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Unprecedented response to ‘Stree Shakti’ camps
Chock-a-block with visitors, Pragati Maidan stops ticket sale
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HC issues notice to Education Department
Parents accused of selling teenage girl
Kidnapped minor rescued from Etawa
Discoms flayed for electronic meter ‘blunders’
Major fire in Noida factory
Woman commits suicide over dowry demands
Sun City residents clamour for basic services
Helping aids to be given at three camps
Unique scheme of garbage disposal inaugurated
Sunder Bhatti, wife win elections again
Artscape
Symposium on role of trade associations in security
Information officers in district courts appointed
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Unprecedented response to ‘Stree Shakti’ camps
New Delhi, November 20 The Delhi Chief Minister, Mrs Sheila Dikshit, visited the camps at Government School, Chattarpur and Mehrauli, accompanied by the area MLA, Mr Balram Tannwar and senior officials of the Social Welfare Department. The Chief Minister appealed to the women present to be more conscious about their mental and physical health, and proactively seek medical help and counseling whenever required. Identifying anemia, caused due to iron deficiency, and orthopedic disorders of the back and neck as major health problems among Indian women, Mrs Dikshit said that yoga and other alternate system of medication would help address the issue in a major way. She instructed the concerned Social Welfare Department officials to ensure that these services are well organised and made available to all women visiting the camps. The government is already providing free iron tablets to the needy women visiting these camps, she said. Since its inception in February 2002, ‘Stree Shakti’ camps at various locations have benefited more than two lakh women from the economically weaker sections of the society. Organised by the Social Welfare Department of the Government of Delhi in collaboration with Health and Education Departments and AIDS Control Society and Legal Aid Advisory Board apart from NGOs, the ‘Stree Shakti’ camps provide health check-up, counseling for skill development and self-employment and legal aid at a common destination. A comprehensive follow up is also undertaken by various NGOs and staff to keep track of the women receiving treatments at these camps.
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Chock-a-block with visitors,
New Delhi, November 20 Thousands of people, many from the neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, took advantage of the weekend and made a beeline for the Pragati Maidan. Officials said that the decision to shut the sale of tickets was taken after it was discovered that the sprawling grounds were full and there was little space for additional visitors. To prevent stampedes and accidents, the authorities continued to warn the visitors on the public address system to make sure that women and children walked at a distance from the crowds. The police and security personnel had a tough day in controlling crowds both in the open spaces as well as pavilions. The record crowd also had its effect on the traffic in and around the Pragati Maidan as pedestrian took to the streets in search of transportation. The buses were crowded and the autorickshaws had a field day charging inflated flat rates. The beleaguered traffic policemen could do little, as the people were willing to pay. “Thank God it is a Sunday with most of the government offices closed. Other wise it would have created chaos,” commented a senior traffic police officer.
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HC issues notice to Education Department
Faridabad, November 20 Asking why action should not be taken, the Commissioner and the Director of Education (Secondary) have been asked to submit their reply on November 28. The court’s order came recently after the petition filed by the manch alleged that even after adequate time as allotted by the court had elapsed, the Education Department authorities had failed to take any decision regarding their representation submitted to the government several months ago. According to the manch, the high court, in its order delivered on March 11, 2005, had given four months’ time to the department to come out with a proper decision regarding the demands raised by the manch in its PIL filed in the court in 1997. The PIL had requested the court to pass an appropriate order to the state government and the CBSE to discharge their duties by exercising control over the functioning of the private schools, including rational fixation of fee hike, refund of the excess charge collected by the schools from parents in various forms and directing the authorities concerned, including the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), to resume the plots and buildings of the schools for violation of rules. HUDA has allotted plots to a large number of schools here at subsidised rates, but with several conditions and had a clause that if these were found to be violated it could resume the plot. The manch, which had made as many as 30 schools and senior officials of the department party to the case, had prayed that the petition may be taken on board and disposed of in terms of the judgement of the Supreme Court in the case of Modern School, Delhi, versus the Union of India, 2004. The manch has claimed that it had sent reminders to the Chief Minister and Education Minister of Haryana, besides the officials concerned and had visited Chandigarh two times to meet them. It said the visit of a senior official of the department here in August last proved ‘useless’ as neither the parents were given an audience nor the schools provided any cooperation. The manch has alleged a majority of the schools operating on government land had been exploiting the students and parents through hike in fee and other charges and had been making a mockery of the rules with the ‘connivance’ of the officials concerned. A meeting of the Executive Committee of the manch has been convened here on November 27 to discuss the next move.
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Parents accused of selling teenage girl
New Delhi, November 20 The girl, now lodged in Nirmal Chayya here, told the court that she was taken to Patna and sold to a middle-aged man in the name of marriage, her counsel Shalini Saxena alleged. However, her parents have contended that she had eloped with a neighbour. They also contradicted her claim that she was an illiterate. In fact a month after the said “marriage” she escaped from the man and reached her parents home in East Delhi where they refused to take her in, the counsel alleged. Angered by her own parents’ refusal, the girl stormed out of her home. “I don’t want to see my parents, who had at first sold me and later connived to send me back to my unhappiness,” the counsel quoted the girl as having told the court. A missing report was filed on the November 12 by her parents at Anand Vihar police station. On coming to know of it, the girl surrendered in court on her counsel’s advice. “She came to me and told me that she wanted a lady lawyer to tell the court her side of the story,” her counsel said. According to the counsel, the girl told the court that she was 18 years. When the court asked her to produce documentary proof of her age, the victim stated that “no one keeps records of births in our village in Bihar,” the counsel added.
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Kidnapped minor rescued from Etawa
New Delhi, November 20 Sagar Kumar, abducted from Najafgarh area of the city on November 13, was rescued from village Balrampur in Etawa district of UP by a team of Delhi Police on November 16 and has been safely handed over to his parents. Preliminary investigation had revealed that the main accused Vijay Kumar, who used to work in the vegetable shop of the abducted boy’s father for the last two years, had gone missing since the day of the kidnapping. A police team from Delhi accompanied by the boy’s father Jitender Saini went to the native place of Vijay — Ashanda in Etawa district, where they got a tip-off that the accused would be going to his sisterr’s home in village Balampur on November 16. In the meantime, on the night of November 14, the boy’s father received a call from Vijay demanding a ransom of Rs five lakh. Acting on the tip-off, the Delhi Police laid a trap and apprehended Vijay with the help of the local police. The kidnapped boy was safely rescued from his possession, the police said. A country-made pistol was allegedly recovered from Vijay, who was then booked by local police on the charge of having the illegal weapon and sent to judicial custody. On interrogation, he disclosed the names of his four accomplices — Raju, Pappu, Ashok and Sonu. Raju, Ashok and Sonu were arrested in Najafgarh area yesterday, the police said. The accused Raju disclosed that in February this year, he along with Vijay had tried to rob a grocery store in Khaira village of Delhi and the latter had allegedly fired at the shopkeeper in order to prevent him from raising an alarm, the police added.
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Discoms flayed for electronic meter ‘blunders’
New Delhi, November 20 Mr Goel said these Discoms have changed the meters forcibly and they should not be allowed to escape responsibility for blunders they have committed. Mr Goel said the Discoms did not bother to educate the consumers before installing these meters and hence now they should pay the price. The Delhi Government, Discoms and DERC all know about the faulty electronic meters but kept mum at the time. He accused them of deceiving and looting the poor consumers. Mr Goel said the poor people would now be fleeced by the contractors for checking of the wiring. The government should get the wiring checked at its own cost and save the poor people of Delhi from paying hefty amount to contractors. These electronic meters have resulted in heavy inflated bills and the people of Delhi had no choice but either to pay the hefty bills or queue up at the offices of Discoms, said Mr Goel. Mr Goel said he had repeatedly raised the issues of faulty electronic meters and inflated power bills during his padyatra to oppose the unjustified increase in power tariff. Mr Goel said he had been proved right by the expert in deposition before the court. The experts said that these meters are not real energy measurement equipments. He regretted that though the Delhi Right to Information Act came into effect in 2001 and the Centre’s Right to Information Act came into effect a month back, the Discoms are still out of the preview of both of these Acts. He alleged that the Delhi Government has yet to take steps to bring the Discoms under the preview of Right to Information Act. The people have the right to know how much money these Discoms are spending to improve the services and to curtail the power cuts, he added. The people should know the facts about fabricated ARRs these Discoms are submitting. After all
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Major fire in Noida factory
Noida, November 20 A major portion of the factory was gutted. The part of the factory most affected was full of blackened walls with roofs of the sheds of the workshop having been blown away. A lot of steel girdles, iron angles etc could be seen twisted and fallen on the ground from the hinges in the ceiling and walls where they had been fixed. The fire spread due to the chemical boxes and plastic stored in the factory. A considerable part of the factory was saved. No casualty has been reported so far, according to Fire Officer R. P. Gupta. About a dozen fire engines were pressed into service. “We got the information at 1.25 pm and by 1.35 pm we had reached the spot .The fire brigade had to struggle for about two hours to bring the blaze under control with the help of 11 fire engines—seven from Noida and one each from NTPC, LG, Ghaziabad and Delhi. Foam pumps had also been used in controlling and containing the flames, according to Mr Gupta. The workers and vehicles were ordered to be removed to a safe distance, he said. The factory, which manufactures polythene and plastic packing material after printing them, has a huge stock of plastic and polythene. More than 110 tonnes of printing ink alone is estimated to be stored on the premises. As a result of the highly inflammable nature of stores like chemicals and plastic, the blaze spread through the complex in no time, some workers said. Fire brigade officers, police and medical teams had reached within half an hour. Despite being a Sunday, 1000 persons were on shift duty, factory hands said.
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Woman commits suicide over dowry demands
New Delhi, November 20 The incident took place in Rani Bagh area of North-West Delhi this morning. Daljit Kaur, who was married in February 2004, died on the spot after throwing herself from the roof of her third-storey flat in Rani Bagh’s Keshavpuram area. Her child was rushed to the Jaipur Golden Hospital by neighbours where his condition is said to be critical. While the neighbours hinted that dowry demands could be the reason behind the alleged suicide, the police officials said they were still investigating into the matter. The police said that the in-laws of the deceased were allegedly harassing her for dowry. A SDM inquiry into the incident has been ordered.
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Sun City residents clamour for basic services
Gurgaon, November 20 The association today convened a joint meeting of other RWAs to mobilise support in its struggle against the builder. A decision was taken in the meeting to continue their campaign for the basic rights of the residents. A decision has also been taken to initiate a legal battle with the management. In the meantime, the residents will pool their resources and manage the maintenance of essential needs of the colony. The president of Sun City Residents’ Welfare Association, Mr Abhey Poonia said that the management has refused to provide essential services such as water connections, garbage collection or repair of power infrastructure. According to Mr Poonia, the services were withdrawn as the residents did not agree to pay ‘maintenance charges’, an illegal demand of the builder-management. The residents said that the Sun City builder had been given licence by the Director, Town and Country Planning, to set up the colony under Haryana Urban Development and Registration Act, 1975. Under the Act, the builder would maintain the colony at his own cost for five years after procuring a ‘completion certificate’ from the government. This was within the stipulation period and the builder was on the wrong side of the law by asking for maintenance charges. There are about 1,100 houses in the colony. The residents today barged into the maintenance room of the colony developer and remained there for more than two hours. On November 14, the women of the colonies had gheraoed the management personnel in protest against its refusal to get electricity-related repairs done. The residents also got a case registered against the management personnel on the issue. A delegation of the Sun City Residents’ Welfare Association also submitted a memorandum to the district administration and the district police chief registering complaints against the management on November 16.
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Helping aids to be given at three camps
Faridabad, November 20 According to the Deputy Commissioner, the first camp would be held at the government school at Hassanpur on November 21 and 22 where the physically challenged persons, who could not derive benefit from the earlier camps, could be given the aids. She said the second camp would be held at Hodal town on November 23 and 24, while the third camp would be at Palwal on November 25 and 26. Such camps would also be held at Ballabhgarh and Faridabad civil hospitals on the same day to cover the
remaining persons in the city and the district. There were at least 12,000 physically handicapped persons in the district as per the 2001 census and in the camp held at Ballabhgarh recently as many as 10,297 persons had been provided aid and equipment. No physically challenged person would be left out in the district without the required aid after these camps.
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Unique scheme of garbage disposal inaugurated
New Delhi, November 20 Addressing a gathering, Mr Malhotra assured that funds would not be found lacking for development works in the constituency. He invited suggestions from public for better utilization of funds. The function was presided over by Mr Subhash Arya, Leader of Opposition in Municipal Corporation of Delhi and also the area councillor. Mr Arya expressed hope that the newly launched scheme will lead to better garbage management.
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Sunder Bhatti, wife win elections again
Noida, November 20 Bansal was his lone opponent. Sunder Bhati’s wife Sunita had already been declared elected from Ward No 65, Kulipura. Ward Nos 66 and 65 in Dankore had shot into the limelight as Bhatti and his wife had contested panchayat elections from there. The administration had cancelled the unopposed elections of Sunder Bhatti and his wife Sunita as it was alleged that Sunder Bhatti’s supporters had spread panic and as a result no other candidate had stood against them. This time, a candidate, supposedly Sunder Bhatti’s man, had entered the fray to ensure Bhatti’s election again. There was no opponent against Sunita Bhatti.
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A treat for art buffs with just a click of mouse
Ravi Bhatia Tribune News Service
New Delhi, November 20 For the first time in the art history of the country, an online e-Art exhibition is being mounted on ‘www.theartstrust.com’ beginning November 21. Entitled “Bird On A Wire”, the month-long exhibition will feature select works of 21 next generation artists, including Anju Dodiya, Atul Dodiya, Jitesh Kallat, Reena Kallat, Bose Krishnamchari, Chitravanu Majumdar, Sunil Padwar and TV Santosh. And if you are interested in buying any of the paintings, all you have to do is to call up the numbers displayed on the site, place your order and wait. The paintings will be shipped the same day, assures Vikram Sethi, Founder and CEO of The Arts Trust. Set up in 1990, The Arts Trust is engaged in promoting contemporary Indian art. A combination of form and light on paper
The Exhibition Hall of the Taj Palace Hotel here was the venue of Kolkata-based artist, Debangshu Das’s recent works. The two-day exhibition which began on November 18, showcased some of the latest paintings of female form created by the artist. Das, who graduated from the Government College of Art, Kolkata, has two solo exhibitions besides participation in many group shows. Das excels in the technique of the Neo Bengal school and his works are influenced by miniature paintings of that era. Using intense colours, his creations are a combination of form and light on paper.
Nagaland Music Festival
Nagaland, which is often referred to as a powerhouse of music, is all set to regale Delhiites with its repertoire of music ranging from chamber to classical and from western to pop, rock, fusion and rap during its MusicFestival on November 22 and November 26. The North Eastern state which is now prepared to promote music as an industry in association with the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) will present its intrinsic bands, choral groups, vocalists, guitarists and pianists at the Nagaland Pavilion on November 22 at the India International Trade Fair 2005 in Pragati Maidan. The festival will be repeated at the Nagaland House on November 26 for the benefit of those who may not be able to make it to Pragati Maidan on November 22. Nagaland has a rich tradition of music and dance and many artistes have now ventured into the highly competitive market with their own creations. The government of Nagaland along with the CII is committed to providing all assistance to those who are aspiring to pursue music as their career.
Odissi dance form at its best
For the select audience at the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Museum, Teen Murti House, it was a rare occasion to watch Guru Ramani Ranjan Jena perform along with his equally illustrious son and daughter-in-law last week. The audience sat enraptured as the Guru and his disciples went through the intricate moves of the Odissi dance form with finesse that comes only after years of practice. In all, the Guru and his team performed a repertoire of six dances beginning with the traditional Mangala Charan by his women disciples, Prabhati Sanghamitra and Krishna Leela. This was followed by the Pallavi dance by the Guru’s son and daughter-in-law, Rashmi Ranjan and Itishree, to the delight of the audience. The finale, of course, was the Abhinaya, performed by the Guru himself, leaving the audience mesmerized in their seats. Guru Ramani Ranjan Jena was born in the holy village of Remuna in Orissa and studied Odissi dance under the legendary Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. Later, he also studied under Guru Mayadhar Rout and Guru Raghunath Dutt. He received the degree of “Nritya Praveen” in 1972. He has performed internationally to critical acclaim and now teaches at the Triveni Kala Sangam here. He also runs his own Odissi academy in Cuttuck, Orissa, called Kamal Kala Pitha. Guru Raman strives to depict the pure-hearted joy and devotion of Krishana Prema in his choreography and avoids using dance simply for mundane entertainment.
US concert to thank India for its help
The United States Embassy here presented a special musical concert at the American Center on Saturday, November 19, to express its gratitude to India for its generous support in the wake of the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. The concert was presented by the “New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian Collective” along with a half hour performance by the noted Pakhawaj and tabla player, Pandit Fateh Singh Gangani.
An all-inclusive glance into Polka world
‘Polka 1’, a grand group show of paintings, sculptures and photographs by 31 artists showcasing their vision and perception of ‘Polka’ is on at Polka Art Gallery, A-326, Defence Colony from November 17 to December 5. The participating painters are S.H. Raza, Ram Kumar, Yusuf Arrakal, Julius Mcwan, Haku Shah, Rini Dhumal, Mona Rai, Gogi Sarojpal, Ved Nayyar, Shreedhar Iyer, Seema Kohli, Subrata Kundu, Nupur Kundu, Niladri Paul, Sidhartha, Deepak Tandon, Kanchan Chander, Saba Hasan, Seema Ghurayya, Anwar, Dipali Bhattacharya, Aditya Basak, Naresh Kapuria, Shamshad Hussain, Milind Thakur, Vinod Sharma, Samir Aich, Pragya Jain, Somnath Banerjee and Madan Lal. Sculptor Hemi Bawa had displayed her works in glass. Bandeep Singh’s and Sandeep Biswas’s photographs have also been a part of the eclectic melange, thus giving an all-inclusive glance into the Polka world. Curated by Aarti Singh, the show strives to give different meanings to ‘Polka’, which is one of the oldest art forms. In the words of Aarti, “Polka gives me a Zen feeling. For me, it is the beginning and the end of existence in the form of the sun, moon and earth, it is universal, it is versatile–traditional as a bindu on the forehead and materialistic as ‘shunya’, it is international in taste and exclusive as not everybody can relate to it. The Polka to me is like the sun in my spirit–irrepressible and always shining.” Much before Aarti Singh conceived the notion of launching Polka Art Gallery in Defence Colony; she had mastered the art of making all her endeavors a success. Art, however, had always been Aarti’s first love. Having decided to name her gallery ‘Polka Art Gallery’, in sync with her own vibrant and contemporary personality, Aarti is all set to create waves with thoughtfully curated shows that will follow the Polka theme. She says, “Polka is a theme that will be followed by Polka II to become an annual feature at the gallery.”
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Symposium on role of trade associations in security
New Delhi, November 20 The CAIT’s secretary general, Mr Praveen Khandelwal, said that the symposium was of the unanimous opinion that in order to have better security in Delhi, the role of trade associations and RWAs will be crucial. With large number of migrants arriving in the Capital in connection with trade and employment, security is a challenging task, Mr Khandelwal said.
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Information officers in district courts appointed
New Delhi, November 20
While Additional District and Sessions Judge Sunil Gaur has been appointed as the Public Information Officer at the Tis Hazari courts, Additional District and Sessions Judges Aruna Suresh and S P Garg have been designated as Additional Public Information Officers at the Patiala House and Karkardooma courts. The Additional District and Sessions Judge P K Bhasin has been designated the first appellate authority under section 19 (1) of the Act.
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