 |
|
No hike in rail
fare, promises Laloo
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Repoll in Bihar
ends peacefully CPM to act as
watchdog, says Yechuri Consensus eludes
CPM on Speaker’s post Mulayam to give
up LS seat Kalyan Singh
quits Assembly Aeronautics panel
needed: Kasturirangan Jaipal Reddy
takes over as I&B Minister Squabbles among
Andhra ministers Common man not
to be ignored, say Sibal, Selja Bharadwaj for
repealing POTA, corruption-free judiciary POTA needed to
check terrorism, says BJP BJP criticises
Union Cabinet composition Thackeray
predicts fall of UPA govt Govt to promote
religious tourism K’nataka Cong
seeks three days time Jungle hunters
search for missing MiG-27
|
|
No hike in rail fare, promises Laloo New Delhi, May 24 Interacting with mediapersons at Rail Bhawan here, the Railway Minister appeared at ease with his much coveted yet tough portfolio. Ministers of State, Naranbahi Rathwa, R. Velu and Chairman, Railway Board, R.K. Singh were by his side. Spreading smiles by a conversation sparkling with wit, the former Chief Minister of Bihar said that he would lead the country as Prime Minister one day. Mr Yadav said that that the man on the street was penniless. “I realise that people have no money in their pockets. The fare should not be increased to an extent that it causes inconvenience to anybody. Not everybody can afford to travel by air. Only those people whose travel expenses are taken care of by the government or their companies travel by air. Fare should be affordable.” Asked to spell out his priorities, the Railway Minister said in a stern tone that there would no compromise with safety or corruption. He said that he would fix accountability in case of accidents. “In the days gone by, a large number of accidents and blame game have taken place. Accidents happen and I don’t say that they will not take place. It is God’s will. Safety of passengers would be my priority. Passengers should be able to travel by train without any fear. But I will fix accountability. I will also ensure speedy rescue and relief operations.” Mr Yadav said that he would not confine himself to office. “We will try to take various steps towards modernisation. But it remains to be seen if there is anything left in the coffers.'' He said that he would also try to provide a rail link in remote areas where people had never seen a train. Stressing the need for cleanliness, Mr Yadav drew attention to the surroundings of Delhi Junction. “This was the state of affairs when the government was led by Mr Vajpayee,” he remarked. He, however, acknowledged the work done by his predecessor, Mr Nitish Kumar. He said that projects already initiated, sanctioned and committed in Parliament would get preference over new ones. He said that he had adopted a participatory approach by inviting suggestions from all Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha MPs for improvement of railway services. “I will not give anybody any reason to complain. I want to rectify the system and ensure that anti-social elements don’t get any big contracts. I will not allow gas cylinders to be carried aboard passenger trains as there have been explosions in the past. Use of plastic cups or glasses would be banned and earthen pot ‘kulhar’ would be used to generate employment for the potters in the country and to protect environment,'' he said. He promised passes to accredited journalists, freedom fighters and senior citizens. Soon after the press conference, the Railway Minister met members of the Railway Board and other senior officers in his Ministry. |
|
Manmohan shifts to PM’s residence New Delhi, May 24 Mr Vajpayee’s has temporarily shifted to the new bungalow, as he will shift to the 10-bedroom bungalow, 8, Krishna Menon Marg, which is being readied for him, sources said. In the evening, Dr Manmohan Singh walked down to 3,
RCR, to call on Mr Vajpayee. Mr Vajpayee waited outside to receive the Prime Minister. After a warm reception, Mr Vajpayee took the Prime Minister inside and the two leaders stayed there for around 20 minutes. Sources described the meeting as “a courtesy call” but it is understood that the two leaders had a heart-to-heart conversation during this one-on-one meeting. They added that it was a customary practice on part of the incoming Prime Minister to call on his immediate predecessor. Interestingly, though the official address of the Prime Minister of India is known as 7,
RCR, the Prime Minister actually lives in 3, RCR. There are five sprawling odd-number bungalows on this stretch of the RCR — 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9. 1,
RCR, was only recently acquired by the Prime Minister’s Office. It houses a helipad, constructed during Mr Vajpayee’s tenure and used by Mr Vajpayee several times. The second, 3,
RCR, is the actual residence of the Prime Minister. While 5, RCR, is reserved for guests, 7,
RCR, is Prime Minister’s Office and 9, RCR, houses SPG headquarters. |
|
Repoll in Bihar ends peacefully
Patna, May 24 State election office sources said here more than 35 per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise in the Bettiah Lok Sabha constituency, while in the Siwan Lok Sabha constituency, the turnout was around 50 per cent.
— UNI |
|
CPM to act as watchdog, says Yechuri Kolkata, May 24 The government’s economic programme should also be re-drafted keeping interest of the nation instead of surrendering to the IMF and World Bank and the US and the British lobby, the CPM politburo member, Mr Sitaram Yechuri stressed. He made it clear that the CPM would not blindly support the government but would act as watchdog from outside. Mr Yechuri was in the city and to discuss with Mr Jyoti Basu and other party leaders in drafting the CMP which the CPM wants the new government to follow. The West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and the Tripura Chief Minister, Mr Manick Sarker and the CPM state secretary, Mr Anil Biswas also took part in the discussions with Mr Yechuri on the preparation of the CMP. Mr Basu who was keen in the CPM’s participation in the new government, apparently is unhappy that this time also the party had committed a mistake in staying out. He returned to the city on Wednesday evening after failing to persuade the politburo and the party central committee to join the government. The veteran Marxist still felt the CPM could have gained enormously in national politics if they had joined the government instead of supporting it from outside since the CPM had been still a regional party with its major net-work in West Bengal, Tripura and Kerala only. Mr Basu already said there was no bar for Mrs Sonia Gandhi to become the prime minister. But since she herself had stayed out in making room for Dr
Manmohan Singh they had nothing to say. He is, however, happy that an efficient person had been chosen as Prime Minister who had past experiences in the government functioning as Union Finance Minister and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission. Mr Yechuri told newsmen before returning to Delhi last night they would demand allocation of additional fund on rural development, health and family planning, agriculture and irrigation and various employment-generation programme in the new budget. The CPM leader said they were happy that the country could be saved from the onslaught of the RSS and VHP and other communal forces and a secular government had been restored at the Centre with their support. He hoped the new government would function for the larger interest of the nation and it would not make any mistake that could change their stand on supporting it from outside. |
|
Consensus eludes CPM on Speaker’s post Kolkata, May 24 The party’s Kerala group as well as the hardliners like Mr Prakish Karat, Mr Biman Bose and Mr Anil Biswas are strongly opposed to allowing Mr Chatterjee to take over as the Lok Sabha Speaker — the post offered by the Congress. But the veteran leaders like Mr Jyoti Basu, Mr Harkishen Singh Surjeet, Mr Sitaram Yechuri and Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee want that the CPM should allow Mr Chatterjee to join as Speaker since both the CPM and the Congress fought under a joint pre-poll alliance against the BJP and other communal forces and the people voted in favour of the alliance. Mr Basu has already expressed his unhappiness on the party’s decision of not joining the Congress-led coalition, which he has defined as “another historic blunder” at the party’s state committee meeting held in Alimuddin Street. This decision already gave a wrong signal to the electorate and the countrymen supporting the formation of a secular government and he does not think it would be judicious on the part of the leadership to refrain Mr Chatterjee from taking over as the Speaker, Mr Basu told the party men. But since the proposal will be placed for voting, it is anybody’s guess what will be the outcome. It is now an open secret that the party’s new guards now dominate and the senior leaders like Mr Basu and Mr Surjeet had been sidelined The Politburo at tomorrow’s meeting will also discuss the common code of conducts for the coalition partners and the new government’s common minimum programme for protecting the nation against the damage caused during the six years’ misrule of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. |
|
Mulayam to give up LS seat Mainpuri (UP), May 24 Mr Yadav made this announcement, much on the expected lines, during a public meeting at
Kuravali, near here, this afternoon. The Chief Minister said while he was all set to give up the seat, a final decision would be taken at the meeting of the party’s parliamentary board at New Delhi later this evening. “I hope the board would reflect the sentiments of the people of
Mainpuri, who want me to continue as the Chief Minister instead of once again entering national politics,’’ he claimed. Mr Yadav had recently skirted questions on retaining the LS seat and had said he would take a final decision on the issue after meeting the electorate of
Mainpuri. After becoming the Chief Minister on August 29 last, he had given up the Sambhal LS seat to enter the UP legislative assembly through
Gunnaur. In Mainpuri, he had defeated his friend-turned-foe Balram Singh Yadav to wrest the seat from the BJP. There had been speculations about the possible role of the SP in the post-poll scenario at the Centre after the Congress launched its efforts to form a fresh government. However, the party maintained that it would support a secular government at the Centre from outside.
— UNI |
|
Kalyan Singh quits Assembly Lucknow, May 24 Mr Kalyan Singh had recently won the Lok Sabha elections from the Bulandshahr constituency and taken oath as Member of Parliament. “I have taken the decision to quit state Assembly following directions from the national party high command,” Mr Kalyan Singh told The Tribune after tendering resignation. Incidentally, there are reports of Mr Kalyan Singh’s elevation in the party set up. He may be given the charge of national vice-president of the party, according to sources. |
|
Aeronautics panel needed: Kasturirangan Bangalore, May 24 The former ISRO Chairman, speaking at the inauguration of a seminar on “Perspective Plan of Civil Aviation in India” and “Partnership in Aerospace Projects”, organised here by the Society for Indian Aerospace Technologies and Industries
(SIATI), said such an institutional mechanism was necessary to not only coordinate design, manufacture, testing and certification efforts, but to establish crucial market linkages. India had proven itself in several aircraft technologies and space-related launch vehicle technologies, and the future was going to see a marriage between the two, he said. Efforts relating to air-breathing engines, re-usable launch vehicles, and high-speed (Mach 10 plus) vehicles all demanded such a synergy, he noted. India was also set to becoming an outsourcing avenue for advanced aircraft components and systems, but we should not be satisfied with this, he said. Dr Kasturirangan also stressed the importance of the government ensuring orders “in the hundreds” for indigenous products like HAL’s Advanced Light Helicopter
(ALH). “Foreign markets always want to know if we are buying and using our own products. That is the first
step.” SIATI President and former HAL Chairman Dr Krishnadas Nair said the Indian aviation community must actively work for reciprocity in civil aircraft airworthiness and type certification. “While we accept aircraft certified by the FAA (the US agency) and others, foreign countries do not reciprocate by accepting our DGCA certification. This must change.” This had been taken up with the
EU-India Civil Aviation Project, one of the sponsors of the seminar. It was also important to insist on “offset agreements” while making major aircraft procurements, where 20 to 30 per cent of the parts are made indigenously, he said. An estimated $ 25 worth of various aircraft ranging from small 10-20 seaters to 400 plus seaters would be required in India in the next 10 years, he said. The bulk of this would be in the 100 to 300-seater range, where by 2005, the requirement would be for 170 aircraft, and for 250 by 2010. Currently, India accounted for just 1.7 per cent of global air traffic, and the potential for expansion was enormous, he said. Mr Richard
Koppmair, EU India Project Manager, AECMA (European Association for Aircraft Industries), said the EU was seriously looking at India as a major avenue for outsourcing
aircraft components and systems. The HAL Chairman, Mr N.R. Mohanty, recently awarded the Padmashri, was felicitated on the occasion. SIATI awards instituted for excellence in development and manufacturing of aerospace materials, components and systems, were awarded this year to Steel and Industrial Forgings, Godrej and Boyce, Spectrum Infotech, Kirloskar Industrial Estate, Assam Carbon Products, and Rubber Products. |
|
Jaipal Reddy takes over as I&B Minister New Delhi, May 24 Talking to mediapersons after taking charge of the ministry, Mr Reddy said it was not the job of the government to play the role of moral police. He said no hasty execution was warranted of the controversial conditional access system
(CAS). While drawing attention to significant initiatives taken by him earlier as I&B Minister, the Congress leader said he had made operational the Prasar Bharti Act by giving functional autonomy to AIR and Doordarshan and brought in the Broadcast Authority Bill. “I assure everyone that it will be my endeavour to take these two initiatives forward,” he said. Mr Reddy said an enabling environment was necessary for the public broadcaster to do the job. He stressed upon the need for a public broadcasting authority on the lines of the Federal Communications Commission. He said although TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) was doing the job, he was keen on creating a full-time independent regulator for the broadcasting industry. “I will try to get a regulatory authority as quickly as possible. I cannot set a timeframe but I realise that time is essence.” |
|
Squabbles among
Andhra ministers Hyderabad, May 24 Two of the newly sworn-in ministers abstained from the first Cabinet meeting held here today, making it clear that the going for Dr Reddy will be far from smooth in the coming days. The facade of unity that the Andhra Pradesh Congress leaders maintained in the wake of a historic victory in the elections buckled under pressure of group interests following the induction of the Cabinet. While PCC president D. Srinivas miffed that he was given a light portfolio and is camping in Delhi to complain to party chief Sonia Gandhi, another minister N. Rajya Lakshmi sent in her resignation, protesting against the non-inclusion of her husband and former Chief Minister N. Janardhan Reddy in the Union Cabinet. Another failed aspirant for a berth in the Manmohan Singh Cabinet G. Venkata Swamy also made his son
Vinod, the only first-timer to get a place in the state Cabinet, send in his resignation to the party high command. Both Mr Janardhan Reddy and Mr Venkata Swamy believe that the Chief Minister hatched a conspiracy to deprive them of berth in the Union Cabinet by inducting members of their families into the state ministry. “It was done according to a plan. I wouldn’t have accepted the post if I had an inkling of what they were up to,” Ms Rajya Lakshmi said without naming Dr Reddy. Former PCC chief M. Satyanarayana Rao and Mr Shabbir Ali, former minister and protege of Mr Gulam Nabi Azad, also expressed their dissatisfaction publicly over portfolios. The Chief Minister, however, dismissed reports about disgruntlement among his Cabinet colleagues and said he did not receive any resignation letters from his any of his ministers. Dr Reddy’s camp maintains that the Chief Minister had no role in the formation of the Union Cabinet and that Ms Rajya Lakshmi and Mr Vinod were picked by the party high command for inclusion in the state Cabinet. Taking a swipe at the squabbles in the newly formed Cabinet, the opposition Telugu Desam Party said this was not quite unexpected of the Congress government. “We only want that serious issues such as farmers’ suicides should not get diverted because of these power game within the party,” general secretary U. Venkateswarlu remarked. |
|
Common man not to be ignored,
say Sibal, Selja New Delhi, May 24 Mr Kapil Sibal, who took over as the Science and Technology Minister, said the common man “will not be ignored.” Mr Sibal said the priority of his ministry would be to take technology to the common man at an affordable price. The government, he said, would work towards the simplification of regulatory procedures, specially with respect to biotechnology. Mr Sibal, who visited the Department of Biotechnology and Ocean Development, said rules should be such as stimulate growth. Ms Selja, who assumed office as Minister for Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation, said the ministry had been created to translate promises of the Congress into reality. Elected from Ambala, Ms Selja was a Deputy Minister and Minister of State at the Centre from 1992 to 1996. Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said the new government would accord top priority to raising the standard of living of the people living below poverty line (BPL) and providing drinking water in rural areas of the country. Mr Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said his ministry would soon chalk out a strategy to ensure that those living in extreme poverty got roof over their heads. Maintaining that India “did not shine” in the rural areas during the NDA regime, he said every effort would be made to strengthen the Panchayati Raj institutions. |
|
Bharadwaj for repealing POTA, corruption-free judiciary New Delhi, May 24 “We had opposed POTA in Parliament. If you see Ms Sonia Gandhi’s speech in Parliament, it will give an indication that we don’t relish it. I will meet the Home Minister soon to discuss about the repealing of POTA. We are very clear that it must go,” Mr Bharadwaj told mediapersons after assuming office here today. On the question of “corruption” in judiciary and alleged “misconduct” of certain High Court judges in the recent past, the new Law Minister said though the government had no direct role to play in the affairs of judiciary, which “is a holy cow”, still he would soon meet the CJI to discuss how its functioning could be “streamlined”. Stating that he had drawn an 21-point charter to improve the functioning of judiciary, appointment of judges, upgrading infrastructural facilities to it, speedy disposal of cases and dealing with alleged corruption in lower judiciary, he said “this will be done once the new CJI takes over” as the present
CJI, Mr Justice S Rajendra Babu is to retire on June 2. “Once the new CJI takes over the entire system will be streamlined,” Mr Bharadwaj said adding “I will soon consult the Prime Minister on 21-point charter on judicial reforms.” “The recent scandals in judiciary do not speak of a happy situation. This needs to be corrected. The integrity of courts has to be upheld as judiciary is the spine of the rule of law. I will talk to the CJI as how the sagging image of judiciary can be restored,” Mr Bharadwaj said. When asked to elaborate on his 21-point charter, he said “It is mainly aimed at removing the procedural wrangles.” When specifically asked whether the new government would consider the proposals of Law Commission and Constitution Review Commission to appoint the NJC to deal with appointments and transfers of judges, the Law Minister said “There is no such proposal under consideration of the new government.” “I don’t see any reason why the power of President to appoint the judges should be diluted. Similarly there is no reason to interfere with the Chief Justice of India’s power on appointment and the recommendatory power of the Chief Justices of High Courts,” he said. He said the idea of the NJC was a “non starter” as it had been rejected both by the Supreme Court and the Bar. But at the same time he said that consultation process for evolving “harmonious” mechanism would continue. When his attention was drawn towards over a hundred vacancies of High Court judges lying vacant for the past few years, Mr Bharadwaj blamed the NDA Government for it and said the matter would be looked into. “I will initiate a probe how this has happened. Why there was delay in appointing the judges,” he said. |
|
POTA needed to check terrorism, says BJP New Delhi, May 24 Expressing sympathies with the families of those killed in the attack, party spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the BJP expected the Congress-led ruling alliance to take stern measures against terrorist activities and bring the culprits to book. The NDA government had brought in Prevention of Terrorism Act to check terrorism and the new government was talking of repealing it. While there was scope for misuse of law it did not mean that the law should be scrapped. Recalling the manner in which MDMK leader Y Gopalaswamy interacted with former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Rashtrapati Bhavan at the swearing-in ceremony of the government, Mr Naqvi said it underlined the fact that even a victim of POTA did not have any grudge against Mr Vajpayee. |
|
BJP criticises Union Cabinet composition New Delhi, May 24 The BJP also charged that the Congress party’s carefully-planned projection of Sonia Gandhi as an “idol of sacrifice” and the Congress coalition as emerging from the cauldron of sacrifice and penance would fall flat on account of inherent contradictions and self-serving interests of the allies. “Regional representation has not been given due attention while allocating ministries and also the tussle for ministries and departments raises questions about the true intentions of the allies who are joining the government,” BJP spokesperson M.A. Naqvi told newspersons here. “Why are they fighting over ‘malaidaar’ (creamy) ministries. This is a bad indication for good governance”, he said. Mr Naqvi said in the distribution of ministries, many important states like Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Uttaranchal, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh have been ignored while others like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have not been represented in accordance with their size and population. “A government without a common minimum programme, having ministers with serious criminal records, tussle over portfolios and regional imbalances gives a clear picture of the shape of the things to come in future,” he said. Referring to the induction of Shivraj V. Patil and P.M. Sayeed in the Union Cabinet, he said it was for the first time that those who had lost in the Lok Sabha elections have been immediately taken into government and it set “a new precedent”. Replying to a question, Mr Naqvi ruled out any change of leadership in Gujarat in the wake of party’s poor performance in the state in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections. “There is no question of change of leadership in Gujarat and there is no credence to reports that he is being changed,” Mr Naqvi said. It is worth mentioning that criticism from the party and RSS leaders have been mounting against Mr Modi and yesterday top party leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L.K. Advani and Arun Jaitley had a meeting with Gujarat state unit president Rajinder Singh Rana and BJP general secretary in charge of organisation Sanjay Joshi to review the political situation in the state. |
|
Thackeray predicts fall of UPA govt Mumbai, May 24 Speaking to journalists at a function on last evening, Thackeray said that the inherent contradictions among partners in power and clash of egos would not allow the government to survive. “There is a remote control of Left parties for the ruling dispensation, which has also got leaders like Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav and Mr Sharad Pawar who lack coordination. The UPA lacks political homogeneity and it will last a year or so,” Thackeray said in a statement that was quoted by the party mouthpiece, Saamna. Thackeray, however, used the occasion to hit out at the disinvestment policies of the NDA government, which, he said, resulted in its downfall. The Shiv Sena leader added that he had been a strident critic of the “India Shining” campaign, but his suggestions went unheeded. Earlier, his son and heir Uddhav Thackeray blamed the Gujarat riots for the saffron combine losing in the poll. |
|
Govt to promote religious tourism New Delhi, May 24 She pointed out that among other religious places of worship, the ministry would focus specially on the Buddhist sites in a bid to attract tourists from Japan and China. Ms Choudhry also appreciated the work done by her predecessor in the ministry. Among other matters, the ministry would take up the issue of “visa on arrival” for some selective countries, she said. |
|
K’nataka Cong seeks three days time Bangalore, May 24 Congress State President Janardan Poojary met the Governor and asked for three days time in which to formalise an arrangement with the JD (S). While talking to reporters, he said the party legislators would meet later in the evening to decide on a leader and other issues. The JD (S) continues with the hope of leading the coalition, while the general expectation is that the Congress’s increasingly hardline position on the so-called “Maharashtra model” would win out. Congress leaders continued to insist that they would lead the coalition or sit in the opposition, while the JD (S) supremo reiterated their stand that the Congress had been rejected in the elections and they should accommodate the JD
(S). |
|
Jungle hunters search for missing MiG-27 New Delhi, May 24 With six days gone without any trace of the missing fighter, the IAF authorities deployed the jungle hunters after the local people in Malbazar, halfway between Hashimara and Bagdogra air bases, reported hearing a “loud thud” near the area on May 19, an IAF spokesman said here. He said the IAF had also requistioned the services of army commandoes to carry out the search in the area. The
aircraft on a short-haul flight between the two airbases, lost radio contact with the ground soon after take off from the Hashimara air base. The spokesman said so far 55 search and rescue flights had been carried out by Mi-8 helicopters and in addition Royal Nepalese choppers had carried out extensive search on the Nepalese side of the frontier without any result. He said MiG-27 simulators were being inducted into the Hashimara air base by the middle of next year to help improve conversion training of pilots to the Russian ground attack fighter. |
|
Judicial remand for doctor in rape case Ahmedabad, May 24 |
|
No to Babloo Srivastava’s plea New Delhi, May 24 |
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | National Capital | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Passenger safety to be priority
Videos
