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Convicts falling sick in overcrowded Dasna jail
Delhi on High Alert
Foreign tourists give city the go-by; industry hit hard
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Rani Bhatia with her children at Faridabad. Tribune photo: Sayeed Ahmed
No individual tubewells to be allowed in city
Public schools pitching for fee hike
24 artists show ‘Rhythm of Colours’
JNU security staff changed
Rajender Nagar Assembly
Bangladeshis registering as voters under Hindu names
456 make it to NDA
Minister speaks for rights of the disabled
Father, sons get life for killing neighbour
2 Karnataka Express coaches catch fire
IR centre opens at Moolchand
MPs remember
2 held under Copyright Act
Major fire in cloth factory
Icfai sets up MBA institute
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Convicts falling sick in overcrowded Dasna jail
Ghaziabad, December 3 To meet the acute shortage of bedding, prisoners have been allowed to bring their own bedrolls. According to the jail superintendent, V.K. Singh, Dasna jail is housing prisoners many times more than its capacity. The beddings are so unhygienic that most of the criminals are suffering from skin ailments of one type of the other. In past one year, the jail administration has organised 22 medical camps for the prisoners. Dasna jail, constructed on 34 acres in 1996, has a capacity for 720 prisoners. Besides Ghaziabad, prisoners from Gautam Budh Nagar are also lodged there. Four new barracks have since been added to accommodate the increased number of inmates. The capacity of jail had gone up to 1060 inmates which was later increased to 1660 prisoners. A barrack meant for 60 inmates is now accommodating more than 200 prisoners. Inmates are suffering from a number of ailments as they cannot get sufficient sleep because the place is badly crammed. In addition to other ailments skin allergies have assumed an alarming proportion due to lack of space, which has created unhygienic conditions. V.K. Singh admits that prisoners are facing lot many problems because of excessive number of inmates, lack of proper beddings and some prisoners are having skin allergies, etc. According to VK Singh proposal for a new jail has been sent to the authorities to ease the overcrowding in Dasna jail. One hundred acres of land has been demanded for setting up a new jail taking in view the projected need for increased number of convicts over next 20 years. For a separate jail for Gautam Budh Nagar district, 34- acre piece of land has been identified in Murastpur village, Singh added.
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Hoax bomb call in two schools has cops on toes
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 3 According to the police, it received an anonymous call warning that some terrorists had holed up at Gyan Bharti School in Rajouri Garden and Rose Model School in Dwarka. This put the entire police brass of the district into action with the bomb disposal squad along with sniffer dogs rushing to the schools. “The bomb disposal squad and senior police officers rushed to the schools. The schools were vacated but we did not find any terrorist or explosives there,” a police official said. It took more than two hours for the police to clear the school premises. The anxious parents rushed to the schools fearing the security of their children. The school authorities considered it prudent to close the schools for the rest of the day, giving security agencies the space and time to check the premises of the schools. The hoax call made to the PCR is being investigated and efforts are being made to trace the caller. “You cannot take such calls casually. I feel that it could be a prank played by some school student. But we need to check first,” said a police official on the condition of anonymity adding that the police was happy that it turned out to be hoax call. According to senior police officers at the Delhi police headquarters, the news about terror strike in the schools came as a shock in the city, which is under high alert after the Mumbai attacks.
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Foreign tourists give city the go-by; industry hit hard
New Delhi, December 3 The majority of the budget travellers to the city usually book themselves at the Paharganj hotels and lodges for cheaper accommodation and the place could be seen brimming with foreigners shopping and staying here. However, all that is over now. The percentage of foreigners staying at present and bookings for the future have gone down. “The influx of foreigners coming to Paharganj has gone down to less than 20 per cent compared to hundred per cent bookings during these months. Things were fine till a week back and foreigners were flowing in. However, after the Mumbai terrorist attack, the inflow has dried down and the advance bookings are being cancelled,” said R K Sharma, manager of Supreme Hotel in Paharganj. The similar situation is being faced by the other hoteliers in the region. “If they are not coming to Paharganj, we believe they are not coming to India or at least to Delhi. Surely, the Mumbai attack is making the tourists think twice before stepping on Indian soil,” says Prahalad Singh of Three Star Hotel here. It is not just the hoteliers who are facing the crunch. The absence of dollar-rich tourists is having a cascading effect on the hotel bell boys to vendors, tourist’s guides to travel agents. While the waiters and bell boys in the hotel are missing out on the hefty tips, guides at the historical sites in the city are seen looking for the foreign tourists. Riaz, a tourist guide at the Red Fort, says he struggles to find even one or two now. “The past one week has been quite hard. Since Indian tourist hardly takes guides for a visit in the Fort, we usually bank upon foreigners. However, there are hardly any tourists coming to the Fort nowadays. I wonder how long it will take for things to normalize,” says Riaz. The travel agents in Paharganj area voice the similar sentiments. With no business, some of them are even making their own travel plans. “There is no business now. It seems nobody is travelling. Things might pick up in a fortnight near Christmas and New Year. Meanwhile, some of over travel agent friends are planning a visit to Vaishno Devi,” says Ramesh, a travel agent.
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Alcoholic man makes life hard for wife, kids
Faridabad, December 3 Her ordeal started just after four months of her marriage with a local boy in 1999. Rani alleged that the in-laws have joint transport business here. During the time of her marriage, her husband used to work on a salary of Rs 4,000 per month in the family business. But the in-laws never gave him the salary. The husband would never stand up to his family members, as he was reportedly alcoholic. Rather, he would not come to house. She further alleged that her brothers-in-law used to pester her in all possible ways in his long absence. Her complaints to the family members fell on deaf ears. She left the matrimonial house and started living with her parents, who are also locals. After persuading her husband to mend his ways, her father, Surender Lal arranged for independent accommodation for the two. He facilitated the husband to start his own transport business. He started doing well in the business, but soon the brothers-in-law started pestering her husband to re-join their business like before. Rani and his father alleged that the in-laws became vindictive when her husband refused to join his family business. Once when she was returning home from her sister’s place on a scooter on June 25 last year, one of her brothers-in-law allegedly driving a car rammed into her vehicle near Dabua Subzi Mandi in the city causing her injury. The worst part of the story, as narrated by her to the court, was that the police station concerned did not entertain her complaint. She was taken to the police station along with some wayfarers who were witness to the accident. The brother-in-law fled from the scene. The police finally registered the case only after the court’s intervention. One of the sections imposed is Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC. Rani’s relatives allege that ever since she got the criminal case registered against her brother-in-law, she was being framed in false cases. The tactic was used to bring pressure on her to withdraw the case against her brother-in-law. The local police has also been suggesting her to go in for a compromise. According to her, the sad part of the story was that the police was playing a partisan role in favour of in-laws as the accused brother-in-law was an influential person. She alleged that the police personnel often harass her by frequently calling her to police stations in the name of investigations. The relatives name the DSP concerned, Darshan Lal Malik, to be siding with her in-laws. However, when contacted for his comments today, Malik expressed complete ignorance. Rani says that she has lost all hope and is finding it hard to carry on with life.
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No individual tubewells to be allowed in city
New Delhi, December 3 The Lt-Governor discussed the issue of opening up of grant of no-objection-certificate (NCO) to install individual borewells and tubewells in Delhi on Wednesday, which was attended by the member secretary of the Central Ground Water Board (CHWB) and DJB officials. Khanna reportedly expressed concern at the continued depletion of groundwater level in Delhi. The decisions taken in the meeting included no permission to be granted
on individual request for installing tubewells. “Henceforth, no water extraction would be permitted in Delhi except with the permission of the DJB,” said the L-G House in a statement. Also, the CGWB will withdraw delegation of authority for sanctioning individual tube-wells recently given to divisional commissioners and sub-divisional magistrate for Delhi region. The CGWA will also draw up a data base in respect of “NOC” granted so far for bore-wells in South and South-West district of Delhi, where the ground water level has alarmingly gone down. “The DJB in turn will cross-check and verify authenticity and specification of the bore-wells permitted so far by CGWA through random checking,” said the L-G House in its statement. |
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Public schools pitching for fee hike
New Delhi, December 3 Though the exact amount to be raised has not been disclosed by the school authorities, the parents speculate that it could be anywhere around 50 per cent or even more than that. They have reported the matter to the education minister and requested him to develop some mechanism to determine the fee hike. According to the parents, they have been formally informed by the schools on the proposed fee hike likely to be done in the near future. “The proposed hike is apprehended to be in the vicinity of 50 per cent. It may cause a chill down to the spine of all the parents, wrecking their budget already upset by skyrocketing prices of items of daily use,” said Manoj Jain, one of the worried parents from Rohini, “Salary is not the only component of a child’s fee. It is merely 10 to 20 per cent of it and the rest of the fee is taken in the form of funds, including building fund, sports fund, etc. So, why the parent should bear the burden of hike in the remuneration of schoolteachers,” said another parent RK Sharma. The parents say that the schools should manage the implementation of Sixth Pay Commission by using their surplus funds and if the increase in fees is inescapable, it should not be more than 10 to 20 per cent. “In any case the retrospective effect of the increase should solely be borne by the school itself out of their own funds. Otherwise what would be the condition of parents who are working with private companies and have nothing to do with the pay commission recommendation,” said Surender Kumar Yadav from Rohini.
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24 artists show ‘Rhythm of Colours’
New Delhi, November 3 Artist Sanjay Bhattacharya and singer Shankar Sahni had recently inaugurated the exhibition, ‘Rhythm of Colours’, at Hotel Intercontinental Eros in Nehru Place, where 24 artists have showcased their creations. One can enjoy and feel the works of artists like — Amitesh Verma, Ashok
Jaipuria, Bratin Khan, Dibyendu Ukil, Dharmendra Rathore, Jaiswal, Laxman
Aeley, Madan Lal, Paresh Maitey, Raamji Sharma, Ramesh Godjala, Sanatan
Dinda, Sanjay Bhattacharya, Seema Kohli, Shivani Kohli, Shuvendu Sarkar, Somnath. C Banerjee, Suhas Roy, Suman Gupta, Suman Roy, Thota
Vaikunthan, Tapan Dash, Taral Balu and Vinod Sharma under one roof. The exhibition depicts the importance of colours in an artist’s life. Speaking to the media about the show, Sanjay Bhattacharya said that an artist gives life to colour. He gives identification to colour, life to colour. Combination of colours that emerge from different techniques and styles of artists; from the relatively monochromatic pallet of Vinod Sharma to the ‘eye’ by Raamji Sharma to the multi-hued canvases of Seema Kohli. The significance of traditional colours is also noticed. Throughout epochs and civilisations, paintings have unfolded a delight for the beholder’s eye and a testimony to the precision and poetic potential of artists. Intimacies of scale, meticulous attention to detail and design, with resplendent colour combination to render a jewel-like journey of a painter’s vision, said painter Suman Roy. “The specialty of this exhibition is that one can enjoy different tastes, as each artist’s work is on different themes and no doubt all are marvellous,” said Anita Mathur, a visitor. “One can enjoy different colours and combination of colours that emerge from different techniques and styles. Moreover, one can enjoy various artists under one roof. This is just great!” gushed Aditya Agarwal, a visitor. Apart from people from the art world and embassies, the Munjal family of Hero Honda Group was also present. |
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JNU security staff changed
New Delhi, December 3 Though the administration calls it a government formality, the JNU community is looking at the move in the backdrop of terror threats and claimed it to be unnecessary. “I do not think there is any other logic, but the fact is that it is a government move,” said Ravinder Singh, chief security officer, JNU. The students said they felt more secure with the previous guards. “The old guards knew the students by face and improved the campus security considerably. I do not understand the point of changing the security,” said Amit Ranjan, a PhD student. Another student said the university chose a wrong time for changing the Group4 security guards. “JNU quite obviously chose a wrong time. With the recent terror threats, security is beefed up in the Capital and here they are changing decade-old guards,” said Aditya from Spanish centre. The new security staff also seemed to be less confident guarding a campus spread over 1000 acre. “We have been standing here for the last 36 hours without even being given time to eat or relax,” said a guard on the condition of anonymity. “We went towards the East Gate last night and the whole stretch was unguarded,” said
Prayanka, MPhil student. Some recent events on campus have also alarmed the students. “Recently, some bloodstains were found splattered across the staircase of Brahamputra Hostel for two consecutive days,” said Amit Ranjan. The administration said the blood was sent for forensic tests. “The new security is at place and we are monitoring their arrangements. Additional necessary steps would be taken if required,” said Ravinder Singh, chief security officer. Meanwhile, students organised farewell for the outgoing guards, who established personal relations with the campus community.
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Khurana takes charge of BJP poll work
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 3 After getting the responsibility of the election work connected with BJP candidate Asha Yogi from Rajender Nagar Assembly constituency, Khurana convened a meeting of the workers of all four mandals under this constituency. All four councillors — Suraj Kumar, Malti Devi, Mool Chand Chawla and Vidya Devi — participated in the meeting. The BJP had won all four municipal wards from this constituency in last year’s MCD elections. Khurana reportedly prepared an election strategy along with the party legislators Surender Pal Ratawal, Karan Singh Tanwar, Moti Lal Sodhi, Subhash Sachdeva and Harsharan Singh Balli on Wednesday evening. Khurana claimed the BJP would win this seat for the fourth time on the basis of the development works done by the sitting MLA Puran Chand Yogi who had won the seat continuously for three times but had died recently during electioneering. The party has fielded his wife from this constituency. Khurana soon picked up the BJP’s election plank and reiterated the party’s campaign that people in Delhi have been disappointed with the Congress rule for the last 10 years. “There is nothing like government here for the last 10 years. The people have been craving for basic amenities. The government has completely failed on the issues of power, water, public transport, education, health, environment, law and order,” said the former Delhi chief minister.
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Bangladeshis registering as voters under Hindu names
Noida, December 3 Most of these illegally living foreign nationals have allegedly assumed Hindu names for getting voter photo-identity cards issued. They are in possession of ration cards and are presenting fake affidavits to become voters and, thus, the citizens of this country. A large number of Bangladeshis and Nepalis are illegally living in Sadarpur, Chhalera, Harola, Nithari, Kulesra villages as well as in jhuggis in Sectors 8, 9 and 10 of Noida. These people had also started depositing form No.6 for becoming voters on November 18 when work on revising voter list was taken in hand. Most of these foreign nationals are attaching photocopies of their ration cards made in Noida as their residence proof. These cards were made during a campaign for new ration cards in 2006 when pimps had got ration cards made for a large number of these foreign national in collusion with staff of district civil supply department. Since most of Bangladeshis had assumed Hindu names, and the police and intelligence agencies had failed to differentiate between them and the bona fide residents of West Bengal. One such Bangladeshi was caught by local residents while he was depositing his form in the centre set up in Nithari yesterday. Local intelligence unit ( LIU) officials were told that the real name of the person depositing his form was Nural Islam who has been living in the area for many years. Nural Islam had given his name as Ramesh Sikri and said he came from Midnapur district of West Bengal. All VLOs have been alerted about such illegal applicants and asked to scrutinize the forms of such persons thoroughly.
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456 make it to NDA
New Delhi, December 3 The selections have been made on the basis of written examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in April this year and the interviews conducted by the Services Selection Board (SSB) of the Ministry of Defence. There are some common candidates in the lists of Army, Navy, Air Force and Naval Academy. The total number of such candidates is 183. The number of vacancies as intimated by the government is 335 (195 for Army, 39 for Navy, 66 for Air Force and 35 for Naval Academy 10+2 (executive branch). However, the results of medical test have not been taken into account in preparing these lists. The candidature of candidates is provisional, subject to their submitting the requisite certificates supporting their date of birth and educational qualifications to the additional directorate general of recruiting, adjutant generals branch, Integrated Headquarters, Ministry of Defence (Army). The result of roll no. 041824, 115290 and 171429 have been withheld. For further information, the candidates may contact the facilitation counter of the UPSC near C-Gate on the UPSC premises or call at 23385271/23381125/23098543 between 10 am to 5 pm on any working day. The
result is available on the UPSC’s website www.upsc.gov.in.
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Minister speaks for rights of the disabled
Behrampur, December 3 He was here to attend the annual function at AICC Captain Chandanlal Blind School on the occasion of International Disabled Day. Inderjeet Singh said that the institute is teaching these students through Braille script and also they are training them in cultural as well as other activities. He said that the government has started many new plans for the rights of the disabled which include pension, scholarships, unemployment allowance for educated disabled, jobs for the blind and also helping by providing them duplicate body parts. The minister avowed, “The government has also increased pension from Rs 300 per month to Rs 600 per month for disabled people,” and added that the retirement age from 58 years to 60 years for 70 per cent and more disabled in the state has also been increased. J K Kaul, general manager, All India Confederation of the Blind, who helped in starting this school in 1994, said, “The day reminds of people who cannot see and it is the effort of this institute that after passing from this institute these people are working at various places.” Swami Shradhanand from Daroli Ashram stated that this institute is helping the disabled to tie up with national mainstream and added that person can become big but till the time he does not work for country and its culture his life is not complete. At this occasion, the defence minister also donated Rs 3 lakh to the institute.
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Father, sons get life for killing neighbour
Greater Noida, December 3 He passed the orders after hearing the final arguments by assistant district public prosecutor and the defence lawyers on Tuesday. Hukam Veer and his sons Som Veer and Vishnue had barged into the house of their neighbour, Suraj Bhan, on August 15, 2006 in Phalauda village under Jarcha police station. They accused Suraj Bhan of clandestinely overhearing their telephone conversation by hooking a cable into their landline phone. This allegation was contested by Suraj Bhan’s elder son, Dharminder. At this, all three pounced upon Suraj Bhan and his son. During the scuffle, Vishnu shot at Dharminder with his countrymade revolver. When neighbours came running to Suraj Bhan’s house, Hukam Veer and his sons took to their heels. Dharminder had died on way to hospital and the police had later arrested the three accused.
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2 Karnataka Express coaches catch fire
New Delhi, December 3 According to fire officials, they received a call regarding this at around 3:45 pm. The situation was brought under control by 6 pm. “Six fire tenders were rushed to the spot. It took two hours to douse the flames. Nobody has been injured in the incident,” said a fire official. The exact cause of the fire has not been ascertained yet. But the authorities believe that short circuit in one of the bogeys must have caused fire. “It seems that short circuit in the wiring caused fire,” said a constable engaged in dousing the flames. According to station officials, the train was vacant when the incident took place. |
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IR centre opens at Moolchand
New Delhi, December 3 Moolchand Medicity yesterday launched Centre for Interventional Radiology on its campus. IR is less invasive and comparatively economical than other surgical procedures as the patient doesn’t have to take admission in hospital. IR is used in multiple clinical processes like in oncology, stroke management, paediatric, backache, vascular diseases, etc. Now people suffering from diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol, atherosclerotic and circulatory problems can opt for IR. |
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MPs remember
New Delhi, December 3 Vice-President Mohd. Hamid Ansari and P.D.T. Achary and V.K. Agnihotri, secretary-generals of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, respectively also paid tributes to the former president. V. Narayanasamy, state minister of parliamentary affairs and planning, former MPs attended the function along with other members of Parliament. All the dignitaries paid tributes at the portrait of Dr Rajendra Prasad in the Central Hall of Parliament House that was unveiled by Dr S. Radhakrishnan on May 5, 1964 who was the President then. A booklet on Dr Prasad, brought out in Hindi and English by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, was presented to the dignitaries. |
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2 held under Copyright Act
New Delhi, December 3 According to DCP (Central), Anil Deswal of EIPR India Ltd had complained that some persons had been indulging in trading and manufacturing of ball bearings using the trademark of EIPR India Ltd. The police apprehended Javed and Shakil from Farash Khana and recovered 1,400 impinged ball bearings bearing the stamp of EIPR India Ltd. Forty-five SKF ball bearings and some NBL ball bearings apart from 53 die printing kits and other implements were also recovered. A case has been registered under the Copyright Act. |
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Major fire in cloth factory
Manesar, November 3 The SHO of the area said that the fire started at the factory at 6 am and they received the information at around 7:15 am. They reached the spot immediately. The fire was so huge that they had to refill the tender. He said that there was no casualty, but the owner of the factory can only disclose how much he has lost.
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Icfai sets up MBA institute
New Delhi December 3 ASIM campuses are located in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Mumbai, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata and Pune. INC offers quality education programmes in finance, banking and insurance at various levels. |
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New Delhi, December 3
