TOP STORIES

BATTLELINES DRAWN
Delhi parties slept over rolls: CEC
New Delhi, October 6
In an oblique reference to the Delhi BJP and its belated attempts to rake up the issue of discrepancies in electoral rolls, the Chief Election Commissioner, Mr J. M. Lyngdoh, today asserted that the Election Commission had done the best under the situation.

EC sets the ball rolling, parties go into a huddle for D-Day
New Delhi, October 6
With the Election Commission today announcing December 1 as the polling date for the assembly elections in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, leaders of various political parties, particularly the ruling Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), went into a huddle to hone their strategies.

Emergency meeting of MCD on dengue convened
New Delhi, October 6
Concerned over the increasing incidence of dengue in the Capital, the Mayor, Mr Ashok Kumar Jain, has called an emergency meeting tomorrow to monitor the alarming situation. The meeting will be attended by the Standing Committee Chairman, Mr Ram Babu Sharma, the Municipal Commissioner, Mr Rakesh Mehta, and senior zonal officers of the corporation.

MONDAY GIRLS: Models during the unveiling of the Pashmina Winter Collection 2003 in the Capital on Monday. — Tribune photo Mukesh Aggarwal

Noida may have to cough up hefty trade tax 
Noida, October 6
The Trade Tax Department has sent a notice to the Noida administration, seeking details of application forms received by the administration in response to its residential scheme, 2003.

Ban on sale of crackers in residential areas
Rohtak, October 6
The District Magistrate here has banned the storage and sale of crackers in congested and residential areas on the occasion of Divali. Exercising powers vested in him under Section 144 of the CrPC, the District Magistrate has also banned bursting of crackers and explosives after 10 pm. He said the use of crackers and fireworks would be permitted between 6 pm to 10 pm. No fireworks or crackers would be burst between 10 pm and 6 pm, the order said.

Tantrik held for raping childless women
New Delhi, October 6
The Delhi Police Crime Branch have arrested a tantrik on charges of raping several issueless women on the pretext of fulfilling their wish of becoming mothers. The accused, Saleem (50), resident of Bijnor, was arrested by the Crime Branch sleuths after receiving information about the accused.

Funds crunch: X-ray work suspended at Meerut hospital
Meerut: The X-ray department in the Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Hospital, Meerut, has fallen into bad days. Owing to shortage of funds all X-ray work has been suspended. A senior radiologist in the Radiology Department told the NCR Tribune on the condition of anonymity that the situation deteriorated after the department’s budget was drastically cut from Rs 700,000 to Rs 30,000.

COMMUNITY

New IT scheme to give jobs to 3.50 cr persons
Sonepat, October 6
The NDA Government has introduced a new information and technology (IT) scheme for providing jobs to at least 3.50 crore persons in a bid to end the unemployment in the country.

When the ‘ravenous’ desire for chair disrupts Ram Lila
Dankaur (Noida), October 6
It was a case of getting a ‘suitable’ chair on the stage. The newly elected president of the local Goshalla Samiti (Cow Protection Committee) Manmohan Choudhry was so annoyed by not being seated on a proper chair that he caused a big ruckus, turning the Ram Lila stage into a pandemonium. As a result, the Ram Lila had to be stopped.

BRASS TACKS
Enhancing brain power: Turning morons into geniuses
It is a time tested experience that strenuous physical exercise add to one’s strength. The exercises can be tailor made for specific parts of the body. A weightlifter, who works on his biceps and nothing else, will develop large biceps. Similarly, marathon runners can concentrate on developing the capacity of their lungs, resulting in extraordinary endurance besides powerful hearts.

Birth anniversary of Guru Ramdass to be celebrated with great fervour
New Delhi, October 6
A huge congregation will be held at Lakhi Shah Vanjara Hall of Gurdwara Sri Rakab Ganj Sahib, New Delhi, on October 9 under the supervision of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, in connection with the birth anniversary of Sri Guru Ramdass Ji, who was born in Chuna Mandi (Lahore), now in Pakistan.

FACE TO FACE
In full command
Ninety-year-old Gopal Chandra Dutt is perhaps one of the oldest living IPS officers in the country. Widely credited for his acumen on security related matters, Mr Dutt, still sprightly and alert, was in-charge of VVIP security for seventeen long years at a stretch till he retired in October 1973. Highly regarded among the peer group, Mr Dutt is still unofficially consulted by senior police officers when they find themselves facing a rather tricky situation.

Farmers to protest land acquisition for Taj projects 
Rabupura (Noida), October 6
The farmers of hundreds of villages from five districts--Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras, Gautam Budh Nagar and Agra, are holding a Maha Panchayat on October 7 in Javer Tehsil, to protest against the acquisition of farmers’ land from 150 villages for the proposed Taj Express highway and Taj airport.

KIDS EATEN UP WITH DESIRE: The Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders, made of cakes at ICE 2003 expo in the Capital on Monday. Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

HATS OFF TO SIGNORA SONIA: A specially designed annual calendar of 2004 is dedicated to Mrs Sonia Gandhi. Seen in the photograph are AICC general secretary Anil Shastri and Congress leader Lekh Chand Jain Kagzi

NCR BRIEFS
One killed, two injured in group clash
Sonepat, October 6
One person was killed and two were injured seriously in a clash between two groups of the same family at Salarpur Majra village about 15 km from here late last evening. According to a report, lathis and other weapons were used freely in the brawl.

SFI drive to raise students’ demands

Mother NGO to be selected for RCH programme

DELHI DIGEST Tri Nagar Metro section draws one lakh passengers New Delhi, October 6 The Delhi Metro witnessed a massive rush on the second day of commercial operations today after the opening of the new section between Tis Hazari and Tri Nagar. Over one lakh passengers travelled on the full 12.8 km route generating revenue in excess of Rs 7 lakh.

Legal Consultant to Police Commissioner
New Delhi, October 6
Mr Oma Shankar Sharma has been appointed as the Legal Consultant to the Delhi Police Commissioner R S Gupta. Mr Oma Shankar was Legal Advisor to the Police Commissioner till he retired in August 31 this year. He practised as an advocate in Faridabad in 1968 till he took over as the Public Prosecutor in January 1973 in Delhi.

COURTS

Bar vows to enhance profession’s prestige 
Gurgaon, October 6
The newly constituted District (Gurgaon) Bar Association will take up a slew of measures to enhance the dignity of the legal profession, according to the newly elected president of the association, Mr Karan Singh Rao.

CULTURE

Jashan-E-Bachpan to showcase children’s talent

New Delhi, October 6 This year as in the past, the Jashan-E-Bachpan, the National Theatre Festival for Children will continue to address the issues related to children and provide them with a platform to express their ideas. Jashan-E-Bachpan, which will open on October 9, will showcase the talent of about 90 children between the age of six and 17.

SPORTS

Bala downs Humpy
New Delhi, October 6
Grand Master Koneru Humpy went down with white pieces against R Balasubramanium of ICF, Chennai in the sixth round of the Parsvnath International Rating Chess Tournament at the Bapu Sewa Samaj in Delhi on Monday.

Krishna, Purushotam deadly
New Delhi, October 6
Deadly bowling performances by Krishna Sisodia and Purushotam Singh, who claimed three wickets each, were the highlights of Delhi Public School (DPS), Mathura Refinery’s 20-run victory against DPS, Ranipur in the All-India Inter-DPS Cricket Tournament on Monday.

Manish Choudhary bowls Bright to victory
New Delhi, October 6
A devastating 6 for 31 bowling spell by Manish Choudhary helped Bright Club defeat K N Colts by 120 runs in the first Gyan Bharati South Delhi Under-17 Cricket Tournament at the Kalindi College ground.

Jagjeet Singh stars for Rani Bagh
New Delhi, October 6
An all-round performance by Jagjeet Singh (53, 1x6, 7x4, 37b and 2 for 9) for Rani Bagh President’s XI was the highlight as they tied with Rani Bagh Secretary’s XI in the annual cricket match on Monday. S Sukhdev Singh Virdi inaugurated the match.

Aditya Saini’s display goes in vain
New Delhi, October 6
A fine all-round performance by Aditya Saini, who cracked a strokeful 115 (12x4 and 5x6) and claimed three wickets for 38 runs went in vain as Frank Anthony Public School lost to Delhi Public School (DPS), Mathura Road by six wickets in a Group A match of the first Sardar Patel Vidyalaya (SPV) Invitational Under-15 Cricket Tournament for the M L Sharma Cup at the SPV ground at Lodi Road on Monday.

Dhruv Jain shines for Delhi Blues
New Delhi, October 6
A devastating bowling display of 8 for 39 by Dhruv Jain was the highlight of a two-day cricket match between Delhi Blues Cricket Club and MES Cricket Club of Patiala at the Yamuna Sports Complex ground. The match ended in a draw.

ADMINISTRATION

SPECIAL FOCUS ON FARIDABAD
CM directs authorities to book JE
Faridabad, October 6
The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, has asked the district authorities to book a case against an official of the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) here in connection with alleged extortion from a consumer recently.