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New Delhi, March 1 The Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal have forged an alliance in Uttar Pradesh for the coming Lok Sabha poll with Ajit Singh’s party contesting 10 seats leaving the rest 70 to the SP.
Piquant situation in MP over code of
conduct
Cong leaders lobby for ticket to
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Arjun
Singh’s son meets Naidu amid rumours
Three former MPs denied
ticket
EC order on NCP likely this week
Vidarbha likely to be poll issue BJP decides to stagger list
Tripura urges EC to defer poll due to ‘Garia’ festival
Kalam’s help over nuclear weapons sought
Asha, Kiran Bedi, Scindia bag women awards
2004
WHO’s South-East Asia region gets new
Director
NHRC to sensitise Delhi cops to human rights
Meeting to deal with visa rush tomorrow Editor jailed for molesting
women reporters
Radha takes over as Agriculture Secy
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SP, RLD forge alliance in
UP
New Delhi, March 1 The announcement was made by UP Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party President Mulayam Singh Yadav and Ajit Singh at a joint press conference, a day after the announcement of the poll schedule. Both leaders said their parties would explore possibilities to contest jointly outside Uttar Pradesh also. The two parties claimed the alliance would play a crucial role in the formation of the next government but remained non-committal on supporting the Congress in the post-poll scenario. Giving an indication about the possibility of a tie-up with the Congress, Mr Yadav said there still was scope for preventing the division of anti-BJP vote in the state. “What the Congress has to do is for it to decide.... The Congress is our ally in the state,” he said but made it clear that the alliance would have no truck with anyone tying up with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The seats to be contested by the RLD include Bijnore, Amroha, Kairana, Baghpat, Meerut, Ghaziabad (Hapur), Bulandshahr, Khurja, Aligarh and Mathura. |
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Piquant situation in MP over code of
conduct
Bhopal, March 1 The attitude of the ruling BJP in Madhya Pradesh seems to be that follow the code strictly in letter if it is not very inconvenient and gets some good publicity for the party, but ignore it if it’s inconvenient. The Chief Minister, Ms Uma Bharti, and the Union Law and Commerce Minister, Mr Arun Jaitley, were scheduled to jointly address a press conference, followed by dinner, at the Chief Minister’s official residence last night. Ms Bharti went in the state government helicopter to Jabalpur to attend some functions yesterday morning. While she was in Jabalpur the announcement came about the enforcement of the code. She returned by road, with the result that she could not reach Bhopal on time to join Mr Jaitley in his press conference. The Madhya Pradesh PWD Minister, Mr Kailash Vijayvargiya, who represented Ms Bharti at the press conference, proudly announced that the Chief Minister abandoned the use of the government helicopter as soon as she heard about the code coming into force and that the party would pay for the dinner for which the journalists were invited. That was fine. But what about the use of official premises by Mr Jaitley to launch his party’s propaganda campaign and run down the Opposition parties? Neither Mr Jaitley nor Mr Vijayvargiya appeared to mind it. |
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HC order on ‘defaulter’ MPs
New Delhi, March 1 “An informed voter is the foundation of democracy. The EC shall take effective steps to publicise at least in two local dailies (in the MP’s area) the information furnished by such candidates with regard to the government dues to be recovered from them,” a Bench of Chief Justice Mr B C Patel and Mr Justice Badar Durez Ahmed said in an order, passed a day after the announcement of poll dates by the EC. Issuing the direction according to the Supreme Court’s guideline laid down in the PUCL case last year for filing of the affidavits by a candidate about his criminal past if any, assets, educational qualification and liabilities in an affidavit along with the nomination papers to prevent the criminalisation of politics, the Bench said the information about the MPs’ government dues were covered under the apex court directives. The court also issued notices to the Secretaries General of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, seeking their replies as why their secretariats had not taken steps to recover the Rs 11.18 crore pending phone dues and Rs 6.326 crore water and power dues from these MPs. A total of 656 MPs, right from 8th Lok Sabha to the dissolved 13th Lower House and Rajya Sabha MPs across the wide spectrum of Indian polity, including some ministers, were the defaulters as per the MTNL, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) documents placed before the court. Besides, the Congress and its various frontal organisations, Janata Dal, Janata Party and Shiromani Akali Dal (Mann) also had to pay the government dues worth Rs 45.85 lakh on accounts of telephone bills since 2001. The court rejected EC counsel S K Mehndiratta’s plea that a lot of funds would be required for media publicity across the country, saying “When so much funds can be spent on feel good campaign, why can’t it be spent on informing the voters.” “The EC cannot be absolved of its responsibility by only passing on the information (about defaulters MPs) to media. When voters are required to be informed, it has to take the task unto itself,” the court observed. Prominant among the 52 “defaulter” MPs of the dissolved Lok Sabha are; Union Minister Vidyasagar Rao (BJP), Raghuvansh Prasad Singh (RJD), Jainarain Nishad (BJP), Shibu Soren (JMM), Pappu Yadav (Ind), Ramdas Athawle (RPI), Jagmit Singh Brar, Shyama Charan Shukla and ABA Ghani Khan Chaudhary (Cong), Raj Babbar and Ramkant Yadav (SP), Prabhu Nath Singh (JD), Ram Vils Paswan (LJS) The direction came on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a farmers’ organisation Krishak Bharat in 1998 for recovery of India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) dues worth Rs 54 crore to political parties, politicians, and tour operators pending at that time as well as recovery of the MPs’ power, water and telephone bills. The court, was informed today that the ITDC had almost made the recoveries as a bulk of the dues had been passed over to the investors, who had bought those hotels and resorts, which had to recover the amount. The court, however, clarified that the MPs would not be required to obtain “no dues” certificates from authorities concerned for placing it before the Returning Officers at the time of filing of the nomination papers. The dues towards the MPs were above permitted limit of 1.50 lakh free telephone calls, 50,000 units of electricity and 4,000 liters of water annually, the court was informed. |
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Cong leaders lobby for ticket to
kin New Delhi, March 1 This is particularly glaring in the case of Haryana where most of the 10 Lok Sabha seats are being claimed by relatives of senior Congress leaders. Though some of the contenders have shown their mettle in the political field, the list of aspirants which has reached the AICC has resulted in a lot of rumblings in the state party unit. For instance, Youth Congress leader Randeep Surjewala, son of former president of the state party unit, is a frontruner for the Hisar seat while Rao Indrajit Singh, son of former minister Rao Birendra Singh, is a strong contender for the Mahendragarh seat. Again, Mr Kuldeep Sharma, son of former Harayana MP Chiranji Lal Sharma, is lobbying for the Karnal seat and PCC chief Bhajan Lal is learnt to be trying hard that his son Kuldeep Bishnoi be fielded from the Faridabad constituency. Not to be left behind, CLP leader Bhupendra Singh Hooda is stated to be rooting for his wife Asha for the Rohtak seat. The story does not end here. Well-known industrialist Naveen Jindal, whose father O.P.Jindal is an MLA, joined the Congress only last week but he has thrown his hat in the ring for the Kurukshetra seat. Similarly, former state minister Rajendra Malik’s son Jitendra Malik has staked his claim to the Sonepat seat. Although former Chief Minister Bansi Lal is no longer in the party, his son Ranbir Mahendra is in the Congress and a contender for the Bhiwani seat. The problem of senior Congress leaders lobbying for their sons, daughters and wives, is not confined to this state alone. One of the chief complaints against senior leaders in the Assembly elections was that they were first seeking tickets and then campaigning for their children to be really concerned about the state of the party. Senior AICC leaders who came in for criticism in this connection included Mr K. Natwar Singh, Mr Motilal Vora and Mr Arjun Singh whose sons contested the poll. This time round, veteran Kerala leader K.Karunakaran is reportedly keen that his daughter be given a Lok Sabha seat. In Rajasthan, senior leader Ram Niwas Mirdha’s son is a contender for his father’s constituency, Naguar. In Gujarat, both former minister and Chief Minister, Mr Madhavsinh Solanki and Mr Amarsinh Chaudhary respectively, want their sons to be fielded in the elections. |
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Cong keen on alliance with
CPM
Kolkata, March 1 He said the party would decide about its prime ministerial candidate only after the results of the elections were declared. It is too premature at this stage to decide about the Prime Minister, he added. But he was certain that this time a coalition would form the government at the Centre with the participation of the Congress. Mr Sibal is currently in the city as the emissary of Ms Sonia Gandhi to assess the party’s poll prospects in the state. He met with the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee
(WBPCC) leaders and exchanged views with them on finalising the party’s list of candidates and their poll preparations. After the meeting, he hoped that the Congress would fair better than last time, as conditions were favourable for the party. Though the party is yet to formally announce its list of candidates for the state, it has been decided that Mr Pranab Mukherjee, Congress Working Committee member and WBPCC President, will contest from Jangipur seat in Murshidabad. Mr A.B.A Ghani Khan Chowdhury and Mr Priyaranjan DasMunshi will contest from Malda and Raiganj in north Bengal, respectively. Mr Adhir Chowdhury will contest from Berhampore constituency (Murshidabad). It is also likely that Ms Nafisa Ali, former Miss India, will file her nomination paper as the Congress candidate against Ms Mamata Banerjee of Trinamool Congress from South Kolkata. |
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Arjun Singh’s son meets Naidu amid
rumours New Delhi, March 1 Both Congress and the BJP rushed to scotch all rumours about Mr Ajay Singh’s switch-over but there were few takers for the explanation that the former Madhya Pradesh Minister for Panchayati Raj met the BJP President for a discussion on water harvesting. The Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani was also present at the meeting. Mr Ajay Singh admitted that he had met the BJP President at his residence but maintained it was not a political meeting.
“I have no intention of joining the BJP.. not today, not tomorrow, not any other day,” he declared emphatically. BJP general secretary Pramod Mahajan added that there was nothing political about the meeting. Mr Ajay Singh explained that as Minister for Panchayati Raj he had developed good rapport with Mr Naidu when he was the Rural Development Minister. Mr Arjun Singh denied the speculation equally vehemently, stating that “there is no substance to these rumours....I consider this talk an insult to me.” Despite the denials, the meeting proved to be a source of great embarassment for the Congress since it comes shortly after former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mr Digvijay Singh’s brother, Mr Lakshman Singh, joined the BJP. Mr Ajay Singh’s meeting is particularly galling for the Congress as Mr Arjun Singh has always been the party’s leading “secularist” and the most bitter critic of the BJP. Although the Lok Sabha elections were notified only yesterday the pre-poll season for desertions and inductions began soon after the dissolution of the Lok Sabha. Given the fevered pitch at which the inductions have been going on, the denials by the BJP and the Congress are being taken with a pinch of salt. |
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Three former MPs denied ticket
Chennai, March 1 Dayananidhi is being fielded from Chennai Central, represented by his father and the late Union Commerce Minister. He will be making his electoral debut. Dayanidhi is also the grandnephew of DMK President M Karunanidhi. Former union minister T.R. Baalu and A. Raja, who resigned from the Vajpayee ministry following party’s decision to quit NDA, were among the seven members of the dissolved Lok Sabha, who were given tickets. In a bid to woo the dominant backward Nadar community, a dominant in the southern districts of the state, the party has decided to field Radhika Selvi, widow of the Nadar community leader from Tiruchendur, Venkatasa Pannaiyar, who was killed in a police encounter. Besides Radhika Selvi, other women who were in the fray are Bhavani Rajendran (Ramanathapuram) and Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan (Tiruchengode). Those who were denied tickets were Adi Shakar (Cuddalore) Vetriselvan (Krishnagiri) and Jayaseelan (Tiruchendur). The new faces entering the electoral arena were Dayanidhi Maran, Radhika Selvi, Venkatapatny (Cuddalore). E.G. Sugavanam, who defeated AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa in 1996 Assembly polls, has been nominated from Krishnagiri. —
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EC order on NCP likely this week
New Delhi, March 1 EC sources said the commission would go by the numerical strength of both factions in legislatures as well as in the organisation and give its decision in a day or two. Both Sharad Pawar and P.A. Sangma factions are at loggerheads over the control of the organisation since they parted ways in the wake of Mr Pawar’s decision to align with the Congress for the coming Lok Sabha poll, a stand strongly opposed by Mr
Sangma. The three-member poll panel heard both factions on February 13 and reserved its orders, a verdict crucial for both factions ahead of the Lok Sabha poll. |
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Vidarbha likely to be poll issue Mumbai, March 1 The Vidarbha Aghadi, a body formed to pursue the cause of a separate state, has openly come out in support of the BJP. Observers here say leaders of the regional outfit may contest the elections supported by the Shiv Sena-BJP combine in Maharashtra. Senior leaders of the Vidarbha Aghadi include Sharad Joshi, leader of the farmers’ organisation Shetkari Sanghatana, newspaper baron and former Congress politician Banwarilal Purohit, Republican Party leader Prakash Ambedkar, and rebel Nationalist Congress Party leader Datta Meghe. All four leaders had formed the Vidarbha Aghadi last year. Vidarbha is a traditional bastion of the Congress with 11 seats in the Lok Sabha and 66 seats in the state legislature. By entering into an alliance with the Vidarbha Aghadi, the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in Maharashtra hopes to improve its tally in the region. Industrialists in the region are the biggest supporters of a separate Vidarbha state. A report prepared by the Vidarbha Economic Development Council, a local industrialists’ association, says the region generates 24 trillion units of power but is able to consume only a third. Similarly 93 per cent of Maharashatra’s mineral wealth is found in Vidarbha, but little effort has been made to develop industries in the region.
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BJP decides to stagger list New Delhi, March 1 A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of top BJP leaders at Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajapayee’s residence here this evening. While the party had earlier decided to finalise all candidates during the two-day meeting of the Central Election Committee (CEC) on March 14 and 15, now in the light of the Election Commission’s decision to have four-phased elections, the party strategists decided to release candidates list in installments. The BJP leadership has already asked its state election committees to recommend names of the prospective candidates from their respective states latest by March 10. Earlier, top leaders of the BJP, including Deputy Prime Minister L. K. Advani, met at the residence of party President M .Venkaiah Naidu this afternoon to review poll preparations. Besides discussing the campaign schedule of top leaders, the three-hour-long meeting, also attended by Law Minister Arun Jaitley, General Secretaries Pramod Mahajan and Sanjay Joshi, held deliberations over the seats to be contested by the party in the states where it had alliances and also about carrying out the joint campaign there. The meeting followed Mr Naidu’s meeting this morning with Mr Vajpayee, the first after the poll dates were announced, to apprise him of the party’s position in different states and the preparations being made by the party to face the election. |
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Tripura urges EC to defer poll due to ‘Garia’ festival
Agartala, March 1 Chief Minister Manik Sarkar informed the House that the state government had already requested the EC to defer the poll in the state for the tribesmen’s one of the most important festivals, which falls on the day. The issue was first raised in the House by Leader of the Opposition Ratan Lal Nath and the Chief Minister and other members of both Treasury and Opposition Benches immediately supported it. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), earlier in the day, urged the EC to defer the poll for the festival. Addressing a joint press conference here, state BJP president Ranajoy Kumar Deb, Trinamool Congress president Amal Mullick, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Birballav Saha and INPT president Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl said if the Lok Sabha poll were held on April 20 in the state, a large number of tribesmen would not be able to exercise their franchise. In a faxed message, the NDA allies urged the EC to hold the poll in the state on any of the dates of the other three phases. The Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) recently snapped ties with the Congress and joined the NDA. Elections in two Lok Sabha seats in Tripura is slated for April 20 along with 139 LS constituencies in 15 states and Union Territories. The statutory notification will be issued on March 24 and the last date for filing of nominations will be March 31. —
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Kalam’s help over nuclear weapons sought New Delhi, March 1 Led by Dr Ron Mc Coy, Malaysia-based president of the IPPNW, and Dr L.S. Chawla, president of the Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD), IPPNW affiliate, the doctors sought the intervention of the President in building an opinion against nuclearisation. Dr Arun Mitra, general secretary of the IDPD and Ludhiana-based ENT surgeon, told TNS that the delegation warned that the medical community would not be able to offer any remedy in the event of nuclear warfare. “During the 40-minute meeting with the President, we told him that present-day nuclear bombs were more destructive than those unleashed by the USAS on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August, 1945. Those bombs are now called toy bombs.’’ Dr Kalam tried to explain to the delegation India’s compulsions in self-defence for nuclear weaponisation and said China and Pakistan too had nuclear weapons. Dr Mc Coy voiced the apprehension that if this trend continued, it may encourage other countries in the South Asian region to join the nuclear arms race. The delegation further pointed out that the arms race in South Asia could be misused by terrorist groups for unlimited destruction. The delegation further expressed concern that the expenditure on acquiring nuclear weapons was depriving the population in South Asia of its basic right to health care, education and food. They told the President that South Asia was one of the most deprived regions in the world. In their meeting with Mr Surjeet, the delegation raised the same issues. Mr Surjeet reminded the delegation his party was among the first to oppose nuclear testing by India on May 11, 1998. In its endeavour to build political opinion against nuclear weapons, the IPPNW and the IDPD were trying to meet Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan and BJP national president Venkaiah Naidu. Dr Mahesh Maskey, general secreatry of the Physicians for Social Responsibility joined the IPPNW-IDPD delegation to the Nepalese Ambassador to India, Mr Karna Dhoj Adhikary. A delegation of IPPNW also met leaders in Pakistan recently to draw their attention to the effects of nuclear weapons on health. The IPPNW and IDPD held a seminar on War, Violence and Health-South Asian Perspective at India International Centre here on Sunday. |
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Asha, Kiran Bedi, Scindia bag women awards 2004
Mumbai, March 1 The award function, aimed at acknowledging women, who have been both news-makers and home-makers, saw some of the top women achievers making it to the prestigious list of awardees. Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, Kathak exponent Uma Sharma, Miss World 1997 Diana Hayden and fashion designer Ritu Kumar bagged the award for contribution in their respective fields and establishing themselves as role models. Television journalist Barkha Dutt, pioneer of in-vitro fertilisation in India Dr Indira Hinduja, creative director of Balaji Telefilms Ekta Kapoor and teen tennis sensation Sania Mirza too received the awards at the function last night organised by Whirlpool and Gr8!, a television glossy. Literary figure and tribal activist Mahashwetadevi, National Award-winner Shabana Azmi, painter Madhvi Parikh were also among those whose names figured in the list. Vice-Chairman and MD of HSBC securities and capital market Naina Lal Kidwai, CEO of College of Insurance and Management Ritu Nanda and entrepreneurs Jashwantiben Popat bagged the prize for breaking the male citadel in the banking, insurance and investment sector while Kiran Mazumdar was conferred the award for her work in science and technology. The highlight of the evening was when a beaming mother of two and successful actor Juhi Chawla walked up the stage to receive the award for being the perfect home maker. The night saw chawla, recounting her jugglery between home and work and PT Usha overwhelmed with people still remembering her achievements. The function also witnessed some touching moments when country’s first test-tube baby Harsha was presented a cheque of Rs 25,000 to realise her dream of persuing medical studies even as Dr Hinduja came on stage with her female creation on dais to a thunderous applause. The event saw sprinkling of dance, music and some apt anchoring by Ruby Bhatia, Kitu Gidwani and Amruta Saluja. While pop singers Jassi belted out hit numbers, the talented duo of Sonali and Rupkumar Rathod regaled the audience with their songs. Namrata Shirodkar and Mehak’s performance set the mood for the evening while the singing sensation from Pakistan Reshma spun the audience to heavenly delight. —
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WHO’s South-East Asia region gets new
Director
New Delhi, March 1 On his first day in office here Dr Samlee pledged to continue building a “more solid foundation for health so that the right to health will be a basic right for all and not a privilege for some.’’ He said polio eradication and leprosy elimination figure in the unfinished health agenda. He emphasised the importance of millennium development goals (MDGs) for fulfilling the health agenda. Enumerating his priorities, Dr Samlee said he would strive to strengthen WHO’s technical capability and ensure that WHO services become more responsive and relevant to the needs of the member states. Taking note of the budgetary constraints of a number of member countries of the region, Dr Samlee stressed the need to raise additional resources from bilateral donors, global funds and international organisations. Dr Samlee retired as Deputy Regional Director of the WHO’s South-East Asia region three years ago. He was elected in September by representatives of 11 member countries of South-East Asia region. These include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste. His name was nominated to the executive board in Geneva. During its 113rd session in January, the Board had ratified the nomination. Other candidates in the race for the post of Regional Director were Rita Thapa of Nepal, who retired as Programme Director from the South-East Asia region office, Palitha Abeykon of Sri Lanka, who held one of the senior posts here and Dr Samad Abdullah of Maldives who looks after the disease programme section of the WHO’s South-East Asia region. Dr Samlee has served WHO’s South East Asia region for more than 16 years. Before taking over as Regional Director today, Dr Samlee held the post of Dean at Chulanlonkorn University, Bangkok. |
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India takes initiative in Africa diplomacy
New Delhi, March 1 TEAM-9, an acronym for Techno-Economic Approach for Africa-India has Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Equitorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Mali and Senegal, apart from India. Foreign Ministers or senior ministers of the eight African countries and External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha today held intensive talks here in Vigyan Bhavan today. India’s Africa-initiative is yet another demonstration of New Delhi’s diversified global diplomatic interests, coming as it does after the Indian enunciation of its Look-East policy, New Delhi’s pro-active involvement with countries like the US and the UK and regional blocs like ASEAN, European Union, IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa Forum) and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The TEAM-9 initiative comes at a time when India is lobbying hard for a permanent seat in the United Nation’s Security Council which is to be expanded. Besides, West Africa in particular and the African continent in general, have immense geo-strategic, political and economic significance for a country like India which has set its eyes on finding a place for itself on the high table of world affairs. Africa holds 8 per cent of the world’s proven crude oil reserves. The Gulf of Guinea has oil reserves worth 24 billion barrels and that too offshore which makes these insulated from political volatility. Equatorial Guinea in particular has immense oil potential and is witnessing an unprecedented oil boom. Diplomatic sources said in Africa, India could see its diversified oil import destination and reduce dependence on OPEC as most of the oil-rich African countries are not member of OPEC. Later in the day, Mr Sinha addressed the press after the talks in the company of the visiting African ministers. Mr Sinha said India was “prepared” to pledge $ 500 million for bilateral and regional projects in the economic and social sectors with the eight West African countries of ‘TEAM-9’. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed to evolve a mechanism of cooperation under Techno-Economic Approach for Africa-India Movement (TEAM-9). The TEAM-9 countries have also decided to set up a Joint Business Council. The TEAM-9 Council of Ministers would meet once a year and the next meeting would be held in Guinea Bissau. Mr Sinha said a Standing Committee of officials could meet as often as needed. TEAM-9’s main thrust areas would be food security, freedom from hunger, health security and job security. The areas of cooperation identified at today’s talks were agriculture, water management, pharmaceuticals, health services, employment opportunities, HRD and connectivity. Senegal Foreign Minister Cheikh Tidiani Gadio, who spoke on behalf of the eight countries, said the initiative was a “wonderful concept” which would take their cooperation with India to a higher level. He said African countries looked upon India as a “role model for developing countries” with the impressive progress made by India in the fields of science and technology, satellite communication and IT. Foreign Secretary-level meeting of the nine countries was held here on February 27 and 28. Mr Sinha was assisted by Minister of State for External Affairs Digvijay Singh and Foreign Secretary Shashank at the meeting. |
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NHRC to sensitise Delhi cops to human rights
New Delhi, March 1 Sources in the NHRC said a large number of women police officers were expected to attend the programme meant for Additional Station House Officers (Additional SHOs), Station House Officers (SHOs) and Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs). The prime objective of the programme is to promote better understanding and knowledge of human rights culture, practices, skills, attitudes and ethos in the context of various international instruments, treaties, the Indian Constitution and legal framework. |
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Bilkis Bano case: hearing on bail plea adjourned
Ahmedabad, March 1 The Executive Magistrate, Chandubhai Babubhai Patel, had applied for bail last week, citing mental harassment and probability of a surprise arrest by CBI sleuths. Mr Patel was the deputy ‘mamlatdar’ and the designated Executive Magistrate of Limkheda taluka of Dahod district where 14 persons, including Bilkis Bano’s kin, were brutally murdered in the post-Godhra riots on March 3, 2002. He was allegedly present when the police were recording the statement of the witnesses, including Bilkis Bano. Judge H.P. Patel of the Ahmedabad District and Rural Court adjourned the hearing on the matter after senior advocate, Arvind Pandya representing the magistrate asked the court for time to present his case in a better manner. Mr Pandya had earlier said the petition had been filed as the CBI had subjected his client to prolonged interrogations. The court had earlier rejected the anticipatory bail of three police officials, who were part of the initial investigating team, which had conducted the burial of the seven relatives of Bilkis Bano at the Panivela forest. The CBI had recently exhumed these bodies. —
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Militant shot in Bengal
Kolkata, March 1 Incidentally, the PWG and MCC activists who have been very active in the Midnapore-Bankura-Purulia and Birbhum in the past few months, had blown up a police jeep by blasting landmine on Wednesday in the Belpahari forest area, killing nine police personnel. The police admits the PWG and MCC extremists have set-up a large network in the Bengal-Bihar-Jharkhand-Orissa and Andhra Pradesh border areas where there had been a series of incidents of killing, kidnapping and looting. On Friday, the extremsists observed a bandh in these states. |
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Goswami elected chief of Public Relations Society
Kolkata, March 1 New office-bearers of the PRSI include Mr Shivrup Tiwari (DISHA Communications), Mr N.L. Narashima Rao
(GDC Advt), Mr Sudhir Yadhav (SEB, Maharashtra) and Mr Prasanta Borkakoty (OIC, Assam). They represent the country’s four different regions as vice-presidents. Subhas Mukherjee (ITC, Kolkata) has been elected treasurer. Mr Goswami is the senior PRO, Eastern Railway. |
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High-speed wagons
introduced
New Delhi, March 1 According to a press note issued by the Railway Ministry here today, stainless steel wagons have been introduced to overcome the problem of corrosion. Besides, special-purpose wagons have been pressed into service for carrying steel coils. The Railways has also developed improved version of broad gauge open wagons to carry an additional 1.8 tonnes load per wagon. It has also introduced the bogie-mounted brake system on wagons for enhanced safety and reliability during operation. |
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Meeting to deal with visa rush tomorrow New Delhi, March 1 The government is said to be weighing various options including proposing to Islamabad operation of special flights and additional trains and buses. According to official sources, Islamabad has proposed to New Delhi running of special buses between Amritsar and Lahore to ferry Indian cricket lovers and setting up of special visa camp of its High Commission in Amritsar. Islamabad has conveyed its readiness to issue over 8,000 visas to those interested in watching the matches. Pakistan’s proposals were conveyed by its High Commission to the MEA here last week. Indian cricketers are scheduled to fly from here to Lahore by a special Indian Airlines flight to Lahore on March 10 at 3 pm. It is understood that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has also requested for a special flight from Pakistan to India on April 18, the day on which the 40-day Indian tour is scheduled to end. |
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Editor jailed for molesting
women reporters
Mumbai, March 1 Kalicharan Patiram Srivastav (68), editor of ‘Crime Samachar‘, ‘Vikroli Times’, and ‘Ek Najar Railway Crime Par’, was on February 27 sentenced to total 22 years’ RI by a sessions court. Besides, he got one year simple imprisonment and Rs 10,000 fine on other counts. The sentences will run concurrently and Srivastav will have to be in jail for seven years. According to the prosecution, Srivastav, who stays in Ambedkar Nagar slums in northern suburb, Vikroli, used to recruit young women as reporters for the three tabloids. He would collect their passport size photographs on the pretext of issuing identity cards, and later compel the women to succumb to his carnal desires after threatening to use the pictures in articles depicting that the girls were into flesh trade. Srivastav even forced these women to accompany him to various towns in central India, where he continued to allegedly sexually exploit them. DCP (Crime) Dhananjay Kamalakar, who probed the case, said once the women reporters succumbed to his lust, Srivastav would take their pictures in nude and further exploit them. The Vikroli police seized several such pictures following raids on Srivastav’s house, Mr Kamalakar added. —
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Radha takes over as Agriculture Secy
New Delhi, March 1 Ms Radha Singh brings to her new assignment vast experiences in the area of water resources and integrated water management. She has worked with the World Bank in Washington, in the areas of water and environment. Earlier, she held the posts of Secretary, Animal Husbandry, in the Agriculture Ministry and Additional Secretary and Director-General of the National Water Development Agency. |
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