AUG 24, 2003

 

Brazilian Space Rocket disaster: 19 killed and about 20 injured 

Brazil: Nineteen people were killed and about 20 injured following the explosion of a Brazilian Space Rocket at 1:30 p.m. local time (12:30 p.m.EDT/1630 GMT). Brazilian defense minister Jose Viegas said that  explosion caused when one of the rocket's four engines ignited by mistake. The blast was heard dozens of kilometres away in the town of Sao Luis. The disaster ended Brazil's third attempt to fulfill a long-held dream of becoming a space power.'' The president profoundly laments the death of the officials at the Alcantara base,'' President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's spokesman said. ''Brazil's space program, an important scientific program for our country, is today in mourning.'' Nearly 800 people were preparing the 6.5 million dollar, 20-metre rocket for its scheduled launch next week. The unmanned rocket was to have carried two satellites into space. Officials said the rocket was going through final tests up to Aug. 24, after which it would have been ready to start the launch sequence at any point. Rockets launched by Brazil in 1997 and 1999 were destroyed shortly after lift-off because of technical problems.

Tightening of rules for news channels

The centre has announced tightening of rules for TV uplink for news channels for India at a meeting convened by Prime minister Shri.Atal Behari Vajpayee on Friday. The high level meeting attended by Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Law minister Arun Jaitley decided that no proxy of a foreign company should be allowed to control the news channel seeking to uplink from India. The government has said that an Indian should hold 51 per cent of the shares in the channel along the lines of the print media. The meeting said the applicant company should be in charge of programming and key personnel would belong to it.

       According to the guidelines put forward by the government, an applicant company must have a resident Indian partner who holds a 51 per cent stake. This would exclude the equity of a bank or an Indian public financial institution in the company. The foreign participation will continue to have a cap of 26 per cent. Broadcasting Minister Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the main thrust of the revised guidlines is the insistence on a dominant resident Indian partner. Another guideline is that three-fourths of the directors on the company's board will have to be Indians. Moreover, the representation on the board will have to be proportionate to the shareholding pattern.“We want to bring complete parity between print and the electronic media. Certain issues like administrative and editorial control in print will be made more stringent,'' he added.
   

Review of Engineering College fee ruled out by Ooman Chandi

Thiruvananthapuram: After a meeting of the high power committee of the UDF, which met here, to take stock of the situation following the Supreme Court verdict about the admission and fee procedure of the self-finance professional colleges, UDF convenor, Shri Ooman Chandi said that there would be no review of the Engineering College fees which is Rs.36,000 for this academic year. He revealed that it was discussed in the meeting with student leaders and they did not oppose it. The annual fees for merit students for engineering courses are 36,000. For those come under the income group of Rs 60,000 have to pay only half of the annual fee.

High Court dismissed the appeal by headload workers union 

Kochi: A Kerala High court bench held on Friday, dismissed an appeal filed by S Karunakara Kurup, President, Mavelikara Taluk headload workers Union (AITUC) against the termination of headload workers from the shops at Mavelikara following bonus dispute.
The majority judgement pointed out that even in an area where in the scheme under Headload workers Act is made applicable, employers of shops and other establishments can engage workers of their choice for loading and unloading works. According to the majority judges headlock workers are casual employees and they are not entitled to claim continuity or permanent employment.

Rain Water Harvesting to be made compulsory in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Water Resources council on saturday decided to make Rain Water Harvesting compulsory for new buildings to be constructed in the state from next month. The decade-old state water policy will be updated and a task force will be appointed to study the central policy provisions that went against the interests of the state and provisions will be made for rain water harvesting. 

         After a meeting of the council held here which was presided by Kerala CM, shri A.K.Anthony, Water Resources Minister T M Jacob said the meeting reiterated Kerala's stand that it was totally opposed to linking its rivers with that of the neighbouring States. An ordinance would soon be issued for the purpose. However, the existing buildings were exempted from the rules for the time being. The revised policy would be announced by January. Minister T.M.Jacob also said that a task force would study the issues relating to the Central Water Policy and give its recommendations within three months, on the basis of which, the State Government would urge the Centre to make amendments to the water policy.

New subcommittee appointed by AP Government to fix uniform power charges

Rajahmundry: The Andhra Pradesh  government had appointed a sub-committee to fix uniform power charges for the lift irrigation schemes (LIS) across the State.This was stated by Jaggampeata MLA Jyothula Nehru.
Speaking after releasing water from Chagalnadu Lift Irrigation Scheme at Kateru for the kharif season for upland areas, the MLA said that he would take up with the Government the issue of paying the deposit to the AP Transco for lifting water from the lift irrigation scheme. He said the administration had appointed a nine-member committee to collect the power charges from the farmers and the village secretaries have been empowered to collect the power dues with the assistance of the committee.

Bus accident in China kills 27

Beijing: 27 people were killed and atleast 6 people were injured in a bus accident on Friday in Shaanxi province. The bus swerved to avoid an oil tanker and skidded off a highway and plunged into a ravine , the Xinhua news agency reported today.

EDUSAT to be launched in 14 months

New Delhi: EDUSAT, the educational satellite will be put to orbit in another 14 months and time. Distance Learning India 2003, an international conference held here on Friday, saw optimistic scenarios being drawn up in the field of education using satellites beaming down specialised content. With the launching of the EDUSAT, the dream of obtaining education from home will be fulfilled. Students can obtain Institute course of IIT sitting at home. EDUSAT would be a 2,000-kg satellite designed to beam down programmes in different languages to students at all levels in all fields. However, EDUSAT would have to be backed by content.

A freeze on the assets of Hamas announced by Bush

Washington: A freeze has been announced on the assets of six leaders of the Palestinian militant group Hamas and five organizations accused of financially supporting the group by U.S president George Bush on Saturday. Bush said in a written statement that he ordered the US Treasury Department to act in the wake of Tuesday's suicide bombing attack in Jerusalem, which killed 20 people.

''By claiming responsibility for the despicable act of terror on Aug. 19, Hamas has reaffirmed that it is a terrorist organization committed to violence against Israelis and to undermining progress toward peace between Israel and the Palestinian people,'' Bush said.

Kerala Rally,2003 starts on Aug 29

Chennai: The kerala Rally 2003 will start on  Aug 29 and will last upto the 31st at Kochi. According to the Motorsports Association of India press release here on Friday, , the rally would be run on tarmac and would count for the MAI Indian National Rally Championship for drivers and co-drivers, the MAI Indian National Rally Championship for teams, the MAI Rally Star Cup for drivers and co-drivers and the MAI Gypsy Cup for drivers and co-drivers. The prize money would include Rs 30,000 for the overall winner, Rs 20,000 and Rs 15,000 respectively for the second and third placed finishers.

Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety releases Rajadhani Accident Report

The proceedings of final investigation report into the accident of 2301 Up Howrah-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, which occurred near Rafiganj in Aurangabad District of Bihar on September 9, 2002 have been published by Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety.

 

In the derailment of the Rajdhani Express between Rafiganj and Deo Road Stations on broad gauge double line electrified section on Gaya-Mughalsarai section of Mughalsarai Division of Eastern Railway, 108 passengers lost their lives.

 

Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), Eastern Circle, who investigated into the accident, concluded that the mishap occurred due to an act of sabotage, as the train got derailed by opening of fishplates and elastic rail clips of the cess side single rail in Howrah end approach of bridge No.445 by some miscreants. Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS) ratified the cause, which has also been accepted by the Railway Board. The report has put the 'primary responsibility' of the derailment on unknown/unidentified persons and ascribed the 'secondary responsibility' on law and order enforcing agencies.

 

CRS, Eastern Circle had submitted his final report on November 7, 2002. In his preliminary report also, the cause of the accident was concluded as 'sabotage'. The final report submitted by CRS, Eastern Circle was handed over to the Police authorities of the district in the month of February, 2003 by General Manager, Eastern Railway.

 

Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety, after scrutinising CRS's final report, put the 'blameworthy' responsibility on security and engineering departments of Eastern Railway and Mughalsarai Division for not taking preventive measures in miscreant prone areas, as also on two gangmen of Mughalsarai Division, who were on patrol duty on the night of the accident, and Track Directorate of RDSO for delay in development of anti-sabotage fastenings on the track. However, CCRS exonerated 3 engineering officials and finance wing of the Division from the 'blameworthy' responsibility, as finalised by CRS. Railway Board has accepted the conclusions of CCRS, excepting his views on the responsibility of RDSO in view of the fact that constant efforts have been made by RDSO to evolve a suitable design, which may permit easy maintainability, but simultaneously prevent tampering with track by miscreants.

 

In his final note to the Ministry of Railways, CCRS recommended publication of the inquiry report. This was supported by the Railway Board. Since the issuance of Office Memorandum by the Ministry of Railways on the said report in December, 2002, signifying culmination of the proceedings, the Ministry have been seeking early publication of the full report in view of the demands made by travelling public and peoples representatives in various fora.

The Commission has made in all 26 recommendations to the Ministry of Railways in the report. They primarily relate to security patrolling in miscreant/sabotage prone sections, development of anti-sabotage design of fittings on concrete sleepers, elimination of single-cut rails and buffer rails on certain locations, emergency lights and emergency exits in coaches, objective evaluation of riding quality of coaches on high speed trains, evolving alternative for dashpot oil arrangement, modification in track structure on bridges with open deck, renewal of bridge sleepers, provision of faster communication at accident site, provision of mobile phones to CRSs etc.

 

It may be recollected that in any accident inquiry report, CRS does not confine to his findings of the cause and responsibility of the particular accident. He makes many recommendations, which are not directly related to the cause or circumstances leading to that accident, but come to light during the inquiry process. Most of his recommendations are accepted and implemented by the railways.

 

In this accident too, Railway Board have accepted almost all the recommendations made by the Commission and has also started their implementation with necessary directions to Zonal Railways.