New Delhi, July 12
The police have intensified its efforts to secure the city by deploying extra force at vital points and in some of the sensitive areas. Although the senior police officials in Delhi Police have totally denied any specific intelligence input about any type of terrorist activities or their plans in the city yet they are not taking any chances.

The Joint Commissioner of Police, Special Cell, Karnal Singh said, “There is no threat to the Delhi citizens. We have not received so far any input relating to any terrorist activities.” He said that intelligence has been increased and the sleuths have been asked to be more alert in and around the city. “We are also coordinating with the neighbouring cities and have intensified checking at all the borders of the city,” he added.

Delhi Police Commissioner Dr. K.K. Paul appealed to the people to cooperate with the police in maintaining peace and harmony in the city. He said that although there was no specific threat related to the terrorist activities in the city but even then no risk could be taken in this respect.

Dr. Paul said that all the vital installations have been put on high alert and security system has been tightened there. The security has also been intensified at all Metro Stations and also along the railway lines. “We are checking all the incoming and outgoing trains at all the Railway stations,” Dr. Paul added.

Dr. Paul said that all the congested places, market areas and bus terminals and sensitive areas have been put on high alert and assistance has been sought from local people so as to keep peace and to avoid any unwanted situation.

According to Joint Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch, Ranjit Narayan, “We have increased the night patrolling and also conducting special checks on all the cinema halls. Extra force have been deployed in Northeast districts.”

“All the hotel owners in the walled city have also been alerted and we are conducting surprise checks in all the hotels as the terrorists, in most of the cases, prefer to live in rented accommodation in these hotels on false documents. But as of now all the hotels are co-operating with the police,” he added.

New Delhi, July 12
A day after the serial blasts in Mumbai shocked the country, residents in Delhi were not only cautious, but were reminded of the three blasts that occurred in the city in October 2005.

“I was reminded of the horrifying blasts that occurred in the city around Divali last year. The terror strikes in Mumbai and Srinagar evoked fear that it could happen in Delhi again,” said Anita Mahajan, a bank employee.

Even as the city remained on the move, there was a palpable fear in most. “I take the Metro every morning, but somehow today it seemed a better idea to take the bus,” said Raveen Kumar a government employee.

The presence of police personnel and increased security measures were a welcome sight for anxious people, but scepticism was not to be missed.

“Despite the police and the intelligence agencies, there were seven blasts one after the other. One does not feel comforted by the mere presence of police, they should be able to do their job well, that is more important,” said Kumar.

And it was not just their own safety that people were concerned about, the city expressed grief and condemned the acts of terror that have left hundreds dead and injured.

“Today it was people in Mumbai, tomorrow it could be us. The gruesome sights that we saw on television channels were heart wrenching. Bodies strewn like waste, people covered with blood, the images only should resolve our fight against terrorism. Civil society should not just condemn those who kill, but should do its bit to prevent such incidents,” said Mahesh Gupta, also a government employee.

Describing the incident as “a dastardly act against humanity”, Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee, President, Harvinder Singh Sarna demanded strict action against those responsible.

The DSGMC, which organised a special prayer for those who lost their lives in the blasts has extended condolence to the bereaved families.

New Delhi, July 12
Delhi Assembly Speaker Ch Prem Singh today expressed concern over the series of bomb blasts in Mumbai last evening and called upon people to give a strong blow to terrorist activities and people involved in creating an atmosphere of fear and segregation in the society.

“These nefarious activities are the brainchild of the hardcore terrorists at the instance of our enemies. Some anti-social and anti-national groups want to destabilise the unity and sovereignty of our country which will not be allowed by the citizens of India,” he said in a statement here.

Meanwhile, blaming the Centre’s “terrorists conducive” policies for the serial bomb blasts in Mumbai, the Delhi BJP today demanded resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

New Delhi, July 12
A day after blasts in the suburban rail network in Mumbai, security has been tightened and frisking of passengers intensified at Metro railway stations across the Capital.

The Delhi police has also deployed plain-clothed officials and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) have also stepped up the vigil on the underground metro line from Connaught Place to Central Secretariat.

Additional security personnel, including Rapid Action Force (RPF) men, armed with sniffer dogs and bomb detectors are deployed at Metro stations to avert a Mumbai-like terror attack in the city, a senior police official said, adding that parking lots and areas adjacent to metro stations were also being monitored. The security control of the DMRC is already linked with police control rooms The Delhi Police and the CISF are in overall charge of security of the mass transit system. —TNS

New Delhi, July 12
Twelve youths, planning to go to Middle East in search of job, were arrested at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here tonight as they turned up with forged travel documents, police said.

The youths, which were about to board a Qatar Airways flight, were arrested after immigration officials found out irregularities in their visas and handed them over to airport police. Most of them hailed from Punjab and Haryana said the police officials.

They were part of a 47-member team of job seekers who had secured their visas after paying nearly Rs 3 lakh to a Ropar-based travel agents, said a senior police officials. 

New Delhi, July 12
Heavy rains lashed the Capital again this morning, bringing about a slight dip in the mercury. The rains, which began in the early hours of the day, led to a drop in the minimum temperature to 25.6 degree Celsius, from more than 26 degree yesterday.

The Met office said that the fresh spell of rain was caused by an upper air cyclonic storm which lay over Haryana and its neighbouring areas. This is the fourth spell of rain to hit the Capital since the arrival of the South West monsoon on Sunday.

The Capital has so far received a total of 97 mm of rainfall since the onset of the monsoon.

The coming days could witness more rain with the Met office forecasting a few more spells of rains and thundershowers in the capital later in the day as well as tomorrow.

The rains, however, brought along the usual problems of water logging and traffic jams for the residents of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. The situation under the ITO fly over was a matter of concern as a lot of water collected there this morning making it virtually impossible for the commuters to negotiate the stretch in their vehicles.

Most of the heavy vehicles, including buses, were diverted from the Laxmi Nagar crossing and were forced to take the Akshar Dham flyover and then the Ring Road via the Nizamuddin Bridge.

Commuters claimed that it took at least a couple of hours to complete the journey which would under normal circumstances take only 20 minutes. It took the traffic police and the personnel of the Delhi Fire Service several hours to restore normalcy and tow away the stalled vehicles.

Water logging and traffic jams were also reported from several other parts of the Capital belying the claims of the municipal authorities that adequate preventive measures had been taken. Officials said that the control room set up by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi received more than 100 complaints of water logging from different parts of the Capital.

The issue of water-logging also figured prominently in the MCD Standing Committee meeting today with some councillors blaming Delhi Government’s Public Works Department.

The lone BJP member in the Standing Committee, Vijender Gupta, raised the issue at the meeting and blamed the MCD for ignoring the problem of water-logged roads year after year.

According to Gupta, he arrived late for today’s meeting because of water-logged roads and resulting traffic jams.

But a few Congress councillors claimed that some of the roads were affected due to failure on the part of the PWD.

Gurgaon, July 12
Half a dozen villages in Gurgaon district were today flooded on account of a breach in a dam on the Indora river in Rajasthan.

Gurgaon borders with the Alwar district in Rajasthan. The flow of river skirts Dharhera in Rewari district.

The breach is said to be on account of heavy rainfall in some parts of Rajasthan. The local authorities blame the deluge to the apathetic approach of the authorities in Rajasthan in not keeping up the maintenance of the dam.

Chidrauli, Rathiwaas, Nangal, Kakrola were some of the villages which bore the brunt. Hundreds of households were affected with knee-deep water entering the villages. Water started flowing across the national highway (Delhi-Jaipur) on account of which traffic had to be stopped for about four hours to prevent any untoward incident. The traffic movement was affected on Bilaspur and Dhruhera stretch.

The situation was brought under control with the district administration pulled out all the stops to de-water the residential pockets in the villages. Water was pumped out to the fields. Waterlogging persists in Kakroal village and its surroundings in Pataudi Assembly segment. The district authorities hoped to bring normalcy by this evening.

Ghaziabad, July 12
The UPSIDC has cancelled the allotment of 42 industrial plots at Tronica City in Loni for alleged violation of terms and conditions of allotment by the allottees.

The entrepreneurs have appealed to the District Magistrate and Udyog Kendra against this high-handedness. UPSIDC had allotted 1,400 industrial plots at Tronica City, Loni. Some 500 units of engineering, garments, casting and plastic are already operational in the area.

UPSIDC has accused the allottees of failing to set up the units and starting the production till date. The allottees have appealed to the District Magistrate on July 7 against cancellation of plots by UPSIDC on June 29.

Senior vice-president of Tronica City Industrialists Association, Ram Prakash Bhaskar has alleged that the corporation had cancelled the plots without issuing a notice to the allottees. The UP Power Corporation has also failed to supply power to the units, as a result they could not start production, he alleged.

Faridabad, July 12
Moderate to heavy rains lashed the city and the district in the past 24 hours, bringing down the day and night temperatures drastically.

This led to waterlogging at several low-lying areas, including the roads in various parts.

However, the situation improved by the evening as the water was drained out from many areas.

According to the Met department sources, 60 to 70 mm of rain was recorded in the town till 2 pm today. About 30 to 50 mm of rain was received in other subdivisional towns of the district during this period.

This spell has not only brought relief from the scorching heat and humidity, but also improved the power supply situation in the district, claimed the officials of the local administration.

New Delhi, July 12
Members of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi today voiced concern over the “deep rooted” corruption in the administration and alleged that several corrupt MCD engineers were abetting the coming up of unauthorised constructions in the Capital in return for huge bribes.

The issue came up during discussion of a short notice questioning the authority of MCD Commissioner A K Nigam in dismissing 18 executive engineers of the corporation in April without holding an enquiry against them, while letting several other engineers against whom the enquiry had been going on the order of the court in January go ‘scot free’.

Speaking on the topic, Mr Vijender Gupta of the BJP said in January, the court had ordered the MCD to carry out, within two months, disciplinary proceedings against several corrupt engineers who had abetted the coming up of unauthorised constructions. However, even after the expiry of the two months period, no action was taken against the guilty officer despite an enquiry conducted on them.

Then, in April, the Commissioner, all of a sudden, dismissed 18 executive engineers without even holding an enquiry against them and even though he was no competent to take action against the officers of the said rank.

“The Commissioner should have referred the matter to the House before taking any action on the engineers,” Mr Gupta said.

In his reply to the notice, the Commissioner said as per the Delhi Service Regulation (Control and Appeal) Act, MCD Commissioner was also competent to act against category A officers. He said as per an amendment in the Delhi Municipal Act, 1957, carried out in 1993, the Commissioner was empowered to take action against officers upto the rank of Additional Commissioner.

Noida, July 12
The enquiry commission set up to go into the Taj Express Project has been reconstituted.

On getting a nod from the UP governor, the state government has reconstituted this judicial commission under the chairmanship of retired Judge Sidhashwar Narayan.

Mr Ashok Kumar Srivastava, OSD, Greater Noida Authority, has been deputed by GNIDA chairman to work as the secretary of the commission.

According to the secretary of the commission, any member of public or organization could apprise the commission of the factual details having bearing on the enquiry under subsection of Clause V of the Act.

Affidavits and other related documents could be filed with the commission regarding the construction of the Taj Expressway from Noida to Agra by July 24.

The judicial commission will acquire all possible data on the project so that it could enquire into all aspects connected with the project, including the tenders.

The commission will examine all terms and conditions and also analyse if due transparency was maintained in the work done under the project.

The commission will also invite suggestions for ensuring that the mistakes committed in the past are not repeated.

Meerut, July 12
A 16-year-old girl, who failed in the high school final examination, committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan at her Madavapuram residence in the city, the police said.

Rashmi committed suicide on Tuesday she was alone at home, the girl’s father said. The police have sent the body for an autopsy. —TNS