TOP STORIES

Delhi MLAs ‘powerless’ for a day
New Delhi, July 15
The legislators of the National Capital Territory of Delhi today had a taste of the fluctuating power situation in the Capital when the entire Old Secretariat complex in the Civil Lines area became the victim of prolonged load shedding on the first day of the week-long monsoon session, much to the discomfiture of those not used to such common man’s woes.

Sheila unfazed, says power scene is not alarming
New Delhi, July 15
The week-long monsoon session of the Delhi Assembly started on a torrid note with Congress members seeking the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani in the wake of Saturday’s terrorist strike in Jammu while the opposition BJP blamed the severe power crisis in the Capital on the ‘’unpreparedness’’ of the Sheila Dikshit government.

Govt threatens MCF with dissolution
Faridabad, July 15
The Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF), which was facing a crisis of sorts due to a concerted move by a majority of the elected members to oust the present mayor, is now facing the threat of dissolution. The state government has reportedly taken a step in this direction by issuing `show cause’ notices to the elected corporators, who have been asked to reply by July 18.

Farmers oppose bid to acquire land
Noida, July 15
Farmers of the Greater Noida area have called a mahapanchayat at Tugalpur village to oppose the Greater Noida Authority’s bid to forcibly take away their land and pass it on to the private builders and coloniser, the Ansals.

Law College ex-director embroiled in row
Gurgaon, July 15
The local National Law College of Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), touted as the premier institute of the varsity, has drawn the attention of the public for the wrong reasons.

No cut-out this: Madan Lal Khurana being carried by his supporters after he assumed charge as the BJP chief of the Delhi unit. — Tribune Photo

A seedy garage for an information centre
New Delhi, July 15
Here is yet another example of an initiative gone awry. The Information and Facilitation Centre set up by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, purportedly to provide essential environment-related information to the public, is virtually defunct. Located at Lodhi Road, the centre has been relegated to a nondescript garage on the ground floor of the Pariyavaran Bhawan. 

Delhi Govt rapped for not enforcing heavy vehicle ban
New Delhi, July 15
The Supreme Court today issued notices to the Delhi Police Commissioner and the city government asking them to show cause why all commercial vehicles, not conforming to Bharat Stage-II pollution norms, have not been banned from entering the city.

COMMUNITY

Noida officials: Here today, gone tomorrow
Noida, July 15
Ever since Ms Mayawati took over as the Chief Minister, Noida and Greater Noida seem to have been central to her scheme of things as no other part of state or administration has experienced so many transfers as these two places.

PGIMS guards under a scanner
Rohtak, July 15
Alarmed by the increasing incidence of cars being stolen on the campus of Pt B. D. Sharma Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), the police has decided to verify the antecedents of security personnel posted on the campus besides launching a campaign to trace the stolen vehicles.

Faridabad’s ‘Nehru Place’ needs a saviour
Faridabad, July 15
The move of the authorities to shift the steel market (loha mandi) to Sector 59 has failed to materialise so far. As a result, the steel trade is going on as usual in the Nehru Ground here. This place is one of the busiest commercial spots in the town. People visiting the place face a lot of inconvenience on this account.

FACE TO FACE
‘With better leadership, Delhi Police will deliver the goods’
Mr R. S. Gupta, a Master of Commerce and Master of Business Administration from Delhi University, taught management and business at Shri Ram College of Commerce for three years before joining the Indian Police Services in July 1968. He is a recipient of prestigious awards — Police Medal for Meritorious Services and President's Medal for Distinguished Services. 

Dy Speaker pitches in to save jhuggis from demolition
New Delhi, July 15
The Deputy Speaker of the Delhi Assembly, Mrs Kiran Choudhary, along with residents of Prahladpur, Mehram Nagar, Jharera and old Nangali in the Cantonment area, today met Chief Minster Sheila Dikshit and requested that jhuggis in these villages should not be demolished.

Strike: Phone services in Capital to be hit today
New Delhi, July 15
Basic telephone services will be hit in the Capital tomorrow, as more than 55,000 employees of the Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) will go on a one-day strike. The MTNL is the main basic telephone-service provider in Delhi and Mumbai.

Trader clarifies position
Rewari, July 15
Mr Lajpat Rai Yadav, a former Secretary of the local Railway Road Traders Association, who was booked along with several others under Section 13 of the Gambling Act by the police here on July 10, has stated on oath (in a press release) that he was not at all involved in any gambling activity and he had been falsely implicated.

Travel advisory: Say no to gifts, packages
New Delhi, July 15
Indians travelling to Saudi Arabia have been warned against accepting gifts and other packages on behalf of others, lest they contain drugs. This advisory comes in the wake of many innocent passengers being apprehended for carrying drugs.

NCR BRIEFS
Bank manager accused of embezzlement 
Rohtak, July 15
The city police have registered a case against four persons, including the bank manager of the Grain market branch of the State Bank of India here, on the charge of misappropriating an amount of Rs two lakh.

Murder solved

Body found

• Child hurt as crude bomb goes off

CRIME

MTNL officer stabbed to death in Bhajanpura 
New Delhi, July 15
A telecom officer with the Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) was stabbed to death by some unidentified persons last evening. His body was found on the main road in Bhajanpura in North-East district. A passer-by informed the police about the body.

Woman, two kids shot dead by stepson 
Ghaziabad, July 15
No arrest has been made yet by the police in the murder of a woman and her two small children that took place on Sunday. They were allegedly shot and then hacked to death by her stepson and another youth at the behest of the mother of the former.

EDUCATION

CAMPUS SCENE
Hostellers have the first brush with ragging, despite ban 
New Delhi, July 15
The excitement was palpable. On the eve of the new academic session, freshers, or futchas, as the lingo goes, got a whiff of the campus air – not necessarily fresh and welcoming. There were many freshers who preferred to strut in with their protective parents in tow, lest they attract the wrath of seniors and become easy victims of ragging.

• NTS Exam  results out 

HEALTH

Free diabetes camp for govt staff from July 17
New Delhi, July 15
More than 1500 Delhi Government Secretariat employees will avail free diabetes and cardiovascular check-up at a screening camp from July 17 – 19 organised by the Sitaram Bhatia Institute of Science and Research.

SPORTS

National Stadium lift Gyan Bharti cricket title
New Delhi, July 15
A dashing knock of 46 runs by Laloo Prasad Yadav offspring Tarun Yadav helped National Stadium Coaching Centre defeat Young Friends Club by one run to annex the first Gyan Bharti South Delhi Under-13 Cricket Tournament at the Gyan Bharti School ground at Saket in the Capital.

Some old faces ‘accommodated’ in DSA body
New Delhi, July 15
All is well, that ends well. The Delhi Soccer Association (DSA) elections were held as planned on Sunday, though the Annual General Body (AGM) meeting, that preceded the voting, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium conference hall, witnessed some acrimonious exchanges.

BSF mountaineering expedition flagged off

New Delhi, July 15 The Border Security Force (BSF) mountaineering expedition to Mt. Abigamin (24130 feet), located 50kms east of Joshimath in Garhwal Himalaya, was flagged off in the Capital by Director-General of BSF Ajay Raj Sharma in the presence of Mr K. G. Kohli, Inspector-General (training) and other senior officers of the BSF. BSF Director-General Ajay Raj Sharma flagging off the BSF mountaineering expedition.

A panoramic view of Royal Springs Golf Course in Kashmir, where the Indian Golf tour will kick off on July 17.

Tarun Sharma, Pawan dazzle
New Delhi, July 15
A fine knock of 63 runs with five fours by Tarun Sharma and deadly bowling of 3 for 11 by left-arm spinner Pawan Chouhan helped DAV School, Shalimar Bagh defeat Modern School, Barakhamba Road, by 58 runs in the second Raman Lamba Memorial Under-15 Cricket Tournament at the Bharat Nagar ground.

• Archery meeting on July 18

• Taekwondo championship

• Tour de France on ESPN

ADMINISTRATION

Underground parking planned at Asaf Ali Road
New Delhi, July 15
Mr Rakesh Mehta, Municipal Commissioner today directed the officers of the Engineering Department of the MCD to prepare a comprehensive plan for the construction of an underground parking lot at the Asaf Ali Road.

‘Rooms around temple were razed’ 
Rohtak, July 15
The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Ashok Yadav, today said the rooms constructed in an unauthorised manner around the Shiva Temple located at Kasaiwala Chowk here were demolished on Sunday in the wake of court orders.