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Ex-CJI Justice Kirpal
favours accountability BANGALORE, Dec 7: Former Chief Justice of India, Justice B N Kirpal, today favoured accountability for the judiciary, ....more Tension in R’sthan town after desecration of idol JAIPUR, Dec 7: Unidentified miscreants allegedly desecrated an idol in a temple in Monoharpur town, 100 kms ...more Strict law to check misbehavior with tourists JAISALMER, Dec 7: To make Rajasthan a "tourism friendly" State and to check incidents of the misbehaviour... .more Sunnis
celebrate FAIZABAD, Dec 7: Members of Sunni sect celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr in the twin cities of Faizabad and Ayodhya today...more |
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Advani visits hospital AHMEDABAD, Dec 7: Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today took time off from his.....more Wheat
crop has begun UNA, HIMACHAL PRADESH, Dec 7: Wheat crop sown on more than 30,000......more Indian living abroad more prone to heart attacks JALANDHAR, Dec 7: Indians living abroad are much more prone to coronary artery disease, commonly known as heart attack, compared to other world .....more NHRC
asked probe into CUTTACK, Dec 7: A city-based NGO has appealed to the National Guman Rights Commission (NHRC) to inquire into the ....more |
Ex-CJI Justice Kirpal favours accountability for judiciary BANGALORE, Dec 7: Former Chief Justice of India, Justice B N Kirpal, today favoured accountability for the judiciary, and expressed deep concern over "gross misuse" of Public Interest Litigations. "There has to be accountability for all...For any person... Any walk of life, judges included", Justice Kirpal, who retired from Supreme Court a few weeks ago, told reporters after attending a function here. Seeking to stay clear of any controversy, he avoided giving a direct reply to queries about the "Mysore sex scandal" and the alleged involvement of some judges and Karnataka High Court initiating suo moto contempt proceedings against the media for publishing reports on it. "I have not read any of those. I think you have more coverage of those in the south than you have it in Delhi. I would not like to make any comment based on newspaper reports. I don’t know under what circumstances the court initiated the proceedings. I would not like to comment on something that’s sub-judice", Justice Kirpal said. Earlier, addressing a national law reforms round table on law, economic reforms and liberalisation, organised at the National Law School of India University, he said the PIL concept was started in the human rights and delivering justice to those unable to come to courts, seeking redressal. But it was unfortunate that PIL was being misused. "In the last decade, there are hardly any infrastructure projects that have not been challenged in courts. And PILs are being filed by not those who were unsuccessful in securing tenders and projects", he said. Justice Kirpal said it was a "major blunder" that Government-owned companies were run like Government Departments and not as companies, leading to these being unable to compete with private firms. He described judicial activism as "nothing more than taking the bull by its horns". "You do not pass an order that’s contrary to law. You may be proactive. You give directions in accordance with law. If there is inaction by Government or authority and if one passed an order, it’s not judicial activism",Justice Kirpal observed. Referring to judges’ appointment, he said it was important to go into their background before they were elevated, since they bring into play, their thinking and philosophy. In his special address, Solicitor General of India, Kirit Raval, said a "pathetic legal infrastructure" was considered to be acting as a "dampener" for foreign direct investment flow into India, and called for "economy in laws", saying "there are far too many laws".(PTI) |
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Tension in R’sthan town after desecration of idol JAIPUR, Dec 7: Unidentified miscreants allegedly desecrated an idol in a temple in Monoharpur town, 100 kms from here, triggering tension and prompting authorities to deploy additional forces to maintian law and order, police said today. The idols inside the Santoshi Mata temple were found broken by the priest yesterday when he reached there to offer evening prayers, they said. As the news spread, a large crowed gathered outside the temple, police said adding that additional forces were immediately rushed to the area which dispersed the mob. The forces were still camping there and the law and order situation now was under control, superintendent of police, Jaipur, Liyakat Ali, said. However, no arrests have been made in connection with the desecration of idols, he said. A bandh is being observed in the town today with all commercial establishments remaining closed in response to the call for a shut down by some religious organisations to protest the desecration. The district administration has held a meeting of the local peace committee in which members of all communities assured their cooperation for maintaining communal harmony, Ali said. (PTI) |
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Strict law to check misbehavior with tourists JAISALMER, Dec 7: To make Rajasthan a "tourism friendly" State and to check incidents of the misbehaviour with tourists, State Government will soon formulate a stricter law. Talking to UNI, director of Rajasthan Tourism Arts and Culture Department, Mr Rajeev Swaroop said, "the proposed law would help curb the exploitation and misbehaviour with tourists including foreign tourists". The law would also help make Rajasthan a more "tourism friendly" State, he pointed out. Referring to the deployment of tourism police at six tourist destinations that included State’s lone hill resort Mount Abu alongwith Pushkar, Udaipur, Jaisalmer and Jaipur, he said except at Jaisalmer, tourism police had been discharging its duty very well. At Jaisalmer this police force could not be introduced as retired army personnel were not ready to join on the stipulated honorarium, the director said the issue was under consideration of the State Government and a decision was expected shortly. Referring to the maintenance, of ancient monuments lying in poor condition, under the supervision of the department, Mr Swaroop said that several of them were in bad shape and steps were being taken for their repair and conservation. About the condition of famous Patva Haveli, the director said that during inspection it was found to be in a dilapidated condition. Department was seriously considering a proposal, for sanctioning Rs 25 lakh to repair and for conservation of this haveli. Sent by Jaisalmer district administration, he added. About the efforts to increase tourists inflow in wake of the prevailing world-wide recession, Mr Swaroop said that his department had been sending its representatives for publicity of tourism centres at fairs and symposium world wide. Apart from this, travel and tour agents and operators within and outside the country were also being approached, he added. (UNI) |
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Indian living abroad more prone to heart attacks JALANDHAR, Dec 7: Indians living abroad are much more prone to coronary artery disease, commonly known as heart attack, compared to other world communities. Experts attribute this to genetic factors, but also do not rule out that the trait could be related to the stress and strain of having to struggle in foreign countries. This was an observation made by world-renowned cardiologist Dr Navin Nanda, who was in Jalandhar to attend the international conference of echocardiography being organised by the physician forum Jalandhar with co-hosts ima. Dr Nanda was the first to introduce to the world the use of colour doppler in the diagnosis of all type of heart diseases, according to project director Dr Sudhir Sethi. Speaking at the conference before general physicians and cardiologists Dr Nanda said that Indians living abroad were at least four times more prone to coronary artery disease compared to the local population. In India it was genetic factors along with a rich diet and sedentary lifestyles that was leading to increase in heart attacks. Another factors that was leading to the increase was diabets. Diabetes was on the increase in India and the disease often led to heart failure. "Punjabis are most vulnerable mainly on account of their rich food habits and sedentary lifestyles," said Dr Nanda. His lecture was chaired by Dr Vijay Mahajan and Prof Manmohan Singh. He said Indians had high rate of bad cholesterol."Prevention as the only way to tackle this problem was the best strategy which should begin from childhood. Children should be kept on a low fat diest. Smoking is the main rish factor in the West and pollution and other environmental factors with the high percentage of carbon dioxide and other toxic gases are also risk factor, he added. Dr Nanda is at present chiarman and professor of cardiology and the director of the Heart Station at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, USA. He is president of the International Society of Cardiovascular Ultrasound and listed in the directory of the best docotrs in America since 1994. Dr Nanda has also written more than 700 international scientific publications including 9 textbooks. Several of his books have been cited as "best books" for advance learning for cardiologists. (PTI) |
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NHRC asked probe into jail condition in Orissa CUTTACK, Dec 7: A city-based NGO has appealed to the National Guman Rights Commission (NHRC) to inquire into the "sub-human conditions" of various jails in Orissa. Maitree Sansad, the NGO, has also sought a direction from the State Government to take remedial measures in this connection. Sansad president Ajoy Mohanty, in a letter to NHRC chairman Justice J S Burma, has alleged that as many as 237 undertrials, suffering from diseases like tuberculosis, cancer, malaria and AIDS, have died in the past five years due to poor and unhygenic conditions inside the jails and lack of proper medical facilities. The copy of the letter, which was released to the press here today, claimed that jails in Orissa lackedadequate space and minimum basic requirements like food and drinking water. Mr Mohanty said as many as 10,000 prisoners were to staying against the accommodation available for only 8,684 spread over in 68 jails of the State. The conditions were so pathetic that the prisoners were not even getting enough floor space to sleep, he alleged. He added that while in Jajpur jail, 220 prisoners were accommodated against the accommodation available for 89, 140 prisoners were staying in Champua jail against 42 and 900 prisoners were staying in Cuttack circle jail against its capacity to hold 664 prisoners. Mr Mohanty alleged in the letter sent to NHRC, that a single latrine was being used by ten to 20 prisoners, violating the Orissa jail manual, and the State Government was not taking any step to provide adequate space, medical facilities and other necessities to the inmates. He further alleged that custodial deaths, harassment and torture of the prisoners had risen in the jails and in the absence of a State Human Rights Commission proper and impartial inquiry could not be made into such incidents. Mr Mohanty said though the State Government had notified in the gazette in February 2000 to constitute a human rights commission, it was yet to be materialised. He appealed to the NHRC chairman to issue a direction to the home department of the State Government to take "necessary, practical and effective steps" to provide adequate food, clothes and medical facilities as per the jail manual of the State. (UNI) ‘Sustainable strategy needed for polio eradication’ ITANAGAR, Dec 7: Arunachal Pradesh Health and Family Welfare Minister Hari Notung today urged the State’s health officials to participate "whole heartedly" in the Centre’s vaccination programme for eradicating polio from the country. Addressing a workshop on "intensified pulse polio immunisation programme (IPPI)" here, Mr Notung said the need of the hour was a sustainable strategy for immunisation programmes. He said 18.33 per cent of the State’s population were among the age group from zero to six years, amounting to nearly 2.5 lakh children. "Since this population still needs parents’ and society’s protection and is biologically not capable of fighting the diseases, it is much more prone to being affected by all diseases, specially the infectious ones," he said. "These diseases account for 21 per cent of child mortality," he informed and added that the centre and the states have launched the immunisation strengthening project (ISP) with financial assistance from the World Bank with effect from March, 2000. The overall objective of the ISP was to eradicate polio and reduction of vaccine preventable diseases, he said and added that sectored co-operation was ISP’s essential component. "We should know about the programme cost, the major components of these costs and how to implement the programmes effectively," he stressed. Without the support and participation of people from all sections, the IPPI’s objective would only remain a distant reality, he pointed out and added that if effectively designed and implemented, the IPPI could improve quality and coverage of the eradication programme. Speaking on the occasion, Secretary, Health, Manish Gupta said polio was an intestinal virus and passed from one person to another through human excreta. He said misapprehension among the people on the "ill effects" of oral polio vaccine (OPV) should be removed and everybody be sensitised. It should be a continuous effort of the concerned department to sensitise the public rather than remaining confined on OPV or IPPI once or twice a year, he suggested. In his welcome address, Joint Director of Health Services Dr T Basar presented a brief report on the state’s polio scenario. He said we have a moral responsibility to free our children from polio. He also requested the centre for more fund under the programme. (UNI) Rajkot 2 - Under determined assault by Cong RAJKOT, Dec 7: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s former constituency — Rajkot two — is under a determined assault by the Congress in what promises to be a keen tussle between the ruling BJP and the main opposition party in the Dec 12 Assembly elections. Congress has fielded Kashmira Nathwani, daughter of Chiman Bhai Shukla, one of the prominent leaders of the erstwhile Jansangh in Saurashtra region, to take on senior BJP leader Vajubhai Vala, a former State party president and Finance Minister in the key constituency. Modi had won the seat in a bye-election last year by over 14,000 votes after Vala, a four time winner from the constituency, vacated it to ensure a "safe seat" for the Chief Minister who had taken over the reins of the State from Keshubhai Patel after a spate of defeats in local body polls and criticism over the handling of the situation in the wake of the killer quake. This time, Modi has shifted to Maninagar constituency of Ahmedabad. Vala, veteran of many a poll battle, shrugs of suggestions that a serious challenge is at hand and is leaving nothing to chance and has embarked on a vigorous mass contact programme. The BJP leader has also slapped a massive Rs five crore defamation suit against Nathwani following allegations of corruption and land scandals. Nathwani says that she was yet to receive Vala’s legal notice. She contends that Vala should instead file the suit against Modi, who did not take him in his cabinet in a purported move to keep "tainted" people out. Vala feels that the charges would not make any impact as people of his constituency were "educated". BJP and Congress have been locked in a war of words with the latter accusing Vala of neglecting development of the city despite being an MLA for a number of years. There have not been enough trains from Rajkot despite it being a premier city of Saurashtra. The ruling party says that Vala had earned the nickname of "Paniwala Mayor" for his efforts to bring water to Rajkot when he was the head of the civic body. Congress is banking on the support of Bohana, Brahmins and the minorities who constitute a sizable number of the electorate. In its attempt to stage an upset for the BJP. Nathwani had contested the Assembly elections from the constituency in 1998 as a candidate of the erswtwhile Rashtriy Janata Party headed by Shankersinh Vaghela. In the bye-election last year, Congress had fielded Ashwin Mehta, Managing Director of a cooperative bank against Modi who won the seat by 14,000 votes. (PTI) Rural Gujarat could tilt the scales MEHSANA, Dec 7: Highlighted by the media and pronounced in several ways, the Hindutva message has no doubt reached every village in Gujarat and initiated a debate on Godhra and the violence thereafter, but in many rural areas another year of poor rains is making the voter complain about more immediate and basic needs not being fulfiled. Power supply is poor and erratic in many areas, there is a shortage of fodder, and work is difficult to find. Water table has fallen. Industries and business across the State have suffered after the Godhra incident and subsequent riots. "We are sitting idle. There’s no water to sow crops," said Sukhaji of Sulipore in Visnagar block of this district. "Some days we find work in Visnagar," he said. At Visnagar, Hargonbhai Nayabhai Patel , president of the Bhawani Housing Society, pointed towards the spinning mill. "That has been closed for the past six months. Where are the jobs?" At Kalipur, a village six km from Vatnagar, cattle herder Raman Mala complained he was having to trek longer distances to find fodder. "Another drought can kill our cattle". The story is the same in many parts of north and central Gujarat, Saurashtra and Kutch. Sowing has taken place in areas where people have pumps to draw water, but many fields are lying dry. There is no water in the Sabarmati and its tributaries and the water table has fallen below 300 feet in this tribal belt. Valabhai Vankar works in a roadside hotel near Khedbrahma in neighbouring Sabarkantha district. He says the three cotton mills in his village function for only two or three months. "We are growing less cotton," he says. Hotel owner Abbasbhai Momin can’t forget the days of the "Dhamaal" (trouble). "For three months, traffic was down on this road. We sat idle most of the day, waiting for someone to stop for food." Surprisingly, many villagers say they are yet to meet a candidate in the elections. Campaign vehicles have made the rounds of some places though. "Godhra Hoy Ke Akshardham, Mitavisu Aatankwad Ke Namonishan (whether it is Godhra or Akshardham, the BJP will stamp out terrorism)," said a BJP poster near a potholed village road in Anand district. "All Goondas have joined together and are fighting elections these days," said Nattubhai, who lives next to the ancestral house of Sardar Vallabhai Patel in Karamsad in the district. "Tell me, which leader in Gujarat is good," the septuagenarian asked. A report released by the Gujarat Election Watch Committee, a citizen’s watchdog group, seems to bear this out as truth. Of a total 1,000 candidates in the fray, the group identified 138 as having committed one crime or another. Nine BJP and Congress candidates had murder cases lodged against them, 12 had made murder attempts, three had rape charges pending while 26 were alleged to have committed dacoity, arson, rioting or jailbreak at some time or the other, the committee claimed. "They haven’t come seeking votes so far," said Ramesh Rupa of Bachkoda village, 15 km from Ambaji in Banaskantha district. "They’ll come. They come once at least during the elections." Ramesh and Sajabhai said people from the village were going to Ambaji, famous for its marble business and as a pilgrim centre, in search of work. "One day we get work, another day we return after sitting in the market all day," Ramesh said. For some such migrants, however, election time is often an occasion to get free rides to the city and back. Flag-bearing vehicles stop and give lifts on the highway these days, Sajabhai said. Observers say while campaigning shifts more to the newsroom and TV channels beam live messages into middle class living rooms, the story of the present elections could be written once again in villages. "I’ll vote even if there’s firing at the booth," Sajabhai, the toothless labourer said. (UNI) Ustad Niyaz Ahmad Khan receives Tansen Samman GWALIOR, Dec 7: Ustad Niyaz Ahmad Khan, a singer of the famed Kirana Gharana, has been bestowed with the Madhya Pradesh adminis-tration’s prestigious Tansen Samman, named after the immortal musician of the great Mughal Akbar’s court. The Mumbai-based Ustad was yesterday honoured here with a shawl and citation by state village industries minister K P Singh. A sum of Rs one lakh is also given as part of the award. Speaking on the occasion, the minister regretted that the influence of Western music was hampering off the Hindustani tradition and expressed concern that Indian music might one day become relegated to the pages of history. He issued a clarion call to music lovers, especially the youth, to strengthen the Hindustani tradition and enrich and protect it as heritage for future generations. "I expect that musicians of Ustad Niyaz’s calibre will maintain and fortify our traditional music. The Government will contribute fully in this endeavour," Mr Singh added. (UNI) |
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