Excelsior... Nation

Hurriyat leaders desire to visit Pak
Govt. determined to stop
foreign terrorists in J&K

From B L Kak

NEW DELHI, Mar 7: Asserting that the Government was determined to stop the increasing activities of foreign terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister.......more

Fernandes defends Army Chief
Delhi-Beijing differences
on LAC aren’t over

Excelsior Defence Correspondent

NEW DELHI, Mar 7: The Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, has reiterated that the boundary dispute between India and China has not yet been resolved....more

Punjab for funds to
develop Golden
Temple’s periphery

CHANDIGARH, Mar 7: Punjab Local Bodies Minister Balramji Das Tandon today said the State Government was awaiting funds from the centre for the...more

Laloo Prasad Yadav

RJD dissidents to fight for
change in Bihar leadership

PATNA, Mar 7: Even as RJD supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav has ruled out threat to the Rabri Devi Ministry....more

CBI chargesheet filed
in haste, without
evidence: Hindujas

NEW DELHI, Mar 7: The Hinduja brothers have claimed the chargesheet against them in the Bofors kickback case was filed without evidence and in haste and that the denial of official permission to them to leave the country would indirectly help prime accused Ottavio Quottrocchi......more

Term of commission to
decide permanent capital
of Uttaranchal may be
extended: Swami

LUCKNOW, Mar 7: The term of one member commission set up to decide the capital of Uttaranchal may be extended, Uttaranchal Chief Minister Nityanand Swami said here today.....more

Delhi in Parliament

NEW DELHI, Mar 7: The CBI had expressed difficulties in investigating the 31 cases of unauthorised constructions in posh residential localities in the capital because of manpower constraints, the Rajya Sabha was informed......more

Govt urged to stop Shahi Imam from making inflamatory speeches

NEW DELHI, Mar 7: BJP Member of Parliament Vijay Goel today urged the Government to stop the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid from making inflamatory speeches such as linking the Taliban’s destruction of the Buddha statues with the Babri Masjid episode. Raising the matter during zero hour in the Lok Sabha, Mr Goel, who represents the Chandni Chowk constituency in the capital...more

Hurriyat leaders desire to visit Pak
Govt. determined to stop foreign terrorists in J&K

From B L Kak

NEW DELHI, Mar 7: Asserting that the Government was determined to stop the increasing activities of foreign terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Mr Vidyasagar Rao, made it clear on Wednesday that security forces had been instructed to act decisively against any act of terrorist violence in the State.

Mr Rao admitted that after the unilateral peace initiative declared by the Government of India, there had been a "marginal" increase in the number of incidents of militant violence in J&K.

On safeguarding the life and property of Sikhs in Kashmir, Mr Rao stated in the Rajya Sabha during question hour that after the recent incidents of Mehjoor Nagar in Srinagar, the J&K Government had further reviewed the security arrangements for minorities and remote and scattered populations. There was also a constant monitoring of the security situation by the Unified Headquarters as well as by operations groups at various lower levels, he said in reply to a question by Mr Sukhdev Singh Libra and Sardar Gurcharan Singh Tohra.

Stating that pan-Islamic outfits operating in J&K tried to create a communal divide by resorting to in-group killing of members of minority communities and thereby creating an atmosphere of fear with the aim to ethnic cleansing and forcing their exodus, Mr Rao assured the House that the Government of India continued to provide support to the State Government and the security forces in their efforts and also regularly reviewed and monitored the security situation.

In his reply to a question by Mr Narendra Mohan, Mr Rao stated that with a view to preventing ethnic cleansing and exodus of members of minority community in Kashmir, the State Government had taken various measures, including strengthening the village defence committee system by providing them training and improved weaponry and communication equipment, strengthening the security grid around the minority inhabited villages and increased frequency of patrolling by security forces of sensitive and vulnerable areas.

Mr Vidyasagar Rao claimed that there had been "a perceptible change in the general atmosphere in the State of Jammu and Kashmir in terms of overwhelming positive response from the public and the mainstream political parties to the Prime Minister’s peace initiative". However, except on the Line of Control (LoC), the extent of violence had not seen any significant decline "because militants have been hostile to the peace initiative", he admitted while answering a question by Mr NK Premachandran.

Referring to the further extension of the cease-fire period till the end of May next, the Minister said that any further continuation of the peace initiative would depend on a comprehensive assessment of all relevant factors including the ground level situation in J&K. The situation, he pointed out, was being periodically reviewed "at the highest levels".

Reiterating that the Government was pursuing a multi-pronged strategy to bring peace and normalcy in J&K, Mr Vidyasagar Rao stated that while the Government had repeatedly indicated its willingness to have talks with any group in the State that abjures violence, the Government was determined to maintain law and order and was for firm action by security forces against any act of violence or terrorism.

Mr Rao informed the House that there are reports that following Pakistan’s announcement of "partial" withdrawal of troops during the third week of December 2000, certain reserve formations and some formations undergoing training in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) moved to their permanent locations. There are, however, no inputs to suggest reduction or withdrawal of troops physically deployed on the LoC.

Mr Rao regretted that Pakistan continued to promote, encourage, aid and abet cross-border terrorism in J&K. He also criticised Pakistan for not showing any inclination to rein in the terrorist groups. Mr Rao hope that Pakistan would act and abjune violence, give up its hostile propaganda against India, stop promoting and aiding cross-border terrorism and taken the path of peace through bilateral talks as enshrined in the Shimla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration.

Answering a question by Mr K Rama Mohana Rao and Ms Saroj Dubey, Mr Rao said Pakistan-backed jehadi militant outfits had rejected the peace initiative and had stepped up violent activity in order to thwart the peace process in Jammu and Kashmir. He also said that the strategies being followed by the security forces to counter the terrorist violence on the ground "are constantly reviewed and refined" at various levels keeping in view the changing ground situation and intelligence inputs.

Mr Rao informed Mr Rajeev Shukla that as many as 227 terrorists were killed and 82 apprehended in J&K from November 28, 2000 to February 25 this year. Mr Rao put the number of security personnel killed during the period at 91.

Fernandes defends Army Chief
Delhi-Beijing differences on LAC aren’t over

Excelsior Defence Correspondent

NEW DELHI, Mar 7: The Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, has reiterated that the boundary dispute between India and China has not yet been resolved. The two sides, he has also reiterated, have also differences in the perception of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the border areas.

Mr Fernandes said in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that pending clarification of the LAC, India and China had been carrying out normal border management activities including construction of tracks and patrolling up to their respective perception of the LAC.

The perceived violations of the LAC, the Defence Minister said in reply to a question by Mr P Prabhakar Reddy, were taken up by both sides through diplomatic channels and also at the ground level through border personnel meetings and flag meetings.

Mr Reddy wanted to know if the Government had taken cognizance of the recent statement by the Chief of the Army Staff, Gen. S Padmanabhan, that the Chinese activities along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) "are creating some problems" between the two countries.

Defending Gen. Padmanabhan, Mr George Fernandes argued that the Chief of the Army Staff had referred to certain degree of stabilisation on the LAC, even while speaking of the differences in the perception of the two countries about the actual alignment of the LAC.

The Defence Minister informed the House that India and China have been discussing the boundary question in the framework of the India-China Joint Working Group and the India-China Expert Group of diplomatic and military officials. Both sides, he said, had reiterated the objective of seeking a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary question through dialogue.

Mr George Fernandes said that the boundary question was discussed in broad terms during the recent visit to India of Mr Li Peng. Mr Li Peng, Chairman of the National People’s Congress, and the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, had discussed the boundary question in broad terms. Both sides expressed satisfaction at the progress made on LAC clarification exercise.

Ms Vanga Geetha wanted to know if India required restructuring of Armed Forces in view of more than 50 years of military conflict in Kashmir, Ladakh and Aksai China sectors. In his reply, Mr George Fernandes said that the Government of India constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) consisting of the Home Minister, the Defence Minister, the External Affairs Minister and the Finance Minister to thoroughly review the national security system in its entirety and, in particular, to consider the recommendations of the Kargil Review Committee and formulate specific proposals for implementation.

The recommendations of the GoM have since been finalised after taking into account the report of the Kargil Review Committee, the reports submitted by the four task forces that had been set up by the GoM and other relevant inputs. According to the Defence Minister, detailed recommendations for reforming the national security system including Armed Forces have been made in the report of the GoM, which has been presented to the Prime Minister.

Stating that the Government continuously monitors all factors impinging on the national security and takes appropriate decisions to safeguard it, Mr Fernandes explained that within the overall structure of the democratic system of Government and in accordance with the scheme of the constitution, the Armed Forces "enjoy a considerable degree of autonomy". He pointed out that all efforts were made by the Government to ensure that the Armed Forces maintain a very high morale.

The Defence Minister said in reply to a question by Dr Karan Singh and Mr K Kalavenkata Rao that the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) was planned to be inducted in Indian Air Force (IAF) after initial operational clearance (IOC) in the year 2003. According to Mr Fernandes, there is a delay of about two years. The present sanctioned cost of LCA programme is Rs 2854 crores.

On feasibility of LCA, Mr Fernandes said in reply to a question by Mr Ramdas Agarwal that indigenous content of the first LCA technology demonstrator was nearly 70 per cent and it was likely to be higher during the production of aircraft. Mr Fernandes emphasised that LCA would not be obsolete as it had been designed with the state-of-the-art technologies that would remain current during the induction and operational phase of LCA.

According to the Defence Minister, the estimated requirement for the Air Force is 200 LCA fighters and 20 LCA trainers. Requirements of Navy for LCA naval variant is under evaluation. Most of the components needed for LCA are available from indigenous or third country sources.

The Defence Minister stated in reply to a question by Dr Karan Singh and Mr CM Ibrahim that the expenditure incurred in the LCA programme up to December 31, 2000 was Rs 1818. 53 crores. LCA, Mr Fernandes informed the two members, is an advanced technology, single seat, single engine, light weight, all weather, multi-role air superiority fighter aircraft.

On the recent helicopter crash near Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu region, the Defence Minister said in reply to a question by Mr Swaraj Kaushal and Mr KB Krishna Murthy that the chetak helicopter which crashed near Vaishno Devi shrine on January 30 this year, was on an "authorised official sortie ordered by HQ Northern Command to undertake the mission in support of Army Commander’s visit to an operational location within his area of jurisdiction".

Punjab for funds to develop Golden Temple’s periphery

CHANDIGARH, Mar 7: Punjab Local Bodies Minister Balramji Das Tandon today said the State Government was awaiting funds from the centre for the developmental works around the golden temple complex as the Union Government had not sanctioned any money for the purpose after 1988 under the ‘Galiara Scheme’.

The minister, who was replying to a question during the zero hour of the Vidhan Sabha proceedings here, said the Punjab Chief Minister had recently written to the Centre for more funds for the ‘Galiara Scheme’ as the state had received only Rs.70 crore in 1988 for the work.

Mr Tandon said there was a need for acquiring more land around the ‘Darbar Sahib’ complex to build an underground parking space.

He admitted that the devotees have to face problems posed by chaos during rush hours at the shrine on the occasions of ‘Gurupurabs’.

He said the state had already spent Rs.80 crore under the scheme and a sum of Rs. 3 crore was lying unspent.

We will again talk to the centre for funds needed for the purpose, Mr Tandon assured the house.

The question regarding the ‘Galiara’ scheme was posed by Shiromani Akali Dal MLA Manjit Singh Calcutta.

Expressing concern over the issue, Congress MLA Avtar Henry sought an assurance from the Chief Minister in this regard and claimed that no developmental work had taken place around the Golden Temple’s complex for the past fourteen years. (UNI)

RJD dissidents to fight for change in Bihar leadership

PATNA, Mar 7: Even as RJD supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav has ruled out threat to the Rabri Devi Ministry and charged the dissidents with involving in the sinister design to bring the state under President’s rule once again, the dissident camp led by Rajya Sabha member Ranjan Prasad Yadav seems determined for change in leadership in Bihar.

RJD president has accused senior NDA leaders like Ramvilas Paswan, Nitish Kumar, Sharad Yadav and Sushil Kumar Modi, who have announced their unconditional support for Ranjan Yadav for forming an alternative Government, of plotting to destabilise the Rabri Ministry.

"The NDA is making frantic efforts to create a crisis in the RJD by using the dissidents but I have faced many such revolts over the past one decade and I know how to tackle such a situation", Yadav contends.

He believes that dissident activity at a time when he was fighting against entry of multinationals into the country was not linked with the demand for change of leadership but to divert people’s attention from the struggle for toppling the "anti-nation and anti-people" Vajpayee Government.

Dissidents claimed that more than 70 MLAs had so far joined their camp and more would follow suit.

A dissident leader, not wishing to be named, however told PTI that because of the delay by Ranjan Yadav in leading the rebels’ charge against the leadership, the ‘oust Laloo-Rabri campaign’ has failed to gain momentum so far.

Political observers believed that the silence of Ranjan Yadav may be a sign of lack of adequate support of MLAs to engineer a split in the RJD Legislature Party.

The observers maintained that Ranjan had in the past also fuelled dissidence in the party and later bought peace with the RJD president when Laloo accorded him importance and obliged him by giving his supporters power and posts.

Bihar Minister for Public Health Engineering Department Rama Devi had also challenged Ranjan to come out openly if he really wanted a change in leadership. He said change of leadership is an internal matter of RJD and BJP, Samata or any other party should not be concerned about it.

Meanwhile, State Finance Minister S P Tekriwal ruled out possibility of resignation from the Rabri Devi Ministry but expressed his firm resolve not to compromise on the issue of development.

RJD Parliamentary Party leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said the present crisis in the party was temporary and it will soon be resolved. (PTI)

CBI chargesheet filed in haste, without evidence: Hindujas

"There is no document or evidence of any kind to prove that Hindujas got money from A B Bofors in the Rs 1437 crore-gun deal. Swedish authorities have also certified that payments received in the accounts of Prakashchand during May-December 1986 were not related to the Bofors-India deal," the Hindujas told the CBI during their interrogation.

It is understood that during the ten-day interrogation in January this year, London-based Srichand and Gopichand Hinduja, and Geneva-based Prakash Hinduja challenged the agency to prove before the court if there was any document showing their involvement in the controversial billion dollar arms deal.

They said their case was somewhat different from Quottrocchi, and ex-Bofors agent Win Chadha against whom it has been conclusively proved through documents received from swiss authorities that they had received huge commission.

Sources close to investigators told UNI today the Hindujas also claimed that the treatment meted out to them without evidence will rather hamper the extradition of the actual beneficiary of the Bofors Gun Deal — Quottrocchi — from Malaysia.

During the extradition hearing in a Malaysian court on January 22, Quottrocchi had argued that he feared that like the Hindujas he would not receive a fair deal if extradited to India.

The CBI alleges the Hindujas took 81 million Swedish Kroner from gun company A B Bofors as a pay-off in the 1.2 billion-dollar sale of 400 howitzer field guns to the Indian Government in 1986.

The Hindujas alleged that the chargesheet against them does not accuse them of corruption and bribery and evidence of conspiracy was also not mentioned.

They also accused the CBI of filing the chargesheet against them in a hurry even without waiting for a response from swiss authorities to quarries raised by the CBI in June last year, about four months before their chargesheeting.

The three brothers were chargesheeted by the agency on October 12 and taking its cognizance in December the court issued summons against them. The three brothers appeared before the trial court of Special Judge Ajit Bharihoke on January 19 this year.

The Hindujas found no logic in denying them permission to go abroad to carry out their business as their interrogation has been "completed and they would not be required before framing of charges and initiation of the trial in the case."

The trial, in any case, would start only after the CBI succeed in extraditing the other two accused in the case Quottrocchi and Martin Arbdo, they said.

The excuse that the brothers had changed their nationality and would not come back when needed was untenable as they had come in the first place without hiding behind their foreign nationality, they claimed. Besides, they have given undertakings for appearance before the CBI as and when required.

CBI sources said the Hindujas submitted documents supporting their case that neither the funds received from A B Bofors by Mcintire, owner of Prakashchand Hinduja, were connected with the Indian gun deal nor the flow of funds on from these accounts was part of any clandestine operation.

All the funds have remained with the Hinduja group and are on account of global counter-trade. (UNI)

Term of commission to decide permanent capital of
Uttaranchal may be extended: Swami

LUCKNOW, Mar 7: The term of one member commission set up to decide the capital of Uttaranchal may be extended, Uttaranchal Chief Minister Nityanand Swami said here today.

Addressing a press conference here this morning, he said Dehradun was made the capital of the new hill state on an interim basis and the final decision in this regard would be taken after the Commission submitted its report.

It may be recalled that the Commission headed by Justice Virendra Dixit was constituted in January last to study all the aspects about the Uttaranchal capital.

Mr Swami said the commission was asked to give its report within six months but added that the term of the commission may be extended."I too am in no hurry", he said.

Mr Swami was replying when informed that the people of Kumaon region were agitated over the decision of Dehradun being made the capital. The people of Kumaon were favouring Gairsan as the capital of Uttaranchal.

Mr Swami was here to hold a meeting with the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Rajnath Singh in connection with the transfer of assets between the two states.

The Chief Minister also said the Central Government had decided to give a special status to the new state. He said that "i had a meeting with the Planning Commission Deputy Chairman K C Pant on this issue and he informed me about the Central Government’s decision".

Mr Swami said the approval of central cabinet was impending in this regard and it would be a formality as the decision to give special status to uttaranchal had already been taken.

The cash starved state would get a major boost as after the special status as it would get ninety percent of the state plan as central grant and remaining ten percent in the form of loan against the present ratio of 70 and 30 respectively, he added.

The meeting of two CMs had agreed to transfer UP Niwas, the official guest house in New Delhi, to Uttaranchal, Mr Swami said.

He said that the UP CM had also agreed to send the service records of officers, who have been sent to Uttaranchal, within a week. In turn, the Uttarnchal CM had assured his UP counterpart to release remaining 33 state cadre officers immediately after March 31.

The meeting, however, could not take the decision of transfer of power projects, which are the main source of revenue for the hill state. He said the Power Ministers of both the states would meet here on March 13 to take decision in this regard.

Mr Swami said despite the poor financial condition of the state the Government was taking several steps in the areas of ruralhealth, potable water, education and other service sectors. (UNI)

Delhi in Parliament

Minister of State for Urban Development Bandaru Dattatreya said following the request of the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Urban Development Ministry had taken up the matter with the authorities concerned for creation of a special cell in the CBI for exclusively handling cases of unauthorised constructions in the capital.

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Slum policy: The Centre has hammered out a three-pronged strategy to deal with the problems of slumdwellers in the capital, the upper house was told.

Replying to a query, Urban Development Minister Jagmohan said where the JJ dwellers are residing before December 31, 1998 on land urgently required for the execution of a public project, such slumdwellers are relocated elsewhere.

"As per the present relocation policy, allotment of 18 sq metres is done to the pre-1990 squatters and 12.5 metres to the post-1990 but pre-1998 squatters," he said.

Further, IN-SITU upgradation of the slum/JJ cluster is done where the land owning agency does not need the land in the near future and approves upgradation of such clusters, the minister said, adding that civic amenities like water supply, street lighting, road and storm water drains are provided in slum/JJ clusters in certain cases.

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Polluting industries: Enforcement teams of the Delhi Government visited as many as 18,972 industrial units during December-January, 2000-2001 and 2,773 of these, which were in the ‘F’ category (most polluting ones) were sealed, the Rajya Sabha was told.

Mr Dattatreya told the house that another 863 water polluting units were sealed in the course of earlier operations. "The number of industries closed in the present case of enforcement action till February 28 is 681," he said, adding that the exact figures regarding the number of unaffected workers was not available.

He also said 16,394 industrial units which were found eligible under the relocation scheme were allotted the plots. Out of these, 6563 ‘F’ category units have been given allotments on a priority basis in industrial areas at Jhilmil, Patparganj, Badli, Narela and Bawana.

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DDA demolition: The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had removed unauthorised construction in 49 DDA flats during the last two years and also demolished 11,399 structures, including encroachments on its land, MD dattatreya told the house. In addition, Delhi Cantonment Board had demolished 115 and the NDMC 136 unauthorised constructions during the period, the minister said and pointed out that no compensation was paid for the demolition of such structures. (UNI)