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| Friday,
December 13, 2002, Chandigarh, India |
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SUGAR MILL FRACAS Sonepat, December 12 The Inspector General of Police, Rohtak Range, Mr Resham Singh, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr S. N. Roy, the Superintendent of Police, Mr Paramjit Singh Ahlawat, and other civil and police officials are camping in the village to examine the situation. The situation is tense but is claimed to be under control. A large number of villagers, including women and children, are still sitting outside the main gate of the sugar mill in protest against the bungling in the recruitment for certain posts in the mill, lathi-charge and firing by the police on innocent people, registration of false cases and arrest of villagers. Meanwhile, over 1,000 policemen have been posted in and around the sugar mill as a precautionary measure. Villagers said over 25 persons had been injured in the police lathi-charge and firing. Five of them have been admitted to the community health centre at Gohana. The injured include Mrs Chandro Devi, Dinesh, Suresh, Ranbir Singh and one more woman. Angry villagers alleged that a girl had died in the police action but the police authorities denied the allegation. It is stated that one policeman is still missing and a hunt is on to locate him. Meanwhile, the mill has started crushing sugarcane amidst tight security and the officials are reportedly getting the supply of sugarcane from growers as usual. The management of the mill has made elaborate arrangements for the security of the godowns by installing searchlights in and around them. Leaders of various political parties, including Mr Kishan Singh Sangwan, a BJP MP; Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala, president of the All India Youth Congress; and Mrs Sumitra Chauhan, general secretary of the HPCC, visited the site and assured the villagers that they would extend all-out assistance to them in the agitation. |
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Encroachments
in Lajpat Nagar market removed New Delhi, December 12 The operation, which lasted several hours, proceeded smoothly as there was no resistance from the traders who had gathered there. The operation was launched following reports of large-scale encroachments and unauthorised constructions in the congested South Delhi market. It was alleged that the traders had occupied most of the space earmarked for pedestrians making it virtually impossible for them to use the pavements meant for them only. This has not only added to the confusion in the market but also led to several road accidents, some of them fatal, as pedestrians were forced to walk on the roads. The MCD had issued notices earlier for removal of the encroachments but the traders obtained a stay from the court a few years back. It was vacated last month. After the vacation of the stay, a notice was served by the MCD on the traders for the removal of encroachments, the Deputy Commissioner, Central Zone,
MCD, Mr K.D. Akolia, said. The Deputy Commissioner of the Central Zone said that 100 personnel of the demolition squad of the corporation and two JCBs were engaged in the drive against encroachments. There was no “tehbazari” in Lajpat Nagar and no encroachment would be allowed in the market in future, he said. Residents of the area and other adjoining colonies alleged that most of the encroachments and unauthorised constructions had come up over the years with the complicity of the area officials who had turned a blind eye to them after accepting illegal gratification. Some of the residents and traders also demanded action against those responsible for allowing the encroachments. |
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Govt wants to lower peak power demand New Delhi, December 12 Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Thursday said 2003 would be observed as the Year for Conservation of Power. An awareness campaign will be launched to bring down the peak demand by next year. Residential Welfare Associations (RWAs) and ‘high-use’ consumers will be approached to sensitise people. Observing that the demand for electricity had gone up by as much as 15 per cent on certain occasions, Mrs Dikshit said this spiralling demand was ‘unsustainable’. Peak demand has been growing at a minimum rate of seven per cent and gone as high as 15 per cent in certain years. “I am ashamed that power consumption is growing by leaps and bounds,” she told delegates to a conference on conservation of power. Unable to find new sources of energy for meeting the ever-increasing demand for electricity, the government also hopes that the campaign could cushion the impact of a virtual shortage of power next summer. Electricity has been the bane of successive governments and with the Assembly elections only months away, the Chief Minister is hoping that summer would pass without antagonising Delhiites. The concerns also stem from the fact that the private companies will be distributing electricity next summer. The Chief Minister said that the move to privatise power utilities was far from over as power reforms had just begun and were yet to become a success story. Mrs Dikshit appealed to power utilities to join the movement to bring down wastages. |
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No more summer of discontent?
New Delhi, December 12 Transco says between April and October, Delhi recorded an energy shortage of 1.5 per cent and peak shortage of 2.5 per cent as compared to 8.3 per cent and 9.1 per cent respectively in north India. The company expects improvement in efficiency of operations would substantially improve quality of power supply in the months ahead. Officials claim that steps are being taken to augment transmission and distribution network at all voltage levels “commensurate with load growth” under the Critical Area Augmentation Plan. They also claim renovation and modernisation of Indraprastha Power Plant and the 330 MW from Pragati Power Project would ease the pressure. TNS
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Finally, 25 buses for women in First City New Delhi, December 12 With the incidents of molestation in the buses on the rise, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) seems to have finally paid heed to the predicament of the women. It has decided to ply 25 buses in the Capital exclusively for the women. The Chief Minister, Ms Sheila Dikshit, flagged off this special fleet of buses, which will run in major commercial areas. Though the number is too small to cater to the number of women who depend on public transport, the step will bring cheer to the women harassed by the unruly behaviour encountered in the buses. A similar attempt was made in the Capital several years ago but for some inexplicable reason, it was abandoned. While the DTC officials claimed that plying of such buses had become financially unviable, others claimed that it was the paucity of vehicles itself which led to the termination of the services. DTC officials confess that the step has been taken on account of the rising number of complaints against harassment in buses. Though a larger chunk of the cases go unreported, the more serious ones make news. Recently the Capital witnessed a spate of incidents of molestation and abuse in the DTC buses. “It seems the authorities have finally woken up to the need to ensure safety and comfort to the public. Twenty-five is a ridiculously small number going by the population that we have, but we must think of it as the first step, not the last,” said Kalyani Rao, a public relation executive. It was also pointed put that the driving staff in these special buses should be sensitised and trained to deal with exigencies. The driver and the conductor “It is a battle out there every day. The minute you board a bus, you have to gear up to fight the unwanted attention. What makes things worse is the fact that the rest of the passengers in the bus instead of helping the women actually encourage these voyeurs and generally team with them,” said Kavita Sharma, a student, adding, “mercifully we can now look forward to a safer travel.” These ladies specials will particularly prove beneficial for the women who travel during the rush hours for longer distances.
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Patients
of thalassaemia sweat blood for survival Faridabad, December 12 There are about 120 children of the age between two and 18 years in the town who are suffering from the disease at present. These children have to go to Delhi at regular intervals for blood transfusion as the health authorities have failed to provide the affected persons with the necessary facilities. It is learnt that a fund of only Rs 4 to Rs 6 lakh is required to make available the facility at the civil hospital here. Mr Tulsidass, a member of the Thalassaemia Society of Faridabad, told the ‘NCR Tribune’ that the matter had been brought forth to the authorities concerned, including the Chief Minister himself, but no response had been received so far. He said his 13-year-old son had been suffering from the disease detected about 10 years ago. Although the state government had provided a ‘free travel’ facilities to the patient and a kin in Haryana Roadways buses, many drivers and conductors were not aware of it which leads to unnecessary harassment on many occasions, Mr Tulsidass said. He said he had to take his child to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital after every 15 days to get blood transfusion. Mr Tulsidass also said that the financial help provided to the thalassaemia patients by the Union government seldom reached them as there was no provision to ensure a transparency in the system of allocation and distribution. The Thalassaemia Society here had got constructed a room in the civil hospital and the authorities had allocated four beds to the thalassaemia-affected children a couple of years ago. However, the authorities have failed to provide transfusion facilities and the patient needs ‘plasma-free’ blood after every 15 days for survival. |
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Lead content in Noida groundwater high Noida, December 12 The board had taken samples of ground water from Sectors 4, 5, 7 and 8 from deeply sunk hand pumps between January and March 2002. In the water samples tested, the ratio of chloride was also found to be on the higher side—ranging between 200 and 600 milligrams per litre of water. COD per litre was 40 to 120 milligrams while PH was found to be 7 to 8.. According to Mr J. S. Yadav, area officer of the Pollution Control Board, there is an unprecedented increase of lead in ground water. Along with this, the ratio of chloride has also been found to be on the higher side. Increase in the presence of both these elements is adversely affecting the health of people here. Assistant environmentalist Arvind Kumar said more samples of ground water will be sent to labs for further analyses. Right now, Noida water is having a mixture of minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron, silver, gold, copper, zinc etc. in different areas, adversely affecting human health. There is an urgent need to improve the quality of ground water in this area, for which the cooperation of public in essential, experts say.
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No mid-day meals: HC notice to Delhi Govt New Delhi: The Delhi High Court today issued notices to the city government and two civic bodies in the Capital for failing to supply mid-day meals to primary school students. The court took cognisance of a letter submitted by a private organisation, the Ganga Devi Shiksha Society, alleging that cooked mid-day meals were not being provided to primary schoolchildren despite the Centre’s policy. The court has directed the Delhi Government, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the New Delhi Municipal Council to submit their replies by December 16. The letter received by the court from the society was taken up for consideration by a Bench comprising Justice Anil Dev Singh and Justice R. S. Sodhi, while hearing another PIL. TNS
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Devi Lal loyalist lashes out at Chautala Rewari, December 12 Mr Hooda had abruptly shot into prominence when he blackened the face of the then Haryana Governor, Mr G. D. Tapase, at Faridabad on January 26, 1983, at the apparent behest of his political idol, Devi Lal, whose claim to form the government was overlooked by the Governor in favour of Mr Bhajan Lal. Since then, Mr Hooda has been nicknamed ‘Tapase Wala’ by people. At a press conference here recently, Mr Hooda said that the Chief Minister and INLD supremo, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, who had been constantly telling the people that his government had been faithfully following the tenets of governance enunciated by the late Devi Lal, had virtually made numerous expedient deviations. Quoting instances in this regard, he said that Mr Jagdish Yadav, who was previously a minister in the Bansi Lal government, the functioning of which had then been persistently flayed by Mr Chautala himself, had now been made the president of the Rewari district unit of the INLD. Though giving a cabinet berth to anyone was the Chief Minister’s prerogative, making Dr M. L. Ranga, who enjoyed proximity to the then Haryana Governor, Mr Mahabir Prasad, and who was then just a new entrant in the INLD, virtual sidelining party loyalist and five-time Bhagi Ram (Ellenabad), a minister could not be considered a healthy precedent. Several such instances could be quoted, he added. |
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SYL: CM urged to call all-party meeting Sonepat, December 12 Talking to mediapersons here, he said that the apex court had fixed the deadline of January 12 and asked the Government of Punjab to complete the construction work of the canal by then. But it was strange that the Punjab Government had so far failed to move an inch in this regard. He alleged that the Punjab Government was not inclined to give the due share of the river waters to Haryana and this was the main reason that it had not yet implemented the decision of the apex court. He said that on account of the anti-Haryana attitude of the Punjab Government, the state government should convene an all-party meeting to chalk out the future course of action on this issue. The state BJP was ready to extend its full support to the state government in this regard, he added. Referring to the passing of the Casino Bill by the Haryana Assembly, the BJP leader announced that his party would oppose the Bill vehemently and would not allow the state government to open gambling dens in the state. He alleged that Bansi Lal had driven the youths towards smuggling and the INLD supremo, Mr Chautala, was ready to take the youths to gambling and ruin them. The BJP leader also opposed the decision of the Chautala government to de-regularise the residential colonies, which had been regularised by it, a few days ago. This, he said, was unjust and unwarranted as most of the people had deposited the development charges with the civic bodies concerned in the state. He demanded the immediate resignation of the Chief Minister, as he had betrayed the people of the state on several occasions. |
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IN PARLIAMENT New Delhi, December 12 In reply to another question, the minister said the laying of the rail line
between Bijwasan and Bahadurgarh had not been found feasible in view of the heavy
throw forward and limited resource availability. The survey for the construction of the new broad gauge line for 36 km found that the cost of construction would be Rs 111.58 crore with a rate of return at (-) 6.94 per cent, the minister added. Sixteen persons were awaiting shifting of telephones from C type to new D type quarters at Panipat Refineries township. The telephones had not been shifted due to non-availability of cable pairs. The distance between the two type quarters was about 600 metres, the Minister of State for Communication, Ms Sumitra Mahajan, informed the Rajya Sabha. She said all efforts were being made for provision of underground cable within two months and shifting would be carried out immediately thereafter. In reply to another question, the minister said 13 telephone connections had been provided in Chhochhi village so far. The minister was replying to a question whether telephone facility was available in Chhochhi village of Beri block in Jhajjar. Defence Minister George Fernandes informed the Lok Sabha that the ministry had received a complaint that a Principal of Kendriya Vidyalaya Shalimar Bagh in the Capital had kept a security guard in civil dress at the school complex for personal security and the military vehicle was being
unauthorised used regularly. On verifying the case, the minister said it was found the Principal, who is the wife of a Defence Service Officer, had travelled to the school in an official vehicle with some escorts on few occasions, apprehending violent action from one of the employees of the school against whom a suspension order was issued due to his indisciplined behaviour. The Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr Santosh Kumar Gangwar, informed the Lok Sabha that to meet to increased demand of CNG in the Capital the number of CNG stations would be increased to 110 and the compression capacity would be increased to 16.11 lakh kg per day by June next year. He said the Indraprastha Gas Limited had completed a 12-inch diameter pipeline from Dhaula Khan to G T Karnal Road at a cost of Rs 25 crore and work on laying of the small diameter pipeline was going on. Forum hails
I&B Ministry:
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December, an ‘unwell’ month for officials! Sonepat, December 12 According to a report, the attendance in a majority of the offices and schools was reported to be poor, causing inconvenience to people, who are visiting them for petty works, and students. The officials and subordinate employees, who could not utilise their quota of casual leave during the current year, are trying to avail the balance of leave during this month. And one would find in almost all applications one stock phrase as reason for taking leave, ‘not feeling well’. Hence, most of the offices, particularly those of departments like irrigation, PWD (B and R), food and supplies, agriculture, veterinary, health, public health labour and employment and the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam look deserted these days. In most of the schools located both in the urban and rural areas, sometimes only one teacher out of 10 was found present. In this way, the studies of students have been hit badly. Meanwhile, frequent holidays and the five-day week in the offices have also adversely affected the working in most of the government offices in this city and elsewhere in the district. Most employees of the government offices leave their offices early, thanks to the failure of the authorities concerned to check their attendance in the afternoon. Similarly, they come late to their offices in the morning. A similar situation persists in government schools and health institutions in both urban and rural areas. In the absence of any effective checking, the situation is going from bad to worse in the rural areas. And people have to wait for hours to have a word with the right person, as they are given the stock excuse by fellow employees that “the official is unwell and would be late”.
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It takes a court order to file an FIR, after six yrs Ghaziabad, December 12 It is exactly what has happened in Ghaziabad, where the police registered a report concerning a fraud and assault case six years after the incident took place and that too on the specific orders of a court. A criminal had decamped with cash, jewellery and other valuables from a house at Kola Battha area, but no FIR was registered by the police. Imtiaz Ali, resident of Jatawara, had rented out his house to three persons. They had lived in that house for 10 years along with their families. When Imtiaz Ali asked them to vacate the house, they demanded Rs 2 lakh. Even after he reportedly paid them the demanded amount, they did not vacate the house and assaulted the landlord and his family. Imtiaz gave a written complaint in the Kotwali police station but the cops ignored it. Later, the landlord was forced to knock at the doors of the court. The court recently issued an order for registering a fraud case. And finally a case of fraud was formally registered against the three tenants on Wednesday by the police. But no arrest has been made so far. In another incident, some criminals reportedly broke open the locks of the house of Sallaudin in Kola Battha area and decamped with thousands of rupees, jewellery and other valuables. |
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CBI probe sought into scribe’s murder Rohtak, December 12 Hundreds of people, including local journalists belonging to the Haryana Union of Journalists, the Haryana Patrakar Sangh, the Shramjivi Patrakar Sangh and the Small and Medium Newspapers Association, leaders of almost all political parties except the ruling Indian National Lok Dal, including the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Lok Janshakti Party, the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Lok Dal, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP),employee organisations, including the Haryana Karamchari Maha Sangh, the Sarv Karamchari Sangh, the Maharshi Dayanand University Teachers’ Association, the MDU Non-Teaching Employees’ Association and various trade union representatives assembled at the local Durga Bhavan Mandir in the morning. The protesters, holding banners and placards and shouting slogans against Dera Sachcha Sauda and the state government, marched through the main markets in a procession which culminated at the mini secretariat where a dharna was staged. Addressing the demonstrators, the speakers expressed concern over the rising incidents of attacks on journalists in the state and dubbed the phenomenon as an attack on the freedom of the press. They demanded a thorough probe into the affairs of Dera Sachcha Sauda and its alleged links with terrorist organisations. Later, a delegation comprising members of the local journalists’ coordination committee, submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Ashok Yadav, for forwarding the same to the Union Home Minister and the Haryana Chief Minister. The memorandum sought a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the bereaved family, government job to one member of the family and naming of Sirsa library after the slain journalist besides a CBI probe into the murder of the journalist and the affairs of the
dera. |
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Vajpayee
receives epic work on G.B.Pant New Delhi, December 12 Mr Vajpayee described Govind Ballabh Pant as a man of great qualities and calibre who was blessed with great oratory skills and abilities to resolve acute problems. Stating in a lighter vein that this collection on Pantji was akin to 18-part Mahabharata, the Prime Minister said, “This granth on Govind Ballabh Pant will be of great help to the present and future generations.” Hailing Mr Nanda for editing the selected works of Govind Ballabh Pant, he said, “Mr Nanda has done a historic work and we are indebted to him.” Mr Vajpayee also recalled the manner in which Pantji, as the then Union Home Minister, explained India’s stand on Jammu and Kashmir and silenced the critics, especially the westerners. Earlier, Mr Nanda highlighted various problems faced by him in collecting information about Pantji, especially the letters written by him to former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the PMO. “Mr Pant was not served so well by his secretary as was the case with Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru. Their secretaries had in fact maintained daily dairies and also retained a copy of the letters written by them. But in the case of Pantji, we had to begin from scratch,” he said. Son of G.B.Pant and currently Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission K.C.Pant described the collection as a wealth of material for scholars and researchers. The function, held at Panchvati in the Prime Minister’s Race Course residence, was attended among others by Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani and Union Surface Transport Minister B.C. Khanduri, academicians and historians.
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Coast Guards celebrates silver jubilee New Delhi, December 12 The highlight of the programme was the silver jubilee ball and a fashion show by Neelam Saxena. Leading models Mehr Bhasin and Indrani Dasgupta were a part of the show. An international dance troupe entertained the audience. |
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Newly baptised Sikhs reach Nanded
New Delhi, December 12 The special train, which was flagged off by Railway Minister Nitish Kumar yesterday, would return to the Capital with the devotees on December 16. The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee had stated that it would sponsor the trip of newly baptised Sikhs to one of the Takhts in the country. TNS
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Spate of dacoities in Faridabad Faridabad, December 12 In the latest incident, a gang of robbers and dacoits unleashed a streak of terror in the Roshan Nagar locality near Sarai Khowaja here on Tuesday night and looted at least six houses in one attempt. The gangsters robbed occupants of these houses of their cash and other belongings after threatening them at revolver-point. The dacoits first reportedly forced an employee of a factory to knock the door of the house of a person known to him and entered it forcibly. They snatched Rs 5,000 and jewellery from the women present there. They (culprits) also went to the house of one Prem Chand Mishra, Rajender Gupta Wasim and Rajender Singh and looted cash and jewellery worth over Rs 30,000. They also reportedly stabbed a man and a woman, who tried to raise an alarm. The injured have been admitted in the hospital. The dacoits had their faces covered with clothes and they were armed with revolvers and knives. One week ago, robbers had struck at a house in Harkesh Nagar of the same locality in the night. One person was injured critically after they fired at him when he resisted their attempt to loot. In another incidents, thieves made their way into a house in Adarsh Nagar in the city police area and decamped with some cash and valuable items. The house was locked when the incident took place.
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Murder
accused falls in police net New Delhi, December 12 The suspect was arrested from Saint Stephens Hospital near Mori Gate where he had gone to meet someone. He was arrested on the charge of killing Raj Singh, alias Raju, who allegedly had an affair with a sister of Vinod. The suspect shot at and later stabbed Raju on the outskirts of the village. Two women of the village who informed the police were eyewitnesses to the murder. On the basis of their statement, the case was registered and the suspect was arrested, the police said. 17 burglary cases solved:
The burglars, Amzad Khan, alias Samir (19), Amirijan (21), Shamsuddin (20) and Parvez Alam, alias Lamboo (21), are all residents of Badarpur and Kalkaji. After a spate of burglaries in the district the police placed pickets at various point in different parts of the city to nab them. During interrogation the four confessed to their crimes and said that they used to assemble in the early hours of the morning to choose their target for the day. Auto thieves held:
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