TOP STORIES

Sonia kicks off poll campaign no relaxation to workshy MLAs
New Delhi, August 9
Congress president Sonia Gandhi today kicked off the party’s election campaign in the Capital by lauding the work done by the Sheila Dikshit Government in the past four-and-a-half years and hinting at the possibility of denying tickets to the non-performing MLAs.

A BIG HAND: Congress president Sonia Gandhi at a rally to mark the August Kranti Divas in the Capital on Saturday. — Photo by Kamal Singh

The face of fashion: Senorita College of Fashion Design & Management organises a press preview of the design collection in the Capital on Saturday. — Photo by Kamal Singh

Want your phone transferred? Request on hold…
Faridabad, August 9
Getting a phone of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) transferred in Faridabad is an uphill task. Even the intervention of the General Manager (GM) may not work and one may keep cursing the department.

Brick kiln workers crying for their wages
Rohtak, August 9
The travails of the migrant workers and their children at a brick kiln at Hassangarh, near here, do not seem to be over even with the season coming to an end. Shunted out by the brick kiln owners, several migrant families of the brick kiln workers find it hard to have two square meals.

EVIL-DOERS
Three held for child’s murder
New Delhi, August 9
With the arrest of three persons, the West district police today claimed to have solved the brutal murder of nine-year-old Sukhminder, alias Gulli, who was kidnapped from his house in the Tilak Nagar area and later killed at Dharuhera in Haryana. The accused, Navinder Singh, alias Vicky (22), resident of Tilak Nagar; Sat Prakash (24), resident of Uttam Nagar; and Vijay, alias Brijesh (24), resident of Tilak Vihar, kidnapped the victim from his house on the pretext of buying him kites on July 25 and took him to Uttam Nagar.

• Two murder convicts escape from jail

Disputed land allotted to Kargil martyr’s mother
Ghaziabad, August 9
Champa Devi, mother of Kargil martyr Surinder Pal of Murana village, has complained to the District Magistrate, Babu Lal Meena, that the land allotted to her for the petrol pump, the sanction for which had been given by the Central government, is a disputed and controversial land. She met the DM after knocking at the doors of several officers.

Blanket industry in a bind; faces harsh winter ahead 
Panipat, August 9
Come winter, the cheap Panipat blanket is set to be out of the reach of the lower classes. The heavy doses of excise duties on the shoddy and blanket industries in the recent Budget have put these industries in a bind. As a result, a substantial price hike awaits the common man.

COMMUNITY

Vice-president of the Punjabi Sikh Nojawan Manch Jathedar Karan Singh honouring the newly appointed president of the Congress (Delhi state), Mr Prem Singh. Activists of the All-India Central Council of Trade Unions protesting against the Supreme Court ruling on the right of government employees to strike in the Capital on Saturday. — Photo by Kamal Singh

Farmhouse tourism to be introduced in NCR
Sonepat, August 9
After suffering losses reportedly for the last several years, the Haryana Tourism Corporation has decided to launch farmhouse tourism in the districts of the NCR region. The state government has also given a green signal to this new concept of tourism in the state.

Don’t send Coop Societies Bill to President: Gupta
New Delhi, August 9
The BJP councillor, Mr Vijender Gupta, today demanded that the Cooperative Group Housing Societies Bill, passed in the current Assembly session, should not be forwarded to the President, unless its various shortcomings are removed.

President’s Medal awardee to get railway compensation
Bhiwani, August 9
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed the Northern Railway authorities to pay Rs 500 as compensation and subsequently another Rs 500 as fine to a teacher who had been awarded the President’s Medal for not allowing him 50 per cent concession in the fare.

‘Minorities must contribute to nation’s progress’
Ghaziabad, August 9
India’s development will virtually mean progress of all its minorities. All minority communities should live in peace and harmony and contribute towards the nation’s progress.

Ex-servicemen join dharna seeking Ahir regiment
Gurgaon, August 9
A large number of ex-service personnel from the Ahirwal belt of Haryana today extended their support to the Haryana Yadav Mahasabha’s demand to create a separate Ahir regiment in the Indian Army.

Students boycott classes against fee hike
Sonepat, August 9
Students of various colleges boycotted classes yesterday and took out a procession in protest against the hike in fees and the state government’s refusal to accept their other demands.

SEARCH WITHIN
The grand deception and lifestyle diseases
Elementary schools in villages, in the days gone by, used to have on their walls great maxims, proverbs and wise sayings written in large letters as part of the effort to inspire young minds. Such inscriptions stick to one’s memory for long.

SPECIAL FOCUS ON REWARI
Successive govts have meted out step-motherly treatment to South Haryana: JD (U)
Rewari, August 9
The Haryana Janata Dal (U) president, Mr Ved Prakash Vidrohi, has flayed the present Chautala government as well as the previous state governments led by Mr Bhajan Lal and Mr Bansi Lal for allegedly meting out step- motherly treatment to the people of South Haryana.

• Shiksha Rattan Award to SITM chairman
• 37,821 schoolchildren undergo health check-up
• NCC cadets plant 100 saplings

NCR BRIEFS
Man, woman killed in mishap
Sonepat, August 9
As many as four persons, including a woman, died in different incidents in the past 20 hours in the district.

• 2 acquitted in impersonation case
• Cars stolen

DELHI DIGEST
Toxic soft drinks: INLD asks Centre to speed up probe
New Delhi, August 9
The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has urged the Union Government to speed up investigation into the reports that pesticides and insecticides were found in soft drinks of popular brands.

• ITV in Media Expo 2003
• Traffic advisory

Disruption in power supply hits essential services
Sonepat: The ongoing power crisis in this city and its suburbs has worsened following the unscheduled power cuts enforced by the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN).

HEALTH

BODY & MIND
Nation’s smile is in danger
The Dental Council of India (DCI) will present on Sunday its interim report of National Oral Health Epidemiological Survey and Fluoride Mapping. The report will facilitate entry of Indian data in the World Health Organisation’s Global Oral Data Bank, says Dr V. B. Mathur, Project Director of the national level survey with Dental Council of India.

• Workshop on healthy living
• Disabled to join fashion show

Communication consultant Salil Chaturvedi will be participating in the ramp show.