MCD unveils its transparent purchase policy
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 30
Mr Rakesh Mehta, Municipal Commissioner, today said the Municipal Corporation of Delhi had formulated a new policy for making purchases. The main aim of this policy was to ensure complete transparency, objectivity and financial propriety. All purchases of the MCD above Rs one lakh would be subject to these guidelines.

Giving details, Mr Mehta disclosed that the MCD, with a budget exceeding Rs 2,000 crore under the non-Plan head and over Rs 660 crore under the Plan head, had to make huge purchases. In the absence of a holistic policy, important purchases were often stalled at the last moment, causing complications and harm to the beneficiaries.

The MCD had, therefore, formulated a new policy to ensure that the purchases met the requirements of financial propriety as well as the guidelines issued from time to time by the CVC and the Government of India.

According to the commissioner, all purchases above Rs one lakh should adhere to the two-bid norm. Bids should be submitted in two envelopes, one containing the “techno-commercial bid” and the other containing the “price bid”.

The municipal division/office/department/office in-charge for sale of tenders shall not put any query or refuse to sell tender forms to any party under any circumstances.

A copy of Notice Inviting Tender (NIT), to be published in newspapers, is required to be displayed on the notice board of the division /office /department concerned as well as on the notice board of the zonal office headquarters.

Giving details of the guidelines for opening of tenders, Mr Mehta disclosed that the representative of the department concerned shall open the “techno-commercial bid” envelope of only those parties who had purchased the tender forms. This was verifiable from MCD’s record of sale of tenders.

The techno-commercial bids will be examined by a Technical Evaluation Committee, which will consist of at least three members, each dealing with the purchase of item, finance and the technical aspect. This committee, after examining the bids, will give its recommendations. Then, the price bids of only those firms shall be opened which are found to be technically acceptable.

The firms will be informed well in advance of the opening of price bids. This will be done in the presence of shortlisted tenderers and sent to the department concerned with complete details. The firms, which are not technically acceptable, shall be informed about the rejection of their tenders.

The commissioner hoped that the new procedure would not only herald transparency, objectivity and uniformity, but also strengthen the cause of public interest.

It would now be possible to make purchases of technically sound material in a fiscally prudent manner, without any loss of time on account of procedural wrangling.

Extortion case
Court orders lodging of FIR against cops
Nalini Ranjan

New Delhi, September 30
The Additional Sessions Judge, Mr Pradeep Kumar Chadda, has ordered the registration of a first information report (FIR) against two sub-inspectors of the special staff of the East Delhi police for allegedly trying to extort a huge sum from Geeta Colony-based printing press owner Raj Kumar Malhotra.

The FIR has been lodged against SI Vinay Tyagi and SI Atul Tyagi under Sections 384/506/342/ 211/34 of the IPC in Geeta Colony police station. The court has also ordered the SHO of the Vivek Vihar police station to submit a detailed report in this regard by October 23. According to a complaint lodged by Mr Pawan Chopra, a relative of the printing press owner, on the evening of September 17 both the policemen came in plain clothes to Mr Raj Kumar Malhotra’s house and started asking about his whereabouts. Incidentally, he was not present at that time. Seeing this, they started abusing the family members, saying that they were engaged in a gambling racket.

When Mr Malhotra returned to his house he was whisked away to the Vivek Vihar police station.

The complainant has alleged that subsequently when he and other members of the family reached the police station, the two police officers demanded a sum of Rs 5 lakh to facilitate his release. The relatives managed to organise Rs 20,000 and gave it to the policemen.

Next day they again came and started demanding the rest of the money. By that time they had been advised to tape the conversation. “We went to senior police officials with this tape, but it was of little help”, claimed the complainant.

“Ultimately they approached the court. The judge ordered the registration of the FIR after hearing the tapes and recording the statement of the victim and his family.

The police said further investigations were on and the two sub-inspectors were not being assigned any duties. Their statements were also being recorded. The matter has also been brought to the attention of the Vigilance Branch of the Delhi Police.

Posh Faridabad sectors: Will someone look in the backyard?
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, September 30
While the state government keeps patting itself on the back for introducing farm and rural tourism in the state, the authorities seem to be overlooking some hard facts about the villages. The level of development in most of the villages, even those lying within municipal limits, is pathetic.

About 29 villages fall within the limits of the Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF), mostly surrounded by posh urban sectors. However, as Ram Gopal of Daultabad village, puts it: ``The condition of civic amenities and roads in our village is pathetic compared to that in the posh areas nearby.’’

To aggravate matters, the villagers have been left with no grazing land. The authorities are now asking the villagers to close down their private dairies as the cattle stray into the urban pockets. Ram Gopal claimed that though the village was in the centre of the town, there had been no upgradation of public utilities.

Similarly, Rajender Gaur of Ajronda village, which is located in Sector 15-A, laments that Ajronda may be an urban village in records, but actually it was a slum: There was no proper sewer system, roads, parks, storm water drains and streetlights. Encroachments were the bane of the village and hardly any streetlight was functioning. The residents were mainly engaged in small-time jobs or were self-employed. Again, the building of the government primary school in the village was in a dilapidated condition.

Rajender Gaur claimed that the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), which had carved out the sectors, perhaps never took the villages into account. Due to poor planning the villages in the municipal area could neither be considered villages, nor urban pockets.

It is alleged that the villagers were never given adequate compensation and had to run from pillar to post to get jobs in the industrial units. A resident of Sehi village near Sector 8 pointed out that while the parks and streets in the neighbouring sectors were perpetually lit, the villages were generally enveloped in darkness. He strongly feels that the urban sectors have spelled doom for the villages.

Shailender Singh, a resident of Daultabad village and an office-bearer of the Punarjagran Sanstha, claimed that the villages had been subsumed by the domineering capitalistic forces. Ironically, such people were now talking of farm tourism. He asserted that this concept had been borrowed from the West and had nothing to do with Indian culture.

Kids find mom’s body stuffed in divan
Our Correspondent

Ghaziabad, September 30
The body of a woman, who was murdered in Punjab Lines under Kotwali police station area, was hidden by the assailant in a wooden bed (divan) in the house. The stink emanating from the place gave away the crime. The woman, Kamlesh Chooudhry (44), who had been living separately from her husband for the past 10 years, was suspected of having illicit relations, the police said. She was living with her kids in house no I-315 in Punjab Lines for the past three years. Her husband, Devinder Choudhry, is a Delhi government employee. He had deserted Kamlesh 10 years ago and was reportedly living with another woman in Vijay Nagar.

One Ravinder Tomar, 25, was said to be living with Kamlesh in Punjab Lines for the past three years. Both allegedly had illicit relations for the last few years, the SP (City), Mr Umesh Srivastava said. But a month ago Ravinder had married another woman in Hapur.

On Saturday, Kamlesh was alone in the house with Ravinder, her three sons having gone to work and daughter to school. When her daughter came home in the afternoon, she found the house locked. When her brothers returned, they searched for their mother till late in the evening, but found no trace of her.

Finally, when they returned home at 11 pm on Sunday they found a bad smell emanating from the house. When a search for a possible dead rat was launched, they found their mother’s body hidden in the divan. She had been strangled with her dupatta, the SP (City) said. Sumeet has lodged a report, naming Ravinder in the murder case. The police are still investigating the matter.

Suburban trains on Delhi-Kalka stretch planned
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, September 30
The Northern Railway has decided to run 24-coach suburban trains on its Delhi-Ambala-Kalka (DUK) Section to meet the rush of passengers on this line. According to a report, it has also undertaken the work for the expansion of the platforms at various railway stations on this section.

Initially, the railway stations of Narela, Sonepat and Ganaur have been selected for the expansion drive. At the Sonepat Railway Station, platform No. 1 and 2 would be expanded by 127 metres and 80 metres respectively. The entire work is expected to cost Rs 55 lakh.

With the completion of this work, the 24-coach suburban trains will run on this section.

At present, there are only 18 to 21 coaches with the suburban trains, with the results that the commuters have been facing great hardships in getting seats in these trains.

Moreover, on account of the small platforms, most of the long-distance mail and express trains are halted on platform No.3 of the Sonepat Railway Station and this has been causing inconvenience to the passengers in boarding these trains or exiting from the railway station.

The Northern Railway has also undertaken the construction of a new booking office on the platform No. 2, which would help passengers coming to the railway station from the mandi side. It will be completed by March 31,2004 and it is hoped that it would be functional from April 1. With the opening of this new booking office, the passengers entering the railway station from the mandi side would be able to board the incoming and outgoing trains easily, as they can immediately purchase their tickets from the new booking office.

The Northern Railway has also planned to set up a park near the new booking office for the recreation of children.

To Sir, with love
Village refuses to relieve headmaster
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, September 30
It was a rather rare occasion when students of Government High school, Kundal, in Kharkhauda block of the district, boycotted classes on Monday in protest against the transfer of the school headmaster.

Not only that, the gram panchayats of three villages, Kundal, Nizampur and Rampur, have also sent representations to the Education Department authorities for immediate cancellation of the transfer of Headmaster Jai Pal who has been transferred to Shoti from Kundal.

On receiving information of the boycott of classes by the school students and the resolutions passed by the panchayats, the District Education Officer, Mr Ravinder Singh Dahiya, reached the school and assured the students and villagers that he would write to the government and the Education Directorate about their demand.

Mr Jai Pal was transferred as headmaster in Government High School, Kundal, about six months back but recently he received transfer orders for Shoti. On Monday, when he did not come to school, the livid students sat in a dharna outside the school entrance, boycotting their classes. The village panchayat and their guardians joined them in solidarity.

When the DEO reached the school, the guardians of the students and Sarpanch Vinod Kumar of Kundal, acting Sarpanch Satish Kumar of Rampur village and panchayat members Ram Chander, Samunder, Om Prakash, Charan Singh, Daya Nand, Ram Niwas, Mukhtiar and Jugti Ram informed the DEO that during the short tenure of Headmaster Jai Pal the strength of students in the school had almost doubled and the educational atmosphere in the school had improved significantly.

“After the arrival of Headmaster Jai Pal in our high school we shifted our children from private schools to the government school and we will not allow his transfer from our school,” said the villagers.

The DEO was also informed that three village panchayats had already sent resolutions demanding cancellation of the transfer to the block education office and to the department authorities at Chandigarh.

The villagers have even threatened that an agitation will be launched if the transfer is not cancelled.

Woman hires room, vanishes with landlord’s grandson

Ghaziabad
A woman, who had taken a room on rent by posing as an employee of a nursing home, has kidnapped the two-and-a-half-month-old grandson of the landlord. The Sihani Gate police in Ghaziabad have so far drawn a blank in tracing the woman and the child. Dharam Pal Gautam lived in his own house in Lohiya Nagar. His daughter Poonam and son in-law Prem Kumar were putting up at his house. Poonam had given birth to a son two and a half months ago.

According to Dharampal, a woman had come to their house for taking a room on rent, posing as an employee of a Lohiya Nagar hospital. She had brought all her belongings wrapped in a polythene bag and started living there.

The family asked her to show the sick baby boy to a doctor in the hospital. Poonam’s 45-year-old mother, Sheela, went with her, carrying the boy Chunu. As the family dog had followed the two women for some 200 meters or so, Poonam’s mother came back to escort the dog home, leaving the baby boy with the woman. On return, she found the woman had disappeared along with the boy. Dharampal’s family could not trace the woman in any of the city hospitals. OC

Raw deal to North Haryana Ekta Dal plank
Tribune News Service

Panipat, September 30
Alleging discrimination against North Haryana by successive regimes, the president of the ‘Ekta Shakti Dal’, Mr Varinder Verma, today announced that his organisation would contest the 2005 Assembly poll on its own. He said his organisation would not have any poll alliance with any of the major political parties.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Verma alleged that corruption had touched a new high under the present government in Haryana and jobs were virtually being auctioned to the highest bidder.

All sections of the society were feeling the pinch due to bad governance and the people were looking for change of guard, he said. He said his organisation would endeavour to provide a “corruption-free” and “stable” government. Mr Verma said that a massive rally would be held at Panipat on October 2.

He alleged that an amount of over Rs 18 crore was spent on the birthday celebrations of Tau Devi Lal at Karnal on September 25. Besides, he claimed that the government machinery was freely misused to ferry the people to the rally site.

Coming down heavily on the lop-sided policies of the state government, Mr Verma said hundreds of industries had shifted to other “safer” places, putting a question mark on the future industrial development in the wake of deteriorating law and order situation in the state.

Claiming an overwhelming response to the “Jan Jagran Abhiyan” of his organisation in North Haryana, Mr Verma alleged that successive Chief Ministers had worked only for the development of their respective areas. He alleged that over the years, North Haryana had been neglected by all political parties.

He said the ‘Ekta Shakti Dal’ had already approached the Election Commission of India to register itself as a political party. He claimed that in a short span of just five months, the ‘Ekta Shakti Dal’ had enrolled over 30,000 active members.

Mr Verma refuted the allegation that his organisation had a following only among the Rod community. He claimed that all right-thinking persons having the interest of the common man and the state were enrolling as members of his organisation.

He said this trend was evident during the recent rallies organised by his organisation. Mr Verma, a former HCS officer, said that even though he had resigned from his post, the Haryana Government had been dilly-dallying on the issue of the acceptance of his resignation.

He added that he had resigned as per rules and in case his resignation was found to violative of the rules, he would not seek any pensionery benefits. He alleged that the government was trying to frame him in “false and fabricated” cases.

Prominent among those present at the press conference were Mr Jeet Singh Jhinda, vice-president, Mr Mahipal Rana, general-secretary, Mr Jamail Singh, Karnal district chief, and media secretary, Mr Mahinder Singh Arya.

Politicians fishing in troubled waters
Our Correspondent

Meerut, September 30
Various political parties got a chance to settle old scores after the recent incidents of violence over ragging on the CCS University campus, which later turned into a caste-based clash.

Dalit students of the campus have appealed to the former Union Minister, Mr Ram Vilas Paswan who is scheduled to visit the campus on October 1. While the other group of students already contacted Union Agriculture Minister Rajnath Singh, who was here on Tuesday. Some of the local leaders are also abetting the students of both groups. Today the students gathered on the university campus despite the closure of the university.

In the violence, students union Mahamantri, Dalit leader Ishwar Chendra Sagar was seriously hurt with head injuries. Some other students were also injured. At least three FIRs were lodged in this connection while more than 11 students have been suspended. PAC and police personnel are still camping on the CCS University campus and various boys hostels.

Mr Paswan also spoke to the injured students’ leader Ishwar Chendra Sagar telephonically.

The leader of the delegation Satendra Kumar Ashok told the NCR Tribune that Mr Paswan would reach the CCS campus at 11 am on October 1. He would address a meeting of the students besides re-installing the statue of Dr Ambedkar. 

Farmers clamour for demands

Jhajjar
The Nehri Pani Sangharsh Samiti and the All India Krishak Khet Majdoor Sangathan organised a demonstration and held dharna in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office here today in support of their demands.

He held that the MSP on various crops is being denied to the farmers and drastic cuts in the subsidies have been adding to their problems. OC

Outdated official fleet adds to cost of maintenance
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, September 30
Outdated vehicles, which ought to have been removed, continue to be part of the fleet of official vehicles in this district. It has resulted not only in frequent breakdowns but increase in the expenses required for their upkeep.

According to a report, about 30 to 50 per cent of the vehicles in every department of the state government have completed their km targets. However, most of these vehicles continue to be used.

According to information, LMVs including jeeps and cars needs to cover a distance of about 2.50 lakh km to be declared unfit. However, it has been found that even though most of these vehicles have touched the 2.50 lakh km mark, they are still being used by the various departments.

According to sources, the maintenance costs of these vehicles have gone up due to frequent breakdowns. The driver of one such vehicle revealed that the cruising speed of the vehicle had been reduced to 50 to 60 km per hour.

He explained that when such vehicles are used as part of a VIP cavalcade to carry junior officers, they are always left behind. He revealed that in most cases it is the inadequate maintenance at the initial stage, which results in the poor condition of large number of official vehicles.

It has been found that new vehicles are driven in a rash and reckless manner. It was also revealed that there is greater wear and tear of vehicles of senior officials in the district as they were put to maximum use and travel at very high speed. These vehicles normally travel at very high speed as these often form part of VIP motorcades.

However, vehicles of senior official are replaced frequently, as they do not have to go through the strict km target or wait for the completion of the time period target.

Dist administration asked to show due respect to martyrs, freedom fighters
Our Correspondent

Noida, September 30
The UP Government has issued orders to the District Magistrate here that the martyrdom days and birthdays of all freedom fighters and martyrs of Gautam Budh Nagar district should be observed with full respect and dignity. Similar orders have been sent to all the Divisional Commissioners and District Magistrates in the entire state, it is learnt.

The Principal Secretary, Mr Harish Chander, in a letter has stated that a ‘Uttar Pradesh Swatantarta Senani Kalyan Sansthan’ (UP Freedom Fighters Welfare Institute) has been set up to maintain the memory of the freedom fighters in a dignified and respectful manner.

The state Chief Minister will be the chairman of the institute. The Principal Secretary has emphasised that the Sansthan will build rest houses for freedom fighters, ensure their proper maintenance, erect martyrs memorials, martyr park etc., in the state. The District Information Officers have been asked to celebrate the birthdays and martyrdom days of the leading freedom fighters through befitting functions.

They have also been asked to maintain cassettes and recordings of national and patriotic songs sung during the Freedom struggle. They have been also asked to ensure the safe custody of all speeches and songs sung by the freedom fighters and martyrs.

A library should also be set up in each district for preserving the writings, speeches and other printed literature of the Freedom struggle and freedom fighters.

SONEPAT
Class X student kidnapped, beaten up
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, September 30
Abhishek Mittal, a Class X student was reportedly kidnapped by Maruti van-borne miscreants while he was on his way to the Hindu Vidya Peeth here yesterday.

According to a report, the miscreants took him to a deserted place where he was beaten up mercilessly and later threw him in the rear street of his school. Some persons who happened to pass through the street spotted him in an unconscious condition and informed his relatives.

He was later admitted to the Civil Hospital, Sonepat. The parents of the boy also informed the police about the incident.

It is stated that the student had a quarrel with some youths recently and the parents believe it to be a case of revenge. The police are investigating the case. However, no arrest has been made so far.

Music shop owner held

The Gohana police have arrested the owner of a music centre, Surinder of Mohan Nagar after the recovery of at least 900 fake CDs of T Series company of Noida (UP) during a raid conducted on the shop, S K Music Centre.

According to a report, the investigations were in progress. The police action followed the report lodged by Mr Ramesh Jogi, a copyright official of the company. A case under Section 51, 52 A, 63 and 68 A of the Copyright Act and Section 420 of the IPC has been registered against the shopkeeper.

youth killed

An unidentified youth was knocked down and killed by an unknown vehicle on the G T Road near Bahalgarh village about 10 km from here last night.

According to a report, the body remains unidentified and the police have sent it for a postmortem examination.

According to another report, three persons were injured when two trucks collided on the G T Road near Ganaur about 20 km from here yesterday.

The persons were identified as Lakhvinder, a truck driver and Ajay of a truck and Vinesh, a truck driver of another truck. All the persons were hospitalised and stated to be out of danger. The police have registered the case and further investigations are on.

Students strike

Students of Government High School went on a strike at Kundal village about 25 km from here today to register their protest against the transfer of the school headmaster.

According to a report, the students are demanding immediate cancellation of the transfer orders.

The District Education Officer assured them that the headmaster’s transfer would be cancelled soon.

NCR BRIEFS
Key info a phone call away thanks to InfoIndia
Tribune News Service

Gurgaon, September 30
InfoIndia, a unique state-of-the-art call centre has started its operation in Gurgaon where every type of information related to the city is just a phone call away.

You name it and the company gets it for you. It provides complete information on trade, business, industry, corporates, professionals, government offices, public utility services, career, leisure and entertainment, transport, NGOs, associations—the list is endless..

Moving away from the conventional system of providing just telephone numbers, we have developed a revolutionary system providing important information on individuals and organisations with their specialisations and facilities along with e-mail and web-site addresses, informs its director.

For the career of the children, InfoIndia offers fully comprehensive information on academic institutions and career opportunities in Gurgaon.

The details of institutions focusing on engineering, medical, computer and management institutes and the scholarships and competition tests at district level are available on phone.

“Our unique info dissemination system using advanced software provides up-to-date information through a fully computerised service on telephone manned by skilled customer care executives,” the director claimed.

Just after paying a nominal annual membership of Rs 100 per person per year, a person can get the information as many times a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Centenary celebration of K.L. Sehgal

A musical event to mark the centenary celebration of India’s cinematic legend, K.L. Sehgal, was held at the Best Western Resort Country Club, last Sunday.

Renowned singers Dinesh Sharma, Ajit Singh, R.P. Sinha and Ms Jayantika Burman regaled the audience with Sehgal’s immortal songs.

The chairman and managing director of the Best Western Resort Country Club, Mr Ranjit Goel, presented the resort trophies to the artists.

Row over allotment of grants

Jhajjar: The controversy over the allotment of grants under various schemes in the panchayat samiti resurfaced today when the faction led by Mr Pawan Kumar, vice-chairman of the samiti asked the deputy commissioner to call a meeting of the samiti.

The vice-chairman along with 10 other members met the deputy commissioner to call a meeting as the last meeting was held on July 16, while as per the Panchayati Raj Act, next meeting of the samiti should be held within next two months. But, he alleged, the chairman is not interested in holding a meeting even when two months’ deadline has expired. The dispute between both the groups led by its chairman Rampat and vice-chairman Pawan Kumar, respectively is for the Rs 25 lakh grants released by the government to the samiti. OC

Ram Lila by tiny-tots

New Delhi: For the first time in trans-Yamuna area, children under the aegis of ‘Shree Bal Ram Lila Committee’ are staging the Ram Lila with great fervour in Mangal Bazar. In the role of Ram, little Vikas is doing a commendable job. TNS

CRIME

Mayur Vihar chowkidars found murdered
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 30
Two persons, employed as chowkidars by a private contractor in Mayur Vihar Phase 1, were found murdered in the nearby fields this morning. The bodies of Yunus (22) and Habib (45) have been sent for a post-mortem examination. Initial examination of the bodies revealed that both of them were attacked with a sharp edged weapon and then strangulated.

The discovery of the bodies near some of the posh cooperative societies caused panic in the area as a crowd of curious onlookers gathered at the spot where the bodies were discovered. The police said that a case of murder had been registered and efforts were being made to ascertain the motive. The contractor has been questioned and he was trying to ascertain if any expensive equipment was stolen from his godown, where the two chowkidars were deployed. The police believe that the two had either been lured or forced to accompany the assailants to the fields, where they were attacked and done to death.

‘Harassed for dowry’, woman commits suicide
Our Correspondent

Rohtak, September 30
A woman was forced allegedly by her in-laws to commit suicide by hanging herself at Shastri Nagar locality here on Monday.

Mr Satish Kumar, a resident of Vishal Nagar locality here and a brother of the victim stated in the FIR that his sister, Suman was married to Jai Bhagwan of Shastri Nagar in 1996. He said enough money was spent on the wedding and his sister was provided with various household articles.

However, he alleged that her in-laws started maltreating her for bringing inadequate dowry. The in-laws allegedly demanded a motorcycle, a colour TV set and a refrigerator along with certain other items which could not be fulfilled by the parents of Suman. This allegedly infuriated the in-laws who harassed Suman in different ways and forced her to take the extreme step. The police have registered a case.

Two impostors held

The Sampla police arrested two youths on Monday who allegedly took away certain household things from certain shops without paying charges after introducing themselves as the Health Department officials and the newsmen at Kheri Sampla village.

Mr Hansraj, a general store owner at Kheri Sampla village stated in his complaint that Ravinder Nandal of Bohar village, accompanied by his four accomplices, reached his shop in a Tata Sumo.

He alleged that they took away 6 kg of pure ghee from his shop and certain other articles from other general stores without paying money. The police registered a case under Section 384, 170 and 341 of the IPC and arrested Ravinder of Bohar village and Sandeep of Sampla village in this regard.

Ban on gathering of five persons

The District Magistrate has prohibited the gathering of five or more persons and carrying of weapons of offence within the area of 200 meters of examination centres in the district from 9 am to 12 noon and 2 pm to 5 pm with effect from October 1 to November 5 in view of the undergraduate examinations to be conducted by Maharshi Dayanand University.

Ex-customs inspector held for cheating
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 30
The Economic Offences Wing of the Crime Branch has arrested a former customs inspector Afrik Singh for cheating the gullible people seeking visas for foreign countries.

Based on a complaint from one Jarnail Singh, resident of Hoshiarpur that he was cheated of Rs 6 lakh by Afrik after promising him to obtain visa for England. The sleuths arrested Afrik (58), resident of East Patel Nagar from his office M/s A S M International in Rajendra Place and recovered 56 passports of various persons and computer from his office.

Afrik worked as the customs inspector from 1972-75 and was employed in a meat shop in Germany from 1976-80. He later started a travel agency and cheated many persons. He was arrested by the police earlier on several occasions and to avoid suspicion and also pressure from the public, he constantly shifted his office. His father is a retired sub-inspector of the Haryana police.

Five servants held

The West district police today claimed to have arrested five domestic servants who had turned thieves and recovered looted items like jewellery worth Rs 12 lakh , cash Rs 39,000 and US dollars 3014 from their possession.

The accused Hari Thapa alias Budhi Ram, Gopal alias Narayan, Gopal, Chandra Bahadur, all residents of Nepal and Surender Rawat, resident of Uttranchal were arrested.

The police initially arrested two persons and their interrogation led to the arrest of other three. They used to operate in Kriti Nagar, Rajinder Nagar, Janak Puri and Punjabi Bagh. The accused used to identify rich houses and gained access as domestic servants and cooks. After winning the confidence of their owners, they would administer intoxicants to the owners and loot the house.

Auto-lifter nabbed

The North-East police have arrested an auto-lifter who was active in the Pandav Nagar area and recovered three motor-cycles from his possession. The accused Manoj alias Satender (20), resident of East Vinod Nagar was apprehended during a vehicle checking near the Bhagat Singh Park, Yamuna Vihar.

Impact Foundations

The Annual Global Convention of the International Federation of Impact Foundations will be held from October 2-3. Representatives from member-countries were expected to attend the convention to share their plans and achievements as part of a comprehensive global agenda to counter the growing disability problem and its economic dimension in different countries.

Loadshedding

The NDPL has announced loadshedding on October 1 due to maintenance work at B Block substation, Prashant Vihar from 10 am to 5 pm.

Expo on hand-woven sarees
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 30
In a concerted effort to provide support and exposure to the traditional art of hand weaving, the Delhi Crafts Council has organised an exhibition of ethnic handwoven sarees in the city. A confluence of weavers from across the country, the exhibition is being organised from September 30, 2003 to October 2, 2003 was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Delhi, Mrs Sheila Dikshit, today.

The exhibition is yet another effort from the Delhi Craft Council to support the weavers and handicraftsmen and is a part of the annual event that the council organises. The exhibition will showcase ethnic handoom weaves like Maheshwari, Kalamkari, Vidarbha, Bagru, Ikat and Patan Patola, among several others. Select sarees from the exhibition will also be available for sale.

The sarees being shown in the exhibition represent a cornucopia of traditions from across the country, with prominent weaves being showcased including those from Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kashmir, Vidarbha and Orissa.