TOP STORIES

When cops turn land-grabbers
Sonepat, December 4
The Federation of the Residents Welfare Associations has demanded that the Sonepat Municipal Council be superseded by a more efficient body. Also, a CBI probe should be ordered into its scandalous working, especially the misuse of municipal as well as public funds.

Clashes again erupt on Haryana-UP border 
Panipat, December 4
Bloody clashes have again erupted on the Haryana-UP border over a disputed tract of land. In a daring daylight action, farmers of Ramra Par village, which fall in Muzaffarnagar district in Uttar Pradesh, opened fire on their counterparts of Tamsabad village in Panipat district, injuring three of them seriously.

Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Rajiv Pratap Rudy accepts cake from Delhi Minister of Industry Deep Chand Bandhu, after the inauguration of the International Food & Drink Exhibition at Pragati Maidan in the Capital on Wednesday. — Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

Circus managers disappear, lions in tow 
Gurgaon, December 4
The failure of the district administration to act in time and seize the three African lions of Asian Circus, presently running in Gurgaon, gave an opportunity to the circus owners to run away with the proscribed animals. On the complaint of an NGO, the People for Animals, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests had directed the Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner, Mr Arurag Rastogi, on December 2 to take action against the Asian Circus for violating the Union Government notification, which bars exhibition and training of bears, monkeys, tigers, panthers and lions.

Restrict liquor vends to market places: Court
New Delhi, December 4
Liquor vends in residential areas will have to down shutters. As per the latest ruling of the Delhi High Court, liquor vends will be banned from operating from residential areas.

Khurana: All sound and fury….

New Delhi, December 4 When Madan Lal Khurana talks, he rants. It was no different on Wednesday when the president of Delhi Pradesh BJP who also doubles up as a Member of Parliament chided the Congress-administered Government of NCT of Delhi for not regularising a single unauthorised colony in the last four years. This, when the Delhi High Court is still to decide on the admittance of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition seeking to restrain the authorities concerned from taking any decision on regularising 1,600-odd unauthorised colonies. Talking point: Delhi Pradesh BJP President Madan Lal Khurana addressing a press conference in the Capital on Wednesday. — Tribune Photo

Better environs can help improve IQ 
New Delhi, December 4
A conducive environ is not just essential for physical health, but goes a long way to determine the intelligence quotient (IQ) of a human being. According to a study conducted by the doctors of St. Stephen’s Hospital and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), residents of slums have a lesser IQ than their counterparts living in hygienic areas.

Chautala flaunts his secular credentials
Ferojpur Jhirkha (Gurgaon), December 4
The Haryana Chief Minister, Om Prakash Chautala, today flaunted the Iftar party organised here this evening by the INLD as a pointer towards the state’s robust secular health. Mr Chautala, while addressing an impressive gathering from Mewat area on the occasion, said that the Iftar party was organised without any political motive.

COMMUNITY

House tax major contributor to MCD kitty 
New Delhi, December 4
Property tax was the main source of the Corporation’s income, which constituted 62.99 per cent of the total revenue last year, said the Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Mr Rakesh Mehta, in his speech after tabling the budget proposals for 2003-04 before the House today.

IN PARLIAMENT
Decline in vehicle theft cases in Capital
New Delhi, December 4
The vehicle theft cases in the national Capital have shown a decline with 7,560 vehicles being reportedly stolen in the city from November 1, 2001 to October 31, 2002, the Rajya Sabha was told today. The Minister of State for Home, Mr Vidyasagar Rao, said in a written reply that during the corresponding period of the preceding year, 8,051 vehicles were reportedly stolen.

SPECIAL FOCUS ON PANIPAT
Poor infrastructure afflicts textile exporters in Panipat 
Panipat, December 4
Foreign jaunts by the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala to woo the investors notwithstanding, the world famous textile industry has been left to fend for itself by the Haryana Government.

Metro Rail to provide impetus to development: L-G
New Delhi, December 4
The Lieutenant-Governor, Mr Vijai Kapoor today inaugurated a park at Shastri Place and later laid the foundation stone of a swimming pool and community hall at Maharana Pratap Park, Kanti Nagar, East Delhi. Mr Lal Behari Tiwari, MP, Choudhary Matin Ahmed, MLA, Dr Harsh Vardhan, MLA, Mr Jameer Ahmed, Municipal Councilor and other senior officers of DDA were present on both the occasions, besides a large gathering of local residents.

BKU gives warning on sugarcane rates
Ghaziabad, December 4
Farmers under the banner of the Bharatiya Kisan Union sat on dharna in front of the office of the District Sugarcane Officer, demanding that they should be paid as per the sugarcane rates fixed by the government.

Lt-Governor visits Dwarka
New Delhi, December 4
Lieutenant-Governor, Mr Vijai Kapoor, visited Sector 6 of Dwarka along with the DDA VC, the MCD Commissioner, and the NDMC Chairperson. Land for 44 societies was allotted in this sector, of which 40 societies have already constructed their flats and habitation has started.

‘84 riot victims form ‘widow jatha’ 

New Delhi, December 4 Widows of the five thousand-odd Sikhs who lost their lives in the 1984 riots have renewed their pleas for justice and reconciliation. The ‘Widow Jatha’, a forum floated by the widows for securing their rehabilitation, on Wednesday threatened to take “drastic” action if the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was not mandated to investigate the “killing (of) people in a planned way” and the agency set a timetable for completing the probe.

Members of the ‘Widow Jatha’, at a press conference in the Capital on Wednesday. — Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

Don’t withdraw sops, plead senior citizens
Sonepat, December 4
The Senior Citizens Welfare Forum here has urged the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre not to withdraw the concessions given to senior citizens and ignore the Kelkar Commission’s report on the issue.

NCR BRIEFS
Statue of Netaji unveiled by Chautala
Rohtak, December 4
The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, unveiled a statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose last evening. A large number of residents along with the district officials were present at the Subhash Chowk for the ceremony.

Academic Council appointments IT exam from Jan 8 Canter driver arrested BJP party members  for Gujarat Three youths run over

Former Sarpanch held Eve-teaser trapped by decoy Old man stabbed to death at residence 2 policemen killed in mishap

CRIME

Drunken dairy owner killed
Sonepat, December 4
A dairy owner was killed in a road accident near Chhatehra village, about 50 km from here, last night. According to a report, the victim, identified as Kalu, belonged to Devipura area of Gohana town. He was returning to his house on a motor cycle in a drunken condition. He was killed when his motor cycle skidded. He was killed on the spot.

Brother alleges foul play in woman’s death
Rewari, December 4
The unnatural death of the 39-year-old wife of Rajan Dhingra, whose body was fished out from the underground water tank in their house in Huda’s Sector 3 here and then consigned to flames without a post-mortem examination, in the cemetery here on October 9, 2002, has now taken a U-turn following the insistence of the complainant, Davender Kumar Sapra, younger brother of the deceased, on the registration of a case of murder against Rajan as well as his immediate arrest.

EDUCATION

DAV, Rohtak, to get ISO status
Rohtak, December 4
DAV Centenary Public School has attained international standards of quality by being recommended for ISO 9001:2000. This is perhaps the first school in the Rohtak, Jhajjar, Sonepat, Bhiwani, Mohindergarh, Panipat, Karnal, Rewari, Hisar and Sirsa region which has been recommended for this certification.

CAMPUS
Sena gets into action mode — all for fair sex
The recent spate of cases involving molestation, rape, extortion and harassment of women has spurred the Shiv Sainiks in Delhi into action. The Delhi state unit of the Shiv Sena is reaching out to the fairer sex to address the pressing concerns of women’s security in the city. The unit has gone on a major drive to direct the attention of the women towards the need for “self-enhancement”.

Globalisation of tech education IHM student wins essay competition TASMAC gets  quality nod Bridging digital divide

Course in  Bioinformatics Study@abroad  at Daulat Ram Boney addresses AAFT students

SPORTS

Hindustan toy with B B Stars
New Delhi, December 4
Holders Hindustan Club handed out a crushing 4-0 defeat on Buddisht Blue Stars (BB Stars) in a Group A preliminary league match of the Delhi Soccer Association (DSA)-SAIL Open Clubs Senior Division Football League Championship at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (East) ground on Wednesday. Hindustan scored two goals in each half.

DDCA names 56 players for U-25 trials
New Delhi, December 4
The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) has called 56 players for the Under-25 selection trials, which began at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground on Wednesday. DDCA sports secretary said former India player Yashpal Sharma, who is the chief coach, will conduct the trials.

Young Friend rout Ramjas School
New Delhi, December 4
Young Friend trounced Ramjas School, R K Puram by nine wickets and entered the final of the second Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji Under-15 Cricket Tournament at the Guru Harkishan Public School ground, Vasant Vihar.

Cannon beat Econnor

Rajdhani lift title

Hansraj, DAV Shalimar Bagh in final New Delhi, December 4 Hansraj Model School, Punjabi Bagh beat Saviour Convent School, Paschim Vihar by eight wickets and entered the final of the second Ganga Inter-School Cricket Tournament at the Ganga School ground.

NIIT get past Teri in Phadkar Cup
New Delhi, December 4
NIIT beat Teri by 25 runs in the sixth D G Phadkar Memorial Cricket Tournament at the Teri Oval. Scores: NIIT: 154 for 7 wickets in 25 overs (Hitesh 58, 3x4; Sanjay 40, 3x4; P Raj 37, 4x4; Sandeep Arora 3 for 23). Teri: 129 all out in 23 overs (K P Eashwar 37, 3x4; Anurag Pandey 25, 2x4; Mahesh 20; Gagan Adalka 3 for 19, Rajesh Varshney 3 for 17). Hitesh was adjudged the Man of the Match.

• Rajender Bisht stars for RLA

Malhotra opens skating rink
New Delhi, December 4
All-India Council of Sports (AICS) president Vijaya Kumar Malhotra, who is also a Member of Parliament from the South Delhi constituency, opened a roller skating rink in South Block, Greater Kailash-II. The Roller Skating Rink has been built by the funds provided from his MP fund.

Sartaj shines for GHPS
New Delhi, December 4
A splendid all-round performance by Sartaj Singh (86, 2 for 9) and deadly bowling by Kulvinder Singh (five for 16) helped Guru Harkishan Public School (GHPS), Karol Bagh beat Tyagi Cricket Coaching Centre by 109 runs in a limited-over under-17 cricket match at the DCM ground. Sartaj Singh was adjudged the Man of the Match.