A new party will be launched under the presidency of Charan Singh, Lok Dal president, to fight the Congress (I) in the coming Lok Sabha elections.
Development Board
The President issued an ordinance constituting the statutory board for controlling land use and preventing haphazard development of the National Capital Region (NCR). The ordinance was promised by Works and Housing Minister Buta Singh recently after pressure from the Chief Executive Councillor of Delhi, Jag Pravesh Chandra. The board will have 21 members with the Works and Housing Minister as chairman.
New Party Launched
A new party will be launched under the presidency of Charan Singh, Lok Dal president, to fight the Congress (I) in the coming Lok Sabha elections. Opposition parties likely to join the new party, besides the Lok Dal, are the DSP led by H N Bahuguna and the Rashtriya Congress led by Ratubhai Adani. Some Janata Party leaders are also likely to join the party.
PM’s Warning
While calling upon Congressmen to sink their differences at all levels and forge unity as they “do in face of danger or in distress”, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi made a frontal attack on opposition parties and their efforts for what she described as “artificial unity”, which was “dangerous for the country”. Mrs Gandhi was addressing a general body meeting of the Pradesh Congress (I) Committee.
Vajpeyi’s Appointment
Senior IAS officers of the Delhi Administration have seriously resented the appointment of S C Vajpeyi as Chief Secretary, albeit temporarily. They are resenting on the ground that Vajpeyi, placed in the IAS in 1961 and currently holding the rank of Joint Secretary, has superseded at least half a dozen colleagues, four of them of Additional Secretary rank and senior in service.