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Saturday,
April 20, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Tie-up move fails to enthuse BSP MLAs Don’t recall Army from Gujarat: IUML NORTH INDIA IN PARLIAMENT India welcomes Zahir's return to Kabul
CSIR state within meaning of Article 12: SC |
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Buta seeks refund of fine in bribery case Court allows
Sanjay Dutt to go abroad Benegal in search of actor to play Netaji 28 Indian cops for UN mission Army chief’s visit to USA
from April 22 Matrishree awards
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Tie-up move fails to enthuse BSP MLAs Bahraich, April 19 “About 12 BSP MLAs, mostly Muslims, have already spoken to me and sought my opinion with regard to chalking out their future course of action to protest the ongoing move to form a BJP-BSP government and an equal number of others are in touch with me,” Mr Khan told PTI here. The formation of a BJP-BSP government in Uttar Pradesh would not be that easy, especially after the resignation of two MLAs in Rajasthan in protest against such an alliance. The pressure from BSP MLAs would make the formation of such a government all the more difficult, he said. “I have advised the MLAs not to quit but inform the leadership their views. The legislators have a responsibility towards the people to whom they have repeatedly told during the election campaign that they would have no understanding with the BJP,” he said. The MLAs would state these facts before the BSP leaders and tell them that they would not vote for the BJP-BSP government under any circumstances in the House. “Now more party leaders have come out openly against the move,” he said. Mr Khan said he had not raised a banner of revolt against the party high command. However, he would not desist from advising the MLAs who sought his views. They have invited him to Lucknow to guide them on the issue. Meanwhile, about 200 supporters of Mr Arif Mohammad Khan in the district resigned from the BSP. The maulanas and ulemas of the district have also welcomed Khan’s decision.
PTI |
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Don’t recall Army from Gujarat: IUML New Delhi, April 19 “The law and order situation in Gujarat is far from satisfactory. Deployment of the Army is necessary to instil confidence in the people, particularly the minorities,” IUML President G.M. Banatwala said in separate memoranda submitted to President K.R. Narayanan and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. He had yesterday urged Defence Minister George Fernandes not to withdraw the Army from Gujarat. The government, Mr Banatwala noted, was reportedly examining the question of withdrawal of troops from Gujarat. The Chief of Army Staff, Gen S. Padmanabhan, had recently suggested that the Army could be withdrawn from the state and Defence Minister George Fernandes was there to assess the situation, he added. Stating that nearly 2 lakh people were still languishing in relief camps, the IUML leader said the withdrawal of the Army before the return of these people to their homes would prove “very risky”. Rather than withdrawing the Army at this juncture, it would be advisable to keep it effectively deployed in the state, he said. Meanwhile, Imam of Jama Masjid Syed Ahmad Bukhari also said the Army should not be recalled from the riot-hit state till normalcy is restored. “Modi should be arrested and put to trial for genocide of Muslims. The military also should not be called back from Gujarat till total normalcy returns,” Bukhari said in his Friday prayer sermon. He said the riots in the state were nothing “but a well-organised and pre-planned genocide” of
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Life in camps a miserable saga Ahmedabad, April 19 Official assurances by the Modi administration as well as high profile visits by politicians and other VIPs, have had little “impact” on the quality of their lives. Inmates are angry over the fact that they still do not know when they can move out and at the same time “every morning we have to ease out in the open”. “After violence, what will follow us is disease. There have been already a few cases of measles,” says a worried relief worker at the camp. Inmates and relief workers are also getting restive about delay in disbursement of compensation package. “I lost five members of my family. At the ripe age of 65, I don’t know what will I get and when. I have no papers,” says Ismail, clad in a torn shirt. Even from majority community-based relief camps in Kankaria, there are reports about discontentment growing over the living conditions. Meanwhile, in a few camps, another kind of problem has been noticed, according to police officials. “With food shortage reported in several minority based colonies, people manage to sneak into the camps. The attraction is free lunch,” said one police official. The law enforcing agencies and relief workers say they could hardly do anything about it.
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NORTH INDIA IN PARLIAMENT New Delhi, April 19 During the previous year (2000-01), the losses of NFL, Bathinda, were estimated at Rs 26.67 crore while the corresponding figure during 1999-2000 stood at Rs 10.43 crore, the Minister told the House. The House was informed that it has been decided to disinvest 51 per cent equity of the government in NFL. It is the policy of the government to bring down its equity in all non-strategic sector public sector undertakings (PSUs) to 26 per cent or lower. The fertiliser PSUs have been classified as “non-core sector enterprises”, the Minister said in his reply. The Employees Union of the Bathinda unit has been making presentations against the decision to disinvest government holding in NFL and the management of NFL has advised the Union that the process of disinvestments will be in the interest of the company and it will not affect the employees adversely. In a written reply to a separate question, Mr Mookherjee said that the government has given in-principle approval to grant an additional subsidy in transporting fertilisers to Himachal Pradesh, like to Jammu and Kashmir and North-Eastern states. The Centre had earlier decided to extend additional transportation subsidy for decontrolled P&K fertilisers to Himachal Pradesh on similar lines as in the case of Jammu and Kashmir and North-Eastern states, including Sikkim, the Minister said. Subsequently, the government approved, in principle, the rates of transportation of these fertilisers to Himachal Pradesh and the notification to this effect is being issued in consultation with the state government. The freight cost for transportation of urea to Himachal Pradesh is reimbursed under equated freight scheme, the Minister told the House. In a written reply to a question on whether there was any proposal for converting Chandigarh into a big terminal railway station, Minister of Railways Nitish Kumar told the Rajya Sabha that passenger terminal facilities are being developed at Chandigarh. Chandigarh is already connected directly to Howrah, Mumbai and New Delhi. It is proposed to introduce a Jan Shatabdi Express between New Delhi and Chandigarh during 2002-03. Introduction of more trains from Chandigarh to other destinations, including other state capitals, will depend upon the traffic requirements as well as availability of resources, the Minister told the House. |
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India welcomes Zahir's return to Kabul New Delhi, April 19 The Ministry of External Affairs said the event was another step in the process of consolidation of forces in Afghanistan towards the building of a united, independent, sovereign and strong nation. King Zahir Shah and his family have always maintained excellent relations with India. We have also remained in contact over the past two decades as various efforts were made to bring Afghanistan out of the conflict situation, an Ministry of External Affairs statement said. |
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CSIR state within meaning of Article 12: SC New Delhi, April 19 The judgement, by a seven-judge constitution Bench, makes it possible for anyone to invoke the writ jurisdiction of the Supreme Court under Article 32 of the Constitution against the CSIR alleging infringement of fundamental rights guaranteed against the “state” under Part 3 of the Constitution. Overruling its 1975 decision by a five-judge constitution Bench, the apex court held that the employees of the CSIR could file petitions under Articles 32 and 226 of the Constitution before the Supreme Court and high courts, respectively, to seek remedy against any injustice. The decision assumes significance as fundamental rights are guaranteed against the state and any infringement by the state, as defined in Article 12, can be challenged as of right under Article 32 of the Constitution. Holding as plainly erroneous the earlier decision of the five-judge constitution Bench of the court in the case of Sabhajit Tewari Vs Union of India, AIR 1975 SC 1329, the court overruled that decision. “Since on re-examination of the question, we have come to the conclusion that the decision was plainly erroneous, it is our duty to say so and not perpetuate our mistake,’’ the 49-page majority judgement said. The ruling, by a majority of five to two, overruled the earlier judgement holding that CSIR was not a state within the meaning of Article 12. While the majority judgement was delivered by Chief Justice S.P. Bharucha, Mr Justice S.S.M. Quadri, Mr Justice N. Santosh Hegde, Ms Justice Ruma Pal and Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat, Mr Justice R.C. Lahoti and Mr Justice Doraiswamy Raju dissented with the majority view in a separate judgement. The judgement was delivered on April 16 but was made available to the Press today.
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Buta seeks refund of fine in bribery case New Delhi, April 19 In an application filed before Special Judge R.K. Gauba, Mr Buta Singh requested the court to refund the fine on account of his conviction being set aside by the high court. The CBI has opposed Mr Buta Singh’s plea on the ground that the 90-day statutory period of limitation for filing an appeal against the high court judgment was yet to expire. Terming the move as “pre-mature”, the agency prayed to the court to dismiss his application. The court, however, posted the matter for May 1 as it was yet to receive a certified copy of the high court order allowing Mr Buta Singh’s appeal. Eighteen months after his conviction, Mr Buta Singh along with former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao was acquitted by the Delhi High Court which said there was no evidence to show he had discussed paying bribe to JMM MPs in a close-door meeting in 1993.
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Court allows
Sanjay Dutt to go abroad Mumbai, April 19 Designated judge P.D. Kode, however, directed him to return for a day on May 4 and mark his presence in the court. Sanjay Dutt will visit Mauritius between April 23 and May 3 and Cape Town from May 5 to 19. On a plea made by defence lawyer Farhana Shah, the actor was allowed to leave India on certain conditions. He has been asked to submit a detailed programme with the registrar and deposit his passport after his return. He was warned not to establish contacts with any absconding accused and ensure that he was represented by his lawyer in his absence.
PTI |
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Benegal in search of actor to play Netaji Kolkata, April 19 Benegal has already chosen Nandita Das to play the heroine’s role. Rajeshwari Sachdeva, who acted in “Sardari Begum” is Benegal’s alternative choice. The shooting for the film, to be produced by Sahara India, is likely to begin in Kolkata in August or September. A.R. Rahman has been picked to compose its music. Benegal is busy preparing the script with the help of the local Netaji Research Bureau (NRB), which is being headed by Netaji’s daughter-in-law, Mr Krishna Bose, a Trinamool Congress MP. According to Mr Kartick Chakraborty, secretary, NRB, Benegal has been in close contact with the bureau in collecting papers and related documents for writing the script, for which he may need the help of renowned Benegali novelist Sunil Gangopadhya, who is the Kolkata Sheriff. Mr Chakraborty said Benegal, presently in the USA for finalising the “deal” with Sahara International’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Subrata Roy, would be in city in June for preparing the script. His technical crew, including editor Asim Sinha and cinematographer Rajan Kothari, are doing the groundwork for the Shooting. Benegal has told the NRB that he wants to project Nejaji not only as a freedom fighter but also as human being with love, passion and courage. But the spotlight will be on Netaji’s formation of the Indian National Army (INA). Mr Chakraborty said the film would be shot at Netaji Bhavan, where Netaji spent the maximum part of his life, and on the premises of the Kolkata Corporation, which Netaji headed as the Mayor. Shooting will also take place in Myanmar, Germany and other places in Europe which Netaji as INA chief visited.
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28 Indian cops for UN mission New Delhi, April 19 As many as 389 Indian officers
appeared in the test after undergoing pre-selection training by the officers and men of the ITBP here between April 8 and 12. The test was conducted by a three-member United Nations selection assistance team headed by Ms Annamarina Kis from UN DPKO, an ITBP press note said here today. The officers would be deployed from May. |
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Army chief’s visit to USA from April 22 New Delhi, April 19 During his stay there, General Padmanabhan will visit Pentagon and hold talks with senior defence officials of the Bush administration. He is also scheduled to meet Gen Richard B. Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the USA, official sources said.
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Matrishree awards New Delhi, April 18 While ‘The Pioneer’ and ‘Rashtriya Sahara’ have been adjudged the best English and Hindi newspapers, respectively, the awards committee chose Sindhi journal ‘Samvad’ in the best magazine category, its Convener Dinesh Sharma said. Besides Nair (PTI) and Ahsan (PTI-Bhasha), the other winners of the award are Deepak Goyal and Rajesh Rai (UNI), Mohd Imran Khan (UNI Urdu Service), Rajat Pandit (The Times of India) and Hemant Vishnoi (Navbharat Times).
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