TOP STORIES

FORMAL INVITE
Raj Niwas allays fears on circulars
New Delhi, October 10
On a day when Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit extended a formal invitation to Delhi Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Madan Lal Khurana for talks on a suitable dispensation for the NCT of Delhi, Raj Niwas sought to allay the apprehensions of the Council of Ministers on the impact of the twin circulars issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs that the chief minister maintained curtailed the powers of the popular, duly elected government and should be withdrawn.

When hands of law quarrel in public
Jhajjar, October 10
The Bar Association in Bahadurgarh has taken up cudgels against the police and the administration here, following the reported beating up of an advocate, Mr Mahender Kasaria, allegedly by a cop.

House panel reviews drive against 
sex test clinics 
Faridabad, October 10
A nine-member team of the `Women Empowerment Committee' of Parliament paid a visit to the town yesterday to take stock of the measures being taken by the health authorities to check the violation of the Pre-Natal Detection Test (PNDT) Act in the region. 

A model in bridal wear at a fashion show in the Capital on Wednesday. — Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

MCD gets cracking against tender mafia
New Delhi, October 10
Concerned over the alleged complicity of some officials of the Engineering Department while allotting tenders to contractors, the Standing Committee of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has made certain recommendations to eliminate the nexus with the tender mafia.

College molestations: Students boycott classes
Rohtak, October 10
The agitated students of the Government College for Women here boycotted their classes in protest against the casual attitude of the authorities against the molesters. Responding to the call given by student leaders on Wednesday, several girls assembled in the college ground.

Yamuna is doomed: Jagmohan
New Delhi, October 10
The day after a World Bank-funded report highlighted the fact that the Yamuna’s Wazirabad-Okhla stretch is the most threatened eco-system in the world, the Union Minister for Culture and Tourism, Mr Jagmohan, said the river could not be cleaned unless the social and political system underwent a reform.

HC sets up panel on burn wards in main hospitals
New Delhi, October 10
An eight-member committee was today set up by the Delhi High Court with Union Health Secretary as convenor to suggest ways and means to improve facilities available at the burns ward of four leading hospitals in the national Capital.

COMMUNITY

Bollywood star Jackie Shroff eating a pizza after inaugurating Smokin’ Joe’s pizza outlet in Jawahar Nagar in the Capital on Thursday. — Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal.  Adnan Sami at the release of his album in the Capital on Wednesday. — Tribune Photo

Thanks to administrative lacuna, ADC has 3 houses 
Gurgaon, October 10
The additional construction (changing the original layout plan) in house No 5 located in the Officer’s Colony I, allotted against the name of the wife of Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Mahtab Singh Sehrawat is doing the buzz in the official and private circles here these days. 

Police blamed for Indirapuram murder-cum-looting
Ghaziabad, October 10
The sensational loot and murder in Indirapuram on Monday night seems to be due to dereliction of duty by the police. The fact that the police picket situated about 100 metres from the site of the incident and covering up of a similar incident on the previous day have been cited as proof of this attitude.

Stoppage for trains demanded
Sonepat, October 10
The Daily Railway Passengers Welfare Association has urged the Union Railway Ministry to order stoppage for Shan-e-Punjab, Jan Shatabadi, Sachkhand Express, Sarvodaya Express, Malwa Express and other Shatabadi trains at the Sonepat railway station, which is one of the highest revenue earning station on the DUK section of the Northern Railway.

THE ACHIEVERS
She keeps development of children close to her heart
New Delhi, October 10
Mrs Grace Pinto believes in the words of Joe E. Lewis: “You are only young once, and if you work it right once, once is enough”. Mrs Pinto, a woman of substance, is not only the director of Ryan International School, but has been involved in various charity works, including opening day schools for slum clusters and educating children near construction sites.

Hundreds line up to greet Sonia

Faridabad, October 10 Hundreds of Congress leaders and activists lined up at various points of the National Highway No 2 here this morning to greet Mrs Sonia Gandhi, the party president. She was on her way to Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. Congress President Sonia Gandhi greeting supporters at Ballabgarh on her way to Mathura on Thursday. — Photo Rakesh Kashyap

Phones in 11 villages dead
Sonepat, October 10
Communication links in at least 11 villages of the district have been disrupted following the development of technical defects in the rural telephone exchanges. According to a report, the affected villages are: Chaulka, Nakloi, Khanda, Nirthan, Sehri, Bidhlan, Kheri Dahiya, Silana, Gorar, Sisana and Garhi Sisana. 

NCR BRIEFS
Two killed as sewer caves in
Jhajjar, October 10
Two labourers were buried alive when the earthen wall of a sewer they were digging caved in near Yadav Dharamshala here today. According to information, three labourers were working in the 10-feet deep nullah when the accident occurred in the morning. The deceased were identified as Karamchari of Bihar and Ajay of Jhajjar.

18 hurt in mishap Encroachments removed

Touchtel’s service shop

DELHI DIGEST Library management made easy  New Delhi, October 10 The library management is likely to witness major changes with Super Infosoft, a leading IT firm, coming out with Libams-2000, a library automation and management system.

CRIME

Gang that gave deadly lifts 
New Delhi, October 10
The East district police today claimed to have apprehended four members of a gang, which used to rob passengers after offering them lift from bus stops to various destinations in their private cars.

Bank robbery suspect surrenders 
New Delhi, October 10
The prime suspect in a bank robbery committed in Connaught Place in July 2001, when security guards of Brinks Arya Security Agency were transferring cash to ICICI bank, reportedly surrendered in Sonepat and was brought to Delhi on transit remand.

Conmen posing as executives arrested 
New Delhi, October 10
The Delhi Police Special Cell nabbed two persons who were posing themselves as executives of Citibank and cheated people by misusing their signatures to make fraudulent purchases.

EDUCATION

A builder’s foray into the field of school education
Gurgaon, October 10
Unitech, an Indian multinational company famous for construction activities, is now poised to enter into school education. Its first school, Shikshantar, will begin its first academic session for nursery, kindergarten and class I in April 2003.

National psychology seminar at MDU 
Rohtak, October 10
The Psychology Department of Maharshi Dayanand University will hold the national seminar and national conference of the Praachi Psycho-Cultural Research Association (PPCRA) here on October 11 and 12. The focal theme of the seminar is ‘Individual Differences and Behaviour’.

CULTURE

ARTSCAPE
Works that radiate charm and chic

Chandrakant Channe, Dipak Joshi, Vikas Joshi and Palak Pande are the four artists whose exhibition of paintings titled ‘CHAURANG’ is on display at the Lalit Kala Academy till October 14. The very noticeable feature of this exposition is the fact that all the four artists have worked on one theme, made a series out of it and tried to broach their particular subjects through various angles. Palak Pande has worked under the ‘Shakti’ series where she has tried to enlighten and bring forth the hidden powers within every woman. She calls ‘Shakti’ the eternal source of life. Chandrakant Channe has worked with the series titled ‘Mahatma’. Shakti…the eternal source of life: Palak Pande

Cultural inversion Abstract attracts

Authentic hues Hidden crevices

SPORTS

ONGC beat Viraj Sports, enter semis
New Delhi, October 10
Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) routed Viraj Sports, Faridabad by six wickets to enter the semi-final of the N N Mohan Memorial All-India Cricket Tournament at the Mohan Meakins ground, Ghaziabad.

Vasant Vihar to meet Dwarka
New Delhi, October 10
Delhi Public School (DPS), Vasant Vihar will take on DPS, Dwarka in the tiny-tots final of the fifth Kanwar Ashish Annual Cricket Tournament at the DPS ground at R K Puram on Friday.

Keshav Mishra, who leads in the Open Amateurs Golf Championship at the Jaypee Greens, in action on Thursday.

Ganga, Sahodaya to clash in final
New Delhi, October 10
Ganga International School, Hiran Kudna, trounced Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Rohini 3-1 to enter the final of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Football Tournament at the Ganga School ground. Lalremheata, Lal Ram and Reshikesh were the goal-scorers for Ganga School.

Gaurav Ghei leads in Grand Prix Golf
New Delhi, October 10
Gaurav Ghei shot into the lead on the third day of the Royal Challenge Grand Prix Golf at the Delhi Golf Club course. Gaurav, starting the day tied with Arjun Singh at eight-under-par, carded a bogey-free 67 to take his total to 13-under par, 2-3.

Samarth does well for English Club
New Delhi, October 10
Samarth Jhingan, a 22-year-old Delhi-born cricketer, has been making waves in England as he has been producing consistently good performance for the Dudley College.

Glorious defeat Victory in DSA League
New Delhi, October 10
Glorious toyed with Victory Club 7-0 in the Delhi Soccer Association (DSA)-SAIL Open Clubs Football League Championship at the Ambedkar Stadium in the Capital. Aftab Mehra scored the first three goals in a row to record a hattrick. A brace by inside-left Sri Naresh made the score 5-0. Anil Bara and Naveen completed the scoring.

• Irfan, Bharti lift titles

• Nehru Girls Hockey from today

ADMINISTRATION

MEERUT DIVISION
DMs told to speed up land allotment to SCs, OBCs
Ghaziabad, October 10
The Divisional Commissioner, Meerut, Mr N. S. Ravi, has instructed all District Magistrates to speed up allotment of agricultural land and residential plots to all members of Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes. They should be handed over the allotment letters within a month, his written instruction says.