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February 4, 2002, Chandigarh, India
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UP readies for
polls Noida, February 3 A force of five COs, three gazetted officers, 15 inspectors, 94 SIs, 150 head constables and 711 constables, besides 2,500 home guards, four companies of PAC and BSF men are being deployed to ensure a peaceful and orderly poll in the district. Giving details about the steps being taken for the conduct of the poll in an exclusive talk with the ‘NCR Tribune’, the District Magistrate (DM) and Collector, Mr Deepak Kumar, said that the presence of an increasing number of Bangladeshi nationals in the district is posing a serious problem for the administration, especially as the elections are nearing. There would be 42,240 new voters in the district – more than any other district in Uttar Pradesh, and over 38,000 of them would be casting their ballots in Noida town alone. The total number of voters, this time, was 713,722, the DM said. Of the 90,000 photo identity cards, 28,261 were ready and being distributed through resident welfare associations. As many as 3.81 lakh voters were photographed in 1995, but the rest of the identity cards would only be ready by the next Lok Sabha elections, Mr Kumar said. Any other authentic document for the identity of voters would be acceptable this time, he said. There will be 354 polling stations in the district and 97 of them have been being identified as sensitive. The number of polling booths this time will be 790. Women staff have not been deployed for the poll duty except in Muslim-dominated areas where one woman staff will be posted to identify women voters in ‘burka’. Overall, more than 3,500 staff have been detailed for poll duty. The voters’ list will not be allowed to be taken out of the booths by the agents. This practice was found to have abetted several malpractices during voting. The whole district has been divided into 11 zones and 53 sectors. There will be 11 zonal magistrates and 53 sector magistrates apart from mobile parties with magistrates on duty to oversee the conduct of poll and take immediate decisions to deal with any untoward situation. Eleven magistrates will be stationed in remote areas. The borders with other districts and states would be sealed and there would be 60 check posts, 17 of them on the border with Haryana and the rest with Delhi, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Agra, the DM said. Shoot-at-sight orders have been issued to the police in case of any disturbance. Each voter will be marked at two points instead of one till now, on the index finger of the left hand. |
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Make mischief at your peril, warns DM Ghaziabad, February 3 Mr Panda, who was reviewing the election arrangements at the collectorate yesterday along with the SSP, Mr Prashant Kumar, said that the administration had made all arrangements for the conduct of a peaceful and fair poll in the district. As Ghaziabad is surrounded by the national Capital, Haryana and other sensitive districts of Uttar Pradesh, special precautions would be taken here and arrangements made accordingly, the District Magistrate said. More than 39,000 persons had been rounded up, 140 history-sheeters challaned and 22 suspects sent to jail as a precautionary measure, the District Magistrate said. Over 5,000 licensed weapons had been deposited with the authorities and 42 licences had been suspended for misuse and 41 cancelled. Non-bailable warrants had been executed against 349 persons while five illegal arms factories and 133 illegal weapons had been seized in the drive before the poll. Action had also been taken against 73 persons under the Gangster Act. Intellectuals and senior citizens in all tehsils had been requested to maintain peace during polling. Peace committee meetings were continuing and the voters were being made aware of the working of the electronic voting machines, he said. Both the DM and SSP said that no interference in the normal poll process would be tolerated and nobody would be allowed to take the law in one’s hands. They instructed all the candidates to follow the election code of conduct as well as the norms of poll publicity in letter and spirit. |
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Delhiites in for another day of traffic chaos New Delhi, February 3 With the issue of conversion of all diesel-operated buses into CNG mode yet to be resolved, the common man, specially the one dependent on public transport, was not really looking forward to the beginning of the week. The Transport Minister, Mr Ajay Maken, said that the government would adhere to its policy of not issuing fitness certificates to any taxi or autorickshaw without electronic meters. The government’s order directing all taxis and autorickshaws to install electronic meters came into force on February 1, provoking the Confederation of Public Transport Operators to announce a day-long strike tomorrow to protest against the move. “We are not going to budge. We will go ahead with our policy according to which no taxi or autorickshaw without electronic meter will be issued fitness certificate with effect from January 14,” Mr Maken said. He said the government would ensure no taxi or autorickshaw plied on the Delhi roads without the electronic meter after one year. “There is least scope for tampering in electronic meters and these are necessary to curb the practice of cheating of the public, for which Delhi is notorious,” he said. Stating that the government was acting as per the directions of the Supreme Court which wanted tamper-proof meters to be installed in taxis and autorickshaws, Mr Maken said electronic meters were chosen after consultations with the Department of Weights and Measures and the Department of
Meteorology. “The two departments said the electronic meters can be tampered with only if the manufacturers wish so and pointed out a number of advantages of these meters over the mechanical ones currently in use,” the Transport Minister said. Stating that electronic meters were already in use in several cities, including Mumbai, Kolkata and Pune, he asked, “Why should Delhi lag behind?” Referring to the one-day strike announced by the Confederation of Public Transport Operators to protest against the mandatory installation of electronic fare meters, he said the government would try to “persuade” them against going ahead with the strike. “We will resort to persuasion rather than coercion,” he said, adding the leaders of the operators were already in touch with the government and discussions were on. The confederation on Friday said the government order, which came into effect that day, was “in total contravention of the directives of the Supreme Court”. The operators claimed the Supreme Court had ordered installation of tamper-proof meters whether electronic or mechanical but the government order had made it mandatory to install electronic meters. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court, which had set the January 31 deadline for replacing all diesel-run buses in the Capital with CNG vehicles, will hear the case on Friday. However, only 3,200 of the 10,000 buses have so far been converted into CNG mode. |
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HC order on fee may put schools in dock New Delhi, February 3 The committee is entitled to scrutinise and examine the returns and related documents of the school and the accounts of utilisation of funds, a division bench, comprising Chief Justice S. B. Sinha and Justice A. K. Sikri, said. Observing that schools are not permitted to run on a profit motive, the bench said that it did not mean that the development fee could not be charged at all. It also found no incongruity as regards the maintenance of depreciation fund and development fund together. Furthermore, the development fund took care of not only replacement of furniture but also providing additional facilities to the students, the bench said. Though schools have been authorised to collect development fees, stringent measures have been prescribed to see proper utilisation thereof. The right of the school to spend the money from the fund created for one purpose for other purposes had been curbed, the court said. The Delhi administration had set up a Fee Anomaly Committee in each district of the national Capital, on the recommendations of the Justice Santosh Duggal Committee, which was formed by the High Court for the purpose of determining the claims in fee hike and other charges levied by the individual recognised unaided private schools. The court was dealing with a petition in public interest filed by the Delhi Abibhavak Mahasangh through its counsel Ashok Aggarwal, which questioned the right of various aided and unaided schools to fix tuition and other fees. The petitioners stated that the respondent schools were not entitled to hike fee with effect from April 1, 1999 without following the procedure as laid down by the high court in its judgement dated October 30, 1998. It was also submitted that the schools were required to consult the representatives of the parents before taking any decision about fee hike but this was not done. Another grievance of the petitioners was that the government and its agencies were required to examine the account and other records of all the recognised unaided private schools but this was not done. The petition also challenged earlier the high court’s order in 1999, which said that development fee, not exceeding 10 per cent of the total annual tuition fee, might be charged for supplementing the resources for purchase, upgradation and replacement of furniture, fixtures and equipment. Development fee should be treated as capital receipt and should be collected only if the school was maintaining a Depreciation Reserve Fund, it said. |
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This hospital has to set its house in order Gurgaon, February 3 The surgeon fears that the government accommodation provided to him is the cause for the conspiracy against him. The inquiries and the documentary evidence reveal that the rule of the law has been given the go-by the authorities. The District Veterinary Hospital has two governmental accommodations on its campus in Kadipur village, which are to be allotted to the doctors, posted as incharge of the district hospital and the NIS Pulorum, having its office on the campus. In effect, the accommodations are for those whose offices are located inside the campus. The story of the alleged harassment of Dr Sangwan began after his transfer as incharge of the District Veterinary Hospital, situated in Kadipur, to the hospital in Gurgaon village on July 19 last year. Before his transfer to Gurgaon, he had been occupying the accommodation on the campus. On August 8 last year, he was handed over the first office order, directing him to vacate the accommodation within 21 days, failing which he would be charged with penal rent in accordance with the standing service rules. His representation against the order was rejected through another stinker, dated August 17 which specified that 21 days given to him to vacate the accommodation, ended on August 9. Hence, he would be charged with penal rent that would be ‘50 times’ more than the normal government rent. The funny part of the exercise is that the rules, quoted with regard to the penal rent and margin of 21 days, had been revised twice on the date it had been first issued. The general feeling is that the order issued to Dr Sangwan, citing 21 days limit, was patently ultra vires and palpably mala fide. Meanwhile, Dr Sangwan took his case to the Director, Veterinary Department, Haryana, which granted him two more months, besides the norm of two months, to vacate his accommodation. However, before the expiry of four months, Dr Sangwan was transferred back to the Kadipur campus as in charge of the NIS Pulorum. Accordingly, he was entitled to continue with the accommodation. But, disregarding his entitlement, the salary of Dr Sangwan was withheld, purportedly to recover the penal rent. To crown it all is the statement made by Dr Sangwan in a letter to the President of the Haryana Veterinary Association that Dr Satpal Gautam, who was not even the Deputy Director, signed the orders issued to him. “This was a misuse of the office of the Deputy Director, which was illegal.” When contacted Dr Satpal Gautam, who had issued the controversial orders, said that one of the accommodations on the campus is for the incharge of the district hospital and the other one can be allotted to either those incharge of NIS Pulorum or the hospital in Gurgaon village, depending on the case. |
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Gurgaon disaster management plan lists priorities Gurgaon, February 3 The DMP explains that there have been a number of train accidents, especially in Faridabad, in the recent past. And, the National Highway - 8 that passes through Gurgaon and Rewari is quite a significant passage that links Delhi with Western Indian states of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Most of the domestic and international flights from Palam fly over the Gurgaon division making this area highly vulnerable. In case of an accident, the DMP suggests that the first and foremost duty of the administration is to cordon of the area, arrange the security of the passengers and their belongings, take the injured persons to the nearest hospitals, arrange alternative routes immediately and do not allow t traffic congestion near the spot of the accident and keep a vigilant eye on the anti-social elements. To mitigate the impact of the earthquakes, the Commissioner, Mr L. S. M. Salins, recommends that the administration must set up a control room and demarcate the disaster area into various sectors. Learning from Gujarat’s earthquake experiences, the draft underscores the need for an aerial survey for gauging the gravity of the earthquake impact so that rescue operations can be executed accordingly. It further suggests that the administration should establish contact and communication with all affected villages and towns through the nodal official for each locality. The officers should be made responsible for dispatching various components of rescue operations like earth movers, JCBs, cranes, dumpers etc. First aid, medical relief, trained rescue workers and tents have to be provided on a priority basis, says the draft. |
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Pre-natal tests go on despite campaign Faridabad, February 3 The Director of PNDT wing, Dr Madhubala, and her associate, Mr K. K. Mahajan, along with the Director Health Services, Haryana, Dr B. S. Dahiya, and Additional State Drug Controller (ASDC), Mr G. L. Singhal, visited some of the places in the district where raids had been conducted earlier to detect violation of the Act. It may be recalled that at least four doctors have been booked in three separate cases registered under the PNDT Act so far. It is learnt that the team was surprised to see some of the ultrasound centres and persons booked under the Act earlier had been working in the same old manner. |
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Blue mags selling in the vicinity of PVR complexes New Delhi, February 3 Apart from the fact that these bookstalls are absolutely illegal because they operate on government land, and that too just by keeping all the books on the ground over sheets, the vendors hide all the pornographic magazines in boxes in or near their stall and bring them out only when the right customer comes along. One of the bookstall vendors in south Delhi’s Saket, said: “The government doesn’t allow us to keep such books. Several times the government officials have raided the place. I don’t want to take a risk. But I have to sell them. They are in demand.” The vendor said people of all ages bought the porn magazines from him. “From school kids to married people — everyone buys these magazines and books. To known customers I even give them on rent,” he told the ‘NCR Tribune’. Mr. Shashi Anand, a resident of Saket, said he was shocked to see a bookstall vendor showing pornographic magazines to “kids” behind his stall. “The magazines were most obscene and vulgar. If the government cannot keep a tight check on such vulgarity, why the entire eyewash of banning Fashion TV and other channels.” Mr Anand said it had become very embarrassing for the people in the vicinity to even cross these bookstalls, as invariably they saw youngsters “slyly” glaring at these magazines. An official of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, requesting anonymity, said the government was “doing a lot” to ensure that “extremely pornographic” material was not sold in any of the stalls in Delhi. Though it was almost impossible to completely eliminate the social problem, he said they had already made a dent by conducting regular raids and also arresting several bookstall vendors for keeping pornographic material. “These books and magazines are mostly smuggled into India. They get them in small numbers, so it is very difficult to nail the culprits.” The official further added that they would intensify the raids where bookstalls were operating illegally and would also ask the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to take measures to remove the ones functioning on government land. However, there were several other people who voiced different feelings about pornographic materials being sold at bookstalls. Swati Nanda, a final year student of Delhi University, said: “I don’t feel there is anything wrong in pornographic magazines. In a place like India, parents are surely not the ones who would educate their children on sex. So, naturally our information would come from books, magazines and media. There is nothing wrong with it. But it is wrong to hide and do it. But that is our mentality.” However, the legal shop-owners maintained that they were not bothered about the pornographic books or magazines being sold. But they were bothered about the bookstalls and all other unauthorised stalls that had come up in front of their pucca shops. “We pay high rent. We have spent a fortune trying to bring up these shops. And these people just come around one fine day and spread a sheet, put second-hand books on it and make so much money,” said Mr Sri Dhar, who runs a bookshop in Vasant Vihar. There are about four “unauthorized” bookstalls in the PVR complex in Saket, six in Vasant Vihar and three in Chanakya. One can get all sorts of books at these stalls — from erotic magazines to classic English literature books to film magazines, which are mostly sold second or third hand. “They are doing great business. Anyone who doesn’t have a place or money can spread a sheet, keep books on them and mint money. Who is keeping a check on them? They are minting money out of government land,” Mr Dhar said. The MCD said it had already passed an order to remove all the unauthorised stalls from public places within a month. “Some of them have already been removed. And within a month, these vendors will have to down their curtains. No one will be spared,” said Mr Jeetender Kochar, member of the MCD standing committee. However, residents as well as the bookstall vendors themselves are quite sure that no action would be taken. Mr Sita Ram, one of the vendors who runs an “unauthorised” bookstall in Vasant Vihar, said the MCD would not remove them as they were paying the officials regularly. “We have to pay the police as well. We always do it. They must have some nerve to call us unauthorised.” |
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Petcoke, an alternative fuel for cement plants Faridabad, February 3 This aspect was highlighted in the one-day international workshop on ‘Petcoke – experiences and
issues’, organised by the National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCB) and the Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA) recently. It was stated that petcoke was a cheaper fuel in comparison to coal for the plants located far from coal mining areas. Gujarat and Rajasthan are among some of the states where cement plants could get petcoke as a raw material for fuel, as supply of petcoke could be far cheaper than coal which is transported from far-flung areas. Petcoke, according to experts, is a high-grade fuel with high calorific value of more than 8,000 k.cal/kg, having a low ash content with low volatile matter but high sulphur content. It provides scope for manufacturing higher grade of cement with the same raw material or the same grade of cement using marginal and low-grade limestone contributing to resource conservation. Due to the higher calorific value compared to coal, only a lesser quantity of petcoke needs to be moved from the source to plant site, leading to reduction in the cost of transportation. However, as the sulphur content in petcoke is high, its larger use increases the sulphur cycle and aggravates build up formation in kiln system. The total sulphur content in the clinker thus required to be maintained is below two per cent with a view to maintaining quality. Aimed at achieving the optimum and gainful utilisation of petcoke, the workshop discussed and deliberated on various issues pertaining to the large-scale use of petcoke in cement manufacture and provided the technological solutions for the same. For higher use of petcoke, the recommendations emerging at the workshop included changes in the raw mix design and fineness of fuel and modifications in burner, calciner and cooler so that trouble free and cost effective operation was achieved. |
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NCR BRIEFS Rohtak, February 3 Rohtak circle includes Sampla, Meham, Kalanaur, Bahadurgarh, Beri, Jhajjar, Gohana, Sonepat, Kharkhauda, Gannaur, Rewari, Bawal, Dharuhera, Narnaul, Ateli, Kanina and Mahendergarh. He said Rohtak town had already been covered under the 1/6 scheme. He said the department had a target to enlist 40,000 new income tax payees in these towns.
Funds released Sonepat Stating this, the Deputy Commissioner told mediapersons here today that the Chief Minister had sanctioned as many as 146 development works under his “Sarkar Aap Ke Dwar” programme while he was on a tour of the constituency. All these works would be completed by the Gram Vikas Samitis constituted by the state government for this purpose.
Medical camp A team of specialists headed by Dr S. S. Bhogal, an eminent orthopaedic surgeon of the civil hospital, examined and treated as many as 50 prisoners lodged in the district jail at a one-day free medical check-up camp organised by the Health Department in coordination with the district administration here yesterday. According to official sources, all the prisoners were given medicines free of cost by the department on the occasion.
Infant found The Government Railway Police (GRP) found an unidentified infant girl, aged about two years, from a compartment of an Ambala-bound passenger train (5 DPM) and admitted her to the civil hospital here yesterday for treatment. According to the GRP sources, the whereabouts of her parents were not yet known.
UP Campaign Hundreds of workers and supporters of the ruling Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) of the district left for Uttar Pradesh today for campaigning in favour of the party candidates at Baghpat, Baraut, and Chhaprauli assembly constituencies. According to a report, these include four MLAs and a former minister, Mr Ved Singh Malik, and the chairman of the Sonepat Zila parishad, Mr Raj Singh Dahiya.
Power thefts The officials of the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) are baffled at the spate of thefts of electricity transformers and other equipment in Kharkhauda and Ganaur areas of the district. According to a report, the continued thefts of electricity transformers have caused power crisis in many villages, as a result of this, a number of tubewells had become non-operational and this is causing problems to the farmers of these villages.
Pumps raided Officials of the Food and Supplies Department and the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) jointly conducted surprise raids at about a dozen petrol pumps in this city and other parts of the district yesterday in a bid to check the sale of adulterated petroleum products and manipulation in
measurement. According to a report, this followed a series of public complaints about the sale of adulterated petrol and diesel. A mobile laboratory was also pressed into service for on-the-the spot testing of petrol and diesel. |
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Mystery shrouds labourer’s death New Delhi, February 3 Commits
suicide Jaswinder (25) was found dead in mysterious circumstances in her house in Tughlakabad Extension in South Delhi. She was married to Tejinder Singh, a computer engineer last year. Her husband said that she committed suicide by consuming poison. Tejinder said that when he came from his office in Nehru Place in the evening, he found Jaswinder unconscious in the house. He took her to Sehgal Nursing Home where she was declared brought dead.
Acid thrown Bhajanpura Police arrested Manoj (25), who reportedly threw acid on the face of Geeta, after she had refused to marry him. The suspect allegedly had an affair with Geeta, who was already married to Nandan and lived in the neighbourhood in Krishna Street in Bhajanpura. Manoj requested her several times to marry him. The suspect followed her to her new residence yesterday and insisted that she marry him. On her refusal, he reportedly threw acid on her. |
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SHOW CASE Fedders Lloyd has launched an oil-filled heat radiator, Lloyd Cozy. The house of Lloyd, a well-known name in the refrigeration and air-conditioning industry, claims that the new product is safe and energy saving. Unexposed coils or filaments and unique heating system make it safe, while uniform heat radiation from the fins saves energy. These oil-filled radiators are available to consumers in easy installments. Available in two different models of nine fins and 11 fins, these radiators are priced at Rs 4,200 and Rs 5,200, respectively. Besides the easy installment schemes, they can be purchased at a nominal down payment of Rs 350 and Rs 450, respectively. Comfort mattresses Sheela Foams Pvt. Ltd. has launched the Sleepwell luxury mattresses, ‘Venus’, a revolutionary breakthrough in the mattress technology. Venus mattresses have a resilient inner core sandwiched between two comfort layers to provide total support and unmatched comfort year after year. Available in a range of four exciting checks in trendy colours like blue, green, brown and yellow, these mattresses are priced at Rs 5,880 a pair. The mattresses come up with a unique ‘push up’ feature that allows the foam to contour to the body shape ensuring good back support. This also provides durability, as the mattress does not crumble, sag or disintegrate.
Pens, black and white Parker Vector has launched a special vector range, ‘Black and White Series’. Pen lovers have been offered a choice of zebra stripes, patched spots and checkered squares among the patterns available. The clip or the holder affixed at the cap and the button or the small metallic knob at the pen’s bottom has been stylised red to balance the black and white effect. It is priced at Rs 145 for a single piece.
Mobile launched Samsung has announced the launch of two, first of its kind, GSM mobile phones. These are state-of-the-art, trendy, WAP-enabled GSM mobile phones. A mobile, A400, designed specially for women, has also been launched. The other model, N620, is the world’s first 16-poly melody phone. Priced at Rs 18,995 and Rs 14,995, these are user friendly and feature packed.
Cartoon blankets Kochar Sung-Up Acrylic Ltd, manufacturer of acrylic blankets, is out to woo the youngsters with their new Signature Platinum range of blankets. Available in vibrant colours and with cartoon characters drawn on them, these are set to steal the heart of the teenagers. These blankets have prices between Rs 800 and Rs 1,000.
Utsav of flavours Rasna has launched ‘Utsav’, a healthy refreshing drink, across the country. It is available in 10 flavours: orange, mango, nimbu pani, pineapple, shahi gulab, cool khus khus, kesar elachi, kala khatta, masala soda and yorker cola. These new flavours are priced at Rs 5 for a one-litre pack, Rs 28.50 for a six litre pack and Rs 65.50 for an 18 litre pack. Every flavour of Utsav contains a generous amount of glucose/lactose, calcium and vitamin C. Utsav will be available across the country in the next few days.
Electric chimney No more smoke and tears in the kitchen, thanks to Faber SpA and Heatcraft Industries, which have revolutionised the concept of electric kitchen chimneys in India and the world over. With the launch of their jet vortex technology-based Jet Vortex Chimney, they are offering the Indian consumers the benefit of clean kitchens. The chimney with features like oil separators is more effective and manages to separate the oil from smoke. It has a 50 per cent higher fume capture capacity, low noise level, double air trapping area and low energy consumption. Priced at Rs 17,990, the range consists of 20 models of kitchen chimneys, 10 models of gas hobs, nine cooking ranges, two built-in ovens and six models of kitchen sinks.
Baby powder Johnson & Johnson has introduced its baby powder with an all new price. The powder, which is a must-have for all
ill's ones, will now be available at Rs 28.50, the same price as their family powder.
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