|
|
|
|
Divali Disaster (Left) The slum in Jehangirpuri that caught fire on Tuesday night. Ram Chander Sangwan, SHO of Adarsh Nagar police station, was injured while dousing the flames. Tribune photos: Mukesh Aggarwal
Quieter Divali this year
|
|
|
JNU students to strike on November 3
THIRD ANNIVERSARY: Relatives of the 2005 Sarojini Nagar blast victims at a prayer meet in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Parents of Delhi police inspector Mohan Chand Sharma, who was killed during the recent Batla House encounter, attend the meet.
Tribune photo: Manas Ranjan Bhui
Workshop on mineral management
Man held for faking own murder
Haj terminal at airport gets new look
92 monuments in Delhi
Yoga fair to open tomorrow
Corporates to cut jobs by 25%: Assocham
One killed, six injured
as trucks collide in Noida
2 held for assaulting traffic cop
Activists of the Lok Janshakti Party demand arrest of MNS chief Raj Thackeray at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Tribune photo: Manas Ranjan Bhui
Lid off youth’s murder; three held
Diabetes health mela from Oct 31
Lead worth Rs 5.5 lakh looted
Leprosy victims call on CM
|
|
Divali Disaster
New Delhi, October 29 The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) officials said that no one was injured in the fire which was brought under control after one and a half hours. However, angry residents of the slum cluster alleged that the fire tenders reached there very late. A section of the mob also indulged in stone pelting and damaged two fire tenders. The police said that the mob was subsequently dispersed. Two persons received minor injuries in the stone pelting. According to the police, the fire started in one of the jhuggis at around 10.28 pm and soon spread to the adjoining shanties. In all 30 fire tenders were rushed to the spot as the fire was declared serious. The police said that a case had been registered and efforts were being made to ascertain the cause of the fire. The possibility of crackers having caused the fire could not be ruled out. The Fire Service also said that more than 100 fire incidents were reported from different parts of the Capital on Diwali night but barring the one at Jehangirpuri, others were not serious.
|
|
Quieter Divali this year
New Delhi, October 29 Reports from different parts of the city claimed that the bursting of crackers was almost less by 50 per cent. The estimates are based on the sales of crackers and monitoring of subsequent noise factor. The Delhi Pollution Control Board which monitors the Capital’s air claimed that pollution was much less this year because of the splurge in prices. Besides, many hospitals confirmed that the number of breathing-related cases had come down due to fall in the bursting of crackers. There were also fewer cases of burns reported this year. Residents of various colonies and Residents’ Welfare Associations
(RWAs) claimed that ‘Say No To Crackers’ campaign in schools before the Divali also played a part in keeping the festival quieter. A number of Delhiites said that the prohibitive price of crackers this year was another factor. “I always keep Rs 1,000 for crackers every year. This year I got half the quantity of crackers from the same sum,” said an East Delhi resident. Price rise and terrorist threat had also affected the pre-Divali sales in various markets of the Capital with shopkeepers reporting fewer sales. |
|
|
JNU students to strike on November 3
New Delhi, October 29 The committee has given a call for university strike on November 3 and on the same day they plan to send a mass deputation to the Chief Justice of India. Besides, there is plan to form a human chain at India Gate. The Joint Struggle Committee has also issued an appeal for solidarity from teachers, political leaders, intelligentsia and JNU alumni in different walks of life to join this campaign. Earlier, the entire student community issued a joint statement, with all organizations unanimously stating that, “the autonomous, democratic character of the JNUSU elections reflects the student community’s own deep commitment to democratic norms and standards. We feel that the stay order has failed to appreciate this remarkable democratic spirit of the JNU Students’ Union.” Both students and faculty at JNU have extended its solidarity with the ongoing protests against the stay order and October 27, a massive solidarity public meeting was addressed and attended by more than 25 teachers including the JNU Teachers Association president Kamal Mitra Chenoy, M.H. Quereshi, Varyam Singh, Anand Kumar, Jayati Ghosh and Neeladri Bhattacharya. Over 800 students attended this late night meeting. The JNUSU has stated that, “Lyngdoh’s primary stated objectives do not appear to be fulfilled by a straight-jacketed set of guidelines or solutions. Across the country, there exists a remarkable diversity in the character of different universities, particularly with regard to their academic and political culture. Different central universities were created by Acts of Parliament at different junctures. Just like in any other aspect of the university system, the political and democratic culture of a university demands certain autonomy. For instance, JNU has maintained remarkable academic standards without any attendance clause that is mandated by the Lyngdoh committee.” Further students at JNU feel that, “since JNU is primarily a research institute, the issue of the age barrier being fixed at 28 years must be looked at more flexibly. JNU encourages students from deprived sections who often undertake studies at a late age. Also, our system avowedly promotes adult education. In such a context, any mechanical application of age criterion can only serve to curtail genuine student participation in the election process.” JNUSU members are of the opinion that, “where the Lyngdoh committee imposes the criterion that for the central panel an individual can only stand once, JNU’s self-imposed mechanism has been that non-performing student representatives are not re-elected. JNU’s experience has proved time and again that student representatives evolve by contesting in different posts, and in the process both their maturity and their accountability is directly ensured in the court of the student opinion.”
|
|
Blast victims’ families hold multi-faith prayer meet
New Delhi, October 29 The function was held near the 2005 pre-Divali blast site at Sarojini Nagar Market in South Delhi. Wiping her tear-stained face time and again, 23-year-old Masrat cradled her year-old daughter Munaja, rocking to the chants of a Sikh prayer. She lost her husband Quasim to the September 13 blast at Gaffar Market, where he plied a cycle-riskshaw. Unable to hide her grief, Masrat cried, “I cannot forget him (Quasim). I am happy that this multi-faith prayer took place - I pray for peace and harmony.” Hassan, 32, Quasim’s brother brought Masrat and Munaja all the way from their home near Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir two days ago because the promised compensation of Rs 5,00,000 from the government has not reached the widow. He wanted to leave the national capital, where he has lived for 14 years, because he fears another terror strike. “Walking on the road, images of the dustbin blowing me to bits flash in my mind. No, I don’t feel secure - for this I hold the government responsible,” Hassan said. The prayer meet in which over 100 people participated was organised on the third anniversary of the 2005 serial blasts that killed 61 people, near the Sarojini Nagar blast site. As per information from the home ministry, in the past four months, one person was killed and 11 injured in the July 25 serial terror blasts in Bangalore; 56 people died and 260 were injured in the serial bombings in Ahmedabad on July 27; 26 people were killed and 133 injured in the blast in Delhi on September 13; and three died and 22 were wounded in the Mehrauli blast in Delhi on September 27. “Whenever these terror attacks take place - innocent lives are destroyed! Families are left with hollow wounds. This prayer meeting was also convened so that families and friends of the dead can share their sorrows and give each other strength and courage,” said Ashok Randhawa, president of the Sarojini Nagar mini-market traders association. Randhawa, who has been actively engaged in helping blast victims and families cope with their grief and process their compensation with authorities, said, “The multi-faith prayer is symbolic of how society can unite to tackle terror”. Leaders from different faiths, Bhai Charan Singh and Bhai Sajan Singh from Gurudwara Singh Sabha, Maulvi Sabeer Miyan Sultani from Darbhanga Ghat and Father Nirmal Daniel from the Lodhi Road Church, held 20-minute-long prayers each. This was followed by a pooja by family members of victims following Hindu traditions. Among other blast victims, Mohan Chand Sharma, the police inspector who lost his life in the September 19 shootout at Jamia Nagar, in South Delhi, was also remembered. The religious leaders in their prayer speeches jointly deemed the victims of the terror bombings as martyrs and prayed for strength and harmony amongst all “brothers”. All India Anti-Terrorist Front leader M.S. Bitta also attended the function. He interacted with the families and said that he was just a “civilian sharing grief of the families”. Like others present, Bitta too paid his respects by offering flowers at the marble plaque on which the names of those killed in the terrorist strike are engraved.
— IANS |
|
Workshop on mineral management
New Delhi, October 29 The 11-day event will be supported by the Society of Economic Geologists (USA), Department of Science and Technology (Government of India) and Hutti Gold Mines Company Limited. The workshop is a part of the ‘Deposit Modeling Program (DMP)’ as conceived by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) and the Earth Science Division of UNESCO in 1984. Designed to advance geo-scientific knowledge and expertise in mineral deposit modeling for use in exploration, assessment and development of resources, the primary goal of this program is the exchange of data and expertise between geo-scientists of the developed and less-developed countries. As such it will provide a priceless platform on exchanges on this subject. The IUGS-UNESCO sponsored the last DMP workshop at DU in December 2001 on “Sediment-hosted lead-zinc sulfide deposits in the northwestern Indian shield”. The program endeavored to train selected Indian geo-scientists in various aspects of modeling of this mineral deposit type, with an aim to be of help to them in exploration, resource assessment and overall mineral management. The workshop will comprise a two-day seminar with deliberations on gold metallogeny by resource persons both from India and abroad and a few invited speakers. The program will finish with a one-day wrap-up seminar, which will offer scope for interactive discussions by all participants on features noted in the field and other issues of gold metallogeny. The first two-day seminar will be held at the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Hyderabad. After the field visits are completed, a wrap-up seminar will be held on the last day at the varsity. The total number of participants for the workshop is 40. Out of these, there will be 10 resource persons, both from India and abroad. The rest of the participants will be chosen on the basis of their involvement and active interests in ore geology in general and gold metallogeny in particular. |
|
Man held for faking own murder
Noida, October 29 Abdul Salam, hailing from Khekra, was arrested by the Noida police on a tip-off from the man who was implicated for the murder. Salam had reportedly murdered a man and burnt his face near Dasna bus stand in December 2002. In a bid to deceive the police, Salam dressed the vicitm’s body in his attire. He also put his wallet and shoes on the body so as to fake his own murder. The murder complaint was made to Ghaziabad’s Masuri police by the victim’s wife, sister and elder brother on December 21, 2002. The identification of the body was carried out on December 26, with the police saying that it was of Abdul Salam as the clothes were his and the face was burnt. When the police team reached Kallugarhi in Dasna where Salam lived, his three sisters living in the village said that they suspected a man named Shamshad, who lived close by. Shamshad was arrested and sent to Dasna Jail. He was being tried for murder for the last five years. Later, it was found that Salam lived with a friend Zakir and that it was actually he who was murdered. “Abdul Salam has six cases against him at various police stations. He originally belongs to Salawat Kheri village in Khekra. From there, he moved to Loni in 1984-86 from where he moved to Kolkata. He returned and started living in Kallugarhi locality at Masuri,” said inspector Dharmendra Chauhan. “It was then that he burnt his friend Zakir, originally belonging to Aligarh, with whom he was staying and faked his own murder by dressing the burnt body of Zakir in his clothes,” he added. “The Delhi police had arrested Salam in 2005 for possessing an unauthorised weapon. They also informed the Ghaziabad police about it but it did little to apprehend him. A case against him is still registered at R.K. Puram (in Delhi),” said Chauhan. “We were falsely implicated in the case. We knew that the murder was committed by Salam but the court asked for evidence. The Masuri police station also did not listen to us and sent us away,” Shamshad said. “My family was ruined and earnings snatched. My elder daughter died of dengue, as we could not save her because of poverty. Our whole life’s earnings were drained in fighting this false case,” he said.
— IANS |
|
Haj terminal at airport gets new look
New Delhi, October 29 Arun Behl, general manager (operations) of the airport and chief coordinator of the Haj terminal, said the renovation of the terminal was complete. The first flight of the Saudi Arabian Airlines would take off from the airport at 3.30 pm on Thursday, said Behl. Indian pilgrims will fly on Air India and Saudi Arabian Airlines from 17 cities including Delhi. “The canopy outside the terminal has been extended keeping in mind the approaching winter season,” said Behl, adding over 1,500 square metres of space had been made available for visitors. The entrance to the check-in area has been widened and new X-ray machines have been installed to fasten the process of security clearance. There are now eight immigration counters. A Namaz hall is also available for passengers to offer prayers. According to Mohammed Moassam Ahmed, a member of the All India Haj Committee and chief coordinator of Haj operations in Delhi, about 18,000 devotees would fly for Jeddah from Delhi. Of the 1,68,000 pilgrims, 1,23,211 would fly through the Haj committee while the rest would bank on the services of private tour operators. While Air India will fly 63,511 pilgrims, Saudi Airlines will carry 59,700 devotees. Air India would ferry the pilgrims on 400 flights. On an average, 12 flights would carry about 3,600 pilgrims per day till November 16 from Delhi, Ahmedabad, Aurangabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Chennai, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Srinagar and Varanasi. — IANS
|
|
MoU to protect
New Delhi, October 29 Director, department of archeology, Keshav Chandra signed the MoU on behalf of the city government, whereas convener, INTACH, Delhi Chapter,
A.G.K. Menon signed on behalf of INTACH in presence of the chief secretary, Rakesh Mehta at Delhi Secretariat. The Department of Archaeology, Government of Delhi, has prepared a list of 250 monuments to be conserved/protected in a phased manner depending on resources and infrastructure under the provisions of the Delhi Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 2004. Out of these, 92 monuments have been selected in the first phase including those monuments which fall on the route of Commonwealth Games 2010. To achieve the various tasks, an attempt is being made for protection and conservation of monuments in Delhi by signing an MoU with INTACH. Since the Commonwealth Games 2010 are going to be organized in the national Capital, a large number of domestic as well as foreign visitors are expected in the city. Keeping in view the importance being accorded to the historical city of Delhi, monuments of national importance as well as of the local importance are spruced up. On enquiry from the ASI, it has been revealed that they have identified 50 monuments for conservation and to illuminate major 15 monuments keeping in view the Commonwealth Games 2010. For protection of monuments under the provision of the Delhi Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 2004, INTACH under Phase - I would undertake preparation of site plan of monuments showing all topographic features and structures up to 150 metres radius along with the prohibited and regulated area of the monument and photo documentation and structural description of the monument.
|
|
|
Yoga fair to open tomorrow
New Delhi, October 29 The fair is being organised by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) in association with Department of Ayush, ministry of health and family welfare, government of India at Hall Nos. 12 and 12A, Pragati Maidan. The exhibition will showcase the traditional systems of medicines and therapy which continue to be relevant in the contemporary world. Along with the Ayush medicines, usages of gem and music therapies make the event more significant so as to present the centuries-old therapeutic heritage of the country in a proper perspective. These medicines are coming into prominence as a part of integrated health system globally. However, necessary R and D is under way in different countries. These medicines and natural cure trigger the self-healing abilities and can even heal the chronic diseases. Besides, these are more economical and less harmful than conventional medicines. Over 80 leading firms, medicine manufacturers, R and D institutions, departments, councils, educational institutions, practitioners and experts are participating in the event. The display profile covers all known systems of alternative medicines and drugs and therapies. These include Ayurveda, homoeopathy, unani, yoga and naturopathy, medicinal plants, siddha, herbal medicines of food supplements, medical technology, health fitness systems, health and medical insurance and Panchkarma. Indo-Asean conclave on cooperation in traditional medicines will be among special highlights of the fair. Besides, special lectures, demonstrations and specialty clinics are also scheduled to be held. Panels of specialists drawn from leading institutions and hospitals will provide free consultation to the visitors.
|
|
Corporates to cut jobs by 25%: Assocham
New Delhi, October 29 “Nearly 25 per cent of the workforce will be laid off in seven key industrial segments, comprising steel, cement, IT enabled services and BPOs, financial and brokerage services, construction, real estate and aviation,” an analysis by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham) said. “All these sectors have drawn up conclusive plans to curtail their workforce by 25-30 per cent, announcements for which is likely to be made in next 10 days or so,” Assocham president Sajjan Jindal said in the report titled, ‘Jobs Scenario Post-Divali’. Jindal said most corporates had begun planning lay-offs in a phased manner much before Divali but deferred it to after Divali “on human ground reasons”. “Although curtailing workforce for any management is an extremely painful decision, employers have no other alternatives to cope with prevailing negativity for sustaining their operations,” he said. “Some of the other measure to reduce costs were denial of bonus and ex-gratia, other incentives to reward performance and even gift distribution. Even this wasn’t found to be sufficient and that is why its next step is to cautiously reduce their employees,” the Assocham president said. According to him, the third alternative is to curtail perks and perquisites of middle and senior management levels, with even many chief executive officers (CEOs) agreeing to accept “substantial slashing” in their packages. The assessment suggested that negative sentiments in the seven sectors could be turned into opportunity if the Reserve Bank of India discontinues with its tight monetary policy and decreases key interest rates. According to the Assocham, inflation is no longer an issue. What is more important is creation of jobs, which will come with increased acceleration in manufacturing, it said. — IANS
|
|
|
One killed, six injured
as trucks collide in Noida
Noida, October 29 The injured were rushed to Bhardwaj Hospital by the police. The deceased has been identified as Vijaypal of
Eta, while five of those injured include Barkat Ali, Tauqueer, Munna Khan, Promode Kumar and Kullu Ram. According to the police, the accident took place at around 3.30 am on Monday. One of the trucks was going to Badarpur from Kalindi Kunj side while the other, carrying paint boxes, was going from Sector-18 to Okhla barrage. As the truck carrying paints took a turn for Okhla barrage, it collided with the truck coming from the opposite direction. Since both the vehicles were being driven at a fast speed, the accident was so strong that both the trucks turned turtle. The trucks remained on the road for nearly seven hours after the accident resulting in the jam of the road to Okhla barrage. |
|
|
2 held for assaulting traffic cop
New Delhi, October 29 The incident took place on September 17 near Azadpur bus Terminal around 10 pm. He was attacked by four persons who hit him with knife inflicting injury on the right side of his chest and thigh. Dalip was robbed of his purse containing Rs 1,020, identity card and driving license. Injured Dalip was admitted to the Trauma Centre near Chandgi Ram Akhara and a case of assault and robbery was lodged at Adarsh Nagar police station. Since then, the police has been trying to trace the culprits and in this process a number of local bad characters (B.Cs), ruffians and other listed criminals were interrogated and local intelligence was also developed. Both Rajeev and Shahzad are residents of village Azadpur. Rajeev was also found in possession of a spring-actuated knife. |
|
Ban VHP, Bajrang Dal:
Ram Vilas Paswan
Greater Noida, October 29 Paswan also made a frontal attack on UP chief minister Mayawati’s actions in cancelling the coach factory land in Rai Bareilly. He said this action had shown her destructive instincts. The union chemical and fertilizers minister said BJP should refrain from the politics of hatred. SIMI or Bajrang Dal, all those who spread communal hatred should be condemned in the strongest terms. LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan mounted a severe attack on UP government. He said Chief Minister Mayawati has become so vindictive that she would not hesitate to stifle industries and shoot down growth and development projects in the state. LJP’s national general secretary and deputy speaker in Delhi Assembly Shoab Iqbal also criticized UP CM decisions. |
|
Lid off youth’s murder; three held
Faridabad, October 29 The deceased, Keshav Pal, was found missing since October 21 after he had collected a sum of Rs 15,000 from a person in Munjesar near here, in connection with sale of his buffalo. Keshav Pal did not return to his village, which led to inquiries from his relatives. The relatives later learnt that three persons, close to him, had accompanied him to Munjesar. The police zeroed in on the three persons. According to the police, the three arrested have confessed of their guilt of murdering Keshav Pal. The news of the body yesterday on the occasion of Divali festival had raised passion in Munjesar and Chandhut. The police says that it has not yet completed its investigation. Teams have been constituted to go into the depth of the case. |
|
Diabetes health mela from Oct 31
New Delhi, October 29 The WHO theme for world diabetes day is ‘diabetes is young’. The DDRC is launching a ‘dawn youth programme’ with 100 young diabetics between age of 15 and 20 years. With about 46 million diabetics in the country, most of which are young, India is called the diabetes capital of the world. There will also be a workshop on use of insulin pump in the mela. A hormone secreted from pancreas gland, insulin controls sugar in blood by breaking it into chemicals. When the pancreas stops secreting insulin, sugar level increases in blood. This condition is called diabetes. Therefore it is often described as a lifestyle disease.
— PTI
|
||
|
Lead worth Rs 5.5 lakh looted
Greater Noida, October 29 The Dadri police was trying to sweep the case under the carpet. It had registered a dacoity under normal sections of theft, alleged Ashish, the company’s contractor. He further alleged that the robbers entered the factory while the workers were on duty on Monday. They overpowered the workers at gun and dagger points and tied their hands and feet. When Ashish tried to resist the robbers beat him up. He said that the robbers locked them in a room and sped away with the lead loaded in a Tata-407. The workers informed the factory proprietor when they came for duty on Tuesday. He found some workers locked in room. The police was promptly informed about the robbery, but it is dilly-dallying the matter, the workers said.
|
||
|
Leprosy victims call on CM
New Delhi, October 29 The mass delegation expressed gratitude and appreciation for the efforts made by Dikshit for their socio-economic upliftment. The government has been providing free lunch under its ‘Aap Ki Rasoi’ programme to these people. Besides, the government has executed various welfare schemes amounting to more than Rs 10 crore including the construction of dwelling units for LAPs and ration money of Rs 1,000 per month.
|
||
|
| 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 | |
njured in the fire which
was brought under control after one and a half hours.
Blast victims’ families hold multi-faith prayer meet
