TOP STORIES

CNG price hiked by 28.5%, fare hike next
New Delhi, April 27
The monopoly supplier of Compressed Natural Gas, IGL, today announced a 28.5 per cent hike in the price of gas, evoking a sharp reaction from the Delhi Government, transporters, commuters and the environmentalists. The new rate of CNG in Delhi will be Rs 16.83 per kg, up by Rs 3.72. 

DOUBLE MURDER
Six inquiry officers, yet case unsolved
Panipat, April 27
Three orphans – Yashpal, Ramesh and Rajinder – whose parents were brutally done to death by unidentified persons at Jhattipur village near here on January 17 last year, are fighting a different battle now: Against an inert police force, which has failed to trace the assailants for the last 15 months. 

REALITY-CHECK
Rohtak Inc lives in fear as robbers rule the roost 
Rohtak, April 27
The Haryana Beopar Mandal has expressed serious concern over the worsening law and order situation in the state. The criminals, active for quite sometime now, have caused terror in the state. Their victims have mostly been members of the business community, the Beopar Mandal president, Mr Lakshmi Chand Gupta, said.

Drums of oil fuel Okhla factory fire
New Delhi, April 27
Property worth crores of rupees was gutted in the devastating fire that broke out in Gogia Chemical Factory in Okhla Industrial Area on Friday night. No loss of life was, however, reported. The fire broke out at 9 pm in the basement of the factory. Forty-two fire tenders took four hours to control the fire, according to the Delhi Fire Service Chief, Mr R. C. Sharma. Since there was no provision to enter the basement, the fire-fighters had a hard time trying to douse the fire.

FIRST PERSON
Towering inferno: To hell and back 

New Delhi, April 27 A chemical factory in Okhla turned into a virtual fireball on Friday night, gutting property worth crores. Our correspondent visited the spot for a first-person account. It was like a war zone with flames spiralling into the sky and chemical drums exploding intermittently. Some of the drums, stored in the factory premises, crackled in the fire like popcorns before hurtling into the neighbourhood. With residents fleeing the slum clusters in the vicinity, it was panic stations at the Gogia chemical factory, the site of the fire.  In Video (28k, 56k)

Taking the help of gods, to clear garbage sites
Gurgaon, April 27
Fed up with the apathy of the bureaucrats, especially with regard to garbage clearance, the public has found an ingenious way to solve their problem. They have started installing religious icons in garbage dumping sites, so that it puts the fear of god into the scavengers. The strategy has yielded uncanny results – apparently, no one wants the gods to get angry.

Farmers on the warpath against GNIDA on land rates
Noida, April 27
Farmers in Greater Noida, especially of Habibpur village, are again on the warpath on the question of difference in rates of compensation for the land acquired by the Noida Authority and Greater Noida Authority. In a huge panchayat held in Habibpur village recently, panchayat chief Dheeraj Singh said there was hardly one kilometre distance between the land of Habibpur, Kulesra, Allahbas and Shahdara.

Get set for assembly poll, says Jana
New Delhi, April 27
BJP president K. Jana Krishnamurthi today exhorted the party workers in Delhi not to lose heart at the debacle in the recent Municipal Corporation of Delhi polls and gear themselves up for next year’s assembly elections by fulfilling the role of the Opposition.

COMMUNITY

Cong ‘jail bharo’ stir from August 16
Sonepat, April 27
The Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) has announced its decision to launch a statewide ‘jail bharo andolan’ from August 16 in protest against the anti-people and anti-farmer policies of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) government headed by Mr Om Prakash Chautala.

Finance Commissioner drops in at mandis to reassure farmers
Jhajjar, April 27
The state Finance Commissioner and Secretary, Ms Asha Sharma, today said that every grain brought by the farmers in the mandis would be procured. She claimed that elaborate arrangements had been made for the convenience of the farmers coming to the mandis with their produce.

GETTING AWAY
In stoic silence, historical tanks of Rewari await tourists

Rewari, April 27 Rewari, an old town of Haryana, has several monuments, mansions and tanks which are of great historical importance. Among the tanks, the Tej Sagar, popularly known as the Bara Talab (Big Tank), the Nand Sagar, which goes by the name of Chhota Talab (Small Tank) and the Solah Rayee (a medium size tank) need a special mention. Tej Sagar crying for attention.

Nand Sagar

Solah Rayee

SEARCH WITHIN
Non-violence is the supreme dharma 
As it would be unto thee, so it is with him whom thou intendest to kill. As it would be unto thee, so it is with him whom thou intendest to tyrannise over. As it would be unto thee, so it is with him whom thou intendest to torment. In the same way (it is with him) whom thou intendest to punish, and to drive away...” If everyone could be so sensitive to the pain of others, there would be no attempt to hurt ... Compare such noble sentiments expressed in the Akaranga Sutra with what is going on currently in Gujarat....

DELHI DIGEST
Raw water duct to be ready by 2003
New Delhi, April 27
A 30-km-long raw water duct is being constructed from Murad Nagar in Uttar Pradesh to Sonia Vihar where a water treatment plant of 140 million gallons per day (MGD) capacity is being set up. Lieutenant-Governor Vijai Kapoor today said the plant, when completed by the end of 2003, would enhance the availability of drinking water by 25 per cent.

NCR BRIEFS
SSP denies reports on prisoners’ escape
Sonepat, April 27
The Superintendent of Police, Mr Paramjit Singh Ahlawat, today denied the recent reports that prisoners had escaped from the custody of the Sonepat district police. However, he told mediapersons here that in all the previous cases, the prisoners had escaped from the custody of Jind, Jhajjar and Hisar police during when the accused were taken from the district jail here for producing before the courts or on their return journey.

Found hanging Three assaulted

2 hurt in mishaps

Man inhales poisonous gas while cleaning sewer, dies
Faridabad, April 27
A safai employee working with a contractor died after he inhaled poisonous gas while cleaning a sewer line in Sector 29 here today. The deceased, Charan Singh (28) of Pream Nagar jhuggi colony, had been working with a contractor who assigned him to clean a sewer line on Friday.

CRIME

ROHTAK
Woman strangulates daughter to hide crime
Rohtak, April 27
A woman allegedly strangled her six-year-old daughter at Chamarian village on Friday night. The mother apprehended that the daughter might inform the panchayat of a crime she had committed. The woman had beaten her nephew black and blue resulting in his death and the daughter seemed to be the witness to the alleged beating. She could spill the beans, the mother feared.

Girl killed in cylinder blast
New Delhi, April 27
A minor girl was killed and three others were injured in a cylinder blast in a house in Samaipur Badli early this morning. The injured were identified as Raghu Nath, his wife Guddi and their daughters Soni and Moni. 

Vet caught red-handed while taking bribe
Faridabad, April 27
A veterinary doctor of the Haryana Government posted at Palwal has been arrested after being caught red-handed while accepting a bribe from a resident of Mitrol village. This is the fourth incident of corruption exposed in the past few weeks.

• Seven dacoits nabbed from hideout

• Youth fires in air to get CNG

COURTS

Principal ‘took money’ for attesting documents 
New Delhi, April 27
The Delhi High Court today asked for the production of originals from a petitioner who has alleged that the principal of Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya, Vikaspuri, had attested photographs and documents after taking money.

HEALTH

BODY & MIND
A ray of hope for leucoderma patients
Jalgaon-based homoeopath, Dr Mahendra Kabra’s healing touch has been a boon for the otherwise depressed leucoderma patients. Dr Kabra was in Delhi recently to examine new patients and honour his commitment to old patients at the Arya Samaj Hospital in Rajouri Garden.

Apollo clinic in Janakpuri  bp MELA for  truck drivers

Free eye and  diabetes camp

SPORTS

Rajesh Dua shines in Darling’s win
New Delhi, April 27
Right-arm leg-spinner Rajesh Dua’s brilliant all-round performance (5 for 39 and 66 n o) enabled Darling Club down Young Cricketers by three wickets in an A-II Division match of the DDCA League at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground in the Capital. 

Samsung launches ‘dabake jeeto’ offer
New Delhi, April 27
Digital technology leader Samsung India Electronics Ltd has launched a mega promotion for the forthcoming World Cup Soccer Championship, called ‘Samsung Dabake Jeeto’ offer. This promotion, which goes live in West Bengal on May 1, 2002 and goes all-India on May 10, 2002, is valid till June 30, 2002.

This aged sprinter is still agile
Rohtak, April 27
Veteran athlete Surat Singh has seen 89 springs. He has already bagged up 22 medals in the National Veteran Athletic Championships (NVACs) and State Veteran Athletic Championships after attaining the age of 70. Surat still possesses the enthusiasm of a teenager. He is active on the sports track even after winning the last gold medal in Haryana State Veteran Athletic championships held at Gurgaon in 2001.

Doda Ganesh bowls IA into final
New Delhi, April 27
Test discard Doda Ganesh produced a devastating bowling performance to help Indian Airlines sail into the final, beating Rajasthan Colts by eight runs, in the 12th All-India Om Nath Sood Memorial Cricket Tournament for the HRS Trophy at the Khalsa College ground in the Capital. Doda Ganesh, in his 8-over spell, claimed six wickets for a measly 26 runs.

ADMINISTRATION

Ghaziabad polluting units warned of action
Ghaziabad, April 27
Campaigns to control pollution and prevent the sale of synthetic milk will soon be launched in Ghaziabad district. Giving details of various projects, the District Magistrate, Mr Devasish Panda, said the administration had been getting reports that some industries were letting out polluted chemical water in the open without treating it, which is polluting the ground water in the district.