 |
|
|
Turf war holds up appointment of Cong unit chief
L’affaire Gudia: TV channels indulge in
Gallows for rape, murder of minor
Police to recruit more women
NSUI to help exorcise campus ghost
Delhi govt told to carry out survey on illegal settlers
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Delhi Govt defends conditions imposed on NOS students
CAIT to conduct opinion poll on late-night timings
Giving back their childhood, even if for a day only
DMRC stand on advt revenue puts MCD in a fix
Software worth Rs 2.79 cr seized
Chain of former DGP’s wife snatched
First-ever NCR mela on health
Art and crafts fair held
Health centre languishes in kitchen of community hall
Six NTPC employees honoured
Seminar highlights importance of prayer
|
|
Turf war holds up appointment of Cong unit chief
New Delhi, September 22 As a result of the internecine war, the decision is now being left to the party president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, who has been given a list of at least five names. The names that figure in the list are those of Mr J. P. Aggarwal, a veteran Congressman and a former Member of Parliament from Chandni Chowk, Mr Subhash Chopra, former DPCC chief, Mr Ajay Maken, Member of Parliament and former MLA from Rajouri Garden, who is also known to be a Sheila Dikshit loyalist, and Mr Ram Babu Sharma, Leader of the Opposition in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. True to the Congress tradition, the decision to leave the choice of the successor with the party president was taken last week after the state leaders were unable to zero in on a single name. The decision of the Congress Party president would be final and there would be no room for any difference of opinion, asserted a senior Congress worker. However, he hastily added that the members of the other faction could go in for a private sulk to avoid any disciplinary action. However, party sources claim that they are in no position to say when the decision would be taken as there is “no urgency”. According to them, with the Congress firmly in saddle both in the State as well is in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, things are getting along fine. The appointment of the state party president can wait since there are no major political events planned for the near future. Insiders claim that the war is basically between two groups jostling for supremacy in the State unit, one owing allegiance to the Delhi Chief Minister, Mrs Sheila Dikshit, and the other to the former DPCC chief, Mr Subhash Chopra. Mr Chopra is understood to have the tacit support of at least two Congress MPs from Delhi, who had earlier been under a cloud for their alleged involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. So far Mrs Dikshit’s group has been able to fend the attacks of the other group successfully because of her pre-eminent position in the party hierarchy as she is credited with steering the party to victory in the Assembly as well as the MCD elections. She is also said to have played an active part both in the selection of candidates and the campaigning during the recent Parliamentary elections, which virtually saw the rout of the
Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). According to Congress sources, with such credentials, it would be difficult for the party high command to ignore her preferences. At the same time, the high command would like to see a cohesive and united state unit, so that the commitments made to the public at the time of elections are fulfilled and party programmes carried to their logical conclusion.
|
|
L’affaire Gudia: TV channels indulge in one-upmanship
Noida, September 22 In their games of one-upmanship for the exclusive coverage of l’affaire Gudia, TV news channels had subjected Gudia, her parents, Arif and Toufique, and their families to considerable mental torture. One TV channel had literally hijacked Gudia and her parents, and kept them almost captive in house No. E-147, Sector-20, Noida. The other channel had brought Gudia’s husband Toufique and his parents and kept them as their guests in another house. The newshounds of the third channel had informed Noida S.P. City A.K. Jain that some people were being held as captive in a house and their shouting and shrieking could be heard in the street and anything could happen there. It caused a commotion in the Noida police department. A truckload of police was rushed to the house where mobile units of three TV channels: Aaj Tak, Sahara and Zee TV, were seen waiting to roll their cameras to shoot Gudia and other ‘dramatis personae’ as they would come out. Sapper Mohd Arif who has recently returned from Pakistan as a POW, his wife Gudia, and Gudia’s second husband Toufique had provided the best saleable news to the channels for the last three days. While the Zee TV had secretly brought Gudia and her parents and lodged them in a house as their guests, the NDTV had laid hands on Toufique, Gudia’s second husband and his parents for exclusive interviews. Zee correspondents were interviewing Gudia and her parents who admitted that they had been staying there for the interviews. S.P city, A .K. Jain. said another TV news channel had also clandestinely kept Gudia and her relatives in another location for exclusive interview, away from media glare. But nobody even bothered how much emotional pressure and mental tension the TV journalists had caused to Gudia and her relatives. She and other characters were reportedly questioned, which would tantamount to grilling, for hours in the garb of exclusive TV interviews. Mrs Alka Saxena of the Zee TV, claimed that her channel was the first to break the Gudia story, but denied that Zee had prevented the journalists from other channels to interview Gudia and others.
|
|
Gallows for rape, murder of minor
Bulandshahr, September 22 According to prosecution, on February 22, 2004, Naresh’s marriage party had come from village Jadol to village Bhaipur Dorcha in the house of Gajender Singh. Four-year-old Babita had also come to attend the marriage with her aunty Raj Kumari. Sanjay, 30, of Jadol was also attending the marriage. At 2.30 pm, he told Raj Kumari that he was returning to Jadol and was taking Babita along. But when Babita did not reach home by evening, relatives questioned Sanjay about it. He was found evasive in the beginning, but after the sustained questioning, he admitted to killing the child after raping her. He was handed over to police by the villagers.
Student hangs herself
Greater
Noida, September 22 She hanged herself when her father and grandmother had gone to bed. The suicide was discovered at 6 in the morning when the distraught father informed Kasna police. In her note addressed to her father, Rekha wrote that she had wasted a lot of “your money in the past two years. I shall not waste your money any more”.
|
|
Police to recruit more women
Gurgaon, September 22 The idea is to check crime against the weaker sex. Women police in the state will be raised to 10 per cent. In the present recruitment of 4,000 police personnel, women will comprise 20 per cent in order to achieve the final goal, he added. Mr Malik made a surprise visit to the district to assess the preparedness on the part of authorities concerned in hosting 2nd Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) recruits for training at Ch. Devi Lal Police Centre for Research and Training, located at Bhondsi, near here. The training for 2nd IRB recruits will begin from the first week of October. It may be recalled that Devi Lal Centre for Research and Training was set up to segregate the training of fresh recruits and in-service personnel as per the guidelines of the Dharamvir Commission. The centre was set up with a multi-pronged agenda, including the opening up of Regional Forensic Science Laboratory, North Zone Women Training Centre, rasing of Haryana State Industrial Security Force (HSISF), and research of various aspects relating to the police force. According to Mr Malik, the centre is being developed on 340 acres. More land is being acquired to have a direct access to the National Highway vide Sector 56. Mr Malik said that the new syllabus for training the recruits will have an added component of human rights issue so as to imbue the personnel with accountability. Besides, courses in yoga and gender sensitisation have been incorporated in the training curriculum. Dwelling on the developmental plans of the centre, he said that the North Zone Police Academy will be coming up in the next seven months. He also directed for ensuring simultaneous progress on all the projects like Forensic Science Laboratory and Research and Training. He said that forensic laboratories have been made functional in all the police ranges of the state. HSIF is being raised on self-sustaining basis. The government had enacted an Act to raise this force. So this will provide security to the entrepreneurs and their establishments, sparing the local police for more useful tasks, he added. He asserted that professionally the Haryana police were the best in the country despite the lowest police-population ratio and lack of logistics like vehicles. The police have improved image among the public on account of its conscious bid to become people-friendly. Besides, the force has turned corners in a big way by improving the level of investigations done by the Investigative Officers (IOs). However, the march of the force to further heights of excellence will continue unabated, he added.
|
|
NSUI to help exorcise campus ghost
New Delhi, September 22 “We have decided to visit the campus and help sort out the matter. Since we are living in an age of scientific reason and rationality we decided to check out the facts,” said NSUI spokesperson Kuntal Krishna. Outlining their strategy, Krishna said, “We will be accompanied by para-scientists, researchers and psychiatrists who will conduct a detailed investigation of the events being reported”. The NSUI’s investigation, however, will not be limited to a scientific probe alone. “We have also been advised by some elders that a yajna for the peace of the departed student should also be conducted. This will be done according to Hindu rites and we will perform the yajna only after seeking the consent of the family”, said Krishna. Meanwhile the Director of ISI, Rajeev Kalandikar, asserted that contrary to media reports, there is no panic on the campus and he expected the students to return to classes in a week’s time. He also expressed ignorance about the NSUI’s plan to perform a yajna or bring in scientists and experts. “If they are bringing in psychiatrists and counselors we will agree to it. We ourselves want to speak to the students about the whole issue and drive away any fear, whatsoever”. Kalandikar, however, vehemently refused to agree to the proposed yajna. “There will be no participation from our side in any religious rite. As far as the permission for conducting the yajna goes…They are yet to contact me”. Adding that the family of the student, Sourav Giri, who collapsed in the class owing to a heart condition, is “deeply distressed,” Kalandikar said: “I spoke to the boy’s father in Kolkata this morning and he said they are beseeched with calls. The family has lost a son and now they are being subjected to such insensitivity”. Asked whether there is some mischief behind the stories of the supernatural events on the campus, the director said, “It may have had an element of prank… which later turned psychological. It began with a few students and spread with more students hearing or spotting unusual things. And if it were merely a prank to secure holidays, then the students would have asked for the exams to be put off, which didn’t happen”. Kalandikar pointed out, “It was indeed very shocking for the students to see a classmate collapse in front of their eyes and the incident had shaken them up. This, coupled with the stress of the mid term exams, might have made some of them psychologically weak. We tried to console them and that is why we agreed to their request for a week’s holiday when the exams were over”. The Director is hopeful that the students who have gone home will return for classes. “We are having tutorials for the ones who have chosen to stay back and will resume classes once everybody returns next week”. Students in the ISI had earlier recounted supernatural experiences like catching a whiff of the deceased student’s after-shave and mysterious knocking on their doors past midnight.
|
|
|
Delhi govt told to carry out survey on illegal settlers
New Delhi, September 22 The judges also directed the state government to have 20 teams instead of the present 10 to identify the illegal immigrants. The Centre has also been directed to consider expeditiously any request of the government seeking funds to constitute the 10 extra teams. The court was hearing two petitions seeking the deportation of illegal Bangladesh immigrants in the city. Additional Solicitor General PP Malhotra and government counsel VK Shali could not provide the court with the exact number of illegal immigrants in the country pre- or post-1971.
Police put out book on narcotics
New Delhi, September 22 The Commissioner of Police, Dr. K.K. Paul, has advised all SHOs, Inspectors, ACPs and other high-ranking officers to go through this book to have an idea of drug trafficking in India.
5 kg of heroin seized
The Narcotics Branch of Delhi Police has seized 5.425 kg of heroin in
four different cases and arrested five persons in this connection.
|
|
|
Delhi Govt defends conditions imposed on NOS students
New Delhi, September 22 In a reply to a petition challenging an official circular in this regard before Justice C K Mahajan, the department, through counsel Zubeda Begum, stated that it was a policy decision, within its rights,
to prescribe the criteria in question. On September 3, the High Court had issued notice to the State government and its Education Department and principals of two governments schools on a plea by a Class X student of National Institute of Open Schooling, who had been denied admission to regular schools. The August 18 circular issued by Delhi Government’s Directorate of Education had stipulated that only those Class X students from NIOS having at least 55 per cent aggregate marks could be granted admission to State Government schools. This, too, was subject to availability of seats, class strength could not go beyond 40 and the student could not be more than 17 years old. Advocate Ashok
Agrawal, who has filed the PIL in the court, said the impugned circular runs contrary to the provisions of Delhi School Education Act, 1973, UN Convention of Rights of the Child (1989) and National Policy on Education, 1986 as modified in 1992. “In the 10th plan the NIOS has been certified as an equivalent board
and the future of some children is at stake,” Agrawal said.
|
|
|
CAIT to conduct opinion poll on late-night timings
New Delhi, September 22 The Confederation of All India Traders said it would conduct an opinion poll from October 1 to 30 to find out the response of the public and traders to the new timings. The report of the survey will be submitted to Lieutenant Governor B. L. Joshi, Chief Minister Sheila
Dikshit, ministers and other political leaders, CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said. Addressing an open seminar, organised by the Confederation of All India Traders
(CAIT), Finance Minister A. K. Walia and Industry Minister Mangat Ram Singal said the government order was on a trial basis till the festival season that ends in December. The government, they said, was keeping a constant watch on the response of the traders as well as the general public. The order would be withdrawn if the response was not encouraging. The seminar was presided over by former Union Minister Vijay Goel and attended, among others, by Delhi Pradesh BJP President
Harshvardhan.
|
|
|
Giving back their childhood, even if for a day only
New Delhi, September 22 The annual Rose Day, organised by the Cancer Patients Aid Association, was like the previous years a day earmarked for laughter and fun. The added attraction was the performance by pop stars Annamika and Shankar
Sawhney. About a hundred children afflicted with cancer forgot their pain as they joined Annamika and Sawhney belting out popular number. Urging the children to tap their will power, Annamika said medicines and prayers would help them, but ultimately, it is the inner, which can help overcome cancer. Among those who participated in today’s festivity were social activist Nafisa Ali and Shivani
Pasrich, who spent time with cancer patients and presented them roses along with personalised messages. Speaking on the occasion, Kiran Hukku (Director, North Zone,
CPAA) appealed to the people to support cancer patients in whichever way possible. “The rose is a symbol of love and friendship. The patients are our guests of honour and in this way we are bringing a ray of sunshine into their lives,” Hukku said. She added, “we just wanted them to forget their pain and relieve them of stress. The singing and dancing along with the gifts they wished for were just a means of doing so”. The school students from Bal Bhavan and Tagore International also put up a song-and-dance show for the cancer patients.
|
|
|
DMRC stand on advt revenue puts MCD in a fix
New Delhi, September 22 The Municipal Commissioner said that he had met senior officers of BSES and
NDPL, the private power distribution companies, the Delhi Government, the Indian Railways, the Airport authorities and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to discuss the issue. While all other agencies had agreed to give the corporation its share, the Chairman of the DMRC refused to oblige, saying that it was a Central government agency and it not liable to pay the tax. Taking umbrage at this, the leader of Opposition in the Standing Committee, Mr Vijender Gupta, said that under Section 142 of the DMC Act, 1957, the corporation was empowered to charge tax on such advertisements which were visible from public place. He said that the issue should be taken up at the level of union ministry and, if the matter was not resolved, the MCD would lose crores of rupees.
Date extended
The Municipal Commissioner has extended the last date to deposit the property tax from September 30 to October 31. This decision was taken in the Standing Committee following a proposal moved by Leader of the House, Mr Satbir Singh, demanding the extension of last date to deposit the tax. All members of the committee supported the demand of Satbir Singh.
Code violated
The Secretary of the BJP, Delhi unit, Mr. Vijender Gupta, has alleged that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi had violated the corporation’s code of conduct by getting published the property tax return forms from a private printer, Goyal Stationers. The corporation has its own printing press and all official documents have to be published from there. When asked the reason for getting the forms published from outside, the Municipal Commissioner, Mr Rakesh Mehta, and the Chairman of the Standing Committee, Mr Mukesh
Goyal, had nothing to say.
|
|
|
Software worth Rs 2.79 cr seized
New Delhi, September 22 The raids were conducted at different places in Kotwali, Shalimar Bagh, Mehrauli, Nehru Place, Chandni Chowk, Ashok Vihar and Hari Nagar. The police recovered 13,706 pirated business software, VCDs etc. from these spots.
Satta racket unravelled
With the arrest of five persons, the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police has busted a gang of satta operators, who were operating from West Shalimar Bagh area. The persons arrested have been identified as Tajender Luthra (44), Pawan Kumar (32), Pradeep Kumar (46), Kamal Jeet Singh (42) and Arun Kumar (47). The police had received a tip-off that one Pradeep Kumar was running cricket satta in the area. He was reportedly operating from a flat in the area. The police team raided the place and arrested the five accused. The police have also recovered colour televisions, six mobile phones, voice recorder kits, one speaker and other electronic gadgets.
Dacoity thwarted
The Crime Branch of the Delhi Police has arrested five persons who were allegedly planning to commit a dacoity in the Shalimar Bagh area. The persons arrested have been identified as Brahampal (32), Rajpal (32), Asgar (28), Ramjiwan (38) and Santosh (50). The police have seized a sophisticated Webley Scot revolver and six live cartridges from their possession. The police have also recovered three spring-actuated knives from their possession.
Gang busted
With the arrest of two persons, the North district police claimed to have busted a gang of robbers, who were active in the area for a long time. The persons arrested have been identified as Sandeep Kumar and Prakash Kumar. The police seized one Yamaha motorcycle from their possession.
Five held for robberies
The Special Cell of Delhi Police has arrested five persons, who were allegedly involved in several robbery and theft cases in the city. The persons apprehended have been identified as Sanjay Attree (22), Raj Kumar (22), Sanjay (25), Ajay Kumar (20) and Rakesh (25). According to the police, information had been received that a gang of interstate criminals was likely to set up shop in Delhi. Acting on the tip-off, the police caught Sanjay Attree and Raj Kumar while they were travelling in a Toyota Qualis that was stolen from Malviya Nagar. At their instance, the police on September 21 caught their three other associates from Majnu Ka Tila area. The police said that Sanjay Attree is a driver by profession. Raj Kumar is an auto rickshaw driver. They were allegedly involved in a number of cases in different police stations in Haryana and Delhi. The police has recovered a country made pistol, two live cartridges and two Toyota Qualis from their possession.
|
|
|
Chain of former DGP’s wife snatched
Noida, September 22 Mrs Narayanan was taking her evening walk around 6 pm, near Hanuman temple about 200 metres from a police post when two miscreants on a scooter had snatched her chain and sped away. When Mrs Narayanan raised the alarm, two cops stationed nearby were seen chatting and did not try to help her. A formal complaint has been lodged in Sector-20 police station by Mrs Reeta Narayanan.
|
|
|
First-ever NCR mela on health
Ghaziabad, September 22 Most of the health melas are organised in the Capital, leaving the NCR at the mercy of quacks. The mela makes people aware of healthcare besides giving facilities of free medical consultation, diagnosis, health check-ups by renowned medical experts. These experts would mainly be from Delhi who are not easily accessible. At present, people around the NCR get their immediate medical attention mainly from charlatans. Dr Vaishya says, “In this era of super-specialisation, there is hardly any specialised medical centre for the people living in Vaishali, Vasundhara, Indirapuram, Shahibabad and Kaushambhi. This event makes them aware of the present-day healthcare.” Exhibitions, symposia, public interest lecture, baby health show and competitions would mark the two-day event. Around 50 stalls in the mela would showcase the achievements of the hospitals in Delhi and the pharmaceutical companies. The first-ever mela is going to be a regular annual event, wherein every year a particular NCR area would be chosen. First & Bhartiya Vikalp Manch are NGOs who aim to help the marginalised sections of society.
|
|
Art and crafts fair held
New Delhi, September 22 The students exhibited their little works of art using recycled materials such as ice-cream sticks, match boxes, tins, etc. The kids enjoyed creating innovative and useful items like pen stands, wall hangings, showpieces, collage and photo frames.
|
|
|
Health centre languishes in kitchen of community hall
New Delhi, September 22 Old timers recall that the health centre was sanctioned for the area in 1991. However, since no space was available in the predominantly government colony, the kitchen of the community centre was converted into a makeshift health centre till proper space was allocated. Thanks to the official apathy and red tape, things continued to hang fire with no one willing to take an initiative in the matter. Residents claim that there are absolutely no facilities available in this so-called health centre. The little furniture that was allotted to the centre is now virtually useless. There are no testing facilities and the doctors rarely visit the place as the patients prefer to go elsewhere; even the walls have developed cracks. Initially some residents and paramedical staff tried get things moving and wrote about the situation to the powers that be. But they too gave up when there was little or no response from the authorities. When contacted in this regard, the Director (Health Services),
NDMC, Dr. A. K. Aggarwal, said that the allotment of land for the health centre was under consideration. “We are looking for a suitable building which can be rented out. If it is suitable, the centre will be shifted soon”. He, however, declined to give a timeframe, possibly because he is aware of the complications involved. According to the rules of the Medical Council of India (MCI), there must be at least three rooms in a building to run a primary health centre, one for the doctor and the other two for the pharmacist and the registration clerk.
|
|
|
Six NTPC employees honoured
New Delhi, September 22 The Union Minister for Labour and Employment, Mr Sis Ram Ola, presented the awards at a function in the Capital yesterday. The awardees are from the NTPC’s Korba, Vindhyachal and Dadri power station. Mr Debal Kumar Roy from Korba was awarded in the ‘A’ Pratham Shreni category, which carries a cash prize of Rs 50,000 and a certificate. Mr Harmesh Anand from Vindhyachal (presently posted at Koldam) was awarded under the ‘B’ ‘Dwithya Shreni’ category, which carries a cash prize of Rs 25,000 and a certificate. Four employees of Dadri, Mr V. K. S. Kushwaha, Mr V. K. Pandey, Mr Manjit Singh and Mr Rakesh Kumar were awarded under the ‘C’ ‘Tritiya Shreni’ category, which carries a cash prize of Rs 10,000 and a certificate shared equally among the four employees.
|
|
Seminar highlights importance of prayer
New Delhi, September 22 Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, President, World Council of Religions, said that this conference, which commenced 30 years ago, was meant to bring individuals and organisations of different faiths together. We need to follow the practices and teachings of great saints, which transform us and fill us with peace and happiness, he added. Arch Bishop John Baptist expressed joy at meeting the people of India. He drew attention to the conflicts going on around the world, many in the name of religion. He reminded the audience that human Life is sacred. He stated that prayer is one of the greatest personal experiences. For him meditation is a continuation of prayer in which one reflects on the mysteries of the love of God and of Jesus Christ. Prayer, non-violence and fasting helped me experience peace, he added. These traditions are also significant in the Buddhist and Jain traditions.
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Owing to intense infighting, the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) has not been able to decide on Chowdhary Prem Singh’s successor for the post of the president of the state
unit.
New Delhi, September 22
New Delhi, September 22
