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Pace of disinvestment CALCUTTA, Nov 4: Union Minister of State for Disinvestment, Planning and Programme Implementation .....more
Medium-term export
strategy underway From B L Kak Former Chambal dacoit CALCUTTA, Nov 4: Former Chambal dacoit Pancham Singh has appealed to forest brigand ....more
BJP to seek Vaiko’s CHENNAI, Nov 4: BJP today said MDMK general secretary Vaiko should give an explanation at the next NDA meeting about his meeting with LTTE ....more |
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Bhan’s transfer not due to pro-Dalit agenda: Laxman CHENNAI, Nov 4: The shifting of Uttar Pradesh Governor Suraj Bhan to Himachal Pradesh had nothing to do with his ‘pro-Dalit’ agenda and was purely an administrative decision, BJP president Bangaru Laxman said here today......more JMM demands Jharkhand RANCHI, Nov 4: The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has demanded that the Jharkhand Assembly be housed in the "Jharkhand Bhawan" and threatened to intensify the agitation if its demand was not met.......more Shiv Sena men disrupt NEW DELHI, Nov 4: Ajay Jadeja today faced the ire of Shiv Sena activists who shouted slogans against him and disrupted his press conference on the issue of his alleged involvement in match-fixing in cricket....more Nearly 3000 pilgrims AMRITSAR, Nov 4: Notwithstanding persistent appeals by Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (AGPC) against sending ‘jathas’ to Pakistan, about 3000 people from India were expected to undertake pilgrimage to celebrate Guru Nanak Dev’s birthday on November 11 at his birth place Nankana Sahib there. Those leading various jathas include former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president and Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal (SHSAD) leader Paramjit Singh Sarna and Sant........more |
Pace of disinvestment still slow: Shourie CALCUTTA, Nov 4: Union Minister of State for Disinvestment, Planning and Programme Implementation, Arun Shourie has admitted that the pace of disinvestment was still slow and said it would get momentum soon. You will see very strategic changes by April-May, he said. Addressing the members of Indian Chamber of Commerce here last night, he said Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was taking a very keen interest in this crucial matter in connection with the current process of economic liberalisation. He indicated that some major decisions were in the pipeline and it could be taken up at the cabinet meeting likely to be held on November 11. Mr Shourie said greater emphasis would be laid on the quality of public expenditure and observed that there was a change in the total perception on the issue of disinvestment and added that most hurdles had been crossed. He said it was impossible to keep alive mini-organisations who keep making losses every year and waste public money. He felt there was a need for a change of balance between the Government and the industry and observed that the state could not afford to spend money on wasteful exercises. Mr Shourie said the overall situation throughout the world was changing very fast. He said new products could not maintain its market for not more than 14 to 16 months while new technology goes to waste within 32 to 36 months and observed that nobody is going to wait in this heartless world . He said monopoly position of different organisations including those of public sector were being eroded and the ‘cry of so called anti-people policy would not really make any sense’ in the hard reality of the world. (AGENCIES) |
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Medium-term export
strategy underway From B L Kak NEW DELHI, Nov 4: The Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Mr Omar Abdullah, has let it be known that the proposed International North-South Transport Corridor will bring about an increase in the bilateral trade between India and Russia. The Inter-Governmental agreement on International North-South Transport Corridor which would also link India with Russia, through Iran, was signed on September 12 this year. Mr Omar Abdullah has, thus, favoured concerted measures by the exporters to utilise the India-Iran-Caspian Sea-Russia corridor. His message, in this connection, found a forceful expression when he inaugurated a workshop on ‘Transport route for trade to Russia & CIS countries’ in New Delhi. The workshop was organised by the Federation of Indian Export Orgsnisation (FIEO). Mr Abdullah was of the opinion that the transit route through Iran was "feasible" both from commercial and logistics point of view. Mr Omar Abdullah placed himself on record as saying: "The North-South Transport Corridor and its subsequent utilisation for transportation of cargoes would herald stronger bilateral links between the member countries participating in the project, thereby boosting their respective trades and economies". With the development of this corridor, Mr Abdullah explained, the prospects of goods traffic "are bright" and so was the prospect of Indian goods becoming more competitive in the Russian market as a result of savings in time and overall costs. He pointed out that the corridor route would also facilitate door-to-door delivery utilising multi-modal transport by sea route, road and railways. The Commerce Ministry is, meanwhile, contemplating a comprehensive medium-term export strategy in the next couple of months to cash in on the solid export boom. This information was given in a media interview by the Commerce Secretary, Mr Prabir Sengupta. According to Mr Sengupta, the Commerce Ministry is working out a medium-term strategy and would like to being in as much of product and country specificity to the Government strategy as possible. He said: "The exercise has started and we hope to evolve it in the next couple of months. We would try to reach export levels higher than what we have achieved now". Mr Sengupta has stated that what is really being attempted is to see how far the changing circumstances can be accommodated in the new strategy to make it even more market-oriented. According to him, efforts are on to take into account past experiences and also the new developments so as to keep as much of focus on exports as possible. To a query on the segments that performed well, Mr Sengupta cited textiles, chemicals including pharmaceuticals, engineering and gems and jewellery, besides smaller share sectors such as marine products. He said that in the areas of services, software export was booming and tourism and project exports too could substantially chip in to raise overall export growth in the near term. |
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Former Chambal dacoit asks
Veerappan CALCUTTA, Nov 4: Former Chambal dacoit Pancham Singh has appealed to forest brigand Veerappan to release Kannada matinee idol Rajkumar, paying respect to the people’s love for the actor. "As a former dacoit, who once treaded the path that Veerappan now follows, it is my fervent appeal that Rajkumarji is released forthwith from captivity. He is a great artiste, dear to everybody, which Veerappan should take cognizance of", the septagenarian reformed dacoit, who once was charged with murdering more than 100 people, said here yesterday. Coming to the city on a peace mission, organised by Prajapita Brahma Kumari Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya, Pancham Singh, the dreaded robber of the sixties and seventies, who carried a reward of Rs 1.30 lakh on his head, said his life was now on an altogether different track of spiritualism and humanity, far from the gory path of violence. "There is an evil inside each of us that forces one to take the wrong path, sometimes under circumstances. But ultimately it is the good sense that can annihilate the evil", he said. Pancham Singh said the dramatic metamorphosis in his life came after he surrendered to the Government along with 500 other dacoits, including Mohar Singh and Madhab Singh, at the behest of Jayprakash Narayan in 1972 and got in touch with the school of Prajapita Brahmakumari and underwent ‘Rajyoga’classes to embrace the principle of peace and love. The former dacoit, who escaped the noose of the gallows after his death sentence was commuted into life imprisonment, would, however, place dacoits as better than the country’s politicians, who, he said were in the practice of robbing the people and amassing wealth under a different garb. "Dacoits operating in jungles have some values. Normally they are god fearing and respectful to women. Most of them are victims of society and do not harm the poor. But the politicians are greater dacoits and do not have that morality", he said. Pancham Singh said during his stay here, he would be visiting several jails to meet the prisoners and spread among them the message of peace and non-violence. Father of two sons and two daughters, the former dacoit now lives on a nursery that he built up on a 30 bigha plot he received from the Government in a village in bhind district of Madhya Pradesh. (UNI) |
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BJP to seek Vaiko’s explanation for meeting LTTE leader CHENNAI, Nov 4: BJP today said MDMK general secretary Vaiko should give an explanation at the next NDA meeting about his meeting with LTTE idealogue Balasingham during his recent trip abroad. BJP president Bangaru Laxman told a press conference here that NDA’s policy on Sri Lanka was evolved only after a consensus among its constituents. If anybody had gone against it, they should explain their stand to the NDA convenor George Fernandes at the NDA’s meeting, he said. Vaiko had recently stated that he met Balasingham when he visited abroad as a member of delegation to United Nations. His disclosure had led to wide protests with the opposition in Tamil Nadu seeking an explanation for his act. Asked whether the PMK, a constituent of the NDA, was likely to switch over to AIADMK front in Tamil Nadu, Laxman said PMK leaders had met him recently at New Delhi and assured him that they would continue to be a constituent of the NDA. When asked about PMK’s claim that Prime Minister A B Vajpayee had told the party that TRC was no more a constituent of the NDA, Laxman said only nda convenor George Fernandes could throw light on the matter. (PTI) |
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Nearly 3000 pilgrims expected to visit Nankana Sahib AMRITSAR, Nov 4: Notwithstanding persistent appeals by Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (AGPC) against sending ‘jathas’ to Pakistan, about 3000 people from India were expected to undertake pilgrimage to celebrate Guru Nanak Dev’s birthday on November 11 at his birth place Nankana Sahib there. Those leading various jathas include former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president and Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal (SHSAD) leader Paramjit Singh Sarna and Sant Samaj president Baba Mangal Singh. As per Baba Mangal Singh’s information, former Akal Takht Jathedar Prof Darshan Singh Ragi would also lead a small jatha to Pakistan. About 100-odd strong Akali Dal (Amritsar) jatha would also be reaching Nankana Sahib for the celebrations. The Baba told newspersons here yesterday that he would be leading a 500-strong jatha. Pakistan Embassy in New Delhi had already issued visas for the pilgrimage, he said. The SGPC had decided against sending jathas to Pakistan to protest against the formation of Pakistan Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PGPC) last year for managing Sikh historical shrines in that country. The SGPC, earlier managing visits to shrines across the border, had refused to recognise the PGPC and demanded its scrappinng. Baba Mangal Singh said PGPC co-chairman Bhai Sham Singh had extended a personal invitation to the Sant Samaj for gurpurab celebrations at Nankana Sahib. He said his jatha would leave for Pakistan by the Lahore-bound Samjhauta Express train from Attari on November 6. The jatha would also visit gurdwaras at Panja Sahib and Dera Sahib in Lahore. The jatha of Akali Dal (Amritsar) would also travel by the Samjhauta Express while the Sarna-led jatha would fly to Lahore, Baba Mangal Singh added. The Sant Samaj leader said the Ferozepur-based Mardana Yadgaar Society had also been issued visas for the Nankana Sahib pilgrimage. In all about 3,000 pilgrims from India were expected to visit Nankana Sahib this year, the Baba said while criticising the SGPC for its decision.(UNI) |
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