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Sunday,
August 24, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Report
blames Rajdhani mishap on sabotage Two killed as
train rams into engine Cabinet nod to accords with China, Kuwait Haryana,
Punjab second best after Delhi, says Kalam Shekhawat
for LS, Assembly poll in fixed month
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Eunuch to
contest Assembly poll BJP
to celebrate ‘Vishwas Vijay Saptah’ Guyana
President to visit native village in UP Terrorists
planning to strike in big way, says Togadia Cong asks Advani to face trial in Babri case SC
ruling on drug trafficking Ghaggar
panel for consensus on master plan
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Report blames Rajdhani mishap on sabotage New Delhi, August 23 The train had derailed after crossing a bridge between Rafiganj and Deo Road stations on the Mughalsarai division. Releasing the report here today, Mr Mahesh Chand said, ‘‘The mishap occurred due to an act of sabotage as the train got derailed by opening of fish plates and elastic rail clips at the Howrah-end approach of the bridge by some miscreants.’’ The Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS) ratified the cause. It had also been accepted by the Railway Board. This was the first time that the Ministry of Civil Aviation had made public the final report of the CRS on a train mishap. According to sources in the Railway Ministry, the report put the ‘primary responsibility’ of the derailment on unknown/ unidentified persons and ascribed ‘secondary responsibility’ on law and order enforcing agencies. After scrutinising the final report of the CRS, submitted in November last year, the CCRS put the ‘blameworthy responsibility on the security and the Engineering Department of Eastern Railway and Mughalsarai division for not taking preventive measures in miscreant-prone areas.’’ The report published by the CCRS today also held two gangmen of Mughalsarai division responsible. They were on duty on the night of the accident. The report also held the Track Directorate of Railways Research, Design and Standard Organisation (RRDSO) accountable for delay in development on anti-sabotage facilities. The CCRS, however, exonerated three engineering officers and finance wing of the division. The Railway Board accepted the conclusions of the CCRS except his opinion on the RRDSO. The board was of the view that the RRDSO was making constant efforts to evolve a suitable design for easy maintainability and prevention of track tampering. In the final report to the Railway Ministry, the CCRS had made 26 recommendations, which primarily related to security patrolling in miscreant/sabotage-prone sections, development of anti-sabotage design of fish plates on fittings on concrete sleepers, examination of single-cut rails and buffer rails on certain locations. It had also recommended emergency lights and emergency exits in coaches, objective evaluation of riding quality of coaches on high-speed trains, modification in track structure on bridges with open deck, renewal of bridge sleepers and provision of faster communication at accident site. Patna (UNI):
The Bihar Government on Saturday rejected the final probe report into the accident of the Howrah-New Delhi Rajdhani Express near Rafiganj in Bihar on September 9, 2002, stating that the it was ‘‘managed and doctored’’. Bihar Excise Minister and ruling RJD spokesperson Shivanand Tiwari said the Railways instead of ‘‘hiding its failings’’ should come out in the open and ‘‘let truth prevail upon its ‘managed and doctored’ reports’’. |
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Two killed as train rams into engine New Delhi, August 23 The two engines caught fire after the train from the Tilak Bridge rammed into the engine at the Shakur Basti station in Rani Bagh at around 7.35 pm. Eleven persons were injured in the mishap of whom two died on the way to hospital. However, unconfirmed reports put the number of injured at 16.
— PTI |
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Cabinet nod to accords with China, Kuwait New Delhi, August 23 Briefing newspersons after the meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said ex post facto approval was given to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in justice which was signed on June 23 in Beijing during Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s visit to China. The accord was the outcome of the Attorney-General’s visit to China last year to participate in a seminar on judges and lawyers, Ms Swaraj said. The MoU provided for cooperation in exchange of information on legal matters, exchange of experience and best practices in the field of justice, mutual support for training of public prosecutors and auxiliary judicial personnel and exchange of information on drafting of laws and implementation of legal provisions. The agreement with Kuwait, signed on June 5, last year also got the Cabinet approval. It sought to improve the effectiveness of both countries in the investigation, prosecution and suppression of all types of crime, and tracing, restraint, forfeiture or confiscation of the proceeds and instruments of crime through cooperation and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. The assistance, however, might be refused if the execution of the request would impair its sovereignty, security, public order or other essential interests. The agreement, proposed to be signed with Malaysia, sought to promote and facilitate tourism cooperation, including exchange programmes in the field of research and development, training, investments etc. The two countries would establish a working group to implement the agreement, Ms Swaraj said. It stipulated that the protection of intellectual property rights would be enforced in conformity with the respective national laws and regulations. |
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Haryana, Punjab second best after Delhi, says Kalam Kolkata, August 23 This is Mr Kalam’s own assessment after making an in-depth study of the progress, performance and development work in all states. The President’s rating of the states has been revealed in a report which Mr Kalam himself has prepared and sent to all MPs. Rashtrapati Bhavan also released the report and despatched to the state chief ministers . The President had met the MPs of the respective states before preparing the report. He has also held talks with cross section of people of different states before finalising the report. This is the first time that the country’s President got himself involved in examining the states’ development activities vis-à-vis suggesting steps to be taken by the states for their improvement. According to the 100-page report while the per capita income of Punjab and Haryana have been Rs 2,5048 and Rs 23,742, respectively, it is much lower in West Bengal (Rs 16,072), Gujarat (Rs 19,228) and Bihar (Rs 5108). In Maharashtra, however, it is slightly higher (Rs 23,726). But Delhi tops the list with a highest per capita income of Rs 38,864. Mr Kalam has asserted that unless the states become strong, the Centre could never become stronger. He advised the political parties at the helm of power in respective states to make sincere and all-out efforts to develop their states by best utilising their ‘limited” resources and manpower. The President has stressed that in the changing world’s economic scenario science, and information technology should be given the top priority in the state’s development. Mr Kalam has regretted that some states like Assam, Bihar, West Bengal Orissa and Himachal Pradesh, literacy rate has not been satisfactory. The number of people living below the poverty level (BPL) in West Bengal, Tripura, Orissa and other north-eastern states, is depressingly higher, the report has observed. |
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Shekhawat
for LS, Assembly poll in fixed month New Delhi, August 23 In an exclusive interview with The Tribune, the Vice-President said the
Constitution of India envisaged that the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies would be having elections every five years only. “But since 1977 the spirit of the Constitution has been given the go-by. Today a stage has come when people have started calling our democracy as a democracy of frequent elections, nay elections almost every year. Every year everything goes in an election mode. This is having an adverse impact on governance. “Compulsions of elective politics overtake genuine public welfare and national interests and short-term gains triumph over vision of growth. The adverse effects of frequent elections are too big a luxury for our country to afford,” Mr Shekhawat observed. He said all political parties committed to the larger interests of the nation could not afford to neglect or ignore the stakes involved. “Let us generate a wide public debate on this issue. The pressure of public opinion will lead to building up a political consensus on feasible solutions.” Mr Shekhawat was emphatic that adoption of the two-child norm should be taken as a national goal though there should be no coercive measures in population control. There should be a political consensus for fixing the two-child norm as the criteria for contesting elections. |
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Eunuch to contest Assembly poll Bhopal, August 23 Suraiya told a press conference that she would contest under the banner of the Jeeti Jitayee Party (JJP). She was confident of her victory because, she said, the people of Bhopal were fed up with the politicians who never attended to their problems but were interested only in filling their coffers through corrupt means. Besides, Suraiya said she had received the blessings of her guruji and even Peer Saheb Qaide Millat Janab Haji Khurram Saheb had blessed her. Moreover, she added that she had the goodwill of the people of Bhopal who wanted her to contest and win. “The
main reason for the people’s support to eunuchs is that they respect
all religions and are free from the scourge of nepotism because they
have no relations”, Suraiya added. Shabnam Mausi, the only eunuch
member of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, had recently announced that
eunuchs might contest from over 50 constituencies for the 230-member
Assembly. |
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BJP to celebrate ‘Vishwas Vijay Saptah’ New Delhi, August 23 The “Vishwas Vijay Saptah” will also take the issues raised during the no-confidence motion directly to the people and make them aware of the “hollowness” of the Opposition parties, BJP spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told newspersons here today. A series of public meetings, rallies and symposia will also be held during the week-long programme between August 24 and September 1 to highlight the “numerous achievements” of the Vajpayee-led NDA Government and the political stability provided by this government to the country, he said. |
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Guyana President to visit native village in UP Tiloi, Uttar Pradesh, August 23 And those awaiting the high-profile guest are the President’s 227 relatives spread across 24 families, who have decided to gift him a piece of land in the village which they claim is his family’s share. “He is free to take along what the land has to offer,” said Raja Ram, the 90-year-old ‘grandfather’ of Mr Jagdev. Raja Ram claims that the VVIP guest’s family — led by his grandmother — had left the village in 1912 when cholera had struck the area. He claims that Mr Jagdev’s father was a professional land-digger and belonged to the backward Lonia community. The family reportedly migrated to Guyana in 1918 as contract labourers.
— UNI |
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Terrorists
planning to strike in big way, says Togadia Lucknow, August 23 “The government has failed to counter jehadis and this is reflected in the increase in terrorist activities in the country,” Mr Togadia told reporters here. He said he had information that terrorists were planning to strike in a big way. “Intelligence officials, too, have this information,” he said, adding: “The terrorists want that anarchy should prevail in our country and they have succeeded a little bit”. On the Ram temple issue, Mr Togadia said there were three options to solve this vexed issue. One was dialogue, the other was court and the third was legislation. “As all options have failed, the VHP has decided to go to the people,” he said. |
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Cong asks Advani to face trial in Babri case
Lucknow, August 23 “The senior BJP leaders should face the trail and come out clean in the Babri mosque demolition case and there should be no attempt to cover up the facts to save the skin of influential persons,” Congress’ Legal Cell Chairman Hansraj Bharadwaj told reporters here. Mr Bharadwaj, who was the Union Law Minister when the mosque was demolished in 1992, rejected reports that the then Congress government had pressurised the CBI to include the names of Mr Advani and others in the case. “However, it appears that now the CBI is acting under pressure as the charges of conspiracy had been dropped against these persons,” he alleged. “The CBI, after through investigations, had found evidences of conspiracy to pull down the mosque for which a secret meeting was held on December 5, a day prior to the demolition, which was attended among others by Mr Advani and only then included the names of these persons in the charge sheet filed later,” he added. Mr Bharadwaj said all evidences in this regard were present in the records submitted in the court. He said efforts were on to revive the legal cell of the party in Uttar Pradesh and involve advocates in a big way to ensure legal help to the needy and the poor.
— PTI |
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SC ruling on drug trafficking New Delhi, August 23 Upholding the awarding of 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment and imposition of fine of Rs 1 lakh on each of the five accused found guilty of carrying ‘charas’ in their car near Solan in Himachal Pradesh four years ago, the apex court said ‘‘The expression possession is a polymorphous term which assumes different colours in different contexts. It may carry different meanings in contextually different backgrounds.’’ Stating that the trial court had not committed any error in convicting the accused persons, the apex court said the Himachal Pradesh High Court was right in upholding the punishment awarded to them. The apex court Bench comprising Mr Justice Doraiswamy Raju and Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat said, ‘‘It is impossible to work out a completely logical and precise definition of possession uniformly applicable to all situations in the context of all statutes.’’ According to the prosecution’s case the accused persons, Madan Lal, Manjit Singh, Goyal Nath and two others, were nabbed near Oachghat by the Himachal Pradesh Police when they were carrying the charas hidden in their Maruti Esteem kept in a steel container wrapped in a plastic bag to avoid detection on October 5, 1999. The four accused, including Manjit Sigh, who was driving the car, had contended that they were not guilty as the contraband actually belonged to Goyal Nath, who allegedly had confessed to the police that it was in his possession. Rejecting their appeals, the Supreme Court did not agree with the arguments of their counsel that as per the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, the possession of the contraband was coupled with requisite mental element, which meant that it should be ‘‘conscious possession and not mere the custody without awareness.’’ The court said ‘‘The word ‘conscious’ means awareness about a particular fact. It is a state of mind which is deliberate or intended.’’ In the case like this ‘‘the possession need not be physical possession but can be constructive, having power and control over the article in question, while the person whom physical possession is given, holds it subject to the power or control,’’ the court ruled. Once the possession was established, the person who claimed that it was not a ‘conscious possession’ had to establish this fact and also how the material had come in his possession and he had the special knowledge of it, the court said. |
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Ghaggar
panel for consensus on master plan New Delhi, August 23 The meeting, presided over by the Central Water Commission (CWC) Member (River Management), sought the cooperation of the basin states of Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan for arriving at a consensus on the master plan, an official press note said today. The committee decided to have a sub-committee for providing representation to the state pollution control boards, Ministry of Environment and Forests and the CWC to address the problem of pollution in the basin. The members of Parliament who attended meeting as invitees included Ms Preneet Kaur, Mr Simranjit Singh Mann and Mr Bhan Singh Bhaura. Besides the MPs, representatives from the ministries of Water Resources and Railways, the CWC and Irrigation departments of Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab attended the meeting. The Ghaggar Standing Committee was constituted in 1990 to examine and coordinate irrigation, flood-control and drainage works in the basin. It has met 14 times so far. |
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