[Reader-list] News Items posted on the net on Multipurpose National Identity Cards-77

[Taha Mehmood]

http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie/daily/19990817/ipo17050.html


NDA agenda targets Sonia
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, AUG 16: The prime target of the election manifesto of the
Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, which was
released today, is Congress president Sonia Gandhi. It promises
legislation to prevent foreign-born persons from occupying important
offices such as President, Prime Minister, Vice-President of India.

The second edition of National Agenda for Governance (NAG) says the
front's government will enact a legislation to provide an eligibility
criterion that the high offices of legislature, executive and
judiciary are held only by natural-born Indian citizens. It also will
establish a national register of citizens and introduce a
multi-purpose identity card for citizen.

In a major turnaround, the NAG said the Prasar Bharati Act would be
reviewed and a comprehensive broadcasting bill enacted to regulate
private broadcasting and to protect Indian interests.

``We will restrict foreign equity holding in private television
broadcasting to 20 per cent and prevent cross holding toavoid
emergence of monopolies in the media,'' it said.

Except for a few changes introduced in the wake of the fall of the
Vajpayee Government and the Kargil conflict, almost the entire
manifesto, released by Atal Behari Vajpayee today, is a copy of the
NAG released in April last year. The NAG has once again put a
moratorium on contentious issues like Article 370, uniform civil code
and the temple in Ayodhya.

As many as five paragraphs are devoted to Kargil in the introduction
of the NAG and the alliance partners promise to increase the Budgetary
allocation for Defence needs.

Toppled ``without an alternative'', the NDA partners promises to take
measures for ensuring a fixed term of five years for all elected
bodies including legislatures besides replacing the present no
confidence motion with the German system of ``constructive vote of no
confidence'' which makes it mandatory for the opposition to present an
alternative before moving a no-trust motion.

The NAG also promises to provide right offranchise to Armed Forces
through proxy voting.

The National Security Council, which was set up to advise the
Government on the country's security, will correct the imbalance and
Budgetary neglect of Defence needs during the last decades, says the
NAG.

The NDA government will take effective measures for eliminating
pensionary anomalies and revamp the system of ex-servicemen's welfare
as a tribute to those who laid down their lives for the country, it
said.

On the issue of corruption, the manifesto said the government would
enact the Lok Pal Bill with adequate powers to deal with graft charges
against anyone, including the Prime Minister.

A national judicial commission would be set up to recommend judicial
appointments in High Courts and the Supreme Court and to draw up a
code of ethics for judiciary, it said.

Attempts to build a system of trade and economic cooperation through
an expanded global system of trade preferences among developing
countries would be strongly supported, it said.

Statingthat NDA was committed to extending the SC/ST reservations for
another 10 years, the manifesto said necessary legislative measures
would be taken to sanctify reservation percentages, above 50 per cent,
as followed by certain states.

It once again pledged to introduce a legislation in Parliament
providing for 33 per cent reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state
assemblies.