 |
Friday,
July 27, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
|
North-East MPs meet
Advani
India ‘differs’ with USA on J &
K |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Indecision is not abuse
of power: SC SC: disciplinary bodies
crucial Prem Bhatia Award
announced Joshi made member
of Russian academy Core group for
NGOs Irrigation project work begins
|
|
North-East MPs meet
Advani New Delhi, July 26 The MPs during their 30-minute meeting handed over a memorandum detailing their demands. Today’s meeting was part of consultations initiated by the Centre to forge a lasting peace in the North- East. Mr Advani is scheduled to meet the Chief Ministers of the North East states tomorrow even as the Centre is holding talks with the NSCN (I-M) group in Holland. Mr Kyndiah urged the Home Minister that while reviewing the ceasefire agreement arrived at in Bangkok earlier, overall peace must be the final objective. The delegation of MPs conveyed through the memorandum that any agreement with the insurgent groups has to be fully transparent and must be reached with prior consultations with the states concerned and with the active involvement of representatives of people. The memorandum added that while reviewing the ceasefire
agreement, the Centre must take into account the possible growth of new insurgent outfits and the entire gamut of ceasefire and its repercussions, implications, outcome and future prospects should be shared with the state governments and their representatives. The Centre must evolve a dynamic policy based on achievement of permanent peace through realistic and pragmatic methods and avoid any semblance of appeasement, the memorandum said. Meanwhile, Naga leaders have warned that there will be an unprecedented escalation of armed clashes and unabated bloodletting if the Centre abrogated the ongoing ceasefire agreement with the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Issak-Muivah) or limited its extension. Talking to UNI here today United Naga Council President Paul Leo said if the Central Government withdrew the clause ‘’without territorial limits’’ from the ceasefire agreement in view of the recent spate of bloody clashes in the Imphal valley, then the entire Nagaland might go up in flames and the extremist groups would regroup themselves and the intensity of armed conflicts would go up and might spin out of control. “I warn that if the ceasefire is abrogated then what will follow thereafter is simply unthinkable. There will be bloodshed and mindless bloodbathing, something which would be unprecedented in the history of this country”, he averred. The Naga leader expressed severe displeasure at the tardy progress of the negotiations between the Centre and the NSCN (I-M). “We want the Prime Minister’s Office to negotiate the issue and not the Union Home Ministry. We believe once the PMO intervened then the entire process will be expedited and peace will be restored soon,’’ he argued. Publicity Secretary of the Naga Hoho Keviletio Kiewhuo, an apex body of various Naga organisations struggling to ensure the ongoing ceasefire agreement also said “ever since the negotiations began we have seen very little progress. We have urged our Naga
brethren to restrain themselves from giving vent to any emotional outbursts, but how long for they are bound to lose patience.
Imphal, July 26 Official sources said more than one lakh persons, including Nagas, Kukis, Nepalis and Muslims from Sekmai, Khurkhul, Phumlou, Koirengei, Mantripukhri and other areas gathered at the Manipur Public School ground after marching in a procession and held a public meeting. Several speakers called for maintaining unity among the people and blamed Central leaders “for attempting to create a divide between the people of the hill and valley.” The meeting, organised by the United Committee of Manipur (UCM), called for the immediate withdrawal of ceasefire “before the situation worsened.” Meanwhile, about one lakh persons took part in an anti-ceasefire meeting in the Porompat area. The protesters earlier marched through Kongpal, Wangkhei, Lamlong, Khurai and surrounding places in the outskirts of Imphal, they said. Meanwhile, curfew was relaxed for 13 hours from 4 a m in Imphal East and Imphal West districts today amidst heavy deployment of security forces in view of the prevailing tense situation. Army and paramilitary forces stepped up security measures at several vulnerable points, the sources said, adding that no untoward incident was reported from any part of the state so far.
PTI |
|
|
India ‘differs’ with USA on J &
K New Delhi, July 26 Asked to comment on US President George Bush’s statement that his government will work for promoting freedom and tolerance “from Kosovo to Kashmir”, a spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Nirupma Rao said the USA had told India that it was not taking a position on the agenda of Indo-Pakistan discussions or involving itself in negotiations between the two neighbours unless asked to by both sides. The spokesperson was asked about Mr Bush’s move to bracket Kashmir with Kosovo and comments by US Secretary of State Colin Powell that Washington would do everything it could to lend its “good offices” to the improvement of relations between India and Pakistan and the difficult outstanding issues, whether it was Kashmir or nuclear issue. Washington’s clarification was given by US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Christina Rocca to External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh and Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Brajesh Mishra and other senior officers during her visit early this week, the spokesperson said. Admitting that the government had seen recent comments made at the political level in the US Government concerning Indo-Pak relations. Mrs Rao said “India and the USA share the belief that tensions in South Asia must be resolved by the countries in South Asia through peaceful means”. The spokesperson said the Bush
Administration had reiterated that dialogue between India and Pakistan “is the best way to make real progress towards reduction in tensions and peaceful resolution of differences”. Maintaining that India and the USA had converging and common interests, the spokesperson said “they have a viewpoint on Kashmir and it is not necessary that their view
coincides with us’.
|
|
Indecision is not abuse
of power: SC New Delhi, July 26 “A decision, action or instruction may be involvement or unpalatable to the person affected but it would not be an abuse of power. In as much as an abuse of power would entail civil consequences, the expression has to be narrowly construed”, the court ruled. The Bench comprising Chief Justice Dr A.S. Anand, Mr Justice R.C. Lahoti and Mr Justice K.G. Balakrishnan delivered the significant ruling while laying down law for the Punjab Government to act under the Punjab Municipal Act, 1911, in regard to the removal of elected presidents and vice-presidents of state municipalities. Quashing the state government’s order of removal of Mr Tarlochan Dev Sharma from the post of President of Rajpura Municipality in 1999, the judges further ruled, “A singular or casual aberration or failure in exercise of power is not enough; a course of conduct or plurality of aberration in exercise of power and that involving dishonesty of intention is “abuse of powers” within the meaning of Section 22 of the said Act. Allowing Mr Sharma’s appeal against the Punjab and Haryana High Court judgment which declined to interfere in the matter and reinstating him as President of Rajpura Municipality and coming down heavily on the Principal of the State (Local Government Department), Mr N.K. Arora, who passed the order of removal, the judges held, “ The authority taking a decision must apply its mind also to the explanation furnished by the person proceeded against and this must appear from the order passed under Section 22.” “We have no
hesitation in holding that the impugned order betrays utter non-application to the facts of the case and the relevant law. The manner in which the power under Section 22 has been exercised by the competent authority is suggestive of betrayal of the confidence which the state government reposed in the Principal Secretary in conferring upon him the exercise of a drastic power like removal of President of a municipality under Section 22 of the Act”, the judges held. The appellant had alleged that he was removed from the post of President of Rajpura Municipality at the dictates of his political opponents at the helm of state affairs. The state government had charged Mr Sharma of abusing his powers in obstructing the sale of fogging machines which put hurdles in the functioning of the municipality and was against its interest. |
|
|
SC: disciplinary bodies
crucial New Delhi, July 26 “The credibility of a disciplinary council depends upon how it deals with the cases of delinquency involving serious misconduct which has a tendency to erode the credibility and reputation of the said profession,” the court said while upholding the decision of the Bar Council of India cancelling the licence of an advocate from the Rajasthan Bar Council. The advocate who had put in 50 years of practice was charged with having written to one of his clients that he could be secured from the court of a certain presiding judge on payment of Rs 10,000. The advocate, Mr Hanuman Das Khatry, in his defence had submitted that the service of the said judge was terminated on account of illegal gratification and he had followed the norms of professional ethics in bringing these facts to the notice of his client to protect his interest. The State Bar Council confined the action of misconduct to the letter of the advocate merely and held him guilty of professional misconduct under Section 35 of the Act suspending his practice. The Bar council of India enhancing the punishment permanently debarred him from practice, on review by a disciplinary committee further the punishment was modified to one of reprimand. |
|
Prem Bhatia Award
announced New Delhi, July 26 Mr Thakur has been recognised for his “outstanding work throughout the year and most recently on upheaval in Manipur”, a statement issued by the Prem Bhatia Memorial Trust said. The award carries a cash amount of Rs 1 lakh. The Prem Bhatia Scholarships for media related research by young journalists of Rs 60,000 each will be presented to Ms Indiradhar Choudhary of the Hindustan Times, New Delhi, Ms Sunita Sharma of The Pioneer, New Delhi and Ms Devyani Bhardwaj of Rajasthan Patrika, Jaipur. Two of the scholarships are sponsored by the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and one by the Mahindra Education Trust. The awards will be given away at the annual Prem Bhatia Memorial Lecture, which will be held on August 11 in New Delhi. The guest speaker this year would be Mr Deepak Nayyar, Vice-Chancellor of University of Delhi. |
|
Joshi made member
of Russian academy New Delhi, July 26 This is considered a rare honour as Dr Joshi will be joining a galaxy of scientists and academicians, including 24 Nobel laureates. The decision was taken by the Academy Presidium and was conveyed to the minister by the president of the academy, Prof O.L. Kuznetsov. The minister has also been invited to St Petersburg in September for receiving the honour at a special ceremony. Dr Joshi’s biographical summary will be included in the encyclopaedia of the academy to be published this year. The award is in recognition of his distinguished services for the cause of science and technology. |
|
Core group for
NGOs New Delhi, July 26 A press note of the commission said here today that it had decided to hold consultations with the NGOs on a regional basis and work in partnership with NGOs with good track record to spread awareness among people. The core group chaired by the Commission’s Special Rapporteur, Mr Chaman Lal, would also identify the NGOs working in the field of human rights. It would also create a database of NGOs . |
|
Irrigation project work begins Hanumangarh, July 26 Sources in the Irrigation Department said minors and distributaries would be constructed over an area of 99.2 km. Costing about Rs 27 crore, the project is to be completed in three years. The construction and lining work of the distributaries have been taken up side by side. The state government has allotted a budget of Rs 10 crore in the current financial year for the project. Of this amount, Rs 2.7 crore has been given to the farmers whose lands are to be acquired. |
|
|
President recovering New Delhi, July 26 |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 121 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
