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Trust vote
not required NEW DELHI, Oct 11: Atal Behari Vajpayee was today appointed Prime Minister to head the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government which will not include the 29-member Telugu Desam that has decided to give issue-based support. Seventy five-year-old Vajpayee, who will be sworn in at 1030 hours on Wednesday, has not been asked by President K R Narayanan to seek a vote of confidence, the first Prime Minister in ten years since the coalition era began to enjoy such a privilege. The Rashtrapati Bhawan communique issued after a meeting between Narayanan and Vajpayee said the President was satisfied that the Prime Minister would command a majority in the newly-elected Lok Sabha. Earlier, an NDA delegation met the President and formally staked claim to form the Government claiming the support of 304 MPs, including 29 of TDP. TDP, the largest ally of BJP, took the decision not to join the Government at a meeting of its Parliamentary Party in Hyderabad today on the ground that the state would be better served by extending outside support. DMK, another important constituent of the NDA with 12 MPs, is expected to take a decision on joining the Government at its Parliamentary Party meeting here tomorrow. All indications point to the DMK participating in the Government with preference for some key economic and infrastructure portfolios. Meanwhile, hectic lobbying for ministerial berths has begun among the various constituents of the NDA in the two-tier ministry the Prime Minister proposes to form. The strength of the Council of Ministers is likely to be around 40 to 50 as Vajpayee has indicated that it will not be too big or too small. According to indications, the BJP is expected to retain major portfolios of Home, Finance, External Affairs, Human Resource Development and Information and Broadcasting. JD(U) leader George Fernandes is likely to retain the Defence portfolio but who among the other leaders of the party should be inducted into the Cabinet has been left to the party to decide. Contenders for Ministerial berths in the party include Sharad Yadav, Ram Vilas Paswan, Ramakrishna Hegde and Digvijay Singh. Trinamool Congress is likely to lend either its leader Mamata Banerjee or Ajit Panja and Railways is said to be the party’s favourite portfolio. All the allies like BJD, Shiv Sena, MDMK, PMK and National Conference are expected to get portfolios on the basis of their strength. |
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J&K needs greater central attention: Umer Abdullah NEW DELHI, Oct 11: Jammu and Kashmir demands more focussed central attention in the post-Kargil scenario to take the state on the path of prosperity and stop infiltration, National Conference leader Umer Abdullah said here today. Militants have paved their way into the Valley and are spreading terror among the peace-loving locals...Therefore, the need for a special attention arises automatically, Umer, who was here to attend the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting, told PTI. He said it was militant threat which was hampering the peace process in the Valley. The State Government is also handicapped for not having adequate resources to counter the threat more effectively, he said. He claimed that the State Government was facing a severe financial crunch. This point was highlighted before the centre last time and we will again highlight the issue. Asked about NC’s expectations from the new Government, Umer said the party had a long-standing demand for a special package for the state and expected it to be fulfilled this time. He said the party wanted the Central Government to waive loans given to the state as was done in the case of Punjab. Militancy in Punjab could be tackled only with an active financial support from the Centre and we also hope to do the same, he added. Referring to party’s support to the NDA Government, Umer said we have done it in the past and we will do it again. However, he made it clear that it was the stability and not the portfolio or ministerial berth which mattered for the party. The newly-elected members of the National Conference along with its Rajya Sabha MP Sharif-ud-Din Shariq participated in the NDA meeting last evening to choose Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the Prime Minister. Umer said the newly elected members of NC would be meeting soon to choose its parliamentary party leader. (PTI) |
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Two Lashkar militants shot dead by RR, STF Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 11; The Rashtriya Rifles and Special Task Force (STF) in a joint operation today gunned down two Lashkar-e-Toiba militants after an encounter at village Chakra in Kastigarh area of Doda district. A large quantity of weaponry was recovered from the encounter site. A police spokesman said the troops of 10 Rashtriya Rifles assisted by STF sleuths cordoned off village Chakra late last night after receiving an information from the local villagers that a group of militants has sneaked into the area. Troops located the militants in a dense forest area in the upper reaches of Chakra and engaged them in fierce fighting. The exchange of firing continued for more than two hours in which two Lashkar-e-Toiba militants were gunned down. Troops didn’t suffer any casualty in the operation. Identity of the slain militants was established from identity cards recovered from their possession. They were Abu Ukub of Seal Kote village in Pak occupied Kashmir (PoK), a deputy commander of Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit for Doda district and Abu Sarka, a Pakistani. A huge quantity of arms and ammunition were recovered from the scene of encounter which include two AK-47 rifles with six magazines and 250 rounds, one missile, one grenade launcher, two tin grease, used in making explosive devices, two Nepalese blunt weapons (khukhries) and one RPG round. Bodies of the slain militants have been handed over to local police. The Rashtriya Rifles and STF personnel continued a search operation in the area in anticipation of more militants’ presence. Local people have hailed the killings of dreaded LET militants, who had let loose a reign of terror in the area and were involved in a series of subversive activities. A JCO was also injured in the encounter. Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 11: The State Government has promoted five Executive Engineers (X-ens) to the rank of Superintending Engineers (SEs) working in Power Development Department (PDD). Consequent upon the promotions, the Government also made certain changes by affecting transfers and postings of X-ens and SEs in the department. The promotee X-ens include Messrs M A Malik, G M Wadoo, R S Wazir, Mohinder Singh and M A Khan. While Mr Mohinder Singh was promoted on adhoc basis, Mr M A Khan who has since retired on June 30, was given the benefit of the promotion from May this year. Other serving X-ens have also been given the benefit of the promotion from the back date. With these promotions, certain administrative changes were affected in the Power Department. Mr M A Malik, X-en M&RE Division-III Jammu on promotion has been posted as SE P&MM Circle Jammu against an available vacancy. He has been asked to hand over the charge to Mr P S Jamwal, X-en Workshop Division Jammu. The latter will hold the same as additional charge. Mr R S Wazir, X-en STD-III Jammu on promotion has been posted as SE S&O- Circle-II Jammu against an available vacancy. Mr Wazir will handover the charge to Mr V K Malhotra, X-en STD-I as additional charge. Mr Bashir Ahmad Sheikh, SE M&RE Circle Leh has been transferred and posted as SE P&MM Circle Srinagar against an available vacancy. Mr G M Wadoo, X-en M&RE Division Baramulla on promotion has been posted in place of Mr Bashir Sheikh at Leh. Mr Noor-ud Din Baqal, SE Executive Engineer Generation Circle-I (PDC) Baramulla has been transferred and posted as SE M&RE Circle-II Srinagar against an available vacancy. Mr Mohinder Singh Executive Engineer Gas Turbine Division-I Pampore on promotion has been posted as SE Generation Circle-I (PDC) Baramulla vice Mr Baqal. Mr Singh will hand over the charge of Gas Turbine Division-I Pampore to Mr G M Mir X-en Gas Turbine Division-II Pampore who will hold the same as additional charge. Mr G H Shergujri, X-en in Purchase Circle Srinagar has been transferred and posted as X-en M&RE Division Baramulla vice M G M Wadoo. He will handover the charge to Mr A R Reshi, X-en in Purchase Circle Srinagar, who will hold the same as additional charge. |
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Civilian injured in
Pak firing Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 11: The Border Security Force (BSF) have arrested 46 foreign nationals—mostly Burmese and Bangladeshis—from two forward areas on the International Border in Hiranagar and RS Pura sub sectors even as intermittent exchange of firing continued between Indo-Pak troops on the border. Official sources said 30 foreign nationals were arrested from Hiranagar area of Kathua yesterday while 16 Burmese were apprehended from Korotona post in RS Pura sub sector today. Of them, 20 were women and children. Sources said all foreign nationals had been pushed into Indian territory forcibly by Pakistani Rangers. They were apprehended by the alert BSF personnel soon after they reached within the Indian territory. After preliminary questioning, security forces handed over the infiltrators to local police. However, nothing incriminating could be recovered from the possession of foreign nationals. A case against them has been registered at local police station for further investigations. Sources said this was after a gap of more than one and a half month that such an influx of foreign nationals was reported from Pakistan side. Meanwhile, exchange of firing between Indo-Pak troops was again reported from the International Border in RS Pura, Kanachak and Akhnoor sector. Pak troops also targeted Indian civilian locations at Pallanwalla, Hamirpur, Jogma and Pargwal island in Akhnoor tehsil. A civilian Harbans Lal Son of Mangat Ram was injured in Pak firing at Jabowal Khurd in R S Pura sector. |
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Long spell of power cuts dominates proceedings Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Oct 11: Public concern issues like long spell of power cut in the State particularly in Jammu and Srinagar cities and facilities in MLAs Hostel at Srinagar dominated Zero Hour in the House today. The members who raised these issues include Harbans Singh, Mr Y R Malhotra, Mr A R Turkoo, Mr Mohammad Sadiq Malik, Mr D K Kotwal, Mr G S Jamwal and Dr Naseer Ahmed. The Chairman, Legislative Council Mr H S Bali, intervening in the matter said that the issue like giving relaxation in the power curtailment will be brought to the notice of the Governments. The Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr P L Handoo said that for the matters with regard to the improvement of facilities for the MLAs Hostel etc, that the members should give one hour notice to the Government so that a debate is initiated on such matters. As many as eleven members in the House raised many issues of the public interest of their respective areas. Mr Javid Hussain Shah demanded immediate improvement of Bandipora road. Mr Mohammad Sadiq Malik drew the attention of the House towards non existence of bridge over the Rajouri Nallah and demanded its construction forthwith. Haji Buland Khan complained the non availability of the teaching staff in some of the schools of Gool Gulab Garh area and urged for their immediate deployment. Mr C L Khajuria demanded that the Branch of J&K Bank should not be shifted elsewhere from Panchayari in Udhampur district. Mr Aziz Mohammad Qari demanded adequate facilities of housing, clothing, food etc for the evacuees of Todolone, Tiger Hills and Batalik areas of Kargil and Drass sectors of Ladakh region. Mr Vir Chand Mahasha urged the immediate repairing of Purmandal Saroon road for the benefit of the people. |
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Running of illegal
petrol depot Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 11: Police today attached Station House Officer (SHO) Gandhi Nagar police station and ordered a departmental inquiry against him after his role was virtually established in running an underground kerosene oil and petrol depot in Nanak Nagar locality. DIG Jammu-Kathua Range Dr S P Vaid today issued an order which attached SHO Gandhi Nagar Mr Hamid Chowdhary, Inspector and attached him to District Police Lines (DPL) Jammu. The senior officer of Gandhi Nagar police station was asked to take over as officiating SHO till a permanent arrangement is made by the SSP Jammu. Dr Vaid also appointed Additional SP Jammu Mr Satish Bhandari as an Inquiry Officer to probe the matter in detail regarding running the racket of underground kerosene oil and petrol pump at Nanak Nagar. Mr Bhandari has been asked to submit his report at the earliest for taking further necessary action against the SHO and other concerned police officers, if any. It may be recalled that a devastating fire had broken out in an illegal and underground kerosene oil-cum petrol depot being run by some persons in a populated area of Nanak Nagar. The fire had broken out soon after a tanker had unloaded kerosene oil in the depot. Several adjoining houses were damaged in the fire, which was controlled by the fire fighting personnel after four hour long operation. Local people had strongly protested against police failure to check illegal kerosene oil and petrol depot within the populated locality. Preliminary investigations carried out by the police had established that illegal depot was being run with the ‘active connivance’ of Gandhi Nagar police. Accordingly, police took action in the matter today. |
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Spate of resignations
in Cong NEW DELHI, Oct 11: As the spate of resignations continued in the Congress following electoral debacle, pressure mounted on Sonia Gandhi to take over as leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha today ahead of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) meeting tomorrow. In the wake of reported suggestions in the Party that Gandhi should not become leader of the Opposition in view of her Parliamentary inexperience, five AICC secretaries including Mani Shankar Aiyar and Ramesh Chennithala, MPs, issued a statement favouring her assuming the post. They said besides being CPP leader and Party chief she should be the leader of the Opposition in the Lower House as " Parliament is the forum in which political battle is joined’’. A section of the party feels that Gandhi might give the responsibility to a senior leader with Parliamentary experience and the names of N D Tewari and Madhavrao Scindia are being taken in this connection. The Party’s leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Manmohan Singh, has resigned from the post following his defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. The Party leadership, however, has not taken any decision on the resignation giving rise to speculation that he might be asked to continue. Meanwhile, the number of AICC general secretaries, who have resigned in the wake of Party’s worst-ever debacle in the polls, has gone up to five. Sushil Kumar Shinde and Ghulam Nabi Azad have followed the suit of Pranab Mukherjee, Ambika Soni and Oscar Fernandes who resigned yesterday. Meanwhile, simmering discontent in the BJP over unilateral announcement of the name of Chief Minister Rane as leader of the Sena-BJP combine was understood to have resulted in the alliance putting off its plan to stake a claim to form the Government. A joint meeting of the Combine’s newly elected MLAs had on October 9 authorised the Sena supremo Bal Thakray and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to jointly chose the new leader but BJP sources claimed that announcement of Rane’s name was made without consulting Vajpayee. Following the differences, Rane held a meeting of Sena Legislators and a state BJP unit functionary later said the alliance partners would reach an amicable settlement soon. BJP leader Pramod Mahajan told reporters that the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance which was to stake claim to form a Government today did not do so as it did not have as of now the required majority of 145 members. He also dismissed reports of discontent among BJP workers over nomination of outgoing Chief Minister Narayan Rane as leader of the combine in the Assembly. Mahajan, who earlier had a meeting with former Chief Minister and Sena leader Manohar Joshi, said it was " a small protocol mistake" on the part of Shiv Sena to have announced Rane’s name without informing Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on phone. To a question whether Rane’s nomination would be withdrawn following opposition from BJP, Joshi said Shiv Sena chief had nominated Rane and, therefore, if there was any change to be made it would be done by him only. Joshi also said he was not aware of any proposal from NCP on extending its support to the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance for formation of a Government. "If such a proposal comes, we will consider", he added. (Agencies) |
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No power can secede J&K from India: CM Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Oct 11: Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah today said no power on earth can secede Jammu and Kashmir from India and referred to the futile attempt of Pakistan in grabbing its territory in Kargil by force. "Pakistan employed enough force but failed to change the LoC, which has become much more stronger now", he said, adding that the neighbouring country has not given up terrorising people by violence. "They cannot frighten us by terrorism", he added. Chief Minister was speaking in the opening session of Legislative Assembly this morning. He paid rich tributes to the former Prime Minister, Kh Shamas-ud-Din, former Education Minister, Mr Noor Mohammad and legislators, Mr Abdul Ahad Kar and Mr Mohammad Jabbar. Dr Abdullah declared that borders cannot be changed by force and that is what the neighbouring country and those day dreaming of Azadi have realised. Cautioning people and political workers against the machinations of the enemy, the Chief Minister hoped that the challenge posed would be met with courage and fortitude. Describing Kh Shamas-ud-Din as a gentleperson, he said, the former Prime Minister took keen interest in religious and social works after relinquishing the office. His contribution in these spheres, particularly in Anantnag will ever be remembered. Dr Abdullah also lauded the role of Mr Noor Mohammad for the promotion of education in the State. Referring to the killing of Mr Abdul Ahad Kar, MLA Langate, the Chief Minister said that the late leader fell to the bullets of the assasins for his commitment to the cherished ideals of steering the people to peace. He worked relentlessly for getting the problems of people redressed. Paying tributes to Mr Mohammad Jabbar, MLA Wachi, the Chief Minister recalled his efforts particularly in the House in highlighting the problems of the people of his constituency and pursuing for their redressal. Earlier, the Speaker Mr Abdul Ahad Vakil while moving the obituary reference in the House paid glowing tributes to Mr Shamas-ud-Din, former State Prime Minister and Speaker of J&K Legislative Assembly, former Education Minister Mr Noor Mohammad Sheikh and two sitting MLAs Mir Abdul Ahad Kar and Mr Mohammad Jabbar Mir for their services to the State and upholding the dignity of the House. He said Kar Sahib also became the victim of the militants. Mr Shiv Charan Gupta (BJP), Mr Tara Chand (Cong), Sheikh Abdul Rehman (BSP), Mr M Y Tarigami (CPIM), Mr J R Dubey (JD), Mr Harash Dev Singh (PP) and R S Sharma (Cong) also paid glowing tributes to the departed leaders. Later, the House observed two minutes silence in memory of the departed leaders. |
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Police announces reward in Bishnah girls’ murder Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 11: Police today announced reward for anyone giving clues about the sensational rape-cum-murder of two girls in Bishnah on July 11 night. The reward was announced by DIG Jammu-Kathua Range, Dr S P Vaid. He said those giving clues leading to identification and arrest of the accused will be suitably rewarded by the police and their identity will also be kept a secret. It may be recalled that a young girl, whose marriage was scheduled within a week and her niece was raped and murdered by unidentified criminals in Deoli village of Bishnah on July 11 evening. Dead bodies of the victims were recovered from a well. Despite massive protests by the people, Bishnah police failed to identify the accused even after three months of the crime. NEW DELHI, Oct 11: The Supreme Court today went hi-tech with the Chief Justice of India putting the daily and advance list of cases on internet which would help litigants across the country to know when their cases would be heard without coming to the Capital. Chief Justice A S Anand, who completed one year in the highest post in judiciary today, after inaugurating the Supreme Court cause list on internet said it is a step forward as we enter the new millennium and promised that many more such steps would be taken in future. The lists being put in the internet with the help of National Informatics Centre (NIC) include the daily cause list, weekly list and supplemetary cause list. The inauguration ceremony was attended by all Judges of the Supreme Court, Attorney General of India Soli J Sorabjee, senior advocates and members of the bar. Justice Anand said putting of the cause lists on internet was aimed to help litigating public and to expedite disposal of cases. Giving the keynote address, Director General of NIC N Seshagiri said NIC will provide each of the Supreme Court Judges with a multi-media computer which would be able to take dictation from the Judges. Within two to three years the stenographers as a profession will vanish, he said adding that was why the Government was at present training around 10,000 stenographers in various computer related activities. (PTI) |
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