TOP STORIES

Can Delhi roads be freed of the VVIP menace?
Advani uses chopper to hop to Mehrauli, that will be the norm now 
New Delhi, March 31
If the authorities adopt the new policy of ferrying VIPs attending public functions in the Capital by helicopter, traffic snarls, heartburn caused to the public and security breaches on sanitised routes may soon be a thing of the past.

Traders fuss over VAT, down shutters
New Delhi, March 31
A two-day countrywide traders’ bandh began today in protest against the introduction of VAT regime from tomorrow. The bandh call was given by the Bharat Udyog Vyapar Mandal and the Confederation of All-India Traders.
Members of the Sadar Bazar Traders Association burn a VAT effigy in the Capital on Monday. — Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

Shy of privatisation, Sheila proposes water regulatory commission New Delhi, March 31 Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Monday ruled out privatisation of the water utility but said a regulatory commission would be set up on the lines of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) to oversee the water distribution. BIRTHDAY GIRL: Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who turned 65, with supporters at her residence in the Capital on Monday.

Number of I-T assessees swells in Noida
Noida, March 31
Noida has registered the fastest growth rate among income tax assessees in North India since 1992. This was stated by the Additional Commissioner, Income tax, Noida Zone, S. Rahman.

BURIED ALIVE 
Frantic efforts to extricate labourers
Sonepat, March 31
Despite frantic efforts for more than 20 hours, the administrative machinery has failed to extricate two persons who were buried nearly 35-feet deep in mud while digging a well in the field of a farmer of village Sandal Khurd on Sunday afternoon.

LEGAL TUSSLE
Lawyers slug it out on Bar premises
Jhajjar, March 31
The struggle for supremacy threatened to turn violent as rival factions of the District Bar Association confronted each other today in the Bar room for control of the premises and attendant facilities.

• Delhi advocate killed

COMMUNITY

Minister of State for Rural Development Sanjay Paswan and actor Akshay Kumar inaugurate the HT&E Institute in Gurgaon on Monday. Activists of the All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat demonstrate against the war at Jantar Mantar in the Capital on Monday. — Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

Nauchandi Mela begins under shadow of war 
Meerut, March 31
North India’s famous religious fair-turned-commercial exhibition 810th Nauchandi Mela began yesterday at 6.45 pm amidst bursting of crackers. Colourfully decorated and illuminated stalls have started coming up at the mela ground.

BSNL opens nine new exchanges
Sonepat, March 31
The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has opened new telephone exchanges at Pinana, Khanda, Teori, Ganaur RSU, OCB 283 at Sonepat, Kundli, Gohana Road, Sonepat and Sector 15 in the city.

SONEPAT
Fire in cotton mill causes loss of Rs 25 lakh
Sonepat, March 31
A large quantity of cotton and other machinery worth about Rs 25 lakh were reduced to ashes in a devastating fire which broke out in a cotton mill at Rasoi village about 15 km from here last evening.

• Freedom fighter dead

• Centres for exams

• Rally against US attack

• Eight hurt

• Four killed

Britannica brings out compendium on Indian visual art
New Delhi, March 31
Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, the President of India, today received Encyclopaedia Britannica’s Art of India - Prehistory to the Present at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Encyclopaedia Britannica, publishers of high-quality reference, education and learning products, have brought to visual art lovers a unique and aesthetically appealing scholarly insight into the history of art

‘Good governance key to socio-economic growth’
Rohtak, March 31
Delivering the keynote address at the inaugural session of the two-day national seminar on ‘Social Transformation in Haryana: Issues and Problems’, eminent demographer and social scientist Dr Ashis Bose said that good governance holds the key to furthering socio-economic development.

TBWA bags first place in Delhi Ad Club quiz contest
New Delhi, March 31
The TBWA India bagged the first prize at the 11th DACAMM Quiz-2003 conducted by India’s well-known quizmaster, Mr Derek `O Brien today in New Delhi. An annual quiz event organised by the Delhi Advertising Club (DAC) had 24 teams

NCR BRIEFS
Govt losing trade tax for want of checkpost
Jahangirpur (Noida), March 31
The officials of the Trade Tax department seem to be fiddling while the state exchequer is suffering revenue loss of lakhs of rupees here. There is no checkpost of the Trade Tax department in the area. 

• Vet welfare assistants flay HAU

• Anti-US protest

DELHI DIGEST
Trains cancelled due to derailment
New Delhi, March 31
Local trains in Delhi were cancelled due to derailment of two goods trains between Brar Square and Safdarjung Railway Station this morning. Nine coaches of the train derailed.

• Legal aid centre

• Navratra festival

CRIME

Pak national held for staying illegally
New Delhi, March 31
The Delhi Police arrested a Pakistani national who had been staying here illegally and helping terrorists carrying out subversive activities. Mohammad Yamin (33), hailing from Multan in Pakistan, was arrested from the Inter-State Bus Terminus in Kashmere Gate area of North Delhi, police said.

Security guard among two killed in factory
Ghaziabad, March 31
Two persons, including a security guard, were killed in a plastic factory in Arya Nagar area of Loni last night. The bodies were found in a room in the factory in the morning. Both security guard Shiv Sagar and the other person, unidentified so far, were in their early 40s.

Gang of thieves smashed; goods, jewellery seized
Noida, March 31
The Noida police today claimed to have busted a gang of thieves which specialised in pickpocketing and looting houses in broad daylight. One Sukhbir provided a tip-off at Atta police post that some criminals who had looted Ms Sabha Ahmed’s house in Sector-27 on February 28 were trying to sell a stolen cell phone and a camera.

BUSINESS

Centre should chalk out road-map on export schemes: PHDCCI
Gurgaon, March 31
The president of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI), Mr P.K. Jain, urged the Centre to chalk out and publicise a road-map in advance for the proposed consolidation of the various export incentive schemes so that the exporting community has enough time to adapt their operation to the likely changes.

CULTURE

FACE TO FACE
‘Pop and remix are superficial and transitory in nature’
Raised in abject poverty in a small cluster near Shadipur Depot, 38-year-old Babu Lal Bhatt has completed a long and arduous journey. Now he is rated as one of the top artistes and exponents of Kalbelia, the famous folk dance of Rajasthan. He thrilled the audiences by his three successive performances at Bharat Mahotasavas abroad.

HEALTH

When you don’t do what the doctor ordered
New Delhi, March 31
`Every ill does not require a pill’ believe a lot of people. To help ensure that people continue to take the medications prescribed by their doctors, a national body called GACM (Group for Awareness on Compliance to Medications) has been formed.

SPORTS

Jeev, Jyoti sign sponsorship deal
New Delhi, March 31
Ace golfers Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa signed a deal to become the brand ambassadors of golf equipment firm Mizuno of Japan. The two leading Asian golfing professionals will represent the Mizuno brand, which has made an entry into the Indian market.

Karthikeyan misses out podium finish
New Delhi, March 31
Narain Karthikeyan, representing Tata Carlin Motorsport, retired from the first Superfund World Series race at Jarama in Spain, while running in a strong second place, to miss out on podium finish.

Vijay Arya spins AIIMS to victory
New Delhi, March 31
Vijay Arya turned his spinning arm around to devastate Maruti Club and help All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to a four-wicket victory in a league match of the second Rajdhani Cup Cricket Tournament at the Najafgarh Club ground.

Shastri Club, South Delhi move up
New Delhi, March 31
Lal Bahadur Shastri Club crushed Subhania Club by 95 runs and South Delhi Colts defeated Haridwar Club by six wickets in the Davinder Singh Memorial Cricket Tournament for the Tara Devi Trophy.

Air Force ground Meakins New Delhi, March 31 Deadly bowling performances by skipper Deepak Bhaskar (3 for 7), K K Dixit (3 for 12) and Karmakar (3 for 11) helped Indian Air Force beat Mohan Meakins by ten wickets and entered the quarter-final of the 13th SAIL Trophy Cricket tournament.  Chief of communications Debajit Rath inaugurates the SAIL Trophy Cricket tournament at the Mohan Meakins ground on Monday.

Poonia rides to glory

Run for Health and Fitness