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MCD continues with sealing, demolition drives
Eight firemen injured in Okhla blaze
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Draw results for plots trigger controversy
Ujjain incident casts
shadow over DU elections
‘Hooda govt unable to maintain law and order’
Occult practitioners helping people turn over a new leaf
Capital gets fresh spell of rainfall
Mirza Ghalib’s birth anniversary to be celebrated in Capital
Shops, houses more important than C’wealth Games: Goel
Ban on rickshaws in Chandni Chowk flayed
Writ in HC against land grab by ‘mafia’
‘Security agencies sealed mosque’
4 Bangladeshis held for car stereo theft
Gurgaon’s water
problems may be solved by March
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MCD continues with sealing, demolition drives
New Delhi, August 30 A massive sealing action was taken in various parts of Rohini Zone in which 46 properties were sealed for unauthorised construction. Those sealed included properties in Multan Nagar, Rohini, Ashok Vihar, Tri Nagar, Shalimar Bagh and Saraswati Vihar, an MCD spokesperson said. 27 properties were sealed in the Central Zone for unauthorised constructions. These properties were situated at Harkesh Nagar, Tughlaqabad Extn., Chittranjan Park, Greater Kailash-II, Kotla Mubarakpur. The newly constituted Task Force also participated in the sealing drive. Ten properties were sealed in Bhogal. Two properties were sealed in Kotla Mubarakpur. Encroachment removal action was taken at Babu Park, Kotla Mubarakpur. Ramps, ladders, ‘thadas’ were removed from government land. Ten commercial properties were also sealed in DSIDC Industrial area, Bawana in Narela Zone where unauthorised construction was going on. Demolition action was undertaken at two property at Siri Fort Road. In Shahdara (South) Zone, three properties in New Rajdhani Enclave on Vikas Marg and two properties at Laxmi Nagar underwent demolition action for infringement on public land and wide scale deviations from sanctioned building plan. It appeared that the properties were being converted from residential to commercial ones. Monitoring Committee had visited the area on August 23 and directed Deputy Commissioner (Shahdara South) to take action. These properties were sealed on August 25 and notice was issued why these properties should not be demolished for unauthorised construction. Since, no reply was received, the MCD started carrying out demolition of infringement on public land and deviations. The action will continue tomorrow. In Karol Bagh Zone, demolition action was taken at several properties on Rama Road. The sealings and demolitions took place following, the court recently voicing concern over continuance of unauthorised onstructions in various parts of Delhi. It also comes close on the heels of the apex court striking down certain provisions of the Delhi Laws (Special Provisions ) Act, 2006 which had put a one year stay on all demolitions and sealings in the Capital. Following the court order the MCD recently announced its decision to start sealing of certain categories of desealed properties from September 1. |
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Eight firemen injured in Okhla blaze
New Delhi, August 30 The medium range fire broke out at the factory in Okhla Phase–1 shortly after 9 am, fire officials said adding that as many as 30 fire tenders were immediately rushed to the spot. During the operation, the three-storey building collapsed due to explosion of gas cylinders meant for domestic use. Some fire brigade personnel sustained minor injuries. One worker of the factory Anil Kumar got injured when he tried to jump from the second floor of the factory in a bid to escape from the blaze. He has been admitted to the AIIMS, said the fire brigade. It said that there were no reports of anybody being trapped inside so far. Firemen on the spot said that the fire had been apparently sparked on by an electric shortcircuit. Tonnes of foam, plastic, PVC pipes and cloth materials stored in the factory were destroyed in the fire. In another incident, some locals got minor injuries after an under construction three – storey building, namely Amit Furnitures collapsed in Laxmi Nagar area of East Delhi this afternoon. The fire brigade sources said that the building situated adjacent to Maharaja Banquet Hall on Radhu Palace Road collapsed at about 12.30 pm. About half a dozen fire tenders had been sent for rescue operations. There is no report of any casualty, however some vehicles parked near the building got damaged due to the collapse of the structure, sources added. “Digging was going on in the basement of the structure. Huge quantities of building materials were stored in the first floor, resulting in the collapse of the building, they said. |
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Draw results for plots trigger controversy
Faridabad, August 30 While more than three thousand cooperative group housing societies who applied for plots drew a blank, the societies of influential persons like MPs and MLAs emerged as winners. The authorities had put this privileged group under a reserved category where the number of applicants was less than the number of plots offered. The applications for the allotment of hundreds of plots across the state, including Faridabad and Palwal cities, were invited in February–March this year. It had been announced that there were around 133 plots that were available in Faridabad city for allotment, which was to be made through a draw. Though it had been declared that there was reservation for certain categories, it became clear later that there were only 80 plots, each of the size of half acre, available for general category. There were 3230 applications received under this category. The total number of societies that got registered for the purpose in the city had been over 4,000. Interestingly, as many as 53 plots out of the total 133 went to the reserved categories, while the majority of the applicants were left to contest for just 80 plots. “The authorities concerned decided to reserve as many as six plots for the VIP applicants
(M.Ps and MLAs), while there were many societies whose members had no houses of their own. Their dreams of owning a house through this manner were shattered when it was made clear that many of the plots had been kept under reserved category and their chances of getting allotment had got reduced remarkably,” said a member of one of the societies placed under general category and which failed to get any allotment in this draw. He added that it was unfortunate that the authorities concerned had put the VIPs under reserved category in order to please them. Another applicant claimed that it had been found that there were only three societies of M.Ps and MLAs which were eligible for the draw. But despite this, all the three got a plot each. The three plots reserved for them were kept aside for future allotment and were not transferred to the General lot, he added. As per the details available, while 74 plots were allotted to the General Category, the societies of the state and Central government employees have got as many as 20 plots. These include three societies of the employees of the HUDA itself, who had been placed under reserved category. |
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Ujjain incident casts
shadow over DU elections
New Delhi, August 30 For the ABVP whose performance in the DUSU polls for the last few years has been dismal, the incident has spelt disaster. The party, which is trying hard to make a comeback after failing to win the polls for the last two years, has been sent on an image-saving campaign. Criticism is pouring in from a cross-section of society including from the BJP, which has said that it will "not defend or condone the action of any group or individual and the government will act according to the law". On their part, visibly perturbed ABVP activists today said that the party's involvement in the incident is being "exaggerated". Referring to the video evidence of ABVP activists threatening a college principal in Ujjain, they said, the person who was being intimidated in the video is not the person who lost his life. An explanation that has understandably found no takers. "The ABVP which was making the most of the anti-Congress sentiment on campus is now at a loss. Their activists have no justification for the Ujjain incident that has sent shockwaves across the country. The students are wary and the teachers are angry. The ABVP will require a miracle to make people put this incident behind them," said a senior official of the University. And it is not just the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad, that is at the receiving end of civil society's wrath. Other students' factions are also trying hard to dispel the negative image that the students' politics has acquired. "We condemn the incident. This is not the kind of students' politics that we stand for. Incidents like this reinforce the need to have a democratic form of electioneering. In this era, you cannot wish away students' politics. After all students need an organised voice, the need is to clean it up," said AISA activist and JNU students' union president, Mona Das. The NSUI, whose activists have also been arrested in connection with blackening the face of a professor in Ujjain, has also "condemned the act", but the party has its own share of explanation to do. "Students are angry with them for not taking up the reservation issue. Besides, they have not done much for the students while they were in office. The NSUI cannot rest on the past laurels especially when they are the incumbents," said a group of students from Sriram College of Commerce (SRCC). And while the activists try to redeem the face of students' politics, the increasing incidents of violence have given the government more reasons to implement checks on politics in the universities. The Union HRD Minister today asserted that taking note of the violence in students' politics, his ministry would go by the directives of the Supreme Court on reforming the students' body polls. |
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‘Hooda govt unable to maintain law and order’
Gurgaon, August 30 The decision was taken at a meeting of the youth wing of the INLD here today which was presided over by its state President, Mr. Surender Dahiya. Giving details of the meeting, Mr Dahiya said the general opinion among the party workers was that the government had failed to act positively on education front. He alleged that teachers in many of the schools in the state had not been appointed. The government had once advertised for appointment of teachers, but annulled the same, he alleged, adding that for the full academic session last year, ad hoc teachers were appointed. “Again, the advertisements have been issued, though the present academic session was fast approaching towards an end”, he said. He alleged that the Congress government had done nothing of worth in its one and half years of rule, besides doling out promises and making announcements. “The present government tampered with the name of National Law College affiliated to Maharashi Dayanand University (MDU) by deleting the word “national” which has belittled the importance of the college,” he alleged. Mr. Dahiya, former Deputy Speaker of the Haryana Assembly and who represented Gurgaon constituency in the last state assembly polls, expressed concern over the non-completion of the multi-facility Chaudhary Devi Lal stadium. “All the constructions works visible was completed during the INLD government only,” he claimed. |
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Occult practitioners helping people
New Delhi, August 30 The doctor himself mentions, “This has been a great search and it led me to many masters but no one was able to satisfy me or answer my questions adequately. It was at a particular time that the search became total. It completely possessed me and it was at this time that the divinity started guiding me directly.” The doctor at this time mentions his growing disillusionment despite his efforts and mentions that, “when nothing was working, I decided one day that I was not going to do anything. I gave up all my efforts, accepted my disappointments, accepted the present moment and my trials. I surrendered completely in that moment. This surrender was total and no desire was left. It was at this time something happened and I became very light and relaxed. Nature revealed her mystery, the questions and answers disappeared.” The doctor later informed that after his encounter with the divinity, he stayed in his room in a blissful state for a year. He wanted to savour what he was experiencing and then a divine voice asked him to come out of his solitary confinement and share his experience. Since Dr Siddharth has been very quietly guiding people at two levels. On the one hand are serious spiritual sadhaks whom he helps spiritually and for others, he runs stress management courses for groups of people for developing an intuitive sixth sense. Dr Siddhartha is also a tarot card guide. The cards seem to talk to him as he connects with the message they give. “The cards seem to speak to me in an intuitive language of the cosmos. An unexplainable phenomenon happens. The cards become alive and sometimes a card gives you the exact state of mind in which you are and it’s really a kind of love affair. The cards have become like my beloved and it’s a gift from existence,” says Dr Siddhartha. He further informs that “tarot was something that simply happened to me once and there was no intention behind this. You can say that this was a gift from my master, Osho.” Dr Siddhartha has been practising tarot for the past five years and also counsels people on managing trauma, stress and depression. He gives energetic healing and also teaches Zen meditation, vipasana, etc, taught by Osho. Dr Siddhartha is currently teaching tarot and holding stress management sessions as well. Esha, a young past life regression therapist and hypnotist, is working hard to establish her rather unusual practice in the city. Esha informs that, “in past life regression we make the mind travel back in time and re-connect it to the storehouse of subconscious memories and patterns. The subconscious mind stores our deepest thoughts, fears and emotions which do not seek expression in conscious awareness and this knowledge can be used as a pure medical science to treat various ailments”. Esha has been practising for the past three years and mentions a couple of interesting cases she came across. A very meek and even timid young woman came to her for therapy. They discovered after regression that she had earlier been a soldier fighting the 1971 Bangladesh War. In this war, she had displayed great energy, patriotism and courage. She had died fighting. Thanks to the experience in the past life, she became more courageous and bolder in her present life. Now she was able to handle her life better. |
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Capital gets fresh spell of rainfall
New Delhi, August 30 According to the Met office, the rains, accompanied by thundershowers, led to a drop in the minimum temperature to 23.2 degree Celsius, two degrees below normal. A total of 58.3 mm of rainfall was recorded in the Capital till 8.30 am, the weather office said. The turnaround in the weather comes just when it seemed that Delhi would fall short of its normal level of Monsoon showers. Long lull in the rainfall activity in the last three months has meant that till yesterday, the Capital had received just over 475 mm of rain as against a normal of over 500 mm between June and August. However, last night’s showers have changed the scenario. With the weather office forecasting a cloudy sky and more rains and thundershowers in the Capital in the coming week, Delhi may finally be able to receive more than its quota. |
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Mirza Ghalib’s birth anniversary
New Delhi, August 30 She was accompanied by local MLA P.S. Sahney, MCD Commissioner, and officers of Archaeology Department. The CM instructed MCD officials to immediately remove signboards and hoardings of mobile companies from the adjoining buildings of the Haveli. She added that the Haveli of Mirza Ghalib was of historical and archaeological importance. It was the prime concern of the government to conserve heritage sites, she added. She also instructed the officials to properly earmark signage for the Haveli on all prominent places of Chandni Chowk to enable the common man and tourists to locate the Haveli without any difficulty. When the senior officials of Archaeology Department apprised the Chief Minister of their willingness to celebrate the birth anniversary of the great Urdu Poet in December, she announced that her government would organise a three-day long programme on the occasion in and around the Walled City. A procession would start from Red Fort and end at Haveli. A poetic symposium and Qawali Nite would also be organised at Patase Wala Mahal at Nizamuddin. The symposium would be attended by noted poets from across the country. The Director of Bhartiya Sangeet Sadan, Uma Sharma, informed the CM that prominent Urdu poets like Javed Akhtar, Bashir Badr, Gulzar and Ahmed Faraz from Pakistan would be invited to recite their poetry. The CM reiterated the commitment of her government to conserve all places of historical and archaeological importance coming under its jurisdiction. The Department of Art and Culture has been instructed to chalk out a plan of action in this regard. |
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Shops, houses more important
New Delhi, August 30 Demolition of houses should also be stopped, he demanded. He will sit on dharna for 24 hours from September 4 and September 5 in front of Town Hall to pressurise the government to stop sealing and demolition. Blaming the Congress government in Delhi, he said that there was panic among the traders and citizens. Their shops are being sealed and houses demolished. There is provision in the New Master plan to seal nursery schools, banquet halls, gyms and guesthouses being run in residential areas. If the Master Plan is notified without any amendment, where the children will study and where the weddings will be held, he asked. Reacting to the sealing of nursery schools, Leader of Opposition in the MCD Subhash Arya said that instead of taking action against kindergartens, the government should improve basic civic amenities in the government schools. The sealing action will affect the future of lakhs of children and thousands of teachers. There are 2,500 schools who have pre-nursery classes being run in the residential areas. Delhi unit of the BJP Dr Harsh Vardhan today warned the government of dire consequences if the sealing of schools was not stopped. At present, a total of 4,050 schools of different standards are there in Delhi. Of them, 350 schools are according to the DDA plan. Another 3,700 schools are in residential areas. If they are sealed, a majority of children will be unable to get education, he said. |
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Ban on rickshaws in Chandni Chowk flayed
New Delhi, August 30 The entire Chandni Chowk area is connected with the whole sale market of cloth, grain, chemical, medicine, etc. Small and big traders visit the area and transport their goods on a rickshaw. If it is banned, local residents as well as traders will suffer. This issue is linked with the livelihood of the poor rickshaw pullers who come from Bihar, Eastern UP, West Bengal and other parts of the country. They come to the Capital in search of employment but they are thrown out from here, Surender Mohan, veteran socialist leader, said. Devender Prasad Yadav, MP, and former Union Minister said that instead of banning rickshaw, the government should ban private vehicles like cars and motorcycles which were in excess in Delhi and caused traffic jams. In the peak hours in the morning and evening, traffic jam has become a daily routine. Second, rickshaw does not cause pollution. So preference should be given to the rickshaw, he added. |
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Writ in HC against land grab by ‘mafia’
Faridabad, August 30 The PIL filed by a local social activist, Mr K. L. Gera, has been admitted by the court and is listed for the next hearing on October 9. The petitioner has given details of the land grabbing activity and illegal construction on certain plots belonging to industrial houses in the NIT area here. In one of the cases, the complainant has cited the example of illegal sale and construction of a multi-story building on an industrial plot on which a penalty had been imposed by the civic authorities in 1996. In the second case that took place in 2003, it was claimed that land of Bata Club and Bata residential colony was illegally sold and no permission was taken from the Forest Department for uprooting 500 trees from the area. In another such example quoted in the complaint, it was said severe encroachments had been made in and around religious and public places, including several temples and dharamshalas. It is pointed out that in certain cases the land mafia was hand in glove with the authorities concerned and was able to get minimum penalty in certain cases. According to the petition, the complaints had been duly filed by local residents in many cases but gone unheard, resulting in unchecked activity of the land grabbers with unauthorised sale and construction. While there was a huge loss to the revenue of the government the land grabbing and unauthorised construction had resulted in haphazard growth and lack of proper civic infrastructure for the residents with no safety concern due to congested lanes and bylanes. Meanwhile, according to reports, there were heavy encroachments by the land mafia in the city in several parts. This included grabbing of land on both sides of the national highway, especially near an important crossing like Rajiv Chowk (Old Faridabad) bypass road on the backside of Sectors 18 and 19, the Surajkund road, green belts of various residential sectors and parts of NIT and Ballabhgarh town. The MCF authorities seem to be helpless when local influential persons and leaders intervene in the matter and try to stop the drive against encroachments due to their vested interest. But the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, recently said there would be no laxity in the anti-encroachment drive. He added strict action would be taken against the officials sheltering the encroachers.
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‘Security agencies sealed mosque’
New Delhi, August 30 He said the sealing was done on the occasion of Independence Day on the pretext of militants’ threat. But so far, the mosque had not been de-sealed, he added. People are not allowed to enter the mosque for prayer. He threatened that he along with his supporters would open the mosque for prayer tomorrow at any cost. Shoaib Iqbal said to de-seal the mosque, he met senior police official of central district but they expressed their inability to de-seal it. He said the sealing of the mosque had conveyed a wrong message among the Muslim community. |
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4 Bangladeshis held for car stereo theft
New Delhi, August 30 These thieves Mohammad Rana (24), Mohammad Rahim (24), Mohammad Farukh (22) and Mohammad Aziz (24) were arrested from Mandawali area on August 28 with 27 stolen car stereo sets. During interrogation, they admitted to their involvement in the theft of 100 car stereos, ECMs and amplifiers from various areas of East Delhi. They also revealed that they used to sell the stolen goods at Kabari Bazar at Yamuna Velodrome and Meerut. |
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Gurgaon’s water
problems may be solved by March
New Delhi, August 30 In charge of the GWS channel, Mr. N.K. Lamba, said after the remodelling of the channel, costing approximately Rs 15 crore, the capacity of the system would increase from 135 cusecs at present to 170 cusecs and the residents of Gurgaon would start receiving additional 40 cusecs of water from March, next year. Of the 135-cusecs capacity of the GWS at present, 100 cusecs is supplied to Gurgaon town and the rest 35 cusecs caters to the demands of the neighbouring Bahadurgarh. While the extra 40 cusecs will cater to the demands of the rapidly growing city on the outskirts of the Capital for the next three to four years, the way Gurgaon is growing exponentially, the water-supply demand is expected to increase to 1,000 cusecs in the next 15 years. The work for remodelling the 70-km channel, which initiates from the Kakroi waterworks at Sonipat, started in September after a go-ahead by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in August. The canal, passing through three districts — Sonipat, Jhajjhar and Gurgaon — is rife with several problems, including the theft of water, growth of weeds on the bottom of the channel during winter months when it starts getting the supply of “clear water” from the Bhakra and the problem of silt during rainy days. Due to these, the actual capacity of the channel, which normally receives supply from the Western Yamuna canal system, gets further reduced. |
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