Faridabad, May 8
The district administration would launch a weeklong survey at a spot in Hodal subdivision from tomorrow to know about the details and statistics of the transport movement on the National Highway number two passing through the district.

Services of hired personnel would be taken besides the official staff to conduct the survey. Thousands of vehicles, carrying goods move on this highway daily, making it one of the busiest roads in the NCR.

According to officials concerned, the survey is being conducted primarily on the directions of the Planning Commission and the data will be made available to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which is responsible for the upkeep of such roads. While a standard questionnaire has been received by the authorities, it is learnt that the main things that are likely to be recorded include the total number of vehicles that move on any given time, which include the number of commercial or goods vehicles.

The starting and destination point, the type of goods transported, the total weight and the overall economics of the transporters or vehicles would be detected in the survey.

Over 20 educated youths would be hired to conduct the survey. They would be helped by the police and the local administration staff. Though this may prove inconvenient for several vehicles, it is stated that the statistics would prove helpful to the NHAI and the planning bodies to chalk out strategies to meet the growing need of wide and smooth roads, especially the expressways in near future.

It may be recalled that this highway having over 70 kms of the length in the district has not only been one of busiest roads in the region, but it is the only road which connects several central and southern states with Haryana and Delhi. But despite a hefty increase in the volume of traffic on this highway which is popularly called as Mathura Road in the district, there is hardly any relief to the commuters. “There are several instances of road blockade and traffic jams due to protest or demonstration by the people,” claimed a resident of Palwal town.

Demanding widening and providing adequate number of flyovers on this highway on all the congested points like the villages and cities falling on it, Mr Trilok Chand Gupta, president of the Citizens Welfare Association, Palwal, said that there was a pressing need to make this highway safe and traffic signal-free by going in for flyovers, keeping in view the growing traffic and commuters.

He said hundreds of people were killed or seriously injured in the accidents on this highway in the district each year.

Though toll was collected by the NHAI near Hodal town, he claimed that there was no marked improvement in the infrastructures or the facilities for the motorists.

According to him, the problem becomes serious when one enters the Faridabad city till the Badarpur border which really tests the patience and skills of a driver. There is no flyover on the stretch passing through Faridabad and Ballabgarh cities, he added. 

Gurgaon, May 8
The State Vigilance Bureau (SVB) today claimed to have caught a junior engineer (JE) of HUDA and his accomplice while taking Rs 30,000 as bribe from a complainant for issuing his house building’s completion certificate.

Rajbir Deswal, superintendent of police, Gurgaon Range, SVB said that a resident of house no. 546, Sector 22A, Hitesh Kumar, approached him and complained that a JE Mohmmed Ali was demanding Rs 80,000 for issuing the completion certificate for his house.

The complainant claimed that he was told that Rs 50,000 would be officially deposited as fees and penalty in the department, while Rs 30,000 would be the bribed money.

Inspectors Mahinder Singh and Ramphal of the SVB were directed to catch the JE red-handed, while Naib Tehsildar Balraj Singh Dangi was appointed as duty magistrate.

When Hitesh Kumar went to HUDA office to pay Rs 30,000 in the morning today, JE Ali allegedly directed him to pay the amount to Aditya Chopra at Kaalpainik Associates, located just opposite to the HUDA office. As Hitesh paid the amount to Aditya, the SVB team raided both the premises and arrested Mohmmed Ali and Aditya Chopra while taking the bribe of Rs 30,000.

They were booked under Sections 7, 8, 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, informed Deswal.

The SP informed that the JE was demanding money from Hitesh Kumar as his house fell short of the stipulated requirements for issuing the certificate.

After the raid, the residence of Mohmmed Ali was also searched out by the duty magistrate and the SVB team.

Deswal further informed that the Gurgaon range of SVB had conducted 23 raids in 2007 till today arresting 30 persons. A total of five private persons were also arrested besides 25 government officials, including five gazetted officers.

Out of 23 raids, five were conducted in revenue department, six in police, two in municipal council, three in HUDA and one each in SDM office, Cooperative, Social Welfare, Panchayat, Treasury, PWD and education department, elaborated the SP. 

New Delhi, May 8
The newly recruited constables of Delhi Police passed out at ceremonial parade at Police Training College, Jharoda Kalan here today. Tejender Khanna, Lt-Governor of Delhi, who was the chief guest took the salute.

Out of 1,893 trainee constables, 68 have postgraduate qualifications in various streams, 30 are armed with B.Ed. qualifications and 819 are graduates, though the minimum qualification for this post is only 10th pass.

The LG exhorted the trainee constables to win the confidence of the public by selfless service and high standard of personal conduct, integrity and transparency while performing their duties.—OC

New Delhi, May 8
The Standing Committee of MCD today passed three resolutions–extension of time of the Delhi Laws Provisional Act 2006, public-private participation to provide civic amenities in corporation schools and resolution to fill up vacant posts in schools. All these proposals were opposed by the opposition members led by the Congress.

The resolution for extension of time of Delhi Laws Provisional Special Act 2006 was moved by the deputy chairman of Standing Committee Yogender Chandolia arguing that various basic development works were still to be done in the Capital for which this law was required. This law is effective till May 19. It was brought by Parliament specially for traders and other citizens of the Capital to provide them relief from sealing and demolition.

The resolution urged the union government to extend the time limit of the law.

Another resolution was tabled by Ms Usha Mehta, BJP member, demanding public-private participation in MCD schools as there were shortage of potable water and playground in corporation schools. Proper lavatory is also not there in these schools. Various NGOs are interested to work for the cause of students.

She moved yet another resolution demanding for filling up posts of teachers in civic body schools. The Standing Committee members decided to recruit teachers from the Delhi Education Institute and Training (DEIT) directly because Delhi State Selection Board “failed” to do its job.

New Delhi, May 8
A 48-year-old woman has approached a local court here seeking action against her husband and in-laws, claiming that the police have refused to register a case against them for allegedly torturing her.

Kumud Makhija, a mother of three, in her complaint filed at the Rohini court recently, has accused her husband of 28 years of thrashing her regularly for dowry, forcing her to undergo three abortions and her in-laws of harassing her.

Makhija claimed she had approached the police last year for lodging a complaint against her husband Rajan Kumar, brother-in-law and mother-in-law, but they refused.

“I gave frantic calls to the police when my husband and brother-in-law came to my house to attack me. Moreover, when I approached the officers after the bashing by my in-laws, they flatly refused to lodge a complaint”, she claimed.

Makhija claimed she had faced physical abuse at the hands of her in-laws and her husband, a government contractor, who, she alleged, tortured her for dowry and harassed her for not giving him a male child.

She said she was forced to undergo three abortions after the birth of three girl children.

Makhija, who draws her strength from her three daughters, finally decided to fight it out by approaching the court. Two of her three daughters are working while the youngest is a BSc student.

The court has appointed a protection officer for her in the case under the Domestic Violence Act.

Ghaziabad, May 8
Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty and five TV news channel owners today failed to appear in a court here in connection with the controversy surrounding her kiss with Hollywood star Richard Gere at a public event.

Chief Judicial Magistrate Beena Chaudhry took note of the fact that the summons were not received by the respondents and deferred the hearing till May 21.

The court had issued the summons to them on May 2 on a PIL by a local lawyer that alleged the kiss was an indecent representation of sexual activities in a public place.—PTI

New Delhi, May 8
Delhi finance, public works department and urban development minister Dr A. K. Walia today distributed cheques under the scheme of Financial Assistance to Widows during a function organised at his residence.

Around 104 widows residing in his Assembly segment, Geeta Colony, were given the cheques of Rs 20,000 and Rs 10,000. A total of 58 widows up to the age of 45 received cheques amounting to Rs 20,000, whereas the rest were given cheques amounting to Rs 10,000. The scheme is for initiating an earning effort for the family of the widow.

Dr Walia said the Delhi government was committed to provide assistance to all needy persons, including widows and senior citizens who were facing difficult times. 

New Delhi, May 8
Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit today paid floral tributes to the martyrs of the famous historic Harding bomb case, Master Amir Chand, Bhai Bal Mukund and Master Awadh Behari, at a simple function organised on the Maulana Azad Medical College campus which once used to be the Old Delhi Jail.

The chief minister, while paying floral tributes to the brave sons of Delhi, exhorted people to imbibe the spirit of patriotism from the sacrifices made by martyrs of Harding bomb case. A number of freedom fighters and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

These sons of soil were punished and given death sentence for throwing bomb on the fleet of the then Governor-General Lord Harding. They wanted to stop the entry of Harding in the national Capital.

Master Amir Chand, Bhai Bal Mukund and Master Awadh Behari were executed on May 8, 1915, in Old Delhi Jail whereas Basant Kumar Biswas was executed the next day on May 9, 1915, in Ambala Central Jail. In memory of these martyrs, a modest memorial has been built at the site of ‘Phansi Ghar’ of the Old Delhi Jail where homage is paid every year to these sons of Delhi who exhibited their courage and commitment towards patriotism by protesting the entry of the Governor-General of India into the Capital on December 23, 1912.

They attacked imperial procession by throwing a bomb in Chandni Chowk. Lord Harding was injured in this incident.

Noida, May 8
A truck collided with a horse cart near Kot Bridge in Dadri, killing a youth on the spot.

Kiran Pal of Bulandshahr village was bringing wheat on his horse cart from Salarpur to Dadri. Near Kot Bridge, his cart was hit by a speeding truck(HR-D-0601) from the rear. As Kiran Pal was thrown on the road, the truck crushed him under its wheels, killing him on the spot.

The news of Kiran Pal’s death brought hundreds of villagers on the road. Livid villagers, subsequently, jammed the GT Road in protest by parking a tractor-trailer across the road. Later, the crowd pelted stones on the police and damaged a number of vehicles.

The family of the deceased put a demand for Rs 3 lakh as compensation when the police came to get the jam on the GT Road lifted. On not getting any assurance, villagers started pelting stones. Policemen resorted to a lathi charge to disperse the agitating crowd.

Six policemen, including an SI, were injured in the stone pelting. Later, the police arrested four persons and registered a case against 12 villagers.

Noida, May 8
Noida is in the clutches of diarrhoea once again. In the past two days, at least 36 patients have been admitted to hospital after a lull of a few days.

Experts hold the return of heat wave after light showers responsible for the latest influx in the number of diarrhoea patients.

Polluted water, cut and exposed fruits and vegetables which continue to be sold in the market are the main cause of this disease. Two wards in Kailash Hospital here are full with diarrhoea patients. The same is the position in other leading private hospitals. Some nursing homes have arranged extra beds to cope with the rush of patients.

Meanwhile, the Noida Authority and the CMO’s office are learnt to be working on a strategy to make Noida a dengue-free place. According to sources, plans are being put into operation for regular fogging and anti-larva sprays. Steps will be taken to prevent waterlogging also through joint campaigns, it is learnt.

New Delhi, May 8
MasterCard Worldwide and U21Global has announced the second year of the MasterCard-U21Global scholarship programme for women in travel and tourism. Some 20 scholarships will be awarded to women from across Asia-Pacific, South Africa, Saudi Arabia etc. The programme was launched last year with the idea of empowering working women professionals in the travel and tourism sector to stay ahead of industry trends and realise their full potential.

The response last year to the call for entries for the online graduate programme was extremely significant and from a wide spectrum of the industry covering hotels and airlines on the one hand to travel and tour operators in the Asia/Pacific. With the success enjoyed by the programme last year, it has now been extended to South Africa, Saudi Arabia and UAE. The programme comprises 20 scholarships for the U21Global Executive Diploma of Business Administration and is intended for graduates who want to develop skills in the management and marketing of tourism and travel. The course is based on the University of Nottingham MSc in Tourism and Travel Management which has been developed by Christel DeHaan Tourism and Travel Research Institute, a part of Nottingham University Business School, and U21Global, a leader in quality graduate online education for working executives and professionals.

Plans are in the pipeline to invite organisations from the travel and tourism industry across Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa to nominate women employees who they believe will most benefit from the learning and exposure offered by such a scholarship. A distinguished panel of judges has been put into place to choose the 20 worthy recipients.

“We are excited to extend the reach of this scholarship to South Africa, Saudi Arabia and UAE to allow more women in travel and tourism to benefit from our premium curriculum in business and to stay abreast of industry trends while also managing work commitments and family life,” said Helen Lange, dean, business management programmes, U21Global.

New Delhi, May 8
Ajay Pal, Poonam, Aarti, Arvind, Arun Ashish, Neelam and Ekta are different from other children of their age group. They may be just about 16 years in age but their mental age is far greater. However, for that you will have to hear these young members of “bal panchayats” discuss serious issues related to child and safety.

What is more heartening is the fact that they try to sort out issues regarding their future, security, development and safety issues in their own innovative ways.

They meet once a week for two-three hours and discuss various issues, right from children wasting their time flying kites to child labour and safety. Choosing one issue that they feel require the utmost attention, they then try to create awareness with the help of nukkad nataks or rallies.

In their endeavour, some media and civil society organisations also help them. At a press meet, “Children as change agents”, organised today by the Plan International, the CASP, Delhi and the Grassroots Media Initiative, 10 youngsters from bal panchayats in the Capital shared their experiences on child labour and safety.

While the children have been educating parents on child safety and security, after the infamous Nithari episode, they also conducted a survey on child security on 5,000 children and an equal number of parents in four areas of Delhi.

After preparing a questionnaire, they conducted a door-to-door survey on how safe a child is at home. Asking questions like whether parents knew their children’s friends, they also tried to find out from children whether they had ever been abused or ill-treated by anyone. The survey also revealed some real time safety aspects at home, like for example the open electrical wiring system which makes younger children quite vulnerable at home to electrical accidents.

As far as the functioning of bal panchayats is concerned, Poonam, a student of Class XII, says that children from Badarpur, Sangam Vihar and Madanpur Khadar have constituted five bal panchyats and 10 bal sabhas, comprising 1,500 children.

“Bal sabhas have children of eight to 12 years age group, while bal panchayats are formed by children of 12-18 years age group. A single unit of bal panchayat or bal sabha comprises groups of 40-50 children. Through this platform, children work for the mental and physical development of poor and undernourished children of squatters and slums. They also coerce the parents to change their attitude and behaviour towards children. Some children present their work in international forums.

“The Child Rights Information Centre (CRIC) is a crucial unit of bal panchayat that not only collects information on various issues affecting children but also publishes it,” explains Ajay Pal, who aspires to be an engineer and wants to join the IIT.

While educating the people living in bastis on the negative side of child labour, members of bal panchayat have caught attention of the policy-makers and social activists in Delhi. They have sensitized those children who are usually engaged for pittance in electioneering of political contestants and forgo their schools.

Giving the children a platform to express their views, creativity and feelings in the form of written words, the Children Press Service is released and posted to 800 Hindi newspapers and magazines in the country. Some newspapers have placed the stories written by children.

Gurgaon, May 8
A section of middle-rung Congress leaders of Gurgaon quit the party along with their supporters to show solidarity with Kuldip Bishnoi (MP) who has been suspended from the party.

Prominent among those who quit the party at a public meeting are the secretary of District Congress Committee (Urban), B.D.Pahuja, the general secretary of Haryana unit of Indian Youth Congress, Ram Raji Sharma, a sitting Municipal Councillor and district president of Khet Mazdoor Congress, Kulraj Kataria. Members from District Bar Association and sarpanches of some village, including Rithoz as well as Congress workers from Mewat also announced severance of their relationship with the Congress.

Speaking on the occasion, the leaders projected Kuldip Bishnoi as future leader of Haryana. They also praised former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal, father of Bishnoi.

Significantly, the leaders referred the name of Bishnoi more than Bhajan Lal to leave no ambiguity that they accept his independent political space in Haryana’s politics.

B.D.Pahuja, apparently the man behind the show, today said that the Congress has lost its credibility. He said that the Congress was not able to provide good governance. The party had failed on its poll promise and Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh’s slogan of good governance had not materialised.

The law and order has deteriorated and mass resentment against the government and its functionaries has crept into the polity. Other speakers also spoke in the same vein.

Noida, May 8
After the Greater Noida Authority dismissed four of its employees, the Noida Authority has followed suit by terminating the services of 12 employees. The dismissed employees were appointed during 2002-03 against vacancies reserved for Scheduled Caste and other backward classes (OBC). All dismissed employees did not belong to ST and OBC categories.

The Noida Employees Association has, meanwhile, decided to oppose this decision of the Authority, its members having gone on strike in protest against the sacking of their colleagues.

Vijay Shankar Mathur Commission, appointed by the then state government, had found in its inquiry that these employees did not belong to the Scheduled Castes and Tribes On the commission’s recommendation, the state government had ordered the Noida Authority to take action against these employees.