TOP STORIES

Steps mooted to rationalise
house tax structure
New Delhi, January 1
The Municipal Valuation Committee, headed by Mr. OP Kelkar, which examined the rationalisation of Unit Area value system for the purpose of house tax, has come up with a slew of recommendations.

Marginal rise in temperature 
New Delhi, January 1
The New Year brought with it sunshine and a marginal increase in the Capital’s temperature. The first day of the year saw the cold wave relenting, with the sun showing up in the forenoon and the night and day temperatures rising.


A couple of bravehearts ventured out in the forenoon as the Sun showed up, albeit faintly, in the Capital on New Year’s Day. — Tribune photo by Mukesh Aggarwal

Delhi Zoo
Blankets and trenches fail to keep
out the cold
New Delhi, January 1
The denizens of Delhi zoo are bearing the brunt of the cold wave. Already the cold has claimed a 12-year-old lion, two Sambar and a spotted deer. 

Dense fog disrupts train services
Sonepat, January 1
Train services on the Delhi-Ambala-Kalka (DUK) section of the Northern Railway continued to remain disrupted today on account of dense fog engulfing the region for the 12th day thereby stranding thousands of passengers at Sonepat and nearby railway stations.

Allies should not set terms on Cong leadership: Sheila

New Delhi, January 1 Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has asserted that potential allies should not insist on who the Congress leader should be and that her party would have the right to claim prime ministership for Sonia Gandhi, if it emerges the largest party in an alliance. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit being felicitated on her re-election by the Citizens of Delhi in the Capital on Thursday.  — Tribune photo by Mukesh Aggarwal

Help of panchayat sought to curb copying menace
Sonepat, January 1
The Board of School Education, Haryana, has decided to seek the help of the gram panchayat and other public representatives for curbing the menace of copying in the next annual examinations of the Board.

in a nutshell
Five die as car veers out of control, rams into tree
Jhajjar, January 1
In a tragic incident, five persons, all occupants of a car, died when their vehicle rammed into a tree near Rohad bypass on Delhi-Rohtak road here today. According to information, the five persons, travelling in a Honda Accent car, were going towards Rohtak from Delhi. Due to foggy conditions, the driver lost control and the car rammed into a Safeda tree on the roadside The car was reportedly running at full speed at the time of accident.

POLITICS

I’ll contest against Ajay Chautala: Bansi’s son 
Sonepat, January 1
The secretary general of the Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) and a former member of Parliament, Mr Surinder Singh, has announced that he would contest the next Lok Sabha election against Mr Ajay Chautala, MP, and a son of Mr Om Prakash Chautala, Chief Minister.

COMMUNITY

Darbars and meetings: Going through the motions
Faridabad, January 1
The New Year is being ushered in, but the official machinery is unlikely to change its ways, especially in the matter of redressal of grievances. Most of the complaints that are put up at the monthly meeting of the district grievances committee, chaired by the Chief Minister, are of a very general nature and could be easily tackled at the local level. Even these complaints are not addressed due to lack of a proper follow up.

(Left to Right) Professor G.K.Chadha, Vice-Chancellor, JNU, Dr Karan Singh, MP, Rajya Sabha, and Mr N.N. Vohra, Representative of Government of India for Jammu & Kashmir, at the release of the book, Discovery of Kangra, authored by Dr A.C. Katoch, Administration Officer, IIC, at a function in the Capital on Thursday. — Photo by Kamal Singh

Solid waste management project hangs fire
Sonepat, January 1
The prestigious solid waste management project for Sonepat has reportedly hung in the balance following disagreement in Jahri village panchayat to sell 15 acres of panchayat land to Sonepat Municipal Council for construction of treatment plant (compost plant).

Residents protest against blackout
Jhajjar, January 1
Residents of Hasanpur village blocked Jhajjar-Kosali Road in protest against blackout in their village due to technical fault in the transformer in their village.

ncr briefs
Gang of railway robbers held
New Delhi, January 1
The Crime Branch sleuths have arrested a gang of robbers who used to loot the railway passengers by administering drugs. The accused Mustaq, Hamu Miyan and Sher Khan, residents of Bihar, were arrested from the Ajmeri Gate side while they were in the process of befriending passengers. The accused used to offer eatables laced with soporific drug to make them unconscious.

Delhi Digest
Gairola is new SBI CGM
New Delhi, January 1
Mr B. K. Gairola has taken over as the Chief General Manager of State of Bank of India’s Delhi circle. He has moved to the city from Mumbai where he was posted as the Chief General Manager (offg).

NTPC Director (Operations)

BUSINESS

World-class technology park for Faridabad
New Delhi, January 1
Good news for the residents of Haryana! The Haryana Government on December 30 cleared the licence for the Haryana Technology Park Project in Faridabad. The foundation stone was laid by the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, on August 18, 2003.

EDUCATION

SFI opposes proposed legislation on varsities 
New Delhi, January 1
The Students Federation of India (SFI) condemning the proposed model act on universities, has appealed to the students and the academic community to oppose it jointly.

MCD school students lacking basic facilities: Arya
New Delhi, January 1
The Leader of Opposition in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Mr Subhash Arya, said that children of the poor families who studied in MCD schools faced hardship as a large number of schools run in tents, without floors, electricity, textbooks and drinking water. Jersey was not distributed among the students this year.

1,810 cadets taking part in NCC Republic Day camp 

New Delhi, January 1 The NCC Republic Day camp 2004 began here with the opening address by the Lt. Gen. B H Bopanna, AVSM, VSM, Director General NCC. A total of 1,810 cadets including boys and girls drawn from over 16 NCC Directorates covering all the states and Union Territories of the company are participating in the Republic Day camp. Lt General B K Bopanna interacting with the NCC cadets in the Capital on Thursday.

Alakh named president of Youth Hostel Association of India
Sonepat, January 1
A well-known social activist, Mr T. C. Alakh, has been unanimously elected as the president of the Sonepat unit of the Youth Hostel Association of India. According to a report, the other office-bearers elected are: Dr P. M. Gaur (Chairman), Ram Avtar Gupta, Pradeep Gautam and Dr Shakuntala Gakhar (Vice-Presidents), Bal Kishan Sharma (Secretary), Prof O. P. Garg and C. D. Aneja (Organising Secretaries) and K. K. Garg (Treasurer).

CULTURE

artscape
A tribute to simplicity and innocence
Montage Arts is showcasing the works of the renowned artist, Suhas Nimbalkar at the Shridharani Art Gallery, Triveni Kala Sangam from January 2 to January 10. Entitled “Jhini Jhini Bini Chadariya”, the exhibition is a humble tribute to simplicity and innocence for which the artist is known in the art world.

Sweet and sour Heritage music

‘Celebration of Life’ a moving play

HEALTH

Army Medical Corps anniversary celebrated
Meerut, January 1
Ten-day-long celebrations in connection with the 240th anniversary of Army Medical Corps ended here on Thursday. On the concluding day, a gala function was held in the Pagal Gymkhana Ground, where all officers, nursing officers, JCOs and other ranks civilian employees participated in various group activities and sports events.

SPORTS

Sabya, Arpit shine in Frank Anthony’s victory
New Delhi, January 1
Deadly bowling by Sabya Banerjee (3 for 22) and Arpit Upadhyay (3 for 23) helped Frank Anthony Public School defeat Guru Harkrishan Public School (GHPS), Vasant Kunj by five runs in the fifth R G Williams Memorial Under-15 Cricket Tournament at the Frank Anthony School ground.

B L Kashyap lift cricket cup

New Delhi, January 1 Fine performances by Naresh Sidhu (2 for 13) and Monu Thaapa (35 n o off 13 balls) helped B L Kashyap and Sons defeat SG by five wickets in the third Turf Twenty20 Cup Cricket Tournament at the Guru Gobind Singh ground. The BL Kashyap team, who annexed the Turf Twenty Cup Cricket Trophy, with Modern School physical education director V K Baweja.

Punjab Police struggle to win
New Delhi, January 1
Punjab Police scored a narrow 1-0 victory against Delhi XI in A Pool A match of the sixth Chatrapati Shivaji Hockey Tournament for the Dhyan Chand Cup at the Shivaji Stadium on Thursday.

Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities Tarlochan Singh, on behalf of the International Council of Punjabis, presenting a memento to promising tennis player Navdeep Singh, who won the DSCL Open National Tennis Championship Under-18 title on the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association court recently.

Vikram Dhariwal guides India to victory
New Delhi, January 1
A swashbuckling unbeaten 92, off 94 balls and studded with 10 boundaries, and a devastating bowling spell of 5 for 19 by Harvinder Singh enabled India beat West Indies by 228 runs in a Group A League match of the Commonwealth Under-19 Cricket Tournament at the K D Singh Babu Stadium in Lucknow.

Rakesh Shukla named Pondicherry coach
New Delhi, January 1
Former Test player Rakesh Shukla has been appointed as the coach of the Pondicherry New Areas Development Programme of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Delhi and District Cricket Association vice-president C K Khanna announced here today.