TOP STORIES

‘Kaccha banyan’ gang strikes terror
Ghaziabad, February 29
About a dozen members of the ‘Kaccha Banyan’ gang wreaked havoc on three localities during one night in Modi Nagar—looting houses and injuring six inmates while the police just kept sipping tea. In the workers’ colony of Umesh Park of Modi Steel, 10 to 12 criminals of the gang attacked the house of Vijay Singh on Saturday night.

Teachers not to do poll duty on ‘working days’
New Delhi, February 29
A Delhi court today directed the Delhi Government and the Municipal school authorities not to depute schoolteachers for election duty on ‘working days’ so that the studies of students did not suffer. With the order, the Delhi High Court has refused to alter its earlier order directing that the teachers’ duty in schools be a must for the welfare of the children.

DOWN MEMORY LANE: The Statesman Vintage and Classic Car Rally in the Capital on Sunday. — Photo by Kamal Singh

Hard knocks
22 women among 70 die in two months
Sonepat, February 29
As many as 70 persons, including 22 women, died in different accidents reported in the district during the first two months of the current year. According to a report, most of the people died in accidents whereas five persons, including a women, died in the cold wave. As many as 18 persons died in the road accidents and other five in the rail accidents during January.

Hundreds take part in AIDS-awareness run. In video: (28k, 56k)

Home truth
Roof over head, an inalienable right: CM
New Delhi, February 29
The Delhi Chief Minister, Mrs Sheila Dikshit, has said that a roof over one’s head is an inalienable right of everyone and this right should be ensured. Mrs Dikshit today announced this in the historical Jama Masjid at Urdu Park during the second Mahapanchayat where about 4,000 homeless had gathered today.

Property tax evaluation under fire
New Delhi
The member of the Standing Committee in the MCD and secretary of the BJP, Delhi Pradesh, has demanded that the corporation should not levy property tax under the Unit Area Method Scheme from the areas which have not specifically been classified by the Municipal Valuation Committee, under the provision of the DMC Act (amended), 1957.

Show of bravado
Consumers in harm’s way
Noida, February 29
An assistant engineer in the UP Power Company has not only been harassing consumers, but threatening them to boot. “You know I am related to the Chief Minister. Nobody can harm me or even touch me,” has been his refrain while dealing with co-officials and public alike.

COMMUNITY

Sonepat voters being trained to use EVM
Sonepat, February 29
In compliance with the directions of the Election Commission of India, the district administration has launched a campaign to train the voters to use the electronic voting machines in the Lok Sabha elections.

Vehicles seized to disrupt rally: HVP
Sonepat, February 29
A large number of vehicles, including private buses, canters, jeeps and taxis were impounded by the police in different parts of Sonepat district in a bid to prevent the workers of the Haryana Vikas Party from taking part in the HVP rally at Jind. Mr Rajiv Jain, general-secretary of the Haryana Vikas Party in a press statement issued here alleged that the leaders of the ruling party were nervous with the growing popularity of the HVP supremo Bansi Lal.

• Supply of wheat to BPL families

Pvt colleges should generate own resources:
Financial Commissioner
Sonepat, February 29
Participating in the annual prize distribution function of Hindu College here on Saturday, the Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Education, Haryana, Mr M. L. Tayal, indicated that private colleges would have to generate resources on its own to run their institutions.

• Five persons injured in group clash

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit speaking at a Bhog ceremony of Akhand Paath organised by Palika Place Transporters Association in the Capital.

Double Murder
Village panchayat acquits ‘lover’
Jhajjar, February 29
In a dramatic turnaround in the double murder case of two children by their mother in Bishan village on February 5, the social panchayat of the village today decided to acquit Ranbir, the lover of the accused woman, of all the charges.

NCR briefs
Nav Sankalp rally to show popularity of INLD
Jhajjar, February 29
The ruling INLD is all-set to make its ‘Nav Sankalp’ rally a grand success in the town on March 2. Senior party leaders, including Mr Sher Singh Badsami, Revenue Minister Dhir Pal and district president Nafe Singh have been putting all their efforts to rally the people to attend the rally in great numbers.

• 338 cases settled in Lok Adalat

Delhi digest
Lok Adalat disposes of 17 cases at Palika Kendra
New Delhi, February 29
The New Delhi Municipal Council under the aegis of the Delhi Legal Service Authority organised a Lok Adalat at Palika Kendra to dispose of cases pending in various courts. The Additional District and Session Judge, S.C. Malik, settled 17 cases across the table. These cases were pending in various courts for more than 15 years.

• Cong meet highlights govt’s failures

• Free eye check up camp
  
  

• Anti-encroachment drive

SPORTS

Ravi, Bajaj star in C’wealth Cricket
New Delhi, February 29
An all-round display by Ravi Lekhi (2 for 13, 115 n o, 5x6, 14x4, 69) and deadly bowling by S Bajaj (4 for 42, including a hattrick) helped Foreign Correspondents Club defeat Ministry of External Affairs by six wickets in the Commonwealth Cricket Tournament for the Raymond Trophy at the National Stadium on Sunday.

• Suresh, Sanjay shine in league