Opinion September 12, 1982, Forty Years Ago: Abdullah elected CM

The National Conference Legislature party formally endorsed the decision o f Governor B K Nehru and elected Farooq Abdullah chief minister of the state. Maulana Masoodi, 87, the oldest living stalwart of the freedom movement and one-time colleague of the Sheikh, was a special invitee at the legislature party meeting. G M Shah, son-in-law of the Sheikh who recently resigned from the cabinet, proposed Abdullah’s name for the leadership of the legislature party.

Kidwal inducted

One more minister of state was inducted into Mrs Gandhi’s council of ministers bringing its total strength to 61. The new minister is Mohsina Kidwal, Uttar Pradesh Congress-I chief, who has been allocated labour and rehabilitation portfolio. The surprise appointment was announced just before the swearing in of the three ministers of state and one deputy minister who had been named as members of the union council of ministers on September 2.

Advertisement

Capping successful

One of the most crucial stages of the capping and killing operation of the blow-out well, SJ-5, was successfully completed on board the rig Sagar Vikas. Disclosing this to newsmen in Bombay, ONGC chairman, S P Wahi, was confident that the well would be killed within the next two or three days. Wahi said that the first phase of the six-phase capping and killing operation was completed by four Red Adair experts who were helped by their ONGC engineers and a few technicians from the derrick barge, Hercules.

MP ordinance

The Madhya Pradesh ordinance to check specific corrupt practices is bound to have its constitutional validity challenged, according to legal luminaries, Gobinda Mukhoty and L M Singhal. The Specific Corrupt Practices Ordinance, which was promulgated on September 7, among other things, lays down the death penalty in cases where the sale of spurious liquor causes death.