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Property tax hardship committee set up
New Delhi, April 6 The committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of Mr K. Dharmrajan, IAS officer (retired). Other members of the committee include Mr O. P. Kelkar, Principal Secretary, Urban Development, Government of NCT of Delhi, Mr Raj Mohan Singh, Additional Commissioner (General) of MCD, Dr Gautam Naresh, Senior Economist, National Institute of Public Finance and Planning, and Mr Sanjay Puri, Municipal Councillor, the sources said. The committee will be assisted in its work by Akash Taneja, Special Officer, Unit Area Method. The Hardship and Anomaly Committee will make recommendation to the corporation on the petitions received from any group of affected persons regarding any hardship caused by the property tax. The committee will forward the petitions to the corporation whose decision will be final. The committee will function from its office at Core 6A, 3rd Floor India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road. The committee will consider representation of categorisation of colonies, areas, localities and incidence of hardships. The MCD has also simplified the procedure for obtaining certificate of covered area along with the first self-assessment return. Such certificates would not be required for plots below 100 metres. Similarly, certificate would not be required in cases where the assessee has any other documentary evidence of covered area of his property. The certificate can also be given by any architect who is registered under the Architect Act 1972 or any licensed architect registered with the Council of Architecture in addition to the architects registered by the corporation for the purpose, the sources said.
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Canvassing on the canvas
New Delhi, April 6 Its headquarters at 11, Ashoka Road, is playing host to an exhibition of paintings on the Atal Behari Vajpayee Government’s India Shining blitzkrieg. Painted by artistes drawn from Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad and Amritsar, the exhibition was inaugurated this morning to coincide with the party’s foundation day celebrations. According to Nawin Sinha of the BJP’s cultural cell, the exhibition portrays positive emotions. “The concept of India Shining as a national campaign is the manifestation of resurgent India,” he said. On display are paintings drawn at two camps organised in Amritsar and Delhi. The camp for artistes in Amritsar was organised to coincide with the conclusion of first leg of Bharat Uday Yatra. Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani undertook the first leg of his Bharat Uday Yatra from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu to Amritsar in Punjab. He interacted with the artistes briefly upon reaching Amritsar. Sinha said that the Amritsar camp was organised on March 24 and 25 at the Indian Akademi of Fine Arts. The paintings were exhibited on March 26, on which day Mr Advani reached Amritsar. |
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Terrorists seeking bases around Delhi
Noida, April 6 A special team of police has been formed to inquire into their activities. All public shelters in Noida are known to be used by the criminals as well as terrorists. The suspicion has been proved correct by the arrest of an ISI agent from Salarpur. Besides, the death in an encounter of an area commander of Jaish-e-Mohamed, in Sector-34 is another proof that after the criminals, terrorists also find Noida a safe haven for their activities. Terrorists are now mixing up with the local youths. According to police intelligence sources, in the towns like Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Gurgaon, these elements are trying to set up their bases in rented accommodations. Salarpur and Sector-34 are the localities with dense population where searching out a criminal or terrorist is not in easy job. According to SP City Anant Dev, the police are conducting raids in the thickly populated areas to hunt for such elements. Making illegal arms, a cottage industry Ghaziabad: With most of the police forces busy with the arrangements in connection with the Lok Sabha elections, the cottage industry of manufacturing illegal arms seems to be operating at full throttle. The police officers do admit that the illegal arms are freely used in a run-up to elections and on polling days also, by criminal gangs. Land mafia also looks for these weapons for their own ends. The political groups are an equally keen lot to have as many weapons during the election season as possible. The consignment of some 36 weapons seized by Modi Nagar police was obviously on its way to Delhi for supply to a political leader for use during elections. SP City Umesh Srivastava agrees that the reason for increase in illicit arms during elections is shortage of police force which has to shoulder additional responsibility. This boosts the morale of anti-social elements. Many people feel that the possession of arms gives them an importance which they use to browbeat the poor and weaker classes. Long-pending rivalries among the villagers are also settled in rural areas during elections for which again illegal arms come handy. SP City says police are trying to keep an eye on the industry of illegal arms, that is why police had seized two big consignments of arms within a week. The first was on March 29 when Modinagar police had unearthed an illegal arms manufacturing unit in a raid on a house in Jagat Puri. According to police, western UP has almost always witnessed a high level of violence during election times, especially Muradnagar, Khokoda, Dadri, Secunderabad, Bulandshahar etc.
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Aesthetics students get Ethics paper
New Delhi, April 6 Mercifully, things were sorted out subsequently with the intervention of the higher ups and the right question paper distributed to the students. The students got a shock of their lives when they found that the question paper was of Ethics. As per the schedule, they had to take the examination of Aesthetics. According to sources, “Some girl students even started crying after receiving the question paper as they had prepared for a different subject and the question paper they had received was totally different from what they have prepared for.” The university staff then reported the matter to the Controller of the Examination BS Garg, who then sent across the right question paper. In the interim, the students lost some time in the examination room. According to a first year student, who is pursuing Philosophy, “I was shocked when I received the question paper. As per schedule, we had to take the Aesthetics examination but the question paper we got was of Ethics.” Another student who disclosed his name as Sudesh Kumar said on the telephone that the question paper was of Ethics while they had prepared for Aesthetics. The university staff and the teachers co-operated with us and asked us to be patient. After an hour, they sent the different question paper. But during the episode, precious time was frittered away.” According to the Controller of the Examinations, B S Garg: “The problem arose in the Jesus and Mary College where some of the students had opted for Aesthetics. But the number of such students was thin. We sent another question paper within ten minutes and also provided another half an hour to them for taking the examination.” |
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MNC engineer held for hounding IIT ex-colleague
New Delhi, April 6 Jain had been arrested in January also on similar charges—molesting the same girl.. The victim, Suneeta (name changed), is also an IIT graduate and is working in a multinational company. Suneeta, a resident of Punjabi Bagh, complained to the Crime Branch sleuths that Sandeep had mailed at least 100 white envelopes with typed vulgar messages to every house in the victim’s locality, Ashoka Park. The letters were sent on March 27 and 28. The neighbours of the victim were also surprised to read the obscene messages about her family. The accused initially sent her indecent e-mails by taking the names of her colleagues and even hacked the victim’s e-mail ID. On one occasion, when the victim was supposed to visit Australia on an official visit, the accused e-mailed her resignation letter to her HR department, in order to stop her visit. During investigations, when the sleuths questioned the role of Sandeep Jain in the case, he reportedly told them that he was innocent and somebody else might be involved. Following his statement, the sleuths took as many as 50 envelopes and sent them for forensic examination to the fingerprint bureau. The chance prints developed from the letters also matched with those of the fingerprints of the accused. The sleuths are now ascertaining the role of the accused’s father N C Jain in this case, who is a retired scientist from the BARC. |
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PUBLIC PROPERTY
Sonepat, April 6 According to a report, a senior officer in the office of the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) has been told to conduct a thorough probe into the causes of the fire and the financial loss. Some employees posted at the Sandal Kalan railway station have been placed under suspension, pending departmental inquiry.
All the employees
have been directed to appear before the inquiry officer in New Delhi for recording their statements. It is also alleged that some employees are reported to have made an attempt to cover up the lapses and the causes of the fire in a bid to save themselves from possible action. The engine and the bogie of the 1 DPM (EMU) passenger train were burnt in the fire caused by the burnt grass on the railway track of the railway station on Sunday last. |
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CRIME MAZE
Ghaziabad, April 6 The criminals sped away on a scooter. The police are still clueless about the culprits. The victim, Vipin Jain, a wholesale dealer of wheat flour, oil, maida (refined wheat flour), resident
of Shalimar Garden Extension in Sahibabad has his business in Luxmi Nagar, Delhi and Bagpat. Vipin Jain had reportedly informed the bank manager on Sunday, a day earlier that he would be withdrawing Rs 9.40 lakh on Monday. He reached the bank in the afternoon and came out within minutes with money trucked in his briefcase. As he was about to open his car doorlock, a youth came to him and boxed him quite hard on the head. As Vipin stumbled, the youth pointed a gun at his head and snatched the briefcase. Nearby, the other criminal was waiting on a scooter. Vipin Jain raised the alarm, but the assailants had disappeared into the narrow lanes of the area. The hunt launched by Indira Puram police came to nought as the cops did not have any idea which way the desperados had vanished. Vipin has been shown the photographs of the local criminals by the police, but he has failed to identify anyone so far. The police are now developing computer sketches of the robbers. |
MCD being financially weakened by Delhi Govt: BJP
New Delhi, March 6 Addressing a press conference, Gupta alleged that the report recommended the reduction in the revenue of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi by taking away the Licensing Department and reducing the grant of the Education Department of the corporation. The annual revenue of the Licensing Department is Rs 8 crore. If it is handed over to the state government, the corporation will lose this amount. The Finance Commission made no difference among the MCD, DVB and the Delhi Jal Board. It recommended that the corporation should be given loan at the interest rate of 16 per cent on par with DVB and the Delhi Jal Board. While the MCD is a civic body, DVB and the DJB are commercial ventures, Gupta claimed. The Commission has also recommended that functions of maintenance and construction and maintenance of rest houses, poor houses, children homes, houses for the deaf and dumb and for handicap children, shelters for destitute and disabled persons and asylums for persons of unsound mind should be transferred to the Delhi Government. Besides, functions of old age pensions and hospitals with more than 100 beds should be transferred to the Government of Delhi. Vijender Gupta said that functioning of the Delhi Government is against the Panchayati system of governance. According to this system, the third tier of government should be strengthened, but the Delhi Government is bent upon making it week. He said the first Finance Commission of Delhi was constituted in 1993, which submitted its report in 1995. The report was implemented the same year. The second Finance commission report was constituted after the direction of the Delhi High Court in 2001, after a Public Interest Litigation was filed before it. |
Sena stages dharna against fee hike by schools
New Delhi, April 6 In a memorandum submitted to the President, Lt Governor Vijai Kapoor, the Chief Minister and Education Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely, the Shiv Sena said the fee hike is unjust. They demanded that a fee structure should be fixed for public schools, so that they could not ‘’extort’’ excessive sums from parents. Addressing the demonstrators, Delhi Shiv Sena Chief Jai Bhagwan Goel said education has become a “business’’ as public schools are charging excessive money in the name of fees. “Money is charged as readmission fee from old students and it was made compulsory to buy books, stationary and uniforms from the schools which get commission from the stores,’’ Mr Goel said. “Even teachers are exploited by the public schools: They have to sign for receiving more amount while the actual payment made is much less,’’ he said. When the Supreme Court has asked the public schools to display the list of students from poor families who had been given admission, why did the Delhi Government not enforce the court’s directive, Mr Goel said, and threatened to launch an agitation if the fee increase was not rolled back. |
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No-trust move against Zila Parishad chief
Faridabad, April 6 The dissident members who met at a place today called on the Deputy Commissioner to demand the convening of the meeting of the Parishad to discuss the motion and hold voting if required. These members submitted a written request to the authorities in this regard. The members who have signed the memorandum include at least five women members, who have said that they had no faith in the present chief of the body and wanted to remove him. Mr Rajesh Rawat is son of the sitting INLD MLA from Hathin, Mr Bhagwan Sahai Rawat, who is considered close to Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala. |
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Medical cover for ex-servicemen
New Delhi, April 6 In Delhi, policlinic is located within the OPD complex of the Base Hospital at Delhi Cantt. In Noida, it is located at Armed Forces Clinic and at Gurgaon, it is located at Dundahera Camp on the Old National Highway. These policlinics have special facilities of gynaecologist and dental specialist. Besides, the laboratory and X-ray facility is also there to facilitate the ex-servicemen. The scheme that was found to be one of the most successful schemes for the welfare of the ex-servicemen has received 7,017 applications till date. Getting this response, it has been anticipated that the policlinics would be upgraded in the future to provide state-of-the-art facility in terms of super specialists and equipment. According to the officials, senior officials at various levels have been earmarked and assigned the task of monitoring the progress of the scheme.
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Rivals hit out at INLD candidate for using Gurukul in canvassing
Sonepat, April 6 The Congress nominee, Mr Dharam Pal Singh Malik, said it was such an attempt of the ruling party, which must be condemned by every one irrespective of their party affiliations. He also appealed to the wardens of the students to ensure that their wards were not used for political gains of an individual. He warned the ruling party not to dare to use these institutions for its selfish interests as these girls institutions were the common assets of the people of the area who have donated and contributed for the progress of the institutions. The BJP candidate, Mr Kishan Singh Sangwan, has remarked that when the INLD nominee failed to get support for her from the public. She was not hesitating to use the sacred institution like Kanya Gurukul to mark her presence among the people. Though the teachers of the Gurukul institutions were not interested, but they were being forced by the state government and it must be condemned, he remarked. The HVP general secretary, Rajiv Jain said it was very wrong and undesired to involve educational institutions like of Kanya Gurukul for political canvassing. “The
CM is adopting such mean tactics after knowing that his political boat
is capsizing in the elections,” he said and added that the people
must oppose such attempts, otherwise this prestigious institution of
north India would become a “Rajnitik Akhara”. However, Ms
Krishna Malik, has strongly refuted the allegations. OC |
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Dismissed police employees to campaign against INLD candidate
Sonepat, April 6 According to a report, Mr Jai Kishan Saini, president of the ‘Haryana Dismissed Police Karamchari Sangh’ presided over the meeting. The meeting also resolved to continue its struggle against the Chautala government, which was proclaimed to be against the common people. The meeting further resolved to oppose the INLD candidates in all the 10 Lok Sabha seats and work for their defeat. The meeting also constituted a number of committees for this purpose for the different districts in the state. Presidents and other members of these committees have also been constituted for mobilising the support of the electorate against the ruling party nominees in the Lok Sabha elections. According to another report, the Haryana Vikas Party, (HVP) began its election campaign in a big way for its candidate from Sonepat, Mr Jagbir Singh Malik. He is a former Haryana minister. Mr Rajiv Jain, general- secretary of the state unit of the party is monitoring the election campaign in the district. Accompanied by Mr Jain, Mr Malik went round the railway station area here today and appealed to voters to support him in the elections. He also promised to look into all their demands. Principal summoned The Civil Judge (Junior Division), Ms Rajni Yadav, yesterday issued summons against Dr Shamim Sharma, Principal of the local Hindu Girls College, directing her to appear before the court in a case filed against her by student of the college. The student, identified as Anju, a BA final year student of the college alleged that she had been denied the roll number issued by the Maharishi Dayanand University (MDU), Rohtak, for appearing in the annual examination commencing from today. According to a report, the MDU has issued the roll No. 1808 to Anju for appearing in the annual examination. However, the college principal had refused to issue the same to her as she did on fulfill the attendance requirements of the college. Dhaba owner killed A dhaba owner, identified as Balwan, was killed when his motorcycle was hit by a vehicle on the G T Road near Larsauli village, about 15 km from here last night. According to a report, the victim was returning to his home on his motorcycle during the night when the accident occurred. The police have sent the body for the postmortem examination. A case has also been registered and further investigations were in progress. |
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District investigation units to review power theft cases: Paul
New Delhi, April 6 Paul said that if there was a need for additional staff for investigation purpose, the districts would provide them with adequate staff. For this a coordination committee would be convened every month with officials such as Joint Commissioner of Police, chief executives of New Delhi Power Limited, BSES, Rajdhani Power Limited and BSES Yamuna Power Limited and the district Deputy Commissioners of Police. The committee will look into all the matters relating to power thefts, anti-theft drives and enforcement activities and also registration of cases in this regard. |
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NCR BRIEFS
Jhajjar, April 6 The official sources said here today that the polling staff had been identified and the duties would be assigned to them soon. The sources said the training had been imparted to the people on the proper use of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The Assembly segments of Jhajjar, Salawas, Badli and Beri come under the Rohtak Lok Sabha seat while Bahadurgarh Assembly seat falls in Sonepat parliamentary constituency. Demand to implement
new wages Sonepat: Large number of brick-kiln workers affiliated to the Lal Jhanda Mazdoor Union and the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) took out a procession here today to register their protest against the non-implementation of the new wage order of the state government by the owners of the brick-kilns in this district. According to a report, Mr Chander Bhan, president of the district unit of the Lal Jhanda Mazdoor Union and Mr Howa Singh, vice-president of the Haryana Committee of the CITU, led the procession. Carrying placards and raising anti-government slogans, they marched through the main bazars of the city and reached the mini-secretariat where they held a demonstration in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner. A memorandum listing eight demands was presented to the Deputy Commissioner on this occasion. |
2 held with fake currency notes near Red Fort
New Delhi, April 6 Acting on a tip-off that two persons involved in circulating counterfeit currency would be reaching near the railway bridge behind the Red Fort to deliver a consignment, the police laid a trap and nabbed the two persons. The arrested persons were identified as Mohammad Akbar Butt (56), and Syed Mushtaq Ahmed (23), both residents of Jammu and Kashmir. The sleuths recovered Rs 40,000 worth of counterfeit currency of Rs 100 denomination from their possession. The accused told the sleuths that they came in contact with one Bilal in Srinagar, who motivated them to circulate fake currency notes in the national Capital. Three robbers arrested With the arrest of three robbers, the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police claimed to have solved a vehicle theft on December 31, 2002 in the Adarsh Nagar area. The accused were apprehended from the Jahangirpuri area with a stolen motorcycle and identified as Islam and Suvinder Singh alias Sonu, resident of Jahangirpuri area. On their disclosure, their associate Shyam, resident of Jahangirpuri, was apprehended and a stolen motorcycle recovered from his possession. Two held with 17 kg
of ganja The Railway Police have arrested two persons and recovered 17 kilograms of ganja from their possession. The accused were identified as Raj Kumar alias Kaluva alias Kallu, and Bham Singh alias Beema, residents of Nand
Nagari. |
Now, the next generation milk at your doorstep
New Delhi, April 6 It claimed to be the first to use high-level technology in processing milk in north India. Bactofugation, a technology used internationally, physically removes harmful bacteria from the milk, giving the consumers a different experience of tastier and safer milk. Paras group, which claims to be the second largest company preparing polypouch milk in Delhi, has a mix of nutritious products in its product portfolio. From skimmed milk powder to dahi, paneer, cheese, paras group has created a niche for itself in the dairy industry. Backed by well-armed production units to cater to the market needs and a strong R and D capability, Paras is now, all set to roll out the safest possible milk called Bactofuged milk. Bactofugation has evolved as an effective process over pasteurization and sterilization, the most distinct advantage being the physical removal of harmful spores and pathogens. Bactofuged milk gives the milk a better shelf life and safer milk to drink. The rollout will take place in Delhi and the NCR region and will be extended to other states later. Speaking on the launch of the new product, Mr K K Bhadra, incharge of marketing, Paras group, said, “Our commitment towards quality has always remained intact. With
this major driving force in mind, we have surged ahead to adapt to rapidly changing technologies,
thus giving our customers the very best.”  |
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Commission agents up in arms against privatisation move
Faridabad, April 6 Although talks with the agitating agents and their representatives have taken place at various levels in the past couple of days, but it is learnt that the agents wanted to ensure that there would be no harassment and scaling of the fee to be collected by the Contractors’ who get the work allotted through auction system. They have also demanded that the private persons or contractors given the work should have proper licence, identification and no changes be made in the collection system or rates without taking them into confidence. This is perhaps the first time that the government has announced to give the work of collecting the market fee to the private contractors through auction. But the new system has been made applicable to only Faridabad and Gurgaon districts in the first phase and could be extended to other districts if found suitable, said the Mandi Board sources. As the new process came into being from April 1 this year, the arhatiyas and their Association protested against the change, claiming that the arhatiyas could be worst affected as the government had been selling the work at the maximum rates and the contractors, with a view to make up their losses and earn more profits could hike up the fee and other charges and thus could exploit the situation. It is reported that the government has auctioned this work in Faridabad for about Rs 1. 60 crore per year, while it has been around Rs 1 crore in the neighbouring Gurgaon district. The amount is stated to be around 40 to 60 percent higher to what was collected by the market committees in these district, said an office bearer of the local Arhatiyas union. He claimed that privatisation itself may not be harmful, but said that if the motive of the authorities was to make more money through this system then their work would suffer badly and chaos like situation could emerge leading to more quarrels, cheating and even violence. He said before going to introduce such a system, the government ought to have discussed various aspects and should have found solutions to their objections in a proper manner. On other hand, it is learnt that the actual income and the collection made by the arhatiyas failed to come on the record and by the new method it would not be possible for them to do so. |
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