Excelsior... Nation

Barnala for revival of viable sick units

NEW DELHI, Dec 18: Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister S S Barnala today informed the Rajya Sabha that the Government was keen on reviving the sick fertiliser units that could be revived.

Replying to an hour long Calling Attention Motion moved by CPI-M member Mr. Dipankar Mukherjee and 4 others on the revival of the units of the Hindustan Fertilisers Corporation and the Fertiliser Corporation of India, the Minister said that all the 8 units belonging to the two corporations have been sick since 1992 on account of age, chronic power shortage, over staffing and industrial relations.

He said that these units have been with the Board of Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR).

Responding to the concern of the members, he said that in the case of Ramagundem and Talcher units the coal technology has not succeeded. Their revival could be considered subject to availability of the gas, he said.

Mr Barnala said that revival efforts of these units require a lot of money. He said that the revival of the Durgapur unit would need Rs 250 crore and this would be only a limited revival. The cost of production at the revived unit will be Rs 8,000 per tonne more than the retention price. It would work for 275 days and at the 60 percent capacity. Hence it could not be viable and profitable.

He said that the revamp of the Haldia project of HFC was not found to be techno economically viable. Similarly the revamp of the Gorakhpur unit of the FCI was not found feasible. The requirement of fresh investment for revamp of the functional units of the HFC and the FCI was estimated at Rs 465 crores and Rs 1736 crores respectively.

He said that these revival packages could not be implemented for want of funding tie up.

On the basis of the expert group which submitted its report in 1997 the Government considered the revival proposals and fresh proposals were submitted for consideration of the Government. The Government decided on the revival package in respect of Namrup units of the HFC. The consideration of the proposals in respect of the other units of the FCI and HFC was deferred.(UNI)

Uttranchal Bill to be adopted after recommendation

AMRITSAR, Dec 18: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said the Central Cabinet’s approval to bring the Uttaranchal Bill in Parliament did not mean it will be adopted in the same form.

The Bill on the inclusion of Udhamsingh Nagar in the proposed hill state, was only being introduced in the Parliament but cannot be approved before presentation of the report by the three-member committee headed by Defence Minister George Fernandes on the issue, he said.

He said he had already held talks with the ministers concerned. "Nothing will be decided without the sub-committee’s recommendation which is still to have two more meetings in a months time after its first meeting last week".

Badal made it clear that his party will stand by its earlier stand of opposing inclusion of Udhamsingh Nagar in Uttaranchal. (PTI)

India unequivocally condemn military action: Gujaral

NEW DELHI, Dec 18: Expressing deep concern over the US-British airstrike on Iraq, former Prime Minister I K Gujral today demanded that India unequivocally condemn the military action.

Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha during zero hour, Mr Gujral wanted to know from the Government the initiatives taken so far to express its displeasure before the world power.

He said China, Russia and France had already expressed concern over the development and the media throughout the world had condemned the attack.

He said it was deplorable that the missile attack was launched when the UN Security Council was in session.

Mr P Shiv Shankar (Cong) said the US was acting as policeman of the world. The unilateral attack on Iraq had sent shockwaves throughout the world.

Other members who joined Mr Gujral in condemning the attack demanded a detailed discussion on the issue to which Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Lal Khurana said the matter would be discussed in the House on December 22. (UNI)

Yearender of Andhra Predesh
TDP continues to play a crucial role

HYDERABAD, Dec 18: The regional Telugu Desam Party continued to play a crucial role in national politics during 1998 with its party supremo and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandra Babu Naidu making one of the biggest political somersaults by extending support to the BJP-led Government at the Centre.

Mr Naidu’s U-turn surprised political observers and came within days of his castigating the BJP for pursuing a communal agenda during the run-up to Lok Sabha elections.

When the elections threw up a hung Parliament and the BJP emerged as the front runner for forming the Government, Mr Naidu, after initially mooting the theory of "equidistance" from both the Congress and BJP, quit the United Front by accusing it of taking a "unilateral decision" to support Congress candidate P A Sangma for the Speaker’s post.

The move came after a 20-day guessing game and ended a 20-month long association with the UF. Justifying his stand, Mr Naidu said he had quit the Front to safeguard his "self interest and interests of the state". He also said he was fighting the Congress day in and day out while his former allies were supporting it.

Even after quitting the Front, he reiterated that his neutral stand vis-a-vis Congress and BJP continued. However, within days of TDP candidate G M C Balayogi being elected as Lok Sabha Speaker, the party bailed out the fragile Vajpayee Government with all eleven TDP MPs voting in favour of the confidence vote held on March 28. Mr Naidu later defended his party’s decision saying that the support would be issue-based and that the BJP had changed its stand on communal agenda and the national agenda of the coalition Government was shorn of the controversial issues like Ayodhya, Uniform Civil Code and Article 370. He, however, ruled out participation in the Government.

A major fallout of Mr Naidu’s decision to align with the BJP led to severing of 15-year-old ties with the CPI and CPI(M) on April 9. Earlier, the day after the TDP bailed out the Vajpayee Government, major Industries Minister Bashiruddin Babu Khan quit alongwith TDP minorities cell vice-president Zafar Javed saying the minorities felt betrayed by the change of TDP stand.

The first signs of Mr Naidu going soft on the BJP appeared on March three when he said the electorate had endorsed the "stability slogan" of the BJP and expressed opposition to any Congress-led Government at the Centre.

In Andhra Pradesh, the Congress and the BJP posted impressive tally of 22 and four seats respectively. While the Congress increased its tally by one, the TDP suffered a major set back coming down to 12 from 17. The CPI won two seats while the CPI(M) drew a blank.

Political observers felt that the BJP’s impressive performance in Andhra Pradesh weighed heavily in the TDP’s tilt towards that party.

In the run-up to the elections, the BJP received a boost with several prominent politicians including the elder son-in-law of N T Rama Rao, Dr D Venkateswara Rao, film star Krishnam Raju and Mudragada Padmanabham joining the party. This emboldened the BJP to dictate terms to Mrs Lakshmi Parvathi of NTR-TDP to whom they offered only four seats in the seat adjustment.

However, NTR-TDP drew a blank and also snapped its ties with the BJP after the ruling TDP opted to support the latter.

Ironically, the United Front launched its campaign at the beginning of the year with one of the biggest-ever rallies in Hyderabad in which a galaxy of national leaders, including the then Prime Minister I K Gujral, Deve Gowda, Jyoti Basu, Harkishen Singh Surjeet, Farooq Abdullah, Karunanidhi, A B Bardhan and Ram Vilas Paswan participated. This was preceded by an equally impressive rally addressed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi on January 16.

The year also witnessed continuing naxalite violence, an escalation in faction killings in the Rayalaseema region, floods claiming 230 lives and causing extensive damage to crops and property which was estimated at Rs 2525 crore and one of the harshest summers in recent decades in which nearly 1000 people died due to heat stroke.

As the year began, the spate of suicides by cotton farmers continued even as the State Government announced a number of measures to mitigate their plight. Governor Dr C Rangarajan in his Republic Day address expressed concern at the spate of suicides by cotton farmers and appealed to them to desist from resorting to such drastic measures.

On March 16, the opening day of the budget session of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly witnessed unruly scenes and the Governor Rangarajan was forced to cut short his customary address after Congress MLAs rushed into the podium, shouting slogans and tearing copies of the Governor’s address. They were demanding Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s resignation accepting the Lok Sabha poll verdict as a referendum and also in view of the suicides by farmers. AICC president Sonia Gandhi, visited the naxalite-dominated Warangal and Medak districts on June 26 and 27 for getting first hand information, accused the TDP Government of discrimination in payment of compensation to families of the farmers, who committed suicide. Her visit was followed by an AICC team headed by former Union Agriculture Minister Balram Jakhar to study the woes of cotton farmers.

On the law and order front, naxalite violence continued even as a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Minister L K Advani took place on June 15 at Hyderabad attended by the Chief Minister besides his counterpart in Madhya Pradesh Digvijay Singh, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde and officials from Orissa. They decided to set up a coordination Centre headed by the union home secretary for a concerted strategy by the four states to tackle left-wing extremism.

Even as the murders and other offences by naxalites showed a slight downward trend, compared to previous years, the number of extremists killed or arrested increased. As many as 261 extremists were killed this year as against 168 in 1997 and 157 in 1996. Extremists violence claimed 221 lives in 1998 while the toll was 257 in the preceding year.

The naxalites had killed 35 policemen this year as against 51 last year. The number of extremists, including a few important leaders, who bid goodbye to the movement this year was 352 as against 88 ultras last year. Although the number of policemen killed was less this year compared to previous years, the landmine attacks had increased. There were ten attacks as against six such offences against police in 1997.

The damage caused by extremists to public and private properties came down steeply this year as compared to the previous years. The naxalites had damaged public property worth Rs 4.03 crore and private property worth Rs.2.22 crore this year as against Rs.14.09 crore (public property) and Rs 3.25 crore (private property) last year.

The Andhra Pradesh Government also contemplated enacting the Andhra Pradesh banned organisations activities prevention and restriction bill, 1998 to tackle the naxalite menance.

However, after protests from civil rights leaders over the sweeping powers envisaged for the police, the Government dropped the move.

In a related development, the founding leader of Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee (APCLC) parted ways with the parent organisation and decided to set up a parallel body following irreconcilable differences over a plethora of issues including support to revolutionary violence.

The unabated killings due to factional rivalry in Rayalaseema region also became a major concern to the Government. Mr Y Raja Reddy, father of APCC chief was killed in a powerful bomb attack at Vemula in Cuddapah district on May 23. The incident sparked off violence in Anantapur and Cuddapah districts. Nine people were killed in intra-party naxalite feud at Vempenta in Kurnool district on July 16, seven others, including three sons of Guntakal Mandal Praja Parishad president were killed by naxalites owing allegiance to Kondapalli Seetharamaiah and CPI activists in Anantapur district on October 27.

In another incident in April, eight Telugu Desam men were killed in Halvaharvi in Kurnool district in a clash with Congress rivals. While eight Congressmen were hacked to death by their rivals at Durvesi in Kurnool district on October 13.

The state capital witnessed an outburst of communal violence during the first week of June after a derogatory pamphlet was circulated.

At least eight people were killed and 85 others were injured in the violent incidents which rocked the old city of Hyderabad on June 5-7, forcing the authorities to clamp curfew in several police stations limits.

The year also witnessed an unusually high number of five train accidents in which 37 people were killed and 130 people injured.

In one of the worst mishaps, 19 people including 13 school children were killed when the engine of a goods trained rammed into an APSRTC bus at an unmanned level crossing near Miryualaguda in Nalgonda district on September 26. Another eleven people were killed when ten bogies of the Hyderabad-Narsapur Expresse derailed at Sattenapally in Guntur district on October 8, noted film director Ram Gopal Verma and actors Giri Babu and Ali escaped unhurt.

Heavy rain during September-October led to floods in river Krishna causing heavy damage to crops and communication facilities, besides claiming 230 lives. The total loss was put at Rs 2525 crore.

The shut down of the Srisailam power house to submersion in the floods after its retaining wall collapsed led to a major controversy with the opposition charging the Government with inefficiency in tackling the flood situation.

In another important development, the Government decided to promulgate an ordinance classifying the Scheduled Castes into A,B,C, and D groups for the purpose of reservations after the National Commission for SCs and STs declined to give its consent in this regard. However, Governor Dr C Rangarajan referred the ordinance to President K R Narayanan in view of the larger issues involved in the matter.

The year also saw Hyderabad emerging as a major Information Technology Centre and the inauguration of the first phase of the Rs 1500-crore hi-tec city (Hyderabad Information Technology Engineering and Consultancy city) by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on November 22. The Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu got a feather in his cap when microsoft decided to set up a Software Development Centre in hi-tec city. (UNI)

AICC condolence resolution includes the
living among the dead

NEW DELHI, Dec 18: The one-day All India Congress Committee (AICC) session started off with a faux pas today when a condolence resolution inadvertantly included the names of some living persons among the dead.

The mistake occurred in the list from Assam when the names of those who had informed the party about the death of the leaders were also put in.

The flaw in the resolution went unnoticed when Mr R K Dhawan read out the English version and was detected only after Mrs Meira Kumar was proceeding with the Hindi version.

Mr Janardhan Dwivedi, who was conducting the proceedings, regretted the mistake and apologised.

This inadvertant instance of black humor created much mirth among the delegates who burst into laughter. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit was quick to point out that according to traditional beliefs, the leaders whose names figured in the list has now got an extra lease of life.(UNI)

Massacre in Angola

LUANDA, Dec 18: Hundreds of civilians died when Unita rebels attacked the railway station at Cunje, seven kilometres from Kuito, capital of Angola’s Bie province, according to reports reaching here.

A catholic radio station here reported yesterday that there were "hundreds of wounded in Kuito’s hospital with dead people lying all around", following Wednesday afternoon’s attack.

"Everybody thought that the Unita soldiers had fled the battle area outside kuito following the counter-offensive by Government forces. But suddenly a group appeared at the railway station and started shooting and throwing hand-grenades at the people. It was a massacre," a reporter at the scene told the radio station.

The commander of the Government forces in Bie province, Brigadier Simeao Mukume, said Unita lost 200 men, including both black and white mercenaries during 12 hours of fierce fighting on the outskirts of Kuito.

Brig Mukume said the Unita (National Union for the Total Liberation of Angola) rebels left behind seven BMP-2 Ukrainian tanks equipped with 122 mm cannons.

Following the offensive by Government forces to capture the Unita strongholds of Bailundo and Andulo about two weeks ago, Unita forces last weekend suddenly attacked with tanks and long-range artillery, some of it never seen in Angola before, according to military sources.

Government forces were forced to retreat to Kuito. The Government had no alternative but to recall 4,000 of its soldiers from the Democratic Republic of Congo to counter the Unita attack after the rebels captured the towns of Catabola, Camacupa, Cunhimga and Chipeta, Brig Makume said. (AP)

One rank one pension scheme for services in offing

NEW DELHI, Dec 18: The long-pending one rank one pension issue in services is expected to the resolved soon with Defence Minister George Fernandes saying a Cabinet paper on the subject is ready.

Fernandes told a meeting of the consultative committee of MPs attached to his Ministry that the matter had been agitating the ex-Servicemen for a long time.

A Cabinet paper on the subject is ready. While some discussions on the issue are awaited, I am hopeful that it will be resolved soon, Fernandes said.

The meeting was informed that there were over 14 lakh ex-Servicemen and 2.7 lakh widows of service personnel registered with Sainik Boards in the country, a Defence Ministry spokesman said.

Their welfare and resettlement are being jointly looked after by the Centre and the States and the Directorate of Resettlement (DGR) has initiated several measures including capsule courses, training and self-employment schemes for ex-Servicemen.

In view of the magnitude of the task, there is, however, need to intensify the effort, it was stated.

Participating in the discusion, the members felt that DGR should be toned up to make it more effective. They suggested that states should rationalise their incentive scheme for gallantry award winners.

Fernandes termed as crucial resettlement and welfare of ex-Servicemen.

The members said issues of medical facilities and housing for ex-Servicemen should be taken up on priority basis.

A member suggested that ex-Servicemen should also be encouraged to join state armed forces.

The need for DGR to interact regularly with regimental centres to create awareness about the various facilities and schemes for ex-Servicemen was emphasised, the spokesman said.

Besides the MPs, the meeting was also attended by Defence secretary Ajit Kumar, Defence Production Secretary Prabit Sengupta and senior officials.(PTI)

Cong not averse to alliance, aims at stable Govt: G Sonia Gandhi andhi

NEW DELHI, Dec 18: Congress president Sonia Gandhi today sent clear signals to like-minded parties as also regional outfits that it was not averse to having alliances with them even as its aim was to forge ahead to form a stable Government on its own.

".........(Though) we welcome the support of like-minded parties, we must stand on our own post. We know what good governance is and must aim to provide a stable Government on our own," she said in her opening remarks at the day-long AICC session convened to bring sweeping amendments to the party constitution to reserve posts for women, minorities, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and and OBC.

In an apparent message to parties like AIADMK, Gandhi said that her party had always been sensitive to regional and sectional aspirations and it would continue to take careful account of them.

"This must be done in a manner consistent with the coherent and cohesive articulation of the national view. Therefore, we must, as far as possible, forge ahead on our own. If we enter into alliances they must be on the terms laid down at Panchmarhi," she said.

Gandhi’s remarks assume significance in the context of parties like Samajwadi Party and CPI(M) attacking the Congress for not taking the initiative to pull down the Vajpayee Government.

Her opening speech also gave no indication of plans to topple the BJP-led coalition except to reiterate the party position "we stand ready at all times to discharge our constitutional responsibilities, and we will do so if and when circumstances demand."

Shortly after her speech, the three newly-elected party Chief Ministers including Digvijay Singh of Madhya Pradesh strongly opposed the party going into alliances with other parties saying Congress was now strong enough to come to power on its own.

The Panchmarhi brain storming session favoured electoral alliances only in cases where the party would have a dominant role and without compromising its policies and programmes.

Gandhi, whose 30-minute opening address was punctuated by sharp criticism of the Vajpayee Government, said the country had suffered the ravages of non-governance and bad governance at the hands of a ruling coalition that is consumed by its inner dissent and is headed by a party which is itself rife with divisions.

She said the events and experiences of the past several months had made it clear that people had become tired of fractious coalitions held together simply by a craving for office and power.

There is a callous disregard for the most pressing needs of the poor as inflation has gone out of control, economic performance suffered and investor confidence is at a low ebb, Gandhi alleged.

Regretting that in recent months the country has been subjected to intolerance and sectarianism, she alleged minority communities were being targeted and violence against them was being orchestrated.

It cannot be a coincidence that the bulk of these attacks have been in states ruled by BJP and its allies such as Gujarat, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, she said, adding that people knew that Congress respected the rights of minorities and extended to them its full support and solidarity.

Gandhi said the fiasco in the recent State Education Minister’s conference was another pointer to distortions in the national life caused by sectarian mindsets.

More disturbing has been the arrogant dismissal by the Maharashtra Government of the findings of the Srikrishna Commission’s report on the 1992-93 Mumbai riots, she said.

In these circumstances, it is hardly surprising that law and order should have become such a serious problem. The Government itself admits that nearly half the districts in the country are prone to terrorism and insurgency.

And there seems to be little progress in containing and confronting the proxy war that is being waged in our country from across our borders. Nor has there been any encouraging initiative to commence a political dialogue with the disenchanted segments of our society to bring them into national mainstream, she said.

Gandhi said the country had paid a heavy price for the deliberate and cynical dismantling of the national consensus on foreign policy. (UNI)