Fast ends, but stir will go on: Ramdev supporters
New Delhi, August 14
While baba Ramdev suspended his agitation today, the issue of bringing back the black money stashed abroad looks to have gripped the nerves of people, in particular supporters of the baba though. The struggle whatever may be the issues, is still on, said Ramdev's supporters, many of whom later packed their bags to return to their homes, today.

21 police officials get medals
New Delhi, August 14
Twenty-one officials of the Delhi police have been awarded the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service and the Police Medal for Meritorious Service on the eve of the 65th Independence Day today.

Prez police medal for 24 CBI men
New Delhi, August 14
Twentyfour officials of the CBI were awarded with President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service and Police Medal for Meritorious Service by the President on the eve of Independence Day. President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service was awarded to six officials while 18 other officials received Police Medals for Meritorious Service.

THE SPIRIT OF TRICOLOUR Workers decorate the Red Fort for the Independence Day function in Delhi on Tuesday as residents get ready to celebrate the day in their own ways (below). Tribune photos: Manas Ranjan Bhui

Sparrow is the state bird of Delhi
New Delhi, August 14
On the eve of the Independence Day today, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit announced that house sparrow will be the "State Bird of Delhi". Launching the "Rise for the Sparrows" campaign, India's largest conservation movement to save sparrows, the Chief Minister expressed concern over the lack of attention and the recognition the bird had received from one and all.

Fast ends, but stir will go on: Ramdev supporters
Ananya Panda
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 14
While baba Ramdev suspended his agitation today, the issue of bringing back the black money stashed abroad looks to have gripped the nerves of people, in particular supporters of the baba though.

The struggle whatever may be the issues, is still on, said Ramdev's supporters, many of whom later packed their bags to return to their homes, today.

Ramdev's take-home message for his supporters was to turn on their social mobiliser and campaigner caps with an aim to uproot the current Congress-led government at the Centre in the next Lok Sabha polls. "We'll educate people by making them aware about the government's corrupt ways. We'll prepare representations and travel to villages and spread the message of 'Satyagraha'. The agitation will not stop until the government is removed from power," said Phool Singh, a farmer from Jewar, UP.

What more, many among a thick crowd of supporters and followers immersed in an anti-Congress wave looked to be already on the job as they started sharing contacts with people from neighbouring panchayats.

One such was former Army personnel, Umesh Kumar from Noida, UP, who promises to take the fight against corrupt system to its goal. "The government has looted this nation and now we are not going to take it anymore. For 60 years, the party rules and exploited our resources for securing bank accounts. The black money, if brought, will free the country of poverty. They have failed to deliver and they have to go. The agitation is still on," he said.

"We'll go back to our villages where through samitis of Patanjali, we'll flag off the matter, telling people to boycott Congress ," Sardar Gyan Singh from Himachal, said.

21 police officials get medals
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 14
Twenty-one officials of the Delhi police have been awarded the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service and the Police Medal for Meritorious Service on the eve of the 65th Independence Day today.

Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) SBK Singh, Joint Commissioner of Police (security-- Prime Minister) DP Verma and former Joint Commissioner of Police (security) Arvind Deep have been awarded the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service. Among the police officials who were given the Police Medal for Meritorious Service are Additional Commissioner of Police (south-east District) Ajay Chaudhry and Additional Commissioner of Police (Headquarters) Anil Shukla.

SBK Singh, who joined the Indian Police Service in 1988, was earlier posted as the Additional Commissioner of Police (economic offences wing). He earlier served as Deputy Commissioner of Police of the central and north-east districts in Delhi, Deputy Secretary at the Cabinet Secretariat, DIG of Puducherry and IG of Arunachal Pradesh.

Singh had also conducted the search operation for the helicopter of former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu after it had gone missing last year.

Arvind Deep, who is presently posted at Arunachal Pradesh, was awarded the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 2006. When he was the Joint Commissioner of Police (Security), he had supervised the security arrangements of the fourth annual BRICS Summit at New Delhi earlier this year.

The Police Medal for Meritorious Service was awarded to Ajay Chaudhry. Under his leadership, the murder of a senior citizen in Jangpura was solved after the arrest of her Nepali servant. A blind murder case of a US citizen of Afghan origin in Hazrat Nizammuddin was also solved within 24 hours under his supervision.

Ajay Chaudhry also started a police public library-cum-counseling centre on the premises of the Jamia Nagar police station to bridge the gap between the local police and the community.

Prez police medal for 24 CBI men
Tribune News Service

Second loop of Barapullah road opens
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 14
With the opening of second loop of Barapullah elevated road from Lala Lajpat Rai Marg to Sarai Kale Khan, central and south Delhi has been provided quick connectivity to eastern side of the capital. The traffic on this section has started smoothly.

The opening of loop will ease out traffic congestion on Ring Road at Ashram, Mathura Road and other arterial roads. This will also go a long way in full utilisation of the Barapullah elevated road from JLN Stadium to Sarai Kale Khan. This connectivity is of great use for Delhi office goers to CGO Complex and nearby areas, said Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit while opening the loop.

It also provides a proper connectivity to the pilgrims visiting Hazarat Nizamuddin Dargah, she said. The new loop has curtailed distance between Lala Lajpat Rai Marg and Sarai Kale Khan.

She said that now the government would start construction of phase-II of Barapullah elevated road from JLN Stadium to INA. The work on this phase will start in January 2013. The work involves construction of 8 km road, mostly elevated.

The government has also decided to extend Barapullah elevated road up to Mayur Vihar under phase-III.

Sparrow is the state bird of Delhi
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 14
On the eve of the Independence Day today, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit announced that house sparrow will be the "State Bird of Delhi". Launching the "Rise for the Sparrows" campaign, India's largest conservation movement to save sparrows, the Chief Minister expressed concern over the lack of attention and the recognition the bird had received from one and all.

Mohammed Dilawar from Nature Forever Society said that society has been working on this for more than a year and thanked Dikshit for making house sparrows the state bird of Delhi.

She said that "Rise for the Sparrows" is a project of the government, which aimed at empowering and inspiring citizens, corporates and educational institutions to actively get involved in sparrow conservation, monitoring and creating awareness with regard to the conservation of house sparrows and other common birds of India. The campaign would become a citizen movement like the world sparrow day.