1.11.99 : The Congress urged the Government to consult it along with other Opposition parties and outline the parameters of the second generation economics reforms, so that a consensus could be arrived at before the next session of Parliament. Mr. Anil Shastri, Congress spokesman, said that his party would not support any policy detrimental to the interest of the common man, farmers and industrial labour.He demanded debate on the second-generation economic reforms 'in case the Government wanted its cooperation'. On the inclusion of Rajiv Gandhi's name in Befors chargesheet, he said, it seems the Government was not interested in getting his party's cooperation. Replying to a question if the party would support the IRA Bill, Mr Anil Shastri said his party would like to study the pros and cons of the Bill. Referring to the super highway project between Kanyakumari and Kashmir, which was annocunced by the Prime Minister, Mr A.B.Vajpayee, last year and which has now been shelved, Mr Shastri said the Prime Minister should take the views of experts before announcing such ambitious project. Mr Shastri said the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, along with Mr Madhavrao Scindia had left for Orissa to express their solidarity with the people and to assess the damage from cyclone. The party spokesman, on behalf of the Congress, requested the centre to release Rs 300 crores, as promised to Orissa. The Karnatka Government has announced Rs 1 crore for relief measures, while Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan have announced to donate Rs 50 lakhs, 30 lakhs and 10 lakhs respectively. To discuss the Orissa situation, the AICC relief committee met again today, while MPs and MLAs have been asked to donate generously.

3.11.99 : The Congress Working Committee will meet tomorrow to review the relief measures and to take stock of the situation in cyclonehit Orissa, said Mr Anil Shastri, Congress spokesman. Challenging the Telecommunication Minister, Mr Ram Vila Paswan's claim that telephone links had been restored in the State, Mr Shastri said that the only operational line was the one which the Orissa Chief Minister, Girdhar Gamang, was using. He appealed to the Telecommunication Minister to step up efforts to restore the State's communication system which had totally collapsed. Mr Shastri said that the State Government was finding difficulty in providing relief work to the people, because the National Highway 5 was not yet operational.

4.11.99 : The Congress has ruled out dropping the Orissa Chief Minister, Mr Giridhar Gamang, for the relief  fiasco in the aftermath of super cyclone that has left behind a trail of destruction in the east coast  State. Mr Pranab Mukharjee, a senior Congress leader, said the party's  priority was to provide succour to the people, instead of finding fault.           He asserted  that for any natural disasters like that which occurred in Orissa one cannot held the Chief Minister responsible for it.  Mr Mukharjee said the State Government  and the Congress have sought adequate Central aid. The demand is to convent the Central aid into a grant. If only an advance is given , he observed , it is possible the RBI would be tempted to adjust it towards the running overdraft of Orissa. The calamity being serious normal ways andmeans will not suffice. The Centre should not apply the normal overdraft rule. he asserted..

5.11.99 :The CWC met to discuss the situation in cyclone-hit Orissa and passed two resolutions. It also urged the Prime Minister, Mr A.B.Vajpayrr, to release Rs 500 crore as a special grant to orissa, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, CWC member, said.       The resolutions, which were passed in the meeting, expressed deep shock and anguish at the devastation caused by the cyclone and requesting the Prime Minister to declare the cyclone as a national calamity of rare severity to make the State entitled to direct grants. The resolution also stated that the role of the Centre was critical and paramount.               The CWC felt that the defence forces should be utilised for work to restore electricity and communication kinks. Besides, the Congress cadres were being exhorted throughout the country to help in whatever way tehy could towards relief work in Orissa, said Mr Mukherjee and Mr Madhavrao Scindia.

8.11.99 : The Congress had resumed organisational poll process and set December 31 as the last date for enrolment of new members, said Mr Ram Niwas Mirdha, Chairman of the party's Central election Authority. Mr Anil Shastri, Congress spokesman, said that there would be no revamping of the party organisation until the Antony Committee submitted its report to the party President, expected by November 30. Replying to a query regarding the resignation submitted by some party general secretaries and other functionaries in the wake of the election debacle, Mr Shastri emphasised that the resignation were not to be linked to the Antony Committee as it was for Mrs Sonia Gandhi to decide these matters. Mr Shastri said various Congress leaders would leave soon for Orissa to participate in the relief work. Meanwhile, the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, has expressed shock and grief at the death of 44 persons in a fire accident in Sonepat on the night of November 6..

9.11.99 : The Congress today ruled out the possibility of Mrs Priyanka Vadra joining politics at the moment. The Congress spokesman, Mr Ajit Jogi, said Mrs Sonia Gandhi, party President, had been misquoted in Amethi. She had said time and again that her children were not joining politics 'at present'. "News reports to this effect are baseless, just rumours," said Mr Jogi. Replying to a question, the Congress spokesman said, "the name of Rajiv Gandhi should be deleted from column two of the Bofors chargesheet. We have given our reasons for the demand." Terming it a 'political issue', Mr Jogi said that the party would counter the move politically. "All the frontal organisations will come out on this issue, which we have raised in Parliament as well as outside."

10.11.99 : The Congress has assaileed the government for selling shares of the Public Sector, Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) in the overseas markets at a throwing price. The Congress Economic Affaires Cell secretary, Mr Jairam Ramesh, said, "This is the first time PSU shares have been sold to MNCs at a ridiculously low price. If the Government wanted to sell the shares of the two MNCs, it could have arranged a strategic sale which could fetch them better results. This amounted to backdoor entry to GAIL's competitors. Mr Ramesh questioned the attempts for distress sale by the Government and asked how it could hope to reach the annual target fixed for disinvestment of the PSU, shares.  "The Congress believes that national interests not narrow corporate interests, should drive the disinvestment process in the oil industry."

12.11.99 : The Congress has accused the Government of politicising relief efforts in cyclone-hit Orissa. Referring to the letters written by the senior Congress leader and leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mr Manmohan Singh, to the Prime Minister on November 2 and November 8, Mr Ajit Jogi, party spokesman, said the party is yet to get a response from the Government.  Mr Jogi alleged that the Centre was politicising the issue as reflected by its failure to announce any grant of aid which was sought by the State. Also the Government is reluctant to accord the disaster the status of a national calamity which would have facilitated much larger inflow of national and international aid to the State.

15.11.99 : The Congress has ruled out replacing the Orissa C.M. Mr Girdhar Gamang, on account of the Orissa cyclone disaster. Mr Pranab Mukherje, party general secretary, said: "It is not a question of blaming any individual, as the whole system was paralysed when people did not know what was happening next door. Nobody is thinking replacing the Chief Minister."       Dismissing any possibility of postponement of Assembly elections, Mr Mukherjee said there was no legal and constitutional provision to postpone the polls in case the cycline is declared as a national calamity. To a question whether the Central leadership was satisfied with the performance of the Chief Minister, Mr Mukherjee said it was not a question of satisfaction os disatisfaction. "Even God could not have helped in this situation," he remarked.

16.11.99 : The Congress President, Mrs Sonia, is visiting Orissa tomorrow for a day-long survey of cyclone affected areas and to oversee the relief and rehabilitation, said the Congress. The party spokesman, Mr Ajit Jogi, said that during her visit Mrs Sonia Gandhi will interact with the Irissa Chief Minister and PCC leaders to see that the task of reaching help to the needy is acrried out fairly and properly.

17.11.99 : The Congress has said that there is no provision in the constitution for the postponing elections in Orissa on account of natural calamity. The Congress spokesman, Mr Ajit Jogi, said "Our objectives is to restore normalcyat the earliest in the State. In the present scenario, we see no reason for postponement of elections." Mr Jogi gave the details of the relief and rehabilitation work and said the State Government had decided to launch a programme to bring 2.82 lakh hectares of land under rabi cultivation. Mr Jogi said a subsidy content of Rs 20 crore had been earmarked for the supply of 1.40 lakh quintal seeds through departmental sale centres. Even such farmers who had not lost their seed stock in the super cyclone were expected to take up rabi cultivation over and above the targeted 2.82 lakh hectares. The State Government would be in a position to cover 33,196 hectares of land and a population of 2.37 lakh farmers with the 8,770 quintals of pulse and oilseeds the Centre had supplied in the form of mini kits. Mr Jogi added: " The State Government has also requested the Centre to provide three lakh mini kits of vegetable seed to the affected farmers. A request for the supply of fertiliser mini kits worth Rs 16.74 crore for 3.40 lakh small and marginal farmers has been placed with the NDA Government, in addition to the required plant protection chemicals worth Rs 61.68 lakh at 50 per cent subsidy. Replying to a question, Mr Jogi said the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, was on a day-long visit to the State today with the objective of gathering first hand information regarding the relief work. To streamline relief coordination, Mrs Sonia Gandhi discussed the matter yesterday with the Chief Ministers of the Congress-ruled States.

18.11.99 : The Congress has called for a plan of action to wrest the initiative from the terrorists who had started targeting military camps in the vally. Mr Ahmed Patel, Congress leader, pointed out that the first ministerial meeting to review the security and ecnomic situation in Jammu and Kashmir after the Kargil intrusion had farled to rise above rhetoric. The meeting was held on November 16. Mr Patel called for serious thought and urgent handling as the "attacks on security establishments could demoralise them. He expressed surprise over the Union Home Minister's reported remarks that the attacks on security forces by terrorists were the outcome of their frustration at Pakistan's humiliating defeat in Kargil and asked the Government to spell out a time-frame for stopping such attacks.

19.11.99 : The Introspection Committee set up by Mrs Sonia Gandhi, President, to find out the reasons for the poor performance of the party in the last Lok Sabha polls will submit its report on Novermber 30. Mr Mani Shankar Aiyar, the convenor of the 11-member committee, said that the mambers had sought precise, free and frack views in their Mumbai visit. "This would help the Congress to take a stand during the process of electoral rejuvenation." Mr Aiyar said the purpose of the Committee would be to "introspect, have a frank assessment and take determind action." Replying to a question, he said the Congress party would take action on the report in December this year or early next year and it would be eltirely within the purview of the party President whether or not to make it public. When asked whether the Committee would discuss with Mrs Sonia Gandhi and solicit her views as well, Mr Aiyar said that they would do so in case Mrs Gandhi wanted to present her views.

22.11.99 : The AICC's Introspection Committeemember and spokesman, Mr Mani Shankar Aiyar, said that the committee would also invite the CWC members to speak before it. Mr Aiyar informed that the panel, after visiting Lucknow, Calcutta, Agartala, Hyderabad, Mumbai and other places will submit the report om November 30. The Committee after an indepth analysis, was expected to give constructive suggestions for determined action to revive the party. Mr Aiyar said there was no talk about an individual nor was the issue of leadership changeever brought before it anywhere that it went.

23.11.99 : No briefing on account of Guru Nanak birthday.

24.11.99 : The former Union Minister, Mr Kamal Nath, will represent the Congress party in the Indian delegation at the World Trade Organisation meet in Seattle. This was confirmed by Mr Ajit Jogi, party spokesman. Mr Jogi cited the former Minister and MP's performance at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and his familiarity with "environmental tariff and multi-fibre agreement" to justify his presence in theofficial team in place of experienced Congress leaders like Manmohan Singh and Pranab Mukherjee.

25.11.99 : The Congress has termed the Goa development "as yet another proof of BJP's lust for power'. The party spokesman said, "The poeple in Goa had given a clear mandate for the first time in 15 years, but unfortunately the BJP is not willing to respect this mandate."

                 He assailed the BJP for stooping low and said that since the Congress had always adopted moral standards its Chief Minister  in Goa, Mr Liuzinho Faileiro regisned. "The party cannot compromise on principles," he said.