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Thursday,
September 27, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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UK official probing visa refusal cases Tremors cause crack in airport taxiway Dummy exercises at airports India should avoid combat: Cong leader Bitta pledges
war against terrorism |
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India favours extradition laws Dismiss STC chief, says Congress SC allows pension plea of INA veteran NHRC to approach SC on relief to labourers Panel to monitor fiscal stimulus steps Chandrasekhar Rao takes oath AITUC opposed to downsizing 12 miners killed
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UK official probing visa refusal cases New Delhi, September 26 “The tourist visa applicant has to show a proof of financial support for his stay in the UK for six months — the normal tourist visa time period. The average expenditure incurred during that period is £ 7000 (Rs 4,90,000),” Mr Rabinder Singh, who is probing British visa refusal cases worldwide, told The Tribune. Mr Rabinder Singh, appointed by the British Government as an independent monitor to probe the cases, clarified that the rejection of visa application by the High Commission was based on set procedures and rules. Those candidates, who did not fulfil the criteria were not granted visa, he said. Stating that it was “a misconception” that a visa was granted or denied by the visa officer arbitrarily or on their mood, Mr Rabinder Singh said a the reasons as to why visa had not been granted was given to the applicant. The visa officer follows strict guidelines laid down by the Foreign Office before granting or denying visa, he added. “Probably, the UK the only country which provides such a list of reasons to the applicant,” he said. On an average, 10 per cent of the visa applicants get the rejection slip. Each year, about 180,000 persons apply for visa from India, which is about 10 per cent of the global visa applicants. About 500,000 persons who have links with Punjab reside in the UK and almost 60 per cent of the visa applicants each year are from this state alone. Mr Rabinder Singh is the second person from the Sikh community to be appointed by the Blair government to an important position. The British Government has appointed Mr Harbaksh Singh to head the Commission for Racial Equality. Mr Rabinder Singh, a UK barrister, has been asked to review around 1000 entry clearance refusals and to submit an annual report on the discharge of these responsibilities to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. A copy of the report, which would be submitted in November next year, would be placed before each House of British Parliament. |
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Tremors cause crack in airport taxiway Chennai, September 26 The engineers and officials at the airport inspected the crack and ordered the closure of the track, the sources said. The authorities had also issued notice to airmen of all airlines about the unserviceability of the track, the sources said. However, normal air traffic was maintained using the alternate runway. The authorities were still assessing the damage caused due to the tremor, the sources said. Meanwhile, unofficial reports said two persons, including a 59-year-old woman, died due to “shock” soon after the tremor. However, the police did not confirm the report. A tremor measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale was felt in several parts in the South for a few seconds at 8.30 p.m. last night, forcing people to rush outdoors in panic. But for minor cracks in a couple of old
buildings, there was no loss of life or damage to property, official sources said. The Deputy Director-General of the India Meteorological Department, Mr A.K. Bhatnagar, told newsmen last night that since Chennai was in the safe zone, there was nothing for people to be panicky about. As the epicentre of the tremor was in the sea, the intensity felt in the land was mild, he said. More aftershocks of lesser intensity are likely to occur in peninsular India next week, following the tremors here last night. Stating that one aftershock was already recorded at 10.37 p.m. last night, Mr Bhatnagar said peninsular India was still active with seismic activity.
PTI, UNI |
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Dummy exercises at airports New Delhi, September 26 The BCAS wants to carry out checks on all routes in the country and accordingly is working on various aspects to make the Indian skies safe. It has also been carrying out dummy exercise to plug holes in the security systems. One such exercise was carried out in Mumbai in which a passenger carrying a firearm sneaked through the security check at the airport and was about to board a Delhi-bound flight late last week. The weapon was detected at the ladder-point, following which the pilot ordered a thorough check of the entire baggage, before departing for his destination four hours later. The passenger was a “dummy” planted by the BCAS as part of a surprise drill to beef up the security apparatus at some of the most vulnerable airports across the country following the terror strikes in the USA. |
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India should avoid combat: Cong leader New Delhi, September 26 Talking to this correspondent here today, Mr Kumar said India should seize the opportunity presently available to deal a decisive blow to terrorism and go all out to help the USA. “Never before did time and chance converge to give India an opportunity to fight its battle against terrorism with the USA in the lead and India in the supporting role. This opportunity should not be lost by India at any cost, irrespective of the controversial US track record on the matter,” said Mr Kumar, who is Chairman of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Vichar Vibhag. He said the situation arising in the wake of the September 11 terror attacks on the USA had tossed up a “tactical advantage” to India to secure its long-term security and strategic interests. “it is necessary that global war against terrorism is waged subject to the minimal conditions imposed by international law and public opinion so as not to convert this initiative into a clash between civilsations.” Mr Kumar stressed the need for making wider diplomatic efforts to dispel apprehensions in the Muslim world that efforts against terrorism are on a selective basis. In this context he accused the Vajpayee government of failing in reassuring NRIs, including Sikhs, settled in the USA and elsewhere. “The government should have sent a high-powered delegation to the USA. More than 250 Indians have died in the September 11
attacks, but not a single official has gone there from here. Besides, people would like to know what the special adviser to the Indian Ambassador in Washington for NRI affairs, Mr Bhishma Agnihotri, has done so far,” he asked. |
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Bitta pledges
war against terrorism New Delhi, September 26 Speaking on the occasion, Mr Bitta said all political parties should unitedly resolve to support the government in fighting the evil of terrorism. “This is the right opportunity for India to seek intervention by all means and if Afghanistan is vanquished in the ensuing operation by the USA, a similar fate could be assigned to the burning issue of Jammu and Kashmir to end the ethnic problem”. The front would organise camps in Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi to train youths to defend themselves and the elderly from terrorists, informed Mr Bitta. |
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India favours extradition laws New Delhi, September 26 Intervening in the discussion on draft resolution on international terrorism in the Interpol General Assembly, currently in session at Budapest, Hungary, leader of the Indian delegation and CBI Director P.C. Sharma said, “The member countries should also think it wise to have certain legislation in place, particularly, the law relating to extradition of wanted terrorists.” Briefing reporters here today, the spokesman of the CBI, which is Interpol’s representative in the country, said the agency Director also informed the member countries that “at this stage of world history, it is imperative on all nations to demonstrate the will to help in the fight against terrorism.” The Indian delegation asked the Interpol countries to incorporate the menace of cross-border terrorism in the resolution to be adopted by the General Assembly. |
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Dismiss STC chief, says Congress New Delhi, September 26 Party chief spokesman Jaipal Reddy said the CBI had severely faulted the import order, saying that the wheat was not required by the country at all, and even if wheat was to be imported, it could have been secured at a lower price from Europe. The CBI, he said, had found that even Australia had sold its wheat at a lower price than what was paid by India. “Among the people mentioned guilty is S.M. Dewan, the present chairman of the STC,” Mr Reddy said, adding that following the
registration of FIR by the CBI last week, Mr Dewan should be dismissed. The Congress spokesman even accused the CBI of causing “avoidable” delay in the import case. |
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SC allows pension plea of INA veteran New Delhi, September 26 The court noted that the grant of pension to the appellant with effect from April 29, 1998 had been cancelled by the Union Home Ministry when he sought to claim it with effect from March, 1973 and the High Court dismissed his grievances on account of disputed facts. The Bench comprising Mr Justice M.B. Shah and Mr Justice R.P. Sethi, while ordering for pension at the rate of Rs 3,000 per month with effect from March 1996 to be paid to Mr Gurdial Singh, stated, “We have noticed with disgust that the authorities concerned had adopted a hyper-technical approach while dealing with the case of a freedom fighter and ignored the basic principles and objectives of the scheme intended to give benefit to the sufferer in the freedom movement.” Referring to the dismissal of his case by the High Court, the judges observed that the said order had ignored the mandate of law and the freedom fighters pension scheme, 1972 and appears to have been passed with a biased and closed mind, ignoring an earlier verdict of this court on the issue. Delivering the judgement, Mr Justice Sethi held that the appellant had been dragged to litigation for no fault of his and set aside the government’s cancellation order of November 1, 2000 and the High Court judgement. |
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NHRC to approach SC on relief to labourers New Delhi, September 26 Sources in the NHRC said the commission felt that the state from where the bonded labour migrated and the state where they were released were passing the buck to the other when it came to the payment of the relief package. The commission therefore felt it was necessary to solicit further directions of the apex court. The commission took cognizance of a petition which pointed out that 13 labourers and their families, hailing from Uttar Pradesh, were working as bonded labour in a brick-kiln in Jhajjar area of Haryana. The police action on the complaint was found to be inadequate. The report of the District Collector, called for by the Commission, stated that the complaint pertained to a dispute between the brick-kiln owner and some labourers. It said the matter was resolved on the intervention of the Labour Commissioner. The labourers were sent to their village in Etah district of Uttar Pradesh. The commission, prima facie, found that the labourers were working under duress and
compulsion. It directed the District Collector, Jhajjar to initiate lawful action against the owner of the brick kiln and submit a report on the measures taken to rehabilitate the released labourers. The District Collector was also directed to issue release certificates under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, to all labourers and pay Rs 20,000 to each of them. The payment of this amount was to be shared in equal measure by the state government and the Central Government. The commission also directed the District Collector, Etah, to rehabilitate the labourers by setting up a Released Bonded Labourers Cooperative Society in their native village and assign welfare schemes available in the district to the cooperative society. While the Jhajjar DC confirmed that release certificates had been issued, his report was silent on the payment of rehabilitation grant. |
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Panel to monitor fiscal stimulus steps New Delhi, September 26 The decision to set up such a committee was decided at a series of meetings the Prime Minister held earlier this month to find out ways to boost the sagging economy. The committee of which the Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, would be the convener, would examine the extent procedures for investment approval and implementation of projects and suggest measures to simplify and expedite the process for both public and private investment. The committee comprises apart from Petroleum Secretary V.N. Kaul, the Secretary for Environment and Forests P.V. Jayakrishnan, Power Secretary A.K. Basu, Expenditure Secretary C.M. Vasudev, Communications Secretary Shyamal Ghosh, Labour Secretary Vinod Vaish, Secretary for Implementation Planning and Programme V. Govindarajan, Adviser to the Finance Ministry Rakesh Mohan, Secretary for Statistics and Programme Implementation K.V. Iruraya, the Additional Secretary, PMO, Dr Pradipto Ghosh and the Additional Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, Mr N.S. Sisodia. The committee will suggest measures to simplify procedures. A sub-group headed by the Secretary, IPP, would make specific suggestions regarding effecting simplification of procedures relating to private investment which would form part of the main report of the committee. The committee would submit its report by January 31, 2002. |
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Chandrasekhar Rao takes oath Hyderabad, September 26 Mr Rao, who has quit the ruling TDP and Deputy Speaker’s post in April last to launch a movement for a separate Telangana state, had won the bypoll held on September 20, with over 58,700 votes. The election of Mr Rao, once a comrade-in-arms and now a bitter critic of TDP supremo and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, marked a significant turn in state politics as he will represent the maiden voice for Telangana in the Assembly. Accompanied by his supporters, the TRS leader arrived at the Assembly for the oath ceremony.
PTI |
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AITUC opposed to downsizing
New Delhi, September 26 A statement said the AITUC along with other Central trade unions would intensify the agitational campaign against the disastrous policies of the NDA government. The ERC, which made an in-depth study for the eventual downsizing of the government and reducing expenditure in 36 ministries besides a reduction in fertiliser and food subsidies, submitted its final report to Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha yesterday. As suggested by the commission, the government has constituted a Committee of Secretaries for the implementation of the recommendations. The AITUC said it viewed with concern the recommendations of the ERC which was set up to reduce the staff strength in Central services by about 5 lakh in five years. A drive to reduce lakhs of posts in the Central services, mainly Class III and Class IV, would lead to mass-scale retrenchment and would add to the ever-mounting army of unemployed in the country, the AITUC warned. |
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12 miners killed Patna, September 26 Godda Superintendent of Police Dr Baljit said the 12 were killed when the wall of the mine came crashing down at 6.00 a.m. The area where the accident took place fell under the jurisdiction of the ECL where illegal mining is rampant. The police is trying to ascertain how the people gained entry to the mine.
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