Gurgaon, October 10
Four companies of paramilitary forces have arrived in order to ensure free, fair and peaceful polling in the district. These include one company of Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP) and three companies of Punjab Armed Police (PAP). The companies are doing road march to understand the geography of the district. These will be in addition to the 3,878 personnel from the local police and Home Guard to be deployed on the polling day.
Stating this here today, Gurgaon police commissioner Surjeet Singh Deswal said a total of 17 barriers (nakas), each with 12 policemen of different ranks, will be put up at sensitive points in the district to check the activities of anti-social elements on October 13, the day of polling. 

The commissioner said an ACP-level officer would take care of the law and order situation in each Assembly segment and he would be assisted by two inspectors, each having a police party of 12 police personnel, anti-riot and teargas squads at their disposal.

Deswal said Gurgaon district had been divided into three police districts, each headed by a deputy commissioner of police.

Each of the 3 DCPs will have one reserve at their disposal. The joint commissioner of police would have two spare reserves, while three reserves would be at the disposal of the commissioner of police. 

There are 763 polling stations in all four assembly segments of the district, he said, adding that one ASI and three constables would be deputed with all 54 duty magistrates appointed by the district administration for keeping an eye on the polling process. 

The commissioner said if any resident finds anything illegal or objectionable going on anywhere, he or she can inform the police control room on phone number 100 or send SMS on the number 0124-100.

New Delhi, October 10
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today launched another round of pulse polio campaign by administering anti-polio drops to a number of children in a simple function organized by the health department.

Speaking on the occasion, Dikshit informed that the last phase of Intensified Pulse Polio Immunization Programme had been successfully implemented on September 12. The programme included a weeklong house-to-house “search and immunization” activity.

In August 2009, around 24.77 lakh children were immunized in the Capital and more than 47.29 lakh households were visited, she added.

The Chief Minister further said that it would be ensured that no virus of polio could enter the territory of Delhi. “For making a strong nation, we must have strong children, which would only be possible with the success of polio programme. Our state has shown better results in this field. Delhi is regarded as a role model and it would continue to strive hard to completely eliminate polio,” she said.

Delhi initiated pulse polio immunization programme in 1994 and launched house-to-house “search and immunization” in 1999.

She exhorted parents to come forward and bring their children up to five years of age for immunization at polio booths.

Speaking on the occasion, Delhi health minister Kiran Walia said that 8,000 polio booths would be established tomorrow to administer vaccine to lakhs of children of 0-5 age group. Around 30,000 workers and employees of the health department would be deployed to ensure maximum reach from 9.00 am to 4.00 pm.

The stalls would be stationed at railway stations, ISBTs, public places, major temples, metro stations, Millennium Park, zoo, etc. Apart from this, a door-to-door weeklong survey would also be conducted under search and immunization campaign. 

New Delhi, October 10
Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Vijay Kumar Malhotra today demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit for the alleged use of public funds for advertisements to gain political mileage during the Assembly elections 2008.

A complaint has been filed in the Delhi Lokayukta office by the BJP councillor, Vijender Gupta, demanding an inquiry into the alleged misuse of public and government funds.

The complaint was filed by the BJP councillor and ex-chairman of the standing committee, MCD, Vijender Gupta, against the Chief Minister on August 17, 2009, according to a press release.

Malhotra said, “The complaint informed the Lokayukta that the respondent herself being the minister in-charge of information and publicity made an elaborate plan to overcome the anti-incumbency factor for winning the elections in November 2008.”

“The Lokayukta has taken cognizance of the fact that a large number of hoardings showing pictures of the Chief Minister and the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi were placed at Metro stations and bus queue shelters in the Capital city,” Malhotra said in the release.

The Lokayukta has further taken note of the allegation that the election strategy as devised and planned was implemented at public expense.

Greater Noida, October 10
Inaugurating Asia’s biggest Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair (IHGF) Autumn 2009, organized by Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EXPCH) at India Expo Centre and Mart at Greater Noida today, Rita Menon, secretary, Textiles, Government of India, urged the handicraft exporters to explore new markets, re-define marketing strategies and diversify products.

She said that the handicraft sector in recent years had become an important earner of foreign exchange and is providing employment to a work force of over 7 million directly or indirectly in the country.

Menon pointed out that “in the $250 billion global gifts and handicrafts market, India’s share is a meager 2% and we have to enhance it to at least 4% in the world market”.

The secretary, Textiles, emphasized that the government will spare no efforts to cover each district of the country to promote handicrafts.

The theme of the handicrafts fair is J & K, a state with rich traditions of handicrafts.

She said that her ministry has attached top priority to this sector and assured all possible support to create conducive atmosphere to enhance exports and revive languishing crafts.

Speaking on the occasion, Raj Kumar Malhotra, chairman, EPCH, said, “We are trying to focus on new unexplored markets where the demand is still strong to offset the losses we are suffering due to lack of demand from major importers like the US and EU.”

The four-day mega event is mainly focusing on eco-friendly products made out of different raw material base like wood, metal, cane and bamboo, etc.

There is a special focus on display of arts and crafts of J & K region. The exhibitors from J & K will display their merchandise ranging from walnet, hand-crafted products, embroidery like curtain material, cushion covers, floor covering, decorative, etc, executive director, EPCH, Rakesh Kumar said.

The focus is now on emerging markets like Latin America, Central Asia, (CIS) Africa and South East Asia for promoting overseas business.

India’s handicrafts exports increased by a whopping 177 per cent in September, marking a turnaround in the country’s overseas trade. Export of handicrafts 71 per cent of which are picked up by customers in the US and EU, increased to $46.87 million in September.

New Delhi, October 10
The Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program (IFP) on Friday invited applications for its 2010 program. Some 40 fellowships are on offer by the IFP. The IFP supports candidates from the groups that have lacked access to higher education. The information sheet and pre-application form are at www.ifpsa.org. The closing date for the sale of forms and submission is December 15.

There will be four stages of selection. In the first two stages, the pre-and final application forms will be reviewed and evaluated by panels of experts from the academia and the social development sector. The next two stages will be regional and national interviews. The IFP will assist selected fellows in university admission processes and will pay for travel, tuition fee, living costs and logistical arrangements related to their study programs.

Eligible applicants should be Indians currently living and working in the states of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh or Uttarakhand. They must hold a bachelor’s or a master’s degree from a recognized Indian university with at least 55% marks. They must have at least three years’ full-time work experience relevant to their proposed area of study. They should also have experience in leadership and community service or development-related activities. Besides, they should have experienced some socio-economic disadvantage in their access to quality higher education.

As of October 2009, IFP India has selected 280 fellows for masters and PhD degrees. Of these, 200 fellows have completed their studies and over 75% have returned to India to create value for their regions and communities.

Vivek Mansukhani, director, Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program in India, said, “2010 will be the last year that we select IFP fellows. We hope candidates with the potential to become social justice leaders will avail of this opportunity to obtain a quality masters degree from an international or Indian university, and then use their expertise to   tackle pressing problems and contribute to their societies.”   

Greater Noida, October 10
Around 150 home guards in Greater Noida have not received salaries for the past seven months.

“How can we light Divali lamps this year when our families are on the verge of starvation,” said the jawans.

Nearly 170 home guard jawans are deployed at Kasna Kotwali. Out of them, 150 have been posted there by the Greater Noida Authority. But the authority has not paid their wages since March 2009.

The Greater Noida Authority is not bothered about home guard jawans, but it expects us to perform our duty efficiently, the jawans said.

Each jawan is paid Rs 126 for a day, though not every jawan gets work everyday. Some jawans say that for work they have to keep the ‘munshi’ in good humour by paying him up to Rs 500 per month.

Home guards have to provide security in the city and also perform extra works for their seniors. They serve at police stations, banks and market places.

When contacted over the issue, deputy CEO P.C. Gupta said he was not aware as to who was responsible for paying the wages of the home guards. DCEO Shailender Choudhary and manager Satya Bhatti said the wage bills were proffered by the police station, but added that they were not aware as to who processed them or made the payment after that. 

New Delhi, October 10
Keeping in mind the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the MCD has conducted the first census of stray dogs. According to the MCD there are 2,60,000 stray dogs in the city.

This survey - which has the number of sterilised and unsterilised dogs chalked out - will help the MCD work better towards the 70 per cent sterilisation goal in the future.

Mayor Kanwar Sain said: “In view of the requirement of minimising the population of stray dogs in Delhi, especially during the Commonwealth Games, the MCD decided to conduct a survey of the dog population to work out strategies for more effective control over this population in the city.”

The survey was done by NGO Wildlife SOS early this year.

As per the survey, Delhi has a total population of 2,62,740 stray dogs. In the areas under the MCD, the population is 2,52,000 while there are 7,630 in the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area.

Of the total population, it was found that more male dogs were sterilised than females. Fifty-five per cent male dogs were found to be sterilised while 45 per cent females were sterilised.

“The aim, after conducting this survey, is to sterilize more females for better results in controlling the population of dogs,” the mayor said.

Besides a dog sterilisation unit at Karawal Nagar in northeast Delhi, other sites are being identified by the MCD to intensify the pace of sterilization and immunisation programme for stray dogs. — IANS

New Delhi, October 10
A city court on Saturday acquitted a man charged with abducting and raping a minor girl on the basis of the medical reports of the alleged victim.

The additional sessions judge V.K. Khanna acquitted Anurag Das, who was allegedly accused of raping and abducting the girl from the Ashok Nagar area of the Capital.

According to the prosecution, Das had abducted the girl from her home and took her to a village in Madhya Pradesh on June 13, 2006. The girl returned to her home on June 23 and told her parents that Das had raped her all these days, following which her father registered a police complaint and Das was arrested.

The medical examination of the girl, however, revealed that no injury marks were present on her private parts, so it could not be confirmed whether any sexual intercourse took place between the two or not.

However, the girl in her statement to the magistrate said that she was raped by accused daily for 10 days.

Appearing for Das, advocates Surendra Sharma, Yogesh Gaur and Ashwani Gupta contended before the court that medical report showed no sexual intercourse between the two and asked: “How can a girl be raped continuously for ten days and did not raise her voice even once?”

They also cited the school certificates of the girl which shows that the girl is not a minor.

Accepting the defence plea that the medical examination did not confirm rape, the judge said it was evident from the medical examination that the girl went with the accused on her own will, and as the prosecution failed to prove abduction and rape, Das was being acquitted of both charges. — IANS

New Delhi, October 10
A woman today approached a city court demanding maintenance from her first husband three years after their divorce.

Filing a petition before metropolitan magistrate Archna Sinha, Kirti said that she was entitled for maintenance from her first husband.

Kirti and Mayank got married on November 23, 2000, and after seven months of marriage, Kirti left her husband. She gave birth to a child on November 13, 2001.

Kirti then filed a divorce petition in 2006 which was granted on mutual consent. Kirti and Mayank have since then married their respective partners.

But after almost three years of divorce, Kirti is now seeking maintenance for her son and herself.

Mayank, on the other hand, submitted documents of Kirti’s second marriage and stated that she was not eligible for any sort of maintenance from her first husband.

Mayank alleged that Kirti was troubling him and calls him up at odd times.

The court, after hearing both the parties, pulled up Kirti for creating unnecessary trouble for Mayank, who is now well settled with his second wife and sent the case to mediation centre and asked them to solve the matter expeditiously.

The court also asked Mayank to pay Rs 2,000 per month each to her and their son till the final outcome of the case. — IANS