TOP STORIES

Tax-free NDMC budget
New Delhi, March 28
Refuting allegations concerning her transfer, the Chairperson of the New Delhi Municipal Council, Ms. Parminder Mandip Singh, presented the budget for 2003-04 in the Capital today.

Modi Nagar doctor freed, two captors 
shot dead 
Ghaziabad, March 28
A doctor, Atul Sethi, who was abducted by four armed and masked men from Sikri Road, Modi Nagar, yesterday, was rescued by Sahibabad Police at about 3 am today.

SARKAR AAP KE DWAR
Chautala: The 30-minute manager
Sonepat, March 28
The representatives of 25 village panchayats and 31 municipal wards are cut up with Chief Minister Chautala, who spent hardly half-an-hour at Thursday’s ‘Sarkar Aap Ke Dwar’ programme. He reportedly spent almost the equivalent time at the marriage of the daughter of an INLD leader.

Muzaffar Ali at the inauguration of the Fibres of Fashion show in the Capital on Friday. — Photo by Anil Sharma

Why start nursery wings when schools themselves need to be nursed
Faridabad, March 28
Primary education in the state may not be much to write home about. Yet the Haryana Government has decided to start nursery sections in various primary schools run by it from April this year.

ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTIONS
HC threatens to haul Wakf Board for contempt
New Delhi, March 28
The Delhi High Court today threatened to initiate contempt proceedings against the Delhi Wakf Board officials for having failed to implement its order to clear the Masjid Qaziwala in Paharganj area of the Capital of all illegal constructions.

Masked men rob bus passengers at knifepoint
New Delhi, March 28
Four unidentified masked desperadoes intercepted a bus and looted cash and jewellery worth Rs 12,000 from two passengers today. The bus with an STA permit, plying on route No. 901, was coming from Kamla Market and heading for Mangolpuri when the incident occurred around 8.30 am.

• Gangsters loot Rs 19.54 lakh from LIC van

Missing trader’s body found
Meerut, March 28
A city trader, who was kidnapped from Transport Nagar Police Station area three days back, has been murdered. His decomposed body was recovered from a sugarcane field.

COMMUNITY

RALLY AGAINST DOGS OF WAR: Activists of the CPI(ML) during a protest march from Ramlila Ground to Jantar Mantar, demanding an end to the war on Friday.  — Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal FOR PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE: The All-India Joint Association for Youth protest against the war in the Capital on Friay. Thousands of students  participated in the rally.

Craftsmen lose out in global mart: Advani
Greater Noida, March 28
Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani said that Indian craftsmen, who are second to none in the world in producing beautiful handicrafts and artifacts, are handicapped for want of proper marketing infrastructure.

Haryana to go ahead with VAT implementation
Gurgaon, March 28
Notwithstanding the protests against Value Addition Tax (VAT) from the business community, the Finance Minister of Haryana, Prof Sampat Singh, asserted here that the government would implement it from April 1.

Govt ‘snatches’ MCD’s right to grant pension
New Delhi, March 28
Leader of opposition in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Vijender Gupta criticised the decision to transfer right to grant pension to senior citizens, physically handicapped and widows from the corporation to the Delhi government.

Respite for Patparganj residents
New Delhi, March 28
The residents of Patparganj in East Delhi are finally relieved that after almost a decade, the MCD is about to complete the road under the flyover at Rama Road. 

Three PWD officers remanded in bribe case
Sonepat, March 28
Three officers of the PWD (B&R), Mr S C Singla, Executive Engineer; Mr Ved Parkash Chhatra, SDO; and Mr Suman Dev Sharma, a Junior Engineer, arrested under the Prevention of Anti-Corruption Act, were produced before the District and Sessions Judge, Mr S K Sardana, here yesterday who remanded them in judicial custody.

• Ex-sarpanch held for rape

• Ekta Rally

• Anti-US demo

I.D. Swamy calls on state RSS leader
Sonepat, March 28
The Union Minister of State for Home, Mr I D Swamy, made an unscheduled halt in the city last evening. According to a report, the minister called on Mr Bajran Lal Gupta, a state RSS leader, at his residence in Sector 14.

SPEAKING OUT
Schools on HUDA land too flout norms

Apropos Smriti Kak’s report ‘Schools accept sops but shun poor students’ (NCR Tribune, March 16), the issue raised is not confined to Delhi only but it affects other states as well. The HUDA, Faridabad, allotted land to a majority of the private public schools at throwaway prices for setting up schools in various sectors developed by it, under specific terms and conditions and subject to the provisions of the Haryana Urban Development Authority Act 1977.

Hype killed World Cup chances Thanks for sports coverage Switch off cell while driving

Why declare holiday on March 8? Bank harassing retd Armyman

NCR BRIEFS
Retrenched HSMITC staff hold dharna
Rohtak, March 28
The retrenched employees of Haryana State Minor Irrigation and Tubewell Corporation (HSMITC), accompanied by the members of their families, staged a dharna at the mini secretariat here under the leadership of Mr Baljit Singh Deswal today.

• One killed in cylinder blast

• Free eye camp

• CII council chairman

• Civic body’s budget estimates

DELHI DIGEST
Gang of dacoits smashed after encounter
New Delhi, March 28
North-West district police today claimed to have injured a dacoit and arrested seven others in an encounter at Samaipur Badli last night. The injured, Anandraj, has been admitted to Babu Jagjeevan Ram Hospital.

• Majestic Auto

• Bank manager killed

• PHDCCI union

CRIME

Held for selling job dreams
New Delhi: With the arrest of three suspects, Crime Branch of the City Police today claimed to have busted a gang of artful dodgers who have reportedly duped innocent and needy youths on the pretext of providing employment. The suspects were arrested from East of Kailash.

BUSINESS

PNB attaches property worth Rs 2.66 crore 
Panipat, March 28
Punjab National Bank has attached immovable property worth over Rs 2.66 crore of 28 big borrowers of Panipat, Sonepat and Karnal districts during the first quarter of this year.

EDUCATION

Private schools begin enrolment drive
Sonepat, March 28
With the harvest season approaching fast, the teachers and staff of private schools have started campaigns in the villages to ensure maximum enrolment of students in their respective schools.

HEALTH

Leprosy patients park funds in small savings scheme
Panipat, March 28
Perhaps, it was a rare moment in the history of small savings when leprosy patients of Baikunth Dham, a residential colony developed by Rotary Club, Panipat, made contributions amounting to Rs 61,000 from their hard-earned money in small savings today.

SPORTS

Air Force meet Mohan Meakins in SAIL opener

New Delhi, March 28 Indian Air Force will take on Mohan Meakins in the opening match of the 13th Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) Tropy Cricket Tournament, starting at the Mohan Nagar ground on March 31. Prominent teams of Delhi like defending champions Trans Yamuna Cricket Association, hosts SAIL, Chand Khanna Club, Subhania Club, Sonnet, Golden Hawks, Youngsters, Malviya Club, Indian Airlines and Sahara Airlines will participate in the tournament. Cricketer Rakesh Shukla and T. K. Bhowmik (left) announce the details of the SAIL Trophy Cricket tournament in the Capital on Friday.

Richa Mishra to get training in Hungary
New Delhi, March 28
Richa Mishra, the talented swimmer, who collected a clutch of medals in the National Games held at Hyderabad last year, has been selected by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to undergo advanced training in swimming in Hungary under well-known swimming coach Otto Kovaes at Budapest from end of March to August.

HDFC Bank enter final
New Delhi, March 28
A devastating 4 for 21 bowling spell by Yatin Dalvi enabled HDFC Bank defeat Railway Officers’ Cricket Association by 27 runs and entered the final of the 10th Teri Cup Cricket Tournament at the Central Secretariat ground. HDFC Bank will take on GAIL in the final.

Fiery spell from Ashwani Arora
New Delhi, March 28
Deadly bowling of 5 for 16 by Ashwani Arora helped Dominos beat Radisson by nine wickets to enter the final of the 14th Inter-Hotels Cricket Tournament at the Siri Fort Sports Complex, New Delhi.

ADMINISTRATION

Concessions to facilitate trade tax payment
Noida, March 28
To attract the maximum of the balance amount of trade tax, the UP Government has decided not to impose any penalty on delayed payment. The government has decided to condone cent per cent interest or penalty on balance payment of trade tax up to Rs 1 lakh.