The Economic Affairs Panel of the Union Cabinet approved Maruti Udyog’s proposal to manufacture small-size passenger cars in conjunction with Suzuki of Japan. The project, costing Rs 269 crore with 40% foreign participation, will manufacture 1.40 lakh of vehicles including passenger cars, microbuses and pickup trucks. Trial production will begin in the first quarter of 1984.
successor to the sheikh
The succession battle in Jammu and Kashmir appears to have reached a crucial stage. GM Shah, Minister of Works and Energy and son-in-law of Chief Minister Sheikh Abdullah, reportedly openly applied for the post of Chief Minister after the ill Sheikh Abdullah stepped down. According to party sources, the main topic of discussion is whether Farooq Abdullah, his eldest son, or GM Shah should be in charge of the government.
Limitation of arms sales
US President Ronald Reagan, bowing to China’s demands, announced that the United States would limit future arms sales to Taiwan. But the administration rejected Chinese requests to set a date for the imposition of the limitations.
Crisis in Lebanon
Lebanese Prime Minister Shafik Wazzan said a final agreement had been reached on the evacuation of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from Israeli-besieged West Beirut. Wazzan said the Lebanese government would ask the United States, France and Italy to provide a multinational peacekeeping force for the Muslim-populated half of the Lebanese capital, where PLO guerrillas are entrenched.
