Peddling on a peace mission New Delhi, June 28 Two young men from Bangladesh, peddling to Pakistan on a peace mission, were in Delhi today. The two youngsters, Kamal Kumar Saha, a physician, and Kamal Hussain, an LLB student, had reached Delhi on June 26; they will leave on June 30 to Pakistan via Wagah Border. They started their expedition in 2003 and have already crisscrossed seven countries — Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Iran, Egypt, Azarbaijan; they plan to travel to 178 countries in the next ten years. However, they won’t be visiting Israel. The two Bangladeshi nationals are on a world peace mission. — A Tribune photograph

Four killed in Tata 407-tanker collision
Greater Noida, June 28
Four persons were killed and about a dozen injured in a head-on collision between a Tata 407 mini-truck and a tanker, laden with wheat straw near Hoda village on Noida-Greater Noida Expressway under Kasna police station. Those killed were identified as driver and three dairymen in the mini-truck.

A booty in computers and printers, which was recovered from a gang in the Capital on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

90 malaria cases unnerve health department
Gurgaon, June 28
The officials of the local health department are having sleepless nights due to the fear of malaria that looms large in the Nuh area of Mewat in the district.

Thousands of eucalyptus trees auctioned for Rs 4 lakh
Noida, June 28
Thousands of eucalyptus trees were auctioned for Rs 4 lakh in the forest belt of Sector-63, Noida. The trees were about 12 years old. Some 1,608 trees were disposed of for Rs 4.55 lakh.

Fear of water-borne diseases looms large
Noida, June 28
With cut fruit, vegetables and unhygienic eatables being sold in the open, coupled with impure water, viral and water-borne diseases are knocking at the door of this industrial city.

Steel cutlery assn decries ‘threat’ by NDPL official
New Delhi, June 28
The Delhi Stainless Steel Cutlery Association has alleged in a memorandum to the Government of NCT of Delhi that an official of the New Delhi Power Limited who visited the business establishment of one of its members, Mr Ashok Bansal in Wazirpur Industrial Area, threatened to implicate him in a false case. The NDPL official went to the establishment to inspect ostensibly the electricity meter.

NRI city to be developed in Noida
Noida, June 28
A world-class NRI city is being developed in Noida, sprawling over 420 acres and extending over three sectors—96, 97 and 98. The Noida authority board in its 120th meeting passed this proposal.

Musical treat at Nehru Park
New Delhi, June 28
Sitar maestro Pt. Devu Chaudhury and his son Prateek Chaudhury mesmerised the audience with their sitar jugalbandi in a classical music concert of evening ragas, set against the backdrop of the lush green Nehru Park, Chanakyapuri, today. This programme was jointly organised by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL).

 

 

 

New Delhi, June 28
On the first day of admissions to undergraduate courses in various colleges of the Delhi University, aspirants could be seen sweating it out in serpentine queues outside admission counters.

Fidgeting in queues with their fingers crossed: This was day one for the lucky few, who are vying for courses of their choice in the first list.

“I had kept my forms ready, because I do not want to take a chance. I want to get admitted on the first day itself”, said Swati, who did not “mind rushing to the college early to have a head start”.

Besides securing a seat in the colleges, most outstation students were struggling to procure forms for a berth in the hostel. “There are too few hostel rooms and the rooms outside are no match, so one has to really grapple to get a room”, said Sushant Singh.

While the college authorities have been assuring students that all those who qualify for admission on the basis of the first cut-off list will be eligible to deposit the fees, for most students, the fear of losing out on the “too few seats” is a stimulus to be an early bird.

“There are two more days for students to deposit their applications, but most want to do it in the first two days. Within two hours of opening we have already accepted more than a 100 forms”, said a college authority in Sriram College of Commerce.

The hostel accommodation is allotted on the basis of marks. “Students, particularly girls, are always keen to secure a seat in the college hostel, but with the number of rooms being limited there is always a crunch”, said an official at Miranda House.

While the process seems to be streamlined in most colleges, students, who were sent back for small omissions in the forms, were seen grumbling. “I do not have a local guardian in Delhi and the college is insisting that I get one, or else I will not be eligible for a room in the hostel”, complained a student.

Another complained that the accountant had sent him back for not affixing his parents’ signature on the form. “Students will always complain, but we also have to make sure there are no discrepancies in the form. That is why we keep insisting that they read the form carefully and not just hurry with the fees”, said the SRCC employee.

Meanwhile, Lady Sriram College for Women organised an orientation programme for students, detailing the course and the content of the new BA programme.

Principal Meenakshi Gopinath spoke on the merit of the new programme and how Arts were in no way inferior to Sciences.

The Delhi University has also invited applications for admission to interdisciplinary M. Phil programme in Environment Studies in the area of Restoration Ecology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecological Economics.

New Delhi, June 28
The Met Department has said that monsoon is not likely to arrive before the end of the first week of July. Delhiites will now have to wait for at least a week to see it raining in their city.

The usual date of arrival in the Capital is June 29 but, as Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Deputy Director SK Subramaniam says, a week’s variation is normal.

“There are no chances of monsoon’s arrival in Delhi before the first week of July,” he said. Even if it arrives in the first week, it would not be very wide off the mark.

Last year, Mr Subramaniam said, the monsoon had arrived in Delhi on July 5. This year, the monsoon has arrived in the country about two weeks in advance.

It hit the Kerala coast on May 18 as against the usual date on June 1. Afterwards, the system progressed well along the west coast, West Bengal and the southern peninsula.

However, the monsoon current started losing pace and by the third week of June it had become stagnant. Except in the North-East, the monsoon had lost its vigour.

Currently, no system can be seen forming in the Bay of Bengal which could activate the monsoon, at least in the next 48 hours, Mr Subramaniam said.

New Delhi, June 28
After Anand Vihar railway station, Shahadara station is ready for a face-lift. The Northern Railway has chalked out an upgradation-cum-beautification plan for this busy railway station of East Delhi. According to the railway sources, this proposal has been almost approved and Rs.3 crores has already been allocated for the first phase. Tenders have been invited for construction and other activities.

As per the proposal, the old station building will be replaced. Two extra platforms will be constructed at the station , which will also have two extra exit gates. A new foot overbridge will be constructed on the west end of the existing platform and the old foot overbridge will be repaired. Encroachments will be removed and a musical fountain installed at the station as part of the beautification drive. Fast food outlets of known brands will be opened at the station .

New Delhi, June 28
The recent move of the Municipal Commissioner, Mr. Rakesh Mehta, to segregate the slaughterhouse and the livestock market at Idgah has run into opposition from the corporators, who feel that the price of meat will spurt and the transportation of livestock from the proposed Ghazipur site would result in delays and traffic jams.

At present, both the slaughterhouse and the livestock market are located side by side at near Idgah. The animals are purchased, slaughtered and sold to retailers at the slaughterhouse. The veterinary department of the MCD has deployed doctors at the site to examine the animals that are to be slaughtered.

While opposing the Municipal Commissioner’s move, the Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee, Mr Ashok Jain, said that local MPs Kapil Sibal and Jagdish Tytler had also opposed the proposal.

Clarifying his stand on the move, the Municipal Commissioner said that the corporation had followed the directive of the Supreme Court, which had instructed that the slaughterhouse be modernised. Earlier, the corporation had purchased land in Uttar Pradesh to construct a slaughterhouse but it could not be started owing to some inexplicable reasons.

The Municipal Commissioner said that the contract for construction of the slaughterhouse had been given to a private company, which has the requisite expertise. The company will take the help of foreign experts for constructing a modern slaughterhouse. The commissioner said that it would be fully air-conditioned and the meat will be supplied in covered vehicles to licensed meat sellers.

New Delhi, June 28
With the arrest of four persons, the South-West district police claims to have busted a gang of cheats, who used to prepare forged certificates for recruitment in the para-military forces.

The cheats were arrested from the Delhi Cantonment area after a tip-off that they were selling the certificate for Rs 5,000.

The accused have been identified as Bijesh Kumar, alias Vijay (24), a resident of Timarpur, Rattan Singh (27), a resident of Mahendra Garh, Shakti Kumar, alias Shakti (28), a resident of Panipat, and Sanjay Dabas, a resident of Kanjhawala. A large number of ration cards, caste certificates, affidavits, secret verification forms, forged character certificates and other incriminating documents were recovered from their possession.

The gang was actively involved in the Independent Recruitment Office, Gopi Nath Bazar, and other recruitment battalions where the direct recruitment of tradesmen, technical trades, Medical Corps and Ground Duty Staff is carried out every month.

The police had received information that one person identified as Bijesh Kumar was selling fake caste certificates to some youths for recruitment in para-military forces. Accordingly, a decoy customer fixed a deal with Bijesh on June 27 for a fake caste certificate for which he was charged Rs 5000. When Bijesh came at around 7 pm to deliver the fake caste certificate, he was apprehended by the police.

Faridabad, June 28
A physically challenged employee of the postal department, made to retire pre-maturely in February this year, has been reinstated. The employee had challenged the reasons given for his retirement and the higher authorities in Delhi accepted his plea against the orders of relieving him from the service.

The ‘injustice’ and the ‘harassment’, alleged by the Dalit employee during this process, had been highlighted regularly by ‘The Tribune’ during the past six months and perhaps that made the authorities concerned reverse the order.

The employee, Mr Risal Singh Rathee, working as PA, (BCR), head post office here, told ‘The Tribune’ today that he had rejoined the office on Saturday last, after about four months.

Expressing his indebtedness to the coverage by the paper, he said had the paper not given him space, his voice might not have reached the authorities and he might have been denied justice.

It is perhaps the first case in the entire northern region that an employee, given premature retirement, had been reinstated in service.

He will now be serving for six more years till he reaches 60. Mr Rathee who had not been in the good books of some of his seniors in the past few years had been allegedly victimised as he opposed some of the accepted norms of ‘corruption’ and the style of functioning of certain officials.

As a result, he was not only transferred to a distant place, but was also assaulted while on duty, about three years ago. At least two complaints lodged by him in this regard were still pending with the authorities. The employee and his family got a rude shock when he was handed over a notice in November last. The notice said as he had completed 30 years of service, he would retire on the forenoon of the day following the date of expiry of three months from the notice date served to him.

It was decided by the High Power committee of the postal department in its meeting held on October 3, 2003, which had recommended against the further retention of Mr Rathee, in exercise of the powers conferred by CCS (pension) rules 1972. While the employee submitted a representation to the Chief Postmaster General, Haryana Circle, Ambala, on December 12, 2003, it was forwarded to the Director-General Department of Posts, New Delhi. But before the department could dispose of this representation, Mr Rathee challenged the order in the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which directed

the competent authority (CPMG, Ambala) to pass the appropriate speaking orders on this representation within 30 days. However, on the request made by the department, the period to decide was extended to May 30 last.

Meanwhile, the Representation Committee set up by the office of the Director-General Department of Posts considered the case and accepted the representation of the employee and passed the order to reinstate him.

The order said that the period intervening between the date of premature retirement and the reinstatement in service be regularised by grant of leave due and admissible.

New Delhi, June 28
A woman, who had allegedly killed her brother-in-law with the help of her paramour, has been arrested by the Inderpuri police of South-West district.

The police said that the woman, Shakuntala, a resident of Todarpur, had some property dispute with her brother-in-law, Rajdev Gupta, and decided to eliminate him with the help of her paramour, Ram Babu.

New Delhi, June 28
Mahesh Sav, who had allegedly sent a pistol and a cartridge to President A P J Abdul Kalam last week in a parcel, was brought here today from Patna for interrogation.

Mahesh, who was brought to Delhi six days after his arrest in Patna, was today interrogated by the Delhi Police. He was asked as to why he had sent the parcel to the President. Mahesh has claimed that he had reportedly sent the weapon – developed by him - as a “sample” to President Kalam.

New Delhi, June 28
Two young men from Bangladesh, peddling to Pakistan on a peace mission, were in Delhi today.

The two youngsters, Kamal Kumar Saha, a physician, and Kamal Hussain, an LLB student, had reached Delhi on June 26; they will leave on June 30 to Pakistan via Wagah Border.

They started their expedition in 2003 and have already crisscrossed seven countries — Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Iran, Egypt, Azarbaijan; they plan to travel to 178 countries in the next ten years. However, they won’t be visiting Israel.

“While every other country supported the freedom movement in Bangladesh, Israel did not support us and that’s the reason we won’t be visiting that country. We are very focussed in our objective and want to give something to this world,” said Kamal Saha.

“To achieve peace, we want to sacrifice something. That’s why we want to go around the world on our bicycles. We also want to fight against AIDS, drugs and factors affecting the health of infants and children,” added Kamal Hussain.

During our visit to these countries, we had met senior government officials and discussed the problems the world is facing. We even discussed the Kashmir issue with senior officials of Pakistan. The officials and the local people were very receptive and wished us good luck.

Where did they get inspiration from? According to the duo, they first walked a distance of 750 km in Bangladesh, disseminating the message against road accidents. After the success of their initiative, they decided to take up the cycle expedition.

Greater Noida, June 28
Four persons were killed and about a dozen injured in a head-on collision between a Tata 407 mini-truck and a tanker, laden with wheat straw near Hoda village on Noida-Greater Noida Expressway under Kasna police station. Those killed were identified as driver and three dairymen in the mini-truck.

The injured were rushed to a private hospital in Noida.

The collision was so severe that both the vehicles were fully smashed.

According to police, a mini-truck was going to Kasna milk plant with the dairymen at about 10 pm. A straw-laden Tanker No DL-IL 7301, coming at a high speed from Kasna, collided with Tata 407 Canter No UP16-C 9667.

Driver Jagdish, milkmen Rampal, Shyam Veer, and Rattan Singh died on the spot. The police had a tough time pulling out the dead and the injured from the wreckage. Two bodies were intricately entangled in the wreckage that they could not be taken out in a single piece.

Raghuraj Singh and Amit Veer Singh, Rakesh and Mahaveer were pulled out of the Tata 407 canter in a serious condition.

Leela Khan, Dheraj and Parmesh were sent to the local nursing home. CO, KC Goswami and SO police station, Kasna, with some policemen reached the spot. The dead were sent to Bulandshahr for a postmortem.

It may be recalled that the Noida police had decided to station five Gypsies on the Expressway following a major accident involving a stationary truck and another carrying household effects of a bank manager in which five persons lost their lives.

It seems there is no checking the rash driving on this Expressway where the lack of streetlights adds to the problems.

Gurgaon, June 28
The officials of the local health department are having sleepless nights due to the fear of malaria that looms large in the Nuh area of Mewat in the district.

The malaria wing of the department has got a jolt with the reports of about 90 malaria cases in the area. The skewed civic and hygienic sense of the Mewat people has been a major contributory factor in the spread of disease.

Last year, about 800 malaria cases were reported. The authorities have since been on guard to prevent its recurrence.

In fact, the authorities have gone on mass awakening spree with regard to the disease.

The department is observing this month as malaria month. Posters and wall writings are being used on a large scale apart from door-to-door campaign to raise the level of awakening. A team of the health department has been stationed at Nuh to give thrust to the campaign. However, it is ironic that so far 90 malaria cases have been reported in spite of the rearguard action by the department.

According to official sources, most of those reported positive for the disease are the ones afflicted with the ailment last year.

This in itself is an alarming development. While the officials attribute it to the carelessness on part of the public, there are many who say that the department officials are only satisfied with completing the paper works. Many hold that the officials take it upon themselves as a ‘donkey job’ to launch themselves in the field against malaria.

Mewat is considered to be one of the most backward areas of Haryana. Dominated by Meo Muslims, the area is at the ebb of pyramid of developmental indices.

One thing that stands out is that the people of the area allegedly get influenced by the Muslim social organisations who dissuade the locals from taking medicines given by the department and doctors.

They are also suspicious of the help provided by the non-government organisations working in Mewat.

In such a situation, people resort more to talisman and other cheap remedies administered by the quacks.

It is in this context that Mewat has always been susceptible to all kinds of diseases, especially the water-borne ones.

Noida, June 28
Thousands of eucalyptus trees were auctioned for Rs 4 lakh in the forest belt of Sector-63, Noida. The trees were about 12 years old. Some 1,608 trees were disposed of for Rs 4.55 lakh.

A large number of strong trees had already been axed and removed by the Noida Authority’s circle officials for their personal use.

Half a dozen contractors had given bid in the auction which continued throughout the day. It is estimated that the Authority had suffered a loss of at least Rs 50,000 for the trees removed before the auction.

A senior engineer of work circle-I had already helped himself with thick and stronger trees for his personal use. The Project Engineer, however, says that the work circle has nothing to do with the trees. The Authority has commercial and parking land in Sector-63 where 1,608 eucalyptus trees were hampering the parking and commercial development of plots.

Noida, June 28
With cut fruit, vegetables and unhygienic eatables being sold in the open, coupled with impure water, viral and water-borne diseases are knocking at the door of this industrial city.

The administration is obviously unaware of the looming epidemic.

The health department has failed to check the sale of rotten fruit and vegetables, endangering the life of the gullible people.

According to Dr Dhawan of Govt. Hospital Noida, most of the patients coming to Sector-30 hospital, suffer from ailments caused by contaminated water and unhygienic eatables.

Bacterial infections, he said, could cause typhoid, cholera and viral infections which could lead to several other ailments like hepatitis, polio, gastroenteritis, worms in stomach, diarrhoea, urine track infection and food poisoning. Polluted oil can also cause a number of diseases like epidemic dropsy.

New Delhi, June 28
The Delhi Stainless Steel Cutlery Association has alleged in a memorandum to the Government of NCT of Delhi that an official of the New Delhi Power Limited who visited the business establishment of one of its members, Mr Ashok Bansal in Wazirpur Industrial Area, threatened to implicate him in a false case. The NDPL official went to the establishment to inspect ostensibly the electricity meter.

It was claimed that the official threatened to ‘implicate’ the member in a case of tampering with the meter and interfering in the work of an official. The member runs his business in an industrial area in the Capital, the memorandum said.

When Mr Bansal called the office-bearers of the Association to the spot, the official changed his statement and said that the higher officials would take the decision.

Mr Vijay Malik, president of the Association, Mr Madan Jain, president, Laghu Udyog Bharti (Wazirpur Branch) and Mr Ved Basia, president, Wazirpur Bartan Association were among those who reached the spot on June 25, the day of the dispute.

The members of the Delhi Stainless Steel Cutlery Association claimed that they were not satisfied with the report prepared after the inspection of the meter and that some competent personnel should recheck the meter.

Noida, June 28
A world-class NRI city is being developed in Noida, sprawling over 420 acres and extending over three sectors—96, 97 and 98. The Noida authority board in its 120th meeting passed this proposal.

Other important decisions approved in the board meeting held today, included developing three industrial sectors over the land in sectors earlier earmarked for making a warehousing sector, developing Noida stadium of world standards, making three new sectors of residential plots and flats and having infrastructure on top priority, CEO and Chairman of Noida authority Dev Dutt said.

Along with developing residential and commercial sectors, the Noida authority will make efforts to sell its plots, flats and commercial and industrial plots which have remained unsold with the Authority in various sectors so far.

The chairman said global tenders would be invited for the NRI city and the services of world-famous architects procured for the prestigious project.

The NRI city will be a low-density city and an ideal place for the NRIs who have rather done well and are keen to have a base in India.

In the stadium, special efforts are being made to develop an international gymnasium, courts for badminton, tennis, basketball, squash. By 15 August this year, the stadium would present attractive looks, the chairman promised.

Another important aspect connected with the infrastructure is the development of suitable and adequate parking facilities in the township to which the board has given a green signal to the Noida authority.

A welcome decision taken by the board is pertaining to the lease rent. The penalty on lease rent for those who had been allotted property after 1999 has been waived off and they could now go in for registry of the property and 4% service tax, if paid, will be adjusted.

New Delhi, June 28
Sitar maestro Pt. Devu Chaudhury and his son Prateek Chaudhury mesmerised the audience with their sitar jugalbandi in a classical music concert of evening ragas, set against the backdrop of the lush green Nehru Park, Chanakyapuri, today. This programme was jointly organised by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL).