Mayawati records name for posterity by remote
Parmindar Singh

Noida, October 23
Politicians are understandably too keen to lay foundation stones and inaugurate projects, buildings, roads and what not as the ‘inaugural plaques’ record their names for posterity. To cap it, they are greeted with garlands, bouquets and slogans of ‘jais’ and ‘zindabads’— a heady brew even for a lesser mortal.

The UP Chief Minister, Ms Mayawati, created a record of sorts when she, while sitting in Lucknow inaugurated the Noida-Greater Noida expressway by remote control.

It is a different matter that the 26-km-long road being built at an exorbitant cost was far from complete on Monday, the day chosen by the Chief Minister to declare it open for public traffic.

This inaugural declaration by Ms Mayawati had put hundreds of people and scores of vehicles in a jam. The gung-ho lot, who ventured to use the new expressway, had to beat a retreat after proceeding a few kilometres.

The convoy of vehicles had to return after 4-5 km from Noida as the road there was still being built and was blocked by heavy construction machinery. There was no way to go further except by taking a detour through the farms and fields in rural countryside.

But why was October 14 chosen as the day of inauguration? Insiders aver that it is because Dr Ambedkar had embraced Buddhism on October 14, 1956.

Having chosen the day, the Chief Minister left the working of the details to the officials of Noida and Greater Noida authorities. Ms Mayawati had earlier fixed September 30 as the target date on which the expressway had to be completed.

To achieve the target, the state transport minister, Nasserddin Siddique, had been hopping between Lucknow and Noida, although the officials of the construction company had made it clear that it was improbable that the expressway could be commissioned before December 2002. They had, however agreed to complete one lane by October 15, 2002, the day when Ms Mayawati ceremoniously dedicated the expressway to public, while sitting in Lucknow. But even one lane could not be completed by October 15.

A spot for the inaugural plaque has been selected in Sector-44, Noida. However, about 1-5 km away, the carpet on the first bridge was still to be laid. On the second bridge, about 8 km away between Gojha and Bajatpur, the lintel was being laid. Now, a cloth banner has hastily been put up at the start of the expressway in Sector-44, advising public not to proceed on the road till October 25. The Noida administration officials hope to complete the single lane by this time and then the state transport minister will have the privilege to ‘re-inaugurate and dedicate it to public’.

INTEGRATED TRANSIT SYSTEM
CII fears delays will ambush projects
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 23
The Government of NCT of Delhi’s Transport Policy has been welcomed but scepticism abounds. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) says the policy is welcome but is circumspect about its implementation given the finite timelines for various tasks outlined in the Operating Plan and the ubiquitous delays that ambush such ambitious projects.

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit unveiled the Transport Policy on Tuesday. She also released the document “Tackling Urban Transport : Operating Plan for Delhi” that incorporates certain inputs from the report prepared by the Committee on Sustainable Transport. Chairman of CII’s Delhi State Council Ravi Sinha believes the Transport Policy has the potential to give a facelift to transportation in Delhi. “The proposal of an Integrated Rail and Bus Transit (IRBT) System with the objective of improving connectivity with the satellite towns of Gurgaon, Faridabad and Ghaziabad would go a long way in developing the National Capital Region (NCR.)

He is guarded though in commenting on the workability of the Transport Policy. “Given the multiple authorities and agencies involved in ensuring the success of this blueprint, it will be critical that a concerted effort be made by all. Only then will it be possible to ensure safe driving practices and better parking facilities.

He is equally sceptical about the timelines drawn up by the government, especially tasks that will require co-ordination among civic agencies. For instance, the policy statement sets a six-month time table for chalking out modalities for augmenting the parking facilities at the offices of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB) and Delhi Jal Board (DJB.)

A six-month deadline is set for the MCD, NDMC and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) also to augment “parking facilities for buses, auto rickshaws, taxis and slow modes of transport” and “planning for multi-storeyed parking facilities.” Rationalisation of parking charges is also to be accomplished in six months.

Again, six to 12 months have been set aside for the “construction of multi-storeyed parking facilities” by the MCD and NDMC. And one to five years for the “completion” of multi-storeyed parking facilities. Sinha says the focus of the policy was primarily on providing cheap and pollution-free public transport for the convenience of the commuter. “At the same time, the commuter should play an active role in ensuring the long-term success of this initiative,” he adds.

PUBLIC PLACES
You can easily get lost in Sonepat’s legal maze
R.D. Sapra

Sonepat, October 23
Walk into Sonepat district courts and you will get a shock of your life. The premises resemble a seedy, rundown market place, crammed with litigants, lawyers, visitors and touts. Add to this the dirty corridors, overflowing urinals, dry taps and dilapidated boards with rag-tag notices. The picture is complete: It is of a small-town railway station than that of a seat of jurisprudence.

The litigants converge at the district courts early in the morning; some of them have been going through this timeless ritual for months, even years. The legal corridors, in turn, open into a maze of inordinate delays and shocking corruption. The omniscient tout is there to steer you through legal labyrinth. Of course, for a price.

The hapless litigant plays into the hands of the tout, such is his ignorance of the legal process. The former recommends a lawyer, who is either inexperienced or inefficient. Then, the tout makes his exit, leaving the litigant at the mercy of the lawyer whose interest in the case seldom extends beyond the first hearing.

This is only the beginning. There are others waiting to fleece you. A Rs 2 stamp paper will be hard to come by and, when you find it, it will cost between Rs. 3 and Rs. 5. An ordinary attestation will make you poorer by Rs. 50 or more, a piece of work for which you ought to have paid Rs. 10. And what about court stamps of smaller denominations? Even your lawyer cannot organise one, unless he is ready to cough up extra money.

There is no standard fee for specific cases. For bail applications, an accused might be charged between Rs 1,100 and Rs. 50,000, depending on the seriousness of the offence. That could work out to anything between Rs. 100 and Rs. 5,000 per hearing. And, as every one knows, all cases, whether criminal or civil, have a long life, in some cases, longer than the litigants themselves. Keeping these factors in view, the Lok Sabha Committee on Petitions in its second report had suggested that a lawyer should display his rates in his chamber and at the court registrar’s office. It had also suggested the setting up of a disciplinary committee, to keep a tab on lawyers charging exorbitant fees.

The real agony begins when one is trying to locate the courtroom where the case Is being heard? Litigants as well as lawyers complain that in the absence of information counters, it becomes extremely difficult to track down the case judge.

Irrespective of what time your case is taken up, the litigant is called in at 10 am sharp in winter and 7 am sharp in the summer. 

Playing havoc with young minds, not just crackers
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 23
Awareness coupled with concern about the harm that fire crackers cause to the environment spurred school children in the Capital to start the ‘Say no to crackers’ campaign a couple of years ago. But pollution apart, a little known fact is that the high decibels of noise that these crackers produce cause psychological havoc in young children.

“Diwali is the time for the children to play with crackers. But owing to the stupendous strides in technology that goes into the manufacture of crackers, the character of fireworks has changed with the altering social matrix. And as this continues without the parent and the school realising the impact of some of these crackers, the psyche of the child is getting affected, without even our realising it”, says Dr. Samir Parikh, psychologist.

The loud and ear-splitting noise, which can be deafening, is something the medical men have of long been advising against. Hearing impairment and burns owing to negligent handling of the crackers and freak accidents, however, are not the only perceptible fallout, some crackers can also have an impact on mental health.

“It is not that bursting crackers is psychologically a bad thing but it is some of these crackers and the way in which they are used that should be a cause of concern”, says Dr. Parikh, adding, “Of prime concern are guns and bombs that can be thrown like ‘grenades’. Children use the guns in fights and throw the grenades at each other and, in some areas, at the passers by”.

With guns and grenades comes aggression. Doctors warn that the use of such crackers makes the child more aggressive and their tendency to aggress goes up significantly. “Desensitisation is yet another consequence of these crackers, especially when a child is not discouraged from using these against others,” explains Dr. Parikh.

Irritability and crankiness are also noticed in children, particularly those who are young and prone to disturbance by way of noise and frightening sights. Though the children have exhibited a certain amount of concern for the environment by voluntarily giving crackers the go by, there are many who still take refuge in tradition.

“Parents have to set a precedent and discourage the use of those crackers that make a child aggressive. Also, they have to set good examples by avoiding crackers in general to avoid pollution”, says Dr. Parikh.

Dr. Parikh adds: “Adults have to be more psychological in their approach towards upbringing of the child as today’s child is the future of tomorrow. The parent has to make sure that he does not encourage any wrong or potential harmful behaviour or habit in a child and the school has to be a ground for not just academic education but also value and psychosocial education”.

Punjabi Bagh building toll mounts to five
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 23
The toll in yesterday’s building collapse in West Punjabi Bagh today rose to six as one Dr R S Chandel (50) died in the hospital and two more bodies of labourers, Tapan (32) and Pradeep (20), were recovered from the debris. Ten persons, who were reportedly injured in the collapse, are still in the hospital.

The police said that they were on the look out for the owner, Baldev Kapoor, and Mohammad Kyas, the contractor of the building, who are absconding. The police have registered a case of causing death by negligence against them.

“The local police had twice informed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in May and June this year about the unauthorized construction. And there ends our role, it was the MCD’s responsibility to take action against the owner,” said the Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), Dependra Pathak.

The collapse figured in the meeting of the MCD Standing Committee, which was informed that the area Junior Engineer had been suspended by the Municipal Commissioner. An inquiry is being conducted by the Director, Vigilance, MCD, into the matter. He will also ascertain how the illegal construction came about despite strict regulations. The report will be submitted within a week’s time to Municipal Commissioner Rakesh Mehta.

The Standing Committee was further informed that the MCD had cleared 40 truck loads of debris from the site.

Agitated residents of West Punjabi Bagh alleged that illegal structures were coming up right under the nose of the civic officials. They blamed rampant corruption and complicity of officials with local contractors for the mess and the tragedy.

The entire construction site has now been cordoned off even as curious onlookers throng the place while on their way to the market which is among the more popular ones in the West District. A police picket has been stationed there so that no one tries to interfere with the evidence.

HC orders probe into hospital project
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 23
The unusual delay in the setting up of a mental hospital for which a budget of Rs 18 crore was earmarked by the Centre has prompted the Delhi High Court to order an enquiry by the Cabinet Secretary. In an order issued here today, the court has asked the Cabinet Secretary to fix the officials responsible for it and submit the inquiry report before the court within three months.

A Bench comprising Justice Anil Dev Singh and Justice R S Sodhi said the attitude of the officials of the Central and Delhi Government was ‘lethargic, apathetic and insensitive’.

The court, in its order, said the Centre, the city government, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, and the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), for which the amount was sanctioned in 1992-93, should take steps to start the work on the Rs 45-crore project without delay and complete it in next 18 months.

Criticising the Union Government’s Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) for sitting over the sanction for the project for four years since 1994, the court said officials of different departments were moving in opposite directions and were least bothered about the health of the citizens. The Bench pointed out that they failed to understand why despite the sanctioned amount of Rs 18 crore, the IHBAS had not pursued the matter vigorously. The Delhi Government counsel, Mr V K Shali, told the court that the sanction was sought by IHBAS from EFC in August 1996 for spending the amount of Rs 18 crore but a clarification from it came only in June 2000, stating that no sanction was required and powers had been delegated to the city administration.

On the other hand, Additional Solicitor General K K Sud, appearing for the Centre, said there was no need for sanction by the EFC once the amount was sanctioned. The project was conceived by the Government following a Supreme Court direction in 1991 regarding developing Shahdara’s mental hospital into the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences on the lines of National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences in Bangalore.

Panel wants ban on mining to continue
Bijendra Ahlawat
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, October 23
The Environment Protection and Control Authority (EPCA) has again recommended the continuation of the ban imposed on mining in Haryana in the 5 km areas from the Delhi border.

The EPCA committee led by Mr Bhure Lal, a senior bureaucrat has submitted its second report on the issue to the Supreme Court. The court had asked the committee to conduct a fresh survey in the region after an application was filed by about 26 leaseholders of mines in the apex court on September 23.

The court had directed the committee to do a survey of more areas and mining pits, but had not agreed to set up another committee. The EPCA reportedly conducted several visits in the region normally known as ‘Ridge’ and found that there had been a gross violation of the pollution control norms also.

The report of the committee claims that mining had not only been causing a huge loss to underground water table, but also harming the ecological balance in the area. It adds that if mining continues, it could cause serious implication on ground water resource as this was the only source of drinking water in the region. Charging the state government with ignoring the damage done to ‘ecology and environment’, the report says the extent of degradation of underground water proved the ‘failure’ of the state government.

It may be recalled that the Supreme Court, in its interim order on May 6, had imposed a total ban on mining activities in the 5 km areas from the Delhi border.

Women call for closure of liquor vends 
Our Correspondent

Ghaziabad, October 23
Liquor vends in residential area have created unpleasant and unfortunate situation in Hapur, according to women of the town. The women have started demonstrations against these vends to pressurise administration to remove these liquor vends like the one in Mohalla Girdhari Pura on Garh Road. Strangely, when a group of ladies marched to the office of the police circle officer and Dy DM, not a single male member had accompanied them.

“It is strange, things are happening this way when we have a women chief minister at the helm of affairs in the state,” the ladies lamented. First they went to CO’s office and later presented their memorandum to the Dy DM.

They said that the opening of liquor vend has created social and financial problems in the town. Some men have started spending their wives’ and daughters’ earnings also on liquor. 

Rape victims’ families say they are being harassed
Nawal Kishore Rastogi
Our Correspondent

Rewari, October 23
Inordinate delay in the arrest of alleged rapists of two teenaged cousins of Gangaicha Jat village under Rewari Sadar police station as well as the threats allegedly given by the prime suspect to the victims’ families have made their life quite miserable.

A seven-member delegation led by Mr Prem Singh Gehlawat, a prominent CPI (ML) leader and incharge of party affairs in Haryana, and comprising Mr Raj Pal Swami, father of one of the victimised girl, Mr Mahendra Singh, Sarpanch of Gangaicha Jat village, Mr Ramesh Kumar, Nambardar of the village, Mr Asa Ram, ex-sarpanch, Mr Mahabir Singh, ex-panch and Mr Abhey Singh Yadav, met the superintendent of police as well as the deputy commissioner on October 19 and pleaded for the immediate arrest of the accused Sujan Singh, son of Ram Kumar, Sudhir, son of Laxmi Narain and their accomplices against whom a case of rape, criminal intimidation had been registered under Sections 376,383,323, 506, 120-B of the IPC on October 3, 2002 by the Rewari Sadar police.

According to information given by Mr Raj Pal Swami and others at a press conference here on Saturday evening, the issue took a turn for the worse recently when the letters exchanged between the girls and the alleged rapists somehow reached the girl’s would-be in-laws. The in-laws showed the letters to the girl’s father and then refused to solemnise the wedding ceremony.

The letters suggest that an affair had been on for a long time when one of the girls was a student of ninth class in a school at Rewari.

It has come out that besides Sujan Singh, four other young men were also involved in the act, one way or the other. The accused in the case include Sujan Singh, Sudhir, Lalit Yadav, son of Subhash Yadav of Gangaicha Ahir village, his cousin Nirmala Yadav, Hanuman, son of Roshan Lal Swami of Gangaicha Jat village and Jaipal, son of Shyam Lal Swami of Tumbaheri village.

The accused Hanuman and Jaipal were arrested on charges of extortion (Section 383) and criminal conspiracy (Section (120-B) by the police about a week ago. However, the remaining four accused have not been arrested so far. Regarding the delay in the arrest of the main accused Sujan Singh, the CPI (ML) leader Prem Singh Gehlawat hinted at the press conference that since his father Ram Kumar was an INLD activist, the police seemed to have developed cold feet.

Lynching case: RPI warns of mass conversions
Our correspondent

Jhajjar, October 23
The Republic Party of India (RPI) has warned of mass conversions by Dalits in Haryana if justice was not delivered to the victims’ families in Dulina lynching case.

The party demanded the resignation of the state Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, for government’s failure to arrest the culprits even after eight days of the incident.

Mr Ramdass Athawale, national president of the party and parliamentarian suspected the hand of VHP and Bajrang Dal in the killings, and demanded a ban on these organisations if the Hindu religion was to be protected from a split.

Holding the district police and administration responsible, he asked for a judicial inquiry by a judge of the High Court. He termed the version of the police bogus that there were around 3,000 to 4,000 people, adding that it was the police that spread the rumour of a cow slaughter after one of the Dalits had died in its custody.

The RPI leaders stated that the Hindu religion itself was not accepting the Dalits as atrocities on them continued.

He said that their party would hold demonstrations in every district headquarters on October 28 and again on Jantar Mantar on November 2 and called a meeting of Dalit leaders from all the secular parties in the near future at Jhajjar to chalk out a strategy on how to stop atrocities on the Dalits.

Intelligentsia blames police for lynching of Dalits
Jatinder Sharma

Rohtak, October 23
Former Union Minister Chand Ram, university teachers, writers from the Javadi Lekhak Sangh and social activists have held the police responsible for the lynching of five Dalits at Dulina near Jhajjar on the Dasehra day. While many of them, in separate statements, demanded an inquiry by the CBI into the ghastly incident, Mr Chand Ram, as an alternative, suggested an inquiry by the Supreme Court so that stringent punishment could be given to the perpetrators of the crime.

In a letter to Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, Mr Chand Ram said that among the victims, three were Jats, one belonged to the Balmiki community and the fifth to the Kabir Panthi of the Scheduled Castes category.

The university teachers, writers and social activists have found many flaws in the police version that the Dalits were killed by a frenzied mob on the suspicion of a cow having been slaughtered by them. They said that the police chowki was situated in a deserted place at a distance of about 7 km from Jhajjar and the possibility of a large crowd assembling there spontaneously was very low.

After visiting Dulina and meeting bereaved families, the university teachers said the Dalits were carrying animal hides in a tempo and it was unthinkable that they would skin a dead cow near the police post at the time of sunset when they had to go a long distance to reach Karnal. It was also unthinkable that they would stop for adding one raw skin to the tempo full of hides worth Rs 40,000 to be sold at Karnal. Treating and drying animal skin would have taken a far more time than they had at their disposal.

The teachers said the version that a dead cow was purchased at Faruqnagar and skinned near the police chowki was incredible as a dead cow could not have been carried in a tempo already loaded to the capacity with hides. Also, there had been no mention in the police version of having recovered the instruments required for skinning the animals form the Dalits.

The teachers said that the police version that there was a crowd of several thousands of persons was contradicted by some persons who were present on the spot at the time of the incident. Their estimate varied from 50 at initial stage to a maximum of 400 at finally around 10 pm when the lynching took place.

The teachers and writers said that even if the police version was correct, the conduct of the police was shocking beyond belief. They took no steps like lathi charge, using tear-gas or firing in the air to protect the Dalits in the police custody. The lynching took place when there were more than 100 policemen drawn from Jhajjar police lines and adjoining police stations along with a DSP, SHO Sadar, Jhajjar and three Executive Magistrates - the City Magistrate, the BDO and Naib Tehsildar. It was not an ordinary case of dereliction of duty but a total abdication of it, treating the life of detained Dalits as “dirt” cheap.

The police force and other officers present on the spot deserved stringent punishment, the teachers, writers and social activists said.

The group of university teachers and writers who issued the statement included Prof D. R. Chaudhary, former chairman, HPSC, Prof O. P. Grewal (retd), Department of English, Kurukshetra University and vice-chairman of the Janvadi

Lekhak Sangh and Prof Suraj Bhan, Department of Ancient History, Culture and Archaeology, Kurukshetra University.

Diwali fest for ‘differently abled’
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 23
Diwali barely a fortnight away, the Capital is already exhibiting the fervour that marks the festival. Diwali fairs and shopping extravaganzas are being organised in the city. Jan Madhyam has organised a Diwali Utsav in Vasant Vihar creating a platform for the disabled to showcase their ability.

The fete will have imaginative activities for children, acrobats and jugglers performing popular tricks like fire-eating. There will be a Dandiya for those who love to shake a leg

This Diwali Utsav will provide a chance to more than 250 disabled people to put on display their creations and earn financial independence. These people working under Jan Madhyam have displayed not just their creativity, but also their concern for environment, by using natural materials to create eco-friendly products.

These people will showcase their creative skills at the fair, which will be held in the MCD Park, Vasant Vihar on October 26 and 27 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Jan Madhyam works with people with disabilities and sees the Utsav as a means of bringing the disabled closer to the masses.

The funds raised from the event will be utilised for training and rehabilitation of person’s with disability. The centre runs programmes in Aya Nagar in the Capital and in five neighbouring villages called the Equal Opportunity Rural Technical Training Centres.

Telecom engineers begin fast
Our Correspondent

Rohtak, October 23
Members of the Telecom Engineers Officers Association (TEOA) today started a relay hunger strike in protest against the non-acceptance of their demands by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL).

The TEOA demands include payment of IDA pay scales for executives in MTNL and BSNL, payment of pension by the government for MTNL optees, benefit of IDA pay scales for officers retired in the intervening period, pay scales and pay fixation for Divisional Engineers (ad hoc), no lateral entry at the level of JTO and above, time-bound promotion and service weightage and cadre review for the cadres of JTOs and SDEs. Mr Arvind Pal Dahiya, secretary, TEOA, Rohtak telecom district, said that even after two years, the Department of Telecom Operation and Department of Telecom Services had failed to meet any of these demands. The Department of Telecom, he alleged, was forcing the officers to exercise options in MTNL even without finalising the pay scales, which had been approved by the MTNL Board and its administrative ministry a year ago, and the decision of BSNL to begin the process of absorption by denying similar pay scales as that of MTNL.

NCR BRIEFS
Woman commits suicide, children follow suit
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, October 23
A housewife, Naresh Devi, is reported to have committed suicide by taking sulphas tablets in her house at Basodi village, about 15 km from here, last evening. On seeing their mother dead, her son Anil and daughter Preeti also took sulphas tablets and fell unconscious in the house. Both were rushed to the local civil hospital where they died later.

According to a report, the mother took this extreme step due to prolonged illness. Mr Karan Singh, husband of Naresh Devi, is a Havildar in the BSF and posted at Srinagar. He has been on leave for 15 days and staying with his family in the village. Mr Maha Singh, father of Naresh Devi, belonged to Asanda village in Jhajjar district.

Dial code numbers changed

The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has changed the code numbers of telephones between Sonepat and Delhi and vice-versa with immediate effect. According to official sources, the subscribers have to dial code number 9511 instead of the present 91 to call from Sonepat to Delhi. Similarly, they have to dial number 951264 instead of 911 at present from Delhi to Sonepat. However, the old code numbers will be in existence for one month for the convenience of the subscribers of both these stations. The remaining numbers of telephones will be the same, the sources revealed.

Ex-serviceman found dead

Jhajjar: The police recovered the decomposed body of an ex-serviceman from his house in Nilothi village of the district today. He reportedly committed suicide by hanging in his room about four days ago. The police have sent body to the PGIMS, Rohtak for a post-mortem examination.

According to the police sources, the deceased, Bire (40), son of Ramphal, was a heavy drinker. His wife had been living with her parents for the last two years after the relations between the childless couple became strained. The deceased reportedly hanged himself after taking a heavy dose of liquor about four days ago. The villagers detected a foul smell emitting from the room and reported to the police.

HUJ elections in December

Rohtak: The annual election of the Haryana Union of Journalists would be held in the first fortnight of December. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the state executive committee of the HUJ held here last evening. Dr Satish Tyagi, secretary of the HUJ, said Mr Purushattam Panchauli of Rohtak had been nominated as the election officer. He appealed to all members of the union to get their membership renewed before November 15. He said nominations could be filed from November 22 to November 25 and the last date for their withdrawal was December 1. The next meeting of the state executive would be held at Bhiwani on November 17, he added.

DELHI DIGEST
HC action on traffic regulation at crossings
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 23
To streamline traffic and to make roads safe for pedestrians, especially at zebra crossings, where motorists were found to ignore their right of first use of the road, the Delhi High Court today sought details from the city police on the steps being taken by them to regulate traffic in the Capital.

Apart from this, the court also sought affidavits from the Indian Health Care Federation and Delhi Voluntary Hospital Forum, two bodies representing private hospitals and nursing homes, stating if the private hospitals were honouring the Supreme Court guidelines regarding providing first aid to accident victims.

A Bench comprising Justice Anil Dev Singh and Justice R. S. Sodhi, asking them to submit their affidavits by December 13, said since the apex court guidelines were applicable to all the government and private hospitals, including nursing homes, violation of the same was tantamount to contempt of court.

“It cannot be disputed that pedestrians are not safe at zebra crossings as there are no proper signal lights for them. We consider it appropriate to make zebra crossings safe and direct installation of signal lights there,” the Bench said.

Guru Ramdas remembered: A big congregation was held in the Lakhi Shah Vanjara Hall of Gurdwara Sri Rakab Ganj Sahib under the auspices of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee in connection with the birth anniversary of Sahib Sri Guru Ramdas Ji today.

Sahib Sri Guru Ramdas was born in Chuna Mandi, Lahore (now in Pakistan). It was Guru Ramdas who founded Amritsar, which became a famous trade centre and the capital city of the Sikh community.

Fast enters second day: The indefinite hunger strike by members of the employees union of the Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology has entered the second day today. The union members had been on fast at the main gate of the institute. They alleged that they were forced to go on strike because of the attitude of the director of the institute, Mr B. N. Gupta, who had failed to implement the orders of the high court.

Two killed in Okhla jhuggi fire
Tribune News Service

The burnt remains of a jhuggi. — Tribune Photo

The victims — Pushpa (40) and her son Arvind (18) — died while another person Shyam Lal (39) sustained injuries. The fire, which was caused by an electric spark from one of the jhuggis, soon spread to other jhuggis and razed them. 

Treat workers as partners: Verma

Gurgaon, October 23
The Union Minister of Labour, Mr Sahib Singh Verma appealed to the industrialists to change their mindset and start treating the workers as partners in their business ventures. The friendly attitude towards workers would definitely increase productivity and efficiency of the workers, added the minister. He was speaking in an interactive session on ‘labour laws in the changing scenario’ organised by the Gurgaon Industrial Association (GIA) here on Tuesday. OC

Maid assaulted, house ransacked
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 23
A woman who has been working as a domestic help in a house in Kailash Apartments in Greater Kailash was found injured after being hit by a blunt object. The house was also found ransacked.

The owner of the house, Savitiri Ramaiya, who runs an NGO, was out of station when the incident occurred today.

The police said that when Savitiri’s driver, Prakash, reached the house, he found the doors open. When he went inside, he spotted the domestic help, Dolly Gomes (22), resident of JJ colony in Madanpur Khadar, lying unconscious.

Dolly was immediately taken to the AIIMS. She is out of danger now. The police said that the entry into the house seemed friendly and they were also looking at all angles to solve the case.

Auto thieves held: With the arrest of three persons, the South district police today claimed to have busted a gang of auto-lifters, who had been operating in the district. One stolen car, a revolver and one country-made weapon along with live cartridges were recovered from their possession. The police, acting on a tip-off that members of the Jemini gang were coming in a Maruti car (DDU-5427) from Badarpur towards Ashram Chowk, nabbed the Anishur Rehman alias Jemini, Tanvir alias Tannu and Ahmed Fahim, all residents of Daryaganj, from Modi flyover.

Heroin seized: The Delhi Police Narcotics Cell has arrested one person and recovered two kilograms of high quality heroin worth Rs 2 crore in the international market. The person, identified as Ajay Yadav (45), resident of Badli village, was found in possession of two polythene bags wrapped in a newspaper. During interrogation, he told the police that he had been getting heroin from Bareilly.

Bribe for exam help: The Anti-Corruption Branch nabbed a programme assistant of Pusa Polytechnic, Vishal Narula, for demanding and accepting Rs 300 from a student, Karmsheel, who was promised good marks in the first semester practical exams of Database Management System course.

Pirated vCDs seized: On a complaint from Super Cassettes Industries, the Delhi Police raided a place in Khan Market and arrested one person, Subhash Aggarwal, for possessing 272 pirated VCDs.

Armyman elopes with minor, villagers jam road
Our correspondent

Jhajjar, October 23
Hundreds of residents from Jamalpur and neighbouring villages blocked the Jhajjar-Kosli road for nearly eight hours today demanding the arrest of the Army personnel who reportedly eloped with a minor girl of the same village two months ago.

According to information, a class 10 student went missing from the village on August 11. The police arrested four persons in this connection and raided several places but failed to recover the girl. The sarpanch of the village, Sunil, told the panchayat that the armyman had informed him two days ago that the girl was with him.

He had also reportedly threatened the sarpanch with dire consequences if he divulged the news to anyone.

The house of the accused, who is now reportedly posted at Jodhpur, has been locked for some days.

Irate residents blocked the road in protest against failure of the police in nabbing the accused.

District officials including the ADC, Ms Suprabha Dahiya, and two DSPs, Mr Narender Singh and Mr Prem Singh, rushed to the village to clear the blockade. They assured that the accused would be arrested following which the villagers lifted the jam and cleared the road for traffic.

Meanwhile, a police team has been dispatched to Jodhpur after getting an arrest warrant from the local court.

Dreaded gangster shot dead in encounter
Our Correspondent

Noida, October 23
An inter-state criminal who was wanted in many sensational crimes like kidnapping and murder, Tejveer, has been shot dead by the Noida police in an encounter. However, his companion succeeded in escaping under the cover of darkness.

SSP Rajeev Kishen said that the police learnt that two criminals were waylaying passers-by on the NIB road. The SO of the Sector 58 police station, Santosh Yadav, rushed to the spot. On seeing the approaching police jeep, the criminals started firing indiscriminately in which the SO and the jeep driver were wounded. By the time, Mr R. D. Niram, SO of the Sector 20 police station, also reached there with his force on getting a message on the wireless. The police surrounded the criminals and rained bullets on them from both sides, which killed one of them while his companion succeeded in fleeing in the darkness. A .9 mm pistol, cartridges and a motor bike without any registration number were recovered.

BUSINESS

Faridabad consumers to get the best of 
festive season
Bijendra Ahlawat
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, October 23
With the onset of festive season, ‘melas’ and shopping carnivals have started attracting the consumers, offering them all kinds of lollipops. The market which had been getting a rather dull response from the customers in the past few months has suddenly become vibrant with several discounts and tantalising offers to the consumers.

The district administration and the state tourism authorities are not behind to woo the customers. The authorities, which had shelved the controversial annual trade fair last year, have decided to revive it and labelled it as Surajkund Trade fest-2002. Now the trade fair would be held at Surajkund from December 21 to 29 in sprawling 32 acres of this tourist spot.

While experts describe the attempt as ‘old wine in new bottle’, the district officials seem to be overenthusiastic about the success of the fair. The tourism authorities want the fair to become an annual feature if the experiment proves successful this year.

The authorities are banking upon the experience that if the ‘Arts and Crafts Mela’ held here in February each year is so acclaimed, then the ‘Trade Fest’ could also turn up trumps and the state government could garner a handsome revenue as well. While the ‘Trade Fest’ would have about 350 to 400 stalls, many people do not agree that the ‘Trade Fair’ would be successful. They think that participation of local people could be less this time as Surajkund was located out of the way and was about 15 to 20 kms from the majority of residential pockets. Travelling to Surajkund may not be easy, although the district authorities may announce special bus service to the spot.

It is reported that some persons working as ‘agents’ of the entrepreneurs or some influential persons mint money through selling and reselling of stalls to traders and businessmen. These elements are seen to be active in organising any kind of fair or shopping festivals including the widely publicised ‘Diwali Mela’, organised by the Red Cross.

‘Diwali Mela’ which is to be held between October 25 and 28 at Sector-12 ground is also aimed at selling consumer items to people who would have to buy tickets to enter the fair.

The entry at Trade fest at Surajkund would also be through tickets priced at Rs 10 and 5.

Meanwhile, some other melas are being held simultaneously at various places. The shopkeepers and showrooms have started placing gift items and offering freebies with purchases. Beauty parlours and health centres have become active in offering special packages for occasions like Karva Chauth and Diwali festival.