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All Pong Dam
oustees not issued ECs, admits HP BJP dubs Jogi a master forger, produces affidavits CBI to probe
stamp paper scam in UP Sinha highlights
diplomatic successes
Anti-Bihari violence spreads, toll 56 |
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19 feared killed
in Hyderabad factory blast 12 get life term for massacre School boards opt
for grading system Amarinder fails
to attend Punjab Day function Krishna dismisses
BJP charges HP Cabinet
expansion likely Trial court erred
in acquitting Sajan, CBI tells HC CAT quashes EC
order on transfers ‘Defused’
grenade found near SC building OBITURY 626 students get
degrees Jet flight goes
off runway
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All Pong Dam oustees not issued ECs, admits HP New Delhi, November 25 In its status report, placed before a Bench comprising Mr Justice S. Rajendra Babu and Mr Justice G.P. Mathur, the state government said ECs were issued only to 9,196 families. Land allotments to 2,538 of them were still “intact” in the Indira Gandhi canal area of Rajasthan. The court, which had sought status reports from the Centre, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan about the settlement of the Pong Dam oustees, allowed another two weeks to the Rajasthan Government to file its report. The court was informed by the Union Government counsel that Centre’s report had also been filed. Senior counsel Vikram Mahajan, who is pleading the cases of nearly one lakh oustees belonging to over 20,772 families, said the Himachal Government’s report revealed that it had failed to grant ECs to all 16,352 families for Rajasthan. These families were to be settled in Rajasthan as per an accord between the two states at the behest of the Centre. The remaining families were to be rehabilitated in Himachal Pradesh. The status reports were sought by the court after the Pong Bandh Visthapit Samiti (PBVS) and Himachal Pong Dam Oustees Welfare Committee (HPDOWC) had moved court alleging that a committee set up on the court’s order in 1996 by the Centre to resolve the problem of the uprooted people had failed to do its duty. The Himachal Government, however, said certain oustees, whose names had been mentioned in the petition, did not fulfil the requirement of the allotment under the 1972 rules. Mahajan said there was nothing new in the Himachal Government’s status report, as it had almost “reiterated” its stand. “The crux of the matter is that only 2,538 families had been given ECs for settlement in Rajasthan during the past 30 years after the rules were framed in 1972 and order for allotment to many of them had been cancelled by the Rajasthan Government,” he said. |
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BJP dubs Jogi a master forger, produces affidavits New Delhi, November 25 Addressing mediapersons, BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said Jogi, who had earlier forged the IB document and claimed of having a tribal origin, had submitted affidavits to the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to get an allotment of a petrol station in 1996 in which he not only claimed a domicile in Delhi, while he was an MP from Madhya Pradesh, but also showed family’s total income of not more than Rs 50,000 when his wife, Dr Renu Jogi, had been drawing Rs 85,946 as salary from MGM Medical College, Indore. In support of the party’s claim, Javadekar released photocopies of Jogi’s affidavits. These affidavits were submitted to the court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Nivedeta Anil Sharma who would decide whether to summon Jogi on November 28. The party said Jogi was a Rajya Sabha Member in 1996 from Madhya Pradesh, which implied that he had been a resident of the state. But on November 19, 1996, while applying for a petrol station in West Delhi, he had given an affidavit stating that he had been living in the Capital for the past 10 years. “A person cannot be a permanent resident of two states at one time,” the spokesperson added. Accusing Jogi of regularly indulging in such tactics, Javadekar also said in 1993-94 and 1994-95, in his income tax returns, he had shown the income of his wife as nil, while she had been a lecturer in the MJ Medical College, Indore, and had also had her own private practice. During the same period, it was also shown that his own annual income was Rs 35,549 but at another place it was mentioned to be a mere Rs 18,000. The BJP spokesperson said these cases vindicated the BJP’s stand that Jogi had been behind the conspiracy to defame former Union Minister Dilip Singh Judeo. The cash-on-tape videotape was prepared by ‘Akash Private Limited’, which, the BJP leaders allege, has links with Jogi and his son. |
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CBI to probe stamp paper scam in UP New Delhi, November 25 However, the probe would not include Maharashtra and Karnataka, as neither of the two states has so far given its consent nor was there any court direction. The scam originated in Maharashtra and has its tentacles spread over various states. The CBI is already investigating the case in a limited way in Andhra Pradesh and Delhi but had been kept out of Maharashtra and Karnataka. CBI Director P.C. Sharma said the communication from the Centre relates to the Allahabad High Court order for a CBI probe into the scam. Asked about the probe in Maharashtra, where the scam originated, he said the agency was still awaiting a response from the state government. A number of senior police officers of Maharashtra, including former Mumbai Police chief R.S. Sharma, have allegedly been found involved in the case. “We want to make it very clear that we are prepared to take up investigation into the case, if the state government so desired,” he pointed out. To a question on what difficulties the agency faced in starting a countrywide probe into one of the biggest scams in the country, the CBI chief said the agency could not proceed with the investigation till the state governments gave their consent or a court passed an order for such a probe. The Central Board of Direct Taxes has also decided to carry out a separate investigation into the black money generated in the scam, as stamp papers are widely used in transfer of movable and immovable property. Earlier, the CBI chief, voicing concern over counterfeit operations having direct links with terrorist groups and drug mafias, said a common platform was needed to tackle the problem. “The increased circulation of fake Indian currency notes and its ever increasing sophistication has been identified by the National Security Council as one of the major threats to the economy of the nation and thus the unity and integrity of the country,” Sharma said while inaugurating the first-ever conference on Fake Stamps and Stamp Papers organised by the Reserve Bank of India with the CBI. |
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Sinha highlights diplomatic successes New Delhi, November 25 “India is an idea whose time has come. India has arrived”, Mr Sinha said while speaking at the India Economic Summit organised by the World Economic Forum and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here. “India has never gone out as a conqueror, with a sword in hand. We have always gone out with culture, brotherhood etc. This has been part of our history. It cannot change. We want to engage on friendly, mutually-acceptable and mutually-beneficial terms”, Mr Sinha said. He said India today was much more than it was before while highlighting India’s diplomatic successes on its engagements with the world — including Pakistan, the United States, Latin America, and other areas of South Asia, West Asia, South-East Asia and Central Asia and Africa. The External Affairs Minister said there was “feel good” sentiment in the country despite “worrisome” developments in the neighbourhood and “huge scourge” of terrorism. |
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Anti-Bihari violence spreads, toll 56
Guwahati, November 25 Armed ultras swooped on Khanglabari area in the district at around 9.30 p.m. and opened fire indiscriminately killing three Biharis on the spot, Home Commissioner K.D. Tripathy said. Nine Biharis, including women and children, were injured in the firing, he said, adding the attackers set on fire nine houses and managed to escape. The victims were migrant labourers, Tripathy said and added that this was the first incident of violence in this lower Assam district where the NDFB is active. Meanwhile, with “marginal” improvement in the situation in Upper Assam, curfew in Tinsukia town was further relaxed for 11 hours from six this morning.
— PTI |
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19 feared killed in Hyderabad factory blast Hyderabad, November 25 The massive explosion occurred at the Indian Detonators Ltd
(IDL) plant at 3.40 p.m. trapping 19 workers inside the factory premises. Five charred bodies had been recovered so far, the police added. The accident was attributed to short circuit. At least four other workers, who were in the vicinity of the blast area, received splinter injuries. Under the impact of the blast, one of the sheds in the detonator fuse area on the factory premises had collapsed, Cyberbad Police Commissioner Mahender Reddy said.
— PTI, UNI |
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12 get life term for massacre
Ahmedabad, November 25 Sessions court judge
C.K. Rane had yesterday announced the conviction of 15 persons and acquittal of 48 in the case and had reserved the sentence for today. Mr Rane did not make any major observation regarding the case and just pronounced the sentences in a packed court. Simultaneously, the court also granted bail to the three persons who have been sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment. The convicts were sentenced under various Sections of the IPC. Earlier in the day, the judge heard both the defence counsel and the prosecution on the judgement.
— PTI |
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School boards opt for grading system New Delhi, November 25 At a meeting organised at the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), the representatives opted for the more rational and scientific alternative to the marking scheme, which academics accept has resulted in undue strain on schoolchildren. After a transition stage where both the grading and the marking scheme will co-exist, the latter will cease to exist, pointed out the NCERT. Officials pointed out that it was, “deemed important to prepare society psychologically for such an examination system in which students will not be exposed to subjective views and moods of the examiners”. At present there are only two boards in the country — Central Board of School Education (CBSE) and Council for Society of Indian School Certificate Examination — which award grades, but as per the consensus reached here, a draft on National Examination Reforms Framework has been agreed upon. The NCERT had originally recommended a transfer to the grading system in 1994 and the CBSE had followed suit in 1999. Four state boards — Kerala, Manipur, Goa, and Jammu and Kashmir — are ready with their transition plans but other states have sought more time, the NCERT officials pointed out. Consensus was also reached on the need for creating an appropriate climate to facilitate eventual movement to the grading system. The NCERT has offered to start training programmes to key resource persons from the states, it said. Stressing for early declaration of results, the meeting also recommended that results must be declared within four weeks of board examinations and supplementary tests concluded speedily and their results declared within such time. Other recommendations include bar coding of answer scripts, multiple-choice question papers and evaluation of answer-sheets by more than one examinee. |
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Amarinder fails to attend Punjab Day function New Delhi, November 25 It has been a practice that the Chief Ministers of respective states attend the function to mark the state day, as it gives an opportunity to project the investment opportunities and rich cultural heritage of the state to the international buyers, who attend the fair in large numbers. Sources close to the Chief Minister said, Capt Amarinder Singh could not attended the Punjab Day function as he was busy campaigning for the party in Rajasthan. He had agreed to attend the function, but had to leave for Rajasthan to boost the party’s prospects as directed by the high command, the sources added. Non-attendance of the state chief minister on Punjab Day function resulted in criticism from Akalis. A senior SAD leader, said “Capt Amarinder Singh is more concerned about the party than the state of affairs of Punjab. He has lost a golden opportunity to attract potential investors.” Meanwhile, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers S.S. Dhindsa today accused the Punjab Chief Minister of ‘plotting’ against former Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal and defaming him just to save his own chair. “While the Chief Minister had alleged that Mr Badal had amassed disproportionate income worth Rs 4,350 crore, the charge sheet was filed only for Rs 70 crore... where is the proof of rest of money,” Mr Dhindsa asked at a press conference here. He said the Vigilance Department had conducted raids at the house and office of Badals but no documents or proofs had been made public so far. |
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Krishna dismisses BJP charges Bangalore, November 25 “In view of the impending elections in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Delhi, this is a crude attempt on the part of the BJP to malign my reputation, and destabilise my government and bring disrepute to the Congress with the obvious political intent of gaining advantage”, he charged at a hurriedly called press conference here. Mr Krishna’s hard-hitting reaction came in response to reported remarks of BJP spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, whom he quoted as having made this allegation in Delhi yesterday
— PTI |
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HP Cabinet expansion likely Gwalior, November 25 Mr Virbhadra Singh, who is here to campaign for the Congress candidates, said the ministry’s expansion had been deferred in view of assembly elections. He said the process of the expansion would be completed by December end.
— UNI |
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Trial court erred in acquitting Sajan, CBI tells HC New Delhi, November 25 Opening arguments on the CBI appeal against the acquittal of Sajjan Kumar and nine other accused persons in the case, pertaining to the murder of a youth in Sultanpuri area of West-Delhi, Additional Solicitor General K K Sud, appearing for the agency, said “negligence and reluctance to probe the case was writ large” in the police’s initial inquiry. The case was handed over to the CBI much later, which had to collect the evidence afresh, Sud said adding the trial judge had “failed” to appreciate the evidence in “totality” in the light of the prevailing circumstances and the statements of hostile witnesses. In the light of Supreme Court taking cognizance of NHRC’s writ petition in the Best Bakery case in Gujarat, the ASG said the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee was competent to file an appeal against the trial judge’s order of December 23, acquitting the former Congress MP and the other accused in the case. |
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CAT quashes EC order on transfers Jabalpur, November 25 Observing that "there is nothing to show that they had violated the model code of conduct", a Division Bench said "it does not warrant action". The Division Bench comprising Vice-Chairman and Administrative Member MP Singh and judicial member G Shantappa set aside the transfer of collectors BS Anant and LN Suryavanshi of Jashpur and Bastar, respectively, terming it as "sent back to their previous postings". The tribunal had on November 21 reserved its orders on the petition filed by the Collectors, challenging the EC order of October 29 transferring them after length their counsel hearing at. The commission's order had later been stayed by CAT. However, on November 14, a division bench of the Chhattisgarh High Court vacated the stay granted by the tribunal.
— PTI |
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‘Defused’ grenade found near SC building New Delhi, November 25 The grenade was recovered from a suitcase lying on the road opposite the office of the Assistant Commissioner of Police. When the suitcase was spotted there, the police, suspecting some explosive , immediately stopped the traffic. Passersby were also not allowed to go near it. This high drama continued for over two hours before the grenade was found to be in a defused state brought by a retired Lieut Col S. K. Chowdhary in connection with a court case against him. |
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OBITURY Manohar Lal Sondhi belonged to the 1956 batch of our Foreign Service which he resigned and left in 1962 when he was Under Secretary, UN, in the Ministry, and after serving in our Embassy in Prague as Third and briefly as Second Secretary. Manohar won his seat to the Lok Sabha in 1967. Later, he became a member of the Rajya Sabha for one term. His deep interest in foreign policy and the Foreign Service continued until the end. As a young man, like most of us of that generation, Manohar was an ardent Nehruvian. Later, he came under the influence of Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, then an eloquent and articulate spokesman of the Opposition. He also came under the spell of Rajju Bhaiya or Rajendra Singhji who was to become an effective Sar-Sangha-Chalak of the RSS, and became attached to Nanaji Desmukh. All this led to his joining the Jan Sangh, which was the predecessor incarnation of today’s BJP. Manohar Sondhi believed that India should geo-politically, culturally, and economically and in developmental matters be active in Tibet and also with Tibet, without worrying about China’s sensitivities. On this issue he had several arguments with the late Foreign Secretary T.N. Kaul, one of the negotiators of the Sino-Indian Agreement on Tibet. He held that all India’s eggs must not be consigned to the Arab basket and that we should structure a mutually profitable relationship with Israel. I knew Manohar as an affectionate friend in the service. It was then a small, cohesive and close-knit band of idealistic followers of Nehru. I was one of those whom Manohar consulted before resigning from the service and I told him candidly that any service needs to build its own traditions and practices and as he found it difficult to fit in with some peers and many seniors, he should quit. His was a somewhat unusual mind and his sensitivities could be unusual and, therefore, I advised that he could perhaps function much better outside the service, preferably in the political field. He used to joke about my having ‘driven’ him to marriage. This was true but became a private joke with us. That story was that his elder brother Krishan Sondhi became rather nervous about the time of Manohar’s wedding, and declared he was unable to drive him to the venue of the wedding in his car. I had a rather lovely sports model those days and was happy to undertake the duties of the bridegroom’s chauffeur. It was quite a task driving him to the Arya Samaj Mandir where his South Indian bride, Madhuri Santhanam, was waiting. I have never regretted doing this as the Manohar-Madhuri marriage was a life long idyll, a beautiful-to-behold marriage. Their communication with one another remained ever total, and even as late as a couple of months ago one could find them holding hands and smiling into one another’s eyes. Manohar Sondhi was an unusual man, courageous and virile in expressing his views, remaining proud of his unusual ideas and beliefs. One of these perhaps killed him. In his last few years he refused to take recourse to modern medicine and despite the entreaties of his friends and family refused to get a CAT scan done for himself. He stuck loyally to his Tibetan herbal medicine. As Madhuri described his last accident and illness to me it became clear that the principal disease which carried him away was his obstinacy about the gadgetry of modern Western medicine. I shall miss this good friend, a gentleman of passion and loyalty and obstinacy in his likes and dislikes. |
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626 students get degrees Hardwar, November 25 Delivering the convocation address, the Governor of Uttaranchal, Mr Sudarshan Agarwal, said the modern age was the age of computer and information technology. "Generally people think that science and spirituality are opposed to each other, but in reality they complement each other", he said. The university conferred the honoris causa degree of Vidya Martand, the highest academic honour of the university, on Mr Sudarshan Agarwal and Mr L.M. Singhvi. The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof Swatantra Kumar, conferred degrees on 626 students in various subjects. |
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Mumbai, November 25 The flight was under the command of Captain Zaki, who has been taken off flying duties pending an inquiry. Officials of Directorate General of Civil Aviation were conducting the enquiry.
— PTI |
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New Delhi, November 25
Manohar
Lal Sondhi belonged to the 1956 batch of our Foreign Service which he resigned
and left in 1962 when he was Under Secretary, UN, in the Ministry, and after
serving in our Embassy in Prague as Third and briefly as Second Secretary.
Manohar won his seat to the Lok Sabha in 1967.
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