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| Wednesday,
January 16, 2002, Chandigarh, India
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Pro-Tohra group sees move to scuttle polls
New Delhi “The present committee has served well past its four year tenure and we urge the Delhi government to abide by the Delhi High Court order and announce the holding of polls of before March 15 as directed by the judiciary,” Mr Sarna said. The delay in holding elections to the DSGMC, he alleged, has resulted in the committee members “openly flouting the democratic norms and indulging in all sorts of corrupt practices.” Mr Sarna said, “The administration of the historical gurdwaras in the Capital and the educational institutions run by the DSGMC had deteriorated to low levels. The financial position of the committee is so precarious, that even cheques of a small amount issued by the committee are dishonoured by the banks.” The former DSGMC president said the present committee has taken a loan against a Rs six crore fixed deposit of the committee. Already, the committee has taken an over draft for Rs 84 lakhs.
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Poll panel in place, even if Cong is not New Delhi, January 15 According to party sources, senior leader Jag Parvesh Chandra, who is convalescing in hospital, would head the committee that would have Jagdish Tytler as its convenor. Seven other leaders have been made members of this committee. They are Mahender Singh Saathi and Deep Chand Bandhu, both ministers in the Sheila Dikshit Ministry, Tajdar Babar, Deepak Malhotra, Shiv Charan Gupta, Leader of the Opposition in the Corporation, Ram Babu Sharma, and Parliamentary Secretary to Chief Minister Rama Kant Goswami. The issue of selection of candidates, however, continues to be the bone of contention among rival factions of the party. The issue has brought to fore the fissures between the party and the Government. While some senior leaders had made known their reservations against the legislators having the final say in the selection of candidates, factions opposed to them were demanding their pound of flesh. Accusations flew thick and fast with some clamouring for picking those candidates who would project the Government’s achievements over the past three years. “Leaving it to the legislators would prove counter-productive,” a senior leader remarked, “as it would encourage nepotism and vendetta.” The party has in the meantime, sources said, laid down broad guidelines that would come into play when the 13-member election committee of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) sits down to pick candidates. The criterion, according to sources, would bar any party worker who had contested against the official candidate in the past; lost previous election by 5,000 or more votes; lost on two or more occasions; or lost his deposit. Party sources also said that starting Wednesday, DPCC President Subhash Chopra would be available to the prospective candidates at the designated time, to fill in their candidatures. However, with the issue of expansion of the 13-member election committee, to accommodate a couple more of the senior leaders, still hanging fire, striking the right balance in the list of candidates could prove difficult for the party leadership. The preponderance of the Sheila-baiters in the committee had widely been seen as a snub to Ms Dikshit. The Chief Minister, meanwhile, convened a meeting at her residence on Tuesday evening to prepare an action plan for the slums. The meeting, attended by ministers Mahender Singh Saathi, Deep Chand Bandhu and A.K. Walia, among others, is also learnt to have deliberated upon the party’s strategy for the Corporation polls. |
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Drizzle
brings the chill
The Capital on Tuesday witnessed a sudden dip in the temperature as a persistent drizzle broke the dry spell. The rain also kept its date with Makar Sankranti, which signals the waning of winter. According to the weather department, the cold spell will last another 24 hours. The amount of rain received since last night till four in the afternoon on Tuesday stood at nine millimeters. Delhities were caught napping by the sudden downpour and the dip in the mercury prompted most to stay indoors. Director, Meteorological Department, Mr. S.C. Gupta, told the NCR Tribune: “The temperature is expected to dip further. It was recorded in the afternoon at 14degree Celsius. In the coming days, it is going to get worse. Around January 19, there will be more fog and the cold wave will continue”. The entire northern belt is in the grip of the cold wave. Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh have been receiving heavy snowfall since Monday. Punjab and Haryana, too, are receiving showers. The skies are expected to remain cloudy with little respite from the cold. A large number of Delhities welcomed the rain, as it broke the prolonged dry spell, which had been causing several health problems in the region, particularly the debilitating viral fever. In the city, the rain caused water-logging on the streets and reduced visibility, resulting in traffic snarls. Schoolchildren, who were caught unaware as well, however seemed to enjoy the weather as they pranced in the rain even as their parents tried to usher them indoors. |
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Sarpanch
held for issuing false domicile certificates Sonepat, January 15 These students, it is alleged, had got admission to the college after submitting false domicile certificates, claiming that they were the residents of Murthal village in Sonepat district. Meanwhile, inquiries made by this correspondent have revealed that the State Government had reserved two seats in the aforesaid college for the residents of Murthal village. Five students had applied for these five seats, after submitting their domicile certificates. At the time of interview, someone lodged a complaint against these students, alleging that the domicile certificates were forged. |
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Defiant
villagers restore power in tit-for-tat move Faridabad, January 15 Now, the tussle between the department and the villagers threatens to take a serious turn. The Nigam has notified several other villages in the district, which also owe huge amounts in power dues. |
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R. K. Puram residents live in ‘open houses’ New Delhi, January 15 The main doors, the back doors and windows have been damaged for years. Just a look at them reveals the sorry state the residents are living in. The main doors of the houses are like a sieve, a maze of gaps and holes. Occupants of these houses say there is hardly any need to lock the doors because it wouldn’t make any difference. “One can even enter without opening the door,” said sarcastically a resident of Sector 4 of the area, referring to a big hole in one of the doors. In fact, they had always been living under the threat that someone might sneak into their houses. “The doors are in such a shape that one kick and off they’ll go,” said another resident. But why can’t the occupants repair them? Residents said they were paying their monthly subscriptions as allottees and it was not their job to get doors and windows fixed. “If we do it once, the authorities will expect us to get it done ourselves all the time. And even if we get them fixed, there are chances that we just might receive a government notice,” said Mr Alok Kumar, president of the Residents Welfare Association (RWA). “The windows have remained broken for years now and such is the condition of the flats that the residents cannot even invite anyone in. Not only the windows, even the buildings are full of cracks and the residents don’t remember the last time they were painted,” he listed the complaints. Though the holes in the doors give a free view of the outside world, the residents say there is nothing beautiful to look at outside too. All the parks outside the flats are “an insult to the name - parks”, said Mr S. K. Sharma, secretary of the RWA. Neither are there any trees nor is there any other greenery. The plots of land meant to be parks are full of cow-dung and stones. The service lanes in the Type II quarters are in a dilapidated condition. All these works come under the jurisdiction of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), which says its hands are tied due to severe funds crunch. The Superintendent Engineer of the CPWD, Mr V. K. Sharma, said: “The work will start very shortly. We don’t have funds right now.” However, residents said Mr V K Sharma had said the same thing two years ago to them. They have written to the authorities on several occasions but nothing has come out and it seems nothing will come out in the near future, at least when the CPWD says “we don’t have funds right now”. During the rainy seasons, there are mosquitoes all around the area, giving rise to threats of serious epidemics. “With problems remaining unsolved for years together, it seems there is no importance to life of the common man. It doesn’t seem that we are living in the Capital city of one of the biggest countries of the world. It’s as good as living in a small undeveloped village,” said Mr S. K. Sharma. |
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Time to iron out Sonepat’s problems Sonepat, January 15 According to a report, the iron-gates are being built by the residents ostensibly for security reasons. However, the beauty of it is some residents have encroached upon the public land as well as the municipal and HUDA land. It is alleged that the gates are sometimes closed and at other times, opened. Thus, the passers-by are unable do calculate the breadth of the road and are often hit by the gates. The early risers are most affected. It is also alleged that some influential persons have grabbed land and even constructed small huts there. The district administration, including the Sonepat Municipal Council and HUDA, have turned a blind eye to such encroachments on the roads. The representatives of various social and voluntary organisations have urged the state government to direct the district and police authorities to take immediate steps for the removal of iron-gates. They have also threatened to move the court if the district authorities failed to take action against the persons responsible for blocking the roads and streets and thereby hampering the movement of the traffic. To crown it all, there is a widespread resentment among the residents of the city against the spate of thefts, cases of loot, robberies and dacoities, committed almost every day. The Residents Welfare Association and the Sonepat Citizens Forum have also expressed concern over the increasing incidence of crimes and demanded police patrolling round the clock in every part of the city. |
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Ajmeri Gate gets a facelift and a park New Delhi, January 15 Spruced up now as part of the efforts to give a facelift to the Walled City, it has been turned into a recreation park with a tall fountain in red stone to match the facades of the imposing Ajmeri Gate and centuries-old Arabic school just across the road. Earlier known as Zakir Hussain Chowk Park, the newly developed area is now being renamed as Ajmeri Gate Chowk Fountain Park. Till three months back, the area encircling the historic Ajmeri Gate had been a visitor’s nightmare with an unauthorised parking area for commercial vehicles and a row of shanty dhabas dotting the lanes. The Ajmeri Gate was among the 14 gates built by Shahjahan. The gate was so named, as it would open the road to Ajmer in Rajasthan from Shahjahanabad City. Mr Vijay Goel, local MP and Minister of State in charge of the PMO, said, “The area was meant to be a park area. But without any boundary walls and no one to maintain it, it became a favourite haunt of tempo and city bus drivers and dhaba wallahs.” He said that though the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was in charge of maintaining the Gate, a protected monument built by Mughal emperor Shahjahan, it exhibited no interest in doing so. ‘’When we wanted to spruce it up, the ASI joined us, though after initial hitches. Now here it is before you after three months and an amount of nearly Rs 25 lakh spent,” he said. |
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NCR BRIEFS Faridabad, January 15 It is reported that the Labour Department co-ordinated the talks between the management and the agitating workers. The workers had been opposing some of the decisions of the management which included the undertakings to be signed by workers about their conduct at work. They had also opposed the sacking of some of the employees by the management. The management, it is learnt, has agreed to amend the undertaking letter and favourably consider other demands of the workers’ union. The company came into light along with the Escorts group where employees observed a month-long strike in support of their demands. Tallbros is another unit where industrial unrest is still on.
Missing for three months A resident of Bahin village of the Hathin sub-division in the district has been missing for the last three months. However, the police have failed to trace him yet despite a complaint lodged with them. According to Mrs Ramvati, mother of the victim, her son, Ram, went to his in-laws house about three months ago, but had not returned since then. She suspected that her son, who was married to a girl of the Housing Board colony, had developed strained relations with his wife after she accused him and the family of dowry harassment. Mrs Ramvati said while they had returned the dowry items brought by her in marriage, the in-laws of her son had called him to their house three months ago in connection with some work. She suspected that her son could have been murdered. The district police chief has reportedly asked the DSP, Palwal to conduct a probe into the matter.
Bid to loot bank foiled Rohtak According to information, three miscreants scaled the boundary wall of the bank at night. Hearing the noise, the watchman raised an alarm and challenged the thieves who fled from the spot. The matter was reported to the police. A police party inspected the scene and found that the thieves could not carry out their plan. A similar incident was reported from Beri village in Jhajjar district on Sunday night. It is learnt that a gang of thieves entered the branch of Cooperative Bank at Beri village and tried to cut open the safe with the help of a welding set. Although they could not succeed in their designs, currency worth Rs 7.81 lakh kept in the safe was destroyed by the sparks from the welding machine.
Villagers block traffic Jhajjar According to information, hundreds of agitated villagers came out on the road and blocked the traffic for more than two hours demanding proper supply of electricity and water. Later, officials of Dhun and the police reached the spot and assured them to meet their demands.
Truck hijacked Seven car-borne youths forcibly took away a loaded truck on pistol point near Kulana village on the Jhajjar-Rewari road last night. According to a police spokesman, the miscreants on a Maruti car intercepted the truck, which was coming from Kota in Rajasthan, by blocking the road. Some of them entered the truck driver’s cabin and instructed him to follow the car by putting a pistol on his head. The owner of the truck, Shanker, told the police that the robbers threw the driver out of the truck near Sampla and decamped with the truck. The police are investigating the matter.
Girl raped Sonepat The police have registered a case against the youth who is still at large. A hunt is on to apprehend him. Later, the girl was medically examined at a community health centre at Ganaur.
Car stereos stolen
The spate of thefts in the city continues to worry both the police and residents. According to a report, stereos and cassettes worth several lakhs of rupees were stolen from the cars, which were parked outside the residences in Sector 14, Mission Chowk and other areas of the city, last night. Mr Rajan Sharma, a resident of Chintapurni colony, lodged an FIR with the Sector 14 police saying that he had parked his car around 1.30 am outside his house. When he woke up in the morning, he found that the lock and windowpanes of the car were broken and the stereo and the cassettes were missing. Similar thefts were reported to the police by owners of other cars in the areas near Mission Chowk and the mandi.
Body found
The highway patrolling police found the body of an unidentified man lying on the G.T. Road near Larsauli village, about 15 km from here, last night. According to a report, the police believe it to be a road accident. The victim has not been identified so far. According to another report, Mr Suraj Bhan, a resident of Pritampura village, sustained serious injuries when he was hit by an unidentified vehicle on the G.T. Road near Bad Khalsa village, 13 km from here, yesterday. The injured person was immediately hospitalised at Delhi where he is stated to be out of danger. The police have registered a case and further investigations are in progress.
Commissioner,
ADC asked to stay put Faridabad: The Haryana Government has cancelled the transfer of Mr Mehtab Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner and Mr Pushpraj Singh, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, here. They had earlier been asked to swap places. Both have been directed to retain their
posts. It is learnt that the transfer order of Mr Mehtab Singh from the post of ADC to that of Commissioner, MCF, had come as a shock to the district officials, as the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Arun Kumar, had announced a day earlier that Mr Mehtab Singh had been entrusted with the job of conducting a probe into a corruption case, involving his (DC) personal assistant. The PA was placed under suspension recently. The ADC has been asked to complete the enquiry within two months. The transfer order had taken a political colour as some people, including a few leaders, alleged that the transfer was done to affect the probe and shield some senior officials.
Five godowns gutted in Sadar Bazar New Delhi: At least five godowns stocking plastic were destroyed in a fire which broke out in the congested Matke Wali Gali in the Sadar Bazar area this morning. While there was no official estimate of the loss, the shopkeepers and traders said that property worth several lakhs of rupees was destroyed. No one was reported injured in the fire which had lasted several hours before it was brought under control by 19 fire tenders of the Delhi Fire Service. The entire area was cordoned off even as hundreds of shopkeepers who had come there to open the shutters of their shops, crowded around the site. |
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Three killed in car-bus collision Rohtak, January 15 The deceased have been identified as Mr Vijay, driver, and Mr Vasudev and Ms Devi, occupants of the car. Nearly 30 injured persons have been admitted to a hospital at Sampla and the PGIMS here. The vehicular traffic on NH-10 remained disrupted for several hours due to the accident. According to information, the Maruti car was on its way from Hisar to Faridabad and collided head-on with a Haryana Roadways bus coming from Delhi to Hanumangarh. The Maruti was badly damaged while the bus overturned in the accident causing serious injuries to its passengers. |
Husband throws acid on wife for custody of child New Delhi, January 15 The victim, Kaushakhatun (25), was married to Januddin 10 years ago but was separated from her husband in 1999. Their two-year-old son was living with her at their Shakarpur residence. The police said that Januddin came in an inebriated state and wanted to take their son with him. When she protested, he became angry and threw acid on both the mother and child. He fled from the spot immediately. The mother and child were rushed to LNJP Hospital with serious injuries. The Shakarpur Police have registered a case of attempt to murder and launched a manhunt to nab the suspect.
Criminal nabbed
The Special Staff of the North-East district have nabbed a alleged criminal, who had been involved in more than 15 cases of heinous crimes, yesterday evening after a brief encounter with him near Uttar Pradesh-Seemapuri border and recovered a katta and two live cartridges from his possession. The suspect, Mukesh (24), resident of Mohala Khasi Wada of Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, was coming on a stolen scooter. When the police tried to stop him, he fired a round at the police. When he was about to fire the second round, the team overpowered him. During interrogation, he disclosed that he had robbed the scooter from the same district. The North-East district police have registered a case and are investigating his alleged nexus with other criminals. His two associates were shot dead by the police last year.
Student leader attacked
The president of Shyam Lal College Student Union, Virender Sharma, was today attacked by four persons when he was standing near the college gate. The police said that the incident had occurred around noon when Virender Sharma and his friend Divakar Sharma were waiting near the gate. Suddenly, four persons came and started firing at them. Fortunately, no one was injured in the attack. The suspects were identified as Balwinder Sharma, Ravinder Tyagi and two others. Virender later told the police that two days ago, he had an altercation with one of the suspects, Balwinder’s younger brother, and that is why he came to take revenge. The North-East police have registered a case of attempt to murder and have launched efforts to trace the suspects. |
Exporters peeved at the ‘unhelpful’ stance of bureaucrats Gurgaon, January 15 The entrepreneurs having their export units in Haryana, particularly in Gurgaon, were dissatisfied with the response of the bureaucrats to the important issues of power, inter and intra-city transport, labourers’ accommodation, roads, truck unions and various taxes. The meet, organised jointly by PHDCCI and Gurgaon Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), was chaired by the Haryana Chief Secretary, Mr L M Goyal. Mr L V Singal of Directorate-General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), protested that the draft of the proposed export policy of Haryana was not circulated before the meet. In fact, when one of the
participants, Rajiv Chawla, secretary of Faridabad Small Industries Association
(FSIA), was asked to give his inputs on the draft policy, he joined the protest, saying that he would react only after he would receive the copy. Several exporters pointed out the problems faced by their staff, particularly the labourers in view of poor connectivity of Gurgaon with Delhi and lack of city transport. They were upset when Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner Apoorva Kumar Singh tried to mislead the Haryana Chief Secretary by saying that the district administration had already started the city bus service and would soon introduce 10 more buses between Gurgaon and Delhi. In fact, the city bus service has been closed down a couple of months back due to the mismanagement by the administration, said an industrialist privately. He added that more than 40 buses of Gurgaon depot had been dumped due to shortage of staff. Seth Puran Chand, an industrialist, was upset due to the inability of the Deputy Commissioner for not solving his problem, created by the truck unions despite clear-cut directions by the authorities. The DC tried to brush aside the issue, saying that the industrialist had paid only 10 per cent External Development Charges. However, Chief Secretary Mr Goyal instructed the DC to ensure that such problem should not happen. The rice exporters were dismayed that despite Haryana producing the best quality of basmati rice in the country, it was rendered uncompetitive in the global market due to different taxes like market fees, mandi fees and rural development fund imposed by state government. They could not get any assurance. On the power issue, the industrialists said that the high tariff and the unavailability of power were having adverse impact on the exports by denying them the level-playing field. They were further cut up when the chairman of Foreign Investment Promotion Board of Haryana, said that the entrepreneurs should not depend on the Government and in fact they would be better off without the government’s help. The industrialists were aghast when they found that after his caustic comments, he left the meeting midway. |
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