 |
|
|
|
|
|||
|
National Akali Dal chief joins Cong New Delhi, March 28 The merger is considered politically significant in the run up to the elections as the National Capital territory of Delhi has a sizeable concentration of the Sikhs and Punjabis. With the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), which controls a large number of educational institutes, hospitals and gurdwaras in the Capital, already being perceived as pro Congress, Pamma’s joining the cadre could help in garnering a larger chunk of Punjabi and Sikh votes in the Capital. Welcoming Pamma and his colleagues into the party, Mrs. Dikshit said that this step would further strengthen the party and cement the bond of love and affection which the Congress has always shared with the Sikh community. The Delhi chief minister said that Pamma and his supporters had always been in the forefront in raising the voice of the common people and had periodically focussed the attention of the powers that be on the problems of the common man through demonstrations and dharnas. “ I am confident that Pamma and his supporters will contribute in strengthening the hands of the party under the leadership of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi”, she said. Mr. Paramjeet Singh Pamma said that the Congress Party was the only political party which had fought for unity and integrity of the country. The country has developed enough during the reign of he Congress Government. The last five years of the BJP rule will be known for scandals. The achievements of the BJP government in the last five years were the Kargil war, commissions in defence deals, the Judev and Bangaru bribe episodes, the terrorist attack on Parliament House and Red Fort, the terrorist strike on Akshar Dham Temple and Vaishno Devi pilgrims and the coffin kickbacks. The people will never forget these incidents. He claimed that the number of unemployed was on the rise and the common man was reeling under inflation. Yet, the NDA government was chanting the ‘feel good’ mantra. The anti-people policies of the BJP-led NDA government compelled him to join the Congress, Mr Pamma said. Apart from Mr Pamma, National Akali Dal Vice President Daljeet Singh and other senior leaders — Harminder Pal Singh Vakshi, I.P.S. Bedi, Babu Bhai, Baljit Singh Sarna, Dilip Singh, Amarjeet Singh Bunty, Rajni Naagar, Veena, Santokh Singh Bhatia, Ashok Chug and Roop Singh — also joined the Congress. |
|
HC tells MCD to update GPF accounts New Delhi, March 28 The order came on a petition filed by the MCD General Mazdoor Union and three employees of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi who complained that MCD was not issuing details of the amount deducted from employees’ salaries towards GPF contribution. Through its counsel Varun Prasad, the union had complained that MCD was violating the mandate of Rule 39 of GPF Rules, 1960, thereby depriving thousands of employees of the statutory benefits under GPF Act, 1925. Allowing the petition, Justice Pradeep Nandrajog ordered the MCD “to comply with the mandate of Rule 39 of GPF Rules with respect to all employees from whose salary provident fund is deducted and is credited in the GPF account of the employee”. The court further directed that “after March 31 of each year, within a reasonable period, not exceeding four months, the Accounts Officer of the MCD shall send to each subscriber a statement of his accounts containing the entries as required by Rule 39” of GPF Rules. The GPF passbooks issued to the employees by the MCD should be signed by a duly authorised officer and should also bear the stamp or seal of the civic body, the court said. Besides the MCD Union, three employees - Laxmi Prasad, Mukundi and Liladhar — had approached the High Court, alleging that they had not been issued GPF passbooks by the MCD. Their counsel had alleged that the MCD employees were not being issued GPF passbooks with complete entries and proper signature of the officer concerned. “In the absence of GPF passbooks with complete entries, the employees do not know the amount they have in their GPF accounts or whether their accounts are being misused by the respondents (MCD), since the subscribers have no option but to accept whatever amount they have given as final payment of accumulation in GPF,” the counsel submitted. The MCD employees were not in a position to take advance from the GPF either. The counsel further pointed out that the GPF passbooks issued to some of the employees were incomplete and hence of no use. The petitioners had also sought a direction to the MCD to issue computerised monthly salary bills containing details of emoluments and deductions made. They wanted the MCD to issue GPF passbooks to them with the names of their nominees mentioned thereon. |
|
Housewife gang raped by five Sonepat, March 28 According to a report, the assailants, who were armed with knives and other weapons, managed to escape after committing the crime. The injured woman was rushed to the local civil hospital for treatment, and is stated to be out of danger. The Murthal police have registered the case and further investigations were on. A hunt is on for the culprits, all of whom are absconding. It is stated that the woman fell unconscious after the assault. The victim was spotted by some women in the morning, who gave her clothes to wear. The incident has led to much bitterness among the residents of the village. According to another report, a youth allegedly raped his seven-year-old niece at Raja Kheri village in Panipat district yesterday. The police have registered the case and launched a hunt for the culprit. The girl was undergoing treatment in a hospital at Panipat.
Traders untraced The police have failed to achieve a breakthrough in the alleged kidnapping of two traders, Sanni Jain (20) and Ashu Jain (23), both cousins and residents of Sector 14. They were abducted won March 25 last when they were going in a car towards Gohana town for collection of money from their clients. According to a report, the alleged kidnappers have demanded Rs 2 crore in ransom from the parents. The police have raided possible hideouts at Delhi, Gohana and some places in UP, but no clue has been found so far. It is stated that the police have detained three persons, said to be the members of a family, for interrogation. Further details are awaited. The Superintendent of Police, Mr Kuldip Singh Sihag, has proceeded on two-day leave and the Deputy Superintendent of Police was not accessible on phone. |
|
Citizens plan PIL on erratic water supply Sonepat, March 28 According to a report, the association has also authorised the committee to demand Rs. 30 lakh in compensation from the department as it had denied water to thousands of residents living in the area. The residents here have been facing a water crunch since the onset of the summer season. The water crunch afflicts the city in general and the old city in particular. The PHD has curtailed the supply of water in the old city without any prior notice. Hitherto the residents were supplied drinking water twice in a day, but now they are being supplied water once only. Many residents alleged that their complaints to the concerned officials of the department have fallen on deaf ears. They also alleged that taps were generally dry as the pressure was low. In some areas, the residents had not been getting drinking water for the past few days. The situation has worsened in Mohalla Kalan, Mohalla Mashad, Ram Bazar and Jamalpura, where the water cannot reach even the ground flour. The residents are planning to stage demonstrations and gherao the officials. |
|
PRIVATE WRATH Noida, March 28 The brother of a patient, Bushan Tyagi, who was brought in with chest pain last night, lost his cool as the doctor had been dilly-dallying on treatment. The patient was in great pain. Yudhveer Singh Tyagi, the brother of the patient, pulled out his leather belt and attacked the doctor. Result: The doctor’s finger was fractured and he received injuries all over. According to Sector 24 police, Bhushan Tyagi of Khora colony had forgotten to bring his ESI card. The patient was, however, admitted but his treatment was not started on one pretext or the other. The patient was also told to leave the room as it was being cleaned. Bhushan Tyagi was reportedly writhing in pain. This infuriated his brother and an argument ensued with a nurse. Duty doctor Dr. Arvind Jain come out of his room on hearing the commotion, reprimanded the patient and his brother. At this, Yudh Veer Tyagi reportedly lost control and attacked the doctor with his leather belt. A case has been registered by the Sector-24 police against the accused on the basis of a written complaint filed by the doctor. According to eyewitnesses, rudeness and negligence on the part of the hospital staff had led to the scuffle. Such incidents have happened earlier also. The police are investigating the matter.
Tremors rock
Delhi A mild earthquake, measuring 1.6 on the Richter Scale, hit the city this morning, the meteorological department said. The slight tremors were felt at 9.51 am. There were no reports of any casualty or damage to property. TNS |
Centre blames Delhi Government for power crisis New Delhi, March 28 Following the power crisis, which befell large parts of the Capital last week, Union Power Secretary R V Shahi undertook a review meeting, which identified disturbances in distribution network as the real cause of the problem, sources revealed. Tripping of the transmission links between IP power station and Patparganj on March 24 were cited as the immediate cause for the crisis. It was also reported that Shahi is known to have dashed off a letter to Lt-Governor Vijai Kapoor, asking him to provide land for sub stations, which have been delayed. Further, the Centre believes the Delhi Government has been tardy in setting up special courts for curbing electricity theft as promised earlier. Delhi’s Principal Secretary (power) had stated that the state would soon put in place designated courts for this purpose. Though Dadri, Badarpur and Singrauli generating stations had been shut down for regular maintenance work, it was felt that shortages were not due to this reason as power availability from various stations was higher than projected demand. Sources said NTPC and other power stations were in a position to meet the demand, but Delhi was not in a position to draw such amounts of power given the weak system. Considering the large fluctuations between peak and off peak demand, which range between 2800 MW and 1800 MW, it was also felt that state had to better manage the demand. The meeting also discussed emerging power scenario for the summer months with projected demand expected to rise to 3,650 MW in July, and it was hoped that adequate power would be made available.
Sorabjee to present awards Attorney General, Soli J Sorabjee will present the ‘Red and White Bravery Awards’ at a function in the Capital on March 30. The award now in its 12th year, covers about 15 states across the country. For Delhi, the awards will be presented in two categories, one for physical bravery and the other for social acts of courage. In both the categories, the winners will be awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze medals along with a cash prize and certificate. The criterion for selection includes parameters like personal risk, situational intensity, selflessness, determination, foresight and perseverance. The awards were instituted in 1990 and salute the acts of common man’s bravery in real life. |
|
89 per cent of voters to use I-cards in Faridabad Faridabad, March 28 According to the revised list issued by the authorities recently, the Faridabad Lok Sabha constituency has about 15.42 lakhs registered voters. According to the details released by the District Election Office, as many as 14,57,631 voters out of the total voter’s list of 15,42,138 have been photographed for the purpose. Of these, 14.14 lakh voters have been issued their photo identity cards. There were nine Assembly segments, which are part of this Lok Sabha seat, three Assembly segments falling in the neighbouring Gurgaon district. While Mewla Maharajpur Assembly segment has the largest number of 3,05660 voters, Hathin segment has only 1,21826 voters, as per the latest figures. In the Faridabad assembly constituency, about 2.21 lakh of the total 2.35 lakh voters have been issued photo-I-cards so far. According to the authorities, the details of photo-I-cards issued in other constituencies are as follows: 2.69 lakhs in the Mewla Maharajpur Assembly segment, 1.66 lakhs in the Ballabgarh, 1.29 lakhs in Palwal, 1.29 lakhs in Hassanpur, 1.16 lakhs in Hathin, 1.28 lakhs in Ferozpur Jhirka, 1.19 lakhs in Nuh and 1.37 lakhs in Taoru Assembly segment. According to information, the Faridabad Lok Sabha constituency will have about 1,511 polling stations, of which about 66 will be reserved for the weaker sections.
Loan settlement scheme extended The National Agricultural and Rural Development Bank (NABARD) has extended the last date for the ‘One–time settlement scheme’ for the loan defaulters from March 31, 2004 to July 31, 2004. According to the district manager of the bank, the scheme was applicable to all those individuals and the cooperative societies who were defaulters for at least three years on March 31, 2000. It was stated that all those who wished to clear their dues would be charged the normal rate of interest upto April 1, 2000, and a rate of 12 per cent per annum from April 1, 2000 till May 31, 2004. He said the applicants should either submit their applications with the office or contact the NABARD office here before the end of May so that the process could be started immediately. |
|
All arrangements in place for procurement of wheat: DC Sonepat, March 28 Corporation and the Haryana Agro Industries Corporation at the rate fixed by the central government. He claimed that the district administration has also made arrangements for loading and unloading operations, lifting of procured wheat from the mandis and the purchasing centres, supply of drinking water and providing toilet and other facilities to the farmers bringing their produce to the purchasing centres and the mandis. According to the DC, the state government has already ordered the officials of the procurement agencies to make payment for the procured wheat within 72 hours after the purchase so that the farmers did not face any difficulty in this regard. The DC appealed to the farmers to follow the norms laid down by the government so that their produce could be purchased by the official agencies. Referring to the purchase of sugarcane by the Sonepat Cooperative Sugar Mills, he said that the purchase of sugarcane would be stopped from April 1 as the crushing season for the year 2003-04 would come to an end. He appealed to the cane growers to sell their produce before this date so that they received the support price fixed by the government. |
|
DELHI DIGEST New Delhi, March 28 Mr Malhotra said that drinking water crisis in the city and introduction of the new unit area method (UAM) were the two issues which would lead to the defeat of the Congress. Addressing a political rally here, he said “drought of competent leadership has struck the Congress” and the party was banking on political rookies. Mr Malhotra also addressed 10 political sammelans in the South Delhi parliamentary constituency. As many as 12,000 party workers had participated in these sammelans. All four MLAs, Jagdish Mukhit, Karan Singh Tanwar, O P Babber, Har Sharan Singh Bali, and councillors Subhash Arya, Meena Thakur and Arti Mehra and other party workers participated in the political sammelans.
Traders to protest against UAM In order to protest against the introduction of unit area method for house tax collection the city traders will stage a dharna on April 1. The move to introduce the unit area method would be detrimental to the people of Delhi and encourage high-handedness of officials, said the Confederation of All India Traders on Sunday.
Blaze in PVC factory A fire broke out in Badali Industrial Area in North West Delhi on Sunday afternoon but no one was injured in the fire incident. The Delhi Fire Service received a call at around 4.22 pm. Immediately, as many as 28 fire engines were rushed to the spot and the blaze was brought under control. Sources said that the fire broke out in a PVC factory situated at A-8, Phase-3 of Badali Industrial Area. |
|
Youth killed, another seriously hurt on GT Road Sonepat, March 28 Both the youths belonged to Chitana village and were returning home after selling fodder at Delhi. The injured youth was still undergoing treatment in the local Civil Hospital. The truck driver, however, managed to escape immediately after the accident. A case has been registered. A hunt is on to apprehend him. The police have sent the body of the victim for a post-mortem examination.
Rs 10,000 snatched from woman A young woman, Santosh, was allegedly relieved of Rs 10,000 by two unidentified motorcycle-borne youths at Kharkhauda town, 19 km from here, on Saturday. She had withdrawn the amount from the SBI branch and was returning home. When she took a turn in a street after passing through the bazar both the motorcyclists got down and followed her. They asked her to give information about their relatives living in this area. In the meantime they pounced on her, snatched the purse containing cash from her and fled on their motorcycle. The police are still investigating. However, no clue has been found about the miscreants.
Protest against
illegal detention A large number of residents of Sector 14, a residential colony of HUDA, held a demonstration in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office here yesterday in protest against the detention of Rafiq and his minor son Samir by the police. The demonstrators raised slogans against the police and demanded immediate release of the detained persons. They also demanded a probe into the case and stern action against the policemen found guilty of the illegal detention. The DC assured that he would look into the case sympathetically.
Nine hurt in road mishaps At least nine persons, including three women, were injured in different road accidents that occurred on the G T Road and other state highways passing through the district on Saturday evening. The injured persons were immediately hospitalised and are stated to be out of danger. The police are still investigating the cases. No arrest has been made in this connection. |
|
One dead, four hurt as truck rams into water tank New Delhi, March 28 While Sonu (23) died on the spot, the four others who sustained serious injuries have been
identified as Akilesh, Krati Lal, Sharath Pawar and Nelson. Sources said that the incident occurred this afternoon when the truck in which the five were travelling rammed into the Haidarpur water tank in the Rohini area.
Blood donation camp The Indo-Tibetan Border Police in association with the Rotary Blood Bank organised a blood donation camp at the Base Hospital, ITBP, Tigri Camp. As many as 100 men of the ITBP donated blood in the camp which was inaugurated by Mr Sudarshan Agarwal, Governor of Uttaranchal. The DG, ITBP, Mr R. C. Agarwal, and the Director, Rotary Blood Camp, Mr M. B. Kaushal, were also present on the occasion. |
Helper held for murder of
septuagenarian New Delhi, March 28 The police also claimed to have recovered Rs 80,000 in cash and some documents related to Raj Rani from Sonu, resident of Azamgarh, who was arrested from the Old Delhi railway station. The victim, Raj Rani, was alone at her house when the accused murdered the victim by smothering her. The police said that Sonu was working as a helper with the victim’s son, Anil, who was running an RTV vehicle. Since the victim’s son had an idea that Sonu belonged to Azamgarh, the police had checked the records in the STD booths surrounding the area where the incident took place. Accordingly, a team was sent to Azamgarh for nabbing the suspect but Sonu had by then left for Delhi and was nabbed today. Sonu told the police he had his family members were suffering from loan problems and that’s why he decided to murder and rob the elderly woman. |
SHOWCASE
Phoenix Lamps has introduced its latest offering, Twister, a compact fluorescent lamp with eight times the life of a normal incandescent lamp and up to 80 per cent energy saving capacity. The features of the Phoenix are an improved and suitable replacement over incandescent bulbs, compact in size with high lumen efficiency, excellent colour rendering and colour distribution, flicker-free instant start and B22 base for easy replacement as in normal incandescent lamps.
Wearing elegance on your wrist Longines has launched its Evidenza range in India. The ladies and men’s watches of the new Longines Evidenza collection draw their inspiration from the 1920s, a time when fashion and design threw off ancient rules and personal accessories of every description grew increasingly handy, elegant and stylish. The specific design of Longines Evidenza, its tonneau shape goes back to a Longines model dating from 1911.
A formal look for casual chinos Miracle Chinos are created from fine Giza cotton. Each yarn of this ultra light fabric is the result of intertwining three strands. Each yarn is singed - a special process that removes the hairiness of the fabric, thereby giving it an extra sheen. The fabric is also vat dyed, thus ensuring the retention of the original colour even after extensive use. Arrow has introduced formal detailing like the formal seam stitching that lends a formal look to the casual chinos. The Miracle Chinos also come with dyed to match, herringbone fabric pockets and belt lining, completing the formal look. This range has seven colours to offer like black, navy, grey teal, hunter green, light grey, stone and ecrue.
Countering summer fatigue Himani Sona Chandi Amritprash summer special has redefined the concept of chyawanprash, originally considered to be a winter product, by giving it a cooling effect. Amritprash boasts of the super cooling power of herbs to counter the ill-effects of summer. The cooling herbs protect the body from summer fatigue, dizziness, dehydration and indigestion and soothe the entire body system. Gold acts as a powerful rejuvenator and an anti-ageing agent while silver tones up the nervous system. Pearl has special cooling powers which prevent burning of the eyes and cools the body in addition to preventing indigestion.
A cooler with a water level indicator Luminous brand of home utility and consumer durable products has launched the new range of high-technology desert and mini air coolers. The state-of-the-art coolers have unique features like extra tough motor with multiple speed control, four-way deflection system with uniform air distribution, easily removable wood wool pads with mosquito net and dust filter. Further, it has a unique ice box and auto water level controller with water level indicator.
Clothes for the
page 3 man Lawman has launched its latest range of page 3 collection. The collection is made with imported fabrics with the latest international look. The page 3 range, which includes shirts and trousers for men, blends innovative style, varied textures with comfort. The range is a premium product meant for the man in sync with fashion.
Blends in checks
and plains Classic Polo has launched the ‘Spring Summer 2004’ collection. The collection includes shirts in checks and plains in formal wear, fashion wear and club line range suiting individual tastes and preferences. The range includes new age blends in checks and plains, classic twills with feartex wash.
Lifebuoy gets a
modern look Lifebuoy has been relaunched with a new curved shape, changing its 109-year-old brick shape to offer an easy grip and a modern look. The formulation has also been further strengthened. Lifebuoy has already been used by about 600 million customers with about two million sold every day.
Kurtas for men on the move Fashion couturier Ajay Mehra has launched his summer range of exquisitely tailored kurtas under his label Portrait for the men on the move. Renowned for his Portrait range of classy tuxedo and sherwanis, shirts and trousers, Ajay Mehra is now looking at providing men with a wide range of choices in cool kurtas for the summer season.
A herbal memory enhancer Varie has launched a host of aromatherapy-based products. Varie’s range includes personal care products, lifestyle, cosmeceauticals and nutraceuticals, thereby catering to a wide range of customers. Celemax, a memory and concentration enhancer, is a combination of four rare herbs. Celemax helps improve memory, reduces performance anxiety and stress and enhances mental concentration. In today’s fast-paced world, Celemax benefits not only the school and college students but also professionals like executives, research scholars, managers, performing artistes and public speakers.
An AC which is a silent operator Ichiban has introduced the new line of air-conditioners. Ichiban has launched its new range of split and window air conditioners available in 0.75, 1.5, 2.25 and 2.5 ton capacities to suit different needs. They come with state-of-the-art technology, sophisticated electronics, a host of intelligent features and affordable price range. The window air-conditioners are in two models, KC-25 Aya and KC 50 Ya, which guarantee silence, superior performance and stylish designs.
Looking into the future Nightingale has launched the Palmistry journal that promises to be a unique experience. The Palmistry journal from Nightingale is for those who have always been fascinated by the lines of their palms and is an ideal introduction to the wondrous world of palmistry. Extremely user-friendly, this one-of-its-kind journal provides interesting information on the basics of palmistry in addition to offering great content. The journal also enables one to reflect upon what one has learnt and in short is an absolute must-have for all those who have aspirations of looking into the future. |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | National Capital | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
New Delhi, March 28
