The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Huge cache of explosives seized from railway station
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 30
The Crime and Railway Branch of the Delhi Police today seized a huge quantity of explosives from the busy New Delhi Railway Station and possibly averted a major tragedy.

During routine patrolling and checking of luggage, alert policemen stumbled upon an unclaimed bag which contained 150 gelatine sticks weighing 21.2 kg. Constables Subhash Chander, Darpan Singh, Surender Singh were on a routine checking on platforms six and seven this morning.

While they were taking a round of the platforms, they noticed a bag lying abandoned. They asked a few passengers standing near the bags but no one came forward to own it. Since the recent car bomb explosion in Mumbai which claimed a large number of lives, the police in Delhi have been on high alert and examine everything found abandoned. They suspected that there might be some explosive in the bag and called the bomb disposal squad (BDS) of the Delhi Police.

The BDS experts declared after examination that explosive was kept in the bag. Thereafter, the bag was seized and taken for disposal. The experts identified the explosive as gelatine. No arrests have been made so far. But the police are trying to find out the group behind it. It was the first time that the gelatine sticks were recovered in the Capital. It would have been major disaster if they exploded, the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Railways), Mr R.S. Ghumman said.

He said that a few days back, sleuths of the Crime and Railways Branch were briefed as to how to tackle the situation if a major bomb explosion took place. They were also directed to keep vigil at the railway stations and check if any abandoned bag, box or other suspicious items are noticed.

Meanwhile, Head Constable Sripal and Constable Jumma Khan detained a ‘suspicious’ looking man, Parvesh Rai for questioning who was carrying Rs 77 lakh from the Nizamuddin Railway Station. He came from Bangalore and was going to meet his contact in Delhi. While he was going out of the Nizamuddin Railway Station, the police suspected something was amiss and questioned him. During questioning, he disclosed that he was a student and carrying some books. When his identity card was checked, it was not of a student. As his bag was checked, packets of currency notes totalling Rs 77 lakh were recovered. The suspect offered the police Rs 1 lakh to let him go. When the police refused to release him, he offered Rs 10 lakh.

During further questioning, he disclosed that he had to deliver the money to one M.N. Upadhaye who would also be examined by the police. Some racket is suspected in the case, the additional DCP said. At present, his detention is not being linked with the detection of explosives seized from the New Delhi.

TAJ EXPRESSWAY
Mafia grabs posh land in Greater Noida
Parmindar Singh

Greater Noida, August 30
The Greater Noida administration, it is learnt, allotted hundreds of bighas of developed land to the members of a land mafia in return of inferior quality land.

The administration had thus passed on the benefit of hundreds of crores of rupees to these persons.

According to sources, the land mafia got 350 bighas of land allotted in Amarpur village in Sadar Tehsil through the Secunderabad SDM, allegedly in connivance with the officials during 1995-96. The mafia had known that this land would be acquired after 2001.

During 2001, the authority launched the 160-km Taj Expressway from Noida to Agra. Members of this mafia allegedly got the total layout of the expressway changed so that their land would become part of the project and they would get higher rate of land compensation.

The Greater Noida administration through a letter asked Charan Singh, Mahavir Prasad, Prem Lata, Rakesh Kumar, Depanjali Atwal, Lajja Ram, Rajju, Ram Narayan, Chander Shekhar, Rajvanshi and others to return this land so that the Taj Expressway project could be completed. In return, these people asked the authority to allot them alternative land in developed sectors, which was readily agreed to.

However, when the news of the changes in the Taj Expressway project appeared in the media, the authority decided to revert to the original plan of the expressway. When the BSP government came to power in the state, the land mafia allegedly became active once again and built up pressure on the authority officials for exchange of their land. As a result, the authority had to agree to give more valuable land to the mafia in exchange of their inferior quality land.

On August 6, The Additional District Magistrate, S. R. Gautam, received a letter from Land Acquisition Manager B. P. Sharma of the authority to this effect. On August 13 again, the authority’s Additional CEO sent another letter to the ADM. The exchange of land was approved on August 16.

However, due to a lacuna in the order, the ADM had to order through a letter that 350 bighas of land in Amarpur village be exchanged with Greater Noida’s developed land in Chaharpur village. In Amarpur village, land under Khasra Numbers 109A, 116D, 108, 144, 110, 145, 148 etc in the names of about a dozen persons, including those of Charan Sigh, resident of Bilaspur, Mahavir Prasad, Prem Lata, Lajja Ram and Rakesh Kumar, were ordered to be cancelled and transferred to Greater Noida.

Destination seems elusive as train just chugs down
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, August 30
The Amritsar-bound Flying Mail (4647 UP) took as long as one hour and 20 minutes to cover a distance of 46 km, leaving thousands of passengers at Sonepat and nearby railway stations stranded yesterday.

The train, reportedly, left the Subzimandi railway station at 2.20 pm and reached Sonepat, which is only 46 km from there, at around 3.40 pm.

The delay, it is learnt, occurred as the train had to stop at almost all the railway stations between Subzimandi and Sonepat, allowing a number of superfast trains and the Jan Shatabadi to pass.

Enquiries made by this correspondent revealed that a DPM (EMU) train, which runs between Delhi and Panipat, was behind schedule for more than an hour. The controller of the Northern Railways allowed the Amritsar-bound Superfast Express to get the line ahead of the passenger train. This non-stop train passed through Subzimandi around 2 pm, Sachkhand passed at around 2.10 pm, after which a passenger train left Subzimandi at around 2.15 pm. It was only after that the 4647 UP Flying Mail, bound to Amritsar, was allowed to pass through Subzimandi around 2.20 pm.

It was held up at almost all the railway stations as the passenger train was running ahead of it. The Flying Mail was also held up at Rathdhanna railway station so as to allow the Jan Shatabadi to pass.

Finally, the Flying Mail reached Sonepat around 3.40 pm. Meanwhile, delay of not only long-distance but even suburban trains on the Sonepat-Delhi section of the Northern Railway has become routine due to the failure of the railway authorities to maintain the punctuality of the trains.

This has caused widespread resentment among the passengers. Almost all the suburban trains originate from Panipat, Kurukshetra and Delhi. These trains usually run behind schedule by 15 to 30 minutes, causing inconvenience to the commuters.

Those taking the morning trains are worst hit. The extension of the Flying Mail up to Darbhanga (Bihar) has proved a curse for the passengers. This train, bound to Amritsar, never runs on time and the passengers remain stranded on the railway stations for hours together. The Amritsar-based passengers travelling on this train reach there after midnight whenever it is late for three to seven or nine hours and they have to spend the night at the railway station.

During winter, the condition of the passengers is much worse. Most of the coaches remain empty between Darbhanga and Delhi, As this train is always delayed, the passengers prefer taking other trains.

As the Bhatinda-bound Bhatinda-Delhi Intercity Express and the Amritsar-bound Superfast Express do not stop at the Subzimandi railway station, the passengers have to suffer as the 4647 UP Flying Mail gets delayed. If these trains stop at Subzimandi, the rush of the passengers at New Delhi railway station could be reduced.

Meanwhile, the Daily Railway Passengers Welfare Association has demanded a high-level probe into the frequent delays and urged the authorities to ensure the running of suburban and long-distance trains.

Hand over Ramlila Ground, MCD told
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 30
The Delhi High Court has directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to hand over possession of the historic Ramlila Ground in Old Delhi to Shri Ramlila Committee within five days for making the necessary arrangements of the annual nine-day celebrations.

The committee, which has been organising Ram Lila every year at the same venue since the days of Bahadurshah Zafar, had approached the court claiming that despite getting the required permission and No Objection Certificate (NOC), the MCD was delaying the process.

Counsel Arun Maitri pointed out this was being done probably at the behest of certain higher officials who intended to oblige Lav Kush Ram Lila and Nav Shri Dharmik Lila Committees, which had been celebrating the Ram Lila at the Red Fort ground.

Justice S K Kaul observed that the petition was filed on mere apprehension that the site may not be handed over despite the NOC by the police. Though there was no proposal from the authorities to withdraw NOC to the Shri Ramlila Committee, the NOC would not prevent them from considering the case of other Ram Lila Committees, the judge noted.

Light at the end of the tunnel

Faridabad: The burden of the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (HVPN) staff seems to have lightened following the assurance of a favourable action vis-a-vis their demands by the top authorities of the Haryana power corporations.

Mr Subhash Lamba, spokesperson of the All Haryana Power Corporation Workers Union (AHPCWU), said that in a recent meeting, the chairman of the power corporations, Maj-Gen (retd) B.S. Rathee, had also assured the employees of a sympathetic action into the pending ex gratia cases. Mr Rathee had promised to reconsider the provisions relating to the employment given on ex gratia grounds, said Mr Lamba.

The chairman heard the problems of the employees and promised to look into the demands raised by the union. The demands include the creation of new posts and vacancies in the department, withdrawal of issuance of commercial chargesheets in the name of recoveries, suspending the policy of awarding work of meter reading and bill distribution to the private agencies on contract basis, preference to the retrenched staff in fresh recruitment, removal of anomalies in pay structure and stopping harassment of the employees, said Mr Lamba. TNS

CPM condemns lathi charge on students
Our Correspondent

Rohtak, August 30
The Haryana unit of the CPM has condemned the police lathi charge on students who were agitating at Jind on Friday against the affiliation of the colleges in the district with the newly created Ch Devi Lal University, Sirsa. The party, in a statement issued here today, justified the students’ demand to re-affiliate the colleges with Kurukshetra University and advised the government to concede this demand instead of crushing it with the “brutal misuse” of the police force.

The students of Jind and Bhiwani districts, it may be recalled, are opposing the affiliation of their colleges with Ch Devi Lal University, Sirsa, for the past over a week. The agitating students in Bhiwani district have boycotted their classes and are pressuring the government to affiliate their institutions with Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak. The CPM said that the government should have ascertained public opinion before taking a decision to affiliate the colleges in Jind and Bhiwani districts with Ch Devi Lal University, Sirsa.

Yoga camp at MDU

Concluding the 10-day Yoga and Health Camp, organised by the Psychology Department of Maharshi Dayanand University, Registrar A. K. Rajan said that yoga helped in physical wellbeing, mental strength and spiritual attainment.

Describing that cool and calm mind was the quintessential feature of a successful person, he called for using yoga as an instrument for mind control and de-stressing in these stressful and cut-throat competitive times.

Welcoming the chief guest, the Head of Psychology Department, Dr N. R. Sharma, said that this programme was organised for the holistic development of its students. Prof Rajbir Singh remarked that the yoga and health camp was helpful vis-a vis the behavioural psychology learning part of the students. About 50 students, including research scholars and faculty members of the Psychology Department took part in the camp, which had commenced on August 21. Ms Deepti, a research scholar said that the participants felt that the yoga camp had helped them in increasing their concentration and improved their mental alertness. The yoga teacher, Dr Jagwanti, urged the participants to incorporate yoga in their daily life.

Mobile phone service

The AIDS Control Society of Haryana has provided mobile phone services for any information regarding the disease in Pt B D Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences for the people of Haryana. The number of mobile phone for this service is 9416056789. A press release by the Public Relation Office of the institute today stated that any person desirous of seeking any information in this connection might contact Counsellor Manoj Kumar on the above mobile number at any time.

SPECIAL FOCUS ON REWARI
Solar water pumps catching up among farmers of the district
Nawal Kishore Rastogi

Rewari, August 30
The solar water pumping system project, which is a joint venture of the Union Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources and the Haryana Department of Non-Conventional Energy Sources, has started picking up momentum in Rewari district.

According to the information supplied by Mr Jai Dev Naharwal, Additional Deputy Commissioner and Executive Officer of the District Rural Development Agency, one farmer each from Kosli, Sadat Nagar, Lilodh, Kamalpur and Harchandpur villages had got a solar water pumping system installed at the tubewell of his/her farmhouse.

The total cost of a solar water pumping set was about Rs 3.15 lakh, out of which only Rs 30,500 was borne by the farmer whereas the remaining amount of Rs 2.84 lakh was jointly paid by the Union Ministry and the Haryana Government by way of subsidy, Mr Naharwal said.

The solar water pumping system, which has a functional capacity of 1,800 watts, could operate only in areas where the level of the sub-soil water was shallow and it could conveniently irrigate an agricultural field measuring up to three acres, he added.

There are reports that after watching the operation of the system at Mr Hoshiar Singh’s farmhouse at Kosli, numerous other farmers had made up their mind to get it installed at their fields. They are reportedly convinced now this system of irrigation would save them from erratic power supply and expensive diesel sets.

Frequency of Lok Manch doubled

To provide speedy relief and justice to more residents through on-the-spot resolution of their pending works and problems, the frequency of the Lok Manch has been doubled in Rewari district by the newly appointed Deputy Commissioner, Mrs Neerja Shekhar.

Giving details in this regard, she said that instead of the usual practice of organising the Lok Manch once in a month; two Lok Manches each were held in July and August in the district. Besides the district secretariat in Rewari, they were held at Bawal and Jatusana also.

She further said that as many as 871 complaints were put up by the residents at these four ‘Lok Manches’, out of which 713 were disposed of to the satisfaction of the persons concerned by the makeshift offices of the department concerned while 158 other complaints, which required investigation, were kept in abeyance. Directions were given to the officials concerned for their speedy disposal too.

She emphasised the need of expeditious redressal of all genuine grievances of the residents and saving them from trips to government offices to get their pending works accomplished and asked the officials concerned to give priority to the resolution of people’s problems.

The next Lok Manch would be held at the district secretariat here on September 1, she added.

‘Drastic steps needed to curb copying’

Brig O. P. Chaudhary (retd), the new Chairman of the Haryana Board of School Education, seems to be prepared to go all out in his bid to root out the menace of copying, which, he asserts, has assumed monstrous proportions.

In his keynote address delivered at a seminar held here recently to devise ways and means to eliminate copying, the Chairman said that they would have to take drastic measures to curb the menace, which threatened to erode the great value and importance of education. Seeking co-operation from one and all in this Herculean task, he admitted that the present system of conducting various examinations by the board was defective. He went on to say that teachers too were largely responsible for this increasing evil of copying. If teachers made honest, dedicated and strenuous efforts for the conduct of clean and smooth examinations, there was no reason to believe that the examinations could not be kept free from copying and other unfair means.

Indo-Japanese symposium held for world peace
Tribune News Service

Sonepat, August 30
As a step towards promoting world peace and non-violence, a joint Indo-Japanese symposium was held here today. Organised by the National Gandhi Museum and the Institute of Oriental Philosophy (IOP) and supported by the Bharat Soka Gakkai (BSG), the symposium was inaugurated by the former Prime Minister of India, Dr I. K. Gujral.

The symposium revolved around the relevance of Gandhism and Budhism in the current scenario and how the two ideologies could be used to further the cause of peace, harmony and non-violence. The event assumed greater significance in view of the prevailing threats of war, terrorism, nuclear and chemical weaponry affecting the world today.

In keeping with existing scenario active steps are needed at the grassroots level, which will help change the mindset of people from that of accepting violence as an irreparable disease to peace as the only ray of hope for the 21st century. Organised as a first step to empower people to achieve peace, the symposium was addressed by a congregation of researchers, scholars and philosophers, both from Japan and India. The event was held as the first academic exchange as part of the recently concluded academic exchange agreements between the three promoting organisations.

In his inaugural address, Dr Gujral recalled fond memories of his meeting with Dr Daisaku Ikeda, President, Soka Gakkai International (of which BSG is a part), in 1997. He expressed great hope in the message of peace being spread by Dr Ikeda as a world leader and religious philosopher. Dr Gujral was enthusiastic about the academic exchange agreements, stating that they should now plan for the future activities subsequent to this symposium.

A message from Dr Ikeda was read out by Ms Naveena Reddy, Director-General, BSG. In his message, Dr Ikeda reiterated his conviction that this symposium will pave the way for changing our age of violence to that of peace – the backbone of both Gandhian and Buddhist thought.

The renowned Gandhian and Chairman of National Gandhi Museum, Dr B R Nanda, revealed interesting facts about Gandhi’s life, especially about his interest in religion. Sharing keen insights from Gandhi’s thought, Dr Nanda said that true religion was more a matter of the heart than the intellect.

Dr Yoichi Kawada, Director, Institute of Oriental Philosophy, stated that the path to peace, as stated in Gandhism and Buddhism, in essence was the shift in societal outlook from hatred, violence and greed to qualities of compassion, non-violence and self-control.

As part of this effort of promoting peace and harmony, an exhibition highlighting a rare collection of artefacts and calligraphic/pictorial representations of Buddhist philosophy is being organised here from August 31 to September 3.

The unusual exhibition, titled Lotus Sutra Manuscripts. The World’s Spiritual Heritage, will display originals and reproductions of items created in the early part of recorded history from the first century onwards in India, Nepal, China and Japan. Some are in languages now considered archaic and others are from regions along the legendary Silk Route. Originating from India, the Lotus Sutra is one of the most popular Buddhist scriptures.

Day of rallies in Sonepat
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, August 30
Yesterday was a day of demonstrations, processions and rallies in this city. According to one report, workers of the Nationalist Congress Party took out a procession in protest against the increase in the fees in educational institutions and hike in bus fares.

Carrying placards and raising anti-government slogans, they marched through the main bazars of the city and reached the mini secretariat where they sat on a dharna in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office. At a rally organised later, the speakers strongly criticised the state government for its “failure” to check the increase in fees in the educational institutions. They also opposed the hike in bus fares and described it as unjust and unwarranted, and demanded its immediate withdrawal.

According to another report, a large number of residents of Khewra village held a demonstration in front of the Panchayat Bhawan and submitted a memorandum to the DC protesting against the continuing power crisis and the failure of the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam authorities to replace the burnt transformer. The memorandum alleged that they were getting power supply for only about five hours a day and this was insufficient to run the tubewells and irrigate their land under kharif crops. The DC directed the authorities of the nigam to take immediate and effective steps to ensure regular power supply in the village during day and night and replace the burnt transformers immediately.

Meanwhile, a large number of women belonging to the Swashakti Swayam Sahayata Samooh held a demonstration in front of the DC’s office and demanded a high-level probe into the irregularities and malpractices of the sarpanch of the village and stern action against him if he were found guilty. The DC is reported to have given an assurance to the agitating women that he would take necessary steps in this regard.

SEARCH WITHIN
Our words reflect the state of our heart

It is quite possible that sometimes we are told the home truths by our very wives under whose watchful eyes we live. We, good husbands, are models of charm and courtesy in public, when we know that we are being watched, while in our own homes we are dreadful examples of irritability, sarcasm and intolerance because no one else is watching or hearing.

So there is a ‘double standard’ evident in our personality—a difference between our behaviour in our private lives and the life lived in the public eye. The carefully and deliberately chosen words spoken in public do not reflect what we are; those words uttered in our unguarded moments show what we are.

The scripture says, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” What we speak is an outflow of what we feel in the inside. However, we have learnt to hide our intentions in a plethora of words to suit our convenience. But the truth often flies out of our mouths at times when we lower our guards.

“Keep your heart with all diligence. Out of it are the issues of life”. (Proverb 4:23) This scriptural verse cautions us that our destiny does not depend upon our circumstances or our own achievements but what happens inside of us.

We often tend to forget the fact that our happiness depends on what we are and not on what we do. We are either happy or unhappy depending on the condition of our hearts. Not the physical heart, but the inner spirit, the inner person. If the heart is full of bitterness, anger, jealousy and resentments, all the favourable circumstances, our status and wealth will not make us any less miserable. Psychologists warn that negative and harmful thoughts do more harm to the `thinker’ than to his enemies and rivals.

Thoughts are the raw material, which shape our personality and character. Our associates or friends may not be as much influential as the thoughts we harbour in shaping our destiny. Our view of God and religion determines our spiritual nature; the views we engender about people determines our relationships; the ambitions we engender within us determine the directions of our career. For a young man who wants to make a mark in life, it is important to keep a check on the millions of thoughts that flash through his mind and reject the vain, vicious and polluted thoughts and entertain those which are noble, righteous and virtuous.
Psychologists tell us that it is within our power to attain what we wish, to progress, to develop, to acquire health and happiness by using our emotional and mental activity in a constructive fashion. A good creation by an artist is the development of his creative thought.

It is contented that the state of mind changes the state of the body by working through the central nervous system, the endocrine system and the immune system. Anger and hatred reduce peace of mind, disturb the autonomic nervous system and impair the immune system.

M.P.K. Kutty

Motorcyclist killed by car driven by minor
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 30
Four persons have been killed in three different accidents that took place in the last 24 hours in Sangam Vihar and Hauz Khas.

In the first incident, one Nikhil Jain (20), resident of Ghaziabad, was killed when his motorcycle (No UP-13E-8412) was hit by a Santro car (No DL-2C-M-5604) driven by a 16-year-old boy. However, the pillion rider Lalit Sharma (20), resident of IIT campus, escaped unhurt.

The minor is a resident of Panchsheel Park, and was arrested by the police. A case has been registered against the minor. In the second incident, a 33-year-old woman was dropped at her residence by an unknown ambulance in a serious condition. The victim, Kusum, resident of Prahladpur, was immediately rushed to the Majidia Hospital by her family members and neighbours, but she was declared brought dead.

In another incident, two persons were killed when a speeding truck (HR-51-M-8361) hit them near Tughlakabad Red Light on Mehrauli-Badarpur Road. The victims were on a motor cycle. Both the victims, Manoj and Surender, in their twenties and residents of Faridabad, were declared brought dead at the AIIMS.

One arrested for forgery

The Anti-corruption branch have arrested one Anoop Singh Dahiya, resident of Uttam Nagar, and the ex-Inspector of Transport Authority, Mall Road for issuing heavy and commercial licences on the basis of forged documents like ration cards, LIC policies and NCR for Rs 10,000.

Award for ruhani mission

Swapan Kirpal Ruhani Mission has been awarded with the Indian Medical Association Award for service to humanity. Delhi Health Minister Dr A. K. Walia presented the award to the general secretary of the Mission, Mr G. S. Grover today.

Corporation Bank’s donation

The Corporation Bank, a public sector bank, has donated Rs 1 crore to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. The cheque was handed over to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee by Mr Cherian Varghese, CMD, Corporation Bank.

NCR BRIEFS
Woman run over by train
Our Correspondents

Sonepat, August 30
A woman, Sangdoori (40) of Panchsheel Colony, was run over by a train while crossing the railway track near Milton factory on the outskirts of Sonepat town today morning.

On receiving information, the Government Railway Police reached on the spot and her body was taken to the civil hospital for post-mortem. A case has been registered in GRP station at Sonepat.

In another incident, a 35-year-old housewife, Kamla of village Kurar under Murthal police station, was admitted in serious conditions in local civil hospital late last night with 70 per cent burn injuries.

She has been referred to the PGIMS Rohtak by the doctors. A case has been registered in the police, but no arrest has been made so far. It is suspected to be a case of suicide attempt.

Nomination of Dara Singh, Hema Malini hailed

The spokesman of the All India Jat Maha Sabha, Mr Tara Chand Mor, has welcomed the nomination of world fame wrestler Dara Singh and cinestar Hema Malini for Rajya Sabha and termed as an honour to the Jat community.

In a press statement issued here today, Mr Mor said that Dara Sigh, who is also the president of the All India Jat Maha Sabha, and Hema Malini have significant contribution in promotion of wrestling, cultures and social causes. The All India Jat Mahasabha will organise a programme to facilitate both the personalities and accord them a warm civic reception in near future, he said.

Bawariya Samaj meeting

Faridabad: A state-level meeting of the Akhil Bharatiya Bawaria Samaj Sangathan will be held at Rewari on September 10. According to a press note issued by the general secretary of the sangathan, the meeting will raise issues of interest to the Samaj and concerning its welfare besides the alleged discrimination faced by the community in the matter of their all-round development.

He said although the Samaj had been given 7 per cent reservation in the Constitution he claimed a majority of the population of this community had been denied justice in the matter of according their rights so far.

Foundation stone of library laid

New Delhi: South Delhi’s Member of Parliament and President of All India Council of Sports Vijay Kumar Malhotra on Saturday laid the foundation stone of a library-cum-recreational hall in Arjun Nagar near Delhi Police School.

On the occasion, Mr Malhotra said the project would cost Rs 50 lakh and take six months to be completed. He said Delhi Public Library would run the library whereas the residents’ association would run and maintain the recreation hall.

BUSINESS

CLI-based Internet service launched
Parmindar Singh

Noida. August 30
Union Minister of State for Telecom and Information Technology Ashok Pradhan said the telecom revolution sweeping the country was the result of the new telecom policy enunciated by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

He charged the private companies of being insincere. Had they also acted honestly, the telecom development in the country could have made much faster progress.

Union Minister Ashok Pradhan was speaking at the launch of CLI-based accountless Internet services for Gautam Budh Nagar district here. The minister said that consumers would be able to avail CLI Internet service at 10 paise per minute. Consumers would have to register the service by dialling access code 172222.

This would be in addition to the local telecom tariff being paid by the consumers at present. The pulse rate would be of three minutes from 6.30 am to 10.30 pm and of 10 minute pulses between 10.30 pm and 6.30 am. The consumers would not be required to use a separate wire for it, GM Telecom A. K. Garg clarified.

The minister said when the telecom policy of 1999 was implemented there were 2.15 crore basic telephones in the country. There were long queues for getting new telephone connections in the country at that time. There were in all 12 lakh mobile phones in the country. Now this number had risen to 1.63 crore.

He said private companies had jumped in telecom field, seeing the facilities and opportunities offered. They had been given the task of putting up 60,000 DPTs but they were able to put 7,000 DPTs only in the given time with the result that the government had recovered Rs 53 crore as fine from these companies.

Chief General Manger R. K. Gupta pleaded for a special status to the Noida and Greater Noida telecom area in western UP. A new exchange was being set up in Sector 62, Noida, by December 3 to start disc services, he added. Consumers have requested the minister for a 30-second pulse for WLL service in Noida.