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BJP demands
multi-party probe into media leaks
I don’t recall giving letter to Natwar’s son: Pathak
UPA accused of dumping proposal for 6 new AIIMS
Children protest against Israel killings in Lebanon
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Rain plays havoc in Andhra Pradesh
30 trapped inside mine die for lack of rescue efforts
Ministry initiates schemes for women
Army choppers rush to Chhattisgarh
Florano to provide technology for NASA
Tajikistan President
arrives on 5-day tour
Understand law of the land, Dasmunshi tells Pepsico, Coke, Cadbury
Amarnath body
petitions Kalam
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BJP demands
multi-party probe into media leaks
New Delhi, August 5 The BJP chief said his party believed that the leaks to the press of the report, which indicted former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh over the illegal Iraqi oil contracts, before being presented to Parliament amounted to disrespect of Parliament. The BJP had already said that the party was considering bringing a privilege motion against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the leakage of the report. Mr Rajnath Singh maintained that the former External Affairs Minister had been made a “scapegoat” for this Iraqi oil scandal. He also demanded that the government should make public a letter allegedly written by the Congress president to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in 2001 when the party delegation led by Mr Natwar Singh visited that country.
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UPA accused of dumping proposal for 6 new AIIMS
New Delhi, August 5 Inaugurating the National Executive Meeting of the BJP’s Doctor’s Cell, party president Rajnath Singh asked doctors to raise the issue of opening six new AIIMS vociferously. Speaking on the reservation issue, Mr Rajnath Singh said backward and economically weaker sections should be brought forward, but at least in the medical profession, the issue should not be exploited for vote bank politics. He said the Dr Venugopal issue was a case of shameful interference of the government in the working of autonomous bodies. Later, the meeting adopted a 10-point resolution, which among other things demanded that the Department of Health and Family Welfare be responsible for formulating as well as implementing the National Drug Policy instead of Ministry of Chemical and
Fertilizer. It also demanded the government not to interfere in autonomous bodies like AIIMS, MCI, DCI,
ICMR, etc and wanted immediate implementation of the proposal of the Indian Medical Services becoming a separate cadre of administrative medical personnel to effectively run the health infrastructure in the
country. In the wake of the recent revelation, the BJP also demanded that all types of cold drink be banned in the country till clearance from the appropriate establishment is
aotained.
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Children protest against Israel killings in Lebanon
New Delhi, August 5 Sporting banners “Children for peace and peace for children” along with social activists and people from various walks of life, schoolchildren gathered for a peace march from ‘Samta Sthal’ to ‘Raj Ghat’. They demanded immediate and complete ceasefire in Lebanon. “No one can claim to be good Jew, Hindu, Muslim or Christian by killing kids, crippling them or making them orphans. The international community must take it as an act of urgency to immediately stop the killings in Lebanon, Palestine and Israel,” said Mr Kailash Satyarthi, chairperson, Global March against Child Labour. In another protest march, scores of people, including foreigners, marched to the Israel Embassy demanding immediate stoppage of the offensive. Raising slogans against Israel and the US, the demonstrators, including students, theatre activists, artists and members of different citizen groups, also sought a more active role by India to stop the bombings. “This is nothing but genocide. Innocent civilians are being killed. The Lebanese children are not terrorists. This is a war against humanity which must be stopped immediately,” said Abha, a member of Jagori, an NGO. Seeking a more active role by India, she said the government must use the platform of SAARC nations to pressurise Israel to end the attacks. During the past one month, over 900 civilians have been killed by Israel and thousands have been injured besides over a million people turned homeless. One third of these killed civilians are innocent children. “Thousands of children have been denied security, health care, education and are being traumatised. The images of these children appearing on our TV screens are nothing but a shame on the face of human civilisation,” said Mr Alok Vajpeyi, director, ‘Bachpan Bachao Andolan’. Karamat Ali, a Pakistani citizen who is on a personal visit to India, said “People in South Asia are looking to India, which in the past had taken strong stands in international affairs, to play a major role in ending the conflict.” A protestor from the US said, “What is going on is nothing but destroying a nation and it is an irony that US President George Bush who preached building nations during his election campaign is supporting such an inhuman attack.”
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Rain plays havoc in Andhra Pradesh
Hyderabad, August 5 The incessant rains, triggered by deep depression in the Bay of Bengal, mainly affected the north coastal districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam,
leaving a trail of destruction. Flights have remained cancelled for the past two days from and to Visakhapatnam with the runway of the airport completely submerged with flood waters. After reviewing the
situation at a high-level official meeting here earlier in the day, Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy made an aerial
survey of Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam districts even while relief efforts have gathered momentum. Though the storm had dissipated today, the major rivers in the state, Krishna and Godavari, were in full spate following heavy inflows. Helicopters were pressed into service to drop food and water packets to the marooned residents of the temple town of Bhadrachalam in Khammam district as the flood level of the Godavari rose above the third danger mark. “We are taking all possible measures to ensure the safety of the people in low-lying areas. About 20,000 people in
Khammam district are being shifted to safer places now,” Reddy told reporters before
leaving for an aerial survey of the rain-battered areas. The government has already announced an
ex-gratia of Rs 50,000 each to the families of those who had died in the rains.
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I don’t recall giving letter to Natwar’s son: Pathak
New Delhi, August 5 Asked about reports quoting Natwar Singh that he (Justice Pathak) had given a letter of recommendation to Jagat Singh for admission to a British law college, Mr Pathak told PTI “I don’t recall. It was so long ago.” Asked whether he remembered having given any letter of introduction to anyone during that period, he said, “Generally, I don’t give such letters. But, I can’t be sure.” On whether he saw anything wrong in such letters being given, Justice Pathak said, “Unless you know somebody, it cannot be given. I don’t give letters left and right”. Pressed further whether he knew Natwar Singh or his family, the former Chief Justice said, “I knew Natwar Singh. But I did not know his son”. On the possibility of Natwar requesting him for a note of introduction, Justice Pathak said “He may have asked for the letter. But it is such a long time back. It must have been 20 years ago. I can’t recall.” Justice Pathak brushed aside Opposition allegation that Natwar Singh was made a “scapegoat” and the Congress party exonerated without being heard by him. “Please read the report. You will understand everything. I don’t want to make any comment now,” he said when asked about the Opposition allegation that the Congress party was given a clean chit without the probe panel issuing any notice to it. The former Chief Justice presented his 110-page report to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday indicting Natwar Singh of “misusing” his position for procurement of contracts in the UN oil-for-food programme in Iraq during Saddam Hussein’s regime.
— PTI
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30 trapped inside mine die for lack of rescue efforts
Kolkata, August 5 It was an abandoned colliery, where illegal mining had been continuing for the past decade, without any safety arrangements. A large number of workers, mostly from neighbouring Jharkhand and Purulia-Bankura, had been working in the colliery as daily labourers, engaged by local mafias. On Tuesday morning, when the first batch of workers numbering 150 reported for duty and went inside the mine, suddenly subsidence occurred in the colliery causing water-logging inside the pit. Of the 150 labourers, 120 managed to come out but the remaining got trapped under the debris. The rescue team of the local ECL and the police arrived on the spot to rescue the trapped workers but failed. Since then, no further attempts were made for rescuing them. Today, Coal Minister Sibu Soren and CPM MP Basudeb Acharyya visited the place but were faced with angry demonstrations. Tension prevailed in the entire village.
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Ministry initiates schemes for women
New Delhi, August 5 The ministry has instituted a scheme under which fellowships are awarded every year to outstanding women scientists in basic and applied sciences and application of technology for rural development. According to an official spokesman, the Ministry sanctioned 48 projects last year in technology-related areas, including women’s health and nutrition, Information Technology, post-harvest technologies, aquaculture and sustainable utilization of natural resources. ‘Science and Technology for Women,’ ‘Technology Development and Utilisation Programme for Women’ are among the schemes of the ministry to improve skill development among women.
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Army choppers rush to Chhattisgarh
New Delhi, August 5 Army helicopters and airplanes with relief materials were despatched after the Chief Minister had spoken to Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil this morning, a Chhattisgarh Information Centre press statement said here today. Dr Raman Singh convened a high level meeting in the state capital this morning and reviewed flood situation in Dantewada and Jagdalpur districts. In the meeting, officers informed the Chief Minister that around 5,000 persons of Sukma block and nearby villages, had been moved to the ten relief camps of Sukma. Similarly, 1,000 persons had been rescued in Bhopalpatnam and kept in three relief camps, the statement said. Five hundred persons had been rescued in Konta and efforts were underway to rescue another 250 people, it added.
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Florano to provide technology for NASA
Bangalore, August 5 Florano CEO Atul Saini said here the Deep Space Network (DSN) supports selected Earth-orbiting missions and the Mars rover programme and currently consists of three deep-space communications facilities placed approximately 120 degrees apart around the world, at Goldstone, in California’s Mojave Desert, Spain and Australia. Mr Saini said DSN’s placement permits constant observation of spacecraft as the earth rotates, and helps make the DSN the largest and most sensitive scientific telecommunications system in the world.” NASA chose Florano after an intensive due-diligence process lasting nearly two years, covering a demanding set of parameters of technology.
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Tajikistan President
arrives on 5-day tour
New Delhi, August 5 The Tajikistan President will hold talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other Indian leaders on issues, including energy cooperation and counter-terrorism. He will be accorded a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan on his arrival here tomorrow and will be in the capital till Tuesday and then travel to Jaipur and Hyderabad. During his visit, two countries will sign several agreements for stepping up bilateral cooperation. The visiting dignitary will meet among others President A P J Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Congress president Sonia Gandhi will call on him tomorrow evening.
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Understand law of the land, Dasmunshi tells Pepsico, Coke, Cadbury
New Delhi, August 5 “The key issue, particularly in the food and consumer goods sector today, is to understand the legislations and yardsticks that are being set for the products,” he said. Addressing a gathering of the All-India Management Association’s graduating students here today, Dasmunshi said that knowledge of the law would help the management of these companies.
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Amarnath body
petitions Kalam
New Delhi, August 5 The president of the organisation, Mr Rajinder Sharma, said a delegation met Dr Kalam here recently and apprised him of their concerns. “The President asked us some questions and wanted to know the basis on which we had accused the Shrine Board of artificially creating the Shivalingam. The President has assured us that an inquiry will be carried out,” Mr Sharma said.
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