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Abducted Mumbai child rescued in city
Constable nabbed with hand in the till
Court finds Apollo guilty of poor service
Selja seeks co-op societies’ help for developing slums
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System to help students hone educational skills
DMA wants probe into threat by SI
In
Parliament
VAT may be passed in winter session
A girl perched on her father's shoulder demonstrating against the hike in water tariff at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday.
— Tribune photo by Rajiv Tyagi
MCD ‘ignoring’ meal incident
Lawyers usurp green belt on court premises
First pay hike for GDA daily wage earners
Cong to give EC list of biased officers
Hemlata, young filmmaker from CASP Plan and Bhagyashri Dengle, Executive Director, Plan India, addressing a press conference on the festival at Press Club,
in the Capital. — Tribune photo by Rajeev Tyagi
CRY to celebrate season with 800 children
Musical fountains become garbage sites
Students gherao VC over delay in union polls
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Abducted Mumbai child rescued in city
New Delhi, December 15 The kidnappers have been identified as Kamruddin, Rauf, Lal Babu, Ruz Mohammad, Suresh, Irfan and Guddu Alam, all residents of Bihar. The victim Masoom (6), resident of Mahda Colony, was kidnapped in a broad daylight. On December 11, a call was made to Since the kidnappers made a call from Delhi on Javed’s mobile phone, the Mumbai police contacted the Crime Branch of the Delhi police and sought their assistance. Meanwhile, it was found that two persons Guddu Ram and Rauf, known to Javed, had also been missing since December 9. During investigation, the inter-state cell of the Crime Branch tracked the movements of the kidnappers and finally arrested Rauf, Lal Babu and Guddu Alam from the Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station this evening while they were trying to board a Mumbai-bound train. At their instance, the child who was kept at Ghizore Bihari Colony in Sector-53, Noida, was rescued, and Kamruddin and Irfan were arrested. Based on their information, Ruz Mohammad and Suresh were arrested from Hoshiyarpur, Noida.
Murder of bus cleaner solved
With the arrest of one person, the South district police today claimed to have solved the murder of a bus cleaner Virender, alias Ganja, in Lajpat Nagar area on December 11. The accused has been identified as Ravi Shankar, alias Ravi, (20), resident of Uttaranchal. On December 11, the cleaner was found dead with his head smashed. His colleagues could not provide any clue to the police about the murder. The deceased was working for one M/s Dhingra Transport Company and had joined the company only 10 days before
his death. During the course of investigation, one Pooran Singh, alias Pauwa, told the police that Virender was seen with Ravi Shankar on the fateful night. The police were also told that Ravi Shankar was a former employee of
the transport company, but was sacked. Ravi Shankar was immediately taken into custody. During interrogation, he told the police that since he had been removed from the company and Virender was taken in his place, he decided to eliminate him. In another case, with the arrest of three persons,
the Economic Offences Wing today claims to have seized pirated VCDs and pornographic CDs worth Rs 20 lakh from the Palika Bazar area. The accused have been identified as Rattan Kumar (32), resident of West Vinod Nagar, Ajay Yadav (35), resident of Khajoori Khas and Ravi Tomar (29), resident of Baghpat. During the search, the sleuths seized 566 VCDs, 949 MP3, 119 DVDs and 236 pornographic CDs from the three shops. A case under Sections 63/68-A of Copyright Act has been registered against the accused.
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Constable nabbed with hand in the till
Greater Noida, December 15 Though the arrested cop,
Sunderpal, had apologised and was seen touching the feet of the SSP Piyush Mordia begging for his pardon, the SSP responded by suspending the cop and ordering that a case under corruption be registered against him. Acting on a tip-off that some criminals in police uniforms were extorting money and indulging in loots, cops in plain clothes had been deployed in the industrial belt to keep an eye on the criminals. One Ram Prasad, who works with E-Pack company, was deprived of Rs 3,500 by one Sunderpal and his friend Yoginder in police uniform near the police post. The cop and his friend were riding a motorbike without a number plate. As Ram Prasad raised an alarm, two constables from the police post came running and arrested Sunderpal and his friend. Later, the looters were identified as police constable
Sunderpal, currently posted in Surajpur police lines. After being informed, the SSP ordered the SO of Surajpur police station to arrest the cop after taking off his uniform. One Raju and Debashish of Surjapur area told the police that the same cop had deprived them of Rs 500 and Rs 300 after threatening them a few days ago. The accused Sunderpal Singh, who belonged to Sunderpur village in Muzzafarnagar district, had been recruited into police force in 1998. He had been transferred to Gautam Budh Nagar District from Meerut in 2001. His
duty was to escort the prisoners from jail to the courts. His companion Yoginder was a florist. A departmental inquiry will be instituted against Sunderpal and action will be taken against him under the Gangster’s Act.
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Court finds Apollo guilty of poor service
New Delhi, December 15 The court directed the hospital to pay over Rs 3 lakh to a person for being ‘grossly’ negligent during an operation in 1997 which left him crippled for life. “Complainant (Sohan Lal Khanna) had hired the services of the opposite parties (Apollo Hospital and its doctor) after paying consideration amount and was
victim of gross medical negligence and unfair trade practice,” the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (North Delhi) said. “There was gross technical error in the first surgery... Complainant again put his full faith in respondent number one (Dr Raju Vaishya, consultant in Apollo Hospital’s Orthopaedics Department) and agreed for a second surgery, but the (Vaishya) performed it so unprofessionally that it left him in pain... total imbalance and disability,” the court said. Forum president K K Chopra, members Neeru Mittal and S C Jain ordered Apollo to pay Rs 3.23 lakh with nine per cent interest. The consumer court also asked the opposite parties—Apollo hospital, United India Insurance Company, Oriental Insurance Company and Friends Medical Centre to pay him a compensation of Rs 25,000 for causing agony and harassment.. The court also asked the opposite parties to pay him litigation cost of Rs 2,000. Mr Khanna said he had paid Rs 4.45 lakh for two operations and other expenses at Apollo where he had gone with an ailment in his left leg and a mild problem in the right leg.
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Selja seeks co-op societies’ help for developing slums
New Delhi, December 15 ‘’It is only the co-operative movement that can solve the housing needs of the poor, and the UPA government is committed to extend all help in this regard,’’ she said after inaugurating a national seminar on ‘Cooperative Housing for Slum Dwellers’ in which cooperative activists from different parts of the country are participating. ‘’The problem of slums cannot be solved by shifting the poor to far-off places on the fringes of the city. Basic civic amenities apart, they have to be provided with jobs wherever they live,’’ she said. Slum dwellers are the biggest provider of services in the city. They are not a burden to be thrown off, said the Minister. Ms Selja said there should be multi-purpose co-operatives of slum dwellers instead of just housing societies. Delivering her presidential address, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit suggested to the Centre to entrust one agency–either the Delhi government or some joint body of the DDA and Moreover, she said that instead of allotting small plots to slum dwellers away from the main city, high-rises should be built to house slum dwellers. ‘’Our experience has shown that allotting small plots to the poor has not solved their housing needs as they are unable to arrange funds for constructing houses. Even if they manage money, they find it hard to live in such houses for want of basic civic amenities, ‘’ she said. Earlier, the National Cooperative Housing Federation Chairman, Mr Deep Chand Sharma, told the seminar that the Federation has evolved a concept to facilitate housing for the slum dwellers through cooperatives. He said he had already taken up the matter with the chief ministers of states and union territories and received an encouraging response. On this occasion, Ms Komila Nair who works for the promotion of cooperatives among the Delhi slum dwellers was honoured with ‘Meritorious Service Award’ of the NCHF.
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System to help students hone educational skills
New Delhi, December 15 The fifth generation education system that will soon be inaugurated at the Guru Tegh Bahadur Polytechnic Institute strives to enhance the educational skills and improve administrative efficiency. Designed by MGRM Net, a US-based multinational, the facility was chosen by an expert committee headed by Mr Prithpal Singh, Technical Advisor to DSGMC. The system has, “a value for students on terms of learning, academic excellence, becoming dutybound and to excel in studies”, it is claimed. Further it allows studies to be self-driven. To access the system, each student will have a personalised online multi-domain value card with the microprocessor chip embedded on the card for its access through the operating system. The card will have extensive information about the students, including details about the next of kin, blood group, medical history, among others. Parents who wish to have information on their child’s performance can do so through a computer card reader or through an interactive voice dialing from a telephone. A parental resource centre will also be installed at the GTBPI for an easy access to the parents and students. The teachers too can benefit from the system, which will be inaugurated on December 17. It will aid them in curriculum planning, developing and supporting their academic materials, lesson banks and giving assignments to the students.
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DMA wants probe into threat by SI
New Delhi, December 15 The DMA alleged that a sub-inspector who was posted in police station Seelampur, demanded Rs 50,000 and a place for ‘womanising’ in Brij Mohan Hospital. When the owner of the hospital, Dr Brij Mohan, refused to give the money and place, the SI threatened him with dire consequences. Dr Brij Mohan wrote a letter to the DCP North East district, Commissioner of Police and Lt-Governor of Delhi, demanding the registration of a complaint against the SI. The doctor alleged that the SI warned him that if the money and place were not provided, he would implicate him in a false case. The DMA president, Dr I. P. Dhalla, said that he was shocked at the lawlessness in the city where a policeman allegedly tried to extort money in this manner.
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Mukhi greets CM with dharna on completion of one year
New Delhi, December 15 Prof Mukhi said as per the welfare principle of democratic governments, there is a consensus among most of the countries in the world to provide water to the citizens at a subsidised rate. Public utilities such as drinking water should be given at a highly subsidised rate. In violation of the universal welfare principle, increase in the water rates up to 500 per cent by the Delhi government is a great injustice and fraud upon Delhiites, he added. The BJP leader said that the party has prepared a strategy to corner the Congress government on the issue within and outside the Delhi Legislative Assembly and compel it to withdraw the exorbitant hike in the water tariff. The Congress government has failed to increase even one MGD water supply during the last six years, though the population in Delhi in this period has increased by 25 lakh. About 50 per cent population of Delhi has no access to potable water. Water provided in many areas is contaminated and 12 per cent Delhiites suffer from water-borne diseases. He said the justification of the government that the hike was essential to cover the heavy losses of the Delhi Jal Board was a simple excuse. Checking corruption in the department and wastage of water can cover up these losses. While commenting on the completion of a one-year rule of the government in the second term, Prof Mukhi said that this year had proved to the disappointing for Delhiites. Besides putting new taxes, the rate of existing taxes has been increased in an unprecedented manner. Hike in the road tax, house tax, electricity rates etc are just some of the examples which make the life of Delhiites quite tough during this year, Dr Mukhi said.
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In
Parliament
New Delhi, December 15 Arrest of innocents: In one of the cases, the sub-inspector concerned, instead of arresting the accused person, arrested an innocent person. As per the directions issued by the court of the metropolitan magistrate, New Delhi, a case vide FIR No 631/2003 has been registered against the concerned sub-inspector and he has been transferred from New Delhi district to the Foreigner Regional Registration Office. In the second case, the court of metropolitan magistrate, Tis Hazari, took cognisance against a head constable of the Delhi Police under Sections 192/193 IPC for preparing a fabricated seizure memo. The head constable has been censured for the lapse. In the third case, two persons were arrested and falsely implicated in a case registered under Sections 302 / 201 IPC while the person, who was alleged to have been murdered, was alive and present in the court. In this case, advisory has been issued to the concerned deputy commissioner of police and assistant commissioner of police, and departmental enquiry has been instituted against one inspector and two sub-inspectors concerned. pensionary benefits: Mr Regupathy said that 70 cases for payment of pension / gratuity are pending which include nine cases pending for the last six months and 61 cases pending for more than six months. Out of 70 cases, 66 are death cases, three cases relate to compulsory retirement and one to normal superannuation. He said that action had been initiated to get the nomination forms of affected employees filled up to expedite release of pensionary benefits in cases of retirement / voluntary retirement / death. CRIME PATROLLING: MEDICAL POSTS: The minister told the House that the posts of medical officers under the
CGHS, Delhi, were filled up by direct recruitment, hence these can be filled up only after clearance from the screening committee. There are 4,690 CGHS cardholders attached to the CGHS dispensary, Minto Road, New Delhi. At present, the dispensary has seven doctors including the CMO in-charge. As per the SIU recommendations (1999) relating to the norms for CGHS allopathic dispensaries which has been accepted by the government, the requirement of doctors for CGHS dispensary Minto Road works out to eight.
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VAT may be passed in winter session
New Delhi, December 15 The House would also take up for consideration the amendments suggested by the President to the Delhi Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Bill, 2000, Assembly Speaker Prem Singh told a press conference here today. Another Bill, the Delhi Motor Vehicle Taxation (Amendment) Bill, 2004, which had been introduced in the last session, would be taken up for consideration on the opening day after the legislators pay homage to eminent classical singer MS Subbalakshmi and Dr Gyan Chand, member of the first Delhi Assembly, the Speaker informed. According to sources, the Opposition BJP would try to pin down the Sheila Dikshit Government on various issues, including the recent substantial hike in water tariff and the implementation of professional tax and property tax by the MCD. The House would also witness heated debates on the DDA functioning, and the power situation in
the Capital, post-privatisation. The House will also take up a private member resolution on the MCD trifurcation. Mr Prem Singh said notices for 456 questions were received by his secretariat, of which 76
were rejected for various reasons.
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MCD ‘ignoring’ meal incident
New Delhi, December 15 He alleged that yesterday 80 students of an MCD primary school were taken ill after consuming mid-day meal. The MCD played with the lives of children. This incident of food poisoning is eighth in the row. The MCD had paid Rs 8 lakh to a firm for checking the quality of food being supplied. Mr Arya alleged that due to the nexus of Congress leaders and municipal officers, the contract of mid-day meal is given to those firms found below par. He demanded that the Mayor, the Chairman of the Standing Committee and the Leader of the House, should take the blame for the lapse in the quality of meal.
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Lawyers usurp green belt on court premises
Gurgaon, December 15 According to reports, the illegal structures sprang up on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, placing the contractor in a quandary. His pleas to the authorities have fallen on deaf ears. The City Magistrate, Mrs Anju Chaudhary, whose office happens to be on the court premises, today expressed ignorance of the development. In fact, the area is actually a green belt. And this appears to be a deliberate encroachment on green belt on the court premises. Over the years, especially in the last five years, a large number of sheds have been erected by advocates on the three sides of the court premises. The development is conspicuous on the side facing the road, which connects the old city and Rajiv Chowk. Sources said that the recent spate of encroachments is not new. What has, however, invested the development with poignancy is the “fly-by-night” manner in which the sheds sprang up. The ignorance expressed by a senior member of the administration provides a cutting edge to the matter. This has caused many to view the entire development in the light of the “elitist theory” approach employed by sociologists to study society and government. The creamy layers of the society gel together for a causal act, which remains a taboo and is dealt with through negative sanctions by the state against the masses. However, there is a human angle to the development. Many argue that the government, as an organisation, should be organic in its approach and cater to the problems relating to sitting arrangements of the advocates, so that they could attend to their professional works. Many rationalise the present transgression by the advocates as a pressure of the situation. In fact, the president of the District Bar Association, Mr Sumer Sharma, echoed a similar view and said that the issue will be resolved with the cooperation of all concerned.
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First pay hike for GDA daily wage earners
Ghaziabad, December 15 According to a report, 500 daily wage earners have been included in the category of regular employees of the GDA. Now, all these employees stand to gain by Rs 200 to Rs 400 per month in their salaries. These employees had been struggling for a revision in their wages since 1991. The daily wage earners and the work charge employees had been paid fixed wages. The employees had gone on strike many a time. But no one in the administration was moved by their plight. Only yesterday Vice-Chairman DP Singh had taken a bold step in favour of the daily wage earners and work charge staff of the GDA on the basis of their long pending demands. It came as a very welcome New Year gift for the 283 daily wagers and 220 work charge employees of GDA for which the union and workers are feeling indebted to the GDA Vice-Chairman D. P. Singh.
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Cong to give EC list of biased officers
Faridabad, December 15 Stating this, senior party leader and MLA from Palwal, Mr Karan Singh Dalal, said here today that the party has prepared a list of about 50 such officers in the state who are ‘blind followers’ of the present government. If they are allowed to remain in their present positions, it could impinge upon the smooth holding of elections, he claimed. He said the credibility of these officials had been in question and they should be kept out of the election process. He further alleged that the present government could go to any length to influence the elections and the results. This was the case as the Congress had swept the last Lok Sabha elections against the expectations and calculations of the ruling government. He felt that the Chautala government had forgotten the painful results of the previous poll in the state. This was perhaps the reason why the Chief Minister keeps reminding the people not to vote for the Congress at every public function. He announced that the party would submit the list of ‘tainted’ officials to the Election Commission soon. Alleging that the INLD government was trying to ‘fool’ the people by making false claims, he said none of the promises had been fulfilled. The availability of water and power had not been improved and unemployment was on the rise, he pointed out. He further alleged gross irregularities in the employment and recruitment process.
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Films made by kids highlight of festival
New Delhi, December 15 Hosted by the India chapter of Plan International, a UK-headquartered child welfare organisation functioning in 45 countries, the event would show 15 short films made in colour by children in the 12-18 age group from four northern and southern states besides Delhi. Apart from workshops that aim at promoting creativity among children, there will be a panel discussion on the issues like education, early marriage, dowry, foeticide, substance abuse, trafficking, HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, sexual abuse and children in difficult circumstances like the disabled, slum dwellers, labourers and rag-pickers. Among those who will lend their views on the issues are Govind Nihalani, Nandita Das, Union Youth Affairs Minister Sunil Dutt and Information and Broadcasting Minister S Jaipal Reddy. It was pointed out that the delegates would interact with the schoolchildren, policy-makers, educators, non-governmental organisations and parents. Chosen by a jury of young filmmakers across the country who had met here in October, the films at the fete would be conferred with awards at its conclusion. Filmmaker Shonu Chandra said Plan India holds 20-day workshops in various parts of the country to teach children the technical aspects of filmmaking.
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CRY to celebrate season with 800 children
New Delhi, December 15 Celebrating 25 years of ensuring rights to children, CRY will usher in the joyous spirit of the season by giving 800 children the time of their life. CRY has several projects in Delhi— Swati, Navshrishti, Ashray, Anchal, Chetna, Disha and Bal Vikas Dhara. In fact, many children will visit Appu Ghar for the first time. They will experience the thrill of a roller-coaster and a merry-go-round. As Admiral Johnson, Advisor CRY, says: “Even today, many children are denied the simple pleasures of a childhood. At CRY, we make every effort to ensure that children enjoy childhood the way it is meant to be—carefree, joyous and happy!!”
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Musical fountains become garbage sites
New Delhi, December 15 In the absence of a night watch man, valuable parts of the fountains have been stolen. And now, local residents have started utilising the area earmarked for the fountains as a dumping ground for their domestic refuge, thanks to the apathy of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), which is responsible for their upkeep. A senior citizen of this area and the erstwhile Officer on Special Duty (OSD) with the Yamunapar Vikas Board, Mr. Jitendra Nath Dogra, said that it was a sheer waste of government money. “When the MCD and agencies did not exist, Yamunapar Vikas Board single handedly undertook developmental works in the Trans-Yamuna area. Now that there are so many agencies — such as the MCD, the Zila Vikas Samiti and the Yamunapar Vikas Board —it is ironical that the state of affairs continues to be
pathetic,”said Mr. Dogra. When contacted in this regard, Mrs. Preeti, the councillor of this area, said that the fountains had been installed prior to her nomination.
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Students gherao VC over delay in union polls
Ghaziabad, December 15 The VC was not welcome in the Degree College and had to reckon with the students’ opposition for not having ordered the election to the students union. It was only after the VC gave a commitment that some decision will be taken by December 18, that the students relented. When the Vice-Chancellor made a sudden appearance at the MMH College, a large number of students assembled on the college campus and gheraoed Dr R. P. Singh, demanding holding of the election to the students union.
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Awarded
Gurgaon, December 15
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