J&K Govt's thrust on core issues
Mobile phones in J&K from April 13

Excelsior Team

NEW DELHI, Dec 3: Come April 13, Jammu and Kashmir will have mobile phone service. A decision, in this regard, was announced at the end of a meeting the State Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, had with the Minister for Communication and Information Technology (IT), Mr Pramod Mahajan, in the capial.

It will, in plain language, be ‘Baisakhi’ gift from the Government of India to Jammu and Kashmir. In the initial stages, mobile phone service will be made available in the principal cities, Jammu and Srinagar. In subsequent phases, the service will cover the entire State.

The Mufti Government is keen on becoming techno-savvy by introducing information technology at block levels. It may be mentioned that the Planning Commission has already sanctioned Rs 65 crores for the project of starting internet facilities at block level.

This apart, the Centre has also agreed to release a Rs 130-crore financial assistance to enable the J&K Government to overcome the acute power crisis during winter months. This is in addition to Rs 25 crores for rehabilitation of migrants.

After Mufti Sayeed’s meetings with Mr Pramod Mahajan and the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Mr KC Pant, it was clarified that the Rs 130-crore assistance would help the State to meet the expenses for running gas turbines to provide uninterrupted power supply throughout the State, which has been reeling under the worst power shortage.

The Mufti, in fact, managed to extract an asurance of help from the Centre to meet the daily overburden of Rs 1 crore to the State exchequer on providing better power supply during winter. During his talks with the Railway Minister, Mr Nitish Kumar, and the Prime Minister, the J&K Chief Minister took up the railway project pending for the last two decades. The State Government has now been asked to discuss the nitty-gritty of starting the work at several places simultaneously.

Mufti Sayeed, it was pointed out, had, during his talks with Central leaders including the Prime Minister, also sought Rs 100-crore assistance to encourage migrants to return to the Valley. It was also pointed out that the State Government wanted to begin in a "humble way" the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandit migrants and had sought Central assistance in developing two prominent temple centres at Khirbhawani near Ganderbal and at Mattan in Anantnag district.

The Chief Minister also sought Rs 40 crores for border area development project and resettling people who had been displaced from villages along the International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC) following Pakistani firing.

This was also part of the Mufti’s "healing touch" policy to remove alienation among the people who had been suffering from Pakistan-sponsored militancy for more than a decade.

Having buried hatchet on the issue of release of hardened militants, the Mufti Government and the Centre decided to coordinate efforts in combating terrorism and initiating a dialogue to bring about normalcy in the State. The two sides agreed to adopt a multi-pronged approach to address the problem that would primarily focus on removing alienation among the people, official sources said. These sources added: "We are not against anti-insurgency operations but it should not be used for extortion and victimisation".

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-led Government in J&K hasn’t left the road infrastructure unattended and tabulated a comparison of the State’s roads with the rest of the country. While the networking of villages and towns in the rest of the country was 935 sq km, it was only 135 sq km in J&K.

No wonder, then, that the Mufti emphasized in his meeting with the Prime Minister that the prestigious Kashmir-to-Kanyakumari national highway should begin from Uri in the Valley. And as the Mufti stressed that all bottlenecks required to be removed at the bureaucratic level, a suggestion was floated in favour of steps to start work on the project as soon as possible.

Mufti Sayeed’s approach has been development-oriented because he feels that addressing core issues like providing employment, better electricity facilities, better roads and respect for human rights would remove the alienation of people and leave the separatists with no cause to fight.

Taking a cue from history when Pakistani raiders entered the Valley in 1965 and when "no one provided them with shelter", the Mufti Government wished a similar response would be displayed sidelining the militants who rule through their guns.

Pak targets TV tower in Mendhar
Two civilians killed in Rajouri

Excelsior Correspondent

RAJOURI, Dec 3: Terrorists killed two civilians at village Peu Manyalan near Baljaralan, about 22 kms from here under the jurisdiction of Rajouri police station last night.

Police said six terrorists first came to the house of Nazir Hussain, 49, son of Mohd Din at Manyalan at about 2200 hours last night and kidnapped him. They took Nazir Hussain to the house of another civilian Haji Abdul Rashid, 50.

The terrorists locked Haji’s wife and children in one room and started questioning of Haji and Nazir Hussain in another room. Police quoting Haji’s wife said that after one hour questioning, the terrorists picked up a sweets packet from the house and made both of them to consume it.

As the ultras brought out some sharp-edged weapons from their pockets with the intentions to kill the civilians, Haji’s wife pleaded for mercy and later grappled with one of the ultras. However, the terrorist tied the woman with a wooden pillar in the house using a rope and later slaughtered her husband in front of her. They also beheaded Nazir Hussain.

The terrorists escaped.

A police party from Rajouri police station led by SHO Inspector Hamid Choudhary reached the village this morning. They recovered a slip from the house which had been left by the terrorists. The slip described both the civilians as ‘informers’ of the security forces.

Local people, however, condemned the terrorist act saying the civilians were innocent.

Meanwhile, Pakistan army resorted to mortar shelling at Dhar Galoon in Mendhar sector in Poonch district at 1400 hours today and continued it for about two and a half hours. Shelling was replied by the Indian side.

According to sources, a television tower at Dhar Galoon was targeted by Pakistan in the shelling. However, they failed to hit the target. No casualties or damage was reported on Indian side in the shelling.

Post-mortem conducted in MLA’s presence

Excelsior Correspondent

BUDGAM, Dec 3: A team of doctors, including the forensic experts from Government Medical College, today conducted post mortem on the body of one Abdul Hameed Wani who died in Police custody at Nowgam Police Station on Sunday. The post mortem was performed in presence of the ruling PDP’s MLA (Chadoura) Javed Mustafa Mir, DC Budgam Baseer Khan and SP Budgam Syed Ashiq Hussain Bukhari. Assistant Commissioner (Revenue) Budgam, Mr G A Ganai, who has been appointed as the magistrate to investigate Wani’s death in 10 days, was also present.

The whole process of the autopsy was filmed on a video camera by the authorities. Later, the dead body was buried at Manchua village in presence of the MLA Chadoura. The MLA and residents of Manchua allowed the post mortem and the burial with the condition that Police Station Sadar or Police Division Nowgam would not be associated with any process. On their demand, the whole situation was later handled by Budgam Police.

After the burial, which was attended by about 3000 people, residents of Manchua and Bagh-e-Mehtab raised anti-Police slogans when they spotted SDPO Sadar, Mohammad Yusuf Bandh. The infurious mob even resorted to stone-pelting on the SDPO and demanded that he too be placed under suspension and attached to DPL Srinagar. They apprehended foul play in the investigation as long as the ASI Ghulam Hassan and SDPO Sadar, Mohammad Yusuf Bandh, continued in office. According to them, both the officers alongwith SHO Gazanfar Sayeed were responsible for torturing the detained mason to death.

Residents alleged that a senior Police official was "shielding" the SDPO and the ASI. Police used tear-gas to disperse the angry mob.

Authoritative sources told EXCELSIOR that the inquiring magistrate would be visiting the Police Station Nowgam on Wednesday. Wani’s death has come as the first custodial killing by Police since the PDP-led coalition Government took over on November 2nd last.

Gangsters strike in Retd BSF officer's house
3 of a family killed, 2 injured

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 3: In the first deadly strike since their operation here for last couple of months, the suspected ‘Kale Kachewale’ gangsters murdered three members of a retired BSF DySP’s family and seriously injured two others at Maha Akali Kour Singh Nagar near Ajit Nagar under Satwari police station’s jurisdiction in wee hours of this morning. While fleeing, the criminals also beat-up a Chowkidar of Mahant Bachitter Singh College in the same locality.

Though the gangsters, believed to be six in number, were wearing normal dress and not black under-wears, police suspected that the crime and subsequent looting in the house of a former BSF officer was handiwork of the same gang, which had let loose a reign of terror on City’s outskirts for the last two months. This was second strike by the gang in last two nights. On Sunday night, they had struck at Jalochak under Gangyal police station, wounding three family members and decamping with the valuable goods.

Quoting circumstantial evidence, police said the gangsters appeared to have entered into the house of retired BSF DySP Pritam Singh son of Labh Singh by opening a door from roof top (mounty) with the help of an iron equipment at about 0200 hours today. They first forced their entry into a room in lobby of the single-storey house, where two sons of the retired officer identified as Arminder Singh, 17 and Vikramjeet Singh, 13, were sleeping.

They attacked the boys with an iron rod and a heavy wooden stick causing them serious injuries on their head. As the boys fell down unconsciously, the criminals came down to the house and went to another room where Pritam Singh and his wife Satvinder Kour were sleeping. They hit the couple with the same rod and lathi on their head, leading to their instant death. Pritam Singh’s 20-year old daughter Gurpreet Kour was killed in another room. Both doors of the house had been broken by the assailants.

The gangsters had broken locks of all almirahs and decamped with some valuable goods, the exact details of which were yet to be ascertained by police. Since the family was a ‘Nihang’, they didn’t possess golden ornaments, police said, adding Rs 7,000 in cash were found in one of the almirahs.

While fleeing from the locality, the gangsters forced their entry into the house of Amrik Singh, a Chowkidar of Mahant Bachitter Singh Memorial Engineering college, located just about 500 meters away from the BSF officer’s house at about 0245 hours . They hit the Chowkidar with a wooden stick but the alert Chowkidar managed to jump but still suffered a wound. However, Amrik’s three relatives, who were also sleeping in the same room, snatched the stick from one of the accused and retaliated.

Police said one of the criminals was also injured in the attack. After retaliation, five other accused picked-up their injured colleague and fled away.

In the morning, the injured Chowkidar approached Mahant Manjeet Singh in Digiana Ashram and narrated him the incident. He also showed the Mahant a ‘pechkus’ and a stick, used by the gangsters. On the advice of the Mahant, the Chowkidar brought the incident to the notice of Satwari police station. He was given first-aid for the minor wounds suffered by him. However, till then neither the injured nor the police had any information of the killings in the former BSF officer’s house.

Police said the killings came to light at about 1430 hours today when another daughter of Pritam Singh identified as Sarbjeet Kour, who had gone to the house of her married sister yesterday afternoon, returned. As she went to the house, she saw her parents and sister lying dead and two brothers injured critically.

She raised an alarm. The neighbours immediately brought the matter to the notice of police. IGP Jammu Pitambar Lal Gupta, Divisional Commissioner Anil Goswami, DIG Jammu Dilbagh Singh, SSP Farooq Khan and SP South Raghubir Singh rushed to the spot. Bodies of the victims were sent to hospital for post-mortem. Two injured boys were shifted to the Medical College and after preliminary treatment were referred to Post Graduate Institute (PGI) Chandigarh in view of their serious condition.

Tension gripped Ajit Nagar as the report of the killings spread. Police said the circumstantial evidence gathered from the spot and the statement of injured Chowkidar confirmed that atleast six criminals were involved in the strike. They had used iron road and a heavy stick in killing the house inmates. A large ‘pechkus’ was used in breaking a door and almirahs in the house.

"Though the initial investigations indicated the involvement of the criminals, some other angles were also being investigated as the assailants had attempted to eliminate the entire family. They had virtually presumed the boys also as dead but it was a miraculous escape for them", police said.

Gandhi Nagar MLA Raman Bhalla also reached the spot immediately and took serious note of the incident. He charged the police with failure to protect the lives and property of the citizens.

Bhalla criticised the police authorities for shifting a police post from near Pootan Da Patha in the same locality about three days back, leading to the incident. The post had been set up about three months back in a house for the specific purpose of checking the activities of ‘Kale Kachewale’ gang.

Infact, the injured Chowkidar Amrik Singh had rushed to the police post within five minutes after the criminals escape to inform them of the incident. However, he was stunned to find the police personnel missing. He told police that the criminals could have been arrested had the cops been present at the post.

Amrik Singh, whose retaliation on the gangsters alongwith his brother and brother-in-law led to the injuries to one of the gangsters and made them to escape, told police that he could easily see a total of six criminals, three of whom were carrying iron rods and lathis. "None of them was wearing ‘Kala Kacha’ (black under-wear) as the gangsters were known for. All of them were wearing normal dresses like ordinary shirts, pants and pyjamas", he said.

Amrik Singh said he could identify some of the accused especially the one, who had hit him with a rod, if they were produced before him. He said the accused didn’t appear to be locals.

Meanwhile, following protests from the people, police today restored the police picket at Pootan Da Patha. Patrolling by police and para-military has also been intensified in the locality. Police have also asked the people to start night patrolling. Senior officers were camping in the locality to instill confidence among the public.

It may be recalled that the gangsters had struck at Jalochak on Sunday night and hit three family members in a house with iron rods and sticks before looting their goods. All three family members were injured.

Police didn’t rule out the possibility of the same gang being responsible for both the incidents as a similar modus-operandi was used in the two incidents. Prior to this, some other similar incidents had also taken place in Pouni Chak, Bishnah and other areas. In Tralokpur area of Pouni Chak, a civilian was killed in the similar strike about two months back.

People suspected that ‘Kale Kachewale’ gangsters, who had their origin in Punjab, were responsible for the strikes. Police said they too didn’t rule out the involvement of one gang behind such incidents but admitted that no breakthrough had been made so far.

Of Mufti, Farooq & their public relations

From Pushp Saraf

New Delhi, Dec 3: As Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today wound up his first three-day visit to the national capital after assuming power — spelling out a road map to end alienation, boost overall development and maintain delicate regional balance in the sensitive State, it was evident that he was keen on exhibiting a style of functioning different from his immediate predecessor Farooq Abdullah.

Cordiality, informality, punctuality and accessibility marked his and his top bureaucrat colleagues’ demeanour in sharp contrast to what one had seen till recently.

Without using offensive language, Mufti brought to the notice of the Central leaders how the funds meant for road development had remained unspent in Doda district, and those under Indira Avas Yojna and food-for-work programme elsewhere during the tenure of the Farooq Abdullah Government.

Quite discreetly the fact was publicised that he had come to Delhi only after having completed one month in office — time he had utilised assessing the situation in the State. Hint was too subtle to be ignored, that his concern for the State was serious unlike Farooq Abdullah who was invariably exposed to the charge of flying out of the State at the slightest provocation.

That he himself was precariously perched on top of a coalition of at least four major political outfits pursuing different ideologies and independents did not seem to unnerve Mufti. Displaying a copy of the Common Minimum Programme (CMP), he described it as ‘an act of faith’.

On the other hand, Farooq Abdullah, Mufti’s predecessor, always finds it difficult to have facts on his fingertips. Under his nose, the funds under the Border Area Development Programme meant for the region in the State along China were diverted by his Government to the area along Pakistan on the plea that the Ladakh region, which was the intended beneficiary, was not fully inhabited! The funds were not for the people but for developing roads and other infrastructure so badly needed in the terrain adjoining a hostile neighbour — a fact which was simply ignored.

How Thupstan Chhewang, chairman of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, T.Samphel, president of the Ladakh Buddhist Association, Chering Dorjay, former Congress MLA, and young Rigzin Jora (now a member of the Mufti ministry) worked and moved the Planning Commission to get the order reversed is another story.

Farooq apparently did not care about the details.

He is also normally not subtle and punctual. He can get up and walk away in the middle of a briefing. But he can be highly emotional and sentimental and can at times rise to great heights as a good human being which leaves one wonder whether to love or hate him.

It was not the first time when he had cried in the Assembly itself following the terrorists’ attack on the Assembly complex in Srinagar. He had done so when he had returned to power in 1996, unable to hold back his tears. So had he at the cremation of assassinated former Assembly Speaker Wali Mohammad Itoo when he was out of power. The crowd had then wept with him.

However, when it comes to dealing with hard information, he begins groping.

Therefore, once on entering his Gupkar Road residence during the 1996 polls, many of us were surprised when he told his loyal ally, Akbar Lone (now Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly), that a newspaper had misinterpreted his political standing and that he should prepare a rejoinder. A political leader among us could not help but remark: ‘Oh, I never knew that he reads newspapers so seriously.’

After returning to power, Farooq had also come to Delhi, inter-acted with different sections of society and also hosted an Iftar party. Much like what Mufti has done now. Farooq appeared to enjoy everybody’s goodwill. However, for reasons which are still not clear, he gradually made himself scarce at serious functions, virtually cut himself off from the media and reveled in being photographed in high society gatherings — a penchant he still retains as was evident from his recently much-published photograph as a singer and a dancer at a party. His transformation has been surprising for a man with such vast experience.

Mufti has not been rewarded with everybody’s goodwill — National Democratic Alliance leaders were absent first from his swearing-in and then from his Iftar party here. There will always be speculation whether the Congress will do to him what it had — ironically under Mufti’s leadership — sought to do to Sheikh Abdullah in 1977 by withdrawing support to him.

What does the future have in store for him? Only the time can tell. For the time being he is his own public relations man in which capacity he has made a good impact in his first trip to the national capital as the Chief Minister.

7 killed, two injured in cable car tragedy

Excelsior Correspondent

RAMBAN, Dec 3: Seven labourers from Nepal and Dehradun were killed and two others were seriously injured in a cable car accident in Baghliar hydel project at Chanderkoot in this tehsil of Doda district last night. The tragedy struck the project workers just a day after over 13,500 project workers called off their indefinite strike following the intervention of CPM leader Mohd Yusuf Tarigami, MLA.

Official sources said the cable car, carrying a total of nine labourers, suddenly developed a technical fault and went down about 100 meters deep into a gorge last night killing seven labourers on spot and wounding two others critically.

Project staff and police personnel rushed to the spot and extricated the victims. They were rushed to the sub district hospital in Ramban, where seven of them were declared dead. Two injured were later referred to Jammu and admitted in the Government Medical College hospital in serious condition.

Deceased have been identified as Dev Singh, Dharam Singh, Ajay Singh, Dalip Singh, Bhim Bahadur and Balram Dhamri, all residents of Nepal and Khem Bahadur of Dehradun in Uttranchal. Injured were identified as Inder Singh and Jeshu, both Nepalese.

Police said a case in the mishap has been registered at Ramban police station for further investigations. Police said the reasons behind the cable car tragedy were being ascertained. However, the possibility of a technical failure was not ruled out.

Dead bodies of the labourers were in the process of being shifted to their houses, the sources said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mufti Mohd Sayeed has expressed shock and grief over the tragic death of the labourers at Baghliar hydel project. In a message, he conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families and directed the project management to provide adequate medicare to the injured.

CPM MLA Mohd Yusuf Tarigami, who had worked out an agreement between the project management and the striking employees, has also condemned the tragedy. He extended condolences to the bereaved families.

Putin meets Vajpayee

NEW DELHI, Dec 3 : Russian President Vladimir Putin tonight met Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee over dinner soon after his arrival here on a three-day state visit during which talks are expected to focus on terrorism, including Pakistan sponsored cross-border terrorism and trade and defence cooperation.

Putin, who flew in from China, accompanied by first lady Lyudmila Putin and a high-power delegation, drove to Prime Minister’s official residence for the private dinner.

Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha, Defence Minister George Fernandes, Minister-in-waiting Vasundhara Raje, Indian Ambassador in Moscow K Raghunath and former Ambassador S K Lambah besides former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao were present.

Leader of the Opposition Sonia Gandhi, who was invited for the private dinner, expressed regrets for not attending.

Putin and Vajpayee will have formal talks tomorrow during which the Indian side is expected to convey its serious concerns over Pakistan’s clandestine nuclear tie-ups with North Korea and continued sponsorship of cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

The two sides would also sign a host of agreements, including one on cooperation in combating terrorism and boosting economic and scientific ties.

Putin and Vajpayee will sign the Delhi Declaration on further strengthening of the strategic partnership between the two countries besides another declaration on expanding cooperation in trade, economic, scientific and technological fields.(PTI)

Arrest foils plan to attack leaders

CHENNAI, Dec 3: Tamil Nadu Police today said it had foiled a conspiracy hatched by a newly formed fundamentalist group to assassinate several key political and religious leaders in Tamil Nadu and destroy temples in the State, a top police official said today.

The plan by ‘Muslim Defence Group’, having links with the Lashkar-e-Toiba, came to light when police arrested two youths here in connection with some murder cases in Adiramapttinam in Pudukottai district on November 29, Police Commissioner K Vijayakumar told reporters.

Interrogation of the youths Davufiq and Zaheer Hussain revealed that they, along with some others, had hatched a conspiracy at a meeting at Courtrallam in Tirunelveli district in June, to assassinate some leaders, and destroy some temples in the State. About 20 persons had attended the meeting, he said.

On information provided by the duo, four persons were arrested and eight kg of explosives were seized from them.

The two youths had travelled abroad but the places of the visit could not ascertained "due to lack of proper networking," he said, adding they had worked in Saudi Arabia before and had arrived here recently.

During their stay in Saudi Arabia, the youths came into contact with one Hamsa from Hyderabad. The three formed the MDF after the communal riots in Gujarat, Vijayakumar said.

The MDF activists had even gone to the extent of bringing a LeT activist Abul Salam to Chennai to create "problems" during the ‘Ganesh idol immersion processions’ but as the plan did not materialise, Salam left Chennai. He was subsequently killed in Hyderabad.

The group had links with those who planted bombs near the Sai Baba temple in Hyderbad recently, he said.

The MDF was funded by one of the brothers-in-law of the outlawed Al Umma activist Imam Ali who was killed in a recent encounter at Bangalore, he said.

So far ten persons had been arrested and hunt was on to capture the rest, he said. (PTI)

Security intensified in view of attack on VHP leader

AHMEDABAD, Dec 3: Gujarat Government has intensified security in sensitive areas of the city following attack on VHP state general secretary Dr Jaideep Patel, who was shot at and wounded here this evening, even as it announced an award for clues about the assailants.

According to Home Ministry officials, security in the sensitive areas has been further intensified immediately after Patel was shot at by two motorcycle borne gunmen and police has also begun combing operations including checking of vehicles.

The Government also announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for providing clues of the assailants, according to Police Commissioner K R Kaushik.

Meanwhile, Patel was shifted to Sterling hospital for further treatment of his bullet wound which was lodged below the ear after hitting his left eye.

Dr V N Shah, who was attending Patel, said that the VHP leader’s condition was "stable". (PTI)

Committee to probe immoral conduct of judges

NEW DELHI, Dec 3: As the controversy over the alleged involvement of judges of Karnataka High Court in sleazy activities snowballed, the Chief Justice of India has set up a three-member committee to go into the incident.

The committee comprising Bombay High Court Chief Justice C K Thakkar, Kerala High Court Chief Justice G L Gupta and a judge of Orissa High Court - Justice A K Patnaik was set up by Chief Justice of India (CJI) G B Pattanaik as he was of the opinion that "a deeper probe is required into the allegations" against the three judges of the Karnataka High Court.

The committee was set up after receipt of second report from the Chief Justice of Karnataka detailing certain evidence relating to the alleged involvement of the three judges -Justice N S V Ervadraiah, Justice Chandrasekhariah and Justice V Gopalagowda - authoritative sources said.

The committee would soon initiate its proceedings to verify the allegations regarding the role of these three judges in "immoral" activities at a Mysore resort and issue them notices to hear their comments on the issue.

The committee is expected to examine several documents relating to the past conduct of the judges, their foreign trips and also try to find out as to who all accompanied them in those trips.

It would also go into High Court records about their visits to several places in India in the recent past, the sources said.

"The inquiry shall be in the nature of fact-finding wherein the judges concerned would be entitled to appear and have their say," the sources said.

However, it would not be a formal judicial inquiry involving the examination and cross-examination of witnesses and representation by lawyers, the sources said.

According to the in-house probe committee guidelines "if the committee finds that there is substance in the allegations contained in the complaint and the misconduct disclosed in the allegations is such that it calls for initiation of proceedings for removal of the judge, the CJI shall adopt the following course:-

(i) The judge concerned should be advised to resign his office or seek voluntary retirement;

(ii) In case the judge expresses his unwillingness to resign or seek voluntary retirement, the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court should be advised by the CJI not to allocate any judicial work to the judge concerned and the President of India and the Prime Minister shall be intimated that this has been done because allegations against the judge had been found by the committee to be so serious as to warrant initiation of proceedings for removal and the copy of the report may be enclosed."

However, if the committee finds the allegations of misconduct to be true but the nature of misconduct did not warrant the judge’s removal from office, "the CJI shall call the judge concerned and advise him accordingly and may also direct that the report of the committee be placed on record." Meanwhile, the other three-member committee, appointed by the Chief Justice of India to go into the alleged corruption charges against three judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, has completed its inquiry and is likely to submit its report soon, the sources said.

The committee, comprising Andhra Pradesh High Court Chief Justice A R Lakshmanan, Madras High Court Chief Justice B Subhashan Reddy and Justice Jha of Allahabad High Court, had examined the three judges of Punjab and Haryana High Court -Justice Amarbir Singh Gill, Justice Mehtab Singh Gill and Justice M L Singhal.

The inquiry against these three judges was initiated by the Chief Justice of India G B Pattanaik on the basis of a report from the High Court Chief Justice A B Saharya given to then Chief Justice of India B N Kirpal. (PTI)

I can become a Union minister if I want: Mamata

KOLKATA, Dec 3: Though any indication from the ruling coalition of her party’s induction into the Vajpayee Government is still not forthcoming, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today said that she could become a central minister "within a minute" if she wanted to.

When asked about the possibility of her party joining the NDA Government, Banerjee who arrived here from New Delhi, replied "I can become a minister within a minute if I want to."

Commenting on speculation over her recent meeting with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, the TC chairperson told newsmen at an iftar party that she had met him to invite him to the party’s brigade parade ground rally here on January six.

"I certainly met the Prime Minister. But it was to invite him to our rally. It is a matter of courtsey", she said.

To another question she said the issue of the bifurcation of Eastern Railway did not figure during her meeting with Vajpayee. Banerjee, however, said she would not go to Gujarat to campaign for the BJP.

The TC supremo also criticised the Left Front Government in West Bengal for leading the state to bankruptcy.

She said that she had requested Union Finance Minister Jaswant Singh to clear whatever funds were due to West Bengal upto March on various accounts or else all cheques of the State Government would bounce. (PTI)

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