Govt to probe Netaji mystery

New Delhi, April 28: The Government today decided to set up a commission to probe the alleged disappearance of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bos...

New Delhi, April 28: The Government today decided to set up a commission to probe the alleged disappearance of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on August 16, 1945, from Bangkok.

The commission, to be appointed under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952, would ascertain whether the revolutionary freedom fighter was dead or alive and whether he was killed in the air crash.

The commission would be asked to submit its report within six months, he said.

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The Chief Justice of India will be requested to nominate a retired judge of the Apex Court or high court to head the commission, Information and Broadcasting Minister Pramod Mahajan told reporters after the Union Cabinet took a decision in this regard.

The terms of reference would also include whether the ashes kept in a temple in Japan were that of Netaji. If he was alive, his whereabouts would be ascertained.

Asked why the Cabinet had taken a decision at this juncture, he said the Calcutta High Court had asked for it, the West Bengal assembly had recommendedit through a unanimous reaolution last year and there had been persistent public demand for such a probe.

Mahajan said the headquarters of the commission would be in Delhi.

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The Cabinet also decided to fix Rs 750 per quintal for TD-5 grade of raw jute during the 1999-2000 jute season. This is in line with the recommendations by the commission on agricultural costs and prices (CACP).

Prices of other varieties of jute will be fixed on the basis of the revised price for TD-5 variety. Jute Corporation of India (JCI) will be nodal procurement agency and its financial losses, if any, would be reimbursed by the Central Government, Mahajan said.

The statutory development boards for Marathwada, Vidarbha and rest of Maharashtra whose term is due to end on July 30 are to be given another five year term.

Such statutory development boards are a constitutional provision for Gujarat and Maharashtra. The Centre appoints such boards headed by the respective state governor to take care of the special regionaldevelopment needs of certain states.

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The Cabinet also okayed a proposal for upward revision of the approved project cost of naphta jhakri hydro power project in Himachal Pradesh from Rs 7217.05 crore to Rs 7666.31 crore.

This is the second revision of the cost of the hydro project that will have six 250 mw generating units intended to produce power at a relatively cheap rate of 88 paise per unit. Its debt-equity ratio will be 1:1 with World Bank support. The Centre-Himachal Pradesh equity holding in the project will be in the ratio of 3:1, Mahajan added.