 |
|
| Monday,
April 29, 2002, Chandigarh, India
|
|
|||
|
Delhi seeks partial CNG price roll-back
New Delhi, April 28 The Government of NCT of Delhi has appealed Union Petroleum Minister Ram Naik to partially roll back the “steep” hike of 28 per cent in CNG prices to avert a hefty increase in transport fare structure of the Capital. Mr Maken, who held an emergency meeting with officials, said the issue would be discussed in its entirety in the Cabinet meeting. The minister, who also had a meeting with transport operators, said the hike effected by Indraprashtha Gas Limited (IGL) – the sole supplier of CNG in the Capital – had come close on the heels of the 40 per cent hike in the price of green fuel in this year’s Union Budget. He said the economics of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) would go haywire as even a one-rupee increase in the price of the fuel imposes a substantial burden on the Corporation. “The cost of running 2500 DTC-run CNG buses is around Rs 1 lakh a day,” he said. The IGL has in the meantime been justifying the hike on the ground that the impact on an individual commuter travelling in bus would only be two paise per kilometre assuming that 50 passengers are travelling in it. The managing director of the monopoly supplier of CNG in the Capital, IGL, Mr A K De, justified the hike in the price of gas, by stating that its operational costs and its commitment to the Supreme Court to expand its distribution system in the Capital, demanded additional investment, which could not be carried out without a hike in gas prices. The hike, which had become effective since Saturday midnight, would make CNG’s price almost at par with diesel, which is being sold at Rs 16.59 per litre. The IGL plans to increase the number of CNG stations, compressors and dispensers to meet the target of gas supply by March next year when the number of CNG vehicles is likely to go up from 58,000 to more than 82,000. It also plans to make a total investment of Rs 522 crore for setting up a total of 110 stations by 2002 as compared to existing 94 stations. The Centre for Science and Environment, campaigning for the clean fuel, said: “With the hike in CNG prices, the price difference between CNG and diesel will narrow and this will reduce the economic incentive for the vehicle owners to shift to this cleaner fuel. With the assembly polls due next year and the BJP, bruised by the results of civic polls, waiting for an issue to strike back against the Congress, it would be a difficult task for the Sheila Dikshit Government to take a harsh decision to side with the economic realities or press home the advantages of populist politics. |
|
Delhi’s killer intersections: Rest in peace, if you return in one piece New Delhi, April 28 However, not all roads are danger zones. The Accident Research Cell (ARC) of the Delhi Traffic Police has identified a total of 10 black spots, notorious for fatal accidents. The black spots are identified as Ashram Chowk, Shadipur Depot, Patel Road, ISBT Chowk, ITO Bus Stop, Azadpur Sabzi Mandi, Mukarba Chowk, Shyam Giri Mandir, AIIMS Chowk (DFC), Punjabi Bagh Chowk, and Nigam Bodh Ghat. The traffic police have made no analysis of the accidents in the Capital during 2001 and 2002. Senior police officials, however, maintained that an analysis of the road-user pattern and the kind of fatal accidents that have occurred in the past two years do not indicate any appreciable change. The data for 2000 and its previous year points out that the number of accidents reduced from 410 to 346 on the black spots. The decrease in fatal accidents is from 102 to 83 in 2000, which is a positive achievement. Ashram Chowk is on top with 49 accidents. The district-wise analysis of accidents indicates that the South and North districts have always had the highest number of accidents. The researchers observed that the least number of accidents occur in New Delhi area followed by the North-East district. It is also observed that there is decline in the number of accidents in North and North-East districts in 2000 as compared to 1999. The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic-VIP), Mr S.B.S. Tyagi, said that the lack of stringent provisions in the act, fails to deter the motorist to drive safe. In the normal course, accident case accused is booked under Section 304-A of the IPC, which deals with causing death by any rash and negligent act. The punishment is imprisonment for two years or a fine or both. The offence is bailable and can be tried by a first class magistrate. Legal experts said in sensational accident cases, the police book the accused under Section 304 of the IPC, which deals with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The Section has severe provisions like imprisonment up to 10 years. However, the investigating authority generally fails to establish both the intention to kill and the knowledge that the person would die, which results in the acquittal of the accused. The analysis of the date indicates that the accident-prone areas fall under the following police stations: IP Estate, Tilak Marg, Trilokpuri, Sriniwaspuri, Kalkaji, Nangloi, Punjabi Bagh, Najafgarh, Delhi Cantonment. The reasons for most of the accidents in the black spots, the DCP said, were the presence of more major roads, national highways, rural population, and areas on the outskirts of the Capital. The survey report pointed out that in the Central district, the areas in the jurisdiction of police stations such as IP State, Darya Ganj and Desh Bandhu Gupta Road were the most accident-prone, recording the maximum number of fatal accidents in 2000. Over all, the district records 22 more accidents as compared to previous year. In New Delhi district, the maximum number of accidents occur in police station: Tilak Marg, Chankaya Puri and Connaught Place. The survey showed that most fatalities occurred during the lean hours when the traffic police made themselves scarce. Most drivers violated the traffic norms during this time. The East district has the obvious distinction of recording the least number of accidents. Police station Shakarpur has recorded maximum accidents as compared to other police stations. In North-East district area, the maximum number of accidents occur in Seelampur and Nand
Nagri. In south Delhi, the maximum number of accidents occur in the following police stations: Hauz Khas, Hazrat Nizamuddin and Malviya Nagar. |
|
|
At Rohtak PGI, things cannot get messier Rohtak, April 28 The expert committee comprised noted
orthopaedics surgeon from Mumbai, Dr N.S. Laud, ex-professor and head of
orthopaedics, PGIMS, Dr P.S. Maini, professor of cardiology in AIIMS, Dr K.K. Talwar, and a few others. The committee was primarily asked to suggest ways and means to improve medical facilities in the PGIMS, the only state-owned medical college in Haryana, with optimum utilisation of space, equipment, budget and manpower. The committee, in its report, had observed that the costly equipment and space were not being put to optimum use. If one room and one set of equipment could be used six days a week and yet cater to different departments, there was a tendency amongst the departments to acquire independent space and equipment, utilising it only twice a week. The committee pointed out that the sprawling operation theatre with There has been an unfortunate tendency to buy costly equipment and stack it in stores on the pretext that there is not enough staff to for its use. The purchases are manipulated at the highest level, says the report. There is not a single faculty member in the Department of Nephrology but equipment worth Rs. 25 lakh had been purchased only last month. Similarly, there is no staff member in the Department of Surgical Oncology. A cardiac cath lab equipment costing Rs four crore was purchased last month, although there is no faculty member in the Department of Cardiology. The high-powered purchase committee had deferred the purchase when it was discussed in the last week of March this year. Orders for the purchase of a colour Doppler echocardiograph machine costing Rs 80 lakh had been placed for the Department of Cardio Thoracic Surgery last month. Incidentally, cardiac surgeons do not do echo cardiography anywhere; it is done by cardiologists, radiologists or physicians. Nor is there any faculty member in the department trained in echocardiography surgery. It is a different matter that the purchase orders include six weeks’ training abroad for one person from the indenting department, which is one of the purchase sops. Expenditure on such purchases is enormous. The institute, though dubbed as a postgraduate institute, till date does not have a pediatric intensive care unit, although thousands of seriously ill children come to the institute every year. Similarly, it does not have an MRI facility though many patients need it every day. For patients coming in with heart attacks, simple investigations like a cholesterol test is not done every day and other more sophisticated tests are not done at all for which the patients are referred to private laboratories. It takes a minimum of three weeks before reports on thyroid functions are given to the patient, because the test is done once in three weeks. By the time the report becomes available, the patient is already discharged.
|
|
Faces music for writ
against cable cabal Faridabad, April 28 The petitioner has alleged in his writ that the cable cabal was functioning according to its whims and fancies and brought to light several irregularities. For instance, the operators have not been disclosing the actual number of connections. To cap it, they have been running advertisements and relaying local news without permission. Besides, income tax is being evaded. The DD transmission through antenna is being blocked deliberately by the operators, it is further alleged. A two-judge bench of the high court admitted the petition and issued a notice to the district administration, which has been made a party to the case by the complainant besides the operators who are, of course, the main accused. The court has also asked the applicant to furnish the names and addresses of all the cable operators of the town who had been violating the norms of the Cable TV Network Act, thereby causing harassment to the consumers. The high court notices seem to have caused panic both among the cable operators and the district administration. This was apparent when the petitioner received a word from the district administration recently to come and discuss the matter. To his chagrin, he found that the cable connection to his house and those of some of the office-bearers of the Resident Welfare Association had been cut off. The petitioner was also allegedly threatened on phone that he would have to withdraw the writ. It is reported that a relative of an influential politician is behind the cable network in the town. He has started pressurising the petitioner to withdraw the case and reach an out of court settlement. However, Mr Gera and his supporters have refused to buckle under. According to a survey, there are over one lakh cable connections in Faridabad and about two dozen operators. The majority of them had a monopoly over their areas and a consumer had no option but to subscribe to a particular operator. Mr Gera and the representatives of various residents welfare associations also went to the office of the SDM on Friday to talk about the ‘pressure tactics,’ though they could not meet him. This is perhaps the first time in the country that someone has approached the high court and pointed out the irregularities being committed by cable operators. Meanwhile, the SDM, Mr Jitender Dahiya, has said that the local administration was not empowered to keep a tab on the rates of cable TV operators. |
|
|
Panipat to offer world-class
computer education Panipat, April 28 Affiliated to the prestigious Staffordshire University in the UK, the institute has been established to overcome the shortage of skilled and employable IT professionals in the country and abroad in collaboration with the Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology (APIIT), Malaysia. It is the first computer institute to be opened in India in collaboration with APIIT. In fact, the validation team of the university, which visited the institute under the chairmanship of Prof D Longhurst, has gone on record saying that the institute had achieved commendable progress in terms of raising necessary infrastructure and setting the academic standards for the students. The team had earlier visited the institute in June last year. Professor Longhurst informed that APIIT, Malaysia was one of the largest centres that imparts education in information technology and agreed to open more branches in India in collaborations with the SD Educational Society so that the students were not required to go abroad for higher studies. “The APIIT SD India has a mission to enable the students to use the knowledge by the premier university to the get the results they truly deserve and that too at about 10 per of the cost of the foreign computer degree,” Mr Moti Ram Aggarwal, Director, told the NCR Tribune. Situated in a part of the sprawling 23-acre pollution-free campus of MASD School on the GT Road, the APIIT SD India provides the latest facilities to the students, which were validated by the Staffordshire University team. |
|
2nd phase of Stree Shakti Project on New Delhi, April 28 Inaugurating a camp in Sarai Kale Khan in south Delhi, Ms Dikshit said economic independence formed the bedrock of any woman’s empowerment plan. She said the Stree Shakti Project, launched simultaneously in nine districts of Delhi with the active cooperation of NGOs, was a capacity-building enterprise for poor women to enable them to participate fully in the social mainstream. The project, whose first phase was launched in February this year, had prioritised for intervention three critical areas, health, literacy and income generation, she pointed out. As a first step towards improving the health of women and the girl child, special “Health Cards” were being issued to beneficiaries at various health awareness camps. She said the cardholder would be entitled to preferential treatment in government hospitals. She said the city government was committed to providing health facilities to the target group (women between 14 and 45 years) within a period of two years. “Through these camps, it will be the endeavour of the government to ensure that beneficiaries are linked to the delivery system through active intervention of NGOs.” The NGOs would monitor the post-camp services being rendered by various departments and agencies of the state government and their evaluation would be passed on to the administration for further analysis and fine-tuning of the project for future camps, she pointed out. Ms Dikshit also visited a few other Stree Shakti camps. The camps are being held at Madangir in south Delhi, Shahdara and Patparganj in the east, Sundernagari and Seelampur in the north-east, Shahabad Dairy and Mandi in the north-west, Tilaknagar and Raghubirnagar in the west and Kapashera in south-west Delhi. |
|
Hooda eroding Cong base, say party leaders Sonepat, April 28 In a joint press statement issued here today, they alleged that Mr Hooda was surrounded by a handful of persons who have no faith in the Congress ideology and he was guided by them in all his actions. They also directly blamed Mr Hooda for the bickering in the party and its failure to put up a united fight against the misrule of the Chautala government. They also said that ever since Mr Hooda took over as the HPCC president, the base of the party had been shrinking because he had put up parallel candidates under the guise of rebels against the official candidates of the party in the last assembly elections. They said that all persons who had opposed the official candidates were taken back in the party. Some of them were even appointed as the presidents of the District Congress Committees for his selfish ends. They cited many examples in which Mr Hooda harmed the cause of the party and spread disunity. They appealed to the Congress high command to give due importance to the other prominent leaders of the party, including the former Chief Minister, Mr Bhajan Lal, who alone was capable to save the party base from bickering in Haryana. They also appealed to all prominent leaders of the party to sit together and find ways to build unity in the party so that it could face the political challenges from other parties, particularly the INLD, in the state. They said that it was high time to put an end to indiscipline and favouritism in the party ranks. The people of the state, they said, were fed up with the unpopular policies of the Chautala government and they were looking to the Congress as the alternative. |
|
Hafed told to release arrears to farmers Faridabad, April 28 While the commissioner spoke to the farmers and the local officials about the problems faced by the farmers, he directed the agencies, including the Hafed, to ensure payment of the procured crop by April 29 at Ballabgarh Mandi on Saturday. He claimed that it was the only place where such reports had come in while he expressed concern over the complaints of delay in lifting the wheat from the mandis by various agencies. He told the farmers that there was no shortage of gunny bags at most of the mandis. He directed the officials to check the sale of UP wheat by the traders in mandis here and said that each bag brought by the farmers of the district be procured on priority. The food and Supply Commissioner also visited Palwal Mandi. He asked the procurement agencies to see if the wheat procured by them was clean and good. It is learnt that some of the traders and commission agent had been allegedly mixing the old stock of wheat, bought by them from some agencies godown, with the fresh arrivals. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) godowns here have reportedly about 50,000 quintals of `substandard’ wheat categorised as ‘lustreless’ wheat. It was procured last year, but had been damaged by rains as it was stored in open. |
|
From Narayan to Rushdie, the British Fiction Festival has it all New Delhi, April 28 Many of the writers are now household names and most of the readers of these great writers would not even dream of sitting that close in flesh and blood. In black and white, it’s no problem. More than 400 titles went on display on Saturday at the ‘Fiction Festival 2002’ at the British Council Library, in a rare exhibition of the range of British fiction writing. The festival has titles of V. S. Naipaul, Salman Rushdie and Vikram Seth among a host of authors, classic and contemporary. Adding to Oscar Wilde, E. M. Forster and Jeffrey Archer are authors from countries like India and Nigeria showing the weight of the Commonwealth writing. The fortnight-long festival showcases works of all the major Indian writers in English from R. K. Narayan to Rushdie. The major works of Seth, Rushdie, Anita Desai, Shashi Tharoor and Khushwant Singh are also on display. “‘There is a good mix of classic and contemporary works. A number of Commonwealth authors are also included in the festival,” says Mr Ishwar Bhatt, regional librarian, British Council (India). All the titles, he assures, will go to the library’s shelves from the festival. Among the classics are works like J. R. R. Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Sense and Sensibility’ by Jane Austin, both of which have been made into films. “One single area, which is very popular with students and senior citizens alike, is fiction. People want to spend their summer holidays by reading fiction,” said Mr Bhatt, explaining the origin of the festival. Fashion designers can watch out for the library’s next festival beginning from May 11, which will be exclusively on designing. It will be followed by a special exhibition of books on India, with focus on Indian history, says Mr Bhatt. |
|
Summer action plan formulated
New Delhi This emerged from the meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Shailaja Chandra and attended by DVB Chairman Jagdish Sagar and DVB Chief Executive Officer P K Tripathi. According to Mr Sagar, the DVB was in a position to make power purchases and it had tied up advance arrangements to procure enough power to meet the anticipated demand that is likely to exceed 3,000 MW by July and August. However, the availability of power, particularly during peak periods would be subject to voltage conditions. TNS
|
|
NCR BRIEFS Rohtak, April 28 Press club poll In a general body meeting held here on Sunday, Mr Virender Singh Chauhan and Dr Satvir Singh Sarwari, were unanimously elected as president and secretary respectively of the Press Club, Rohtak. Mr Pramod Saini was selected as treasurer. Mr Som Nath Sharma, Mr S.N. Gupta, Mr Mahender Batra and Mr Jitender ‘Rimpy’ were chosen as members of the governing body. The members of the club decided to set up a separate library for the club and Dr Satish Tyagi was deputed to chalk out a plan for the purpose.
Commits suicide Ghaziabad A suicide note recovered from him stated that he was fed up with the daily nagging and quarrels with his wife.
Two girls missing Two girls were reported to be missing from Ghaziabad city on Saturday. Fifteen-year-old daughter of one
Brijveer, of Ram Prakash Colony, had been reported missing since April 23. Mr Pradeep Goel of Kaushambi reported that his 19-year old daughter was missing since April 26. Mr Goel had dropped her at the bus stand to board a bus for Hauz Khas.
Escapes unhurt Sonepat Farmers sore Resentment prevails among the farmers of Sonepat, Rai and Beeswan Meel area against the stoppage of wheat purchase by the officials of the government procurement agencies, for the last four days. Many farmers alleged that their complaints made to the authorities concerned, have fallen on deaf ears. As a result, they have to wait in the mandis and purchasing centres in scorching heat without the basic facilities. |
|
Gujarat Guilty will be punished: Swamy Faridabad |
Rise in crime against women
New Delhi, April 28 According to sources of the Delhi Police, cruelty by husbands and in-laws has gone up with 1,209 such cases being reported in 2001-02, which was 173 more than the number of such cases in 2000-01 and 239 more than that in 1999-2000. Abduction of women in the Capital has increased during the period with 1,040 cases being registered in 2001-02 as compared to 999 cases in 2000-01 and 985 in 1999-2000. However, cases of molestation and eve-teasing of women in Delhi have come down substantially during the year. Cases of criminal breach of trust have also shown a declining trend. The Capital reported 106 cases of dowry deaths during 2001-02, which was 28 less than previous year’s 134. In 1999, about 116 cases of dowry deaths were reported. But the cases registered under the Dowry Prohibition Act has gone up marginally with ten such cases being registered in 2001-02 as compared to eight in 2000-01 and seven in 1999-2000. The number of rape cases also decreased. Only 369 such cases were registered during 2001-02 as compared to 415 in 2000-2001 and 425 the preceding year. Cases of molestation also came down from 573 in 1999-2000 and 523 in 2000-01 to 489 in 2001-02. Eve-teasing cases have drastically gone down during the period from 1,099 in 1999 to 676 in 2000-01 and further down to 624 in 2001-02.
TNS
|
|
International wrestler shot dead Sonepat, April 28 According to a report, the victim had gone to the village to attend the marriage party of his friend, Mr Surinder, also an international wrestler. The victim was posted in the Punjab Police at Sangrur (Punjab). Even though Mr Raj Din and Mr Surinder were rivals on the mat, they were friendly to each other. Mr Raj Din was due to leave for abroad to take part in the 76kg free-style wrestling championship. It is believed by some that this could be one of the reason behind the murder. The Ganaur police have registered a case of murder and further investigations were in progress. However, no arrest had been made so far. |
|
Man killed in jhuggi fire New Delhi, April 28 The victim was identified as Brahmadev Yadav (27). He was found charred to death in his hutment which was gutted in the fire. The fire broke out at 5.15 am and it took about half-an-hour for three fire tenders to douse the blaze. Prompt action by fire tenders prevented the flames from engulfing the densely populated slum clusters in the vicinity, spokesman of the Delhi Fire Service said. Two murdered:
He had multiple stab wounds in the body. In another incident, one Bhudev (40), resident of
Devli, was killed by a group of unidentified youths late Saturday night. The boys were still at large, the police said. Girl killed:
In another case, Harshita (9), who was riding with her father, Harbans, on bicycle, was knocked to death by an RTV near old Subzi Mandi. The cycle was hit from behind by the RTV. The victims fell down and received serious injuries. They were taken to St Stephen’s Hospital where Harshita succumbed to her injuries, the police said. This is yet another example of the growing incidents of reckless driving by some of the bus drivers on city roads. |
SHOW CASE Matrix Telecom has launched an ultra- compact micro- EPABX “Proton” to cater to the needs of professionals, traders and homes. Built around a microcomputer with surface mount technology, the ‘Proton’ is technologically advanced, competitively priced and very user friendly in its compact size. With a capacity to connect three extensions to one trunk line, the proton offers the facility STD locking, can establish three way communication, forwarding all calls to next extension, avoid disturbance of continuous ring, day and night mode, programme different extensions to receive rings during the day and night and memory
dialing.
Shades of basin Jaquar has introduced their first ever range of stainless steel basin `Jaquar steel line’ in the country. The range offers a choice of five exclusively designed steel basins, which promises to be nothing but the best. Aesthetically designed, Jaquar steel line caters a soothing ambience and therefore, it’s truly a connoisseur’s choice. Based on the concept of stunning looks, sturdy performance and total hygiene, these steel basis are available in five models, coral, topaz, emerald, sapphire, and ruby. They are made of highest quality of stainless steel of grade 304. A thickness of 2.5 mm and 6.5 mm depth make these basins unique as well as sturdiest in its category.
Spicy sauce They promise to make your taste buds explode with a million sensations, adding that extra kick to every bite. The Ching’s Secret, the range of authentic Chinese food ingredients, launched its red chilli sauce and green chilli sauce, the two classic Chinese sauces that can be used for stir frying, grilling or just plan dipping. Traditionally brewed, the sauces are made from the finest ingredients. The sauces are delicious as a spicy hot dip with wontons and spring rolls added to soups, fried rice and noodles or as a marinade when that little extra kick is needed.
Smart packing Planning a holiday this summer, but have you thought about safety. Is your luggage as good as the things you are going to put inside it, and what about convenience, will things remain as fresh as when they are in your cupboard? VIP has introduced three special ways to take worry out of travel. Convipack for smart packing. The fully zippered inside flap allows neat packing and prevents clothes and small items from falling out. The two compartments within your suitcase organises your travel gear, using every inch of space to best advantage. Seculink for smart security. Is has a tensile strength of 100 kilos, which means it can carry the weight of 100 kilos before breaking. Central locking system for smart locking. With VIP’s central locking system, you turn the centre lock and the side locks automatically shuts.
Skincare range Hindustan Lever has launched Lux International skincare range of products in the country, subsequent to a successful launch in Europe, South-East Asia and US. The range comprises variants of moisturising, deep cleansing and sun protection face washes, body washes and bars. A loofah is provided with the body washes. The moisturising body wash, when used with the loofah, works up an extra rich lather which leaves the skin exceptionally soft and pampered. The deep cleansing body wash, with natural glycerin and active cleansers, penetrate deep into the skin, removing excess oil when used with the loofah. The sun protection wash protects the skin from the harsh rays of the sun and works towards maintaining fairness of the skin.
Wrist beauty Polished, curved steel case set with diamond on bezel. ETA 1376
caliber, rectangular quartz movement, modified specially for Omega. Choice of dials in white mother of pearl or black lacquer, with diamond set at the four quarters. Scratch resistant sapphire glass, polished rhodium plated stick hands, these watches would catch the attention of all those who appreciate beauty.
Power bathing Aquaplus has launched its range of `power bathing luxuries’ titled “The Presidential Series”. The series is a combination of colonial architecture with contours reflecting a glorious history and worlds latest technology from Germany. The series is a visual symphony created by the juxtaposition of the product range like bath tub mixer, over head rain shower, wall spout with aerator dine exquisitely in superior chrome and gold plating with porcelain period handles and futuristic technology.
Lawn-mowers A lawn adds beauty and charm to any home and premises. There is nothing more welcoming or pleasing to the eyes than a beautiful and well-maintained lawn, spelling the class and taste of the owner. Honda Siel Power Products has introduced a range of new generation lawn-mowers guaranteed to maintain your lawn – the crowning glory of your garden. Imported from Honda MPE, Australia, these easy to operate lawnmowers are ideal for hotels, clubs, resorts and golf courses. With a host of user friendly features like adjustable cutting height, light weight, attached grass catcher and even a convenient self-propelled drive, these lawn-mowers help in reducing the cost and time for the maintenance of your lawn. |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 122 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
