TOP STORIES

Fiery May: Five die in Shakurpur blaze
New Delhi, May 22
Five persons, including three children, were killed when a fire swept through a jhuggi cluster in Shakurpur area of East Delhi this afternoon, gutting more than 800 makeshift shelters.

The scene at Shakurpur where 800 makeshift structures were gutted in a fire.  — Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

Akali poll panel not to insist on filing of criminal record
New Delhi, May 22
In a significant development, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) today virtually gave the go-by to the filing of criminal records, if any, by the candidates seeking to contest the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee polls.

Class XII results: Countdown begins, 72 hrs to D-day
New Delhi, May 22
The panic buttons have been pressed. With less than 72 hours left for the CBSE to declare the class XII board exam result, the countdown for thousands of students has begun.

Bonanza for textile cities, spin-off for Panipat
Panipat, May 22
Infrastructural facilities in the 24 textile cities, including three in the National Capital Region (NCR), are set to improve with the Central Government sanctioning Rs 150-crore modernisation plan—the Textile Centre Infrastructure Development Scheme.

ROHTAK
Construction activity grinds to a halt
Rohtak, May 22
The construction activity in Rohtak has virtually come to a standstill with the district administration unilaterally enhancing the minimum sale and purchase price of residential and commercial plots.

Vikas, Vishal Yadav booked under NSA
Ghaziabad, May 22
The main accused in the Nitish Katara abduction and murder case, Vikas and Vishal Yadav, have been booked under the National Security Act by the Ghaziabad police. Under this Act, one could be put behind bars for a year without trial, a police officer said.

COMMUNITY

‘Let’s get out of pigeon-holes’
JAMIA Millia Islamia recently concluded a debate on ‘Responsible Journalism: Issues and constraints’ an event it boasts as the phenomenally successful and most important event of the institution of this session. The debate that roped in who’s who of the print, electronic and web media had one unanimous opinion, the role of media should be more responsible with freedom to reveal the truth without fear.
Distinguished media personalities at a one-day symposium on ‘Responsible Journalism’.

Kashmiri Pandits to apprise Sheila of woes
New Delhi, May 22
Aggrieved at the apathy being meted out to them, representatives of the displaced Kashmiri Pandits will meet the Chief Minister, Ms Sheila Dikshit, here tomorrow. “We have been demanding that there should be some solutions spelt out for our problems.

MLA blames Chautala for ongoing farmers’ agitation
Panipat, May 22
The convenor of Haryana Nirman Morcha and a legislator of the Republican Party of India, Mr Karan Singh Dalal, blamed the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, for the ongoing farmers agitation in the state.

Rai farmers’ crop running to seed
Sonepat, May 22
The farmers in the villages falling under the jurisdiction of Rai Water Service Division in this district have been facing an acute shortage of canal water, meant for irrigation purposes, for the past few months.

Consumers make a beeline for UHBVN offices to clear dues
Sonepat, May 22
As the last date for clearing the outstanding electricity dues and earning concession is May 31, more and more defaulting consumers in the rural areas are coming forward to pay their bills and avail themselves of the scheme launched by the state government. Long queues of consumers are seen in front of the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam offices these days.

Steps taken to ensure potable water supply
Sonepat, May 22
The Public Health Department has taken a series of measures to ensure the regular supply of drinking water in all parts of the city. The Deputy Commissioner told mediapersons here today that the officials of the department would visit the interiors and check the consumers who had installed booster pumps directly on the water mains.

ROHTAK
Women groups condemn BKU for holding cop, wife hostage
Rohtak, May 22
Ms Nirmala Rathi, member of the State Women Commission, and several social and women organisations have condemned the Bharatiya Kisan Union for holding captive a police official and his wife at Kandela village in Jind district on Tuesday.

• Date extended
• Vehicles stolen
• Purse snatched

Factory owner occupies Sher Shah Suri’s ‘piao’
Ghaziabd, May 22
A cooler factory in Sahibabad has perhaps created a record of sorts in encroachment. The owner of the cooler factory has illegally occupied a Piao (kiosk for free drinking water for travellers) along the Grand Trunk Road, built by the great emperor, Sher Shah Suri.

• Memorandum to Chautala

Delhi students like to be paying guests
A la popular American comedy series, ‘Friends’, paying guest accommodation seems to be in vogue among all the college-goers here in the Capital. With a mammoth generation gap developing, students are seeking this so-called asylum to get rid of their parents’ intervention in their lives.

Two die, 157 sick due to food poisoning
Alwar, May 22
Two persons have died and 150 have been taken ill after consuming contaminated food in the district. Medical teams have been rushed to the area, official sources said today.

One dead, 20 hurt as tempo overturns
New Delhi, May 22
Ram Avtar (45) was killed and 20 others injured when a tempo (407) in which they were travelling overturned near Guru Nanak Chowk , opposite Zakir Hussain College, on Tuesday night.

Pak should stop proxy war: Sikh Council
New Delhi, May 22
Calling for a “befitting reply” to the “proxy war” by Pakistan, Indian National Sikh Council today burnt the Pakistani flag in protest against the recent militant attack on Kaluchak military camp near Jammu.