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Tuesday,
February 5, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Taxi, autorickshaw strike hits life in Delhi Bofors case: Hindujas seek papers, hearing put off UTTARANCHAL ASSEMBLY
POLL UTTAR PRADESH ELECTION Cong says no to PM’s
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SC fines Centre Rs 10,000 for laxity on waste oil Police opens fire
to stop clash Haryana joins engg entrance examination BJP-INLD
pact ‘intact’
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Taxi, autorickshaw strike hits life in Delhi New Delhi, February 4 While the Confederation of Transport Operators claimed that the strike was “complete and successful”, the Delhi Government said the strike evoked only “partial response.” The scene was chaotic at airports and railway stations where passengers scrambled for a few autos and taxis that plied on the road in defiance of the strike call. Mr Gautam Jalali, president of the confederation, said the operators had gone on strike following the failure of the talks with the government. At a press conference, Delhi Transport Minister, Mr Ajay Maken, said the government would go ahead with the installation of tamper-proof electronic meters ‘’at all costs’’ in line with the December 6 Supreme Court order and in the interest of the commuters. “The government can consider the demand of a fare hike in view of increasing costs of CNG vehicles, but this can no way be linked with the installation of electronic meters,’’ Mr Maken said. Mr Jalali claimed that the apex Court’s order did not make it mandatory to install electronic meters. The minister said the effect of the strike was ‘’partial’’. As a contingency plan, the Delhi Government had put in place 40 checking squads with wireless communication sets to direct buses to any place with a large number of stranded commuters. ‘’But the squads have not received any complaints so far,’’ he said. Mr Maken said the Delhi Finance Corporation (DFC) would provide loans to vehicle owners at a lower interest for the meters that would save them about Rs 2,000. “They can also sell their old meters and the total amount gained would be close to what they would spend on the new meter. Clearly their opposition is due to some other reasons,’’ he added. |
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Bofors case: Hindujas seek papers, hearing put off New Delhi, February 4 The counsel for Hinduja brothers — Srichand, Gopichand and Prakashchand — who on Friday last filed separate but identical applications before Special Judge R.K. Gauba in this regard, complained to the court that they had not been allowed to complete inspection of certain documents by the CBI. Similarly, the counsel for Bofors, now known as Kartongen Kemi Och Forvaltning AB, requested the court to consider their application seeking discharge in the case as also the one for supply of a copy of government order banning the appointment of middlemen in defence deals as in vogue at the relevant time. CBI’s Special Public Prosecutor N Natrajan submitted that at least five of the documents sought by Hindujas were classified ones on which the state would claim privilege. The court asked the CBI to come up with proper reply to the applications of the Hindujas and Bofors company except the one relating to discharge, which it said would be decided in the course of arguments on framing of charges. The three Hinduja brothers and Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors are facing trial in the politically sensitive case. Former Defence Secretary S.K. Bhatnagar and former Bofors agent WN Chadha — have died after filing of two charge sheets by the CBI, while the probe agency is yet to secure the presence of Kuala Lumpur-based Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi and former Bofors chief Martin Ardbo in the case.
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UTTARANCHAL ASSEMBLY POLL Dehra Dun, February 4 The state, which came into existence on November 9, 2000, will elect its MLAs for the first time on February 14. Twenty-two members of the U.P. Vidhan Sabha and eight members of the Legislative Council of the parent state were shifted to Uttaranchal when the state was born. However, now the state has been divided into 70 Assembly constituencies. The problem of Chief Minister candidate is more acute in the Congress than that in the BJP. There are at least four contenders for the chief ministership in the Congress. The party President, Mr Harish Rawat is leading the race. However, waiting in the wings is the former Chief Minister of UP, Mr N.D. Tiwari, who at present is an M.P. A former Union Minister, Mr Sat Pal Maharaj, and Mr Vijay Bahuguna, a son of the former U.P. Chief Minister, Mr H.N. Bahuguna are also projecting themselves as the candidates for the chief ministership, if the Congress comes to power. It is interesting, none of the four contenders of the Congress is contesting the ensuing elections. While Mr Maharaj has secured the party ticket for his wife, Amrita Rawat, from the Beeronkhal constituency in Pauri Garhwal district. The others depend upon one of their cronies to quit his seat for them. Taking a leaf from the other state units of the party, the Uttaranchal Congress too is divided badly into factions. Each faction wishes the candidates of the other factions to lose in the elections. The party has already left it for Mrs Sonia Gandhi to nominate the next Chief Minister. The BJP, though has projected the Chief Minister, Mr Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, as the next Chief Minister of the State, it too is not free from doubts on this score. The doubt has arisen because of the presence of the former Chief Minister, Mr Nityanand Swami, in the electoral fray. Sources close to Mr Swami who was the first Chief Minister of the state, to be replaced by Mr Koshiyari only a few months ago, say their leader was not keen on contesting the elections. However, the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee who earlier picked up Mr Swami for the Chief Minister’s post, told him to contest the Assembly elections. Supporters of Mr Swami, whose grandfather migrated from Narnaul in Haryana to settle in Dehra Dun, say the Prime Minister earlier told Mr Swami that he would be made Governor of a state. But later Mr Vajpayee asked Mr Swami to file his nomination papers from the Lakshman Chowk constituency, a part of Dehra Dun city. This, they point out to the voters in a guarded language, is an indication that Mr Swami again may ascend the throne as the party leadership, particularly the Prime Minister, is impressed with his administrative acumen. Mr Swami himself, however, says he is not a candidate for the Chief Ministership. But he also adds that he would shoulder the responsibility if asked by the party to do so. New Delhi, February 4 Observers here see it as a move to clear the way for Uttaranchal PCC chief Harish Rawat to lead the party in the state in the post-poll scenario.
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UTTAR PRADESH ELECTION Deoband, February 4 The move of the BJP to win over the “most backward” classes seems to be less effective among these castes because of leaders like Ms Mayawati and former Chief Minister, Kalyan Singh, arrayed in the opposition. While the BSP, which is going alone, has put up candidates on all seats, the Rashtriya Kranti party of Mr Kalyan Singh will make inroads on the vote bank of the Lodh community. Mr Kalyan Singh has also given tickets to two rebels of the BJP, who are sitting MLAs. Furthermore, in the past, Muslim versus other caste alliance has always helped the BJP. But in the present scenario, votes of the other castes are divided among different parties. The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) led by Mr Ram Vilas Paswan is also contesting 50 seats in the western UP belt, the LJP is supposed to checkmate the influence of the BSP but the ground realities are different. The LJP would cut into the backward vote quota of the BJP. Besides, Mr Ashok Yadav, a minister expelled by Mr Rajnath Singh has also floated a new regional party. Mr Yadav has nominated 30 persons from the party. It is to be noted that since 1989, the BJP had constantly increased its percentage of vote bank in Uttar Pardesh because the anti-Muslim caste alliance always helped the saffron flag. For instance in 1989, the BJP won 57 seats in the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha and its poll percentage was 11.68 per cent. In the 1991 Assembly poll, when the pro Ram-Janambhoomi movement was at its peak, the BJP got 221 seats and secured 30.26 per cent of the votes polled. In the 1993 elections, the winning tally of the BJP went down to 177 seats. Ashtonishingly, its percentage of polled votes went up to 33.30 per cent. In the last poll of 1996, the party’s winning tally was restricted to 174 and its vote bank went down to 32.28 per cent. This scenario was applicable to western Uttar Pradesh also where the Jats, the Swarans and large chunk of backward voters sided with the party. However, it is an altogether different picture now. The BJP has not many issues to exploit. The Ram temple issue has lost its shine. The promise of the party to provide “transparent and clean administration” is also in smithreens. The BJP seems to have lost its credentials as a party of disciplined and dedicated workers. Above all, it has to contend with the anti-incumbency factor also. Sensing all this, the party manoeuvered to get ticket to some of its tried workers from the RLD. For instance, Mr Laj Krishan Gandhi, a staunch BJP leader who had won the Saharanpur city seat on the BJP ticket at one time is now fighting on the RLD symbol. This indicates panic amongst the party ranks. Moreover, the rallying point of anti-Muslim votes in western Uttar Pradesh i.e. the Ayodhya issue, has been given a go-bye by the BJP. It is not in a position to rake up the knotty problem because of staunch opposition by NDA alliance partners, including the JD (U), Lok Jana Shakti Party, Samata Party and the party led by Mrs Maneka Gandhi. Not that the BJP is the only party facing odds. The Congress affairs are more messy. The percentage of the National Congress party of Mr Sharad Pawar and the Lok Tantrik Congress of Mr Naresh Aggarwal who was expelled from the ministry by Mr Rajnath Singh has spoiled the Congress chances. Similarly, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav is also faced with rebellion by him of his own caste. |
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Cong says no to PM’s
appeal New Delhi, February 4 Party chief spokesman Jaipal Reddy said: “There was admission of guilt in this argument.’’ He said the CAG had pointed to a number of lapses in its report on the defence deals including “coffingate”, and the party would raise these during the coming Budget session. Mr Reddy said: “Cover-up of defence scandals does not boost morale of defence forces. Nor does it unleash popular enthusiasm in our fight against terrorism.’’ He said transparency in defence transactions was essential to meet both external and internal threats. The party said the pending issues, including Tehelka and Coffingate, would be taken up in the coming Budget session. “In fact, discussion was necessary to boost the morale of forces and keep faith of people in the ever-increasing defence expenditure,’’ Mr Reddy said. Asked if the party would continue to “boycott” Defence Minister George Fernandes, Mr Reddy said the strategy would be decided on the eve of the Budget session. He, however, said the party continued to oppose the re-induction of Mr Fernandes in the Vajpayee government. Criticising the government’s performance in the economic sphere, Mr Reddy said that the recent annual report of the RBI reflected the “felt misery of the masses and marked improvisation of the middle class.” The party said growth rates had collapsed, farm incomes and employment in organised industry fallen and small investors wealth eroded by over Rs 15,000 crore in the wake of UTI scam. India has witnessed decline with GDP growth in 2000 recording being lowest since 1992, the party said. “The average GDP growth recorded during the NDA regime works out to be about 5 per cent, a rate at which poverty cannot be reduced in significant manner,’’ the party said. |
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SC fines Centre Rs 10,000 for laxity on waste oil New Delhi, February 4 And to instil accountability among the officials, the court gave liberty to the government to recover the fine amount from those officials who it thought were responsible for the non-compliance of the Supreme Court orders dated September 14 and December 3 last year. This order was passed by a Bench comprising Mr Justice B.N. Kirpal and Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat when petitioner Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Natural Resources’ counsel Sanjay Parikh pointed out that despite court orders the Centre had done nothing.
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Police opens fire
to stop clash Pondicherry, February 4 The police said the trouble started over the election of the fishermen panchayat president. Outgoing president Rajendran objected to the election of his successor, Kangeyan. In the ensuing scuffle, four persons, including Rajendran, were injured.
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Haryana joins engg entrance examination New Delhi, February 4 Candidates from outside Haryana will be eligible for admission to 15 per cent of seats in various engineering institutions in Haryana. The Thapar Institute of Engineering Technology, Patiala, has revised the intake of students for the various branches of engineering. The intake of students in chemical and civil branches is limited to 40, for computers, electronics and communication and mechanical it is 60 and for electrical and electronics and communication instrumentation it is 20. |
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BJP-INLD pact ‘intact’ New Delhi, February 4 Reacting to reports that understanding between the two parties were under strain, Mr Singh said that “our alliance continues, even though we will be contesting against each other in the Yamunanagar Assembly seat”. This followed a meeting party President Jana Krishnamurthy had with Haryana BJP President Ratan Lal Kataria at the central office here. |
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