New Delhi, August 12
With exactly a month away for the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections slated to happen on September 13, the top two contenders - Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the National Students Union of India (NSUI) - have expressed their displeasure over each others' actions.

While the ABVP has accused the NSUI violating the model code of conduct by not abiding to the JM Lyngdoh Committee guidelines which prohibits putting forth posters and hoardings for the elections, the NSUI blamed it for indulging in "wrong means and dirty politics". Last week, activists of the ABVP tore and removed the printed posters of the NSUI from various locations, including the 'Wall of Democracy". On this, the main competitor is still to submit a formal complaint while the ABVP has maintained that the NSUI has gone further alleged it of misusing government machinery.

Rohit Chahal, member of the ABVP, said the representatives of the NSUI is allowed a free hand in putting printed posters and hoardings on and around the university campuses and even the Vice-Chancellor's (VC) role is questionable as he apparently shared the "students' panchayat" platform organised by NSUI recently.

Calling it a "cleaning act" he added, "His group would continue to do it, if the administration fails to effectively implement the Lyngdoh guidelines. The NSUI has violated the model code of conduct on the very first day by starting university special buses just ahead of the polls. They kept silent for the whole year and now they are misusing the government machinery. We had requested the Chief Election Officer to look into this and submitted a memorandum for fair elections."

He added, "The VC too recently shared the dais of the NSUI-led DUSU, thus putting a question mark on him as polls are approaching, while we find it so hard to meet him even after so many requests. We have many issues to take up in which the administration has turned a deaf ear and tomorrow we are going to organise a huge rally on the North Campus against the highly anti-student policies of the administration backed by the corrupt UPA government."

Spokesperson for NSUI Amrish Ranjan Pandey blaming the opposition group said, "Every group is free to put its poster on the "Wall of Democracy" and the ABVP has adopted wrong agenda, but we would ensure that none of our volunteers break the rules. The university politics should be kept separate from political parties' activities but BJP state president Vijay Goel is leading its students' politics here."

DU chief returning officer DS Rawat said, "The university is yet to receive complaint and it does not recognise any party and action in case of any violation would be taken after we get a formal complaint."

New Delhi, August 12
Pamphlets that read, "The Pakistan army has been killing our Indian soldiers" and "go back, otherwise we will shut down your office", were thrown inside an office of the Pakistan International Airlines at Barakhamba Road, the police said today.

A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plaque located outside its office was also disfigured with black coloured spray.

According to the police, the PIA office is located at a multi-storey building. The office was shut after Thursday, due to Eid and the weekend.

"When the staff reopened it today, they saw that portions of the plaque with the name - "Pakistan International Airlines"- was sprayed with black paint," said a police officer.

The PIA's emblem was also embossed on the plaque.

"The furniture and the interiors of the office are undamaged, because the staff had locked it before leaving for the holiday. The pamphlets were thrown inside the office from underneath a door," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) S.B.S. Tyagi.

The matter was reported to the police. A case under the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act has been registered at the Barakhamba police station.

The police have begun their investigations into the vandalism act.

"A group may not be involved in the incident. The guards of the offices at the ground floor said that they did not hear any noises or saw anything, so only an individual, who sneaked up to the office could be behind the defacement," said a police officer.

The police are examining the CCTV footage of the cameras installed at the building and outside the PIA office.

New Delhi, August 12
The BJP has sought action against onion hoarders who have kept the vegetables in store rooms that has caused price rise.

General secretary of the Delhi unit of the BJP Shikha Rai said that there is not lack of supply of onion in wholesale market. The rates have gone high due to hoarders. This is in the knowledge of the government but it is not taking action.

The government has completely failed to perform its basic duty of controlling price rise. It is making false claims and tall promises to the residents of Delhi.

Highlighting the troubles of the women of Delhi in managing kitchen and household budget, Rai said, "Under the present Congress regime, even the rates of regular items are going high. Onion is being sold at a price Rs 70 per kg in the national Capital."

"The Congress government is playing in the hands of hoarders who are creating artificial shortage of onion and other food articles," Rai added.

The BJP has also criticized the Centre's decision to export onions to Pakistan while people in the country are facing a crisis.

She said that on July 15 the Union Commerce Ministry released a data showing that the price of onion had shot up 114 per cent since June 2012.

The consumer price inflation rose 9.9 per cent in 12 months through June this year. This is the biggest jump among the BRIC nations. It was 6.7 per cent in Brazil, 6.9 per cent in Russia, and just 2.7 per cent in China.

New Delhi, August 12
The Delhi Traffic Police have made traffic arrangements around Red Fort where the Independence Day celebrations will be held on August 15.

The full-dress rehearsal of the programme will be held tomorrow. It will also follow the same traffic arrangements as that of the Independence Day.

While giving an idea about the traffic arrangements, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Anil Shukla said, "It would facilitate the movement of VIP vehicles, invitees and general public to reach the place of the function. The arrangements will also ensure safe and smooth flow of traffic in other parts of the city."

Netaji Subhash Marg from Delhi Gate to Chatta Rail, Lothian Road from GPO Delhi to Chatta Rail, S.P. Mukherjee Marg from H.C. Sen Marg to Yamuna Bazar Chowk, from Chandni Chowk Fountain to Red Fort Chowk, New Daryaganj Road from Ring Road to Netaji Subhash Marg and Link Road from Esplanade Road to Netaji Subhash Marg are the roads that will remain closed for the general traffic on the Independence Day. Only labeled vehicles will be permitted on these roads.

"Those vehicles which do not have parking labels for the Independence Day or for the rehearsal day should avoid Tilak Marg, Mathura Road, BSZ Marg, Subhash Marg, J.L. Nehru Marg and Ring Road between Nizammuddin Bridge and ISBT Bridge," said Shukla.

There will be special checking of all vehicles, both private and commercial, entering the national Capital territory from neighbouring states through the border entry points. The checking will be conducted from 8 pm onwards on the intervening nights of August 12 and 13 and August 14 and 15.

All goods vehicles will not be permitted between Nizamuddin Bridge and Wazirabad Bridge from midnight of August 12 until 11 am on August 13. The same rule will be followed from midnight of August 14 until 11 am on August 15.

New Delhi, August 12
A 24-year-old nurse working with Sir Ganga Ram Hospital allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan inside her hostel room at Rajendra Nagar, central Delhi today.

The deceased has been identified as Vinita Sebastian. She belonged to Kottayam district in Kerala. Sebastian was working at the Operation Theatre (OT) unit at the hospital for the past two years. The reason behind her alleged suicide is yet to be known, as no suicide note has been found.

According to the police, the matter came to light when Sebastian did not show up at the hospital for her duty. About 2.30 pm, her seniors enquired about her from the nurse's hostel staff, who went to her room. The hostel is located within the hospital premises. They found her hanging inside her room.

She was declared dead at the hospital. Her body has been preserved for the postmortem. Her family has been informed about her death.

Her colleagues are being questioned to get some leads in the case.

New Delhi, August 12
Employees of the Delhi Administration Subordinate Service (DASS) today remained on mass casual leave and around 1,000 employees gathered in front of Delhi Secretariat and demonstrated peacefully for their pending issues.

Representatives of the DASS met Delhi Chief Secretary D.M. Spolia and submitted their memorandum including demands like grant of non-functional pay scale to the Grade-I officials of DASS cadre and the up gradation of the pay scale of Grade-II officials accorded by the Delhi Government, parity of Grade-II with the assistants and stenographers of Central Secretariat Services, grant of non-functional selection grade of Rs 4,200 to the Grade-III with the Upper Division Clerks of the Central Secretariat Clerical Services, promotion of the Lower Division Clerkss of 2003 batch and stopping of recovery being made from retiring officials.

The Chief Secretary asked Secretary (Services) Kailash Chandra to put up the case file of parity of the employees of the Delhi Government with Central Secretariat Services as per the recommendation of the Sixth Pay Commission within two days, said one of the members of the DASS association.

"He assured that action on this issue would be taken urgently. With reference to the issue of recovery being made from retiring officials, it was assured that once the notification regarding parity as per the Sixth Pay Commission is issued the issue of recovery would automatically be resolved," he said.

"The Chief Secretary was also apprised of the long-pending demand of restructuring of the DASS cadre enabling more avenues for promotion and the Chief Secretary ideologically agreed to the same and directed the Secretary to resubmit the file of re-structuring," said the member.

Representatives of the DASS asked its association members to wait till August 19 when they will meet the Chief Secretary again on these issues.

Further course of action would be finalized after analyzing the action taken by the authorities as assured by the Chief Secretary, he said.

New Delhi, August 12
Residents of around 159 unauthorized colonies, situated on forest land and the ridge area in south Delhi, will now be able to enjoy access to basic facilities in their areas.

In view of forthcoming assembly elections, the Urban Development (UD) Department, Delhi government, has found a way to carry developmental work in the colonies situated on forest land, which was hanging under several objections by the Environment Department for a long time.

According to the top officials in the UD, the department has started the procedure to take clearances from the Environment Department under special clauses. The Supreme Court orders and other technicalities of law were creating hurdles in regularization of these unauthorized colonies.

"Though, law does not permit any kind of activity either in forest or the ridge area. But that does not mean that people living in these lands will have to live in deprivation of basic needs," said a senior official of the UD Department. He said that there are special clauses under which permission can be granted or separate laws can be framed, overlooking the existing ones, for the purpose.

The government has decided to apply under the same procedure, informed the official. It had recently passed a proposal for carrying out development work like construction of roads in 450 unauthorized colonies including these ones.

Chhattarpur would be the most affected constituency as 56 of the total 159 unauthorised colonies on forest land fall under its jurisdiction. Balram Tanwar, Member of Legislative Assembly from the Chhattarpur area and Dr Yeganand Shastri, Member of Parliament from Mehrauli have been consistently building pressure to start work in the area.