New Delhi, August 30
The much-hyped restoration of Chandni Chowk that was promised to be done before the Commonwealth Games will now be ready only after the mega event is over.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has admitted that it will be able to complete only footpath upgrading and some other works in Chandni Chowk before the mega sporting event in October. The rest of the work will be taken up after the Games.

The civic agency, which has been planning the redevelopment of the area for the past so many years, says that it will only be able to reconstruct the central verge of the area before the games.

At the same time, the civic agency now claims that the project was never related to the games.

"We would be able to complete only the reconstruction of the central verge before the games," said Mayor Prithviraj Sahni.

"The redevelopment of Chandni Chowk was anyway never a Games project," said another official of the MCD.

The civic body had announced a series of project in the area, including road beautification, streetscaping, traffic management, getting the overhead wires under the ground, footpath widening, building attractive bus shelters, lampposts with historical look and giving new look to historic buildings. However, living up to its reputation, the civic agency has not been able to complete even a single work as of now.

The traders of the area complain that municipal leaders have been assuring them of better facilities since 2004, but nothing has been done so far.

"We are being told for the past so many years that that the place would be converted into a better tourist hangout with all modern facilities, but the proposals are still running in the files," said Vinod Sharma, secretary, Delhi Merchandise Association.

Chandni Chowk is considered as the nerve centre of the Old City and the traders, now frustrated with hollow promises, say they would not allow any work in the area.

"We are now tired of their tall claims and will not allow the MCD to carry out any work here. This will just be a waste of money. Chandni Chowk is a major tourist destination and the government agencies should have given priority to the area. Instead, the main road of Chandni Chowk has been dug up everywhere - for sewage work being carried out by the Delhi Jal Board. The pavements too are crumbling and there is utter traffic chaos in the area," said Sanjau Bhargav, general secretary, traders' association.

According to the traders, only some footpath restoration work has been done in some areas and the locality, more or less, remains the same as it had been for ages with traffic congestion, encroachments, crumbling buildings and overhead wires.

New Delhi, August 30
More than 40 people were injured when the bus they were travelling in turned turtle after the driver lost control in the Yamuna Vihar area of north-east Delhi.

According to the police, the incident was reported around 2.15 am from D-block of Yamuna Vihar that falls in the Gokulpuri police station area.

"Around 100 people were in the bus that was on its way to Rajasthan from Badaun district of UP. The bus driver, because of being sleepy or some other reason, lost control over the bus and it hit the divider, injuring around 42 people. They were admitted to DDU and GTB hospitals. The condition of two persons, including a minor girl, is said to be serious. The driver and cleaner of the bus managed to flee after the incident," said a police official.

According to the police, the impact of the accident was so severe that the front portion of the bus was completely smashed.

The passengers were going to Nagaur town of Rajasthan on a pilgrimage.

"The victims are mainly villagers from about 20 villages in Badaun and Moradabad districts of UP. They were on their way to visit Bhoga Ji Maharaj in Rajasthan. After the accident, most of the passengers had to spend the night on the pavement while some went to hospitals with their injured friends or relatives," informed the police.

A case of negligent driving has been registered against the driver of the bus and efforts are on to nab him.

Greater Noida, August 30
District magistrate Deepak Aggarwal today sent a team of doctors to Gopal Garh village in Javer.

The move comes after two children reportedly died of malaria in the area on Saturday. However, the health department, which though admits that there has been an increase in the number of malaria cases in Javer, claimed that the cause of the two deaths was not malaria.

"A medical team led by the chief medical officer has been sent to Gopal Garh village. On Saturday, two children had died there. According to the villagers, the cause of the deaths is malaria. But the team will ascertain the exact cause of the death and take all anti-malaria measures like giving preventive medication to the villagers," said Aggarwal.

The two victim children have been identified as Barsa (6) and 6- month-old Munni, both of whom died of high fever.

However, according to the in-charge of Jevar community health centre, Dr P.K. Singh, the deaths were not due to malaria. He, however, admitted the rise in malaria cases in the villages were because of the village pradhans (chiefs).

"The pradhans are given Rs 10,000 annually to look after the cleaning of drains and other works. They are supposed to take mosquito sprays from us and get it sprayed in the village. Jewar has 99 villages and 50 pradhans, but only seven pradhans took mosquito sprays from us."

When asked if it was not the duty of the health department to supervise the anti-malaria measures being taken in villages, Dr Singh kept on blaming the pradhans.

"Every day, we conduct 50 malaria tests, but only around seven of them are found to be positive cases," Singh added.

The village chiefs, however, blame the health department for the situation.

"The health department has not sprayed DDT in villages for the last two years. There has been manifold increase in the strength of mosquitoes, but the health department has kept its eyes shut. At least one person in most of the houses has high fever. More than a hundred of them could be suffering from malaria," said Sukvir Singh, the pradhan of Gopal Garh village.

"We do not get any money for anti-malaria spray. How can we arrange for the spray machines? It is the responsibility of the health department. Despite of my repeated requests, anti malaria measures were not taken up by the department," Singh added.

Meanwhile, strengthening the health department's claim, former president of the Indian Medical Association Dr S.P. Jain said that the deaths could be due to dengue.

New Delhi, August 30
Even as the serology report is yet to confirm the death of a 25-year-old son of an AIIMS employee to dengue, the premier institute has stepped its surveillance against the vector-borne disease and will maintain a logbook for the purpose.

"The checking of mosquito breeding is on. Our sanitation officials are inspecting tanks and other areas prone to housing the infection-causing mosquitoes," said Dr Y.K. Gupta, spokesperson of AIIMS. A lapse by any AIIMS inmate or outsider would invite strict action, he added. Pamphlets detailing facts related to dengue and prophylaxis surrounding have been distributed among residents of hostels and quarters.

An AIIMS' sanitation official said fogging was carried out daily on campus. With nine complaints received, fogging was carried at several places today, including AC plant and lab in the teaching block.

Whereas a student at the institute said, "Fogging teams have been visiting the hostels every 20 days on an average. Many times it is the fault of students who ask the disinfecting teams to come on a later day."

Considering Sunday's death as a suspected dengue case, AIIMS' medical superintendent Dr D.K. Sharma said till August 28, 79 people suffering from dengue had been admitted.

"On August 28, the victim who was the son of a gardener had come to the hospital with vomiting and loose motion. In the evening, he was transfused platelet. But on Sunday, he gave in," said Dr Gupta.

On Monday, the MCD received a report stating that Anikesh (11) died of the vector-borne infection. With this, the toll as per the official figures stands at three this season.

"A resident of Om Vihar in Narela has died in Jaipur Golden Hospital. He was suffering from gastroenteritis, septicemia and dengue together. The city reported 63 positive cases of dengue today. This takes the total figure to 863," said MCD chief medical officer Dr N K Yadav.

New Delhi, August 30
The Delhi police is mustering its resources in wake of the forthcoming Commonwealth Games. And with the culmination of the passing out parade of 5,697 constables at Delhi police training centre in Jharoda Kalan this morning, the city police has been strengthened. These constables have been trained in counter-terrorism techniques, cyber crime and unarmed combating.

Addressing the recruits, Lieutenant Governor Tejendra Khanna advised them to be "professional police officers". He encouraged them to accept the challenges of policing in the Capital in a better way.

Khanna expressed happiness over the fact that the constables had also been trained in counter terrorism techniques and cyber crime.

"Police and security forces are burdened with responsibilities. A police official should take initiatives to undergo specialised training in modern technologies," said Khanna, adding that public support is must for policing in any city and a police official should take initiative to build rapport with people.

"They need to feel that you are working for them and are one among them," he stressed. Khanna further advised that police officials should be sensitive to the security needs of women and protect the poor and weaker section of society.

The batch consists of 352 women constables, 116 postgraduates; 2,552 graduates, 408 computer diploma holders, 99 B.Eds, 46 ITI apprentices and one law graduate.

"While geographical factor played a major role in the selection of constables, they reflect the country's national character. The state-wise break-up include 1,889 from Rajasthan; 1,870 from Haryana; 1,514 from UP, 737 from Delhi, 56 from Punjab, 46 from Bihar, 36 from HP, 20 from Uttranchal and 6 from MP ," said Rajan Bhagat, spokesperson, Delhi police.

Khanna also awarded the all-round best constable trophy (male) to Jagmohan Kumar and all-round best constable (female) trophy to Komal Shakya.

New Delhi, August 30
A Delhi court today awarded life imprisonment to three men for killing a man who resisted their attempt to tease a girl.

Holding the trio guilty of murder, additional sessions judge Shalinder Kaur also imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 each on Jai Kishan, Suraj and Prakash Kumar.

The incident took place on January 22, 2004. Prakash, who along with his friends lived in a rented accommodation in Patel Nagar, killed Ram Chander.

The complaint in this regard was lodged by Chander's elder brother Ramadheen.

In his report, Ramadheen said Prakash and his friends killed Chander after he opposed their attempt to tease a girl in the locality.

The prosecution examined 27 witnesses to prove its charges.

Another accused, Vikram, who could not be arrested, has been declared proclaimed offender.

Ghaziabad, August 30
Two farmers were allegedly killed in separate incidents in Ghaziabad district yesterday in suspected fueds related to compensation received by them for land acquired by the government, the police said.

In one case, 42-year-old Yashveer Chaudhary was allegedly shot dead on Sunday morning by his brother and nephew over the sharing of land compensation in the Sadarpur area under Kavi Nagar police station area of Ghaziabad, the police said. He was killed by his brother Dharam Pal and his son Sonu when he was going to his fields, the police said.

"My uncle Yashveer was going to the fields with his son Ravindra. At about 7.45 am, two people came on a bike and shot him. They were also accompanied by Dharam Pal," a family relative Kuldeep Chaudhary alleged. "The two assailants were masked but my cousin Ravindra and another person from the village managed to recognize them. The two fled immediately after firing on him and Dharam Pal also disappeared from the scene," he said.

The victim was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead. The family had been granted compensation of about Rs.2.15 crore for their agricultural land about a year-and-a-half back and it was divided into four parts. Apart from him the other three shares went to his brothers Dharam Pal and Rishi and their father Ashram, alias Aase.

A case has been registered against Dharam Pal and his son Sonu, the police said.

Superintendent of police (city) Avdesh Kumar Vijeta said: "Prima facie, it was a dispute over the share of compensation between brothers. We are still investigating the case. No arrest has been made so far."

In the other case, a man was found with this throat slit in the Vijay Nagar area of Ghaziabad on Sunday morning.

Prakash Kumar, 60, was found murdered at his newly-constructed house in the Bihari Pura locality of Vijay Nagar, the police said.

Prakash, originally a resident of Bisrakh locality in Greater Noida, was awarded compensation of Rs 60 lakh for his agricultural land around six months back.

His body was detected by his tenant at his newly-constructed house on Sunday, the police said.

"We are investigating if there was a feud over compensation given to Prakash," Vijeta said. — IANS

New Delhi, August 30
The Delhi cabinet today again deferred the decision to implement the new circle rates amid differences over the proposed rate for a few localities.

The new circle rates were approved in June. However, the implementation of the rates was deferred due to differences among ministers as a few of them had objected, saying that the rates of properties in some areas had been decided without discussing with the public representatives.

The circle rate is the minimum rate for valuation of land for residential use. The rates differ for various categories of colonies.

In June, the government gave its nod to circle rates for all colonies across the city. But many resident welfare associations had objected to the rates fixed by the government and sought a review.