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Tuesday,
June 17, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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TRIBUNE SPECIAL
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Katiyar: no threat to Mayawati government
Bihar Cong chief
takes RJD to task Punjab moves SC on Golden Temple project |
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Now Gehlot denied Suspended Judge held for flesh racket MPs’ delegation leaves for Pak today
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TRIBUNE SPECIAL New Delhi, June 16 Sources in the MoD said Defence Minister George Fernandes is due to visit Brazil in the coming weeks to finalise the details for the purchase of six “Ambraer” aircraft. The new aircraft to be inducted into the IAF Communication Squadron will not only have latest anti-missile system but also advance communication systems. The MoD officials have apparently already worked out the finer details of the contract and only the final part of it remains to be negotiated. The last bit of the details of the contract are expected to be worked out during the visit of the Defence Minister. Keeping in mind the present security scenario in the country, India has insisted on having state-of-the-art anti-missile and advance communication systems which will make the travel of the VVIPs safer than what is available at present with the Boeings maintained by the IAF. Incidentally, the purchase of these six aircraft would be separate from the Air Force-1 type aircraft which the government is planning to buy for the Prime Minister and the President’s travel abroad. The choice for the Brazilian aircraft has apparently been made after demonstrations from various other established aircraft manufacturers. These included the Dassault which brought in the Falcon and Fairchild’s 738 aircraft. The MoD officials also had a look at the Gulfstream and the Learjets from Raytheon and Boeing or Airbus before apparently taking a decision in favour of the Ambraer. The new aircraft are expected to be a 32-seater with modern facilities. The sources said the choice of the aircraft had fallen on the Ambraer not only keeping in mind the Indian requirements but also due to the lowest L-1 price quoting. The MoD had done the scouting for the aircraft only through Indian embassies abroad. The acquisition of these aircraft would eventually lead to the phasing out of the long-serving Boeing 737s, which were first inducted into the VIP squadron almost two decades ago, the Avros and Dorniers which are at present used for the VVIP travel within the country. On the other hand whenever the Prime Minister or the President travel abroad, at least two aircraft are picked up from the fleet of Air-India to be converted into VVIP aircraft. While one is used for the travel purposes the other is kept on the standby for any emergencies. The sources said the decision to upgrade the Communication Squadron fleet has been taken after realisation that the Prime Minister and the President should not requisition Air-India’s 747s for their travel within the 4,500-km range which sends the schedules of the country’s international carrier out of gear. At present the Communication Squadron the IAF at the Palam Air Station maintains at least two Boeing 737s, seven Avros and Dorniers and six Mi-8 helicopters for the VIP travel. |
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Laos PM in Capital New Delhi, June 16 Talking to newspersons after the ceremonial reception at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Mr Vorachith said “I thank India for the immense assistance and support given for the development of my country.” Later in his interaction with captains of the industry at a meeting jointly organised by the CII and FICCI, Mr Vorachith
appreciated the Indian aid in several areas and the $ 10 million loan extended towards the power transmission project in the country. “It would be a good thing to have direct aerial links between the two countries. We should jointly survey the feasibility of such a flight, its cost-effectiveness and the number of passengers on both sides,” the visiting Prime Minister said. He said such direct links would lead to a step up in trade ties. Mentioning about several agreements entered into by Laos and India for trade and economic cooperation, Mr Vorachith said the $ 10 million loan extended by India would go a long way in increasing economic cooperation and expanding bilateral business ties. Already, four Indian companies have bid for contracts in the power transmission project in southern Laos and two more companies are expected to present their bids. He invited Indian personnel to Laos in the IT sector and investments in agriculture, tourism hospitality services, energy sector and mining and minerals sector. He said Laos had special laws for the protection of foreign investments and several tax exemptions for foreign investors. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was in Laos last year and the two countries had decided to further consolidate economic, agricultural, technological and scientific ties. The visiting Prime Minister said his talks with Indian leaders, including Mr Vajpayee, would focus on strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two nations. Mr Vorachith was received by Mr Vajpayee, External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha, senior officials and diplomats. During his visit, the two sides will sign an agreement on cooperation in science and technology. The visiting dignitary is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Finance Minister Chansy Phosikham, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Sience Saphangthong, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Phongsavath Boupha and Chief of the Cabinet of Prime Minister’s office Sinlavong Khoutphayathoun. Mr Vorachit will visit Agra, Hyderabad and Mumbai to see the major centres of cultural, technological, and commercial activities of India. |
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Katiyar: no threat to Mayawati government
Allahabad, June 16 “There is no political crisis in Uttar Pradesh and the ruling BSP-BJP coalition is firmly in the saddle’’, BJP Uttar Pradesh President Vinay Katiyar told reporters here, maintaining that the Samajwadi Party-led Opposition did not have enough support to dislodge the ministry.
Fearful that if the BSP-BJP alliance continued it would jeopardise the political future of leaders like Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, the opposition “is currently engaged in a charade for driving a wedge in the ruling alliance ahead of the Lok Sabha poll next year” Mr Katiyar said. “The SP and other Opposition parties are unnerved by a looming threat to their existence if the BSP-BJP alliance contested the next Lok Sabha poll,” Mr Katiyar said. Dismissing the Opposition demand for convening the assembly for a trial of strength following the withdrawal of support by the RLD, Mr Katiyar said the demand lacked conviction. If the opposition commanded a majority, they should have submitted a list of legislators supporting them to the Governor, Mr Katiyar said and asked the Opposition to respect the mandate given by the people of the state and desist from attempting to dislodge the Mayawati Government. He urged the Muslim community to forsake its claim on the disputed site in Ayodhya and hand over the land to the Hindus for the construction of a Ram temple in the larger interests of communal amity. “If the Muslims can help renovate Hanumangarhi temple at Ayodhya, then they should not have any problem in handing over the disputed land there for the construction of a Ram temple”, he said. Such a formula for resolving the Ayodhya issue had been agreed upon a few years ago, but certain
political forces scuttled the move, Mr Katiyar claimed without naming the political party and added efforts were on once again to break the deadlock on the issue. Since the construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya was a matter of sentiment for the
majority community, the Muslims should accept their plea by forsaking their claim over the Babri mosque site, Mr
Katiyar, said. He said it was his personal view as well as his party’s thinking that a Ram temple should be constructed at Ayodhya while ensuring communal amity.
PTI |
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Model dies in mishap at Oberoi hotel Mumbai, June 16 The model Pritinder Kaur collapsed on the spot at Oberoi hotel at 6.15 last evening as the window frame ruptured her skull, the police said today. The victim was rushed to J.J Hospital where she was declared dead. The hotel, in a statement, termed it as a “tragic accident”. An inquiry into the incident was being carried out independently to collect details relating to the accident, it said. The police registered a case against the hotel for causing the death of the model by negligence. A case has been registered against the hotel management. Pritinder had come to the hotel for a swim. “She was walking towards the pool when the accident occurred,” the police said. Pritinder was the youngest among the three daughters of a retired accountant in the Ministry of External Affairs. She was staying in suburban Versova and had just returned from England to pursue a career in modelling.
PTI |
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Bihar Cong chief takes RJD to task Patna, June 16 New BPCC chief Ram Jatan Sinha has made no bones about his old disliking for the RJD-led rule in the state in which Congress shares power. He has led the team of state Congressmen who opposed alliance with the RJD. “I am not at all satisfied with the functioning of the RJD government”, said Mr Sinha at a recent press meet. He said some Congressmen are ministers in the RJD government but his party organisation is outside it. |
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Punjab moves SC on Golden Temple project New Delhi, June 16 The appeal was filed against the Punjab and Haryana High Court order of February 18, dismissing the review petition of the Director, Golden Temple Beautification Project (GTBP), on the question of delay in filing the application for review of an earlier order passed by it. The GTBP alleged that the construction firm — Yoginder Sareen Contractors — had failed to complete the Rs 1 crore project for beautifying the surroundings of the Golden Temple despite the deadline for it being extended on several occasions. A vacation Bench comprising Mr Justice R C Lahoti and Mr Justice Brijesh Kumar adjourned till further hearing in the matter with the direction to the GTBP counsel to file a copy of an agreement, which the firm had claimed to have placed before the Lok Adalat on March 1, 1997, on the basis of which an earlier suit for recovery of the money from it was dismissed by an Amritsar Civil Judge. |
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Now Gehlot denied foreign visit New Delhi, June 16 However, sources said the government turned down the request of Mr Gehlot on the pretext that the function was a private affair and the government had no role in that. As per protocol, Chief Ministers and other ministers cannot go abroad without permission of the External Affairs Ministry. Mr Gehlot is the third Chief Minister of a Congress-ruled state who has been denied permission to travel abroad. Earlier, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh was denied permission to go to Vancouver to attend a Dalit conference.
PTI |
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Suspended Judge held for flesh racket Lucknow, June 16 The girl, Farha, said she was forced into this trade by the judge. “Many girls from the old city area of the city were part of this racket,” Farha told the police. Mishra, however, claimed that he was innocent and was helping the girl to find a suitable job. The SSP, Lucknow, Mr Vijay Singh, told mediapersons that Farha was recovered from a house in the posh Gomti Nagar area. Further inquiry revealed that she was part of the flesh trade racket which was headed by a suspended judge, said the SSP. He said a city hostel was raided from where Mishra along with the manager of the hotel and a waiter was arrested. “Waiter was the part of the racket and he used to supply girls to guests,” said the police officer.
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MPs’ delegation leaves for Pak today New Delhi, June 16 The team, led by Rajya Sabha MP Kuldeep Nayyar, will leave from here at 7.30 am for Amritsar and cross the Wagha border for Lahore. Noted Pakistani human rights activist Asma Jehangir will host a reception for the Indian parliamentarians at Lahore. The visit of the Indian parliamentarians comes about a month after a delegation of Pakistani MPs visited New Delhi. The visits are seen as part of efforts to build people-to-people contact between the two countries. The parliamentarians will also visit the Lahore University of Management Studies. On June 20, they will visit Islamabad and meet some important political leaders. They will return on June 25.
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