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Friday,
September 20, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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IAF to induct flight simulators J&K poll not sham:
Blackwill Orissa bandh hits
life Kids’ death: 5 hospital employees
transferred Youth held for mailing cartridges to
Kalam Anti-Modi protest
held
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PM calls on
President BJP to reduce membership
period NCM order to grant minority status Cabinet approves hike in scales UTI splits US
64-scheme Satna firing: BJP for judicial probe Bhandari denies order on Lucknow plot New Planning Commission Secretary New Panama envoy
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IAF to induct flight simulators New Delhi, September 19 As part of an effort to give training for civil flying, the IAF also plans to induct highly sophisticated flight simulators for its transport as well fighter aircraft. The three major IAF training establishments which have been granted clearance by the DGCA are the Air Force Academy, Air Force station Yelhanka near Bangalore and the Air Force station Hakimpet. The three will serve as the basic training institutions for civil flying. The clearance from the DGCA will help the IAF pilots to get civil licences. Process is also underway to get similar recognition for the other IAF personnel involved with flying like the Air Traffic Controller and the technicians. Speaking at a function organised to mark the coming together of the IAF and the DGCA today Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal S. Krishnaswamy said the first flight simulators for the Russian medium range AN-32 transport aircraft had been installed at Bangalore and contract finalised for acquisition of upgraded simulators for the Jaguar deep penetration strike aircraft and the upgraded MiG-21 BIS variant. He said contract for purchase of flight simulators for the long haul transport aircraft IL-76 and Droniers was also being given final touches. On simulators for the IAF’s most modern fighter aircraft SU-30MKI, Air Chief Marshal Krishnaswamy said these formed the part of the original contract signed with the Russian manufacturers. The IAF institutions have been granted clearance by the DGCA on the directive of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee that the Air Force and the civil aviation achieve more operational synergy by amending procedures governing recognition and aviation certification. The Air chief said as part of these efforts, Air Headquarters had opened IAF air and ground training institutions to DGCA inspection checks as required by the
International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the approval of the three institutions had followed such staff visits. The Air chief said the IAF faced a peculiar problem as the Russian transport aircraft in its inventory had no concept of simulators. “So we have designed such simulators for aircraft designs and then awarded the contract for making them”, he said |
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J&K poll not sham: Blackwill New Delhi, September 19 “Infiltration across the LoC was down in June and July but since the end of July it has gone up and has been up in August and September,” US Ambassador to India Robert Blackwill told a group of reporters here. Terming the first phase of poll in Jammu and Kashmir as “very positive”, Mr Blackwill hoped that successful conclusion of the four-phased elections in Jammu and Kashmir would lead to the resumption of the Indo-Pak dialogue within a “reasonable” timeframe. To questions on Pakistan-backed cross-border terrorism, Mr Blackwill said US President George Bush conveyed to Pakistan leader Pervez Musharraf in New York last week that cross-border infiltration across the LoC should end permanently. Lauding the voters in Jammu and Kashmir for the “extraordinary turnout” in the first phase of poll, he said 48 per cent of the electorate exercised its franchise despite threats from terrorists and violence in the state. “This is remarkable. We hope it (the trend) continues. If there is less violence there will be more turn-out,” he said, while terming some media reports about rigging as “exaggerated”. Asked about General Musharraf’s remark that the poll process in Jammu and Kashmir was a sham, he said “It is not a sham. We think India is committed to holding free, fair and inclusive elections in Jammu and Kashmir without violence. This is exactly right.” “I would like to salute individual voters in Jammu and Kashmir who came out to exercise their democratic rights despite threat from terorists,” said Mr Blackwill, whose colleagues in the embassy had gone to Jammu and Kashmir to witness the first round of polling.
PTI |
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Orissa bandh hits life Bhubaneswar, September 19 Barring the BJP, all other parties, including the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), and the trade unions have called the bandh, protesting against the privatisation of the National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) by the Centre. Business establishments in most places were closed while vehicles remained off the roads. Train services in the state were badly affected as supporters squatted on the tracks. South Eastern Railway(SER) sources said as many as 12 passenger trains and both Up and Dn of Bhubaneswar-Howrah Dhauli Express and Bhubaneswar-Secundarabad Visakha Express were cancelled. Several long distance trains were detained at various stations, they said. Most of the arrests were made when the pro-bandh activists were picketing before government offices and obstructing train and vehicular movement, official reports received here said. NALCO sources at the aluminium major’s corporate office here said the bandh had affected functioning of the company. However, the company’s installations at its smelter at Angul were functioning. Emergency staff were on duty at all installations to carry out minimum operations as a protective measure, the sources said. The NALCO executives’ and employees’ associations had decided to join the strike opposing the privatisation move with only executives present at the corporate office. UNI, PTI |
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Kids’ death: 5 hospital employees transferred Kolkata, September 19 The five personnel against whom the disciplinary action has been taken are the Hospital Superintendent, the Medical Officer acting as Residential Medical Officer(RMO), the acting Nursing Superintendent, the ward master concerned and the storekeeper. ‘’These personnel have since been transferred and disciplinary proceedings initiated against them,’’ a statement issued by the state’s Health Department said here. Dr Mishra reiterated that no death was caused due to cross- infections with in the hospital and there was no shortage of oxygen cylinder. ‘’No child suffered from lack of oxygen,’’ he said. “The hospital had all facilities required for the open care system, as recommended by experts for tropical countries, and given the clinical conditions of the 10 children the use or non-use of incubator and paediatrics ventilator would have made no difference’’, he said. Dr Mishra categorically denied that there was any failure in the hospital management and treatment. ‘’It was not a failure neither was it failure of systems. But there were lapses and lapses are always individual. That’s why we have taken action against the five personnel’’ Dr Mishra said. The two-member committee consulted the head of the Paediatrics departments of city based medical colleges and hospitals, interrogated the superintendent and other staff of the hospital and guardians of the deceased children and examined hospital documents and records before submitting the report to the state government.
UNI |
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Youth held for mailing cartridges to
Kalam Patna, September 19 After a preliminary probe by Delhi police Joint Commissioner V.K. Gupta, who termed him mentally ill, the state police was directed to trace him. He was nabbed by the Arwal police. The police said he was harmless in his intention as he had written his address on the parcel. Azad’s father, Mr Ram Dweep Pandit, said, “He is a very simple and innocent guy. He has never done anything silly in his life and had never behaved erratically. He has never been treated for any madness.” Azad told the cops, “I found 11 cartridges of a self-loading rifle (SLR) while travelling in the Varanasi-Asansol Express recently. I sent the cartridges to the President, Prime Minister and the Defence Minister.” |
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Anti-Modi protest
held New Delhi, September 19 The demonstrators demanded the resignation of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for his reported anti-minority remarks during his “gaurav yatra”. The demonstrators carrying placards raised anti-Modi slogans outside the BJP office and for a while they were countered by slogans by BJP workers from inside the premises. Ms Ali, accompanied by a couple of workers, met BJP General Secretary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and submitted him a memorandum. Later talking to newspersons, Mr Naqvi alleged that the Congress was now “using” NGOs to stage demonstrations like these under the influence of Left parties. Mr Naqvi said the position of the BJP today in Gujarat was almost similar to that of the Congress in 1947 when the party was perceived to be anti-Muslim. “Subsequently after the Partition, peoples’ views on Congress underwent a change. Similarly BJP is now being perceived as being anti-minorities in the wake of developments in Gujarat. But, this perception would change soon,” he said. |
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PM calls on
President New Delhi, September 19 The meeting lasted 50 minutes, a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesman said. Issues of national and international importance were also discussed at the meeting. |
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BJP to reduce membership
period New Delhi, September 19 During the two-month-long campaign memberships of the existing three crore members, including Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani and other senior members of the party will be renewed, party General Secretary and spokesperson M.A. Naqvi told newspersons here today. Mr Naqvi said the party had decided to reduce the primary membership period from the present 10 years to six years and had set a target of enhancing the present membership strength of the party by at least 15 per cent. The party had also decided to hike the annual membership fee from the existing Rs 2 to Rs 5. While the membership drive would begin from October 2 and would end on December 2, membership records would be prepared between December 2 and December 31 and the membership verification would be done between December 31 and January 15, Mr Naqvi said. Mr Naqvi said the state units had been asked to send names of three persons, out of which the Central High Command would select one person for the position of state convener for the membership campaign. |
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NCM order to grant minority status New Delhi, September 19 It has also directed the state government to provide teachers for Punjabi language in all those schools where there is demand for teaching the language. The commission has desired that the state governments provide facilities for teaching minority languages in the state. Secretary Education, Rajasthan Government, B.L. Jaiman, informed the commission that vacancies of Punjabi language teachers have not been filled due to ban on new recruitments. |
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Cabinet approves hike in scales New Delhi, September 19 The Cabinet, which met last night, approved the hike in the payscales of professors to Rs 16,400-22,400 from Rs 4,500-7,300. The upgraded revised payscales for readers has been fixed at Rs. 12,000-420-18,300. But the non-Ph.Ds will have an option either to forego the higher payscale if they wish to retain the designation of Reader or get their designation changed to lecturer (Selection Grade) with the payscale of Rs 12,000-18,300. Fixation of the pay of lecturer (Selection Grade), readers under the MPS at the minimum of Rs 14,940 in the scale of Rs 12,000-420-18,300 has been extended to the lecturers (Selection Grade), readers under the Career Advancement Scheme
(CAS). |
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UTI splits US 64-scheme
Mumbai, September 19 There are two kinds of investors under the US-64 scheme — the investors in the scheme on or before June 30, 2001 and those joining after January 1, 2002. The investors who have joined the scheme after January 2002 would be shifted to the US-2002 schemes Mr Damodaran said. While, US-64 will retain its old status. The UTI Board will work out the modalities of bifurcation of portfolio of the scheme. An application for the new scheme will be made to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and after the approval the scheme would be functional, Mr Damodaran said. Further, Mr Damodaran said that the US-64 scheme was not yet fully SEBI compliance due to few short-falls and needs more time. However, he made it clear that the new scheme proposed by the UTI would be fully SEBI compliant and would not offer any assured return. The US-64’s unit capital stands at about Rs 12000 crore.
UNI |
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Satna firing: BJP for judicial probe Bhopal, September 19 He has also demanded compensation for the families of the deceased and action against the erring officials. Mr Gour today submitted to the Governor and the Chief Minister, the inquiry report that the six-member BJP team had prepared after visiting the affected town. |
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Bhandari denies order on Lucknow plot New Delhi, September 19 There were reports that the Uttar Pradesh Government was shifting the pratishthan to an alternative site and the land allotted to it in the Gomti Nagar area of the state capital was to be used as the Ambedkar International Library and Museum. |
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New Planning Commission Secretary New Delhi, September 19 Mr Sinha, a Bihar cadre IAS officer of the 1966 batch, was until now the Coal Secretary while Mr Mishra of the Orissa cadre was Chairman, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA). The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet also appointed Mr R.N. Das as member, Defence Procurement Board, and Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Defence. Mr Arun Kshetrapal will be the new Chairman of the NPPA in the pay of Secretary, an official statement said.
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New Panama envoy New Delhi, September 19 Ms Sharma replaces Tara Singh and is expected to take up her assignment shortly, an official press note said.
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