From: ramani@saathi.ncst.ernet.in (S.Ramani)
Subject: India - Flash floods in Tamilnadu, several killed
Organization: National Center for Software Technology, Bombay
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 92 01:05:32 GMT


Source  - Press Trust of India, Tue, Oct 13, 1992
Sent by - S. Ramani
Country - India


Topics
* Telcom department shortlists 19 companies for radio paging service
* Monsoon in Tamilnadu
* Proceedings of joint parliamentry committee
* More scam details

                              * * * * *

* Telcom deprtmentt shortlists 19 companies for radio paging service

      New Delhi, Oct 13 (PTI) The department of telecommunications today 
shortlisted 19 indian companies for the operation of radio paging service.
      the value-added telecommunication services would be provided to the 
public by these companies in partnership with leading foreign telecom companies.
      the last date for receipt of financial bids is november five, an 
official release issued late at night said. 

* Missing of 16 persons confirmed, toll remains at seven

Madras - Oct 13: Missing of 16 persons confirmed, toll remains at seven

      Madras,, Oct 13 (PTI): The death toll in the heavy rains and flash 
floods in Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari district remained at seven, while 
official sources today confirmed that 16 people in the hilly Maramalai 
area above Perunchani dam were missing.
      the sources in Nagercoil, when contacted, told PTI over telephone 
tonight that the fate of the 16 persons missing remained unknown with the 
official team sent by the district collector to the affected spot yet 
to return.
      the estate from where the 16 persons were missing was about 20 km 
above the hill spot of Kalikesam in the hilly ranges. But kalikesam itself 
had become inaccessible by road, the sources said, adding, trekking by 
foot was the only way to reach the place now.
      Kalikesam was cut off from the rest of the district as the bridge 
connecting it to the Keeriparai estate below had been isolated after 
about 150 metres of the approach road to the bridge had been washed away, 
the sources said.
      meanwhile, the state revenue minister, Mr S D Somasundaram, who 
reached nagercoil today on the instructions of the Chief Minister, 
Miss jayalalitha, supervised the relief operations.

* Proceedings of joint parliamentry committee
      New Delhi, Oct 13 (PTI) -  Air India, Indian Airlines and Vayudoot 
had in violation of established practices and norms invested huge sums 
of money in portfolio management schemes of Citibank, SBI caps and 
Indbank while keeping their boards of directors in the dark, the joint 
parliamentry committee probing the multi-crore securities scam was told today.
      top executives of the three public sector airlines in their 
depositions before the committee admitted "gross irregularities" in the 
transactions under ready forward deals and PMS.
      briefing newsmen, JPC chairman, Mr Ram Niwas Mirdha, said top 
executives of air india contended that the transactions conducted from 
April 1991 onwards were on verbal orders of Mr S R Gupte, the then director 
of finance, without permission from the government. Mr Gupte voluntarily 
retired in march this year.
 
* scam-jpc 2last
      The JPC chairmain stated that the Air India executives in their 
deposition indicated that Mr Gupte and other senior officials were 
aware that these investments were ''not of bonafide nature.''
      Mr Gupte had in a letter to the civil aviation ministry on March 20, 
1990, sought permission to invest surplus funds in ready forward deals 
and security sale schemes in nationalised banks.
      despite no reply from the ministry, Mr Gupte went ahead with the 
investments from april 1991 in Citibank, SBI caps and indbank without 
informing the board of directors.
	To his junior officials Mr Gupte is supposed to have stated that he 
had obtained verbal orders from the ministry to go ahead with the 
transactions, the JPC was told.
      Mr Mirdha said, however, only one noting of Mr Gupte was avialable 
in which he had stated that he had talked to the ministry and that plans 
for the investments should be prepared. 
 
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