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October 9, 2002, Chandigarh, India
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Three killed in house fire Meerut, October 8 It is reported that the family members were engaged in making firecrackers when the incident occurred. There was total panic in the area with cries for help rending the air. In fact, there was a total blackout in the city last night. The fire started when grand children of Shakila Begum were making firecrackers for the coming festival, Shab-e-Barat. They were mixing sugar, potash and sulphur to make the crackers and had switched on the generator, as there was a power cut in the area. Suddenly, a fire broke out due to a short circuit in the genset wires. Soon, fire engulfed the entire house and spread to a nearby video game shop. Several residents of the locality converged at the spot and rescued the family members. Six fire tenders also were rushed but were unable to access the site because of the roads in the area. They took more than four hours to control the fire. Chief Fire Officer Rambabu declared the area safe at 4 o’ clock in the wee hours today. Meanwhile, several senior police officials, including SSP Mukul Goel and SP City D. K. Chaudhry, arrived at the spot and rushed the injured to the district hospital. But by then a mob of over a thousand people had gathered at the hospital. Later, the injured were shifted to a private nursing home. Several local residents and a local municipal councillor also confirmed that firecrackers were being made in the house. However, the owner of the house, Shakila Begum, claimed that somebody had thrown a cracker in her house due to personal enmity. When mediapersons tried to talk to her, several local residents objected. Mrs Shakila said that she had a dispute with her neighbour and that she had received several threats. The neighbour had once set her house on fire. Local intelligence sleuths also have reached the spot and started investigating the incident, as there was speculation that there could be a conspiracy behind the fire. The District Magistrate has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. |
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JASPAL SINGH CASE New Delhi, October 8 Disposing of the legislator’s writ petition with no order as to costs, Chief Justice S. B. Sinha and Justice A. K. Sikri said in their September 30 order that the court could not go into the question as to whether the criminal case initiated against Mr Jaspal Singh was maintainable or not. If the Lokayukta could not make an effective inquiry (as had been concluded by the Lokayukta himself), the court observed, he had no jurisdiction to make any recommendation. If any action was required to be taken by the Lieutenant-Governor, the order read, the same must be done on his application of independent mind. Lokayukta Justice R. N. Aggarwal had in his June 14 order held Mr 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. Referring to a “deep nexus” between DVB officials and defaulters, the Lokayukta’s order read, the Government of NCT of Delhi could look into the matter of “engineers behaving like puppets (who) develop such a relationship with a high dignitary or a political personality that they are willing to go to any length to oblige him”. Acting on that report, the Lieutenant-Governor issued certain directions to the Government of NCT of Delhi that asked the Chief Secretary to forward a copy of the Lokayukta’s report to the Commissioner of Police for registration of a case against Mr Jaspal Singh and which should be investigated by the Crime Branch. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had maintained that the legislator was found guilty of stealing electricity and therefore no exception could be made under the law. The Congress Legislature Party (CLP), on the other hand, had resolved that the directions be withdrawn as they were “politically motivated” and “unfortunate”. Armed with the court’s order, Mr Jaspal Singh today told mediapersons, “Though the judges have said the Lokayukta did not act out of bias, I can certainly take the liberty of stating that the act of Lokayukta was unbecoming of the person holding office of such importance and eminence.” |
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Mental illness: Bringing it out of closet New Delhi, October 8 “Mental health in India has been a long-neglected field, and the importance given to it by the common man and the medical fraternity has been poor. Even today, most people treat mental health like a myth, a psycho-spiritual or a common sense phenomenon and not as a medical science,” points out Dr Samir Parikh, psychiatrist. The fact that the society attaches a stigma to mental illness despite the awareness that it, like another physical ailment, can be treated is perhaps a reason why people do not prefer to draw a curtain over their condition. This also results in the deterioration in their condition in the absence of proper treatment. “People cannot accept the fact that they can also suffer from mental ailment. The mental condition of a person is the milestone for his acceptance and any deviation from the normal is unacceptable,” says Radhika (name changed), who underwent counselling. “I had to keep the fact that I am seeing a counsellor under wraps, lest anyone chances upon this dark secret.” To create more awareness amongst people about mental health, October 10 is being celebrated as ‘Mental Health Day’. “The need of awareness about psychiatry as a medical science is of prime importance so that as a society we can fight the myths and misconceptions and take the medical advances in the field to the common man,” says Dr Parikh. Dr Parikh claims that most people take too long to recognise the signs of mental ailments. “There are instances where patients are brought much after they first show the signs of the ailment,” he says. Dr R. C. Jiloha, head of the Psychiatry Department, GB Pant Hospital, says, “The fact that patients turn up late for treatment can sometime prove to be quite detrimental to their health. Things can become very complicated if they do not get treatment on time.” Dr Jiloha also laments the lack of awareness about the condition. “Not many are aware of the signs and symptoms of mental ailments. This is particularly true of those who are illiterate and based in the rural areas.” This coupled with superstitions and fallacies have also contributed to the perfusion of the condition. “Because of various misconceptions, people prefer going to faith healers or take to self medication and alternate methods, but avoid taking a psychiatrist’s help.” As the number of qualified psychiatrists being less, quacks take advantage of the situation. “We talk of quacks in the field of medicine, but probably more exist in the field of mental health. There are hordes of self-proclaimed counsellors and experts,” points out Dr Parikh. De Jiloha adds, “In Delhi, we have only 160 qualified psychiatrists, which is far too less in proportion to the city’s population. Keeping this in mind, we have been regularly holding workshops for general practitioners to educate them about mental disorders.” |
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Delhi markets can stay open
till 10 pm New Delhi, October 8 Labour Minister Deep Chand Bandhu told mediapersons that shops would have to apply individually to the Office of Labour Commissioner for extending their business hours. The permission, the minister informed, would be given, but on certain conditions. The employer, Mr Bandhu elaborated, should compensate employees monetarily for the extra hours of work they put in and also arrange for transport on the basis of need, so that employees could reach their respective destinations of residence. (Entertainment complexes, cinemas and restaurants will be exempt as they do not fall under the purview of the Shops and Establishments Act. They will require no permission for extended business hours and therefore not have to pay overtime etc to employees.) Markets are otherwise allowed to remain open till 7.30 pm. Post-notification, employees will, therefore, be eligible for overtime for a maximum of two-and-a-half hours. Shopping establishments, the minister said, would accordingly put up notices to inform the staff. According to the Office of Labour Commissioner, the Government of NCT of Delhi has extended business hours on an experimental basis. “If this is welcomed by market associations, the notification can be extended beyond three months,” they added. The Office of Labour Commissioner clarified shops and markets located in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and Cantonment Board areas could apply for extended business hours. The extension of business hours may prove to be a bonanza for both shoppers and shopkeepers. |
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End the chaos, HC
tells Traffic Police New Delhi, October 8 “An impression is gathered while driving on city roads that we are always being threatened,” a Bench comprising Justice Anil Dev Singh and Justice R. S. Sodhi told Delhi Traffic Police Chief Joint Commissioner Maxwell Pereira, who was summoned to the court to give a detailed assessment of the traffic regulations. The court, while hearing a PIL highlighting the crime situation and other policing activities in the Capital, said: “The real test for proper enforcement of the traffic rules will be that when a person is driving on city roads he shall feel comfortable and safe.” The court said rules were flouted with impunity as the lane system was not being followed strictly and a driver changed the lane without caring for the norms laid down, endangering the lives of those who were following the rules. It specially pointed towards the “chaos” created during the movement of VIPs and said no proper guidance was given to the vehicle owners in such a situation. “When some VIP motorcade passes through a road, there is utter chaos. We have first-hand experience of it. The traffic police do not guide the vehicle owners, though they have prior information about the VIP movements,” the Bench said. Mr Peirera told the court that the Delhi Traffic Police had acute shortage of staff and the existing force was not sufficient to cope with the situation. "Our two hands are doing the jobs of 20 hands," he said. |
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13-yr-old
forces DC to act against eve-teasers Rohtak, October 8 She alleged that young girls, especially those going to schools, were being subjected to untold torture. Sometimes, lighted cigarettes, peels of bananas and other articles were thrown at them. The matter had been reported to the police on different occasions but no concrete action had been taken so far, she said. Fed up with the eve-teasing, her parents had decided to shift their house to some other area. However, she said, it would be a blow to her self-respect as she did not believe in escapism. Taking cognizance of the letter, the Deputy Commissioner on Monday directed DSP (Detective) Teeka Ram to take strict punitive measures against the miscreants in the area and depute cops to deal strictly with eve-teasers. He also directed the DSP to supervise the police arrangements himself in the locality and to inculcate a feeling of security among the complainant as well as other residents. When contacted, the DSP said cops had been deployed at different points today and he himself would visit the area at regular interval. |
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In-house caterers at Ghaziabad district jail Ghaziabad, October 8 The in-house caterers are the jail old timers and the conniving jail employees. Thanks to the crime spiral, the district jail is bursting at the seams: some 2600 prisoners are packed like sardines in cells, which have a capacity to hold only 660. Some old timers instinctively sensed in this overcrowding menace a grand business opportunity; the more enterprising among the jail authorities have also jumped on the bandwagon to cash in on the situation. In the overcrowded district jail, one cannot even snatch forty winks without being jostled by other inmates. The situation is akin to what exists on the footpaths in Mumbai, where the creatures of the night sleep cheek-by-jowl. In fact, elevated platforms inside the barracks were until recently being leased out by the jail mafia. The alarming increase in the number of inmates has also affected the quality of food served to them. This in turn has created a latent market for all kinds of foodstuff. Of course, the market players only cater to the well-heeled prisoners. The price tag reads: Rs 100 for a plate of dal makhani and mixed vegetables per week; Rs 10 for pouched milk and, Rs 14, if you want it boiled; Rs 5 for a steaming cup of tea, Rs 20 for your daily bread; Rs 5 for an egg; and Rs 20 for a packet of biscuits. Small, delicate chapattis, the stuff legends are made of, can be made available from the hospital canteen for Rs 200 per week. For the hygiene-conscious, a close shave comes for Rs 10, a hair cut can cost Rs 15 and a blade Rs ten. Jail old timers are running these services hand in hand with the jail authorities. Should anybody report these goings-on to the higher authorities, the Mafia will ensure that such informants are taught a "suitable lesson." The jail Superintendent, Mr Shoab Akhtar, admitted that he has recently demolished elevated benches in the barracks as they were being misused, but feigned ignorance about other irregularities. |
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Khurana
for CBI probe into illegal land allotment New Delhi, October 8 Alleging there was a scandal worth Rs 150 crore involved in the north Delhi’s apartment scam, the Delhi Pradesh BJP president, Mr Madan Lal Khurana, said the Chief Minister, Ms Sheila Dikshit, should initiate stern action against officials concerned. “The land involved was 10,400 sq ft and the money Rs 150 crore. Even though nearly a hundred partially-built buildings were demolished following timely intervention, I don’t understand how the officials went scot-free,” Mr Khurana told mediapersons. Mr Khurana said a sprawling park complete with musical fountain and swimming pool would come up on the reclaimed land, the foundation of which the Urban Development Minister, Mr Ananth Kumar, will lay on Wednesday “We got the government land freed from the dragnet of land mafia and we are dedicating it to the people,” he said. The Delhi High Court had in 1997 ordered the demolition of the Chavan Rishi Apartment in north Delhi after it found that the private builders had constructed flats on illegally allotted land. |
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Tension
as police tries to remove jagran shamianas Sonepat, October 8 According to a report, the devotees of Goddess Durga had erected shamianas on the roads for holding Bhagwati Jagran at night on the first day of Navratras. However, the shamianas had blocked the smooth flow of traffic on the roads. On receipt of this information, the district authorities swung into action and made an attempt to remove the shamianas and disperse the crowds of devotees from there. Subsequently, the situation became tense and the devotees started shouting slogans against the police. Thereafter, a large number of devotees decided to organise a procession and meet the Deputy Commissioner on the issue. However, when the situation threatened to get out of control, the police authorities left the place after asking the organisers to remove the shamianas by tomorrow. Meanwhile, the organisers of the programme have pointed out that they had been organising this holy programme every year and no one had ever asked them not to organised Bhagwati Jagran there or to remove the shamianas from the road. The leaders of various political parties as well social and religious organisations have strongly condemned the action of the police in removing the shamianas and not allowing the Navratra Jagran to continue there. The leaders have demanded stern action against the erring police officials who have interfered with the religious sentiments of the people by not allowing them to hold the Navratra Jagran. |
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Relevance
of rallies discussed at symposium Rohtak, October 8 Mr Balbir Singh (Indian National Lok
Dal), Mr Krishan Murti Hooda (Congress), Mr Pradeep Jain (Bharatiya Janata Party) and Mr Ram Chander Jangra (Haryana Vikas
Party), participated as spokesmen of state units of their parties in the symposium which concluded at around 10 last night. Mr Ram Chander Jangra of the HVP stressed the need for holding rallies, pleading that the voters could mainly be persuaded by the gathering in rallies in the present society. Besides, he said sometimes rallies were organised to attract attention of the masses towards certain crucial issues affecting a large number of people. However, he suggested that the ruling party was not required to organise rallies as it could well express itself through its functioning. The Haryana Congress spokesman, Mr Krishan Murti Hooda, said the party had refuted the Chief Minister's claim that there was no opposition in the state by organising massive rallies at different places recently.
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‘VAT
not to be implemented from next year’ New Delhi, October 8 The Minister told this to a delegation of Sadar Bazar Traders Welfare Association who met him today to point out their grievances including the deteriorating civic amenities in the market. The delegation from Sadar Bazar was led by Mr Rajesh Jain, the MLA of the area. Dr Walia discussed these problems in the presence of the MCD officials of the area including those of the Jal Board, Delhi Vidyut Board and the Traffic Police. Dr Walia said that sewer line of Sadar Bazar was in pitiable condition and would be changed and roads inside the market would also be repaired and constructed if needed. Sadar Bazar is one of the busiest market in the Capital and traffic jam is common in the area due to the slow moving rickshaw and
tonga. Rickshaw and tonga will be replaced by the Rural Traffic Vehicle
(RTV) for the smooth flow of traffic, he said. The delegation consisted of Mr Brij Mohan Wig, Mr Manohar Lal Anand, Mr Mahesh Singhal, Mr Kuldeep Kumar Tony, Mr Ratan Lal Bhalla and Mr Baldev Raj Gulati, all senior members of the traders association.
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DPCC criticises freeze on DA New Delhi, October 8 The DPCC president, Mr Subhash Chopra, told mediapersons the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA Government at the Centre could spend crores of rupees on foreign jaunts but not effect a substantial hike in the pay packets of the employees. Asking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to put its house in order, Mr Chopra said, “Why cannot the Centre curtail wasteful expenditure on the ministers and party functionaries ? Why want to freeze the dearness allowance when the festival season is round the corner ?” He cautioned the Centre against any move of putting a moratorium on commutation of pension and payment of festival bonus and lowering of retirement age of the employees. |
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Agencies
with capital works eligible for New Delhi, October 8 Under the Annual Plan 2002-2003, private agencies will be eligible for Project Maintenance Contracts (PMCs) for the capital works currently being undertaken by the Department of Public Works (PWD). The Government of NCT of Delhi’s spokesperson told mediapersons those departments will “outsource” men and material for the construction of a 500-bed hospital in Dwarka, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University’s campuses in Dwarka and Surajmal Vihar, and Inter-State Bus Terminuses (ISBTs) in Dwarka and Narela. “With today’s clearance for outsourcing,” the spokesperson said, “the pace of completion of civil works can be expected within the specified time … it will also help overcome the problem of recurrent surrendering of the plan funds.”
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Scores
of Jamiat men court arrest New Delhi, October 8 He criticised the Vajpayee government for “supporting and praising” the Narendra Modi government in Gujarat, which, allegedly facilitated the anti-Muslim riots in the state. Denouncing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief K. S. Sudarshan’s recent statement that all those living in India were Hindus, he said such utterances were absurd as “persons belonging to all religious denominations have a constitutional right to live in the country.” He termed as “mischievous” the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s
(VHP) demand for deletion of those verses from the holy Koran which advocated
jehad.
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DELHI
DIGEST New Delhi, October 8 While a Navratri mela has been organised in Badri Bhaga Jhandewala temple, an Akhand Jyot was ignited at the Sri Santoshi Mata Mandir. The temple will remain open to devotees from four in the morning till midnight. The temple management has assigned volunteers to help in the security arrangements. Special provisions have been made for the visitors. A special community kitchen has been organised to provide prasad. Devotees will also be taught the Durga Saptsati, a holy book, during this period. Special prayer services including bhajans and kirtans are being held in the temples across the city. Eye camp for cops: The Delhi Police today organised a free eye check-up camp for their drivers in the premises of the headquarters. The camp was particularly organised for drivers, as poor eyesight is a common problem among them because of the nature of the job. The drivers are particularly vulnerable as they are exposed to constant pollution. The camp was organised to make the drivers aware of this problem so that they could rectify any eyesight defects. Such camps will be organised at eight different places where the drivers will undergo eye check-up. Eye specialists from Sant Parmanand Hospital have volunteered to organise these camps. The hospital will provide medicines for minor ailments. The drivers who require further examination or treatment will be referred to hospitals and those who require glasses will be provided free of cost by the Police Department. Gurgaon Speaking on the occasion, the Managing Director, Sony India Pvt Ltd, Mr Teru Ishii, said that Gurgaon was chosen on account of its proximity to Delhi and also its pace of development. The bulk of the middle classes are shifting towards Gurgaon, who would be the prospective clients of the firms. He further said the Sony World concept had proved very successful for Sony India on many counts. One is the direct contribution to our sales turnover which today is over 11 per cent. The second and very important factor is that Sony World serves as a hi-tech showcase for our products, allowing us to acquaint the firm’s customers with the breadth of Sony’s technological strengths. This enhances the firm’s brand equity, he added.
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Man robbed of mobile, cash New Delhi, October 8 Cheat arrested:
He was arrested after a complaint made by garment exporter V.K. Gupta that the suspect had purchased 968 woollen shawls from him on credit. When Gupta went to take the payment, Naseem and his partner Mumtaz Ali were found missing and their office in Noida was also closed. Mumtaz is still absconding. They have cheated clothes worth Rs 35 lakh from other businessmen with the same modus operandi, the police said. |
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NCR BRIEFS Jhajjar, October 8 According to information, the three-wheeler was going to Noona-Majra village from Bahadurgarh at about 8 pm. Suddenly, a calf ran on to the road and its driver lost control while trying to avoid a clash with the calf. As a result, the vehicle overturned and one commuter, sitting in the front, received serious head injuries and died on the way to the hospital. The deceased was identified as Virender Kumar, son of Balwan Singh. He was serving in the Indian Air Force and was on leave. He was scheduled to join duty on October 12. Three other persons received minor injuries. The calf also died in the accident.
Ghaziabad A sickle was thrust in the neck of Manoj. The police believe that he had been killed around midnight. Rekha told the police that when she did find her husband on his bed, she thought he had gone out for a stroll. Many of the villagers, however, thought the murder was a direct result of the couples daily quarrels. Manoj is survived by his wife, Rekha and a daughter. The police have posted two armed constables at Manoj’s house to keep a tab on Rekha’s activities. Sonepat
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GURGAON Gurgaon, October 8 Mr Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Government of India, will be the chief guest at the seminar. Mr Harish Kerpal, from the CII, Northern Region, informed that technical papers would be presented by experts from India and abroad. A very focused exposition on painting and surface coating technologies is also being organised, added the spokesperson. He said that during the seminar, various technical sessions would be organised. In the session on surface pre-treatment, Mr Jack F McIntyre, technical manager, PPG Industries, USA (Industrial Coating Business Unit), Mr Shashi Badve, general manager, Tech, Goodlass Nerolac Paints Ltd and Mr Karl Huppertz, regional manager (Asia-Pacific Region), Mr Henkel Kga, Germany, would address the gathering. In the second technical session on Powder Coating, Mr Fernando Gaudenzi, regional technical manager, BASF Industries Ltd, Singapore, Mr Philippe Judde, technical director, Powder Asia Pacific and Mr M.K.Ganesan, managing director, Prism Surface Coatings (P) Ltd, would share their views. In the third session on ‘Paint Application Equipment’, Mr P.S. Khanolkar, director, Industrial Marketing Refinishing, Goodlass Nerolac Paints Ltd, Dr Horst Gehmecker, General Manager, Automotive, Chemetall GmbH, Germany, M R.K. Hashimoto and Mr P. Shivraj of Taikisha Ltd, Japan, Mr Pierre Garin, automotive manager, India Sames, France, Mr Avinash Kulkarni, director, Intech Surface Coating Pvt Ltd., and Mr Denzil D’ Costa, district manager, India and South East Asia, GRACO, Singapore, would present their papers. In the forth session on ‘New Concepts’, Shinji Tomita, general manager, Kansai Paints Ltd., Japan, Mr Subrotik Das, managing director, Nordson India Pvt Ltd., Mr Umesh B Phadke, manager, Design Engineering, Soham Surface Coatings Pvt Ltd., and Mr Ranjan Baruah, deputy general manager, Electronics & Electroplating Chemetall-Rai India Ltd would address the gathering. In the fifth session on ‘Environment and Safety Aspects’, Mr Dilip Biswas, Chairman, Central Pollution Control Board, Mr K P Nyati, senior advisor, Environment Management Division, CII, Mr Nirmalya Chakravorty, manufacturing and technical manager, Industrial Coatings, Akzo Nobel Coatings India Pvt Ltd., and Mr Vorapinit, Asia-Pacific manager, Seghers Better Technology, Thailand, would present their studies. Mr S.K.Bijlani, chairman, CII (Northern Region) and Mr Ramesh C Jain, managing director, Eicher Tractors, would be the other key speaker on the occasion. |
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