.

Model code chokes
off Govt largesse
to lure voters

NEW DELHI, Oct 15: Clipping the wings of administrations and political parties, the model Code of Conduct enforced by the Election Commission.....more

Police, Sony TV launch helpline to report crime

MUMBAI, Oct 15: Mumbai Police and Sony Entertainment Television (SET) have launched a special helpline which will encourage viewers to report crime ....more

Monsoon bypasses 62 pockets in 16 states

NEW DELHI, Oct 15: It was a case of scarcity in the midst of abundance for 62 pockets in 16 states as the south-west.....more

Gujarat orders high-level inquiry into GNFC blast, 5 killed

BHARUCH, Oct 15: The State Government today ordered a high-level inquiry into ....more

Interpol asks world
Govts to make rules
for global policing

NEW DELHI, Oct 15: Expressing serious concern over the spreading tentacles of terrorism the world over, top interpol officers today asked.....more

Char dhams to be
developed on lines of
Vaishno Devi: Jagmohan

DEHRADUN, Oct 15: Union Tourism Minister Jagmohan has stressed the need to develop the shrines of Uttaranchal,....more

Embarrassed Maharashtra Congress in confused state of mind

MUMBAI, Oct 15: Even as Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC .......more

Uncertainty looms
large over Subarnarekha irrigation project

BARIPADA, ORISSA, Oct 15: The multi-crore Subarnarekha Irrigation Project (SIP),.....more

SC reserves order in Jaya case .....

New pension scheme for Govt employees from Jan 1: Gupta ........

RSS lauds Centre’s initiatives on Ayodhya march ......

Re-export or destroy hazardous waste at importers cost: SC .......

Model code chokes off Govt largesse to lure voters

NEW DELHI, Oct 15: Clipping the wings of administrations and political parties, the model Code of Conduct enforced by the Election Commission has choked off the use of Government largesse by the major political parties to lure voters in the five states going to polls.

The Election Commission has also told the Union Government that issuing advertisements, at the cost of the public exchequer, in newspapers or TV channels highlighting its achievements is a violation of the code.

Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, all ruled by the Congress, will go to the polls on December 1 to choose new legislative assemblies while Mizoram will have elections on November 20.

With the code coming into effect, the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP have dropped plans for a series of inauguration and announcements of various schemes to garner voter support in Delhi.

In Chhattisgarh, the code, which came into force with the announcement of the poll schedule on October 6, has stopped the war of words being waged between the Congress and opposition parties over hoardings, schoolbags and newspaper advertisments.

A UNI report from Bhopal said a foundation stone-laying programme for a Rs 1.10-crore project at Gwalior had to be cancelled as Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Ravi Shankar Prasad and Union Minister of State for Coal Prahlad Patel were to attend it. Similarly, distribution of ‘Pattas’ was halted at Indore after the election officer issued directions to the District Administration to this effect on the basis of a complaint.

A monitoring cell has been set up in the State Election Office in Bhopal.

In Rajasthan, directions have been issued to District Collectors to enforce the poll code which bans the use of official vehicles by ministers and members of political parties for campaigning.

In Mizoram, the Election Commission has issued a directive against abetting communal differences which has remained the mainstay of political activities in the state. Protests against the inclusion of reang refugees in the electoral list resulted in a statewide ‘bandh’ on September 26, called by Save Mizoram Committee (SMC), an organisation of the state’s major political parties and influential NGOs.

In Rajasthan, directions have been issued to District Collectors to enforce the poll code.

According to the State’s Chief Electoral Officer Lalit Kothari, no political party or leader should do anything that tends to spread hatred among communities. Criticism of other parties should be restricted to their policies. Personal attacks should be avoided.

A Raipur report said the Ajit Jogi Government, which came to power after Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh in November 2000, put up hoardings all over the state from early this year, highlighting its achievements.

As most of these hoardings prominently featured Mr Jogi and the successes of each and every department, the BJP, which heads the ruling NDA coalition at the Centre, did not lag behind.

Hoardings with portraits of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his Government’s achievements came up in several towns.

After the announcement of the schedule, the BJP and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) complained that these hoardings amounted to violation of the model code of conduct.

The NCP also took strong exception to distribution of schoolbags, bearing photographs of Mr Jogi, in several districts.

The Election Commission issued a directive yesterday asking the Chhattisgarh Government to immediately stop the free distribution of the school bags.

A report from Aizawl said Mizoram’s ethnic minorities have borne the brunt of an anti-minority stand dominating the pre-poll scenario.

Most political parties, having kept the issue of appeasing the greater Mizo population high on their agendas, have been quick to disown lenbngs and ties associated with ethnic minorities. Accusations of pro-minority policy against the ruling MNF by the Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP) has invariably evoked elaborate clarifications from the MNF Government, wary of being caught on the wrong foot over the issue.

However, with the emergence of the ZNP-MPC alliance as the third force, vote division in the Congress and the Mizo National Front (MNF) support bases among the dominant Mizo tribes has become imminent and as such winning the minority-held constituencies, especially Chwangte, Phuldungsei and Kawrthah in South-Western Mizoram is expected to be crucial.

Meanwhile, eager to play a decisive role in the polls, the powerful Church lobby of the state has issued its own set of sermons and guidelines to the electorate, thus infringing into political territory.

In Delhi, Health Minister A K Walia was unable to inaugurate the Rs 14.5 crore socio-economic centre at Laxmi Nagar in east Delhi before the election.

The Congress had also planned to open a number of ‘chaupals’ to woo rural voters, especially in Bawana, Najafgarh and Narela.

The model Code of Conduct entails that official machinery for political functions is not to be allowed. Even the official cellphone or telephone is not to be used for party work. No official stationery nor any other equipment can be used for electoral gains.

However, congress sources said most of the ministers were able to announce the pre-poll schemes or inaugurate projects well in time to avoid the scrutiny of the Election Commission.

During the past month, the Congress was able to inaugurate a number of hospitals at places like Narela and Tahirpur and school buildings at Vishnu garden and Narela. "We were also able to disburse loans among those belonging to the economically weaker sections," the sources said.

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who launched her ten-day "clean city campaign", was able to finish it on October 2. She also inaugurated late last month a power service station at Dwarka in west Delhi.

Despite it being the election year, the Government failed to utilise its plan funds optimally. In the first six months of the current financial year which ended September, merely 25 per cent of the plan funds could be spent.

The BJP had to cancel the inauguration of a flyover at ring road (National Highway 24) by Minister of State for Urban Development Bandaru Dattatreya. Union Tourism and Culture Minister Jagmohan and Delhi Lt Governor Vijay Kapoor were also expected to be present at the function.

However, Delhi BJP president Madan Lal Khurana, who is the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate, was able to conclude, without any hiccups, his 35-day "Parivartan Yatra", saying he was successful in nailing down various acts of commission and omission of the Sheila Dikshit Government.

Both the BJP and the Congress claimed credit for the inauguration of the Tis Hazari-Trinagar section of the metro rail by the Prime Minister on October 3. (UNI)

Police, Sony TV launch helpline to report crime

MUMBAI, Oct 15: Mumbai Police and Sony Entertainment Television (SET) have launched a special helpline which will encourage viewers to report crime and help police nab criminals through the television channel’s reality show ‘Crime Patrol’.

‘Crime Patrol’, a real-life action series aired every Friday on Sony TV, will encourage citizens to report crime. Citizens can now revort crime by sending SMS to 2525 or by calling the Mumbai Police Commissioner on a special helpline no - 912222620111 between 1400 hrs and 1600 Hrs on working days.

To commemorate this effort and support the police in their endeavour, ‘Crime Patrol’ anchor Diwakar Pundir yesterday visited the police headquarters in south Mumbai and met with Police Commissioner R S Sharma as well as Ahmed Javed, Joint Commissioner of Police.

Talking to reporters, Mr Pundir said a team of Sony TV will be stationed at the Police Headquarters. As soon as SMS is received about a crime, the team will rush to the spot along with the police so as to shoot the real happenings, which will be later shown in the serial.

However, shooting of the crime will depend on the sensitivity of the incident, the model-turned-anchor said, adding the helpline number will be telecast on Sony TV next week.

‘Crime Patrol’, on air since March this year, has become more interactive by involving the viewers in crime busting through the helpline/SNS initiatives, Mr Pundir said, adding this novel idea will help police fight crime more effectively. (UNI)

Monsoon bypasses 62 pockets in 16 states

NEW DELHI, Oct 15: It was a case of scarcity in the midst of abundance for 62 pockets in 16 states as the south-west monsoon —while saturating other parts of the country with two per cent above normal rainfall — bypassed them for the second consecutive year.

These left-out areas received 25 to 50 per cent less than average rainfall experiencing moderate to severe drought, India Meteorological Department(IMD) Deputy Director General HR Hathwar told UNI here.

These pockets were in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Jharkhand, Uttaranchal, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, he said.

The region that extends from south Maharashtra across Karnataka to Kerala was most severely hit.

Last year, there was severe drought in Rajasthan and a moderate one in 10 meteorological sub-divisions covering the states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, the four southern states and Lakshadweep.

Out of the 523 meteorological districts of the country, 180 had experienced moderate drought and 87 had severe drought.

However, this year 184 of these drought hit districts received normal to excess rainfall.In particular, the entire drought-affected districts of Gujarat and Orissa and Rajasthan received sufficient rains to make up for last year’s deficit.

Mr Hathwar described this year’s monsoon as a "feel good" monsoon as it brought timely rains that were equitably distributed, although the total rainfall was far short of that in years like 1988 when it was 110 per cent of the Long Period (LPA) and in 1994 with 119 per cent of the LPA.

The country as a whole received very good rains in June (109 per cent of LPA) and July (107 per cent of LPA) though in August and September, this percentage fell to 95 and 96 respectively.

At the end of the monsoon season, seven out of 36 sub-divisions had received excess rainfall, 26 had normal rainfall and only three sub-divisions (north and south interior Karnataka and Kerala) had registered scanty rainfall, Mr Hathwar said.

Out of the 523 metereological districts, 139 had excess rains, 249 registered normal rainfall, 113 received deficient rains and in 14 districts, the rainfall was scanty, he said.

Excess rainfall in central India during the second half of the monsoon season led to floods in Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, said Mr Hathwar.

Mr Hathwar said the monsoon this year arrived on June five, close to its normal date of June three but its onset over Kerala (June 8) was delayed by over a week.

This initial delay was carried forward into interior parts of the Peninsula, but was later made up and the monsoon arrived in Rajasthan earlier than its normal date.

By June 27, the monsoon had coverd most parts of the country and by July 5, it had spread to the rest of the country, ten days eaclier than the normal date.

Moreover, the north-west parts of the country received good pre-monsoon rains, he said.

One more highlight of this year’s monsoon was that it was "break-free".There was "no break or break-like situation" in rainfall during the entire season.

Though there were dry spells in some parts of the country but they were not prolonged except in interior Karnataka, Kerala and southern parts of Madhya Maharashtra.

He said this year, the IMD was quite successful in making correct forecast about monsoon using for the first time its newly-developed long range forecast models.

The first forecast was made as early as on April 16 using data up to March end and the second was issued on July 9 on the basis of data recieved by June end, he said.

Among other things, it had forecast that the season’s (June to September 30) rainfall for the country as a whole was likely to be 98 per cent of the LPA with a model error of four per cent on the plus and minus side, which proved to be true with the season ending with two per cent above normal rains.

The monsoon would with draw entirely from the country by October 15. (UNI)

Gujarat orders high-level inquiry into GNFC blast, 5 killed

BHARUCH, Oct 15: The State Government today ordered a high-level inquiry into last night’s explosion at the Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertiliser (GNFC) plant, near here, which left five persons dead and 31 others injured.

Chief Minister Narendra Modi who air-dashed here this morning told reporters that the inquiry committee would include experts from Gujarat State Fertilisers Corporation (GSFC) and Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited (IPCL).

The factory, one of the biggest fertiliser manufacturers in the country, has been shut down and sealed to carry out relief and rescue operations. The GNFC is a joint sector company promoted by the Gujarat Government and Gujarat State Fertiliser Company Ltd (GSFC and is the world’s largest single-stream ammonia-urea fertiliser complex.

Mr Modi said GNFC had suffered a loss of about Rs 200 crore due to the blast. The State Government would make efforts to ensure that the next of kin of deceased got a compensation of Rs seven to eight lakh each.

With one more injured person succumbing at the SSG hospital in Vadodara, the death toll in the explosion has mounted to five. Of the 36 persons reported injured last night, four succumbed at the GNFC hospital, while one died in Vadodara. The condition of some of the remaining injured was still stated to be serious, GNFC officials said.

The blast occurred around 2100 Hrs in the nitro-phosphorus section of the ammonia plant. It was so powerful that it was heard several Kms away and of window-panes were rattled in far-flung areas of the district such as Ankaleshwar and Dahej.

Walls in some houses in the adjoining Vadadala developed cracks due to the blast. Residents rushed out of their houses in panic fearing an earthquake as Bharuch town lies in the Narmada fault zone. At the time of the blast, nearly 50 persons were on duty in the 1400 hours to 2200 hours shift.

Due to the blast, a part of the plant building, as high as a seven-storeyed apartment, collapsed. Fire-tenders from Vadodara and Ahmedabad were rushed to Bharuch around midnight when the magnitude of the blast became known. (UNI)

Interpol asks world Govts to make rules for global policing

NEW DELHI, Oct 15: Expressing serious concern over the spreading tentacles of terrorism the world over, top interpol officers today asked member nations to devise rules and procedures for policing at the global level and providing legal status to red corner notices against wanted fugitives.

"Policing at the global scale is the need of this century. There can be no compromise on this...We should not let procedures defeat mandates. Un conventions and international agreements should not merely be an expression of good intentions but should facilitate action on the ground," CBI director and newly-elected Inteprol Vice President P C Sharma said at the inaugural session of interpol’s third conference on fugitives here.

He said the deteriorating international crime scene had thrown up a clear choice before the law enforcement agencies.

Highlighting the importance of interpol’s red notices, Sharma said "if all the 181 member countries of the world police start giving due attention to this notice, it will signal a revolutionary step forward and will act as a deterrent for criminals who commit a crime in one country and flee to another to escape punishment."

Interpol secretary general Ronald K Noble also supported Sharma’s contentions over the need for respecting these alert notices and said "we at our end have shortened the timeframe of issuing these notices from several months to one day."

"Law enforcement agencies throughout the world need to impress upon their respective Governments to bring about legislative measures, if necessary, to give legal sanctity to red corner notices issued by interpol", Sharma said.

Sharma also favoured simplification of extradition procedures and said "the process is too complicated in some countries that the very purpose of extradition is defeated."

The interpol secretary general said the red corner notices should be circulated and respected and the member countries require a "more pro-active" approach towards tracking the fugitives.

Noble said the world police had been able to arrest 2000 fugitives this year on the basis of the red corner notices and told the conference that interpol envisaged creation of dedicated anti-fugitive units the world over and was evolving an international look-out system by creating data-base of wanted criminals.

He also chose to sound alarm bells during his speech when he informed the police meet that interpol had a report of 250,000 passports being stolen from 29 countries. "This poses a major threat as some of them have been recovered from very dangerous people," he said without any elaboration.

The CBI Director said global co-operation was necessary not just to apprehend international terrorists, but also wanted criminals in areas of other crimes as well.

Sharma again highlighted the need for tackling financial crime which was cause of grave convcern of many developing countries.

"While we have made significant strides in apprehending fugitives associated with terrorist crimes, the situation with regard to crimes of other nature are not satisfactory," Sharma said and added that crimes like drug trafficking, counterfieting, sexual abuse of children were undermining social harmony in many parts of the world. (PTI)

Char dhams to be developed on lines of Vaishno Devi: Jagmohan

DEHRADUN, Oct 15: Union Tourism Minister Jagmohan has stressed the need to develop the shrines of Uttaranchal, especially the Badrinath shrine, on the lines of the Vaishno Devi in Jammu and Kashmir.

Inaugurating the site of the national hotel management and catering institute, he told mediapersons last evening in the Doon valley that the sacred town of Badrinath would be spruced up to boost pilgrim tourism in the hill state.

The minister said that a sewerage treatment plant would be set up and vehicles would not be allowed inside the town. Parking lots will be developed outside the town and porter facilities would be made available to devotees. He said that Gobind Ghat before Hemkund Sahib and valley of flowers would also be developed.

He said the Archaeological Survey of India would help the Government in restoring the Badrinath shrine to its erstwhile glory.

Mr Jagmohan, who recently undertook a tour to Badrinath, said the routes to the four shrines (Char Dhams) of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri would be provided with good quality facilities like restaurants, medical shops , public conveniences and telephone facilities,

He said facilities would be developed up to Joshimath to promote winter tourism in the hill state. "People from cities like Delhi can escape the winter fog and visit places like Joshimath and other hill towns which get bright sun during those months", he said.

A sum of Rs 10 crore would be spent on developing Badrinath initially, said the Tourism Minister .

The land for the hotel institute was give nat free of cost by the ONGC, the minister said. The Centre had given Rs 12 crore to the state to set up the institute. It will have a capacity for 360 students. It will be the 22nd institute of its kind in the country.

An eco-development park would also be set up in the 68 acre campus in the Doon valley, he said.

Mr Jagmohan said that India had witnessed an increase of three crore domestic tourists last year and a 15 per cent increase in the arrival of international tourists. (UNI)

Embarrassed Maharashtra Congress in confused state of mind

MUMBAI, Oct 15: Even as Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Ranjeet Deshmukh is yet to return here after getting a "dressing down" from the party leadership, over his ‘threat’ to NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Congressmen in the state were facing an embarrassing situation for the ridicule the party earned over its volte-face.

Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde is maintaining a studied silence over the entire episode while Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal of the NCP has reiterated that the issue has had no effect on the functioning of the Government.

Mr Shinde, earlier had stated that the NCP should respect the leadership of Congress as both are coalition partners in the Government. BJP Maharashtra unit president Gopinath Munde ridiculed the NCP-Cong spat and described it as "immature politics" saying that the two parties had lost face completely.

Mr Deshmukh’s "ultimatum" was to expire on the day Mrs Sonia Gandhi was to begin her two day visit to Maharashtra.

MPCC sources here feel that the Congress high command should give the state unit clear direction about what stand to adopt while dealing with Mr Pawar, so as to avoid such irritants.

"Anybody would be enraged at Mr Pawar’s recent remarks against Ms Gandhi. But, MPCC president Ranjeet Deshmukh made the mistake of issuing an ultimatum to NCP. At least, he should not have retracted his statement so early. We are now at a loss of face and in the end, Mr Deshmukh has also created problems for himself," party sources said.

Sources point out that the prospects of losing the MPCC presidentship as a fallout of the Solapur defeat had prompted Mr Deshmukh to "exceed his brief" while criticising Mr Pawar on his anti-Sonia remarks.

Sources also admit that the compulsions of remaining in power have compelled the two coalition partners to make up again. "Even Mr Pawar has slightly toned down his statements after his anti-Sonia remarks. This is sending confusing signals to the Congress grassroot workers," sources said.

Meanwhile, with elections still a year away, the picture still remains unclear about the possible NCP-Cong pre-poll alliance. Even though, the assembly as well as Lok Sabha elections are scheduled simultaneously, both the coalition partners were keen to avoid the same for facilitating the alliance at the state level and keep away the contentious foreign origin issue.

However, the possible alliance also poses a problem in terms of seat adjustments. NCP general secretary Gurunath Kulkarni said NCP should get more than 50 per cent of the seats as the party is stronger than Congress at grassroot level. The Congress leadership is also pre-occupied with the crucial elections in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhatisgarh to ponder over this issue now.

The Congress leadership is expected to take a decision on the alliance in Maharashtra after the December assembly elections. (UNI)

Uncertainty looms large over Subarnarekha irrigation project

BARIPADA, ORISSA, Oct 15: The multi-crore Subarnarekha Irrigation Project (SIP), involving the three neighboring states of Orissa, Jharkhand and West Bengal, has run into rough weather due to stiff resistance from the people to be evicted from the project areas, besides paucity of funds and heavy escalation of the project cost.

The multipurpose inter-state project in Orissa is designed to serve the twin purposes of providing assured irrigation to 1,09,629 hectares of crop land in Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts besides ensuring flood control.

Sources in the SIP said the cost of the project, which has already increased from the 1993 figures of Rs 790 crore to Rs 1755 crore is likely to go up further unless the entire required fund is placed at the disposal of project authorities and pending work speeded up.

In Jharkhand, the project was designed to ensure steady supply of irrigation water to vast stretches of arid lands, drinking water supply to the steel city of Jamshedpur and generation of hydel power for the state grid, particularly during the peak hours.

The first tripartite agreement between the three states on this inter-state project was signed by the Chief Ministers Ms Nandini Satpathy (Orissa), Dr Jagannath Mishra (erstwhile Bihar) and Mr Jyoti Basu (West Bengal) in the early 70s.

According to sources the Subarnarekha Multipurpose project would require funds to the tune of Rs 2869.76 crore to complete the pending work on the Jharkhand side. As the inter-state project is closely inter-linked with progress in the two participating states of Jharkhand and Orissa, the present political stalemate in Jharkhand has also adversely affected the project in Orissa.

The incomplete Galudih barrage in Jharkhand is designed to supply Orissa’s share of irrigation water through a 56-Km long main canal linked with a network of canal system in Orissa Mayurbhanj district.

Officials said unless Galudih barrage and Ichha dam in Jharkhand were completed, Orissa would not be able to get its share of Subarnarekha water for irrigation in two of its districts-Mayurbhanj and Balasore.

With the escalation in the project cost, Jharkhand would now require Rs 2869 crore and Orissa Rs 1755 crore respectively for the completion of the major irrigation booster project.

Orissa has so far spent Rs 4882 crore on this project and it would be prudent only to hasten the completion of the project on a war footing. When completed, the dream project, sources said would usher in a green revolution in the tribal heartland of Mayurbhanj. (UNI)

SC reserves order in Jaya case

NEW DELHI, Oct 15: The Supreme Court today reserved yet another judgment involving Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and her associates in two cases of disproportionate assets and acquisition of properties abroad.

While a bench comprising Justices S N Varieva and Mr H K Sema reserved its judgment on the petition seeking transfer outside the state the trial of two cases, another two-Judge bench headed by Mr Justice S Rajendra Babu had reserved its judgment on the Tansi land deal corruption case on September 26, last year.

Though more than a year has elapsed after the judgment was reserved, but it is yet to be pronounced.

The petition on which the judgment was reserved was filed by opposition leader in Tamil Nadu assembly K Anbazghagan.

Besides the Chief Minister, the other accused in the two cases are her friend Sasikala, her erstwhile foster son V N Sudhakaran and Ilavarasi and T T Dinakaran.

The further proceedings in the two cases, pending before a Chennai Special Court had been stayed by the Court on February 28, when the notices were issued to the Tamil Nadu Government and all the accused on the petition.

Appearing for the petitioner, senior counsel T R Andhyarujina made a forceful plea for the transfer of the cases in the interest independent trial uninfluenced by the Chief Minister, who controls the prosecution.

The counsel said that after the examination by the Chief Investigating Officer was over, the Special Court sent a questionnair under section 313 of the Criminal Procedure Code to the Chief Minister instead of her personal deposition in the Court as required under the code. The prosecution did not object to it, he added.

The counsel also submitted that before the stay of trial by the Apex Court, which was galloping, 64 of the 76 prosecution witnesses resiled from their earlier deposition. The prosecution neither reexamined them nor treated them as hostile.

He said that as Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was controlling the prosecution, all the prosecution witnesses were under threat and, therefore, the trial could not be conducted in a free and fair atmosphere.

If the trial, the counsel said, continued before the Chennai Special Court there was every possibility of miscarriage of Justice and hence, both the cases should be transferred outside the state to a Court of equal jurisdiction.

Appearing for the Chief Minister, senior counsel K K Venugopal sought dismissal of the transfer petition on the ground that material information had been supressed by the petitioner.

The counsel said that the petitioner had not brought to the notice of the Court the fact that identical petitions had been filed by the DMK activists in the Madras High Court.

He said that this petition was filed on February 5, and the High Court had reserved its judgment on the petitions on February 19. This would mean that even after the present petition was filed, the arguments in the two petitions before the hc continued.

The counsel said that both the HC and the SC had been taken for a ride in this case to gain political advantage for the opposition DMK.

He denied that the Chief Minister was manipulating and pressurising the prosecution witnesses. When the trial was almost over, it would be highly improper to transfer the two cases outside the state, he asserted.

Additional Solicitor General Altaf Ahmad, appearing for the Tamil Nadu Government opposed the transfer petition.

Mr Ahmad was, however, grilled by the Court for not cross-examining the prosecution witnesses, who turned hostile. These cases had been allowed to go the way the Best Bakery case went in Gujarat, the Court asserted.

The Court said that when contrary evidence was given by the prosecution witnesses after their recall why were they not cross-examined or declared hostile? had the state not compromised on the interest of the prosecution, the Court asked.

Mr Ahmad told that the state was prepared to change the Public Prosecutor in these cases. If the Court so desired, but there would be no justification for transferring the cases outside the state.

Sasikala counsel Vinod Bobde adopted the arguments of Mr Venugopal and urged the Court to dismiss the petition. (UNI)

New pension scheme for Govt employees from Jan 1: Gupta

NEW DELHI, Oct 15: The new pension scheme for Government employees would be in place from January 1, 2004, Finance Secretary D C Gupta said today.

"Provident fund deductions under the proposed pension scheme for new Government employees would slart on January one next," Mr Gupta said in his adjress at an insurance conference here.

The fund would be opened to non-Governmental employees at a later date after the respective legislation is enacted, he said.

Under the new pension scheme, members would get slightly more than the present pension of 50 per cent of the last drawn pay, Mr Gupta said.

The employment cut-off date for being eligible for the new scheme was yet to be decided. Under the proposed pension, members would be given options to invest their contributions in various funds —safe, balanced or equity-linked funds — depending upon their willingness to take risk to get higher returns.

The members would also have the liberty to switch from one fund to another or from one insurance company to the other.

The Government would make a matching contribution for each of its employees, the Finance Secretary said.

For private sector employees and other kinds of members, the Government understandably would not make any contribution, he clarified.

There would not be any overlapping on the present Employees Providend Fund (EPF), which implied that private sector employees would have to choose between the new scheme and the EPF, he said.

Retiring emoployees would have to buy annuity to the extent of 40 per cent of the accumulations in their pension fund, the Finance Secretary said.

The accumulated fund would be managed by insurance companies, which would be selected through competitive bidding.

The new contributory pension scheme was being introduced as the pension liability of the Centre and the State Governments had become unsustainable.

The Centre was paying as much as Rs 24,000 crore as pension, accounting for two-thirds of the Rs 36,000 crore outgo on salaries and pensions, he explained.

The Centre has already set up an interim pension regulator.

Mr Gupta, who gave the inaugural address at the eighth insurance conference organised by FICCI, said though the insurance sector was opened to the private sector more than three years ago, their market share was barely 10 per cent. Their share in rural, health and motor insurance segments was even less.

The Government was committed to helping the insurance sector for enlarging the health insurance and introducing policies covering risks arising from natural calamities such as drought and earthquakes.

The Ggovernment was also in favour of weather derivatives, monsoon futures and credit derivatives.

In his keynote address, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) chairman C S Rao said Life Insurance had registered a growth of 26 per cent and general insurance 23 per cent in the last two years. The average growth was 25 per cent.

The total premium income of the Indian Insurance Industry in 2002-03 was placed at Rs 71376.11 crore, of which Life Insurance alone accounted for 78 per cent.

An IRDA committee was looking into brokerage commission and the remuneration structure for insurance agents. The authority recognised the importance of intermediaries in insurance business.

IRDA would continue to monitor the progress of the industry and make changes wherever necessary in consultation with the sector, Mr Rao said. (UNI)

RSS lauds Centre’s initiatives on Ayodhya march

NEW DELHI, Oct 15: Terming the Centre’s move to restore normal movement of trains to Ayodhya "in tune with its commitment to the larger goal of Ram Janmabhoomi movement," RSS chief K S Sudrashan warned the Uttar Pradesh Government against adopting confrontationist postures by preventing Ram Bhakts from reaching the Temple town for the VHP Sankalp Sammelan on Friday.

"The present actions of the State Government are provocative, unwarranted and confrontationist. We urge the State Government to act in line with the actions of the Central Government and withdraw all those measures that are creating hurdles for Ram Bhakts to reach Ayodhya," Mr Sudarshan said.

Hailing the Central Government’s gesture of restoring normal movement of all train services to Ayodhya, he said it was in tune with its commitment to the larger goal of Ram Janmabhoomi movement, even as the Government made it clear that it would not brook any attempt to disturb communal harmony in the Temple town.

He said the State Government should also pursue the path of "restraint and non-confrontation" and trust the commitment given by the VHP that the programme would be completed in a most peaceful and constitutional manner.

The RSS chief, who had a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee yesterday on the Ayodhya situation, said Mr Vajpayee had also indicated his belief that the VHP’s programme would be a peaceful one.

In a statement, Mr Sudarshan said the RSS had extended its support to the VHP’s Sankalp Sammelan with the commitment that it would be a peaceful and constitutional programme to demonstrate popular urge for a magnificent Ram Temple at Ayodhya.

"We call upon all the Ram Bhakts and the leaders of the movement to carry it forward in the same spirit. No action by way of words or deeds that goes against the spirit of peace and goodwill should be allowed even in the face of extreme provocation," he said.

Mr Sudarshan also appealed to the leaders of the Ayodhya movement to maintain utmost restraint in their articulation and activities so that the programme passes off peacefully, enhancing the prestige of the movement as well as the organsations that are leading it.’’

He said the popular sentiment in favour of the Temple had been fortified after the recent Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) report which conclusively established the fact that a Temple existed there which was demolished to make way for the Babri structure.

"We are hopeful that all sections of the society, including Muslims and the political establishment, will come round to the fact that this is not a Hindu-Muslim dispute and it is a matter of the nation’s self-respect and honour, and the only solution to this issue is to respect the Hindu sentiments and restore the land to the Ram Janambhoomi Nyas for the construction of a Ram Temple there."

Union Minister of State for Home Swami Chinmayanand, himself a VHP activist, meanwhile said the Centre would leave no stone unturned to avoid ‘confrontation’ of any sort and law and order would reamin its top priority.

Swami Chinmayanad, one of the founders of Ram Temple movement in Ayodhya, has been asked to coordinate with VHP leaders to convince them to avoid confrontation.

"Hopefully, the programme will pass off peacefully with allowing the restricted number of VHP activists being the prerogative of the State Government," he said. (UNI)

Re-export or destroy hazardous waste at importers cost: SC

NEW DELHI, Oct 15: Taking serious note of blatant violation of the ban imposed on import of hazardous waste to India, the Supreme Court in a major order has directed the authorities to re-export or destroy these waste material consignments lying at various ports at the cost of importers.

Giving a 52-page order on a petition filed by Research Foundation For Science and Technology, a bench comprising Justice Y K Sabharwal and Justice B N Agrawal said "there cannot be any question of permitting these consignments making their way to the Indian soil".

The bench said those consignments of hazardous waste, banned under the rules made up-to-date with the items mentioned in the basel convention, "have either to be re-exported, if permissible, or destroyed at the ultimate risk, cost and the consequence of the importer."

It said the waste material, permissible to be imported under the rules, but lying at the ports without a trace of the importers, could be released/disposed of or auctioned in terms of the rules to the registered recyclers or reprocessors.

The Apex Court noticed that about 80 per cent of the country’s hazardous waste is generated in the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

"Strict monitoring to ensure compliance of directions, rules and regulations so as to ensure minimising of the generation of hazardous waste and its proper handling, is required more in these states...," it said.

The bench said that before clearance of any hazardous waste import to India, the port and customs authorities would ensure that the consignment in question corresponded with the form sent by the country of export.

It said that the CPCB, for a period of two years, would be empowered to monitor the import of hazardous waste and clarified that it was empowered to undertake random check from time to time as safeguard.

The Court felt that for effective implementation of its various directions to curb import of hazardous waste material as well as minimise their production in India, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) should be strengthened.

Accepting the arguments of petitioner’s counsel Sanjay Parikh and CPCB counsel Vijay Panjwani, the bench said the CPCB and SPCBs should be provided with requisite infrastructure so that they could frame guidelines in this regard and monitor its implementation.

It directed all spcbs to prepare inventory regarding generation of hazardous waste and filing of the same before the Apex Court after their verification by CPCB.

"The toxic inventory with regard to hazardous waste dump sites in different states should be prepared by SPCBs and after verification by CPCB, shall be filed in this Court so that the orders can be passed on the same being treated as authenticated national inventory on hazardous waste dump sites," it said. (PTI)

| home | state | national | business| editorial | advertisement | sports |
| international | weather | mailbag | suggestions | search | subscribe | send mail |