|
|
|
|
Blast fear ups e-shopping, hits footpath sellers
Security check-up at Central Park, Connaught Place, New Delhi on Sunday.
Tribune photo
Shanti Mohalla to get new ration office
Malhotra promises safer Delhi
Artscape |
|
|
Cops want parents, teachers to warn kids against strange objects
CBI to re-investigate Aarushi murder case
History-sheeter killed in Dadri gang war
Noida may attract Nano project
Road mishaps worrisome: Experts
18 trafficked children rescued
Trade tax officials assaulted
Early diagnosis of bladder cancer possible
TV reporter assaulted
Designers use polythene as embellishments
Minor girl raped
‘Aap Ki Rasoi’ opened
|
|
Blast fear ups e-shopping, hits footpath sellers
New Delhi, October 5 This revelation was made by Assocham based on the feedback from traders all over the country, specially in large towns. It was also discovered that during Dasehra and Divali, the white goods and bullion trade would be less than what it was last year because fewer discounts are being offered by consumer durables manufactures. This is because of the higher input costs to woo consumers. At the same time, higher inflation and loss of property and lives as result of terror attacks at various places have completely dampened purchasing enthusiasm of common investors towards gold and silver. According to the feedback received by the chamber secretariat in the last 10 days as to what would be the buying trends in the forthcoming festive seasons it has been gathered that because of security reasons e-shopping is going to grow by nearly 180 per cent during Dussera and Diwali at various metros including large township like Lucknow, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Pune, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Cochin, Chennai, Udaipur and Jaipur etc. Releasing the findings, Assocham secretary-general D S Rawat said that through e-shopping in Oct-Nov 2007, shopkeepers in major hubs of economic activities affected sales of number of articles to an extent of Rs 5,500 crore. The Assocham expects this to go up by 175-180 per cent to touch levels of over Rs 15,000 crore. He, however, added that consumer durables and white goods sector is unlikely to do better because this sector has already fallen under recession because of its extremely higher input cost and thereby virtually no discounts are being offered as the manufactures have to key a minimum of their margins to sustain them in business. This view of Assocham has been endorsed by its immediate past president, Venugopal N Dhoot, who heads the Videocon Group of Industries. Assocham findings also reveal that most of the e-shoppers have shown satisfaction with this mode of shopping because factors like home delivery which saves time, ‘24x7’ hours shopping with ease and availability factors for product comparisons and above all complete security as one does not have to venture out of the save confines of ones home. |
|
Shanti Mohalla to get new ration office
New Delhi, October 5 He was speaking at the inauguration of the site for the new office of the department of food and supplies (ration shop) at Shanti Mohalla (Kanti Nagar) in the Gandhi Nagar area of East Delhi. The possession of the 735 sqm of plot has been taken from DDA for construction at the cost of Rs 12 lakh. The office is being constructed at the cost of Rs 78 lakh. Those present on the occasion were Member of Parliament Sandeep Dikshit, local MLA from East Delhi Matin Ahmed, Bhishm Sharma, councillor Deepa Jain and local people of the area. Minister of education Arvinder Singh said the Delhi government had changed the look of the city and would continue to do so. He said the developmental work carried on by his government in East Delhi had turned it into a most sought-after area. He said that his government would continue to work with vigour in giving Delhi a look of the future and turning it into a pioneer state in the field of infrastructure development. He said that the government had been continuously taking new initiatives to make Delhi a model city and well-equipped with world-class infrastructure. Speaking for government schools, he said they had come long way from humble beginning and were competing with the public schools and giving them a run for their money. He said they are not only performing better in academics but in sports also. These schools had produced many sports people who won laurels for Delhi in national and international arenas. The government would provide swimming pools and grounds for sports to encourage students to take to serious sports and excel in them. Sandeep Dikshit said the city government had done wonders with the infrastructure of Delhi and citizens
are enjoying the facilities provided by it. |
|
Malhotra promises safer Delhi
New Delhi, October 5 In his first press conference after being named as the chief ministerial candidate for the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha elections, he extended greetings and best wishes to Delhiites for Navratra, Dasehra and Divali. Flanked by senior party colleagues and functionaries, Professor Malhotra set out a few priorities for making Delhi a better place to live in. The state has to be made more secure and safe for everyone. Law and order position needs immediate look-up. Every effort would be made to get Delhi upgraded as a full-fledged state and its government to have full control over the police force, thus ending any dichotomy with the Central government. It is also necessary for the state government to have control over land in its territory for better administration, beautification and judicious land use, especially for the poor and deprived sections of society. The BJP pledges to make all-out efforts to achieve these objectives, he said. The party will not allow any levity in the utilisation of the revenues of the state. However limited the resources are, foremost priority would be given to the needs of these who are below the poverty line, the Dalit and backward classes, widows and other deprived segments. One of the urgent tasks would be to regularise the unauthorised colonies and provide basic civic amenities to slums, urban villages, rural areas and other deserving habitations, the BJP leader said. Delhi being the heart of the country, must have the pride of place in the capitals of the world. It would be the BJP’s earnest effort to make it pollution-free at the earliest, as also to improve its drainage system, to make Delhi a green city, to implement rigid environmental laws and the court directions on emissions and ban on plastic bags, he claimed. Prof. Malhotra promised that the BJP government would take definite steps to make the life of the inhabitants easier by ensuring an uninterrupted power and water supply at fair and reasonable rates. The promises made by the discoms at the time of privatisation of the Delhi Vidyut Board would be the basis of the solution of the power problem. BJP is deeply concerned with the security of the 15 million people residing in Delhi. The faith of the citizens has been shaken by the cowardly incidents of terrorism. It would be our foremost duty and we would take strong measures to check this menace and ensure safety of all people, he said. The Yamuna river, our lifeline, has been crying to be cleansed. But the Congress government has closed its eyes and ears to its woes. Instead of any relief, pollution has been multiplying. It will be the BJP’s bounden duty to take care of the Yamuna to restore its purity, he promised. The Commonwealth Games are drawing near, but the progress of preparations is tardy enough to give creeps about the timely completion of all projects. Non-completion or partial completion before the games are under way will cause huge embarrassment to the country, especially to the Delhi state. The BJP will work in full gear to boost the city’s infrastructure and to give it such a face-lift that would give pride to all our citizens. He expressed great concern about traffic snarls and jams leading to the misery of the people. He has noticed that the new bus rapid transit system, at least in the present form introduced by the Congress government leaves much to be desired. He expressed firm belief that the BJP government would develop a composite traffic management policy to alleviate the hardships being faced by the
public. |
|
‘Masters Recreated’, an expo of paintings by Mumbai artist
Ravi Bhatia Tribune News Service
Expressing her emotions, opinions and ideas with her paint brush, Daxa Khandwala is a self-taught artist and has been painting since her teens. Back then her forte was pencil sketches, landscapes and portraits. “When I visited Paris, Louvre particularly, a whole new world of art opened for me,” recalls Daxa. Unknowingly, she brought back images of the Old Masters’ works. “It was all I could think of.... So I started painting those images.” Daxa has a vast collection of the Old Masters’ replicas in her home. Over the years, her work developed with her age—she started painting Indian women in their rustic surroundings. It developed into abstract forms of the urban female. Today, Daxa is known for her figurative abstracts that have a strong sense of feminism. Daxa has recently completed a collection which is inspired by the works of Masters, moulded into abstract forms in urban scenarios. Paintings by
disabled artists
The Arpana Art Gallery here in collaboration with the NGO Family of the Disabled (FOD) held a unique exhibition of 100 paintings by 35 physically challenged artists of the country. Entitled, “Beyond Limits -2008”, the exhibition focused on the strength and the dedication of the artists who created art despite their disability. FOD is the initiative of Rajinder Johar, a quadriplegic who has been helping the disabled in the country from his bed for the last few years. Bharti Singh, a well-known artist is holding a show of her recent collection of oil paintings, “Animals, Birds and the Divine” at the Visual Art Gallery, India Habitat Centre here from October 8 to October 11. Born in UP, Bharti is an art postgraduate. Her first solo exhibition was in1983 at IFACS, New Delhi. Since then she has held several solo and group shows in India and abroad and participated in a number of workshops, camps and fund-raisers. She was married at a very young age into the family of wildlife enthusiasts. Thus her true artistic education began at the most basic level by physical contact and emotional involvement with the natural world. From the realistic portrayal of wildlife, she moved to a more radical view of the issue of eco-conservation. “Animals, Birds and the Divine” has a mythological bend to it, connecting birds, and animals with the divine. Musical album by
Pak rock star
Music Today last week launched Tabeer, the first solo musical album by Pakistani rock star, Shafqat Amanat Ali, better known in his country as Rockstar Ustad. Shafqat Ali, who has written, composed and sung most of the songs in the album, is the son of legendary Pakistani singer, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan making him a part of the seven generation Patiala Gharana. Shafqat was also the lead vocalist with the famous Pakistani band, Fuzon. Classical dance
Natya Vriksha, the well-known dance academy of the Capital is presenting classical dance performances by disciples of Guru Geeta Chandran at the Neeti Bagh Durga Puja, Neeti Bagh Club here on October 6. Commemoration
concert
On October 1, the Hungarian Information and Cultural Centre here presented a Gandhi commemoration concert by the Capital’s well-known Capital City Minstrels as a tribute to the Father of the Nation on his 139th birth anniversary. Famous for its vast and varied repertoire, the Capital City Minstrels have travelled extensively to perform at many occasions, especially around Christmas. Films on
spirituality
Foundation For Universal Responsibility of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama and the India International Centre here are jointly presenting a series of monthly screenings of films on spirituality. The series will begin on October 7 with the screening of “The Mind’s Big Bang and What About God?” based on a series on evolution. Odissi
recital
Vidya, a non-government organization dedicated to the integrated development of youth and adults, organised an Odissi recital “Boundaries, Dreams, Beyond” by Raka Maitra at the Siri Fort Auditorium here last week to raise awareness on education and empowerment amongst the under privileged women and children. The Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea are jointly presenting a performance by the “Chongdong Theatre” at the Siri Fort Auditorium here on October 6. The Neemrana Music Foundation in collaboration with the Indian Council of Cultural Relations and the Indo Italian Chamber of Commerce is presenting an opera “Violetta, A Traviata” at the Shri Ram Centre here on October 9 and October 10. |
|
Cops want parents, teachers to warn kids against strange objects
New Delhi, October 5 This message has been given to the public in the wake of the Mehrauli blast in which a 13-year-old boy, Santosh Kumar, was killed after he picked up the lethal packet, dumped by two motorcyclists in the busy market on September 27. He was trying to return the packet when the bomb exploded. The city police has appealed to teachers and parents to take the initiative in making children aware of the dangers in picking up objects like toys and attractive packets lying unclaimed on roads. “Children are very inquisitive and they tend to fetch objects which could lead to a tragedy. We need the cooperation of parents and teachers,” a senior police official said. The police has also reiterated its warning to the general public not to pick up any suspicious and unclaimed objects like hand bags, packets, and bicycles, which have been used by terrorists to hide bombs. The police has already issued instructions to owners of cyber cafes to ensure that users mention their name, address and telephone number in a register, besides providing identity proof. Meanwhile, Ishtiaq Ansari, who was grievously injured in the Mehrauli blast, succumbed to his wounds today after battling for life for the past eight days, bringing to three the number of those killed in the September 27 blast. “Ishtiaq passed away today morning at 8 am. He was on life support system since the day he was admitted with the hospital,” said Dr MC Mishra, director, AIIMS Trauma Centre. Apart from Ansari (24), the other two who lost their lives in the explosion were Santosh (13) and Dipu (23). Ansari was a first year MBA student of the Integrated Management College in Saket and was admitted with serious injuries of the brain and the abdomen. “When he was brought to the trauma centre he was almost dead. We had to work very hard to resuscitate him. We operated upon him immediately. His kidney was in compromised state and his brain was severely damaged. If he survived this long, it was all due to the better nutritional condition before he got injured in the blast,” said Dr Mishra. Ansari along with his friends Shyam Bahadur (25) and Satyajeet Chaudhari (24) was crossing the flower market in Mehrauli when the bomb went off. Of the three students, Ansari sustained serious head injuries while his other two friends escaped with minor injuries. |
|
|
CBI to re-investigate Aarushi murder case
New Delhi, October 5 The development comes after the agency drew flak for failing to file a charge sheet within the stipulated 90 days, leading to the release of three accused Raj Kumar, Vijay Mandal and Krishna. Sources in the investigating agency said the three member team would carry out re-investigation from the beginning and has been mandated to question people accused in the murder of Aarushi and Hemraj and verify all evidence. The agency, which took over the probe on May 31 this year into the mysterious double murder which took place on the night of May 15, has been maintaining that investigations were not complete. It however, gave a clean chit to Dr Rajesh Talwar, father of deceased girl after taking probe from Noida police. The sources said the three-member team would piece all the evidences together and ascertain gaps which remain while probing the blind murder case. The failure of the CBI to file the charge sheet led to the release of Raj Kumar, domestic help of a Talwar’s friend, Krishna, compounder of Talwar and domestic help of Dr Rajesh Talwar’s neighbour Vijay Mandal. The weapon of offence and the mobile phones of the deceased are to be recovered and further linkages probed. The CBI has been maintaining that the weapon used in the double murder case was a heavy and sharp-edged one which could be a khukri (traditional Nepalese dagger). The three-member team would also be cooperating with the Nepalese authorities, if necessary, to find the missing links and telephone numbers from where calls were made on the phones of Hemraj, Krishna and Raj Kumar. Raj Kumar, according to his counsel Dinesh Yadav, has already left for Nepal with a promise that he would make himself available for investigations as and when required.
|
|
History-sheeter killed in Dadri gang war
Greater Noida, October 5 According to police, it was a clash between Sachin and Senserpal gangs. Both the gangs indulged in a reckless exchange of gunshots in which history-sheeter Ashok was killed. Two assailants and a wayfarer were also wounded in the battle. Dadri police has taken half a dozen persons into custody in connection with this gun battle. According to police, Ashok was wanted in more than half a dozen cases including three murder cases registered in different police station. Ashok, resident of Dujana village, was on his way to Faridabad from his village in his Alto car on Friday morning. He had been living in Faridabad for quite some time. He had visited his village to attend some function. When his car reached near Sadhopur village, six assailants on three bikes started firing indiscriminately on him. There was a heavy exchange of fire between both the gangs. According to eyewitnesses, the bandits were equipped with modern weapons. Hearing the gunfire, people fled from the surrounding area. Fire exchange for over half an hour was not heard by the cops in a police post about 100 meters away. Three criminals including Ashok were seriously wounded in the assault. Police identified them as Verinder, resident of Garhi and Gautam, resident of Chithora. A wayfarer, Sahib of Chithora, was also wounded with a gunshot. A police Gypsy reached the spot soon after cops received the information about the clash. The wounded were rushed to Ghaziabad’s district hospital where Ashok was declared brought dead by doctors. The Noida SSP said the two gangs had apparently clashed due to old enmity.
|
|
Noida may attract Nano project
Noida, October 5 Significantly, according to Noida Authority, chairman, Lalit Srivastava, Noida could make available as much land as Tata Group may need for its small car project. With Tata Group’s final decision to bid adieu to West Bengal on Friday, now it is anybody’s guess as to where Rattan Tata would relocate his small car. Though talks for some construction work commencing in Rudrapur for Nano plant are in progress, Rattan Tata is reportedly weighing all the pros and cons of different possible venues. According to a well-placed source, company has received a number of proposals, but Uttarkhand and Noida remain the company’s favourite locations. The Noida chairman said all possibilities are being debated but no formal talks have been held with the company yet. Unfortunately the issue has become more politicalised than being an industrial issue. There is no dearth of land here. On Yamuna Expressway and in Greater Noida, the company can get as much land as it needs. The Yamuna highway will be operational in one year. There is no shortage of facilities of infrastructure in this area. Among the states vying to attract Tata’s Nano project are Uttarkhand, Haryana, Punjab, Orissa and many more who have already extended invitations to Tata Group. Even Sri Lanka government has also offered to have the Tata project in their country.
|
|
Road mishaps worrisome: Experts
New Delhi, October 5 India already accounts for about 10 per cent of the total 1.2 million fatal accidents in the world. Estimates of the Planning Commission and World Bank have put the social cost of accidents between 2 and 3 per cent of GDP every year. In the year 2000, the Planning Commission had assessed social cost of Rs 55,000 crore on account of road accidents in India, said K.K.Kapila, vice-chairman, IRF, at the concluding session yesterday. “Not only the aspect of social cost, in a majority of the cases of road accidents, the breadwinner of a family dies leaving his family in harness. Road deaths and accidents are preventable. We need to change our culture on the road, imbibe road discipline and respect right of other road users. If every one of us and our children take care of these small aspects, the road would be much safer for all of us,” he added. “IRF has set a target of reducing the fatal road accidents in India by 50 per cent by the year 2010. IRF will involve vehicle manufacturers, set up road safety clubs to involve schoolchildren in the country for promoting road safety in the years to come. With this, impressionable minds like schoolchildren on road discipline will have a long-lasting impact in inculcating and spreading road safety habits,” he added. |
|
|
18 trafficked children rescued
New Delhi, October 5 The raids, which happened earlier this week, rescued the boys from embroidery units in Saraswati Vihar and Aman Vihar in North West Delhi, Umesh Kumar Gupta of the NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), which provided the information to the police, said on Friday. The dingy and suffocating units had been the children’s home for the past one and a half years. “The rescued children hail from Sitamarhi district of Bihar and were brought to Delhi by middlemen who paid Rs 500-1,000 to their parents and promised them a bright future for their kids,” Gupta said. Bundled together in tiny rooms, the boys, aged between eight and 14, were made to work for long hours with little pay and punished at the drop of a hat. Gupta said the children have been kept in the BBA’s shelter home and are waiting to be taken back home. “These kids will be given their release certificates later on Friday and rehabilitated under the Bonded Labour System Abolition Act. They will be given a rehabilitation amount of Rs 3,60,000,” he said.
— IANS |
|
Trade tax officials assaulted
Ghaziabad, October 5 Some businessmen while speaking to the members of this team in a hotel, assaulted the government officials. Four officers and a few traders were injured in the incident. The trade tax team had come from Agra to discuss with Ghaziabad traders the possibilities of increasing trade tax revenue in view of the closure of the trade tax check post. During the meeting in the hotel, an argument degenerated into a brawl. On getting the information about the clash, the SP City reached the hotel and rushed six injured persons to nearby hospital. Police are investigating the matter and so far no party has lodged an FIR, the SP City said. |
|
|
Early diagnosis of bladder cancer possible
New Delhi, October 5 It announced a new diagnostic agent called Hexvix (hexaminolevulinate) at the 9th Asian Congress of Urology being held in New Delhi. Bladder cancer comprises 4.7 per cent of all cancers in the human body in India and is the second most common genito-urinary cancer as per the Delhi Cancer Registry 2002. This could be only the tip of the iceberg as cancer incidence in India is largely unknown as the registries are covered in urban centres only. Medical research has tried to address the difficulties in diagnosing bladder cancer and this research eventually led to the development of Hexvix fluorescence cystoscopy. This technique involves instilling a photosensitizing agent - Hexvix into the bladder via a catheter leading to identification of malignant cells that get illuminated with blue light and emit red fluorescence. Narmada Prasad Gupta, chairman, department of urology at AIIMS, says, “Smoking has been found to be a common factor in 55 per cent of the bladder cancer cases.”
— IANS
|
|
|
TV reporter assaulted
New Delhi, October 5 According to Saurabh, when he resisted the bid and tried to raise the alarm, they assaulted him with knives. The attackers fled when another autorickshaw reached the spot as Mishra had continued to shout for help. The journalist suffered injuries in the face, hands and legs and was rushed to hospital. The Defence Colony police station has registered a complaint and investigations were under way. |
|
|
Designers use polythene as embellishments
New Delhi, October 5 “We talk a lot about global warming, but how many of us are actually doing something about it? This collection is a small effort to make people pay heed to the growing threat,” Parvesh said at a preview of the spring/summer collection here on Saturday. The duo is showcasing two lines at WIFW – ‘Ethical’ and ‘Resort wear’. The theme for the first is ‘Lets take things in our hands’ while the other is meant for women who are carefree and not at all bothered about the world.
— IANS
|
|
|
Minor girl raped
New Delhi, October 5 The 11-year-old girl, who resides in Nizamuddin, was walking towards her home when the men forcibly took her to a secluded place near Dayal Singh College and raped her. The men fled the scene after the incident which came to light after she told her parents about it. According to the police, the culprits have been identified by the girl and are on run. |
|
‘Aap Ki Rasoi’ opened
New Delhi, October 5 Like in the previous occasions, the Chief Minister described the opening of the new outlets of “Aap Ki Rasoi” as a noble joint venture of the city-government and ISKCON, which has come forward to offer a helping hand in eliminating hunger from the city. |
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Classified Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Because of the fear generated by the recent blasts in the congested markets, e-shopping during the ensuing festival season is likely to go up by 180 per cent in cities like Delhi and other metros and would hit in the worst manner earnings of footpath sellers, specially those that sell garments, household articles etc.
New Delhi, October 5