TOP STORIES

Sufi kalam and pop to put audience on cloud nine
New Delhi, December 31
The New Year celebrations are likely to continue throughout the first week of January in the Capital with a musical fiesta from sufia kalam to Punjabi pop, setting the musical tone for the whole year.

Cong rings in 2002 with recast DPCC
New Delhi, December 31
In a move to inculcate some semblance of unity among the rival factions, the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee rung in the New Year with a reconstituted list of office bearers in an apparent effort to propel the party to power in the forthcoming elections to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

Activists of the All India Anti-Terrorist Front along with hundreds of blind students at India Gate vow to foster world peace. —Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

Man & Nature combine to mar New Year high

New Delhi, December 31 Terrorist strikes, the growing threat of a war, economic downslide, traffic snarls and inclement weather all combined to ensure that the New Year celebrations in the Capital were not marked by a sense of euphoria or merriment. The restrictions at Connaught Place put a dampener on the New Year eve revelries on Monday. —Tribune Photo

Private bus operators milking Haryana
Gurgaon, December 31
The Haryana Government is being duped by private bus operators on the Gurgaon-Delhi route. The racket was always an open secret, but of late it has picked up a momentum of its own.

Heroin worth Rs 5 cr seized
New Delhi, December 31
With the arrest of five persons, including two foreign nationals, the Delhi Police today claimed to have seized five Kg of pure heroin, worth Rs 5 crore in the international market.

COMMUNITY

Saket residents no longer feeling down in the dumps
New Delhi, December 31
The residents living near the G. M. Modi Hospital and Press Enclave in south Delhi’s Saket, have something to cheer about in the New Year. The garbage dumps on the road from G. M. Modi Hospital to Press Enclave are being reconstructed.

A year when cops made it to headlines for wrong reasons
Ghaziabad, December 31
Even though a large number of criminals were apprehended and killed by the Ghaziabad police in various encounters, criminals and their gangs had an upper hand in the district during the year 2001.

Crime rate shows a dip in Gurgaon
Gurgaon, December 31
The district police claimed to have kept the crime under check by arresting dreaded criminals, including proclaimed offenders and bail jumpers.

Careless owners give carjackers the key 
Noida, December 31
Auto-lifters are having a field day in Noida, where two dozen vehicles on an average are stolen every month. Effectively then, nearly 300 vehicles, by liberal estimate, have been stolen during 2001.

FACE TO FACE
‘Leaders in Punjab want to rule over the Delhi Sikhs’

Whether it is an attack on the World Trade Centre or Parliament or denigrating remarks about religious figures in NCERT textbooks or terrorist violence in Kashmir, the president of National Akali Dal Paramjeet Singh Pamma is in the forefront, articulating his viewpoint. President of National Akali Dal, Paramjeet Singh Pamma

Kirtan darbar held to mark Guru’s birthday

New Delhi, December 31 A grand Kirtan darbar was organised by the Baba Atal Sewak Jatha in 8 Block, Ramesh Nagar last evening to celebrate the birth anniversary of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji and the arrival of the New Year. Prof Darshan Singh Khalsa, a prominent Sikh religious leader and former jathedar of Shri Akal Takht recited the nirol kirtan.

A group of Nihangs during their journey from Gurdwara Damdama Sahib to Gurdwara Bala Sahib in the Capital. —Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

Cold wave takes toll of cattle 
Sonepat, December 31
A large number of cattle in various blocks of this district are reported to have perished due to the cold wave sweeping Haryana and other northern states, according to reports reaching here.

NCR BRIEFS
Jawan killed in mine blast cremated with full honours
Rohtak, December 31
Sepoy Sunil Kumar (21) of 12 Jat Regiment was cremated with full civil and military honours at his native Ritauli village today. Naik Jaibir Singh, who accompanied the body, said that Sunil Kumar, along with some other soldiers of his regiment, died when an anti-tank mine exploded at Longowal district near Rajasthan border on December 28. He is survived by his mother and two brothers.

• Fined for power theft
• Two hurt in mishaps
• Shop burgled
• Sewer pipes

Girl rescued from pimp
New Delhi, December 31
The Central district police today rescued a 13-year old girl from the clutches of a youth and his friend who were allegedly going to sell her in the red light area on G. B. Road in the Capital.

• Cabby stabbed to death

CRIME

Boy assaulted after row over cricket match
Sonepat, December 31
Parveen, a class XII student of Happy Child School, sustained knife injuries when he was allegedly attacked by some members of a rival team during a cricket match on the Sector 23 ground here yesterday.

SPORTS

P & SB to establish hockey academy New Delhi, December 31 Punjab and Sind Bank (P&SB) will establish a Sub-Junior Hockey Academy at Jalandhar with a view to nurture hockey talent at the grass-root level. Punjab and Sind Bank Chairman and Managing Director N S Gujral announced in the Capital on Monday that the proposed academy would give a big fillip to hockey in the country. Highlighting the main features of the academy, Mr Gujral hoped that the Sub-Junior Academy would be able to participate in national tournaments since the Bank is already affiliated with the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF). N S Gujral: Nurturing talent

FOOTBALL
Cassios’ hattrick in Nationals a facile victory
New Delhi, December 31
Defending champions Indian Nationals recorded a facile 3-0 victory against Youngsters Club in a Group B match of the Delhi Soccer Association (DSA)-SAIL Senior Division Football League Championship at the Ambedkar Stadium in the Capital on Monday.

CRICKET
Sumit Dogra Academy win by four wickets

New Delhi, December 31 East Point Sumit Dogra Cricket Academy beat West Delhi Academy by four wickets in the opening match of the second All-India Shakuntala Devi Memorial Cricket Tournament at the East Point School ground, Vasundhra Enclave, in the Capital. The Delhi and District Cricket Association sports secretary Sunil Dev inaugurated the tournament.

Delhi and District Cricket Association sports secretary Sunil Dev with the West Delhi and Sumit Dogra Academy boys after inaugurating the Shakuntala Devi Memorial Cricket Tournament at East Point School, Vasundhra Enclave, in the Capital on Monday. —Tribune Photo

Royal Sports’ New Year Promotion Scheme
New Delhi, December 31
Royal Sporting House, a big name in international sports brands, have introduced a “New Year Promotion” scheme, aimed at rewarding its customers. The promotion can be availed t all Royal Sporting House showrooms located all over the country, including Shoppers’ Stop outlets.

• Maharaj beats Sharma in DDA Badminton 

• England Women’s Cricket team for India

• Ice skating meet at Fun-n-Fair

ADMINISTRATION

A green and clean scheme for Sonepat 
Sonepat, December 31
The district administration has launched a scheme, Tarun Triveni Van Yojna, with a view to bringing about a green revolution and ensuring clean environment in the district.