Home   Contact Us                                                                        Dateline New Delhi, Saturday, April 5, 2003

Bangalore audience rocks with Rolling Stones

          Bangalore, Apr 5: One of the world's oldest rock n'roll bands, the Rolling Stones, performed their first-ever Indian concert here on Friday. An estimated 20,000 diehard fans braved a downpour to see the veteran British rockers in the Palace Grounds, owned by a former maharaja in the city and now known as a rock music haven as well as a hub of technology. Teenagers and people in their 40s and 50s, who had bought tickets priced between Rs 500 and Rs 1500, had a rocking time, clapping, dancing and whistling for the rolling boys of rock.

'Two-thirds majority in Parliament is BJP aim'

          Indore, Apr 5: The Bharatiya Janata Party said on Saturday it aimed to bag 300 seats in next year's general elections. With five states, including key Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, set to vote this year and national polls due in 2004, analysts see a stiff competition between BJP and main opposition Congress Party ahead. "We should work like a mission and the target is 300 ... (Contd)

Fierce fighting on at gate of Baghdad

          Baghdad, Apr 5: Tanks and armoured vehicles on Saturday launched their first fierce attack on Baghdad city and fought skirmishes with Iraq's elite Special Republican Guard, officials said. Two task forces went up to the Tigris river from the southern outskirts of the city before moving west towards the airport, Major-General Victor Renuart told a news briefing at the US central command in Doha, Qatar. Gen Renuart said the coalition forces could move in and out of Baghdad whenever they wished.

          Pentagon has confirmed reports of 18 allied soldiers missing in action and seven captured by the Iraqi troops. Iraqi Information Minister Mohammad Said al-Sahhaf claimed that coalition troops had been chased out of Saddam International Airport, which they had seized the day before, a TV channel reported. Earlier, a US spokesman described the operation as the beginning of "rolling patrols". BBC correspondents, however, said they had not seen US troops in the centre of Baghdad.

          Meanwhile, President Saddam Hussein has urged the Iraqi army and people to step up their attacks on the coalition forces, according to a statement read out on state television.

US tank commander shot dead near Baghdad  (Go To Top)

          Baghdad, Apr 5: A US tank commander was killed and two other soldiers were wounded Saturday during a drive through Baghdad where they encountered intense Iraqi fire, according to a military source. A battalion of US tanks rolled into Baghdad early Saturday, as dozens of destroyed Iraqi military vehicles were left burning after clashes with US troops on the streets of a Baghdad neighbourhood close to the airport road where artillery fire continued, the source said. The push by some 30 tanks from a US infantry division came after earlier reports of violent exchanges in an area of the Iraqi capital about 10 kilometres from the centre.

US 'rift' on post-war Iraq set-up  (Go To Top)

          Washington, Apr 5: A rift between the State Department and the Pentagon that began as a squabble over humanitarian aid in Iraq has turned into a bitter dispute over the immediate post-war administration of the country, the News quoted senior US officials as saying on Friday. While careful not to imply that the split would hamper the coalition war effort or damage the long-term goal of returning Iraq to the Iraqi people, the officials said it was complicating plans to set up a functioning interim authority quickly. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said traditional inter-agency rivalries had been exacerbated by uncertainty of the situation on the ground as the war rages on.

US writes off a billion dollar Pak loan  (Go To Top)

          Islamabad, Apr 5: The United States on Saturday waived off a one billion dollar loan owed by Pakistan, a press report said. Washington decided to write off Pakistan's one billion dollar debt last year. "The latest gesture represents a promise kept and another milestone in our expanding relationship," Nancy Powell, US ambassador to Pakistan, told reporters. Shaukat Aziz, advisor to Prime Minister Jamali, said the United States had given 3 billion dollar aid to Pakistan since the war on terror was launched. Pakistan has received substantial international financial support, including the rescheduling of its 12.5 billion dollar foreign debt through the Paris Club of bilateral donors in December 2001.

WHO studying SARS and its remedies  (Go To Top)

          New Delhi, Apr 5: World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Saturday it was collaboratively studying the epidemiology of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) or Killer Pneumonia, which has claimed more than 80 lives worldwide. Addressing delegates during a conference on Tuberculosis in the Capital, Director-General of World Health Organisation Gro Harlem Brundtland said the organisation was still studying the exact nature of the disease and its remedies.

           The epidemic has so far claimed 84 lives and affected more than 2350 people in Southeast Asia, spreading to 19 countries. Although WHO says the disease is less infectious than influenza and the death rate from SARS so far has been between three and four per cent, experts say patients in areas without good medical facilities face a higher mortality risk.

           The WHO has issued an unprecedented warning against travel to Hong Kong and Chinese city of Guangdong and foreign diplomats and businessmen have shipped their families back home. Brundtland said strict guidelines have been given to medical authorities worldwide to cope with future health crisis.

           The Indian Health Ministry has asked all international airports and seaports to screen passengers coming from the 15 identified countries, where the pneumonia is prevalent. Airline crews have been alerted to look out for any passengers with symptoms and asked to report such cases to the medical units available at the disembarking points. India-bound passengers are also being asked to fill up an additional proforma on their medical history and travel details during the immediate past. All Indian missions abroad have been asked to screen visa-seekers for possible carriers of the killer virus.

Students up in arms over demolition of old college building  (Go To Top)

          Chennai, Apr 5: College students in Chennai are up in arms over the State Government's move to demolish a heritage college building for a new secretariat. Students of Queen Mary's College took to the streets on Saturday to protest against Chief Minister Jayaram Jayalalitha's statement in the State Asembly to demolish the eight-decade-old college building. The Government said its secretariat would be moved from the historical Fort St. George to the sprawling college campus. Hundreds of college students blocked the city roads to register their protest.

           "This is the first women's college in Chennai. We want it. We don't want it to be demolished and this is not proper on the government's part to do this. That's what we feel," said Archana, a college student. Jayalalitha on Friday told the State Assembly that the existing Secretariat complex could not accommodate the increased staff strength and thousands of people who visit it everyday.

           "In spite of severe financial crisis the government has decided to construct a new administrative complex in the place where the present Queen's Mary college functions. The college would be shifted to the adjacent Lady Wellington College campus. I hope the House would welcome the government's decision," Jayalalitha told the state Assembly.

          Queen's Mary College is one of the first three women's colleges in the world, the other two are in the United Kingdom. The college was started in 1917.

VAT renders thousands jobless in Rajasthan  (Go To Top)

          Jodhpur, Apr 5: The federal government's decision to impose 10 percent central excise value added tax on textile processing units may spell doom for thousands of small scale units in Rajasthan. In Barmer-Jaislmer region alone, 80,000 daily wage earners are employed in about 800 units. Owners of several such units have been forced to suspend their operations. They say it has become impossible to run the units after the additional 10 percent tax over and above several other taxes. Thousands of textile workers of the drought-prone region have been rendered jobless.

           "The factory is closed due to excise (duty). I do not know till when it will last. Probably for one or two more months. The condition of villagers is already very poor due to the drought. There is no water to drink and now due to closure of factories our condition has really deteriorated," complained Karnaram, a worker. "People say a new tax has been introduced. But I know only one thing that my earning has stopped due to this tax," said Hukaram, another worker.

           Small textile owners of the state are up in arms since Finance Minister Jaswant Singh introduced the new tax in his budget proposals on February 28 this year. They say the hosiery products and garments would become costly and would not be able to compete with garments from China and Indonesia. There are 11,000 small hand process units across Rajasthan besides 250 textile units.

           "In this year's budget, the federal government has put excise duty which has created a very difficult situation in terms of employment. After excise, the material which was earlier available at a cheaper price, will not be cheap any more. The businessmen will also be unhappy, this will also lead to an increase in Inspector Raj and will thus affect their business," said Shankar Lal Charan, General Secretary, Balotara Chamber of Commerce and Industries.

PAC questions effectiveness of Ganga action plan  (Go To Top)

          Varanasi, Apr 5: The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament has questioned the effectiveness of implementation of the first phase of the Ganga Action Plan which was initiated in 1986 by the then Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi. An amount of Rs 50 crore was sanctioned for the construction of three sewage treatment plants and rennovation of the 'nalas' (drains) under the first phase which was taken up to cleanse the holy Ganga and check its pollution. The plan was believed to be successful. But a 7-member team headed by Buta Singh, MP and member of the PAC, which went to Varanasi found things no diferrent as they were in 1986.

           Buta Singh said no changes could be seen in the pollution level. "We have seen all the Ghats of the Ganga today, particularly the one where late Rajiv Gandhi had started the drive to cleanse the Ganga and decrease its pollution level. After seeing them, we can say that there is no decrease in the pollution level. At least nothing is visible. Now we will go and speak to the officials as to how much money was spent on which ghat and under what policy. The general impression is that there is no change in the pollution level," he said.

           Noticeably even today polluted water from 17 big 'nalas', 13 small 'nalas' and human garbage is dumped into the Ganga. The three sewage treatment plants have failed in cleaning the waters as they are not well equipped and the level of BOD has gone up to 25 mg/litre. The water has now turned black and sewage can be seen overflowing.

          Swami Chinmyananda, a member of the PAC, said the first phase of the plan failed because it was implemented without any planning. "Work in the first phase was done without any prior planning. No care was taken as to how much discharge was flowing in the individual nalas. It was stopped or diverted without any estimates. The treatment provided now is much less than was in 1986. The difference can be seen between 1986 and 2003. There is a difference between the level of pollution now and also the increase in population. I believe whatever was done in 1986 was absolutley inadequate. Second phase would also be a failure if planning is not done well," he said.

60 feared dead in Bangla boat disaster  (Go To Top)

          Dhaka, Apr 5: At least 60 people, including 20 children, were feared drowned as a boat capsized in the Surma river on Friday night in Sunamganj district. Police said a big country-boat from Chhatak collided with a cargo barge and capsized in the river in Chhatak. Police and local people were continuing rescue operations.

Two-thirds majority in Parliament is BJP aim  (Go To Top)

          ... (Contd) seats for the BJP, two-thirds majority with our allies and these four state assembly elections will be fought under the manifestos that are to be prepared by the state units and it will be mainly consisting on the developmental issues, the performance and failures of the state governments under the vision and developmental plank of the BJP with state units," BJP president Venkaiah Naidu told reporters as the party's national executive meeting concluded in Indore.

           The BJP's 20-odd secular coalition allies have put a brake on its divisive religious agenda but winning a majority in the 545- member parliament could give it a freer hand. Analysts say, sobered by recent defeat in assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh by Congress, BJP plans to firm up strategies for the elections scheduled later in the year.

           The BJP, which shot to prominence in the 1980s on the back of a Hindu revivalist programme, was accused of using religious riots in Gujarat last year to rally the Hindu majority against minority Muslims and win the state election. Naidu said his party supports the construction of controversial ram temple on the site of the demolished mosque in Ayodhya and said a law could be made if the party came to power with a majority in general elections.