TOP STORIES

Capital grinds to a halt, bumper to bumper
New Delhi, July 9
Sharp showers in the Capital this afternoon threw life out of gear, causing traffic snarls and waterlogging in most parts of the city. The rain also claimed one life when at least half a dozen persons were buried under the rubble of a wall, which had collapsed during the downpour.

Children wade through a waterlogged road, unmindful of the traffic snarls in the city. — Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

• An hour’s shower, and Sonepat becomes an island

MCD engineers held for swindling crores
New Delhi: Three engineers of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), who had cheated the corporation and swindled crores of rupees on the pretext of paying labourers for cleaning nallahs in the city, were arrested by the Anti-Corruption branch.

CAMPUS
Indraprastha varsity alters fee structure; scraps free seats
New Delhi, July 9
The Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University has announced that the admissions for the new academic session will be carried out according to the altered fee structure and enhanced student intake wherein there will be no free seats.

CITY SCAN
Shake-up in Delhi Police
New Delhi, July 9
Three Joint Commissioners of Police and some other senior officials have been transferred in a reshuffle in Delhi Police today

Ingenious MCD plan to export cow dung and urine
New Delhi, July 9
The Morarka Foundation, in its continuing endeavour to propagate organic farming, will collaborate with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to export cow dung and urine generated by thousands of stray cattle on the roads of the Capital.

FOLLOW-UP
Four held for murder in Dalit basti
Sonepat, July 9
The police have arrested four of the five culprits allegedly involved in the murder of an upper caste youth, Partap Singh (23), on July 4. The culprits were identified as Ran Singh, Roop Chand, Sushil and Karamvir. The fifth accused is still at large.

POLITICS

Sangwan hobnobbing with Chautala, Bhajan?
Sonepat, July 9
Mr Surinder Singh, secretary-general of the Haryana Vikas Party (HVP), has accused Mr Kishan Singh Sangwan, MP and vice-president of the Haryana unit of the BJP, of hobnobbing with the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, and the HPCC president, Mr Bhajan Lal, for his own political interests, thereby fooling the leaders of his own party by raising a hue and cry against the Chautala government in the state.

Protest against “shedding Indian blood for US hegemony”
New Delhi, July 9
The Delhi unit of the Communist Party of India(M-L) New Democracy today demanded that the Vajpayee government declare that no Indian troops would be sent to Iraq to help the US forces whom the Iraqis see as aggressors.

COMMUNITY

MCD launches drive to catch encroachers, litterbugs
New Delhi, July 9
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has launched a special drive against encroachment and littering of public land in markets and other commercial areas. During an on the spot inspection at Lajpat Nagar, a number of challans were issued against violators today.

A shopkeeper pleads before the Special Metropolitan Magistrate during an MCD drive against encroachments at Lajpat Nagar in the Capital on Wednesday. — Photo by Kamal Singh

Lecturer accuses PNB of cheating him on housing loan
Panipat, July 9
A local college lecturer, Mr Rakesh Singla, has accused PNB Housing Finance Limited, Karnal, of financial exploitation and imposing an arbitrary supplementary agreement on him.

Special Focus on Panipat
Weavers here compete with the world’s best to create resplendent fabrics
Panipat, July 9
The handloom industry in Panipat needs no introduction. The beauty and splendour of fabrics is not only famous in Haryana but has also left an indelible stamp in the entire world. During the year 2002-2003, approximately Rs 1,500 crore worth of fabrics were exported from the country. Out of this about 50 per cent share is that of Panipat.

Fire stations in Sonepat district have no fire in their belly
Shortage of staff, ill-maintained vehicles despite aid
Sonepat, July 9
Despite the financial assistance from the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) for streamlining the existing fire-fighting facilities and creating new infrastructure at different stations in the district, the municipal authorities at Sonepat, Gohana and Ganaur have failed to bring these services up to date.

SONEPAT
Youth commits suicide on marriage eve
Sonepat, July 9
A youth, Sushil, reportedly committed suicide by consuming sulphas tablets on the eve of his marriage at Majri village, about 25 km from here, last evening. According to a report, he took this extreme step following a family feud.

• Woman found murdered
• Youth electrocuted
• Motorcyclist killed
• Chautala springs a surprise

Telecom companies cautioned on dug-up roads
New Delhi: The Delhi Chief Secretary has issued a stern warning to telecom companies which violate rules while digging roads in the Capital.

DELHI DIGEST
DU flayed for admission norms for SC/ST candidates
New Delhi, July 9
To mark their protest against what they allege are “serious irregularities in the admission for SC/ST candidates”, the members of the Dr Ambedkar Students Organisation organised a one-day hunger strike here today.

• Carriageway opens
• Sri Lankan team in Capital

EDUCATION

CAMPUS
Admission over, students prepare to face logistical nightmares
With the new academic session barely a week away notice boards across colleges have catchy messages inviting students to join car pools and as paying guests. With the good old U-Specials being elusive and the irregular DTC buses not much of a help, students who don’t have cars or two wheelers are increasingly relying on car pools.

• Prof Menon appointed

• Competence Centre launched

• ICSI admission date

• Aptech in Uttaranchal colleges

• New courses in mass communication

• IT education

• Technosmart from Videocon

After the gruelling admission process, the outstation students face an uphill task of finding a decent accommodation. — Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

Workshop at Bharati Vidyapeeth
Bharati Vidyapeeth’s Institute of Management and Research organised a faculty development programme on Linux administration and shell programming.

COURTS

Dowry death: Life term for sisters
Faridabad, July 9
Two sisters have been sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with the death of their sister-in-law in January 2000.

SPORTS

Union Club register first victory
New Delhi, July 9
Union Club registered their first victory when they defeated Royal Bengal Club 2-0 to earn full points in a Group II preliminary league match of the Delhi Soccer Association Open Clubs B Division Football League Championship at the Ambedkar Stadium on Wednesday.

Manav Das maintains lead in golf
New Delhi, July 9
Manav Das of Ambala returned a card of 2-over 74, but that was enough for him to maintain his lead over others at the end of the second day’s play in the four-day IGU categorized second Jaypee Open Amateur Golf Championship at the 18-hole Jaypee Green Golf Course at Greater Noida.

Sahara to sponsor Indian hockey
New Delhi, July 9
The Sahara Group will sponsor the Indian hockey teams for the next eight years. Indian Hockey Federation president K.P.S Gill and the Sahara Group chairman entered into agreement to this effect.

Top 23 teams for DSA ‘A’ Division League
New Delhi, July 9
Top 23 club teams will participate in the Delhi Soccer Association ‘A’ Division Open Clubs Football League Championship, beginning at the Ambedkar Stadium on July 15.

ADMINISTRATION

MAF asks HUDA to scrap outdated rules
Faridabad, July 9
The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), which claims itself to be a pioneer in urban development, is being criticised for its alleged cumbersome rules and policies. These rules are proving to be a stumbling block and contributing to corruption and delay in the execution of works, entrepreneurs allege.