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| Thursday,
June 27, 2002, Chandigarh, India
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CLP punches holes in L-G directive New Delhi, June 26 Lokayukta Justice RN Aggarwal had in his June 14 order held Jaspal Singh guilty of large-scale power theft, meter-tampering and manipulation of electricity bills. Also of failing to maintain the norms, integrity and conduct that ought to have been followed by a public functionary. Acting on that report, the Lieutenant Governor on Monday issued certain directions to the Government of NCT of Delhi that ask the chief secretary to forward a copy of the Lokayukta’s report to the Commissioner of Police for registration of a case against Jaspal Singh and which should be investigated by the Crime Branch. Expressing “shock” and “disbelief” over the comments made by the Lieutenant Governor on the norms regarding the working and functioning of elected representatives, the resolution read : The comments (are) unfortunate, uncalled for and amounting to interference in the working of the MLAs who are directly elected by the people and are accountable to them and the institutions they work for or under. The CLP further said the handing over of the investigation to the Crime Branch and directing the Commissioner of Police to register a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act was “unprecedented since there was no case for the Crime Branch to be involved.” Describing the turn of events as a political conspiracy to defame the Congress-administered government, a senior Congressman said although the CLP was of the view that law should be upheld, the manner in which the directions were given smacked of vendetta. Unfortunate, according to the resolution, also was the manner in which the directions of the Lieutenant Governor were apparently leaked to the media. “This,” it read, “casts aspersions on the motives behind the order which was passed without even taking into confidence or in consultation with the Leader of the House or with the government of the day.” Reacting to the CLP resolution, a senior BJP leader reiterated that the legislator had been found guilty of theft of electricity and that no exception could be made under the law. |
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Lessons
on migrants may be part of school syllabi New Delhi, June 26 The project, expected to be complete by the end of this year, will be introduced as a pilot project in some schools where the teachers and the students will provide the necessary feedback about the content of the material developed. The school children, in all probability, will have migration education as a part of their school syllabi. “We have to sensitise the students about the migrants and the problems that they face. The initial reaction of the non-migrants towards the migrants is that of hostility, they are blamed for creating congestion and staking claim to the basic civic amenities. We want to address this cause and teach the youngsters that migrants also contribute to the society”, points out Dr. T N Dhar, Former Jt. Director, NCERT, who is also a part of the team that is working towards the development of the material related to Migration Studies. The content will be so developed that it can be effectively made a part of the social science content. “We wish to make it a part of the social sciences curriculum. UNESCO is backing the project, as the world community wants to focus on the issue of migration. The project is also being carried out in two other countries. Migration education is a big way of teaching the students, who are also the future citizens, how to live peacefully. The experiment will be carried out on two levels. First, we will take the opinion of the teachers and with their inputs we will introduce it in the classrooms”, said Dr. O S Deval, Consultant, NCERT. The project will provide the necessary guidelines to those teachers who work with migrant children. “We will instruct these teachers how to effectively deal with the children who have migrated from other states or even countries. There are clashes between the non-migrant and the migrant students that the teachers should be able to tackle. There is need to educate the children about the various reasons why migrants should be accepted”, adds Dr Deval. Prof. Aslam Mehmood of JNU, who is also a part of the project, which is being coordinated by Prof. Puran Chand, head of the Publication Division, adds, “Migrants also contribute to the economy and the culture of the state. They bring with them certain technical know-how that in turn is beneficial to the locals. Like migrants from Bihar who work in the agricultural fields of Punjab. They often take certain agricultural inputs back to their state in order to improve the agricultural produce. Migrants help in transfer of ideas and technology”. |
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Outsider
to be Delhi’s top cop? New Delhi, June 26 While the names of the two seniormost officers from the Union Territory cadre of the Indian Police Service, both from the 1966 batch, Mr Ajay Aggarwal and Mr R. S. Gupta, figured in the list, there were names of several other officers of equal seniority from Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. Senior officers of the Delhi Police seem to be apprehensive that the Home Ministry may decide on bringing someone from outside to head the Capital’s police force as it did three years ago. At present, Mr Ajay Aggarwal is posted as Director-General of Prisons, Tihar, and Mr R. S. Gupta is Special Commissioner, Administration, with the Delhi Police. Highly placed sources said even in the Home Ministry opinion was divided on whether there should be someone from the UT cadre to head the force or a person from another state ought to be brought in. Votaries of the two opinions have reportedly listed the advantages and disadvantages in both the cases so that a rational decision can be taken by the powers that be. Those supporting the UT cadre officer’s appointment argue that an officer who has grown up with the force and seen the Capital’s policing from close range in the course of various postings will be most suitable to deal with law and order. Those holding the other view claim that an outsider will come with a “clear mind and thus will have no biases”. They feel he will be able to handle the force and any situation without being prejudiced like the present Police Commissioner who allegedly adopted the carrot and stick approach in the force. This is considered to be highly politicised. These sources also maintain that it may not be easy for the Home Ministry to come to a decision, especially in view of the rapidly changing security and crime scenario in the Capital, which continues to grow in terms of both population and crime rate. While seniority was a criterion for the selection of the Capital’s top cop, there were other attributes that are a must, a senior Home Ministry officer involved in the short-listing of names said. These are leadership qualities, impeccable service record and diplomacy. Being in the Capital, the Police Commissioner is required to be in touch with top politicians, senior bureaucrats and diplomats. |
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Cop hid stolen mobikes on CISF campus
Ghaziabad, June 26 The Rajasthan Police brought the constable, who was arrested a fortnight ago, here on remand. Durga Lal, a resident of Bharni village under the Devli police station in Rajasthan, is employed as a constable with the CISF on the national highway under the Indira Puram police station. He was arrested along with certain other youths by the Jaipur district police 15 days ago. The police have claimed that the arrested persons are members of a notorious gang of vehicle thieves of which Durga Lal is the kingpin. On interrogation, Durga Lal confessed to having stolen three motorbikes from the Ashok Nagar area of Jaipur city. Following his admission of guilt, the Ashok Nagar Police had obtained a remand from the Chief Judicial Magistrate. During intensive interrogation he confessed that he used to keep the stolen motorbikes on the CISF campus in Ghaziabad. The Jaipur cops brought Durga Lal to Ghaziabad and accompanied by policemen from the Indira Puram police station they went inside the campus of the CISF where the accused constable identified two Hero Honda and one Bajaj motorbike. All these motorbikes had been stolen from Jaipur. The motorbikes have been handed over to the Indira Puram police. Durga Lal also confessed that he used to sell these stolen motor cycles to his colleagues in the CISF. OC
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Inmates of beggars’ homes itching to get back to the streets New Delhi, June 26 Like Dukhi Ram, there are scores of others who are being taken care of in the beggars’ homes in the Capital but wish to return to the streets. As per the rules laid down by the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959, a beggar who is caught has to bide one year in the beggars’ home and if he is caught again, then the duration of the stay is increased to 10 years. These persons, once caught and brought to the beggars’ homes, are provided not just shelter and food, but adequate arrangement is made for their health care as well. The officials at these homes also make arrangements to inform the family members of the beggars once they are taken off the streets. In spite of all these measures, the persons housed at these shelters are not happy. The Zonal Superintendent of Beggars’ Home, Mr Mahesh Sharma, told ‘NCR Tribune’ that the homes are equipped with all facilities but miss out on the ambience that could reform these beggars. These people, who are exposed to the hard street life, need to be effectively counselled to prevent them from returning to the streets. According to Mr Sharma, the Ministry of Social Welfare runs 12 beggars’ homes in the Capital, there are separate homes for women and children. Mr Sharma points out that once the beggars are brought to these homes, efforts are made to reunite them with their families, but less than five per cent of the families turn up to meet them. For those who complete their tenure in the homes, it is back to the streets. It is pointed out that these beggars should be provided vocational training that will enable them to earn their living. Like the prisoners lodged in the Tihar Jail, these people too should be taught the ways to earn a living for themselves. The Minister of State for Social Welfare, Mr Rajkumar Chauhan, blames the cash crunch that the government is facing for the inability to provide vocational training to these inmates. He says that the government is negotiating with NGOs to join hands in this regard. Mr Chauhan adds that the rehabilitation of these people is a challenge as most of them are exposed to drug abuse and some are even mentally challenged. Mr Sunil Vatsayan, Director of Caring Foundation, an NGO which has been working with the beggars providing them necessary health care, says there are approximately 50,000 beggars on the streets of the Capital, of whom there are just about 5,000 of them in the beggars’ homes. He says the government should chalk out more effective plans for the rehabilitation of the beggars. Like the rehabilitation plan that has been laid down for the beggars afflicted with leprosy, there should be plans for the rest of the beggars as well. |
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Demand to punish miscreants at Cong rally Sonepat, June 26 In a signed press statement issued here, he pointed out that an inquiry had been immediately ordered by Mr Hooda when he was hooted at by certain party workers at the Bhiwani rally last year. The people of the state in general and Congress workers had disapproved of the hooting incident and wanted action to be taken against those responsible. Mr Bhajan Lal was a popular leader of Haryana and considered a man of the masses. This had been confirmed by a survey conducted by “India Today” recently. Mr Hooda also alleged the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, was scared of the popularity of Mr Bhajan Lal and some of the Congress leaders had hatched a conspiracy with him against the latter to defame him in the presence of other senior Congress leaders. He maintained that Congressmen in Haryana were feeling upset as a result of this incident. They wanted persons responsible for the hooting incident to be punished. The incident, he said, had sent across a wrong signal to farmers for whom the padayatra and rally had been organised. The farmers felt that the Congress party in Haryana was a divided house with partymen constantly indulging in infighting. They also opposed the style of functioning of the HPCC President who, they alleged, was not capable of ousting Mr Chautala. On the other hand, Mr Bhajan Lal was the only leader in the Congress who could give a resounding fight to the Chautala regime. |
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Fear of
rape stalks young women in Rewari villages Rewari, June 26 The fact that several of the village youths have taken to crime and have committed some such dare-devil acts shows that neither the society nor the strong arm of the police administration holds any sway over them anymore. The spurt in the incidence of rape has indicated that the movement of young women and girls during early morning and late evening hours in rural areas is now fraught with peril. For instance, a young working woman of Siha village, who was returning home along with her son after collecting her wages from Dhawana village in the evening on June 19, was allegedly taken by two village youths forcibly to the village school where she was shut in a room. When it grew dark, she was taken to the village forest where two more village youths joined them. She was then allegedly gang raped by them till she almost fainted. She was brought back to the village and abandoned near her house. There were reports that a section of the village residents had tried to hush up the matter by offering money to the victim. The attempt failed and the Khol police, on the basis of the victim’s statement, registered a case of rape, wrongful confinement and criminal intimidation under Sections 376, 342, 506, 34 of the IPC on June 23 against the accused. The police also arrested Rattan Singh, Babloo and Hawa Singh, all residents of Siha village, in this connection while their fourth accomplice, Bhola alias Bholu, is stated to have absconded. Earlier on June 17, a teenaged girl of Pranpura village under the Khol police station was allegedly taken by force to a house and repeatedly raped by two village youths who later abandoned her in a forest from where the girl reached Mundi village. She was later restored to her parents in Pranpura village. The victim’s parents made a complaint with the Khol police who registered a case of rape, abduction and wrongful confinement. Subsequently, the police arrested Narendra and Ravindra alias Kalia, who were remanded in judicial custody for 14 days by a local court. In another incident, which was the first of the current series, a young married woman was allegedly raped in her own house while her husband was away by a village youth in Jamalpur village under Khol police station on June 12 night. The assailant, Dalbir alias Dhillon, later escaped by jumping the wall. The police arrested him. A teenaged girl of Motha Kalan village under the Jatusana police station and village youth, Deepak, had been missing since June 18. Following a complaint lodged by the girl’s mother, Prem Lata, the police registered a case of abduction under Section 366 of the IPC and efforts are still on to trace the girl. |
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Tools unit
workers unpaid for 55 months Faridabad, June 26 The affected workers of the company located near Sector 7 here have already placed their problem in the weekly open darbar of the Deputy Commissioner here. The workers also appeared before the Deputy Commissioner here today. An official of the Labour Department, who was present in the darbar, reportedly told the Deputy Commissioner that since the workers had filed an application under Section 33C (2) of the Industrial Disputes Act 1947 in the Labour Court here, the department had no role left in the dispute. But Mr Telak Raj Kashyap, who has been working in the company for past about 25 years, told the Deputy Commissioner that the workers had taken up the matter in the open darbar on April 15, 2002 and May 29, 2002 and the Labour Department had been directed by the then Deputy Commissioner to get the claim of the workers prepared by the company and get the payment released. He said that although the ‘claim papers’ were prepared, the department took no action against the company for not releasing their pending payments, amounting to over Rs 2 crore. Instead of proceeding in a favourable direction, the labour official concerned advised them to file an application in the labour court under the provisions of the Section 33-C (2) of the Industrial Disputes Act. According to Mr Kashyap, the Punjab and Haryana High Court in one of its judgement in 1979 had clearly ruled that the Labour Commissioner was fully competent to deal with the matter regarding the recovery of dues under Section 33-C (I). The workers have alleged that the department, instead of taking up the case under Section 33-C (I), had asked them to get their dues recovered through the court, which they said could take several years. He said majority of the affected workers had been aged between 52 and 60 years and were unable to take up the matter for a long period due to their health and age problems. According to the claim paper prepared for the pending dues and signed by the company officials, the balance include four months’ wages between September 1996 to December 1996, one month’s balance from April 1997 to December 1997, 50 per cent balance of the wages of July 1999, three month’s balance from October to December 1999, 12 months balance from January 2000 to December 2001 and five months balance from January 2002 to May this year. This comes to 55 months balance, besides the LTA and Bonus payments pending for six years from 1996 to 2002. According to the workers, although the company management admit that they owe them the pending payments, they do not promise to release them within a certain period. As a result, they claim that their families had reached the verge of starvation and their survival had become the main issue. “As we could not get support and cooperation from the department concerned, we have now filed the case in the labour court,” they said. Mr Kashyap said the company had paid an amount of Rs 800 to Rs 1,200 per employee per month from April to June this year in the name of their salary while the total salary balance for the past three months had accumulated to Rs 5,500 to Rs 20,000 per employee. |
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Yamuna
Ghat to be made pilgrim centre New Delhi, June 26 Mr Goel also sought the transfer of land between Qudesia Ghat and Jwala Ghat, belonging to different departments, to the DDA and asked HUDCO to prepare a plan. He added that the old temples and akharas would be conserved. The authorities were planning to construct stairs near nine ghats of the area and turn them into those in Hardwar to give the shape of a religious centre to the entire area. Taking note of garbage near the Yamuna, Mr Goel said that he would ask the government of NCT of Delhi to expedite the Yamuna cleanliness drive. NGOs could also help in this field. Mr Goel announced the sanction of Rs 25,00,000 out of his MPLAD fund for developing Yamuna Ghat. |
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Sheila to address Chicago convention
New Delhi, June 26
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NCR BRIEFS Jhajjar, June 26 The father of the victim, Jai Singh of Bhiwani, in his report, said that his daughter was married to Satish, son of Sher Singh, on May 25 this year. The Salawas police have registered a case under Sections 363, 376 and 506 of the IPC and arrested Dinesh and Shamsher.
Land grab detected Faridabad According to complaint lodged with the police, the accused, identified as Daya Singh and his mother Mayawati, allegedly prepared fake documents of a piece of land measuring four kanals and nine marlas belonging to one Sumer Singh and sold it illegally to a third party. The racket was unearthed when the owner of the land contacted the Patwari for getting the record of the land. The matter was reported to the police who booked the accused.
Youth hostels Sonepat Dr Puran Mal Gaur, chairman of the local branch of the association, told mediapersons here today that there were 6,000 branches of the Youth Hostels in 75 countries. These included 60 functioning in India. He disclosed that the association would organise a science quiz on July 27 and a state-level youth convention on October 2, the foundation day of the association.
Youth killed A youth, Sandeep Jindal (22), was killed on the spot when his scooter rammed a mule cart on G. T. Road near Ganaur, 25 km from here, last night. According to a report, the victim was on his way from Samalkha to Ganaur. According to another report, a speeding car rammed another car on G. T. Road near Murthal Chowk, 8 km from here, last night. Four persons, including a woman, were injured and they were admitted to a private hospital in Murthal. |
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GHAZIABAD Ghaziabad, June 26 Panic and anger gripped the village at this heinous crime. The victim’s father, Om Prakash, had filed a report at the police station, naming Vikram and Sanjay as the accused in the crime. Circle Officer of Pilkhua R. S. Gautam said he had been informed about the rape and murder at 9 pm Monday night by a resident of the same village. On making inquiry, the police learnt that the girl had been first raped and then killed and her body buried in the ground, Mr Gautam said. The police arrested Vikram and recovered the girl’s body by digging the compound of his house. She had gone missing since June 23. Somebody informed the parents that she had been seen with Vikram and Sanjay. When the police picked them up, they confessed to the crime. No trace of oil merchant:
The police, which had registered a case of kidnapping at Sihani Gate police station on Monday night after much dilly-dallying, have not been able to trace the missing merchant or provide any lead for his recovery. Three persons, Sawtantar, Ajay and Manohar, have been named in the FIR. All of them live on Rakesh Marg in Nehru Nagar and are reported to be Mr Chawla’s partners in business. Mr Chawla had left on some job at 4.30 pm for Rakesh Marg, but he did not return. Some people had allegedly kidnapped him from there. After looking for him, a report was filed with the police. After the traders sat on a dharna at the old bus stand, the search for Mr Chawla has been intensified by the city police now. Besides, the police have also not been able to nab the criminals who had looted Rs 50,000 from a Rajnagar resident, Yash pal alias Rahul, from Sihani Gate area by threatening him with fire arms in broad daylight. |
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Delhi cop
among 3 held for drug peddling New Delhi, June 26 During interrogation, Virender said that he came in contact with Sagheer Ahmed a few years back when he was posted at the police post in Yamuna Pushta. He also had an affair with Sagheer’s sister and married her even though he had married earlier. The constable had three children from his first marriage. Sagheer belonged to a notorious family of drug peddlers. The suspects disclosed that one Mukeem had told them to give the consignment to one of his contacts in the Capital, the police said and added that it was brought from Lucknow. Murdered over trivia:
The victims, Vishnu Prasad and his son, Susheel, and the suspects — Mewaram and his sons, Sunil, Deepak and Sumit — are tenants and lived in the same building. They had enmity for the last one year. This time, they fought on the issue of a cracker explosion. . According to the police, the suspects stabbed Vishnu and Susheel after an argument on the cracker explosion. The victims were admitted to a nearby hospital where Vishnu succumbed to his injuries. The police have registered a case of murder and are in search of the suspects. Scindia Villa burglary solved:
They were identified as Harish, his mother Jyoti and her friend Sanjay. Harish is the son of an ex-employee of Scindia Villa. They have been living there for a long time in the servants’ quarters and had knowledge of the topography of the villa. Sanjay is allegedly the prime suspect in the case. The stolen goods and money had been recovered from possession of the suspects, the police said. The burglary took place on June 20. Sanjay’s cousin is the personal driver of Yashodhraraje Scindia and he informed the prime accused that she had gone to Gwalior for a public meeting. Thereafter, Sanjay had conspired with Harish and Jyoti to burgle the villa. During interrogation, they confessed to their involvement in the burglary. They broke open the door of Yashodhra’s house and robbed the valuables. To tamper with the evidence, they set on fire one of the almirahs in which some saris were destroyed. The police had taken the fingerprints from almirah and other places in the house. They had also taken fingerprints of all employees and ex-employees of Scindia Villa. During investigation, the fingerprints taken from one of the almirahs in the house matched with the fingerprints of Harish. During interrogation, Harish confessed to his involvement in the case. His interrogation led to the arrest of others, the police said. |
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Carrying
cash in Noida, Ghaziabad can be fatal Noida/Ghaziabad, June 26 This is what happened to Mrs Pinky Bobal, 42, of B-62, Sector-39, in Noida yesterday. As soon as she drew Rs 31,000 from the Syndicate Bank in Sector-2, Noida, her Maruti van was intercepted; it was being driven by her 19-year-old son Rahul. Even as Pinky resisted attempts to snatch the bag containing the cash, she was shot through the head. The assailants reportedly fled towards Delhi with the money. The incident took place in broad daylight but nobody came to the duo’s help. Pinky’s husband, Rajkumar, a jeweller, had recently sold their property in Delhi. The money was being drawn for Rahul’s admission to an engineering institute. The police have so far drawn a blank in the case. Nor have they been able to solve three similar incidents in the town. In Ghaziabad, three persons had looted Rs 50,000 at gunpoint from the owner of an Engineering Institute on Monday afternoon in Meerut Road industrial area. According to the police, partners Ajay Tomar and Rahul Tomar of the Institute of Engineering & Professional Studies had drawn Rs 50,000 from the Model Town branch of the Union Bank of India. The robbers followed them from the bank. The duo handed over some garments at a dry cleaner’s shop, after which they took a short cut to their residence via Meerut road industrial area. They were intercepted by three persons on a Yamaha motorcycle at a bend. Just as the victims stopped their LML scooter, one of the criminals pointed a pistol at Rahul while the other prised opened the box of the scooter and snatched the cash. |
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ROHTAK Rohtak, June 26 The police recovered five stolen motor cycles and a scooter from them. Those arrested have been identified as Ravi and Jagdeep, residents of the Rishi Nagar locality here, and Pawan Kumar, a resident of Sainipura locality. The accused reportedly confessed to having stolen the vehicles from near Karan Hotel, Prince Hotel, Mansarover Park, the Tilyar tourist complex and Chhoturam Chowk areas in the town. Flood control centres:
A spokesman for the district administration said these centres would start functioning from July 1. He said 261 diesel and electricity pump sets had been installed in the district to drain out the floodwater. He said regular wireless stations would be set up by the police department at 15 strategic points to inform the authorities about the situation of water disposal from time to time. The district had been divided into 15 sectors as part of the flood control measures, he said adding that an officer would be deputed at each centre to deal with any emergent situation. Youth Killed:
Mr Krishan Kumar, a resident of Kalanaur, alleged in an FIR that the driver of the vehicle crushed Sombir, who later succumbed to his injuries at the community health centre at Kalanaur. The police have registered a case against the errant driver under Sections 279 and 304- A of the IPC. Complaint cell set up:
A police spokesman said on Wednesday that 22 complaints had so far been forwarded to the staff for speedy disposal. He said a compromise was reached between the plaintiffs and respondents regarding 14 complaints. Action had been taken against the respondents in five cases. One complaint had been forwarded to the Government Railway Police Force for investigation. |
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Two killed
in tractor-truck collision Faridabad, June 26 Sonepat
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IDBI to help pay MTNL phone bills New Delhi, June 26 “We are one of the first few banks in India to offer this service and the first to do so in Delhi,” managing director and CEO of IDBI Gunit Chadha said at a press meet here today. After Delhi, Mumbai would be the next city to fall under the ambit of this service, Mr Chaddha said. He added that the service would help customers save time and above all avoid the otherwise long queues, need to carry cash and delays in payments. This service is free of cost. Dr R. S. P. Sinha, director (finance), MTNL, said, “We are making every effort to improve our customer service. With this new facility, those of our customers, who are IDBI account holders will benefit.” IDBI has a network of 244 strongly integrated ATMs across the country and 42 ATMs in Delhi alone. It covers 61 cities and has 82 branches across the country. |
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