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Walia gets finance, Yusuf
power New Delhi, December 15 Dikshit allocated the portfolios to her Cabinet colleagues during an informal meeting of the Cabinet soon after her Ministry was sworn in. The official announcement was made in the evening. AK Walia, the only minister to have completed the full five-year term in the last government, bags the portfolios of finance and planning. He headed the department of health in the last government. Walia retains the portfolios of urban development and public works. He will oversee the construction and upkeep of fly-overs and roads, which is a priority area for the government. Raj Kumar Chauhan will head the departments of development, revenue; irrigation and flood; food and civil supplies; environment and forest; and SC / ST Welfare. He had the portfolio of education in the last government. He will now hold the portfolios earlier handled by Haroon Yusuf and the late Deep Chand Bandhu. Yusuf, Walia and Chauhan are the three ministers to have been retained in the new Council of Ministers. Yusuf will now head the departments of power and transport. Ajay Maken, whom the party has nominated for the post of Speaker of Delhi Legislative Assembly, had headed the departments of power and transport in the previous government. Yoganand Shastri, who makes a comeback after being dropped two years ago, will handle the departments of health and social welfare. Mangat Ram Singhal will be the new industries minister. Singhal will also hold the portfolios of labour, employment, election, land and building. The youngest member of the Cabinet, Arvinder Singh Lovely, will be the education minister. The lone Sikh in the Council of Ministers, Arvinder will also head the departments of tourism; art, culture and languages; gurdwara election and gurdwara administration. The chief minister will continue to hold the charge of all the other departments. She retains the portfolios of administrative reforms; general administration and home. |
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Legal Corner New Delhi, December 15 This was an ornamental park meant for recreation but it is being misused by the agencies concerned for earning money. They allow marriage and other celebrations in the park for which they charge money. Allowing such functions in ornamental parks is a violation of the statutory functions of the DMC Act of 1957 which provides residents the right to use public parks for recreation. The notices were issued in response to a civil writ petition submitted by Mr Rajinder Raj. The petitioner prayed for prohibiting marriage functions and directing the authorities concerned to develop the park as an ornamental park. The petitioner also wanted to prevent the nuisance generated by people who organised functions in public parks located inside he localities. The petition said the MCD and other authorities perpetually violated the statutory provisions of the DMC Act and the Constitution of India. The Gujranwala Cooperative Housing Building Society purchased 3.14 acres of land from the DDA in 1970 for construction of a residential building from the Delhi Development Authority. The DDA approved the layout plan as per the Master Plan. The park was also shown in the layout plan. The MCD took over the colony in 1983 after receiving development charges, including those for horticulture to provide parks and greenery with other civic amenities, the petition says. The petition says the MCD violated the DDA’s revised layout plan and Master Plan from 1985. Instead of performing its statutory duties to develop the park as an ornamental one, the MCD allowed misuse of B Block Park for marriage functions in connivance with the Deputy Director, Horticulture. The tent owners and others kick up a ruckus in the park after the function. The park is considered as a health giving lung of the colony but in the B Block park people get noise and gas pollution as their share. Besides, high-pitched noise from drums and DJ sound system, parking problems and road jams, using open space as wine bars and urinals create conditions leading to great discomfort to women. The petitioner contacted senior officers of the department concerned in the corporation and the Delhi Government to prevent misuse of the public parks but to no avail. The petition says the petitioner had meetings with the MCD for maintenance of the park following which the Town Planning Department of the corporation took over the parks’ maintenance. The development charges were sought by the area residents who deposited it. Thereafter, instead of making it an ornamental park the MCD had been misusing it by permitting marriage functions. |
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Balli accuses Akalis of non-cooperation during
polls New Delhi, December 15 “Senior Akali leader Onkar Singh Thapar and SAD Delhi unit chief Avtar Singh Hit sided with my opponents during the Assembly elections,” Mr
Balli, a former Minister, said. The BJP leader was re-elected for a third time from Delhi’s Hari Nagar constituency from where the Akalis have been pressing the ally to let them fight elections because of huge presence of Sikh voters. However, the BJP has rejected their demand by fielding its Sikh warhorse Balli from the seat since 1993. Putting up a defence against Mr Balli’s charges of non-cooperation, Mr Hit said the BJP leader did not seek his party’s help during the campaign. “We moved across the Capital in support of the BJP and in accordance with SAD High Command directives. But in the case of Mr
Balli, we were never invited to participate in his canvassing,” said Mr Hit, who heads the SAD in Delhi. Earlier, the SAD’s Delhi unit had expressed resentment over the allocation of seats to its four candidates by the BJP, saying the ally offered only those constituencies which it itself felt shy of fighting. All four Akalis, who fought elections on the BJP’s lotus symbol, suffered crushing defeats, prompting sharp reactions from critics of SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal who ahead of the elections had called upon Delhi Sikhs to support the BJP. “All the four Akalis suffered humiliating losses and the Congress was also re-elected to power, which shows that Mr Badal has also lost his political hold on the Sikhs in Delhi,” Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) chief Prehlad Singh Chandok said. In September, Mr
Chandok, a close associate of the then President of India Giani Zail Singh, was elected DSGMC president in a move that ended the two-decade-old sway of the SAD over the religious affairs of the Sikhs. |
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Blackout New Delhi, December 15 Multi System Operators, including Siti, Hathway and Spectranet, switched off pay channels in South Delhi, the first zone notified for CAS implementation from midnight, so that only free-to-air channels were available to consumers without a set-top box. There are a few concessions though. The cable operators, showing magnanimity, have allowed the telecast of a few channels for a while. People can catch the ongoing cricket match and other popular soaps on Star Plus and Sony, to be telecast free for some more time. Cable operators confirmed that they have stopped the telecast of all pay channels from midnight last night in the Zone I notified for CAS. Cable Operators Federation of India chief Roop Sharma said though their service was meant for the second zone, West Delhi, she was fully supportive of the MSOs’ move. However, government maintained a silence on the issue, with no Information and Broadcasting Ministry official available for comment. Thus, as per the prices already announced earlier, free to air channels like Aaj Tak, Zee News, DD etc will all be available for a standard Rs 72 package. Individual pay channel prices have already been announced besides the bouquet prices of various broadcasters like Zee, Sony and Star. Notices to 20
private schools
in Faridabad Faridabad: The Haryana State Education Board (HSEB) authorities have issued notices to at least 20 private schools in the district, asking them to place before it their records and other details. It has warned them of strict action, including de-recognition and withdrawal of the Board’s affiliation, if the managements of the notified schools failed to respond. While eight of these schools are located in Faridabad town, three are in Ballabgarh, two each in Hodal and Palwal and the rest in various parts of the district. The HSEB authorities had earlier directed these schools to furnish their records on December 9 last, but it is learnt that only two schools had followed the orders. Last month, a Board team had conducted surprise checks on private schools, which are affiliated to the state education board, and found several irregularities. According to Board sources, the attendance registers of students and the staff were not found on the premises of many schools during the raids. TNS |
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BJP rally at Hansi to be addressed by Advani,
Naidu Sonepat, December 15 He also said that the party workers were jubilant on the success of the party in these states and were prepared to face the challenges posed by the Opposition parties, particularly the Congress party. Referring to the politics in Haryana, he blamed the Chief Minister, Mr Om Parkash Chautala, of trying to marginalise the BJP. However, Mr Chautala had failed in this regard, he said. He alleged that Mr Chautala had instituted false criminal cases against the party stalwarts and let loose a reign of terror on them. He said this had caused widespread resentment among the party workers and they would teach a lesson to Mr Chautala in the next Assembly elections in the state. Mr Sangwan also ruled out any alliance of the BJP with any other party in the next Assembly elections. He said the BJP would contest the elections on its own. The people of the state, he said, were fed up with the ruling INLD and the anti-people policies of Mr Chautala and wanted a change. The BJP would provide an alternative to the INLD and the Congress party in the state, he declared. The BJP leader also disclosed that the party would be holding a massive rally on December 28 at Hansi, which would be addressed among others by the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L. K. Advani and the party president, Mr Venkaiya Naidu. He said ‘Jan Jagran Yatras’ have already started from Mahindergarh, Rohtak, Hisar, Bhiwani and Sirsa to make the rally a success. The ‘Jan Jagran Yatras’ would continue until December 21, he said. During the yatras, the leaders would highlight the programmes and polices as well as the achievements of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. |
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Housing Board colonies or
shanty towns? Faridabad, December 15 While a majority of the residents who opted for owning a dwelling in such colonies seem to be unhappy and dissatisfied with the standard of construction and the building material used many of them have disposed off their plots and houses after finding better opportunities. According to a resident of the Housing Board colony in Sector 3 here, there was hardly any house in the colony which had not been renovated by the owners although many were still paying the installments towards the cost of the house in many colonies. There are at least eight Housing Board colonies in the district but the civic amenities and other infrastructure are quite bad in a majority of the inhabited areas. The Housing Board colonies present a poor picture of development and have been reduced to being slum-like areas with all kind of encroachments and stray animals and jhuggi dwellers having a free run, says Kailash Sharma, a resident of the Housing Board colony of Sector 10 here. He went on to say the Residents Welfare Association of the colony had given a representation to the authorities to stop trespassing and encroachment in the colony by unauthorised persons. He said hundreds of jhuggis had come up in Sector 10 and as the colony had no boundary wall. As a result, incidents of thefts had been on the rise. He said vacant plots were being used as open air dustbins and there was no cleanliness in the colony. He said residents in many areas had been paying for keeping their surroundings clean and employing private security guards or watchmen in the area. Mr Subhash Lamba, a resident of the Sector 3 Housing Board Colony, said the promised infrastructure and maintenance was lacking and due to the careless attitude of the authorities concerned the problem of encroachment had became serious. It may be recalled hundreds of houses in the Housing Board colonies here had become the target of the demolition drive that was launched this year. Unauthorised extension on front and back sides of the houses in these colonies had been demolished. The demolished houses presented pictures similar to that of the quake-hit Bhuj town of Gujarat, said a resident of the Housing Board colony in Sector 19 here. While residents suffered losses to the tune of several crores in the demolition drive, it is reported that a similar amount had been given as a bribe by the residents for making extensions and unauthorised constructions earlier. The demand of the residents for better facilities is still to be fulfilled. Mr H. S. Rathi of the Sector 10 Housing Board colony said the roads in their colony were badly damaged and no one had come to patch the potholes, putting people travelling on these roads at a great risk. He claimed the treatment given to the Housing Board colonies was substandard and of second grade as compared to the HUDA sectors. |
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No qualms about sealing the road for private
function Sonepat, December 15 According to a report, very few in this city feel it worth their while to hire a banquet hall for the ceremony and the reception. After all, roads are public property. Nobody thinks twice before cordoning off a section of a lane and putting up a striped tent, a shamiana complete with chairs and other paraphernalia. The poor man who has to use the road or street to get to his destination has to manoeuvre his way as best he can through crowds of wedding guests. However, motorists have to make a long detour. The authorities have failed to take action against people who are in the habit of closing the streets and roads for holding marriage and social functions. Meanwhile, the season of Bhagwati Jagran is at a peak these days. These late-night jagrans not only disturb the residents of the city but also create problems for the police. The recent spurt in incidents of theft has already worried the police and they have taken to intensive night patrolling. They believe some criminals mix with the devotees at Bhagwati jagrans and after sometime sneak into deserted houses. There, they have a free hand in committing robberies, thefts and burglaries.. The district and police administration have failed to fix the time for holding of Bhagwati jagrans and curb the use of loudspeakers after midnight. |
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e-enabled facility for EPF
launched Noida, December 15 Through this new e-mail facility, prompt communication on all matters requiring immediate attention and updating on the latest information will be effected. This facility provides greater flexibility level and communication can be made at a faster pace without multiplicity of effort. The target audience can be easily selected as per the requirement and at a single click of a button communication can be sent to all establishments in the selected category. This facility will primarily enable direct attention of employers for timely submission of returns and deposition of remittances. This new system will put in place a dynamic en-enabled compliance mode, Mr Dabas said. The Additional Commissioner, PF, expressed pleasure on the performance of Sub-Accounts Office here, considering that 71.35 per cent claims were settled within 30 days during November 2003. He said that this figure was a mere 3.64 per cent in June 2003. Despite acute shortage of space and staff the Sub Accounts Office here has issued 3.60 lakh account slips since April 2003. He expected that with e-enabled mass communication facility the Noida office will achieve greater customer satisfaction. |
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You have to be tough to travel on this passenger
train Sonepat, December 15 This train is generally overcrowded. To make things worse milkmen keep their huge containers without any proper booking near the main entrance of the coaches, thereby preventing passengers from boarding or getting down. As there are no footboards in the EMU trains the passengers have to jump out of the coaches in a bid to get down from the train during the period of the halt. If they cannot do so they have to travel in the train ticketless up to the next railway station. It is alleged that the milk vendors also travel in the suburban trains. They hold monthly session tickets (MSTs) and occupy most of the space with their huge containers in the coaches without any proper booking. They always kept their huge containers near the main entrance of the coaches. This has been causing great hardships to the passengers. The women passengers have repeatedly sent representations to the railway authorities, demanding action against the milk vendors but all their complaints made to them in this regard have fallen on deaf ears. The women passengers have appealed to the Union Railway Minster, Mr Nitish Kumar, to travel in this train incognito and see for himself the problems faced by women passengers who are forced to travel standing all the way to their destinations. On account of the overcrowding in suburban trains, the actual problem, however, is of seats in the coaches. The MSTs issued to the commuters and the tickets to the bona fide passengers do not seem to guarantee right for a seat in the trains. More tickets than seats available are sold at every railway station. Many passengers say they cannot remember a single day when they reached Delhi or back home sitting on the seats in these trains. Visiting platform no 1 of the railway station this correspondent saw passengers running from one coach to another to grab a seat. This made the pandemonium understandable. Meanwhile, non-stoppage of the Amritsar-bound Superfast and the Bathinda-bound Delhi-Bathinda Inter-City Express at the Subzi Mandi railway station is causing hardships to the passengers as they cannot board them in the wake of the late running of the Amritsar-bound Flying Mail, which always runs behind schedule for hours together since it has been extended to Darbhanga (Bihar). Almost all coaches of this train remain empty as the passengers travel in other trains which run on schedule. |
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IN PARLIAMENT New Delhi, December 15 The contract includes the manufacturing of 180 coaches in India with ‘’progressive indigenisation’’, he said. Some Indian companies like Alstom India, Amco Power and Autometer Alliance have been engaged by the consortium for the supply of equipment for the coaches, he added. Rs 18.12 Lakh for
illuminating Red Fort The Minister of Tourism and Culture, Mr Jagmohan, informed the Lok Sabha that the Ministry has allocated Rs 18.12 Lakh for illuminating the Red Fort and Rs 8.32 for the wall of the Walled City. For the purpose of ‘Sound and Light Show’ at the Red Fort and for the illumination of the rear side of the Fort, the amount sanctioned is Rs 38 lakh, while Rs 16.76 lakh has been ear marked for the illumination of the rest of the Fort. Rs 46.70 cr allocated to CGHS The Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Ms Sushma Swaraj in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha said that AIIMS has 13 ambulances, Safdarjung Hospital has 19, LHMC and associated hospitals have eight and RML Hospital has 10 ambulances, and all of these are in working condition. She also informed the House that Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute had withdrawn credit facilities to the CGHS pensioner beneficiaries from November this year, but has restored credit facilities from the ninth of this month. Ms. Swaraj said that there was a delay in clearance of the bills of private hospital recognised under CGHS, Delhi, because of budgetary constraints. She said additional funds amounting to Rs 46.70 crore had been allocated to CGHS, Delhi, for clearing the pending bills of these hospitals. |
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NCR BRIEF Ghaziabad (Hapur), December 15 According to the Circle Officer, Rajbir Tyagi, the criminals refused to stop when the police party waved them down. Instead, the criminals on motorbike tried to flee. When the criminals fired at the police party, the police fired back at them. Unable to cope with the counter police firing, the criminals surrendered to the police. On being frisked, a revolver and knives were recovered from the criminals, who identified themselves as Wasim alias Guddu of a Malviya Nagar of New Delhi, and Asghar of Ghanaura in Jyoti Phule Nagar. They told the police that the motor cycle belonged to the brother of a advocate, Harmik Singh of Rasoolpur, which they had stolen in October 2003. On intensive interrogation, they helped the police find two more motorbikes from the jungle of Bachholota, the SO said. One of them had been stolen from Kalka Manir, New Delhi, about a week ago. They said that they used to sell the stolen vehicles in other states. During interrogation, they informed the police about their other accomplices, who belonged to Delhi, Haryana, Ghaziabad and Meerut. Brick kiln association to ban entry of tile bricks from Delhi Sonepat: The brick kiln association unanimously decided to ban the entry of tile bricks from Delhi in Sonepat district. The resolution to this effect was unanimously passed in a meeting on Sunday presided over by the district president of the association, Mr Satpal, and attended by prominent members including Mr Suraj Bhan Malik, Mr Maman Singh, Mr Fateh Singh, Mr Madan Lal, Mr Narender, Mr Virender Malik, Mr Narender Bansal and Mr Rajbir. Giving information regarding the decisions taken at the meeting, Mr Suraj Bhan Malik, the president of Gohana unit of the association, told mediapersons that it had been made clear that a fine of Rs 25,000 would be imposed on those found selling bricks at lower rates than those fixed by the association. He said the association had fixed rates of Rs 1,450 per thousand for the best quality bricks and Rs 1,700 for tiles. The decision was taken following reports that some of the kiln owners were selling bricks at lower rates which had resulted in mismanagement of the business, he said. “If any one was found bringing tile bricks from Delhi, the association will not only impose a fine of Rs 25,000, but would also seize the tiles,” he said. It was also decided in the meeting that no bricks would be supplied to the contractors engaged in government auctioned works until they cleared all pending payments, he added. |
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Offering life solutions to troubled
minds New Delhi, December 15 Nalin Nirula, a Reiki expert for the last two decades, claimed that people suffering from physical, emotional and spiritual problems approached them to get relief. “I used to perform ‘radical synthesis’ and apply alternative healing methods on them. This way the blocks in our system were modified through the enormous energy available around us.” “We addressed a broad spectrum of issues and analysed it in depth in order to offer solutions to the people,” he added. The duo offers treatments such as synthesis of pranic healing, Reiki, magnet healing, mantra and power healing, crystal therapy and light therapy. While Nalin treated people through the Reiki system along with homeopathy, ayurveda, herbal medicine, symbols and devices, his wife Renoo delved in the past and predicted the future of those approaching her for treatment. People with medical problems such as depression, cancer, degenerative bone diseases, migrane, chronic diseases, eye diseases and so on approached them for relief. “We help people to help themselves, and primarily take away the fear syndrome from their minds,” adding “people are really surprised by the consistent results offered by us,” said Renoo. |
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Woman among 3 injured as motorcycle loses
balance Sonepat, December 15 According to a report, the injured persons were identified as Mr Jagdish of Ahir Majra village, his mother Mrs Dhanpati and his son Tilak Ram. All the injured persons were hospitalised and were stated to be out of danger. It is stated that the motorcycle hit a hit dog crossing the road, due to which the motorcycle lost balance and led to the accident.
4 injured in car
accident At least four persons, including a woman, were injured when the car in which they were travelling was hit by a tractor on the G T Road near Murthal Chowk, about 8 km from here last evening. The car was on its way from Delhi to Panipat. All the injured persons were rushed to the local civil hospital for treatment. The tractor driver, however, managed to escape immediately after the accident. The police have registered the case and launched a hunt to apprehend the driver.
Boy hurt A five-year-old boy, identified as Vijay, was seriously injured when he was hit by a Maruti van while crossing the road near Jatheri village, about five km from here last evening. The injured boy, who belonged to the ‘20th Mile area’, was rushed to the local civil hospital from where he was referred to a trauma centre at Delhi for further treatment.
SOS to police chief A resident of village Deepalpur sought protection for his life and property, alleging that another person of his village in connivance with some police personnel wanted to encroach upon his plot and house. In a complaint to the Superintendent of Police, Sonepat, Mr Balbir Singh, the aggrieved alleged that Begraj of the village along with ASI Krishan Raj and other police personnel tried to demolish the boundary wall of his house. (Plot NO.134) the complainant claimed that Begraj did not have any order either from the court or any other competent authority in this regard. |
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Criminals arrested for extorting money, arms seized New Delhi, December 15 One country-made weapon, two live cartridges, button-actuated knife, two gold bangles and a mobile phone were recovered from their possession. Based on a secret information that the robbers would be passing through Bali Nagar to extort Rs 30,000 from a businessman, the police laid a trap and apprehended the criminals. The accused used stolen motorcycles and cars to commit the crimes and later abandoned the vehicles.
Development Officer held for accepting bribe The Anti-Corruption Branch arrested one Krishan Gopal Sharma, a Development Officer of United India Insurance Company, for accepting bribe. Krishan Gopal Sharma, a resident of East Shalimar Bagh, was arrested red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 15,000 from one Karan Singh.
Load shedding announced The North Delhi Power Limited (NDPL) announced power shutdown on Tuesday in different areas due to revamping of substation in Shalimar Bagh, Keshavpuram, Civil Lines and Rohini. The load shedding in Shalimar Bagh will be from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M. The affected areas will be Ramgarh Block A and C. There will be no electricity in Keshavpuram from 11 A.M. to 5 P.M. The area affected will be Lawrence Road. The Civil Lines areas of Court Lane and Old Police Lines will also be affected from 10 A. M. to 5 P.M., while G Block of sector 3 in Rohini will be affected from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M. |
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Criminal arrested Sonepat: A notorious criminal, identified as Arvind Chauhan, stated to be the member of the Surinder Barwala gang, was arrested during night patrolling by the Rai police near the Yamuna river, about 15 km from here last night. According to a report, the criminal made an attempt to escape but was overpowered by the police after a hot chase. During the course of interrogation, the arrested criminal stated that he had been living in the Ashok Nagar area and confessed his involvement in at least seven murders. He was nabbed while he was on his way to UP for committing another crime. The police have registered the case and intensified the patrolling of the Yamuna belt to check the activities of the criminals and the anti-social elements operating in the area.
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