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Telecom services may be hit Cong silent on leadership change in J&K Buta Singh non-committal on resignation as Governor |
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Govt servant can be removed for moral turpitude: SC
Recall Buta, NDA asks Kalam
Quake-prone Punjab, HP, Haryana have no plan in place
Shahabuddin dares administration
Jail a luxury home for Amarmani Tripathi
Consumer court pulls up ICICI Bank
Sahara aircraft pulled out
Netherlands Deputy PM to visit India
Advani's remarks may figure in RSS meet
PM undergoes minor surgery
Protest brings AMU to standstill
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Telecom services may be hit New Delhi, October 13 The decision not to have any more negotiations and which was conveyed to the association of these officials (ITSA) by the Communication Minister Dayanidhi Maran during a meeting today, virtually seals the fate of the technocrats who are now certain to be shifted to a surplus cell of the government. As ITSA has already obtained an order to stop the government from appointing retired telecom officers in their place in the two PSUs as part of a contingency plan, telecom services could be hampered. “The fact that only 16 out of 2,200 serving ITS officers have opted for BSNL/MTNL vindicates our stand that offered terms and conditions by DoT are degrading compared to the existing terms and conditions,” S.S. Sirohi, president, ITSA, said in a statement. Mr Sirohi also blamed a section of the bureaucracy in DoT for mishandling the absorption process, which has created an impasse. ITSA asked Mr Maran to set up a high level committee comprising independent members and ITSA nominees to address the issue and work out a win-win solution to all the stake holders-officials, DoT, BSNL and MTNL. The minister, however, expressed his inability to revisit ITSA’s demands now as the deadline set by the Cabinet had expired on October 1 thereby closing the absorption process. The Union Cabinet had approved an absorption package for 3000 Group A officers of telecom service cadre in BSNL and MTNL which includes a 25 per cent rise in emoluments retrospectively and extension of the date of absorption by two weeks to October 15. As per the terms of the ‘attractive’ package, it is made clear that these officers would not have any loss of emoluments (pay+DA) on absorption. The senior officers would be eligible for stagnation increment. The government has also offered special allowance resulting in about 25 per cent increase in emoluments (pay+DA) per month for each officer, calculated as on October 1, 2000 (the date of corporatisation), it had said. |
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Cong silent on leadership change in J&K New Delhi, October 13 As per the power-sharing arrangement worked out between the Congress and the PDP, the Chief Minister’s post was to pass on to the Congress on completion of three years in office by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on November 2. Before the quake hit Jammu and Kashmir, the state Congress had been mounting pressure on the central leadership that the party adhere to this arrangement and appoint its nominee as the next Chief Minister. Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has been their unanimous choice for the top slot. Although there is a distinct possibility that the change may be deferred beyond November 2, all discussions on the issue have been put on the backburner after last Saturday’s quake. As of now, both the Congress and the PDP are focussing all their energies on the relief operations in the quake-hit areas. “Right now, we are concentrating on organising the relief material for the quake victims ... it would be inhuman to talk about leadership change at this stage,” said Mrs.Ambika Soni, AICC General Secretary in charge of Jammu and Kashmir, adding that nobody raised this subject when Congress President Sonia Gandhi visited the state last Sunday, indicating that this issue is not top priority right now. The fact that Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad has been asked by the Prime Minister to station himself in Srinagar to coordinate between the Centre and the state has fuelled speculation that though the leadership plans could be delayed, but they remain very much on course. In any case, it was stated, there’s nothing sacrosanct about the November 2 deadline. Congress leaders maintain that in view of the huge tragedy which has struck the state and the sensitivities involved, the party did not wish to say or do anything at this stage which could be misconstrued or jeopardise the relief operations. “Can you imagine the impact it will have on the civil administration if we start talking about an impending leadership change,” remarked a senior Congress leader. Meanwhile, the Congress has mounted a massive relief operation in the state as chiefs of frontal organisations have been stationed in the state and five trucks carrying materials, including blankets, shawls,tents and sweaters, have been despatched. Congress states have pitched in with monetary assistance and party MPs have pledged liberal contributions from their MPLADS funds. The Congress believes this is a good opportunity to win over the trust of the people in the valley, who have always viewed both the Congress and New Delhi with suspicion. |
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Buta Singh non-committal on resignation as Governor New Delhi, October 13 “The apex court ruling is paramount for me and I have full faith in it. All its decisions are ‘sarvmanya’ and ‘sarvpriya (acceptable to all),” Mr Singh said. The Governor, however, parried all questions on whether he would put in his papers owning moral responsibility for the Bihar imbroglio following intense pressure from various quarters. To a question whether he had any regrets about his action or whether he was contemplating resigning, Mr Singh said, ‘’All the questions are meaningless and are nothing more than ‘zero’ for me.’’ The Governor said he would not reveal anything at this stage as Bihar was passing through a very sensitive phase with elections round the corner and anything that he would say could have adverse impact on the electoral process. Asked about his reaction to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s observation at Chandigarh recently that the Union Cabinet did not disown its moral responsibility in recommending dissolution of the state assembly, Mr Singh said, “Ask this question to those who have made the statement.” Addressing a crowded press conference, Mr Singh said he had come to the national capital three days ago to inquire about the well-being of two of his ailing relatives who had been admitted to hospitals. “I am passing through a very difficult phase because of my relatives’ ill-health. Yet I called this press conference as I have always maintained the best of relations with the media in Delhi which was keen to meet me.” |
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Govt servant can be removed for moral turpitude: SC
New Delhi, October 13 Upholding the IAF order for compulsorily retiring pilot officer M M Malhotra after the Court of Inquiry and Bombay High Court rejecting his petition against it, a Bench of Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat and Mr Justice H K Sema said though there could be no precise definition of “misconduct”, it has to be reflected from connotation from the context, the delinquency in performance and its effect on the discipline and the nature of the duty of a public servant. Referring to several earlier rulings of the apex court on the issue, the Bench said “misconduct may involve moral turpitude, must be improper or wrong and unlawful behaviour, wilful in character, forbidden act, a transgression of established and definite rule of action or code of conduct but not mere error of judgement, carelessness or negligence in the performance or duty.” “The misconduct means unlawful behaviour, misfeasance, wrong conduct and misdemeanour,” the court said. Malhotra’s wife Roopa Malhotra filed a complaint with the Chief of Air Staff after failing in her efforts to persuade her husband to amend his ways to save their 19-year wedlock in the interest of their child in 1992. The Air Chief had ordered a Court of Inquiry into the matter. Though Roopa Malhotra had also complained that her husband had married the woman, but this could not be proved legally even though they were living as husband and wife, forcing the former to leave the home and going back to her parents at Kanpur. Malhotra had also stopped providing Roopa and their child basic amenities, which were necessary for their survival, the court noted in its order. Recording in its judgement how Malhotra had ill treated his wife after he entered into an “illicit” relation with a woman whom he brought home to stay with them, slept with her in their bedroom while forcing the wife to sleep in another room and subjected her all kinds of torture, using filthy language and even exerted pressure for divorce under threat, the court said the complaint of Roopa Malhotra “bears forbidden quality or character” of a public servant. Pointing out that the conduct rules for government servant generally required three tests — maintaining absolute integrity, devotion to duty, do nothing which is unbecoming of a public servant — the court said records in the present case also pointed towards Malhotra’s other misdeeds during service. In a stern reminder to armed forces personnel against any such misdemeanour, the apex court said under Section 45 of the Court of Inquiry Act a cruel, indecent or unnatural behaviour, malingers, or feigns, or producing disease or infirmity in himself, or intentionally delaying his cure of it, intentionally rendering himself or any other person of the force unfit for service, voluntarily causing hurt to himself or any other person amounted to “disgraceful conduct”. |
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Recall Buta, NDA asks Kalam
New Delhi, October 13 “We told the President that you have been misled by the Union Cabinet. The Prime Minister has not been able to substantiate the grounds on which the recommendation for dissolving the Bihar Assembly was made,” BJP president L.K. Advani told mediapersons after an NDA delegation met the President at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and submitted a four-page memorandum to him. “The President should advise the Prime Minister to resign since the Prime Minister has said he does not disown the responsibility for the Assembly dissolution,” Mr Advani said. The BJP president, in company of NDA convener George Fernandes, party leaders Jaswant Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Vijay Kumar Malhotra and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Shiromani Akali Dal MP Rattan Singh Ajnala, described the Bihar Assembly dissolution, ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, as the “worst misuse ever” of Article 356. “This action was so wrong that even the Supreme Court had to rule it unconstitutional. Never before has there been such a gross abuse of Article 356 on non-existent grounds,” the BJP president observed. Mr Advani accused the UPA government of having “cheated” the people of Bihar and of “forcing” a second election on them within a year. “...the Governor of Bihar and the Union Government are guilty of violation of constitutional norms. Their continuation in office is a threat to constitutionalism,” an NDA memorandum to the President said. The NDA described the Prime Minister’s “horse-trading” comments on Bihar as “misleading to the whole country”. “We, therefore, urge you to recall the Governor of Bihar and advise the Prime Minister to tender his resignation, owning responsibility for this fraud on the Constitution,” the memorandum said. Mr Advani also claimed he foresaw a clear majority for the NDA in the upcoming elections in Bihar which, he alleged, had a “jungle raj” for the past 15 years. He accused Mr Buta Singh of poll-code violations, citing Election Commission observations on appointment orders for various government posts while the election code was in place in the state. The orders of appointment, approved by the Governor on September 2, were issued the next day when the state election schedule was announced, according to an Election Commission reply to the BJP, which has filed a complaint regarding code violations in Bihar. A copy of the EC reply to the BJP complaint was also enclosed with the NDA’s memorandum to the President. |
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Quake-prone Punjab, HP, Haryana
New Delhi, October 13 Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, which are in the critical seismic zones V and IV, are part of this group that have yet to make an institutional arrangement for long-term disaster mitigation and management by setting up an authority and putting a disaster policy in place. While all states have been advised by the Centre to come up with dedicated disaster management authorities, it seems the majority are waiting for a disaster of their own before they decide to react on the suggestion. The National Disaster Management Authority, formed under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, had written to all states to form such authorities under the chairmanship of respective chief ministers. While Himachal has a disaster management committee, in June Haryana too had decided to enact the Disaster Management Act and convert its Revenue Department into the Department of Revenue and Disaster Management, experts say this initiative is not sufficient and vulnerable states have to have a dedicated authority under the chairmanship of the chief ministers and a well-drafted disaster management plan in hand. Broadly speaking, the highest risk zone V comprises the entire northeastern areas, parts of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Rann of Kutch and parts of north Bihar. The second-rung seismically active zone IV has the remaining part of Jammu and & Kashmir, parts of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Utter Pradesh and Delhi. According to Dr Santosh Kumar of the National Institute of Disaster Management under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, 14 states in the country, including Orissa, Bihar, Gujarat and Rajasthan, have formed disaster management authorities. Chandigarh too is a part of this group. “The states that have faced the brunt of disasters in the past are learning the lesson. However, in several states, even under high seismic zones IV and V, the level of preparedness is far from adequate, “ says Dr Santosh Kumar. Uttaranchal, learning from the Chamoli and the Uttarkashi incidents, had gone a step further and carved out a separate ministry for disaster management in the state. There has been a paradigm shift in the disaster management from relief and rehabilitation to mitigation and prevention, says Prof Santosh Kumar, adding that earthquake is a hazard that need not get converted into a disaster if a well-drafted disaster management plan is there to be implemented when the need arise. After the Gujarat earthquake in 2001there has been a lot of policy work. The working group on disaster management submitted its report in 2002. The Disaster Management Bill, likely to be presented in the winter session of Parliament, will make it necessary for all states to implement the national disaster plan While it will ensure an institutionalised disaster management plan for the whole country, eventually disaster management is a state’s concern and the action plan ultimately has to depend upon the state’s own concerns and ability to set up institutional and financial mechanisms as per its needs. At the national-level, among other things eight battalions of 10,000 soldiers are being trained for being posted to different locations and money has also been sanctioned for buying aircrafts for their use in cases of emergency. The Emergency Operation Centre is being equipped with state-of-the-art communication links and micro-zonation of 38 cities is being attempted in different phases. In the Phase-I, micro-zonation of Delhi has just been completed. |
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Shahabuddin dares administration
Patna, October 13 Shahabuddin, who has been evading arrest for the past few months, made it clear that he would not surrender before the police . The elusive RJD MP also had threatened to move the election commission on the issue of deleting his name from the voters' list by the Siwan administration due to warrant pending against him for six months and also due to his absence at his residence for the past few months.” The arrest warrant was issued just four-and-a-half months ago and not before six months as has been the directive of the Election Commission to delete the name from the voters' list '', he claimed. Wondering at the treatment meted out to him despite being an elected representative to the Lok Sabha, Shahabuddin charged state Chief Secretary G.S.Kang with allegedly conspiring against him.” Neither I am dacoit Malkhan Singh, nor a criminal . I am an elected representative”, he claimed. Sahabuddin alleged discriminatory attitude by the police against him as there were already 10,000 most wanted who were roaming freely in Bihar . Higher-ups in the police were apparently caught napping with Sahabuddin appearing in the TV channels by challenging the administration. The police also had put a red corner notice against the controversial RJD MP. In the interview, Shahabuddin urged the electorate to defeat the BJP and JD(U) and vote for the RJD- led alliance to establish “rule of the law''. |
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Jail a luxury home for Amarmani Tripathi
Lucknow, October 13 With a foam mattress and a cooler in an exclusive quarantine cell of the district jail here with "room service", the life led by the 45-year-old politician is the cause of envy for most of the inmates. Not only does he enjoy the facility of homemade meals but he also has the privilege of ordering from the best of the star hotels here, not to talk of the mineral water bottles piled up in the sprawling cell. Tripathi, who was forced to return to jail barely a fortnight ago after the Supreme Court decided to cancel the bail granted by the Allahabad High Court, was seen using cell phones too at will. Evidently, Tripathi was enjoying all the comforts thanks to his proximity to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, who had once gone on record to describe the former as the "saviour of democracy". Mulayam Yadav's remark had come about two years ago when he assumed office and Tripathi broke away from Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to rally behind him. Some months later, Tripathi was in the dock for allegedly hatching a criminal conspiracy to get his girlfriend Madhumita Shukla gunned down in her apartment here. The jail's staff has been dutifully taking care of all his requirements. A good stereo system is in place along with a television, besides a host of attendants nearby round the clock. Jail officials, however, deny that they were providing any special privileges to Tripathi. "Well, he is a sitting MLA and was therefore entitled to certain facilities in jail," jailor J.N. Dwivedi said.
— IANS |
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Consumer court pulls up ICICI Bank
New Delhi, October 13 "The fact leaves us aghast at the manner of functioning and goondaism in which the bank is involved for a petty amount of Rs 1,889... such attitude is deplorable and sends chill down the spine", Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (North) President K.K. Chopra, Members N. Mittal and S.C. Jain said. Dheeraj Jain had got his scooter financed from the ICICI Bank. On February 12 this year, he got an overdue payment notice from the bank giving him seven days' time to pay the outstanding amount of Rs 1,889. But just two days later, Jain was stopped while travelling on his scooter by four persons near Mori Gate bus terminus and was told to hand over the vehicle to them as he had failed to make the payment on time. They even pointed a pistol at him when he tried to resist, forcing him to give in to their demand. The bank later sold the vehicle. The bank argued that they had taken peaceful possession of the vehicle "after due intimation to the complainant as he was irregular in remitting the monthly instalments". But the court found out that the records proved
otherwise. — PTI |
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Sahara aircraft pulled out
Mumbai, October 13 According to AAI officials, the aircraft was pulled out from mud at around 8 am today and towed to a parking area in the airport. The main runway which had been closed for three days has now been made serviceable, sources said. After engineers failed to pull out the aircraft, the authorities had to rope in experts from the Railways who came with wooden sleepers to pad the ground beneath the aircraft before pulling it out. In all more than 200 persons were involved in clearing the runway. Attempts to beef up the aircraft’s path with macadam too failed in the hours after the accident. According to sources in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the aircraft overshot the runway and landed on the muck after pilot misjudged the length of the runway. Flights connecting Mumbai have been delayed by several hours as the authorities had to close the main runway following the mishap. The DGCA is yet to complete its probe into the matter. Pilot V Eric and co-pilot Arora have been grounded pending investigations. They will not be allowed to fly till they are cleared by the DGCA. |
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Netherlands Deputy PM to visit India
New Delhi, October 13 During his eight-day-long visit, Mr Brinkhorst will visit Mumbai, Bangalore and New Delhi. He will be accompanied by a business delegation of 40 companies, mostly from medical equipment, bio-technology, logistics, energy, environment and agro-business sectors. |
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Advani's remarks may figure in RSS meet
New Delhi, October 13 “It (Advani’s remark issue) is not there on the agenda, but it could be taken up informally if anyone raises it during the national executive,” RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav told newspersons here. Other issues that would be discussed during the meeting include, security situation in the country, especially in Jammu and Kashmir and the UPA government’s policies. |
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PM undergoes minor surgery
New Delhi, October 13 The operation was performed to relieve pressure on a nerve near the wrist, according to sources in the Prime Minister’s Office. Sources said Dr Singh has returned to his residence after successful surgery and is attending to his official duties. |
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Protest brings AMU to standstill
Aligarh, October 13 The one-day token strike was in response to a call given by 18 representative organisations, including the AMU Students’ Union. “We have come to a single platform putting aside the differences as we feel that the very ethos of this institution is now at stake,” a spokesman for the protestors said. They will also hold a protest march tomorrow. — PTI |
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