GHAZIABAD, August 25: A city court has summoned Arun Poorie, managing director and chief editor of the weekly India today and Aaj Tak, and five others in connection with a defamation case. Chief judicial magistrate Ashpal Sharma on Saturday ordered Poorie and five others, including Prabhu Chawla, Dalip Awasthi, Shiraj Quraishi all of India Today and G P Raju of Aaj Tak, Lucknow, to appear before his court on September 10. According to the complainant B P Neelratan, a former Ghaziabad district magistrate, Aaj Tak in its news telecast on January 27 had carried a story allegedly giving a wrong version of properties seized during an Income Tax raid at his residence. The Hindi edition of India Today also carried stories with the same details and even said that the officer was arrested, Neelratan contended.

Panel to study employment scheme

MUMBAI:A Cabinet sub-committee, headed by Minister of Employment Guarantee Scheme Shobhatai Phadnavis, has been set up to look into the changes to be made in the EGS. Minister of Water Supply and Sanitation, Minister of Revenue, Minister of Finance and Minister of Public Works Department Nitin Gadkari are also members of the team. The announcement was made by Chief Minister Manohar Joshi after a cabinet meeting on Monday.

No fete on anniversary of Gama's visit

NEW DELHI:The Government has decided not to take part in the celebrations marking the 500th anniversary of Vasco Da Gama's arrival in India. This was conveyed by Union Human Resource Development Minister S R Bommai in a letter to Ram Naik, chief whip of Bharatiya Janata Party in the Lok Sabha. In a statement here on Monday, Naik said, ``I am happy that the Government has taken the decision, though belated, in keeping with the patriotic feelings of the Indian people.''

Former Nashik RSS chief dead

NASHIK: Former chief of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of Nashik division Mahadeo Vishnu alias Bhausaheb Govilkar died here on Sunday evening following a long illness. He was 81 and is survived by three sons and two daughters. Govilkar, who was the head of the Hindi department in H P T College here, was the first to start a branch of RSS in Manmad and had dedicated his life to RSS work.

Janmashtami celebrated with gaiety

NEW DELHI: Janmashtami, Lord Krishna's birthday, was celebrated with religious fervour and gaiety all over the country on Monday. Special prayers and day-long fasting by devotees marked the celebrations across the country. Lakhs of devotees started arriving in Vrindavan in Mathura, the birthplace of Lord Krishna. In Ahmedabad, a special congregation was held at the brightly illuminated Dwarka temple, the ancient capital of Lord Krishna's kingdom.

Karnataka CM to prune Cabinet

HUBLI: Karnataka Chief Minister J H Patel on Monday said he would reshuffle his ministry after the Assembly session. Talking to mediapersons here, he said the size of the Cabinet would be reduced. Earlier, inaugurating the Haveri district about 75 km from here on Sunday night, Patel said the government would complete the Rs 600 crores Upper Tunga project by the year 2000 for providing drinking water to the district. The government would seek Rs 900 crore financial assistance from the World Bank for hastening the work, he added.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.