Livid cop drags CM’s father to thana
Prem Pal Singh

Meerut, August 9
A man in the street often gets the taste of police high-handedness. This time, however, a VIP had to bear the brunt of the police ‘danda’. In this case of ‘lese majeste’, the cop even dragged the VIP to Thana Kotwali and threatened to throw him in a lock-up. The VIP was Mr Prabhudayal, father of the UP Chief Minister, Miss Mayawati.

The incident occurred at a public place in Khurja, according to the information reaching the office of the Deputy Inspector General, Meerut Range.

Mr Prabhudayal was on a personal visit to Ibrahim, Zunedpur and Maujpur to inspect his farms and native house. He was in an ambassador car with a driver. On the way back from Maujpur village, he stopped at a Sunil Paan Bhandar near Kahoali Khurja. As Mr Prabhudayal opened the door, a Senior Sub-Inspector of Kotwali, CP Singh, who was riding on his motorcycle, collided with the door of the car and fell on the ground.

SSI C P Singh went ballistic and started beating up the driver. He even manhandled Mr Prabhudayal. Both the driver and Mr Prabhudayal tried to argue with the SSI that the latter is the father of the Chief Minister, but the angry SSI did not listen to them and dragged them and their car to Kotwali. He also threatened to throw them in the lock-up.

The news spread like jungle-fire. Many people gathered at the police station. Some of them gave the introduction of Mr Prabhudayal to the police officials. The boot was on the other leg now. The SSI started apologising and requested Mr Prabhudayal not to report the matter to the higher authorities.

Hearing the news, senior police officials rushed to Khurja Kotwali and begged to be forgiven. They tried hard to reach a compromise.

DIG, Meerut range, Gurdarshan Singh, also rushed to Khurja. This incident is the talk of the town for the last 24 hours. The ‘NCR Tribune’ tried to contact the DIG, but he had already left for Khurja.

The senior officials at Khurja and Meerut were tight-lipped over the whole issue. Incidentally, Mr Prabhudayal did not have any security guard at the time of the incident.

PGIMS can do without medicines, patients can’t
Jatinder Sharma

Rohtak, August 9
An acute shortage of medicines and other consumable items in Pt. B D Sharma Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), the only government-owned medical college and hospital in the state, is causing considerable misery to the poor patients. Leave aside the wards, there is hardly any medicine even in the casualty (accident and emergency department) and other intensive care units.

Even life-saving medicines like Dopamine, Dobutamine, sodium bi-carbonate, Gentamycin, Pethidine, Atropine, Ampicillin, Dilantin, etc are not available and many a times these medicines are so urgently needed that relatives of patients rush to procure them from the market before it is too late.

Many poor patients cannot afford the cost of treatment and are heard lamenting that if they have to buy everything from the market, then they better go to a private practitioner from whom at least they would get personal attention. Before performing operations, even if it is a minor cataract extraction, patients are given a long list of drugs and other items needed for the operation.

Indiscipline in the institution has plummeted to such a level that one head of a major department is not reporting for duty for the past two weeks without bothering to inform the next senior person and, thus, there is no officiating head of department.

According to insiders, the Head of the Department has gone abroad and it is not certain whether he had even applied for leave and sought permission to leave the country or not.

Maj. Gen. (Retd) Virender Singh Punia, immediately after taking over as Director, PGIMS, three months ago, had told newsmen that all essential drugs and consumables would be made available within a month. However, after a lapse of three months, the situation is where it was prior to the announcement.

According to highly informed sources directly involved in the purchase process, a letter written by the then Secretary Health, Mr G. Madhavan, on April 4, 2001, withdrawing financial powers of the Director, has become a pain in the neck of the PGIMS administration. Prior to this, the Director, PGIMS, could make allocations up to Rs. 10 lakh.

However, on April 4 last year, the secretary, Health, withdrew the powers and also laid down the norm that PGIMS would send indents to the Director Supplies and Disposals, Haryana, for purchases like other departments. This was done without realising that PGIMS was the only medical college hospital catering to seriously ill patients from all over the state whose lives could not be at the mercy of the `babus’ sitting in the secretariat at Chandigarh. The adage goes that “Do not burn your house to kill a mouse”. But in the PGIMS, the reverse has happened and the order passed by Mr G Madhavan on April 4, 2001, for reasons best known to the Secretary Health, has become a death warrant for many poor patients. Cleanliness in the hospital and on the PGIMS campus is far from satisfactory. The toilets stench, stray dogs roam freely in the hospital corridors and pigs loiter in the wards.

School denied power link as it is ‘dangerous’
Nalini Ranjan

New Delhi, August 9
Almost 3,000 students of the Government Higher Secondary School in Kichiripur, East Delhi, dread the onset of summer and prefer to stay off classes rather then get baked in the ‘oven-like’ class rooms. Those who do not want to miss the classes come armed with hand-held fans. The teachers do the same. Things come to a boil at the drop of a hat and the level of concentration is low. The situation has remained unchanged for the last two decades.

The school does not have any electricity connection whatsoever. It has sought electricity from the powers that be time and again only to be turned away on the plea that because of the overhead high-tension wires hanging over the school, it is not possible to give a regular connection to the school. Such a connection would be dangerous.

To add to the summer woes, the classrooms have tin sheets as roofs and they are very low, with little ventilation. The interiors are dark and dingy where visibility is low even on a sunny day. The school principal, Mr P. L. Aggarwal, however, does not buy the argument on the high-tension wires. The argument of the authorities is specious, he says and cites the example of another school in East Vinod Nagar, which has similar high-tension wires passing over it, but it has a regular electricity connection.

The school did breathe easy following the visit of the Chief Minister of Delhi, Mrs Sheila Dikshit.

She was so appalled with the condition of the students suffering the intense heat and humidity that she immediately ordered the installation of a heavy generator set. The set was installed and all went well for a few days. There were smiles on the faces of the teachers and students – a rare thing during summer. But then as luck would have it, the generator conked out—it was overworked perhaps. The school does not have the funds to repair it.

According to the area MLA Amrish Gautam, the school seems to have been jinxed from its inception. In 1978, eight-acre land was allotted to the school and the education department gave the requisite amount to the DDA and the CPWD. But for some inexplicable reason, the file has been mired in red-tapism

A staple diet of WWF can only breed bullies
Smriti Kak

New Delhi, August 9
Ten-year-old Karan likes playing with GI-JOs because they are invincible and can beat everyone. His favourite TV fare is WWF and he loves make-believe “fights”. Karan’s likes and preferences can be safely used as a benchmark to map the likes of his peers.

“Everyone can identify with Karan because most of the children between eight and 13 essay characteristics of aggression. They are all aggressive in one way or the other and in a small but significant number the aggression banks on violence”, says Lalima, who had to seek counselling for her seven-year-old “aggressive” son.

Medical experts define aggression as physical or verbal behaviour intended to hurt someone. They believe aggression is of two types, hostile aggression that springs from anger with a goal to injure others and instrumental aggression, which is used as a tool to attain some goal without wanting to harm the other person.

Dr. Samir Parikh, a psychiatrist, explains that aggression can be inborn, where the aggressive drive is seen as something that is necessary for survival, and thus, inevitable. There are other causes like biological influences, where it has been found that there are specific areas in brain that influence aggressive behaviour.

He adds that violent behaviour in children and adolescents can include a wide range from explosive temper tantrums, physical aggression, fighting, threats or attempts to hurt others (including homicidal thoughts), use of weapons, cruelty toward animals, fire setting, intentional destruction of property and vandalism.

Asked why children as young as five and six are showing signs of aggression, he says: “ Television portrays considerable violence. Studies show that viewing violence breeds a modest increase in aggressive behaviour by weakening the inhibitions of the viewers, by stimulating existing aggressive ideas and by reducing the viewers’ overall emotional sensitivity to violence”.

But television is just one of the many factors that is responsible for the dangerous trend. Aggressive behaviour patterns are also acquired by observing other people, including parents, teachers and peers, practice it. Reasons like being victim of physical or sexual abuse, exposure to violence in the home or community and genetic factors also contribute to aggression.

To counter aggression in children, parents and teacher need to seek guidance from counsellors. “There is an urgent need to identify and rectify the traits of aggression in children. What we often mistake as hyper activity is often aggression. When my son would smash things we would punish him and he would only behave worse. It was only when I came across a doctor who identified my son’s need for counselling that we realised that he was not just hyper active”, recalls Lalima.

Therapists encourage venting out feelings rather than bottling them up.

Assuming that aggressive action or fantasy drains pent-up aggression, some therapists encourage people to ventilate suppressed aggression by acting it out by beating a pillow while screaming.

Dr. Parikh points out that though inflicting aggressive blows on an inanimate object momentarily helps in bringing down the angry feeling, it can not be taken as a permanent solution as the real cause of anger would still pose the threat of initiating another chain of aggressive behaviour. Adoption of non-aggressive ways of expression can prove more beneficial.

Symptoms to watch out for include frequent loss of temper or blow-ups, extreme irritability, extreme impulsiveness and frustration. Says Dr. Parikh, “the treatment has to focus on helping the child to learn how to control his or her anger, express anger and frustrations in appropriate ways, be responsible for the actions and accept consequences”.

He adds: “Some strategies that can lessen or prevent violent behaviour are prevention of child abuse, sex education and parenting programs for adolescents, early intervention programs for violent youngsters and monitoring child’s viewing of violence on TV, videos and movies”.

DSGMC forms educational council
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 9
Amidst the controversy surrounding the retrenchment of teachers and other employees, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee today announced the formation of a 10-member autonomous Educational Council to improve the educational standard in the religious body-run educational institutions.

The council comprises educationists, legal experts and leaders of the corporate world. Mr Vikramjit Singh Saini would head the autonomous body, and Dr Harminder Singh has been appointed as the vice-chairman of the council. The other members of the body were Lt-Gen (retd.) M S Bhullar, industrialist Jagdip Singh Chadha, educationist Dr Narendra Singh, Prof G S Randhawa, Prof Haminder Singh and advocate H S Phoolka.

The DSGMC president and the general secretary would be members of the council, which would have a term of three years.

Mr Sarna, who had promised to set up the educational council in the manifesto, said that the four members of the council, including the DSGMC president and general secretary, would change each year.

“The council is a broad-based body which has representation from the rival SAD (Badal) faction too. This has been done to dispel the apprehension that the body would function in a partisan manner,” Mr Sarna said.

The council would have overriding powers in appointment, promotion and termination of the staff. For the selection of candidates, it would appoint a four-member committee comprising chairman of the institution, principal, member of the council and subject.

However, the council would not have any financial powers like deciding the issue of fee hike of schools and colleges. Meanwhile, the DSGMC has finalised two of the three names to be appointed as the members of the Gurdwara Judicial Board. Mr Sarna said that retired Delhi High Court judge, Justice Jaspal Singh, would head the board.

HC seeks traffic plan of DU campus
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 9
Close on the heels of recent incidents of alleged gang-rape and eve-teasing, the Delhi High Court today directed the Delhi Police to submit a comprehensive “traffic management plan” for the Delhi University’s North Campus.

Justice Vijender Jain issued a notice, returnable on August 28, to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Satish Golcha, who was also the convenor of a Traffic Monitoring Committee (TMC) set up by the High Court last year, to suggest ways and oversee smooth flow of traffic and reduce air pollution in the city. The judge also asked the principals of all the nine North Campus colleges to participate in TMC’s next meeting.

The court was dealing with an application, filed by Amicus Curiae Vijay Panjwani, seeking a ‘compact’ campus, something like the one in Jawaharlal Nehru University in the Capital. An ‘exclusive zone’ for the Delhi University’s North Campus has been the long-standing demand of the students and the teachers. The application had sought stricter security and setting up of more checkpoints on all the six roads through which the 450-acre campus could be entered.

BJP has a dig at Maken’s US visit
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 9
Delhi Power Minister Ajay Maken’s trip to the US to learn measures to improve the power supply situation, came in for sharp criticism from the BJP today.

“Had the Power Minister been serious about his responsibilities, he should have tried to control the situation rather than wasting the government resources,” said the BJP spokesperson, Mr Mewa Ram Arya.

Several areas of the Capital continued to reel under several hours of power cuts. However, incessant rains in some parts of the city did provide some relief.

The Opposition party, with an eye on the assembly polls next year, has been highlighting the civic issues to put pressure on the Congress-led Sheila Dikshit government.

The BJP said that the state government has failed to improve the power situation despite privatising the distribution sector. Rather, the Delhi government is “trying to shirk its responsibility”, by issuing contradictory statements, he claimed.

Stating the Congress government in the state was not serious about ensuring regular power supply, the BJP said the January 1999 white paper on power had promised to improve the supply within a year. Despite the completion of four years of her tenure, the situation has not improved. It has rather worsened, he said.

Meanwhile, the Delhi BJP president, Mr Madan Lal Khurana, has constituted a seven-member committee headed by senior BJP leader Prof Vijay Kumar Malhotra, to put up suggestion about demarcation before Justice Kuldip Singh Commission of Demarcation.

Other members of the committee are Dr Anit Arya, Mr Lal Behari Tiwari, Mr Nand Kishore Garg, Mr Mewa Ram Arya, Mr Jagdish Mukhi, Dr Ved Vyas Mahajan.

Mr Khurana has asked the committee to finalise its suggestion and submit it to the Kuldip Singh Commission expeditiously. He said the demarcation bill has been passed by Parliament and the seven-member BJP committee would place the party’s suggestion to the commission.

NDA govt has failed to save country’s 
prestige: Singhal
Our Correspondent

Noida, August 9
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad president, Mr Ashok Singhal, has blamed the central government of NDA and the state government of Jammu and Kashmir for the ‘chaos’ in the country.

He said that a common man and the country’s Parliament are both under attack due to the policies of the central and J and K governments. The government has failed to protect both its citizen and the country’s prestige.

Mr Ashok Singhal was addressing a symposium on “Education and government” in Noida which was organised by the local units of Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

“The internal and external forces are working for the disintegration of the country. They are getting bolder and stronger every day with the result that India has to suffer humiliation. The Godhra episode is an example of what these forces could be up to. We as a society have to be prepared to meet such eventualities,” he said.

He said that 35,000 Hindus have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir since 1996 and over 6 lakh have been thrown out of the state. The state government headed by Farooq Abdullah is responsible for all this.

Mr Singhal disclosed that each year a sum of Rs 1,500 crore is being pumped into the country from abroad for financing conversions into Christianity. His organisation, he said, was now committed to spreading education through special schools in every village of the country so that no citizen should remain unlettered.

He said that the Christian missionaries had been on the job in the north-eastern states for the last 200 years. They have already converted from 60 to 80 per cent people of Naga, Khasi and Mizo tribes. They are being brought back into the fold of Hinduism now, Mr Singhal said. Similarly, a large chunk of people in Banswada and Ajmer’s Beyawar in Rajasthan have also got converted.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad president said that the Parishad has set up 12,000 service centres and 6,000 schools. He said while religion unites, politics divides people. He is spearheading a campaign in every village on this crucial theme with the blessings of saints.

Mr B K Hari presided over this function while former Rajya Sabha member and VHP leader Prem Mohan, and industrialists Yognik Anand, Mrs Bimla Batham, Messrs S S Goel, Dinesh Sood, Mahesh Sharma, Mukesh Singhal were also present on the occasion.

Rape victim, brother beaten in police station 
Pradeep Sharma
Tribune News Service

Panipat, August 9
The district police are at it again. A widow who was a rape victim, and her brother were allegedly harassed and kept in illegal custody by the Samalkha police.

In a representation to the local SP, one of the brothers of the widow, Mr Subhash, a resident of Shilana in Sonepat district, alleged that the rape victim and her brother, Mr Satbir, were picked up by the police and allegedly beaten up inside the Samalkha police station on Wednesday night.

Giving an account of the ordeal, the representation states that the widow, an employee of the veterinary hospital, Chuklana village, was allegedly raped by Suresh, a resident of the same village, when she was alone at her home on July 24. Her brothers — Mr Satbir and Mr Subhash — were informed on telephone of the incident and they immediately reached Chuklana.

When they went to the Samalkha police station for the registration of the FIR, the police, instead of the registering the case, allegedly tried to hush it up. As if the police inaction was not enough, the accused, along with accomplices, allegedly assaulted the two brothers. The police allegedly did not take any action on this complaint also.

Disgusted at the dithering, the complainants lodged a complaint in a court under Sections 323, 325, 354, 452, 506, 148 and 149 of the IPC against Rattan Singh havaldar, Brijinder Singh, Munshi and Jit Singh, constables of the Samalkha Police Station, for not taking action against the guilty, the representation said.

The police came to know of the filing of the complaint in the court. True to its reputation, the police picked up the rape victim and her brother on Wednesday night and allegedly thrashed them in the police station.

The representation states that they might have been forced to the sign “compromise papers”.

Alleging that the police personnel were hand in glove with the alleged culprits, Mr Subhash demanded strict action against the guilty.

GM Modi Award for ISRO Chairman 
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 9
Dr K. Kasturirangan, Chairman, Space Commission and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) along with Dr Manju Sharma, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, received the prestigious G M Modi Innovative Science and Technology Award for the year 2002 for their recognised achievements in respective fields. Dr Kasturirangan has contributed significantly since 1994 towards enhancing scientific and technological space capability of India including successful commissioning of India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) along with new generation satellites has been launched under his leadership.

Dr Manju Sharma, a plant scientist, has done original research on sclerids and latex bearing plants. She has done lots of pioneering work in promoting bio- technology, which is one of the most advancing areas of science and technology in India and abroad.

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, Union Minister for Human Resource Development, presented the awards, instituted by Gujar Mal Modi Foundation. The award consists of a cash prize of Rs 1.1 lakh (Rupees one lakh and one thousand), a silver shield and scroll of honour is the highest cash awards in the field of science and technology. The award instituted in 1988 is given each year to a person who has demonstrated the qualities of excellence and innovation through outstanding research and promotion of science and technology in India. Dr Murli Manohar Joshi speaking on the occasion urged the Indian Corporate houses to come forward to promote and encourage science and technology. It is through the development of science and technology and its mass application a country can progress faster. Moreover, the scientists’ projects are the growing stature of the country in the international arena. Mr Satish Kumar Modi, President, G M., Modi Science Foundation, speaking on the occasion said this is the centenary birth anniversary year of Late Rai Bahadur Gujar Mal Modi, who was the architect of modern industrial India. 

Haryana Roadways bid to give itself a face-lift
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, August 9
The Haryana Roadways authorities have launched a drive to improve the functioning of the organisation and provide a new look to the bus stands in the district.

Stating this, the General Manager, Haryana Roadways, Mr S S Dalal, told the `NCR Tribune’ that besides taking up cleanliness work in the bus stand premises, facilities for commuters would be gradually upgraded. Accordingly, heaps of garbage stacked in Ballabgarh’s main bus stand area was removed today. It took about 20 employees of the Sulabh International, which has got the contract along with the Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF) for such work, a few hours to complete the job. The place was properly dusted and cleaned and dust bins have been placed at several points.

Mr Dalal said that the department would soon work out a strategy to use the open space in the premises for developing a park or providing other facilities to passengers. They will further ensure that the open space is not used as a dumping ground for garbage.

Besides more chairs and benches would be provided in the waiting hall. It may be recalled that the ‘NCR Tribune’ had carried a story a month ago on the ‘messy’ conditions at the bus stand.

The GM said that the drive against parking of private vehicles, especially three-wheelers, outside the main gate of the bus stand, would be intensified. To decongest the main Mathura Road (National Highway), steps would soon be taken to check plying of three-wheelers on the main road.

Besides the lighting at the bus stand, the services of roadways buses would also be improved, especially between Ballabgarh and Badarpur border. The bus depot here has about 208 buses, including 123 at Ballabgarh and 50 at Palwal and 35 at Hodal.

Speaking out

After Independence, there has been large-scale mushrooming of politicians in the country - in metros, cities, towns and villages. It is a common joke that if you are looking for a profitable business opportunity, then become a politician. All you have to do is to join some political party or form your own party. If well read, you can get some tips on politics from Chanakya’s Arthashastra and thereafter, through sycophancy, jee hazuri, tactical skills and shrewd manoeuvrings come close to some bigwig politician, preferably of the ruling party. In due course, you can try to reap the harvest of the benefits that come with politics. If luck is by your side, you may end up becoming a Sarpanch, the Chairman of some Zila Parishad, an MLA, an MP or even a minister.

O. P. SHARMA, Faridabad

Hark! Give the girls a second chance, please This is with reference to the article `An Invisible Workforce Comes to the Fore’ by Reeta Sharma that appeared under Stamped Impressions in Windows pages of your newspaper dated August 3, 2002. The article lamented the pathetic status of women in Haryana. Various reasons have been attributed for it: a poor sex ratio, a feudal and patriarchal social structure augmented by a lack of education. It must be recognised that the epicentre of all this lies in lack of education as the deteriorating sex ratio and feudalistic social structure are themselves by-products of lack of education and the consequent ignorance of women’s rights and duties. It has been widely recognised (including the above-mentioned article) that Haryanvi women are a hardy lot and have never shown lassitude or unwillingness to learn or to act, if given the opportunity. In the wake of such a dismal scenario the government’s decision to withdraw grant-in-aid to affiliated colleges has comes as a rude shock: it is girls’ education which is going to be hit the worst. In the avowedly patriarchal system that we have people might buy education for the male child at all costs but it is highly unlikely that the girl child would have access to higher education in a social fabric where girls’ education is sacrificed even today when it is being imparted without any tuition fee thanks to the government’s aid. When girls’ colleges bereft of grant would be forced to charge exorbitant fee to meet their expenses it would act as a major deterrent to the already half-hearted attempts to educate girls. Most of the girls’ colleges mushroomed only when grant-in-aid was stated in 1982 and would face closure when it will be withdrawn as they came up only as girls’ wings in a majority of the cases and lack the infrastructure required to subsist on their own. The government’s efforts in the past two decades have produced Kalpana Chawla and Santosh Yadav but will the coming decades be able to boast of such feats or only add to the mass of invisible workforce whose labour would go unrecognised, unsung and unlamented in the dark recesses of obscurity. This remains to be seen. Keeping these facts into view it would be advisable for the Government of Haryana to bear expenditure of a few crores to save the Haryanvi honour which is at stake. The government must realise that a few crore rupees is a paltry sum to ensure a bright future for women and consequently for the people of Haryana. I hope the government would give the decision a second thought. DR SUSHEELA BENIWAL, Sonepat

Female foeticide

Indeed, it was heartening to learn that students and teachers of Delhi University and of other educational institution had taken up the burning issue of female foeticide while staging a street play in the Capital.

Really, people have no right to kill the unborn female baby after ascertaining the sex. A baby is God’s gift and must be welcomed and given love. One should not dishonour the sentiment of love if a female baby is born. In fact, a home that has a girl flourishes. I can only hope that good sense prevails on those misguided parents who go in for sex determination. Foeticide is a heinous crime.

SUBHASH C. TANEJA, MDU, Rohtak

Wayward monsoon

The monsoon is a symbol of prosperity but this year Delhiites have had to bear a dry spell for too long. The wayward monsoon has indeed caused consternation to people reeling under the scorching heat. Even Punjab and Haryana are suffering badly for want of rain and as a result crops have been the worst hit.

The other day I was engaged in a tête-à-tête with a friend who said we should not lose patience. The monsoon will come into the `wet’ gear soon. Better late than never, he mumbled Politics is normally the topic for discussion during our evening sittings but the monsoon seems to have affected the “question hour”, as all everybody can do is talk about the monsoon.

Another friend came up with this: “You do not know anything. The rain god, Indra, sent a caravan of water-borne clouds in the last week of June itself but the enforcement agencies in Delhi demanded toll tax, which the monsoon could not give. Then the caravan slowed to show the certificate declaring that it conformed to the Euro-II norms. The clouds did not make too much emission of dense smoke. The vehicles forming part of the caravan were asked to show the pollution-free certificate. The monsoon manager felt exasperated and went back totally disgusted. It seemed Delhiites were refusing to welcome the vehicles of prosperity.

The clouds again made a bid by adopting the forget and forgive policy with regard to the handful of officials hindering their entry into the NCR region laden with water enough to quench the thirst of the Delhiites. The caravan of water-borne clouds were again stopped at the border. They were asked to come at the ‘proper’ time as Delhi allowed heavy vehicles only against time-bound schedule. Naturally, that was true. How could they be allowed to disrupt the free flow of traffic in the so-called peak hours? The traffic bosses even quoted the Supreme Court orders asking the Delhi Government to ban the entry of commercial vehicles run on diesel mode so that pollution could be checked.

They also objected that the number plates did not conform to the latest traffic rules. The drivers bringing these trucks were not even wearing seat belts. How could so many violations be ignored?

The traffic managers returned them with a warning for taking sterner action, should they come unprepared again.

Now the rain god, Indra, was enraged. Indra, in the meantime, wrote a strongly worded letter to the Delhi Government, asking it for total exemption of restrictions on the movement of the caravan. After all, it serves as the harbinger of plenty and prosperity for the whole country. Plus, where the welfare of the nation in totality without any distinction of caste, colour or creed is in focus, all these “don’ts” are meaningless.

We were as much surprised as we were amused at the presentation of the long list of dos and don’ts which had prevented the monsoon from hitting the periphery of the NCR, thereby causing a lot of frustration among the people. The traces of monsoon clouds that had gathered up in the sky beat a hasty retreat to escape the insults heaped on them by the impractical restrictions imposed on them. The fact of the matter is that the influential lobby of the affluent who stay cool indoors by means of air-conditioners do not join the mainstream to seek removal of the restrictions imposed. Whatever be the case, the frustrated lot of people are now all set to boycott the monsoon session of Parliament if the `demands’ of the clouds are not met.

Some, however, maintain that the monsoon changed its tracks like Mamata and Nitish did. The monsoon made it to Hajipur instead of the Bay of Bengal, resulting in a muddle. Shouldn’t the PM intervene immediately to resolve their `differences’ lest the rest of the country pay a heavy price?

Salaam, Mr Kalam

Scientifically, Mr APJ Abdul Kalam has updated the military prowess of India, which bespeaks volumes of his deep-seated love for the motherland. Now, his elevation to the highest office must be hailed as a departure from the old rut of routine. His patriotism and total commitment to the national interest is definitely going to make a difference with the countrymen looking forward for a change in the political corridors.

Personalities with specialised knowledge do make concerted efforts in disciplining the whole lot of cleavages. They go the whole hog in ushering in an era that brings changes for the rule of law in peacetime as well as during war.

Mr Kalam’s new office has much for him to set right and his priorities ought to be to re-establish a polity free of corruption, graft, crime, clean public life et al. Every one hopes he will prove an asset to the nation and miss no opportunity to stress the need for decent parliamentary standards and turn Parliament into a ‘temple’ for a good life for all.

R. L. PATHAK, New Delhi

Financial chaos

As enshrined in the Constitution of India, our country is a welfare state. The founding fathers of the Constitution after careful deliberation chose for India the democratic system of administration. But it is still far away from Swarajya, the dream of the Father of the Nation. The concept of democracy has a clear connotation. It is to keep the interests of the people uppermost. But once a political party comes to power, it forgets their interests. Politicians of all hues behave like rulers. They become masters and the people are regarded as puppets. It is all because there is no provision of recall of the once chosen legislative members.

Mr Yashwant Sinha, erstwhile Finance Minister of the country, cared little for the vast majority of the Indian middle class, who constitute 55 per cent of the population, and the poor. He was so obsessed with tax collection that the new Finance Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh, had to assure the people very soon that he would not behave like a police inspector. The concession on income tax announced by him the other day has had a soothing effect. But this is not sufficient. Income tax deductions made at source on time deposits in the banks cause an adverse impact on the old, pensioners, senior citizens, the poor, the small institutions that are engaged in the noble cause of making worthwhile contribution for the welfare of the state. They all save money through bank interest for causes that are in fact the responsibility of the state. Seemingly, the state plays the role of an exploiter than a helper. The result is financial chaos and lawlessness in the entire country. There is a proliferation of chit fund committees and their pre-meditated failure. There is a network of local lottery system and their ultimate flop. People are being ditched and they are helpless. This is all done at the expense of savings that may be made in banks.

The need is to find some remedy so that more people may be attracted to the banks for their vast small savings. For this, the faith of the people is to be won. The present mechanism of tax deduction at source won’t help. Some middle path of reliable interest rate and without tax deduction at source will do. It is worthwhile to note that Mr Sinha has already considerably taxed the people by reducing the interest rate on time deposit. From 12 per cent per annum it has come to as low as 7.5 per cent. Further burden of deduction of tax at source will make the honest, patriotic and tax paying citizens absolutely dishonest and indifferent. Freedom of the state, thereby, will be in jeopardy. The coming generations will forever curse the rulers for their unpardonable mistakes.

UJJAL PAL SINGH, Faridabad

Banking charges

It is well known that the interest on fixed deposits has constantly come down but where does a poor person who opens a current account go. Even if he has no work, the bank service charges

continue at the rate of Rs 400 on a quarterly basis without any service being rendered to the account concerned. I would request the government to look into this for favourable action, please.

J.S. DULLAY, Delhi

Child welfare needs a rural touch
Our Correspondent

New Delhi, August 9
Underscoring the need to have child development programmes that cater to both children living in the rural and urban areas, experts are of the opinion that the country urgently needs a well-formulated voluntary action focussed on rural areas for child welfare and development.

Addressing a gathering at the Tara Ali Baig Memorial Lecture organised by SOS Children’s Village of India (SOS CVI) here last evening, Prof. K K Mukhopadhyay, Head of the Delhi School of Social Work, said that most of the programmes are centred around the cities. He added that childcare and development is primarily the responsibility of families and voluntary efforts should aim at strengthening them instead of finding substitutes.

He rued that in the context of the whole country, organisations providing specialised services for child welfare in rural areas are almost invisible. Prof. Mukhopadhyay went on to laud the efforts made by the SOS CVI, where a family environment is provided to the needy children. A healthy development of their personality is achieved by exposing them to a family environment. The concept of foreign aid for child development programmes was also criticised by Prof. Mukhopadhyay who pointed out that these programmes had become dependent on the support of international funding agencies. The SOS CVI President, Mr. J N Kaul, while outlining the works of the organisation, said it would be focussing on Gujarat and Kashmir in the next year. Paying tributes to Ms. Tara Ali Baig, he said that she was a committed leader of the SOS movement with a vision, drive and compassion, who had dedicated her life to the social welfare of children and women. She had played a pivotal role in the development and strengthening of the SOS programmes.

The SOS CVI is a voluntary child-care organisation, which provides shelter to kids in 34 Children’s Villages in various parts of the country. Through direct and indirect care, the organisation reaches and caters to almost 200,000 children in the country.

Disabled person alleges harassment
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, August 9
The Court of the Chief Commissioner for persons with disabilities, Noida, has issued a show-cause notice to the Chief Post Master General (CPMG), Haryana Circle, in connection with alleged harassment by the department officials of a class II employee posted here.

The CPMG has been directed to file a reply within 30 days.

The notice was given after the complainant, Risal Singh Rathee, a physically disabled HSG (IInd) employee of the Department of Posts, working here, alleged that certain senior officials of the department had not only instigated physical attacks on him, but had been harassing him unnecessarily by issuing baseless chargesheets and ordering his transfer.

Mr Rathee had sought the intervention of the Union Ministry of Social Justice by sending his complaint on March 21 and November 12, 2001. He has alleged that he was assaulted at least on three occasions and the attacks were carried out at the behest of certain officials, including a Senior Superintendent and an Assistant Senior Superintendent, as he did not co-operate in some `illegal’ and `corrupt’ activities.

The police had booked a case on June 21, 2000, but according to the complainant no action has been taken against the officials named in the FIR.

Mr Rathee then decided to write to the Chief Commissioner’s Court in this regard. The matter has also been taken up with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC,) which had asked the police to take a proper action.

IOC holds fire drill
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 9
In an unique effort to test the fire preparedness and safety skills of its employees, Indian Oil, Northern Regional office, conducted a fire drill, today. The risk of the fire is an ever-present danger and in order to checks the swiftness, alertness and dousing the fire, which was simulated. The fire was put out by employees using state-of-the-art firefight equipment ranging from sprinklers, fire sensors, fire extinguishers and fire-fighting foam under the supervision of the personnel from the Delhi Fire Service.

Indian Oil, the premier Navrtna company, has reasons to pride itself on the high standards of safety measures it adopts. It is significant to note that during the year Gujarat Refinery achieved accident free operation of 2019 days equivalent to 36.70 million man hours, which is the longest accident free spell achieved in the Indian Refining sector. Haldia and Barauni Refineries received 4 star and Gujarat and Mathura Refineries received 3 Star Safety rating under the Five Star Health and Safety Management System Audit of British Safety Council. Indian Oil, Jaipur Terminal, received eco-rating ‘A-Gold’ from TERI for world class performance in health, safety and environment standards. Indian Oil has also rendered necessary assistance to OISD on spill control measures at industry level. Regular safety inspections of regional offices and locations are done by the Safety and Environment Protection Department.

Hike in water tariff resented
Jatinder Sharma

Rohtak, August 9
The Haryana Urban Development Authority, the government owned coloniser, has enhanced the water supply charges without issuing any notification or intimation to the residents of Huda sectors. The unprecedented hike in water charges has caused widespread resentment among the Huda sector residents.

Huda has enhanced the rates from Rs 1 per kilolitre to Rs 2.50 per kilolitre for consumption of water between 15 kilolitre to 30 kilolitre and from Rs one per kilolitre to Rs four per kilolitre for consumption over 30 kilolitres.

According to revised rates, the owners of four marla house would pay Rs 200 per month towards water charges. The houses measuring six marlas will pay Rs 300, eight marlas Rs 600, ten marlas Rs 800 and 14 marlas will have to pay Rs 1000 every month towards water charges now.

Similarly, the charges for providing a water connection have also been enhanced.

Demanding immediate withdrawal of the enhanced rates, the Huda Sector-3 Residents Welfare Association has threatened to launch agitation against the Huda authorities. Mr Naresh Kumar, Secretary, Sector-3 Residents Welfare Association told that an emergent meeting of the Association would be held on Sunday to chalk out future course of action. The Sector-1 and Sector- 14 Resident Welfare Association have also been invited to the meeting.

Independent regulatory panel need of the
hour: Phdcci
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 9
While most states have initiated measures in attracting private sector into provision of municipal services, there is a need for establishing independent Regulatory Commission Authority to determine standards of service and operations, creation of environment for attracting viable investors and promotion of economic efficiency.

This consensus emerged at a meeting of the task force on services sector, organised by Phdcci in the Capital today.

The representatives of the northern region states were of the view that establishment of regulatory bodies will act as a catalyst for reforms at the municipal level.

Paucity of funds, mismanagement and the lack of transparency in operations have been the main cause of poor performance of most of the municipal bodies, the Chamber pointed out. Improvement in the financial situation through restructuring of municipal bodies, adopting a user pay-polluter approach, private-public partnerships and better utilisation of existing resources, is required.

Mr Arun Kapoor, President, Phdcci, said that to strengthen the quality and extent of municipal services, the need for adopting
modern scientific systems through capacity building of municipal staff deserves consideration. In this connection, the states may consider launching a municipal service cadre, which has the expertise to manage these services, he said.

Judicial reforms must: Phdcci
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 9
In order to make India an effective player in the global trade, judicial reforms are the need of the hour, Phdcci stated on Thursday.

According to the chamber, efficiency, transparency and predictability of the judgements will create an atmosphere of trust in the judicial system for foreign entrepreneurs and investors to invest in the country.

The legal and judicial reforms must be initiated to improve the efficiency of the justice delivery system and reduce the backlog and delay through reforms in procedural laws and increase in the number of judges, the chamber said.

NCR BRIEFS
One held for committing sodomy
Our Correspondent

On the other hand, when the boy did not return home till late in the afternoon, the members of his family fanned out in his search during which they happened to hear the boy’s shrieks from inside the above house. The matter was reported to the police which arrested the accused.

Vendors’ strike

Fruit and vegetable merchants as well as vendors in the New Subzimandi, Old Subzimandi, Bus stand and Railway road areas observed a total strike here today in protest against the “forcible” removal of the Rehri Wallahs from the Bus Stand and New Subzimandi areas by police.

They took out a protest march through the main markets of the town today shouting slogans against the alleged highhandedness of the administration. Members of the rickshaw-pullers union, expressing their solidarity with the protestors, also joined the march.

Contrary to this Deputy Commissioner Mr Vineet Garg said that it was common knowledge that the utter congestion and confusion created by the all-encroaching Rehriwallas had crossed almost all limits and the administration was virtually forced to do the needful.

He also said that negotiations were on between an official team led by the Tehsildar Mr Yadram and representatives of the fruit and vegetable vendors to resolve the impasse.

Vehicles recovered

The anti-vehicle theft personnel of the District Police Administration led by ASI Sarva Sukh has recovered two stolen Tata Summos - No. HR35B 2058 and HR 20F 8978 from Nimbaheri village under Tapukara Police Station (Rajasthan) and from Nuh Police Station area of Gurgaon district respectively, according to Mr hanif Qureshi, SP, Rewari.

He further informed that the first Tata Summo, which belongs to Mr Kedar Nath Mukhija, resident of Banjarwara Mohalla here, had been stolen from the Model Town area here on July 26, 2002 while the second one had been stolen away from the town here on July 29, 2002.

Appointment hailed

Rohtak
A former minister Mr Krishan Murti Hooda has said that the newly appointed Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Mr Bhajan Lal, would be welcomed by a large number of congressmen during his visit from Delhi to Hisar on August 11 here.

Mr Hooda said that Mr Bhajan Lal was scheduled to address a public meeting at Hisar on August 11 in protest against the alleged irregularities in the allotment of petrol pumps by the union government. He said that several senior party leaders including Ms Mohsina Kidwai, general secretary of AICC and in charge of party affairs in Haryana, would attend the meeting.

Mr Hooda said a large number of party workers would escort Mr Bhajan Lal from Sukhpura chowk to Nav Bharat factory here in a procession.

New Delhi
Three unidentified persons shot dead a dealer of Essar mobile phone cards today afternoon in Sector-16, Rohini, North-West district. The incident occurred when the victim, Ashok Kumar (45), was alone in his shop. The assailants came in a white Maruti. The murder is attributed to personal animosity.

Murder avenged

Ghaziabad
About a dozen persons shot dead two brothers in a hail of bullets in village Derawar under Ahar police station. The brothers were serving a prison sentence for having killed the former village pradhan. The sons of the former pradhan were among the assailants, of whom four have been arrested. About 10 days ago the brothers were released on bail.

Patient jumps to death

New Delhi
An ex-employee in the Ministry of Tourism, who was suffering from a psychiatric problem, today jumped from the sixth floor of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and committed suicide. The deceased was discharged from the hospital two days ago and had gone to the hospital today for a check-up with his mother. Rajeev used to work in the Ministry of Tourism as a Section officer.

Criminal arrested

Noida
The Noida Police claim to have arrested a member of the Bawariya tribe after an encounter in Bahlolpur forest last night and seized a revolver and cartridges from him. His companion gave the police the slip. A number of cases are registered against the arrested criminal in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. He carried a reward of Rs 2,500 on his head.

DELHI DIGEST
PTI workers’ rally

New Delhi, August 9
Hundreds of journalists and non-journalists from different media organisations today turned out in force on the streets demanding that their employers no longer should terrorise the workers.

Shastri bhawan fire

A minor fire broke out today afternoon in the multi-storeyed Shastri Bhawan housing offices of a number of Central ministries. The blaze was reported at around 2.15 PM and four fire tenders were immediately pressed into service and the fire was brought under control within five minutes. Fire service sources said that the fire broke out because of a short circuit in the meter board wire. TNS

NTPC brass elevated
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 9
Mr N. S. Chaudhary, GM (JVC), Mr R. C. Shrivastav, GM/Ic NTPC, Hyderabad and Mr R. K. Jain, GM, Contract Services, have been elevated to the post of Executive Director (Joint Venture and Consultancy), Executive Director (Southern Region) Hyderabad and Executive Director (Contract and Materials) respectively in National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC). Mr Chaudhary, a graduate in Mechanical Engineering, was associated with NTPC since 1979 and has rich experience in the field of construction, erection, commissioning and operation and maintenance of Thermal and Gas based Power Stations.

Mr R. C. Shrivastav, a graduate in Electrical Engineering, has held several important positions in a career span of over two decades in NTPC. Mr Shrivastav had worked for ten years in Steel Authority of India before joining NTPC.

Mr R. K. Jain, a Mechanical Engineering graduate, has over 30 years of experience in the field of Power Generation. He served Central Electricity Authority prior to joining NTPC in 1977.

Member of Chota Nawab gang held
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 9
The Special staff of East district police has apprehended Mohammad Akil (26), a member of Fateh Mohammad-Anis-Chota Nawab gang, and claimed to have solved a number of robbery and dacoity cases in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

The accused was involved in a daylight robbery in Anand Vihar area, when Shyam Sunder Chada, an ex-employee of the Punjab National Bank, after received Rs 3.5 lakh from the Bank on voluntary retirement. When Shyam Sunder was parking his scooter two youths came and robbed off his Rs 3.5 lakh and fled from the spot.

He and his associates were also involved in a sensational daylight robbery where they looted Rs 12 lakh from the ITO chowk.

With the arrest of two persons Neeraj, resident of Jahangir Puri and Arvind alias, Ramjane, resident of Vagabond the North-West district police today claimed to have solved the case of sensational robbery at Super Bazar in Shalimar Bagh.

Both the accused were armed when they entered the shop and took away the gold chain, ring and Rs 700 from the manager of the Bazar Mrs Asha Sharma.

Interactive session: An interactive session was today held between the Deputy Commissioner of Police (South-West), Tajender Luthra and the office bearers of Resident Welfare Society in the district.

The meeting was attended by 51 members of all the 29 Resident Welfare Associations of Vasant Kunj area. During the discussion the ways and means for prevention and detection of crime, safety of residents, smooth flow of traffic and removal of illegal encroachment were discussed at length.

In order to achieve these results and to assess the strategies a small committee was also constituted. The committee is expected to make efforts to implement strategies to prevent crime.

Jewellery, cash looted in posh colony
Our Correspondent

Meerut, August 9
Six armed dacoits robbed gold ornaments worth lakhs of rupees, cash and other valuable articles from a house in a posh colony in the morning.

Six youths armed with pistols and Rampuri knives entered the house No 15 C, Damodar Colony near Medical College. The dacoits in their twenties, were wearing jeans and sports shoes. They entered the house from the rear at 7.30 am and first covered the face of the niece of the house owner at a pistol point and asked her to keep silent. Two of the robbers then overpowered the two house maids, tied up their mouths and limbs and locked them up in a bath room.

The house owner, Mr Vinay Kapoor, was reading a newspaper at that time while having tea on the lawn. One robber pointed a loaded pistol over his head and ordered him to come inside.

The robbers then asked the house owner to hand over all their valuables and the keys of the lockers and almirah. They asked the women that they would not hurt them if they handed over their gold ornaments. They then unlocked the almirah and boxes and searched for the cash.

The desperadoes took gold ornaments, 2 digital video cameras, 4 mobile phones, cash and other valuables. They also beat up the lady of the house, Mrs Kapoor. She got a fracture in her leg.

After taking the booty, the dacoits took to their heels but not before disconnecting the telephone and smashing the cordless phone.

After a while, the house owner secured his release somehow and

raised an alarm. The police were informed. Medical College SHO Arun Kumar Singh rushed to the spot and started investigation. He also questioned some servants.

Eyewitnesses said that the robbers came in a white Maruti 800. However, they could read only UP-14_C -. Nothing more.

Senior police officials, including Inspector General, Meerut zone, Dr Vikram Singh, SSP Mukul Goel also visited the scene. The SHO questioned some suspicions characters in this connection. Meanwhile, the resident of Damodar Colony were feeling insecure.

Pirated goods seized
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 9
Based on the complaint registered by the Super Cassettes Industries, the Delhi Police arrested three persons after raiding three different places in Delhi – Badar Pur, Geeta Colony, Preet Vihar and seized a large number of pirated CDs and cassettes.

The accused Santosh, Santosh Kumar and Govind Batra were arrested and a case of Copyright Act was registered against them. About 240 pirated audio cassettes, 300 MP3 VCDs of T-series albums of ‘Hum Kissi Se Kum Nahin’, ‘Kaante’, ‘Kuch Dil Ne Kaha’, ‘Saun Di Jhadi’, ‘Gadar’, ‘Chor Machaye Shor’ and two recording machines worth thousands were recovered from their possession.