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Karnataka, AP to mount pressure on Centre to expedite projects BANGALORE, Jan 31: Sharing a common grouse against the Centre on "delay" in the Bangalore and Hyderabad international airport projects, .....more Flashback
on SHIMLA, Jan 31: The 9th Himachal Vidhan Sabha, which has been dissolved, would be remembered for being a. .....more Battle
for ballot begins SHIMLA, Jan 31: With the notification for the February 26 Assembly elections issued today, the battle for ballot .....more Divisive
approach NEW DELHI, Jan 31: Emphasising that equating terrorism to a particular religion or an ethnic group would prove .......more |
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Rimpa stamps her class to win hearts of thousands KOZHIKODE, Jan 31: A few years ago, Ustad Zakir Hussain prescribed nine-year-old tabla prodigy, rimpa siva, a piece . ....more Patients
lose eye MADURAI, Jan 31: In a shocking incident, more than 40 persons, mostly women, who underwent cataract .......more Health
to common NEW DELHI, Jan 31: Giving a slogan of "healthy people, healthy nation", the new Health Minister Sushma Swaraj .....more Siberian Cranes conspicuous by their absence in Bharatpur santuary MUMBAI, Jan 31: Drought-like situation in the desert State of Rajasthan prevented the majestic Siberian Cranes ....more |
Karnataka, AP to mount pressure on Centre to expedite projects BANGALORE, Jan 31: Sharing a common grouse against the Centre on "delay" in the Bangalore and Hyderabad international airport projects, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have decided to jointly mount "severe" pressure on the Vajapyee Government to expedite the projects. Expressing a "deep sense of let down" over the delay, Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna said he and his counterpart in Andhra Pradesh Chandrababu Naidu broached the issue on the sidelines of the world economic forum meet at Davos, from where he returned here today via Mumbai. "Together we will mount pressure on the Centre through our MPs," Krishna told reporters, adding they would meet Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee also during the session. "We will put severe pressure (on the Centre). Krishna said during the meetings in Davos, he was repeatedly queried about the delay in Bangalore international airport project at Devanahalli, near here, and "probed deeper" as to why it had not taken off even two years after the foundation was laid. "Answering questions like this on foreign soil would become embarrassing. I evaded the question," he said, as he conveyed to the Centre "a deep sense of let down" by the way the "private sector concept" was being delayed to the "detriment of eagerly awaiting private sector." Saying that disillusionment would set in people with the delay, Krishna said he had drawn Vajpayee’s attention "with a sense of pain" to the issue when he was in Bangalore to attend the Indian science congress recently. Krishna said even for the companies, comprising the consortium which is taking up the project, it would not be a "bankable project" if they could not reach the financial closure in time. "It is not as if they are going to wait indefinitely. They have their time frame," he said. Asked why the Centre was delaying, Krishna said "that is the question I have also been putting to them (the Centre)." Asked what the Centre had to do to facilitate the project to take off, he said an amendment had to be made to the Airports Authority of India act. A Karnataka Government official said the act had to be amended to enable private sector players to take part in building airports. When pointed out about reports that the Centre was contemplating bringing in a new bill to replace the airports authority act instead of carrying out amendments, he said "whether they want amendment or new piece of legislation, they should do it quickly enough." Krishna said global airlines were keen to start direct flights from Bangalore, which was "recognised worldwide." The Siemens-led consortium is building the Bangalore international airport project. (PTI) |
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Flashback on dissolved HP Assembly SHIMLA, Jan 31: The 9th Himachal Vidhan Sabha, which has been dissolved, would be remembered for being a witness to many unique events. The March 1998 Assembly elections saw a hung Assembly with both the ruling Congress and BJP-HVC alliance having 32 members each after the death of one BJP MLA, Varinder Kumar even before the declaration of election results. The Governor invited the Congress Legislature Party leader V B Singh to form the Government on March 6, 1998 but he resigned on March 12, 1998 before seeking the vote of confidence. The Governor recommended that the Assembly be kept under suspended animation till the election to three tribal constituencies and one by-election. In the meantime, the Vajpayee Government was formed at the Centre and the Union Cabinet sent a reference to the Governor to explore other options for formation of the Government. The independent MLAs, Romesh Dhawala who held the precarious balance the Singh Ministry and was later sworn in as a Cabinet Minister in Dhumal Ministry which assumed office on March 24, 1998. The Himachal Vikas Congress supremo Sukh Ram who was inducted as number two in the Cabinet had to resign in May 1998, just two months after the formation of ministry following filing of charge-sheet against him in a Delhi court. The BJP-HVC combine won the Pragpur by-election and the elections to three tribal Assembly constituencies to attain clear majority in the 68-member Assembly. A new precedent was set by the ruling BJP-HVC combine by sponsoring the name of the Congress member Gulab Singh Thakur as its candidate for the post of the Speaker against the official Congress candidate. Thakur was elected Speaker and resigned from the Congress party reducing its strength from 31 to 30. The senior Congress leader Sant Ram died in July 1998 and the BJP won the Baijnath Assembly that fell vacant. Another Congress MLA, Krishana Mohini was unseated by the court and BJP also won the by-election from the Solan Assembly seat. For the first time a unique method was adopted to give stability to the Government and a split was engineered in the four member HVC with two members Mansa Ram and Prakash Chaudhary forming a splinter group and merging it with the BJP. Both the members became Minister and the other two HVC members Sukh Ram and Mohinder Singh also found berth in the Cabinet. The three member HVC faced revolt from Public Works Minister Mohinder Singh who was expelled from the party and later dropped from the Cabinet in the wake of revolt by the BJP dissidents in December 2000. Four Ministers including the independent member Romesh Dhawala were dropped from the Ministry following revolt against the Chief Minister on March 1, 2002 but were reinducted after one month on April 3, 2001. Romesh Dhawala, thus became the first MLA in the State to be sworn in as Cabinet Minister thrice during the same term. Congress stalwarts, former Chief Minister Ram Lal and former Minister Jbl Khachi died in July and April 2002 respectively, reducing the strength of the Congress to 26 and it was for the first time that four MLAs died during the same term. The wheel turned full circle early this month when both the HVC MLAs who had joined the BJP and found place in the ministry resigned from the ministry and the State Assembly to rejoin the parent party, the HVC. Another BJP Minister Vidya Sagar also resigned from the Cabinet in December last year but the other HVC State Minister Ram Lal Markanda was still a member of council of Ministers. The 68-member Assembly had effective strength of 64 at the time of dissolution with ruling BJP having 33 members following by Congress (26), HVC (2), unattached two and independent (one).(PTI) |
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Battle for ballot begins in Himchal Pradesh SHIMLA, Jan 31: With the notification for the February 26 Assembly elections issued today, the battle for ballot has begun between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress to capture power in Himachal Pradesh. The two principal political parties have big stakes in the elections to the 68-member Assembly. While the BJP took a lead in announcing its candidates for 66 seats, uncertainty continues in the Congress as the party is yet to declare its nominees. The BJP’s list which has 20 new faces, has disappointed at least five of its sitting legislators in the dissolved house who have been denied t0ckets this time. These include Deputy Speaker Ram Dass Malangar, who won the 1993 and 1998 elections in succession, Mr Vidya Sagar, who resigned from the Prem Kumar Dhumal Government in protest against non-fulfillment of his demands pertaining to 27 per cent reservation for OBCs, and Ms Nirmala Devi who had revolted against the Chief Minister along with two legislators and four ministers in the past. The BJP is facing a serious threat from all those who did not get party tickets. Observers say, they may, contest as rebels and diminish the prospects of official candidates at the hustings. Mr Vidya Sagar has already started a tirade against the Chief Minister, dubbing him "anti-OBC". The admission of Assembly speaker Gulab Singh Thakur into the BJP and grant of party ticket to him has not come as a surprise after family relations developed between him and the Chief Minister. The daughter of the Speaker entered into a wedlock with the son of the Chief Minister and the marriage reception was attended by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and hosts of guests at Shimla in December last year. In the 1998 Assembly elections, Mr Thakur was elected on a Congress ticket from Jogindernagar constituency but he resigned from the party on becoming the Speaker with support of the BJP and Himachal Vikas Congress of former Union Communications Minister Sukh Ram. Mr Sukh Ram, who strained his nerves hard to reach an electoral alliance either with the BJP or the Congress, could not succeed so far. He now plans to have seat adjustment with "smaller" parties like the CPI(M), the CPI, the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Samajwadi Janata Party. The HVC is likely to pull out from the National Democratic Alliance at the Centre, of which it is a member. Mr Sukh Ram has readmitted former ministers Mansa Ram and Prakash Choudhary into the HVC after they quit the Dhumal Government in apprehension of denial of tickets to them by the BJP. Later, they also resigned from the Vidhan Sabha. In the 1998 elections, both Mr Mansa Ram and Mr Prakash Choudhary were elected on the HVC tickets. But Mr Sukh Ram, in an act of sacrifice, had made them join the BJP, after splitting his party, to ensure that Government was formed by Prof Dhumal then. In the dissolved Assembly, the BJP has a strength of 33 members, the HVC two, unattached one, independent one and Congress 26 besides the Speaker, four seats were vacant in the dissolved House. The CPI(M) has announced it will contest four seats in the elections and support the CPI which is likely to put up candidates in five constituencies. Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Kanshi Ram has declared the party will field its candidates in 65 constituencies and released a list of 12 candidates recently. The Shiv Sena has decided to contest the election to 50 seats. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad, which will not directly participate in the elections, has announced that it will support that party which implements its "Hindu agenda". While the announcement of Congress candidates is awaited, the proposal of State Congress president Vidya Stokes to contest the election from Kumarsain constituency instead of her home constituency theog has drawn strong criticism from a section of party workers. Congress Seva Dal media-in-charge Pramod Sharma said it would send a wrong message and demoralise Congress workers as the BJP had already made it a statewide issue in the elections. (UNI) |
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Health to common man at minimum cost NEW DELHI, Jan 31: Giving a slogan of "healthy people, healthy nation", the new Health Minister Sushma Swaraj today said that her ministry would work with an aim to provide basic health services to people at minimum cost. "For a nation to be secure, its people should be in good health. Unhealthy people can not contribute in making a country strong," she told reporters here after assuming charge. " The priorities of my ministry would be based on this," the minister said and added that a focus on health and education was needed for people’s uplift. Talking about her new assignment, she said that common people had direct link with the Health Ministry. "Common people expect that they are provided basic health services...." She said the priorities would be chalked out soon. When asked to comment on her stand as the Information and Broadcasting Minister on the issue of condom-based advertising for spearheading AIDS campaign, she said the campaign should not only focus on the condom aspect as AIDS involves other issues also. "AIDS is a priority for all the ministries. AIDS does not always mean unsafe sex," she said adding campaign should be all-pervasive to spread any meaningful awareness. To a question, Swaraj said she was one of the longest serving I and B Minister, but she looked forward to this change. "It is not a question of promotion or demotion...," she said. The Prime Minster has put his faith in me. I hope to come up to the expectations," she said. Choosing to side with the previous Health Minister, she said it was not that he did not attend Parliament. "...These objections are baseless...It is not that he was not fulfilling his responsibilities as a minister...," she said. (PTI) |
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Siberian Cranes conspicuous by their absence in Bharatpur santuary MUMBAI, Jan 31: Drought-like situation in the desert State of Rajasthan prevented the majestic Siberian Cranes from visiting its winter sojourn - the Bharatpur sanctuary this winter, Field Researchers of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) have said. "It could be because of the drought-like situation in Rajasthan. It is possible that the birds may have shifted to somewhere else in the northern parts of the country’’, Zafar-ul Islam, the project manager of Important Bird Areas (IBA) programme co-ordinated in India by the Mumbai-based BNHS, told UNI. Ornithologists and wildlife lovers are shocked at the conspicuous absence of the bird at the keoladeo bird sanctuary at Bharatpur this time around. He also did not rule out the possibility of their not arriving in the country at all. The Siberian Cranes (grus leucogeranus) arrive every year during November-December traversing thousands of kilometeres for wintering here and go back to Siberia usually in February. Interestingly, in 2001 too, two of these birds arrived here inspite of the aircraft runs over Afghanistan during the blitzkrieg against the erstwhile Taliban regime. After the winter, field researchers reported that the birds had gone back to their native place. Issac Kehimkar, a senior BNHS official said, "the wetlands are dry in Rajasthan, so these birds might not have come or might have gone to some other place." He said that a few decades ago these birds used to come in flocks, but of late, only two birds were coming and this year, not a single Siberian Crane has been spotted. In 1995-96, too no birds were spotted. The birds come from Siberia traversing Russia, Kazakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and then to Rajastahan in India. It takes over a month for the birds to reach here. They take rest in some wetlands on their way including the Ab-i-Istada lake in Afghanistan, he said. For navigation, they rely on the sun, the moon and the stars. "Genes also had a lot as mystery as far as these birds are concerned," he added. Mr Islam expressed the concern that on their way, these birds are being poached and are often considered a delicacy. The first Siberian crane was spotted by late Salim Ali in 1930 at Payagpur in eastern Uttar Pradesh. "Loss of wintering habitat, an arduous migratory journey and hunting of Siberian cranes are posing tremendous threat to this majestic bird", Islam says. Some of these birds now-a-days also go to the Poyang Hu lake in China to escape the Siberian winter. In the 1960s, 200 birds used to come, but by 1974 it was reduced to 72 and then to 35 in 1983. Since then it has shown a steady decline. In 1991 seven Cranes came, in 1993 only five did and after a gap in 1995-96, two birds were coming every year. But none did this year. (UNI) Election process for Assembly polls begins NEW DELHI, Jan 31: The process for electing new representatives in Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura began today when the Election Commission issued the notification for the crucial exercise on February 26. Balloting would be held for 65 Assembly constituencies in Himachal Pradesh and 60 seats each in three Northeastern States on February 26. Three snow-bound constituencies of Himachal Pradesh —Lahaul Spiti, Kinnaur and Pangi Bharmaur will go to polls in June. The last date for filing nominations is February 7. The papers would scrutinised the next day and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is february 10. Counting of ballots will be held on March 1. The term of the present Assembly in Himachal Pradesh was due to expire on March 11, Meghalaya on March 8 and Nagaland and Tripura on march 22. Simultaneously, by-elections will also be conducted in eight Assembly constituencies spread over 7 States— two in Uttar Pradesh (Gauriganj and Haidergarh) and one each in Jammu and Kashmir (Pampore), Tamil Nadu (Sattankulam), Jharkhand (Poriyahat), Karnataka (Humnabad), Maharashtra (Bhokarden) and Assam (Ratabari). The Pampore Assembly constituency in Jammu and Kashmir fell vacant following the killing of Peoples Democratic Party member Abdul Aziz Mir last month. Sattankulam by-election in Tamil Nadu was caused by the death of erstwhile Tamil Nadu Congress representative S S Mani Nadar. Of the two bypolls in Uttar Pradesh, the Haidergarh Assembly constituency was necessitated following resignation of former Chief Minister Rajnath Singh after his election to Rajya Sabha, while Noor Mohammad’s death left the Gauriganj seat vacant. The Humnabad bypoll in Karnataka has been ordered as the election of sitting member Subash Kallur was declared void while election to Poriyahat seat in Jharkhand arose following resignation of Pradeep Yadav. Bypoll in Ratabari Assembly constituency in Assam was caused due to the death of independent MLA Rathish Ranjan Choudhury.(PTI) Penalty beyond death sought for Parliament attack convicts NEW DELHI, Jan 31: Affirming that the attack on Parliament was the ‘rarest’ case, the prosecution today, contrary to established practices, filed an appeal for enhancement of punishment to all the four convicts in the December 13 Parliament attack case. Even though the Special Court had awarded death sentence to three accused in the case under POTA and for committing murder, the prosecution today sought the maximum punishments for charges of waging war against the state and attempt to murder. Police counsel Mukta Gupta said the present case was not one of the rarest of rare cases but ‘the’ rarest case warranting exemplary punishment in which the Parliament of the country had been attacked. "The case is not only the rarest of rare case it is the rarest case in the history of Independent India as the attack on Parliament was the most dastardly act to the superlative degree on the democracy of the country and therefore no lenient view could be taken," the state said in its appeal. The prosecution pleaded for death sentence to Afzal, Shaukat and Geelani on two additional counts besides the two counts which the Special Court had already awarded. It also sought life imprisonment on another charge for which only ten years’ rigorous imprisonment had been given to the three. In the case of Afsan Guru alias Navjot Sandhu, wife of Shaukat and the lone woman convict in the case, her acquittal from all charges except one was challenged and alternatively her punishment increased from five years’ RI to ten years’ RI. On December 18, the special POTA Court had awarded the death sentence to Afzal, Shaukat and Geelani besides imposing a fine of Rs 5,00,000 for waging war against the state. The three were convicted under various sections of the IPC, POTA, Arms Act and Explosive Substances Act. Charges under the POTA and Section 302 (Murder) IPC carried death sentences. Afsan was sentenced to five years’ RI and fined Rs 10,000 for wilfully not disclosing the conspiracy, though she was not a party to it. She has been convicted under section 123 IPC. All the four convicts were already in appeal in Delhi High Court against their conviction and sentences. The state had also filed its ‘murder reference’ seeking confirmation of the death sentences. The prosecution said that life imprisonment awarded by the Special Court under sections 121 and 122 (Waging War against the State) of Indian Penal Code and ten years’ RI under section 307 (attempt to murder) IPC to Afzal, Shaukat and Geelani should be enhanced to death sentence under sections 121 and 122 IPC, and life imprisonment under section 307 IPC. In Afsan’s case the state appealed against her acquittal from all charges under the IPC, Explosive Substances Act and Prevention of Terrorism Act except section 123 IPC (wilfully not disclosing conspiracy). Alternatively, it has also sought enhancement of punishment to her under section 123 IPC from five years’ RI to ten. Yesterday, the High Court had allowed a request by Afzal, to appear in person to challenge his conviction. The bench allowed Afzal’s application, put up through the Jail Superintendent, and accordingly ordered that he be present on February 3. On January 27, the court had refused to admit Afzal’s appeal challenging his death sentence, after the prosecution raised objection to the affidavit filed in support of the plea. After Ms Gupta said the affidavit had not been verified properly, the judges told Afzal’s counsel Colin Gonsolves to correct the ‘technical error’ before putting up the petition on February 3. Ms Gupta said Afzal’s signature was verified by a public notary vouching that the signatory was present for executing the document while Afzal had been in jail at that time and his signature has to be verified by the Jail Superintendent. The bench had already issued notices for February 3 to the Delhi police, admitting the petitions of the three. Afzal’s plea too would now come up for hearing on February 3. The court also admitted a Special Judge’s reference seeking confirmation of death sentences to Afzal, Shaukat and Geelani. The death sentences passed by a trial court can only be executed after being confirmed by a division bench of the High Court. All the appeals and the reference would be consolidated and heard together.(UNI) India bars two Lufthansa pilots for operating flights NEW DELHI, Jan 31: Taking serious exception to violation of no-fly zone over the Prime Minister’s residence by a Lufthansa aircraft, Indian authorities have barred two of its pilots from operating flights to this country and has asked the German airline to take action against the erring crew. Lufthansa cargo plane pilot Renger and co-pilot Zoller, who were at the cockpit when the M-11 aircraft changed course and flew over the Prime Minister’s house and the Rashtrapati Bhavan on November 20 last, have been barred for their lapses that led to a "serious" security breach. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has shot off a letter to Lufthansa asking it to take action against the pilots and also inform Indian authorities about the measures initiated against them. "This step is a lesson for all other airlines that Indian authorities mean business and that discipline must be adhered to," highly placed aviation sources told PTI today. Given the seriousness of the security breach, the Civil Aviation authorities have now shifted the "hold" area of aircraft to allow them to hover before getting runway space to land to over 20 kms away from the Indira Gandhi international airport. Now aircraft would also have to hover at 10,000 feet instead of 3,600 feet as earlier before getting permission to land. The Indian authorities have taken an extreme view of the violation of the no-fly zone especially in the backdrop of the September 11 terrorist strikes in the United States. The pilots of the cargo plane, which was flying from Penang in Malaysia to here, were asked to enter the "hold" area and circle over the airport, the sources said. "At that stage, co-pilot Zoller was at the controls and pilot Renger was acting as the co-pilot. This is not the practice when it comes to landing as the pilot has to man the plane," they said. "At about 0630 hours on November 20, the co-pilot pressed the wrong button of the plane’s flight computer despite instructions from Air Traffic Control (ATC) causing the plane to turn right instead of left for proper entry into the hold," they said. The sources said "the deviation was immediately noticed by ATC and when questioned by it, the crew manually swerved the plane to regain the hold pattern and in the process the plane went over the no-fly zone". The plane was then made to land using the ILS system of the airport, they said, adding both the crew members were interrogated by officials of Civil Aviation and Intelligence Bureau for nearly five hours. An inquiry ordered found that the incident was a result of "total pilot error" and the crew had "lapsed" while navigating the plane as per the notified procedures which had the no-fly zones clearly indicated, the sources said, adding that there was no fault on the part of the ATC. The sources said Lufthansa was immediately informed about the lapses by the pilots and advised to take action against them. The investigation had been assisted by various agencies of the Government, they said, observing that the maps provided to airlines indicate the prohibited areas over which aircraft cannot fly. "As a result of the investigations and to prevent such violations in future, the `hold’ area for aircraft to hover before landing has been moved away to ensure that planes do not not go over the no-fly zones," they added. (PTI) Public transport in Delhi to use advanced techniques NEW DELHI, Jan 31: Delhi Government is all set to improve the public transport system of the capital by making use of Remote Sensing Transport System (RSTS) technique in buses as well as auto-rickshaws and taxis. "The process of fitting automatic vehicle tracking system (AVTs) in DTC buses is on. The technique would help locate the bus at any point of time and can check the routes, speed and stoppage of the buses, which would help buses match their time schedule," Delhi Transport Minister Ajay Maken said here today. So far, in about 100 buses AVTs have been fitted and by March 2003, 200 buses would be fitted with AVTs, he said at a seminar on ‘Transport planning and management.’ Maken, however, did not give any time frame as till when the entire DTC fleet would be fitted with the system. He said the Government plans to make this AVTs mandatory for other public transport systems, including buses, taxis and autorickshaws. In an effort to tighten the noose on auto-rickshaw drivers for over-charging, the Government on Feb 15 would come out with a distance chart, giving exact distance and fare of the 2,500 routes of the capital, Maken said. The chart has been developed using geographic infromation system with help from survey of India. Everyday about two million people commute by autos in Delhi, Maken said adding, "the distance chart would curtail over-charging by autorikshaw drivers." On the high capacity bus system (HCBS) which was approved by the Cabinet on Jan 27, he said, "the system is very advanced and would synchronise buses, red lights and but stops so that they get priority over other vehicles of public transport." The passengers waiting for buses equipped with such system would come to know about there arrival two minutes in advance, Maken said. Delhi Goverment was also planning to use intelligence transport system (ITS) to control everyday traffic jams. With the system the person driving the vehicle would come to know of the traffic jams ahead in advance. It would allow people to choose alternative routes, the minister added. (PTI) |
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