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| Thursday,
May 24, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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NCW proposals on alimony
Petition against Jaya’s appointment President’s Rule in Manipur? |
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RLD may split
over alliance with NDA Hari Jaisingh PCI member Arrested JMM leader Afghan national Cyclone threat: crisis panel activated Manipur tussle sordid: CPM BJP discusses UP poll debacle NDA govt appeasing minorities: VHP Cong
slams Taliban India, B’ desh sign new visa pact ‘Young
Turks’ architect Ram Dhan dead Colonies
on MC farm land to be regularised No takers for Fishery Dept contract
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NCW proposals on alimony New Delhi, May 23 Terming the decision as “progressive,” the National Commission for Women has expressed the view that the maintenance allowance at present provided under Section 125 of the CrPC is not adequate to meet even the basic necessities of life and hence needs to be enhanced. The commission has proposed that the maintenance allowance should not be less than one-third of the monthly income of the person from whom the maintenance is claimed, subject to a maximum of Rs 5000. The commission has further recommended that when the party responsible for maintenance does not appear in the court on two consecutive dates of hearing, the court shall pass ex-parte order in the case. Ms Meera Khanna, honorary joint secretary, Guild of Service, is of the view that removal of ceiling on maintenance payable to separated wives, children and aged parents is a more pragmnatic approach keeping in mind the plight of the woman and the cost of living. Ms Khanna agrees that the government has given relief to women facing divorce proceedings by making it mandatory for courts to grant maintenance within 60 days. “Getting a maintenance decree from the court is only one half of the battle in a divorce court. The other half is the execution of that justice. In 90 per cent cases, getting maintenance from the man is very difficult and this is why women prefer to settle for a lump sum. But how many men are in a position to pay the entire amount? Suppose the man does not pay for six months, the woman has to go back to court and then it becomes a never-ending process.” Dr Syeda Saiyidain Hameed, a founder member of Muslim Women’s Forum, feels that lifting of the ceiling and the government’s initiative making it mandatory for courts to grant maintenance within 60 days applies to all women except Muslim women because of the 1986 Shah Bano Act. “The fact that the government has proposed lifting of the ceiling of Rs 500 as existing interim maintenance is a step in the right direction. It will give proper relief to women because Rs 500 is just a way of preventing vagrancy and does not give them any dignity. More than 65 milion Muslim women out of a total women population of 500 million are out of the purview of this initiative,’’ she said. |
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Petition against Jaya’s appointment New Delhi, May 23 Filed by advocate B.R. Kapur, the petition has sought a direction in the form a writ of quo-warranto, setting aside her appointment. The petition has also prayed that all actions taken by her after assuming the office should be declared as null and void ab initio. The state of Tamil Nadu and Ms Jayalalitha have been made respondents in the petition. It has been contended in the petition that in her appointment as the Chief Minister of the state there was a clear violation of the provisions of Article 14 of the Constitution which provides for equality before the law. The petition raises the following important questions of law-whether a person is entitled to become a minister or a Chief Minister of a state when he or she is disqualified for being convicted for not less than two years ie three years in view of Section 8 (3) of the Representation of the People Act 1951? When a person is not even entitled to become a member of the legislative Assembly on account of disqualification whether such a person can be permitted to become the Chief Minister of the state till her disqualification is set aside by the competent authority or the court of competent jurisdiction? Whether a law breaker who has been disqualified because of her conviction for more than two years under Section 8(3) of the Representation of the People Act is eligible to become a law maker? Whether the appointment of Ms Jayalalitha will hamper and hinder her trial in the pending cases against her? Under Article 164 hj(4) of the Constitution a minister is allowed to continue in the office for a period of six consecutive months without being a member of the legislature but this provision is not meant for a person who is otherwise not eligible to become a member of the legislative Assembly. It is further contended in the petition that the candidature of Ms Jayalalitha had been specifically rejected and if she had any grievance she could challenge it by resorting to relevant provisions of the law. A person whose candidature has been rejected could not be fit to be covered under 164(4) of the Constitution. The petition is likely to come up for hearing before a vacation Bench.
UNI |
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President’s Rule in Manipur? New Delhi, May 23 Samata Party sources said if the BJP with 26 MLAs and the Samata Party and its supporters having 18 MLAs stayed out of the government, only 16 MLAs could not stake claim in the House having 60 members. In fresh moves, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today sent his aide Sudheendra Kulkarani to Samata Party leader George Fernandes following which the NDA convener met Home Minister L.K. Advani, however, declined to comment on what transpired at the meeting saying “I have nothing to say on it”. PTI |
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RLD may split
over alliance with NDA New Delhi, May 23 In a strongly worded letter to the party chief, Mr Masood rejected the expulsion notice served on him, saying it was illegal and against the Constitution of the Lok Dal. Indicating a possible split in the party, Mr Masood said he would convene a meeting of the National Council to take action against Mr Ajit Singh for what he described as latter’s “anti-farmer, anti-people, communal and opportunistic attitude”. The letter comes close on the heels of one sent by Mr Malviya yesterday saying any truck with the BJP or the NDA will lead to political suicide by Mr Ajit Singh. He had said any alliance with a communal and anti-farmer outfit was against the ideals fostered by Choudhary Sharan Singh. UNI |
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Hari Jaisingh PCI member New Delhi, May 23 The editors nominated to the three-year council are Mr Hari Jaisingh, Mr Nikunj R. Patel, Mr J.S. Dardi, Mr Sheetla Singh, Mr Rajeeva Kumar Arora and Mr Alok Mehta. The MPs are Mr Kamal Nath, Mr Harin Pathak, Prof (Ms) A.K. Premajam, Mr Rajeev Shukla and Mr Kapil Sibal, an official press note said today. The term of the earlier press council had ended in March 2001. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry had issued a notification yesterday for the constitution of the 28-member council. The other members of the council, headed by Mr Justice P.B. Sawant, are: working journalists other than editors — Mr Shresh Akhouri, Mr Vivek Saxena, Mr Narayan Thiagarajan, Mr Geetartha Pathak, Ms Sabina Inderjit, Mr Raghu Rai, and Mr R. Venkataraman; persons who own or carry on the business of management of newspapers — Mr Vijay Darda, Mr R. Lakshmipathy, Mr Vijay Chopra, Mr Pratap T. Shah, Mr Sunil Dang and Mr Sushil Jhalani; persons who manage news agencies nominated under clause (C) of sub-section (3) of Section 5 — Mr M.K. Razdan; persons having special knowledge or practical experience in respect of education, science, law and literature and culture — Prof Kapil Kumar, Dr Raghuveer Chaudhari and Mr Indrajit Mahanty.
UNI |
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Arrested JMM leader Afghan national Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), May 23 Ayub Khan is said to have admitted that he is an Afghan national overstaying his visa period. The papers found at his house after a police raid are said to have confirmed his links with the ISI. The police are, however, tight-lipped about his links. Ayub Khan has got a ration card made. He has also constructed a palatial house and extends loans on interest. He is learnt to be the right-hand man of another Afghan don of the locality, Hidayat Khan, and that is why he enjoyed the status of don. The police is investigating how he could stay for more than a year even after his visa period had lapsed. Ayub Khan along with his friend Dahiya Khan, were arrested a few days ago from an apartment for their alleged involvement in flesh trade. Ayub Khan is the vice-president of the JMM district committee. He is said to be very close to some political figures and police sources admitted that political pressure was mounted on them to keep their hands off Ayub Khan but the SP did not yield. The police is still trying to examine the documents found from Ayub Khan’s house. The hand of the ISI is still to be established. Earlier, in the light of the threat of the Lashkar-e-Toiba and the intelligence report of the ISI sending in large numbers of Afghani mercenaries to Bihar and Jharkhand, the Union Home ministry had asked the state governments to cooperate in identifying the Afghan mercenaries in their respective territories. In the past year, the police has arrested several Afghan nationals with RDX or fake currency. The Eastern border districts like Supaul, Sitamarhi and Kishanganj of Bihar have been marked as sensitive by the central intelligence agencies. In Supaul district alone, 17 Afghan nationals have been arrested so far for smuggling fake currency and drugs. Jharkhand capital Ranchi and other cities like Jamshedpur, Bokaro and Dhanbad have been identified as possible hideouts of the Afghans. The Jharkhand cities, being industrial in nature, are more cosmopolitan, making it easy to mix. Also, the industrial mafia and Left wing ultras give them protection. There is evidence of police and other officials helping them. |
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Cyclone threat: crisis panel activated New Delhi, May 23 The committee, headed by Cabinet Secretary T.R Prasad, which met this afternoon here also reviewed the government’s preparedness to face the natural calamity. The Cabinet Secretary will again review the situation tomorrow morning. The cyclonic storm formed yesterday over the East-Central Arabian Sea has further intensified into a severe cyclonic storm which lay centred around 300 km west, south-west of Goa. The cyclone is moving at a speed of 10 km per hour and is expected to hit the areas with a gale force and wind speed reaching upto 160 km per hour. However, the probability of the storm hitting Goa seems to be over. The storm is likely to move in northern direction and may cross the coast between Devgarh and Alibag by tomorrow noon, according to official reports here. However, the exact direction the cyclone will be known by tomorrow morning. The Union Government also asked the states to make arrangements for the evacuation of people residing near the coastal areas in the region.
UNI |
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Manipur tussle sordid: CPM New Delhi, May 23 In a statement, the CPM politburo said: “It was by wholesale defections that the Samata first mustered enough support to form the ministry last year. And now the same is being done by the BJP”. “The sordidness of the tussle between the BJP and the Samata is underlined by the fact that neither of these parties had won the mandate in the last assembly elections”, the statement said. “The leadership of the two parties has now announced a truce and that the status quo will continue till May 28. In the meantime, the mockery of democracy will continue. Neither seems to be concerned about the interests of the state and the people”, the CPM said. |
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BJP discusses UP poll debacle New Delhi, May 23 While UP Chief Minister Rajnath Singh and state BJP President Kalraj Mishra gave an overview of the prevailing situation in the state particulary in the context of the party’s dismal performance in the recently held Lok Sabha byelection in Shahjahanpur, the meeting also discussed the party’s candidate for the coming Rajya Sabha election following the resignation of Mr Singh after becoming Chief Minister, party general secretary Narendra Modi told newspersons after the meeting. The meeting was essentially convened to decide on the Rajya Sabha candidature which had become a contentious issue between the Chief Minister and the state unit President with former backing Puttu Awasthi who had vacated his Assembly seat of Haidergarh in favour of Mr Rajnath Singh and the latter favouring Sanjay Singh who was defeated by Congress President Sonia Gandhi in the last Lok Sabha poll in Amethi. When asked about the Rajya Sabha issue, Mr Modi said: “The party’s Central Election Committee has left the decision to party President and the last of withdrawals in June 1”. Party President K. Jana Krishnamurthy would discuss the matter with all party leaders before arriving at a final decision, Mr Modi said. The meeting was attended by the Prime Minister, Home Minister L.K. Advani, Mr Jana Krishnamurthy and former poll President Kushabhau Thakre. Commenting on the “atrocious” situation faced by the Hindus in Afghanistan, a senior party leader J.P. Mathur said so far no self championed persons or parties of secularism had raised their voice against the discrimination. It was astonishing that no Muslim leader had taken a stand on the issue and had condemned the atrocities being perpetrated on the minorities in Afghanistan by the Islamic fundamentalist regime, Mr Mathur said. |
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NDA govt appeasing minorities: VHP New Delhi, May 23 The two leading RSS outfits also called on Muslims to abandon their “jehad mentality” and make friends with their Hindu brethren “in their own interest and the nation’s larger interest”. The recent border clashes with Bangladesh, the Kandahar hijacking earlier or dealing with a rogue state like Pakistan, India has not taken the kind of action that ought to have been taken,” VHP senior Vice-President Giriraj Kishore and Bajrang Dal convener Surendra Jain told reporters here. The neighbouring countries have become bases for anti-India activities due to our soft stand. Our Foreign Minister profusely thanks the Taliban for releasing the Indian Airlines hostages. What message are we sending,? Mr Jain asked. Terming the recent Taliban decree on a dress code for Hindus as “humiliating”, he asked the government to seek international pressure to ensure that minorities were not discriminated against in Afghanistan while the VHP senior Vice-President demanded that a strong protest be lodged with China for reportedly allowing a Spanish mountain expedition to Kailash Mansarovar as it “hurt the religious sentiments” of Hindus. Mr Jain also charged the BJP-led government with pursuing the “minority appeasement” policy of the Congress by extending facilities for Haj pilgrims and offering other incentives. |
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Cong
slams
Taliban New Delhi, May 23 Congress spokesman Jaipal Reddy said the Taliban regime had earlier indulged in “barbarian cultural vandalism” when they wantonly destroyed the Buddha statues. “At that time all countries in the world, including the Islamic nations had condemned the Taliban regime,” he said. Mr Reddy said that the world must find ways to see that the gross religious discrimination in Afghanistan was put to an end, he said. Commenting on Mr Brajesh Mishra’s continuing both as the National Security Adviser and Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, the Congress said that such an arrangement amounted to downgrading the office and role of the NSA. “Apart from the fact that he had become controversial following the Tehelka expose, we do not approve mixing up of the post of the NSA and Principal Secretary to PM,’’ Mr Reddy said. He said that the NSA needed to bestow full attention to his job and the Subraminam Committee had also recommended a full-time NSA. Asked about the party’s stand on the ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Reddy said that the party kept the issue above party politics and would broadly support the decision taken by the government. |
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India, B’ desh sign new visa pact New Delhi, May 23 The new agreement which was signed in Dhaka by Bangladesh Home Secretary M.M. Reza and Indian High Commissioner M.L. Tripathi replaces the old one signed in 1972. Bangladesh Home Minister Mohammed Nasim was also present on the occasion. The text of the new agreement was finalised at the seventh meeting of the Bangladesh-India Joint Working Group in New Delhi in February. UNI |
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‘Young
Turks’ architect Ram Dhan dead New Delhi, May 23 Former General Secretary of the Congress and Secretary of the Congress Parliamentary Party, Ram Dhan a veteran freedom fighter, was part of the socialist ‘Ginger Group’ within the Congress raising inconvenient issues. Along with former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar, Vice-President Krishan Kant and Mohan Dharia, who later became Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Ram Dhan was arrested on the night when the Emergency was declared by Indira Gandhi.
PTI Colonies
on MC farm land to be regularised Hanumangarh, May 23 According to sources, the process to regulate the residential
colonies and suburbs built on farm land of the council will start from
June 1. Under the campaign in all wards from June 1 to 15, regulation
camps will be organised. Notices are being served to all residents of
these suburbs.
The sources say following the orders of the state government this
special campaign is being started for the regulation of survey
conducted in suburbs and residential colonies built on farm land of
the council.
In another decision taken at a meeting of the council recently, the
council has started a campaign to catch stray pigs. A barrier has been
set up to keep pigs. The council will feed the pigs according to the
decision.
Ten persons have been appointed to catch stray pigs.
A fee will be charged from the owner for releasing the pig. Those
pigs will be sold for which no claimant will comes. Hanumangarh, May 23 The department that earns revenue of more than Rs 50 lakh for the state treasury, this year has estimated to receive only half of the amount. The situation is that nearly 15 depressions have almost gone dry and the remaining ones are situated at good distance. According to sources, in only three depressions of the total 16, up to Suratgarh branch, water is available but because of the hot season it is drying. Because of rain that took place in the past two days the situation has improved a little bit. According to sources, the contractors are not ready to get a contract of more than Rs 10 lakh. The contractors say that on the one hand the government wants to earn revenue from the reservoirs, but on the other side the Irrigation Department is making these dry. Last year the contract was allotted for Rs 40 lakh. The sources said the government was announcing schemes to attract the cultivators to go for fishery. |
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