The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Delhi and neighbourhood

	Second marriage bid foiled Wife assaults man in the presence of baraatis Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 30 The treatment meted out to this groom is not something doled in Indian marriages. The bride’s relatives manhandled Mukesh Khanna, the groom, yesterday night in the Tank Road area of Karol Bagh. He was handed over to the Prasad Nagar police station today. Mukesh Khanna, a married man, had come to marry another girl in the Tank Road area yesterday night, where his first wife assaulted him. Rani, his first wife, presented a photograph of their marriage before the guests. Rani revealed that theirs was a love marriage. They had married four years ago in Jharkhand and had a daughter. They lived in Shakarpur in East Delhi. Following this, the bride’s relatives thrashed Mukesh. Even his father and baraatis were not spared. The drama continued till the wee hours of today morning, when he was handed over to the police. Mukesh Khanna, a resident of Jharkhand, runs a maid placement agency in the Capital. Since the past few months, Rani felt some change in Mukesh’s attitude. He had been pestering her to go to their village and return with some girls for placement. One day, she came across a wedding card with the name of her husband. She approached the Saraswati Vihar police station for help but her complaint was not registered. Finally, she decided to confront her husband during the marriage ceremony.
	Mahatma Gandhi remembered New Delhi, January 30 Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Congress leader Ramakant Goswami along with some freedom fighters paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi in a function organised by the Assembly at the Old Secretariat here. Favourite songs of the father of the nation were played and two-minute silence was observed in his memory. In his message, Assembly speaker Chaudhry Prem Singh stressed Mahatma’s dream of a casteless and classless society and appealed to people to spread the message. — UNI
	Withdraw show-cause notices to 2 Stephen’s teachers: DUTA Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 30 The Delhi University Teachers Association today demanded unconditional and immediate withdrawal of the show cause notices issued to two senior lady colleagues. The Rev. Valson Thampu, occupying the chair of OSD at St. Stephen’s College, has issued show cause notices to Ms Sangeeta Luthra Sharma and Dr Tasneem Suhrawardy of the Department of History. The notices threatened them with disciplinary action for having “abused the teaching space by indulging in irrelevant and incendiary statements on issues that do not pertain to the course of study”. During a press meet in the city on Wednesday, DUTA was up in arms at what was being perceived as high-handedness on the part of Thampu and DUTA alleges that “this senseless act of desperation springs out of Thampu’s attempt to cover up the illegality of his own appointment as OSD in contravention of the Delhi University Ordinance XXIV and Ordinance XVIII. DUTA informed at the meet that an increasingly desperate Thampu “managed to obtain a Ph.D. degree in Theology, a subject which is not even a taught subject at the University of Delhi, from a deemed University, the name of which has not been revealed yet. This Ph.D. has been procured violating all established rules of UGC which require a minimum period of full-time enrolment of at least 2 years.” DUTA demanded that Thampu should be immediately removed from his post of OSD and an independent inquiry into the procurement of his Ph.D. be instituted at the earliest. To get their demands fulfilled, DUTA is going to stage a dharna at St. Stephen’s College on February 5 and other dharna at VC’s office on February 8.
	Nation-building concept can’t be imported Discussion on ‘Rising India’, a book in honour of Prof M.L. Sondhi Charu Singh Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 30 “No nation can be superimposed on another and no nation-building concept can be imported right from the White House to Afghan soil, I am afraid that this nation-building on the part of the US in Afghanistan does not fit in with my ideas,” said Professor Pushpesh K.Pant from Jawaharlal Nehru University. Pant was airing his views at a free-wheeling discussion on the book, ‘Rising India: friends and foes, Essays in Honour of Prof M.L. Sondhi.’ This book comprises a collection of essays of geo-strategic import brought out specifically in honour of Prof M.L. Sondhi. It has contributors, chiefly analysts, academics, thinkers from different parts of the world who have collaborated in bringing out this work significantly important for readers looking into geo-strategic affairs with a greater Asia focus. Commodore Uday Bhaskar, a strategic affairs expert, aptly says with his typical acerbic sense of humour that, “analysts are often like the blind men around the big elephant tale.” Bhaskar adds that, “to me the central theme is the manner in which the cut of this book resonates with what Prof. Sondhi stood for and the central concerns of Prof Sondhi and his intellectual caliber is very well captured in this book.” Bhaskar adds that in the early 90s, Prof Sondhi’s was an extremely important voice in the eco-system that was emerging. “Another facet of this book is: the whole question of Asian geo-politics both the challenges and the contradictions are very ably presented in this book,” says Bhaskar. “China emerges as a big issue in this book and Prof Sondhi’s own concerns on China reflect India’s concerns. Also I feel that Prof Sondhi’s prescience on the entire China issue, its gradual emergence as a dynamic player in Asia and globally is reiterated in Prof Walden’s essay,” says Bhaskar. He adds that the entire nuclear issue, the developing reactive streak in India’s strategic relations and the real import of maritime abilities and their correlation in great power status is aptly brought out in this book.
	Move to make law teachers advocates New Delhi, January 30 If the government has its way, teachers in Indian law schools will be able to practise in courts and work as consultants too. This is being proposed to retain talent in law schools, where the remuneration is far less compared to what law experts get outside, resulting in an exodus. A senior law ministry official said that there was an immediate need to reconsider promotional schemes and avenues to promote meritorious faculty members on law campuses. “Today legal education has to meet not only the requirements of the Bar Council but also trade, commerce and industry. So we need to have really talented law teachers, who can train students to meet challenges in the legal field globally,” said the official. The government has taken note of the deteriorating standards of education in law campuses. It is felt by policymakers that there is an immediate need to remove the fetters on faculty pertaining to opportunities in legal practice, such as consultancy assignments and legal practice in courts. “These reforms need to be introduced in a balanced, reasonable and regulated manner to ensure adequate incentives for law faculty without compromising on consistent academic quality,” another official suggested. Even the National Knowledge Commission constituted by the Prime Minister has made similar suggestions. “Why can’t we have flexibility to appoint those lawyers as faculty members who have an LLB degree, unlike an LLM PG degree, which is the qualification for being a law teacher,” suggested a commission member. Commission chairperson Sam Pitroda said that there should be a new regulatory mechanism under the Independent Regulatory Authority for Higher Education (IRAHE) that could deal with all aspects of legal education. — IANS
	Sheila releases book on Gandhi Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 30 Paying tributes to the Father of the Nation on his 60th death anniversary, Flag Foundation of India has brought out a book on the life and words of Mahatma Gandhi. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who released the book ‘My Life My Words - Remembering Mahatma Gandhi’ at a function yesterday, said it contained messages from the life of the Father of the Nation. She said Gandhi was the one of the greatest men to walk on the earth. The Chief Minister said that simplest things in life were sometimes the most difficult to practise and Mahatma Gandhi’s life was an embodiment of noble qualities. She said that the book had been brought out in a convenient size. The coffee table book, released in the presence of Naveen Jindal, MP, and Shallu Jindal, vice-president, Flag Foundation of India, contains vignettes into the life of the Father of the Nation and his profound thinking. The book has been brought in association with Natraj Publishers. Naveen Jindal said Flag Foundation of India was set up in January 2002 following legal efforts that enabled citizens to display the National Flag with honour in their homes, offices and factories.
	No relief from chill Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 30 The National Capital Territory of Delhi continued to be in the grip of cold waves. The minimum temperature was recorded today at 4.1° Celsius, four degrees below normal. There was also slight mist in the morning, though visibility remained normal at 800 m. The coming days could witness a further intensification of the cold wave, as the Met office forecasts that the minimum temperature might plummet to 3° Celsius tomorrow. However, it has forecast a mainly clear sky during the next 24 hours. According to the weatherman, the prevailing cold wave conditions in the national Capital is due to the cold northwesterly winds.
	Let’s listen to Mahatma Gandhi Nirmala Deshpande New Delhi, January 30 I was just six years old when I had the first ‘darshan’ of Mahatma Gandhi. I cannot really say that I talked to him, but it was a rare and unique experience. I belong to Nagpur and Gandhiji’s Sewagram was just 80 km from there. Gandhiji used to travel by train in a third class compartment. That day my mother sent me and my cousin to the railway station to receive my uncle. The train was coming from Mumbai via Nagpur to Howrah. When we reached the railway station, there was a huge crowd. Someone said Gandhiji was coming by that train. I decided to have a glimpse of him and joined the crowd. People started shouting: “See that little girl, save her, otherwise she will be crushed in the crowd.” They started pushing me to the front and I reached near the compartment. Gandhiji was standing there and waving at the crowd. I looked up to him and I cannot explain how I felt. I forgot myself. His personality was so magnetic. That day I decided I would follow that man. The second time I saw him was in the ashram and the third while in Pune. I was studying in Ferguson College and Gandhiji had come to the city for naturopathy treatment by Dr Dinshaw K. Mehta. He stayed there for three-four months. I and my friends made use of the opportunity to meet Gandhiji. It was in 1945 and I was 16. Some years ago when I went to attend the world assembly of religious leaders, delegates came to me to touch my feet and hold my hand. They said, “You were among the lucky ones” who had seen Gandhi. They saw me as a special person. I was completely overwhelmed. I never faced any problem from my parents - late P.Y. Deshpande and Vimalabai Deshpande - against my decision to follow in the footsteps of Gandhiji. Both my parents were freedom fighters and later my father became a parliamentarian and my mother a minister in the Madhya Pradesh cabinet. Six decades have passed since Gandhiji became a martyr. But I am sure his life and teachings are more relevant today. The problems the world is facing today - be it violence or terrorism - we want to solve them. We want peace. Because of global warming our environment is in danger and we have to find ways to protect it. The answers to all these problems lie in Gandhiji’s teachings. The world is becoming one and we have to live together. People belonging to different faiths and ideologies have become neighbours. How will such a world live in peace and harmony? Again, the answer is Gandhiji. Global warming is a major threat that the world is facing today. One reason for it is our wrong lifestyle and wastage of resources. Mahatmaji called for a simple lifestyle and against increasing our wants. He said: “Earth has enough for everyone’s need; not for everyone’s greed.” Is the consumerist world listening? Gandhiji’s philosophy has helped India grow to a great extent. The unity of India, its oneness and secularism have a lot to do with it. Yes, we have many problems. It is a part of life. But by and large India is India today because - of course, our culture, civilisation, composite culture all have been there to protect our country - Gandhiji was a major factor. In the peace marches organised across the world against bombings in Baghdad, millions came out shouting slogans like “say yes to peace, no to war, no war for oil etc”. There were huge gatherings in London, Paris, Rome, New York, Washington and Kolkata too. Gandhiji’s name and his principle of non-violence were referred to at many places. In Kolkata, it was organised by the Left Front activists. There were two huge cut-outs of Gandhi and Frontier Gandhi and the message was: “Listen to the two Gandhis.” It was done by young friends. I told them it never occurred to us, the Gandhians, to put out a message like that. This underlines the fact that Gandhiji is never obsolete. He is becoming more and more relevant. I had the fortune to travel all over the world lecturing on Gandhiji. I find that there is a tremendous interest in Gandhiji all over the world. People want to know more about him. They also understand that his philosophy can find answers to the world’s problems. Interestingly, I find that more people outside are keen to learn about him than in India. In Pakistan, Gandhiji’s autobiography is a bestseller. Since the book is costly there, whenever we go people ask for Indian editions. Everybody loves peace. That is why I and my fellow workers can move anywhere without any security even in Kashmir as they knew that we were followers of Gandhi. Various small and big organisations across the world are trying to live by Gandhian principles. A few years ago, I was invited to Kazakhstan to speak on Gandhi. To my surprise, I found people there were more aware of Gandhian principles than Indians. They had read about Gandhiji. The women there had organised a huge march to stop a nuclear installation. They were practising non-violence to counter violent threats. Terrorism, violence, poverty, epidemics, calamities, environmental issues, consumerism... the list of problems is too long. And the world is craving for a change. We need to change. Gandhiji used to say ‘be the change yourself.’ Let’s listen. Let’s do it. (As told to Liz Mathew. Nirmala Deshpande is a well-known disciple of Mahatma Gandhi) — IANS
	23 vans challaned Vehicles had illegal gas kits Parmindar Singh Noida, January 30 After the Mumbai incident, in which three children were charred to death when school van fitted with a gas kit had caught fire, the transport department, Gautam Budh Nagar district, has challaned 23 school vans fitted with illegal gas kits while another 14 have been impounded for violating the law. A large number of vehicles are plying on the roads in Noida and Greater Noida fitted with illegal gas kits and dozens of them are engaged in ferrying small children to their schools and back. The RTO department was woken out of its hibernation by an order of the district magistrate, Sharwan Kumar Sharma, to RTO and city magistrate that a campaign be launched from January 30 to February 5 for checking gas kit fitted vehicles in the Gautam Budh Nagar district. The District Magistrate has also called for the list of vehicles, fitted with illegal gas kit from the RTO. According to Assistant RTO, Anil Kumar, the 23 vehicles challaned were found to be used commercially although they were registered as school vans only while 12 vans have been impounded. Two vans, though fitted with gas kit were registered as petrol vehicles, Anil Kumar said. These two vans were also seized by the RTO. These vehicles were impounded in Morna, Sector-39 and Film City, Noida. According to District Magistrate, hundreds of school vehicles ply in the district which are not registered. The DM’s instructions to City Magistrate and ARTO are that strict action should be taken against all those vehicles plying on illegal gas kits. The DM has asked the management of all schools to furnish the list of school vans being run on illegal kits. As plying vehicles on LPG and CNG is much cheaper than running them on petrol or diesel, owners get their vehicles fitted with illegal gas kits. These kits violate the safety norms. Vehicles used for ferrying children to schools in Noida and Greater Noida are known to be indiscriminately using illegal gas kits, but no action was ever taken against them so far. District Magistrate Sharwan Kumar has told the RTO that should any gas explosion in a vehicle take place in future, he will be hauled up. No vehicle can use gas if it is registered for petrol or diesel, the DM added.
	Formula fails to hook TV viewers Radhika Bhirani New Delhi, January 30 Indian television serials revolve around stock themes - the simple Indian girl and her hopes, dreams, joys, love and sorrow. Add a dash of revenge, conspiracy, murder and even rebirth - the latest in the assembly line of plots emanating from the world of TV soaps, and you have a gripping drama that sometime runs for months at a stretch. Every time there is a new soap on the screen, the directors promise something new. But at the end of the day it is one and the same, says a cross-section of viewers surveyed at random by IANS. Fatigue is setting in and it is time for the “little box” to take on a more meaningful and serious role in terms of content, they say. Neha Gadi, 20, a student, feels that in the quest for showing something new to the audience, serial-makers begin their show differently, but gradually return to the run-of-the-mill themes to ensure the show’s longevity. “New shows are advertised in a way that makes us believe that it has a new concept. But when the directors fail to carry forward their idea beyond a certain point, they start using the same old ideas to prolong the show. It would be wiser, if they would end the show when the idea is conveyed,” she said. Viewers complain that almost every show focuses on the deeds of either the understated female protagonist or that of a conniving woman. They feel there are other issues, more concrete and sensible, that could be highlighted through TV serials. Mallika Pradhan, 27, a marketing executive, said, “If it is not the ‘saas-bahu’ sagas, anything that shows women as underdogs in their ‘holier than thou’ avatars or as conspirators seems like the only available choice for people to base their shows on. There could be more shows highlighting other sensible issues instead,” Pradhan said. Directors agree but blame the audience for the situation. “There are seven to eight storylines that TV serials are based on and they are repeated only because the audience happily accepts them. If we try making something different, it usually does not work,” explained Waseem Sabir who has directed serials such as ‘Saat Phere’, ‘Remix’, ‘India Calling’, ‘Four’ and, is currently directing Balaji Telefilm’s ‘Koi Jaane Kya Kya Hoga’, which is a sequel to Sony TV’s ‘Kya Hadsaa Kya Haqeeqat’. According to the director, the television rating point (TRP) is the predominant factor in the TV industry to identify the ideal content of a soap. If the content is able to draw maximum viewers, the formula becomes a hit and a flop if it does not. “It is a ball game of TRPs. If the serial does not get the desired TRPs, it is mostly pulled off air and the idea is considered a flop,” Sabir said. “At least 80 per cent of viewers are housewives and may be retired men. The youth forms around five to six per cent of the total number of viewers. In such a skewed state, we are compelled to focus on what the former category wants to see,” adds Sabir. Shashi Dewan said housewives like her are looking for a way to pass the time. “During the day, I do not have much to do at home. So, I watch the television. During the day, even some of the news channels are full of programmes like ‘Saas, Bahu and Saazish’. So, if that is what is mostly shown, it is not our fault,” she said. — IANS
	Holiday planner is here Shweta Thakur New Delhi, January 30 Now you can sit on an exquisite sofa, watch shows on an LCD television, sip tea, munch on snacks and relax with your family in a luxurious ambience while a qualified holiday planner helps you find a holiday package or a weekend getaway destination that suits your pocket. Keen to cash in on the not-so-organised tour and travel agency market, the country’s leading travel portal yatra.com has come up with luxury lounges to provide a hassle free holiday package booking experience. Dhruv Shringi, co-founder and CEO of yatra.com, told IANS, “Holidaying is a refreshing experience. However, going to a travel agency and finding out the best holiday package becomes extremely tiring for customers. “Moreover, the ambience is not so conducive that a family can sit and plan a holiday in privacy. Hence, we decided to set up luxury lounges with an ambience resembling that of a five-star hotel lobby.” Currently, the company has two such three-month-old lounges in Delhi and Gurgaon. Encouraged by the amazing response from customers, the firm is now planning to increase the number of the lounges to 20 by the end of March. “We registered about 280 visitors in the first month of our opening at Gurgaon. No less than 60 queries transpired into sales, which is 25 per cent and significantly higher than call centre inquiries turning into sales,” Shringi said. “During weekdays mostly housewives flock in but on weekends a lot of families visit the place. The overwhelming response prompted us to increase their numbers. By the end of February 12 such lounges would be live and by the end of March their number will touch 20,” he said. He added that Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Jalandhar, Noida, Indore, Jhansi, Kanpur, Cochin, Ludhiana, Chandigarh and Jaipur would also get one high-end lounge each. The initial investment for one such lounge is no less than Rs 2 million. Commenting on why a majority of them are planned in tier two cities, he said, “The second rung city customers are not short of buying power. They have aspirations but no choice. We want to fill that gap. Also, the credit card is not the preferred mode of payment in these cities.” — IANS
	Old Hindi film hits surface as remix Arpana New Delhi, January 30 Popular Hindi film songs are never forgotten. They are recycled. Remixes have given a new life to many numbers and now film titles are inspired by them. Creative borrowing is the name of the game in Bollywood. Stories and music compositions are often lifted from the West, but there are some filmmakers who are fascinated with popular Hindi songs and use them in their film titles. Aditya Chopra should take the cake for popularising the trend with his directorial debut ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ (DDLJ). The title of the puppy love story was taken from the popular song “Le jayenge, le jayenge, dilwale dulhania le jayenge…” from the 1974 movie ‘Chor Machaye Shor’. DDLJ was a phenomenal hit and it made Shah Rukh Khan a superstar. It has been running in Mumbai’s Maratha Mandir theatre for the last 12 years. Some of the recent titles are a constant reminder of the old tunes, which caught the audience’s fancy and are still hummable. It also confirms filmmakers’ fascination for old songs. For instance, Siddharth Anand’s release ‘Ta Ra Rum Pum Pum’ last year is from the chartbuster “Uthe sab ke kadam, dekho rum pum, aji aise geet gaya karo... kabhi khushi, kabhi gum, ta ra rum pum pum, haso aur hasaya karo…” from Basu Chatterjee’s ‘Baton Baton Mein’. However, Anand’s film, produced under the Yash Raj Films banner, could not replicate the success of that song. The title of Karan Johar’s family drama ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’ is also inspired by the same song. Another Yash Raj Film title ‘Jhoom Barabar Jhoom’, which was Shaad Ali’s second directorial venture, was taken from the famous qawwali “Jhoom barabar jhoom sharabi…” by Aziz Nazan. Earlier, the same banner gave us ‘Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai’ (2002), with the title based on the popular old song “Aaj mere yaar ki shaadi hai…” from the Shatrughan Sinha-starrer ‘Aadmi Sadak Ka’. The song from the 1977 film is still played in marriages although the 2002 film starring Uday Chopra and Tulip Joshi has since been forgotten. Rani Mukerji’s ‘Laaga Chunari Mein Daag’, a tale of a fallen woman, is again a Yash Raj production and its title is borrowed from the classic number, “Laga chunari mein daag chhupaaun kaise…”, from the Nutan-Raj Kapoor starrer ‘Dil Hi To Hai’. The title of Rani’s 2003 romantic hit ‘Chalte Chalte’ was inspired by Kishore Kumar’s hit number “Chalte chalte mere ye geet yaad rakhna, kabhi alvida na kahena…” The song also inspired the title of Karan Johar’s damp squib about extra-marital affair ‘Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna’. ‘khoya Khoya Chand’, the title of the latest from Sudhir Mishra, is taken from the melodious number “Khoya khoya chand, khula aasmaan…” memorably picturised on Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman in ‘Kala Bazar’. The title of E. Niwas’ film ‘My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves’ is, of course, from the hit song from ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’ starring Amitabh Bachchan. The title of Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s ‘Rang De Basanti’ was taken from the popular patriotic song “Mera rang de basanti chola…” from the film ‘Shaheed’ and Shriram Raghavan’s ‘Ek Hasina Thi’ was picked up from Subhash Ghai’s super-duper hit ‘Karz’ and it was the climax song of the film. Interestingly, Sai Paranjpe’s hit comedy ‘Chashme Buddoor’ is titled after the song “Teri pyaari pyaari surat ko kisi ki nazar na lage, chashme baddoor…” from the film ‘Sasural’. Some other film titles inspired by songs are ‘Jhooth Bole Kauwa Kaate’, ‘Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke’, ‘Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Sathiyo’ and ‘Saat Rang Ke Sapane’. The trend is here to stay as the titles of some forthcoming films like ‘Chal Chala Chal’, ‘Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na’, ‘De Taali’, ‘Allah Ke Bande’ and ‘Haal-e-Dil’ too are inspired by popular songs. — IANS

MCD panel approves Rs 5,000 cr budget
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 30
The standing committee today approved the budget estimate proposal of Rs 5,000 crore for 2007-08 and budget estimate for 2008-09. Chairman of the standing committee Vijender Gupta had tabled the budget estimate proposal.

The municipal commissioner had presented the budget estimates on December 10, 2007.

Describing the increase in revenue, Gupta explained that during 2007-08 there would be an increase of Rs 200 crore as proposed by the municipal commissioner. This increase will come from the share of assigned taxes, toll tax, tax from land and buildings, tax from transferred markets of land and development office and tax from license fee.

Gupta said that during 2006-07 the MCD had recovered Rs 711 crore by way of property tax. This year, Rs 747 crore have been recovered so far.

It is estimated that the recovered amount will cross Rs 1,000 crore during 2007-08. It is expected that the income from transfer duty will increase by Rs 300 crore the next year.

Online system for depositing property tax was introduced in March 2007. Two lakh taxpayers had deposited their property tax online. The municipal taxation tribunal, which would decide disputed property tax cases was made functional this year.

Gupta informed that transfer duty for females was reduced from 3 to 2 per cent.

Giving details of expenditure, Gupta informed, “During 2008-09 the civic body will have additional Rs 1,542.15 crore. The civic centre will be completed during 2008-09. It will get Rs 300 crore by way of commercialisation. Multi-level car parkings, which will be assigned on built operate and transfer (BOT) basis, will fetch Rs 100 crore. An increase of Rs 10 crore is estimated by car parking charges. From commercialisation of land buildings, we will get about Rs 100 crore. Food Processing Plant at Ghazipur will be functional from the next year. It would fetch Rs 1 crore. We also expect an increase of Rs 200 crore in the revenues of MCD. This will be spent on civic services.”

Gupta announced that Rs 1 crore would be given to each councillor for carrying out development works in his/her respective wards. The chairman of 12 ward committees will get Rs 25 lakh each for carrying out development works. For the first time, a provision of Rs 3,000 per month has been made for offices of deputy Mayor, deputy chairman of the standing committee and chairman of ward committees. Similarly, a provision of Rs 5,000 and Rs 4,000 per month have been made for the Leader of House and Leader of Opposition respectively.

Cong blankets for poor
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 30
All India Congress Committee Treasurer Moti Lal Vohra and Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Jai Prakash Agarwal distributed 2,500 blankets among poor people during the night of January 28.

The blankets were distributed in jhuggi clusters and other areas, a release said.

Ration for class IV staff
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 30
The class four employees of the state can draw grains and sugar ration from fair price shops.

The class four employees can avail the facility by showing their ration cards to shop owners.

In order to get the ration card, the class four government employees will have to submit a photocopy of their identity card and an affidavit mentioning their annual income.

Additional secretary of the state food and civil supply department recently issued a circular to all ministries, head of departments, undertakings and local bodies in this regard.

The order also said that the above poverty line (APL) food cards were being renewed in zonal offices of food and civil supply.

Special camps are being held in all circle areas on Saturday and Sunday.

Mani Naidu becomes member CAPART

New Delhi, January 30
R Mani Naidu has been appointed as member CAPART, eminent Congress member and active social worker. He has been appointed as member of CAPART under the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India.

He is an integral part of Global India Foundation, a thinktank involving foreign policy and also president of Panch-Tattvam, an organisation which provides financial assistance to poor families for cremation. — TNS

BSNL engineer held for graft

New Delhi, January 30
A senior official of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) has been arrested for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 100,000, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said on Tuesday.

Sanjeev Kumar Kansal, a superintending engineer (telecom) of BSNL, was arrested on Monday from Silchar, Assam. He had allegedly demanded Rs 350,000 from a person for awarding a contract worth Rs 140 million to erect mobile towers in two places in Manipur.

“Kansal first accepted Rs 100,000 against the demand he had made on the condition that the balance would be paid within five days,” the CBI said here. The person had filed a complaint against Kansal.

Some incriminating documents, a locker key and Rs 117,000 were also seized during searches at Kansal’s residence and office, the agency said. — IANS

Primary classes shut till Saturday
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 30
Pre-primary to class five in government schools, aided schools and public schools in the Capital will remain closed from January 30 to February 2. However, the classes from class six to XII will be held as usual.

Minister of education Arvinder Singh Lovely announced this on Tuesday. He said that the decision had been taken due to extreme cold wave conditions prevailing in Delhi.

Gurgaon: The Gurgaon district administration on Wednesday ordered the closure of all primary sections in government as well as private schools in the district till February 2.

Deputy commissioner Rakesh Kumar has directed all these schools to declare holiday from nursery to fifth standard for the next four days due to unbearable cold conditions. The order covers all government, private and government-aided schools.

Due to snowfall in the hilly regions of northern states, the temperature in the city has also plummeted. The Met department has forecasted that severe cold conditions will continue in the region for the next couple of days.

Bhagalpur silk show
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 30
Central Cottage and Industries Corporation of India Limited on Tuesday organised an exhibition cum-sale of Bhagalpur silk, Madhubani painting and handicraft of Bihar in Jawahar Vypar Bhawan. The price range starts from Rs 400.

The handloom range consists of Bhagalpur silk, tussar woven and hand-painted sarees or dupattas, woven tussar cotton material, table linen in embroidered and applique work.

The handicraft products comprise Dohkra Casting and terracotta products, tikuli and Madhubani paintings stone or wood-carved figures and wooden-painted products, a release said.

Robbery attempt, 3 held
Our Correspondent

Noida, January 30
The Noida police claimed to have nabbed three robbers after an encounter and thus pre-empted a big robbery in Noida Phase-II area.

Two rifles, about two dozen live cartridges and two draggers have been recovered from the bandits. They were arrested after an encounter with a police patrol team.

The police team was patrolling at 10.30 p.m. yesterday around BPL crossing in Phase-II when it spotted three persons hanging around in a suspicious manner. When cops tried to stop them for questioning, one of them opened fire on the police team. In a quick action, the cops pounced on them and overpowered the criminals.

Among the three bandits, Mukesh and Kalu hail from Uncholi village in Meerut disrict. The third criminal, Pradeep, alias Ravi, comes from Nabipur village under Moradabad police station area.

After their interrogation, police claimed to have solved the case of loot that took place in a factory in Hosiery Complex, Sector-84 Noida, two years ago.

According to police, the same gang had gone to raid the factory in a tempo and looted 20 rolls of aluminium wire, a double barrel gun, and 25 live cartridges from the factory on March 3, 2006. The bandits have confessed that their gang was responsible for the loot, the police said.