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VAT from LPG, CNG rolled back
BJP rally against price rise
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200 detained
CBI shielding ’84 riots accused, alleges victim
Students hope stay on JNU poll will go
DTU exams begin amid protests
Designers to put together ‘rick-show’on DU streets
Man hangs self after tiff with family
3 scrap thieves held for murder
Diamond trader robbed
Pvt vehicles allowed for Haryana students’ excursions
Punjabi literary stalwarts, artists chosen for awards
Ghandy’s aide sent to judicial custody
IPL stalls traffic
Chhattisgarh CM takes Metro ride
‘Bhagat Singh was a Marxist in the making’
Verdict in Lajpat Nagar blast likely today
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VAT from LPG, CNG rolled back
New Delhi, March 29 However, the relief is only partial as Sheila Dikshit government’s decision to withdraw the subsidy of Rs 40 from the LPG remains. Announcing the withdrawal of hiked VAT, finance minister AK Walia said many other items like “rassi”, “baan”, “newar”, embroidery zari items, plastic and glass scrap, motion picture distribution have also been exempted from VAT. He had proposed five per cent VAT on these items in his budget. Besides, VAT on many other items like tea, coffee, scraps, utensils and pressure cookers has been brought back to earlier five per cent from the proposed 12.5 per cent. Several other items like wheat, rice, flour and suji continue to be exempted. Walia said the government would lose revenue of Rs 200 crore after the withdrawal and reduction in VAT. VAT exemption on CNG would help stabilise prices of goods as the Capital’s transport system mostly runs on this fuel and a hike is likely to push up prices. Though, he added that the increased VAT on diesel was not withdrawn because the Delhi government had been facing a loss of Rs 350 crore since 2005. The BJP was quick to claim credit for the revision in prices and its leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra claimed that steadfast protests from party MLAs and councillors had forced the government to provide some relief to the masses. All BJP MLAs, except Malhotra, were marshaled out of the House for “obstructing” its functioning. Walia also announced hike in scholarship amount for minority students to Rs 100 per month against Rs 50 per month proposed in the budget. Now minority students up to 6th standard will get monthly scholarship of Rs 300, Rs 500 and Rs 600 instead of Rs 200, Rs 400 and Rs 500 as per classes in which they are studying. When asked how he would recover revenue, “With better governance,” he replied. He also asked the traders to cooperate with the government by depositing maximum tax. The budget was later passed with a voice vote. |
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BJP rally against price rise
New Delhi, March 29 The police used water cannons when the agitators tried to jump the barricades to reach the assembly. The police took this step when the situation became uncontrollable. Three hundred demonstrators were detained, a police officer said. The demonstration was led by the MCD House leader, Subhash Arya. Chairman of the Standing Committee Ram Kishan Singhal, vice-chairperson Rajni Abbai, deputy mayor Azad Singh, former mayor Arti Mehra and former chairman of the Standing Committee Vijender Gupta and chairman of all the zones of MCD participated in the demonstration. Besides, Delhi BJP chief Om Prakash Kohli, Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly, Prof Jagdish Mukhi and party’s national general secretary Vijay Goel participated and addressed the demonstrators. The demonstrators gathered at Mayor House in the morning near Timarpur from where prominent leaders came in bullock carts and proceeded towards the Assembly. The police tried to stop them by putting barriers and used water cannons to disperse them. Many workers were injured in the melee. Addressing the demonstrators, the BJP leaders said that the government had no to encourage production of agricultural commodities. What kind of government this is which exports goods at low costs and imports the same at higher prices, they asked. The insensitive Sheila Dikshit government has increased VAT even on lantern and kerosene stove used by the poor. |
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200 detained
Greater Noida, March 29 Leaders of the Samajwadi Party and BJP, who were supporting the farmers, also courted arrest. The farmer leaders said till their demands were fulfilled, they would not allow the work on the projects to continue. The farmers have threatened to stop work daily and court arrest. The agitation has spread anxiety among those who have booked flats in the projects initiated by the builders in the recent days. According to Noida Authority sources, plots have just been allotted to about a dozen builders in sectors 1, 2 and 3. The authority has also launched scheme for residential plots in sectors 1 and 2. Some more schemes are likely to be launched by the GNIDA in this area. The area is adjoining the under-construction expressway linking Noida and east Delhi. According to the chief executive officer of the GNIDA, Mukul Singhal, the farmers’ agitation has not affected the work of projects. The work did stop, but would restart soon, Singhal said. The farmers of the area have been agitating against the GNIDA for a long time. During a maha panchayat held on March 21, the farmers had warned the authority that if their demands were not met within a week’s time from March 28, they would launch an agitation and stop all construction work in the area. On Sunday morning, the farmers had shooed away labourers working on various projects of the GNIDA and the builders. Soon after, the senior district officers along with police force reached the area. This resulted in a clash between the farmers and the police. The police lathicharged the farmers and arrested 199 of them for interfering in government work. Among those arrested were organiser of the anti-acquisition agitation, Sharda Ram Bhatti; its spokesperson Rupesh Verma; Samajwadi Party’s Brijender Singh Bhatti and Raj Kumar Bhatti; ex-UP minister Nawab Singh Nagar of BJP and many other leaders. Additional district magistrate (administration) O.P. Arya confirmed that 199 farmers were sent to jail. |
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CBI shielding ’84 riots accused, alleges victim
New Delhi, March 29 Alleging that the probe agency is shielding the Congress leader, Kaur’s counsel Rebecca M John submitted before the court of the additional chief metropolitan magistrate Rakesh Pandit that the CBI has been protecting and shielding the accused. Instead of supporting the two witnesses who came forward to depose against Tytler, they claimed them to be unreliable in the closure report, she said. “Tytler’s statement was never recorded by the agency nor was he put through lie-detection test when it was directed to “further investigate” the matter by the court in December 2008,” she added. The counsel also referred to a Supreme Court judgement in the Zahira Sheikh case of 2002 Gujarat riots where it was stated that witnesses needed to be protected and not terrified. She said that the court had the power to reject CBI’s report and again direct the agency to investigate the matter. The arguments took place on a petition filed by Lakhwinder Kaur earlier, protesting the clean chit given by CBI to the Congress leader in a case relating to murder of three persons, including her husband Badal Singh, in the 1984 riots that followed the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The case allegedly involving Tytler relates to a November 1, 1984 incident in which a mob had set afire Gurdwara Pulbangash in north Delhi, killing three persons — Badal Singh, Thakur Singh and Gurcharan Singh. Two persons came forward to depose against Tytler. However, the CBI in its closure report claimed that both Surinder, who has since expired, and Jasbir have made false statements to implicate Tytler. The court fixed the April 1 for hearing the further arguments in the case. |
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Students hope stay on JNU poll will go
New Delhi, March 29 In today’s hearing, the solicitor general of India Gopal Subramanium said two exceptions regarding the age limit and the number of times a student contests the union elections could be made in case of JNU. The Lyngdoh Committee recommendations fix the upper bracket for age group of candidate as 28 years while the students have been arguing that JNU was essentially a higher education institute and most students cross that age limit by the time they contest the elections. Regarding the number of time one candidate could contest union elections, Lyngdoh clearly states that one student should be allowed to contest the election only once. The students have been arguing that such conditions should not be imposed because JNUSU elections were an open field for all the students and a more experienced person could represent the students’ community better. “The court wanted to know whether in the absence of Lyngdoh, the students’ union election were being conducted successfully in the university and our lawyer argued that the elections were completely democratic in their spirit,” said P.Anand, member of Joint Students’ Struggle Committee of JNU students. He said though the students wanted the elections to be conducted according to the JNUSU constitution, there were chances that the court might address maximum issues. The apex court has scheduled the next hearing of the JNUSU case on April 8. The JNU students’ union
elections were stayed two years ago by the Supreme Court saying that they did not conform to the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations on students’ union elections. |
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DTU exams begin amid protests
New Delhi, March 29 In fact, Ravi Shekhar, DTU Students Association president, who was expelled for leading the agitation and readmitted only recently, also appeared for the exam as he is also a final year student. Some other student leaders like Nitin Baraiya and Shashank Lodhi also took the exam. The final year students at DTU have received 500 placement offers from over 90 companies which visited the campus. Boycotting the exam could jeopardize their careers. Only 21-odd students from the first year, 14 from the second year and 21 from the third year sat for the examination while the majority of students boycotted. “The state government has done nothing for our demands. We have to keep with protests,” students said. They said they wanted to send a message to the government that they could not be scared into submission. Students are demanding that DTU’s earlier status be restored by the government. Protestors today stopped students at several Metro stations and took them to Japanese Park where they held the agitation. Professor B.D. Pathak, senior dean and superintendent of examinations, said they would advise parents of local students to counsel their wards and also accompany them, if possible, to the DTU campus for the exam. |
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Designers to put together ‘rick-show’on DU streets
New Delhi, March 29 As part of a collaboration between students’ group, the Students in Free Enterprise Sri Ram College of Commerce (SIFE SRCC) and Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), a social responsibility project ‘Life on Wheels’ aimed at helping cycle rickshaw pullers of the North Campus area was today unveiled at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week. The project would have big fashion designers designing custom-made cycle rickshaws for DU. The custom-made cycle rickshaw unveiled today was designed by designer Nida Mahmood. The rickshaw had a distinctive style with a range of provisions for the travellers and the puller. “Our association with SIFE SRCC is intended to help the students and rickshaw pullers and to provide them an opportunity to make a difference,” said Sunil Sethi, president, FDCI. The design council is planning to initially invite 50 young designers to design the rickshaws and will gradually rope in notable designers in the unique initiative. “The designed rickshaws are different from the regular ones. They will have shelter for the pullers, provision for newspapers, water bottle, dust bin, well-cushioned seats and enough space at the back for advertisements to generate revenue,” said
Sethi. |
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Rickshaw pullers demand separate road space
New Delhi, March 29 Unmindful of the scorching heat, the rickshaw pullers along with social activists walked around three kilometers from the parade ground opposite Red Fort to Rajghat, raising slogans like “Promote rickshaws, don’t ban them”. Madhu Purnima Kishwar, president of the NGO Manushi Sangathan that is supporting the rickshaw pullers, said: “As rickshaw is the only transport which is non-polluting, inexpensive and sustainable public transport available to tourists and public, we demand that licences should be made available to them just like motorised vehicles.” Separate tracks for non-motorised vehicles as per the mandate of the Delhi Master Plan and putting an immediate stop to arbitrary penalties, extortionist bribes and harassment by the traffic police and municipal authorities were the other demands put forth by the rickshaw pullers. The NGO also expressed happiness over the high court’s decision to monitor on a monthly basis the working of the special task force which reviews the flow of traffic, vehicle registration and makes recommendations. “Cycle rickshaws, hand-carts and other non-motorised vehicles should be treated as an integral part of city’s transport system and their use should be encouraged,” said Ramesh, a rickshaw puller,. Flagging off the rally, former director general of the Punjab police, K.P.S. Gill said: “Cycle rickshaws and street vendors helped us defeat terrorism in Punjab by acting as the eyes and ears of the police because they are street smart,” he added.
— IANS |
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Man hangs self after tiff with family
New Delhi, March 29 “He had a fight with his family members and then consumed alcohol after locking the doors of his room. His wife did not disturb him thinking that he would get angry. However, when he did not respond later in the evening, the family broke open the door around 10 pm to find that Surinder had hanged himself with a stole,” said the police. He was rushed to a nearby private hospital in Budh Vihar, but doctors declared him dead. Maid found dead
A 30-year-old woman was discovered hacked to death in the Chitranjan Park area of south Delhi last night. According to information, the woman, Sharda, worked as a maid in the area and lived with her husband near the construction site of one Narmada Apartments. She was found dead in a pool of blood around 9 pm yesterday. The police suspects her husband, who is absconding since the murder, killed the woman. “Sharda was hit by a kulhari and had several cut marks on her body. Her husband, Balli Ram, is missing since the incident,” said the police, adding that some people told the police about Ram’s suspicious behaviour yesterday evening. The couple hails from Madhya Pradesh. The police has registered a case. Snatcher caught
The south district police has arrested a man for snatching. The accused Suresh Soni of Bhiwani in Haryana, a known criminal, was arrested yesterday from the Lodhi Colony area of south Delhi. “With his arrest, at least 15 cases of snatching and car thefts have been solved. He was apprehended while he was waiting for his associates,” said a police official. |
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3 scrap thieves held for murder
New Delhi, March 29 The accused— Md Iqlakh, Saddam and Alam— have been involved in iron scrap thefts in the SSI Industrial Area near GT Karnal Road. DCP (north-west) N.S. Bundela said that it could be an incident of robbery-cum-murder as the incident took place near the railway tracks, a deserted place. Anti-social elements take advantage of the place and often rob passers-by. “Some people commit thefts in industries across the railway tracks and use the route to dispose of the scrap. The three accused were nabbed on a tip off,” said Bundela. The leader of the gang, Alam, told the police that on March 20 he along with Saddam and Iqlakh was sitting on the tracks when they saw the victim coming from Jahangirpuri side. “They stopped the victim, Satish Kumar, and robbed him of his Nokia mobile phone, Rs 200 and a wristwatch. They beat him up. When he fell they dragged him to a pit and pushed him in till he died. The pit was filled with water,” said Bundela adding that the accused are alcoholic. They consumed liquor daily by selling the stolen iron scrap from the industrial area. The victim was unmarried and lived with his younger brother Deepak in Jahangirpuri. The police has seized the victim’s mobile phone from the accused. |
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Diamond trader robbed
New Delhi, March 29 A case of robbery has been registered at the Naraina police station. The police is trying to identify the Santro car owner. The police said the victims, Deepak Batra (38) and his wife Medha (32), were returning home after a party from the Taj Man Singh Hotel when the incident took place. “The couple was intercepted by a black Santro car on Nariana flyover. As soon as Batra stopped his car, the assailants came out of their car and held the couple on knife and gunpoint. They threatened the couple with dire consequences and asked them to part with jewellery and cash,” said a police official. He added that the couple claimed to have lost cash and jewellery to the tune of Rs 6
lakh. |
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Pvt vehicles allowed for Haryana students’ excursions
Gurgaon, March 29 The new directions have been issued today by the commissioner and director-general of school education,
Haryana, to all district education officers (DEOs) in the state. The letter, bearing number 2/28-2008 CCA(2) dated 29.3.10, states that the department has now decided that in cases where the fare of Haryana Roadways buses seemed to be higher, private vehicles can be hired. It has also been decided to include Delhi as well as Chandigarh for students’ excursions. Earlier, the students could be taken only up to a distance of 100 km. The department has also asked the DEOs to ensure that the budget allocated for excursions should be utilised by March 31. The DEOs have also been told to inform all headmasters and principals about the new decisions of the department. |
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Punjabi literary stalwarts, artists chosen for awards
New Delhi, March 29 The Award for Outstanding Contribution to Punjabi Literature has been given to Dr Rattan Singh Jaggi for his contribution to the Punjabi literature. The encyclopedia of Sri Guru Granth Sahib in two volumes is one of his noteworthy contributions. The award for the fiction book of the year has been given to Rajinder Kaur for her novel ‘Partan’. The award for the poetry book of the year has been bagged by Amarjit Singh Amar for his book ‘Babey Nanak Da Ghar Kehra’ and the award for the prose book of the year has been won by Dr Manmohan for his book ‘DerridianVikhandan Te Bharti Gyan
Shastra’. The Award for Outstanding Contribution to Punjabi Culture has been conferred to world-renowned painter Satish Gujral. Over the years, his paintings have been appreciated by art lovers in India and abroad. All the awardees will be given a citation and cash prize of Rs 1.50 lakh. |
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Ghandy’s aide sent to judicial custody
New Delhi, March 29 On March 19, the police sought his remand after submitting that Joshi had slipped away with the hard disk of the laptop seized from Ghandy. Joshi, who was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh anti-terrorist squad from Kanpur, was brought to the Capital in compliance with a production warrant issued against him. The police has claimed that Joshi helped Ghandy in establishing a Maoist base in Delhi and that he is the one who procured fake identity and PAN cards for him. Ghandy, who was allegedly in charge of expanding the proscribed organisation’s influence in urban areas, was arrested on September 20. |
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IPL stalls traffic
New Delhi, March 29 While the traffic police maintained that there were no jams and only ‘heavy traffic’, commuters complained of travelling time stretching close to 30 to 40 minutes for one kilometer. “There was heavy traffic flow in the area around 6 pm but it is normal considering the number of office goers and thousands coming to watch the cricket match. Thankfully, there is no major traffic snarl anywhere. The roads are clearing and things have moved much faster,” said a traffic police official adding that more than 500 traffic police officials are managing the traffic around the Kotla grounds. However, people trapped in traffic snarls had a different take on the issue. “It took me close to half an hour to cross ITO Chowk from Daryaganj around 5:30 pm. It happens every time the match is organised here,” said Arvind, a businessman. Reports of thousands of people being stranded in traffic snarls in the area were also heard. |
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Chhattisgarh CM takes Metro ride
New Delhi, March 29 The Chhattisgarh government is planning a Metro system for Raipur. During an earlier visit, Singh had discussed about it with Delhi Metro DMRC chief Sreedharan. The Chief Minister complemented Delhi Metro for its efficient service and said he immensely enjoyed the visit. |
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‘Bhagat Singh was a Marxist in the making’
New Delhi, March
29 Chandra said, “The leader, was not a hardcore Marxist but one in the making. During his last hours he was reading a book on Lenin. It is also said that he even requested the hangman to let him finish the chapter he was reading before he was hung.” “During trials, several times he entered the courtroom raising slogans of “Lenin
ZIndabad” or “Revolution Zindabad.” — TNS |
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Verdict in Lajpat Nagar blast likely today
New Delhi, March 29 Ten persons, all from Jammu and Kashmir, are on trial for allegedly carrying out the blast at Central Market in Lajpat Nagar locality here. District and sessions judge S.P. Garg on March 17 had heard the final arguments in the case and fixed the matter for March 30.
— IANS |
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