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Thursday,
July 10, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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SC notice to Chautala
on teachers’ selection HC seeks list of tainted contestants Near-normal
monsoon this year
Flood claims seven more lives in Bihar Pak-Afghan ties in the doldrums |
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RSS worked overtime to upset seer’s plan
Court summons records in Cong stand on alliances Rs 40 crore allocated for scavengers
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SC notice to Chautala
on teachers’ selection New Delhi, July 9 A Bench comprising Mr Justice R.C. Lahoti and Mr Justice Ashok Bhan issued notices to Mr Chautala, the Haryana Government, the Deputy Principal Secretary to the CM, Mr Vidyadhar, and the Director Primary Education on a petition by the JBT Youth Federation and six other candidates. The respondents were given four weeks to submit their replies. The six candidates, in their petition, alleged that five of them had made the initial payment of Rs 5,000 to each of the two persons — Mahendra Khanna of Gurgaon and Ajay Pal of Faridabad — who had introduced them to the CM’s OSD, Mr Vidyadhar, at Haryana Bhavan on September 10, 2000. “Mr Vidyadhar had told the petitioners that their names would be included in the selection lists only after they had made the payment,” the candidates alleged and said Khanna and Ajay Pal had demanded Rs 10,000 as initial payment from each of the five petitioners. A vacation Bench of the apex court had issued notice to the Chief Minister, state government and other respondents, earlier, on a writ petition by a suspended IAS officer, Sanjiv Kumar, who had been holding additional charge as Director Primary Education in 2000. The candidates and he had demanded a CBI inquiry into the episode. Kumar had alleged that Mr Chautala had “pressurised” him to replace the original selection lists for appointment of the JBT teachers in 19 districts with “fake” ones. “Since I declined to oblige the CM, I was victimised with initiation of false cases and suspension order”, the IAS officer claimed. Mr Chautala, in his affidavit in reply to Kumar’s petition that was placed before the Bench today, denied that he ever wanted the preparation of vague, fabricated and manipulated selection lists so as to give appointment to rejected and undeserving candidates against the posts of the JBT teacher for extraneous considerations. The CM said no duplicate lists had ever been given to the IAS officer by his OSD. “The allegations to this effect are frivolous, scandalous and false,” he said. “The petitioner (Kumar) has impleaded the CM as a party in the writ petition and made false, baseless and reckless allegations against me with an ulterior motive,” the affidavit said. The JBT Youth Federation and the six petitioners — Vijender Dutt, Narangi, Balkishan, Jogander, Surinder Kumar and Sahum of Gurgaon and Fridabad districts — alleged that since they had not been able to make the full payment due to financial constraints, their names had been excluded from the selection lists released on October 7, 2000. They had also annexed a list of 142 other candidates with the petition contending that their names, too, had been excluded from the lists because they, too had failed to fulfil the demand of money made through several politicians in different districts. Kumar had also alleged that two of his predecessors had also been removed as Director Primary Education after they had refused to replace the original lists as wanted by the CM. However, Mr Chautala, in his reply said: “The transfer of R.P. Chandrer and Ms Rajni Shekri Sibal from the post of Director Primary Education had nothing to do with the recruitment of the JBT teachers.” |
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HC seeks list of tainted contestants Patna, July 9 A Patna High Court Bench comprising the Chief Justice R.S. Dhawan and Mr Justice R.N. Prasad, hearing a public interest litigation (PIL), has asked the state government to submit the list of contestants with criminal records to the court. The court hearing the PIL over preventing the criminalisation of politics asked the government as to how the “tainted” contestants were allowed to file nomination papers? “The rule of law demands the arrest of criminals, especially those declared proclaimed absconders. If such a candidate is contesting any election he should be prevented from doing so”, the Chief Justice observed. Mr M.P. Gupta, lawyer of petitioners alleged that a large number of musclemen with criminal records were contesting the council poll and were absconders in the eyes of the law. These alleged musclemen were contesting for the 24 seats of the council under the quota of the local bodies to be held tomorrow. Sources said the state government was in the dock over the council poll as out of a total of 1,000 contestants for the Legislative Council poll, around 200 were accused of murder, rape, dacoity, loot, abduction and smuggling. The government lawyers representing the state government admitted some names before the court but the court asked for the full list. |
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Near-normal
monsoon this year New Delhi, July 9 The Met department’s prediction of near-normal monsoon would give a fillip to the agricultural sector which in turn would give a boost to the country’s economy as the contribution of this sector to the gross domestic product is one third. As most of the cultivable land in the country is dependent on monsoon, the Met department’s prediction would force the Agriculture Ministry to review its kharif production projections. Addressing a press conference here, the Director General of Indian Meteorological Department, Mr R.R Kelkar, said the country would have a near-normal monsoon this year with the rainfall predicted at 98 per cent for the long period average. In the updated forecast, IMD gave better figures in terms of probability of drought, while in April, it had given 21 per cent probability of drought for this year, the forecast today said there was only 6 per cent such probability. Rainfall for the month of July, which is crucial for the agriculture and economy of the country, was expected to be 102 per cent with a model error of plus or minus 9 per cent, he added. Though the onset of monsoon was delayed by a week this year with monsoon arriving at Kerala on June 8, the Long Range Forecast update for the year based on 10 Parameter Power Regression Model for South-West Monsoon season prevalent in June to September was that rainfall was likely to be 98 per cent with a model error of plus or minus four per cent, Dr Kelkar informed. |
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Flood claims seven more lives in Bihar Patna, July 9 Seven persons, including four members of one family and three sisters of another family, were drowned in swollen rivers in Madhubani and Samastipur districts, raising the flood death toll to 20. The state Relief Department has not yet confirmed any deaths. Incessant rains have worsened the flood situation in many northern parts as most rivers are already flowing above danger levels. “Gushing waters have eroded many embankments at several points but we have our men repairing these and monitoring round the clock”, flood cell officials said. According to an official statement, embankments of Burhi Gandak and Baghmati rivers were under heavy pressure at Kolhua and Sugahi in Champaran district. A Central Water Commission press note said on Wednesday, Burhi Gandak was flowing 53 cm above danger level at four points. Baghmati was also 53 cm above danger mark at Benibad in Darbhanga district. Adhwara group of rivers were flowing 1-21 cm above red marks at several points and a surging Kamala Balan river was expected to rise 33 cm on Wednesday. Reports reaching the state flood cell said flood water had inundated Konchhapra village in Saran district. Flood waters has reportedly entered the low-lying areas of Motihari and Muzaffarpur towns. A ring dam on Gandak river collapsed, flooding dozens of villages and damaging standing crops. The Relief Department statement said: “2,00000 people in 121 villages of five districts have been affected by floods so far.” |
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Pak-Afghan ties in the doldrums New Delhi, July 9 Islamabad is perturbed over Kabul cosying up to New Delhi since the ouster of the Taliban regime. In Pakistani perception, the government of President Hamid Karzai is coming “dangerously close” to India which is reflected by the Indian government setting up its Consulates in such key Afghanistani cities as
Kandhar, Jalalabad and Herat. Sources in the Vajpayee government, quoting classified reports received here through diplomatic channels, said the Pakistani troops had last week captured 14 military posts after making more than 40-km-deep incursions in two Afghanistani provinces— Kunar and
Nangarhar. It was to protest against this Pakistani incursion that a mob of more than 300 persons had stormed the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul and gone on a rampage yesterday. Pakistani diplomats and staffers had to lock themselves in the embassy basement to escape the mob’s wrath. Pakistan was being viewed as trying to teach a lesson to Kabul for coming close to India and allowing more Indian Consulates in Afghanistan. The uneasy calm, witnessed in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations since the Taliban regime was ousted, had now given way to frostiness bordering on downright hostility. Pakistan embarked on the politics of incursions in October last year when on the night of October 10, the Pakistani Army crossed the Durand Line (the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan) and set up two posts near Mushtri Kandan inside Afghan territory. Following this, the Pakistani troops made incursions into Afghan territory several times in that very month. |
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RSS worked overtime to upset seer’s plan New Delhi, July 9 While the credit for bringing Jagadguru Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati of Kanchi Kamkoti back to the fold of Hindutva brigade goes to the RSS supremo, Mr K.S Sudarshan, the RSS-backed individuals worked overtime on the members of the AIMPLB to seek certain clarifications from the Kanchi seer which normally could have been discussed and negotiated across the table, the sources said. It is no longer a secret that Mr Sudarshan had met the Shankaracharya on June 30 and succeeded in convincing the Kanchi Seer to write the July 1 letter to the AIMPLB but what is not known is history of the effort that went behind influencing Muslim law board members to write two letters to the Kanchi seer in which clarifications were sought on Kashi and Mathura, sources said. Interestingly, while the Kanchi Shankaracharya’s letters have been published and have become public knowledge, the AIMPLB letters are yet to see the light of the day. The AIMPLB letters had sought clarifications such as would a negotiated settlement have the backing of the entire Hindu community? Thus questioning the Kanchi seer’s authority and credibility. Earlier, the Kanchi seer was not going to refer to Kashi and Mathura and was not going to use the word “donate” but one-hour-long meeting between the Shankaracharya and the RSS chief on June 30 at Kanchi did the trick and brought the Ayodhya issue back to a square one, sources pointed out. Mr Sudarshan reportedly told the Kanchi seer that the Prime Minister was trying to divide the religious leaders and it would only harm the larger Hindu cause. The RSS leader said it was for the first time that the government had not taken either the VHP or the Sangh into confidence.. VHP senior vice-president gave an enigmatic smile when he was asked today about Mr Sudarshan’s meeting with the Kanchi seer. The RSS, which had not appreciated Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s initiative in roping in Kanchi seer to negotiate with the Muslim leaders for finding a settlement of the Ayodhya issue keeping the Mathura and Kashi temples out of the purview, was desperate to derail the proposal, sources said adding that there was considerable concern within the Sangh Parivar over a possible positive reaction of the AIMPLB to the proposal. A positive AIMPLB reaction on the Shankaracharya’s proposal would have spoilt the Sangh Parivar’s plan as the RSS is convinced that Muslims must relent not only on Ayodhya but also on Kashi and Mathura. Though officially both the BJP as well as the government had distanced themselves from the Shankaracharya’s initiative but it remained no secret as three ministers, including Finance Minister Jaswant Singh, Defence Minister George Fernandes and Culture Minister Jagmohan had visited the Kanchi seer. Everything was proceeding according to plan till June 30 meeting but then the RSS leader wrested the initiative by impressing upon the Jagadguru that Ayodhya. Kashi and Mathura were equally important. Though the RSS was not demanding the resignation of Mr Vajpayee but it is not even asking the VHP leader to desist from their demand, sources said adding that Sangh Parivar members were moving according to a plan. Now a whisper campaign would begin in the southern states that Muslims have even insulted a Shankaracharya from the South, sources said. This would help the VHP in penetrating areas where its sway has been weak till now, sources said. |
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Court summons records in
Wimpy case New Delhi, July 9 The Vigilance Bureau sleuths had arrested Wimpy’s vice-president Yash Dhawan, finance Director R.K. Gupta, deputy manager (finance) Sanjiv Kulshreshta and two drivers on June 14 in connection with a corruption case against former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s OSD Hardeep Singh. Taking serious view of the allegations levelled by Wimpy’s counsel and former Solicitor-General Harish Salve that there was wide gap in actual arrest and detention of the company officials by the Vigilance Bureau on June 14, a Bench comprising Ms Justice Usha Mehra and Mr Justice Pradeep Nandrajog directed the Delhi police to produce by tomorrow the records of Prashant Nagar police station, near Rohini from where they were detained. Mr Salve said though they were detained at the wee hours of June 14, their arrest was shown at about 10:30 a.m., which means that they were in the illegal detention of the Vigilance Bureau during this period. The Bench also directed the Delhi Police Inter-State Coordination Cell at Chanakayapuri here to produce its records to show what was the nature of coordination between the Punjab and the Delhi police with regard to investigation in the case and the arrest of the company officials. Accusing the Punjab Government, particularly the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh of “harassing” the Wimpy’s officials to settle “political score” with the former Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Mr Salve said the company had become a “victim” of the “political vendetta” being witnessed in Punjab. |
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Cong stand on alliances opportunist: BJP New Delhi, July 9 “From its slogan of ‘ekala chalo” in Panchmarhi to favouring coalition at its meeting in Shimla only smacks of opportunism of the party having seen how the BJP is successfully running the NDA coalition,” the BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told mediapersons here. He said the Congress, having realised that it would never be able to come to power on its own in Delhi, has decided to go in for alliances and seeing the success of the coalition led by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the “party feels this is the last opportunity for it to make an effort to come to power.” |
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Rs 40 crore allocated for scavengers New Delhi, July 9 Sources in the ministry said the scheme was aimed at liberating scavengers and their dependants from the demeaning occupation of manually removing nightsoil and filth by engaging them in dignified occupations. During the six-month training period, the scavengers get a monthly stipend of Rs 500, training fee of Rs 300 per month and a tool kit allowance of Rs 2000. The Centre meets the entire cost of training. For rehabilitation, projects which cost about Rs 50,000 per beneficiary are financed by the Centre and State government. More than 6.7 lakh scavengers are said to have been rehabilitated so far. |
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UNSC seat: India seeks Panama’s support New Delhi, July 9 Mr Joshi, who is leading a Parliamentary delegation to Panama, made this plea with President of Panama Mitreya Elisa Moscoso Rodriguez, a press note issued here by the Lok Sabha Secretariat today stated. |
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HIV-infected woman stoned
to death in AP New Delhi, July 9 “Such horror is not acceptable to any society in the world and must be condemned in the strongest possible manner,” Mr Brian Haill, President of the Australian AIDS Fund Inc, has said in a statement today. In a letter to President Abdul Kalam, he said: “I write to express our revulsion and outrage. Such an appalling act must not be allowed to go unreported or without condemnation by an internationally respected leader such as yourself.” He wrote another letter to the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister in this regard.
— PTI |
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KUTCH TO INSPIRE
PEOPLE: ADVANI SUNANDA’S BAIL HEARING DEFERRED TUSKER
ATTACKS HUT, 1 KILLED LIGHTNING KILLS 4 IN CHHATTISGARH |
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