|
|
|
|
|
BJP election list carries Goel’s detractors
Development works in illegal colonies: Norms to be eased
IN FOCUS |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Extortionists pose as Crime Branch staff
Panel for smooth functioning of Gramin Sewa soon
CM opens Nature Bazaar at Andheria Modh
Rajnagar garbage dump poses threat of dengue, malaria
|
|
BJP election list carries Goel’s detractors
New Delhi, August 25 According to the sources, the inclusion of the detractors of Goel in the list has been done after the direction of the party high command that does not want to spare any chance of winning the Delhi Assembly election to be held in November. National leaders of the BJP have taken seriously to the resignation of Sudhanshu Mittal. Vijay Goel is president of the election committee while other members are Vijay Kumar Malhotra, leader of opposition in Delhi Assembly; O.P. Kohli, former president of the Delhi BJP; Mangeram Garg, Harsh Vardhan, former president of the Delhi BJP; Vijender Gupta, former president of the Delhi BJP; Prof Jagdish Mukhi, Lal Bihari Tiwari, Nand Kishore Garg, Yogender Chandolia, Pravesh Verma, R.P. Singh, Ramesh Bidhuri, Shikha Rai, Jai Prakash, Vijay Sharma and Sudha Sharma. The special invitees are Aarti Mehra, Vani Tripathi, Shyam Jaju, Anil
Jain, Abdul Rasheed, Rajesh Gehlot and Poonam Azad. Besides, the BJP has election core group of 54 members. According to the sources, it is the first time that such a lengthy list of committee members has been made. Earlier 10-12 members used to be in the election list. Delhi election-in-charge Nitin Gadkari said that with the setting up of an election committee and a core group, the Delhi BJP has now been put in the election mode. The representative character of these important committees reflects the cohesiveness in the Delhi BJP as well as the demographic changes in the national Capital. "I call upon the party rank and file in Delhi to work collectively and launch an aggressive campaign against the ineffective Congress regime and expose its failure on all fronts, particularly the rampant corruption, fast deteriorating law and order, mounting inflation and rising prices of all the essential commodities," Gadkari said. |
|
Development works in illegal colonies: Norms to be eased
New Delhi, August 25 Besides easing norms to ensure speedy approval of projects in unauthorised colonies, the government is likely gone for acquisition of land in those settlements where the government land was not available for setting up of hospitals and schools. Sources in the government said in a first such move the government has completed all formalities to buy a plot of land measuring 2.5 acre from a resident in an unauthorised colony in the Mohan Garden area in Uttam Nagar, west Delhi, to set up a 200-bedded hospital. They said Lt Governor Najeeb Jung has given a go ahead for acquisition of the plot while the Delhi Development Authority has already issued a no-objection certificate for construction of the hospital on it which was categorised as agricultural land. "This is for the first time the government acquired private land in an unauthorised colony as there was no plot available for construction of the hospital. It is a reflection of government's intention to put all facilities in unauthorised colonies," an official said. The sources said the government will go for more such acquisition in unauthorised colonies where there was no DDA land for setting up schools, hospitals and other basic facilities. They said a cheque for Rs 1.35 crore has been issued to owner of the plot as first installment. "We are examining easing norms to ensure speedy development in unauthorised colonies. We are committed to provide all required facilities in these colonies," Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said. Expressing happiness over government's decision to acquire the plot of land in Mohan Garden, Uttam Nagar MLA Mukesh Sharma said Dikshit had promised to set up a hospital in the area while addressing a rally on March 3. "Dikshit had made a promise and now it is coming to reality. The government will provide all required infrastructure to all the 1,639 unauthorised colonies," Sharma said. He alleged that certain BJP leaders were opposed to acquisition of land for the hospital. Officials said the government was considering easing certain norms for facilitating basic infrastructure in all unauthorised colonies in the city. The Delhi Government has already written to Union Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath for changing land use norms in such settlements. The government had regularised 895 unauthorised colonies in September last year and various agencies like PWD, Delhi Jal Board and municipal corporations were tasked to put in place the required infrastructure in the settlements at the earliest. The government has already asked all the three municipal corporations to take the help of professional architects in making the layout plans for colonies that have already been regularised.
— PTI |
|
IN FOCUS
New Delhi, August 25 Though this is not to overrule the bearing of developments surrounding academic restructuring that DU has seen in the recent times, with the latest being the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) which teachers of Left's Democratic Teachers' Front (DTF) have condemned from day one as "anti-academic and an attempt to privatise higher education in the grab of reforms". Teachers' permanent recruitment forms one of the major issues in the manifestoes of the top four teachers factions, including DTF, Academics for Action and Development (AAD) and Indian National Teachers Congress (INTEC) combine, the BJP-backed National Democratic Teachers' Front (NDTF) and another faction of AAD, whose candidates are in fray for the new president and 15 executive members. The university's move of adopting the UGC 2013 regulations on teachers' recruitments, though after considerable dissent from almost all the contesting teachers' factions during, comes at a time when more than 4,000 faculty positions have been vacant since 2010 when permanent recruitment and promotion was stopped. The issue further gains centre stage as this week the university administration-which is accused by Left-leaning teachers of DTF of favouring AAD-INTEC candidates-through an open letter issued by Dean of Colleges Sudhish Pachauri and Dean South Campus Umesh Rai promised free laptops for teachers and elimination of Academic Performance Indicators (API) scores for the recruitment of teachers. This has resulted in a series of counter-allegations and blame-game among the top contesting groups-DTF and pro-establishment AAD-INTEC while the two groups NDTF which has fielded Kirori Mal's assistant professor Pramod C Sharma's and the Dr Rathi's AAD pushed Shiba C Panda of Satyawati College both for the post at the helm of DUTA largely remain sidelined. According to DTF's presidential candidate Nandita Narain of St Stephens' College, the entire ordinance which deviates from the UGC guidelines on various aspects, such as the composition of the selection committee, has a hidden agenda of putting permanent appointments into abeyance. "The announcements are being made by the VC because DUTA elections are round the corner. Also this is integrally linked to the FYUP as with its introduction, teachers' workload has been drastically reduced. The elections are significant because of the assault on public education is far sharper ever since the current VC Dinesh Singh took over," said DTF president Shaswati Mazumdar. "All this suits the agenda of the current administration which is pushing for nothing else but towards bringing PPP into higher education to allow foreign investors into the university," said Narain. Expressing strong objection, Narain, Maths faculty at St Stephens' College, added, "The manner in which the university is intervening to influence the outcome of DUTA polls amounts to brazen misuse of official apparatus. Ad hoc teachers are vulnerable and so they were called for meeting where those support the Left were criticised and the AAD-INTEC candidates were allowed to campaign from the official platform. The latest letter is also just to mislead teachers before the polls." AAD-INTEC presidential choice Ashwini Shankar, who teaches history at Deshbandhu College, said, "Our major focus is resumption of permanent recruitment of teachers and protection of teachers' interests. Modalities are being worked out for introducing professorship at college level. On the issue of biometric system, we have impressed upon the university to file an affidavit that monthly attendance be accepted for teachers. We have also urged for removal of anomalies arising out of the Sixth Pay Commission." |
|
Extortionists pose as Crime Branch staff
New Delhi, August 25 The Crime Branch received a complaint about extortion of Rs 3 lakh. According to the complainant, he was lured by one woman and her associates in Rani Bagh. He had been detained there for hours and beaten on the pretext that he had committed rape, the police said. The accused asked the complainant to pay Rs 6 lakh and after negotiations, extorted Rs 3 lakh from him. As per the complainant, the extortionists posed as staff of the Crime Branch of Delhi Police. The accused were identified as Sunny, Neeraj, Simran, Vijay and two constables Pawan and Manoj, the police said. During interrogation, Sunny disclosed that he and his wife Sunita were running a brothel in Rani Bagh and they came in contact with one Neeraj. Neeraj further introduced them to constable Manoj and ex-home guard Vijay. Vijay has a grocery shop in Mangol Puri and also deals in property. All of them formed a gang and planned to extort the customers who would visit the brothel. They also involved a few women. The accused used to take the customer to their place and once he and the woman get into a compromising position, the gang members staying outside were informed. Posing as Crime Branch officials, they would barge into the room and pretend to arrest the customer on charges of rape. Once he was terrorized by their act, they would demand huge money for not taking any legal action. In the latest case, they demanded Rs 6 lakh and finally a deal was struck for Rs 3 lakh. The accused have also disclosed several other incidents of extortion in Delhi. Accused Sunita is on the run, the police said. |
|
Panel for smooth functioning of Gramin Sewa soon
New Delhi, August 25 On implementation, it will solve the major problem of refusal at night as the drivers cannot refuse to take passengers to the area or zone they belong to, said Transport Minister Ramakant Goswami following a high-level review meeting here. "The committee consists of members from the transport department, traffic police and DIMTS. This committee will give a report on the smooth functioning of Gramin Sewa and routes covered by Gramin Sewa in different area of the Capital," said Goswami. For the safety of passengers and complaints of overcharging and misbehaviour, the department has decided to use the services of the traffic police, DIMTS and the Police Control Room in order to evolve a mechanism. "The security of passengers is a key issue for the government. There is also a provision for providing various helpline numbers on the autorickshaw
body," he said. Goswami also instructed the DTC for strict compliance of speed restrictions. He said that all the new drivers will have to undergo intensive training programme on road safety. Counselling on lane driving and driving with prescribed speed limit must be ensured. He said that strict action will be taken against the temporary DTC drivers who lack the driving skills. There should be regular checking by the senior officers and flying squads have to more effective and visible, he added. |
|
CM opens Nature Bazaar at Andheria Modh
New Delhi, August 25 Inaugurating the 'Nature Bazaar' in Kisaan Haat at Andheria Modh, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said that it would be a vibrant 'green' space in a busy metropolitan area. This is a module of how to be both Indian and contemporary, environmentally ethical as well as people-friendly. She also added that craftsmen are the second largest employment sector in India and this is why the Delhi Government in association with Delhi Tourism has always stressed the development of dedicated spaces in Delhi for craftsmen to come and showcase their goods directly. On the occasion, Manish Chatrath, Chairman, Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC), said that "we want Nature Bazaar to become a destination where both the domestic and foreign tourists can find the best of India in a beautiful, eco-friendly atmosphere". |
|
Rajnagar garbage dump poses threat of dengue, malaria
New Delhi, August 25 Despite Delhi High Court's order, garbage from and around the dumping site has not been cleared by the authorities, said officials of the Raj Nagar Residents Welfare Association (RWA). Rajnagar comes under Najafgarh Zone of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation. Lack of a proper drainage system has made matters worse, said RWA officials. The dumping area is very close to a higher secondary school and an Arya Samaj temple. This poses serious health risks to school students, devotees coming to the temple and all the nearby residents. If the dumping zone is not cleared at the earliest, it may lead to an epidemic any moment. The dumping site has become a fertile ground for mosquito-breeding due to the waterlogging around it, said an official of the RWA. He said the municipal corporation had earlier decided not to allow dumping of garbage in the site, but it was later allowed following alleged pressure from some influential people of the area. The association has asked the corporation to stop the usage of site for dumping garbage or relocate it. The RWA has decided to meet senior officials of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation.
— PTI |
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Classified Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
