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| Friday,
December 27, 2002, Chandigarh, India |
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Eve-teasing: Well-settled married men worst offenders New Delhi, December 26 Mr Gupta said that 90 per cent of rape cases have seen the involvement of relatives of the victims while almost 100 per cent of those involved in eve-teasing were well-settled married men. He said that a case study of rape cases revealed that only 10 per cent of such heinous crimes were committed by unknown persons while in the rest of the cases, the accused was known to the victim. During a special drive on the North Campus of the Delhi University, it was found that none of the students was involved in eve-teasing. “We found an unusual trend during the case study. In the 381 cases of eve-teasing registered since August 15 this year, those involved were found well-educated, well-employed and married persons,” Mr Gupta said. He said Delhi Police in collaboration with an NGO was conducting a case study of rape cases in which the accused had been acquitted from the court. “This will enhance our skills in preparation of cases without any loopholes in future,” he added. |
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Delhi cops wiser after Dec 13 strike New Delhi, December 26 He said the year which started under the shadow of December 13 terrorist strike on Parliament ended on a bright note with the Delhi Police foiling all attempts by the Pakistani terrorist groups to foment trouble in Delhi. Reviewing the records of crime in the Capital during the year at the annual press conference here, Mr Gupta said that the Special Cell killed six terrorists and arrested 28 militants. The Crime Branch operation against the HUJI terrorists, all wanted in the American Center attack at Kolkata, was carried out jointly with Jharkhand Police at Hazaribagh a
few weeks after the Kolkata incident on
January 22. |
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It will be foggier in the days to come New Delhi, December 26 Many commuters were seen shivering on the sidewalks, straining to spot the buses they had to board. Traffic was moving at a snail’s pace with the headlights on. “This was the thickest fog of the season. Though the temperature was two degrees above normal, the morning seemed to be very cold because the previous week has been relatively warm,” said H.R. Hatwar, director of the Indian Meteorological Department. He added: “Winter has arrived late this season. The days thus far had been bright, sunny and warm.” The Met officials disclosed that the fog descended on the Capital after a north-westerly disturbance moved in from Jammu and Kashmir and settled in and around Rajasthan. The fog had arrived early this month, but disappeared suddenly. It staged a comeback on Monday. Visibility was less than 100 metres today, forcing rescheduling of flights and trains. Airport sources said that neither any flight had taken off nor landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport since morning. Likewise, some trains were held up as the fog had settled on the railway tracks, resulting in poor visibility. Officials at the New Delhi railway station disclosed that all long-distance trains were running late. The weather office spokesman said the density of the fog was likely to increase in the coming days; however, the temperature would remain by and large normal. Timely action prevented a blackout today even as a number of transmission lines of the Northern Grid tripped. The grid lines have tripped for the second time this week. Due to the dense fog in Delhi, Haryana and Punjab, a number of 400 KV and 220 KV transmission lines tripped on transient faults after midnight. The Panipat thermal power station also tripped around 0325 hrs. In Delhi, the power supply was maintained through the Dadri-Mandola line. Hydro generation in the western part of Northern Grid was increased, so that the Dadri-Panipat line, the only available link between the eastern and western parts of the grid, was not overloaded. However, the tripping of both the 450 MVA transformers at Panipat sub-station led to a disruption in the supply for some time between 0340 and 0440 hrs. The majority of the tripped lines were recharged after 0800 hrs. All the constituents of the Northern Regional Grid co-operated in keeping it intact, the Power Grid said. On December 22, the power supply to Delhi and several other northern states was disrupted for more than four hours as several lines tripped due to fog. |
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For the Metro-shy, 100 CNG buses flagged off New Delhi, December 26 Officials of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) breathed easy on Day 2 as the crowds had all but disappeared and with it vandalism. The Kashmere Gate station wore a forlorn look Thursday morning. Only a few thousand passengers had been ferried till about 9 am. People commuting to their places of work were pleasantly surprised as seats were still to be taken after they boarded the train. The first casualty of Wednesday’s stampede though has been the much-hyped ticketing system. Paper tickets were in, tokens out. Security had been beefed up. Police personnel could be seen keeping a tight vigil for any untoward incident. The DMRC said tokens would be issued only after commuters had understood how the automated ticket collection system worked. “It will take a week or so before we re-introduce the tokens … it will be paper tickets till such time,” said an official. Two companies of Delhi Police personnel, numbering 200, will be deployed from Friday. “This will ensure that public is not able to damage the trains or its facilities,” said the official. The emergency system on the train will also be immobilised for a few days. “The system was created so that a passenger could speak to the driver in case of a medical emergency, but it was misused,” he said. The first train rolled out twenty minutes past six. Barring minor technical flaws, the service continued without further disruption. For Arun Bhatnagar, who boarded the train from Kashmere Gate, the ride on the Metro was a welcome change. “I find it comfortable than travelling by road. I need not get into crowded buses anymore,” he said before leaving for Shahdara. The vandalism and stampede had taken their toll on the coaches but they were done up overnight for Thursday’s run. “The staff worked on the coaches in the yard after the service was terminated at 10 pm yesterday,” said the official. There was good news for those still to be bitten by the Metro bug as Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) introduced new buses. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit flagged off 100 CNG buses at the DTC’s Headquarters at Indraprastha Depot. “With the Metro and still more buses,” she said on the occasion, “Delhi now has a comprehensive transport plan.” Delhi, she said, had the distinction of being the only Capital in the world where public transport was running on CNG. DTC has 2,241 buses in its fleet. The chief minister said 900 more buses would be introduced in the next few months. Transport Minister Ajay Maken, in turn, said DTC had improved its operational performance and revenue by 30 per cent. |
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Grid failure hits life in Panipat Panipat, December 26 The four units of the station (Unit III to IV) produce 570 MWs of power daily. However, the first two units are under repair. As the grid failed around 3.30 am today, industrial production came to a halt. The city was plunged into darkness and went without water. Since the water supply was linked to the power supply, there was shortage of drinking water. Only the establishments, which had a standby facility of the generator set, functioned normally. According to sources, the four units of the station were ‘lit up’ this afternoon and the normal supply could be restored only by late night or tomorrow morning. Till the evening, the electricity department could make alternative arrangements in a few areas of the city. It is the second grid failure this week. On Monday, the grid failure had led to the delay of several fast trains putting to inconvenience thousands of passengers. It may be recalled that long unannounced power cuts are a routine affair in the city and the failure of grid only adds to the woes of the residents, who seem to have resigned themselves to their fate of being ‘powerless’ for long hours. |
BJP slams cases against Haryana party leaders Sonepat, December 26 Speaking to mediapersons here last evening, Mr Dhankar said that the action of the Chautala Government was to weaken the BJP-led NDA Government. He said that the state BJP leaders have already apprised the party high command of the excesses committed on the party leaders and the activists by the Chautala Government in the state and they have asked the state leadership to maintain restrain for the time being. Referring to the landslide victory of the party in Gujarat Assembly elections, Mr Dhankar said that the people of Gujarat had rejected the Congress and other Opposition parties for their slogans of secularism and they favoured the slogans of nationalism raised by the BJP and other nationalist forces in the country. He declared that the BJP would continue its fight against the cross-terrorism being encouraged by Pakistan and the ISI in India. The BJP urged the state government to introduce the insurance scheme for the crops in the state immediately so that the farmers hit by the natural calamities should get compensation for their damaged crops. He announced that the BJP would go ahead with its programmes and policies in the rural areas so that the party bases would be strengthened in the villages. The BJP leader highlighted the achievements of the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre and claimed that the people of the country were behind it. |
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SONEPAT Sonepat, December 26 In a signed press statement issued here today, he accused the Central Government of adopting anti-farmer policies. He said that it had utterly failed to allot adequate funds for giving compensation to the farmers for their kharif crops which were damaged by the prolonged drought conditions due to lack of monsoon and winter rains. He said that the state government had also failed to waive off the loans given to the drought-hit farmers during the kharif season as announced by the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee. The drought-hit farmers in Haryana, he said, had been denied the financial assistance on account of cold war between the Union Agriculture Minister, Mr Ajit Singh, and the Chief Minister, Mr Om Parkash Chautala. Mr Vidrohi alleged that a large quantity of fodder had been sent by the state government to Rajasthan drought-hit areas for its political ends though there had been an acute shortage of fodder in the southern parts of Haryana. The Deputy Commissioner of Mahindragarh district sent even an SOS to the state government seeking one lakh quintals of fodder immediately. He urged the Chief Minister to shun the politics of lies and order the granting of financial assistance to the drought-hit people of the state. He also demanded an end to the dispute between Mr Ajit Singh and Mr Chautala for the benefit of the people, particularly the drought-hit farmers. Referring to the Supreme Court decision on the controversial allotment of petrol pumps and LPG agencies, Mr Vidrohi said that it has exposed the scandal-tainted BJP-led NDA government and put the Prime Minister in the dock. He said that the decision of the apex court made it clear that the Prime Minister had taken this decision inadvertently to cover up the clandestine allotments made to the beneficiaries. The Janata Dal leader also accused the Vajpayee Government of making an attempt to escape from widespread public criticism and said that the intention behind scrapping of the total list of the allottees had revealed the arbitrary nature and favouritism adopted in the allotment by the government. He made an appeal to the leaders of all the parties to maintain their integrity and not to favour their partymen in such allotments in future. Mr Vidrohi expressed apprehensions over the ambiguous stand of the Chautala Government towards regularisation of illegal residential colonies in towns and cities across Haryana. This, he said, has caused fear and uncertainty among the residents. He urged the Chautala Government to come out with a white paper spelling out its stand and future plans and also disclose the official reasons for frequently altering its own decision. |
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Power cut Sonepat Train services were also affected and several long-distance and suburban trains were delayed and there was chaos at the railway stations. Thousands of passengers, mostly commuters, government servants and employees of private companies, remained stranded at Sonepat and nearby railway stations. Similarly, the road traffic was also badly hit due to the foggy weather conditions. The vehicle drivers had to use headlights for the movement of their vehicles. The traffic remained slow on the National Highway No. 1 and other state highways passing through Sonepat.
Surplus teachers The Haryana Education Department has declared 365 posts of JBT school teachers as surplus in Sonepat district with immediate effect. According to a report, these teachers will be sent to other districts for appointment. This has caused resentment among the JBT school teachers, who have been declared surplus by the District Primary Education Officer, Sonepat. They have also declined to fill up the forms given to them by the department. A protest rally by these teachers was organised in the municipal park here last evening and it was addressed by the union leaders, who announced that an agitation would be launched on this issue. They also described the decision of the state government for declaring the posts as surplus as unjust and unwarranted. The leaders also alleged that the school teachers recruited after 1991 were also declared as surplus and the list of such teachers included only male
teachers. |
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FARIDABAD Faridabad, December 26 The protestors, led by the general secretary of the
HVP, Mr Surender Singh, submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, addressed to the Governor. The memorandum stated that the casino bill be withdrawn, as it was “dangerous” trend. Mr Surender Singh said that his party would not allow the state government to open a casino here, as it was not in the general interest of public. He said that the youths of Haryana needed employment and not gambling as avenues of employment. The HVP leader claimed that casinos were functional only in
Goa. He charged the Chief Minister, Mr Chautala, of not taking the people of Haryana or their representatives into confidence before taking this decision. Appealing to the Governor of Haryana to intervene in the matter, the HVP leader said that ‘casino culture’ is a Western concept and not suitable for India. The party is of the opinion that this will lead to increase in crimes in the state. The protestors assembled at Dussehra ground, Ballabgarh and took out a procession up to the office of the Deputy Commissioner, where the memorandum was submitted. Mr Harsh Kumar, a former minister, Mr Dhan Singh Dagar and Mr Nayanpal Rawat were among others who took part in the rally. The party has already staged demonstrations at
Jhajjar, Rohtak, Rewari, Kurukshetra, Hisar, Sirsa and Gurgaon in this connection. |
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Sheila
launches NDMC beautification drive New Delhi, December 26 At a function organised by the traders of Gole Market to launch the developmental work at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Marg, the Chief Minister of Delhi, Ms Sheila Dikshit, said “Our efforts are not only towards beautification, but is directed towards giving importance to cleanliness.” She said that the objective of the drive was to make the markets attractive as well as convenient for the public. Gole Market will be provided with improved footpaths, a well-planned parking space, besides improving cleanliness in the area. While appreciating the efforts made by the NDMC Chairperson, Ms P. M. Singh, in undertaking the developmental works, Ms Dikshit urged the shopkeepers for their cooperation. The NDMC chairperson said that the improvement of footpaths is being undertaken keeping in view the number of customers visiting the markets. The chairperson assured that the developmental works would include other areas of the markets. The footpaths having length of 760 metres on both sides will be improved at an estimated cost of Rs 30 lakh and will be completed in four months. |
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Unit area method of tax assessment transparent: PHDCCI New Delhi, December 26 A concept paper prepared by the Chamber for the forthcoming workshop on ‘Property Tax Reforms in Delhi’, to be organised on December 27, suggests adoption of unit area method for assessment of property tax "as it is easier, simpler, transparent and discretion free method". Introduction of the unit area tax system in Delhi would rationalise the tax structure and ensure transparency, as it would be based on total covered area of property, unit area value per square metre and other factors based on objective parameters, the paper says. |
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SPECIAL
FOCUS
ON ROHTAK HIDDEN TREASURE Rohtak, December 26 In 1986, he was one of the few selected by the University of Rome to prepare a voluminous work on Keynesian theory, planning models and quantitative economics. Commenting on the work of Dr Dahiya, Professor Giocarlo Gandolfo and Prof Ferruccio Marzano, the editors, stated: “The amount of literature that the author manages to survey is most impressive and ranges from models of growth to underdevelopment economics, from models of development strategy to econometric method and approaches to development planning models, from accounting techniques to general planning procedures, from international trade policies to sectoral, regional and
project planning”. In 1989, Dr Dahiya’s book on ‘Planning Theories and Techniques in India: A Critique’, was published. Prof Uan Umbergen, a Nobel laureate in Economics said: “The author shows an amazing knowledge of the literature on his subject and related issues. After having set out the development and planning models used by the Indian Planning Commission, he offers……multi-regional multi-sectoral planning model. This may be considered a huge research programme, whose realisation would simplyfy the estimation of a large number of coefficients, such as a model is in need of”. In the same year, he published a paper along with leading economists, including Manmohan Singh, I.G Patel, D.K.Lakdawala, C N Vakil, Raja J Chellaiah, S.Gupta and P.N.Brahmananda. In 1997, Dr Dahiya’s published a paper alongside those of Dr K. Kasturirangan, Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Dr N Parsad, Director, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre(BARC), Dr M Swaminathan, former member of the Planning Commission, Dr A. S.Desai, the then Chairperson of UGC, former Ambassadors A Madhavan and V.N. Dharthacharry in a volume on ‘Knowledge Through Our Lifetime’. In the words of the editors, Dr Dahiya presented a conceptual framework towards formulation of theory on development with human face and dealt with the establishment of a just system as a result of development. In 1998, Dr Dahiya was invited to deliver the Schumpeter Memorial Lecture, organised by the Carvit Foundation in Italy. For the last several years, Prof Dahiya is working on a major research project on ‘The Establishment of Just System’. According to him, economics is a powerful tool for the analysis of a system-polity, economy and society. Cultural difference and morality provide nuance and subtlety, but an economic approach is fundamental to understanding where corruption incentives are the greatest and have the biggest impact. His present work focuses on the way corruption affects the entire system. The study of corruption forces scholars and policy makers to focus on the tension between self-seeking behaviour and public values. Those worried about the failures of the system throughout the world must confront the problem of corruption and the weak and arbitrary structures that feed it. According to Dr Dahiya, subtle differences in culture and basic values exist across the world. But there is one human motivator that is both universal and central to explaining the divergent experiences of different societies. That motivator is self-interest including an interest for the well being of one’s family and peer group. Critics call it greed. Economists call it utility maximisation. Whatever the label, the cities differ in the way they channel self-interest. Endemic corruption suggests a pervasive failure to tap self-interest for productive purposes. |
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Training
camp a ‘waste of funds, time’ for teachers Rohtak, December 26 The training camps are being organised for the English and Mathematics teachers from December 23 to 29, under ‘Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan’ by the Haryana government. The camps are aimed at clearing confusion regarding syllabi, refreshing knowledge and apprising teachers of new teaching methods. However, during a visit to various such centres, it was observed that several teachers were dissatisfied with the training imparted at these camps. They also charged the Education Department with committing several ‘irregularities’ in organising these camps. Teachers receiving training at Vaish Girls’ School said that a number of teachers were forced to attend these camps in violation of the government norms. One of the participants at the camp called it ‘ridiculous’ that few teachers whose retirement was due next year were attending these camps. Several teachers complained that even though they were travelling long distances to attend these camps, the authorities were not clear about the payment of their travelling allowances. When contacted, the principal of a senior secondary school said he was directed to make travelling allowance payment for only one day, as the trainees were supposed to stay at the same village during the 7-day camp. He said, per the government directions, teachers covering a distance up to 8 km would not be provided travelling allowances. He said the school administration had received Rs 5 per teacher for refreshment only and the teachers were supposed to make their own arrangements for lunch. The teachers said that they had to stay at the camp from 9.30 am to 3.30 pm. They argued the duration of the training classes should not exceed more than 3 hours in order to maintain the interest of the teachers. Some of the trainees said that it was ‘unjustified’ that the teachers whose services had been regularised would get earned leaves, while those on contract or ad-hoc basis, would not be compensated for their presence at these camps during the holidays. The District Primary Education Officer could not be contacted for his views despite several attempts. |
One killed as three-wheeler collides with bike Sonepat, December 26 According to a report, the victim was identified as Raj Singh of Kohla village and the injured as Dilbag who was immediately taken to a hospital, He is stated to be out of danger. Both the victims were going to Gohana town on the motorcycle. The police have registered a case against the driver of three-wheeler on the charge of rash and negligent driving and causing the death of the victim. According to another report, a youth Suresh was injured after being hit by a tractor-trolley near the sugar mill at Ahulana village about 50 km from here last evening. The injured youth was immediately hospitalised. Meanwhile, a 10-year-old boy Rahul was injured seriously as he was hit by a speeding car near Dadkhalsa village about 19 km from here last evening. He was going on his bicycle and crossing the road when the accident occurred. The boy was rushed to the local civil
hospital wherefrom he was shifted to a trauma centre in Delhi for further treatment. The police have registered the case and investigations were on. In another accident, a resident of Jakhauli village, Mr Luxmi sustained serious injuries when a canter turned turtle on the G T Road near Rai village about 13 km from here last evening. The injured was referred to a trauma centre in Delhi. The police are investigating the cases. However, no arrest has been made so far. |
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Four bodies found in Garh Mukteshwar Ghaziabad According to the police, the bodies of the youths were found in the farm of L A Khan, along the national highway. The hands and feet of the deceased were found to be tied; a rope was also found near the bodies. But it was apparent that the persons had been killed elsewhere and the bodies had been dumped in the field later. They had been murdered two days earlier, the police said. CO Promode Kumar questioned some villagers about the bodies. Both the youth were reportedly between 25 and 30 years of age. The police investigations are on. The Brajghat police also recovered the body of an eight-year old unidentified boy near the railway station who had been run over by a train. The body of an older person was also recovered by the police from near Syana Chowk level crossing. These two bodies have also been sent for autopsy.
Over 300 cylinders looted in Dadri Noida Though police had erected barricades on getting the information, they could not check the robbers who fled after the robbery.
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Four held for robbing man of Rs 3,000 New Delhi, December 26 The victim, Satya Prakash (20), hailing from Bihar, took a rickshaw from Kashmere Gate to New Delhi Railway Station. The rickshaw-puller, Arvind (20), took him near the flyover on DDU Marg, where he met with three of his associates, Sanatan, Subhash and Mukesh. The four robbed the victim of his money and belongings and tried to flee. However, when Satya Prakash raised an alarm, Arvind was nabbed. Later, his associates were also nabbed and the trunk was recovered from their possession.
Security guard killed An employee of a private security service was killed today in Shalimar Bagh. The security guard was accidentally hit by a bullet that went off from a double barrel gun while he was cleaning it. The police said that the deceased, Ravinder (25), a resident of Etah, was working in Friends Security Services in Jahangir Puri. The wife of the deceased told the police that the incident occurred at around 10.30 a.m. Ravinder was immediately rushed to the Babu Jagivan Ram Hospital where he was declared brought dead.
Woman killed A 27-year-old woman was killed yesterday when an unknown vehicle hit her at the Janpath crossing. The Parliament Street police said that the deceased, Geeta, a resident of Dakshinpuri, was killed while she was crossing the road. |
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Gang of robbers arrested in Noida Noida, December 26 The gang had been active for quite some time in Noida. They stole signboards put up by the Noida authority. The Noida authority officials informed the city police about this nuisance. Acting on a complaint made by the authorities, the police of Sector-24 made a swoop on the four burglars, who were planning the crime, and overpowered them. On interrogation, the thieves confessed to their crimes and revealed their modus operandi. The gang was active in Sectors 3, 18, 26 and 37. They used to remove the glow signs of Noida authority and sell them to a rag-pickers, Naresh Gupta, who resided in Sector 3. Gupta has also been taken into custody. The arrested thieves are Kishan Lal, Ali Mohiuddin, Dinesh and Komal Das. |
Dalit’s house
set afire Panipat |
PNB drive to issue new notes New Delhi, December 26 With this campaign, the public got some relief and the business community felt happy since their problems had been mitigated to an extent. Delhi Zone general manager P L Madan and general manager of the bank’s head office K G Sathyasingan personally supervised the campaign. Other senior officials, dy general manager and senior regional managers also inspected the scene to make sure that the public avail themselves of the opportunity without difficulty in the following branches: Sarita Vihar, CGHS Patparganj, Dilshad Garden, Kamla Nagar, Paschim Vihar, Pitampura, Prashant Vihar, Punjabi Bagh, ASC Alaknanda, R P Bagh, Greater Kailash II, Shalimar Bagh, West Patel Nagar, Hari Nagar, Vasant Kunj, Vasant Vihar, Chankyapuri, Janak Puri, Sector I Noida and Old Faridabad. |
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