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Kolkata, July 30 (ANI): Mamata Banerjee, chief of Trinamool Congress and an ally of the ruling alliance, on Tuesday lashed out at Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for being unfair in handling the bifurcation of Eastern Railways. The Union Cabinet on Monday endorsed a decision by the Railway Ministry to bifurcate Eastern Railways, shocking Trinamool Congress which opposed the move. Banerjee said the Prime Minister's Office did not play its rightful role in the issue. "I still feel that the Prime Minister's office has been hijacked. Who is the real Prime Minister of our country? I feel sorry that there are opposition parties in our country who are yet to play their roles properly. "Had they played their role rightfully then we would not have been forced to raise this question. But we have been observing for quite a few days that the Prime Minister has been isolated," Banerjee told reporters in Kolkata. Banerjee, who belongs to West Bengal, is opposing the bifurcation move saying it would harm the economic interests of the state, while neighbouring Bihar and Jharkhand stood to gain. Banerjee said Defence Minister George Fernades had conveyed to her that Vajpayee had tried his best to resolve the issue. "This is for your information that George Fernandes called me up at 10:30 in the night. He told me over the phone that the Prime Minister tried his best but could not succeed. I said enough is enough," said Banerjee. The controversy erupted when the Railway Ministry decided to bifurcate Eastern Railways into two zones, one based at Malda in Kolkata and the other in Hajipur in Bihar, from October 1, 2002. It says the creation of smaller zones will increase efficiency and operational functioning of the railways. Banerjee added she could not be persuaded by sops offered by the federal government. "He also said that what if we give you some economic package (in return of us agreeing to the eastern railways bifurcation issue), I said that how can this be possible. Let me tell you that they tried to please me by offering a cabinet berth for overlooking the interest of West Bengal. I cannot accept this," said Banerjee. The decision to bifurcate the eastern railway zone in 1996 was lying dormant till Railway Minister Nitish Kumar who belongs to Bihar brought it up again. Political parties in West Bengal and Bihar are deeply divided over the bifurcation issue.(ANI) Mamata all set to part company with NDA
Kolkata, July 30 (ANI): The Vajpayee Cabinet's decision to back railway minister Nitish Kumar's move to create new zones and in the process bifurcate Eastern Railway will invariably prompt Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee to part company with the NDA. Ms Banerjee, who was depending on the Prime Minister's authority and clout in the NDA to reverse Kumar's move to "cripple West Bengal's economy," has naturallby been disappointed by the manner in which he failed to assert himself at the crucial Cabinet meeting on Monday and simply succumbed to pressures exerted on him by the railway minister and the deputy Prime Minister L.K.Advani on the contentious issue. Political observers feel the Trinamul Congress' formal dissociation from the ruling coalition is now simply a matter of time as Ms Banerjee has decided to target the "BJP-Samata party combine for its evil design to harm national unity in order to serve their narrow political interests." The Trinamul Congress chairperson's growing disenchantment with the BJP's apex leadership is also evident from her party's decision to oppose the BJP candidate in the governing body election of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi. Trinamul Congress MP Dr Ranjit Panja, who is pitted against the BJP's Lal Bihari Tiwari, has already sought the support of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and other opposition parties like Samajwadi party and the Telugu Desham party to ensure his victory. Earlier, the BJP's chief whip in the Lok Sabha, V.K. Malhotra, is believed to have turned down Panja's plea not to put his party's nominee against him. Dr Panja, who happens to be one of the top skin disease specialists in the country, hopes to sail through with the support of MPs belonging to opposition parties as well as NDA partners sans the BJP and the Samata party. Ms Banerjee's charge against the railway minister about "suppressing the truth behind the Godhra train carnage to get the Cabinet's nod for his bifurcation move" will certainly further antagonise the BJP leadership in general and Advani in particular. The Trinamul Congress leader, who had gone out of her way to support the BJP in the Lok Sabha on the Gujarat issue at a critical hour, is now all set to rake up the sensitive Godhra issue to "expose the unholy BJP-Samata party nexus." Her critical remarks have not only closed all the options for her re-induction to the Vajpayee Cabinet, but will also pave the way of her party's eventual separation from the NDA. According to informed sources, the Trinamul Congress supremo is considering a multi-pronged strategy to stall Eastern Railway's bifurcation and simultaneously exploit it as a political issue both against the Centre and the CPI(M)-led Left Front government. The huge turnout at her party's Martyrs' Day rally here on July 21 has convinced Ms Banerjee that she will be able to exploit the emotive issue to gain political advantage before the next panchayat polls. Trinamul Congress intends to organise a mass signature campaign, demonstrations at railway stations and rallies to create public opinion aginst the railway minister's "move to harm Bengl's economy" and the state government's "seemingly indifferent attitude towards the people's plight." Ms Banerjee has already accused the Marxists of playing second fiddle to Kumar and the BJP over the bifurcation issue and pointed out how chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has remained content with making only a token protest against the move. In fact, the Marxists' attempts to play down the danger inherent in Eastern Railway's bifurcation have prompted the Trinamul Congress supremo to charge the Left Front government with "hatching a conspiracy with the BJP-led Centre" to undermine her movement on the issue. The CPI(M) has been echoing Kumar's charge that Ms Banerjee had nothing to stall creation of new zones during her tenure as the railway minister, though the fact remains that she had virtually kept the 1996 Cabinet decision in cold storage. The CPI(M)'s discomfiture over the bifurcation move is understandable as the party had virtually supported the 1996 Cabinet decision when the United Front was in power. While CPI leader and former union home minister Indrajit Gupta formally endorsed the then railway minister Ram Vilas Paswan's move, the CPI(M), which was supporting the government from outside, had not raised any objection. This is precisely the reason for which the Marxists have kept their protest against the bifurcation move at a low key. The CPI(M)'s decision to organise mass demonstrations in the wake of last night's Cabinet support to the railway minister is simply a balancing act to neutralise the political impact of Ms Banerjee's strong reaction. The Trinamul Congress supremo has also effectively foiled the BJP's move to split her parliamentary party with a lure of Cabinet berths. All the Trinamul Congress MPs and MLAs, barring rebel MP Ajit Panja who has been a secret entente with the CPI(M), are solidly behind Ms Banerjee and are expected to support her political decisions in the wake of the Cabinet's endorsement of the railway minister's move. Ms Banerjee is expected to formalise her anti-Centre crusade over the bifurcation issue at a meeting of her party's working committee on Wednesday.(ANI) Dry spell hits Orissa farmers, Delhi too in distress
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to top Bhubaneswar, July 30 (ANI): Farmers in Orissa, like their counterparts in other regions of the country, are victims of scant rainfall, relentless heat and a continuing dry spell this year. Weather officials have said that the state is facing its worst drought in over 15 years. The magnitude of losses witnessed this year are equal to that suffered in 1986, the farmers claim. According to meteorologists, Orissa has received 34 per cent less rain this year, the worst deficiency percentage in 40 years. The entire standing paddy crop is lost. The farmers now are thinking of sowing drought-resistant crops next season. "Don't ask about the crop. This time, we have totally lost our crop. This is generally the time when we transport our crop to other places, but this year there has been no work due to absence of rains," said Pravakar Jena, a worried farmer. Meteorologists foresee little chance of an improvement in drought-hit areas over the next few days. The government of Orissa state has said that district offiicals have been instructed to take up relief work. "There is no expectation that there will be rain in the near future. We have already submitted a preliminary report to the Central government and asked Collectors to start labour-intensive work so that the people don't go outside the state for their living. We have placed funds with the Collectors for protecting irrigations like pumps and other things and for providing some sort of support to the farmers," said Biswabhushan Harichandan, Revenue Minister of Orissa. The Central Agriculture Ministry says rainfall across India has averaged 25.03 centimetres this monsoon, compared with an average of 33.32 centimetres last year. Even Delhi has missed its date with mansoon. The once verdant field near the Capital lies barren and shows huge cracks. Farmers sit idle and discuss their misfortune even as many try to get their rusted tubewells work again. They are also worried that their animals might not give them enough support as they are hungry, weak and sick. "The dry spell has hit animals the most. Even humans have been affected. The whole body itches due to the dryness. All those animals who were in perfect health are now sick and weak because they don't get green fodder," said Pyare Lal, a farmer. "This time around, the situation is really bad. The crop planted has been completely destroyed and there are indications that our next crop might also go the same way," added Kishori Lal, another farmer. The situation is the same in areas of northern Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Harayana, Rajasthan, Karnataka and southern Tamil Nadu state. Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh and northeastern Aruncahal Pradesh are also reeling under a prolonged dry spell. Indian Agriculture Minister Ajit Singh said on Monday that the drought afflicting large parts of the country was worsening but it was too early to quantify the damage caused by it.(ANI)
Attari-Wagah com link snapped Go to top Amritsar July 30 (ANI): Pakistan railway authorities have disconnected the only communication link between Attari (India) and Wagah (Pakistan) railway stations. According to sources, Pakistan railway officials presumably on the government's instructions have disconnected the Magneto telephone, which was used by the station masters of both the railway stations for obtaining and giving signals for the smooth operation of railway traffic. After the terrorist attack on parliament, India had banned the "Samjhauta Express" running between Attari and Wagah. In retaliation, the Pakistan government didn't allow the goods train from India to enter its territory. The railway authorities several times attempted to connect their counterparts in Pakistan, but to no avail. It is to be noted that 142 loaded bogies, including 19 Pakistan bogies, are strandard at Attari while another 49 empty Pak bogies are parked at Attari. It is believed the same number of Indian bogies are in possession of Pak authorities.(ANI)
Tourists trickling in, Varanasi getting back its visitors
Go to top Varanasi, July 30 (ANI): The spectre of a war between India and Pakistan had forced the western countries to ask their nationals to leave India and order potential tourists not to undertake journeys to this country. But now with tension eased at the border, various countries have lifted the restrictions on their citizens. As a result, tourist inflow is showing signs of improvement. Although the period between July and September is considered an "off season" by the locals, scores of foreigners can be seen strolling at the banks of the river Ganga that glides by the shores of this 5,000-year-old city. Some enjoy boat rides, others take a massage under the Indian sun while some are vigorously engaged in clicking their cameras. The tourists say that they get spiritual solace and find peace in Varansi. "I think people of Varansi are not involved in war, I feel free and I feel peace here. I feel very free," said Vincent, a French traveller. Helen, a German, stated that "our government advised not to come because of the tensions but an indiviual can decide what she wants to do. I don't feel any problem and feel stable. I am absolutely not afraid." The tourists also feel that the situation was hyped and it was politically motivated. "My strong belief is that everybody is manipulated ...everybody. When you read the newspapers in France or America, they ask their citizens to come back but it is all politics," according to Herve, another French national who believes Indian spirituality is missing in the West. The rise in number of tourists has been welcomed by the many in Varansi as they depend on tourism for their livelihood." "Slowly tourists are coming in and we are getting bookings from people. We will profit from this in October. Tourist inflow has increased by 10-15 per cent," said Gokul Sharma, secretary of the Hotels Association. However, he feels that it will take another two months for the situation to become normal. This holy city is a huge draw for international tourists with its promise of spiritual enlightenment and a raw, rustic, wholly Indian charm. (ANI)
Call to develop rural areas in Saarc region Go to top New Delhi, July 30 (ANI): Minister of State for Science and Technology Bachi Singh Rawat has urged SAARC countries to focus on the development of rural areas to fight poverty and unemployment. The second meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Technical Committee on Science and Technology got underway in capital on Tuesday. Delegates from all the seven member countries - Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India - participated in the meeting to exchange views to enhance development in the region. The first meeting of SAARC technical committee was held in January 2001. Inaugurating the meeting, Rawat urged member countries to enhance development in rural areas to tackle problems like poverty and unemployment. "The SAARC countries are under great pressure of poor economic condition and increase in unemployment and poverty and drudgery among the rural people. The rural areas are actually the nerve centres of SAARC countries because almost 80 percent of the population live in villages and contribute greatly to the national economy. As such, any effort on bringing about development and prosperity should focus on the development of rural areas," said Rawat. The minister stressed on the need to introduce science and technology in rural industry to improve the skills of rural workers and artisans making their products competitive and the place financially attractive to the entrepreneurs. "Imparting technical knowledge and skills and dissemination of information on science and technology to the rural poor is a gigantic task. For this, it is necessary to adopt special training, demonstration methods and create an appropriate instututional mechanism for human resource development," said Rawat. The SAARC technical committee on science and technology has identified several key areas for collaboration among member countries. The meeting will provide member countries an opportunity to deliberate on various projects for the economic development and progress of the SAARC region.(ANI) Dozens of "langars" on way to Amarnath
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top Jammu, July 30 (ANI): Dozens of community kitchens dot the
route to the Amarnath cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir, The community kitchens, known as "langars" in local parlance, have been organised by several non-government and religious organisations and private individuals. "We have kept several varieties of food because pilgrims from different parts of the country come here. We have more than 100 items on the menu which we change every two hours to enable pilgrims to enjoy every variety," said Yonginder Shukla, one of the organisers of a community kitchen. "Everyday around 7,000 to 8,000 pilgrims take food at our community kitchen," he added. The pilgrims visiting the kitchens are all praise for the arrangements. "The food arrangement is excellent. A variety of food is available here which is served fresh and hot. It is never stale," said Krishan Kumar who came from Bihar. Many even found the whole concept of community meals inspiring. "These community kitchens are really good. People who are incharge of these kitchens work without any selfish motive. It has really encouraged us to come back again next year and set up one such community kitchen ourselves so that we too serve the people," said Ashok Talwar, a pilgrim from New Delhi. So far, 63,000 devotees have visited the cave shrine, discovered by a Muslim shepherd in the 16th century.(ANI)
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which is being visited by pilgrims in thousands.
The cave shrine is situated 13,500 feet above sea level.
Set up deep in the Himalayas, the cave houses an ice formation in
the shape of a phallus, symbolising Lord Shiva, god of
destruction and preservation.