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| Sunday,
December 22,
2002, Chandigarh, India |
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CM says ‘no’ to Ahulana panel CHAUTALA
SPEAK Sonepat, December 21 Mr Chautala has made this clear to a delegation of around 50 leaders of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), headed by Dr Ram Kumar Saini and Mr Ramesh Khatak, both MLAs, who called on him at the Haryana Bhawan in New Delhi yesterday evening. The delegation had sought time for a meeting between him and the members of the committee led by Dada Baljit Singh Malik, head of a community, Dahiya Khap. The delegation included Mr Mohinder Singh Mor, secretary of the Board of Education Haryana; Mr Narinder Gehlawat, general secretary of the district unit of the INLD; Mr Om Prakash Gupta, former president of the Gohana Municipal Committee; Dr Kapur Singh Narwal, former member of the Gohana civic body; Mr Ramesh Hasija; Mr Ashok Verma; Mr Rajbir Narwal, chairman of the Kathura Panchayat Samiti; Mr Randhir Singh Sehrawat, a member of the Market Committee; Mr Baljit Singh Malik, former president of the Gohana unit of the INLD and some prominent villagers. Mr Chautala is reported to have all the information about the incidents of arson and violence and also the latest developments. The delegation insisted on his meeting with the committee, but he refused. He, however, stated that he was ready to reconsider the decision about the closing down of the mill if the people of the area gave a guarantee about safeguarding the mill. “How many days can the mill function under police security?” he asked. The Chief Minister also told the delegation that the management of the mill had suffered a loss of Rs 9 crore on its functioning and Rs 2 crore on its closure. The mills could save Rs 7 crore if it was closed, Mr Chautala said. He, however, admitted that some leaders of his own party were behind the arson and violence and he named one of them before the delegation. Thereupon, some of the members of the delegation also named other anti-social elements and party workers who were involved in these incidents. Mr Chautala said that at least 27 persons of Ahulana village had been recruited and the state government was ready to grant compensation for the land, which had been acquired for the setting up of the mill in accordance with the provisions in the laws. Referring to the criminal cases registered against villagers, Mr Chautala made it clear to the delegation that the state government would not withdraw these cases at any cost and the police would arrest the accused. Mr Chautala reportedly promised that he would accept three demands of the villagers, construction of a bypass to the sugar mills, pucca platforms for the parking of tractor-trolleys and checking the pollution from the mills. Reacting to Mr Chautala’s views expressed before his party delegation, the head of Dahiya Khap, Mr Baljit Singh Malik, hoped that the Chief Minister would resolve the dispute regarding recruitment in the mill. He said that Mr Chautala was the representative of the people and he knew everything and there was no need to remind him of the wishes of the people.
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Metro: Cong slams Khurana’s appointment New Delhi, December 21 “Rude.” “Crude.” “Clandestine.” “A desperate act to gain political mileage,” said Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Subhash Chopra as he railed at the BJP for putting a man, who had dumped the Metro in favour of light rail system, at the helm of the DMRC. The letter of appointment was handed over to Mr Khurana by Union Urban Development Minister Ananth Kumar on Friday evening. Mr Khurana is likely to take over charge from the Urban Development Secretary, who is ex officio Chairman of DMRC, on December 22. “Mr Khurana,” Mr Chopra said, “had no contribution whatsoever in the successful completion of Phase I of Delhi Metro. The Metro was in fact a dream project of the late Jagpravesh Chandra of the Congress.” He said the Congress would expose the evil designs of the BJP. “The appointment of Mr Khurana as Chairman is a desperate ploy by the BJP to cheat the Government of NCT of Delhi,” he said. The DPCC president went on to state that had Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and her team not taken interest in the project, it would have remained just a dream. Mr Khurana responded to the charges by saying that his appointment was taken at the highest level in the Union Government. “I have spoken with the Chief Minister and conveyed to her my desire to ensure that the Metro should not fall prey to partisan considerations,” he said. Mr Khurana said he met with Union Urban Development Minister Ananth Kumar today to review the preparations for the December 24 launch of Delhi Metro’s inaugural run. The Shahdara-Tis Hazari service will be flagged off by Prime Minister A. B. Vajpayee on that day. Mr Khurana said Congress president Sonia Gandhi would grace the function but would not be jointly inaugurating the Metro service along with Prime Minister Vajpayee. He added that he was not against Metro and had in fact initiated the process. |
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Congress
to challenge mill closure in HC Sonepat, December 21 The rally was attended by a large number of party workers and other people of the town. However, there was no response from the people of Ahulana. Villagers had already indicated that they would not take part in any rally organised by political parties in support of their demands. Mr Surjewala also said that if the Congress came to power in the state, it would remove the name of Ch Devi Lal from the mills. It would be named after Dada Ghasi Ram Malik, founder of the Gathwala Khap, within 24 hours after assuming power. Mr Anil Shastri, a son of Mr Lal Bahadur Shastri and senior Congress leader, said that he had been sent by the AICC president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, to examine the situation and apprise her of it so that the matter could be raised in the Lok Sabha. He said that the Congress would safeguard the interests of the people at any cost. Mr Umesh Sharma, a former general secretary of the Haryana Youth Congress, gave an account of the police excesses on him in custody. He said he was roughed up by the police leading to multiple injuries. He was let off only on the intervention of Mr Surjewala. He also apprehended that he would be rearrested. Mr Sharma urged the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, to provide him with security as he had no faith in the Haryana Police.
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Draft of DJB reforms before March 31: CM New Delhi, December 21 The Chief Minister informed the NDC that the financial and infrastructure reforms would also extend to the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC). The transport and water utilities would be restructured primarily to shore up the government’s reserves. “Power reforms have begun yielding visible returns so much so that the Government of NCT of Delhi is in a position to finance up to 79 per cent of the Tenth Plan of Rs 23,000 crore as against 51 per cent in the Ninth Plan,” Mrs Dikshit said. The Chief Minister drew the attention of the NDC to an “anomaly” that has proven to be a bane of the Government of NCT of Delhi: Land use planning and development continue to be administered by the Union Ministry of Urban Development. Seeking exclusive powers to take decisions pertaining to land use planning, management and development, Mrs Dikshit said multiplicity of authority was rendering the Government of NCT of Delhi out of sync with its constituents. “The concerns of Delhiites cannot be addressed simply because,” she said, “land use planning and development were not in our hands. This is clearly anomalous. It happens nowhere else in India. It is an unacceptable state of affairs.” Compounding her woes was the burgeoning population. Delhi’s population of 13.8 million meant a growth of 46 per cent in a decade as compared to the national average of 21 per cent. Which, in turn, posed another set of problems for the government. “Delhi is consequently having to carry the burden of supporting an influx of migrants,” she said, reiterating the need for concerted efforts to develop the National Capital Region (NCR) and also putting in place projects such as a Regional Rail Network, a Road Transport Network and Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways. |
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GHAZIABAD Ghaziabad, December 21 The deceased has been identified as Lokesh Pandit of Kherpur village and the injured as Sonu Tomar of Pilakhuwa village, DIG (Meerut range) Gurdarshan Singh said. The police said that the body of the gangster has been sent for a postmortem while the injured has been arrested and admitted to a hospital here. The police said that cross cases of murder and attempt to murder had been registered and investigations were continuing to identify the persons who had reportedly used firearms. Both the deceased as well as the injured had come to the district courts in connection with an ongoing case. Hundreds of litigants, advocates and court officials thronging the courts ran for safety when the firing started. The work in the courts was disrupted for more than an hour after the incident. The police presence on the court premises has been further strengthened. Police patrolling in the city was also being intensified in view of the incident and the consequent tension resulting out of it. Senior police officers were monitoring the situation. According to the police, Sonu Tomar on spotting Lokesh Pandit allegedly fired at him, killing him on the spot. This infuriated the supporters of Pandit who whipped out their weapons and started firing at Tomar and his friends. Tomar was injured in the firing while the others managed to escape. According to another version, some policemen posted at the court fired at Tomar and injured him. However, eyewitnesss said that there were quite a few armed policemen present in the courts but all of them remained mute witnesses to the exchange of fire. The police said both Pandit and Tomar were notorious desperadoes and have been involved in several cases in the district and adjoining areas of western Uttar Pradesh. Both the gangs have strong support and have been at loggerheads for the last few months. This morning’s incident is believed to have been the outcome of some old grouse between the gangs. This is the second incident of firing inside the court. Three persons were killed on the court premises last year. |
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Senior citizens’ centre turns into a den of ruffians New Delhi, December 21 The centre, which was abandoned soon after it had been constructed, is now haunted by the anti-social elements who loaf around and use the rooms and the hall for underhand activities such as gambling and drinking. The residents simply turn a blind eye to it lest they become target of harassment. “Every day there is some drinking party in the place and all kinds of people, by no means senior citizens, are seen going in and coming out of the place,” an irate woman resident claimed. Some of the residents said on condition of anonymity that the police authorities were aware of the misuse of the building but they did not do anything claiming that “it is none of their business”. The atmosphere is so bad that many residents, specially women and children, avoid passing by the building after dark. Dharamvir Gupta, a senior citizen and president of Resident Welfare Association of the area, said that the centre is there only in name. A television set, installed initially, went phut within a few days and has been left unrepaired since then. There are no books, magazines or other reading material leave alone facilities for indoor games or even drinking water for the senior citizens. The only thing it boasts of now is an electricity connection—that too illegal!! There is no one to take care of the building despite the fact that in the beginning six persons were hired for security and maintenance but only two remain on the records now. They show up once in a blue moon only. “The place is a glaring example of apathy and neglect and waste of public money,” Mr Gupta alleged. Mr Divya Jaiswal, councillor of the area and the brain behind the project, when contacted by the ‘NCR Tribune’ said that the centre was constructed by the MCD under an ambitious programme launched by the Delhi Government for the welfare of older people. At the time of inception, it was decided that its operation and maintenance would be the responsibility of that agency but it is unfortunate that the MCD did not do that. “It could not even provide the basic infrastructure,” Mr Jaiswal said. However, not willing to see his pet project going to seed, Mr Jaiswal has now decided to make an attempt to restore the centre with the help of the residents. He said that he was also approaching the MCD for funds to maintain the building. Mr Jaiswal claimed that a part of the upper floor of the centre had been retrieved and it was now being used as a sewing centre to provide training to the women of the area and the slum clusters around. He said that he was trying to involve other influential people of the area to help him restore the centre for the purpose it had been built. |
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Theft of
an ocular kind Faridabad, December 21 After about two hours, the ‘eye bank’ team reached the cremation ground with the body, but all those present were shocked to see that the eyes had been missing. It was told that some persons from another eye bank had also come and taken the eyes. The family has requested the district health authorities to look into the matter and take action. It is learnt that more than a dozen persons have so far donated their eyes this year in the town.
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BJP MP accuses Chautala of harassing his relatives Sonepat, December 21 Reacting to the arrest of his brother and a former IAS officer, Mr Jaipal Sangwan, he told mediapersons here today that he would continue his fight against the Chief Minister for his aggressive attitude towards his political opponents. He alleged that Mr Chautala had only a one-point programme of eliminating his political rivals at any cost. Under this programme, he and his family members were being harassed on some pretext or the other. Mr Sangwan also alleged that his brother was arrested at the behest of the Chief Minister and had been implicated in a false case. His only fault was that he had taken voluntary retirement to contest the Rajya Sabha elections from Haryana. He also cited the example of his another relative, Mr Hari Singh of Hisar, who was allegedly attacked by a commando in civil uniform. His relative had received 43 injuries on his body in the attack. The BJP leader also alleged that his another brother, Mr Kuldeep Singh Sangwan, was subjected to harassment and he had to quit his government service. During his service, he faced the wrath of Mr Chautala who had ordered an enquiry against him. Mr Sangwan blamed the BJP high command for allowing Mr Chautala to harass the BJP leaders and activists in the state. He said that he would apprise the party high command about the excesses and atrocities on the party leaders and activists soon so that such excesses were stopped forthwith. Referring to the incidents of arson and violence at Ahulana village, the BJP leader alleged that Mr Chautala was solely responsible for these incidents and he should be punished for the same. |
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Delhi-bound trains held up to let goods trains pass Sonepat, December 21 According to a report, four passenger trains bound for Delhi were delayed for an hour. The allowing of goods trains to pass before the passenger trains at 6.20 am and again at 7.09 am from Sonepat by the authorities was the main cause of the delay and detention of the passenger trains. Both the goods train, which were allowed to pass before the passenger trains, were held up at Badli and Holembi Kalan railway stations by the railway authorities later and the passenger trains were allowed to pass. The 2 PNG shuttle arrived on schedule at the Sonepat railway station and it was held up for allowing a goods train to pass. Its arrival time at the Subzimandi railway station was 8.02 am but it arrived there at 8.50 am causing inconvenience to the passengers, particularly the government servants and schoolteachers who were penalised for late arrivals by their authorities. Three other suburban trains leaving Sonepat for Delhi and New Delhi at 7.25 am, 7.32 am and 7.50 am were also affected. Earlier too, a goods train was allowed to pass through Sonepat before a suburban train that was to leave Sonepat at 6.20 am. The Daily Railway Passengers Welfare Association today flayed the railway authorities for allowing the goods trains to pass before the timings of suburban trains and warned that if the suburban trains were delayed, the commuters would have no alternative but to picket the railway track and gherao the railway officials. |
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Mayawati’s visit unnerves officials Meerut, December 21 Officials were found busy mugging up facts and figures concerning the various ongoing developmental works in region. The CDO become worried when he was informed by the Block Development Officer that the necessary documents would be available only after two hours. The Executive Engineer of the UP Power Corporation Ltd., Mr Munish Kumar, faced an embarrassing situation when the Chief Minister found illegal power connections in the village. She directed the DM to immediately summon the Executive Engineer. When the Executive Engineer failed to answer her questions satisfactorily, she charged him of trying to make a fool of her. However, many of the villagers did not even get the time to put their problems to the CM.
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SEARCH WITHIN There are parents nowadays who are upset about the ways of their children and don’t know what to do. There is no end to the headaches some sons cause to their fathers. There is the story of such a son in the Gospel of Luke (Chapter 15). It is usually titled, the story of the prodigal son. A particular father had two sons. The younger one asked the father for his share of the property. He took his possessions, went to a far country and wasted all his wealth in riotous living. Then there was a great famine in the land. He was reduced to such a pathetic plight that often he had to eat the husks the swine did eat. All his friends had left him when he had squandered away all his wealth. One day a thought occurred to him: “How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough to eat and to spare, and I perish with hunger!’’ He decided to go back to his father, seek his forgiveness and then plead to be accepted at least as a worker under him. The son must have been certainly apprehensive whether his father would accept him. But the Biblical story goes on to say that when the father saw him from far off, “he had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.’’ To the great surprise of the repentant son, there was great rejoicing at his former home. His father had declared to those present: “This son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’’ With its chaos, conflicts and confusion, mankind is in a predicament like that of the prodigal son. All the advances in science and technology had not taken man to the utopia he has been planning. While many find it difficult to understand the concept of original sin, the results of man’s depravity is there for all to see. Ours is a broken world. It is a world of inequality, discrimination, injustice and corruption. Man is alienated from God because of his sinfulness. Human minds are infected by immorality, disobedience and unfaithfulness. Man has a tenacious and incorrigible trust in his being the sole arbiter of his destiny. He feels confident of his self-sufficiency and stumbles along. Hence the warning from Pascal: “It is vain O men, that you seek within yourselves the cure for your miseries. All your insight only leads you to the knowledge that it is not in yourselves that you will discover the true and the good. The philosophers promised them to you and have not been able to keep their promise…Your principle maladies are pride which cuts you off from God; sensuality which binds you to the earth; and they have done nothing but foster one of these maladies.’’ C. S Lewis, another Christian writer, observing man’s inclination to play God, makes this valid observation: “Man has been trying to invent some sort of happiness for himself outside and apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history — money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery — the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.’’ Into such a world came Jesus proclaiming: “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’’(Luke 5: 32) Of the purpose of his coming into the world, Luke’s Gospel records that He came to preach the Gospel to the poor; to heal the broken hearted; to liberate those who are enslaved by sin and also to restore sight to the blind. Announcing the birth of Jesus, to a group of shepherds, an angel from heaven had declared: “Behold! I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’’ He was sent into this earth to rescue the perishing and show them a new way of living. The Christian stand is that man’s weary business of making himself personally and collectively happy by his an own Herculean effort in earthly terms is doomed to failure. He must indeed, as Christ commanded, be born again. Millions of lives that have gone before us prove that Jesus, once known, understood and loved, brings with him into a man’s life, a new atmosphere, a whole lot of new attitudes and values in which spontaneously the evil things begin to droop and the fine things burst to bloom. The spirit of Christ transforms the man from inside. He becomes a new creation. Non-Christian historians and scientists acknowledge that the present degree of human culture owes, in great parts, its perfection to the propagation of Christian system of morals and its ennobling influence. To the Christian faith we owe the greatest exhibition of the beautiful, the sublime and of all else that appeals to our spiritual nature, which has ever been known upon our earth. Christ did not found a religion but showed a way that led to enduring joy in this world and hope in the hereafter. He continues to knock at the doors of people’s conscience and effects remarkable transformations to this day. The babe born in a manger in Bethlehem on the first Christmas more than 2000 years ago was fulfilment of a prophecy for redemption of mankind. It is in the plan of God according to the Bible, which says: “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’’(John 3:16). M P K Kutty
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SPECIAL FOCUS ON REWARI Rewari, December 21 Legend has it that the town was founded about 5,500 years ago, during the Mahabharta period by King Rewat. It was named ‘Rewa-wari’ after his darling daughter Rewati, alias Rewa. With the passage of time, the name ‘Rewa-wari’ got corrupted and the place was called Rewari. Rewati was married to Balram, the elder brother of Lord Krishna. Thus, the soil of Rewari was sanctified by the holy footprints as well as the benign presence of both Lord Krishna and Balram. It is noteworthy that till date, this entire region continues to have a large population of Yadavas or Ahirs, who proudly call themselves, Yadav vanshis, i.e. the descendants of Lord Krishna. The region is well-known by the name of Ahirwal or the land of Ahirs, who constitute a martial race as per the recorded history of their supreme sacrifices and gallantry awards won in various wars. Like most other parts of this vast region, Rewari too remained steeped in total obscurity for about 4,500 years after the Mahabharata War and as such, no authentic history of the above four millenniums are available. Rewari came into limelight during the year 1,029 A.D., when Saiyyad Ibrahim Barahazari, who was a trusted lieutenant of Mahammud Ghaznavi, arrived here from Somnath (Gujarat), enroute to Delhi, with the objective of spreading Islam. Here, the forces of Ibrahim Barahazari were given a tough fight by the Rajput king, Dwand Pal, who was killed in the battle, following which his younger brother, King Anang Pal, took up the command and gave a crushing and fatal defeat to Ibrahim Barahazari. Later, a mausoleum was erected at the site of his burial. The 973-year-old mausoleum exists even today and is a sacred place for the Muslims of the region. Since then, the locality here was named after him as Mohalla Barahazari. In 1,207 A.D, Qutub-ud-Din Aibak, the first Muhammadan emperor of India and founder of the Slave dynasty, invaded Rewari. After crushing the rebels here, he founded Qutubpur, the historical village in the suburbs of Rewari, which is now a part of Rewari city. Some three centuries later, Qutubpur became the abode of Hemu, who crowned himself the first Hindu emperor of medieval India with the title of `Hem Chandra Vikramaditya’ in Delhi. However, his rule was extremely short-lived. Moghul emperor Akbar conferred the status of a ‘Sarkar’ (district) on Rewari under Delhi province. At that time, this ‘Sarkar-E-Rewari’ (Rewari district) comprised the areas of Rewari, Bawal, Bhora, Pataudi, Sohna, Taoru, Gohana, Kotkasim and Neemrana. One century later, Rewari, like Narnaul, Alwar and Jhunjhunoo, was made a fiefdom of one of his princes by emperor Aurangzeb, following which Rao Nand Ram, Rao Gujar Mal, Rao Bhawani Singh, Rao Daler Singh, Rao Ram Singh and Rao Hira Singh became rulers of Rewari in succession. Rewari’s golden era lasted for about one century, when Nand Sagar, now known as Chhota Talab, and several forts were constructed here. In 1806 A.D., the ruler of Rewari, Rao Tej Singh, built Tej Sagar, now popularly known as Bara alab, at a cost of Rs 1.83 lakh. With the decisive victory of the English over the united forces of regional chieftains led by the ruler of Rewari, Rao Tula Ram, in the historic Battle of Nasibpur (near Narnaul) on November 16, 1857, the glorious era of ‘Sarkar-E Rewari’ ended. Subsequently, the region came under the direct rule of the British. Even after the end of the British rule in India in 1947, Rewari continued to be ignored. On November 1, 1989, Rewari along with three other newly carved-out districts of Panipat, Kaithal and Yamuna Nagar, was made a district by the late chief minister of Haryan, Mr Devi Lal. The present Rewari district comprises the two subdivisions of Rewari and Kosli, three tehsils of Rewari, Bawal and Kosli, five blocks of Rewari, Bawal, Jatusana, Khol and Nahar. Rewari city possesses a Municipal Council while Bawal has a Municipal Committee. The present population of the district is 7,64,727. With the establishment of a district secretariat, district judicial complex, Bal Bhavan, Red Cross Bhavan, Kisan Bhavan, Dry Port (Inland Container Depot), Industrial Training Institutes (for men as well as women), war memorials and Rao Tula Ram Stadium etc, a new face of the district is fast emerging. Health services provided by the private sector here have made rapid strides in the past two decades and can be compared with the best available in the country. During the past 25 years, Rewari has witnessed rapid industrialisation. With the establishment of industrial estates/complexes at Dharuhera, Bawal and Rewari, there are now 60 large and medium scale industrial units and about 3,100 small scale and rural industries in the district. Hero Honda Motors Ltd. has put Rewari and Dharuhera on the international industrial map. Notwithstanding the Postgraduate Regional Centre, the Somany Institute of Technology and Management, nine colleges and the 100-odd high and senior secondary schools functioning here, Rewari continues to lag behind in the field of higher education. Barring the horrendous communal riots, which erupted in the wake of the partition of the country in 1947, Rewari has remained a place of communal harmony. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and members of other communities have always lived here in peace and harmony. |
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GETTING AWAY
Bageshwar (the abode of gods), a quaint town in Uttaranchal, abounds in legends, festive happenings and mind blowing surroundings. Situated at the confluence of rivers Saryu, Gomti and latent Bhagirathi lies the holy township of Bageshwar; also revered as the pious land associated with Lord Sadashiva, the redeemer of all sins. With the east and west flanked by the Bhileswar and Nileshwar mountains and surrounded by Suraj Kund in the north and Agni Kund in the south, this land of Lord Shankar is of great religious and historic significance. The temple of Bagnath situated here is venerated. Devotees gather here on every Monday of the holy month of Shravan to worship the Lord, who is also known as the remover of sorrows. During the fairs of Uttarayani and Shivratri, hordes of devotees come to attend these fairs from far and near. The Nilaparvat, situated between the rivers Saryu and Gomti, is inhabited by all the 33 crore Gods of the Hindu pantheon, the celestial beings like Siddha, Gandharva, Vidyadhar, Urvashi etc and Manu sages. Irrigated by the Saryu, the Nilaparvat is held to be more important than the Vindhyachal. It was during the reign of the Chands, the Shiva temple was constructed at Bageshwar. Legend has it that when repeated attempts to install a Shiv Linga proved futile, it was Shri Manorath Pandey of Palayn village who succeeded in installing the idol after performing penance on the Shivratri. From then onwards, a massive fair is held on Shivratri each year to commemorate the event. Bagnath
temple:
Baijnath:
Chandika temple:
Sriharu temple:
Excursions Kausani:
Mahatma Gandhi, who spent 12 days in 1929 at Kausani, penned his memorable commentary on the Geeta-Ana-Sakti yoga inspired by the scenic grandeur of this richly gifted spot. The guesthouse where the Mahatma stayed is now known as Anasakti Ashram. Kanda:
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Schemes
to popularise use of solar energy launched Rewari, December 21 Mrs Neerja Sekhar, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Rewari, said the use of solar energy would help farmers of small land holdings where the level of sub-soil water was less than 8 metres. She wanted the farmers in the district to make use of solar energy, which was already in vogue with a fair degree of success in the three villages, Kosli, Lilodh and Shahdat Nagar, of the district. She emphasised the need for the use of solar water heating system, which is easy and cheap to maintain. |
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Urdu poet honoured Faridabad, December 21 Prof Bahar, who retired as principal of Government College, Rohtak, in November 1983, settled at Faridabad, Sector 7, since then. The award was for his latest book titled ‘Sarud-e-Rafta’, written last year. |
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Boy missing since Dec 13 |
Dacoity averted, five held New Delhi, December 21 The dacoits, Javed (30), resident of Madhubani, Dinesh (25), resident of Nepal, Pramod (27), resident of Palam Colony, Shiv Kumar, alias Shiv (20), resident of Bihar, and Ram Lal Kamath (22), resident of Bihar, were nabbed by the Special Staff of the West district police after a brief encounter. Four countrymade weapons, six live cartridges, ropes, knives and adhesive tapes were seized from their possession. The police acted on the information that Javed along with his Nepali associate had mastered the art of planting domestic servants at rich peoples’ houses to commit robbery or dacoity with their connivance. Acting on a tip-off that the accused would be meeting at Nangloi to commit a dacoity at a paper merchant’s house, the police party raided premises adjacent to Moti Lal Nehru School in Nangloi. When the accused gathered there, they were surprised at the presence of policemen and started firing at them but they were overpowered after an encounter. The main accused, who basically belonged to Bihar, came to Delhi and found many easy targets here for dacoity. They had earlier committed crimes in Karol Bagh, Rajender Nagar, Model Town and Jama Masjid and were later released. These dacoits basically targeted the rich people who were looking for domestic servants without even verifying their antecedents. In May 2002, they had committed a dacoity in Roop Nagar and looted more than Rs 30 lakh. At Panchkuian road, with the help of a domestic servant they entered a house and decamped with cash and jewellery. During interrogation, they confessed to their crimes in different parts of the city and disclosed that they had instructed the servants to mix the soporific (valium and Larpose tablets) in tea and planned a night operation.
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No concrete clue to DU reader’s murder New Delhi, December 21 Although the motive behind Singh’s murder was suspected to be some property dispute in Singh’s family, the police said that they have been working under some clues in the case. The police are on the look out for the suspects, who according to the eyewitnesses could have been the former students of the college. Man crushed to death by truck: In another incident, Rinku (15) and Ginnu (13) died and Rakesh was injured in an accident on Yamuna Bridge near ISBT last evening. The victims were going on a two-wheeler when an RTV hit their vehicle from behind.
Rnku and Ginnu fell unconscious while Rakesh sustained minor injuries.
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Prostitution
racket in Paschim Vihar busted New Delhi: The West district police today claimed to have busted a prostitution racket at a parlour in Friends Tower in Paschim Vihar with the arrest of three girls and boys. The racket was being run in the Indraprastha beauty parlour in the basement of the towers. It was unearthed after a decoy customer was sent to the parlour to negotiate with the prostitutes. A deal was struck with the decoy customer for Rs 2,500 after a girl had been chosen. In the present deal, girls were made to sit before the customer and the rates fixed according to their age, looks and features. The parlour, which gives advertisements in the newspapers for massage, has made various cabins for massage and sex in addition to providing outside services at the clients’ houses. Immediately after the deal had been struck, the raiding party apprehended the girls and boys who were present inside the parlour. Preliminary inquiries revealed that they provide services of male to male, female to male and male to female.
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Youth’s body found in basement Noida, December 21 The incident has sent shock waves in the area. The police probing various angles. Devinder Singh, the father of the youth, is a supplier of building material in the area. The family had lodged a missing person report with the police late in the night yesterday after having waited for him till late in the evening. When some labourers went to the basement of the building in Prakash Nagar, which is not far from Khoda Colony, they were shocked to see the body lying there. The police were immediately informed. The body was soon identified as that of Devinder Singh’s son, Yoginder. The police say it is not yet clear whether it is a case of suicide or murder. “We are looking at it from all possible angles”, the CO, City, said. |
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Bank launches drive to recover NPAs Panipat, December 21 According to Mr A. K. Arora, chief manager of the SSI branch of the bank, the bank initiated the action after the expiry of 60 days’ notice issued to the defaulter, as per the requirements of the ordinance. When the borrower and the guarantors failed to repay the amount, the bank wrote to the DC to depute an officer who would be witness to the bank’s actions. Accordingly, the tehsildar, Mr Rajinder Singh Gehlot, accompanied the bank team and the borrower paid the due amount. The DGM of the regional office at Karnal, Mr A. K. Tangri, informed that that the process of recovering amounts from the defaulters had already been initiated. He reiterated that the purpose of initiating such action was to recover bank’s money and not to harass the borrowers. He further informed that in just one week after the initiation of the action, the bank had recovered money from five defaulters. |
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NFL strives to end moneylenders’ hold on farmers Panipat, December 21 Speaking on the occasion of the inauguration of the “Kisan Seva Kendra”, the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the NFL, Mr P. S. Grewal, informed that the scheme was being given the final touches. He said that the foremost priority of the scheme would be to safeguard the interests of the farmers. Mr Grewal further informed that the tractor giant— Mahindra — had expressed its desire to give farm equipment to the farmers through the Kendras. In the first phase, this project would be implemented in MP and later on, it would be extended to Punjab and Haryana. |
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New Delhi, December 21