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THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS
50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

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Heads of woman, 2 others tonsured for murder
Dadri (Noida), June 14
The panchayat of Sonepur village under Gulawatti police station has ordered tonsuring the heads of three persons, beating them with shoes, putting garlands of shoes around their necks and parading them on donkeys with blackened faces in the town.

Villagers want killers of children arrested

Boy found dead in five-star hotel
New Delhi, June 14
The police are investigating the death of a six-year-old child, who fell down from the building of a five-star hotel here last night. 

Waiting for the monsoon clouds at Rajpath in the Capital on Monday Waiting for the monsoon clouds at Rajpath in the Capital on Monday. 
— Tribune photo by
Mukesh Aggarwal






EARLIER STORIES

 

Company worker shot dead, cash looted
New Delhi, June 14
Two masked motorcycle-borne armed youths shot dead an employee of one Telemark Communications near PGDAV College at the Ashram Chowk and escaped with the money being carried by him. 

  • Four held for cheating

  • Auto lifter nabbed

Criminal held after escaping from police custody
Murder accused Naveen Kumar Verma rearrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell in the Capital on MondayNew Delhi, June 14
The Delhi Police Special Cell today claimed to have arrested a desperate criminal, who had escaped from the police custody while he was being taken to the Tiz Hazari courts from Tihar Jail on April 7, 2004. The accused, identified as Naveen Kumar of Mehrauli, had gone to Jalandhar after escaping from the police custody.


Murder accused Naveen Kumar Verma rearrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell in the Capital on Monday. — Photo by Rajeev Tyagi

Police guilty of breach of SC guidelines
New Delhi, June 14
The Delhi High Court has held the city police guilty of violating the Supreme Court guidelines to be followed while arresting a person, and imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the force and its erring personnel.

Civil Hospital to have police post
Gurgaon, June 14
The police department has decided to open a post in the local District (General) Civil Hospital to ensure safety and security on the campus. A demand for the police post by the hospital authorities had been long-standing.

Only non-polluting units can relocate to Greater Noida
Ghaziabad, June 14
The NCR Board has reportedly increased its efforts to relocate some 1. 25 lakh polluting industrial units from Delhi to neighbouring towns in deference to the apex court’s decision last month.

Rs 89.21 cr earmarked for electrification of Delhi-Meerut railway route
Meerut, June 14
The member of Parliament from Meerut and Mawana constituencies, Mr Hari Shahid Akhlag, said that Union Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav had formally accepted his demand for the electrification of Delhi-Meerut-Saharanpur and Meerut-Khurja track.

Anti-AIDS campaign needs teeth in Faridabad
Faridabad, June 14
While the number of HIV positive cases has been growing up steadily in this industrial township, there is hardly any serious move to check the trend and rehabilitate the affected in a proper manner.

CITU demands minimum wages be raised to Rs 5,000 per month
Faridabad, June 14
The National Capital Region (Delhi) unit of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has demanded the minimum wages of industrial workers and labourers should be raised to at least Rs 5,000 per month with the provision of dearness allowance. 

DVB workers yet to get retirement benefits 
New Delhi, June 14
A large number of Delhi Vidyut Board employees, who opted for VRS after the DVB’s privatisation, are yet to receive pension and other retirement benefits. Protesting against this, they went on hunger strike against the private power companies, NDPL and BSES.

BJP’s ‘final assault’ on price hike
New Delhi, June 14
The Bharatiya Janata Party, Delhi Pradesh, has decided to launch what it calls a ‘final assault’ on the state government by mobilising the citizens in its struggle against the “frequent unprecedented hike in the rates of essential amenities”.

Ghaziabad boy tops CPMT
Ghaziabad, June 14
Ajay Kumar of Ghaziabad has topped the Combined Pre-Medical Test (CPMT) for entrance to MBBS courses of various medical colleges in the state. Ajay Kumar had scored 185 out of 200 marks in the test conducted by Chaudhry Charan Singh University Meerut.

Analjit Singh appointed college chairman
New Delhi, June 14
The president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), Mr Prahlad Singh Chandok, has appointed a number of professionals as heads of the institutions run by the DSGMC.

Student-friendly guides at your service in DU
New Delhi, June 14
Cynics may brush them off as premature election gimmicks, but for the self-styled guides, who incidentally are part of one faction of the students or the other, it is a social obligation, which they look forward to.

Video
ICR forms hit among students seeking college admissions.
(28k, 56k)

Top priority to prevent crimes against women: L-G 
Delhi Lt-Governor B.L. Joshi taking a round of the crime records office at the Delhi Police Headquarters in the Capital on MondayNew Delhi, June 14
The Delhi Lieutenant Governor, Mr B. L. Joshi, today said that the top priority of the Delhi Police would be to prevent crimes against women besides adopting various measures to help citizens. On his first visit to the Delhi Police Headquarters after taking over as Lieutenant-Governor on June 3, Mr Joshi, an ex-IPS officer of the Rajasthan cadre, today said that the matter was being studied by the Delhi Police to see if such a step would enable it to discharge its primary obligation of serving the citizens.
Delhi Lt-Governor B.L. Joshi taking a round of the crime records office at the Delhi Police Headquarters in the Capital on Monday. — Photo by Rajeev Tyagi

Make CAG report public: Mukhi
New Delhi, June 14
Alleging that “corruption has become a norm” in the functioning of the Sheila Dikshit administration, the Leader of Opposition, Prof Jagdish Mukhi, castigated the state government for hiding important information from the public to keep a veil of secrecy over its corrupt practices.

Free home delivery of liquor is a call away!
Ghaziabad, June 14
Like many other commodities and consumables, enterprising Ghaziabad liquor barons have started free home delivery of liquor, as they don’t want to lag behind. All you have to do is to just give a tinkle and the desired quantity of booze, if need be, the favourite brand will reach you within half an hour.

Pak delegation visits AAFT
New Delhi, June 14
A delegation from Pakistan visited the Asian Academy of Film and Television to gather first-hand experience about the work carried out in the institute.  

High cut-off likely, DU trend unchanged
New Delhi, June 14
The first cut-off percentage for admissions to various colleges of Delhi University is likely to be on the higher side, as has been the trend in previous years.

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Heads of woman, 2 others tonsured for murder
Our Correspondent

Dadri (Noida), June 14
The panchayat of Sonepur village under Gulawatti police station has ordered tonsuring the heads of three persons, beating them with shoes, putting garlands of shoes around their necks and parading them on donkeys with blackened faces in the town.

A couple along with their son got the rough justice for killing their son-in-law.

The superintendent of police who visited the village has ordered a probe into the matter.

As per the decision of the Sonepur village panchayat, the heads of Ramzan, his wife Khatun and son Vakil of Chholas village were shaved off, their faces blackened and garlands of shoes were put around their necks. Later, they were made to sit on the back of donkeys and paraded in the village. They were also spat at by the public and socially boycotted.

The panchayat had received a complaint that Naseem, daughter of Ramzan of Chholas village had been married to Jamil of Sonepur village. Jamil had come to take his wife on June 8 in Chholas where he was given ‘neela thotha’ mixed in milk. Next day, Jamil had breathed his last in a Ghaziabad hospital.

Later, a panchayat was called which decided to give the third degree to the accused.

Villagers want killers of children arrested

Greater Noida: The irate villagers have threatened to demonstrate at the Collectorate and gherao the District Magistrate if the police fail to nab the killers of two children within 24 hours.

Two children of the same family had been murdered for ransom and their bodies thrown in a canal. The post-mortem report had confirmed this.

Sagar (5), son of Sheraj Singh of village Kailashpur, and Robin (4), son of his nephew Nirdosh Singh, who had been playing outside their home on Thursday evening, had suddenly gone missing.

The body of Robin had been found from village Chandrawal in Dankore and Sagar’s from village Minayatpur in Kakode from the canal on Saturday.

Some people in the village said they had seen two kids being taken on a scooter by a person. On Saturday, somebody had given a phone call to Sheraj’s neighbour, asking for Rs 50,000 ransom for each child.

The caller had asked Sheraj Singh to come to Pawan Cinema in Secunderabad with Rs 50,000 and with another Rs 50,000 to opposite powerhouse in Kasna, otherwise the children would be killed.

The family had somehow made arrangements for Rs 1 lakh, but by the evening, they got the news of the children’s bodies having been fished out of the canal.

On June 11, the village panchayat had called upon the police to take some action. It is learnt that the kidnapper had been getting all this information. Some children in the village, who had reportedly seen the kidnapper, said he used to come to the village to play cricket. The police took the photographs of all the youths in the village. The kidnapper has not been identified so far.
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Boy found dead in five-star hotel
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 14
The police are investigating the death of a six-year-old child, who fell down from the building of a five-star hotel here last night.

The police said that the victim, identified as Ayush, was the son of one Manoj Kumar, who had come to Le Meridien, along with his family to attend a function.

The police said that Ayush and his elder brother were taking a joy ride in the elevator while their parents were attending the function at the Raisina Hall on the ground floor.

At around 10 p.m. the elder one left the younger one near the gents toilet adjacent to the lobby and went down in the elevator, but he was prevented by the security personnel to go up again.

Soon after, a sound was heard and when his parents reached the scene, they found a leg of their child broken but he was not bleeding. The child was immediately rushed to the RML Hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

The police have registered a case under Section 304/A of causing death due to rashness and negligence after the victim’s parents complained to the police of negligence on the part of the hotel staff, said the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi), Mr Ajay Chaudhary.

The police said that they were waiting for the postmortem examination report to ascertain the actual cause of the death.
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Company worker shot dead, cash looted 
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 14
Two masked motorcycle-borne armed youths shot dead an employee of one Telemark Communications near PGDAV College at the Ashram Chowk and escaped with the money being carried by him. The victim, identified as Tarun Mukherjee of Karol Bagh, was rushed to the AIIMS where he was declared brought dead.

The police said that the incident took place at around 12.30 pm when the victim was travelling in a TSR to deposit cash in a bank in Connaught Place.

Two motorcycle-borne youth overtook the TSR and threw chilli powder in the eyes of the driver. Subsequently, the criminals shot dead Mr Mukherjee and escaped with the cash. The police have registered a case of robbery-cum-murder and launched a massive hunt to trace the suspects.

Four held for cheating

With the arrest of Major K.S. Verma (Retd), his wife Kusum Lata and two others, identified as Ranbir Singh and Nahar Singh Verma, the Fraud and Cheating section of the Economic Offences Wing of the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police today claimed to have worked out a case of fraudulent rip off.

The suspects had duped more than 250 innocent individuals of their hard-earned money to the tune of Rs 55 lakh on the pretext of lucrative schemes.

A number of people had invested money in their company M/S Datson Investment (P) Ltd. Vijay Singh had complained that Rs 2.42 lakh were not returned to him in 2000 after he had invested Rs 1.80 lakh in four FDR in 1998 with Datson Company. The suspects were arrested after investigation.

The police said that K.S Verma was the director of the company and was the brain behind the fraud scheme. His son, identified as Ashwini Verma, was also involved in the racket.

Auto lifter nabbed

The North-West district police arrested one Bhaskaran, alias Mohan Bhaskaran, of Ernakulam in Kerala, who was involved in theft of vehicles in the Capital and its disposal in other parts of the country, including Rajamundri, Vishakhapatnam and Chennai.

He was operating under false identity from different locations. His name came to light when three car-lifters, identified as Mukesh, Devender and Dheer, were arrested by the North Delhi police.

During interrogation, they revealed that stolen vehicles from Delhi were dispatched to Mohan Bhaskaran, who sold them in different districts of Kerala.

The Delhi Police contacted the Chennai police who helped in the arrest of Bhaskaran, the police said.
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Criminal held after escaping from police custody
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 14
The Delhi Police Special Cell today claimed to have arrested a desperate criminal, who had escaped from the police custody while he was being taken to the Tiz Hazari courts from Tihar Jail on April 7, 2004.

The accused, identified as Naveen Kumar of Mehrauli, had gone to Jalandhar after escaping from the police custody. The special police team nabbed the accused after receiving a tip-off that Naveen would be arriving in Delhi by a bus at the ISBT this morning.

During interrogation, Naveen confessed to his criminal activities and said that he was involved in stealing cars from the national Capital and selling them in Assam. He had also escaped from the police custody in 1995.

Later, he abducted and murdered Narender Kumar, a colleague who worked with him. He was arrested along with his other colleague, identified as Ashish.
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Police guilty of breach of SC guidelines
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 14
The Delhi High Court has held the city police guilty of violating the Supreme Court guidelines to be followed while arresting a person, and imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the force and its erring personnel. The court was disposing the case of an auto-rickshaw driver who died in police custody.

Justice Vikramajit Sen said there had been blatant non-compliance with the imperatives enunciated in D K Basu’s case by the apex court, for which each of the respondents was answerable and liable jointly as well as severally.

Failure to adhere and comply with all the 11 principles would tantamount to contempt of court, to which the respondents were guilty, the judge said.

The Supreme Court in 1997 had laid down the essential prerequisite of arrest, a preventive measure to ensure that human rights and dignity of every individual were safeguarded.

Mr Justice Sen held that the police had failed to inform the family of the deceased of his arrest, because of which he could not secure bail.

The court also held the police responsible for failing to provide proper medical care to the three-wheeler driver and applied the ‘strict liability’ rule.

The court ruled that the police officials are unfortunately insensitive to the trauma caused to a person being arrested.
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Civil Hospital to have police post
Tribune News Service

Gurgaon, June 14
The police department has decided to open a post in the local District (General) Civil Hospital to ensure safety and security on the campus.

A demand for the police post by the hospital authorities had been long-standing.

The other rationale behind the demand was to ensure speedy medical attendance to the cases relating to accidents and other forms of injuries which needed immediate attention.

Precious time is lost due to the time taken by the police to arrive at the hospital and do the preliminary inquest in the cases. As per rules, the medical staff in the hospital cannot attend to the injuries as it would tamper with the medical evidence. Hence, the setting up of the post in the hospital campus would cut out on valuable time being lost to provide emergency services to the injured.

Also, hardened criminals under trial come to the hospital for medication. With the background of recent incidents of violence on the premises of the district court, the hospital campus was a vulnerable spot for gang wars.

To cap it, with the ever-increasing rush in the hospital, the authorities were of the firm view that a police post should come up to ensure total safety on the campus.

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Only non-polluting units can relocate to Greater Noida 
Parmindar Singh

Ghaziabad, June 14
The NCR Board has reportedly increased its efforts to relocate some 1. 25 lakh polluting industrial units from Delhi to neighbouring towns in deference to the apex court’s decision last month.

Clarifying its stand at the NCR Board meeting held on Friday, the Greater Noida Authority has extended invitation only to non-polluting units which will be welcome in Noida, Greater Noida areas. The meeting had discussed threadbare various issues connected with relocation of industrial units from Delhi.

The Greater Noida Authority has offered to allot plots to some 400 industrial units forthwith. The NCR Board is grappling with the difficult problem of ousting 1.25 lakh polluting industrial units from the national Capital, Delhi.

The NCR Board is trying to relocate these units to towns like Greater Noida, Gurgaon and Faridabad in the National Capital Region

According to Greater Noida Authority sources, plots for 400 industrial units can be allotted straightway. Desirous industrialists can come here on the basis of open registration. The Greater Noida Authority had, however, put its foot down on the question of allotting plots to the polluting units into this belt.

The Noida and Greater Noida Authorities have all along been declared an industrial belt of non-polluting units where polluting units are totally banned.

Greater Noida reiterated its stand that only units capable of producing non-polluting industrial products will be welcome here.

The Greater Noida Authority, according to sources, has adopted a very cautious approach in welcoming industrial units to be relocated from Delhi as per the apex court verdict last month.

The Authority has clarified its position in response to the NCR Board’s query vis-a-vis the availability of plots for industries to be relocated from Delhi. The Greater Noida Authority, according to its officials, is trying to use its past experience to its advantage.
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Rs 89.21 cr earmarked for electrification of
Delhi-Meerut railway route
Our Correspondent

Meerut, June 14
The member of Parliament from Meerut and Mawana constituencies, Mr Hari Shahid Akhlag, said that Union Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav had formally accepted his demand for the electrification of Delhi-Meerut-Saharanpur and Meerut-Khurja track. A sum of Rs 89.21 crore had already been sanctioned for the purpose, though the project would be formally launched in the coming Railway budget.

Mr Akhlaq was talking to media persons here in the Circuit House.

He said that he had also requested the Railway Minister, Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav, for a train service between Meerut and Delhi as the local trains took almost three hours to cover just 72 km.

He also said that the overbridges would be constructed on the three busy intersections in the city of Baghpat Gate, Hapur Stand and Begum Bridge inter-sections for the smooth running of traffic.

Mr Akhlaq said that he had a detailed discussion with Union Minister of Urban Development Gulam Nabi Azad also for the development of Meerut and adjoining areas.

The minister, Mr Akhlaq said, assured him to look into the matter. The member of Parliament told the media persons that the Department of Railways also had a proposal to construct overbridges at Kankar Khera, Robta and Mewla railway crossing. 
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Anti-AIDS campaign needs teeth in Faridabad
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, June 14
While the number of HIV positive cases has been growing up steadily in this industrial township, there is hardly any serious move to check the trend and rehabilitate the affected in a proper manner. With about 2,000 sex workers and about two dozen HIV positive cases, the authorities concerned are still to carry out a survey to provide them counselling and proper treatment.

The reported move of the Haryana State Aids Control Society to involve agencies like the Red Cross Societies seems to have not gone down well with certain NGOs who have been in the field for many years for the Target Intervention Project.

Mr Ravi Kant, Executive Director of Shakti Vahini, a well-known NGO based here, has objected to the move, claiming that it was against the spirit of the National Aids Control Policy. In a letter to the Project Director of the National Aids Control Organisation (NACO), Mr Kant stated that the NGOs had made a significant contribution in the health sector and in controlling various communicable diseases. Besides, the National Aids Control Policy had also clearly mentioned the importance of the role of such bodies.

He said it was perhaps the first time that a state unit of the Aids Control Society had ignored certain prominent NGOs who had done remarkable work.

He said the government could not afford to squander funds in such a manner as the AIDS control work required focusing on the target areas instead of just holding seminars or debates. Claiming that his NGO had been actively involved in helping, guiding and providing treatment to the affected and vulnerable sections of society in many states, including the National Capital Region for many years, he said it was amazing that the state government authorities did not even invite it to take part in the meeting regarding the issue.

He said the surveys conducted by Shakti Vahini recently had found that there were over 2,000 sex workers in this region who had been active in surrounding areas as well.

He said while Vahini had been keeping in touch with such workers, it had also been in regular contact with the HIV positive persons to provide them the necessary counseling and help for treatment.

He said despite the state government spending lakhs on such work, the results had been poor as there had been a continuous rise in number of HIV positive cases in the state. Recent reports of as many as 16 positive cases surfacing in two months in Faridabad and about 13 cases in Yamunanagar was ample proof of the ‘success’ of the drive, he added.

The NGO, in a letter to NACO, had stated that since 1997 only eight NGOs had been involved by the State Aids Control Society to run the intervention programme.

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CITU demands minimum wages be raised to Rs 5,000 per month
Bijendra Ahlawat
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, June 14
The National Capital Region (Delhi) unit of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has demanded the minimum wages of industrial workers and labourers should be raised to at least Rs 5,000 per month with the provision of dearness allowance. This demand was made through a resolution adopted at the concluding day of the two-day annual conference of CITU at Yadav Dharamshala in Sector 16 here today.

The trade organisation adopted a 20-point demand charter at the meeting which included the demand of abolishing contractual system of employment, social security schemes for the workers in the unorganised sector, housing facilities for industrial workers, equal wages for women workers, fair price shops in the slum areas, 12 per cent interest on provident fund, stopping privatisation of basic services like power, water, cleanliness and civic infrastructure and immediate disposal of all pending cases in the labour courts.

The national president of CITU, Dr M. K. Pandhe, warned the UPA government at the Centre that it would launch a nationwide agitation if it failed to implement the Common Minimum Programme in letter and spirit. Demanding a revival of the right to strike for the employees and workers, he said the present government had come into power because of the failure of the NDA rule to come up to the expectations of the common people. A majority of such people were farmers, labourers and workers.

He said the present government must learn a lesson from the mistakes made by its predecessors and should not take any step against the interests of the poor.

Stating that although the exploitation of the labour class had been going on unabated, he charged the scenario had worsened in the past 15 years. The CITU leaders asked the government to raise the PF interest rate to 12 per cent. They said the poor and middle classes lost about Rs 1,200 crore if the government cut the rate by one per cent. Holding the right wing BJP and the RSS responsible for the Gujarat riots, which led to the death of about 3,000 innocent persons, CITU in a resolution demanded proper action against the people or bodies which tried to cash on communal sentiments. He said it was the main factor of the BJP’s defeat in the last elections. 
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DVB workers yet to get retirement benefits 
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 14
A large number of Delhi Vidyut Board employees, who opted for VRS after the DVB’s privatisation, are yet to receive pension and other retirement benefits. Protesting against this, they went on hunger strike against the private power companies, NDPL and BSES.

Senior leaders of the SVRS Employees Federation, Sardari Lal, Hari Ram Bhardwaj, Rampal and Ransingh Rana said that the attitude of Chief Minister of Delhi and private power companies is against the employees who opted for VRS. They said that even after six months of retirement, they have not been given pension and other retirement benefits.

While 20 employees died during this period, many others are facing financial crisis, they said. Every day, 11 employees sit on hunger strike at Shakti Sadan.

UTI Bank opens two new branches

Dr JP Nayak, Chairman and Managing Director, UTI Bank, inaugurated two branches of the bank in Rajinder Nagar Market and Karol Bagh.

Speaking on the occasion, Nayak said the bank, promoted in 1994 by the Unit Trust of India (UTI), Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), General Insurance Corporation (GIC) and its four subsidiaries, has a network of 215 branches, 67 extension counters and over 1,315 ATMs across the country.

He said the bank was offering personal, housing and educational loans on attractive interest rates.

The bank has also signed an MOU with the Department of Posts and Telegraph, which would further enhance its reach through the network of post office outlets, he said. 
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BJP’s ‘final assault’ on price hike
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 14
The Bharatiya Janata Party, Delhi Pradesh, has decided to launch what it calls a ‘final assault’ on the state government by mobilising the citizens in its struggle against the “frequent unprecedented hike in the rates of essential amenities”.

State president Harsh Vardhan sought the help of the Delhi residents in raising their voice against the “anti-people decision of the Sheila Dikshit-led government”.

He informed the people to remain prepared for an opposition to the state government. The party will organise a demonstration outside the residence of the Chief Minister, he said, over the recent hike in electricity fares.

Dr Harsh Vardhan said the state government has already decided to impose 15 per cent additional sales tax on the CNG and a further increase of 12 per cent tax on diesel.

He said that the government also plans to earn revenue amounting to Rs 375 crore by raising the water taxes and collect a similar amount through a hike in DTC fares.

The BJP state president accused the Congress of “unveiling their anti-people face post elections” and said even in the government hospital, people have to pay more in terms of prescription, registration and investigation charges. The weaker section, he said, will have to pay more for laboratory tests, including X-rays and blood test.

An attack was also launched on the Congress’ alleged permission to the opening of more liquor stalls in the Capital. This, Dr Vardhan, said would adversely affect the youth in the state. 
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Ghaziabad boy tops CPMT
Our Correspondent

Ghaziabad, June 14
Ajay Kumar of Ghaziabad has topped the Combined Pre-Medical Test (CPMT) for entrance to MBBS courses of various medical colleges in the state.

Ajay Kumar had scored 185 out of 200 marks in the test conducted by Chaudhry Charan Singh University Meerut. The results were declared by the Vice-Chancellor Dr Rampal Singh, who handed over the list to the Principal Secretary, Medical Health, Mr Jagjit Singh.

Significantly, Ajay Kumar belongs to a backward class. Rakesh Kumar from Agra is at second in the toppers’ list with 184 marks while Maneesh Singh with 183 marks is at third place, Dr Rampal Singh said.
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Analjit Singh appointed college chairman
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 14
The president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), Mr Prahlad Singh Chandok, has appointed a number of professionals as heads of the institutions run by the DSGMC.

The chairman of Max India Limited, Mr Analjit Singh, has been appointed chairman of the DSGMC-run Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce.

Mr Analjit Singh of Max Healthcare and Max New York Life was offered the position following the appointment of former Supreme Court judge, Justice Kuldip Singh, as chairman of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Khalsa College.

Mountaineer and author Capt M.S. Kohli and lawyers Rupinder Singh and D.S. Narula have been made members of the governing body of the DSGMC-run Khalsa College of the Delhi University.

Advocate K.T.S. Tulsi has been appointed chairman of the Guru Nanak Institute of Management. Entrepreneur Vikramjit Singh Sahni continues as the chairman of the Sikh Education Council.
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Student-friendly guides at your service in DU
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 14
Cynics may brush them off as premature election gimmicks, but for the self-styled guides, who incidentally are part of one faction of the students or the other, it is a social obligation, which they look forward to.

Helplines, which they claim run 24 hours, student-friendly counsellors and guides are ever ready to not just answer your queries, but are also tuned in to your worries of finances and a roof over the head particularly if you are an “outsider”.

Meet the whole new “friendly and sympathetic” Delhi University. Where apart from a dean of students welfare you are likely to bump into scores of senior students who for once are more willing to extend a helping hand.

“Even if they are doing it for votes, they are at least trying to help. Which is why their efforts should be appreciated,” says a student of Hansraj. With competition being the buzzword, most of the students’ factions are engrossed in doing their best for the newcomers, who will in no time become “facchas” ready to be slaughtered at the altar of ragging.

Leading the bandwagon is the Indian National Students Organisation (INSO) with its helpline and website. “The website is extensive and provides intensive information to the students, particularly those who are from outside the state,” says INSO spokesperson A Kapoor Chaudhary.

From listing the names, numbers and addresses of the colleges to the courses and their details, the website also provides the cut-off of the previous years and dossier of the college.

“We have all the information that students require. Our 24-hour helpline is manned by our party colleagues. Our website shows more than 8,000 hits in the last three days,” claims Chaudhary.

Not be left behind, the National Students Union of India (NSUI) too is running a 24-hour helpline besides installing their members at each of the 12 centres set up by the university.

“We are already working on a employment cell for the students. The cell will organise an employment fair on the lines of a campus placement and will have perspective employers meet aspirants,” offered spokesperson Kuntal Krishna.

The employment cell he claims has attracted attention from “the hotel and textile industry, BPOs and even the IT sector”.

Having witnessed a humiliating defeat in the last years’ election to the Students Union, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) too is working on it image. The expected helpline and centres are being operated, but the party is also jubilant that their websites are quite popular.

“We have two websites and there have been a very large number of hits. The helplines too are answering about 100-150 calls a day”, said the national spokesperson Jatin Mohanty.

The ABVP recently organised a three-day career counseling session for students. “We got senior faculty members and professional to discuss the career issues with the students,” said Mohanty.
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Top priority to prevent crimes against women: L-G 
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 14
The Delhi Lieutenant Governor, Mr B. L. Joshi, today said that the top priority of the Delhi Police would be to prevent crimes against women besides adopting various measures to help citizens.

On his first visit to the Delhi Police Headquarters after taking over as Lieutenant-Governor on June 3, Mr Joshi, an ex-IPS officer of the Rajasthan cadre, today said that the matter was being studied by the Delhi Police to see if such a step would enable it to discharge its primary obligation of serving the citizens.

Mr Joshi pointed out that arresting the perpetrator after the crime was just one aspect of the situation. “It must be realized that the integrity and innocence of the victim is irreplaceable and cannot be redeemed by just catching the criminal,” he said, adding that the only way out was to actively prevent the occurrence of such crimes.

On sensational crimes against women, including the rape of a Swiss diplomat during the International Film Festival and rape of a medical student just a short distance away from her college, Mr Joshi termed these as “abhorrent” saying these had caused him considerable “anguish.”

The Delhi Police will also study options whether a separate force for VIP security will enable it to better discharge its obligations. Mr Joshi who was closely associated with VVIP security during his service—having been involved with overseeing the security arrangements of three Prime Ministers (Jawaharlal Nehru, Mrs Indira Gandhi and Mr Rajiv Gandhi) —denied he would foist his own views.

“I retired from police service in 1991. Since then, there have been many changes, and it will not be correct to proceed on the basis of my experience only. Whatever we plan must be according to today’s context,” he said.

However, he said the “core values” of the force were still the same. “The core values of policing—helping the citizens— are still the same and we must see which option can help us attain our objective,” he said.

Earlier, Mr Joshi was received by the Delhi Police Commissioner, Dr K. K. Paul and other senior officers. He reviewed a guard of honour before visiting the Police Control Room and the Crime Records Office.

The Lieutenant-Governor, who also had a meeting with senior police officials during his visit, said he would definitely raise the issue during the session. “I believe the Delhi Police is conscious of this and will take necessary steps,” he said.
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Make CAG report public: Mukhi 
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 14
Alleging that “corruption has become a norm” in the functioning of the Sheila Dikshit administration, the Leader of Opposition, Prof Jagdish Mukhi, castigated the state government for hiding important information from the public to keep a veil of secrecy over its corrupt practices.

Quoting reliable sources, Prof Mukhi made a sensational disclosure that a report, submitted by CAG on May 14 this year, gave enough hints regarding a big scam related to the privatisation of power in
the Capital.

Addressing media persons, Prof Mukhi alleged that the CAG report slams the administration for making changes in the Terms of Reference in an illegal and non-transparent manner to benefit the private companies.

Alleging that the scam involves thousands of crores of rupees, he gave an ultimatum to the State government to make the report public within 48 hours or “face the music”.

Lambasting the Sheila Dikshit regime as corrupt, Prof Mukhi recalled that from June 2000 onwards, he has been consistently raising the issue of a big scam involving privatisation of power sector on different platforms.

Speaking to the Press, the BJP leader said that the Congress government had completely ignored the declared objective of transparency in this matter.

He recalled that even the interim report of the CAG, submitted last year, had confirmed his allegation as true but at that time the State government took cover under the plea that it was merely a draft report.

Raising a question as to why the Shiela Dikshit Government is silent over the final report of CAG, Prof Mukhi asserted quoting reliable sources that the final report was submitted to the Delhi Government on May, 14, 2004.

The Leader of the Opposition claimed that the report once again confirms his allegations as true.

Prof Mukhi said that the report contains sufficient material to point towards an unholy nexus between bureaucrats, private companies and the Sheila Dikshit government.

He alleged that this nexus has resulted in an unprecedented loot of public money, as a consequence of which it is the common man who suffers.

He said that on one hand the power crisis continued unabated, on the other the government was busy raising the power rates.

Asking the State government to make the CAG report public within 48 hours, Prof Mukhi warned that if the government failed to do it, he, as the Leader of the Opposition, would ensure that the report came out in the open and thoroughly expose the corrupt Sheila Dikshit regime.
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Free home delivery of liquor is a call away!
Parmindar Singh

Ghaziabad, June 14
Like many other commodities and consumables, enterprising Ghaziabad liquor barons have started free home delivery of liquor, as they don’t want to lag behind. All you have to do is to just give a tinkle and the desired quantity of booze, if need be, the favourite brand will reach you within half an hour.

Depending on your credit worthiness, you can make on the spot payment or it can be on credit.

Started by the amateur and illegal traders, the service has become quite popular in the Mahanagar within a few days. And why not, everyone prefers things delivered at home, without having to wait or stand in a queue, etc.

Due to its half-hearted approach, the police have been unable to put a stop to this illegal but comparatively flourishing trade because whatever the public stance they may take, privately cops too seems to bless such enterprising trades.

The illegal liquor trade in district has flourished. Liquor worth lakhs of rupees is imported from neighbouring states where it is cheaper for sale here. According to the insiders, another reason of its success is that such liquor imported from other states is easily available and secondly it is considerably cheaper from the booze at licensed liquor shop in the district.

Of course, adulteration is always a big risk as was found in the past in Noida and Hapur, where some people had lost their lives. But in spite of this, the trade is flourishing–thanks to the police and excise administration’s benevolent attitude.

This profession is reportedly well trenched in Hindon colonies like Karhera, Khora, Sanjay Nagar, Rajiv Nagar, Arthala, Shahid Nagar and Indira Kunj.

Occasionally, the police do claim to have nabbed some bootleggers, but they have failed to control the menace effectively. The people connected with this trade do tell in confidence but for the police patronage, they just can’t run their business.

The police have to be given their “margin money” on smuggling liquor from the neighbouring states, while in supplying it to the customer, the bootleggers have to pay the police post cops Rs 5 per bottle, it is learnt.

Senior police officers, like the SP (city) and the SP (rural), admit that it is not possible to completely control this crime.
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Pak delegation visits AAFT
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 14
A delegation from Pakistan visited the Asian Academy of Film and Television to gather first-hand experience about the work carried out in the institute.

Saukat Javed from Gujranwala, who was part of the delegation, met with the students and gathered information on the courses and programmes being offered by the institute.

Impressed by what he saw, Mr Javed sought a similar institute in his country. 

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High cut-off likely, DU trend unchanged

New Delhi, June 14
The first cut-off percentage for admissions to various colleges of Delhi University is likely to be on the higher side, as has been the trend in previous years. While the first cut-off list would be released on June 25, students have already started looking for other options in terms of other institutes and courses.

Dean, Student Welfare, Dr Hema V. Raghwan said, “We have already started sending lists of students to the colleges depending on their percentage. Since the submission of application forms is still on, we are still not sure about the cut-off percentage.”

She said the situation would be clear only after the university receives the admission forms. The cut-off percentage depends on the number of students who apply and their percentage, she said. She informed that the cut-off lists would be released by the colleges. — TNS
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