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Thursday,
September 11, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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USA offers
naval reconnaissance planes Rocca
holds talks on Indian troops for Iraq One held
for hoax attack call on Sharon |
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Cong
accuses BJP of slander campaign Mulayam urges Sonia to join govt in UP EC
reviews poll preparations on Sept 15 Rail safety top priority, says minister Howrah
station to be closed on September 13 CBI
books IA official Yashodhara
Raje Scindia disenchanted with politics Centre
told to enforce ban on sex determination tests SC
order to HUDA in doctors’ cases Ban on crackers to continue Magsaysay award winner beaten up
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USA offers naval reconnaissance planes New Delhi, September 10 After Israel putting on offer a host of strategic defence equipments for India, a US navy team is also in town to discuss the sale of an unspecified number of used long-range reconnaissance aircraft for the Indian Navy. Reports said the American team had made presentations on the P-3B aircraft, which were part of the US navy inventory, to top Indian defence ministry and navy officials. The team also held discussions here over the past two days with officials of the Indian Navy, including the Deputy Chief Vice Admiral S. Gopalachari. If India agrees to buy the P-3 aircraft, it will be the second major arms deal between the two sides. India last year bought 12 An/TPQ-37 “Firefinder” weapon-locating radars from the USA in a government-to-government sale worth $ 190 million. Deliveries of the radars, which will be deployed in Jammu and Kashmir to counter Pakistani artillery, began in July. The navy is thinking to purchase the P-3 aircraft to supplement its existing fleet of Russian-made II-38 and Tu-142 maritime patrol aircraft. The crash of two II-38 aircraft last year has created a gap in the navy’s ability to patrol the country’s long coastline of more than 7,500 km and its huge exclusive economic zone. |
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Rocca holds talks on Indian troops for Iraq New Delhi, September 10 The question of Indian troops for a stabilisation force in Iraq, which is still “pending” from Washington’s point of view, is understood to have figured during Ms Rocca’s talks. The MEA officials Ms Rocca met were Mr Jayant Prasad, Joint Secretary (Americas), Mr Arun K Singh, Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran) and other senior officials dealing with neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan. Asked about the agenda of her talks by waiting reporters at the South Block, Ms Rocca said she had come here for a “regional dialogue” but declined to take any questions. The last time she visited India for such a dialogue was in September 2002. On this trip to South Asia, she has no plans to visit any country other than India. Significantly, Ms Rocca is here on the eve of the second anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the USA and also when Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is in town. According to the US embassy here, Ms Rocca’s current visit is the latest of the series of meetings between officials of the two countries to hold regular senior-level consultations. |
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One held for hoax attack call on Sharon New Delhi, September 10 The police immediately swung into action and traced the call to Greater Kailash in South Delhi and arrested the caller, he said. During interrogation, police and Intelligence Bureau officials found the person to be mentally unstable. The police was checking his credentials. |
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Cong accuses BJP of slander campaign New Delhi, September 10 “It is at once ridiculous and reprehensible that the BJP should indulge in senseless slander-mongering,” Congress chief spokesperson Jaipal Reddy said. He said the BJP had made the allegation without giving any particulars and naming individuals. “It was another example of utter irresponsibility of the BJP, which is, unfortunately, the leading constituent of the ruling coalition at the Centre,” Mr Reddy said. He said the Congress had complained of “gross political discrimination” against the four Congress-ruled states about the distribution of foodgrains while these were engaged in combating drought. The Centre, he alleged, played politics even in assistance to agricultural sector about which the Congress President had written several letters. On Uttar Pradesh, Mr Reddy said the new state Chief Minister was likely to meet Ms Gandhi. He said no long-term decision had been taken on the issue of joining the UP Government and the party’s stand of “not joining the government for the time being” was tentative. “There is no change in the party’s stand as of now,” he said. Asked about the UP MLAs public utterances in favour of joining the government, Mr Reddy said all factors would be taken into consideration when a final view was taken. Asked about Congress President Sonia Gandhi calling on Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Mr Reddy said that it was an “absolute formality.” To a question about the presence of Congress leaders Dr Manmohan Singh and Mr Natwar Singh at the meeting of the Leader of Opposition with Mr Sharon, Mr Reddy said Dr Manmohan Singh was the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. |
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Mulayam urges Sonia to join govt in UP New Delhi, September 10 Mr Yadav, who met Ms Gandhi at her residence along with party leader Amar Singh, said later that they thanked the Congress President for her party’s support in ousting the previous government from the state. Mr Yadav said he had urged Ms Gandhi to join the government in Uttar Pradesh so that any apprehensions were removed. He said Ms Gandhi assured him to reconsider the decision “of supporting his government from outside for the time being” which was taken by the Congress Working Committee. “Ms Gandhi said she would again discuss the issue with her party leaders,” Mr Yadav said. The Chief Minister said he would talk on the issues raised at today’s meeting with allies of the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh and then again talk to Ms Gandhi. |
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EC reviews poll
preparations on Sept 15 New Delhi, September 10 The meeting assumes significance as, according to sources, the commission is contemplating to hold the Assembly poll in these states sometime in the third week of November this year. For the meeting on Monday, the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of these five states have been summoned to enable the commission make a statewise review of poll preparations, including the status of issue of photo-identity cards to voters, electoral rolls and availability of electronic voting machines (EVMs). During the meeting, the CEOs will make a presentation of poll-related arrangements in their respective states and spell out the number of polling booths and Central forces required for the smooth and peaceful conduct of the elections. Sources said though the dates for the Assembly elections would be finalised by the Election Commission, CEOs’ views on the possible dates would also be elicited. |
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Rail safety top priority, says minister New Delhi, September 10 Like his seniors in the ministry, Mr Nitish Kumar and a former Railway Minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee, Mr Patil enumerated punctuality of trains, amenities and
cleanliness as “other areas of concern” on his first day in office. He told mediapersons that he would strive hard to raise the productivity of Indian Railways. The Chairman, Railway Board, Mr
R.K. Singh, other members of the board and senior officers of the ministry welcomed Mr Patil. They apprised him of the functioning of Indian Railways and the latest policy directions being followed by the ministry. Mr Patil, who was earlier Minister of State for Textiles, has succeeded Mr Bandaru Dattatreya following the latter’s transfer as Minister of State for Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation (Independent Charge). Mr Patil is Lok Sabha MP from Bijapur in Karnataka from where he was elected in October 1999 as a BJP candidate. In 1994, he was elected to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly for the first time on the BJP ticket from the Bijapur Assembly constituency. |
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Howrah station to be closed on
September 13 Kolkata, September 10 Mr Thakur said most of the mail and long-distance trains operating from Howrah would remain suspended on that day. But some trains like the Amritsar Mail, Poorva Express. Howrah-Jodhpur Express and Asansol Express will run and operate from Sealdah station instead of Howrah on that day. The COM said the overhauling and upgrading of Howrah
station’s RRI system, which was overdue, would be taken up by the railways after two and a half decades. The system would facilitate better train service facilities for the commuters as well as the Railways’ goods traffic. The Railways, however, will run some local EMU trains from Liluah, Belur Seoraphulai, Bandel and Dankuni instead of Howrah for the commuters. Similarly, the South-Eastern Railway will also run some important mail and local trains from Khagarpur, Satragachi, Midnapore and Kolaghat instead of Howrah on September 13. |
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CBI books IA official New Delhi, September 10 A CBI raid on the residential premises of the accused, Rohit Sehgal, and one of his close associates led to the recovery of Rs 50,000 and some documents considered incriminating. All efforts to get in touch with Rohit Sehgal failed. The CBI said the accused, as Area Manager of Indian Airlines in Kuwait from June, 2002, to June, 2003, had received salary and other emoluments worth about Rs 51 lakh. However, the investigations revealed that Sehgal had remitted funds to the tune of over Rs 1 crore from Kuwait to India and other places. The investigations also revealed that the accused had properties in Delhi, Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh and a number of bank accounts in Delhi, Dubai and Singapore. |
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Yashodhara
Raje Scindia disenchanted with politics Bhopal, September 10 Ms Scindia sent her resignation from the post of Secretary of the Madhya Pradesh BJP to the state unit chief, Mr Kailash Joshi, in early August and pushed off to Delhi. There she was reported to have met the Congress President, Ms Sonia Gandhi, through Mr Kamal Nath in a bid to join the Congress but her nephew, Mr Jyotiraditya Scindia, MP from Guna, was said to have conveyed to Ms Gandhi in no uncertain terms that only one Scindia would remain in the Congress. Ms Yashodhara Raje had migrated to the USA after her marriage. Following break-up with her husband, she returned to India and was with her mother during her last days. She had joined the BJP expecting the honour due to the heir of Vijayaraje Scindia, though she lacked the drive and charisma of her mother. She could never mix with partymen and always sat erect on her seat in the Assembly, with the party MLAs going to her to pay obeisance. She never joined the party in its protests, hardly ever spoke and submitted occasionally questions only for written answers. Following the death of her mother Vijayaraje Scindia, she said, she was feeling lonely. The people of Shivpuri, then, empathised with her. She felt that she must do something for these people. She, then, entered politics. If she remained in politics, it would be to serve the people but the conditions were not conducive for that, she
added. |
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Centre told to enforce ban on sex New Delhi, September 10 Directing the authorities concerned, both at the Central and the state level, to strictly monitor the activities of the private clinics, a Bench comprising Mr Justice M B Shah and Mr Justice Ashok Bhana said there should be stringent enforcement of the provisions of the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, which prohibits such activities by medical professionals. Criticising the doctors who indulge in such acts in violation of the law, medical ethics and the “oath” taken by them before entering the profession to earn more money, the court said “with no change in the mindset about the birth of female child, the sex-determination tests have added to the adverse sex ratio prevailing in society today.” The direction was issued in a judgement on a public interest litigation (PIL) by an NGO, Centre for Enquiry into Health and Allied Themes
(CEHAT), seeking a complete ban on the misuse of the pre-natal diagnostic techniques for determining the sex of the baby in the womb. It was unfortunate that the advancement of this technology in the field of medical science was being “misused” for termination of the female foetus instead of bringing succour to the people, the court said adding “this has resulted in a drastic change in the male-female ratio in many parts of the country,” the court observed. |
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SC order to HUDA
in doctors’ cases New Delhi, September 10 A Bench comprising Mr Justice Shivaraj V. Patil and Mr Justice D. M. Dharamdhikari said the doctors would give their representations to HUDA within six weeks and the authority would decide their cases within four months on the receipt of the same. The directions came on the petition by the Indian Medical Association
(IMA), challenging the issuance of notices to the doctors by HUDA under the provisions of the Haryana Urban Development Authority Act, 1977, which prohibits any commercial activity in residential colonies. However, IMA counsel Ranjit Kumar withdrew the petition after Haryana Government’s standing counsel Neeraj Jain informed the court that in a subsequent notification, HUDA had made clear that special plots would be provided to the doctors in the colonies for setting up their clinics. The IMA had described HUDA notices to the doctors as “arbitrary, illegal and
violative” of fundamental rights of free practice of a profession under Articles 14 and 19 of the Constitution. |
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Ban on crackers to continue New Delhi, September 10 Directing the Centre and the state governments to strictly monitor the violation of the rules, especially during the festival season, a Bench comprising Mr Justice R C Lahoti and Mr Justice Ashok Bhan declined to grant relaxation on the ban order. The court also said the authorities concerned of the Union and state governments should implement the eight-point suggestions agreed upon by the counsel of various litigants before it on the issue of checking noise pollution. The court was hearing a bunch of petitions, including the one by the All-India Fire Cracker Manufacturers’ Association (AIFCMA), seeking relaxation in the prohibition on the use of loud noise-making crackers at night after 10 p.m. It, however, directed the AIFCMA, representing about 10,000 cracker manufacturing units across the country, to give their representations to the states, which in turn would forward their proposals to the Centre whether there should be some relaxation considering the needs during the local festivals and cultural celebrations. |
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Magsaysay award winner beaten up New Delhi, September 10 Although activists known to the demonstrators alleged that Mr Pandey’s right leg toe was ripped apart and a woman suffered head injuries, Coca Cola India pleaded ignorance about the details of the incident. They said the activists were arrested after being beaten up. Coca Cola India Vice-President Sunil Gupta
dismissed the incident as a minor scuffle between the protestors and the police. Relying on information of the Area General Manager of Coca Cola India and district
administration, Mr Gupta said the protestors tried to force their entry into the bottling plant. “They were outside the gate for about six hours. They were asked to go back at about 4.30 pm. I’m not aware of the details. It is very unfortunate but the demonstrators were not attacked by our security guards. We came to know that they forcibly tried to enter the plant. There is no involvement of Coca Cola security guards.” The provocation of the attack was a silent demonstration by the villagers over sourcing of 1,50,000 litres of groundwater from Mehandiganj and Raja Talab villages. The villagers were protesting under the banner of the National Alliance of People’s Movement initiated by Medha Petkar of Narmada Bachao Andolan fame a few months back. Mr Pandey, National Convener of the Alliance, was leading the delegation. The villagers argue that sourcing of water from their villages leaves them with no water for irrigation. They point out that this has affected the water table in the villages. Dismissing the protest issue of decline in water table as a non issue, Mr Gupta said he visited Mehandiganj and another village across the road during his routine visit to the bottling plant in May. “There is no shortage of water in the area. We have got our own borewells. A water harvesting unit in the plant in Mehandiganj will be operational before the onslaught of the next monsoon.’’ Actually, seven labourers on contract working in our bottling plant were asked to leave in April and replaced. This protest might be a vendetta by the youth.” |
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Salman’s case transferred Mumbai, September 10 Salman today appeared before Principal Sessions Judge A.J. Dholakia who transferred the hit-and-run case to Magistrate S.Y. Sishode for trial in view of the Bombay High Court dropping the charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The next date of hearing has been fixed for September 26.
— PTI |
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