Forty Years Ago, March 28, 1978: Indo-Pak Test cricket

The Indian Express Front page. (Expres Archives)

The Pakistan Cricket Board announced that Pakistan will resume playing Test cricket with India after a lapse of about two decades. PCB said General Zia-ul-Haq had given the go-ahead for the resumption of Test cricket with India.

Desai on panchayats

Prime Minister Morarji Desai told the Asoka Mehta Committee on Panchayati Raj Institutions that panchayats should be given more authority and funds to enable them to function effectively. Talking to the members of the committee, Desai threw up the suggestion that land revenue could be handed over to panchayats, which should be made responsible for implementing development projects. Desai was of the view that village records should be maintained by panchayats. The PM stressed that elections to panchayats should be held regularly and as far as possible, efforts should be made to achieve unanimity. Party politics should be kept out from panchayati raj bodies and decisions arrived at by consensus.

Delhi liquor deaths

Six persons died in Delhi after drinking spurious alcohol. All of them were residents of Shastri Nagar, an unauthorised colony in North Delhi. In a separate case, two deaths were reported from Navin Shahdara, bringing the total number of deaths in the city due to liquor poisoning to eight in two days.

Brahmachari case

The flying swami, Dhirendra Brahmachari, is to be prosecuted for refusing to give evidence before the Shah Commission. Justice J C Shah ordered proceedings to be launched against Indira Gandhi’s yoga teacher for refusing to testify on oath in response to summons issued to him. He had been called to testify on the fraudulent import of a plane for him from the US. The swami took the stand that he was not legally bound to testify.