Names of 355 blacklisted Sikh NRIs cleared for visits to India

New Delhi,Thursday, September 18, 2003: As many as 355 names of Sikh NRIs, who were allegedly black-listed due to adverse activities following 1984 Golden Temple episode and denied visas to visit India, have been cleared after the intervention by National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). The Commission initiated action on the basis of a letter received by the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) which pointed out the denial of visas, despite humanitarian grounds, to certain Sikh NRIs, allegedly black-listed by Home Ministry for their adverse activities, NHRC sources said here today.

Issuing a notice to the Home Ministry, NHRC had sought information on the total number of Sikh NRIs who were black-listed, the date when the list was last revised, the current status of that list and the possibility of its expeditious revision, they said. In response, the Ministry in its report last month indicated that there were 489 names in the negative list of 1998-99 of persons of Indian origin holding foreign citizenship who had come to adverse notice and were to be denied visas to visit the country, they said, adding NHRC was also informed that the list was reviewed from time to time and on July 28, 2003, the last deletion circular was issued.

The number of such persons, on the negative list, as on August 6, 2003, was given as 134, they said. Meanwhile, NHRC has from Home Ministry sought a copy of the last deletion circular and has also forwarded a letter from MP Simranjit Singh Mann concerning the case of an England-based Harjinder Singh Dilgeer, a Norway citizen, and sought the comments of Ministry within two weeks.

Teachers Evaluation by Students in Kendreeya Vidyalayas Stayed

Minister for Human Resource Development Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi has stayed the
decision of the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan to have teachers’ evaluation by
students, in his capacity as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the
Sangathan.

The Academic Advisory Committee of the Sangathan had earlier introduced Article 81-E to Sangathan’s Education Code introducing teachers’ assessment by students.This had included a provision to the effect that if more than 60 percent of students adversely commented on a teacher’s performance, the Assistant Commissioner of the Region would be empowered to take action against the teacher. The Minister stayed Advisory Committee’s decision as it had not been put before the Board of Governors. With the stay ordered by the Minister, the decision of the Advisory Committee will not be implemented till it is approved by the Board.

'No evidence' that Saddam was involved in 9/11: Bush

Washington,Thursday, September 18, 2003: US President George W Bush has said there was no evidence to suggest that the Saddam's Hussein regime was involved in the September 11 attacks, but there was a link between the deposed Iraqi leader and al- Qaeda, the outfit that allegedly carried out the attacks. "There's no question that Saddam Hussein had al-Qaida ties," Bush told reporters, on Wednesday. But he also said, "We have no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved with the September 11 (attacks)".

The US President's comment goes against a belief held by many Americans that Saddam Hussein had a role in perpetration of 9/11 attacks. An opinion poll last week found that nearly 70 per cent of Americans believed that Iraqi leader probably was personally involved in the attacks.

The US administration has argued that Saddam's government had close links to al-Qaida. Vice President Dick Cheney said, for instance, that success in stabilizing and democratizing Iraq would strike a major blow at the "the geographic base of the terrorists who have had us under assault for many years, but most especially on 9/11." And Tuesday, in an interview on ABC's "Nightline," White House national security adviser Condoleezza Rice said that one of the reasons Bush went to war against Saddam was because he posed a threat in "a region from which the 9/11 threat merged".

SC judgement not to affect privatisation of airports: Roy Paul

Mumbai,Thursday, September 18, 2003: The Supreme Court judgement on disinvestment of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation will not have any bearing on the privatisation of Delhi and Mumbai airports. "There is no hitch whatsoever. We are doing what has been stated in the Airports Authority of India Act and will go ahead as scheduled", Civil Aviation Secretary K Roy Paul said here today.

"The clock has started ticking ever since the Cabinet decided to privatise these airports last Thursday and the airports will be handed over to the new company within the stipulated time or even earlier", he said while addressing a conference on airport transport-Maharashtra organised by FICCI and state government.

A four-member empowered committee of the Cabinet has been set up to take whatever decisions were necessary to ensure there was no delay in the process, he added.
Paul said "a few issues need to be cleared in the next few days and a clear-cut policy will emerge out of privatisation of nine other airports also". "We will seek whatever clarifications are necessary from the committee", the secretary added. He said the Ministry would invite expression of interest in the next couple of months. However, there would be no roadshows but an advisor would be appointed shortly.-keralamonitor.com

Agarthala Dhaka Bus Service Flagged Off

The Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Maj. Gen. (Retd.) B.C. Khanduri will flag off the Agartala-Dhaka bus service on 19th September, 2003. The Minister will first go to Dhaka accompanied by the Chief Minister of Tripura, Shri Manik Sarkar and flag off the bus from Dhaka. Later in the day, he will flag off the bus from Agartala on its return journey to Dhaka. The distance between Agartala and Dhaka is about 150 km. The journey is expected to be completed in four to five hours and the fare would be Rs. 450 (one way). The route would be Agartala-Akhaura-Brahman Baria-Bhairav Bazar-Dhaka. From the Indian side, the bus would be operated by Tripura State Road Transport Corporation while the Operator on Bangladesh side would be Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation.

A bus service is already operational between Kolkata and Dhaka since 9th July,
1999. The commencement of bus service between Agartala and Dhaka would further
strengthen the traditional bonds of friendship and cooperation between India and
Bangladesh. Such transport linkages lead to easier and faster movement of people
and goods between the two countries, thereby giving fillip to trade and investment in
the region.