New Delhi, December 8
The Delhi government will release a Human Development Report for the National Capital Territory early next year, making it the first city-state in the world to have the document, listing the socio-economic indicators.

“The report will be published in one or two months. One of the chapters will deal exclusively with the problems of women,” Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said at the India Economic Summit 2004, which concluded yesterday.

‘’The chapter on women will highlight the position of the city’s women in their families and society and is a part of our government’s Stree Shakti programme,’’ she informed.

“Delhi will be the first city-state in the world to have such a report, which will be released early next year,’’ the Chief Minister said, adding, ‘’The data for the report have been collected over the last two years.’’

Speaking at a session on ‘How Women are Changing India’, the Chief Minister said the report will have data on the state of Delhi’s social and economic indicators.

The Human Development Report will be on the lines of the report published by the United Nations, measuring human development by combining indicators of life expectancy, educational attainment and income into a Human Development Index (HDI).

While various states in India have been bringing out Human Development Reports (HDRs) besides the National Human Development Report, Delhi will be the first city to have the document.

The most important indicators of the report are the Gender-related Development Index (GDI), the Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) and the Human Poverty Index (HPI).

Expressing concern at the bias against women in society, Ms Dikshit regretted that the issues concerning their health, education and development were always relegated to the background. She wanted more women to be involved in the decision-making process to correct this 
imbalance.

Ms Dikshit said women had to be provided equal opportunities and the start had to be made from the family. ‘’The initial step is to give freedom and right of expression to girls and make available to them similar opportunities as for boys. Once we can ensure this, the rest will fall in place,’’ the Chief Minister said.

She noted that women had made a mark in all fields when they were given an opportunity to show their talent. In this context, she referred to excellent job done by women in the local bodies and panchayats, where the government had provided for 33 per cent reservation to them.

She called for more self-help groups and cooperatives for women where they could pool their resources and earn revenue.

However, Ms Dikshit cautioned that in the race for equality and professional excellence, women should not lose sight of their larger role in society. ‘’While women had a strong desire for equality with men, it should not be at the cost of their family and social commitments.’’

“We should not talk of equality for the sake of equality. Women should not be mere competitors with men.

They have a significant role to play in the future of the human race and so they must look at their roles in a more holistic perspective,’’ she said.

She suggested that the business chambers like CII, FICCI and PHDCCI should consider flexi-working hours for women that would allow them balance their professional and personal lives.

New Delhi, December 8
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi today decided to make registration of buffaloes of those owners who would shift their animals to Ghogha dairy farm.

The name of owners and other details will be written in a chip.

If a buffalo is lost, it will be located and identified by the chip, connected to the computer.

Stray buffaloes will also be taken to the Ghogha dairy farm and chip installed in their stomach. This is being done to prevent the flourishing unauthorised dairies in the urban areas of the Capital. This system is already functioning in Punjab and is quite successful, the Municipal Commissioner, Mr Rakesh Mehta, said.

He added that Mother Dairy and a few other dairies are being contacted by the corporation to establish a chilling plant in Ghogha. The dairy owners will be able to sell milk to them. So, they should not feel worried on this point.

A question was raised that some dairy owners who have just one or two buffaloes would not like to go to as far as Ghogha, the Commissioner said that the land was being identified in other areas also to establish dairy farms.

As soon as the corporation gets land, it will establish dairy farms in other areas.

The Leader of Opposition in the Standing Committee, Mr Vijender Gupta, said that instead of keeping a record of buffaloes in the Capital, the corporation should have a record of its total property.

The corporation should first know the total property that it owns, he added.

However, the Municipal Commissioner said that the registration of buffaloes is being done following the direction of the Supreme Court as the buffaloes and other stray cattle move on roads, causing accidents, traffic jams and other problems. 

New Delhi, December 8
A private firm, which had sold a faulty hearing aid machine to a 90-year-old man, has been found guilty of deficiency in service and unfair trade practice by a Delhi consumer court.

Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission President Justice J.D. Kapoor, Members Rumnita Mittal and Mahesh Chandra also ordered the firm (Punjab Optical House Pvt Ltd) to refund respondent H.S. Jolly Rs 1.15 lakh–the cost of the hearing aid–in addition to paying him compensation of Rs 10,000.

“... the hearing aids purchased by the respondent were defective and non-functional and remained so in spite of free servicing and cleaning.… One needs these aids in old age in order to lead a socially active life,” the Commission held.

Pointing out that the power of hearing was significant for living as a social being, the Commission observed that a person who cannot hear not only gets deprived of all social interactions but is also mocked by insensitive people sometimes.

“No wonder the respondent, who is a retired government employee spent Rs 1.15 lakh, a huge amount for keeping himself alive to the social situations as well as to have interaction with the family members and friends.

For such activities, no age is old enough,” the consumer court said.

Jolly had on August 23, 2001, purchased from the firm two hearing aids of ‘Senso Wivdex’ make for Rs 1.15 lakh.

The machines remained defective and non-functional. He had to undergo a lot of sufferings and then purchase another set of hearing aid for Rs 1.24 lakh.

New Delhi, December 8
It could well be a turning point in the lives of 25 youngsters of Gujarat. Riots were not the only catastrophe for them. They had also been denied education for two years. However, these children between 12 and 16 years have been offered a chance to rebuild their lives now—in Delhi.

These youngsters who were relocated in Kalol, a small town near Godhra, went through hell, literally.

Having lost their family members, coupled with months of deprivation, they were simply left to nurse their wounds rather than nursing their dreams. “For over two years, a large number of students have not been able to resume their studies. Many of them have lost their fathers or other members of the family,” pointed out Shabnam Hashmi of ANHAD (Act Now for Harmony and Democracy), which has taken the initiative to bring these youngsters to Delhi for pursuing education.

With the aid received from the donors, ANHAD has managed to secure admission for these students in Balwant Rai Mehta Vidyalaya in Greater Kailash.

“We have also identified a place in Jaitpur, which we want to convert into a hostel for these youngsters. We are seeking funds for it,” Ms Hashmi added.

Though the children will begin school in April next year, they will be put through ‘extensive coaching’ when they arrive in Delhi on December 20 till April 2005.

“Apart from money, we are also looking out for volunteers to help coach these students in various subjects since they have been out of school for two years now,” Ms Hashmi said.

She added that the contributions that Anhad has received from organisations and individuals have been utilised to cover the expenses incurred on school fees. “Twenty-five people have committed to support the fee, books, uniform, etc, but we need to convert the available place into a hostel, arrange regular funds for their board and lodging and also for other staff to take care of the children in the hostel,” pointed out Ms Hashmi.

ANHAD has also drawn up a list of essentials that could be donated to the hostel meant for these children. Among the requirements are bunk beds, bedding, kitchen appliances and furniture.

Issuing an appeal for contributions, Ms Hashmi said, “Anhad faces a permanent economic crisis, but we never shelve an idea in case there are no funds. We always presume that there are enough people who would support our work.”

New Delhi, December 8
Feel like basking in the sun? Forget the guilt and just indulge yourself.

More so if you have been feeling low. The tendency to lie down while the sun shines is actually a manifestation of your system’s need for sunshine in winter. Doctors point out that SAD—Season Affective Disorder or Winter Blues—is a condition linked to the decreased daylight hours and longer periods of darkness during the cold season.

While the exact cause of the disorder remains unknown, experts claim that it is somehow linked to the biochemical imbalance of the hormones—melatonin and serotonin—in the brain of the susceptible persons.

Though the disorder seems to affect all ages, it is found to be more prevalent in women. Symptoms of SAD, say doctors, are excessive sleeping, overeating and loss of interest in social interactions. Depressive feelings combined with irritability and a craving for sweet-sour or salt also mark SAD. In severe cases, SAD leads to suicidal tendency, claim doctors.

The easiest part, however, is the treatment. All one has to do is to walk out during daylight hours and increase one’s exposure to the sun. 

New Delhi, December 8
In its bid to automate its entire power distribution network, the North Delhi Power Limited (NDPL) today commissioned Delhi’s first 66KV remote-operated and unmanned Grid Station at Bawana.

The NDPL Bawana Clear Water Grid is fully remote-controlled and will be operated through radio frequency from NDPL’s Power System Control located at Ranibagh. The state-of-the-art Grid Station was today dedicated to NDPL consumers by the Delhi Minister for Power and Transport Mr Haroon Yusuf.

Hailing the initiative as yet another landmark in the Delhi Power Distribution scenario, Mr Haroon Yusuf said, “The NDPL Bawana Clear Water Grid is yet another milestone achieved by the NDPL and will go a long way in further improving the reliability and quality of power supply in areas of Bawana and Narela. I commend NDPL for the improvement it has made to the power situation in North and Northwest Delhi by strengthening its network and deploying consumer-friendly practices.”

The NDPL Bawana Clear Water Grid will improve reliability and meet load growth of about 25,000 consumers living in Bawana village, Darya Pur Kalan, Harewali and Zuatab Garh Village, Swatantra Nagar (Narela), Sanoth village, Holambi village, Holambi Metro Vihar, Ghogha village, JJ clusters at Bawana-Narela road and part of DSIDC Narela. The grid station will also ensure uninterrupted power supply to DJB’s clear Water Works and Raw Water Plant. Earlier, this year in February and June 2004, NDPL had commissioned its 33KV remote-operated and unmanned grid stations at Pandav Nagar and Sudarshan Park.

Speaking at the dedication ceremony, Mr Anil Kr Sardana, CEO, NDPL, said, “This initiative takes us one step closer to our Distribution Automation Project aimed at remote-controlled operation of our network and faster fault management. In the last 28 months, the number of interruptions per consumer per year in our areas have been reduced to less than 1/3.”

New Delhi, December 8
About five per cent electronic meters installed in Delhi have been found to be defective and 0.5 per cent faster than the prescribed limit, Parliament was informed today.

However, 91 per cent electronic meters recorded consumption levels within the prescribed limits given in the Indian Electricity Rules while two per cent were found to be slow, Union Minister for Power P. M. Sayeed said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

He said that in response to a large number of complaints regarding fast running of electronic meters, the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission set up a committee, which randomly selected 375 meters from the stores of DISCOMs and found this result.

Mr Sayeed said that the defective meters were due to design features and most of them belonged to brand name M/s TTL. The commission has directed DISCOMs not to install any meter of TTL make until the design defects in them were rectified and the sample meters tested by the committee before installation.

AIIMS ALLOCATION: The All India Institute for Medical Sciences got consolidated grant-in-aid of Rs 170 crore for plan expenditure and the same amount in 2004-05 for its non-plan expenditure for payment of salary, machinery and equipment, material and supply and other activities.

Minister of State for Health Panabaka Lakshmi said in a written reply that AIIMS had received Rs 105 crore for plan expenditure from the ministry last year while Rs 218.18 crore under non-plan head.

MTNL CONNECTIONS: The Mahanagar Telephone Nigam has provided 83,565 landline connections between April 2004 to September, 2004, Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Shakeel Ahmad said in another reply.

MTNL is taking a number of steps to compete with private basic service providers like better customer care, expansion and modernisation of network, provision of new services at affordable rates and revision of tariff.

He said that MTNL was providing Non-OYT landline connections in Delhi within three days of registration while it was endeavouring to meet the TRAI norms of providing new telephones within seven days of registration.

Faridabad, December 8
The all-important road, which connects the two major industrial and commercial hubs of Faridabad and Gurgaon, has become a totally unsafe corridor for travellers after dark.

While several incidents of robberies and loot have been reported on the road in the recent past, the authorities concerned are yet to take measures to instil confidence among the commuters.

The 30-km-long stretch that winds its way through the Aravalli Hills has perhaps all the trappings of an unsafe route at night-time. While the road is busy and quite chaotic in the daytime, it bears a deserted look once darkness sets in. To aggravate matters, the road is full of potholes and gets constricted at various points, especially at the culverts. As there is no population around and there is no lighting on the road either, it is easy for criminals to strike at will. Since the topography is hilly, it is easy for them to escape in the wilderness.

In a recent incident, which nearly went unnoticed, an executive residing here and working in a private company based in Gurgaon, had a close shave. Three youths, armed with a pistol and a knife, intercepted him on this stretch at about 10 pm just as he was returning home from office. According to the complaint lodged by the victim, the criminals, who were in a car, intercepted his motorcycle and asked for cash and valuables. Even as they snatched his purse, mobile phone and other items, they said they would not let him go unharmed. This led to a scuffle and in the ensuing fight the robbers stabbed him several times.

Later, he cried for help from vehicles passing by, but in vain. In fact, he nearly overrun by a speeding vehicle. Eventually, he was able to reach the police post, even though he was bleeding in the thigh. It is learnt that instead of providing him first aid and launching a manhunt, the policemen on duty refused to respond.

He was shifted to a local hospital by his kin, who reached the police station after he contacted them on phone. While the accused are still at large, this is one of the many incidents that have taken place in the last one year.

“The road is absolutely unsafe after darkness,” says a businessman, who prefers to come via Delhi in the odd hours. He said besides widening and surfacing, the road required proper lighting and round the clock police patrolling to check such incidents.

Faridabad, December 8
The DAV Centenary College, Faridabad, was able to carve out a niche in the recently concluded North-Zone inter-university youth festival, when one of its students won the first prize in one of the cultural events. The student was a student of Maharshi Dayanand University team in the festival, which was held at Budelkhand University, Jhansi in UP from November 26 to 30 last.

According to Mr P. P. Nanda, Principal of the college, as many as seven students of the college had been selected in the university cultural team, which will be participating in the All India National Cultural Youth Festival to be held at Banaras Hindu University from January 17 next. He told that one of the students of the college brought laurels when the item of ‘Mime’ presented in the festival. He said the seven students selected for the national level festival include Dheeraj Sood, Preeti, Mahesh, Sunil, Vijeta, Surabhi and Amit Sharma.

He lauded the efforts of the staff and the students of the college foe excelling in both academic and non-academic fields. It may be recalled that the Maharshi Dayanand University team was able to win first prize in three presentation, while it bagged third spot in Group song and instrumental music events.

Noida, December 8
The police have launched a hunt to trace unidentified persons who shot dead Amit Kumar of Karol Bagh, a bus driver, in Sector 22 this morning. According to the police, the incident occurred at 7: 30 am when Amit was driving his bus. The assailants reportedly stopped the bus near Shiv Mandir and after a heated exchange shot him from point blank range. There were no passengers in the bus at that time.

The police said that it appeared to be a case of personal vendetta. Amit had some differences with several other drivers operating on the Delhi–Noida route over playing of buses, the police said. — OC

New Delhi, December 8
With the arrest of two persons, the Delhi Police claimed to have solved 71 cases of snatching and recovered goods worth Rs 3 lakh from their possession. The accused have been identified as Samson Sachdeva (24) and Umesh Kumar (22). During interrogation, they revealed that they used to operate in a group. They would operate in busy market places like Sarojini Nagar, Lajpat Nagar, etc and were allegedly involved in snatching purses from the women. —TNS