TOP STORIES

Sikh bodies sore over Tara Singh’s statue site
New Delhi, January 6
Controversy continues to dog the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee over the installation of a statue of Sikh leader, Master Tara Singh, and the construction of a parking lot outside Gurdwara Bangla Sahib with several Sikh organisations expressing their reservations over the choice of site for the installation of the statue.

Hit by Metro mania, BJP dumps statehood issue
New Delhi, January 6
After months of haggling over a suitable dispensation for the NCT of Delhi, the Delhi Pradesh BJP has dumped the issue of statehood for the popular appeal of Delhi Metro and projected transport as its main theme for the elections later this year.

Schoolchildren during the Republic Day parade rehearsal at Rajpath in the Capital on Monday.— Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

Farmers block highway, hold sugar mill officers captive
Meerut, January 6
Sugarcane farmers in the area intensified their movement for an immediate payment of their dues by the private sugar mill owner and the government. Angry farmers blocked the National Highway No 58 for several hours and took control of the state co-operative sugar mill, Muhiuddinpur.

Delhiites weather cold wave
New Delhi, January 6
The Capital today woke up to a cold morning and almost zero visibility. Dense fog continued to disrupt air and surface transport schedules. Schools recorded thin attendance.

Children to preach rule of the road New Delhi, January 6 The Capital, notorious for its rash driving and killer roads, is all set to observe a road safety week. The Capital witnesses about five fatal accidents each day, not to mention the mishaps that go unreported. With road rage and negligent driving claiming lives almost every second day, the traffic police and authorities have taken stringent steps to check the menace. From issuing challans to imparting lessons in driving, various initiatives have been started to curb accidents on the roads. A march-past of schoolchildren, which was flagged off by Commissioner of Police R.S. Gupta. — Tribune Photo

DU restricts admission to PG medical courses
New Delhi, January 6
The University of Delhi has announced that medical graduates, who have completed their course from the colleges affiliated to the university, will be eligible for admission to the university’s post graduate courses.

Why pulse polio campaign fails to click in Uttar Pradesh?
Ghaziabad, January 6
Yet another pulse polio campaign was launched in Ghaziabad, Noida and Bulandshahr districts today. But sadly it is marked by a lack of enthusiasm among health department staff and a poor response from the public. “How long shall we go on participating in this ritual,” the common man seems to ask. With 1,162 patients, Uttar Pradesh has the largest number of polio cases in the world. 

COMMUNITY

Shubha Mudgal performing for the Indian Cancer Society under ‘Artistes Against Cancer’ drive at the Chinmaya Mission Auditorium in the Capital.

HVP drive to enrol jobless youths
Sonepat, January 6
The Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) has launched a programme to enrol educated jobless youths and to take steps to reduce the rate of unemployment in the state. Inaugurating the party’s campaign at Mohana village, 19 km from here, on Sunday, Mr Nirpendra Singh, former MLA and president of the youth wing of the party, said that if the HVP came to power in the state, it would provide jobs to each unemployed youth and grant Rs 200 to Rs 250 per month as unemployment allowance.

Leaders politicising SYL issue: JD(U) leader
Sonepat, January 6
The president of the Haryana Pradesh Janata Dal (U), Mr Ved Parkash Vidrohi, has accused the leaders of political parties of politicising the Sutlej Yamuna Link canal issue and misleading the people of the state.

FACE TO FACE
‘MLAs should think beyond their own constituencies’
From a simple constable in Delhi Police, to the Chairman of East Delhi District Development Committee, Mr Amrish Gautam has travelled a long way. He took over this coveted post in August last year. Apart from this, he is also the Chairman of Loni Road-based Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar College and Kichiripur-based Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital. He is also an active member of many boards and committees. 

Khap sacks general secretary
Bhiwani, January 6
The Sarvjatiya Sheoran Khap 84 has relieved its general secretary, Dharm Pal Singh, of the charge. The decision was taken at its meeting held at Kisan Bhawan, Loharu, 50 km from here, late yesterday. The decision follows the “unsatisfactory clarification” given by the general secretary in the light of his absence at a meeting held at Sidhanwa village on December 22.

CRIME

Two killed in car-canter collision
Sonepat, January 6
Two persons were killed on the spot when a Maruti car and a canter collided with each other on the Sonepat-Gohana road near Kheri Damkan village, about 30 km from here, yesterday.

West dist police claim 70 pc crime workout rate
New Delhi, January 6
The West district police today claimed the initiation of various social schemes and interaction with groups had kept the crime rate under control. The district boasted of 70 per cent workout rate in crime during the year 2002.

Man killed in collision
Faridabad, January 6
A resident of NIT area here was killed in an accident involving two cars last night. A case has been registered in this connection. According to the police, the deceased, identified as Ved Prakash, was driving the car when it collided with another car coming from the opposite direction.

BUSINESS

FIA launching forum to facilitate exports
Faridabad, January 6
The export business from Faridabad, having touched Rs 1000 crore in the last financial year, promises to grow at an unprecedented rate. The Faridabad Industries Association (FIA) has come up with a new growth oriented plan to boost exports and help members find market overseas.

EDUCATION

Sacked teachers form sangharsh samiti
Rohtak, January 6
Nearly 50 teachers and non-teaching employees of Jat Senior Secondary School here, whose services were terminated on January 1, have decided to fight it out against the ‘illegal’ and ‘discriminatory’ manner of termination of their services and various ‘irregularities’ committed by the principal of the school.

College to hold meet on IT market
New Delhi, January 6
The Bharatiya Vidyapeeth College of Engineering is organising a national-level conference on the ‘present scenario of global market of IT and IT-enabled services’.

COURTS

Apex court dismisses govt plea on MCF
Faridabad, January 6
The Supreme Court has turned down the petition of the Haryana Government challenging the stay order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on the dismissal of the Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF) by the state government in September last year.

HEALTH

SPECIAL FOCUS ON FARIDABAD
Cardiac surgery at doorstep
Faridabad, January 6
“Heart ailments among the middle-aged section of Indian society have been on the rise. There is a need to make people aware of this so that they do not face the risk of a heart attack or cardiac surgery. The urban people should bring proper changes in their lifestyle and eating habits to remain physically fit to keep away heart ailments”.

• 1,355 mobile teams to give polio drops 

SPORTS

Rakesh Malhotra  stars for Punjab Zone
New Delhi, January 6
An all-round performance by Rakesh Malhotra, who took two wickets for 33 runs and scored an unbeaten 42, helped Punjab Zone defeat Bihar Zone by ten wickets in a cricket match of the 20th All-India Punjab National Bank Inter-Zone Sports Meet at the Karnail Singh Stadium in Delhi on Monday.

KKFI aims to include kho-kho in Asian Games
Rohtak, January 6
The general secretary of the Kho-Kho Federation of India (KKFI), Madhavrao Patil, has said that the Federation is aiming to get the game of kho-kho included in the scheme of Asian Games.

New Era to meet Hansraj in title clash
New Delhi, January 6
Hosts New Era Public School, Delhi will take on Hansraj Public School, Panchkula in the boys Under-16 final of the fourth Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Badminton Tournament.

Neeraj Academy  win 
New Delhi, January 6
An all-round performance by Kuldeep Diwan (3 for 27 and 47) and a debonair half-century by Jitender Gulia helped Neeraj Academy beat Inter Face Club by two wickets and win the second Devender Coach Memorial Cricket Tournament.

Dinesh shines for Nehru Stadium
New Delhi, January 6
A fine all-round display by Dinesh Kushhik (72 and 3 for 31) helped Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium beat Omni Academy by 41 runs and entered the quarter-final of the SPM Cricket Tournament at the SPM College ground, Punjabi Bagh.

Annu, Savita in wrestling team

Bank of India beat Sonnex

Punjab Police annex Dhyan Chand Cup New Delhi, January 6 Punjab Police defeated Indian Airlines 2-1 to annex the fifth Chhattrapati Hockey Tournament for the Dhyan Chand Cup at the Shivaji Stadium on Monday. In a thrilling match, the team were locked 1-1 at half time. Indian Airlines forged ahead when Mukesh Kumar scored off their very first penalty corner. Earlier, international Dhanraj Pillay’s two excellent crosses went abegging.

MP Zone and Jharkhand battle it out in a volleyball match of the PNB Sports Meet in Delhi.

Gyan Bharti Academy win
New Delhi, January 6
Deadly bowling by Abhilash Malik (3 for 10) and a dashing knock by Man of the Match Trigun Das enabled Gyan Bharti South Delhi Cricket Academy beat Ghaziabad Mahanagar Cricket Academy by six wickets in the second Mata Durga Devi Under-12 Cricket Tournament at the Bharat National Public School ground.

• Sajjan Singh Sethi shooting