TOP STORIES

MCD polls put off as BJP has its way
New Delhi, January 28
That Corporation elections would not be held in February as sought by the Government of NCT of Delhi was conveyed by Union Home Minister LK Advani to a Congress delegation that called on him on Monday evening.

School bus veers out of control, child dead
New Delhi, January 28
A 13-year-old student of the Central Reserve Police Force School was killed and 15 others were injured when their school bus rammed into a DTC bus this morning near Hauz Rani area of Malviya Nagar in South Delhi.

Schoolchildren protest against the high prices of books at the World Book Fair at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi on Monday. —Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

Industry chambers throw a spanner in effluent works
New Delhi, January 28
Formulated in 1999, the ambitious project of setting up Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs), originally estimated to cost Rs 165 crore, has run into roadblocks with associations of industry voicing their reservations on having to bear the maintenance and operational costs of the plant. The resultant delay was causing a loss of several crores to the government owing to cost overrun.

NDMC introduces flat property tax slab
New Delhi, January 28
The NDMC in its monthly meeting on Monday, took many important decisions, including rainwater harvesting, relief to tax payers by introducing a flat slab, improvement in road lighting by installing high mast light fittings. Besides, drainage and sewerage system would be strengthened.

• Three doctors booked

Power utility makes light of soldier’s complaint
Gurgaon, January 28
Mr Rohtas Kumar, who is serving as a Commandant with the Central Reserve Police Force(CRPF) in Jammu and Kashmir, finds to his chagrin how hard it is to deal with the officials of the Dakshini Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) here. 

But there are some who fight graft
Faridabad, January 28
Corruption has assumed alarming proportions in various government offices, especially in ones involving public dealing. Still, there are a few individuals who soldier on and try to fight the evil, though their number is handful. Mr Arun Kumar, the Deputy Commissioner of Faridabad, admits this stubborn fact and attempts to check the menace of corruption.

Crackdown on Gurgaon video theatres
Gurgaon, January 28
The district administration has finally taken action against mini video theatres and parlours, which were being run in contravention of the Cinematograph Act 1952 and the Copyright Act 1957.

Two die in freak blast
New Delhi, January 28
A junk dealer, Mahavir (30), and his friend Bhagwan Dass were killed and a passer-by and a vegetable vendor injured when Mahavir reportedly tried to break open a metallic object in his godown in the Nagloi area of West district. The passer-by, Jeevan, sustained serious injuries.

COMMUNITY

Watergate: Rai farmers for action against erring officials
Sonepat, January 28
The representatives of various farmer organisations, sarpanches and panches of many villages and the members of the block samitis today protested against the alleged hushing up of the findings of the probe panels which had looked into the scandal in the desilting work at Pai distributary under the Rai Water Service Division of the district.

FACE TO FACE
‘DSGMC has become a platform for petty politics’
He is a close confidant of Gurcharan Singh Tohra, a veteran Sikh politician and former president of Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC). However, Harinderpal Singh’s move towards politics has an interesting facet.

Flats for kin of Kargil martyrs getting ready
New Delhi, January 28
The Lt Governor, Mr Vijai Kapoor, today visited Vijayee Veer Awas Yojna being constructed at Sector 18 A, Dwarka by the DDA for the families of those who sacrificed their lives in Kargil during Operation Vijay.

NCR BRIEFS
Women construct 3,000 smoke-free chullas
Rewari, January 28
As many as 3,000 smokeless hearths (chullas) have been constructed in various villages of the district by trained self-employed women workers under the National Improved Hearth Programme. The beneficiaries include 612 Dalit families, 1,484 backward class families and 904 other families of the general category, according to Mr Vineet Garg, Deputy Commissioner, Rewari.

Wheat arrivals in mandis Canals in full flow Gymnasium at MDU

Prizes distributed Holy dip in Yamuna

Yatra against child labour flagged off
New Delhi, January 28
A caravan that will cover every village in Bihar to spread awareness against child labour was flagged off in the Capital today by noted film actress Nandita Das. The Mukti Caravan of Bachpan Bachao Aandolan (BBA) is touted to drive home the message of eradicating child trade, child labour and child migration.

Law in Letter Only: The place is out of bounds for all slow-moving vehicles, but the rickshaw-pullers in the vicinity seem to be oblivious of the police order. —Tribune Photo Anil Sharma

Traffic curbs for Beating Retreat today
New Delhi, January 28
In view of the Beating Retreat ceremony at Vijay Chowk tomorrow, the Delhi Traffic Police have made elaborate traffic arrangements for the people coming to witness it and other commuters on the routes leading to the chowk.

Rewari farmers resent power meters at tubewells
Rewari, January 28
Farmers of Jarthal, Asia Ki Panchore, Sampli, Raliawas and various other villages of the Rewari constituency are agitated at the installation of electricity meters at their tubewells. It is alleged that the meters are being installed arbitrarily by the DHBVN authorities.

• Delhi Police best marching contingent

CRIME

Two beat brother to death
New Delhi, January 28
The South district police yesterday arrested two persons, Sube Singh and Deepak, brothers and residents of Munirka village, who allegedly beat to death their third brother, Chatar Singh.

• Mob beats up cop

• Shopkeeper robbed

Post office  burgled

BUSINESS

VAT no solution to ST ills: Saathi
New Delhi, January 28
Although the introduction of Value Added Tax has been deferred till April next year following lack of unanimity amongst the states, the Delhi Finance Minister, Mr Mahinder Singh Saathi, today stated that the Value Added Tax (VAT) was not a solution to the evils prevailing in the sales tax system.

EDUCATION

Computer classes in govt schools soon
New Delhi, January 28
Thirty-five schools run by the Delhi Government in the National Capital Territory would provide computer education to its students from the next academic session. IEC Software Ltd has bagged a contract from the Delhi Government for providing computer education in its schools.

M. S. Sachdeva appointed GNIM chairman
New Delhi, January 28
The DSGMC today appointed Mr Manmohan Singh Sachdeva as the chairman of Guru Nanak Institute of Management, which is affiliated to Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University in the National Capital Territory.

SPORTS

City Club earn full points through EME ‘self’ goal
New Delhi, January 28
What City Club could not achieve during the regulation period, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (EME) Centre, Secunderabad did for them seconds into extra time play when they deflected the ball into their own goal to give the Delhi team a ‘golden goal’ 1-0 victory in the qualifying round of the 114th edition of the Durand Cup Football Tournament at the Ambedkar Stadium in the Capital on Monday.

Sunita Godara kicks off health and fitness programme

New Delhi, January 28 Former Asian marathon champion Sunita Godara kicked off a health and fitness programme “on natural health care and holistic life style” at the India Habitat Centre in the Capital. Former national swimming champion and film actress Nafisa Ali inaugurating the ‘Health and Fitness Programme”, organised by marathon runner Sunita Godara at the India Habitat Centre in the Capital.

Adidas shock HDFC Bank in Teri Cup
New Delhi, January 28
Adidas shocked defending champions HDFC Bank by five wickets in the Teri Cup Cricket Tournament at the Teri Ground, Gurgaon. Adidas required three runs from the last ball to win the match, but Vipin Bhasin blasted the ball towards the mid-off boundary to take Adidas to the victory target in great style.

Rachel scales a new high in skydiving 
New Delhi, January 28
Rachel Thomas of Railways achieved a new high, to get into the Limca Book of Records, when she skydived from a height of 3,000 feet during the VIIth National Youth Festival at Hissar, organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. 

• Junior Nehru Hockey semi-final fixtures

ADMINISTRATION

A heavy price for pig-headedness
Sonepat, January 28
The pig owners of Sonepat, Ganaur, Gohana and Kharkhauda towns in the district were ordered to keep the animals within their premises or face a severe action, following the promulgation of the prohibitory orders under Section 144 Cr.P.C. by the District Magistrate of Sonepat, Mr S N Roy, The civic administration swung into action and captured a large number of stray pigs within the municipal limits of the city yesterday.