The proposed amendments of Sections 10, 17 and 20 of the Indian Divorce Act are based on the recommendations of the Law Commission of India given in a number of Reports on the Indian Divorce Act, 1869, the last report being 164^th Report given in November, 1998.

    The Law Commission has recommended amendment of Section 10 to remove discrimination against Christian women who may be seeking divorce as well as amendment of Sections 17 and 20 of Indian Divorce Act, 1869, which respectively require confirmation of decrees of divorce or nullity of marriage by the concerned High Courts..

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FORMULATION OF LONG-TERM GRAIN POLICY

PROF. ABHIJIT SEN TO CHAIR HIGH LEVEL COMMITTEE

    The terms of reference of the Committee include review of Minimum Support Prices (MSP) and Price Support Operations, FCI related issues, functioning of Public Distribution System (PDS), grain policy regarding buffer stock, open market intervention, export/import policies and allocation of food grains for rural development programmes and other welfare programmes.

    Under Price Support Operations, the Committee will review the current Minimum Support Prices to assess differences if any, between MSP and procurement price and issues like inter-crop parities, grade and quality specification, possibility of de-centralising price support operations (broad-based procurement operations) besides encouraging private trade to play an increasingly significant role in MSP/procurement operations. The Committee will further examine the current economic cost and the scope for its reduction, possibility of contracting out certain operations like bulk handling of foodgrains and encouraging private investment in handling, storage and distribution activities. The High-Level Committee will examine functioning of Targetted Public Distribution System (TPDS) and study the situation prior to its introduction and functioning as well as viability of fair-price shops.

    The Committee will complete its report within a period of three months.

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HOME SECRETARY ADMINISTERS THE NATIONAL INTEGRATION PLEDGE

    The Pledge reads as follows:

    "I solemnly pledge to work with dedication to preserve and strengthen the freedom and integrity of the Nation".

    "I further affirm that I shall never resort to violence and that I will continue to endeavour towards settlement of all differences and disputes relating to religion, language, region or other political or economic grievances by peaceful and constitutional means".

    National Integration Week is being observed every year from 19^th November to 25^th November all over the country. During this week various programmes are being organised on themes like National Integration, welfare of minorities, linguistic harmony, cultural unity, conservation and the like by various States and Union Territories. 19^th of November, 2000 being a closed holiday, the National Integration Pledge was administered today.

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    In his inaugural address at the 3-day Conference on International Child Neurology Education, here today, Shri Raja said that India is the First Country of the new Millennium to organise the Conference of its kind in year 2000. Child mortality is still the World's largest public health problem

    Neuromorbidity is distinctly high in pediatric population. Almost 25% of chronic childhood problems are of neurologic origin. Neuromorbidity stems from preventable causes like deficiencies of micronutrients like Iodine, Iron and Zinc.

    Prof. P. K. Dave, Director, AIIMS, said that Department of Pediatrics of AIIMS has evolved a training module for the Doctors in treating the child patients of neurological disorder. The Department of Pediatrics will soon serve as a Training Centre for the South-East Asia.

    Prof. N. K. Ganguly, Director-General, ICMR, has said that as per the recent survey of ICMR, it is found that neurological disorders due to natural hazards such as Iodine deficiency are rampant in all over the country including Patna district. 30% new born babies are low weight babies in the country.

    About 200 delegates including representatives from 13 foreign countries are attending the Conference jointly organised by International Child Neurology Association (ICNA) and Deptt. of Pediatrics, AIIMS, New Delhi.

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    The Minister assured that the government would continue to pursue an export-friendly policy to give an impetus to the exporting community to venture into new markets with new products. The government would interact frequently with the captains of the industry in the formulation of export policies and procedures, he said, adding that the Exim Policy announced earlier this year had been further simplified for smooth movement of exports and improvements were being undertaken by the Commerce & Industry Ministry on a continuous basis.

    Congratulating the award winners from the eastern region, Shri Abdullah said: "Not only do the exporters need to endeavour to diversify the commodity composition, but also identify new markets so that India can better withstand the vagaries of global exports and emerge a winner thereby touching $ 10 billion mark, within the next five years, if not sooner. I would like to assure you that we are with you in promoting these efforts".

SUSHMA SWARAJ CONDOLES THE DEATH OF P.C. GANDHI

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CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT CITIES TO BE DEVELOPED

CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE TO THE MINISTRY OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION MEETS

    Chairing the meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee, attached to the Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation here today, Shri Jagmohan apprised the Committee of the progress made under the special drive launched against the land and building mafia to rid the city of the menace of unauthorised construction and illegal encroachments. The meeting was convened to review the progress of the drive against illegal/unauthorised constructions in Delhi; preservation of green areas; scheme of rejuvenating culturally significant towns; and closure of industries in Delhi under the orders of the Supreme Court.

    The Minister informed the Members that the following ten pin-pointed instructions had been issued to Delhi Development Authority, New Delhi Municipal Council, and Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the progress is being monitored.

1. All illegal constructions should be demolished, not cosmetically but in toto.
2. The cost of demolition should be recovered from the illegal builders within 15 days of demolition. In case of non-payment within 15 days, the amount due should be recovered as arrears of land revenue.
3. In all cases of illegal constructions, prosecution should invariably be launched against builders under the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, Delhi Development Authority Act, New Delhi Municipal Council Act, etc. and the cases followed vigorously with the police authorities/courts.
4. Wherever the property is on lease, action should be taken under the terms and conditions of lease agreement and re-entry effected within the shortest permissible period under such lease agreement. After re-entry, physical possession of the property should be taken by invoking the provisions of Public Premises Eviction Act and damages collected immediately. The rates of damages/misuse charges should be the same as per the formula followed by the L&DO and approved by the Ministry of Urban Development.
5. In case of DDA flats, where constructions have come up beyond the condonable limits, cancellation of allotment should be carried out in addition to the demolition of the additional construction. Orders in respect of condonable and non-condonable items are being issued separately.
6. In cases, where after demolition, reconstruction is done, personal responsibility of the officer in-charge should be fixed and departmental action taken against him.
7. In cases where illegal construction have taken placed on rural-agricultural lands, action under the Provisions of the Delhi Land Reforms Act, 1954, should also be taken and such lands should be taken over as per provisions of the Delhi Land Reforms Act. Action in this respect should be taken as soon as the plots are cut by the colonisers and construction done in the shape of boundary walls, etc. In other words, construction should be nipped in the bud. If it comes up, it should be demolished immediately. Action in this respect should also be taken by the concerned local agencies / DDA as per the bye-laws pertaining to lay out /service plans, etc.
8. In all cases where party obtains stay / status quo orders, prompt action to get the stay order vacated should be taken and higher court moved, wherever necessary.
9. All Senior Field Officers should be asked to carry out physical inspection of the area under their charge and the Supervising Officer should also make surprise checks to ensure that the subordinate staff takes immediate action to check/demolish unauthorised construction. Deterrent action should also be taken against the subordinate staff such as Building Inspectors, Junior Engineers, Assistant Engineers, etc. who do not take prompt action.
10. Field officers should be asked to maintain field diaries and submit them to the Supervisory Officer regularly.

    A Flying Squad has been constituted in the Ministry and if, as a result of findings of this Squad, it is found that subordinate staff has not done its duty or not carried out the aforesaid instructions, strict action against the Subordinate/Supervisory Staff would be taken by the Government, Shri Jagmohan added.

    Cases of blatant violations in affluent colonies like Vasant Vihar, Safdarjung Enclave and Pamposh Enclave were entrusted to the CBI for enquiry. As a consequence of this, CBI have registered a number of cases and conducted search at 38 places. Likewise, CBI has also recently conducted raids at the premises of seven DDA officials and a few property dealers. As many as 22 FIRs have been registered and about half a dozen officials have been arrested. In the case of one Junior Engineer, as much as Rs. 7 crore disproportionate assets were found.

    Shri Jagmohan also informed the Parliamentary Consultative Committee that Delhi Development Authority has been instructed not to permit restaurants in green areas. Existence of such restaurants not only violated the sanctity of the green but also undermined the norms of healthy environment. In this connection, he cited the example of ‘Park Baluchi’ restaurant in Deer Park/Rose Garden, Hauz Khas.

    It has, therefore, been laid down as a Government policy that no restaurant would be allowed in any green area in Delhi. If any exception has to be made, it should be made only in those cases where there is no habitation – residential or commercial – within 300 metres of the park. Even in cases, where exception is made, only small kiosks should be allowed. Such a kiosk should be allowed to serve only soft drinks, tea and coffee and snacks which go with such drinks. Its working hours should correspond to the timing of the opening and closing of the park.

    The Minister explained that special emphasis was being given to the redevelopment of cities of special significance as these cities were the repositories of cultural wealth of India. In this connection, he had visited Madurai, Trichy, Indore, Ujjain and Hyderabad. He indicated how efforts were being made to make these cities not only vibrant centres of civic life but also of economic and social advancements.

    As regards the case of closure of certain industries in Delhi, under the orders of Supreme Court, the Minister told the Parliamentary Consultative Committee that for the last several years the issue had all along been between the Court and the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi. So far as the Ministry of Urban Development is concerned, it has already been submitted before the Supreme Court, and it would again be submitted before it at the next hearing, that, since the implementation machinery is with the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi and the local agencies, and the Ministry has no administrative control over the said Government, the Ministry cannot play any meaningful role. The Court order of November 14 itself read as under: "From the affidavit on behalf of the Union of India filed in the Court today and as contended by Shri Kirit N. Raval, learned Additional Solicitor-General, it is evident that it is the N.C.T., Delhi which ultimately is the authority which has to implement the orders of this court or the directions which may be issued by the nodal agency… We are only concerned with the implementation of the orders… In the first instance, we, therefore, issue notice to the Chief Secretary, Delhi and also to the Commissioner, M.C.D. to show cause whey they should not be punished for contempt for the continued inaction on the part of the M.C.T., Delhi and for the non-compliance of the various orders passed by this Court starting from 1996 and including the orders dated 8.9.1999, 30.8.2000 and 12.9.2000 regarding the closing of the polluting units situated in the residential areas… Orders with regard to the continuance of the nodal agency will be passed on the next date of hearing."

    Shri Jagmohan indicated that by putting up the hoarding and posters on the public and private buildings, the face of Delhi was being uglified. He had started a campaign against such hoarding and posters. Instructions have been issued to the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Delhi Development Authority, New Delhi Municipal Council and Police Commissioner asking them to take strict action under the laws and bye laws and also under the West Bengal (Prevention of Defacement of Property) Act, 1976.

    Shri Jagmohan said that he had also drawn the attention of these authorities to the orders issued by the Supreme Court which inter alia observed: "It is obvious that every hoarding, other than traffic signs and road signs on the roadsides have to be removed irrespective of its kind. We reiterate the direction given in our order dated 20.11.1997 (M.C. Mehta vs. Union of India (1997) 8 SCC 770 the order made by us even in respect of the hoarding is required to be implemented notwithstanding any other order or directions including stay orders/injuctions granted by any authority, court or tribunal to the contrary".

    Besides Minister of State for Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation Shri Bandaru Dattatarya, following members of Parliament were present at the meeting: Shri Banarsi Das Gupta, Shri Nepal Chandra Das and Smt. Shyama Singh,

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SHRI RAM NAIK APPROVES TWO MORE PILOT PROJECTS FOR ETHANOL

    A joint tender will be floated for supply of ethanol of required specifications and purity for all the three pilot projects.

    Under the first pilot project, the experiments will be carried out from Miraj and Hazarwadi depots in Sangli District in Maharashtra. Field trials would go on for about 6 months and cover the monsoon season to explore the possibility of layering of the doped fuel. Simultaneously, the R&D studies will be going on. Based on the results of these experiments large scale use of fuel would be considered. The Sangli pilot project will cater about 159 petrol pumps in Ratnagiri, Sangli, Kolapur and Sindhuding districts of Maharashtra.

    The guidelines for using the Gasohol are under finalisation. The doping of ethanol in motor spirit (MS) offers several advantages. Its effectiveness in transportation is proven. Besides, it results in higher octane numbers than the conventional fuels and reduces emissions of carbon monoxide and dioxide of hydrocarbons. Vehicles can use the doped fuel without requiring engine modification.

    The ethanol will be doped with petrol up to an extent of 5 per cent as envisaged in the specifications laid down by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). In Brazil and USA, blending of ethanol with MS has been in use for a number of years, in greater proportion than 5%. This has led to considerable reduction in vehicular pollution in these countries. If the results of these pilot projects are encouraging, the sugarcane producing farmers will reap benefits of the alternative uses and better returns on sugarcane in the long run besides supplementing the limited domestic resources of the hydrocarbons.

    Inaugurating the 18^th National Congress of Homoeopathic Physicians here today the Minister said that the homoeopathic system would do great service to the society if some remedies are found for the dreaded diseases such as Aids and Cancer etc.

    Over 500 delegates from all over the country are participating in the three-day National Congress of Homoeopathic Physicians. Dr. S.P. Agarwal, DGHS, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is among others who has addressed the inaugural session.