 |
|
Kant's death: Parliament adjourned, Varanasi friends grieved
New Delhi/Varanasi, July 29 (ANI): Both Houses of Praliament were adjourned on Monday without conducting any business after paying homage to Vice-President Krishan Kant. The mortal remains of the 75-year-old Kant, India's first Vice- President to die in office, were consigned to flames here on Sunday. He died on Saturday morning at All India Institute of Medical Sciences where he was admitted following a massive heart attack in the early hours. Recalling Kant's services to the nation, Manohar Joshi, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, read out a statement. Later the House observed a two-minute silence in honour of the departed soul and adjourned for the day. A similar statement was read by Najma Heptullah, Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, before it was adjourned for the day. As per constitution, the Indian Vice-president is also the presiding officer of the Upper House. Meanwhile, in the ancient town of Varanasi, Kant's friends, who studied in the city's famous Benaras Hindu University with him, expressed grief over his death on Sunday. There was also a pall of gloom at the local Lajpat Rai School which Kant attended in his childhood. "The man who brought so much fame to our school is no more. He was to come here. It was postponed. I do not know why he was not able to make it. We are very sad," said the headmaster, Shamsul Haque. Kant played an active role in the democracy movement launched by veteran socialist Jayaprakash Narayan in 1975 when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had imposed emergency in the country. Kant, Governor of Andhra Pradesh before he became Vice- President, had earlier fought for independence from Britain. (ANI) Domicile stir takes a new turn
Ranchi, July 29 (ANI): The ongoing agitation by students in Jharkhand against the government's domicile policy took a new turn when members of the state secretariat joined their cause on Monday. Jharkhand has been on the boil since the state government announced the controversial domicile policy which makes it mandatory for job-seekers to prove their ancestral roots in the state as far back as 1932. At least, 5,000 state government employees locked themselves up inside the secretariat building and blocked all entry and exit points. Most of the employees were transferred from Bihar after Jharkhand was carved out in November 2000. "We will live and die with pride. We will not compromise with our dignity, whether this government remains (in power) or not," said one of the employees, speaking from inside the secretariat building. Anti-domicile policy student groups have defied curfew orders and damaged shops and government offices in the last few weeks. The issue has sharply divided students in the state with pro and anti groups resorting to shutdowns and disruption of train services. According to the new domicile policy, only those persons who have their land registered in the survey records of 1932 would be considered citizens of Jharkhand and be eligible for government jobs. Descendants of people who settled after 1932 would be considered as outsiders and are barred from seeking government jobs in class III and IV categories. Political parties are now seeking the federal government's intervention on the issue. The state's political parties are also deeply divided over the policy.(ANI) Bollywood-underworld nexus unearthed
Go
to top Mumbai, July 29(ANI): Police on Monday sought to establish a nexus between the Bollywood and the underworld by releasing audio tapes of a conversation between a filmstar and a don. The police released the taped conversation between a leading filmstar Sanjay Dutt and Chhota Shakeel, a Karachi-based don. Noted film director Mahesh Manjrekar also featured in the conversation. The conversation was taped in December 2000, when Sanjay Dutt and one of his friends were at a hotel in Nasik. In the recored tape, Sanjay Dutt begins the conversation, asking for a chip or a mobile phone card, from the underworld don. Names of several Indian filmstars figured in the conversation. The taped conversation has been submitted as evidence in the Bharat Shah case, in which Shah was accused of financing films produced by underworld dons. Dutt was arrested under Terrorist and Anti Disruptive Activities Act (TADA), in July, 1994 on conspiracy charges in the 1993 seriel bomb blasts case.The explosions rocked Mumbai on March 12, 1993 when more than 250 people were killed. He was also charged with possessing illegal weapons. After spending several months in jail, Dutt was released after the controversial law was scrapped. The taped conservations is as follows:
Sanjay Dutt: Bhai, that chip was about to come
All districts of Chhattisgarh are declared drought-hit after failure of annual monsoon rains. Go to top
(RAIPUR--ANI, JULY 29, 2002) A day after his government declared all districts of the tribal dominated "We are trying to save the crops that can be saved. We are providing connectrions of electrical pumps to make the most of the available water, if any, in village tanks. We are also digging new tubewells wherever possible, trying to channelise rivers and streams wherever possible for some irrigation water. We have started a control room for drought. The government's Agriculture department along with the Agriculture University are handling it jointly," he added. Farmers in the state are a worried lot as most of their crop is damaged. They fear that if it does not rain in the next couple of days the remaining crop will be completely destroyed.Already the entire paddy crop is destroyed in some parts and farmers feel the rain at this stage will not provide any succour.In fact, many drought-hit states in the country are examining the extent of crop damage and the possibilities of re-sowing or growing alternative crops.(ANI, JULY 29, 2002)
SC asks Cauvery panel to meet by Aug 12
Go to top New Delhi, July 29 (ANI): The Supreme Court has asked the Cauvery Water Monitoring Committee to meet by August 12 and give its recommendations on the long-standing water dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka within a week. The order was passed by a three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice B.N. Kirpal, Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justice Arijit Pasayat. The order was passed on an application moved by Tamil Nadu alleging that Karnataka had released only seven TMC feet of water in June and July as against its share of 52 TMC feet. As a result, the crops had been severely damaged, the application said. (ANI)
Hunt for criminals reportedly hiding in Rajaji Park Go to top Dehradun, July 29 (ANI): Security has been tightened in Rajaji National Park near here following intelligence reports that criminals are using the sanctuary for shelter. Police officials say that many anti-social elements have taken to housing themselves in "gujjar" (tribal) huts spread all across the 820 sq.km park, which is a famous reserve of over 150 wild Asiatic elephants. Park rangers, who have been given more weapons, have intensified combing operations to flush out any suspicious character. Thorough searches are being regularly made of the forest and of the tribal huts dotting the park. "We are keeping a watch on the hunters. We are combing all huts of the tribals carefully. If we see suspicious persons, we arrest them to ensure that anti-social elements don't make these tribal huts their bases," said Jagannath Sharma, a range officer of the park. According to him, security has been more stringent now that several routes are blocked by uprooted trees following monsoon rains. He added there are fears that Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence has several of its operatives in this elephant reserve. Tribal residents of Rajaji Park also corroborate this claim. "They come from outside and they kill animals. Then they take them away without anybody finding out. Yes, even some Pakistani nationals conceal themselves here," said S.P. Singh, a tribal resident. Residents added they are afraid that the situation may get out of control. Even otherwise, the park is burdened with problems of poaching, timber smuggling, man-animal conflict and encroachments. It was declared a sanctuary for elephants in 1991- 2 under Project Elephant, a Government of India scheme. Besides elephants, it has tigers, leopards, spotted deer, wild boars, sloth bears, barking deer, porcupines, jungle fowl hornbills and pythons.(ANI) Indo-Pak talks, Korean summit are two ASEAN goals
Go to
top Seoul, July 29 (ANI): The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is likely to call for fresh talks on Tuesday for India and Pakistan to take all necessary steps to defuse tension and resume dialogue. It also wants an end to the Korean stand-off. The 10 nation's Foreign Minister-level meeting in Brunei is expected to issue the appeals in a communique ahead of the arrival of US Secretary of State Colin Powell. "We call for further promotion of the peace process on the Korean peninsula and emphasise the importance of holding the second inter-Korean summit", said a draft of a joint ASEAN communique. Powell is due in Brunei late on Tuesday. The Foreign Ministers began two days of talks on Monday to finalise the wording on the communique, which is to be issued at the close of their meeting on Tuesday. Powell would attend the 23-member ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Brunei on Wednesday, a dialogue which brings together Southeast Asian Foreign Ministers with their counterparts from 22 countries, including North Korea, South Korea, China and Japan. The ASEAN has Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam as its members. (ANI)
|
Chhattisgar as drought-hit, chief minister Ajit Jogi on Sunday (July 28) said that centre's funds would be crucial for providing relief to thousands of affected farmers.Speaking to journalists at his residence Jogi said this was the first time that the monsoon had failed in the month of Asharh."This is the first time that the rains have failed during the month of Asharh (one of the months when it rains in India) when the farmers sow their crops. So we did a survey..reports came in from all district collectorates. And on the basis of thses reports we have declared all the 16 districts of the state drought-hit. We have asked the central government to provide us with an assistance of Rs 1700 crores in terms of cash and crops to provide employment, drinking water and other necessary things to the people of the state," Jogi said.