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Delhi’s Annual Plan pegged at Rs 5,200 cr
PAC for CBI probe into issuance of smart cards for vehicles
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Row between ESIC and industrialists over dues
Lawyers arrested for ‘violating’ HC order get bail
Software engineer held
NR Builders’ case: Bail plea of two rejected
Clinics running in residential sectors under fire
L-G inaugurates ENT hospital based on new concept
Moot court to be held at Amity Law School
Man, son accused of rape
Students arrested for indulging in violence
Six held for planning to loot petrol pump
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Delhi’s Annual Plan pegged at Rs 5,200 cr
New Delhi, March 4 The annual plan was finalized today at a meeting between Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission Mr Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Chief Minister of Delhi, Ms Sheila Dikshit. During the next financial year, social sector will get highest priority with 56 per cent of outlay. Development of transport sector will get around 27 per cent. Mr Ahluwalia appreciated the efforts being made for transforming Delhi into a global city. He said that the pace of development should be expedited with private sector involvement. Agreeing that institutional structures should not be allowed to come in the way of modernizing Delhi in a time bound manner, he said the problems being faced by the Capital’s administration would be brought to the notice of the Prime Minister. He said the state has achieved better than national average on plan realization. Share of plan expenditure in total budget expenditure at 52 per cent is much better than other states. The per capita has grown satisfactorily and social indicators are also better than the national average. There is a significant decline in below poverty line population. Introduction of right to information act, promotion of e-governance and people’s participation in city governance were steps in the right direction and would lead to transparent and accountable administration, he said. The state government was also appreciated for introducing general budgeting and outcome plan budget. Efforts aimed at encouraging voluntary sector and improving road transport were also appreciated. Briefing the Commission on the development approach of the state government, the Chief Minister said efforts are on to make Delhi a world-class city and a thriving business center. She said the state government has worked out comprehensive plans to give a new face-lift to Delhi but efforts were being slowed down due to multiplicity of authority. She said four missions are being launched shortly for giving focused attention to certain areas. These include multi-modal public transport system, Yamuna action plan, and women empowerment. Public-private partnership was being encouraged. She said drinking water was a major concern to the government and sought Planning Commission intervention in resolving problem with Uttar Pradesh on supply of raw water to Sonia Vihar treatment plant. Delhi Government was advised to take steps for improving water table by developing ponds in and around the city. It was also asked to consider bringing out a new industrial policy and evolve a perspective urban development strategy in accordance with NCR plan 2021.
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PAC for CBI probe into issuance of smart cards for vehicles
New Delhi, March 4 The PAC, headed by Congress MLA S C Vats, a known Dikshit detractor, is understood to have adopted the report on smart cards unanimously. The report, which also states that the process in its current form should be scrapped, will be tabled in the ongoing Budget Session of the Assembly. The PAC is also understood to have indicted the government over the manner of issuance of smart cards, observing that the process was contrary to the statutory provisions laid down by the Central Government and hence should be scrapped. It states in the report that in keeping with the Central Government’s notification, only a smart card with 4 KB microprocessor chip should be issued and the card should be kept optional for the non-commercial vehicle owner, which was not the case in Delhi, the sources said. The committee also recommends that the entire matter be handed over to CBI for a thorough probe into the acts of omission by the officials of the Transport Department, they said. It is understood to have noted that there was impropriety in the award of tenders for the issuance of smart cards and called for identification and punishment of the persons who have benefited from the contract, whether they are from the department or the vendor company as well as any middlemen. The action taken by the department on the recommendations of the committee should be submitted to it within three months of the adoption of the report by the Assembly, the committee has reportedly stated. Early on in the Assembly Session, the PAC’s report on power privatisation, which has recommended inquiries by CBI and CVC into the reforms process, was adopted by the House.
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Justice for Jessica: Candlelight vigil at India Gate
New Delhi, March 4 As the shadows lengthened at the India Gate lawns this evening, a large number of people including Lall’s friends and relatives turned up in support of her family’s plea for punishment for her killers. They also sought punishment for the killers of Nitish Katara and Priyadarshini Matoo. “We have nothing to lose...we want the culprits to be punished and that is our sole aim. We want justice for everybody,” Jessica’s sister Sabrina said. Overwhelmed by the public support, she said her hope of getting justice in the case has been “reinforced” now.
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Row between ESIC and industrialists over dues
Gurgaon, March 4 They further alleged the ESIC even directed the industrialists’ bankers to pay outstanding as finalised one-sided by the
ESIC. As per records available with ‘The Tribune’, the recovery officer of the ESIC directed the Corporation Bank to pay Rs 6,06,481 to the ESI from the account of Bhalla Chemical Works Private Limited, Daultabad Road, Gurgaon. The bank followed the direction and paid the amount from the company’s account in December 2005. Resentful and annoyed, Bhalla Chemical authorities wrote a letter to the Regional Director,
ESIC, Faridabad, demanding that the case must be reopened and re-examined so that the undue money claimed and the money deposited by the bank as per the ESIC directive should be refunded to them. In another interesting case, the ESIC passed an order for recovery of more than Rs 43 lakh from Munjal Showa Ltd, a leading shock absorbers manufacturing company of the city. The outstanding amount dates back more than 10 years as per the ESIC records. Munjal Showa wrote a letter to Mr T. K. Bhattacharya, Regional Director,
ESIC, and requested the officer to give them a chance to show their records once again to satisfy the ESIC requirement. No one, however, came to verify their records despite many reminders and personal visits to the
ESIC, claimed the company. Another company, Emkay Automobile Industries Private Ltd, complained to the ESIC that the company requested for re-verification of the records and deposited 50 per cent of the total recoverable value in October 2005. The recovery department, instead of re-verification of the records, directed their bank for release of balance amount of Rs 57,000 without any intimation to them. The general secretary of the Gurgaon Industrial Association
(GIA), Mr K. C. Papreja, informed that a delegation of industrialists of Gurgaon and Faridabad met Mr Bhattacharya a few days back. He had assured that the cases would not be decided ex parte. But nothing seemed to have worked out for the relief to the industrialists, added Mr
Papreja. The general secretary added that the industrialists would be forced to meet the Union Labour Minister if the local office kept taking unhealthy decisions without giving the entrepreneurs a chance to put forward their papers and views. However, Mr R. P. Meena, Joint Director,
ESIC, informed ‘The Tribune’ that the department had given various opportunities to industrialists for their views but they did not come forward to show their records. Mr Meena further said the department took the last step to direct the bankers of the industrialists to pay the amount when they did not pay the outstanding even after many reminders. “The closing of the financial year was coming up and that was why we had to be more cautious for recovery of dues to meet our target,” added the Joint Director.
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Lawyers arrested for ‘violating’ HC order get bail
New Delhi, March 4 The bail applications were moved by them on the initiative of Delhi Bar Council chairman Ramesh Gupta, which was allowed by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of Tis Hazari Courts, DBA President Rajiv Khosla said. The striking lawyers, including DBA secretary Sanjiv Nasiar, were arrested by Delhi Police on February 28 for allegedly “vandalising” courts at Tis Hazari complex in violation of the High Court order restricting their agitation to 500 meters distance from any court and tribunal in the Capital.
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Software engineer held for fraud
New Delhi, March 4 Anmol Gupta alias Alankar Aggarwal was arrested yesterday on a tip-off from HSBC’s fraud control unit, one of the affected banks, and the police also seized 52 credit cards, debit cards and international driving licenses, 11 cheque books, 11 fake IDs and three PAN cards. The police had earlier received information from fraud control units of several banks that an organised gang was active in the electronic transfer of funds from credit cards of bonafide customers. Affected customers, not belonging to a particular socio- economic strata, denied ever having made such transactions. Gupta was nabbed after investigations narrowed down to one suspect who appeared most frequently in fund transfers, and was booked for cheating and forgery, police said. During his interrogation, he disclosed of his involvement in such activities since 2004, while working at a Bangalore call centre. In February 2005, after his cover was blown by fraud units in Bangalore, he moved to Noida, and restarted his criminal activities by buying rail and air tickets online and selling them to customers, they said. He also started online money transfer through debit cards and managed to general active credit from the internet. He would use the valid numbers to transfer money to his accounts, which would be withdrawn from various ATM machines. He even devised a memory technique to memorise 16-digit numbers by merely taking a look at it, and used these numbers for online shopping and fund transfers, they added.
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NR Builders’ case: Bail plea of two rejected
Noida, March 4 While the bail applications of U. K. Kesarwani and Rajesh Jain have been rejected by the court, the builders of Kesar Gardens and Gulmohar Garden apartments are reported to be bringing in political pressure on the district administration and the police. Kersarwani and Jain had collected the full price of land of three apartment buildings from the flat allottees but failed to deposit it with the Authority. Both owe Rs 10 crore to the Noida Authority. N. K. Jain and Naseem Ahmed, managers of NR Builders, have been named in the FIR lodged in the Sector 20 police station. The builders are learnt to have announced a new scheme for Sector 142 also on a piece of land situated on the proposed Ghaziabad–Noida–Faridabad highway. This land is in the notified area, which is under the Noida Authority’s possession now. This builder has also used the name of a cooperative housing society. But the price of the land has already been remitted to the office of the ADM, LAR, by the Noida Authority. But N. K. Jain, MD of the firm, has claimed they have the documents pertaining to 3,622 hectares in the name of Consumer Protection and Housing Development Society. The CEO, Noida, however, stressed that this land had been notified and was in the possession of the Noida Authority.
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Clinics running in residential sectors under fire
Faridabad, March 4 A social activist here has issued notice to HUDA to withdraw the policy and demanded the closure of all such nursing homes and clinics. A memo issued by Chief Administrator, HUDA to all Administrators and Estate Officers in October last year provided details of the policy guidelines to be adopted regarding nursing homes in residential premises in the sectors developed by HUDA. It says the permission shall not be general to the residential land or buildings but shall be case specific. According to it, the minimum size of a residential plot or building shall be 250 sq yards and a maximum of 1000 sq yards with the condition that it should not create traffic congestion. The fee prescribed for such permission has been divided into three categories. This includes high potential zone consisting of Gurgaon, Faridabad and Panchkula urban estates, with a fee of Rs 1,000 per sq yard. The medium potential zone, which covers Karnal, Panipat and Bahadurgarh urban estates, has a fee of Rs 500 per sq yard. The low potential zone consisting of the rest of urban estates has a fee of Rs 250 per sq yard. According to the objections raised in the notice, it has been alleged that despite the terms and conditions laid by HUDA, there had been gross violation of all norms. This included commercial activities on residential premises like chemists’ shops and canteens. It adds that though the nursing homes and clinics were required to make adequate arrangements for drainage or disposal of effluents, a majority of the owners had turned these clinics into full-fledged hospitals without such provisions. These were proving to be a nuisance to the people living nearby due to civic problems and air and noise pollution caused by these round the clock, claims the notice. It is stated the concerned doctors had approached the apex court in 1997 when HUDA had issued notices for resumption of plots or buildings for violations of norms. It is claimed that the petition was withdrawn from the court when it came up for hearing. It is alleged that HUDA misinterpreted the order of the Supreme Court and issued the memo in question under pressure from vested interests. The notice says that the policy declared vide the memo was illegal, and asks the government to withdraw the memo. It has also requested immediate action on the notices issued to the doctors.
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L-G inaugurates ENT hospital based on new concept
New Delhi, March 4 The hospital, as per member secretary of the DEHRC Prof S.K. Kacker, is the first of its kind in the region and can be used by any registered ear nose and throat specialist to treat his patients. Prof Kacker said the concept was born out of the realisation that good quality health care for ear, nose and throat diseases and head and cancer patients was becoming a dream for patients of moderate means due to rising costs and the absence of adequate facilities. He said while the incidence of ENT problems like hearing and speech impairment, throat and chest infections and asthma were on a rise in both rural as well as urban areas because of increasing noise and air pollution and other factors, treatment facilities available for patients were either inadequate and cumbersome or just too expensive. As per a survey, close to 5 per cent of the rural population suffers from one or the other ENT problem, resulting from infections. “And it is also a fact that less than 1 per cent of the people who require hearing aids actually manage to get one in the country,” he added. The government hospitals have separate ENT departments but patients often had to wait for days all together to undergo tests and surgeries, he said. The DEHRC, said Prof Kacker, had been developed with a view to offer affordable quality care to patients and as a facility for ENT surgeons.
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Moot court to be held at Amity Law School
New Delhi, March 4 The competition will be held over a period of three day, the dates of which are yet to be finalised. More than 20 law schools across the country are expected to participate in the event that will consist of a preliminary elimination round, semi-finals between the top four teams and finals between two teams. Noted advocates will judge the preliminary round, while senior advocates will judge the semi-finals. Five sitting judges of the Supreme Court are likely to judge the final
round. — TNS
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Man, son accused of rape
Noida, March 4 On the SSP’s instructions, the Sector 20 police have started investigations after getting a written complaint from the girl’s mother. Her lover has also been arrested while his father is absconding. Chanchal, daughter of Ram Moort (names changed) of Sector 9, had gone missing on January 11. The parents learnt their daughter had been enticed away by Badal, a youth living in the neighbourhood. When they spoke to Badal’s father Nasir about their daughter, he threatened them to keep their mouth shut on the issue. Chanchal somehow freed herself from their captivity and reached home. When they went to the police station for filing a report, they were shooed away. Her mother Somwatti then met the SSP yesterday and pleaded for an inquiry. Chanchal said she had married Badal but when he fell sick and was admitted to hospital, his father raped her and forced her into the flesh trade. She was beaten up when she opposed it. The police have sent her for a medical checkup.
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Students arrested for indulging in violence
Greater Noida, March 4 The angry students raised slogans against the college management and the local police and boycotted their classes. The students were enraged as a majority of them had been declared unsuccessful in the sectional examination by the Skyline College authorities. The management further infuriated the students when it threatened them with police action if the students did not end their agitation. A few teachers reportedly slapped the students as a result of which angry students started pelting stones on the college building. As some glass panes were broken, policemen rounded off 24 students and pushed them into police vehicles. This further enraged the students who raised slogans against the college management and attempted a gherao. The result of the sectional exam was declared on Tuesday. Most of the students had failed or had scored very low marks. The students alleged the college lacked suitable facilities and equipment for proper education. They said the management was not paying heed to this.
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Six held for planning to loot petrol pump
Gurgaon, March 4 Following a tip-off that some persons were planning to loot a petrol pump, a police team raided an under-construction building and arrested the six. Police also recovered a pistol, some cartridges and sharp-edged weapons from their possession, the spokesman said. On interrogation, they told the police that a case has already been registered against them for an attempted robbery in Shushant Lok on February 26 last, he said.
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New Delhi, March 4
