States hauled up
for lax response to
adoption malpractices

NEW DELHI, May 24: Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Maneka Gandhi today came down heavily on.....more

Special package
for 3 new states: Swaraj

DEHRADUN, May 24: The Centre has prepared a comprehensive package, which includes setting up of a Doordarshan centre each, to boost ...more

Imposition of President’s rule demanded in Manipur

IMPHAL, May 24: Janata Dal (Secular) today demanded imposition of President’s rule in Manipur for "amelioration of the financial crisis and to ...more

Shanmugam’s second
stint as Pondy CM

PONDICHERRY, May 24: For septuagenarian congress leader P Shanmugham, who was sworn in today as the 12th Chief Minister of the ....more

Well-equipped AIDS
testing centres
everywhere: Thakur

PATNA, May 24: Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr C P Thakur today said the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) would.....more

Opposition need not feel insecure in house: Jaya

CHENNAI, May 24: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha today said members of the opposition and ......more

SC to hear PILs
against Jaya becoming
CM on June 4

NEW DELHI, May 24: The Supreme Court would take up for hearing on June 4 the two writ.....more

NHRC asks for report
on sexual harassment
in science institute

NEW DELHI, May 24: In yet another case of sexual harassment at work place, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)......more



States hauled up for lax response to adoption malpractices

NEW DELHI, May 24: Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Maneka Gandhi today came down heavily on State Governments for lax enforcement of adoption guidelines resulting in commercial rackets involving buying and selling of small children for adoption in some states.

Addressing the conference of Welfare Secretaries of States/UTs here, Ms Gandhi regretted that states got bogged down in procedural delays besides shifting responsibility for adoption malpractices and lost sight of the real purpose which was to speedily restore the child to the parents or, alternatively, rehabilitate with a loving family.

Citing an instance, she said her ministry had written several letters to the Orissa Government asking it to blacklist and shut down a particular adoption agency. "Months later the place was raided and dead bodies of young children were found in the most horrendous conditions. If the state had acted earlier, maybe these lives would not have been lost", she said.

Exhorting State Governments to strictly adhere to the guidelines laid down by the central adoption agency cara, the minister said these guidelines were being further tightened to guard against spurious adoptions.

To further ensure that the rights of children are protected, the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry has replaced the Juvenile Justice Act, 1986 with a more Child-friendly Act called the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 effective from April one this year. "A clear distinction has now been made in the new act between the juvenile offender and the neglected child" Ms Gandhi pointed out.

A special emphasis has been made on aspects of rehabilitation and social integration of children in need of care through alternatives such as adoption, foster care and sponsorship, she added.

Ms Gandhi also expressed concern over the plight of the elderly in the country. Observing that by 2005 there will be 17 crore persons above the age of 60, she said many of these persons will be facing problems regarding adequate shelter, financial resources and medical care.

She informed that a secretariat for the aged, Aadhar, has been set up under the aegis of her ministry. Initially established in Delhi, it is now proposed to set up a Zila Aadhar in each district, she said adding that lawyers, doctors, social workers and older persons themselves must be associated in addressing the needs of the aged.

It will be necessary for the state administration to monitor and assess these groups to ensure that they are effective in carrying out the objectives for which they are established, she stressed.

Referring to services required for the approximately 50 million disabled persons in the country, the minister informed that 107 district rehabilitation centres are being set up of which 31 are operational. "Nineteen more are in the pipeline and it is hoped that by the end of the year all 107 districts should be covered", she added.

Concerned about reports regarding misutilisation of grants, an intensive inspection programme was ordered and since may 860 of the 2300 organisations funded by the ministry were inspected. "The performance of organisation was unsatisfactory in 118 cases and grants have been suspended in 54 cases", Ms Gandhi said adding that the State Governments have asked to ensure recovery of Rs 1.44 crore from various NGOs. (UNI)

Special package for 3 new states: Swaraj

DEHRADUN, May 24: The Centre has prepared a comprehensive package, which includes setting up of a Doordarshan centre each, to boost dissemination of information in the three newly formed states, Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj said here today.

"We have prepared a comprehensive package for all the three new states — Uttaranchal, Chhatisgarh and Jharkhand —to boost dissemination of information in these areas," Swaraj said laying the foundation stone of a Doordarshan centre here.

She also announced that the new centre in Dehradun would be opened on August 12 when Uttaranchal celebrates its ‘Victory Day’. "We will be uplinking the centre within the next six months so that its reception becomes clear", she said.

From June 11, Doordarshan would also begin broadcasting special programmes catering to the needs of the people of Uttaranchal, the minister said adding "there will be weekly news bulletin, talk shows, programmes on agriculture, culture and youth.

Union Minister of State for Road and Highway B C Khanduri and Chief Minister Nityanand Swami also spoke on the occasion. (PTI)

Imposition of President’s rule demanded in Manipur

IMPHAL, May 24: Janata Dal (Secular) today demanded imposition of President’s rule in Manipur for "amelioration of the financial crisis and to improve the law and order situation in the region."

In a statement, JD(S) Manipur unit president W Kulabidhu Singh said the people wanted central rule in view of the frequent political crisis arising out of attempts by elected representatives to change the Government.

Singh who held a discussion on the Manipur situation with Governor Ved Marwah yesterday, said central leaders of BJP and Samata Party may patch up the differences but the present elected representatives in the state would not.

He said the W Nipamacha Singh Ministry was sworn in on March 2, 2000 with 33 ministers. Even before the elected members were administered oath, some members of smaller parties defected and joined the MSCP (Manipur State Congress Party).

The State JD(S) president said Koijam Ministry was sworn in on February 15, 2001 with the support of 58 MLAs except senior Congress leader rishang Keishing in the 60-member house.

However, in a span of about 14 months, Singh said several mlas "crossed the floor defecting three or four times and some of them five or six times for sole reason of acquiring power and amassing wealth."

Barring two or three ministers, he said, most of the ministers were involved in corrupt practices. The only way to bring financial discipline was to impose central rule for a short period, he said adding that attempts should be made to improve law and order situation also during the period. (PTI)

Shanmugam’s second stint as Pondy CM

PONDICHERRY, May 24: For septuagenarian congress leader P Shanmugham, who was sworn in today as the 12th Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Pondicherry, this is his second stint in office.

Shanmugham became Chief Minister first in May last in fortuitous circumstances when TMC withdrew support to the DMK-coalition ministry headed by R V Janakiraman and extended support to a Congress-led coalition ministry.

Interestingly, as was the case then, Shanmugham, 74, is not a member of the house this time also (at the time of being sworn-in as Chief Minister).

Shanmugham started his political career as a member of the territorial Assembly in 1956, when he won from Nedunagdu constituency in Karaikal region. He became a minister when he was inducted into the Gubert Ministry in 1964.

He became leader of the opposition when Congress was defeated in the 1969 polls and DMK came to power. He has been an AICC member since 1963 and was elected thrice to Lok Sabha from the Union Territory in 1980, 1984 and 1990.

During his parliamentary tenure, he was instrumental in setting up a fishing harbour in Pondicherry, a university, an engineering college and a sports complex.

Shanmugham had a long stint as Pondicherry Pradesh Congress president. He was the Pondicherry PCC president from 1976 and quit the post only last year, when he became Chief Minister. He later won from the Yanam Assembly constituency to fulfil the membership criteria. Malladi Krishna Rao, an independent, had vacated the seat to enable him to contest from Yanam.

This is the second time Shanmugam, 74, has assumed the office.

Shanmugam, who has become the 12th Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Pondicherry, did not contest the may 10 polls to the territorial Assembly and has to get himself elected to the house within six months.

He became Chief Minister in May last year after the fall of DMK-led coalition ministry. Then also he was not a member of the house, but was elected from Yanam constituency which was vacated by an independent member Malladi Krishna Rao.

AIADMK headquarters secretary K A Sengottayan, organising secretary O S Maniam and G Rengasamy Moopanar (TMC), brother of TMC president G K Moopanar were among those present at the ceremony. (PTI)

Well-equipped AIDS testing centres everywhere: Thakur

PATNA, May 24: Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr C P Thakur today said the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) would open fully-equipped AIDS testing centres in all the district headquarters in the country.

Thakur, who is here on a two-day visit to Bihar, said the centres would provide pre-and-post-testing counselling and conduct necessary tests to ascertain whether the person concerned was afflicted with the disease.

Thakur said the Centre wanted to spread awareness among the people about the deadly disease.

He said NACO would be the funding agency while the State AIDS Control Societies would execute the programme.

In terms of estimated cases, India ranks next to South Africa and on date, it has 38 lakh HIV cases, he said.

Minister said though the disease had not assumed an alarming proportion in Bihar, the State Government should take effective steps to check spread of the disease. (PTI)

Opposition need not feel insecure in house: Jaya

CHENNAI, May 24: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha today said members of the opposition and small parties need not feel insecure in the house as the AIADMK Government would not resort to any victimisation.

Felicitating the newly-elected speaker K Kalimuthu, Ms Jayalalitha, in her maiden address to the 12th Assembly, said the members (DMK members) need not be afraid of their protection in the house as the AIADMK wanted to forget the past and make a new beginning.

In an obvious reference to the treatment meted out to AIADMK members during the previous DMK regime, she said though one had to reap what one sowed, opposition members would get protection in the house.

"Let the bygones be bygones as whatever happens, happens for the good", Ms Jayalalitha said amidst thumping of desks.

Paying high encomiums on Mr Kalimuthu, she said the Speaker had the responsibility to maintain the decorum of the house and ensure that members behaved in a dignified manner.

Stating that Mr Kalimuthu had been the member of the house in the sixth, seventh and eighth assemblies, served in the cabinet of late Chief Minister M G Ramachandran and was well experienced, Ms Jayalalitha said she strongly believed that Mr Kalimuthu would conduct the house in a dignified manner with a clear vision.

Taking a dig at Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) leader S R Balasubramaniam for not fully explaining as to why speakers of the house of commons in England were reluctant to accept the post, Ms Jayalalitha said the speakers who had to communicate between the king and members of the house often earned the wrath of the king.

As the kings had the power to serve even death sentence, many ran away from the Speaker’s post.

But in our democratic system, the situation was entirely different, she said adding that the AIADMK would always follow the principles of late Chief Ministers C N Annadurai and MGR.

She hoped the newly elected speaker would succeed in getting the cooperation of all members.

Leader of the opposition and former Education Minister K Anbazhagan, congratulated Mr Kalimuthu and expressed his happiness over his election.

Suggesting that the Speaker should always remain neutral while conducting the house, he said the strength of the ruling party lay in protecting the interests of the opposition parties, quoting Mr Annadurai.

He wanted the Speaker to provide opportunities to all the members of the house. (UNI)

SC to hear PILs against Jaya becoming CM on June 4

NEW DELHI, May 24: The Supreme Court would take up for hearing on June 4 the two writ petitions filed before it, challenging the swearing-in of J Jayalalitha as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu after she was disqualified from contesting the Assembly elections.

The registry today put the matter for hearing on June 4, before a vacation bench, lawyers B R Kapur and Manohar Lal Sharma, who had filed the Public Interest Litigations, told PTI.

The PILs have raised among other things the question whether a person was entitled to become Chief Minister after being disqualified to become a legislator on account of conviction and being sentenced for a term of over two years.

The petition filed by sharma said "inviting Jayalalitha to form the Government had raised two vital questions —whether any convicted person has a right to hold any post of profit in the place of general importance as well as the employment of Government and whether a disqualifed person becoming Prime Minister or Chief Minister is constitutional".

As per Section 389(1) of CrPC, suspension of sentence "does not expressly speak of suspension of conviction," he said.

Seeking setting aside of the appointment of Jayalalitha as Chief Minister, Kapur in his petition said the Governor had "illegally appointed" her to the post in contravention of the Provisions of Representation of People Act. (PTI)

NHRC asks for report on sexual harassment in science institute

NEW DELHI, May 24: In yet another case of sexual harassment at work place, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked Dehradun Deputy Inspecor General (DIG) to report on the allegation that one Shyamlata Kaushik was harassed by her colleagues in one of the famous science institutes in Uttranchal.

NHRC, which received a complaint by Kaushik alleging "severe torture, humiliation and sexual harassment being meted out to me by the officials and employees of vested interest of the institute", has asked the DIG to submit the report within four weeks.

The complainant, working at Wadia Institute of Himalayan geology under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), alleged that "the intensity of harassment has increased beyond tolerance since I requested the department to consider my case of promotion in the light of the guidelines issued by DST and official language department of Home Ministry."

"I am facing more and more difficulty in continuing to work due to lobbyist and suffocating environment created in the institute. Initially these officials tried to harass me mentally and physically by issuing certain uncalled for orders and attempting to find fault with my work."

"Failing in these attempts, they adopted different methods to harass me mentally, physically and sexually," the petitioner said.

Kaushik, whose husband is a cancer patient, claimed that due to this mental agony and torture his condition was deteriorating.

"The threatening to the reputation and life of myself and my daughters have put me and my husband in a state of scare and we are living in the shadow of fear, apprehensive of attack on myself and my daughters and my husband. Our right to life, liberty and freedom of movement have been infringed upon completely," the petitioner said.

NHRC, which has recently taken a strong exception to the increasing incidents of sexual harassment at workplace, took up the matter in the full commission.

The Commission had already started consultations with Government departments, private institutions and NGOs for setting up a complaints mechanisms to deal with such cases. (PTI)

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