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HC asks EC to reconsider ban of procurement of school bags NEW DELHI, Nov 18: The Delhi High Court today asked the Election Commission to reconsider its decision to ...more Congress promises empowerment of Panchayati Raj JAIPUR, Nov 18: Claiming to have implemented its previous poll promises by the Gehlot Government, the pradesh Congress committee today assured that ...more AIZAWL, Nov 18: The heat and dust of the electioneering in Mizoram will come to an end this ....more ‘I’
faction gears up for KOCHI, Nov 18: Even as the ‘I’ faction in the ruling Congress in kerala led by senior leader K Karunakaran, who ....more |
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SC orders transfer of DA cases against Jaya to Karnataka NEW DELHI, Nov 18: In a major setback to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, the Supreme Court today ordered. ....more City court directs Jogi to appear before it on Jan 15 NEW DELHI, Nov 18: A city Court today asked Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi to appear before it on January 15, 2004 in a case filed by the CBI ....more SC order in Jaya case vindicates DMK stand: Karunanidhi CHENNAI, Nov 18: DMK president M Karunanidhi today welcomed the Supreme ......more Sonia’s silence a serious matter", says Modi INDORE, Nov 18: Posing a question to Congress president Sonia Gandhi about her "silence" on the issue of atrocities against......more |
HC asks EC to reconsider ban of procurement of school bags NEW DELHI, Nov 18: The Delhi High Court today asked the Election Commission to reconsider its decision to ban procurement of five lakh school bags meant for SC/ST children after the State Government gave an undertaking that it will not distribute the same before the state assembly elections. Justice B D Ahmed, who had earlier sought clarification from the Commission on its October 24 directive to the State Government to stop distribution as well as procurement of school bags, asked it to decide the matter expeditiously within a week. The direction came on a petition filed by one D M Pocketwala, who bagged the order for the supply of school bags with Jogi’s photograph printed on them. Pocketwala had challenged the Commission’s ban on procurement, saying it would jeopardise the whole contract. "It is understandable that the Commission stopped distribution of school bags to enforce the model code of conduct in view of the forthcoming elections, but it could not have stopped the procurement as the contract was entered into much before the elections were announced", Pocketwalla’s counsel Vipin Nair had submitted. The bags manufactured in Mumbai are presently in transit in different parts of the state, petitioner’s counsel informed the Court. The Chhattisgarh Government today filed an affidavit in the Court undertaking not to distribute the school bags till completion of the poll process. "If the Election Commission lifts the ban on procurement, we will ensure that the school bags are not lifted till polls are over," Chhattisgarh Government said in its affidavit. Earlier, Commission’s counsel Pankaj Rai Chopra had submitted "we do not have any problems in allowing procurement of school bags provided the Chhattisgarh Government undertakes not to distribute the same till completion of the electoral process in the state". Chopra maintained it was a routine practice to enforce model code of conduct after announcement of polls. (PTI) |
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Congress promises empowerment of Panchayati Raj JAIPUR, Nov 18: Claiming to have implemented its previous poll promises by the Gehlot Government, the pradesh Congress committee today assured that if the party returned to power it would effect better empowerment of Panchayati Raj institutions besides adopting five new areas of mines, tourism information technology, and wildlife in Rajasthan. "The Congress had got policy committment on priority to fulfill and make the Panchayati Raj institutions more effective and stronger, which the opposition BJP at the Centre could not do," veteran Congress leader Ram Niwas Mirdha told a press conference here while releasing the mainfesto. Decentralisation of power was the dream and successful attempt of late Rajiv Gandhi but the BJP created hurdles in Parliament, Mirdha, the election manifesto commmittee chairman, said. "The BJP still does not want to strengthen Panchayats and render them power, but the Congress would again tell voters the meaning of empowerment," Mirdha said. Assailing the NDA Government’s foreign policy, Mirdha said it is for the first time that no national consensus was achieved on foreign issues which the previous Congress Governments had achieved. The national consensus is getting fragmented as the NDA leaders and the Prime Minister have been talking differently, he added. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said despite four years of drought and financial constraints, the previous poll manifesto was "successfully implemented and most of the promises made to public were fulfilled". PCC president Girija vyas claimed the party had put up targets of setting up the wasteland development board, Gramin Vikas Seva, cent per cent electrification, middle school at every Panchayat level, among others in the previous manifesto and had implemented 99 of them in the state. Elaborating on the 42-pages booklet of the manifesto, Gehlot said the unemployed would be given jobs for minimum 100 days in a year in certain blocks, pointing out that the employement guarantee scheme needed to be a national issue which the Centre should take up. On reservation to poor among forward classes, Gehlot claimed it was his Government which announced it first and the Centre should make constitutional amendment to accomodate the left out castes. Tranparent, accountable and good governance would continue to be the party’s main objectives in the next five years, he added. (PTI) |
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AIZAWL, Nov 18: The heat and dust of the electioneering in Mizoram will come to an end this evening as the state is going to polls to elect its fifth assembly on Thursday. The electioneering, which is being called as model by the Election Commission (EC), has been a peaceful with national leaders including Mrs Sonia Gandhi campaigning in the state. Altogether 528,196 voters will decide the fete of 192 candidates. Mr Lalmalsawma, Chief Electoral Officer of Mizoram, said 57 polling stations are declared as sensitive polling stations. Barring the initial tension over the Bru refugees living inside Tripura, as most candidates confined themselves to local issues during electioneering. If the non-Congress political parties are harping on the corruption cases of Congress Chief Ministerial candidate Lalthanhwala, the Congress is trying hard to establish that ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) is actually having a secret understanding with the BJP. However, there is indicated that there will be a hung assembly and there will be a series of political realignment to form a coalition Government. The Lokicherra constituency has the least number of voters in Mizoram having just 6,640 voters, while Aizawl north-II constituency has the highest number of 22,667 voters. Mr Lalmalsawma told newspersons that the primary concern was security. He asserted that 15 companies and three platoons of central para-military forces had been deployed to help the state police. He said the Commission had enlisted 57 polling stations as sensitive. "Areas adjoining the neighbouring states where underground activities occur, can never be taken for granted. All the stations enlisted in the sensitive zones are adjoining neighbouring states and we assessed these zones closely and decided to be more cautious," Mr Lalmalsawma said. He said booth capturing, communal violence were common phenomenon that often blemished election. "That’s why we are taking no chances, even though these things were never heard of in the previous elections in Mizoram. I believe prevention is always better than cure," he pointed out. Polling stations, listed as sensitive zones, are mostly ethnic minorities locale. Special precautionary measures are being enforced on the north and north-eastern parts of the state where dislodged hmars are presently camping. In the western region, the locale of the Brus are given special preference in terms of security. In the western district of Mamit adjoining Tripura 22 polling stations are declared sensitive. In Champhai district five polling stations are declared sensitive due to the presence of local ethnic paite activists. However, the CEO affirmed that law and order would be maintained. "Even though we cannot rule out the worst, the fact remains that the present situation is quite peaceful and calm," he added. Meanwhile, the Mizoram Government will set up 17 polling stations along the Tripura-Mizoram border for the Bru tribal voters, including the Bru refugees who are sheltered in six north Tripura camps on the directive of the Election Commission. The official sources said here today that the Tripura Government would arrange vehicles to transport the refugees to cast their votes in these booths. The Government will also engage senior officials to coordinate with their Mizoram counterparts if needed, the sources added. There are 4266 Bru tribal voters residing in the six camps, where over 31,000 Bru had been sheltered since October 1997 after they left their homes in Mizoram following communal violence. Most political parties in Mizoram condemned the Election Commission’s decision to include names of the 4266 Bru tribal voters in the Mizoram voters’ list and urged the Chief Election Commissioner to reverse the decision. (UNI) |
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SC order in Jaya case vindicates DMK stand: Karunanidhi CHENNAI, Nov 18: DMK president M Karunanidhi today welcomed the Supreme Court’s order transferring the wealth cases against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to Karnataka and said it only vindicated the party’s stand that ‘a free and fair trial’ of the case was ‘impossible’ in the courts in the state. Besides enabling a free and fair trial of the cases, the order would also help avoid ‘political interference’ in the conduct of trial, Karunanidhi told reporters here. Alleging that there was political interference by Jayalalithaa not only in the wealth case but also in other cases, he said the Apex Court order was a ‘good judgement’ in that it would help avoid ‘such action’ in other cases. He said the order also exposed Jayalalithaa’s attempts to ‘bend the judiciary’ for her benefit. Jayalalithaa should own moral responsiblity for it, he said. On the resignation by Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Dilip Singh Judeo, who is in the thick of a corruption controversy, and on Prime Minister A B Vajpayee ordering a CBI probe into the episode, Karunanidhi said Vajpayee’s action only highlighted his ‘moral values’ and his desire not to hide the truth. He also criticised the Tamil Nadu Government’s decision to dismiss 587 Government staff and urged it to reconsider its stand. (PTI) |
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Sonia’s silence a serious matter", says Modi INDORE, Nov 18: Posing a question to Congress president Sonia Gandhi about her "silence" on the issue of atrocities against women in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today said it was a "serious matter". "Despite the fact that Sonia is the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, she has remained silent on the issue of atrocities against women in Madhya Pradesh, specially on the issue of replies given by her party Government in the state assembly in this regard," Modi told reporters here. "Hindustan Mein Itni Iadi Matra Mein Mahilaon Ka Utpeedan Aur Kahin Nahin Hua" (in India, no where else have atrocities against women been committed on such a large scale), he alleged. "Why did Sonia remained silent on such an important issue for the last five years? he asked. "Even in such constituencies where such atrocities were committed on a large scale, the MLAs were repeated by her party," he said adding the silence of Sonia on this issue was a "serious matter". On Judeo issue, he said it was plotted by the Congress party as it did not have any issue for the coming assembly polls in the state. He also criticised the Congress party for allowing CBI-chargesheeted Chief Minister Ajit Jogi to remain in his post. Raising the issue of inclusion of names of illegal Bangladeshi migrants at many places across the nation, Modi alleged that MP had committed large scale irregularities in the voters list. "These issues indicate a serious problem in the country," he added. Taking a dig at the state chief minister Digvijay Singh, he alleged "like 24 hours channel, he (Singh) indulges in 24 hour Chaturai (cleverness)". He also praised the state BJP unit for the role played by it in the state in highlighting the problems of the state in the assembly and also at other forums. (PTI) Narrow margin: MP’s 1998 polls saw some wafer-thin victories BHOPAL, Nov 18: The 1998 polls in Madhya Pradesh, for electing the 11th Vidhan Sabha, witnessed victory and defeat being decided by a margin of merely 15 to 300 votes in eight seats, six of which went to the Congress and the rest to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This time, besides the ruling Congress and main opposition BJP, the Bahujan Samaj Party, its breakaway faction Samata Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party, Nationalist Congress Party and several other organisations are in the fray. Therefore a possibility of history repeating itself in many constituencies, is being expressed. In November ‘98, Congress candidate Savita Diwan won Hoshangabad by only 15 ballots while the BJP’s Hukumchand Yadav bagged Khandwa by a margin of merely 71. At Dhar, Congress nominee Karan Singh Panwar vanquished the then leader of the opposition and BJP aspirant Vikram Verma by 147 votes. The latter outfit’s Bhupendra Singh Rajput won Surkhi by a margin of 193. Pathria (reserved) seat went to the BJP candidate Ganeshram Khatik thanks to 213 more ballots while Medical Education Minister Vijaylakshmi Sadho bagged Maheshwar, in western Nimaad, by 277. At Gurh constituency in Vindhya region, Congressman Om Prakash Mishra emerged victorious by 294 votes even as the same party’s Raghunath Chaudhry won Khandwa district’s Nepanagar by 295. Besides, there were a couple of seats where the margin was 300-400. Mr Ramesh Agrawal (Cong) bagged Gwalior city’s Lashkar (east) by 317 and his outfit’s Sanyogita Deshmukh emerged victorious by 383 at Shahpur. More than half-a-dozen organisations, besides the two principal parties, have fielded nominees in more than a 100 constituencies for the December 1 ballot battle. While the Congress is fighting 229, the BJP is contesting all 230 seats. Political analysts believe there are 40 constituencies with the likelihood of a multicornered contest. Even in the ‘93 hustings, there were nine constituencies where victory was determined by margins of less that 500 ballots. (UNI) Railway ministry postpones next rounds of RRB exam PATNA, Nov 18: The Railway Ministry today postponed the next four rounds of Railway Recruitment Board Examination in the wake of disturbances in Assam and Bihar. Railway Minister Nitish Kumar told reporters here that the decision to postpone the next rounds for group-D posts under the north frontier railway was taken after a request was made by the Assam Government, The new dates for the examination and selection of test centres would be decided in consultation with the Assam Government, he said. Kumar said the matter was discussed with Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi this morning before the decison was taken. Assam Chief Secretary J P Rajkhowa had also written to the Railway Ministry suggesting postponement of the exam in view of violence in the two states. The Railway Minister said dates for the Bihari and other students who were prevented from appearing in the tests held earlier would be decided later on. Kumar welcomed the Bihar Government decision to order a CBI inquiry into the incidents of violence, including alleged rape of women passengers from the north east, as a fallout to assault of Bihari students in Assam. "The probe by the premier agency would bring everything into light...," he said. The RRB Gauhati conducted two rounds of examinations on November 9 and November 16 in Assam, West Bengal and Katihar that come under NF railway. Describing relations between Bihar and Assam as age old and cordial, the Railway Minister flayed some vested interests for trying to vitiate the environment by resorting to violence and spreading rumours. Kumar said he requested the Assam Chief Minister to check violence on Hindi speaking people in the state. The minister said that he was misquoted that he incited Bihari students to fight back the assault on them in Assam. "Instead, I appealed to the people and leaders of the two states to maintain peace". "It was me who telephoned RJD supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav to check violence on people of Assam and other north eastern states passing through Bihar", he said. On demand for holding railway examinations on regional basis, the Railway Minister said it was not possibile in view of the Supreme Court order. But to help locals compete in the tests the railway had allowed them to write test in regional languages listed in the eighth schedule of the constitution, besides in English and Hindi, he added. Lamenting railways being made target of violence in different parts of the country, Kumar said he has requested the State Governments to ensure smooth running of trains through their territories and also deployed security forces in the long-distance trains to prevent untoward incidents. (PTI) Gehlot, Raje, Pilot among 1,541 candidates for Dec 1 polls JAIPUR, Nov 18: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, BJP’s Chief Ministerial candidate Vasundhra Raje and widow of Congress leader Rajesh Pilot, Rama Pilot are among 1,541 candidates left in the fray for the December 1 assembly polls in the state. Of the 1,993 candidates who had filed their nominations, 452 candidates withdrew their candidature, a official spokesman said today. Other prominent contestants include assembly speaker Paras Ram Maderna and three former Congress Chief Ministers Shiv Charan Mathur, Jagannath Paharia and Heera Lal Deopura. Five rebel candidates from BJP and six from Congress withdrew their nominations in support of the official candidates of their respective parties, the party spokesmen said. Jaipur district has the highest number of 145 candidates vying for eight assembly segments, while Jaisalmer has the lowest number with eight candidates, the official spokesman said. Other BJP stalwarts in the fray are leader of opposition Gulab Chand Kataria, former assembly speaker Shanti Lal Chaplot, state vice-president Ghan Shyam Tiwari, Jaipur Mayor Sheel Dhabhai, party spokesman Kalicharan Saraf and former Deputy Chief Minister Hari Shankar Bhabhra. Among Congress candidates are two Deputy Chief Ministers B I Bairwa and Kamla, Law Minister Khet Singh Rathore, Education Minister B D Kalla and Tourism Minister Shanti Dhariwal. Two Rajya Sabha members of Congress Duru Miyan and Tara Chand Bhagora are also trying their luck in the assembly polls. Devi Singh Bhati, the expelled BJP MLA and president of the social justice front, former Congress Minister Chandra Shekhar, who quit Gehlot Government after ticket denial, and BJP action committee convenor Pratap Singh Khachariawas, who is fighting as a rebel candidate, are expected to keep the official candidates of their parties on the edge. A report from Ajmer district said 68 candidates, including two women and an enunch, Sushila, are left in the fray. Sitting MLA from Ajmer (west) Nankram Jagatrai of Congress is contesting as a rebel after being denied ticket. (PTI) Rs 188 cr Sonia Vihar Project under scrutiny NEW DELHI, Nov 18: The Centre is "critically observing" the ongoing work of Delhi government’s Rs 188 crore Sonia Vihar Water Project on grounds of technological feasibility and its suitability to Indian conditions. An expert group of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) had earlier disfavoured the new "state-of-the-art" technology from being used for water treatment, yet it was adopted later, official sources said here. "An entirely new technology which is considered more suitable for the European rivers has been put to use in the project. Turbidity in Indian rivers is much higher. We will see how suitable the new techniques are to the Indian conditions", they told PTI. They said the project belongs to the Delhi Government, "as of now we will make only critical observations". The project to bring water from the Ganges in Uttaranchal for domestic supply to Delhi is being implemented by a French company degremont which is using the "pulsator-based" technology for water treatment as differentiated from the conventional clarifier method used in the country. DJB chief, P K Tripathi, however, said that under agreement with degremont, water of a specific quality has to be delivered after treatment. He said regardless of the technology used, it was more important that quality parameters for treated water are met as stipulated in the contract. Tripathi said degremont could use any technology for treatment provided it delivered water of the specified quality for domestic consumption or else it will face penalties. Initially, Delhi Jal Board (DJB) got the environmental clearances from the Centre stating that the conventional technology will be used in the project. Later, however, the pulsator technology was put into use. Tripathi said the state-of-the-art technology will lead to lesser consumption of chemicals, cleaner backwash water and therefore less pollution. Sources pointed out that in 1994 when the pulsator technology was offered by degremont for the Bawana water treatment plant in Delhi, DJB had constituted an expert group to look into the feasibility of putting it to use. The group had visited Surat where the technique had been adopted in a seven Million Gallon a Day (MGD) water treatement plant on the Tapi river. The group had felt that to use the technology in haste would be highly injurious and disadvantageous to the undertaking. It could lead to confrontation of quantity, quality and labour problems. DJB officials claim that the use of "state-of-the-art" technology as differentiated from conventional, will lead to improvement of water infrastructure. The group had stated that in fact it was not a new technology, and the Aquazur filters which were to be used were already operating here since 1959. Tripathi said that unless technology is upgraded there will be no innovation at all. Sources said the expert group did not find the technology suitable for the 20 MGD Bawana plant, yet it was later deployed for the 140 MGD Sonia Vihar Project. They said the Tapi plant in which the pulsator technology was used was found to be operating below capacity at 5.6 MGD against its potential of seven MGD by the group. Generally water treated is much more than the capacity of the plant. Moreover, the functioning in such plants is compressor-based leading to higher consumption of chemicals, they said adding as a result cost of maintainence will be higher. Since the Organisational and Maintenance (O&M) cost has to be borne by the DJB, it will have to foot the bill. They said maximum turbidity in the European rivers is not more than 50 NTU (Nelson Turbidity Units) and pulsators are ideally suited for water treatment in the continent. Same is not the case in Indian rivers where turbidity or the solid content varies from time to time and increases drastically during the monsoon season. In Tapi river it ranges from 10-1,800 NTU and in Yamuna and Ganges from 35 to 5,000 NTU for which the clarifier-floculator device is used to good effect. Tripathi said the speculation on technology is purely theoretical in nature, as the project is yet to be made operational. He said only time will prove its success and to ensure that, degremont has been asked to operate it for 10 years. A long time of 10 years has been decided for operation by the constructing company itself to ensure that the technology is tried and tested for a sufficient period, he added. (PTI) |
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