Excelsior... Nation

Jogi beats ‘achievement drums’ on his Govt anniversary

RAIPUR, Oct 30: Chief Minister Ajit Jogi, who completes his first year in office tomorrow, claims to have laid the foundation for good governance and charted out plans to take the mineral-rich backward Chhattisgarh to the rank...more

UP closes all brick
kilns in TTZ

NEW DELHI, Oct 30: The Uttar Pradesh Government today informed the Supreme Court that it has implemented the five-year-old directive to close down all brick kilns within 20 kilometre ....more

‘Do-it-yourself’ Lakshmi Puja kit makes Panditji redundant

NEW DELHI, Oct 30: This Diwali you will be able to perform a very complete Lakshmi Puja and win the blessings of the goddess of wealth without the nagging intervention of the supposedly. ....more

Koshiyari sworn in
second CM of Uttaranchal

DEHRA DUN, Oct 30: Mr Bhagat Singh Koshiyari was sworn in this morning as the second Chief Minister of Uttaranchal following the resignation ..more

Suspended members begin fast in Kerala Assembly

US failure in Afghanistan will be loss for India: Govt

NEW DELHI, Oct 30: As concerns mount over the prolonged US strikes in Afghanistan, Government feels that an American failure would be a "loss" .....more

SC expresses displeasure
in Chandrasekhar’s land
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Afghan campaign
overemphasises on
Osama: Filipino General

NEW DELHI, Oct 30: While going for the jugular of a terrorist network, there’s too much emphasis laid on the leadership without realising that killing the leader does not kill the group, says General (retd) Alfredo Filler of the Philippines. .....more

Jogi beats ‘achievement drums’ on his Govt anniversary

"It is a matter of self-satisfaction that despite all hurdles, the onward march of development was progressing in the right direction and the foundation for good administration and governance has been laid in the past one year," he told UNI in an interview.

Effective steps to achieve the long-term objective of removing the paradox of "Amir Dharti Ke Garib Log"(rich state inhabited by the poor) have started showing good results, particularly in the areas of healthcare, education and infrastructure development, he said.

When Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh as a separate state on November 1, 2000, there was only one medical college, one agriculture college and no agriculture schools. But in just one year, the number of medical colleges had increased to five, agriculture colleges four and agriculture schools 20, he pointed out.

Mr Jogi said Chhattisgarh endowed with rich natural resources had emerged as a power surplus state while it was power-deficient one year ago. The transmission and distribution system, which was in bad shape, was put to order. Twelve power sub-stations were installed in the state in one year against only 21 in the Chhattisgarh region in the past 50 years, he added.

In the social sector, he said the tribal-dominated state made rapid strides after english was made compulsory from class one and various steps were also taken to improve the quality of education.

He claimed that nearly 28,000 teachers had been given training to teach english. In order to improve the standard of education, 25 per cent schools had adopted the CBSE pattern, besides computer education was introduced in 1000 schools with free computer course for about 24,000 girls.

Mr Jogi said as a result of the special drive launched to ensure enrolment of all children, about 95 per cent children of school-going age had been taken in different schools of the state.

Besides, many steps had also been initiated in the higher education with the initiative to start universities in the private sector, he said adding that a bill in this regard would be introduced in the winter session of the Vidhan Sabha.

He pointed out that anti-ragging steps were enforced strictly. At the same time, students’ union elections were held in colleges after several years.

About the advancement in the economic sector, the Chief Minister said though recession had hit the entire world, Chhattisgarh was the only state to attract private investment in key sectors like power and steel.

The National Thermal Power Corporation was setting up a super thermal power station at Seepat near Bilaspur while the Gujarat Government and Jindal group had signed agreements for setting up power stations. The Larsen and Toubro group had also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for power generation, he added.

Mr Jogi said an undertaking of the Chinese Government had offered to set up a power plant with its own resources and the MoU would be signed after the visit of a high-level team to China in November. The undertaking had also shown interest to invest in another state of Andhra Pradesh where it was in the process of setting up a power plant.

Stating that smaller states ensured speedy development, he said the threat of political instability usually witnessed in small states was absent as far as Chhattisgarh was concerned.

With the cooperation of people, a stable Government could be provided and more attention could be given on development aspects, he said reiterating his Government determination for speedy development of the state in the coming days.

Denying that he had encouraged castiest politics, Mr Jogi said taking up the cause of poor, Dalits, tribals and other backward classes was not casteist politics. The Congress never allowed casteist politics and he was only following the Gandhian policy to uplift the downtrodden and making efforts to bring them to the mainstream, he said adding, "taking up the cause of downtrodden and infusing self-respect in them was not casteist politics."

About the recent controversy over his tribal status, Mr Jogi said it amplified the fascist thinking of the BJP as the issue had already been adjudicated by the High Court twice. Having no regard for the High Court, the Election Commission or the people’s mandate, the BJP was indulging in malpropaganda after their failure on all fronts, he added.

He claimed that the Congress had emerged much stronger in the past one year with workers from BJP, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Communist Party of India (CPI) joining it. There was a virtual mass exodus from the BSP after the Government had snatched their issue by taking up several social welfare schemes, he added.

Stating that various challenges before the state were being addressed to in the right direction, he said effective steps had been taken to check the Naxalite menace. He felt that the naxalites gained strength due to socio-economic problems and special efforts were being made for the development of backward areas and to remove unemployment and poverty among the tribals.

He said several steps had been taken to restore to the tribals the land belonging to them forcibly occupied by others.

Mr Jogi said there was no dispute between Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh over the division of assets and liabilities, and the interests of Chhattisgarh would be safeguarded. (UNI)

Koshiyari sworn in second CM of Uttaranchal

DEHRA DUN, Oct 30: Mr Bhagat Singh Koshiyari was sworn in this morning as the second Chief Minister of Uttaranchal following the resignation of Nityanand Swami yesterday.

Mr Koshiyari, who was the former Energy Minister in Mr Swami’s Cabinet, was administered the oath of office by State Governor Surjit Singh Barnala along with six new ministers at a ceremony held at the Doon Valley’s pavilion ground.

The ministers sworn in are Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank, Kedar Singh Fonia, Ajay Bhatt, Mohan Singh Rawat ‘Gaonwasi’, Harbans Kapur and Narayan Ram Das.

Mr Koshiyari had been unanimously elected leader of the Uttaranchal BJP’s Legislature Party last evening after Mr Swami submitted his resignation to the Governor.

Five of the six ministers sworn in today were members of the Swami cabinet. Mr Harbans Kapoor, a senior BJP MLA from state capital Dehra Dun, is the only new face.

Mr Koshiyari dropped six ministers of the previous Government. They are Mr Matbar Singh Kandari, Mr Banshi Dhar Bhagat, Mr Narayan Singh Rana, Mr Teerath Singh Rawat, Mr Suresh Arya and Ms Nirupama Gaud.

All the six ministers sworn in today are of the cabinet rank.

The Cabinet Ministers dropped from the previous council of ministers are Mr Matbar Singh Kandari and Mr Bansi Dhar Bhagat. Mr Teerath Singh Rawat, Mr Suresh Arya, Mr Narayan Singh Rana and Ms Nirupma Gaur were Ministers of State in the Swami Government. (UNI)

Suspended members begin fast in Kerala Assembly

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Oct 30: The impasse over the MLAs suspension issue and resultant opposition agitation inside the Kerala Assembly persisted for the 7th day today, even as the three suspended members began an indefinite fast in the foyer of the House demanding revocation of the action against them.

As in the sittings in the past seven days, the Marxist-led opposition disrupted the proceedings of the House today also and forced the Speaker to adjourn the House within five minutes after the commence

The suspended members, Mr M V Jayarajan, Mr Raju Abraham (both CPI-M) and Mr P S Supal (CPI), began the fast after the House was adjourned for the day in the wake of slogan-shouting demonstration by the opposition in the well of the House.

The three were suspended on October 18 for allegedly assaulting Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar during zero hour the same day. The suspension throughout the session till December 7 was also for going on a rampage in the House, misbehaving with women staff and disobeying the Speaker’s ruling in the wake of the chair refusing to permit the leader of opposition to register his protest over the denial of permission to an opposition member to seek leave to move an adjournment motion.

Ever since the suspension, the opposition had been staging a slogan shouting dharna inside the Assembly, demanding that the Government and the Speaker end the impasse by revoking the suspension order.

The Government wanted the opposition to cooperate with the conduct of the business as a prelude to reducing the suspension period. But the opposition’s demand was that the Speaker should convene a meeting and take a decision to revoke the suspension so that they could attend the House.

With both the ruling and opposition sides being firm on their respective stands, the business of the House became a casualty. The Kerala Assembly had to be adjourned within five minutes to one hour after the commencement of the day’s business on all days since October 18.

As in the previous days, the opposition members disrupted the question and zero hours by staging a slogan shouting demonstration in the well today. The trouble arose during the question hour when Speaker Vakkom Purushothaman denied mike to the deputy leader of the CPI(M), Mr Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, when he rose to speak. The Speaker said he could give the mike only to the leader of opposition (who is away in New Delhi) from the opposition side.

The Speaker then rushed through the day’s business in a few minutes and announced adjournment of the House for the day. After the adjournment, the opposition trooped out of the Assembly to express solidarity with the three suspended MLAs who just started their indefinite fast.(UNI)

US failure in Afghanistan will be loss for India: Govt

NEW DELHI, Oct 30: As concerns mount over the prolonged US strikes in Afghanistan, Government feels that an American failure would be a "loss" for India and the rest of the world in the fight against terrorism.

Government also says that the war is not against Islam or Afghanistan but is targetted at terrorist camps run by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

"Loss of face for the us in the war against terrorism will not in any way help India. If we want to eliminate terrorism even from Jammu and Kashmir, it has to be eliminated from Afghanistan first," Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj told PTI in an interview today.

The minister was replying to a question on concerns over the continuing US strikes in Afghanistan and the campaign appearing nowhere near getting terrorist mastermind Osama Bin Laden or his protector and Taliban supremo Mullah Omar.

She said it would encourage not only the Taliban militia but militants all over the world that "if you can defeat a superpower like US you can have your way anywhere and everywhere."

Stating that the span of military action can never be determined, she said "but if you start with a definite goal you cannot end without achieving that or it will be deemed as withdrawal, it will be deemed as defeat."

Looking at from India’s angle, the minister said if the US mission is withdrawn it will be a "loss" for India as it is one of the four enemies identified by the Taliban.

Describing the US attacks on Afghanistan as the first phase of the war against terrorism, Swaraj aid "if it fails you can imagine the situation the world over. What are the rest (of the nations) before them (terrorists)."

However, she said caution should be exercised to ensure minimum civilian casualties. "I am not saying none, as that is not possible in a war." She appreciated the apologies extended by washington for every civilian hit and "it shows the direction it is taking".

She also stressed the war was not against islam or Afghanistan but to target terrorist camps.

"At no time the war against terrorism should turn into a war against Islam. It will not resolve but complicate the issue and the whole campaign will get misdirected. It should remain a war against terrorism," she asserted.

Asked if India would consider extending logisitic support to the US if the need arose, she said "this is a hypothetical question... Specific proposals can be responded to when there is a specific demand."

To a question on the continuing cross-border terrorism and Indo-Pak relations, she said if Islamabad was not showing signs of stopping cross-border terrorism, New Delhi was also not ignoring it. It has conveyed to the US that it did not agree with the perception that Kashmir is a central issue in Indo-Pak ties.

Swaraj said Home Minister L K Advani had clarified that India did not need anybody’s help in combating terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. "We are ourselves capable of that and need not be guided by other powers. We are dealing with it and handling it according to our strategies and needs".

To a query on another Vajpayee-Musharraf meeting, Swaraj quoted the Prime Minister as saying that unless Islamabad stops sponsoring cross-border terrorism no fruitful talks can be held and that Musharraf should decide whether he wanted peace or war.

Referring to Musharraf’s recent remarks "Hamne Bhi Chudiyan Nahin Pahni (we are also not wearing bangles)", the minister retorted "people genuinely interested in talks never speak in this tone..... One day he says this and another day extends offer for talks."

She said Musharraf should be reminded that Gen Niazi had to surrender before a "Chudiyon Wali (woman)" — Indira Gandhi who was the Prime Minister then. "Musharraf must be thinking that Chudiyan is a sign of weakness but Pakistan must have realised its strength."

She refuted perceptions that India was losing the media war against Pakistan saying it was not based on facts and that Musharraf had lost in terms of popularity in his own country.

Asking if the "most articulated phase" at the breakfast meeting with the journalists hosted by Musharraf during the Agra summit was strategically right, she said "in a way the whole summit was derailed at the breakfast table."

Musharraf "compelled" Vajpayee and External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh to counter his remarks. "So the ultimate win was not of Musharraf.... Could he gain in political terms and in popularity. It has to be analysed."

To a question where India figured in the global campaign against terror, she said the Prime Minister was one of the four leaders US President George Bush had taken into confidence in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks and before launching the military strikes in Afghanistan. (PTI)