‘NDA Govt express’ starts its journey as Ministers
assume office

NEW DELHI, Oct 14: With one billion Indians on board, the National Democratic Alliance Government express started its journey into the next millennium.

This was the message beamed out when Mamta Banerjee, the nemesis of the Left in her home State of West Bengal, and her deputy Digvijay Singh were greeted by Railway Board Chairman V K Aggarwal and other senior officials on assuming charge of the Ministry of Railways.

The first stop would be efforts which will continue to build the widest possible consensus on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) despite the rejection today by the US Senate of its ratification.

The steadfast reiteration of the Government stand came from External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh while talking to the press soon after assuming charge.

For Union Home Minister Lal Krishan Advani, the first bridgehead was ensuring foolproof security for each and every citizen. Mr Advani laid out his priority soon after taking charge of the Ministry of Home Affairs in the North Block. Mr Advani was greeted by Home Secretary Kamal Pande and other senior officials.

Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha assured a check on prices and fiscal deficit. He said a mid-term fiscal plan would be drawn up to bring fiscal deficit to two per cent.

Addressing newspersons immediately after assuming office, Mr Sinha said the prevailing level of fiscal deficit was a matter of concern and said his Ministry will come out with a plan to bring it down to two per cent.

Mr Sinha, while assuring steps to contain inflation, said the question of reducing subsidy on kerosene and LPG would be carefullly gone into in the context of the deficit in the oil pool account.

Among other steps his Government would take include strict control on expenditure, implementation of financial sector reforms as outlined by the M Narsimhan Committee and more recently the Verma Committee report on weak banks introduction of the IRA and other economic bills like the foreign exchange management bill on a priority basis in the winter session of Parliament, a paper on second generation of reforms entailing sectors such as the rural economy and international trade.

Whether there will be a Kargil Tax, he said "can’t we forget the Kargil Tax."

Telecommunication facilities will be provided to all the villages in the country by the year 2002, and tribal areas and North Eastern States will receive special attention in this regard, Communication Minister Ramvilas Paswan said.

Talking to media persons after assuming charge as Communication Minister, Mr Paswan said efforts would be made to improve the quality of telecom services by modernising old exchanges.

He said internet cafes and booths are proposed to be set up in districts and towns. To this end, the DoT officials have been asked to prepare a scheme within a month so that it could be implemented within two months .

Mr Paswan said the postal services in the rural areas were not up to the mark and there were complaints of money order not being delivered or delivered very late. He would see to it that quality of postal services was improved in the rural areas.

Textiles Minister Kashiram Rana is confident of implementing the new textile policy by the end of this year.

"I will be able to send a note on the subject to the Cabinet by the end of December for approval," he told newspersons immediately after taking over charge here this morning.

This is his second tenure in the Textiles Ministry.

Mr Rana said within the next two months, he will complete discussions with concerned Ministries to give a final shape to the Satyam Committee report on new textile policy which he received earlier.

This policy will be a "strong source" for revitalising the textile sector, he said adding that it is also important keeping in view dismantling of Multi Fibre Agreement (MFA) by December 2004 as per the WTO policy.

As regards the technology upgradation fund, the Minister admitted that there were some hurdles in its implementation. The initial allocation for the fund is Rs 25,000 crore. "I am confident of removing the hurdles soon. Sky is the limit for replacing old machinery with the new. Financial institutions are willing to fund this scheme," he said.

So far nearly Rs 4,000 crore has been disbursed. During the next two years 60 per cent of the fund money will be disbursed as the textile sector has to be revitalised before the year 2004.

Besides, the Rs 6000-crore cotton technology mission is in its final stage, he said.

Mr Rana said a three-pronged programme is under implementation for reviving the sick mills of National Textile Policy (NTP). Only 36 of the 119 NTC mills are in position for revival. The total work force involved in the NTC mills was 97,000. However, majority of the labour unions and workers are in favour of Gujarat type of Voluntry Retirement Schemes (VRS), he said and added that the Finance Minister also favourably inclined to implement the VRS.

Mr Arun Jaitley today assumed charge as Minister of State (independent charge) of the Information and Broadcasting with a series of meetings with senior officials.

Mr Jaitley met senior officials separately and in groups to familiarise himself with the working of the various departments under the Ministry and getting acquainted with the tasks involved.

Being the only member of the Council of Ministers who is not a member of either House, Mr Jaitley will have to seek election to Parliament within a period of six months.

Mr Sharad Yadav who took charge as the Civil Aviation Minister promised speedy decisions and transparency in the Ministry and efforts to make air travel possible for a larger section of the public.

Mr Yadav, who had the new Minister of State for Civil Aviation Chaman Lal Gupta and Civil Aviation Secretary P V Jayakrishnan on his side at the Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan, said he would first have to understand the working of his Ministry before he could give any views on his plans for the sector.

On the privatisation moves initiated by his predecessor, Mr Yadav said he would go as per the Government policy. "But you all know my background," he told reporters.

He said decisions regarding all pending matters in the Ministry, including acquisition of aircraft, would be taken without delay after he had full knowledge of his task. The assets of the Ministry and its ills would have to be understood. (UNI)

Army hardliners against Benazir’s move to be PM
Cross-border terrorism in J&K must stop for talks: Vajpayee

From B L Kak

NEW DELHI, Oct 14: Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, has made it clear that the composite dialogue process between India and Pakistan cannot bear fruit as long as Islamabad allowed and encouraged cross-border terrorism.

Explaining that the situation as it developed in Pakistan with the Army takeover cannot be termed as conducive to resuming talks "at this juncture", Mr Vajpayee sought to send out this message: Whoever rules Pakistan will have to take steps to stop cross-border terrorism which has played havoc in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Only then can the composite dialogue process be resumed", was his refrain during his hurriedly-called meeting on Thursday. The meeting was attended, among others, by the Home Minister, Mr LK Advani, the External Affairs Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh, and the Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, besides top functionaries from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and the Ministries of Home, Defence and External Affairs.

Mr Vajpayee, after having been furnished with intelligence inputs and other reports vis-à-vis the altering scenario in Pakistan in the wake of the Army takeover, told the meeting that his Government continued to remain "committed" to developing friendly and cooperative ties with Pakistan. Mr Vajpayee was of the firm opinion: Pakistani authorities will have to create the right environment for facilitating the task of New Delhi to develop friendly relations with that country to be based on mutual trust and confidence.

Despite the military coup in Pakistan, it was explained at the meeting, the Vajpayee Government would appreciate moves aimed at creating peace and harmony. The Vajpayee Government, it was officially explained at the end of the meeting, had no plans to ask for an immediate restoration of democracy in Pakistan because that would be construed by the "other side" as interference in another country’s internal affairs.

India, nonetheless, has the right to highlight the ‘firm’ pre-condition or resuming the dialogue. The Vajpayee Government wants Pakistan to stop cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere in India before the talks with Islamabad can be resumed.

On the other hand, the present military ruler of Pakistan, Gen Parvez Musharraf, has, in his fresh directive issued on Thursday morning, urged his troops all along Pakistan’s border with India to be extra-vigilant. This directive assumes significance in the context of his veiled warning to India: "Let no outside forces think that they can take advantage of the prevailing situation".

Gen Musharraf, too, has, in the process, been warned by the United States of far-from-pleasant consequences if he allowed the military rule to continue in Pakistan. According to diplomatic sources, the Pakistani Army Chief has informed Washington that while he has no plans to impose martial law, an exercise has been launched to effect some kind of change within the existing Government in Islamabad.

These sources said that Pakistani military machine, after having been told that the USA would not back the Parvez Musharraf dispensation militarily, financially and morally, had started negotiations with certain legal and political experts on the question of having the "sacked" Premier, Mr Nawaz Sharief, removed through a vote of no-confidence and paving the way for the appointment of a more acceptable person to head the new civilian Government in Islamabad.

Former Pakistan Premier, Ms Benazir Bhutto, is known for her pockets of influence in her country’s Armed Forces. In spite of this, and in spite of her warm flirtations with some influential Americans these days, her chances of becoming Pakistan’s Prime Minister in the given situation are not bright at all, considering the fact that hard-liners within the Pak Army continued to be arrayed against her.

Militant escapes from SPOs custody alongwith SLR

Excelsior Correspondent

UDHAMPUR, Oct 14: A militants escaped from police custody alongwith an SLR from Kanthi Dhar near Laddu post in Doda district last night while security forces recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition from two areas of the district.

Official reports reaching here said two Special Police officers (SPOs), attached with police post Laddu were on way to police station after apprehending a militant. At Kanthi Dhar area, one of the SPO identified as Desh Bandhu slipped down from a hill.

Taking advantage of the situation, the militant fled away from the spot taking away the SLR of the SPO. After about an hour, the injured SPO reached the police post and informed the incident. Police and security forces rushed to the spot and launched a search operation in the area to re-arrest the militant, whose identity hasn’t been established so far.

The SPOs were being questioned by the police to know the circumstances under which the militant escaped. The militants had been arrested after a hot chase and was a wanted activist of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit.

Meanwhile, the Rashtriya Rifles personnel recovered a large quantity of arms and explosives from two hideouts of the militants at Pothe and Galadhar area of Doda. The seizure include 10 kgs explosives, 112 detonators, 15 meters cordex wire, three anti-personnel mines, two grenades and one silences of AK-47 rifle.

Both the hideouts have been smashed by the RR and STF sleuths, the sources said.

They said the militants managed to escape from the hideout sometime before the search operation was launched. Troops continued searches in Pothe and Galadhar villages to apprehend the militants, who managed to escape from the hideout. Till last reports came in, no success had been achieved.

Meanwhile, an encounter took place between STF sleuths and militants at village Ghinyal in forest area of Moti Bhagra in Gandoh last night. The encounter continued for more than two hours with both sides using heavy fire arms.

One militant was injured in the encounter while there was no casualty on STF side. The injured militant was whisked away by his fleeing associates leaving behind a large quantity of arms, ammunition and personal belongings of the militants.

Troops continued searches in the area to track down the absconders.

The recovery made out from the spot included one loaded magazine of AK-47 rifle, 20 cells, 10 blankets, two shawls, huge quantity of ration and two diaries containing valuable information about the militants activities. Besides, a hideout of the militants from where they were operating, was destroyed in the encounter.

Countering proxy war in JK tops Govt agenda : Advani

NEW DELHI, Oct 14: Home Minister L K Advani today asserted that Government will aggressively counter any threat to internal security posed by Pakistan-sponsored militants and maintained that disruptive forces would not be allowed to gain upper hand.

Advani, 72, after assuming charge of his Ministry, told reporters that his party had promised to the people Su-raj (good governance) and internal security was one of its main components.

Observing that the Government accorded top priority to external and internal security, he said his Ministry would endeavour to create an atmosphere where every citizen felt secure and any threat to internal security, especially the proxy war being waged in Jammu and Kashmir from across the border, would be met adequately.

Advani later introduced his two Ministers of State — C Vidyasagar Rao and I D Swamy — to senior officers of the Home Ministry.

Stating that the internal security atmosphere in the country had deteriorated during the last two decades, he said we have achieved major successes in the last 18 months of governance by effectively combating the activities of Pakistani-sponsored terrorists in J and K and other parts of the country.

He said the contention regarding J and K was evident from the fact that tourism had picked up and elections were held smoothly.

Referring to the situation in the north-east, Advani said the region had registered a record turnout of nearly 71 per cent in the polls.

Asked to comment on international terrorist Osama bin Laden’s threat to send mercenaries to Kashmir, he said Government would face any challenge to country’s security from any quarter.

Replying to another question, the Minister said he was satisfied with the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections as NDA’s objective was to cross the 300 mark. The BJP too has slightly improved upon its earlier tally, he added.

Advani, who commenced his second stint in the Ministry, was received at his North Block office by Home Secretary and other senior officials of the Ministry.

Addressing officials of his Ministry, he asked them to step up their efforts to complete all the unfinished tasks initiated by him during his previous tenure. Speed and transparency should be the motto of the Ministry, he said. (PTI)

Army says no martial law
Pak troops seal Parliament

ISLAMABAD, Oct 14: Pakistani troops today sealed off the country’s Parliament after evacuating the staff even as the Army claimed it had no intention to impose martial law and was toying with the idea of installing a civilian Government.

Top Army brass continued hectic backdoor confabulations with politicians as international pressure mounted calling for early restoration of civil rule in the country which is without a functional Government since Tuesday.

Two days after Army seized power in a bloodless coup, troops evacuated the staff and sealed the Parliament building adjacent to the Presidential palace in the Capital on the eve of the scheduled National Assembly session.

The session of Senate, the Upper House, which had been requisitioned by the Opposition parties, was to begin on October 17. Till late in the evening, there was no official announcement whether the sessions will be held on not.

Army vehicles moved into Parliament House compound and senior military officers told civilian staff to vacate the building immediately and asked them not to report for duty tomorrow.

The action came even as Army spokesman Brig Rashid Qureshi stated that efforts were on to find a constitutional set up and asserted we do not see any military Government in place in the country.

With Army Chief Gen Pervez Musharraf still to outline his much-awaited plans for the future setup to run the country, top military brass faced mounting domestic and international pressure with US President Bill Clinton asking his envoy in Islamabad to find out from the Generals their intentions.

Describing Tuesday’s bloodless coup as another setback to Pakistani democracy, Clinton said he was sending back Ambassador William Milam to Islamabad, who was in the US when the Nawaz Sharif Government was overthrown, to underscore my view directly to the military authorities and to hear their intentions.

Clinton’s views were echoed by the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Media reports here quoted Brig Qureshi as saying the Army Chief had held consultations with many political leaders besides having detailed discussions with President Muha-mmad Rafiq Tarar twice yesterday.

The news, quoting military sources, said the consultations broadly centred on allowing Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League (PML) lawmakers to elect a new leader and establishing a National Security Council (NSC) envisaging greater role for the Army in running the country’s affairs.

The daily said the Army had made it clear that it would like to have a major say in any future civilian set up.

With this in view, the Army has revived the demand for establishment of an NSC once a new Government is in place and amendment of the Constitution to make the Council an apex decision-making body, the report said.

Sharif had forced Gen Musharraf’s predecessor Gen Jehangir Karamat to resign last year after he raised the demand.

Besides Tarar, prominent personalities with whom Gen Musharraf held talks included former Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, who had bowed out of the office in December 1997 following serious differences with Sharif, and eminent constitutional lawyer Sharifuddin Pirzada, the reports said.

Meanwhile, three senior Pakistani military officials, known to be close to Sharif and detained yesterday, are to be tried in a military court for conspiring against the Army.

Urdu daily Jung, quoting Defence Ministry sources, reported that the Chief of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen Khwaja Ziauddin, the retired Quetta Corps Commander Lt Gen Tariq Pervaiz and Brig Javed Malik, Military Secretary to Sharif, would be tried for conspiracy against Army.

Sharif and his younger brother Shahbaz, already detained, were reported to have been moved to a Rest House near Sihala, an area out of bounds for foreigners because of its proximity to a nuclear installation. (PTI)

Protest against assault on driver
Matador operators block traffic on Tawi bridge

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 14: Mini-bus operators went on a flash strike this morning and disrupted vehicular movement on Tawi bridge for more than half an hour in protest against alleged assault on one of the matador operator by a Traffic police personnel.

According to official reports, a matador driver tried to speed away from a Traffic Police naka outside the Exhibition Grounds near Tawi bridge at about 0900 hours this morning. The matador was overpowered by the Traffic Police jawans and its driver was given severe thrashing by the cops.

This irked the other matador operators who struck their work and parked their matadors in the middle of Tawi bridge disrupting traffic on both tubes of the bridge. A large number of vehicles were stranded on either side of the Tawi bridge causing enormous inconvenience to the passengers travelling in mini-bus and buses and their own conveyance.

SP Traffic Mr V K Ghai and other police and Traffic police officers reached the spot and had talks with representatives of mini-bus operators. After about half an hour dead-lock the matador operators removed their vehicles from the Tawi bridge and resumed their normal working.

Police assured the matador operators representatives that there will be no unnecessary harassment to them in future but stern action will be taken against those operators found violating the traffic rules and regulations.

This was for the third time during last 10 days that protestants have blocked Tawi bridge, thus causing serious problems to the passengers and local people. Earlier, people protesting against a double murder had blocked the Tawi bridge followed by the striking transporters. However, police and Traffic police have failed to check such protests.

Army sounds high alert on border
Fear psychosis grips border villagers

From Dinesh Manhotra

ABDULLIAN (R S PURA), Oct 14 : Even as a high alert has been sounded by armed forces all along the International Border and Line of Control following Army coup in the Pakistan, fear writ runs large on the faces of the denizens of the border belts.

As the Pak Army Chief, General Parvez Musharraf sacked Nawaz Sharif Government and military took over control of Pakistan, Rangers resorted to heavy firing in all along International Border and Line of Control.

For the last 36 hours Pakistani Rangers have been pondering ammunition with ferocious intensity all long the border belt of Jammu region from Kathua to Akhnoor. Intensity of the firing can be gauged from the fact that residents of this village kept themselves indoors as death in the forms of Pakistani bullets looms large all along the border area.

Located just at stone throwing distance from International Border, residents of village Sai-Kalan aired apprehension that Pakistani Rangers may target civil areas to create tension and fear on this side.

There was mysterious movements on the other side of the border and Pakistani troops were seen coming closer to the IB after coup. "We have been watching hectic movements of Pakistani soldiers for the last two days", said Kiran Chowdhary resident of village Sai-Kalan and added that Pakistani Rangers resorted to heavy firing for the last two days.

Tucked away in dusty environs, fear psychosis virtually gripped inhabitants of village Hansa Chak after installation of the army rule in the Pakistan. Bearing maximum brunt of Pakistani mis-deed since last four years, residents of this border were forced to lock themselves in their houses due to heavy Pakistani firing.

Hectic activities on Pakistani side were even witnessed with naked eye from the Suchetgarh village. Villagers said concentration of Pakistani troops has been going on and they have reached to Ditch-cum-Band (DCM) areas all along the International Border.

It is worthwhile to mention here that residents of this belt are worst victim of unprovoked firing from across the border. Miles across, where ever the sight goes, the vast chunk of land remain uncultivated due to Pakistani firing. Denizens of this border belt have lost their four successive crops due to Pakistani firing and are virtually at the brink of starvation.

Even though the villagers of the border hamlet of Sai-Kalan were busy in their routine works but the hectic movements on the other side of border have created panic among the villagers.

Similar is the position in the border villagers of Akhnoor area. Heavy concentration of Pakistani troops was going on the other side of the border. Equipped with modern weapons, Pakistani troops were seen moving all along the border. Pakistani solders resorted to heavy firing in the villages namely Galbo Chhani, Pindi, Mattu, Dalgal, Noudwal, Paddli, Chack Malal and others areas. Hectic movements of army on Pakistani side has sent shivers down the spine of the denizens of the entire border belt.

However, Army has sounded high alert all along the International Border and every possible arrangements have been made to frustrate any mis-deed of Pakistan. "We have been keeping a close watch on movements on the other side of the border and all prepared for any circumstances", said an army officer.

Transporters’ property dispute
Police books Narinder faction for trespassing

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 14: Police have registered a case against Mr Narinder Singh, who claims himself as president of one faction of Transporters’ Union for breaking open the locks of seized property of the Union at Ware House and Transport Nagar.

Police have again locked the property of Transporters’ Union.

Police sources said Mr Narinder Singh alongwith his supporters stormed into both the office complexes of Transporters Union located at Transport Nagar and Ware House late last evening and forcibly broke open the locks. He took control of both the offices.

However, police, which had seized the offices under Section 145, immediately swung into action and forced Mr Narinder Singh and his supporters to vacate both the offices. In the process, a scuffle ensued between transporters and police which continued for about half an hour.

Police succeeded in restoring the order and again locked the office at Ware House. However, the office at Transport Nagar had been extensively damaged and couldn’t be locked.

Police said a case has been registered against Mr Narinder Singh and his associates, who had trespassed into the offices, under Sections 448 and 454 RPC and further investigations were being carried out. But, no arrest has been made so far.

Police said the Narinder Singh faction of transporters remained on strike for the last 20 days. However, Darshan Singh Chowdhary, president of Transporters’ Association was providing trucks for carriage facilities to the Government.

Police said Narinder Singh faction do have a Court order for control over the offices but the order had to be complied by Additional Deputy Commissioner, Jammu. Mr Singh didn’t send the copy of order to Additional DC for compliance and instead straightway broke open the locks of the offices.

According to police status quo was being maintained on the transporters’ property till a final verdict is given by the Court.

Candidate arrested for attack on Prof Hari Om

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 14: Police have arrested main accused involved in an attempt on the life of a prominent Jammu University teacher Prof Hari Om and worked out the mystery of attack on him. Prof Hari Om was seriously injured in an armed attack on Tuesday evening.

The accused has been identified as Kamal Kishore Sharma alias Kalu Pahalwan son of Chajju Ram, a resident of Jewel Chowk. Kalu Pahalwan had unsuccessfully contested the recent Parliamentary election from Ladakh Parliamentary constituency on Janata Party mandate.

Police sources said Kalu Pahalwan was taken into custody late last night from a house in City after his involvement in murderous assault on Prof Hari Om was established. He has been lodged in Gandhi Nagar police station and a case of attempt to murder under Section 307 RPC has been registered against him.

Police said the exact reason behind attack on Prof Hari Om was being ascertained during questioning of Kalu Pahalwan. Preliminary investigations, however, revealed that Kalu Pahalwan used to tease the daughter of Prof Hari Om. Prof Hari Om had objected to it and warned Kalu against his mischievous activities.

This was probably the reason behind assault on him, police said, adding further investigations in the case were on.

Meanwhile, condition of Prof Hari Om was stated to be stable. He was responding to the treatment. It may be recalled that Prof Hari Om had been attacked on his head with an iron rod as soon as he came out of his Fiat car in Auquaf Market at Gandhi Nagar on Tuesday evening. The Professor was hospitalised as he had sustained a deep wound on his head and right hand.

The accused Kalu Pahalwan, police said, had contested the last election from Ladakh Parliamentary constituency and lost. He had contested the election on Janata Party ticket.

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