TOP STORIES

‘Brain fever’ strikes Meerut
Snuffs out lives of five kids 
Meerut, December 2
The mysterious ‘brain fever’, which has already claimed the life of more than 175 children in the Saharanpur division, has now struck the Meerut division and snuffed out the lives of five children in the area.

Auto stir: Commuters left high and dry
New Delhi, December 2
Hundreds of commuters at the railway stations, inter-state bus terminals and the airports were left to fend for themselves as more than 45,000 autorickshaws in the city went off the road today, protesting against the high-handedness of the authorities in the installation of electronic meters.
A child helps his mother drag their luggage as she looks around for conveyance to ferry them to their destination. — Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal
In video (28k, 56k)

SC wants status report on polluting units
New Delhi, December 2
After inviting the wrath, almost, of the Supreme Court for dilly dallying in phasing out diesel buses, the Government of NCT of Delhi finds itself again in the line of fire, this time over the delay in relocating polluting industries to the outskirts of the Capital.

METRO GETS NOD
Govt pushing Acts through backdoor: Cong
New Delhi, December 2
Between a rock and a hard place. That perhaps best described the Congress’ position in the Rajya Sabha on Monday after Union Urban Development Minister Ananth Kumar moved the Delhi Metro Railway (Operation and Maintenance) Bill 2002. (The Bill was later passed by voice vote.)

Sonepat cops: How to win and influence people
Sonepat, December 2
The Police Department has launched Operation Sadbhavana to check crime against women and improve the police-public relations in Sonepat district and elsewhere. According to police sources, this operation would continue till the end of the current month.

Organisers forget ramps for disabled players
Faridabad, December 2
Officials of Nahar Singh Stadium here are a gleeful lot. After all, they are basking in international glare since they are organising a one-day international cricket match for physically challenged players from India and England tomorrow.

COMMUNITY

Delhi BJP president Madan Lal Khurana addressing a meeting of traders on Monday. The shop adjuncts of a number of traders were demolished in Chandni Chowk on Saturday. — Tribune Photo

IN PARLIAMENT
Higher rent limit proposed under Rent Control Bill 
New Delhi, December 2
The recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Delhi Rent Control Amendment Bill, 1997 envisaged that the monthly rental limits be increased from Rs 3,500 to Rs 7,500 for the purpose of applicability of the Act, informed the Minister of State for Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation, Mr O. Rajagopal, in the Rajya Sabha today.

BHIWANI
IMA chief flayed for calling non-allopathy docs quacks
Bhiwani, December 2
The state branch of the National Integrated Medical Association has flayed the statement of Dr Raman Agarwal, vice-president of the Indian Medical Association, Punjab, for calling the registered medical practitioners quacks.

FACE TO FACE
Dil le gaya munda Punjab da
As a universal language that rises above religion, caste, creed, communities, and that gives man the urge to soar above the mundane and to be one with the sublime, Jasbir Jassi sees music as the means to unite the world. Polite and soft-spoken, he is a typical Punjabi singer with a gorgeous personality. He has gone through the ups and downs of music industry.

Stone of underpass at Madhuban Chowk laid
New Delhi, December 2
The Minister of Tourism, Transport and Power, Mr Ajay Maken, today laid the foundation stone for the construction of an underpass at Madhuban Chowk. Mr S.C. Vats, MLA, Mr Ramesh Sabharwal and Mr Rajeev Talwar, Chairman and MD respectively of Delhi Tourism, were also present on the occasion. 

MCD Councillor creates a scene
New Delhi: Asif Mohammed Khan, an independent councillor from Okhla, today created a scene in the meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) as he tore his clothes, brandished an inkpot and displayed a huge poster to protest against the visit of the municipal commissioner, Mr. Rakesh Mehta, of which he had no prior information.

CRIME

Fake stamp papers worth lakhs seized
Noida, December 2
With the arrest of four persons, the Sector 39 police claimed have busted a gang involved in printing fake stamp papers. Subsequently, the police have seized fake stamp papers worth Rs 2 lakh from them besides some equipment.

Woman, 2 kids run over by train
Sonepat, December 2
A 30-year-old housewife, Mrs Kamlesh, and her three-year-old daughter and six-year-old son were killed on the spot when they were trapped under the speeding Delhi-bound Amritsar Express while crossing the track near Samalkha railway station, about 35 km from here, yesterday.

Notorious escapee rearrested
Ghaziabad: Notorious criminal Harpreet, alias Happy, who had escaped from Ghaziabad police custody over one and a half year ago, has again been arrested by the Special Task Force of UP police early Sunday morning.

BUSINESS

Traders mull over strategy on MRP
Rohtak, December 2
Members of the Haryana Beopar Mandal, led by Mr Lakshmi Chand Gupta, will meet here on December 19 to review the situation in the wake of tax imposed on the MRP of 60 items by the government and decide the future course of action.

Natarajan takes over as CMD of BEML
New Delhi, December 2
Mr V. R. S. Natarajan assumed charge as the new Chairman & Managing Director of Bharat Earth Movers Ltd today at its corporate office in Bangalore. He had been the Director of Electronics Corporation of India Limited till recently.

SPORTS

Sandeep slams century for Vaisya School
New Delhi, December 2
A crackling knock of 139, studded with 15 boundaries and three huge sixes by Sandeep Kumar and deadly bowling of 3 for 8 by Sumit Goyal helped Vaisya Public School defeat St. Giri School, Rohini by 41 runs in a league match of the first St. Giri Under-15 Cricket Tournament at the Paschim Vihar Sports Complex ground.

Rajdhani Sports enter final

Young Friends collect full points

Indian Airlines to meet Air India in final New Delhi, December 2 Indian Airlines will take on Air India in the final of the 13th Lal Bahadur Shastri Hockey Tournament at the Shivaji Stadium on Tuesday at 2 p.m. Indian Airlines players on the attack against Bangladesh in the semi-final match of the Shastri Hockey Tournament at the Shivaji Stadium in the Capital on Monday. — Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal.

ITBP honours sportspersons
New Delhi, December 2
Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) director-general S C Chaube organised a felicitation function to honour sportspersons of the force who brought laurels from national and international competitions. Deserving sportspersons were given cash awards and promotion under the ten per cent unqualified quota in sports category.

Assam school drub St. Sain
New Delhi, December 2
Bamungoan High School, Bongaigaon (Assam) drubbed St. Sain Convent High School, Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh) 5-0 in the Subroto Cup Football Tournament at the Ambedkar Stadium on Monday. Durga Boro, Manikant Bramha, Fwjwbswrang Wary and Ramwndi Navzaring (2) were the goal-scorers.

DAV School record big victory
New Delhi, December 2
DAV School, Shalimarbagh defeated Saviour Convent School, Paschim Vihar by eight wickets in the second Ganga School Under-17 Cricket Tournament at the Ganga School ground. The match was inconsequential as both the teams had already qualified for the semi-finals.

• Ganga School staff win

Hewlett Packard beat Hudco
New Delhi, December 2
Hewlett Packard beat Hudco by 121 runs in the sixth D G Phadkar Memorial Cricket Tournament at the Venkateswara College ground. Scores: Hewlett Packard: 171 for 5 in 25 overs (Sandeep Tockoo 47 n.o, 3x4; Vivek Dwivedi 33, 2x4; Rakesh Choudhry 24, 2x4; Suresh Negi 2 for 39).

Aviva edge past Churchill India

St. Giri Under-13 Cricket

Simla Youngs hold Mughals New Delhi, December 2 Simla Youngs held Mughals to a goalless draw in the opening Group A League match of the Delhi Soccer Association (DSA)-SAIL Open Clubs Senior Division Football League Championship at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium east ground on Monday.