TOP STORIES

Elevated highways to ease Delhi traffic
New Delhi, March 5
The Chief Minister, Ms Shiela Dikshit, said today that Delhi has more traffic signals than the rest of the country put together and if the traffic is to be controlled, advanced elevated highways are needed on the Ring Road.

DU teachers caned on South campus
New Delhi, March 5
Ten teachers of the Delhi University were injured in a lathi-charge by the local police and the Rapid Action Force personnel in the Arts Faculty of South campus today.

Delhi State BJP President Dr Harshvardhan and BJP national president Venkaiah Naidu having gol-gappas during the Holi Mangal Milan function at Delhi Pradesh BJP office in the Capital on Friday. — Tribune photo by Mukesh Aggarwal

Noida
Teams set up to examine quality of flats
Noida, March 5
The quality of over 15,000 flats built by the Noida Authority is being questioned within a year or so of their construction. And to top it, the Authority has hiked the prices of these flats by about 50 per cent.

A murder a week was Faridabad’s norm in the first two months this year
Faridabad, March 5
A murder a week, besides incidents of thefts and robberies, was the norm in the district in the first two months of the year.

Public Places
Undertrials clash in court complex
New Delhi, March 5
There was commotion at Patiala House courts this morning when two groups of undertrials, who were brought to the courts, had a clash in the lockup.

Govt told to order probe into substandard wheat
Sonepat, March 5
The representatives of various political parties, social and voluntary organisations and trade unions today expressed their grave concern over the distribution of substandard wheat and wheat flour among the BPL families through the fair price shops in the city and elsewhere in the district.

1,173 bags of PDS wheat seized
New Delhi, March 5
The Enforcement Branch of Food and Supply Department was keeping a close watch on the activities of certain persons who were engaged in diversion of the PDS wheat and rice in Karol Bagh area.

BJP demands CM’s resignation for misguiding civic body
New Delhi, March 5
The BJP secretary of Delhi Unit, Mr Vijender Gupta, today demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on moral grounds for misguiding the Municipal Corporation and enhancing the property tax on almost all properties under a disguised manner.

Work for peaceful India, parties urged
New Delhi, March 5
All the political parties and people should maintain peace and national integrity during the coming elections. The appeal was made during a Sarva Dharma Sammelan organised here today by the Manav Ekta Manch.

Beware hooligans! Big brother is watching
New Delhi, March 5
The Delhi Police have made elaborate security arrangements to instil a sense of fear among the hooligans and mischief-mongers and also ensure a sense of safety among the Delhi citizens during the Holi celebrations.

Bhagvad Gita: The Tao of salvation
Noida, March 5
The salvation of the crisis-ridden world lies in the message of the Bhagvad Gita. “India is meant to show spiritual leadership to the world,” said Swami Deva Amrita, vice-chairman of ISKCON, addressing devotees in Sector-55, Noida last evening.

‘Holla Mohalla’ at Damdama Sahib
New Delhi, March 5
Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee president Prehlad Singh Chandok said that Holla Mohalla festival would be celebrated at Gurudwara Damdama Sahib, behind Humayun Tomb on Sunday.

Stamp to honour K L Saigal demanded
New Delhi, March 5
The organising secretary of the Saigal Sangeet Sarita (SSS), Mr Amarjit Singh Kohli, has demanded that the government should issue a postal stamp in this birth centenary year of Kundan Lal Saigal. He was born on April 4, 1904 at Nawanshahar, Jammu.

Public funds under scanner
Sonepat, March 5
The vigilance wing set up in the irrigation department in the district has taken a lead in inspecting the ongoing development works and checking the irregularities and malpractices in the utilisation of the public funds.

SPEAKING OUT The Central Government pensioners have been feeling disheartened as some of the vital recommendations made by the Fifth Central Pay Commission have been gathering dust notwithstanding the fact that in its resolution dated September 30, 1997 issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (Department of Pension and Pensioners Welfare), the work done by the Commission was deeply appreciated. Something fishy in mid-day meals! Mansarovar Colony thirsts for water Crimes against women Water remains a pipedream for some. — Photo by Kamal Singh

NCR BRIEFS
250 jhuggies gutted
New Delhi, March 5
As many as 250 jhuggi clusters were gutted this morning when a fire broke out in the wee hours in Bihari Colony of Yamuna Pushta area here.

Sonepat
Cong activist killed in road mishap
Sonepat, March 5
Mr Parkash Deswal, a Congress activist, died on the spot and one Dr Santosh Bajaj was seriously injured when the car on which they were travelling was hit by a tanker near Brahamanwas village about 50 km from here last evening.

Three held for selling loan dreams
New Delhi, March 5
The Economic Offences Wing has claimed to have arrested three persons who were running bogus financing agencies and cheated hundreds of innocent persons to the tune of Rs 11 crores on the pretext of arranging loans.

Sutesh Sunder, Surjeet Sunder and Pradeep Kumar Bhateja who were arrested by the Economic Offences Wing of Delhi Police in the Capital on Friday. — Photo by Kamal Singh

EDUCATION

‘90 per cent govt teachers remain on leave’
Sonepat, March 5
Mr Abhey Singh Chautala, MLA and president of the Haryana Olympic Sangh, has expressed his grave concern over the declining trend of education in the government educational institutions in the state and elsewhere. He also said that the government should take more stringent measures to improve the standard of education in them.

Committee told to construct street within 40 days
Jhajjar, March 5
The District Consumer Forum has directed the Municipal Committee to constructed a street within 40 days, failing which the concerned official of the civic body could be penalised with Rs 5,000.

SI denied bail in graft case
Ghaziabad: Caught red-handed for taking a bribe of Rs.5000, Sub Inspector RR Dixit was presented in an anti-corruption court in Meerut. His bail application was rejected by the court. The accused SI has been placed under suspension by Ghaziabad SSP Jai Narain Singh, who has also ordered a departmental inquiry into the matter.

SPORTS

Subhash Stadium to have nursery for wrestlers
Sonepat, March 5
Bowing to the pressure of the young wrestlers’ demand for a wrestling nursery in the town, the sports and youth welfare department of the state has sanctioned a nursery and it will be opened at Subhash Stadium during this year.

Punit Bisht hits century
New Delhi, March 5
An unbeaten knock of 154 by Puneet Bisht and deadly bowling by Ashish Kapoor (5 for 46) helped Madras Club defeat Ekta Club by 179 runs in an A-I Division match of the DDCA League at the Yamuna Complex ground.

Saroya rules the track
New Delhi, March 5
J P Saroya of Punjab Zone ruled the track for the third consecutive day as he added two more golds in the 21st All-India PNB Inter-Zone Sports Meet at the Karnail Singh Stadium on the third day on Friday.

Suman Sharma is asst. manager
New Delhi, March 5
Former North Zone woman cricketer Suman Sharma has been appointed the assistant manager of the Women’s Cricket Association of India XI’s match against West Indies to be played at Kanpur on March 6, according to Delhi Women’s Cricket Association secretary Anuradha Dutt.

A dab hand at boxing, he dabbles in tourism now
Rohtak, March 5
Joginder Pal Parmar who ruled the boxing ring and donned the university colours to become the first guy to win an inter-university gold medal for Hissar Agriculture University some three decades ago, is seen in a reversal of role these days.