 |
|
| Thursday,
June 13, 2002, Chandigarh, India
|
|
|||
|
Panel under FM to look into states’ finances New Delhi, June 12 The decision to constitute the high power committee (HPC) was taken in Wednesday’s conference of finance ministers hosted by the Government of NCT of Delhi. Ashim Dasgupta, West Bengal’s finance minister and chairman of the empowered committee of finance ministers mandated to study the implementation of Value Added Tax (VAT), told media persons the HPC’s brief will run concurrent to the empowered committee’s task of implementing VAT by April 1 next year. Explaining the provocation for constituting such a HPC, Mr Dasgupta said the Centre’s decision to implement the Fifth Pay Commission has had an adverse impact on the states. “Besides,” he said, “the mounting loan burden on the states, shortfall in devolution of Central taxes to the states and the Reserve Bank of India’s present practice relating to overdraft limits and states’ access to financial institutions, all had led to this decision.” Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, in turn, said the HPC will hold consultations with political parties followed by discussions in the Inter-State Council. “The objective of this exercise,” Mr Sinha told media persons, “is to deliberate in a spirit of co-operation to arrive at a politically acceptable solution.” The need, he added, was to rise above partisan political interests and to look at shoring up the states’ fiscal reserves professionally. The conference was attended among others by the chief ministers of Assam and Nagaland and finance ministers from most states, barring Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. |
|
Hotel site vacant for 15 yrs Faridabad, June 12 It is now learnt that Huda has brought some changes in its policy regarding such constructions and the department is planning to float tenders for the hotel site again. It may be recalled that such hotel sites put up for auction in the neighbouring Gurgaon district have already been sold and some hotels have also come up. Some more are under construction. But the real estate experts believe that the general slump in the industrial sector and the rising pollution could be the main deterrent here. The realty pundits said that the property prices in Faridabad did not go up in the manner they had increased in Gurgaon over the past decade. The reason being that the latter had emerged the most preferred area for commercial as well as residential purpose. Meanwhile, Huda has been able to sell the site for a multiplex, which is under construction on the main Mathura Road. While three more such sites are awaiting auction, Huda wants to dispose of the next site on higher reserve (RP) price as the RP for the first site had been Rs 2.5 crore, the RP for the next site could be around Rs 3.5 crore, when the first multiplex building will be functional. Huda has also taken up the project of Byepass Road here which passes along the Agra canal. According to the administrator, Mr Vijayendra Kumar, the widening of Byepass Road which connects the border and the Ballabgarh town will decongest traffic on the Mathura Road (NH-II). |
|
CM returns from UN with a host of ideas New Delhi, June 12 The chief minister had led a delegation comprising Chief Secretary Shailja Chandra, Secretary Renu Sharma and Member of Legislative Assembly Arvinder Singh ‘Lovely’ to New York and Copenhagen on the invitation of UNOPS. The delegation returned on Monday night after a weeklong tour of those two cities and a brief stopover in London. The government spokesperson said the overriding objective of the visit was to study the international procurement services, e-governance and public sector reforms, e-procurement, municipal water supply and public transport. The delegation, the spokesperson said, was informed by the Metropolitan Transport Authority of New York that hybrid battery / diesel-operated buses were much more cost-effective and useful in that city as compared to the CNG-driven buses. On the itinerary also was a meeting with the New York City Parks Department which prepares and implements the Master Plan for parks in New York and the rules, regulations and other organisational details of running the Authority were discussed in detail with special reference to points of commonality with Delhi. The Government of NCT of Delhi, the spokesperson said, was keen to establish a similar Parks Authority in the Capital in which all matters connected with afforestation, maintenance of the ridge, maintenance of parks as well as horticultural measures being taken by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) could be brought under a single Authority. The delegation was assured that a copy of the manual of training along with a manual indicating the kind of disaster plan that has been set up would be made available for information and if possible for replication here. |
|
CRPF patrols to deal with BKU threat Rohtak, June 12 Although the government and Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala have assured the BKU that all cases against its leaders would be withdrawn, the farmers have not lifted the blockades on the state highways in Jind and Rohtak districts. The villagers who have started feeling the heat are now pressuring the agitators to remove the barriers. The administration, too, has initiated negotiations at various levels to help restore normalcy. Many sarpanches and punches of various villages of the region have also appealed to the farmers to withdraw agitation. Although BKU chief Ghasi ram Nain has not disclosed when they would disconnect the water and power supply to Delhi, the district administration is taking all the precautionary measures to ensure uninterrupted supply of water and power to the metropolitan city. A senior police official told the ‘NCR Tribune’ that six companies of CRPF have been earmarked for Haryana. The
para-military force, he said, has been deployed in Haryana by the Centre on the advice of the Ministry of Defence to ensure the smooth movement of Army to the Indo-Pak border. The CRPF will also guard the vital installations beside the national highways. The administration is busy in seeking the support of the influential residents of the villages situated on the National Highway in maintaining the smooth flow of traffic and sufficient water. |
|
Sainik Vihar builder’s house ransacked New Delhi, June 12 According to the police, the incident occurred around 4 am while Ramesh and his wife were asleep. Their two college-going daughters were sleeping in the other bedroom. The suspects reportedly broke open three locks on the living room door and entered the house. They first went to the bedroom of the girls and after threatening them with knives and guns, deprived them of their gold chains. Ramesh reportedly woke up when he heard some noises coming from the room of the girls. When he came out of the room, the suspects attacked him with a sharp-edged weapon. His wife Saroj, who had also woken up by then, managed to rush out of the house through a rear door and raised an alarm. However, the suspects escaped but only after picking up valuables from the house. The police said that a case had been registered and efforts were being made to trace the culprits. This is the second incident in the area in the last couple of days. Earlier, armed suspects had intruded into the Saraswati Vihar house of a retired scientist. |
|
THE ACHIEVERS New Delhi, June 12 For the parents of the only child, it was exciting, though hectic time. There were shoots and shoots and hours spent in rehearsals. But the five-year-old sailed through them with flying colours. No wonder, he was an instant success. Since then, there has been no looking back for this child model who is now all of seven years and full of ‘joie de vivre’. Two years of modelling for some half a dozen brand names has not jaded his zest for life and studies. “He is very good at studies,” proclaims his proud father, Gulshan Gulati. A businessman, who runs a stationery shop in the city, Gulshan now has the added responsibility of dealing with the fans of his celebrity son. Recalling the events, Gulshan told the ‘NCR Tribune’ that Karan had shown interest in films and television ads right from the early childhood. He would sit glued to the TV set, watching commercials for hours. His penchant for the celluloid is apparently the result of his proximity to his maternal uncle who is quite active in the tinselville, Mumbai. Perhaps, the discussion of films and how they are produced, whetted the child’s appetite for them. And, he took time by the forelock when the break finally came his way. For Karan, the modeling assignments have been good fun and have given him a celebrity status in his school. “He is teased also, but he has been handling it quite well. We have not allowed it to go to his head,” claim the proud parents. Unlike other children, Karan will not have to look for a career after his studies. He has one, already. Shortly, he will figure in a music video, made by a Delhi-based advertising agency. He now wants to act in tele-serials. Some producers have even started ringing their doorbell. Rightly it is said, “The child is the father of the man.” A great star in the making Karan may be, but studies will be his priority right now. His parents assert that the little star will have to schedule his shooting in the free time. |
|
Yet another Faridabad corporator suspended Faridabad, June 12 Dr Ramanand Rastogi, representing Ward 4 in the MCF, was handed over the letter of his suspension, reportedly issued by the Divisional Commissioner, Gurgaon. It says that the member has been placed under suspension under the provisions of Section 34-A of the Municipal Corporation Act. Dr Rastogi’s suspension follows the criminal case booked against him and 10 others for allegedly creating obstacles and resorting to violence during the removal of encroachments in Sector 22 about two weeks back. It is learnt that no notice was given to Dr Rastogi, who got shocked by the action taken against him. Dr Rastogi alleged that the case booked against him was false and baseless and had been registered on the instructions of a senior MCF official and a BJP legislator, as part of a revengeful activity. He said the forces working against him had got him framed in the case so that he could be suspended. Today’s action had proved that anybody who dared to speak the truth and fight for justice could be victimised in such a manner, he said. Describing his suspension as illegal, he said he would challenge it at the appropriate level. Earlier, the authorities had suspended three elected members. These include senior Deputy Mayor Shiv Charan Sharma (Ward 5), his wife Maya Sharma (Ward 6) and Mrs Renu Bhatia (Ward 8). While Mrs and Mr Sharma were suspended several months ago, Mr Bhatia was suspended about 10 days ago. Mr Sharma and his wife have already challenged their suspension and the case is pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The couple received a shot in the arm recently when a report from the forensic laboratory at Karnal, regarding the forged signatures on a file on the basis of which a case had been booked against them, stated that the signature did not belong to the (accused) couple. Commenting on the suspension of Dr Rastogi today, Mr Sharma said that it was a part of a pre-planned campaign launched by some vested interests who did not want honest corporators to carry on the work of development in their wards. He added that such moves had brought a bad name to the MCF, the biggest civic body in Haryana. Claiming that all the suspensions handed out so far had been `illegal’, he said the Chief Minister himself should intervene to put the affairs of the MCF on right track. |
|
Another MCF suspension
Faridabad, June 12 |
|
3 children drown Gurgaon |
Make peace, Gowda urges Chautala Sonepat, June 12 Launching a newly formed organisation, the Haryana Jan Rakshak Dal, at Gohana, 35 km from here, yesterday, he termed it a party of the people. He declared it would work for safeguarding the interests of the people, particularly the poor and the downtrodden. He condemned the police firing on the innocent farmers at the behest of the Chief Minister in strong terms and said it was an unfortunate incident. He demanded that the government should give suitable compensation to members of the bereaved families. He said there was no doubt that Mr Devi Lal was a leader of the farmers and had worked for improving their lot in the country. He, however, regretted that Mr Chautala was extending his support to the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. He alleged the constituent parties of the NDA were anti-farmer. Mr Deve Gowda said the BJP had had no base in Haryana but Mr Devi Lal was responsible for the emergence of this party in Haryana. He said that both the Congress and the BJP were enemies of the farmers as they had worked against their interests. He also said that the BJP-led NDA government had increased the prices of petroleum products and cut the subsidies on fertilisers and pesticides. This, he said, had pushed up the cost of cultivation of crops. The Janata Dal leader also said that the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, had no knowledge about the problems faced by the farmers and hence he had failed to tackle these problems so far. This, he said, had put a huge financial burden on the farmers and most of them were under debt. They were being forced to commit suicide in various parts of the country. He announced that his party would go it alone in the next Lok Sabha elections and would not enter into an alliance with other parties. He said his party believed in secularism and would extend its support to the secular parties. It would certainly not compromise on the issue of the party’s basic principles. |
|
Reformatory scheme for offenders unveiled New Delhi, June 12 In a communication to Joint Commissioners of Police of all the three Ranges and the Deputy Commissioners of Police, Mr Sharma said preventive action being taken by various police stations was not commensurate with the incidences of crime. He said that though a number of measures were being taken by various police stations there seemed to be little decline in the number of incidents related to crime. He added that arrests under various provisions of law meant to prevent crime were not being made against active criminals and pointed out that whenever a crime took place, certain known persons were arrested under various local and special laws and sent to jail. “This shows the local police officers are not really exerting themselves to know who are the new criminals who have become active and are quietly turning into budding criminals,” the Commissioner added. Mr Sharma laid stress on the need for providing an opportunity to the habitual offenders whereby they could also lead a peaceful and meaningful life. The Police Commissioner directed that all habitual offenders should be notified to come to the Police Lines of each district on June 16 to provide certain personal information in the presence of police officers. He said, “This is no way of giving amnesty to any criminal and opportunity was being provided only to such persons who are not wanted in any criminal case at present”. It was pointed out that people availing of this opportunity would not be arrested for any case, which was pending against them. Mr Sharma said, “Once a person fills up the form, he will be required to live at the address given by him, which can be checked up from time to time by the beat staff”. This will allow the offenders to avoid being arrested by the police for preventive purposes, but will not “ provide him an insurance from arrest in case he does indulge in any crime in future”. The Commissioner further stated that, “In case a person who is given an opportunity under the scheme proves himself to be false by going back on the undertaking given by him and indulges in crime again, he will forfeit this special opportunity and will be dealt with according to the requirement under the law”. The results of this scheme will be reviewed every month and further decision taken on it after three or six months. |
|
Cancel MLAs’ foreign tour: JD (U) Faridabad, June 12 In a statement here today, Mr Vidrohi said taking so many MLAs on foreign tour was absolutely unnecessary and it would only leave the state government’s coffers poorer as the tour would result in wastage of several crores of rupees. The 21 MLAs expected to fly out within a few days with the CM’s entourage include 18 MLAs of the ruling Indian National Lok Dal, one Independent, and one MLA each of the BSP and the BJP. Mr Vidrohi said the proposed tour was a cruel joke played on the people of Haryana who, he held, had been struggling to get adequate water, power and basic amenities. He said it seemed the Chief Minister and his MLAs were more obsessed with touring other countries than tackling various problems faced by the people of their constituencies. |
|
Vijay Goel holds Lok Adalat New Delhi, June 12 Mr Goel has proposed to hold these Janata Adalats on every Wednesday at the same venue between eight and 10 in the morning. Today’s meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner of the City and Sadar Paharganj zones, MCD officials, officials from the Delhi Jal Board and the Delhi Vidyut Board. Mr Goel issued instructions to the officials present in cases related to electricity and water shortage. He stressed the need for solving the problem of interrupted power supply and load shedding and instructed the DVB to lay those 33 kV cable lines, which had been approved and were pending for execution. The DJB officials were also issued instructions to monitor the quality of drinking water. Mr Goel added that there was a plan to construct an open- air theatre at Basant Road near New Delhi Railway Station. He said development works related to the MCD would also be reviewed. |
|
3 hurt as drain wall caves in New Delhi, June 12 The victims, Sonu (20) and Parmod (16), residents of Vinod Nagar, and Phool Chand, a labourer of the MCD, were admitted to a hospital where they were stated to be in a serious condition. The incident occurred when the drain was being desilted by the employees of the MCD. There were a number of workers engaged in the work. The youth, who were playing near the verge of the drain, fell in the drain as its wall collapsed. The labourer also fell in it. The victims were buried under debris of the wall. There was some commotion in the area just after the incident with local residents gathering there. The local police and Delhi Fire Service (DFS) were informed. The DFS personnel dug up the drain and rescued the victims. The drain was being desilted as part of a drive in the Capital before the beginning of the rainy season. |
|
Sharad Yadav lays foundation stone for ESI building Noida, June 12 However, the ESI organisation would have to work according to a schedule of three days to settle the claims of the staff concerned, he said and added that social security was relevant only when it was made available at the needed time. He also said that the employees would have to work hard to elicit a guarantee of security for themselves. This would, in turn, bring about more speed and efficiency in their working, he said. |
|
YOUNG VOICE An aspiring accountant and an active member of the Commerce Association of Sri Venkateswara College, Bhavnoor Lamba is a B. Com. final year student.
Everybody talks about the North Campus, ignoring the fact that some of the best colleges happen to be located on the South Campus. Though the North Campus has the academic feel to it, the South Campus also has its own charm. Though parking is a major problem on the South Campus. In fact, students have to park their cars on the road, which is quite dangerous, as it has led to accidents and thefts. Moreover, the students are often put in an embarrassing position when their cars are towed away by the traffic police. If there is no adequate place for parking, where do we park our cars? Transportation is another serious problem as bus service is inadequate. My advice to the prospective students is to consider South Campus colleges for admission. Many students don’t even think of applying to the colleges on the South Campus. However, many of them have started applying for admissions here also recently. Something should be done to provide hostel facilities to the students coming from abroad. Hostel accommodation is simply not up to the mark. |
|
NCR BRIEFS Panipat, June 12 Sukuntla was originally married to the brother of Rakesh, Jaiveer. Jaiveer had made supreme sacrifice during the Kargil War of 1999. Later, Sakuntla was “married” to Rakesh.
Minority panel Ghaziabad One dies in mishap Narnaul Woman falls in well The body of a woman, Maya (32), wife of Ram Niwas, was found in a village well near Koginda (Narnaul subdivision). Her last rites were performed by her in-laws before the police could reach the spot. Mr Singara Singh, DSP, Narnaul Headquarters, reached the spot. However, in the absence of any complainant, no case could be registered. Inquiries by the DSP revealed that the deceased had been mentally ill and undergoing treatment in Rajasthan. In the night, she went out of the house. She had reportedly failed to see the village well and fell in it.
Two-year-old raped Sonepat The culprit was identified as Inderjit Singh (35) of Bamrauli village under the Bahadurgarh police station of Jhajjar district. The residents also went to the residence of the Deputy Commissioner, Mr S. N. Roy, demanding stern action against the culprit.
Doc apologises Dr A. S. Ahlawat, a medical officer and in charge of the laboratory in civil hospital here, offered an apology to a class III employee, who was allegedly beaten up by him, on Tuesday. According to a report, the officiating Medical Superintendent of the civil hospital, Dr Gosain, also shifted the medical officer from the laboratory to the OPD.
Shopkeeper shot at Mr Suraj Bhan Lakhera, a shopkeeper, was shot at and wounded by three assailants as he was returning to his house here last night. According to a report, the alleged assailants managed to escape on a motorcycle. The police have registered a case and a hunt is on to apprehend them. An old enmity is said to be the cause of the incident. |
Mangolpuri robbery cracked; three held New Delhi, June 12 The main suspect, Hitender Kumar alias Chhotu, the gang leader and brother of Bijender Singh Rawat alias Birju, a dreaded criminal who was killed in an encounter in 1998, was arrested on Tuesday from Loni in North-East Delhi. His interrogation led to the arrest of his associates, Vinod Singh Negi and Harish Chander. All are college dropouts. Their other associates, who were said to be the brains behind the robbery — Jagdish, Ajai, Deepak and Jasvir — are still at
large. The police also recovered Rs 5.40 lakh and a Chinese pistol of .32 bore along with 21 live cartridges from the suspects. The police said that neither the employees of Trend Setters Company nor the bank had been found involved in the robbery case so far, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr Sanjay Singh, said. The suspects had been following the Maruti van of the company for a few months. They had complete information when the company staff used to withdraw the money from the bank. When the Maruti van in which they were carrying the money reached on road number 43, opposite Ordinance Depot near Shakur Basti, the suspects in a white Maruti car fired bullets and forced the Maruti van to halt. One of the suspects shot at the driver of the van, Sudhan Singh, and managed to snatch the bags containing the money. After interrogating a number of notorious criminals and from the statements of the victims and a few eyewitnesses, the names of the suspects came to light and they were arrested. During interrogation, Hitender alias Chhotu disclosed that the conspiracy to commit the robbery was hatched by Jagdish, Ajai, Deepak and Jasvir at his office in Awantika in Rohini. The white
Maruti car used in the crime was provided by Ajai and was reportedly a stolen one. Before committing the crime, the suspects had surveyed the area. They had also known the route the van of the victim followed after withdrawing the money, the DCP said.
SI nabbed for taking bribe The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today arrested a Sub-Inspector of Delhi Police for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000. The accused, Manmat Kumar, was arrested for seeking an illegal gratification of Rs 10,000 from a complainant for accepting his bail and surety, the CBI officials said. The complainant was named as an accused in an FIR registered in the Hari Nagar police station in West Delhi and had been granted anticipatory bail by the court. The complainant reported the matter to the CBI officers who in turn laid a trap and arrested the accused cop while accepting Rs 5,000 as the first instalment of the demand. The accused was produced before the designated court that remanded him to 14 days judicial custody till June 2.
Briton found dead Canady Francis Joseph, a British national, was found dead in hotel Down Town in the Paharganj area of Central district on Tuesday. He had checked in at the hotel on Sunday. The employees of the hotel got suspicious when he did not come out of the room till Tuesday afternoon. Then one of the employees knocked on the door of the room, which was bolted from inside, repeatedly but there was no response. He broke open the door and found the Briton dead. The hotel manager called the police. The cause of the death could be established after the post-mortem examination, the police said. |
|
Criminals bite cops to escape Noida, June 12 They were, in fact, nabbed after an encounter. The Dankaur police had also seized two country-made revolvers and cartridges from them. The cops of the police station noticed some youth roaming in a suspicious manner. When they were challenged, they started firing at the police party with country-made pistols. However, the cops managed to overpower them in the end. While two of them were arrested, another one managed to give the cops a slip. On interrogation, they identified themselves as Raju of Mohalla Gallyana and Kalua of Dankaur. They were involved in some loot and murder cases, they told the
police. While being brought to the station in a police vehicle, they bit SI Rakesh Babu and Head Constable Omveer in their waist. They were just fighting tooth and nail to escape from the clutches of the law. The cops wouldn’t budge and the duo was finally brought to the station and then lodged in the police lock-up in Dankaur. |
Bank peon killed Rajpal, a peon of the Nangal Teju branch of the Gurgaon Gramin Bank, died on the spot while Mr Kishore Kumar, field Officer of the same branch, was injured seriously when their motorcycle was knocked down by a speeding Indica car near Saban Chowk on the Delhi-Jaipur highway, about 18 km from here, today. The accident occurred when they were going from Tankri village to Nangal Teju. The police have registered a case against the driver of the car who is stated to be absconding. Kishore Kumar has been admitted in Raman Munjal Hospital, Dharuhera, where he is stated to be out of danger. Purse snatched Two motorcycle-borne youth today snatched the purse containing about Rs 14,500 from a woman in the busiest Moti Chowk market near Ghanteshwar Mandir here and then sped away. Mrs Sushma Devi, wife of Mr Naresh Kumar of Sadhu Shah Nagar, had withdrawn the cash from a local bank. After that, she along with her friend, Saheli, had gone to the Moti Chowk market for shopping when the above incident occurred. The police have launched a manhunt to nab the criminals. |
|
Kids follow mother in death Rewari, June 12 It is reported that Ram
Roshni, along with her daughter and son, consumed poison after which all the three were taken to the local civil hospital where Ram Roshni died after a few hours while her daughter and son, who were both in a critical condition, were referred to Safdarjung Hospital. It is stated that strained relations between the husband and wife had led to the tragedy. Naresh Kumar, who was a native of Bhalkhi Majra village, about 20 km from here, retired from the Army about a year ago and shifted to their new house in the colony here about a few months ago. The city police have treated it as a case of suicidal deaths under Section 174
CrPC. |
 |
| 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 | |
