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MLAs, councillors roped in for awareness drive
BJP flays govt for failing to contain spread of meningitis
Govt not prepared to tackle natural disaster: L-G
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CM defends her style of functioning
Govt finalising power pacts to ease summer woes
Union Home Secretary visits police headquarters
Six officers under scanner in land scam
It’s all wages and no work for six Noida officers
2 killed, 29 injured in road mishap
Chargesheeted man gets clean chit from
the same cop
DCP directed to probe ‘false’ case against boy
Extortionists arrested
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MLAs, councillors roped in for awareness drive
New Delhi, May 6 As the number of meningitis casualties rose by one today, with one patient dying in Kalavati Saran Hospital here, and the number of cases rising by 20 to touch 111 today, the Health Minister, Mr Yoganand Shastri, convened a meeting of MLAs and councillors of the Walled City area, where the incidence of the disease has been the maximum. The meeting decided to entrust the elected representatives with the task of distributing pamphlets among the local people. The printed material—in Hindi and Urdu—would give directions on what all should be done and avoided to check the spread of
meningitis. The meeting noted that there was no need for the people to panic, adding that vaccination against the disease was not really necessary. ‘’The only thing is that one should be prompt about getting hospitalised if there are any symptoms (like sickness, fever, fatigue and rashes on the body) seen,’’ he added, noting that immunisation was necessary for only those in direct and repeated contact with confirmed cases, like the attending doctors and paramedical staff. Mr Shastri reiterated that meningococcal A strain, spread through air or infected droplets through the mouth or nose of the patient, is curable through antibiotics. He further said there was sufficient stock of medicines and vaccine. While the Union Government has over 10,000 units of the vaccine ready for distribution, a pharmaceutical company has expressed readiness to supply as many of its stock as required, he added. However, the Chief Minister, Mrs Sheila Dikshit, admitted to a shortage of vaccines in the Capital, but said it would be cleared up in the next couple of days. After the initial hiccup, the state machinery is geared up to counter the disease, she told a meeting at IWPC. The infectious disease was prevalent in high-density areas like the Walled City and Seelampur in East Delhi, she added.
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Meningitis patient critical
Noida, May 6 According to doctors attending to her, she had presented with symptoms of fever, altered
sensorium, rash and convulsions. Lumber puncture confirmed her Cercho Spinal Fluid
(CSF) to be positive for neisseria meningitis. — OC
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BJP flays govt for failing to contain spread of meningitis
New Delhi, May 6 ‘’The bacterial infection can be easily cured by common antibiotics, which are not expensive,’’ he said, while giving clarifications on his earlier statement. ‘’There is no need to panic as major hospitals and private practitioners have sufficient stock of vaccines.’’ The general public need not be vaccinated, Mr Ramadoss said. The government is taking measures to spread awareness among the people about
meningococcemia. Earlier, while replying to supplementaries during question hour, he said the disease was not an epidemic but of bacterial nature, which spread through air and could be easily tackled. The bacterial infection affects brain and blood system in a body. ‘’Let there be no cause of worry. Let there be no apprehension in the minds of the members,’’ the minister said. Meanwhile, the people have been advised to take preventive measures and the National Institute of Communicable Diseases has also undertaken an awareness campaign. He, however, rejected a suggestion to immunise people in Delhi against the disease, saying immunisation is not necessary at this point of time as the meningitis bacteria has a short life span and can be effectively controlled. The BJP has criticised the Delhi Government for not taking adequate steps to contain the spread of the disease. Both the leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly, Prof Jagdish Mukhi and leader of Opposition in MCD, Vijender Gupta, said that the Health Department headed by Minister Yoganand Shastri had failed to tackle the crisis.
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Govt not prepared to tackle natural disaster: L-G
New Delhi, May 6 ‘’Though some awareness has come about (post-tsunami) but preparedness is still not there,’’ he said while inaugurating a
workshop on ‘Disaster Management: Building Synergies’ at the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University here. Though the administration and government agencies were being geared up for preventive measures, mitigating damage to life and property and providing relief, a proper system was yet to be in place, he added. Saying there was no use of technology till there were people at the ground with skills to use it, he called upon the varsity, which was going to shortly open a two-year master’s programme in Disaster Management, to run shorter courses, especially for people working in the field, like city planners, architects, builders, firemen, policemen and doctors. Talking about the recent sting operation carried out by a news channel showing Tihar Jail officials taking bribes, he said transparency, which was not there at present, needed to be brought about in all government departments. He said while strict action would be taken against officials found indulging in corrupt practices, whether or not they were caught on TV the public also need to introspect on the issue, as it was they who give the bribe. Rules were also meant for the people to follow,
he added.
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Narcotics worth crores seized from DU graduate
New Delhi, May 6 This is one of the largest seizure of heroin this year where 4-kg of the dreaded drug of fine quality, 4 kg of opium and cocaine along with Rs 4.14 lakh in cash and a recently brought car were seized, DCP (Narcotics) D. L. Kashyap told mediapersons. ‘’Rakesh Sharma, who earlier worked at the Safdarjung Hospital mortuary, was corrupting the youth with his drug business, and being a Delhi University graduate, he knew where to sell the drugs easily,’’ he said. Kashyap further said, “his Nigerian connections are being investigated and we might soon arrest some of his associates, whom he has named during interrogation,” the DCP said. It was pointed out that Rakesh would even take his pregnant wife and four-year-old son while he would peddle the drugs in places like India Gate. “We had been tracking his movements for quite some time and arrested him on May 3 at Dilli Haat near INA market along with the huge consignment of drugs while he was in his car,” the DCP said. Later, more than Rs 4 lakh and jewellery were also seized from his residence in Krishna Nagar, Safdarjung Enclave. It was pointed out that Rakesh joined the ‘trade’ two years back after his mother-in-law, considered a “big fish of the trade, was paralysed in an attack by rivals”. Rakesh, who is in police remand, will be produced before the court tomorrow.
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UP Govt in Minority Commission’s firing line
Greater Noida, May 6 Mr M. S. Usmani, Vice-Chairman of the National Minority Commission, who visited the G. B. Nagar Collectorate in Surajpur, said while the local police were inquiring into the case, the administration had not requested the government to transfer the probe. After that, the inquiry was handed over to CBCID. It clearly brings out that in order to help the accused, the probe has been shifted. The commission has accepted the fact that all the victims had been done to death in police custody. The local police department is fully answerable for this. The UP Government should immediately pay a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the kith and kin of each victim, Mr Usmani said. It was after the families of the victim had complained to the National Minority Commission, then Vice-Chairman M. S. Usmani, member A. R. Sherwani had reached Dadri on Thursday morning where they met the families of missing junk dealers, Arshad, Aasif and Meherban who requested the Commission to get them justice at any cost. They have been going from pillar to post during last eight months. The parents alleged that the state government had assigned the probe to CBCID without their having made such a request. When Mr Usmani asked the CBCID Police Circle Officer, Rajesh Kumar, as to who had asked him to conduct the inquiry he said they got orders from the administration. But the CO could not show the copy of the order to the Commission members. Then the Commission members met the District Magistrate Santosh Yadav, SSP and other officials in the Collectorate. DM and SSP told Deputy Chairman Minority Commission that they had not requested the state government to hand over the probe to CBCID. The Vice-Chairman Usmani and Member A. R. Sherwani of Minority Commission said they were not at all satisfied at the action taken against the accused cops. If the police administration has failed to arrest 11 cops about whom it had full knowledge how can it nab other criminals in the state. The Commission will shortly meet to review the matter and then state government will be appraised of it, the Mr Usmani said.
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CM defends her style of functioning
New Delhi, May 6 At a meeting with journalists here today, the Chief Minister reiterated that she is fully in command of the situation, asserting that she had no regrets about what she had done. ‘’I am open to all criticism but it should be within the party fora. If it is done in the presence of strangers, I certainly object to it. As a sensitive person, I was pained by what happened in the DPCC executive meeting. I have no regrets for my walkout. I would do it again if a similar situation arises,’’ she said in an interaction with the members of the India Women’s Press Corps here. Ms Dikshit, who had to patch with the DPCC chief, Mr Ram Babu Sharma, after both were recently summoned by party president Sonia Gandhi, also denied that there were any serious differences within the party. In reply to a related question, she said she enjoyed a very comfortable relationship with Ms Gandhi. The CM also denied that there was anything wrong with her style of functioning and dismissed criticism that bureaucracy had become too powerful under her
administration. — TNS
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Govt finalising power pacts to ease summer woes
New Delhi, May 6 The government was doing its best to improve the power situation in the Capital and appropriate pacts were being made with power companies to ensure that there was no shortage of electricity in the Capital this season, he said, after chairing a high-level meeting yesterday that discussed the power scenario in the city, especially East Delhi, and come out with solutions. The minister also told the power distribution companies to disseminate electricity-related information in the larger interest of the consumers. ‘’Grievance of customers must be addressed in a proper manner. All their doubts should be cleared,’’ he said. Dissemination of power-related information must reach the people at large through different media channels, he added. Mr Yusuf also suggested that discom employees must wear uniforms and hold identity cards. Stressing that legitimate interests of the consumers must be protected by all means, he said that the companies must ensure that their personnel at every level were very courteous with the consumers. The meeting was attended by the Member of Parliament from East Delhi, Mr Sandeep Dikshit and area MLAs, besides NDPL and BSES officials.
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Union Home Secretary visits police headquarters
New Delhi, May 6 “Being the national Capital, Delhi continues to remain in focus all the time, but there was nothing, which was a cause for alarm or that things were going out of control. I feel the Delhi Police are doing a fine job,” he said. He further said that we are always striving for excellence and all necessary steps to improve its functioning would be taken-whether logistics, modernisation or welfare. Mr Duggal also said he would see that the Delhi Police becomes one of the finest forces in the world. As a representative of the Union Government, my job would be to see that most of the problems of the Delhi Police was addressed expeditiously. ‘’Their well-being, housing problems and other logistics will be the priority areas.’’ Apart from this, the modernisation drive, keeping in view the changing times and necessities, would be speeded up to see that policemen here rank among world’s best, he added.
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Six officers under scanner in land scam
Greater Noida, May 6 Mr T George Joseph, Member State Revenue Broad, who is inquiring into the land scam, said in Surajpur that proofs of their involvement in the fraud are being collected. According to Joseph, nod has been received for taking action against other officials involved in the transfer of 350 bigha government land in village Amarpur to Greater Noida Authority in exchange. Earlier, George Joseph had spent considerable time in scrutinizing the official correspondence and documents in the concerned files. He had questioned some officials also. However, full probe is being conducted into the transfer of gram samaj land in village Amarpur in the names of Love Sharma, Vivek Sharma and Amit Mishra, sons of two senior IAS officers, he said. There is a long list of officials involved in the scam and the probe can take a couple of months, the Revenue Board member said. Mr George said a case pertaining to two-and-half hectare land in Birainda village having been transferred for Rs 80 lakh, has also come to light, which will be thoroughly inquired into. Irrefutable proofs of the involvement of a senior IAS officer into these land scams have been collected for which administration has been requested in writing to initiate action against the officer. Regarding the fraudulent transfer of 350 bigha public land in Amarpur village during 2002 to the GNIDA, George Joseph has recommended action against them including Deputy District Magistrates, Mange Ram, Chiman, A. K. Singh, Tehsildar Chander Babu Gupta and Greater Noida officials.
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It’s all wages and no work for six Noida officers Noida, May 6 Since August 2003, Chief Maintenance Engineer Yadav Singh, Senior Project Engineer Sandip Chandra, Project Engineer Ved Pal, Chief Planner Ved Pal, Chief Architect Planner Dev Pinjari, Assistant GM N. P. Gautam and Accounts Officer R. P. Bansal have all been drawing their salary regularly for the past 20 months for sitting pretty, a source alleged. All of them are now a part of the office of Chief Executive officer, Noida Authority. The Special Secretary Industries, R. K. Singh, is understood to have written to the Chairman-cum-CEO of the Noida Authority in September 2004 to assign all these officers some work as per the qualifications and experience to each of them. Earlier, on August 29, 2003, Mr Sheshank Shekhar, Secretary, Industries; had written to the Noida Authority on the subject. But surprisingly, neither any action has been made nor any work assigned to all these officers.
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2 killed, 29 injured in road mishap
Noida, May 6 The accident occurred when a blueline bus (No DAL-IPA 2370) was going from Dhula Kuan, New Delhi to Noida, hit the toll barricade on the Delhi-Noida toll road at 10:30 am. Immediately after hitting the barricade, there was a blast and the bus caught fire, the police said. The bus did not have a valid permit to ply on the route, they added. The injured were rushed to Kailash Hospital, where two, Anil Kumar of Memora village, Noida; and Rinkle Gupta, 28, of Dehra Dun, who were among the critically injured, had succumbed to their injuries. Seven critically injured patients are still undergoing treatment at the hospital. The condition of one Deepak Kumar is stated to be very critical. The driver of the bus had fled after the accident. According the reports, as the bus approached the toll tax barricade, the driver seems to have lost its control. Some passengers said the brakes of the bus had failed and it crashed into one of the pillars of the barricade and caught fire. There was a confusion and commotion all around. After hitting the barricade, the bus hit a Maruti Zen car from behind.
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Chargesheeted man gets clean chit from
the same cop
New Delhi, May 6 He noted that after filing the charge-sheet before the court, the Investigating Officer had written a letter to the Commission stating that Shiv Kumar was not involved in the said incident. Mr Singh awarded a three-year jail term to Shiv Kumar and imposed a fine of Rs 500 on the Delhi Election Commission employee, who had been habitually dealing in forged documents, particularly fake vehicle registration certificates, driving licenses and other motor vehicle documents. The sentence against another accused Ashok, who was convicted for the offence with him, could not be pronounced today. The two were arrested on the Rani Jhansi Road by the Bara Hindu Rao police with several forged documents on Oct 11, 1993.
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DCP directed to probe ‘false’ case against boy
New Delhi, May 6 The boy, who was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board Principal Magistrate, Ms Santosh Snehi Mann, on charges of disturbing public tranquility, told the court that the Ashok Vihar SHO had picked him up from his house on the pretext of arranging an interview with a TV channel and he was made to sit in the police station the whole night. The boy was found abusing and threatening a group of people with a stone in his hand on April 4 midnight and was arrested after it was found that he was “likely to go out of control”. The boy’s counsel Rishi Saini told the court that the case was “false and cooked up” and the police was harassing the boy to extort money from his family, the police said. “The submission of the juvenile cannot be ignored considering the facts and circumstances in which he was called by the police personnel on some false pretext. The police cannot be allowed to harass the public and the matter needs probe”, the court said ordering the Vigilance DCP to initiate a probe into the whole issue and submit a report on May 12. The boy was in news recently after he was found guilty on February 17, along with another boy, for raping an eight-month pregnant woman and in a rare reformatory order, was asked by the Juvenile court to perform community service at Bara Hindu Rao Hospital here “so that they are sensitised by serving the people in pain and suffering and realise the trauma the victims and their families go through”.
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Extortionists arrested
New Delhi, May 6 The accused persons arrested have been identified as Brijesh Kumar (32) and Kishan Kumar (27), residents of Ghaziabad. The sleuths received a complaint from one contractor that some persons were threatening him since April 12, 2004, to pay a sum of Rs 25 lakh. The extortionists also demanded Rs 1 lakh as their first installment and directed the victim to pay the money near a petrol pump near Jawahar Lal Stadium on May 5 at around 7 p.m. At around 7.30 pm two persons were spotted and they were arrested by the sleuths while trying to take the suitcase in their possession. The accused disclosed that one Avdesh Tomar was employed with the victim and left the job two months ago.
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Prostitution racket busted
New Delhi, May 6
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