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All-out bid to rope in Gandhi siblings New Delhi, January 29 On a day when the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) passed a resolution welcoming Priyanka and Rahul’s induction as primary members of the party, Convenor of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee’s (DPCC’s) Labour Cell Shaymdev Bhadana threatened to go on an indefinite hunger strike to make the Gandhi siblings throw their hats into the ring. “We warmly welcome the decision of Priyanka and Rahul to join active politics,” a resolution passed at the CLP meeting said. Asked whether the children of Congress President Sonia Gandhi would canvass for party candidates in NCT of Delhi for the coming Lok Sabha elections, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said : “We hope Delhi will be part of their itinerary.” Bhadana, who is also national general secretary of Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), told media persons that his decision to fast was “symptomatic” of the restlessness among the rank and file of the party. He said that the “patience of Congress is running out” and that it was time the siblings stood up and steered the party to victory. The youth of the nation, he told reporters, were looking up to the Gandhi siblings for lending strength to the party and presenting an alternative to lead the country on the path of progress and prosperity. “They should spell out their stand clearly and unequivocally so that the party meets the challenge in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election,” he said. “The Gandhi siblings,” he said, “have imbibed the tenacity and strong will from the late Sanjay Gandhi, foresight and determination from their grandmother and the late prime minister Indira Gandhi and the enthusiasm from their mother and party President Sonia Gandhi.” They, he added, should become “agents of change”. The chorus for enlisting the Gandhi siblings’ services in the run up to the Lok Sabha poll has become strident after many more Congress members and office bearers have issued their appeals. They suggest that the presence of Rahul and Priyanka would rejuvenate the party’s rank and file and that the statements emanating from the BJP amp are indicative of its unease and fear. The BJP, they reasoned, was paranoid about the groundswell of support for the Gandhi family and the entry of Priyanka and Rahul into active politics. The stage was set for their contesting the election and their joint tour of the Amethi parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh was an indicator, they added. |
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Doctors,
files summoned in baby swap case Noida, January 29 The family of Bina, whose baby boy had allegedly been swapped with a girl, has lodged an FIR at Sector-20 police station, naming four persons, including Dr. (Ms) Taneja Lal. The police have registered a case and investigations are on. Dr. Kumar has summoned the Dy Chief Medical Officer, Dr. R.C. Gaur, the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. H.K. Sharma, and senior gynecologist, Dr. Raj Rani Kansal, along with complete documents of the case. Dr. Sharma has entrusted the inquiry to Dr. Raj Rani Kansal and Dr. S.P. Saxena. Dr. Kansal said Dr. Taneja Lal, nurse Jaspreet Kaur and sweeper Lokesh, who were present at the time of Bina’s delivery, have all been questioned. All of them have stuck to the version that Bina had delivered a daughter, but by mistake a boy had been mentioned on the birth slip of the newborn. Bina’s husband Bapi Haldar has alleged that the hospital authorities were not making any effort to trace his baby son. Even a blood test had not been conducted, as promised. He said the nurse had shown a baby boy to Bina’s mother Basanti, but later on a girl was thrust in her lap. Haldar said the hospital staff were guilty of having exchanged his son with a girl. A peaceful bandh Noida: The residents of Gautam Budh Nagar staged a total bandh today, which passed off peacefully. Hundreds of volunteers courted arrest in Noida, Greater Noida and Dadri areas. All the main markets in Noida were closed. All educational institutes in Noida and Greater Noida also observed a total bandh. In Noida city, some vehicles were plying, including DTC and private buses, but at the entrance to Greater Noida, the roads had been blocked. Containers and trailers were parked across the road. The railway trains also cruised though the district without any untoward incident, SSP J.N.Singh said. The Greater Noida Authority office also wore a deserted look. There were hardly a few dozen employees in the sprawling office. None of the senior officers had reached office by 11.45 am. The entire bandh was orderly and peaceful; the cops were seen basking in the sun. All large industrial houses had downed their shutters. Small groups of commuters were seen at bus stands in Noida and in Greater Noida.
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analysis New Delhi, January 29 For a party that spearheaded the agitation for securing statehood to NCT of Delhi, the BJP talks of “more” important issues like electricity, water, road and transport. Its president, Harshvardhan, is heard speaking more often about developmental issues on which Dikshit rode to power for an unprecedented second consecutive term. And Harshvardhan’s predecessor, Madan Lal Khurana, is ensconsed in the Raj Nivas in Rajasthan, his exit from the political affairs of NCT of Delhi hastened by the party’s debacle in the recent Assembly election. With the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ministry recommending the dissolution of the Lok Sabha on February 6, an early parliamentary poll has become inevitable. By announcing her party’s decision to march to Parliament House on a day when Finance Minister Jaswant Singh will be readying to present his Ministry’s Vote-on-Account, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit wants to press home the advantage ahead of the Lok Sabha election. That, and the BJP’s reluctance to join issue with the INC on the issue of statehood, could be the poll plank Dikshit is looking for. With seven Lok Sabha seats up for grabs, the INC wants to ensure that no quarters are given and none taken in the run up to the parliamentary election. That the party wants to extract most out of the issue of statehood also stems from the understanding that the BJP would find it difficult to save face, since the passage of the Bill is in jeopardy after its decision to recommend to the President that the Lok Sabha be dissolved on February 6 to pave the way for an early election. Also, the statehood issue puts the Centre in the dock with little room to manoeuvre. After vacillating for years on end, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit got the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) to adopt a resolution on September 11, 2002 that sought statehood for NCT of Delhi. The issue founds its way into the party’s manifesto for the first time ever in the run up to the Assembly election. It has been downhill for the BJP ever since and observers say that the Congress’ victory in the Assembly election has virtually sounded the death knell for NCT of Delhi’s becoming a State of the Union. The BJP, however, claims otherwise. The BJP has dismissed the chief minister’s protestations as “ridiculous”, “childish” and a well-thought out strategy to divert the attention of the people from more important issues of immediate concern like the dismal state of the roads, irregular supply of electricity and shortage of potable water. The party also claims that the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Home Affairs led by Pranab Mukherjee of the INC “deliberately” delayed the submission of its report, leaving not much time for the Centre to take the Delhi State Bill 2003 up for passage. |
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legal corner New Delhi, January 29 A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice B C Patel and Justice B D Ahmed also appointed senior counsel A S Chandok as amicus curie to assist the court, identify steps for cleaning the river and ensuring that encroachments did not occur again once they were cleared. On March 3 last year, stressing that special efforts were needed to ensure that rivers and their surroundings are rid of pollution and environmental degradation, the High Court had ordered the Centre and city authorities to remove within two months all unauthorised structures, including hutments and places of worship, on the Yamuna river bed as well as on its embankments. A Division Bench comprising Justices Vijender Jain and B N Chaturvedi had directed the Central Government, the Delhi Development Authority, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the Public Works Department and the Delhi Jal Board to remove all unauthorised structures put up on the river bed and on its embankments, and file a compliance report by May 14. The court had observed that the river has been polluted not only on account of dumping of waste, including industrial and medical waste, as well as discharge of unhygienic material, but also by the encroachment of the river bed and illegal construction of pucca houses, jhuggies and places of worship, which cannot be permitted any more. Delhi, with its present population of 20 million, can take no more, pointed out the court. It added that the citizens of Delhi have been silent spectators to this state of affairs and the authorities concerned had made no effort to remove the unauthorised habitation from the Yamuna bed and its embankment, the court said. The judges noted that rivers are a perennial source of life and throughout the civilised world, rivers, their water and surroundings have not only been preserved and beautified, but special efforts have been made to see that river flow is free from pollution and environmental degradation. |
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Court tells Govt to turn heat on tantriks
offering magic cures New Delhi, January 29 Disposing of a contempt petition, Justice S. K. Kaul told the petitioner, Mr. S. C. Jain, through his counsel Sugriva Dubey and Namita, to provide all details in this regard to the authorities, who were in turn asked to take action on specific complaints. The petitioner was given the liberty to move the court again, in case he found that the authorities had not taken any action on the material passed on by
him. While the petitioner alleged that tantriks were using advertisements, posters, hoardings and pamphlets to make tall claims and dupe innocent people, the authorities claimed that they were already undertaking a drive against tantriks and had received about 300 complaints, out of which prosecution had already been initiated in 26 cases. On July 27, the high court had issued contempt notices to the Union Home Affairs Ministry and Delhi Chief Secretary Shailja Chandra, on a petition saying that no action had been taken against tantriks in the city, who were promising ‘magic cures’ for various ailments despite court orders. Today, the alleged contempts were discharged by the court. Justice Vikramajit Sen had issued the notices on a petition, which also sought that the Delhi Commissioner of Police be directed to take specific steps to prevent such quacks or conmen from operating. On April 30 last, while disposing of the PIL, a Division Bench of the High Court had directed the Delhi Government to act against such persons offering ‘magic cures’ and misleading the people. The judges also told the petitioner to cooperate with the law enforcement agencies in this regard and the authorities to consider the petition as a representation to them. Mr Dubey had approached the court, saying that despite its orders no action had be taken by the authorities. On November 28, while issuing notices to the MHA and the Delhi Government on the petition, the Bench had directed the authorities to take appropriate steps required under the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act. |
HVP’s Chautala ‘hatao’ rally on February 29 Sonepat, January 29 He claimed that the people of the state were behind Mr Bansi Lal, who is considered the only leader who could provide a stable and corruption-free government in the state, and take Haryana on the path of progress and prosperity. He also claimed that the Jind rally would pave the way for the return of Mr Bansi Lal to power in the state. The HVP leader also ruled out the possibility of an alliance with any party in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. He said the HVP would contest the elections independently. He, however, maintained that if the HVP was voted to power, it could consider giving ‘issue-based support’ to the Vajpayee government at the Centre. He also declined to support the Congress with the present leadership. He disclosed that the HVP had also prepared CDs, audio and video materials showcasing the development works carried out by Mr Bansi Lal as Chief Minister.  |
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JD(U) cautions against CM’s ‘false promises’ Sonepat, January 29 He said that the model code of conduct would soon be implemented by the Chief Election Commissioner and the state government would not even be able to complete the formalities for holding the written examinations and the interviews at least upto May. He said that the Assembly elections in Haryana were due early next year and how was it possible for Mr Chautala to provide 50,000 jobs in such a short period. Referring to the character assassination campaigns launched by some political parties, Mr Vidrohi appealed to the leaders of all the political parties not to indulge in mud throwing on each other and should restrain from using abusive language in their election campaign. He urged the political parties to present a purposeful and pro-people agenda before the masses so that the voters could decide about the future political set up of the country. He criticised the BJP leaders for using abusive language against their political opponents and appealed to them to remain within their traditional social
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NSUI wants to take the shine out of the
BJP agenda New Delhi, January 29 Motivated party leaders who met the Congress party president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, here early this week in “an emergency meeting”, are gearing up to “wage a war against the NDA government”. And aiding them in this war is “data that highlights the flaws and failures of the NDA government”. “The NDA government has proved to be anti -student. Nothing has been done about the increasing unemployment. And now they are talking about this Model Act,” said Ashok Tanwar, national president NSUI. To register their protest, the NSUI has planned a ‘Parliament Gherao’ march at Jantar Mantar on February 3. The party has also charted out a course to help the party win the elections, which includes protests and campaigns. “We will talk to students in colleges and universities, we will draw their attention to the failures of the NDA government,” pointed out Kuntal Krishna, spokesperson, NSUI. Listing a few plans, Tanwar said, “we will organise party conventions in each state. College and university presidents will be asked to strengthen the party’s image.” He added, “a signature campaign will be organised in each state between February 9 and 11. Then each state will meet the Governor and seek their favourable intervention”. Asserting that the NDA government had “neglected education”, Krishna said, “providing education is the responsibility of the state and the government is trying to commercialise education through the implementation of the Model Act”. Education is not the only contentious issue. Taking a cue from their seniors, the NSUI has also decided to decry the BJP’s mantra, the ‘feel good factor’. “What do they mean by the feel good factor when the unemployment figures are so high,” the NSUI activists questioned. Meanwhile, the Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA), today held a dharna to protest the “anti-academic and undemocratic” functioning of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Deepak Nayyar, and demanded the implementation of the academic reforms suggested by the Academic Council. Over 2,000 teachers participated in the protest held outside the VC’s office to express the “anger and anguish of the teaching community of the University against the arbitrary functioning of the University administration and trampling of the DU Act/statutes/ordinances/ regulations by the VC, who is mandated for ensuring observance of the University norms,” DUTA members said. The DUTA office-bearers later met the VC and conveyed that any further delay in meeting their demands would force the teaching community to intensify their agitation. |
Farmers show keen interest in vegetable Sonepat, January 29 On the concluding day, the state Agriculture Minister, Mr Jaswinder Singh Sandhu, awarded prizes to the winners in different categories. More than two dozen prizes were bagged by the farmers and agriculture centres of Sonepat District. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Sandhu exhorted the farmers to diversify without losing any more time, in order to check the decrease in level of the underground water and to preserve the fertility of the soil. As against traditional crops like wheat and paddy, the cropping of vegetables, flowers and fruit trees would prove more beneficial, he added. To ensure remunerative prices of their produce to the farmers, four food parks were being set up in different parts of the state, he said, adding that to overcome the problem of marketing of horticulture produce, the government had assigned duties of marketing to state government agencies. The financial commissioner, agriculture, Mr K S Bhoria, said that the government had been providing subsidies and free training to the farmers to boost agriculture. He also stressed the need to diversify stating that the country as well as Haryana had become surplus in production of foodgrains.” It has become the need of the hour to change the cropping pattern, to bring self-sufficiency in pulses and oilseeds also,” he remarked. The director of the horticulture department, V P Ahlawat, disclosed that due to pro-farmer policies and incentives for diversification of crops, the area under vegetable cultivation had increased more than 10 times — from 110355 hectares in 1990 to 1,63,000 in 2003. On the occasion, different agencies also displayed their products of seeds, vermi compost, organic fertilizer and medicinal plants in the exhibition. |
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BSES opens customer service centre New Delhi, January 29 Speaking on the occasion, the CEO, Mr Rakesh Aggarwal, said, “I am extremely happy at the opening of the Customer Support Service Centre, which is a one-stop-shop for commercial issues. With the opening of this centre, our consumers will be able to avail superior services for commercial grievances. It will provide our consumers with fast, efficient and customer friendly interface to help them with all commercial issues.” This `Reach & Resolve’ initiative centre will soon be replicated across the entire operating area of BRPL & BYPL. Addressing customer queries and issues on payments, category change, billing, load enhancement and reduction, the centre will be a consumer friendly solution for giving quality service to consumers. |
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Workshop on rural livelihood held New Delhi: The Gramin Vikas Trust (GVT) organised a one-day national level workshop at Vigyan Bhawan on ‘partnership for sustainable rural livelihoods in rainfed tribal areas’. The GVT is an independent entity established with technical and financial support from KRIBHCO, Department of Fertiliser, Government of India, and Department for International Development (DFID) of the British Government. This organisation is working in six states, managing two projects and aims to initiate the development of renewable natural resources through a flexible cost-effective and participatory approach to improve the livelihood of poor women and men. The workshop was inaugurated by Mr M. Shankar, Secretary of Rural Development, Government of India. In his inaugural address, he emphasized the importance of sustainable rural development as it contributes to a nation’s widespread development. While speaking on the change of strategy for rural development, he said that a participatory approach in planning, projects formulation and execution of the programme is of utmost importance.
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Transcos showing losses to
effect tariff hike: Mukhi New Delhi, January 29 Addressing a news conference, Mr Mukhi said that Transco, the transmission company, BSES-Rajdhana Power Limited, BSES-Yamuna Power Limited and the NDPL owned by the Tata Group had shown losses worth Rs 3,945 crore, Rs 560 crore, Rs 336 crore and Rs 686 crore respectively. “The private companies have shown the theft of electricity on the higher side so that they can easily manage to loot the money from the government exchequer. These fabricated figures are being shown by private electricity distribution companies for their own benefits,” he told mediapersons. He added that the BJP would oppose any move to recover the losses by burdening the Delhiites by way of increased electricity tariff. “We will call on the Lieutenant Governor and apprise him of the situation and also request him to take appropriate action in this regard,” he said.
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Protest by Haryana Government employees Faridabad, January 29 A spokesperson of the employees organisation said here today that employees of the various departments, including Power Supply, Irrigation, PWD, Public Health and the Haryana Roadways staged gate meetings at their respective offices for about two hours and raised anti-government slogans. He alleged that the government authorities, including the Chief Minister had accepted their demand for regularisation of all the adhoc and daily wage employees and adjustment of about 16,000 retrenched staff in other departments at the meetings held on October 24, 2002 and June 2003. He claimed that the Chief Minister in the last meeting on January 7 took a U–turn and declined to move further on the accepted demands. According to the JAC, there were about 22,000 employees, who were still to be regularised. They claimed that the government had been unnecessarily creating hurdles by putting conditions in the regularisation rules. The employees claimed that their agitation would continue till all their demands, including anomalies in the pay structure. and policies regarding promotion and regularisation were met. |
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delhi digest New Delhi, January 29 The special drive begins on February 3 at State Bank of India, Shahdara. The Bank of India, Jhandewalan, will have this facility the next day. The Punjab National Bank, Bhikaji Cama Place on February 5 and Syndicate Bank, Sector 4, R K Puram, on February 6 will also provide this facility. Two branches of State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (Amar Colony and Lawrence Road) will participate in the drive on February 9 and 10 respectively. The Corporation Bank, Mahaveer Nagar, will provide this facility on February 11. At ICICI Bank, Hauz Khas, HSBC Bank, KG Marg and Union Bank of India, Arya Samaj Road, the facility will be available on February 12, 13 and 16 respectively. The programme concludes on February 17 at HDFC Bank, East Patel Nagar. Renaming of road flayed The Delhi Sikh Pratinidi Sabha (DSPS) today condemned the government for changing the name of Gurdwara Road as Daulat Ram Ahuja Marg in Karol Bagh. The members of the Partinidi Sabha met the Lt- Governor, Mr Vijai Kapoor and the Chief Minister, Mrs Sheila Dikshit, and submitted a memorandum demanding the restoration of old name. The Chief Minister heard the delegation and assured them that the original name of the road would be restored. The memorandum said that the sentiments of the Sikh community was attached with the Gurdwara Road. Load shedding announced The North Delhi Power Limited (NDPL) has announced load shedding in the Rohini, Motinagar and Mangolpuri areas on January 30 from 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. due to some maintenance work. |
Two Nigerian nationals held for drug trafficking New Delhi, January 29 Based on a secret information, the sleuths spotted the suspects near the car parking in Chanakya Cinema and apprehended them. They were later identified as Kayode Ostatuai (36) and Gabriel Olawale Ajisafe (46), both residents of Nigeria. Two arrested for smuggling
potassium cyanide The Delhi Police Crime Branch today claimed to have arrested two persons indulging in the illegal smuggling of highly poisonous potassium cyanide. The sleuths also claimed to have recovered one country-made pistol, live cartridges and 1.5 kilograms of the poisonous substance from their possession. Based on a secret information, the sleuths apprehended two persons Mohammad Razi (24) and Mohammad Shakir (34), both residents of Moradabad from the District Park in Paschim Vihar. The accused told the sleuths that they procured the cyanide from Aligarh, which was to be delivered to their clients in the national Capital. Minors rescued The Crime Branch of the Delhi police claimed to have rescued to minors from the clutches of a person who used them for performing menial jobs. The accused, identified as Manoj Kumar Verma, and a woman, identified as Poonam Verma, were arrested by the sleuths for illegal detention of the children. |
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ncr briefs Faridabad, January 29 It is reported that the victim was going on a two- wheeler to the local market with here elder sister when the tractor trolley rammed into their scooter. The girl, who fell down and banged her head on the road, died on the spot. The tractor driver has been arrested. Meanwhile, in a string of accidents on the National Highway no. 2, at least ten vehicles rammed into each other near Mitrol village in the Palwal Sub division on Tuesday morning. The condition of some of the injured was stated to be serious. One of the deceased was identified as Himashu. It is stated that the victims were highway passengers and were on their way to Agra and Mathura. Inter-state criminal held New Delhi: The North district police have arrested an inter-state criminal, identified as Nafees alias Kalia, resident of Aligarh, who was involved in many cases. The accused was declared a proclaimed offender and the Aligarh police had announced a reward for his arrest. 3 acquitted in murder case Sonepat: The District and Sessions Judge, Mr B L Singal, yesterday acquitted three accused, identified as Sunder, his mother, Mrs. Premo Devi and his brother, Satish, for lack of evidence in a dowry murder case. According to the prosecution story, the three accused were facing trial in a dowry death case registered against them in Gohana police station of this district. The accused, Surinder alias Sundar of Mirchpur village, (Hissar district) was married to Manju of Balore Garhi village on March 4, 2002. Soon after the marriage, he harassed his wife for dowry. On July 4, 2003, Sunder informed his mother-in-law, Mrs Kanta, that Manju had sustained serious injuries after falling from the staircase. When Mrs Kanta and her husband, Mr Karam Singh, reached the house they found Manju dead. Later, they were informed that Manju had died on July 3 itself. Thereupon, the parents of Manju lodged an FIR with the Gohana police on July 5, 2003, against Surinder, his mother, Mrs Premo Devi and his brother, Satish. Husband kills wife A young housewife, Mrs Manju, was allegedly killed with a sharp-edged weapon by her husband, Sudama(30), at Ridhao village, about 15 km from here yesterday. According to a report, the alleged assailant also took sulphas tablets. Though he was immediately hospitalised, he passed away during the course of the treatment. The alleged assailant suspected his wife of having illicit relationship with another man, which was the main cause for the tragedy. The police have registered the case.
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Family booked for dowry death Faridabad, January 29 While the in-laws of the victim claimed that the girl had been under depression due to unknown reasons and had committed suicide, the family members of the victim have refused to believe the theory. They have alleged that the young girl, who was married last year, had been harassed for dowry, and it was the in-laws who had murdered her in this manner. The body has been sent to the local civil hospital for the postmortem examination, and the police have registered a case under the Dowry Prevention Act against five persons, including her husband, mother-in-law and the brother-in-law of the victim. No arrest has been made so far. TNS
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