New Delhi, April 25
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit at a meeting held here today announced to regularise around 1700 daily wage conductors and drivers in Delhi Transport Corporation.

The Chief Minister stated that the transport department had been instructed to provide relief to those employees who had been working for a long time. It was also decided to provide free travel passes to DTC retired employees.

The DTC Employees Union has been demanding this facility for a long time.

The drivers would be promoted to post of assistant traffic inspectors (ATI) against vacancies. The union demanding for hard duty allowance to he drivers was under consideration.

The government has also decided to grant an amount of Rs.1000 per month to regular drivers on achieving a minimum of 22 days of physical attendance and operation of at least 90 per cent of the scheduled kilometers. The issue of pension schemes in the DTC was also discussed. 

New Delhi, April 25
A delegation from Federation of Central University Teachers’ Association (FEDCUTA) and Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) under Aditya Narayan Misra, president, FEDCUTA and DUTA, yesterday met UGC chairperson Sukhadeo Thorat and expressed their anguish over the tardiness on the pay revision of university teachers.

It said that UGC Pay Review Committee had not done the groundwork to attract and retain talent in teaching profession. It alleged that the Committee had not even interacted with DUTA or FEDCUTA. Besides, with OBC quota in place, more teachers would be needed to cater to the increasing number of students.

Aditya Narayan Misra said, “The UGC pay commission has not yet talked to DUTA and FEDCUTA on the issue of pay revision. It is a serious matter. We hope that something comes out of our meeting with the UGC chairperson or, we will have to take contingency action.”

The delegation has demanded expeditious completion of the task. Thorat said that the Pay Revision Committee would explore the possibility of delinking the revision of pay scales from other service conditions. It also demanded inclusion of teachers teaching self-financing courses in the rolls of regular teaching strength funded by the UGC. Many DU colleges are conducting self-financing courses like — business economics, computer science, journalism. Thorat has assured to advise DU and its colleges to include such teachers in strength of other regular teachers in their 11th plan proposal.

The delegation also included Tabrez Alam Khan (general secretary FEDCUTA from Jamia Millia Islamia), Rais Ahmed (president, Jamia Teachers’ Association), Tarun Kumar (joint secretary, JNUTA), Vinay Kumar Singh (vice-president, DUTA) and Sanjay Kumar (joint secretary, DUTA). 

Greater Noida, April 25
The Society of Catalysts, Greater Noida, has slapped a case against Greater Noida Development Authority for Rs 5 crore in the National Consumer Forum as compensation for GNIDA’s failure to supply power to the residents.

The society has alleged that power is not being supplied by GNIDA in accordance with the accepted norms.

President of the society, Shantu Sen, who happens to be a former CBI director, has taken the matter of power cuts to the National Consumer Court along with Delhi’s retired chief secretary Umesh Sehgal and ex-chairman of Delhi Finance Commission, Ashok Rai.

Incidentally, Shantu Sen, who was bestowed the title of being the first original resident of Greater Noida by GNIDA, has alleged that the city is being deprived of power supply as per set norms for which not only one lakh residents are being harassed but their social and economic life is also being adversely affected.

The prosecution has given details of indiscriminate power cuts during the last month which had rendered residents’ life miserable.

Deputy CEO, Greater Noida Authority, P.C. Gupta, however, said GNIDA was committed to providing the citizens maximum facilities. Heavy power cuts are being affected throughout the state.

Negotiations are constantly in progress with UP Power Corporation and Noida Power Co. Ltd., Gupta said.

New Delhi, April 25
At last someone has taken up the cudgels for the contentious Bus Rapid Transit BRT issue. Bhure Lal of the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) and director, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Sunita Narain, have said that to contain Delhi’s growing air pollution and congestion, BRT is a step in the right direction.

Without an effective and massive public transport system, Delhi might soon lose its war against increasing pollution. Delhi needs a big answer for its big problem and tough measures like BRT system is one such solution in the future roadmap.

This thumbs-up for the BRT came here today from Bhure Lal and Sunita Narain.

Once seen as one of the most polluted cities in the world, Delhi did succeed in arresting its air pollution with the introduction of CNG. “Our research tells us that Delhi could negate the gains made because of the phenomenal increase in vehicle numbers in the city. The answer will be to invest heavily in public transport, increase the bus fleet and restructure the bus service. But all this is not enough unless we can provide space for the bus to move and it is for this reason that the BRT is one solution,” said Bhure Lal.

“The fact is that buses have not been replaced in India by the car or the two-wheeler as is the situation in other parts of the world. Instead, buses have only been marginalized. Even today, buses in this city, which has an old and disorganized public transport system, move between 50-60 per cent of its people,” added Sunita Narain.

She said that we need a system that can efficiently move the bulk of the city passengers and even provide options for the rest to move towards bus transport and BRT provides us this option. Out of the roughly 16 million passenger trips in the city, buses cater to roughly 9 million passenger trips.

As part of its effort to control pollution, EPCA is working on a four-pronged agenda.

Increase buses: The first task is to increase the number of buses. EPCA has in its reports noted that Delhi is short of the 10,000 target for buses set by the Supreme Court. The city has since ordered 500 new buses and placed tenders for another 4,500 buses.

Revamp bus service: EPCA has also noted that the Delhi bus service needs re-structuring so that it is efficient and convenient. The Delhi government has submitted plan for revamp of bus service—clusters of bus routes have been made and tender opened.

Increase connectivity between NCR towns: It is surprising to note that there is no connectivity between Delhi and neighbouring cities. Now a memorandum is being signed between states for public transport in NCR, only on CNG.

Provide buses space to move: In the late 2005, the Delhi government proposed the BRT to the Supreme Court. The court accepted its proposal and asked EPCA to monitor progress of the corridors.

“There is no doubt that there have been problems in BRT’s implementation. But that does not mean that we should give up on this big idea. Like the transition to CNG, which also went through a lot of problems before we got benefit of its gain, this transition will also take time,” said Bhure Lal and Narain. 

New Delhi, April 25
The countdown for admissions at Delhi University for the upcoming academic session begins with their recent announcement of offering admission forms from June 2. The last date for the submission of these forms is June 16.

The decision was taken by the admissions committee chaired by Putin B. Nayak in their recent meeting. Eligible students will have to line up at DU’s various colleges between June 27 and 30. The first admission list would be displayed in the various affiliated colleges on June 26 and the admission and payment of fees would take place from June 27 to June 30 for the first list.

The second list will be on display on July 1 and the submission of fee will be between July 2 and 4. The third list will come out on July 5 and the admissions and payment of fees will take place between July 7 and 9. The notification for the fourth and last list will be out on July 10 and the admissions and fee payment will take place between July 11 and 14.

Meanwhile regarding the OBC quota, DUTA president Aditya Narayan Misra said, “We raised the issue and urged the committee to implement the OBC quota in all the colleges and departments. The committee said the university was still examining the matter.”

New Delhi, April 25
Jamia Millia Islamia University recently launched a new literary journal called ‘Third Frame: Literature, Culture and Society’. Published by Cambridge University Press, the first issue of the new journal was launched on Thursday by Vinod Mehta, editor-in-chief of the Outlook group.

Mehta said that, “there is need to create a space for serious, non-academic writing which busts the myth of universal dumbing down, namely that people don’t want to write more than 800-word articles because no one wants to read more than 800 words at one go!”

Others who spoke at the launch ceremony included: Dr Andrew Brown, managing director, Cambridge University Press, UK; Manas Saikia, managing director, Cambridge University Press India Pvt Ltd; and Prof Mushirul Hasan and Rakhshanda Jalil, joint-editors of the Third Frame.

The journal fulfils a long-felt need at Jamia to have a journal of its own that disseminates not just knowledge but ideas. This journal aims at exposing unheard voices and concerns of developing societies. The journal’s office will be located in the Academy of Third World Studies on the campus.

This journal adopts a multidisciplinary approach that spans specialised areas of knowledge and understanding. It also celebrates the diversity in terms of people’s profiles, passions and pursuits.

As its sub-title indicates, the Third Frame brings together ideas and images, myths and metaphors, concepts and theories that have captured our collective consciousness and found representation in our literature, culture and society. One issue each year shall be devoted to a theme. The inaugural issue’s theme is 60 years of India’s Independence. 

Faridabad, April 25
Seventeen students of Gurgaon Institute of Aeronautical Engineering and Technology were injured, two of them seriously, here today when the bus of the institute in which they were travelling lost control and overturned.

The driver of the bus, Sanjay, has also received injuries.

All of them were admitted to Badshah Khan Hospital. The two who were alleged to have received serious injuries are Deepak, a native of Rohtak, and Amit from Himachal Pradesh. The doctors in the hospital said that although they had received serious injuries, there was no cause for alarm.

All the students are in the second academic year of the institute.

The other students injured in the incident are Gaurav and Subash from Rohtak; Manoj, Jatin, Yatika, Sharad Yadav and Sashank, all from Delhi; Abhishek, Shaily, Ritesh, Summit and Harish, all from Uttar Pradesh; Nayayaul Haq from West Bengal; and Aayushi from Gurgaon. The institute has a branch in village Palli in this district.

The bus had taken Gurgaon-Faridabad Road which courses through Aravali Hills. The nearby area is a hilly terrain and some parts of the road are circuitous and also uneven. The driver is said to have lost control resulting in the accident.

New Delhi, April 25
With the arrest of three persons, the Delhi police has claimed to have solved the sensational Delhi Cantt robbery case in which the robbers had shot a security guard of a bank’s cash van and had decamped with Rs 34 lakh.

Ratti Pal, Ashok Malik and Wazir were arrested yesterday. Rs 2.50 lakh, one 7.65 pistol, three live cartridges, the Santro car used for committing the crime and a Bajaj Platina motorcycle that was bought with the looted money have been recovered.

Some armed robbers intercepted a cash van (Maruti-800) of Mahamedha Urban Co-operative Bank near Kirby Place, Delhi Cantt on April 16 and robbed Rs 34 lakh. They shot at the vanguard thrice.

The victims had noted down the registration number of the assailant’s car. The car was registered in the name of Sudhir alias Kala, resident of Shakurpur in Saraswati Vihar. Sudhir has been involved in several criminal cases in Delhi. One of his gang members was identified as Wazir. More than dozen cases have been registered against him. Wazir was arrested from Rohini yesterday. He has confessed to his involvement in the robbery. His accomplices — Ratti Pal and Ashok Malik, were arrested on his instance. 

Noida, April 25
Four persons were robbed of their valuables including cash and mobile phones in four separate incidents in less than two hours here on the outskirts of Delhi.

Police said the victims were driving or walking when motorcycle-borne criminals waylaid them. The first incident took place at 8.30 pm at Sector 69 and the last case was reported at 11 pm on Thursday at Sector 55.

According to police sources, engineer Ankur was returning home when four criminals on two motorcycles intercepted his car at Sector 69. They slapped him and snatched his mobile phone and passport.

The second incident took place at 9.30 pm at Sector 29 when software engineer Raj Laxmi was returning home in a rickshaw when two criminals on a motorcycle snatched her mobile phone and purse.

In the third incident, at Sector 24, a resident of Dhawalgiri Apartments was walking in a park in front of her house when four men on two motorcycles snatched her purse and mobile phone.

Amrish Kumar, a business management student of a local institute, was also returning home. Two criminals on a motorcycle stopped him and escaped with his purse, laptop and mobile phone. — IANS

Ghaziabad, April 25
Four bandits, atop two bikes, gunned down a brick kiln owner Azad Singh Bansal in Loni on Thursday evening.

Bansal was reportedly engrossed in counting cash in his office when he was shot.

Bansal’s friends and family told the police that the brick kiln proprietor was being pestered by some criminals who were demanding Rs 10 lakh from him.

The police had been duly informed about these threats, the family members said.

But the police did not take any action in the matter.

Azad Singh Bansal, a resident of Bagpat Road, had his brick kiln called LBS “Brick Field”.

The killers who had reached Azad’s brick kiln at about 6.30 pm straightway entered his office and shot him in the chest from close range.

They quickly sped away afterwards. Some people tried to chase them, but in vain.

Azad was rushed to hospital, but he succumbed to injuries on the way.

All that SP police, Vijay Bhushan, could say was that causes of Azad’s murder were being investigated.

New Delhi, April 25
In a bizarre incident on Thursday night, a 55-year-old servant, in an inebriated condition, set his employer’s shop and car on fire in the South Delhi area of Tughlaqabad.

Bhagat Singh, who worked as a guard in Ram Anand Verma’s number plates shop burnt the car parked in front of the shop and a section of shop. He himself suffered minor burns.

The locals informed the PCR about the incident .Fire tenders were rushed to the shop. Bhagat, who used to sleep in the shop, was missing. Later, he was located in his nearby home in an inebriated state. Bhagat said he set fire to the shop and the car because his employer had beaten him up. A case in Tughlaqabad police station has been lodged against Bhagat.

New Delhi, April 25
Bigul Mazdoor Dasta, Disha Students’ Organisation, Naujawan Bharat Sabha, Nari Sabha and Jagrook Nagrik Manch held a demonstration at Punjab House here yesterday against the arrest of journalist and social worker Rajvinder Singh.

Rajvinder Singh along with two other social activists have allegedly been tortured and beaten up in the Ludhiana police station after being implicated in alleged false cases.

According to a memorandum submitted to the Punjab Chief Minister, the explosion in the boiler of the Abhiverma Textiles factory in the Basti Jodhwal police station area in Ludhiana destroyed the entire dyeing unit. Rajivinder, a reporter in workers’ paper ‘Bigul’, reached the spot for information. He was allegedly attacked by some anti-social elements there.

Meanwhile, the police also resorted to lathi-charge and arrested Rajivinder. He has been booked for attempt to murder and damaging public property with 50 other unnamed persons.

New Delhi, April 25
Sant Nirankari Mission yesterday celebrated Manav Ekta Divas across the country. Seventy-four blood donation camps were organsied across India.

Head of the Mission Baba Hardev Singhji Maharaj inaugurated the series with a blood donation camp in Delhi, where 952 devotees donated their blood.

Addressing the Manav Ekta Samagam, Baba Hardev Singhji said that unity of mankind could be achieved by connecting every individual with the supreme truth.

On April 24, 1980, former head of the Mission Baba Gurbachan Singhji and his bodyguard Pratap Singh fell to the bullets of some extremists.