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| Saturday,
July 20, 2002, Chandigarh, India   
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Cong for
President’s rule in Gujarat Report on
minister: uproar in House Shabana
sees holes in domestic violence Bill |
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NORTH INDIA IN PARLIAMENT Sonia weighs options for PCC chiefs Sukh Ram appeals
against conviction Fernandes meets Vaiko Camera with
radioactive material missing 2 arrested for
human sacrifice Govt neglecting
farmers: Jakhar France honours
Indian scientist
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Cong for President’s rule in Gujarat New Delhi, July 19 The Congress has won various elections before the communal carnage in the state, during the carnage and after the carnage and is battle ready, its spokesperson S. Jaipal Reddy said reacting to the Gujarat Government’s decision to dissolve the state Assembly and go in for snap poll. Meanwhile, amidst reports of the decision of the Gujarat Cabinet to recommend early dissolution of the state Assembly, BJP leader and former Law Minister Arun Jaitley met the full panel of the Election Commission to
apparently seek conduct of early elections there. In fact, the official announcement about the Modi government’s decision came after Mr Jaitley had a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner J.M. Lyngdoh and Election Commissioners T.S. Krishnamurthy and B.B. Tandon. Later in the day, a delegation of prominent citizens led by former Prime Minister I.K. Gujral met the three-member Election Commission and tried to impress upon it that early poll under the condition of “insecurity” will be inimical to free and fair poll. “Determination of the date of elections and the conduct of the poll are the prerogative of the Election Commission which appears inclined to wait until it is satisfied that the right conditions prevail”, the delegation of the Forum for Fraternity and Reconciliation said in a statement after the meeting. The delegation was informed that the state’s electoral rolls would be revised before the poll, it said. The delegation also urged that officials known to have been “actively or passively complicit in the riots” should not be put on election duty in the interest of maintaining public confidence in the process. Other members of the delegation who met the Election Commission were Justice Rajinder Sachar, Syeda Hamid, Swami Agnivesh, Harsh Mander and B.G. Verghese. Meanwhile, Commission sources clarified that any decision on the Gujarat elections would be taken only after thorough assessment of the law and order situation, proper revision of rolls and other aspects, which have direct impact on the smooth conduct of poll. Moreover, the Commission will be in no hurry to take a decision since as per the Constitutional provisions the Commission has to complete the election process only within six months from the date of dissolution of the Assembly, the sources maintained. |
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Report on minister: uproar in House New Delhi, July 19 The issue rocked both the Houses with the members raising it on the basis of a newspaper report that quoted a purported Intelligence Bureau report that an NGO was asked to pay bribe to Mr Oram for securing grant. Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha, Mr Santosh Mohan Deb (Congress) sought to know the veracity of the newspaper reports. Several Opposition members demanded that the minister come clear on the issue. However, BJP members V. K. Malhotra and Kirit Somaiyya took exception to Mr Deb’s remarks and demanded that they should not be allowed. Replying to Mr Deb’s remark, the minister said, “I spare none. I have tightened the system and therefore some people must have felt bad.” Raising the issue in the Rajya Sabha during Zero Hour, leader of Opposition Manmohan Singh said this was a “very disturbing news” and demanded a statement from the Prime Minister as the IB inquiry was done at the behest of the Prime Minister’s Office. The newspaper had said the IB had confirmed that bribes were taken by a functionary of the minister’s office for releasing grants to NGO, he said adding, “This is a very serious matter”. Demanding a thorough probe into the matter, Ms Sarla Maheswari (CPM) alleged that several NGOs which were non-existent were being given grants while functioning NGOs were denied funds. Joining the issue, senior Congress leader Arjun Singh wanted a thorough discussion on it as it concerned the welfare of the downtrodden. Responding to the agitated members, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs O. Rajagopal said he would bring it to the notice of the Prime Minister. |
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Shabana sees holes in domestic violence Bill
New Delhi, July 19 Participating in the debate on the Bill introduced by Ms Maheshwari today, she said the official Bill on prevention of domestic violence, introduced in March, 2002, and referred to the Standing Committee of the Human Resource Development Ministry, was full of loopholes. The official Bill should be withdrawn and Ms Maheshwari’s Bill, which was supported by women’s groups all over the country, adopted as the official one, she suggested. If that was too drastic a measure, then Ms Maheshwari’s Bill also should be referred to the Standing Committee and its provisions incorporated in the Government Bill. Shabana referred in particular to the plea of the self defence included in the Government Bill and demanded that this be deleted. “To say that a man was correct in beating his wife because she was trying to grab his property or threatening him in any manner is to leave the door wide open for the husband to escape from the law,” she said. Stating that women often continued to bear violence and stay on in their marital home because they had nowhere else to live, Ms Azmi said the official domestic violence prevention Bill should give them the right to stay in their marital home with protection orders. “We cannot depend on courts to give protection orders. It should be made into a law,” the award winning film actress said. Ms Maheshwari’s Bill had the support of women’s groups all over the country as it had the right perspective to deal with the increasing problem of domestic violence, Ms Azmi said. Stating that domestic violence was on the rise as it had the tacit approval of the society, Shabana said according to statistics one in three women worldwide are reported to have been victims of violence at some point of time in their intimate relationships.
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NORTH INDIA IN PARLIAMENT New Delhi, July 19 The two godowns in Punjab will have a combined capacity of 17,250 tonnes. In Haryana three godowns are being undertaken having a combined capacity of 37,000 tonnes. A project in Himachal Pradesh will be undertaken during the year with a capacity of 5,000 tonnes, the minister said. The Education Ministers of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab were invited along with ministers of other states in the 38th general meeting of the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) held in May this year, the Minister of State for Human Resource Development (HRD) Prof Rita Verma told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply today. The Education Ministers of 14 states left remaining proceedings of the meeting after giving a joint representation stating that the implementation of the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) be held in abeyance till a meeting of the Central Advisory Education (CABE) is convened, the minister said. Mr Pawan Kumar Bansal, MP from Chandigarh has said that the Chandigarh has been emaciated of all legitimated powers it should have under the Constitution. Participating in a discussion in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, Mr Bansal lamented non-extension of necessary functions and powers to the Municipal Corporation. The Finance Commission acted only in name, he said adding that a cut of Rs 13 crore had been made in the budget of the Corporation this year and it was being forced to raise resources on its own by imposing more taxes. Mr Bansal said that a large number of employees had been transferred from the Administration to the Corporation arbitrarily and the latter were required to pay their salary but no revenue earning function was transferred. Funds of the Union Territory have not been properly apportioned between the Administration and the local bodies as stipulated by the Constitution, Chandigarh was a revenue surplus state and contributed more income tax than even Ludhiana, he told the House. He said that the District Planning Committee has not been constituted as required under the Constitution and the Home Minister’s Advisory Committee has not met for years. Further, Mr Bansal said, Chandigarh does not find mention with the other Union Territories in Article 240 though there is a judicial verdict that after reorganisation, Chandigarh stands on the same footing as the states of Punjab and Haryana. Terming Chandigarh to be in a state of legal lawlessness and drift, Mr Bansal called upon the government to not ignore the Union Territory but take care of it is as its primary responsibility. |
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Sonia weighs options for PCC chiefs New Delhi, July 19 Lack of a clear choice in both the states is one of the reasons delaying the announcement. Party leaders had earlier indicated that the announcement would coincide with the start of monsoon session of Parliament. The high command is not treating the cases of appointment of PCC chiefs in Punjab and Haryana at par. While a new PCC chief has to be appointed in Punjab where the Chief Minister is holding both the posts at present, in Haryana, where the Congress is in the Opposition, the high command is contemplating a change. AICC leaders said that greater priority is being given to the appointment in Punjab. Sources said the high command, which was earlier keen to appoint a Dalit PCC chief in Punjab, is now rethinking the issue following opposition to Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo’s name from Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. The sources said the Chief Minister had not given his nod to Mr Dullo’s name during his recent visit to Delhi and had instead backed Mr Gurmail Singh who is also a Dalit. While Mr Dullo is an MP, his wife is an MLA and some Congress leaders have been emphasising a more democratic distribution of party offices. Though Mr Gurmail Singh is seen as close to the Chief Minister, he has not been very active in the party circles for some years and does not have a strong backing of high command leaders. Another factor weighing with the high command is of making the PCC chief from the minority community in Punjab to keep the urban electorate, which had voted overwhelmingly for the Congress in the Assembly elections, away from the BJP. In such a scenario, the choice could be made from among Mr Virender Kataria and Mr Sant Ram Singla. Mr Singla, who also hails from Patiala, like the Chief Minister, is believed to have his support. Mr H.S. Hanspal is another contender for the PCC chief who is believed to have the confidence of the Chief Minister. But his not being seen as representing either of the two major communities in the state has been holding a decision in his favour. The high command is looking for an experienced and relatively young person with a clean image who can also carry forward the party’s drive against corruption. Appointment of the PCC chief would be made keeping in view the 2004 Lok Sabha poll. The Congress high command also has to decide if the person appointed is “a man of the Chief Minister” or is known for his independent profile. While in many Congress-ruled states, the PCC chiefs belong to the camp different from that of the Chief Minister, there are a few states like Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka where the PCC chiefs are seen as men of the Chief Ministers. Though the party returned to power in Madhya Pradesh in the last poll, it performed dismally in the Lok Sabha elections in the state. In Haryana, the high command is weighing the possible outcome of replacing Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda with a Jat or a non-Jat leader. While Mr Birender Singh has emerged as a front runner, there is also a feeling that Mr Bhajan Lal should be entrusted the responsibility of the PCC to oust the Chautala government. |
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Sukh Ram appeals against conviction
New Delhi, July 19 The petition is expected to come for hearing on Monday. On July 5, Special Judge V.K. Jain had sentenced Mr Sukh Ram to three-year RI and fined him Rs 2 lakh for causing a loss of Rs 1.66 crore to the government in awarding a telecom contract to a private firm. In case they defaulted on the fine, the trio would have to serve an additional sentence of six months each, the court had said. The court has, on July 10 and 16, already issued notices to the prosecution, admitting appeals by Ms Ghosh and Mr Rao, respectively. With Mr Sukh Ram filing his appeal yesterday, the three accused in the communication scam have appealed against the trial court’s order. In his appeal, Mr Sukh Ram has sought setting aside of the Special Court’s order and his acquittal. He has tried to justify awarding the contract in the way it was and said the designated Judge erred in appreciating the evidence put forward by him. Alleging that the sentence was illegal, he sought suspension of the sentence during the pendency of the trial.
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Fernandes meets Vaiko
Chennai, July 19 After meeting Mr Vaiko, an NDA ally, Mr Fernandes told reporters at Vellore, about 140 km from here, that the arrest of MDMK leader under POTA was “unwarranted” saying his speech at Thirumangalam on June 29 did not attract the provisions of the anti-terrorism law. He ruled out the Centre’s intervention on the issue. ‘Not immediately,’ he said when asked whether POTA would be amended. During their meeting, Mr Vaiko, who was arrested on July 11 and remanded in judicial custody till August 7, is understood to have told Mr Fernandes that he was unwilling to come out on bail. Mr Fernandes briefed Mr Vaiko on the decisions taken at a recent NDA meeting and the concern expressed by MPs on his arrest. Meanwhile, Ms Jayalalithaa told reporters here tonight that Mr Fernandes had cancelled his appointment with her as he was summoned by the Prime Minister. He also cancelled an appointment with DMK President M. Karunanidhi. Mr Fernandes, who was originally scheduled to leave for New Delhi tonight, boarded an evening flight.
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Camera with radioactive material missing Mumbai, July 19 The Amertest-660 camera is a shielded container made of depleted uranium, bearing serial No 5857 and houses a radioactive source — Iridium-192 of strength 19.7 Curies. It weighs around 24 kg. The camera belonged to a Kolkata-based private contract
company, Radiographic Inspection Services, which undertakes the job of testing precision of metal welding works, according to AERB secretary K.S. Parthasarathy, here.
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2 arrested for human sacrifice Mumbai, July 19 The Manpada police in Thane district, under whose jurisdiction the incident occurred, has arrested the two, including the ‘tantrik’. His name was given as Baba Akhram Bangali, alias Abdul Sattar Malik, while the name of the second accused was Anil Singh. Both have confessed to the crime, the police said. Senior Inspector of Police, Samsheer Pathan, said here today that Anil Singh, a history-sheeter, had approached the baba for resolving his relations with his wife. He was advised by him (baba) to offer ‘nar-bali’ (human sacrifice) to solve his problem. Accordingly, Anil Singh kidnapped-nine-year-old, Rahul, on June 21 and took him into the jungles of Ambernath and beheaded him. The police began investigations following a missing complaint from the relatives of Rahul and zeroed in on Anil yesterday morning. He spilled the beans after extensive interrogations and following his statement, a special team was despatched to arrest Bangali from his location in Bandra, north-west Mumbai, yesterday night.
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Govt neglecting farmers: Jakhar New Delhi, July 19 In a statement, Mr Jakhar, who heads the Kisan and Khet Mazdoor Department of the Congress, said the government had not paid attention to alternate cropping strategies. He said the government had not made adequate investments in rural infrastructure and crop insurance. He demanded that recovery of loans from farmers should be deferred and relief given to them in land revenue. |
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France honours Indian scientist New Delhi, July 19 "This distinction has been conferred on him for his contribution in bringing French and Indian scientific communities together and for his influence on the establishment and dynamism of the Alliance Francaise of Hyderabad, in which he has been an active member for the past 15 years," a press note of the French Embassy here said. A chemist by training, Professor Subramaniam specialised in biochemistry of eye and is presently Director of Research at the Hyderabad Eye Research Institute. He is the recipient of several awards, including UNESCO award for Science Popularisation and the Padma Shri. French Ambassador Bernard de Monteferrand will bestow the award on the Indian scientist on July 22 in the capital.
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