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Airport systems unable to help landing in fog Train to Pak likely from January Foreign Ministry casual with finances, |
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POTA Amendment Bill passed CAS issue figures in RS
Clarify charges against Capt, BJP asks Sonia
Finalise draft on George’s boycott,
Speaker tells BJP
US national held with antique arms ULFA men escaped to B’desh: Lt-Gen Arunachal seals border with Bhutan SC order on environmental study
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Airport systems unable to help landing in fog New Delhi, December 18 While the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been unable to install the latest landing systems at the airports, most of the domestic operators have also not been able to train their pilots for that system which has been installed at one of the four approach ways at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, here. It is now almost two years since the CAT-IIIA landing system was installed at IGI airport, but the domestic airlines have not been able to train their pilots to use it for landing purposes during days of fog. Incidentally, the majority of aircraft with the domestic airlines are also not compatible with the CAT-IIIA landing system. The CAT-IIIA landing system allows normal flight operations when the Runway Visual Range (RVR) or the runway visibility is as low as 200 metres with 50 feet height. It was announced with a lot of fanfare, but has been able to help just foreign airlines whose pilots are trained over the latest landing systems. However, the domestic operators have taken the initiative only lately and are now in the process of training their pilots in this landing system. Sources in the civil aviation sector here disclosed that of the 20 airports in the country which are affected by fog during the winter, only IGI airport has this CAT-IIIA landing system. Though not the latest, this system facilitates landing during foggy weather. At IGI airport, the AAI has installed this system only at one of the four approach ways. This naturally also delays the landing of the international flights as they are forced to stay airborne over Delhi till such time the runway is clear for their landing. AAI officials here said they were not to be blamed for the inordinate delays which occur in the domestic sector. They pointed out that since the domestic airlines were not equipped to handle the system, there was at present no need to make investments in such equipment which would not be used. The India Airlines has over 330 pilots of which just about 35 are eligible for being trained on the CAT-IIIA landing system. From among these 35 pilots while 21 have been trained for the system, 14 have finished classroom and simulator training. According to officials while the Indian Airlines has made it mandatory for the pilots to get trained for the CAT-IIIA landing, the cost of training is one of the stumbling blocks. The eligibility also plays a vital part in this training. |
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Train to Pak likely from January New Delhi, December 18 Government sources here told The Tribune today that the Samjhauta Express would resume its run between the two countries from January 2004 and an announcement to this effect is expected to be made tomorrow. Sources said the talks today progressed well without any major differences between the two sides. In another related important development on Indo-Pak relations, New Delhi today conveyed to Islamabad that the fencing work being done by it along the Line of Control was “an operational requirement” and not in violation of Simla Agreement or the December 1972 accord on delineation of the LoC. Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner Munnawar Bhatti was called to the Foreign Office and conveyed by Mr Arun Singh, Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran) that the fencing work had been taking place even before the ceasefire which came into force on November 26 and was “not a new development.” Sources said though Pakistan had lodged a formal protest about the fencing work being done by India with the Indian High Commission in Islamabad on December 13, the issue was not going to cast a shadow either on the upcoming SAARC summit in Islamabad (January 4-6) in particular or the Indo-Pak relations in general. They said the Pakistani protest should be viewed as a diplomatic exercise in pursuance of a political issue. The Pakistani diplomat was also told that India had been “compelled” to start fencing work on the International Border and the LoC in the first place because of cross-border infiltration and terrorism sponsored by Pakistan. |
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Foreign Ministry casual with finances, says panel
New Delhi, December 18 The MEA informed the committee that it was in the process of setting up a Foreign Service Inspectorate with a clear mandate to carry out ‘performance audit’ of Indian missions as also of personnel posted abroad. The committee admonished the MEA for an “alarming increase” in its rental liability year after year which had gone up by nearly 40 per cent during the past five years touching Rs 215 crore for 2003-04. “It is apparent that the ministry is not serious in the matter and the present state of affairs reflects its casual approach in vital areas of financial management.” The committee, in its report presented to the Lok Sabha, asked the MEA to involve NRIs and PIOs to project India’s image abroad and ensure close monitoring of publicity activities and the expenditure incurred. The committee, headed by Mr Krishna Bose, asked the MEA to evolve binding guidelines to make Indian missions abroad more accountable. The committee observed that inspite of repeated recommendations, it was shocking to find that no suitable building had been located till now for setting up a Cultural Centre in Washington. |
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POTA Amendment Bill passed New Delhi, December 18 The Prevention of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2003, was passed after the Congress, the Left parties, the Samajwadi Party and the RJD staged a walkout, demanding that the law itself should be scrapped. The amendment Bill seeks to make decisions of the Review Committee binding on the Central and the state governments to prevent its abuse. With the AIADMK pressing for a division, 78 members voted in favour of the amendment and eight against. The Lok Sabha had passed the Bill on Tuesday. The House also rejected by voice vote an Opposition-sponsored statutory resolution disapproving the Prevention of Terrorism (Amendment) Ordinance promulgated by the President in October this year. Replying to the debate on the Bill and the resolution, Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani said the government does not propose to seek a review of the Supreme Court judgement on POTA which had “vindicated” its stand on the law aimed at fighting terrorism. |
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CAS issue figures in RS New Delhi, December 18 Raising the issue during zero hour, Congress member Kapil Sibal said viewers were hit hard in South Delhi. He said some cable operators switched off at crucial times during the India-Australia cricket match at Adelaide. The problem had arisen as the government had failed to fulfil its promise to make available set top boxes at Rs 2,000-3,000, he said. |
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Clarify charges against Capt, BJP asks Sonia New Delhi, December 18 “Even though both Capt Amarinder Singh and Mrs Bhattal have resolved their problems saying it was a personal or a family issue but then charges of corruption against the Punjab Chief Minister by Mrs Bhattal cannot be a personal or a family matter”, BJP Parliamentary Party spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra said, demanding a statement from the Congress on the issue. “If these allegations are correct then what action is being taken against the Chief Minister,” Professor Malhotra said, adding that “Mrs Bhattal can become quiet but the nation will not be silent on the issue”. |
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Finalise draft on George’s boycott,
Speaker tells BJP New Delhi, December 18 “The only thing they (Opposition) want is to have a discussion on some issue .... The ruling parties, especially the BJP, has the draft. If it is amended and approved, it can be put up before them,” Mr Joshi said after members of BJP, Samata Party and Shiv Sena protested the Opposition’s walkout when Mr Fernandes rose to reply to a question during question hour. Earlier, members of the Congress, Left parties and RJD walked out of the House as soon as Mr Fernandes rose to reply to a question on procurement procedure for armed forces. |
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US national held with antique arms New Delhi, December 18 The eight antique arms included four muzzle rifles and four one-foot-long pistols. According to the police, the accused identified as Grader Charles Raymond (40), who was on way to the USA, was arrested when he arrived at the IGI airport in New Delhi by Afghan airliner Airiana Airways from Kabul in the morning. From Delhi Raymond was to reach the USA through Frankfurt. Raymond was taken away for joint interrogation by the police and other intelligence agencies. Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI airport) Devesh Shrivastav said the American national was booked under the Arms Act. The accused who was later produced before the court was sent to the judicial custody. The US Embassy was informed about the arrest of Raymond and the recovery of the eight antique arms, which were about 150-year old. Raymond claimed that he procured the antique arms from a museum in Afghanistan, but failed to produce any valid documents to support his claim. Raymond, a resident of Boston, claimed that he procured the antique arms for $ 1200 and was taking it home just for its antique value. |
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ULFA men escaped to B’desh: Lt-Gen Kolkata, December 18 Addressing a press conference at Fort William today, he regretted that there had been some misleading information appearing in some newspapers in this regard. Lt-General Varma said so far, six to seven army personnel of the Bhutan army had been killed during the encounter with the militants, while the number of militants killed was around 20. The Lt-General reiterated that most of the top ULFA and NDFB commanders had escaped into Bangladesh prior to the operation launched by the Bhutan army. He maintained that a flush-out operation of the militants from Bangladesh was necessary to check militancy in the north-eastern region. |
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Arunachal seals border with Bhutan Itanagar, December 18 Addressing a press conference here today, Arunachal Pradesh Home Minister L. Wanglat said the state government had taken all precautionary measures to prevent any intrusion by the insurgents in Bhalukpong, Bomdila and Tawang sector in the state bordering Bhutan. He said the police besides other security personnel were deployed throughout the international Indo-Bhutan border.
— UNI |
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SC order on environmental study New Delhi, December 18 A Bench comprising Mr Justice N. Santhosh Hegde and Mr Justice B.P. Singh, while directing the NCERT to place before it the details of the syllabus by April 14 next, also directed the University Grants Commission (UGC) to explore the feasibility of introducing the environmental studies at graduation and postgraduation levels also. The court said the UGC, the NCERT and the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) would coordinate to frame a uniform syllabus for the entire country. The direction came on a public interest litigation (PIL) by enviornmetalist lawyer M.C. Mehta. |
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India to produce
140 Sukhois, says Fernandes New Delhi, December 18 The minister said during question hour that India had already received the Sukhoi multi-role combat aircraft in two instalments and some technical problems faced by these aircraft, including those in the engine, had been resolved. |
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14,000 quizzed in Swiss envoy rape case New Delhi, December 18 Replying to supplementaries during question hour in the Rajya Sabha, he said the victim was cooperating to help identify the culprit. |
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Ailing Thakre shifted to BJP headquarters New Delhi, December 18 According to party sources, Mr Thakre, who was admitted to AIIMS about 10 days back, was shifted to the BJP headquarters after he expressed his strong desire to be close to his party colleagues. |
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Joshi evading reply on Sarv Siksha
Abhiyan: Oppn New Delhi, December 18 “We simply want to know whether Rs 17,000 crore worth of allocation was reduced or not”, Congress member Jyotiraditya Scindia said while raising the matter during question hour in the Lok Sabha. — TNS |
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MEA officials leave for USA to hold talks New Delhi, December 18 The MEA officials, who left for Washington today, include Mr Jayant Prasad and Mr Sheel Kant Sharma. |
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Apex court order on environmental study New Delhi, December 18 |
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