 |
Friday,
November 29, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
|
India denies axis with Russia, China Putin’s visit to hasten defence deals NORTH INDIA IN PARLIAMENT ‘Manuwadi’ irks BJP members in
RS
BJP criticism motivated, says
Congress PM may attend SAARC
meeting |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Advani backs Shastri; walkout by Oppn Joint exercises with UK, French forces Blackwill dismisses
row over AIDS figures Website on rural development launched
|
|
India denies axis with Russia, China New Delhi, November 28 Also clarifying that India and China had not discussed the border issue during the trilateral talks, the government said the meeting between the three countries had been agreed to on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session to discuss global issues and cross-border terrorism concerning the three countries. The clarification was made by External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha during the question hour while he was replying to the supplementaries. The minister said, “this kind of meeting took 14 years to take place and no country was mentioned by name during the informal meeting, though the issue of terrorism in general figured in the discussions.” Mr Sinha said “otherwise, it would have given the impression that we (India, Russia and China) are forming a group.” He was replying to a question by RJD member Saroj Dubey who wanted to know whether the role of the USA in its fight against terrorism was taken up during the trilateral meeting. “The Foreign Ministers of India, Russia and China agreed to meet informally in the same format,” Mr Sinha said, adding that Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had made it clear that India preferred a multilateral rather than a unilateral approach to the West Asian problem. “I want to make it clear that in this informal meeting we did not bring up bilateral issues and only trilateral issues were discussed,” Mr Sinha told Subirami Reddy (Cong) who wanted to know whether border talks figured with China during the meeting. India-China border talks were held recently, he added. “We have not missed any opportunity to convey India’s concern on Pakistan’s support to cross-border terrorism”, he said, adding that the trilateral meeting only discussed general issues without naming any country. The meeting also discussed globalisation, the minister said. |
|
Putin’s visit to hasten defence deals New Delhi, November 28 While a team of Russian defence dealers has already reached New Delhi with a view to giving final touches to the pending deals, an eventual push for the multi-billion dollar deals could come at a time when President Putin reaches here on December 3 for a three-day visit. A high-level Russian Defence Ministry team is also expected to accompany President Putin to have further discussions with the Indian Defence Ministry officials. India having already worked out a deal for the purchase of IL-78 Flight Refuelling Aircrafts in the recent past the focus this time would be on some of the deals which Russia is keen to push through, including the Aircraft Carrier Admiral
Gorshkov. The IL-78 FRAs are expected to be supplied to India by the end of the year 2003. Russia is also keen on selling to India the MiG-29K fighter aircrafts for the aircraft carrier besides the sale and joint production of submarines and frigates. Indian defence officials here were of the view that the visit of President Putin will hasten the process of finalisation of various deals in the pipeline and most things are expected to be sewed up by next year. As a prelude to President Putin’s visit a team of Russian defence dealers which includes Victor
Komardin, Deputy Director-General of Rosoboronexport, Russia’s arms export monopoly, is holding meetings with the Indian defence officials on the deals. They would also be participating in a two-day seminar here in New Delhi. Reports suggested that India is also expected to raise some other pressing issues like the Russian-designed equipment currently in use with India’s armed forces. This would include the ageing MiG-21 jets that have been under a cloud following a series of crashes. India and Russia are also in talks for developing a multi-role transport aircraft that could be used for both the military and the civilian purposes. Production of three types of aircrafts —50,70 and 100-seaters — is being considered. The Russians have also renewed their offer to supply the MiG-AT jet to meet the IAF’s need for an advanced jet trainer following problems in acquiring the British Hawk. |
|
|
NORTH INDIA IN PARLIAMENT New Delhi, November 28 As on October 31, 2002, the number of such villages was six in Haryana and three in Himachal Pradesh, informed Mr M. Kannappan, Minister of State for Non-Conventional Energy Sources, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha today. Under the Central Sector Scheme — National Biogas and Manure Management Programme (NBMMP), 1,606 bio gas plants were set up in Punjab (target for the year is 3,000), 759 in Haryana (target : 1,000) and 142 in HP (target:200) from April-October this year, the minister told the House. During the ninth plan, storage capacity of 0.48 lakh tonnes was created by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and 1.65 lakh tonne by the Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) in Punjab, 1.83 lakh tonne (CWC) and 0.10 lakh tonne (FCI) in Haryana, 0.02 lakh tonne (FCI) in Himachal Pradesh and 0.08 lakh tonnes (FCI) in J&K, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Mr U.V. Krishnam Raju told the Rajya Sabha. The Central government released Rs 10,323.13 thousand to Punjab during 2001-02 under the Prime Minister’s Rojgar Yojna (PMRY), Rs 1,972.97 thousand to Haryana, Rs 712.74 thousand to HP and Rs 428.87 thousand to J&K, Minister of Agro and Rural Industries Kariya Munda informed the House. Mr Anant G. Geete, Minister of Power informed the Lok Sabha that Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and J&K were among the states which had put forward a request for enhancing the quota of power from the Central pool. Punjab had requested for an allocation of 35 per cent from the unallocated quota during July 24, 2002-August 31, 2002 in order to meet the enhanced agricultural requirement. The Centre however, increased the allocation from the unallocated quota from 10 per cent to 15 per cent (nearly 33 mw). Besides, 33 mw (15 per cent) unallocated quota of RAPP-3 was also allocated to Punjab during the off-peak hours w.e.f August 16 this year. The minister told the House that HPSEB was allocated 12 per cent (nearly 95 mw) during peak hours and 15 per cent (nearly 118 mw) during the off-peak hours from November 1 this year, from the unallocated quota of the northern region. Allocation to Haryana from this quota was also increased from 22 per cent to 26 per cent w.e.f May 25 this year and in case of J&K, allocation varying between 162 mw to 209 mw during different parts of the day was made. There are 19 Software technology Parks of India (STPI) centres in the country which are at various stages of implementations or discussions with the state governments concerned. These centre are at Patiala in Punjab, Gurgaon in Haryana, Jammu in J&K and Panchkula in Haryana, informed Dr Sanjay Paswan, Minister of State for Communications and IT to the Rajya Sabha. He also told the House that in the Department of Posts, Punjab has 958 vacancies in group-C, 161 in group D and 15 in group B (Non-Gazetted Posts), whereas as Haryana has 491 vacancies under various groups form non-gazetted posts, HP has 255 vacancies and in J&K there are 267 vacancies in various groups for the non-gazetted posts. |
|
‘Manuwadi’ irks BJP members in
RS New Delhi, November 28 The use of “Manuwadi” during a special mention concerning atrocities on Dalits led to heated exchanges between the Opposition and BJP member. When Mrs Sarala Maheshwari (CPIM) got up to make her special mention on the subject, she referred to the killings of the Dalits in Jhajjar of Haryana recently and charged “Manuwadi” forces with the offence. BJP members B.P. Singhal and Balbir Punj were immediately on their feet, protesting against what they called the offensive language used by Mrs Maheshwari against a religion. Several Opposition members, including Mr Janardhana Poojary and Mr Abrar Ahmed (both Cong) and Mrs Chandrakala Pande (CPIM), came to Mrs Maheshwari’s rescue and said she had not used a word against any religion. However, the BJP members were unrelenting and wanted Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptulla not to permit the special mention. The Chair also pleaded with the members not to use any word that could hurt any other member. Mr Pranab Mukherjee (Cong) wondered why such a situation had arisen when every special mention was scrutinised by the Rajya Sabha secretariat before it was allowed to be raised in the House. To this, Dr Heptulla said Mrs Maheshwari’s special mention had been scrutinised by the secretariat but if there were objections to it, she would again go through it and allow the CPIM member to raise it tomorrow. However, Mrs Maheshwari and other Opposition members did not agree to the Chair’s suggestion and wanted her to protect their rights. After persistent demand from the Opposition benches, Dr Heptulla allowed Mrs Maheshwari to make her special mention without using a language which could hurt a section of the House. Terming the controversy over her special mention “unnecessary”, Mrs Maheshwari condemned the insults heaped upon two Dalit bridegrooms by making them dismount from the “barat horses” in Dulina and Jatu Lohari villages of Haryana. |
|
Lata’s absence from RS draws ire New Delhi, November 28 ‘’I can understand somebody remaining absent sometimes because of illness but one cannot always remain absent from the House,’’ the Deputy Chairman said. At the outset, she said she had received a letter from Lata Mangeshkar, a nominated member, seeking the permission of the House to remain absent throughout the winter session due to some prior commitment and illness. Dr Heptulla said a member should occasionally be present in the House, instead of neglecting his/her responsibility. Senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee pointed out that Lata had hardly come to the House after her nomination.
UNI |
|
|
BJP criticism motivated, says
Congress New Delhi, November 28 Congress spokesman Satyavrat Chaturvedi said there was nothing objectionable in the invitation. Asked about BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley remarks that family members of Osama bin Laden had been involved in funding the centre at Oxford, Mr Chaturvedi said the invitation was extended to Mrs Gandhi six months ago and was approved by the party a fortnight back. The government should have forewarned Mrs Gandhi if it was in possession of any incriminating information about the centre. The Congress also called upon the Central Government to formulate a suitable sugarcane policy keeping in view the interests of farmers and mill owners and adopt a practical approach in dealing with the issue of the closure of sugar mills. Describing the reply of the government on the issue in Parliament as inadequate, Mr Chaturvedi said the Congress and the Opposition staged a walkout in the Lok Sabha earlier today in protest. He said sugarcane growers in several states were facing a crisis due to the faulty policies of the government. There were persistent reports of sugarcane growers being forced to set fire to their sugarcane crop out of sheer disgust, he said. |
|
|
PM may attend SAARC
meeting New Delhi, November 28 In reply to a question during question hour, he said while India was committed to SAARC, it felt that there should be substantial progress specially in the economic-cooperation agenda for the summit to be meaningful. The minister said the operationalisation of the South Asian Preferential Trade Agreement (SAPTA), signed in 1993, was yet to take place. In addition, SAARC missed the deadline of 2001 for drawing up a Framework Treaty for South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA). The new deadline for the drafting of the treaty was 2002. In reply to another question the minister said there was growing support for India’s candidature for permanent membership of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and many developed and developing countries, including permanent members of the UNSC, had indicated their support for India’s candidature, he said. He said India had taken up the issue with all countries, including permanent members of the UNSC, in bilateral interactions. |
|
|
Advani backs Shastri; walkout by Oppn
New Delhi, November 28 Dissatisfied with Mr Advani’s statement that the Governor was a “good person who behaved strictly in accordance with the Constitution and democratic practices”, the entire Opposition walked out of the House in protest. Replying to a special discussion on the Uttar Pradesh situation, initiated by Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mr Advani said the Centre was not entitled to give any advice to the Governor. “The Governor followed the Constitution in letter and spirit”, Mr Advani said, defending the Governor who refused to convene an Assembly session to test Ms Mayawati’s strength, despite Mr Yadav claiming the support of 204 MLAs, including the Congress, in the 403-member Assembly.
UNI |
|
|
Joint exercises with UK, French forces
Jodhpur, November 28 The exercises in air and land coordinated combats are being held at Salawas Air Field, near here, the sources said. Pilots of the three forces conducted exercises for dropping combat troopers, equipped with arms and ammunition in the desert battlefield. The exercise also included carrying out operations in darkness. The chief of the British Royal Air Force, Sir Peter Squir, arrived here on a two-day visit yesterday. He was received by Air Commodore C.S. Gill at the airforce station.
PTI |
|
|
Blackwill dismisses
row over AIDS figures New Delhi, November 28 He also ruled out commercial interests and future market considerations behind the entire controversy. “Nobody knows till the last digit what the numbers are but what we do know is that it is a very serious epidemic in India. The rate of AIDS infection has never been over estimated. I don’t think people contest that millions of people in India are infected with HIV/AIDS,’’ the Ambassador said. Replying to a question, Mr Blackwill said, ``I don’t think Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has been defensive, he said, reacting to a controversy over the US National Intelligence Council’s projection of 25 million persons with HIV/AIDS by 2010 in India. He said AIDS was a major health problem in the USA as well, where the prevalence rate was 0.6 per cent with about 45,000 new HIV infections reported every year. |
|
Website on rural development launched Dehra Dun, November 28 Mr Tiwari expressed hope that the website would not only provide an impetus to the formulation and implementation of various development plans but also contribute towards the holistic development of the state. Rural Development Minister Surendra Singh Negi said on the occasion that making information related to the department’s budget and monthly progress report available on the Internet would contribute to transparency in its functioning. Mr Sanjeev Chopra, Secretary, Horticulture and Rural Development, said the website would act as a two-way communication channel. |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 122 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Videos
