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‘PM has to take
decision NEW DELHI, Feb 27: Defence Minister George Fernandes today said.....more Pak
has got isolated NEW DELHI, Feb 27: Pakistan has got isolated in the international community of nations by not .....more DD
to recommence telecast NEW DELHI, Feb 27: Doordarshan is to recommence telecast of Indian Panorama and award-winning regional language.....more
BJP
won’t revive Ram MUMBAI, Feb 27: Union Communications Minister and Lok Janashakti Party president Ramvilas Paswan.....more |
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Mehta appointed Honorary RAIPUR, Feb 27: Former Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha Secretary Vishwendra Mehta has been appointed Honorary Parliamentary Adviser to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi.....more Paradox
of Kerala’s THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Feb 27: Kerala is facing an acute shortage of labourers in the agricultural and construction sectors, though the number of job seekers in the live registers of employment exchanges keeps on swelling......more NEW DELHI, Feb 27: Some opposition party members walked out of the Lok Sabha twice today protesting against the attitude of the Government against slum dwellers in the capital and rural health workers.......more Hard
life ahead for BHUJ (KUTCH), Feb 27: Harsh realities of life, and death, are staring survivors of the killer January 26 temblor in their face, particularly children, haunted as they are by the deaths of their near and dear ones and the trail of destruction that swept away their relative prosperity in one deft stroke.....more |
‘PM has to take decision on implementation of GOM recommendation’ NEW DELHI, Feb 27: Defence Minister George Fernandes today said the implementation of the recommendations of Group of Ministers, set up to examine the management of national security issues, will be made after Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee examines it thoroughly. "Its all in the hands of the Prime Minister. He has to take a decision on its implementation," Mr Fernandes said. The Defence Minister, when asked what the report recommended on nuclear command and control, said "it is a top secret report that has been presented to the Prime Minister. It would not be right for me to comment on it as I was a part of the GOM." Whether the GOM had recommended the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff, the Defence Minister said "all recommendations are there in the report." Mr Fernandes, talking to reporters after an award function this morning, however, said in some areas the recommendations made in the report could be carried out immediately. The 137-page report of the GOM, set up in the wake of the Kargil conflict, was submitted to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee by the Home Minister here yesterday. It has given various proposals designed to better equip the country for handling existing security threats and emerging challenges. (UNI) |
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Pak has got isolated by not responding properly to India NEW DELHI, Feb 27: Pakistan has got isolated in the international community of nations by not adequately responding to India’s peace initiative in militancy-ridden Jammu and Kashmir, Home Minister L.K. Advani informed the Lok Sabha today. Replying to queries on the non-cessation of militant violence in the state despite third extension of the unilateral ceasefire by India, the Home Minister said: "Our initiative has conveyed to the world that Pakistan does not want peace in the border state which certainly has isolated the neighbouring country at the international level.’’ Mr Advani said the people in the Kashmir Valley were now convinced that Pakistan had not been allowing return of peace to the Valley. Besides, India’s initiative had caused a split in the ranks of the militants. Some of them such as Hurriyat leaders were now ready to respond to the peace initiative. He said that despite a little decline in firing and additional army built-up on the International Border, Pakistan had done precious little to check the activities of ISI and militant organisations such as Lashkar-E-Toiba, operating from its soil. Pakistan has belied India’s earlier expectations that it would rein in the militant organisations operating from there, he added. When the agitated opposition wanted to know why the country had gone for a cease-fire inspite of continued offensive by Pakistan, Mr Advani clarified that India had not declared ‘ceasefire’ as such but only directed the security forces not to take "combat initiative against the militants during the period." "We have not asked the security forces not to apprehend militants and curb their activities as and when noticed,’’ he said. "Owing to alertness of security forces as many as 184 militants had been eliminated during the ceasefire period. To the opposition query whether the arrested militants belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba, who were involved in the Red Fort attack a few months ago, had yielded any information on their net-working in India, the Home Minister said the Government was fully aware of the militant activities in India and neighbouring Bhutan, Myanmar and Nepal. The ISI had been constantly engaged in networking of different militant organisations, he said. (UNI) |
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DD to recommence telecast
of regional language NEW DELHI, Feb 27: Doordarshan is to recommence telecast of Indian Panorama and award-winning regional language feature films on Doordarshan’s National Channel from March four, thanks to the pressure mounted by prominent filmmakers from all over the country. The films, telecast of which has stopped in view of the commencement of 24-hour telecast on many of its regional channels which are beamed via satellite, will now be telecast on Sundays at 1130 hrs on DD One. Those offering regional films to Doordarshan will have to give these for non-exclusive multi-telecast rights for three years. Prasar Bharati had in November last year hiked the payment for these films, and these will apply to the revival on dd one as well. Thus against the earlier fixed payment of Rs eight lakh for all categories, the payment will be Rs ten lakh for all Indian panorama or other national award-winning films. It will be Rs 12 lakh for silver peacock and Rs 25 lakh for golden peacock awardees. The Prasar Bharati Board was forced to revise its decision following strong protests from these filmmakers including Mrinal Sen, Shyam Benegal and Adoor Gopalakrishnan. Letters had been sent by angry filmmakers to the part-time members - Mr B G Verghese, Professor U R Rao and Dr Abid Hussain - strongly protesting against the decision. As a result, Mr Verghese had given an assurance that the matter would be re-examined at the next meeting. The filmmakers who protested also included Buddhadeb Das Gupta, Aparna Sen, Girish Kasaravalli, Saeed Mirza, Jahnu Barua, and K Bikram Singh. The filmmakers said one of the main aims of the telecast was to make people of one region aware of the filing of other regions and this was not possible if they were confined only to the channels in that particular language. In his letter to then Prasar Bharati Chief Executive Officer R R Shah, Mr Gopalakrishnan said ‘our efforts of a long time to foster a better film culture and a nationwide audience for quality cinema would now get automatically undone.’ In their letters, the filmmakers asked whether "the nation and its official representatives have now decided that commerce is the only measure of cultural worth". Holding that the films represented the best that India can offer (in any given year) both in terms of their content and aesthetic appeal, he said that "depriving these films a slot on the national network is not merely a rejection of their artistic and cultural worth but a denial of any opportunity for the people of the country to access them. Most of these films made under unhelpful and strained conditions by a few uncompromising filmmakers find screening difficult if not impossible in commercial cinemas". Initially, these films were telecast at prime time on Sundays but were later shifted to saturday mornings. Doordarshan had also restricted the categories of films which could be telecast in this slot. The present categories are: The best feature film, the Indira Gandhi Award for the first film of a director, the Nargis Dutt Award for national integration, the best film providing wholesome entertainment, those that win awards for family welfare, and social issues, the regional language awards, and those that win awards in international festivals. (UNI) |
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NEW DELHI, Feb 27: Some opposition party members walked out of the Lok Sabha twice today protesting against the attitude of the Government against slum dwellers in the capital and rural health workers. "Atrocities" against slum dwellers was raised in the house during zero hour by RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh who said thousands of poor people were thrown out of the capital. First it was closure of factories and now it was throwing away of slum dwellers. He said thousands of slum dwellers were demonstrating in the capital today under the leadership of former Prime Minister V P Singh seeking justice. SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav also supported him and some of his party colleagues rushed to the well of the house. Deputy Speaker P M Sayeed, who was in the chair, appealed to them to resume their seats, he told Mr Yadav not to jump up to speak on every issue without the permission of the chair. Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation Minister Jagmohan, who was present, said the factories were closed following the directions of the Supreme Court on pollution. Many factory owners had given affidavits assuring to shift their establishments. The issue was being handled by the Delhi Government and he was only a go between the Government and the Supreme Court, the minister added. He said Jhuggi dwellers were being rehabilitated under a scheme by shifting Jhuggis from wrong places. Apparently unhappy over the minister’s clarification, Mr Raghuvansh Prasad Singh staged a walkout followed by Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav and some of his party colleagues. Earlier raising the issue of rural health workers, Mr Ramji Lal Suman (SJP) said they were getting a remuneration of only Rs 50 a month eversince they were appointed more than two decades ago by the then Health Minister Raj Narain. A special committee appointed by the Government had recommended increase in their honorarium but no action had been taken so far. Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav (SP) supported him and said the remuneration should be raised. Mr Basudev Acharya (CPI-M) and some others also supported Mr Suman’s contention. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Promod Mahajan assured them that the sentiments of the members would be communicated to the minister concerned. Mr Yadav, Mr Ramdas Athawle (RPI) and some other members walked out protesting against the inaction of the Government. (UNI) |
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Hard life ahead for children who survived Gujarat quake BHUJ (KUTCH), Feb 27: Harsh realities of life, and death, are staring survivors of the killer January 26 temblor in their face, particularly children, haunted as they are by the deaths of their near and dear ones and the trail of destruction that swept away their relative prosperity in one deft stroke. Ask Ms Khandol her name, and she merely gives a blank stare. Prod her further and she somehow manages to mumble in her Kutchi Gujarati: "My brother died." A student of Indirabai girls school here, Ms Khandol does not remember personal details after the calamity, her teacher Ms Divya Antani said amid sobs. She said though some students have begun attending classes, they no longer want to study, give blank looks and begin sobbing or crying the moment they are asked something. Ms Antani, her two colleagues and about 45 students were fortunate to escape as the three-storeyed school building crumbled on that fateful day. Though no deaths occured in the school premises, students are still dazed as they recall the death of their kith and kin back home. She said most of her pupils are not coming to school despite efforts at persuading. However, no psychological counselling had been done so far, she said. A condolence meeting was held here yesterday which about 500-odd quake-hit people attended, including Gujarat Assembly Speaker Dhirubhai Shah and Technical Education Minister Bharat Barot. Another survivor of the temblor, Mr Mahesh Dawda, is still to come to terms with his loss. A successful ‘Mithaiwala’, he was about to begin his new business venture from a swanky showroom when the quake struck, crashing his dreams. He now pulls a hand cart to eke out a living. In the absence of any information on the daily aftershocks from various NGOs as also the Government, survivors animatedly discuss media reports on recent quakes in Pakistan, El Salvador, Indonesia and Afghanistan. Though Mr D’Bertrand Grellet, leader of a French team of scientific and technological experts,said there was ‘no correlation’ between the quakes that hit Gujarat and other parts of the world, a section of the people have heaved a sigh of relief believing the temblor had, after all, "shifted" its activity to other places. Mr Dinesh Gor, Principal of Anchorwala Saraswati Vidya Mandir, said a fourth-standard girl was crushed under a blackboard due to quake. He said senior students were badly affected psychologically compared to the younger lot, who seemed less afraid of quakes. Education Department authorities have now focussed attention on tenth class students who would appear in State or Central Board examinations shortly. But only a tenth of the 1400-odd students are able to attend classes in tents pitched next to the rubble of what were once school buildings, a constant reminder of the widespread destruction wreaked by the temblor there. (UNI) |
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