New Delhi, July 24
Samajwadi Party leader Jaya Bachchan today took oath as a member of the Rajya Sabha as her husband Amitabh Bachchan watched the proceedings from the visitors’ gallery.

Ms Bachchan has returned to the Upper House as MP of Samajwadi Party after she was disqualified by President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam for holding the office of profit.

She was the among the five new Rajya Sabha members who took the oath today. The others administered the oath include Mr K.P.K. Kumaran (DMK), Mr Rahul Bajaj (Independent), Chaudhry Mohammad Aslam (Cong) and Mr Amir Alam Khan, (SP).

Speaking to reporters later along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and party general secretary Amar Singh, she sidestepped queries whether she considered as sacrifice Ms Sonia Gandhi’s resignation from the Lok Sabha on the office of profit issue.

“Whatever you people say I am ready to accept. If you say it is sacrifice it is sacrifice, if you say it is not, it is not. I will tell my opinion to my party and its leadership”, she said.

Mr Amar Singh used the occasion to take potshots at the Congress for raising the office of profit issue. He said he had warned the Congress that since it had initiated the move, it should be ready to face the consequences.

Earlier, arrival of Amitabh Bachchan to the Parliament House virtually threw the security out of gear as he was mobbed by a large number of onlookers and mediapersons.

Accompanied by daughter, Shweta, Bachchan took some time to leave the precincts of Parliament as he found it difficult to make his way through the people gathered around him.

New Delhi, July 24
After deferring the date of its submission twice over, the Oversight Committee finally approved the draft of the interim report at a meeting here today.

This interim report is aimed at apprising the government about the finances and infrastructure that would be needed to facilitate the implementation of 27 per cent quota for OBCs in higher educational institutions by 2007.

The committee approved the draft of the interim report with some modifications.

The chairman of the Oversight Committee, M Veerappa Moily, said the draft would be submitted to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, in a “few days”.

Earlier, Mr Moily had said that based on the inputs received from the five sub-groups, an interim report would be prepared and submitted to the government, indicating the provisions that should be in place for proper and smooth implementation of quota.

The committee has suggested setting up of “empowered committees in every institution so that the 27 per cent quota is implemented”. These empowered committees will draw up the blueprint for the required infrastructure, faculty and finances that would be needed for effective implementation of quota.

He also pointed out that efforts were being made to release five to 10 per cent of the funds to institutions for increasing the number of seats. Detailed reports on the requirements of each institution had been sought and quality of each institute being maintained was also being ensured.

Declining to speak on the issue of creamy layer amongst the OBCs, Mr Moily reiterated that reservation would be implemented in “one go” and the sub-groups had accepted that it could be done from the academic session beginning 2007.

The interim report ,first scheduled to be presented on July 10 and later July 13, is expected to be submitted to the PM in the next couple of days. The Oversight Committee chairman said taking note of the government’s keenness to introduce reservation from next year, there would be no delay in the submission of the interim and final reports.

The final report scheduled to be presented on August 31 would be taken note of by the government before the reservation Bill , expected to be tabled in the Monsoon Session, is drafted.

New Delhi, July 24
The Supreme Court today issued notices to the Punjab Government and Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on a petition seeking registration of FIRs against two of his Cabinet colleagues, state Congress unit president Shamsher Singh Dullo, a Chief Parliamentary Secretary and two other party leaders in corruption cases on the recommendation of the Lok Pal.

Mr Lal Singh and Mr Pratap Singh Bajwa are the two ministers in the Amarinder Cabinet to whom the notices were issued and Mr Harbans Lal is the Chief Parliamentary Secretary. Besides, former Congress ministers Lakhmir Singh Randhawa and Ramesh Dutt Sharma are the two other leaders issued notices by a Bench of Mr Justices A.R. Lakshmanan and P.K. Balasubramanyan.

Notice was also issued to former bureaucrat Sanjit Sinha, who was also named as a respondent. All respondents were directed to submit replies.

The court issued the notices after taking cognisance of a special leave petition by Shiromani Akali Dal MP Rattan Singh, alleging that the Punjab Government had refused to register the cases against these leaders even after the Lok Pal in his report submitted to the Governor concluded that a prima facie case was made against them under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Former Additional Solicitor-General R.N. Trivedi, appearing for Mr Rattan Singh said the Lok Pal had submitted his report in April 1999 but the Governor had disagreed with it and sent it to back to the Lok Pal for review. On review, the Lok Pal reiterated the findings in the second recommendation sent to the Governor in September 1999.

As per Section 16(5) of the Punjab Lok Pal Act, the report was to be placed before the Assembly for follow-up action but since than it is lying in limbo as neither the government nor the Assembly had taken any action on it, Mr Trivedi contended.

The petition was moved by Mr Rattan Singh after the Punjab and Haryana High Court had dismissed his petition, seeking registration of the cases against these leaders.

The high court rejected the petition following Vigilance Bureau’s stand that the Assembly was yet to take action on the Lok Pal report and the probe agencies of the state were not competent to take any action till then, Mr Trivedi said, adding that this was not the correct position of the law.

The allegations in complaints before the Lok Pal against these leaders were that they had amassed assets disproportionate to their known sources of income during the tenure of the previous Congress government.

New Delhi, July 24
The UPA government has defended the decision of President A.P.J Abdul Kalam to send NDA’s representation on the appointment of Navin Chawla as Election Commissioner (EC) to the Prime Minister in its response to the Supreme Court notice, claiming that it was the relevant course of action in this case.

The government in its affidavit, filed in response to the apex court notice on a petition by BJP leader Jaswant Singh, while questioning the referring of the matter to the Prime Minister instead of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) also defended Mr Chawla on the issue of getting money from MPs Local Area Development (MPLAD) schemes for two of the trusts run by his family.

The affidavit said on April 26, 2004, Mr Chawla had sought “express permission” form the government to accept funds from the scheme and a permission was duly granted to him in June 2004 by the Department of Personnel and Training. The permission was eventually given to him after the UPA had come to the power. He was appointed EC on May 16, 2005.

The government said since the appointment of CEC and EC was made on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers by the President, its role on the question of their removal becomes relevant.

Mr Jaswant Singh in his petition had contended that the route followed by President was not as per the provision of Article 324 of the Constitution as the Council of Ministers’ advice was not required for the removal of the EC as the law provides that the he could only be removed on the recommendation of the CEC.

New Delhi, July 24
A fact-finding team of the Delhi unit of the SAD would visit Nankana Sahib next month to ascertain the contradictory claims on “palki.” It would be meeting the Prime Minister of Pakistan and other senior government and gurdwara officials.

Talking to The Tribune, the head of the SAD state unit, Mr Avtar Singh Hit, said he would lead a seven-member delegation to Nankana Sahib and hold discussions with gurdwara officials and the Pakistani authorities, including Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, on the “palki” issue and kar seva.

He said the delegation wanted to verify how much gold had been used in “palki” and how much money collected during the “palki” procession was submitted to officials in Nankana Sahib. It also wanted to know whether there were any plans to install the “palki” within the gurdwara complex.

Mr Aziz had reportedly told a Sikh delegation that the “palki” received by his country from the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee was made up of only 1.5 kg of gold and not 10 kg as claimed by its leaders Harvinder Singh Sarna and his brother.

“The palki is lying in Gurdwara Nankana Sahib and has not been installed at the requisite place. With allegations flying thick around it, Akal Takht Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti should urge the Pakistani authorities to return it,” Mr Avtar Singh said.

He said the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee and other authorities there had left it to the Akal Takht Jathedar to take a final decision on the “palki.”

He alleged that the Sarna brothers had not informed the DSGMC about the money collected in the name of “palki” and according to preliminary estimates, it would not be less than several crores. “That’s the money given by the Sikh community out of devotion but now devotees are appalled to find that they have been cheated in the name of Guru Granth Sahib,” he said.

New Delhi, July 24
The Supreme Court today took cognisance of a petition raising the issue whether the doctors were ethically right to go on strike and refuse treatement to patients in the face of Code of Ethics Regulations.

A Bench of Mr Justices Arijit Pasayat and Lokeshwar Panta issued notices to the Centre and the Medical Council of India (MCI) on the petition filed in the background of the anti-quota strike and a subsequent stir on the removal of the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Director P. Venugopal when emergency services in the institute were allegedly closed down.

Though the petitioner — People for Better Treatment (PFBA), floated by US-based NRI doctor Kunal Saha — had sought disciplinary action against all registered medical practitioners refusing to provide emergency care to a patient or for participating in any demonstration that disrupted emergency services in a hospital, the court expanded its scope by including the issue whether doctors and paramedical staff at all could go on strike considering the nature of their job.

The petitioner also raised the issue of the death of a patient in the AIIMS during the second strike on Venugopal’s removal.

The court appointed senior advocate Rajiv Dhawan as amicus curiae. Dhawan was directed to prepare his submission in the light of the expanded scope of the petition and give suggestions accordingly, including on the question whether there was any provision of law under which the MCI could initiate action against doctors, nursing staff and other paramedics for refusing to attend patients.

The petitioner sought disciplinary action against those doctors of the institute who refused treatment to patients during the strike.

New Delhi, July 24
There appeared to be some flexibility in the Left parties stand on the pension Bill. However, on the nuclear issue, the Communists hardened their views and plan to build consensus on setting up parameters for the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement.

Party sources said on the Pension Funds Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) Bill, the Left parties were willing to consider the proposal to turn pension into a contributory scheme.

This is contrary to their earlier stance of complete opposition to turning the pension, a statutory benefit, into a contributory scheme.

On the question of fund managers, the Communists are in favour of PSUs like LIC, UTI and SBI to manage the pension fund. However, they were opposed to the idea of investing these funds in the stock market.

Sources said the government has not totally rejected the stand of the Left parties but have argued that it would be difficult for these PSUs to manage the pension funds.

The UPA Government is holding talks with the Left parties to arrive at some consensus on some of the contentious issues before introducing it.

The compulsion in West Bengal with the mounting pension dues to the state government employees is forcing the Left parties to reconsider their stance on this crucial Bill.

However, the UPA government would find it smooth on the Office of Profit Bill, as the Left, whose several MPs, including the Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, faces disqualification for allegedly holding office of profit, wants the Manmohan Singh Government to present the Bill in its original form.

They, however, want the government to set up a committee to examine the issue throughly and define what constitute an office of profit.

Replying to a specific query on the question of the President’s advice and suggestions on the office of profit Bill, CPM parliamentary group leader Sitaram Yechury made it clear in no uncertain terms that, “the President has every constitutional right to advise and ask for certain suggestions on any Bill... Since he has sent back the Bill for reconsideration... it is back in the Rajya Sabha from where it was sent. Tomorrow a discussion will take place on this.”

On the NDA’s urging the President to seek the judiciary’s advice, Yechury asserted that “the role of the judiciary is to interpret the law. The Constitution is very clear on this point.”

On the Indo-US nuclear deal, he said the Left parties were of the firm view that the Prime Minister’s assurance on the floor of Parliament constituted the denominator “beyond which nothing should be done by the Government”.

Yechury said leaders of Left parties have decided to raise the Mumbai blasts and Srinagar grenade attacks through a discussion on the internal security situation in the country and demand effective measures to beef up security.

Balasore (Orissa), July 24
India today tested short-range surface-to-air missile Trishul from a defence base in Orissa, officials said.

The home-grown missile, about 3-metre long and 200 cm in diametre, was test-fired from a mobile launcher at about 2.15 p.m. and again after a few seconds at the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur-on-Sea in the coastal district of Balasore, about 230 km from Bhubaneswar.

The missile was earlier tested from the same range yesterday.

Trishul is part of India’s integrated guided missile development programme.

Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the solid fuel-propelled missile has a triple battlefield role for the Army , the Air force as well as the Navy. — IANS

New Delhi, July 24
The Chief Election Commission, Mr N. Gopalaswami, will visit Chandigarh this week to review the electoral roll revision in view of the Assembly poll in Punjab scheduled for early next year.

EC sources said the CEC, during his one-day tour to the state on Wednesday, would meet senior officials and review the electoral revision process, issuance of voter ID-cards, deleting false names and identifying missing names. He would also hold discussions with political parties in this regard.

New Delhi, July 24
The Kenyan police today informed the CBI that the person arrested last week in Mombasa was not Syed Abul Karim, alias “Tunda”. Tunda is wanted by India in connection with terrorist activities.

“The person who has been arrested is one Ismoila Olatunda Rufail and the suspect is involved in terrorist activities in London,” an Interpol advisory from Kenya told the agency, CBI sources said.