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Tuesday,
February 11, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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BJP for post-lunch Rly Budget PM directs Karnataka to release water B’desh Foreign Minister
coming on Feb 13 Six more abducted in Bihar |
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Delay in dialogue worries Mufti New Delhi, February 10 Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed today said that there was an apparent “exhaution in militancy in the state” and his government was addressing the socio-economic concerns of the people to restore normalcy in the state.
Shanti Path-03 starts India to get 10 more Mirage-2000 20 killed in mishaps Women for more seats in civil services
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BJP for post-lunch Rly Budget on Feb 26 New Delhi, February 10 Interestingly, these leaders have also demanded that the Railway Budget be scheduled in the post-lunch session on February 26 instead of the traditional pre-lunch session. Making this demand to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, they have urged her to take up this issue with Railway Minister Nitish Kumar and Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi, sources said. The demand has been made as these leaders strongly feel that despite all possible efforts, the Railway Minister will not be in a position to avoid a hike in passenger or freight fares due to the spiralling crude prices in the international market. “Any hike in passenger fares could have a negative impact on the electoral prospects of the BJP in Himachal Pradesh,” sources said. The schedule of the Railway Budget is likely to be decided in a day or two. Meanwhile, a jittery BJP has decided to play its Hindutva card in Himachal Pradesh to counter the aggressive Congress campaign against its leaders on the corruption plank. Although the BJP is unlikely to indulge in an aggressive Hindutva campaign as was seen recently in the Gujarat elections, there is a strong thinking among a section of the top party leaders that “sentimental” issues will have to be raised during the campaign as it can’t return to power only on the basis of developmental issues. This strategy of the BJP has been virtually confirmed as the party has decided to have intensive campaign by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Mr Modi will campaign in Himachal for three days beginning February 17, when the election campaign will be at its peak. Mr Modi, who has been the party General Secretary incharge of Himachal for over four years, is likely to hold a series of street corner meetings, besides addressing a few public meetings across the state. According to sources, the Gujarat Chief Minister has desired to travel across the state in a vehicle equipped with public address system, so that he is able to do intensive campaigning. |
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PM directs Karnataka to release water New Delhi, February 10 The Prime Minister’s directive came after an hour-and-a-half long meeting of the Cauvery River Authority. While Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa did not react immediately after the meeting held at the Prime Minister’s residence her Karnataka counterpart SM Krishna expressed “unhappiness” about the order. Mr Krishna said his government was left with no option but to comply with the decision. The Prime Minister’s order is final and binding on all states as per the Supreme Court directive.
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B’desh Foreign Minister
coming on Feb 13 New Delhi, February 10 It is understood that the Government of India will be conveying in a forthright manner its serious concern to Mr Khan on the growing activities of Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and intelligence reports about the presence of Taliban and Al-Qaida’s cadres in Bangladesh. Sources in the Ministry of External Affairs today told The Tribune that though Mr Khan had visited India about seven months ago, his upcoming visit was more important for political, diplomatic and strategic reasons. His upcoming visit acquires more importance in view of the recent six-day-long drama of Bangladeshi illegal immigrants, who made an abortive bid to enter India and subsequent reports of failed attempts by Bangladesh Rifles to push in 400 more Bangladeshis into India. The current tensions will be discussed threadbare when Mr Khan holds one-to-one talks with External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha on February 14. On February 15 Mr Khan is likely to call on Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. Official circles here believe that though the Indo-Bangladesh relations were tense and even bitter to some extent since Begum Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was swept into power in October, 2001, general elections, latest indications were that both countries, particularly Dhaka, were very keen on improvement in the ties. India’s relations with Bangladesh are deeply influenced by geographical proximity and historical legacy and are extensive, wide-ranging and complex. The land boundary of 4096 km is India’s longest with any neighbour. |
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Six more abducted in Bihar Patna, February 10 The opposition, in the meantime, got united seeing a chance to overthrow the Rabri-Laloo regime over the issue of “nosediving law and order” situation. The NDA has announced its joint action plan for a sustained agitation against the Rabri government. The abductions have alerted the police as the state has been witnessing spate of violence over lawlessness, especially abduction since last one week. Two students have been abducted from the state capital on Sunday. Both students are school-goers. The mother of one of the students, who is a professor, told the police that the abduction was aimed not for ransom but because of professional problems. The abductors of another student have not still made clear their intentions, though they have informed the family on phone about the abduction. The health official was abducted from Gaya district and another student was kidnapped from Sheikhpura district. In both these cases, the families in their complaints have not mentioned the cause of abduction. Kidnapping for ransom is not ruled out. The two elected representatives of the Navanagar panchayat in Buxar district, however, is believed to have been kidnapped for political reasons. The NDA coalition today declared its agitation programme. They have convened a party convention in which top central leaders, including Mr George Fernandes, Mr Nitish Kumar, Dr C.P. Thakur and Mr Ravi Shankar (all Cabinet ministers), are expected to participate, NDA sources said. |
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Delay in dialogue worries Mufti New Delhi, February 10 Addressing his first press conference in the capital after becoming Chief Minister, Mr Sayeed said those who had taken to the gun had realised its futility. “We should take advantage of this,” he said. “It is people who sustain militancy...Unless you don’t win hearts and minds, you can’t win (militancy). You have to change mind of people,” he said. The Chief Minister did not comment on the current stand-off between India and Pakistan following revelations about involvement of a senior Pakistani diplomat in funding separatists. “The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister would know,” he said. Praising Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, he said that Mr Vajpayee had taken initiatives for talks with Pakistan, including the bus journey to Lahore and inviting the Pakistan President to Agra. He blamed the Hurriyat for not seizing opportunities given by the Centre for a dialogue. He said that Mr K.C. Pant had been appointed as an interlocutor for talks with groups in Jammu and Kashmir but the Hurriyat leaders did not meet him. Pointing out that the proposed dialogue of the state’s representatives with the Centre would be without pre-suppostion and demands, he indicated that the dialogue process could start soon. He said that Mr Vajpayee, in his address from the Red Fort, had promised to start such a dialogue and also include “other sections” in the state. He said that the country was “on a strong wicket” for holding a dialogue with separatists. Mr Sayeed said that he was determined to bring back the displaced Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley and Mattan had been identified as one of the places where they will be settled. |
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UN clearance must on Iraq: Sonia Kolkata, February 10 “There should be no unilateral military action on Iraq without clearance from the UN Security Council since an attack will have serious repercussions worldwide,” she said while addressing a rally at the Brigade Parade Ground here. Stating that war against Iraq could be avoided ‘even now’, she said Baghdad should also cooperate with the UN in implementing Security Council resolutions. She said the situation in West Asia was ‘very grave’. “The Congress’ policy in this regard had always been ‘very clear’. Conflicts should be resolved through peaceful means in keeping with the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi,” she added. The Congress chief also criticised the Vajpayee government’s decision to approach the Supreme Court for transfer of the undisputed land in Ayodhya and demanded that status quo be maintained till the final verdict was pronounced. In a significant appeal aimed at the Trinamool Congress but which she did not name, Ms Sonia Gandhi appealed to all Congress-minded people to come under the party’s umbrella to build up a vibrant force against the Left Front. “Yeh hamara umeed hai ki Congress ke vichardharaye ke log aage aye aur hamara saath de (we hope that those who believe in the philosophy of the Congress will come forward and stand beside us)”. PTI |
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Shanti Path-03 starts New Delhi, February 10 US Ambassador Robert D. Blackwill said here, “I am gratified that bilateral military and security cooperation has spearheaded the fundamental redefinition of the US-India bonds.” Mr Blackwill was speaking at the inauguration of the south Asia Peacekeeping Operations Command Post Exercise, Shanti Path-03, at the Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping, United Services Institute, organised jointly by the Training Command of the Indian Army and the US army’s Pacific Command. Expressing satisfaction and optimism over the present level of the US-India defence ties, he said, “No single area of the US-India defence cooperation highlights the transformed bilateral relationship more than our defence cooperation, which certainly has a vital present and an even brighter future.” This is the seventh military exercise undertaken by both countries in the past two years, differing from the previous instances as military and police personnel from 14 other countries are participating. In his inaugural speech General Officer Commanding-in Chief, Army Training Command Lieut-Gen J.J. Singh referred to the rich experience of the Indian armed forces in UN peacekeeping operations, having participated in almost two-thirds of all peacekeeping operations undertaken by the UN. The logistic capabilities of India can allow it to sustain a UN peacekeeping operation in any part of the world, he said. Holding that the challenges of modern peacekeeping required adoption of modern peacekeeping techniques, General Singh said Shanti Path aimed to depict a multifunctional, multinational and multispecialised scenario of peace keeping. The other countries participating in the exercise are Mongolia, Mauritius, Thailand, Uruguay, the UK, Canada, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Philippines, Malaysia, Fiji and Tonga. |
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India to get 10 more Mirage-2000 New Delhi, February 10 The Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal S. Krishnaswamy, said here today that the tanker was expected to be with the Indian Air Force (IAF) by the end of this month which would be used for air-to-air refuelling of its fighter planes. Mirage-2000 aircrafts were expected to be with the IAF by the later half of the year, he told reporters after a meeting with the visiting Chief of the French Air Force (FAF), Gen D’ Armee Aerienne Richard Wolsztynski. The acquisition of tanker for air-to-air refuelling would be a huge addition to the might of the IAF, the Air Chief said. The French Air Chief indicated that his country was also keen to sell its latest variant of the Mirage aircraft to India. Referring to the joint exercises conducted by the Air Forces of the two countries at Gwalior after a gap of 40 years, the two Air Chiefs were confident that these would go a long way in furthering defence cooperation between the two countries. |
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20 killed in mishaps Kolkata, February 10 Ten persons, including a woman, who was coming to the temple for puja, were killed on the spot and nearly 40 others were injured. The police said the people, mostly daily wage earners, were coming from North 24-paraganas to Murshidabad district for the road repair work by the panchayat. In another incident, which occurred almost in the same early hours, when a trailer ferrying nearly 70 persons from South 24-parganas’s Kachubria to Midnapore suddenly sank into the Haldi river near the Haldia township. After searching for over two hours in the turbulent river only ten bodies could be recovered. An official inquiry was ordered into the accident. |
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Women for more seats in civil services New Delhi, February 10 Sources in the NCW said women from the IAS, Revenue Services and the Postal Services participated in the deliberations. NCW Chairperson, Dr Poornima Advani who chaired the meeting told TNS that they succeeded in meeting the objective of bringing together civil servants to speak on the kind of difficulties they face in governance. She said although there were not many cases of discrimination in terms of patriarchal bias, some participants said that they had been entrusted the social sector instead of the mainstream segments as Home or Finance. |
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30 hurt in stone pelting Mumbai, February 10 6 CRPF men killed Ranchi, February 10 4 BSF men killed Imphal, February 10 |
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ROY TO JOIN ‘DESH BACHAO ABHIYAN’ LAWYER SHOT DEAD RECORD SALES AT KOLKATA BOOK FAIR 3 PILGRIMS DIE IN MISHAP SANJAY DUTT GETS BREATHER |
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