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Thursday,
February 6, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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AJT deal to be finalised soon PM: solve river water disputes
amicably Cong accuses BJP of raking up Ayodhya issue Sharma fathered Shivani’s child:
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Army jawan killed in ‘fake’ encounter MLA Ansari gets RI under TADA Independent Uttar
Pradesh MLA Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari being produced in the Patiala House
Court in New Delhi on Wednesday. NCP denies ticket to Khonglam Probe ordered into bottled water issue
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AJT deal to be finalised soon Bangalore, February 5 Addressing the media after
inaugurating the fourth Aero-India show here, the Defence Minister said all papers and proposals which the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had received had been factored into the earlier proposal and it was now up to the Cabinet to take the final decision. When asked specifically whether the ministry was taking a fresh look at the earlier decision of selecting the British Aerospace (BAe) Hawk AJT, the minister said there were all kinds of rumours floating around about the AJT and he was not willing to comment on such rumours. While the intense competition for the sale of the AJTs to India was quite evident at the Aero-India with the Russians displaying the skills of the MiG-AT, the BAe putting on show the Hawk and the other late entrant but now a strong contender the L-159 B from the Czech Republic putting its abilities on show, the Defence Minister refrained from divulging whether India had made a decision, and which aircraft it would finally be selecting. He just said, "Government was on the threshold of taking a decision. We are at a stage where a Cabinet decision is due to be taken". The minister’s comments assume importance in the wake of reports that the MoD was taking a fresh look at the AJTs. The reports are that the MoD officials had taken a close look at some other AJTs besides the Hawk. Among those the L-159 B has emerged as a strong contender for being among the latest in the market and also for the fact that it was being offered at almost 20 per cent less than the cost at which the BaE is offering the Hawk. Asked if the government was willing to talk to other AJT makers than Hawk, he said "Whatever proposals have been received, have been factored into the document papers." To another question, Mr Fernandes said "...when a matter is going before the Cabinet, one does not discuss because it is marked as a secret document." When told that the Government had been talking about being on the "threshold" of taking a decision for the last three years, he said "sometimes, one gets pushed back from the threshold." Earlier, while inaugurating the Aero-India 2003 at the Yelahanka air force station, the Defence Minister sought international collaboration in the defence production sector to help it make world class armaments at highly competitive prices and to jointly market them. Wooing foreign defence manufacturers to assist the country to establish a state-of-the-art defence industrial base, Defence Minister said India offered an opportunity for them for joint ventures, technology transfer and co-production for global market. There are 176 companies and organisations from 22 countries taking part in the show. "The research and development work done in some of our defence laboratories is being made available to the private sector for production. In this context, we are keen to welcome international collaborations that are in conformity with our national goals and that serve mutual interests," he said. Mr Fernandes said India with a high degree of skill and relatively lower manpower costs provides an excellent opportunity for all buyers and sellers. Later, the IAF took the lead in displaying the might of country’s armed forces and displayed dazzling aerobatic formations and dummy trans-border operations. In the defence armour shown here were the light combat aircraft, one of the lightest in the world weighing only seven tonnes yet able to carry 60 per cent of the basic weight as ordnance load. The icing on the cake was the Sukhoi-30 MKI with the super agility of hawk which does not lose the sight of the enemy while performing super maneouvres like vertical charlie, screw maneouvre and formation of loops at a speed of 200-700 km per hour and even moving for a 180 degrees turnaround. The Surya Kirans again enthralled the audience with their excellent binding show and there was a facinating formation put on show with an Advance Light Helicopter, leading the Vic formation of two Kirans, two Mirage-2000s and two Su-30s in toe. |
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PM: solve river water disputes
amicably New Delhi, February 5 In a veiled reference to the SYL canal row between Haryana and Punjab, Mr Vajpayee, by pointing to the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, attending the function, said “I can understand his pain”. Launching the curtain-raising programme for declaring 2003 as “Fresh Water Year”, the Prime Minister on “quarrels and big fights” between states on sharing of river waters, said “we are trying to resolve the problem amicably. Cauvery joins these neighbouring (riparian) states and water sharing need not divide them.” Expressing concern over the depleting water table, Mr Vajpayee said there was an urgent need to end the indiscriminate exploitation of ground water and asked the states to legislate on the issue. The states should take immediate action on the Model Ground Water Regulation Bill, which was circulated to all states for adoption some years ago, he said. The Prime Minister said the government has recently taken a major initiative on the long-pending proposal of inter-linking of rivers and has set up a task force headed by Suresh Prabhu. Its report would pave the way for starting the work on some of the feasible and environmentally sound components of this project. The Prime Minister said there were misconceptions about the efficacy and desirability of inter-basin transfer of river waters. “We need to remind the people in these basins that such transfers are not new. They have been carried out in the past with all-round benefit to people in these areas and to the country at large,” he said. The Water Resources Ministry, on the occasion, released the vision document for Integrated Water Resources Development and Management, which details the requirements in the water sector and the strategy to be adopted to achieve sustainable development in the country. On administration level, the vision document wants to bring all water-related subjects in the states and the Centre under one umbrella and set up river basin organisations for the integrated management of water resources and the restructuring of the Central Water Commission and the Central Ground Water Board. The document envisages the developing of a national water code, defining water rights and calls for laws on water pollution and revision of state irrigation acts and regulation of ground water on a sustainable basis. While the existing water bodies should be protected from encroachments, there should be a standing mechanism for settling disputes. |
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Follow SC order on SYL: Chautala New Delhi, February 5 The construction of storages on the river Yamuna like Kishau dam, Lakhwar Vyasi and Renuka should be taken up by the Centre, Mr Chautala said, adding that the proposals of these projects had already been accepted by the Yamuna Basin States by an MoU in 1994. Speaking on the 12th meeting of National Water Resources Mr Chautala said the non-completion of the SYL canal by Punjab was resulting in the denial of Haryana’s legitimate share of Ravi-Beas water and under-utilisation of many other projects. |
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Cong accuses BJP of raking up Ayodhya issue New Delhi, February 5 Congress spokesman Satyavrat Chaturvedi said the BJP and the Sangh Parivar were trying to divide the people on communal lines for electoral gains. He said the same ploy was used during the Uttar Pradesh elections, but the people saw through the BJP’s game. “We are sure that the people of the states going to poll will do the same,” he said. Accusing the NDA allies of being silent when the Sangh Parivar was furthering its “communal agenda,” Mr Chaturvedi said it was Uttar Pradesh Government’s duty to prevent any communal flare-up and any change in the disputed site at Ayodhya. Referring to VHP statements, he said the parishad did not seem interested in abiding by the court’s verdict on the Ayodhya issue. He also lauded the results of the local body poll in Uttaranchal and expressed hope that it would have a “positive” impact on the neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, which is going to polls on February 26. Meanwhile, Congress leaders today indicated that party president Sonia Gandhi will host a dinner for leaders of non-NDA parties close to the Budget session of Parliament, beginning on February 17. NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, RLD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav and Left party leaders would be invited for the dinner meeting which is expected to chalk out the opposition strategy for the Budget session of Parliament. The date of the dinner meeting had not yet been finalised, Congress leaders said.
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Sharma fathered Shivani’s child: police New Delhi, February 5 On the first day of arguments on charges before Additional District and Sessions Judge J.M. Malik, Special Public Prosecutor S.K. Saxena said R.K. Sharma had “intimate physical relationship with Shivani and he is the father of the child.’’ To substantiate the charges, Mr Saxena produced records of telephone calls and duration of talks between the two. Both became close when Sharma was working as OSD in the Prime Minister’s Office during the tenure of Mr I.K. Gujral, he added. Sharma allegedly conspired to kill Shivani to save his reputation and retrieve two classified documents which he had given to her during his stint with the PMO, Mr Saxena added. Shivani was murdered because she had threatened to destroy Sharma’s family and career, Mr Saxena said quoting the charge sheet. The Delhi Police has chargesheeted Sharma and five co-accused for conspiring and murdering Shivani in her East Delhi apartment on January 23, 1999. Accused Shree Bhagwan, Pradeep, Ved Prakash, alias Kalu, Ved Sharma and Satya Prakash have also been chargesheeted along with Sharma for murder, conspiracy and destruction of evidence. Mr Saxena said Pradeep was alleged to have killed Shivani.
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Army jawan killed in ‘fake’ encounter Patna, February 5 Though the police claimed that Amitesh, alias Madhukar Sharma, was killed in an encounter yesterday when he along with two others were fleeing after stealing a motorbike, the father of the deceased described it as a cold blooded murder. The police claimed the miscreants fired at them, leading to the encounter in which Amitesh was critically wounded. He was later shifted to Patna Medical College Hospital, where he was declared brought dead. Defending the police action, the authorities at the Paliganj police station told PTI that Amitesh was an Army deserter. Refuting the police claim, Amitesh's father Awadhesh Sharma, a primary school teacher, said he along with his son had gone to the Paliganj branch of the State Bank of India for withdrawing money. He left his son near the bank and went to see the progress of construction of his house. Mr Sharma told PTI at the PMCH, where the body of his son was kept for post-mortem examination, that after some time he came to know that his son, while returning from the bank had suffered injuries in an encounter and was taken to hospital. Describing the encounter as a cold-blooded murder, Mr Sharma said Amitesh had gone to withdraw money as he was to report back for duty at Sriganganagar border following an Army warrant after he overstayed his leave following his mother's death. The police had also snatched the I-card of his son, he alleged. The situation in Paliganj was stated to be tense but under
control. PTI |
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MLA Ansari gets RI under TADA New Delhi, February 5 Special Judge S.N. Dhingra also sentenced Ansari to three years of imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 for consciously possessing illegal weapons under the Arms Act. Both the sentences will run concurrently. Mr Dhingra in his order observed, “I consider that he belongs to the dangerous species of criminals. Showing leniency to him would amount to a grave injustice to the society.'' The judge stated, ''I consider that he should remain behind the bars for a maximum period of time so that the society is safe from ransom kidnapping, murders, revenge killings and witness killings.'' Ansari was convicted yesterday by the court under Section 5 of TADA and Section 25 of the Arms Act. The MLA was arrested on December 11, 1993, by the Kalkaji police for illegal possession of arms and ammunition.
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NCP denies ticket to Khonglam Shillong, February 5 Political observers were baffled by the denial of NCP ticket to Dr F A Khonglam, an associate member of the NCP. The denial was as surprising as his meteoric rise in December 2001 when he pipped others to the top post. Dr Khonglam, who had been representing the Sohra constituency as an Independent MLA for the past three terms, today said he was not “bothered” by the NCP’s decision to reject him. “I would seek mandate from my constituency as an Independent again,” he said. On February 3, the Chief Minister told reporters that he had applied for the NCP ticket and would file his nomination paper on his birthday on February 6.
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Probe ordered into bottled water issue New Delhi, February 5 Minister of Food and Consumer Affairs Sharad Yadav has constituted a four-member enquiry committee to investigate into the matter. The committee is headed by Secretary in the Department of Consumer Affairs Satwant Kaur Reddy and the report will be submitted within three weeks. According to the terms of reference, the committee will look into the existing quality standards of packaged drinking water and mineral water. |
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New Delhi, February 5 |
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New Delhi, February 5
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