 |
Thursday,
September 18, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
|
Mystery
fever: experts leave for Shimla SC
dismisses SGPC appeal on Jhandawala institution Public
service panels can’t overrule govt policy: SC Panels for
disabled, nomads to be set up Cong
denies BJP charges BJP
flays Sonia’s remarks on Kargil |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Sonia’s
plea to Sharad Yadav New Delhi, September 17 Congress President Sonia Gandhi has urged Minister for Consumer Affairs and Food Distribution Sharad Yadav to take an “early and positive” decision regarding Rajasthan’s request for the procurement of bajra through the Food Corporation of India.
AAI
staff strike from today IA seeks
tax cut on fuel Bomb scare
at Mumbai building Move to
raise battalions of Territorial Army Convene
coordination panel meeting, says Bhim Singh
|
|
Mystery fever: experts leave for Shimla New Delhi, September 17 Sources in the Health Ministry told TNS here this evening that the team was being sent on the request of the health authorities of the Himachal Pradesh Government. Relying on information received from the state government, sources in the ministry said the mystery fever had claimed eight lives and affected more than 70 persons in the past one month. Sources said the team comprising the NICD Joint Director and Virologist, Dr Arvind Rai, an epidemiologist from NICD, Dr Avdesh Kumar, a senior specialist in Internal Medicine from Ram Manohar Lohia
Hospital, Dr Chug, and Dr Mahadev from the NIV, Pune, would investigate cases on clinical and epidemiological basis. The team would meet the Medical Superintendent of Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital, which reported the death of one more patient due to the mystery fever yesterday. The state government is reported to have told the Health Ministry that the fever had affected middle-aged persons. Persons afflicted with the mystery fever had been admitted to hospitals with high fever and body ache. They are said to have died of multiple organ failure. Sources in the NICD said they were leaving at a short notice and would be able to comment on the exact nature of the disease only after reaching Shimla. |
|
SC dismisses SGPC appeal on Jhandawala institution New Delhi, September 17 Dismissing the appeal by the SGPC against the High Court order, a Bench comprising Mr Justice Doraiswamy Raju and Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat said: To establish the claim of a gurdwara, there should be established Guru Granth Sahib and worship of the same by congregation, and a Nishan Sahib as had been laid down in various judgements by the apex court as well as the Lahore High Court before the Partition. “Unless the claim falls within one or the other of the categories enumerated in Sub-Section (2) of Section 16 of the SGPC Act, the institution cannot be declared to be a Sikh gurdwara,” the court said without giving any comment on the merits of the case. Since this was a laid down position and background of the legal parameters and the factual ‘matrix’ highlighted in the case, the appeals were without merit and deserved dismissal, the court said. The issue had arisen with a representation given by some 60 persons to the SGPC in 1956 that the institution, which some Nirmala sadhus claimed as their ‘dera’, be declared as gurdwara because Guru Granth Sahib was established there. The Punjab Government had subsequently issued a notification declaring the institute as gurdwara, following which the lambardar of village had filed a suit in Bathinda District Courts for ouster of Nirmala sadhus. But the court in a judgement in March 1956 had ruled that the institution was not a gurdwara. |
|
Public service panels can’t overrule govt policy: SC New Delhi, September 17 The independent and fair working of the Public Service Commission, which derived its powers under Article 320 of the Constitution, was of utmost importance “but at the same time it has to conform to the provisions of the law and abide by the policy decisions which are within the domain of the state government,” a Bench comprising Mr Justice Brijesh Kumar and Mr Justice Arun Kumar said. Dismissing an appeal by the PPSC and the Punjab Government against the Punjab and Haryana High Court judgement quashing the commission’s order for holding “screening test” of the candidates for the appointment of 500 Medical Officers in 1997 and fixing a certain percentage as qualifying marks both for the general and reserved categories, the apex court said the panel had no power to override the laid down policy norms. “The commission cannot impose its own policy decision in a matter beyond its purview,” the court ruled, rejecting the stand of the PPSC that being an independent body it was competent to lay down minimum efficiency standards for the selection of candidates for the government service. The court described as “erroneous” the stand of the PPSC that it, not being subservient to the state government, had the power to fix the criteria for selection of candidates, including in the matters which fall within the purview of Article 335 of the Constitution. The Article deals with the reservation in jobs to the candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes. |
|
Panels for disabled, nomads to
be set up New Delhi, September 17 The Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr Satyanarayan Jatiya told mediapersons here on Tuesday that while one commission would be set up to study the problems of denotified communities and nomadic and semi-nomadic communities, the other would address the problems of disabled persons. Dr Jatiya expressed the confidence that both commissions would be set up within a month. He said the commission for persons with disabilities would give recommendations concerning disabled persons. He told TNS later that no selection committee would be set up to appoint members of the commission. The selection would be made by none other than the Prime Minister. |
|
Cong denies BJP charges New Delhi, September 17 Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said that that ‘so-called facts and figures’ in the BJP’s statement were merely figures taken from various government departments regarding quantum of foodgrains released. ‘‘The allegations are completely unfounded and are without an iota of evidence,’’ he said. Mr Singhvi accused the Centre of being discriminatory towards the Congress-ruled states. He said that while Andhra Pradesh had received 34 per cent of the foodgrains given by the Centre, Rajasthan had got 28 per cent and Madhya Pradesh and Delhi about 8 per cent each. Terming the BJP allegations as baseless, he said that these showed ‘desperation’ of the saffron party and realisation that the Congress governments had overcome the any perceived anti-incumbency factor. Terming the Supreme Court judgement in the BPCL case as ‘historic,’ Mr Singhvi said that the Central Government adopted ‘an obdurate know-it-all attitude which also reflected its utter contempt for Parliament.’’ |
|
BJP flays
Sonia’s remarks on Kargil New Delhi, September 17 Referring to Mrs Gandhi’s statement at a rally in Jaipur on September 15, BJP spokesperson M.A. Naqvi told newspersons here that “those who view the Kargil success with narrow economic angle cannot understand the Indian security concern.” Mr Naqvi said, "With elections round the corner in four major Congress-ruled states, the Congress President is trying to divert the attention of the people by making irresponsible statements. |
|
Sonia’s plea to
Sharad Yadav New Delhi, September 17 Referring to a letter written by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to Mr Yadav on September 11, Ms Gandhi called for an early decision in view of a bumper crop of bajra and difficult financial situation of the state. |
|
AAI staff strike from today New Delhi, September 17 The non-executive AAI employees decided to protest against the decision as they felt that the country did not need world-class airports. ‘‘A majority of people in the country have not seen an aircraft and the government is talking about world-class aviation hubs. This can lead to social upheaval,’’ AAI Employees Union general secretary M.K. Ghoshal said here today. According to him the AAI employees at 125 airports across the country would stage a week-long fast and strike and then go on mass casual leave on September 26. The union represented nearly 13,000 workers which managed the airports and was the only body recognised by AAI management. The Union Cabinet, last week, had approved the Civil Aviation ministry’s long-pending proposal of privatising the Delhi and Mumbai airports and develop them as world-class aviation hubs. The two international airports were the country’s busiest and most profitable with traffic growing at 5 to 5.5 per cent a year. In 2002-03, nearly 70 per cent of the profit totalling Rs 488 crore came from Delhi and Mumbai airports. Mr Ghoshal said employees of the AAI would never accept the government’s decision to give up control of basic infrastructural facilities in favour of multinationals. Last week, union employees held sit-in demonstrations and tried speaking to Minister for Civil Aviation Rajiv Pratap Rudy. He was unwilling to listen to them. The Cabinet’s decision paved way for two joint venture companies with 74 per cent equity being held by a consortium of foreign companies and the remaining 26 per cent with the AAI. All assets of the two airports — barring those pertaining to air traffic control (ATC) and security — would be handed over for 30 years on a renewable basis. The joint venture partners would given the management of both airports as soon as basic designs were approved. The service and quality standards that the airports were expected to achieve would be set by the AAI while owners would be required to submit master plans elaborating their investment plans. The successful bidder would have to submit a concept design of the airport along with a bid within eight months. As per the Civil Aviation Ministry plans global technical advisers would be appointed to assist the government in finalising the conceptual design and also for monitoring the projects to ensure world class facilities were provided by the joint venture company. |
|
IA seeks tax cut on fuel New Delhi, September 17 Indian Airlines presently was buried under almost Rs 130 crore worth of excise duty on the ATF which was paid to the Centre and Rs 230 crore worth of sales tax paid to the state governments. The outflow of revenue in form of taxation on the ATF formed almost 30 per cent of operating cost for Indian Airlines leading to its losses getting higher. A 1 per cent increase in the ATF price added over Rs 15 crore per annum to the operating cost of the airline. As per a proposal forwarded to the government the airline had sought a cut in the 16 per cent excise duty it paid on the ATF and had also sought exemption from the sales tax, which varied from nil in Port Blair to as high as 39 per cent in Kerala, it paid to the state governments to help it compete better in the market. Incidentally, not only Indian Airlines but also the government-owned international carrier, Air India, suffered at the hands of the government in paying higher ATF price. The cost of ATF in India was substantially higher than its price in the international market. In fact both Indian Airlines and Air India ended up paying higher ATF prices on international routes (ex-India) than even the foreign airlines operating from India. As per the August figures while Indian Airlines and Air India paid almost Rs 17,000 per kilolitre for the ATF on international routes, the foreign airlines paid almost Rs 13,000 per kilolitre, which was again almost Rs 2,000 more than the ATF price in the international market. On domestic flights the cost of ATF went further high for Indian Airlines touching almost Rs 21,000 per kilolitre. After a major hike in the ATF prices in 2000, which was almost 48 per cent, the fuel costs for the Indian Airlines had almost doubled in the past three years, which the airline officials felt, had adversely affected its profits. From almost Rs 850 crore in 1999-2000 the fuel costs for the airline had jumped to as much as Rs 1600 crore. Airline officials felt that if the government agreed to give exemption on the excise duty it would greatly reduce its overhead expenses. On the other hand this exemption would not have much meaning for the government as just about Rs 200 crore would be lost from the overall Rs 100,000 crore tax collected on the oil sales. The situation arising out of the high price of ATF, which included the excise duty, was further compounded for the Indian Airlines due to the exorbitant rate of sales tax levied by the state governments. |
|
Bomb scare at Mumbai building Mumbai, September 17 A bomb disposal squad rushed to the Mittal Chambers at Nariman Point, Mumbai’s business district, after a bomb threat was received at the office of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) located on the second floor of the building. The squad, accompanied by fire brigade personnel and the police, used sniffer dogs and checked the chambers for more than three hours, but found no explosives.
— UNI |
|
Move to raise battalions of Territorial Army New Delhi, September 17 The move is being looked upon as an important one by the Army in view of the recent killing of Kuka Parray who had been leading the groups of counter-insurgents. The move is expected to boost the morale of the counter-insurgents. “The proposals are in final stages and are likely to be cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security within a month”, the Vice-Chief of the Army Staff, Lt-Gen Shantanu Choudhary, said today. General Choudhary asserted that the Army, Central and state
administrations were committed to bring Kashmiri militants to mainstream. He said a rehabilitation package” for them, including allowing them to set up milk cooperatives and other private ventures, was also on the anvil. He said the setting up of Territorial Army battalions would provide the counter-insurgents a legal framework to operate as well as give them regular income. General Choudhary, speaking on the sidelines of a flagging of an Army expedition, said the rate of surrenders of militants in Jammu and Kashmir was coming down. He attributed this to Pakistani and other foreign mercenaries now forming the bulk of the terrorist strength. |
|
Convene coordination panel meeting, says Bhim Singh New Delhi, September 17 ‘‘Three Panthers’ Party activists have been gunned down during the past 10 days. The brutal assassinations of former MLC Javed Shah and Kukka Parray are the consequences of reducing or withdrawing security cover to them who had played an effective role in killing the terrorists supported by Pakistan,’’ Prof Bhim Singh, chief of the Panthers Party, a constituent of the state government, told a press conference here. ‘‘The administration cannot escape responsibility,’’ he said. He said the common minimum programme, which was formulated under the leadership of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, had been thrown to the winds and neo-slogans to open Rawalpindi Road were being raised by the Mufti Sayeed government only to sidetrack the programme and boost the morale of the terrorists. ‘‘The police stand demoralised and the security forces ignored,’’ he said and urged Ms Gandhi to convene an immediate meeting of the coordination committee to make the government active and result-oriented and provide psychological security to everybody. |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 123 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Videos
