TOP STORIES

BJP, Cong throw a fit

Drama over Shanti Desai’s papers New Delhi, March 6 Amidst high drama, the nomination papers of the Mayor of Delhi, Mr Shanti Desai, were finally accepted in the Capital, even as the BJP and Congress workers engaged in a minor scuffle outside the Battery Lane office of the Returning Office (RO). The Election Commission had raised objections to the nomination papers filed by the veteran BJP leader, who has been persuaded to contest the polls.

Poll code violation seen in decision New Delhi, March 6 Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of resorting to unfair means ahead of the civic polls scheduled for the month-end, the Congress-ruled Government of NCT of Delhi on Wednesday said Tuesday’s Union Cabinet decision of reducing the ground rent in 10 markets of the Capital was a “poll tactic” of the Centre and violative of the Model Code of Conduct.

Police plea for Yadav’s remand rejected 
Ghaziabad, March 6
The police case for securing a remand of the main accused, Vikas Yadav and Vishal Yadav in Nitish Katara abduction and murder case, suffered a setback today as the district judge, Mr R P Mishra, rejected the application of Ghaziabad police for a 10-day remand, the SP City, Dr Ashok Kumar Raghav, disclosed.

Tihar to house Arundhati for a day

High profile author and Booker prize winner Arundhati Roy was today lodged in jail number six of high security Tihar Jail, where she was brought by the personnel of the Delhi Police. The Supreme Court for contempt of court had sentenced her to one day’s simple imprisonment. Ms Roy was brought to Tihar Jail at about 12.30 pm and taken to the recently opened jail number six, also called the female jail, jail sources said. The author of the much-acclaimed, “God of Small Things”, is likely to be lodged in a separate room. However, according to the Law Officer, Tihar Prisons, Sunil Gupta, there has been no special facilities provided to Arundhati Roy.

Speed guns deployed on Delhi-Jaipur stretch
Gurgaon, March 6
To monitor the speed of vehicles on the Delhi-Jaipur stretch of the national highway, the district police today deployed speed guns. Gurgaon is the first district in the state to use the device. 

Will Kotla repeat itself at Nahar?

Faridabad, march 6 The Nahar Singh Cricket Stadium here, which is all geared up to hold the first one-day cricket match between India and Zimbabwe on Thursday, was buzzing with activity today. While the district authorities and the officials of Haryana Cricket Association were busy with last-minute preparations, there was a scramble for complimentary passes at the stadium. Saurav Ganguly giving batting tips to budding cricketers.

Pay scale anomalies irk school lecturers
Panipat, March 6
The Education Department of the Haryana Government has allegedly been discriminating against more than 9,000 school lecturers by denying the Class II status and pay scales to them which are granted to other equivalent categories.

COMMUNITY

Wannabe councillor’s search: The BJP election material is in great demand for the MCD polls, in the Capital on Wednesday.

Motorists in a real jam
New Delhi, March 6
Traffic congestion on the Sheikh Sarai Road leading to the Chirag Delhi crossing has become worse ever since a governmental agency thought of widening the divider on the road and left all the construction material not on the sides of the road but right in the middle of it.

Chamber moots panel to prune workforce
New Delhi, March 6
In its pre-Budget memorandum submitted to the Government of NCT of Delhi, the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) has sought the formation of an ‘administrative reforms committee’ to reduce the number of decision-making layers and facilitate level-jumping.

AIATF asks Muslims to allow temple at Ayodhya
Panipat, March 6
The pro-Sangh Parivar stand of the All-India Anti-Terrorist Front (AIATF), led by former Youth Congress president M. S. Bitta, came to the fore today when the Haryana unit chief of the front, Dr Viresh Shandilya, asked the Muslims to “hand over” the disputed site at Ayodhya to Hindus for the construction of the Ram temple.

Death of ‘master kidnapper’ brings relief
Ghaziabad, March 6
There is relief among people, especially traders, industrialists and even the police, here at the death of ‘Sarpanch’, the ‘master kidnapper’ who must have collected ransom running into crores of rupees.

NCR BRIEFS
Five stolen vehicles seized
Rohtak, March 6
The police have recovered two stolen Maruti cars, a Tata Sumo, two motorcycles and a computer worth Rs 8.62 lakh from five youths, who were arrested while hatching a conspiracy to loot the passengers of buses in the evening on February 27.

On women’s rights Refresher course Mishap victim dies Cyclist killed

Bar Association Fake drug dealers held IG gets a taste of high-handedness

Five hurt in fire at export unit
New Delhi, March 6
Five persons, including three women, were reportedly injured in a minor fire that broke out in a factory in Taimur Nagar in the New Friends Colony area today afternoon. 

• Punjabi Sabha to open offices in 20 states

CRIME

Crackdown yields heroin worth Rs 1.25 crore
New Delhi, March 6
Continuing its crackdown on drug peddlers in Delhi, the Narcotics Branch today claimed to have arrested a 50-year-old woman while she was trying to palm off a consignment of heroin.

Staff of DJB contractor held for causing death
New Delhi, March 6
The Anand Vihar police in East Delhi today arrested engineer Mukesh Ghosh and supervisor C. M. Thomas of OM, a construction company, for causing the death of a labourer engaged in laying pipelines for the Delhi Jal Board in Surajmal Vihar.

Two of auto lifters’ gang nabbed
New Delhi, March 6
With the recent arrest of Rajesh and Subhash, two notorious auto-lifters of the Bijender alias Doctor gang, by the North district police in Pratap Nagar, the police have claimed to have solved more than 13 cases of auto-lifting reported from the Panchkula area in Haryana.

BUSINESS

BSNL augments capacity of exchanges
Sonepat, March 6
The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) expanded the Murthal and Nahra telephone exchanges by 600 lines each, the Rai exchange by 500 lines, Bahalgarh exchange by 400 lines and Rohat exchange by 152 lines during the last month.

Kit to improve mileage of old scooters designed
New Delhi, March 6
Kinetic Honda has claimed that it has designed a special ‘fuel consumption kit’ to be fitted on its old vehicles to give a substantial improvement in mileage.

EDUCATION

MD varsity teachers’ appeal to end carnage in Gujarat
Rohtak, March 6
The Maharshi Dayanand University Teachers’ Association (MDUTA) has appealed to the President to take immediate measures to check the communal holocaust in Gujarat after gruesome killings of kar sevaks at Godhra.

CAMPUS
Teachers march against privatisation of higher studies 

The Federation of Central Universities’ Teachers Associations (FEDUCTA) and the All India Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisations (AIFUCTO) organised a march to Parliament as part of the effort to build a “countrywide struggle against the government’s refusal to honour its commitments and its policy of privatisation and commercialisation of higher education”. The members of FEDUCTA and AIFUCTO protesting against the privatisation and commercialisation of education in the Capital. —Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

Blood donation GGS symposium DUTA’s SOS

Creative talk

Jamia students keeping their fingers crossed
The communal frenzy in the aftermath of the Godhra train violence, has not only left its scary imprint on the affected families and individuals but has also spread its spiteful impact on the life in Jamia.

Computer education introduced in 37 schools
Rewari, March 6
Under the new education policy of the state government, computer education has been introduced in 37 higher and senior secondary schools of the district. Most of these schools are in rural areas of the district.

CBSE math paper puts off students with its length
New Delhi, March 6
Class 12 students who took their Mathematics examination conducted by the CBSE found the paper too lengthy. Mrs Nidhi Mehta, teacher of Birla Vidya Niketan, told ‘NCR Tribune’, “The feedback that we have received from the students is that the paper was lengthy; it was not a very difficult question paper though.

• Spring festival at MDU

SPORTS

Assam, UP Police record wins

New Delhi, March 6 Assam State Electricity Board (Assam) and Uttar Pradesh Police scored fluent victories in the Phase-I Cluster-II matches of the 2nd Division National Football League Championship at the Ambedkar Stadium in the Capital on Wednesday. Assam State Electricity Board Sports Club recorded their second straight victory when they defeated Jobra Durga Club, Orissa 2-1 to collect six points.  Assam State Electricity Board (white) and Jorba Durga Club, Orissa (yellow) in action during the 2nd Division National Football League at Ambedkar Stadium in the Capital on Wednesday. —Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

Manhas to lead North Zone 
New Delhi, March 6
Mithun Manhas of Delhi will lead the 15-member North Zone team for the Duleep Trophy match against South Zone to be played at Faridabad from March 12 to 15 According to Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) sports secretary Sunil Dev, the selected players will have to report to manager of the team Sushil Kapoor at the Nahar Singh Stadium in Faridabad on the morning of March 11.

Daksh.com win Bhalotia brand ambassador

IOCL annex title Hudco beat IBM

India out to improve its dismal record at Faridabad
Rohtak, March 6
Haryana’s only venue for international cricket, Faridabad, hosts the first one-day international cricket tie of the current series between India and Zimbabwe at Nahar Singh Stadium.

Saurav, Kumble visit Gyan Bharati School
New Delhi, March 6
It was a dream come true for trainees of the Gyan Bharati School Cricket Academy in South Delhi when Indian cricket captain Saurav Ganguly and ace bowler Anil Kumble visited the school, and provided valuable cricketing tips to the young players.

Eco-Retreat Trophy match ends in deadlock

New Delhi, March 6 The Indian Women’s XI and the Pachauri XI were involved in a tied contest in the Eco-RetreatTrophy Cricket match at the Teri Oval. Indian women’s cricket captain Anjum Chopra, who gave a fine all-round performance (25 n.o and 2 for 21), was declared the player of the match. Director of Teri, R.K. Pachauri, giving away the player of the match award to Indian women’s cricket captain Anjum Chopra.

ONGC win in SAIL trophy
New Delhi, March 6
Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) defeated Subhania Club by 34 runs to enter the quarter-final of the SAIL Trophy Cricket Tournament at Mohan Nagan on Wednesday.

• Mohd Salim leads

ADMINISTRATION

Exposed eatables banned to check cholera outbreak
Sonepat, March 6
To prevent the outbreak and spread of cholera, the District Magistrate here has banned the sale of overripe fruit, vegetables, and ‘ice golla’ under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1997. 

Gurgaon postal circle tops in business growth
Gurgaon, March 6
The Haryana circle topped among other circles of the Postal Department in India by achieving 106 per cent growth in business in 1998-99, 216 per cent in 1999-2000 and 126 per cent in 2000-2001.