TOP STORIES

CAS is in favour of consumers: Govt
New Delhi, December 28
Defending Conditional Access System (CAS) in the Delhi High Court, the Union Government has asserted that CAS is purely viewer-friendly and has been brought into force to protect the interests of consumers.

Fire in Kirti Nagar lamp unit,
two charred to death
New Delhi, December 28
Two labourers were charred to death and goods worth lakhs of rupees were destroyed in a fire that broke out in a lamp factory at Kirti Nagar in West Delhi area last night.

Shoppers brave the wintry weather at Janpath in the Capital on Sunday.  Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

Farmers’ clash sets alarm bells ringing
Sonepat, December 28
The armed clash between the farmers of Baroli village in Sonepat district and Ninana village in Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh on Friday last has alarmed the villages on both sides of the Yamuna.

scourge Fair sex cries for a fair deal in Faridabad Faridabad, December 28 While the year gone by proved quite tough for the fair sex as the crime rate against women did not register a fall, the period also saw decreasing sex ratio in the area. The police were able to recover about half a dozen girls trafficked from other states, with the help of an NGO based here. As Haryana has been one of those states in the country where the sex ratio had declined sharply over the past several years, it was the main reason of the enforcement of the PNDT Act here. Activists of the Migrants Nepalese Association protesting against ‘imperialism’ in Nepal at Jantar Mantar in the Capital on Sunday. — Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

city in a jam
Fog disrupts air and rail schedules in Delhi
New Delhi, December 28
The national capital today continued to reel under intense cold, with the sun unwilling to spread warmth. Dense fog continued to play havoc with traffic schedules and led to the cancellation and rescheduling of several flights and trains.

POLITICS

LJP to contest Lok Sabha, Assembly elections on its own
Sonepat, December 28
The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) has decided to contest the next Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Haryana on its own and field party candidates on all the seats.

National Akali Dal president Paramjit Singh Pamma distributes blankets to the needy in the Capital.

MLA flays Chautala for reversing decision
Faridabad, December 28
A former minister of Haryana and the MLA from Palwal, Mr Karan Singh Dalal, has criticised the Chautala government for reversing the decision of building a new jail complex at Arua Mothuka village in the district.

SYL canal construction to be taken up soon: Chautala
Sonepat, December 28
The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, said that the work to complete the remaining portion of Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal would be taken up soon, as the case was scheduled to be taken up by the Supreme Court on January 13, 2004.

COMMUNITY

G.T. Road
Fewer casualties thanks to Haryana highway patrolling squad
Panipat, December 28
With two patrolling posts in the district on the National Highway No 1, the Haryana Highway Patrolling has become quite effective to check accidents and help victims on the G. T. Road, covering a length of about 35 km.

LITTLE ARTIST: A physically challenged boy taking part in an annual painting competition organised by Aadharshila Vidyapeeth on the occasion of the Prime Minister’s birthday in the Capital.

Special Focus on SONEPAT
Residents cry foul as truckers turn colony road into parking space
Sonepat, December 28
With scores of trucks and other vehicles using the Sonepat-Bahalgarh road as parking space, the lives of the residents on this road have become miserable. Constant blaring of pressure horns, hurtling tempos and absence of traffic signals, leading to frequent accidents, have destroyed the peace of the people living in the adjoining locality-once known for its serene ambience.

Chautala harassing farmers: HVP
Sonepat, December 28
The Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) promised to introduce flat rates for electricity consumed by tubewells instead of meter rates prevalent at present in the state. This was stated by the general-secretary of the state unit of the party, Mr Rajiv Jain, while addressing a public meeting in Sonepat assembly constituency yesterday.

Tributes paid to jawans at CRPF 64th Anniversary Celebrations New Delhi, December 28 Tributes were paid to 39 jawans who lost their lives fighting in various operations across the country at the 64th Anniversary Celebrations of the CRPF here today. The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Mr I. D. Swami, decorated 50 officers and jawans with gallantry and distinguished medals. He also presented the best group centre trophy to GC Jallandhar, best battalion trophy to 22nd Battalion, best operational battalion in Jammu and Kashmir to the 114th Battalion, best battalion in North East to the 53rd Battalion and the best cost effective and financial discipline trophy to the 124th Battalion. The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Mr I. D. Swami, presents the President’s Medal for Gallantry (posthumously) to Mrs Munni Devi, wife of late Head Constable Net Ram, in the Capital on Sunday.

BJP warns against hike in water tariff
New Delhi, December 28
The BJP has cautioned the Government of NCT of Delhi against increasing the water tariff. A member of Lok Sabha from the Chandni Chowk parliamentary in Delhi, Vijay Goel on Sunday said the Sheila Dikshit Ministry should concentrate on better financial management instead of increasing the water tariff.

BUSINESS

‘Good Fortune’ devices to help turn negative energies into positive ones
REIKI master Nalin Narula and Clairvoyant expert Renoo Narula have launched a range of fascinating ‘Good Fortune’ devices under the Star Light brand for harmonising natural and individual energies.