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Friday,
August 8, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Cabinet
meeting to decide AJT’s fate CVC Bill
passed in RS amid protests Bismillah Khan enthrals parliamentarians |
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Bill to repatriate prisoners passed in RS No
proposal to ban Pak TV Digvijay
clarifies on terrorist list PM
suffering from viral fever Kalam’s stress on
job-oriented education George
invites kin of MiG-crash victims BJP ‘charge sheet’ against Dikshit
(From left) Agriculture Minister of Punjab Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Galhot, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh and Union Rural Development Minister Kashi Ram Rana at the second meeting of the Empowered Sub-Committee of the National Development Council on Financial and Administrative Empowerment in New Delhi on Thursday. — PTI photo Safe water
not fundamental right, says panel
Canteen staff remove the remaining stock of soft drinks from Parliament House on Thursday. — PTI
photo Student
in hospital after ragging
SC
commutes death sentence to life term Supreme
Court orders release of Laloo’s passport Gujarat
Govt files plea in Best Bakery case Shahabuddin’s
bail plea rejected Nageswara
Rao is Additional Solicitor-General Special
Jammu, New Delhi train
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Cabinet meeting to decide AJT’s fate New Delhi, August 7 The reply, on which the final decision would depend, has been forwarded by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) as an attachment to the Cabinet Note on the AJTs. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) is now expected to take up the matter at its next meeting. Defence Minister George Fernandes said today that the MoD had received the reply to the specific and technical clarifications sought by India from the British Government. After the CCS clearance the matter would be placed in front of the Union Cabinet for the final clearance before the signing of the formal contract. When asked by The Tribune what was the status of the clarification the MoD had received from the British Aerospace, Mr Fernandes said a Cabinet Note had been prepared and sent for the consideration of the Union Cabinet. The minister said the issue would be placed before the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) whenever it meets next after which the Union Cabinet would decide. Mr Fernandes, however, said no date had yet been fixed for the CCS meeting. But he expressed hope that the long-pending issue of the purchase of AJTs would be decided soon. The CCS will take the final decision, keeping in mind various issues, including the opinion of the IAF. According to sources besides the British Aerospace (BAe) Hawk, the Czech-made L-159B has also been shortlisted for the AJTs. However, the reply from the British Government is now expected to set the ball rolling for the final decision to be taken by the government. The Defence Minister had earlier said in the Lok Sabha that the moment the reply from the British Government was received the motion for action would start. India had raised at least two specific queries with the British Government keeping in mind the latest round of allegations of bribery against the BAe Systems, which is Britain’s biggest weapons company, and the fact that even the UK Treasury was against the supply of the Hawk trainer aircrafts to the Royal Air Force (RAF). Incidentally, the Hawks on offer to India are not the same which have been cleared by the British Government to be inducted into the RAF. The MoD had sought to know whether any attempts were made by the BAE Systems to provide illegal gratification to any official of the ministry or the Air Force at anytime. It had further sought to know the reasons for the UK Treasury blocking the supply of the Hawk trainers to the RAF. A confidential advice from Britain’s Chancellor of exchequer Gordon Brown’s department had concluded that the BAe bid had failed to meet UK Government’s value-for-money criteria. Incidentally, one of the reasons for India not signing the contract for the purchase of Hawks in the past has been the price being demanded by the
BAe. |
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CVC Bill passed in RS amid protests New Delhi, August 7 During the debate several members strongly opposed the CVC Bill in its present form, describing it as ineffective and discriminatory and demanded that it be strengthened and the “obnoxious” Section 6A be removed from it. The Section 6A of the Bill provides that the Delhi Special Police Establishment shall not conduct any inquiry or investigation into any offence allegedly committed under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, except with the approval of the Central Government, where such offence relates to Central Government employees of the level of Joint Secretary and above and officers appointed by the Central Government in corporations established by or under any Central Act, government companies, societies and local authorities. The members, including legal luminaries like Fali S. Nariman, Ram Jethmalani and veteran bureaucrat P.C. Alexander said the Bill in the present form would spare the big fish and catch smaller ones and contribute to procedural delays in investigation and punishment, giving enough time to a corrupt official to go scot free. Mr Nariman, terming the Section 6A of the Bill as “obnoxious”, demanded its deletion. Mr Ram Gopal Yadav (SP) said there were many loopholes in the proposed Bill, which could come in the way of the government in dealing with corruption. It was also pointed out that officers of the rank of Joint Secretary and above had been protected in the Bill. Mr P.G. Narayanan (AIADMK) wanted to know why the government’s permission be required to move against them. Mr C.P. Thirunavukarasu (DMK) said the Bill had not given any teeth to the CVC and added that there was no need to give special privilege to officers of Joint Secretary rank and above. However, there was a strong observation made by Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptullah, who while taking exception to the Bill said it not only neglected the Rajya Sabha but also reflected gender bias. Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz (Congress), while welcoming the Bill, said it was, however, regrettable that it had been brought in on the direction of the Supreme Court. |
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Bismillah Khan enthrals parliamentarians
New Delhi, August 7 They were felicitated by Mr Kalam and other dignitaries before the concert. Shiv Sena Parliamentary Party leader Chandrakant Khaire along with his party colleagues presented a cheque of Rs 2 lakh from party supremo Bal Thackeray.
— PTI |
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Bill to repatriate prisoners passed in RS
New Delhi, August 7 The Bill had been passed in the Lok Sabha earlier. Replying after an hour -long debate on the Bill in the Upper House, Minister of State for Home I.D. Swami said the law would come into operation when all proceedings were complete on the part of the convict. Before repatriation the law of the country where the prisoner is, will prevail. Giving the example of Abu Salem, the minister said the case was pending in the High Court of Portugal and he would be extradited soon. But his accomplice, Monica Bedi’s case was still in the lower court and would take time. On an extradition treaty with Pakistan, the minister said, “Unfortunately, with Pakistan we do not have one but we are trying hard. Till now no headway has been made.’’ On clemency, he said it would be given by the court of this country.
— UNI |
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No proposal
to ban Pak TV New Delhi, August 7 “There is
neither any restriction on showing PTV nor any proposal to ban it
despite Pakistan imposing restrictions on Indian TV channels and
newspapers”, Minister of State for External Affairs Digvijay Singh
said. To a query whether India had banned books from Pakistan, he said
there was no specific ban.
— PTI |
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Digvijay
clarifies on terrorist list New Delhi, August 7 This clarification was made by Minister of State for External Affairs Digvijay Singh in the Rajya Sabha today. In reply to another
question, he said Pakistan had proposed the restoration of rail link. However, India would not rush into any decision in this regard, he added.
— UNI |
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PM suffering from viral fever New Delhi, August 7 Earlier in the day, Mr Vajpayee went to Parliament and also voted in the election to nominate an MP in the Aligarh Muslim University court.
— PTI |
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Kalam’s stress on
job-oriented education New Delhi, August 7 During his interaction with the Vice-Chancellors, Dr Kalam pointed out that while passing out from the university students should also have a diploma in a professional course, besides a degree. Dr Kalam noted that the diploma should help students secure jobs after graduating from the university. He further said each university should be known for its ‘core competence’, which should be well known and capable of attracting a pool of talented teachers and students interested in the particular field. The President, who is also the Visitor to the Universities, laid emphasis on research undertaken in science and non-science subjects and said research and teaching should go hand in hand. The meeting aimed at apprising the President of the performance and the functioning of the universities also sought to discuss problems and suggestions to improve the Visitor-university interface within the statutory framework. Vice-chancellors from most of the universities raised the issues of inadequate funding, infrastructure problems, fee structures, strengthening of visiting faculty and streamlining of the appointment of the Visitor’s nominees. They also called for the recognition of the technical staff, besides the present categories of teaching and non-teaching staff. The VCs from the north eastern region sought a smooth flow of funds from the non-lapsable pool. The Minister for Human Resource and Development, Dr M.M. Joshi, who was also present during the meeting, also laid stress on quality of teaching and research. |
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George
invites kin of MiG-crash victims New Delhi, August 7 Mr Fernandes has written to Mrs Kavita Gadgil, who has floated the Abhijit Flying Foundation named after her dead MiG-21 pilot son, to come and meet him to discuss the petition she submitted to the President calling for action to make flying safe.
— PTI |
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BJP ‘charge sheet’ against Dikshit New Delhi, August 7 Delhi BJP President Madan Lal Khurana said today that BJP President M. Venkaiah Naidu, general secretary Pramod Mahajan, certain Union Ministers and all seven Members of Parliament from the NCT of Delhi would be present on the occasion. Mr Khurana was talking to mediapersons after he called on Mr Advani to present him with the “charge sheet” against the Sheila Dikshit ministry. The charge sheet, he told reporters, highlighted the “failures” of the Government of NCT of Delhi. The delegation that called on Mr Advani sought the “dismissal” of the Sheila Dikshit ministry on the ground of collapse of administrative machinery and corruption. |
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Punjab
to launch plan on panchayats New Delhi, August 7 Speaking at second meeting of the Empowered Sub-Committee of National Development Council on financial and administrative empowerment to PRIs held here at Vigyan Bhawan, the Chief Minister said that the state government had approved, in principle, to transfer seven out of the 29 items viz school education, health and family welfare, public health (drinking water and rural sanitation), social security (welfare of women and children, welfare of handicapped), welfare of SCs/BCs, poverty alleviation programmes and rural housing. He said that all elected members of PRIs, numbering approximately 90,000, would be imparted comprehensive training at 140 block headquarters of the state for their capacity-building to understand their role, functions and duties properly enabling them to discharge their responsibilities effectively. He pointed out that the function of identification of individual beneficiaries and disbursement of pensions and other financial benefits would be transferred to the gram panchayats within two to three months. Capt Amarinder Singh asserted that there was no need to bring further Amendments to the provisions of 73rd and 74th Amendment Acts to the Constitution of India rather it was imperative to forcefully implement these provisions so that people’s representatives at the village level were given due representation and made instrumental in implementing the policies and programmes at the grass roots. |
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Safe water not fundamental right, says panel
New Delhi, August 7 “Municipalities can supply water that is neither potable nor drinkable, but there’s precious little a citizen can do,” Ms Sunita Narain, Director, CSE, said in a release here. “Under the law, no institution can be ultimately held responsible for quality, because nobody has defined standards that can be legally enforced,” Ms Narain said. The Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation (CPHEEO), under the Union Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation sets guidelines for drinking water quality. But these are merely guidelines, the CSE said. “Also, the guidelines include two sets of criteria, allowing much room for laxity. In effect, municipalities are free to choose and supply as they will or want or can,” Mr Chandrabhushan, co-ordinator, Green Rating Project, CSE, said. All this, the CSE said, clearly meant that contrary to what the common man would like to believe, “clean” water is not a “Fundamental Right” of all Indians. In 1996, a Parliamentary Committee on Subordinate Legislation suggested that water treated and supplied by local authorities should be included under “food” as “the agency responsible for supplying drinking water to the public has to ensure purity and the statute should bind it to do so”. However, in its deposition before the committee, the Ministry of Urban Development (which is responsible for drinking water quality in cities) averred that the inclusion of water under food would impose, on the agencies that supply water, a legal commitment to adhere to recognised standards. The agencies, it surmised, could not possibly meet such standards as they lacked the necessary financial resources.
— UNI |
| Drinks safe, claim Pepsi, Coke New Delhi, August 7 In advertisements in dailies, Coca-Cola dubbed the CSE report as incorrect and baseless, saying the soft drinks manufactured in India conform to the same high standards of quality as in USA and Europe. The CSE report had said samples of brands taken from the USA meet the European Economic Community (EEC) norms. To disprove the CSE allegations, PepsiCo India said, “You have probably heard allegations that our products contain traces of 4 types of pesticide residues. We test for traces of not just 4 but 45 pesticides in order to comply with the most stringent norms.” Both soft drink giants, in separate advertisements, said the safety of their products are verified by the Netherlands-based TNO Nutrition and Food Research Labs. The two companies had addressed a press conference under the banner of Indian Soft Drinks Manufacturers Association immediately after CSE made the report public. The report had a swift fall out as brands sold by the two companies had been banned by the Parliament canteen yesterday. Protests were also held against the two multi-national companies in some parts of the country following the report. But the CSE report is beginning to hit the companies where it hurts the most: sales. Industry sources said that the image of both the multinationals, who have a combined share of about 90 per cent in the cold beverages market in the country, have taken a beating — at least for the present. No official version was available from the companies. Dealers maintained that “It was too early to conclusively say anything as yet”. But retailers admitted that there was a significant dip in sales. The cola majors, however, got a major boost from one their biggest institutional consumers — fast-food chain MacDonald’s. “You will be reassured to know that the cold beverages you drink in our restaurants are checked by state-of-the-art equipment and technology”, a McDonald’s official said. |
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Cockroach in soft drink bottle Gwalior, August 7 Mr Rakesh Kushwah, a resident of Gwalior, had purchased some soft drink bottles recently and of these one contained a cockroach. Mr Kushwah has submitted a petition in this regard to the consumer forum.
— UNI |
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Student in hospital after ragging
Siliguri, August 7 Sayandeep Bandopadhyay, a student of Jalpaiguri Government Engineering College, suffered cuts all over his body after being beaten up on the night of August 5 and was later hospitalised. Four students of the college — Parasar Kishore Singh (fourth year), Mainak Choudhury, Subhadeep Naha and Nigam Prasad Kundu (second year) — named in an FIR filed by the student’s father were arrested and produced today in the court of subdivisional judicial magistrate. The Jalpaiguri SP, Mr Siddhnath Gupta, said the Director of Technical Education, who is scheduled to visit the college tomorrow to take stock of the situation, would submit a report of inquiry conducted into the incident by the police. The student, who is being treated at Jalpaiguri Sadar Hospital, was still panic-stricken while his father was persuading the college authorities and the administration to get his son transferred to an engineering college in Kolkata, officials said. The senior students had also forced him to put his signature on a note stating that he had committed suicide due to family problems and no one was responsible for that, the FIR said.
— PTI |
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SC commutes death sentence to life term
New Delhi, August 7 Holding that murder of close relatives of the accused allegedly by the victim’s family could have been a sudden provocation to commit the brutal murder, a Bench comprising Mr Justice N. Santosh Hegde and Mr Justice B.P. Singh said the number of years he had spent in jail, the punishment given to other accused and that he was not the gang leader could all be treated as mitigating circumstances to lessen the sentence. Mr Justice Hegde, writing for the Bench, said “it is true the incident in question has prematurely terminated the life of 21 persons, but then the number of deaths cannot be the sole criterion for awarding the maximum punishment of death.” “While in a given case, death penalty may be the appropriate sentence even for a single murder, it would not necessarily mean that in every case of multiple murders death penalty has to be the normal punishment,” he said. The court also took into account the fact that the role played by appellant, Ram Pal, was somewhat similar to other accused persons, who had been given lesser punishment.
— PTI |
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Supreme
Court orders release of Laloo’s passport New Delhi, August 7 Mr Yadav had approached the apex court for the release of his passport surrendered before the trial court as a condition for grant of bail to him in 1997 as he wanted it for his visit to Pakistan as a member of a goodwill mission of MPs and journalists. The delegation is
scheduled to leave for Islamabad on August 9. |
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Gujarat
Govt files plea in Best Bakery case Ahmedabad, August 7 On June 27 Additional Sessions Judge H.U. Mahida of a fast-track court at Vadodara had acquitted 21 persons on the ground of lack of evidence. A mob had ransacked and torched the Best Bakery on March 1, 2002, at Hanuman Tekri area and slaughtered 12 persons, including women and children, while two persons were still missing since the incident. The Gujarat Government also simultaneously moved an application challenging the decision of a Godhra sessions court earlier in which several persons accused of atrocity and rioting during the communal violence were also acquitted.
— PTI |
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Shahabuddin’s bail plea rejected Chapra, August 7 Delivering the judgement, the judge said the arrest warrant was issued in 2001 and the anticipatory bail moved in 2003. The bail application was rejected as the MP was not entitled to file the anticipatory bail application after such a long gap. MP’s counsel, Ajay Kumar Rajan, pleaded that the FIR lodged in the abduction case of Munna Chaudhry was “concocted” as it was filed after 13 days of the incident.
— UNI |
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Nageswara
Rao is Additional Solicitor-General New Delhi, August 7 Mr Rao was designated Senior Advocate in November 2000, five years after he shifted his practice from the Andhra Pradesh High Court to the apex court.
— UNI |
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Special
Jammu, New Delhi train New Delhi, August 7 The return train will depart from Jammu Tawi on August 17 at 8.30 pm to reach New Delhi at 6.40 am.
— UNI |
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