New Delhi, February 27
Expressing their hearty pleasure on the glorious victory of the party in Uttaranchal and Punjab, the BJP Delhi Pradesh President Dr Harsh Vardhan and all the office-bearers today said that the victory campaign of the BJP passing through Delhi and Uttar Pradesh would be ended with the victory in Parliament.

Dr Harsh Vardhan said, “The voters of Uttaranchal and Punjab have punished the Congress for its anti-people and anti-national policies. Both the states have shown mirror to the Congress. Despite such a big defeat in the two states, the party leaders are not accepting the reality. The people of the country have decided to dislodge this government.”

The BJP Pradesh President said that the voters of Delhi were ready to give a reply for the betrayal of the Congress. “In the forthcoming municipal elections, the people will take revenge from the Congress for steep price spiral, sealing, demolition, forged power bills etc by casting record votes against the Congress-ruled corporation. The wind of change is blowing in the entire country. The people of Delhi are not untouched by it. The people of Delhi who are fed up with the nine years of Sheila Dikshit’s oppressive, exploiter, corrupt and unjust rule want to get rid of the five-year corrupt and looter administration of the Congress in the MCD,” he alleged.

“The time has come when the voters of the Capital city will bid good bye to the Congress through their votes,” Dr Harsh Vardhan claimed.

The Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Legislative Assembly, Prof. Jagdish Mukhi, the Leader of Opposition in the MCD, Mr Subhash Arya, the party Pradesh office-beareres Ram Bhaj, Abdul Rasheed, Ramesh Bidhuri, S.S. Bajwa, Neera Shastri, Pawan Sharma, Vijay Sharma, Alok Kumar, Shyam Lal Garg and Surya Bhan Pandey claimed that the Congress had lost the trust of the people of the country.

Issues like price hike, internal security, appeasement, unemployment, suicide by the farmers, SEZ, failure to hang Mohammad Afzal, avoiding Vande Mataram etc. had exposed the “anti-people character of the Congress,” the BJP leaders alleged.

New Delhi, February 27
Even as ticket distribution process for the municipal elections is yet to begin, a rumour is doing rounds in political circle that lobbying is being done for denying tickets to four sitting senior councillors of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC). These councillors are believed to be of Chief Minister’s group.

All the councillors belong to trans-Yamuna areas falling in Shahadra North Zone of the MCD. They are very active in the corporation politics. They had raised the issue of Ghogha Dairy Colony plot distribution scandal, sources said.

Today, a group of about 300 residents of West Karawal Nagger, led by area Block Congress Committee Chairman Chaudhary Begraj Singh, thronged the DPCC office demanding not to give ticket to Jagdish Pradhan. They appealed the leadership to allow Jaideep Saini to contest the elections. He has been active in the local politics for the last 20 years.

The supporters came to the DPCC office in Rural Transport Vehicles (RTVs), bus and personal vehicles. When they were asked by ‘The Tribune’ why they were opposing Jagdish Pradhan, the supporters did not reply.

Similar groups of people will be called to oppose giving tickets to three other councillors, the sources said.

Sources also said that application forms to apply for getting tickets to contest municipal elections would be available in the DPCC office from tomorrow.

Another councillor who represents one of South Delhi’s municipal wards was also on negative list. Recently, he had joined anti-chief minister group.

New Delhi, February 27
Resident Welfare Associations (RWA’s) are seething at the sudden spurt of grievance cells and interactions by Delhi Government that have been unleashed simply because of what they call, “a political white wash of the criminal neglect of consumers for the last four and a half years”.

“Starting interactions and opening of grievances cell after five years of power privatisation in the Capital is a cruel joke on residents of the Capital as they have suffered so much harassment including inflated bills, fast running meters and long power cuts,” said V.N, Bali, Secretary, Ram Vihar RWA.

“RWAs have decided to approach the Election Commission terming this sudden spurt an election gimmick and publicity tactic. It is an insincere attempt to woo voters on election eve,” said Vijay Raghvan of federation of RWA’s Mehrauli.

“Such moves by the Delhi Government qualify not only as a corrupt practice under election norms after the notification, but is also a shameless attempt at rubbing salt into the wounds of consumers who have been suffering for the last five years of privatisation,” he added.

Mr B. S. Talwar, Secretary, Krishna Nagar RWA, said, “Five years back, we had welcomed privatisation expecting better results, unfortunately the power
situations as well as consumer problems have increased particularly in the BSES Yamuna areas, where more than 15,000 power related consumer complaints are pending with the BSES.”

New Delhi, February 27
Around 50,000 teachers from all over the country today marched to Parliament and courted arrest there on the second day of their agitation against certain provisions of the Right To Education Act 2006.

The Mass Rally was led by Mr Ram Pal Singh, President, All India Primary Teachers’ Federation. Yesterday also, 40,000 teachers from all the states of the country courted arrest on Parliament Street.

Today, teachers from 35 districts of Uttar Pradesh, 10 districts from Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Orrisa, Bihar, Jharkhand, Punjab and Haryana, Assam, Mizoram, Manipur and Meghalya demonstrated before the Parliament House.

The Federation is opposing certain clauses of the Right to Education Bill 2006. “This is because the government wants to wash its hands off the education of children by giving in to School Management Committees. The government is commercialising education by opening costly schools. Handing over primary education to panchayats is against poor parents and guardians of children. This is against the principles of a welfare state,” the federation claimed.

“Ninety per cent population of India cannot afford education expenses of their children in these costly schools. This would result in more illiteracy in the country. Teachers from all over the country are protesting against the unjust clauses of the model Right to Education Bill 2006,” the members of the federation said.

Teachers are demanding the fulfillment of their demands like removal of the clauses pertaining to School Management Committee and School-based cadre from the Model Right to Education, 2006, improvements learning conditions in schools, end to the recruitment of para-teachers and bringing the already appoints parateacher into the mainstream after giving them appropriate training, implementation of the recommendations of Chattopadhaya Committee by the VI Pay Commission, allocation of 10 per cent GDP for education, Implementation of Common School System and maintaining teacher pupil ratio 1:30. 

Faridabad, February 27
The fate of thousands of students in Haryana, especially those aspiring to become engineers, hangs in balance due to an erratic and unjustified policy concerning the reservation of seats in engineering colleges in the state. This has not only made the applicants from Haryana suffer, but forced them to seek admission in colleges and institute elsewhere. Several of them could get the opportunity to get admission within the parent state, if the state government had just reviewed the flaws and removed the hurdles.

Claiming this, a spokesperson of the Haryana Abhibhawak Ekta Manch, the leading body of parents in the state, said here today the lopsided and improper policy being followed by the Department of Technical Education had resulted in acute heartburn for students as a majority of the engineering aspirants were being denied the opportunity to seek admission in colleges located here. The reason was the state government had not reserved 85 per cent seats for students holding the state domicile, while this had been a pattern followed by a majority of the other states. He said while 15 per cent of the seats officially went to rank holders of the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE), the rest of the 85 per cent ought to be filled by merit holders from the parent state after the separate entrance exam conducted by the state government.

The scenario was dismal as according to the policy the remaining 85 per cent seats were also filled from the merit list of the AIEEE and not from the merit list of the state. This had denied the aspirants from the parent state to lose the chance to get admission here. They were forced to seek admission elsewhere by paying high donation and exorbitant fee in other states.

Demanding a revival in the pattern of filling the remaining seats from among applicants from Haryana alone, the manch has claimed most of the neighbouring states, including Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, were following the latter pattern in the overall interest of their own students.

The state government should hold the state-level common entrance exam known as CEET to fill 85 per cent of the seats instead of depending on the merit list of the AIEEE. Describing the present policy as a violation of the fundamental right of equality, representatives of the manch decided to meet the Chief Minister soon to get the problem solved. A memorandum would be submitted to the authorities concerned in this regard, it was added.

Gurgaon, February 27
The INLD today opposed the proposed acquisition of land in Gurgaon, Carterpuri, Dundahera and Choma villages for setting up a golf course around the ammunition depot here.

A senior INLD leader and Sarpanch of Gurgaon village, Mr Sukhvir Kataria, said the government had decided to set up a golf course on 1,600 acres by acquiring land in the four villages, including the areas falling in the prohibited zone around the ammunition depot.

The government plans to acquire the land under Section 17 of the Land Acquisition Act, an emergency provision.

He alleged although the acquisition notices had not been served the government has already got the land surveyed and the case has been sent to the headquarters at Chandigarh.

According to him, 85 per cent of the land in the villages was occupied as residents of the villages had set up houses and other kinds of establishments in the area. The “Lal Dora” areas specified for residential purposes had proved to be small in the face of expanding village population. Also, several colonies fell in the area. He expressed concern that the project would destabilise and evict the residents of the area.

An argument has been put forth that the government was constrained to set up the golf course as illegal settlements had come up and continued to crop up in the prohibited zone.

Thousands of illegal structures had come up over the last many years in the area. According to many, the illegal constructions had come up due to the collusion of the land mafia and a section of babudom.

The depot was full of explosives. In several parts of the country in the past mishaps had occurred and caused loss of lives and property around the a ammunition depots.

Hence, the government has found a safe way out to set up the golf course and sought no objection from the Ministry of Defence.

Gurgaon, February 27
The youth who had allegedly kidnapped two girls two days ago from DT City Centre mall turned out be their brother, said Senior Superintendent of Police, Hanif Qureshi.

The SSP informs that Mr Vipul Scott Jaitley, a 1984 born youth as per the USA passport issued to him, is brother of the missing girls: Jaonne Ruchi Jaitley (20) and Aaisa Aditi Jaitley (9). The circumstances, which led the incident, confirmed that the girls were not kidnapped as reported by their father Mr Sunil (Tajpal) Jaitley, added the officer.

As two girls and their brother flew down to Mumbai from Delhi domestic airport on the same evening, the Mumbai police had been informed and their officials were in regular touch with Gurgaon police to search out their location, added Mr Qureshi.

He said that a case under Section 182 of the IPC would be lodged against Mr Sunil (Tajpal) Jaitley if his complaint of kidnapping of his two daughters turned out to be false. Section 182 relates to false information with intent to cause public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of another person.

It may be recalled that the police station of Sector 29 lodged the FIR under Sections 363 and 366 of the IPC (kidnapping, abduction and inducing woman) against unknown person. The police lodged the FIR just on the telephone call and no written complaint had yet been given to the police, added the officer.

Mr Sunil Jaitley had informed the Gurgaon police control room at about 5 pm on February 25 that his two daughters Jaonne Ruchi Jaitley and Aaisa Aditi Jaitley were kidnapped and the kidnapper might take them to the USA.

The police would take action as per the statement given by the girls, as one of the girl was mature, added the officer.

Greater Noida, February 27
Three persons were wounded in gunfire when two groups clashed in Attai village under the Greater Noida police station area. The police have registered cases against 24 persons from the both the groups.

The clash was a sequel to the beating up of Dalits by the powerful upper castes in a dispute relating to land. Many rounds of gunshots were fired by both the sides.

Three persons were wounded by firing while one was injured in an assault. At least six persons were injured in the clash on Sunday. Yesterday’s clash is reported to have taken place due to police inaction and carelessness.

The government had allotted 56 plots to Dalits in 2000 but this land was under the possession of some powerful upper caste people who refused to budge.

Yesterday, both the groups again confronted each other on the disputed land.

In this clash, both the groups are said to have used firearms. At the time of the clash, not a single policeman was present in Attai, it is learnt.—OC

New Delhi, February 27
The Crime Branch of Delhi Police today claimed to have arrested one person, Irshad Ali (40), a permanent resident of Meerut, but now residing in Loni, for allegedly running an ammunition factory from his residence. As many as 175 rounds of .315 bore cartridges, 2.5 kg of gun powder and potassium chlorate, machinery, including lathe machine, furnace, copper pipe and other supportive tools, were seized from his house-cum-factory.

The police received information that one Irshad Ali was involved in the manufacturing and smuggling of ammunition into Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. The investigating team got information the ammunition was being manufactured in Loni and was being supplied to criminals all over northern India in an organised fashion.

Through a mediator, the investigating team struck a deal with Irshad Ali for the delivery of a consignment. Later, he was caught red-handed while delivering the consignment in front of the Seelampur Metro station.

On the basis of his information, a raid was conducted at his residence, where a huge consignment of ammunition was seized.

During interrogation, he allegedly informed he used to manufacture 200 rounds of cartridges in a week and supply the same to criminals and arms dealers in northern India. Efforts were being made to nab other members of the gang, said a police officer. 

New Delhi, February 27
The New Delhi district police today claimed to have busted a credit card racket and arrested two persons, Wilson Lal and Lalit Prasad, in connection with the case.

The kingpin of the gang, Lalit Kumar, used to work in direct sales scheme with ABN Amro Bank and had access to the credit card details of the customers. He connived with like-minded people, Wilson and Rajender, and passed on confidential information and details of cards.

They adopted a unique modus operandi. They used to call customers who had recently been issued credit cards and lured them to increase their credit limits. They used to send a person to collect the credit card and used to do shopping through their cards.

One Ravinder Kumar, a resident of Chanakya Puri, had filed a complaint that he was issued a credit card by ABN Amro Bank with credit limit of Rs 59,000. After that, he received a phone call from one Aditya who posed himself as an officer of the bank and told him the customers who had been issued credit cards near Divali would get a bonanza and would have their credit limit increased.

He sent a representative to his house for collecting the credit card and assured him he would get the card within one week. The same day a Sikh youth, Rajender, came to his house with an identity tag of the bank and took away his card along with him.

Meanwhile, the complainant received a phone call from the bank, inquiring whether he had shopped for jewellary worth Rs 39,000. Shocked, the complainant narrated his tale to the police.

With the help of electronic surveillance, the police managed to get some clues in the case and apprehended Wilson, a sacked employee of the credit card division of ICICI Bank. Lalit was later arrested at his instance. Raids were being conducted to apprehend other members of the gang, said a police officer.

New Delhi, February 27
Daily commuters coming to Delhi from Shamli in Muzaffar Nagar district and Sahibabad in Uttar Pradesh now have a reason to be happy as the Union Railway Minister, Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav, today announced to start two new local trains from Delhi to both the places while introducing the Railway Budget for 2007-2008 in Parliament.

Naveen Kumar, who works with a private firm in Connaught Place and commutes daily from Shamli to New Delhi, said that now people would heave a sigh of relief, as there had been huge rush of passengers on the routes during office hours. “With the starting of services of a new train (DEMU), people will feel easy.”

Shamli is three hours journey from Delhi. But if a passenger misses the train, it takes another an hour for him to reach the city. “Now there will be less chance of getting late on duty,” he said.

Yoginder Singh, who resides in Sahibabad, said that there was not sufficient number of trains plying between Delhi and Sahibabad. “The majority of people who work in Delhi prefer to go by bus, though it proves costly as well as very inconvenient”. A new EMU train for the town would benefit daily passengers, he said.

Besides, a new train ‘Garib Rath Express’ will also be introduced that will shuttle between New Delhi-Dehradun for three days a week.

Meanwhile, the DPCC President, Mr Ram Babu Sharma, termed the railway budget as an exemplary one. “This is in welfare of people. Cutting down of passenger fares for the fourth consecutive year for all sections of the society is a proof that the UPA government at the Centre is committed to provide relief to the common man.”

Delhi unit president of the BJP, Dr Harsh Vardhan, however, said that the fourth rail budget of Lalu Prasad Yadav had nothing new and that it was an attempt to throw dust in the eyes of citizens of the country.

Faridabad, February 27
There are at least two departments where the dispensation of jobs has been quite tricky and troublesome, perhaps due to lack of proper assignment and shortage of trained personnel. Though the state government has been commended for the initiatives taken to improve efficiency and fight corruption, but what was to be delivered at the senior bureaucratic level is still awaited, thus making the middle-level administration and the ultimate beneficiaries suffer.

According to official sources in the Transport Department here, the motive behind abolishing the office of the Regional Transport Authority and the post of the District Transport Officer (DTO), who used to look after the work of registering, checking and passing of commercial vehicles in respective districts, was to check rampant corruption.

Though the Hooda government received a pat for this move, the outcome did not match and resulted in chaos due to various reasons, claimed an official on condition of anonymity. He said though the work was divided and allotted to the respective SDMs the requisite staff was not provided, leading to various problems in handling the work.

A senior official posted here had also written a letter to the authorities at Chandigarh regarding the problem, but it is reported that the official was still to get any response.

The work of the RTA, which was looked after by an HCS rank officer, was now under the SDM.

The post of the RTA was considered a plum one. This post was usually auctioned in an indirect manner and allotted to those who promised to oblige the bosses with highest returns in the form of money in a month. 

New Delhi, February 27
There is no precise cause of 15 per cent cases of cancer, it occurs due to heredity. It is seen developing either from generation to generation or some time jumping one or two generation. It can come either from paternal side or from maternal side to a generation.

The findings came out from a survey conducted by the World Cancer Care Foundation, which was released at New Friends Colony office of the organisation here today.

The director of the organisation, Dr Tarang Krishna, informed, “Out of all therapy available for this dreaded disease, immune therapy is most effective as far as the prevention of hereditary cancer is concerned.”—OC