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July 5, 2003, Chandigarh, India
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MCD tanker kills two girls on way to school New Delhi, July 4 While Sonu (8), a class III student, was declared brought dead in the Deen Dayal Upadhya Hospital, Ansa (5), a class I student, died in the hospital. Their cousin, Amit (12), sustained a fracture in his right hand. The police said the three were on way to their school on a cycle when the private sewage tanker (HR-14-6466) hit them in the Mansaram Park colony. Immediately after the incident, a shopkeeper, Surinder Singh, who witnessed the incident, took the three victims to the hospital. The police said the two girl victims stayed in the Mansa Park colony with their uncle. The police said the incident could have occurred due to the narrow and congested nature of the street. The driver of the tanker, Ved Prakash (22), resident of Badli, Haryana, has been arrested. A case of causing death due to rash and negligent driving was registered against him. |
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JE ends with broken legs for nailing theft Sonepat, July 4 Iron rods and wooden sticks were allegedly used in the attack; both the legs of the junior engineer have been broken. He has been admitted to the Gohana Civil Hospital. The other three employees, Madan and Devender and Rohtas, assistant linesmen, have also sustained injuries. The police, after recording the statements of the JE and other employees, have registered a case under Sections 332,353 and 34 of the IPC against Krishan Pehalwan and his brother Suresh. Both are reportedly absconding after the incident. Meanwhile, in protest against the attack, employees in all offices of the nigam went on a lightning strike, demanding the immediate arrest of the alleged attackers. However, they returned to work following an assurance from the DSP, Gohana, and the local MLA that the culprits would be arrested soon. The employees have also formed a six-member action committee. The have asked the authorities to arrest the culprits by 8 am on Saturday. Otherwise, they will go on strike. According to information, the team was returning after detecting a case of power theft in a house under construction in the same locality when the two alleged accused, residing in an adjacent house, stopped the team and attacked them. Sometime back, the same JE had detected a case of power theft in the house of these two youths. They had threatened the JE with dire consequences. And they reportedly got the opportunity this morning around 9.30 am. New Delhi: The protests and demonstrations notwithstanding, the revised power tariff for consumers, announced by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC), has come into effect in the Capital from today. The tariff hike, varying between eight and 15 per cent, is likely to affect the consumers using more than 400 units a month. Those consuming up to 400 units would not have to pay any additional amount in view of the Delhi Government’s decision to provide a subsidy of Rs 41 crore till March 31 next
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New power tariff comes into effect in Delhi New Delhi, July 4 The tariff hike, varying between eight and 15 per cent, is likely to affect the consumers using more than 400 units a month. Those consuming up to 400 units would not have to pay any additional amount in view of the Delhi Government’s decision to provide a subsidy of Rs 41 crore till March 31 next year. Consumers using up to 400 units will pay less as additional charges like the meter rent, fixed minimum payment and the system of normative consumption concept have been completely abolished. The DERC announced the revision as part of its efforts to rationalise the tariff structure in Delhi. Earlier, in the wake of the hike announcement political parties, including the BJP, the CPM, the Left parties, the Socialist Unity Centre of India, labour unions and some consumer bodies staged protests over the increase in the power tariff on the ground that this would tax the people who were already facing acute power shortage. The Chief Minister, Ms Sheila Dikshit, however, justified the hike, saying that the rationalisation of power tariff in the Capital would in fact reduce the burden on domestic consumers who constituted about 70 per cent of the total electricity users. The domestic users, who consumed less than 400 units a month and paid approximately Rs 1,000 at present, would have to pay less with the introduction of the new rates with the complete withdrawal of charges like meter rent, she claimed. She added that the government did not want to put any additional burden on the middle and lower middle class consumers. The government claimed that the hike in power tariff would affect only major users like industrial and business houses, constituting about 30 per cent of the consumers. Even they have been given certain benefits like lifting the requirement for an MCD licence before granting of power connection. As per the new tariff structure, consumers will pay 25 paise more for every slab of power usage, increasing the rate by eight to 15 per cent for different slabs. For industrial use, the tariff has been hiked by 35 paise per unit. |
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Road scam can resurrect BJP’s fortunes in Panipat Panipat, July 4 With the Minister of State for Home Affairs and the local MP, Mr I. D. Swami, asking Mr Bhatia to forward to him the copies of the complaints regarding alleged irregularities in the construction of roads, many heads in the civic body and the district administration are likely to roll. Mr Bhatia had raised the issue earlier also. This time, however, he seems to be set for a fight to the finish. In this fight, he seems to have the backing of his mentor, Mr Swami, who has been keeping a tab on the developments in his constituency with an eye on the general election next year. With the BJP’s popularity waning, the issue of corruption can resurrect the party and win sympathy and votes. While checking the records of the municipality, Mr Bhatia had come across various irregularities in the construction of roads under the
It was discovered that poor quality material was used in the construction of the roads, which had started cracking up a year or so after they were laid. One particular road was never laid, though in the records it was shown to have been re-laid, a source told NCR Tribune. Again, even though works worth several lakhs were under way in the city, no entry had been made in the tender register after March 18, with a view to facilitate backdated entries. Similarly, cheques worth several lakhs of rupees had been allegedly issued to contractors by MC bigwigs without the knowledge of Mr Bhatia. All norms, it seems, were thrown to the winds. The funds for various works, despite objections from Mr Bhatia, were released, bypassing the MC chief. It was also found that besides irregularities in the tender register two work order books were missing, raising doubts about the integrity of the MC officials. Mr Bhatia had complained to the Director, Urban Development, highlighting the irregularities. He had demanded a high-level probe into the functioning of the civic body and the district administration. |
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Delhi engineering students invited for famed Formula car race New Delhi, July 4 The team comprising second and third year students is being led by Mr S. Maji, faculty advisor in the college. The invitation to participate in the event has the academic circles in ruptures as participation in the annual event is considered to be an achievement in itself. The team, which calls itself Defianz Racing, took several months to design and fabricate the car christened Defianz because of the initial problems the project faced, particularly in view of the paucity of funds. However, thanks to some public spirited businessmen of the Capital, the project finally took off. A member of the team explained to NCR Tribune recently that several institutes had submitted their entries for the event but could not conform to the stringent standards imposed by the organisers. “We have been very lucky and our hard work has paid off”, said the team leader. The idea to participate in the event was first floated by a final year student, Arpit Gupta, who later persuaded other students to join in. After looking up all the available net sites on Student Formula, Arpit began working out the nitty-gritty. Within weeks he had prepared a blueprint of the car for which he had even sought the help of the well-known car designer, Chuby Lalwani of Chennai. Once the design was approved, it was back-breaking work in the college garage assembling the Defianz. Team members admitted that there were occasions when they were totally despondent as their design was rejected several times by the organisers. However, perseverance paid off and the modifications carried out by the team finally won the approval of the organisers. The Formula Student competition, being held in Bruntingthorpe, England, is a corollary of the Formula SAE competition held in Michigan, USA, every year. Like Formula SAE, the Formula Student competition involves students in conceiving, designing and fabricating single-seater race cars that are then assessed at the Bruntingthorpe Proving grounds, Leicester, where the event is held every summer. Formula SAE and Formula Student have become the world championship for engineering students and race car engineers and designers around the world. The competition is much more than a mere inter-collegiate event. It showcases the technical expertise and engineering prowess of the participating universities, students and nations they represent. It is hence a matter of national pride and international glory, as the brochure proclaims. Formula Student and SAE provide real world engineering experiences and problems to students. Team work, budgets, design constraints and communication with suppliers are just a few of the challenges that the Defianz Racing members experienced during the run up to the event. |
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MODUS OPERANDI New Delhi, July 4 The accused had cheated the banks to the tune of Rs 85 lakh, the amount sanctioned for their car loans. The sleuths have recovered cheque books of different banks, fake PAN cards, fake registration certificates and fake income tax and insurance forms from their possession. At the time of their arrest, they had raised money for 19 cars and were in the process of getting sanction for another eight cars. Working on a tip-off that some agents were involved in cheating cases, the sleuths swung into action and nabbed two persons, Rakesh Bali (27), resident of Sadik Nagar, and Mahfooj Ali (24), resident of Malviya Nagar, near a bank in Vasant Vihar. Following their interrogation, their associates, Rahul Grover (31) and Sandeep (24), both residents of Malviya Nagar, were apprehended by the police. The Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Mr U. K.
Katna, said the accused had opened 40 accounts in different banks by producing fake documents. The modus operandi was to look up advertisements in newspapers for the sale of second hand cars. They would then contact the car owners on phone and apply to the banks for sanction of loans. When the field officers came for verification, the accused would organise the paraphernalia used by doctors. (The police are also looking into the involvement of field officers in the racket.) The accused never actually purchased cars and pocketed the loan amount. They often changed their residence to evade arrest. The accused had cheated banks like Citibank, Standard Chartered, Bank of Punjab, ABN
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BRAZEN ATTACK New Delhi, July 4 The victim was admitted to a nearby hospital where his condition was stated to be out of danger. The incident occurred at 2.30 am when the victim, his wife and their son were asleep in the house. The main gate was bolted from inside but the suspects managed to open it. While they were ransacking the bedroom, Parveen Bhargav got up. One of the suspects hit him on the head, injuring him seriously. Hearing the commotion, the victim’s wife and son also got up. The suspects threatened them and tied all the three with ropes. Then, they ransacked the house and decamped with Rs 25, 000 in cash and jewellery. The victim, who works with an export house in Gurgaon, said the suspects were possibly tipped off by some people known to him. The Rohini police have registered a case of robbery and are investigating the case, the police said. The incident has caused considerable panic among the residents here. The residents blamed the area police for the deteriorating law and order situation. They said that the suspects appeared to be professionals, which was a cause of major worry. The residents also said that if law and order was not brought under control, they would talk to Joint Commissioner of Police in the range and the Commissioner of Police. |
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CAS commission to fund general elections: Third Front New Delhi: The newly constituted Third Front in the NCT of Delhi on Friday alleged that the Union Government wanted to collect Rs 5,000 crore as commission through the purchase of set-top boxes and it was rushing with the implementation of the Conditional Access System (CAS) Addressing a news conference, Third Front leaders Ramvir Singh Bidhuri and Shoaib Iqbal accused the BJP and the Congress of being hand-in-glove. They alleged that the four metros required 67 lakh set-top boxes and at the going rate the BJP-led Government would collect several crores of rupees by way of 10 per cent commission from the Korean company which is exporting the device. “Otherwise, what is the hurry? Why is the Centre suddenly forcing people to purchase the set-top boxes?” they demanded and declared that a demonstration would be organised in Delhi on July 13. They alleged that the Union Government was collecting the money to fund the general elections in 2004. Regretting the attitude of the Congress, Mr Bidhuri said the party had not lodged its protest in an appropriate manner. “It appears the Congress has also received money from the private TV channels for keeping quiet,” he alleged.
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Two new facilities by year-end for disposal of biomedical waste New Delhi: Two facilities at Okhla and Ghazipur will begin disposing of biomedical waste by year-end. The Director of Health Services of the Government of NCT of Delhi, Dr R. N. Baishya, says the two facilities will become operational in six months. The officer told the delegates to the seminar organised recently by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in New Delhi that the “common treatment facilities” will be equipped with an incinerator, microwave and autoclave each. The facilities will augment the disposal of biomedical waste to the tune of 60 tonnes. The NCT of Delhi has an estimated 40,000 hospital beds. Dr Baishya says the facilities will be open to the private sector also.
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Voter photo ID cards to be issued from July 7 New Delhi, July 4 The NCT of Delhi had 87 lakh voters at the time of the last Assembly elections in 1998. The number has dropped to 82.56 lakh. Mr Goel attributes the reduction in the number of voters to the physical verification of the voters. Only 70 per cent of the electorate have photo-identity cards. This figure, Mr Goel said, needed to be raised to 85 per cent. The corresponding figure in New Delhi and South Delhi was 59 per cent and 65 per cent respectively. Mr Goel said anybody having an objection to the name of any person could fill Form 7 after which the person’s physical verification would be done. On the identification of illegal settlers from Bangladesh, he said it was the responsibility of the police to identify the foreigners. The electoral rolls would be available at the 33 centres and also displayed in the offices of the deputy commissioners, sub divisional magistrates, food and supplies officers, residents’ welfare associations, market/trade associations, kerosene depots and post offices. The names of only those youths who have attained the age of 18 years on January 1, 2003 would be included in the rolls. Mr Goel clarified that the election would be contested on the old delimited constituency as the delimitation of constituency being undertaken by a commission was incomplete. |
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Jhajjar MIE gets Rs 5 crore for infrastructure Jhajjar, July 4 Mr Ashok Redhu, president of the Bahadurgarh Chamber of Commerce and Industries (BCCI), said that the 12th Financial Commission at its meeting held in Delhi recently sanctioned the funds for the development of the industrial area. The loan has been sanctioned under the National Capital Region (NCR) development scheme. It would be spent as per the project of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA). Mr Redhu said that the development project has been prepared by the HUDA, which would be submitted at the earliest and the work is likely to start within a few months. According to industrialists, the industrial estate in Bahadurgarh is lacking in most of the basic amenities. They have been raising their voice against the pathetic state of the roads, sewerage, water facility and electricity time and again but to no avail. Due to the poor conditions here, industrialists are reluctant to set up units in the MIE. However, on getting the news of the sanction of loan, local industrialists are in an upbeat mood. They are eagerly awaiting the improvement of basic infrastructure like well-carpeted roads, efficient sewerage and adequate water and power supply. The BCCI president said that besides this, the state government has also issued Rs 70 lakh for carrying out various development activities. Mr Redhu along with a delegation of the BCCI had called on the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, and apprised him of the problems faced by the industrialists here. Taking cognisance of their complaint, Mr Chautala has assured them to take immediate steps for betterment of the MIE. Mr Redhu said that keeping his word, the Chief Minister has been taking personal interest in the development of the estate. |
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SPECIAL FOCUS ON
JHAJJAR/BAHADURGARH Jhajjar, July 4 As per the dowry-related cases, which came to light in June, at least one family split on each third day. According to the information, about 10 cases of dowry harassment had been recorded in the month. At the same time, the women cell of the police with the involvement of the Superintendent of Police, Mr Mohammad Akil, has solved about four cases. On June 5, a woman resident of Chhapar village and married in Silana village complained to the police that she was shown the door by her husband and in-laws for not fulfilling their dowry demand to bring Rs 2 lakh from her parents. The next day, Suman of Bahadurgarh accused her husband and his family members of beating her up and throwing her out of the house because she could not bring enough dowry. Similarly, Mamta, a resident of local Silani Gate colony, requested the district police on June 7 to save her from the dowry hungry in-laws. She complained that she had been harassed for dowry for the last two years. Another complaint was filed by Praveen of Bhaproda village on June 10 that her husband and in-laws in Dhakala village had sent her to her parents with a warning to bring Rs 80,000 or never return. A woman, married about 10 years ago in Beri village, committed suicide the same day. On June 11, Sunil, married to a person in Ladayan village two years ago, ended her life after suffering heavily at the hands of her dowry-hungry husband while Poonam was allegedly forced to consume poison and killed by her in-laws in Lohar Heri village. Two sisters married to persons of the same family in Khudan village were shown the door for not bringing adequate dowry as per the wishes of their husbands and family members the same day. Again on June 24, newly wed Priyanka was thrown out of the house by her husband in Maharana village. Kusum Lata of Ghumanhera village in Delhi also lodged a complaint of harassment and beating her up for dowry against her husband Sunil in Balore village on June 27. Mr Akil told the NCR Tribune that the women cell had been successful in resolving about one-third of the dowry-related cases and making estranged couple coming close to each other by engaging them in an open dialogue. He said that he had also tried to pacify angry relatives of the husband and wife and remove the misunderstanding. Apart from arranging a dialogue, the police ask both the families to furnish affidavits about their reunion and also tell them to declare under oath that they would live in peace in the future. The SP observed that often, the cause of difference would be a minor one that snowballed due to the adamant stand taken by any of the party. Usually, people realised their mistakes and repented after they openly talked with each other. He maintained that differences resurfaced in rare cases. It gave them personal satisfaction when two families reunited and exchanged vows that they would never part ways in the future. Giving an example, he said that in the Kusum Lata-Sunil case, both families and the couple had realised their mistakes and agreed to live together. They would again be summoned to the office for further dialogue. Earlier, three such cases had also been resolved in the same month. |
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Where are the jobs, HVP asks Chautala Sonepat, July 4 In a signed press statement issued here, he said that it was a grave injustice to the employees as they had served more than seven years and had been abruptly thrown out of jobs. Mr Rajiv Jain also criticised the police department for fixing Rs 500 as the cost of application forms for police recruitment and also increasing the height of eligible candidates from 5’7” to 5’9”. He claimed that Mr Bansi Lal, during his regime, had given concession to backward classes and weaker sections of the society with respect to educational qualifications and minimum height for being recruited as constables. He alleged favouritism and malpractice in the recruitment to government jobs by the Haryana Public Service Commission and the Staff Selection Board. He said that only the relatives and favourites of the ministers, legislators and bureaucrats were being selected thereby ignoring the merits of other candidates. He also criticised the government for cancelling the bus and taxi route permits already given to the jobless youths. He accused Mr Chautala of discriminating against the farmers of Sonepat and Rohtak districts in providing canal water and said that this had affected the crops both in the kharif and rabi seasons. He declared that if the HVP came to power, Mr Bansi Lal would scrap the fixing of electric meters and would introduce slab rates for power consumed by the owners of tubewells. |
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Chautala flayed for ‘shielding’
tainted bureaucrats Sonepat, July 4 In a signed press statement issued here today, he demanded transparency in the appointment of bureaucrats on significant posts. He criticised the Chief Minister for implicating his political opponents in false criminal cases and adopting vindictive attitude against the leaders of the Opposition parties. He said that some of the leaders of the Opposition parties had a shady past and it was necessary to probe how they had amassed wealth through corrupt means. Mr Vidrohi demanded the filing of property returns by the ministers and the legislators. It should be made mandatory for them. He said that a strict watch should be kept on the bureaucrats and officers who have tainted reputation. He demanded the appointment of a Lokayukta by the state government for inquiring the assets of the ministers, legislators and the leaders of all the political parties so that the public could know the facts about the amassing of wealth. Mr Vidrohi also demanded that the post of the Chief Minister should be brought under the purview of the Lokayukta. |
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Sewadar Committee mulls DSGMC functioning New Delhi, July 4 The meeting, presided over by the chairman of the SGSC, Mr Tehal Singh, noted that the members of the DGMC, instead of focussing on development issues, were more concerned about their personal growth. They alleged that no visits were made to schools, hospitals and gurdwaras by the members of the DGMC to ensure their smooth functioning. It was also pointed out that not a single meeting of the sub-committee for Gurdwara Sis Ganj had been held in the last one year and no efforts were made to appoint a chairman. The SGSC members alleged that the rooms in gurdwaras, instead of being allotted to pilgrims, were being occupied by those who managed to bribe the officials and that no efforts had been made to clear the gurdwara compounds of beggars and other anti-social elements. |
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The vicious circle of tuition has given an ugly turn to our education system. The glaring dominance of tuition-cum-coaching centres is visible all over the city, alluring both parents and students.
Actually, it is another way of fleecing people of their money. Even as the rich and the powerful can afford this expensive exercise, the poor students are made to suffer the consequences of such an exercise. The college teachers are hardly interested in teaching in the colleges as they are not only “too tired” but their financial needs are fully met by their ongoing tuition at home. This ‘disease’ is particularly evident among the science teachers, whose demand is greater in the market. The big question is who will stop this rot? Unfortunately, it is not easy to get an answer to this vital question. DHIRAJ YADAV, Rewari
Need for tough action India is well known for its heritage, culture and friendly people. It has shown the world the path to peace since ages. The apostle of peace, Buddha, renounced everything to practice Ahimsa. However, the love for Ahimsa and non-violence does not mean that we are weak. Rather, it is the other way round. Those who practice and propagate Ahimsa are actually inwardly strong. Since India gained independence from the British in 1947, it has had no expansionist goal. We have respected the borders of other countries. However, this does not mean that we do not know how to protect our own borders from the evil designs of others. It should be clear to one all that nobody will be spared if they try to intervene in the internal matters of our country and disturb the peace of our nation. However, it seems that our neighbour, Pakistan, has misread our love for peace as weakness, and is trying to take advantage of our open society to instigate insurgency in our country. They had a similar design in 1965 and in 1971, when they invaded our country. However, their objectives could not be fulfilled, as they had to face massive defeats at the hands of our brave soldiers. Even then, India believes in living in peace with its neighbours. Since the late 1980’s, however, Pakistan is bent upon fomenting trouble in India. Even after the Kargil invasion by Pakistan, we invited the main architect of the Kargil war, General Musharraf, for a peace talk at Agra. However, his obsession with Kashmir led to the failure of the talk. He has only one aim: to highlight that Kashmir is a disputed land. How can Kashmir be a disputed land when it is an integral part of India? By taking part in elections over the years, the people of Kashmir have proved their loyalty to the Constitution of India and its secular features. The Indian Prime Minister has once again showed his willingness to start a peace talk with Pakistan provided Pakistan reciprocate by scaling down its anti-Indian activities from across the border. However, General Musharraf continues to harp on making Kashmir a part of Pakistan. In a recent interview with NDTV, he raised the possibility of another Kargil. Above all, he said that he did not trust the Government of India. I think it is high time to get tough with the Pakistani establishment. It seems they understand only tough action. It is time to raise the stake for Pakistan. All ‘talks of talks’ should be ended because Pakistan has misunderstood our gesture of peace as weakness. If the president of Pakistan does not trust India, then what is the use of restarting the bus services from Delhi to Lahore? It is better to be alone, than to have the company of the wicked. SAURABH DUGGAR Unauthorised construction The residents of the national Capital are worried following reports of Delhi being in the ‘high earthquake vulnerability’ prone zone. To make matters worse, DDA has allowed indiscriminate alterations/additions in the building structures, making the buildings fragile. In many areas of the national Capital, the addition/alterations against which the DDA had issued notices for demolitions as long as eight years back have remained intact. In the various housing societies in Delhi, the “terrace” is a common area. The High Court in a recent judgement had reaffirmed this fact, but the top floor residents in our Maitri Apartments have undertaken unauthorised constructions on the terrace, which he claims as his own. The residents fear that the insurance cover could also be in jeopardy in the event of a damage due to tremor because of the massive alterations made in the original structure. R. N. KRISHNA Ending the reservation mania It is unfortunate that we continue to allow some of the negative aspects of our constitutional provisions to continue to be operational. One of them is the policy of reservation for the ‘downtrodden’, which has been misused by its beneficiaries as well as the politicians to garner votes in elections. Even though it was clearly provided in our Constitution that this special provision was only for a temporary period of ten years, the politicians have not only extended it over the years, but has now made it a permanent strategy to garner votes during the elections. In this game of one-upmanship, both the centre and the various governments at the state level have not lagged behind. Both are in the race to fool the people. The example of V. P. Singh is being followed by the politicians of today, who want to provide an impetus to the ‘Mandal revolution’. Even the deadline of 50 per cent set by the Supreme Court is being flouted. The politicians can go to any length to win an election. I think it is high time the apex court intervened in the matter and put a stop to the reservation mania in the name of bringing about social revolution. DR SWARAN LATA Who cares for passenger
safety? What a great pity that four persons were killed and 15 others injured when a jam-packed jeep fell into a ditch on the National Highway near Hapur, as the driver of the jeep tried to prevent a collision with a truck. Even though the jeep had a capacity of just ten passengers, it was not only carrying twenty passengers but was travelling at a very high speed. It is unfortunate that the authorities have failed to discipline these private maxi vehicle owners, who break all the traffic rules and play with the lives of the innocent passengers. It is common to see these vehicles overloaded and travelling at high speed. Clearly, the law enforcement agencies must prevent these private vehicle owners from flouting all the rules and regulations in the book and putting the passengers at risk. SUBHASH C. TANEJA Protocol problems at MCF In reference to the news, “Protocol problems as post of MCF Commissioner is upgraded” (NCR Tribune June 21, 2003), I would like to say that we have layers of governments, namely at the Centre, state and at the local level. The Government of Haryana enacted the Municipal Act on May 31, 1994, to establish a Municipal Corporation at Faridabad (MCF). The state government appoints the Municipal Commissioners, usually a senior state civil servant. Of late, however, IAS officers with 5-7 years of experience (almost junior in rank to the Deputy Commissioner) are posted as municipal commissioners in most of the municipal corporations. According to Section 45 of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994, an IAS officer with a minimum of five years experience would be appointed as the Municipal Commissioner at Faridabad. Section 245-249 of Haryana Municipal Bodies Act, 1973, empowers the Deputy Commissioner to inspect the municipal bodies. The Municipal Corporation Act, 1994, clearly makes the Deputy Commissioner the competent authority in regard to the elections of the municipal corporation. Without going into the further details, I would like to submit that the convention of appointing a Municipal Commissioner who is junior in rank to the Deputy Commissioner should be maintained for the efficient working of the system. OM PARKASH
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NCR BRIEFS Ghaziabad, July 4 People blame the Nagar Palika authorities for not ensuring the availability of potable water and basic cleanliness in the town. Due to the non-availability of potable water, people here are forced to drink water being drawn from water pumps from comparatively shallow depths. As a result, the number of those falling ill due to unsafe water is increasing in this area.
1,000 jhuggis razed Faridabad: Around 1,000 jhuggis and hutments were razed by the demolition squad in sector 25 here yesterday. The jhuggi cluster, known as Rakesh colony, had come up on the HUDA land in the last few years. It is reported that the colony had occupied over five acres of land, meant for parking and a shopping complex. The police rounded up Congress leader Anand Kaushik for opposing the demolition.
Unidentified body found in park The police have recovered the body of an unidentified girl from `town park’, Sector 12 here. The victim, aged about 13 years, is suspected to have been be murdered. The body was discovered yesterday by a visitor to the park, who informed the police.
Fire in furniture godown Fire broke out in a furniture godown in J Block of NH II, of the NIT area here last night. The fire, which broke out at around about 11 pm, reportedly caused losses to the tune of several lakhs. No one was injured in the incident.
Traders threaten stir over murder case Traders have threatened to launch an agitation from July 6 if the police do not solve the recent murder and robbery case. While the police are unable to get any clue about the suspects of the case, the traders’ organisations expressed their resentment over the matter. The Haryana Vyapaar Manch president, Mr Sanjay Sethi, in a statement today alleged that the police had not been serious towards the matter and said that the process of investigation had been unsatisfactory. The Manch has threatened that in case the police failed to resolve the matter within 24 hours, they would launch protest. Mr Sethi said the incident had created panic among the traders. The accused should be immediately arrested, he demanded. Although the police claimed that it had been investigating the matter and raided some places to nab the culprits, the business and trading community of Ballabgarh is stated to be agitated over the matter.
INLD meet on poll strategy Jhajjar: A meeting of the Delhi Pradesh Indian National Lok Dal workers will be held tomorrow at the central party office here. This was disclosed by Mr Kuldeep Singh Kiradi, spokesperson of the Delhi INLD. Ajay Singh Chautala, president of the INLD youth wing, will preside over the meeting. Mr Kiradi said that the meeting has been called to reorganise the working committee of the state party and also to discuss about the forthcoming Assembly elections in the Capital. |
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DELHI DIGEST New Delhi, July 4 The TSR driver Abrar Ahmed has been arrested. While the ASI was standing, the TSR hit him from behind. He was injured seriously and rushed to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, police said.
Certificate racket With the arrest of two youths, the North-East district police today claimed to have busted a racket of printing and selling fake certificates. The suspects were identified as Raj Narayan and Shahsi Kumar. A monitor, a CPU, a scanner, a UPS with two speakers, a fake certificate and two marksheets each one of class 10th and 12th CBSE, 12 blank certificate and 14 blank registration certificates of motor vehicles were recovered from their possession. They used to charge Rs 2,000 for one certificate. When the police received a tip-off, a decoy customer was sent to Raj Narayan. He demanded Rs 500 in advance and the remaining was to be given at the time of delivering the document. He was caught red-handed from Shahid Bhagat Singh Park in Yamuna Vihar. During interrogation, Raj Narayan disclosed that fake certificates and marksheets were prepared by Shashi Kumar. A raid was conducted and Shashi Kumar was arrested from his residence, the police said.
Cell phone robbers The North-East district police arrested five suspected who were involved in cell phone robbery cases. They were identified as Mustkeem, Sham Sher, Yusuf, Imran and Arif. During interrogation, Mustkeem confessed that he along with his associates had committed robbery in different areas of the Capital. He has also confessed to have robbed a mobile shop at Maujpur in North East district, the police said. |
Married woman raped, killed Jhajjar, July 4 The police sources informed here today that Amrit Lal, son of Manfool, resident of Rudiawas village lodged a complaint to the police that his sister Guddi was married off to Rajendra, son of Zile Singh, Humanyupur village in June 1998. She has a six-month-old son. The complainant said that two residents of Humanyupur village had come to him yesterday and informed that the body of his sister was lying on the outskirts of the village. They went to the spot and found his sister Guddi lying in a half-naked condition with injury marks on head and forehead. He said that a bundle of cloths and a half brick were also recovered from around her body. The matter was reported to the police after which the Salawas police started investigation.
Two held for widow’s death The district police have solved the mystery surrounding the death of a widow with the arrest of two persons of the Bamnoli village. The widow’s body was recovered from a well in the village on July 1. The police said that the village chowkidar had informed the police about the stinking body lying in the well with hands and legs tied. The police said that after the death of her husband Balkishan, she was not on good terms with her father-in-law and brother-in-law who had been suspecting her character. The police started the investigation on the suspicion that her relatives might be involved in the crime. During investigation, they arrested Ashok, son of Bhop Singh, father-in-law of the deceased. During interrogation, Ashok confessed to his crime and disclosed that he along with his cousin Sandeep, son of Dharam Singh, and one Sunder, decided to eliminate Reeta because of her ‘immoral’ behaviour which had been bringing a bad name to their family. They asked the deceased to come near a pond outside the village. She reached there on the stipulated day and time. They told her to refrain from ‘immoral’ activities. However, she reportedly did not care. They then strangulated her with the help of a dupatta (scarf). After killing her, they dragged her body to a well about 100 yards away. They threw the body in the well. However, the Line Par police arrested Ashok yesterday and Sunder today while the third accused Sandeep is at large. |
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Lottery stalls raided, 60 taken in custody Sonepat, July 4 As many as 60 persons allegedly engaged in ‘satta’ were taken into custody. According to a report, all the arrested lotterywallas were handed over to the Civil Lines police for challans. This action followed the orders of the IG Police Rohtak Range, Mr Sharad Kumar, who had received numerous complaints regarding the on-going ‘satta’ in the garb of lotteries in this city and the failure of the police to apprehend them.
Panchayat land vacated The officials of the demolition squad today swung into action and succeeded in getting vacated 70 acres of gram panchayat land from illegal occupants in Dewru village near here yesterday. According to a report, some occupants made an attempt to resist the action of the officials. Many farmers alleged that the officials pressed into service as many as 12 tractors, and ruined the standing crops of ‘jowar’ etc on this land, which caused huge financial losses to them. The demolition drive continued for about two hours and the land, which they got vacated, was handed over to the gram panchayat.
Train services
disrupted Train services on Sonepat-Delhi section of the Northern Railway remained disrupted following the power failure of the Chandigarh-bound Shatabadi Express at Rathdhanna Railway Station, about 8 km from here, yesterday. According to a report, the train left Delhi at its usual time of 8.30 am and was stopped near Rathdhanna station on account of the power failure. This caused panic among the railway staff who informed the senior officials. In the meantime, a goods train happened to pass through the station and its engine was attached with the Shatabadi Express. The Shatabadi Express resumed its journey after almost an hour.
Substandard meat destroyed The officials of the Sonepat Municipal Council today destroyed substandard meat from eight shops in the meat market here. According to a report, the action was taken after several public complaints to the council authorities. The move has created panic among the meat shop owners here. |
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