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Wednesday,
March 26, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Enough petrol to last 2 months: Naik Compensation for Kashmiri Pandits
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VHP, Jamial-Ulama flay Pandits’ massacre
Annan, France, Japan
condemn J&K massacre India must change Pak policy: Gujral
Chemists’ stir against VAT Ousted BCC chiefs to attend meet
VHP ‘satyagrah’ on Ayodhya issue Inclusion of Hardwar in Uttaranchal ‘unjust’ Rail concessions
for patients Sanjay allowed to attend film premier
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Enough petrol to last 2 months: Naik New Delhi, March 25 “Even if the war lasts longer, supplies of petroleum products in India are not going to get affected”, Petroleum Minister Ram Naik told newspersons here on the sidelines of a seminar. The minister said there was enough crude oil stock to last the requirements of at least two months. India’s oil companies had already entered into advance contracts much beyond the present area of conflict in the West Asia, he said. Currently, the total crude oil capacity in Indian refineries is of 5.7 million tonnes ( roughly equivalent to the requirement of 90 days). Public sector oil companies have stocked up petrol and diesel to meet the requirement of up to 33 days while current kerosene stock is estimated to meet the country’s requirement of up to 29 days. Stock of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) is maintained at the level to meet the demand of up to 53 days . In addition, an inventory of 23 days is being maintained which will give an additional cover of up to 34 days. The inventory of domestic cooking gas is to the extent of 12 days with three days of transit stock. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait — the two largest suppliers of crude oil to India — is learnt to have assured uninterrupted oil supplies to India even if it involved routing it through alternative ways in the eventuality of Iraq spreading the war to neighbouring countries. Sources here said the Red Sea route could be used in case the Persian Gulf route was blocked if the conflict was triggered by Iraq in other parts in the region. Saudi Arabia is the biggest supplier of crude oil to India accounting for 13.321 million tonnes of the total 78.706 million tonnes of crude oil imports to the country in 2001-02. Countries in the West Asia supplied as much as 53.429 million tonnes of crude oil to India. Kuwait supplied 11.958 million tonnes, Iran accounted for 8.448 million tonnes while the United Arab Emirates exported 4.967 million tonnes of crude oil to India. In 2001-02, India imported a total of 3.8 million tonnes from Iraq, with RPL alone accounting for 2.718 million tonnes. Earlier, speaking at the seminar on “Development of Deep Water Discoveries”, Mr Naik said the import of crude oil cost the country Rs 78,000 crore last year. The minister said faster exploration of deep water blocks was critical for making the country self-dependent in energy. He said more blocks would be awarded for exploration under the fourth round of New Exploration Licencing Policy (NELP) next month. |
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‘Oil-for-food’ scheme to continue New Delhi, March 25 Earlier reports that the UN had suspended the 'Oil for Food Programme' which focusses on ensuring substantial deliveries of food and health supplies to Iraq had raised concern among the Indian business community regarding the fate of numerous contracts entered into by the Indian businessmen. The commodities exported to Iraq are essentially humanitarian in nature, including items like drugs and pharmaceuticals, wheat and tea.
TNS |
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Compensation for Kashmiri Pandits New Delhi, March 25 The government will soon come out with a “rehabilitation policy”, including a financial package for the Kashmiri migrants displaced more than a decade ago due to militancy in the valley, Vajpayee was quoted as saying to a Kashmiri Pandits delegation that called on him here. Delhi BJP president Madan Lal Khurana, who led the delegation, told reporters that the Prime Minister had announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh each from the PM’s relief fund to the families of 24 Pandits, including 11 women, who were massacred. The
delegation expressed its concern over the security of Pandits staying in the valley in wake of yesterday’s massacre. Several Kashmiri organisations raised serious doubts about the Jammu and Kashmir government’s rehabilitation policy of Kashmiri
Pandits.
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VHP, Jamial-Ulama flay Pandits’ massacre New Delhi, March 25 “The Centre should immediately declare Jammu and Kashmir as a disturbed state and dismiss the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed-led PDP-Congress government,” VHP spokesperson Acharya Giriraj Kishore told newspersons here. Stating that yesterday’s brutal incident was not only a blot for the state government but also the Central Government, Mr Singhal demanded that the Centre should take “stern” steps to protect the innocent people from falling pray to the guns of terrorists. He held the “healing touch” policy of the PDP-Cong government responsible for the spurt in terrorist incidents in Jammu and Kashmir. Meanwhile, terming the Pulwama massacre as “inhuman and cowardly”, a prominent Muslim organisation said today that it was an attempt by militants to frustrate the efforts by the Mufti government to bring back displaced Kashmiri Pandits. “The massacre has taken place at a time when the Mufti government was finalising a package to bring back displaced Pandits. It is a deliberate design to frustrate these attempts and instil fear within that community,” general secretary of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind Maulana Mehmood Madani told reporters here. Condemning the killings, he said the militants were determined to thwart all sincere attempts by the state government to initiate the peace process and draw a wedge between Hindus and Muslims in the state. “Such killings were anti-Islam and can never be justified under the garb of jehad,” he said. |
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Annan, France, Japan condemn J&K massacre New Delhi, March 25 Mr Annan "sends his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families," he said. Condemning the attack, France said nothing can justify such acts as it reaffirmed its determination to fight against terrorism, its networks and support. "France condemns the attack which took place in Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in numerous civilian casualties and conveys its condolences to the families of the victims," French Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a statement which was circulated here. Describing the terror attack as "horrible", US Secretary of State Colin Powell, in a telephonic conversation with External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha, had assured that he would speak to Pakistan again about cross-border terrorism. British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw also telephoned Mr Sinha and expressed shock at the appalling murder and attacks on innocent civilians. Japan and the European Union also condemned the terror attack in strong terms. Nepal also strongly condemned the massacre of 24 Kashmiri Pandits' calling it "a heinous terrorist attack". "We strongly condemn the cowardly and heinous terrorist attack and the killing of innocent people in Kashmir," Nepal Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand said in a condolence message to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. Mr Chand also extended condolences to the members of the bereaved families in his message.
PTI, UNI |
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India must change Pak policy: Gujral New Delhi, March 25 Delivering the Ford Foundation lecture on “India and its Eastern Neighbours” here last evening, the former Prime Minister said India has vital stakes in preserving the SAARC process as the region was the first perimeter of the country’s defences. “An alienated Bangladesh is leaning towards major powers which are making their presence felt in not only that
country but also in Nepal and Sri Lanka. Viewed in this context, the spirit of SAARC provides a bulwark to our security and contributes to our strength,” the former Prime Minister said. Mr Gujral said India has unduly been obsessed with Pakistan. “But while deciding our response on the policies and conduct of military rulers of that country, the fact should not be forgotten that Pakistani society is not monolithic.” Mr Gujral said during his five-year stay in Moscow, he saw for himself that the Soviet system was undermined by not so much by US missiles or weapons but more by Washington’s democratic culture which was relentlessly projected through a variety of media channels into the closed heartland of the Soviet Union. He said while armed forces of Pakistan and certain other militant sections may harbour a deep-rooted animosity towards India, liberal circles and the civil society there were increasingly feeling that the government should shed its primitive militant ideologies and build a more democratic society based on some degree of reconciliation with India. In the development of SAARC framework, he felt, much can be learnt from ASEAN countries. They have flexible, pragmatic and forward-looking tendency while SAARC countries seem to be held hostage by various rigidities and inflexibilities. |
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Chemists’ stir against VAT New Delhi, March 25 Barring a few emergency medical stores, pharmacies remained closed in response to the nationwide bandh called by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists. All states except Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh have geared up to implement the VAT following the Centre’s nod for the requisite legislation. In Lucknow, the Uttar Pradesh Medicine and Drug Association said the strike was near total. It warned of an indefinite shutdown from April 1 if the government did not rescind its order of implementing VAT. Traders in the national capital will meet tomorrow to work out their strategy even as the Bharat Udyog Vyapar Mandal has given a call for an All India trade bandh on March 31. In Mumbai,
Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said the state government would introduce the VAT regime from April 1, subject to changes based on the feedback and suggestions from the industry. Trade and commerce came to a grinding halt in Orissa as businesses were shut in protest against the introduction of the VAT. In Kolkata, textile traders staged a massive rally demanding withdrawal of the VAT and announced that they would join the all-India strike on March 31 and April 1 called by All-India Textile Traders Association.
PTI |
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Ousted BCC chiefs to attend meet New Delhi, March 25 Nearly 55 BCC chiefs have been removed from their posts by Mr Bhajan Lal. Most of the removed BCC chiefs, who assembled at the AICC around noon today, met party general secretaries Mohsina Kidwai and Oscar Fernandes. Before meeting Ms Kidwai, they raised slogans against Mr Bhajan Lal. They said that Mr Bhajan Lal had become PCC chief on the promise of ousting the Chautala government but "he was acting against Congress workers." They said no notices had been served and their removal was arbitrarily. The removed BCC chiefs threatened to start an indefinite fast outside the residence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi if their suspension was not revoked by March 30. Sources said while the removed block chiefs would be invited for the party’s national convention of BCC chiefs, they were unlikely to be allowed to take part in the delibrations. The sources said the high command
had heard both groups in the state Congress and a final decision on
the issue would be taken after the BCC chiefs’ national convention. |
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VHP ‘satyagrah’ on Ayodhya issue New Delhi, March 25 “All arrangements pertaining to the “satyagrah” programme is in place and if the Centre fails to hand over the undisputed land in Ayodhya by tomorrow, we will go ahead with our programme, beginning March 27,” VHP spokesperson Acharya Giriraj Kishore told newspersons here. Asked how the Centre could hand over the land to the VHP when a case pertaining to the issue was pending before the Supreme Court, Mr Kishore said “the government has to find a way”. Stating that on each day between 30,000 and 50,000 VHP members would participate in the programme, Mr Kishore said on the first day the “satyagrah” would be led by senior VHP leaders Avidyanath, V.H. Dalmia and Ashok Singhal. All arrangements like mass kitchen, boarding camps, water and other convenience facilities had been put in place for participants, who would reach from various parts of the country, Mr Kishore said adding that the programme would be conducted in a peaceful manner. |
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Inclusion of Hardwar in Uttaranchal ‘unjust’ Hardwar, March 25 Mr Tikait said though Hardwar was a district of the plains, the Centre had arbitrarily included it in the hill state of Uttaranchal. He said if Hardwar was to remain in Uttaranchal, all districts of the former Meerut division should be included in the new state and the districts of Agra, Aligarh and Bareilly in Delhi state. The BKU leader said union activists had been staging a dharna at Manglaur for the past two years to protest against the injustice done to the people of
Hardwar. |
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Rail concessions
for patients New Delhi, March 25 A press release issued by the ministry here today said 75 per cent concession would be offered in AC 3 tier and AC Chair Car and 50 per cent in AC 2-tier and AC First Class. One attendant or companion travelling with the patient will also get the same concession. |
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Sanjay allowed to attend film premier Mumbai, March 25 Sanjay has already been permitted to visit Hyderabad till March 31 for film shooting. The actor and 86 other accused have also been exempted from the court proceedings till April 16. They have been warned not to leave the city limits without permission during the period. They were told not to establish contact with the absconding accused in this case and ensure that they were represented by their lawyers in the court. In a related development, the court has allowed Sanjay to move about anywhere in Maharashtra for a month from April 1 in connection with his professional requirements.
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