New Delhi, November 15
It was the usual colour, cheer and cuisine as the city celebrated Id here today. The crowded by-lanes of the Old City bustling with crowds agog to make the most of the festivities after stringent fasting lasting a month.

The early morning prayers over the roads were full of people wanting to shop on the auspicious day, but the wafting aroma of the biryani and the vermicelli had more takers.

With Divali having been celebrated just a few days ago, the city has been in a festive mood what with a long weekend of holidays and celebrations.

For the traders, it has been a boom time, from clothes to jewellery and even automobiles the markets have seen a surge in the last week.

The city’s administration has made special arrangements, the traffic and law and order situation has been spruced to avoid mishaps.

According to police sources, special instructions to heighten the patrolling were issued and special attention has been paid to the smooth functioning of the vehicular movement.

With the Trade Fair coinciding with the festivities, the traffic arrangements have been elaborate. Special overbridges have been constructed near Pragati Maidan to facilitate easy vehicular movement.

Even as the Id celebration brings to end the week-long festivities that began with Divali last Friday, the Delhi Traffic Police has geared up to ensure the smooth flow of traffic in the wake of the inauguration of the International Trade Fair on November 14.

The law enforcement agencies expect the number of visitors to the trade fair to pick up as the week-long festivities come to an end and the people head for the Pragati Maidan.

New Delhi, November 15
The Delhi Police claim to have arrested a Japanese for possessing 135 grams of hashish. The accused has been identified as Hayakawa (44). He was arrested from a hotel in Connaught Place.

The police got a tip-off that a Japanese national was carrying a huge quantity of heroin and was scheduled to deliver it to his counterpart in Connaught Place area. Accordingly, a trap was laid at the hotel and the accused was arrested.

“Although, the quantity seized was very less in comparison to what the information was received, we have arrested the accused as it was illegal to keep this much amount of Hashish in possession,” said a senior police officer. The market value for the Hashish seized is around Rs 30,000.

During investigation, it was revealed that the accused and his wife were working as a ‘Tourist Guide’ with Japan Embassy. The accused’s wife had gone with a tourist to Manali in Himachal Pradesh at the time of the arrest. The accused has been sent to judicial custody.

The police said that the accused have put the Hashish in small balls and covered it with polythene covers. He tried to swallow all the Hashish balls as the police team raided his premises. We have also informed the Japan Embassy in this regard,” said the official. Further investigation is on.

New Delhi, November 15
Aggrieved by the recent killing of a surgeon and his assistant in Bihar, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has given a call for bandh on November 25 across the country.

The IMA has written to the Chief Minister of Bihar to ensure that the culprits responsible for the murder of Dr N. K. Aggarwal and his assistant Arvind are arrested and Dr Nagendra Prashad, who has been in the custody of abductors since October, is immediately released.

New Delhi, November 15
The festivals over, the city is bracing itself for a slew of marriages. Nothing unusual about it, except that November 22 and November 28 will witness not just a couple of weddings, but the numbers would be in staggering thousands.

What with November 22 being considered an auspicious date, owing to it being the 11th day after Divali and likewise November 28, banquets, hotels and even the local marriage halls have all been booked in advance. Florists, caterers and decorators claim to have turned down quite a number of requests owing to their inability to cater to the new clients. “By the end of August, I already had more than I could handle, so requests made from September onwards had to be turned down,” said a noted decorator.

Though the exact number is difficult to ascertain, it is pointed out that close to 10,000 couples will tie the knot on November 22 and another 14,000 will exchange vows on November 28.

Astrologers claim that planetary positions this year are all about the number six, which is associated with the planet Venus and marriage.

While those who have made the last minute decision to tie the knot are anxious to get a place to solemnise the vows, the early birds are worried about the smooth execution. “We made the booking well in advance, but we hope that the execution on the D day is without any glitches. The caterer and the decorators have more on their plate than they can handle, which is why we are concerned that they should not mess up in the rush to cater to everyone,” pointed out a concerned family.

But the rush hour, meaning a ripe time to make moolah, wedding planners along with caterers, florists, hoteliers and travel agents are busy arranging honeymoon packages for the newlyweds.

Ghaziabad, November 15
A leader of the ruling Samajwadi Party was gunned down in full public view in busy Gandhi Nagar Bazar in the city.

This happened despite the special security arrangements and the police alert for Divali and Id festivals in Ghaziabad. Ironically, police came to know of 
the incident through media only.

The assailants had reportedly walked away after killing the leader and brother of secretary of the Bar Association, Naresh Yadav.

His nephew Jatinder who rushed to save him was also shot at and seriously wounded in Ram Nagar late on Sunday evening. Both were rushed to Yashoda Hospital where Naresh Yadav was declared brought dead.

Significantly, a few yards away from the spot where Yadav was shot, stands a police picket 24 in Gandhi Nagar crossing. In view of the festivals, additional police force had been deployed in Turab Nagar market and Gandhi Nagar Bazar turning.

At the time of shooting, the police force in Mahanagar was breathing easy that Divali had passed peacefully. The police officials told the callers on phone that “it is all peaceful”.

New Delhi, November 15
Amid possibilities of a new political combination emerging between arch-rivals, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) today announced to hold its annual executive elections on November 22.

DSGMC chief Prehlad Singh Chandok has brought forward the annual election date to November 22 from January next year fixed earlier, after stiff opposition from within his committee to the delay in the polls that officially should have been held in September this year.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Parkash Singh Badal, whose party had been out of power at Delhi’s Sikh religious bastion since its general election rout in 2002, has already met his colleagues here recently, sources said.

The DSGMC, which administers a number of historical gurdwaras and Sikh institutions, is officially required to choose a new executive annually and go for general elections every four years, but the rules are seldom respected with polls get delayed for months or even years.

Allegations of horse-trading and vote-buying in the past have damaged the reputation of the wealthy 51-member religious administration run under a Parliamentary Act.

Sikh leader Paramjit Singh Sarna, whose party ousted Mr Badal’s SAD from the DSGMC in 2002, has also opened channels of communication with the Akali chief, this time to unseat Mr Chandok, whom he had named to the post last year.

Mr Sarna is said to have held several meetings with the top SAD brass here, apparently aimed at sharing control of the committee after a poll understanding, sources said.

In Delhi, the SAD’s main player is party secretary-general and former Union Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, who has also met Mr Sarna, once a fierce critic of Mr Badal.

Ghaziabad, November 15
A servant of an aged couple not only saved the house of his masters from being robbed at Rahul Vihar in Vijay Nagar, but he was also instrumental in the death of an intruder and handing over the second to the police.

The third intruder managed to escape. Three assailants had knocked at the door of the house last night when his old masters Madan Lal Punjabi and his wife had gone to visit their relatives in Delhi. The intruders barged into the house as soon as Man Bahadur, the servant, opened the door.

Man Bahadur then came out and bolted the door from outside. He immediately raised the alarm. Realising that they had been trapped, one of the intruders jumped down from the second floor terrace and sustained a head injury. He died on the spot.

The second intruder was overpowered by Man Bahadur with the help of neighbours, while the third criminal managed to flee.

The criminal had been thoroughly thrashed by the residents before being handed over to the police.

The slain criminal has been identified as Jagat Singh, son of Kishen Chand of Vijay Nagar. Twelve cases registered against him in various police stations. Earlier, he had been arrested by Vijay Nagar police for looting trucks loaded with 
plastic goods.

The arrested criminal has been identified as Devinder, son of Rajpal of Ballabgarh.

Faridabad, November 15
The politicians of Faridabad seem to be happy over the addition of three more Assembly seats in the district by the Delimitation Commission. However, they opposed the manner it was done and demanded certain changes in it.

The district will be now an independent Parliamentary seat with the total Assembly seats gone up to nine from six.

The commission will be holding a meeting tomorrow in Delhi to discuss the delimitation issue and is likely to entertain the objections and suggestions of the political leaders and people concerned.

The announcement regarding the changes in the Assembly seats and their structure has engulfed the politicians and the residents in an intense debate about the advantages and disadvantages.

According to the decision by the commission, which is almost final, there will be three new Assembly segments with the names of some other seats having been changed.

The existing seats of the NIT, Mewla Maharajpur, Hassanpur have been erased, giving way to at least four new seats, which have been named as Faridabad (East), Faridabad (West), Faridabad (South-East) and Faridabad (South-West).

Another addition here is Tigaon seat which has been carved out from the existing Ballabhgarh, parts of Mewla Maharajpur and the NIT segments.

The commission has also reserved the Palwal seat for the SC category instead of the Hassanpur, which has been erased and Hodal has been made the new seat in the open category.

However, the Hathin seat has been retained while the Ballabhgarh seat renamed as Ballabhgarh (rural). This move seems to have left many political leaders and their followers perplexed. Mr Rajender Singh Beesla, MLA from Ballabhgarh, described the delimitation as totally unjust.

He said while the parameters of the delimitation had been ‘wrong’, there were several lacunae in this move.

Mr UdhayBhan, MLA from Hassanpur also voiced resentment and said people had not been taken into confidence and the issue was not discussed properly. Mr Krishan Pal Gurjar, the outgoing MLA from Mewla Maharjpur, the largest constituency in the region, has also criticised the decision stating that the change of the name of his constituency was unacceptable.

He said delimitation had not been done properly and required several changes before being finalised. He claimed that the parameters of the Patwar circle and continuity factor of the constituency had been ignored and it could lead to confusion and inconvenience to the voters if changes were not brought.

However, he added that it was a matter of satisfaction that the district had got three more seats.

Noida, November 15
Many persons suffered injuries in pitched clashes between two groups in Sarfabad village. Gunfire was freely exchanged in the dispute over a house.

Three accused have been arrested. The sale and purchase of a house in the village had resulted in the free-for-all. Some others also sustained injuries.

Acting swiftly, the police arrested three persons and seized two licensed firearms.

According to police, Sher Singh, a resident of Sarfabad, had recently purchased a house from one Suresh Lala in the village. One Ram Pal also wanted to buy this house.

There was an argument between Sher Singh and Ram Pal on the issue on Saturday evening which soon turned into a bloody brawl. The Ram Pal group soon started firing gunshots in which Man Singh and Raghuwar Yadav of Sher Singh group were wounded while four others from the other group were also injured. Man Singh and Raghuwar were rushed to a hospital.

Sher Singh in his report to the police, has alleged that Bhalla, alias Prakash, Sunder, Satbir, Satya Pal, Pappu and Raja of Ram Pal group had opened fire at his house.

The assailants had wounded Man Singh, Rahuwar, Yoginder and others. Registering a case, the police have arrested Balla, Satbir and Sunder, alias Prakash, and seized a gun and a rifle.

SP Noida AK Jain had visited the village at night and posted some cops there as a precautionary step.

New Delhi, November 15
The preparations for the 57th Annual Nirankari Sant Samagam scheduled to be held here from November 20 to 22, are in full swing. The Samagam Committee, which met here on Wednesday in the presence of Baba Hardev Singh Ji Maharaj, reviewed the arrangements. Progress reports from various sub-committees revealed that every effort was being made to catch up with the date.

The organisers are expecting a record attendance this time, particularly from the far-off places. A 50 per cent concession in the railway fare beyond 300 km is proving quite attractive.

Other devotees from the Capital and adjoining areas have been working day and night to level the grounds and install tents both for the main satsang programme and residential purposes with the necessary facilities for board and lodging.

Baba Hardev Singh Ji Maharaj has been visiting the ground and blessing the devotees taking part in the preparations.

He advised the organisers to make the stay of the visiting devotees comfortable.

A large number of delegates are expected from abroad also.

Besides, free food from the common kitchen (langar), the organisers are putting up 17 canteens where snacks, cold drink, tea and coffee, etc will be made available at highly subsidised rates.

The publications department will have its stalls on different grounds so that the devotees can pick up the mission’s literature, photographs, cassettes, CDs, etc.

The exhibition will be a centre of attraction, particularly for those coming from outside Delhi. The major activities of the mission will be colourful paintings, photographs and models.

The medical department of the mission is making necessary arrangements for the first-aid and dispensaries to look after the health problems of the devotees, if any.

Similarly, the accounts and the magazine departments are also putting up their offices at the venue of the Samagam.

Noida, November 15
BJP MLA Nawab Singh Nagar has criticised the State Cabinet’s decision to increase the price of petroleum products by 4 %. This hike will increase the cost of transportation in the state and inflate the prices of all consumables apart from adversely affecting the common man.

This increase, Mr Nagar said, will make transportation difficult in western UP town, especially Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, and Sahibabad as it will further increase the price of petrol by Rs 1.25 a litre.

New Delhi, November 15
If Union Commerce Minister Kamal Nath wants to turn the venue of the annual trade fair at Pragati Maidan into a state-of-the-art convention centre, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit thinks otherwise; she would rather have the venue shifted elsewhere.

Even as the two engage in a verbal duel, Union Minister of State for Overseas Indians Affairs Jagdish Tytler has gone beyond paying mere lip-service by talking to potential investors for building convention centres in Delhi.

Also on Mr Tytler’s drawing board are hotels and motels to spruce up the Capital ahead of the Commonwealth Games in 2010. Besides, he is in talks with overseas Indians for developing a “Satellite Health City” in or around Delhi.

“We want to scale it up,” say officials of the Union Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs as they go about implementing their minister’s agenda, which could give a competition to Ms Dikshit’s vision for turning Delhi into a world-class city.

“Certain groups of overseas Indians in the Far East want to invest their money in setting up convention centres in Delhi.

The projects would be such that they could be completed in one or two years,” Mr Jagdish Tytler told The Tribune.

As a member of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on Commonwealth Games, Mr Tytler is also hardselling the idea of developing hotels and motels in and around Delhi to potential investors so that accommodation is available in plenty before the Games.

The minister elaborated that a certain hotel association in the United States has shown interest in developing motels along the Golden Quadrilateral. “We want to involve the Union Ministry of Surface Transport and the Delhi Government in this,” he added.

Another item on his agenda is a “Satellite Health City” in or around Delhi that would tap the philanthropic interests of overseas Indians.

The minister cites the instance of overseas Indians in the US wanting to set up registered charitable organisations.

“Some are interested in setting up hospitals in the Capital, others want a cluster of super-speciality hospitals in a designated “Satellite Health City” that will benefit patients living in Delhi and also on the outskirts,” the minister added. 

New Delhi, November 15
To commemorate the birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru, the NCERT is organising the 31st Jawaharlal Nehru Science Exhibition for Children in Jharkhand, Ranchi, this year.

Schools from across the country and affiliated to CBSE from Gulf countries are expected to participate in the national-level exhibition. The national science exhibition is a culmination of various exhibitions organised in the previous years by states, UTs and other institutions at district, zonal, regional and finally at the state levels. The first science exhibition was organised at New Delhi in 1971, under the banner of the National Science Exhibition for Children, jointly by the National Council of Educational Research and Training and the University Grants Commission.

New Delhi, November 15
The Delhi Police have been chosen for the prestigious ‘Seavey Awards’ this year. The Webber Seavey Award was presented every year to agencies and departments worldwide in recognition for promoting a standard of excellence that exemplifies law enforcement’s contribution and dedication to the quality of life in local communities, a spokesperson for the Delhi Police said.

The programme helps the law enforcement agencies worldwide and communities they serve by redefining the concept of law enforcement and its performance. The ADC, Railways, Mr R.S. Ghumman, who pioneered the Delhi Police project, “High Quality Enforcement through Community Policing”, has been nominated to receive the award. —TNS