Excelsior... Nation

Balayogi calls for
efforts to restore
respect for legislature

CHANDIGARH, June 28: Taking a serious view of lack of discipline and decorum in legislatures, Lok Sabha Speaker G M C Balayogi today called for concerted efforts to restore public respect for legislative bodies.....more

India’s decision most unfortunate, says Hurriyat

NEW DELHI, June 28: Terming as most unfortunate the Centre’s decision of not allowing Hurriyat leaders to meet Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf ...more

Dalit intellectuals slam approach paper to 10th plan

NEW DELHI, June 28: The Government’s failure to address the sensitive issue of land reforms and the proposed freeze on recruitment in the ...more

Punjab Cong demands
arrest of Chauhan

NEW DELHI, June 28: NEW DELHI, June 28: Punjab Congress today demanded arrest of Jagjit Singh Chauhan and other protagonists of Khalistan on sedition charges and said the..more

HC issues notice to
Delhi Govt on adhoc
teachers’ plea

NEW DELHI, June 28: The Delhi High Court has issued notices to the Delhi Government and Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB) on a. ...more

‘Contingency plan required to tackle problem of overflowing godowns’

VIJAYAWADA, June 28: The country may head for a disaster if a contingency plan is not chalked out to tackle the problem of overflowing...more

PoK issue expected
to figure prominently
during talks

NEW DELHI, June 28: The contentious issue of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) is expected to figure prominently during the Vajpayee....more

3 dogs die after
biting a man

FEROZEPUR, June 28: A dog biting a man isn’t news, but when a man takes a chunk out of a canine, it certainly makes headlines. We’ve got a variation on that...more

Balayogi calls for efforts to restore respect for legislature

"Our concern here is with persistent aberrations in the routine legislative functioning and with resultant declining of public image of our legislatures," Balayogi said delivering the inaugural address of the three-day conference of presiding officers here.

Referring to events in Parliament in the last budget session and in various State Assemblies on different occasions, Balayogi, who is also the Chairman of the conference, said such events should be brought to an end in the interest of parliamentary democracy.

The Speaker emphasised that it was imperative for leaders of all parties and groups in legislatures to ensure that their members do not stall proceedings of the house.

Balayogi said the legislators should be bound by a code of conduct both within and outside the house.

He said the need for a code of conduct assumed significance after the recent Supreme Court judgement in JMM pay off case declaring a Member of Parliament as a ‘public servant’ under Section 2 (C) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

He told his fellow presiding officers that subsequent to the apex court judgement, a few cases against some MPs were referred to him by the investigating agencies for permission for prosecution under various sections of Prevention of Corruption Act and the IPC.

He said a competent authority is to be designated through an act of Parliament for granting sanction for launching prosecution against Members of Parliament and the Central Government was asked to do the needful in this regard.

The Lok Sabha Speaker said it could apply to the members of state legislatures in due course of time. (PTI)

India’s decision most unfortunate, says Hurriyat

NEW DELHI, June 28: Terming as most unfortunate the Centre’s decision of not allowing Hurriyat leaders to meet Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf during his forthcoming visit to the country, the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) today said the action has put a question mark on India’s sincerity towards resolving the Kashmir issue through peaceful means.

"It is most unfortunate that the government of india has taken such a decision. The APHC has done everything possible to create a conducive atmosphere for holding a constructive and meaningful dialogue process to resolve the vexed Kashmir issue," APHC spokesman Abdul Majid Banday told UNI here.

The action has put a question mark on India’s sincerity to find a lasting solution to the 53-year-old issue through peaceful means, he added.

Mr Banday said the APHC had time and again made it clear that a permanent resolution of the Kashmir imbroglio was impossible without the participation of the Kashmiri leadership.

"We are the true representatives of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and are ready to prove it anytime," he said.

Reports reaching here indicated that India had conveyed to Pakistan that a meeting between General Musharraf and the Hurriyat leadership would not be conducive to July 14-16 Indo-Pak summit.

"It is surprising that the Indian leadership had gone to the level of virtually ordering Gen Musharraf not to entertain the idea of meeting the Hurriyat leaders," Mr Banday said.

In his statement during an interaction with some Pakistani newspaper editors in Islamabad on Tuesday, Gen Musharraf had said that he would "try his best" to meet the APHC leaders.

Last month, soon after inviting the general for talks, India had said the Hurriyat leaders meeting with him was a "non-issue."

"The executive committee of the APHC will meet next week in Srinagar to take stock of the situation in the wake of India’s stand and decide its future course of action," Mr Banday said.

Meanwhile, a report in the Pakistani urdu daily ‘Jung’ claimed that India had agreed to allow the APHC leaders to meet gen Musharraf and that the details were being worked out through diplomatic channels. (UNI)

Dalit intellectuals slam approach paper to 10th plan

NEW DELHI, June 28: The Government’s failure to address the sensitive issue of land reforms and the proposed freeze on recruitment in the approach paper to the tenth plan (2002-07), now under finalisation, will spell doom for the downtrodden sections, Dalit intellectuals have warned Prime Minister A B Vajpayee.

In a letter to Mr Vajpayee, who is Chairman of the Planning Commission, the Centre for Alternative Dalit Media (CADAM) said the objectives outlined in the approach paper would "ruin the life of the dalits, disadvantaged and the poor equally."

The approach paper was discussed along with several issues at the full meeting of the Planning Commission presided over by Mr Vajpayee here yesterday.

Observing that for the first time since planning started in India, the Planning Commission had forgotten to take cognizance of the problems of the Dalits, CADAM president Rajni Tilak said the special component plan and tribal sub plan found no mention in the approach paper.

While failing to address the crucial issue of land reforms, the paper proposed to generate resources by reducing the number of Government employees by three per cent per year with no recruitment during the tenth plan.

It was also aiming at accelerated disinvestment, widespread imposition of user charges on all non-merit goods, levy of tax at every stage of value addition from production to sale of goods and services.

In addition, it proposed appropriate pricing of public services, leaving vacant posts of secretarial and clerical posts unfilled, a moratorium on launching new projects, complete privatisation of non-strategic public enterprises within a specific period and rationalisation of labour laws and regulations to reduce the effective and implicit cost of labour.

"This approach paper lacks the vision of finding alternative ways of generating resources. It seems that the planners have failed to realise the grass root realities of India. More than 400 million of Indian masses are living below the poverty line, meaning that they lack resources even to subsist. Only a cruel system can impose user charges and can ask price for public services from these people.

"By suggesting no-recruitment during the tenth plan and leaving vacant posts of secretarial and clerical posts unfilled, the Planning Commission seems to have forgotten its role of generating more and more jobs through better planning, and instead was preparing planned marginalisation of dalits. It is a known fact that due to non-reservation in the private sector, only vacancies in government sector provide scheduled castes and scheduled tribes some hopes of getting gainful employment," the letter said.

Dalit intellectuals, who discussed the approach paper at a meeting here last week, have suggested that at least 50 per cent share of investment of the Planning Commission should be earmarked for the development of dalits. (UNI)

Punjab Cong demands arrest of Chauhan

NEW DELHI, June 28: Punjab Congress today demanded arrest of Jagjit Singh Chauhan and other protagonists of Khalistan on sedition charges and said the "escalating developments" on the return of these leaders would "destabilise" Punjab which was yet to recover fully from the shock of militancy.

"My concern is about the escalating developments in Punjab. First it was Satnam Singh Ponthia, then Wasan Singh Zaffarwal and now Jagjit Singh Chauhan....Their reported statements meant that they want to viciate atmosphere in Punjab again", PPCC president Capt. Amrinder Singh told reporters here.

The PPCC president also accused the Centre and Akali Dal Government of according special treatment to Khalistan protagonist and alleged that it was being done keeping an eye on the coming Assembly elections in the state.

"Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal knew that he has lost the support of the people in the state. Badal in connivance with the Home Ministry was engineering every thing", capt Singh charged.

Assailing the Centre’s reported thinking that the 73-year-old Chauhan was unlikely to be arrested, he said more than 200 police officials are still languishing in jails for defending the country against militancy while those who established a Khalistan Government in exile, printed its own currency and announced a price on the head of the then Prime Minister are being allowed to roam freely.

Chauhan, who was Finance Minister in the Gurnam Singh Ministry in 1967-70, went into exile in Britain on May 15, 1980 at the height of militancy in Punjab and declared a separate Khalistan republic.

The PPCC president wanted to know from the Home Minister L K Advani and Chief Minister Badal how have the chief of Khalistan Commando Force Pontia, Zaffarwal and Chauhan "sneaked" into the country.

"What signal the Government is giving to the people of Punjab and the country", he asked and added that the Government’s policy "is lopsided and anti-national".

He also wanted to know as to how Zaffarwal, who came to India on false passport and is in police custody, was addressing press conferences regularly.

Singh also raised objections to the Chief Minister Badal demanding to the Prime Minister a general amnesty for all the "deserters" and said this would demoralise the army and police forces who are defending the country.

All these will destabilise Punjab and its borders would be exploited by Pakistan, who was already engaged in cross border militancy in the other border state of Jammu and Kashmir.

On the possible alliance for the Assembly elections, Singh said he was keen that all secular forces joined hands to fight against the "communal combine" of Akali Dal and BJP.

On alliance with BSP, he said that party had already announced to go it alone and added that talks were on with left forces particularly CPI to contest the elections jointly.

He said the party has constituted 14 committees for the preparations of the polls beside it was bring out a "white paper" on the functioning of the Badal Government. (PTI)

HC issues notice to Delhi Govt on adhoc teachers’ plea

NEW DELHI, June 28: The Delhi High Court has issued notices to the Delhi Government and Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB) on a petition by some adhoc teachers seeking to consider them for appointment as special guest teachers in Government schools.

A division bench comprising Justice Manmohan Sarin and Justice J D Kapoor, while issuing the notices to respondents, sought their replies even as Delhi Government counsel Avnish Ahlawat contended that the adhoc teachers could not be treated at par with the guest teachers to be appointed from among the retired teachers.

She said Government was considering a proposal to appoint special guest teachers from among the retired teachers in view of the poor results of its schools this year in central board examinations.

"The proposal to appoint guest teachers is only under consideration but they will not replace the adhoc teachers," the Government counsel said adding that adhoc teachers would be replaced only by the regular appointees.

Adhoc teachers’ counsel G D Gupta said the adhoc teachers’ were appointed in 1998 and their services are likely to be terminated by July 30 next.

He said while making regular appointments, the Government should consider the candidature of adhoc teachers separately than that of general candidates in view of their experience.

However, the court said no such direction could be issued by it as the appointment of employees was a policy matter. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) earlier, in an affidavit before another bench of the High Court had blamed the "time consuming" selection process of DSSSB as the main reason for shortage of teachers.

Joint Director of Education, MCD, had admitted that nearly 4,000 posts of various categories of teachers were lying vacant in its schools.

The MCD had stated that against the sanctioned strength of 24,370 posts of Trained Graduate Teachers (TGTs) and Language Teachers (LTs) nearly 2000 posts were vacant as on December 31, 2000.

It said the DSSSB has already notified 578 posts for direct recruitment against the vacant posts and the process of filling up 595 posts of TGTs and LTs by promoting assistant teachers, had been affected due to the stay granted by the court following two writ petitions, which had challenged the promotion order.

The new process for filling up TGTs and LTs posts against the promotion quota could only be initiated once the stay was vacated by the court, for which the corporation had already moved an application before the concerned judge, it said.

Giving details about the vacant posts of other category teachers, the MCD said 730 vacancies of post-graduate teachers, 342 of assistant teachers, 454 of other category teachers, 307 posts of vice-principals and 229 posts of principals were vacant as on December 31, 2000. (PTI)

‘Contingency plan required to tackle problem of overflowing godowns’

VIJAYAWADA, June 28: The country may head for a disaster if a contingency plan is not chalked out to tackle the problem of overflowing godowns, according to former TDP MP and noted farmers’ leader Y Shivaji.

With the Food Corporation of India having a bufferstock of about 27.4 million tonnes of rice as against the requirement of only 11.8 million tonnes, and with the states not showing any inclination to lift the quota allotted to them since the issue price was more than the market price, the problem would aggravate further during this year, he told a press conference here last evening.

Dr Shivaji, who had been a member of the parliamentary committee to finalise the country’s stand on the dunkel proposals, suggested that at least 25 lakh tonnes of rice be exported through the Kakinada port to countries like Philippines and Indonesia to tide over the crisis.

With the Centre making its intention clear that it wanted to restrict procurement operations to meet only its obligation with regard to provision of foodgrains to those living below the poverty line, and for schemes relating to hilly and drought-prone areas, the states would have to fend for themselves, Dr Shivaji noted.

It would not be a surprise if the shares of the FCI were sold "lock, stock and barrel" in the near future since it was very much on the disinvestment list, he added.

He urged Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to persuade the Centre to initiate steps for exporting rice, since Andhra Pradesh, a major rice producing state, would be the worst-hit.

The Centre and the state should equally share the likely loss of Rs 1,000 crores due for export in view of the price difference in the domestic and international market, he suggested. (UNI)

PoK issue expected to figure prominently during talks

NEW DELHI, June 28: The contentious issue of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) is expected to figure prominently during the Vajpayee-Musharraf summit next month, even as India has made it clear that its position of J and K being an "integral part" of the country "remains unaltered".

That the issue would be raised was indicated by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee soon after his knee operation in Mumbai earlier this month when he said "we will definitely discuss the issue of one-third of Kashmir which is under Pakistani occupation".

Vajpayee had also asserted that "there is no change in our stand that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India".

New Delhi maintains that in 1947, Pakistan had through armed aggression forcibly taken parts of the state and kept it under illegal occupation.

POK now comprises two distinct areas, one being the so-called ‘Azad J and K’ (AJK), christened by Pakistan, with an area of 13,297 kms, and an estimated population of 2.5 million.

It is made up of the districts of Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Kotli, Poonch, Bagh and Bhimber.

The other known as the Northern Areas (NA) comprising the north-western part of J and K is wedged between Afghanistan, north west frontier province in Pakistan and Xinjiang in China and covers a whopping 72,495 sq km but with a population of only 0.87 million.

The northern areas administratively comprise five districts of Gilgit, Skardu, Diamir, Ghizer and Ghanche.

For long, Pakistan has spoken of POK as a liberated territory saying its status has to be determined in accordance with the wishes of the people.

India believes that through the ‘AJK Interim Constitution Act-1974, promulgated by the Assembly, Pakistan has tried to create the myth of POK as an autonomous self-governing territory, dependent on it for only defence, coinage and currency.

Under this arrangement, all residual powers are supposedly vested with the ‘AJK’ Government.

New Delhi contends that the myth of autonomy was exposed at the very beginning of the 1974 act, which derives its legitimacy not from a constituent Assembly of the people of POK but from the ‘authorisation’ granted to it by the Pakistan Government.

Under this act, all law-making powers except those that formally vest with Pakistan, have been bifurcated between an ‘AJK" Council and the ‘AJK’ Legislative Assembly.

With the Council Chairman automatically being the Pakistan Prime Minister and one of its members the Federal Minister for Kashmir and northern areas, it is argued that the body is the "fig leaf" behind which Pakistan is able to exercise absolute power.

Significantly, under the provisions of the 1974 act, the fundamental right to association, necessary for existence of political parties and political activity, can be curtailed.

The recent POK elections showed that election rules have been so formulated as to permit the authorities to reject nomination of any politician believed to be not committed to the idea of accession to Pakistan.

Interestingly, unlike POK, the northern areas are bereft of any self-Government and have continued to exist in a constitutional void.

Till recently, they were directly controlled by Islamabad but due to growing local discontent, some institutions have been established to allow some measure of consultation and participation of the local people.

The constitutional ambiguity had its fallout in legal wrangles with the Pakistan Supreme Court directing the federal Government to ensure that people of northern areas enjoyed their fundamental rights under the Pakistan Constitution.

The Pakistan Government’s contention that the apex court had no jurisdiction over these areas since they were not part of the country’s territory was turned down.

The court ruled that since all Pakistani statutes had been extended to the northern areas, its jurisdiction could be exercised. (PTI)