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Committee set up on police reforms
Rahul joins Dandi Yatra
Bilal Musharraf, son of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, poses in front of historic cannon during his visit to Lucknow on Sunday. — Reuters
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Illegal migrants: Dhaka not cooperating, SC told
New Delhi, March 20 Non-cooperation of Bangladesh in permitting India to establish special floating border outposts (BOPs) in its waters has been cited as one of the reasons for its failure to check large-scale illegal migration from the neighbouring country by the Centre in its reply before the Supreme Court, hearing a bunch of petitions on the issue.
BJP for 60 pc allocations to rural areas
MEA’s renewed focus on Africa
9 killed as bus falls into gorge
Employment quota for Punjabis sought
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Committee set up on police reforms
New Delhi, March 20 The special committee was constituted keeping in view the changing security scenario in the country and the urgent need to bring about drastic changes in the police and policing. Sources said the ministry had asked the new committee to short-list the unimplemented recommendations from various reports of the commissions, including those of the National Police Commission, the Gore Commission on Police Training, the Padmanabhaiah Committee on Police Reforms, the Ribeiro Committee on Police Reforms, the Malimath Committee on Reforms of the Criminal Justice System to name a few. The sources said since the recommendations, made by the various commissions, were numerous, the present committee would identify only recommendations which were crucial for improvement in the police functioning and the implementation of which would make an immediate impact on the process of police reforms. The committee has identified 46 such recommendations which need to be implemented on urgent footing. Some important recommendations are the separation of investigation wing from law and order, internal security and role of police, women police be merged with regular police, modernisation of police forces, improving forensic science and infrastructure, computerisation of police stations, federal offences, organised crime, tracking economic offences, the Amendments of Identification of Prisoners Act, state security commission, police commissionerate system, promotion to constables and so on. The sources added that so far six national-level Police Commissions and 11 state-level Police Commissions were appointed to study and improve the police functioning in the country. |
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Rahul joins Dandi Yatra
Anand, March 20 “I’m here to participate in the Dandi yatra. I’m not really concerned with what the BJP is doing,” he said, when asked by reporters in the backdrop of perception that Rahul had been roped in to counter to the BJP’s high-pitch “Swabhiman rally” in Ahmedabad today. In the yatra, the young Congress leader was accompanied by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit and Union Minister Kapil Sibal as the event recommenced at day-break from Kankapura in Anand district. Rahul’s political ventures have so far been confined to his Lok Sabha constituency, Amethi, and nearby Rae Bareli in UP and a protest staged by young Congress leaders outside the Parliament House when the opposition NDA had forced adjournment of the house over the Jharkhand power tussle. The yatra, organised to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s march to protest the salt tax of the British Raj, entered the ninth day today after it was flagged off by Congress President Sonia Gandhi from Sabarmati Ashram on March 12.
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Lucknow impresses Musharraf’s kin
Lucknow, March 20 Calling it the most significant part of their visit, Javed Musharraf said Lucknow was very special to him about which he had heard from his mother, who has many pleasant memories of the time she spent here some 60 years ago”. For Bilal, who loves to watch Nasiruddin Shah movies and is an ardent fan of the golden voice of Kishore Kumar, Lucknow was a ‘must visit’ as he had heard so much about it from his grandmother. “Even the man on the street here speaks such a sophisticated language!” he remarked. From the time of their arrival around noon to their departure, they underwent a whirlwind trip. After a brief stopover at the VVIP guesthouse, they freshened up and were ready for the day ahead. “My grandmother has specifically asked me to see all places she was associated with,” said Bilal. The first stop was Lucknow University where Begum Zaren had studied at the History Department. They visited the old History Department room that now houses the Urdu Department. Dr Sushila Das, a former classmate of the Begum had come to meet her friend and was disappointed that her classmate had not come. At Kailash Hostel, where Begum Zaren had stayed many decades ago, women hostellers entertained the guests with a song. They were, however, disappointed as they had hoped to hear stories about those times from her. Compering the programme, Sabira Habib from the Russian Department touched a chord by reciting a couplet “Aao mil kar hum gira dein beech ki deewar ko, dekhna aangan hamara dogana ho jayega”. The university had mementoes for the guests’ and framed photographs of the historical Rumi Gate. It was then time to catch a glimpse of the historical sites of the city. Bilal took shots of the decor of the Chota imambara and the Residency ruins, including old guns on display. He marvelled at the architect of the Bhulbhulaiyan about which again his grandmother had given him graphic descriptions. “Despite all the descriptions, I had not imagined it to be so grand”, he was heard saying. The next halt was the Riverbank colony residence of their relative Sidrat Ansari where they spent almost two hours. According to Mr Ansari, it was a memorable afternoon. “Bilal struck such a rapport with my children that by the end of the visit they seemed like long lost friends”. A sumptuous spread of biryani, a variety of kebabs, “bharwan baingan” and a special “kathal” dish were laid out for lunch. |
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Illegal migrants: Dhaka not cooperating, SC told
New Delhi, March 20 Though a Bench of Chief Justice R.C. Lahoti, Mr Justice G.P. Mathur and Mr Justice P.K. Balasubramanyan has sought a fresh affidavit from the Centre on various aspects of the continued influx of Bangladeshis whose population in India has been estimated to be over Rs 3 crore, the Ministry of Home Affairs in its affidavit said the reply of Bangladesh about floating BOPs was still awaited despite the matter being taken up with it at the diplomatic level. “The BOPs will have to traverse through Indo-Bangladesh waters. Hence, permission is required from the Bangladesh Government. The Indian Government has taken up the matter with Bangladesh and a reply is awaited,” the Home Ministry said in its affidavit. Admitting that the illegal Bangladeshi immigrants’ problem was serious in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tripura and West Bengal, the ministry said the government had sanctioned nine floating BOPs for surveillance in the riverine sector of the Indo-Bangladesh border to operate under the command of the Special Police Division. A chart placed before the court about the progress on the border fencing in Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya and Tripura also showed slow progress in the completion of its second phase as only 700 km of it of the sanctioned 2,430 km could be completed up to 2004 at a cost of Rs 1,334 crore. Not satisfied with the Home Ministry’s affidavit, the court on Thursday had directed the Centre to make its stand clear on the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act, 1983, passed by the Assam Government on the report of a former state Governor, Lt-Gen S.K. Sinha that the settlement of a large number of Bangladeshis in the state, particularly along the border, had posed a grave threat to the country’s security. The court has also asked the government to make its stand clear on preparing a fresh National Citizen Register and issue of multi-purpose national identity cards to every citizen based on the register, which had not been updated since 1952. The IMDT Act is considered to be the major obstacle to deportation of Bangladeshis as it makes establishing their identity mandatory by a tribunal before being sent back. While former All-Assam Student Union (AASU) leader Sarbananda Sonowal had sought striking down the IMDT Act, the Jamait Ulema-E-Hind has sought its extension to other states like West Bengal and Delhi where a large population of Bangladeshis is concentrated. On the other hand, the All-India Lawyers Forum for Civil Liberties, which had filed the original public interest litigation (PIL) on the issue in the apex court in 1998, had alleged that names of thousands of Bangladesh immigrants had even been registered in the electoral rolls and several thousands of them had been issued ration cards. The forum had sought a direction to the Centre, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, West Bengal and Delhi governments to deport all Bangladeshis living in India illegally. The court has directed the Union Government to file a fresh affidavit by March 29 so that it can proceed further with the hearing on these petitions on March 30. |
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BJP for 60 pc allocations to rural areas
Dehra Dun, March 20 Speaking to newspersons, leader of Opposition Matbar Singh Kandari charged the government with concentrating on the development of Hardwar, Dehra Dun and Udham Singh Nagar while overlooking the hill districts. Even as the economy of the state was agriculture based and maximum population resided in villages, the government had failed to answer the needs of the people in the villages, he said. While a few industries had come up in the plains districts, no industries had been set up in the hill districts, he said, adding that the onus was on the government to facilitate the setting up of industries. The state had debts worth Rs 9,404 crore due to lack of measures to maintain fiscal discipline, the Opposition said. |
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MEA’s renewed focus on Africa
New Delhi, March 20 A major project is to be executed by India in Africa in the coming months to provide fibre-optic and electronic connectivity among all its states. It is envisaged that implementation of this project will impart a further impetus to Africa in its march towards progress and prosperity. The March 21-22 conference is being held at a time when India and Africa are poised to enter a new era of expanding cooperation and interaction in such diverse fields as IT, SSI, agriculture and communications where Indian experience and technology would prove of special benefit to Africa. The conference will be inaugurated by External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh. Minister of State for Africa, Rao Inderjit Singh, will deliver the valedictory address on March 22. During this conference there will be interactive sessions between Secretaries in the Ministry of External Affairs as well as Heads of concerned territorial divisions with the visiting Heads of Mission regarding various aspects of India’s policy towards Africa. Secretaries and senior officers of other ministries such as Commerce, Home and Finance are expected to address the Heads of Mission participating in this conference. India has been extending developmental assistance to these countries and providing them with facilities to develop their human resources. Since the inception of this programme in early 1960s around 10,000 nationals from Africa have received training in India in a wide array of fields ranging from management and I.T. to administration, education and health. |
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9 killed as bus falls into gorge
Dehra Dun, March 20 The bus (UA 11 0263), on its way to Karanprayag from Gopeshwar was carrying 21 passengers, including driver and conductor. Eleven persons have been injured out of which three seriously injured were admitted to Gopeshwar District Hospital while the rest were sent to a Karanprayag hospital, said Chamoli DM Ajay Singh Nabiyal. The arrangements for post-mortem of the bodies were made at Karanprayag and the kin of all those dead and injured were informed, district officials said. A magisterial inquiry had been ordered into the accident, the officials said. The accident took place near Langasu. Locals said the accident took place when the driver, who was on a high speed, could not negotiate a turn, leading the bus into a deep gorge. The locals were the first to help with the rescue operations while district officials and the police rushed to the site after being informed. This is the second bus accident in less than two weeks in the state. Last week on March 13, 19 persons were killed and 11 injured in a bus accident, a few kilometers ahead of Mussoorie. The bus was on its way to Tehri from Mussoorie. |
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Employment quota for Punjabis sought
Dehra Dun, March 20 Mr Behar, who recently became the president of the State Punjabi Association, said the members of the community do not find jobs despite being educated. He said he would
appeal to the Chief Minister N.D. Tiwari to give reservation to the community. However, Mr Behar
said further specifications like the percentage of reservation would be chalked out before the request is forwarded to the Chief Minister. |
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