R-Day parade route being sanitised
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 22
With just three days before the annual Republic Day parade, the Delhi Police in cooperation with several other security and intelligence agencies have started the onerous exercise of sanitising the route, taking into preventive custody scores of suspected troublemakers and drawing up a long list of suspects with terrorist links.

More than 30,000 personnel are being deployed along the shortened 6-km route with sharpshooters positioned strategically atop all high-rise buildings en route. The area police stations have been given the responsibility of identifying all such buildings and sanitising them. Access to these buildings will be restricted at least 24 hours before the annual parade that showcases the country’s military might and technological achievements. The markets along the route have also been ordered closed. All manholes on the parade route are being systematically checked for hidden explosives with the help of the sanitary staff of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

As an added precaution, jammers will be used before and during the parade to nullify all suspicious signals that could trigger off remote-controlled explosive devices. Jammer vehicles are now routinely used with the entourages of the Prime Minister and other VIPs enjoying “Z” category security.

Senior police and security personnel are personally monitoring the security arrangements in view of the persisting threats by the terrorists. Like last year, the Delhi Police are erecting sandbag pillboxes all along the route, particularly near the crossings. These will be manned by specially trained personnel with heavy machineguns.

To ensure that only genuine security personnel are armed during the parade, the security agencies are taking the precaution of taking out firing pins from all weapons on display. “This is a precaution we take so that even if some suspect manages to bypass all security and gains access to these weapons, at least he will not be able to fire,” a senior security official said.

Like last year, this year too heavy anti-aircraft guns have been positioned at selected places to prevent an aerial attack. The Air Force has also been asked to keep a vigil during the parade when the VIPs are present on the sprawling India Gate lawns. For a continuous aerial vigil, helicopters will be used, which will maintain continuous communication with the ground.

At the same time, the police have strengthened vigil at the border check-posts and at all entry points to prevent any suspicious element from entering the Capital. A similar vigil is being maintained at the other entry points, including the airport, the railway stations and the inter-state bus terminuses. Spotters, who can recognise some of the militants, particularly those from the Lashkar-e-Toiba, are also being deployed at some vantage positions along the route.

Traffic police advice to avoid certain areas
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 22
The traffic police have advised motorists and other road users to avoid the route of the parade on January 23 from 6 am to 1 pm. All commercial vehicles will not be allowed to enter the city from any border from 5.30 am. The route of the parade is as follows: Vijay Chowk-Rajpath-India Gate-Tilak Marg-Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg-Subhash Marg-Red Fort Chowk.

The DCP said buses from Ghaziabad to Shivaji Stadium will take National Highway (NH)-24, NH-13, Nizamuddin Bridge, Ring Road and terminate at Sarai Kale Khan. All buses coming from Dhaula Kuan side will terminate at Dhaula Kuan and buses from Badarpur side will terminate at New ISBT Sarai Kale Khan. No bus will be allowed to take a ‘U’ turn at the northern loop of Ring Road near Budh Vihar. Buses bound for Dhaula Kuan will take Boulevard Road, Rani Jhasi Road, Link Road and Upper Bridge Road. Buses for Ghaziabad will go via Wazirabad Bridge or ISBT bridge, the DCP said.

More teeth to consumer forums
Our Correspondent

Ghaziabad, January 22
The consumer protection law has been amended to give more teeth to the Consumer Protection Forum.

The chairmen of consumer courts have been vested with the powers of a first class judicial magistrate. This will empower them to issue interim stay orders and order attachment of property. Non-compliance of the consumer court orders will be construed as a crime, Mr S. P. Tyagi, Chairman of the Ghaziabad District Consumers Forum, told the ‘NCR Tribune’ here today. The amended Act, which had been passed by Parliament, had now received the President’s assent, Mr Tyagi added.

Now, the Act remained to be notified, he said. Revolutionary changes had been made in the Consumer Protection Ordinance of 1986, Mr Tyagi said.

The financial powers of the district consumer courts have been enhanced from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 20 lakh now, which means disputes up to Rs 20 lakh can be settled in the consumer courts. Similarly, the state consumer courts will now hear disputes up to the value of Rs 1 crore while those beyond Rs 1 crore will be within the jurisdiction of the National Consumer Forum.

Previously, the jurisdiction of state forum was up to Rs 20 lakh and that of the National Consumer Forum up to Rs 1 crore only, the Chairman of the Ghaziabad Consumer Forum said.

Consumer courts have also been empowered to grant stays. Steps have also been taken to ensure effective compliance of consumer court orders. These courts have been empowered to order attachment of property like civil courts in case on non-compliance of consumer court interim or final orders.

The notice period of attachment of property has been fixed at 30 days after which attachment orders can be issued. Non-compliance of consumer court verdicts will henceforth be construed as an offence. The sentence in such cases of non-observance will be determined by the relevant sections under which the suit is filed.

Provision for a jail sentence up to three years or fine up to Rs 10,000 or both has been made. Filing appeals against district forums’ verdicts has been made more stringent too.

Lawyers get ransom letters
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, January 22
At least seven lawyers, including Mr Prem Atrey, president of the District Bar Association, Sonepat, Mr Ranbir Singh Dahiya, president of the district unit of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), and Mr Kamal Hooda have received threat letters, asking them to hand over Rs 28 lakh as ransom within 25 days, failing which they will be eliminated.

According to a report, xerox copies of the threat letters were thrown in their chambers in the mini-secretariat. The name of Bhagat Singh of Kundli village was written on them. This caused considerable panic among the lawyers. They held an emergency meeting to discuss the issue. Later, a deputation of the District Bar Association called on the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Balwan Singh, and the Superintendent of Police, Mr Paramjit Singh Ahlawat, separately. The lawyers demanded immediate arrest of the miscreants behind the threat without delay. Both the DC and the SP gave assurances to the agitating members of the deputation that the culprits would be brought to book soon.

The senders of the threat letters have warned the SP of serious consequences if he dares to take any action against them. They have also pointed out that the lawyers who had earlier received the threat letters asking them to hand over Rs 5 lakh as ransom had failed to make the payment so far. Hence, they were now required to pay Rs 28 lakh as ransom within the stipulated period otherwise they would face the consequences.

Six lawyers of Sonepat, it may be recalled, had received threat letters on October 23 last year but they did not pay the ransom. Thereupon, they had gone on indefinite strike but called it off when the SP gave an assurance for bringing the culprits to book.

Meanwhile, the association has made it clear that if the police fail to take action against the miscreants and arrest them in 15 days, it will take up the matter with the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala.

Life of crime begins at 8, curse TV soaps
Parmindar Singh

Noida, January 22
It is hard to believe that a group of eight to 10 years old could commit crime like hardened criminals. But a gang of children of this age group has carried out a number of thefts in Noida, the police said.

Manoj and Ramesh are both LKG students while Bhoora is in Class VI. Aslam is unlettered. Bhoora is the kingpin of the gang. The names of all of them have been changed.

Arrested after a looting spree, these adolescents told the police that they had been doing it all for a lark. They used to break locks or shutters in shops and houses. If someone ever noticed them, Bhoora would frighten the person with a large screwdriver.

One more child, Deepak (name changed), told the police that Bhoora had taken him along for carrying certain articles, if need be. He would of course be paid for the work.

They are all good runners and would show a clean pair of heels to the policemen whenever they tried to catch them. The children said they had learnt the tricks of the trade from their seniors. But the TV soaps taught them more on the art of stealing and breaking into houses and shops, the police said.

And how would they spend the stolen money? They would splurge the moolah mainly on movies. Soon they left their studies also, the kids told the policemen.

Playing games like ‘kanchas’ or ‘guli danda’, they would fritter away their time during the day and at night, they would wander in markets and streets to commit thefts. They talked in a tone of dreaded criminals. A couple of them hail from Nepal and Badayun, the police said.

The kids would steal playthings from other children. They would fill their bags with toys and sports goods. Even their parents had no idea of what the brats were up to.

They looked so innocent that the policemen thought twice before giving them a slap. But a candy or toffee did the trick.

They narrated their modus operandi to the police.

Sometimes their operation was so deft that the police would think it to be the work of some Babrya tribe or other such gang.

Light at the end of the foggy tunnel, finally
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 22
After three weeks of blinding fog and bitter chill, which disrupted air and rail traffic, the residents of the Capital today woke up to a bright and sunny day. They felt on cloud nine, so to say, as this has been the longest spell of cold in January in 40 years.

Indian Meteorological Department Director R D Singh said that clear weather in the Capital could be expected for two to three days.

The met department said that the chill would slowly ebb. “Usually cold conditions persist till January 26,” the official said.

However, one swallow does not a summer make! Mr Singh said that foggy days might return if the stagnancy in a circulatory system persists over the north-western part of the sub-continent.

This system if it had moved towards the east would have brought clouds and rains. The fog has thinned in the whole of the northern belt but it has not cleared out, he said.

The minimum temperature recorded in Delhi during the last 24 hours has fallen to 3.7 from 4.0 yesterday but a substantial rise in the temperature early morning mitigated the cold, he said.

Forecasting that the sky would be clear during the next few days, he said fog was seen in the city in the early morning only on Wednesday when the temperature was 3.7 degrees Celsius.

The long spell of fog witnessed over the Capital, weather experts said, was due to the increasing air pollution in the city. They said pure fog lifts within a couple of hours after sunrise. But fog mixed with dust particles and pollutants blocks solar radiation, prevents ground heating and persists longer.

The radiation cooling of vapours leads to fog. Radiation cooling happens when the water vapours get trapped in the lower layer of atmosphere.

The experts said some invisible pollutants such as sulphur absorb moisture available in the atmosphere, making the fog dense. Pollution slows the ground-heating process that in turn keeps the maximum day temperature close to the minimum temperature. As a result, such days are unusually cold.

Meanwhile, for the first time in three weeks, flights operated normally. However, the fog prevailing in other parts of the northern belt continued to affect the train services to and from the Capital.

COMMUNITY

Central nod for vermiculture project in Jhajjar
Our Correspondent

The raw material required for production of vermicompost like dung, dry and green leaves, husks, degradable wastes etc is available in abundance. Mr Mohinder Kumar said that a large number of small and marginal farmers and agriculture labourers who are below poverty line would be motivated towards production of vermi compost for their livelihood. A unit costing Rs 3 lakh could easily give an output of vermi compost of 300 MT per year. Due to the increase in the number of worms, the production/income would be increased in the subsequent years, he said.

SPECIAL FOCUS ON PANIPAT
Power cuts pinch industry, common man
Pradeep Sharma
Tribune News Service

Panipat, January 22
The power crisis has thrown life out of gear in the city. The manufacture and exports of handloom products and blankets are likely to be affected badly. In fact, the Power Department seems to excel in making the citizens “powerless”. There is a saying in the city that if you want to establish an industry here, first install a generator set. Long and unannounced power cuts are a routine affair and it is only with the help of generators and inverters the entrepreneurs and residents alike can go about their business without interruption.

What has added to the woes of the residents is the rampant theft of power. Hundreds of power consumers, it is alleged, had been drawing power illegally through “kundi” connections. In a large number of cases, the meters had been tampered with allegedly in connivance with the Power Department staff.

To the chagrin of all, scores of government departments have not been paying bills amounting to several crores of rupees. Hundreds of residents, including handloom exporters and manufacturers, also owe crores of rupees to the department. And the latter takes it easy when it come to collecting the amount.

The severe power crisis sweeping the entire state started around the dawn of the New Year. Since the beginning of this month, the citizens have been at the receiving end of the Electricity Department’s faults. Since water supply is linked to power in a majority of the areas, water scarcity has also become rampant.

The running of generators has only helped to add to the already high level of pollution. With thousands of generators running for hours together, noise and air pollution has reached a new high. It is learnt that the demand for diesel has reached its peak with over 1 lakh litres reportedly being consumed here everyday.

Industry sources say the prolonged power cuts are likely to have an adverse effect on the production and export of handloom products. This year, the exports orders have been good and if the power supply is not normalised, it could lead to a substantial fall in the foreign exchange earnings.

Already the power crisis had an adverse effect on the production of blankets. The severe cold wave sweeping the country has ensured demand for the world-famous blankets from here. However, the Power Department is playing spoilsport, resulting in a fall in the blanket production and the manufacturers not meeting deadlines.

Even as the industry and well-off sections of the society use generator sets and inverters, the lesser mortals are at the mercy of the God. With the common citizens at the receiving end, the Power Department is looking for excuses.

It attributes the unscheduled power cuts to an increase in the demand in the chilly weather. It contends that there has been an increase in the demand due to “excessive use” of blowers, heaters and geysers. However, what baffles the ordinary citizens is how can one use these equipment at all when there is no electricity supply.

Sources, on the other hand, informed that despite tall claims of the top functionaries of the Haryana Government, there had been a shortfall in the power production. The current power crisis in the state is seen as the result of the shortfall in the power production.

It may be recalled that during summer too, the city was reeling under a severe power crisis. At that time, the authorities concerned had assured that the situation would be better in the winter. But erratic power supply had given a lie to the assurances of the authorities. It seems that the residents had reconciled to their fate and hardly anybody bothers to complaints. Instead, they prefer to make alternative power arrangements than depend on the authorities.

BSNL – connecting India, but
disconnecting villages?
Tribune News Service

Panipat, January 22
Contrary to its punchline, “Connecting India”, the state-controlled Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) seems to excel in “disconnecting India”. At least this is true in the case of over 20 villages of the district, which have been out of touch with the rest of the world for several days now.

According to sources, telephones of about 17 villages falling under the Bawail telephone exchange have been out of order for the past four days. Villagers allege that repeated complaints to the BSNL authorities have failed to get the dial tones back. In fact, a deputation of the aggrieved subscribers visited the office of the GM, Mr M. S. Dhillon, on Tuesday. Though Mr Dhillon could not meet them, the BSNL officials assured the residents that the fault in the exchange would be set right soon.

Similarly, scores of telephones of Adiana, Matlauda and Weisar villages have been “dead” for several days now. The underground cable was inadvertently cut during digging here.

This is not for the first that faults have developed in the rural exchange. Technical faults are common in the rural exchanges in the district and it takes days before the technical faults are removed.

What to talk of the rural phones, scores of city telephones go out of order at the drop of a hat. Department officials attribute the problem to severe cold wave, which has had a bad effect on the telephone wires.

Major gain in enrolment of IT assessees
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, January 22
The campaign of the Income Tax Department to increase the enrolment of assessees has achieved good results in Sonepat district. According to official sources, the number of assessees has gone up to about 38,000 as compared to only about 9,000 in 1995. These include 25,000 government employees and semi-government employees. The remaining 13,000 are small and big businessmen and industrialists who are paying income tax regularly.

As many as 5,000 persons are filing their return at present as compared to only 1,500 persons in the 1990s. The increase has been possible due to the concerted efforts made by the staff of the department.

According to the officials of the department, there are large a number of people who are not filing their income tax return despite their income being taxable under the provisions of the Income Tax Act. These include persons having mobile phones, big houses, club membership and those travelling abroad.

Even if the income of these categories of people is less than Rs 50,000 annually, they are still required to file their income tax return voluntarily.

However, it is estimated that approximately 20 per cent of the people owning mobile phones are yet to be brought under the Income Tax Act in this district. The officials hope that approximately 8,000 more people will file their income tax return by the end of the current financial year.

The officials of the department are keeping a close watch on such persons and a list is being prepared and if necessary, raids would be conducted against them. Six inspectors are touring the district to detect such persons who would be penalised under Section 271 F and fined upto Rs 5,000.

Presently, the Income Tax Department is earning an annual revenue of Rs 15 crore from the income-tax assessees in this district.

Cong activists submit memo against demolition
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, January 22
Several women activists of the district unit of the Congress Party, led by its president, Ms Sharda Rathaur, submitted a memorandum to the authorities protesting against the demolition of more than 500 jhuggis and houses in Azad Nagar of Ballabgarh sub-division here recently.

The memorandum, addressed to the Governor of Haryana, has appealed to him to intervene in the matter and stop the authorities from uprooting the shelters of the poor people in the name of ‘anti-encroachment’ drive. It claimed that razing down of more than 500 houses in this cold weather showed the inhuman face of the district authorities. The memorandum sought to know “who would be responsible if the displaced persons were killed in this cold condition? It said it was ironical that the government was ‘throwing’ the poor people out of their houses even as they were declaring `holidays and changing the timing of schools to save the children from the ‘cold’.

The memorandum states that the academic career of dozens of students facing board examination soon was at stake as their houses had been demolished. The women activists of the Congress Party appealed to the Governor to use his authority to stop the `inhuman’ action of the state government. It said the government should construct multi-storey buildings for poor persons before going in for such demolition.

Postal unions demand transfer of employee
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, January 22
Various postal department unions, including the circle and divisional units of the All India Postal Employees Union (AIPEU), have demanded immediate transfer of an official of the accounts department at the Head Post Office here.

In a letter written to the Chief Post Master General (CPMG), Haryana Postal Circle at Ambala, the office-bearers of these unions have alleged an official in the accounts wing had not only been involved in irregularities, but had also been patronising corruption and improper activities in the office, which had led to rampant groupism, casteism and favouritism.

It is alleged that the staff member in question had been posted here for several years and had the support of some of the seniors. It is claimed that a `mafia’ type of group had emerged, which not only harasses and victimises the employees who dare to oppose their activities but had also been responsible for physical assaults. It said the circle audit team had pointed out certain irregularities a couple of years ago and some recoveries had been from the said employee after an enquiry.

The complaint has added that illegal re-fixing of pay bonus, medical bills, misuse of official authority and harassment of employees who do not dance to their diktats were quite common. There had also been reports of undue harassment of certain women employees, it said. The unions have sought the transfer of the employee and a probe into the charges. It states that a raid by a high-ranking team could unearth several facts, besides ensuring proper functioning of the department here.

Fog causes mishaps, 22 hurt
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, January 22
At least 22 persons were injured, four of them seriously, in two different road accidents occurred on account of the dense fog and zero visibility near here today. According to a report, as many as 10 persons were injured when a Haryana Roadways bus collided with a jeep coming from the opposite direction between Sisana and Silana villages, about 25 km from here. The injured have been identified as Sandeep, Ms Bachni Devi, Ms Moorti, Ms Savitri, and Ms Usha of Kharkhauda, Ms Ompati, Ms Premo of Rohna village, Mr Somvir of Jataula village, Ms Geeta and Mr Sanjiv Dahiya of Thana Kalan village. The seriously injured Somvir has been sent to the PGIMS at Rohtak.

In another accident, a jeep overturned on the Kharkhauda-Bahadurgarh road injuring 15 persons. One of the injured persons, Satish, has been sent to a Delhi hospital for medical aid whereas three others, including two women, were admitted to a private hospital. The police have registered cases and further investigations are in progress.

DELHI DIGEST
Main hall opened at Gurdwara Mata Sundri
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 22
The main hall constructed at Gurdwara Mata Sundri was opened today by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president, Mr Paramjit Singh Sarna.

Expressing the need for changing the name of the college as “Mata Sunder Kaur College”, the DSGMC president said the final decision would be taken after consulting Sikh historians. He also praised the kar sewa being undertaken by Baba Harbans Singh for the construction of the 400-bed GHK Hospital.

Victim succumbs

Govind (28), who was allegedly hit by a car (HR-26-L-5713) on Bhero Singh Road on January 20 and admitted to JPN Hospital, succumbed to his injuries today. A case of causing death due to rash and negligent driving has been registered in the Tilak Marg police station. The police have launched a hunt to nab the erring car driver.

Robbed of Rs 2,200

Vijay Mittal (53) was robbed of Rs 2,200 and a gold ring and a silver ring by unidentified youths last night. The incident occurred when he was walking on Ajmal Khan Road after closing his shop here. A case of robbery has been registered, the police said.

CRIME

Schoolgirl’s charred body found in Anand Vihar
Tribune News Service

Stating that the cause of death would be known only after the post-mortem report, the police said that they were questioning Medha’s parents and others to find out the reason for the mysterious death of the girl.

Heroin worth Rs 2 cr seized
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 22
With the arrest of four persons, including two women, the Narcotics Branch of the Delhi Police today claimed to have seized heroin worth over Rs 2 crore. The suspects were involved in separate cases. In the first case, the police arrested Baljit Kaur from the ITO flyover where she went to deliver the consignment to her contact in the Capital.

About and 200 gram heroin was seized from her possession. In the second case, Guddi was arrested from the Minto Road terminal along with 750 gram heroin. She had come from Bareilly. Besides, Jaikishan and Hukam Chand were arrested from Mangolpuri and 1.5 kg heroin was seized from their possession.

117 cases of liquor seized
Tribune News Service

Panipat, January 22
The Excise Department staff on Tuesday impounded a canter on the Pasina road and seized 117 cases of liquor, including five cases of whisky.

Sources said acting on a tip-off, the excise staff signalled a canter to stop. Seeing the staff, the driver, cleaners and other persons in the vehicles fled the scene leaving the vehicle behind. A case under the Excise Act has been registered.

Two die in mishaps

Two deaths have been reported in the district since Monday. In the first incident, Raj Kumar, a resident of Osar village, was injured by an unidentified vehicle. He later succumbed to the injuries at the local civil hospital.

In another incident, a youth, Rajesh, was crushed to death by a train at the local railway station.

BUSINESS

BHEL employees awarded for excellence
Tribune News Service

The ‘Excel Awards’ scheme was conceptualised to motivate employees to excel in the fiercely competitive and rapidly changing business environment.