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News:
Govt to ensure Pak does not promote terrorism against India
Hindus to pray at Bhojshala on Tuesdays, Muslims on Fridays
Supreme Court permits Hinduja brothers to go abroad
Prayers, bandh mark Godhra carnage anniversary
AirTel makes all incoming free in Mumbai
Rail budget: Commuters heave a sigh of relief
Arrests in Mysore chimp probe
India to implement new road safety program for elephants
Survey outlines reform agenda for pushing up growth
Developed countries must fulfil trade promises: Survey
Economic Survey has set the right agenda for growth: Industry
Budget to go by Kelkar on indirect taxes and Rajnath on direct
Hayden, Lehmann make merry as Australia reach 301-6
Indo-Pak cricketing contacts unlikely to reduce tensions
We badly want to win against India: Waqar
Tendulkar batted like God: British press
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Govt to ensure Pak does not promote terrorism against India
New Delhi,Thursday, February 27, 2003: India today reaffirmed its commitment in the Rajya Sabha that it will take all necessary action to ensure that Pakistani Government and its officials did not misuse their normal privileges and that Islamabad's attempts to promote terrorism directed against New Delhi were completely thwarted.
Minister of State for External Affairs Digvijay Singh said in a written reply that on February six, Anjum Zamarud Habib was apprehended on coming out of the Pakistan High Commission here and was found in possession of funds which she indicated had been received in the High Commission, inter alia, for distribution among terrorist outfits.
On February eight, India asked Pakistan to withdraw its Charge d'Affaires in New Delhi for involvement in this incident, he said.
The Government also asked Pakistan to withdraw four other officials of the High Commission in view of their involvement in this and some other acts incompatible with their official status, the Minister said.
Singh said Pakistan, as it routinely does, denied the involvement of its officials and lodged a protest.
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Hindus to pray at Bhojshala on Tuesdays, Muslims on Fridays
Bhopal,Thursday, February 27, 2003: The Centre has allowed Hindus to worship at the controversial Bhojshala-Kamaal Maula mosque in Dhar on Tuesdays while Muslims would continue to offer Friday prayers as suggested by the Madhya Pradesh government, Chief Minister Digvijay Singh said here Thursday.
Singh told PTI that he had receieved a letter to this effect from Union Culture and Tourism minister Jagmohan Wednesday allowing the Hindus to pay obeisance at the Wagdevi temple for the whole day on Tuesdays and carry rice and flowers as prayer offerings. Singh said this was in modification of his government's recommendations suggesting that Hindus worship for two hours on Tuesdays and not carry any pooja material inside the ASI-protected shrine.
The Muslims will continue to offer namaz at the adjacent mosque on Fridays. On other days the shrine would be open to public as a tourist spot for a token entry fee.
The chief minister said the letter from the Centre had been forwarded to the Dhar district administration for making arrangements accordingly.
The recommendations for holding prayers had come to the state government from the Dhar district administration after an all-party meeting held in Dhar on February 19 last.
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Supreme Court permits Hinduja brothers to go abroad
New Delhi,Thursday, February 27, 2003: In a major relief to three Hinduja brothers facing trial in Rs 64 crore Bofors pay-off case, the Supreme Court today gave them permission to go abroad simultaneously till May 2.
A two-judge Bench comprising Justice M B Shah and Justice Arun Kumar, while granting the permission, said that if CBI appeal against Delhi High Court order quashing the chargesheet was allowed the Europe-based brothers would have to appear before the trial court.
The Court, however, rejected their plea for granting permission for their stay abroad till the trial, stayed on the order of the Apex Court, resumes.
The Hinduja brothers, Gopichand, Srichand and Prakashchand were given the permission following an undertaking given by their counsel Ram Jethmalani that they would not flee from the trial.
With this direction, the Court disposed of a petition by Gopichand Hinduja seeking modification of its order of October 28 permitting the three brothers to go abroad together for one month to enable them to celebrate Diwali with their families.
Solicitor General Kirit Raval expressed the apprehension that the three brothers might not come back to face the trial if allowed to go simultaneously.
Raval said the CBI is leaving it to the Court to pass an appropriate direction.
As per their bail conditions, the Apex Court had earlier said one of the three brothers would remain in India during the course of trial and the other two could go abroad by rotation.
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Prayers, bandh mark Godhra carnage anniversary
GODHRA: Prayers and rituals for peace and a shutdown, that evoked partial response, marked the first anniversary of the train carnage in this central Gujarat town which was the epicentre of months of communal flare-up across the state.
Senior leaders of VHP, including Praveen Togadia, BJP MLA from Godhra Haresh Bhatt and VHP leader Dalip Trivedi participated in a "Shanti Path and "Shanti Yagna" at Lalbagh Tikri ground here.
Togadia also visited the ill-fated S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express that was set on fire on this day last year and paid rich tribute to the 59 people, mostly Ram Sevaks, who perished in the blaze.
No untoward incident was reported from any part so far, police control here said.
Majority community members downed shutters of their businesses in response to the bandh called by 14 groups including VHP and Shiv Sena.
However, minority community members kept their shops open.
Security has been beefed up across the state with deployment of police and paramilitary personnel in view of the various programmes to be held by VHP and the bandh.
More than 150 personnel of district Border Wing Home Guards and Railway Police have been deployed in Godhra.
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AirTel makes all incoming free in Mumbai
MUMBAI: Cellular service provider AirTel has made all incoming calls free for its new pre-paid and post-paid customers in the city with effect from March 1, 2003.
"This facility is available to both AirTel and AirTel Magic customers in Mumbai and this will translate into cost advantages to them," Bharti Cellular chief operating officer (Mumbai Circle) Atul Jhamb said in a release here on Thursday.
Existing post-paid customers would be shifted to the new scheme upon request from their next billing cycle post March 15, 2003, he said.
The company also announced a Rs-50 free talk time offer for its existing pre-paid customers with the purchase of every recharge coupon till March 31, 2003.
AirTel has introduced two-way roaming facility for its pre-paid customers. The company also launched a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) based mobile office, which allows customers to access the internet and Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS) through their handsets, the release added.
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Rail budget: Commuters heave a sigh of relief
MUMBAI: This year's railway budget may have spared the Mumbaikar a fare hike and even increased allocations for the city but passenger organisations remained sceptical of any real benefits for the suburban commuter.
While commuter organisations had feared that the budget would burden the commuter with a surcharge to recover the costs of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project, this did not happen. Instead, the budget allocated Mumbai Rs 295 crore against last budget's Rs 164 crore to pay for the MUTP, which was launched late last year.
Observers said the decision to refrain from increasing passenger fares and freight is an attempt to boost passenger earnings. Last year, passenger traffic on the Indian Railways dropped by three per cent as first class and AC coach fares rose even as domestic airlines slashed their fares.
While commuter organisations welcomed the absence of increases, they pointed out that the surcharge could be levied at any time in the coming year. Apart from the MUTP, there were no special services offered for the city, said Deepak Gandhi of the Mumbai Railway Commuters Association,who described the budget as a "total disappointment" for the city.
Mr Gandhi said fares for suburban trains could have been rationalised as it had been done for the Shatabdi and Rajdhani. He also regretted the lack of attention being paid to safety, given the spate of rail accidents in the last two years. "Even if they could not increase suburban railway services, they could stop the current practice of reducing services in the afternoon. Traffic nowadays is high throughout the day," he added.
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Arrests in Mysore chimp probe
Four attendants at a zoo in the southern Indian city of Mysore have been arrested following an inquiry into the death of a popular chimpanzee.
Meena, who was 33, died last week after her gangrenous arm was amputated.
Police began investigations after zoo officials suspected foul play in the chimp's death.
They are investigating a possible plot by certain keepers to damage the zoo's reputation.
Meena, brought from Sweden eight years ago, was in considerable pain after her right arm was crushed by the sliding door of her enclosure last week.
Doctors amputated her arm after gangrene set in on the chimp's fingers, wrist and arm - but she died within 24 hours of the surgery.
Zoo director Kumar Pushkar said the inquiry was also looking into the recent deaths of two wild pigs and two Australian emus.
"Investigations are in full swing," said Mr Pushkar, who suspects that the chimpanzee was deliberately injured to discredit the state-run zoo.
The reason why anyone would want to injure Meena remains unclear.
The 110-year-old zoo attracts tourists from all over India.
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India to implement new road safety program for elephants
The sight of a blinker at night on India's roads may soon signal more than an approaching vehicle. It may mean an elephant is on its way.
About 30 domesticated elephants in New Delhi are to be fitted with reflectors to avoid road accidents at night.
Wildlife experts say elephants are easily hit in darkness and humans can fare just as badly as the animals.
The reflector program, arranged by the Wildlife Trust of India and Britain's Blackpool Zoo, follows fatal accidents involving elephants.
New Delhi's domesticated elephants live with their caretakers on the banks of river Yamuna, where they get ample space and water.
They're mostly used during marriage processions and other traditional functions.
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Survey outlines reform agenda for pushing up growth
New Delhi,Thursday, February 27, 2003: Stung by the falling 4.4 per cent growth this fiscal, the Pre-budget Economic Survey today endorsed Kelkar Panel recommendations on tax reforms besides a cut in subsidies and interest rates to deal with mounting and worrying fiscal deficit.
Setting the reform agenda for the budget, the 2002-03 Survey, tabled in Parliament, singled out deteriorating fiscal situation as a "major challenge" and listed labour reforms, disinvestment, overhauling of regulatory regime including agriculture, and removal of infrastructural bottlenecks as other priority areas to achieve robust 8 per cent growth.
Mooting a two-pronged strategy of augmenting revenues and restraining expenditure for fiscal consolidation, it said modernisation of tax administration, broadening the base and restricting the exemptions are needed to improve revenue collections, essential for fiscal consolidation.
Admitting that drought would pull down overall growth rate to 4.4 per cent this fiscal as against 5.6 per cent in 2001-02, the Survey said revenues from recovery of user charges have to be tapped besides phasing out tax exemptions and plugging evasions.
The survey gives no growth projections for the next financial year but said growth recovery was already visible. However, without fiscal consolidation there was a risk that the pre-emption of resources by the government will crowd out the nascent recovery in private investment.
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Developed countries must fulfil trade promises: Survey
New Delhi,Thursday, February 27, 2003: India has reiterated its support to the WTO and the Doha Development agenda but in its annual Economic Survey made it clear that the onus remains on the developed countries to fulfil the promises made so far.
The survey, tabled in Parliament today, said India has submitted its comprehensive proposals with a view to safeguarding the food and livelihood security of large subsistence level farming community.
India's proposals aim at maximising export opportunities for Indian agricultural products by seeking a reduction in high tariffs and subsidies prevalent in developed countries.
India's efforts regarding the trade policy would be greatly enhanced by steps on part of India's trade partners to reduce, if not remove, the impediments to India's exports, especially in the context of ongoing negotiations in the Doha work programme. This view is endorsed by many other WTO members who look to India for leadership in negotiations.
In negotiations on TRIPS and public health, Indian position is that Doha mandate on the subject should not be diluted to restrict scope and definition of diseases to just infectious diseases as desired by some countries like the US.
India has called for higher commitment by developed countries under General Agreement on Trade in Services to correct an imbalance in their favour.
India has also submitted its initial thinking on modalities for negotiations on market access for non- agricultural products and views on a number of special and differential clauses relating to agriculture and import rules.
Submissions have also been made for special and differential treatment to developing countries during anti- dumping and countervailing duty investigations.
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Economic Survey has set the right agenda for growth: Industry
New Delhi,Thursday, February 27, 2003: Leading industry and trade associations Thursday welcomed the Economic Survey saying it has set the agenda right for reforms to pull the economy out of deteriorating fiscal situation and laying the roadmap for eight per cent GDP growth.
FICCI president A C Muthiah said "the survey has clearly laid out the roadmap for achieving 8 per cent economic growth and has rightly identified technology, competition and benchmarking to the best international practices as the three drivers for rapid growth."
Welcoming the strategy of extending the virtuous interaction between technology, competition and benchmarking to meet best global practices in agriculture sector, Muthiah said "interaction has lifted India's consumer goods, telecom and automobiles sectors to a higher growth trajectory with better quality to the consumer."
"The same now needs to be extended to agriculture," he said while appreciating the survey's emphasis on agriculture sector as kingpin for hastening the process of growth.
ASSOCHAM president R K Somany, while welcoming the survey, said time has come to avoid any slippage in tackling the deteriorating fiscal situation, labour reforms, divestment, overhaul of regulatory regime and removal of infrastructural bottlenecks.
Survey, which pointed out that drought would pull down overall growth rate to 4.4 per cent this fiscal as against 5.6 per cent in 2001-02, has set out growth projections for the next fiscal and keeps its optimism alive on the basis of the visible signs of recovery, ASSOCHAM chief commented.
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Budget to go by Kelkar on indirect taxes and Rajnath on direct
New Delhi,Thursday, February 27, 2003: Raising Income Tax exemption limit to Rs 70,000-80,000 and retaining Standard Deduction along with tax sops for small savings and housing loans, the general budget to be presented on Friday is expected to carry out a "clean up" operation of tax administration besides measures to spur growth.
The maiden budget to be presented by Finance Minister Jaswant Singh in Parliament is likely to carry out the roadmap laid out by Kelkar on indirect taxes and implement the suggestions of Rajnath Committee on direct taxes which has dumped some of the proposals made by Kelkar, official sources told PTI.
The Budget widely expected to carry forward reforms to widen the tax base, is also expected to make an attempt to control expenditure by cuttting unmerited subsidies and lowering interest rates on small savings to contain whopping fiscal deficit, that is crowding out investment.
The pre-budget economic survey has given clear signals in this direction by asserting "there is an imperative need to address the three issues of infrastructure, regulatory and tax reforms and fiscal consolidation to establish the foundations of robust 8 per cent growth on a sustained basis."
The sources said though Finance MInister is likely to indulge in some populism in the face of stiff resistance from BJP to Kelkar panel recommendations, the budget may contain measures that would ensure that the revenue loss that may occur was more than made up by widening service tax base. Service tax collections target be doubled next fiscal from this year's figure of Rs 62.50 billion.
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Hayden, Lehmann make merry as Australia reach 301-6
Potchefstroom (South Africa),Thursday, February 27, 2003: Attacking knocks by Matthew Hayden and Darren Lehmann propelled Australia to 301 for six against Namibia in a World Cup Group A league match here Thursday.
Hayden cracked 88 off just 73 balls with nine fours and three sixes before Lehmann smashed an unbeaten 31-ball 50 as Australia piled on the runs after electing to bat.
Lehmann blasted 28 runs from the last over -- four fours and two sixes -- to finish the innings in style. The bowler at the receiving end was Rudi van Vuuren who returned with badly bruised figures of 10-0-92-0.
Namibia had done well to restrict the Aussies in the middle overs with Louis Burger claiming three important wickets. But Andrew Symonds, who made 59 off 63 balls with two fours and two sixes, and Damien Martyn (rpt Damien Martyn) stepped up the heat in a 84-run association for the fifth wicket.
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Indo-Pak cricketing contacts unlikely to reduce tensions
New Delhi,Thursday, February 27, 2003: Will the much awaited World Cup cricket encounter between India and Pakistan on Saturday help in lowering tensions off the field ? Unlikely, if one goes by the assertion of the official spokesman.
Asked whether public opinion and cricketing contacts could lead to normalisation of relations, he said the "real problem" that was behind the state of relations that "exist unfortunately today" was consistent and relentless sponsorship of cross-border terrorism by Pakistan leading to civilian deaths for more than 18 years.
"If anything has to change the direction of this bilateral relationship, it has to be an end to sponsorship of this cross-border terrorism, dismantling of terrorist infrastructure that exists in Pakistan and which continues to support terrorism in gross violation of its commitments including to the international community," he said.
He was asked by a foreign television correspondent whether the match between the two countries, taking place after a gap of over two-and-a-half years could help bring down political temperature. The two countries had last faced each other in Dhaka at the Asia Cup in June, 2002.
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We badly want to win against India: Waqar
Johannesburg,Thursday, February 27, 2003: For Pakistan skipper Waqar Younis and paceman Wasim Akram, there is no greater desire than to beat India when the two arch-rivals face off in the high-voltage World Cup match in Centurion on Saturday.
Waqar and Wasim, both of whom have made it clear that this will be their last World Cup, said they would spare no effort in the eagerly awaited encounter.
Pakistan have put up an uninspired performance in the World Cup so far. They have won only against minnows Holland and Namibia, but have been beated comprehensively by Australia and England.
"We want to win it (the match against India) badly. We have not done well in this World Cup so far. But I know we are yet to play to our true potential and I hope everything falls into place against India," Waqar said.
"It is a very important match for us. As it is we can't afford to lose any game now in this World Cup. But obviously playing against India just adds to the pressure and excitement.
"We are playing against each other after nearly three years and all eyes on this match, not only in Pakistan but probably the whole world.
"I would think it would be the showpiece match of this World Cup and I am confident that we will not disappoint the Pakistan nation," Waqar told a Pakistani daily here.
The last time India and Pakistan met, in the Asia Cup in Dhaka on June 3, 2000, Pakistan had won by 44 runs. But in World Cup matches, Pakistan has lost all the three times they have clashed with India - in 1992, 1996 and 1999.
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Tendulkar batted like God: British press
London,Thursday, February 27, 2003: While it was Ashish Nehra who ultimately stole the Britishers' thunder in Wednesday's World Cup game, the blazing 50 by Sachin Tendulkar did not escape anybody's attention in England.
"He (Tendulkar) batted like God. In a trance of utter brilliance, he reached 50 as if it was just a station on his way, and then, just as the journos reached wearily for the thesaurus, bewilderingly he steered the ball straight to Paul Collingwood," the 'Times' wrote today.
"That, perhaps, is the trouble with instant brilliance: it is not supposed to last for ever," it said.
Tendulkar hit eight boundaries and a huge six that sent the ball out of the park in the match in Durban yesterday which India won by 82 runs.
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