondicherry will form a ministry led by the party with the support of the AIADMK, PCC president V Narayanasami said today. Exuding confidence that the AIADMK would support his party to form the next government “within two days”, the Congress leader told newspersons here that he had spoken to AICC general secretaries Ghulam Nabi Azad and Oscar Fernandes on the question of securing support from the AIADMK. “The party high command will be talking to AIADMK leader J. Jayalalitha in this regard,” he pointed out. Asked whether the AIADMK would be accommodated in the ministry or asked to provide support from outside as in the past, Mr Narayanasami said a decision in this regard would be taken only after holding talks with Ms Jayalalitha. In Kolkata, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya said that marked improvement of the overall condition of the people and maximum stress on rapid industrialisation would be his top priority. The CPM-led ruling Left Front in West Bengal was voted back to power for the sixth time in a row with a clean two-third majority Among the Front partners, the CPM has the lion’s share securing 144 seats, followed by the Dorward Bloc 25, RSP 17, CPI seven, Socialist Party four, DSP two and Forward Bloc (Marxist) one. In Guwahati, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Tarun Gogoi is slated to be elected as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party day after tomorrow and to take the oath as the Chief Minister on the same day. Mr Gogoi has promised a “comprehensive plan” to tackle the insurgency problem in Assam and assured that there would be no “witch hunting”.
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NDA has lost moral right to rule: Cong New Delhi, May 14 Calling it a “mini general election,” Congress spokesman Jaipal Reddy hit out at Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee saying that “though Mr Vajpayee and his friends may adopt an ostrich-like attitude, the facts would haunt them to the electoral graveyard.” He said the NDA had lost its moral authority to rule after the Tehelka expose and had now lost its political authority. Mr Reddy said there was a perceptible trend of people being nostalgic about the Congress. “We consider the election trends to be an auspicious beginning of a process that will bring secular forces back to the Red Fort under the leadership of the Congress,” Mr Reddy said. The verdict, he said, was a resounding rejection of the “misrule of the NDA.” People in rural areas, more particularly farmers, are angry with the NDA for its “anti-people policies,” Mr Reddy claimed. Not forgetting to mention Tehelka, Mr Reddy said that people had given expression to their indignation over “rampant corruption of the NDA government” as demonstrated by the Tehelka expose. Maintaining that the Congress victories were not due to the anti-incumbency factor alone, Mr Reddy quoted the example of Pondicherry where the Congress is set to return to power in alliance with the AIADMK. The spokesman said the party would “gladly accept” the support of the AIADMK in forming the government in Pondicherry where the Congress-TMC had emerged as the single largest combination. Mr Reddy said in Kerala the results were to the party’s expectations and in Assam the party had an absolute majority. Conceding that the Trinamool Congress-Congress alliance had not performed well in West Bengal, Mr Reddy, however, claimed that the Congress had still been the gainer. “We have reunited soulmate Mamata Banerjee and have been able to save the soul of West Bengal from the scourge of the BJP,” Mr Reddy said. |
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Gowri is ‘grand dame’ of Kerala Assembly Aroor (Alappuzha), May 14 Gowri Amma, as she is affectionately called by her admirers in Aroor, has been in the electoral arena since 1948. She has lost only twice — in 1948 during her maiden attempt and in 1977 in the election immediately after Emergency. She retained her Aroor seat this time trouncing her opponent, K.V. Devadas of CPM by over 12,000 votes. A hardcore Marxist right from her college days, many had written off her political career when she was thrown out from CPM. But Gowri proved her opponents wrong by coming out triumphant in 1996 and 2001.
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Border forces not to be called for internal duties New Delhi, May 14 A decision to this effect was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), which felt that the principle of “one border, one force” should be adopted to obviate problems of conflict in command and control and lack of accountability arising from a multiplicity of forces on the same border. These key decisions for a long-term border management were taken at a meeting of the CCS, presided over by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, on Friday. According to reports, the Border Guarding Forces (BGFs) as they would be referred, would be appropriately strengthened, trained and equipped with weapons on a par with that of the infantry and related units of the Army. This would be important when being deployed for tasks similar to that undertaken by the Army. The decisions assume significance in the wake of last month’s clashes along the Indo-Bangladesh border in which 16 BSF soldiers were killed by the Bangladesh Rifles. The CCS, which accepted all 24 recommendations of the Group of Ministers on National Security, approved welfare measures designed to boost the morale and capability of the BGSs. A specialised marine police would be raised in all coastal states and island territories while the Coast Guard would be strengthened. A unified command for Andaman and Nicobar Islands would also be created. For ensuring the sanctity of Indian airspace, the CCS approved the procurement of additional low-level transportable radars, integrated air command and control systems. |
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BSF to continue border fencing
New Delhi, May 14 Strongly rebutting reports in a section of the press, suggesting that as a follow-up of the meeting between the BSF and the Pakistan Rangers on May 12 at Jalandhar, India has decided to stop the work of fencing along the Jammu-Sialkot border, a Union Home Ministry spokesman said “this is contrary to the facts and is strongly rebutted.” The spokesman pointed out that during the bi-annual meeting held from May 9 to 12, the Pakistani side tried to refer to Jammu as “working boundary” which was strongly objected to by the BSF. “They (BSF) reiterated its factual position as an international border,” he stressed. “The Pakistan Rangers raised the issue of defences, viz fencing that is going on alongside the Jammu-Sialkot border. This point was discussed at length. The Indian delegation pointed out that the BSF had the right to construct “any defence structure that may be required to stop infiltration/smuggling from across the border,” he said. However, the Pakistani delegation insisted that area in question was a disputed territory and any such activity by the BSF would be resisted as deemed suitable by the Pakistan Rangers,” he said. The Indian delegation reiterated their point of view and stated that the area in question was part and parcel of India and fencing within Indian territory would continue as it is well within our boundary and was an essential requirement against infiltration, he said. Contrary to some reports in the press that border fencing work had been stopped, the spokesman said fencing of about 150 metres of fencing was done yesterday itself in Jammu-Sialkot border. Of the total 3,101 kms Indo-Pakistan border, fencing has been completed in 1499 kms, he said adding that the fencing was not being done exactly on the line of the international border but 150 metres inside the Indian territory. |
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Jailer booked for undertrial’s death Bhopal, May 14 Jaisingh and Maqsood Khan, two other employees of the jail, have been named co-accused in the case. They have been absconding. Sunderlal was remanded in police custody on May 4. The following day Mod, with the help of Jaisingh and Maqsood Khan, was said to have tied Sunderlal to a window of the barrack and beat him up mercilessly. The jailer also poured boiling water on the undertrial. Sunderlal was later admitted to the district hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The Leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Dr Gauri Shankar Shejwar, who had led a three-member BJP delegation to find the circumstances of Sunderlal’s death, said his torture by Mod, Jaisingh and Maqsood had been confirmed by other inmates of the district jail. Shejwar, however, could not say why Sunderlal was picked up by the jailer for this inhuman treatment. The
Chief Minister, Mr Digvijay Singh, has directed the police officers to be sensitive towards the Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes who constitute 19 per cent and 16 per cent, respectively of the state’s population. |
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Fake currency seized from Dawood’s man New Delhi, May 14 The counterfeit currency was reportedly brought by the accused from Dubai. The supplier of the fake currency is suspected to be D-Company in Dubai and it intended to “destabilise the Indian economy”, the police said. The police said Anil, alias Iqbal, a Dawood Ibrahim’s conduit, who was used for pumping fake currency in India, was arrested yesterday following a tip-off from the Rajasthan police. The Rajasthan police got information of the racket after interrogation of two accused, Kapil of Mumbai and Jai Gopal of Delhi, arrested there. The Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Mr K.K. Paul said a joint team of the Delhi and Rajasthan police was constituted to unearth the racket. The police seized Rs 1.5 lakh from Anil’s possession. Remaining fake currency notes were seized after a raid was conducted at his residence at Abul Fazal Enclave in South Delhi. During interrogation Anil disclosed that he hailed from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. He had come in contact with Abid and Allauddin who were associates of Aftab Batki, a Mumbai-based extortionist and Dawood Ibrahim’s contact, Mr K.K. Paul said. |
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‘Monkey man’ strikes
in Delhi; 15 hurt New Delhi, May 14 Joint Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Suresh Roy said the creature struck at 13 places in North-East Delhi between 11.55 p.m. and 3.15 a.m. and attacked people sleeping on their rooftops or open places, inflicting 13 persons with minor injuries. Two more cases were reported from the East Delhi area this afternoon. He said the “mysterious thing” was described to be 5ft tall, black and hairy. After pouncing on its victims, it immediately jumps away from the scene with incredible speed, he said. The victims also included some women. Mr Roy said while some people suspected that it was a man in the garb of a monkey, the police was yet to gather enough evidence to make out the reality of the
creature. UNI |
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Uttaranchal to promote tea cultivation Dehra Dun, May 14 Talking to The Tribune here today, Mr R.S. Tolia, Principal Secretary, Government of Uttaranchal, said the tea produced by Kumaon Mandal Vikash Nigam (KMVN) under the Uttaranchal Tea Development scheme had not only received good response from the domestic markets, but had also attracted US, Canadian, European and Arab tea merchants. Presently the tea is cultivated at Kosani and Nauti in about 500 acres of land (slopes). There is a small industrial unit at Kosani for fermentation and processing of the tea. To further increase the tea cultivation area in the next three years 9,000 acres of land has been tested and found suitable for the tea cultivation. By the year 2011, it has been proposed to establish 34 small-scale industrial units for fermentation and processing of fresh tea leaves in the hill state. A few commercial banks have also shown their interest in investing money for establishing these units. Although the Kosani tea garden was initially developed in 1994, due to the lack of technical knowledge it was not successful. Later, it was transformed into a plant nursery. Now, Kosani tea garden enjoy reputation of supplying quality
colonial tea plants to the whole region. The Secretary further said, the minimum of 70 per cent of the ownership of tea gardens would go to the farmers while 30 per cent to the village panchayats. But this may vary according to their share of the land. The Tea Board of India has promised to provide Rs 40,000 per acre as a grant to develop tea gardens in Uttaranchal. In the initial stage Rs 36,000 have been sanctioned by the board for the state. A sum of Rs 72.74 crore has been proposed to be raised from the commercial financial institutions. In reply to a question, Mr Tolia said the development of tea gardens in the new state could not only improve the economic condition of the local people but could also help maintain ecological balance of the hill slopes by preventing erosion and thereby increasing the water table. The climatic conditions were favourable for tea plantation in Uttaranchal. From the initial experiments, it has been revealed that the tea plantation in the Kumaon region has changed the economic condition of women. Generally, the economic condition of rural women in this region is not good. Despite being hard working they lead a hand-to-mouth existence. Tea gardens have provided jobs to these women on daily wages near their residence. Further, a proposal is under the consideration of the state government to develop resorts near the tea gardens to attract tourists. Removal of barriers put off Hanumangarh, May 14 The Irrigation Minister last week announced in the Assembly that a middle path would be adopted to settle the issue.  |
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