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CPM will fight for agrarian issues, says
Karat
Left happy with UPA foreign
policy
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Ties with US have matured, says
Natwar
Whole truth on Fernandes not yet out: Cong
2nd Administrative Reforms Commission to be set
up
Govt’s handling of Nepal disappoints
Sinha
River-linking project should progress:
SC
Zahira asked to appear before SC
panel
Examine Kanshi Ram, SC to AIIMS
Modi to meet RSS
chief
Indian delegation to attend disabled’s meet
Pappu Yadav allowed to get treatment at AIIMS
Rangachari new envoy to France
Fake stamp papers: 7-year jail for three
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CPM will fight for agrarian issues, says
Karat
New Delhi, April 8 “There has been no ground level change for the rural poor, the peasantry and the farmers and the problems faced by them during NDA rule remain the same ... the agrarian economy is on the verge of a collapse,” CPM Politburo member Prakash Karat told reporters. He said the agrarian question would be taken up in a major way by the party to expose the UPA government’s anti-farmer policies and to become a focal point for the Left and democratic forces to rally round to form the third alternative. Giving details of the deliberations on the third day of the party’s 18th party Congress, he said the party unanimously adopted a resolution on “Agrarian crisis and struggles of peasants and agricultural workers” which called for implementation of the land reform Acts, legislation for agriculture workers, increased subsidy for agricultural inputs and firm stand on WTO-related issues. Mr Karat said the CPM had decided to intensify a two-pronged struggle to fight communalism and “neo-liberal” economic approach of the Manmohan Singh government. Besides raising the “severe agrarian distress” sparked off by liberalisation policies, delegates at the party Congress discussed threadbare the political resolution which, among other things, touched on issues like caste and social oppression against Dalits, women, minorities and tribals. “The delegates, who moved 197 amendments, did not suggest any major changes in the party's political line of conducting simultaneous fight against communalism and intensifying struggle against the neo-liberal policies of the UPA government,” Mr Karat said. To questions on the evolution of the “third alternative”, he said :“A viable “third alternative” cannot be formed only by the CPM and the Samajwadi Partyso we want others also.” “We are talking to those non-Congress, non-BJP parties. But let the situation mature first,” he said. |
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Left happy with UPA foreign
policy
New Delhi, April 8 “On foreign policy sphere, the government is going according to our understanding in the Common Minimum Programme….the direction is good,” said CPM politburo member Sitaram Yechury after the meeting. Later, when asked to comment on the critical stand by the party congress on the Palestinian issue and the demand for sanction against Israel, politburo member Prakash Karat, who is tipped to take over as the CPM General Secretary, said “the government's stand in relation to Pakistan and China figured in the meeting. The discussion did not pertain to the entire gamut of the country's foreign policy.” Earlier , External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh briefed the Left leaders on the high profile visits at an hour long meeting attended by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, CPM leaders Harkishan Singh Surjeet and Sitaram
Yechury, CPI leaders A. B. Bardhan and D. Raja, RSP leader Abani Roy and Forward Bloc's Debabrata
Biswas. The External Affairs Minister told reporters that the meeting today was “exclusively” to brief the Left parties about the visits by the Chinese and Pakistani leaders.
Mr Yechury said the government was absolutely on the right track and that border disputes with China could be solved only through
talks. Mr Raja said they had been informed that Gen Musharraf would be in India for 48 hours and the Left parties had congratulated the Government for successfully running the Srinagar- Muzaffarabad bus. |
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Cong’s psyche exposed, says
BJP
New Delhi, April 8 “The truth has now come out, even if it is on account of political
incompetence. When the truth has come out the suggestion that the affidavit on facts in relation to guilt or innocence should be referred to the CCPA is based on the hypothesis that a political stunt should be given even to facts,” BJP General Secretary and former Union Law Minister told newspersons here. “This has never happened in the past”,
Mr Jaitley said adding that “this is in line with the Congress psyche to keep the pot boiling against opponents and cover up cases of supporters and allies.” |
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Ties with US have matured, says
Natwar
New Delhi, April 8 Mr Natwar Singh was referring to America’s agreement to sell F-16 fighter aircraft to Pakistan, which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh initially described as “a great disappointment”. Mr Natwar Singh said: “I have told the Americans that we are disappointed in your giving this but our relationship has reached a level of maturity where we can live with our differences without our fundamental friendly good relations being affected adversely .... our relations with the United States (have reached) a different dimension. The relations have never been better. Right across we are having exchanges with them. In every area, including peaceful uses of nuclear energy .... I’m going to Washington early next week to have talks with the Secretary of State and other officials of the Bush administration. All these aspects will be discussed. No aspect will be left out.” The minister said that Americans had “not fully made up their mind” about supporting India’s claim to a permanent seat on the United Nation’s Security Council and he would specifically raise this when he meets Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice next week. “We have discussed it with them. They have not fully made up their mind. I intend taking this up when I go to Washington next week .... I hope that they haven’t closed their mind and I will certainly ask this particular question as to where do you stand on the reform of the United Nations and India’s place as a permanent member with a veto.” In this connection, Mr Natwar Singh said that earlier press reports that India might not insist on veto powers if it was granted permanent membership of the Security Council were wrong. As he put it: “India will not accept any discrimination between the original P5 with veto powers and the future P5 permanent members .... we are looking for permanent membership with veto power.” However, Mr Natwar Singh seemed to have problems with a widely quoted statement by a senior State Department official that America was willing to help India become a major world power in the 21st century. He said: “I would have phrased it in a different way. We are not in the game of becoming a world power. Our job is to eradicate poverty .... this particular (bit) was not happily phrased in my judgement because we are not in the game of becoming a world power .... (but) we welcome the improvement in our relations and the raising of our relations to a much higher level.” |
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Whole truth on Fernandes not yet out: Cong New Delhi, April 8 Dismissing suggestions that the party and the UPA government were working at cross purposes on the issue of “clean chit” to Mr Fernandes, Congress General Secretary Ambika Soni said nobody had given any certificate to him. “There is no question of the Congress and the government working at cross purposes. I think the whole truth has not come out,” she said. Responding to a query on affidavit filed before the Supreme Court saying that procedures had not been flouted in arms purchase during the Kargil conflict, she said the exercise was yet to be completed as several cases were pending. She said the party first took up Tehelka expose, then the CAG report and defence purchases made during the tenure of Mr Fernandes as Defence Minister.
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2nd Administrative Reforms Commission to be set
up
New Delhi, April 8 The setting up of the second ARC after nearly four decades assumes significance in the wake of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s observation that the civil service needs to be revamped to make it more accountable. The commission, for which a sum of Rs 8 crore has been provided, will study the entire gamut of issues pertaining to public administration and submit its report to the government within a year, Information and Broadcasting Minister Jaipal Reddy told mediapersons here this afternoon. The first ARC was set up in 1966 to examine the public administration system and make recommendations for reforms and reorganisation. The Chairperson of the ARC, to be set up under the
Commissions of Inquiry Act, will enjoy Cabinet status. It will have four members and a secretary. The ARC is expected to go into the organisational structure of the Central Government, ethics in governance, refurbishing of personnel administration, strengthening financial management systems and steps required for efficient administration at the district, local and panchayat levels. Simultaneously, the ARC will also go into the issues of federal polity, crisis management, public order and e-governance. For filling the vacancies of SC/STs in the government, the Cabinet, with Dr Manmohan Singh in the chair, directed that the backlog of vacancies of the OBCs should be monitored strictly. Reports in this regard should be submitted to the Cabinet periodically. The government has launched a special recruitment drive to fill the SC/ST and OBC backlog of vacancies under the direct quota scheme. All the ministries were impressed upon to fill the backlog in promotion as well through a special drive. |
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Govt’s handling of Nepal disappoints
Sinha
New Delhi, April 8 “It has been India's policy since 1947 to deal with who-so-ever was at the helm of affairs without "other" factors coming in between.” Though India could always express its concern and make efforts to safeguard its interests, the dialogue process between the two neighbours should never be allowed to cease in any eventuality, he stressed saying "Lest Nepal became a happy hunting ground for anti-India elements". |
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River-linking project should progress:
SC
New Delhi, April 8 “The project should go ahead, except when due to environment angle certain deviation is necessary,” a Bench of Mr Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and Mr Justice P.P. Naolekar said, making it clear to the NGOs and environmentalists that the court’s impression about their raising some issues pertaining to the project was not aimed at “putting obstacles” in its way. Stating that there could always be two opinions about any issue and such divergent opinion about the massive project had been expressed since the early fifties, the court said otherwise it would not move ahead. When advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for some environmentalist, tried to find fault with certain decisions of the government regarding preparation of the feasibility report (FR) on some river links in particular and about the entire project in general, the Bench said “this court as well as the public have to put faith on somebody, which is executing the project, otherwise it will never take off.” Solicitor-General Goolam E Vahanvati, who placed on record the progress made by the Centre in preparing the feasibility report regarding certain link network, said “the government wants to move forward not backward on the project.” |
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Zahira asked to appear before SC panel
New Delhi, April 8 Headed by Registrar General of the apex court B.M. Gupta, who co-opted Delhi Police Joint Commissioner Kanwaljit Deol as its member, the committee has directed both the women to appear before it, sources said. —
PTI |
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Examine Kanshi Ram, SC to AIIMS
New Delhi, April 8 Entertaining a petition by Kanshi Ram’s mother Bishan Kaur, alleging that her son was not being given proper treatment, a Bench of Mr Justice N.Santosh Hegde and Mr Justice S.B. Sinha said the team of doctors would give its opinion whether the ailing leader required hospitalised treatment, and if so, in which hospital he should be shifted. The AIIMS could take the help of Batra Hospital doctors to examine and evaluate the medical condition of Kanshi Ram as he was treated there earlier, the court said. Senior advocate R.N. Trivedi, appearing for Mayawati, refuted the allegations of inadequate treatment to Kanshi Ram at her house, saying that doctors were visiting him regularly, including those from the government hospitals. Trivedi said his client had no objection in getting Kashi Ram examined by doctors from any hospital. Counsel for Bishan Kaur alleged that due to improper treatment, Kanshi Ram has lost his speech and was not in a position to recognise any one. |
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Modi to meet RSS
chief
New Delhi, April 8 Though both the Chief Ministers will be visiting a plant where plastic would be converted into petrol, which will be inaugurated by RSS chief, there was speculation here right through the day that Mr Sudarshan has summoned them to discuss dissidence against them in their respective state units. “There is no political significance to this event... the RSS chief wanted the Chief Ministers to see the plant for themselves and establish similar units in their states if they found When contacted BJP spokesperson Arun Jaitley also said there was no political significance to the two chief ministers’ visit to Nagpur. |
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Indian delegation to attend disabled’s meet
New Delhi, April 8 It is an international self-help group that has members in 120 countries and was set up by disabled people in 1980 at an international conference in Singapore. Its creation was motivated by slogan `Nothing About Us Without Us’ raised at the conference. Its Indian chapter was formed in 2000. Mr Abidi who is the Secretary General of the DPI said a number of critical issues would be discussed at the five-day conference. |
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Pappu Yadav allowed to get treatment at AIIMS
New Delhi, April 8 A Bench comprising Mr Justice N. Santosh Hegde and Mr Justice S. B. Sinha directed the Tihar Jail authorities to shift him to AIIMS and ensure that no person other than his family members meet him in the hospital. Additional Solicitor-General Amrendra Sharan informed the court that the MP had to be taken to AIIMS for medical check up on March 29 and 31 in emergency condition, following which a board of doctors had been constituted by the institute for his examination and treatment. |
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Rangachari new envoy to France
New Delhi, April 8 |
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Fake stamp papers: 7-year jail for three
New Delhi, April 8 The Special Judge convicted S. Krishnamurthy, P. Marimuthu and G Raja for possessing and selling fake stamp paper. During the trial, both Krishnamurthy and Raja had absconded jumping bail, and later was nabbed by the CBI after concerted efforts for months. The CBI had chargesheeted the convicts on February 7, 2005. —
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