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Handicrafts fair begins in Capital

     New Delhi: The five-day long exhibition of handicrafts - Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair - began at the ITPO's (India Trade Promotion Organisation) Pragati Maidan today in the Capital. Union Textiles Minister Shankarsinh Vaghela inaugurated the 19th edition of the Fair. Around 1500 exhibitors from across the country are displaying their products in more than 800 types of designs, styles, colour concepts, and raw material. More than 8000 overseas buyers from countries like the US, Germany, UK, France, Switzerland, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Israel, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, South Africa are expected to attend the fair during the next five days. One of the highlights of the handicrafts fair is the visit of journalists of overseas business magazines with the objective of seeing wide and varied varieties of products on display. Their visit is expected to create awareness among the businessmen in Europe, US, and LAC, Africa and CIS countries about the Indian products, their quality, prices, and competitiveness. Speaking on the occasion, Vaghela said that the world trade in handicrafts is to the tune of 100 billion dollars and India's share in the same is negligible. Therefore, he said, there was a great need to strategise the export promotion measures to increase the country's share in the world market. According to EPCH (Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts), handicrafts exports in 2003-04 touched Rs 10,465 crore registering an increase of more than 25 percent compared to the previous financial year. The total quantum of handicrafts exports is likely to increase further this year.

Goa Speaker denies CM chamber to Rane (Go To Top)

     Panaji: It has been three weeks when Pratap Singh Rane was sworn in as Goa's new Chief Minister, but till date he has not been allotted the CM Chamber inside the state Assembly premises. The Congressmen allege that Assembly Speaker Vishwas Satarkar, who won his Assembly seat on a BJP ticket, has denied the designated chamber to Rane because of sheer political reasons. Rane heads a Congress government in the state. The chamber that should have been handed over to Pratapsingh Rane, is still with the ex-CM Manohar Parrikar. Congress MLAs blame the Speaker for not being fair to the present government in power, and says that he conducts business according to his political leanings. "It is unfortunate that height of partisan approach seen in the Goa legislature with the behaviour and action of the Speaker. We deplore that such a thing happened. We deplore that he continues not to recognise the present government in power. We also fear that he will not give away specific orders for the sitting arrangements in the House as he has done during the last occasion where he safeguarded the interest of the party in power at that time by making Philipe Neri Rodriguez to sit on the same treasury bench which were awarded to them as ministers of that government," said Jitendra Deshprabhu, spokesperson of the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee. While on the one hand, the Congress is taking up issue of partisanship against the Speaker whereas NDA is blaming S.C. Jamir, the Governor of Goa for being partial to Congress. Erstwhile CM and a BJP MLA Manohar Parrikar said: "I am not able to understand that when one proposal is passed in the House then how can another proposal be passed till the first one is denied. So according to the House enjoy the pleasure of of the House but probably Pratap Singh Rane enjoys the pleasure of the Governor. Now, it is to see which pleasure is legally correct." Parrikar's government was dismissed by State Governor S.C. Jamir on Feb 2, 2005.

Anup Chetia urges B'desh not to hand him over to India (Go To Top)
by Nazrul Islam

     Dhaka: India's one of the most wanted persons, Anup Chetia, now in a Dhaka jail has reportedly urged the Bangladesh government to hand him over to a 'neutral' country instead of India. Chetia, the founding general secretary and commander in chief of arms wing of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), who's seven-year jail term in Bangladesh expired on Friday remained in safe custody here. Private news agency Bangladesh News 24 reported quoting Chetia's counsel that he sought political asylum to any other country. "He seeks political asylum in any European country after completing his pending formalities in courts in Bangladesh," a human rights activist told the news agency. As two writ petitions -- one regarding his life security and another for political asylum-- are now pending in Bangladesh High Court, Chetia and two of his associates have to stay in safe custody, said advocate Elina Khan. It is learnt, one of his lawyers, Sigma Huda, met with Anup Chetia in custody after completing his imprisonment tenure and is trying to negotiate with a "neutral" country to hand him over. Indian government had long been perusing an extradition treaty to take Chetia back home. Bangladesh was still reviewing one such request from India, foreing ministry sources said. A court has sentenced the Indian separatist leader to seven years in jail for the illegally entering into Bangladesh and possession of a satellite phone illegally. Chetia, wanted by Assam police in several cases involving killing, kidnapping and extortion, was arrested in Dhaka in 1997.

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