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DFS may seal unsafe buildings
Community policing going places
Ban on beer sale without expiry date
‘Poor’ water supply: BJP blames it on Congress
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Bank employee stoned to death
DTH company in tax net
Spirituality through action gets under way in Chicago
Artscape
Scholarships, books distributed
Awards for VBS students
Harvard students visit Amity
campus
Factory owner robbed of Rs 9 lakh
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DFS may seal unsafe buildings
New Delhi, January 9 The DFS personnel will start a survey to identify buildings not conforming to 12 prescribed fire safety norms which include having a six-metre-wide road leading up to them and water storage tank of at least 50,000 litre capacity. As a first step, the water and electricity supply of non-conforming buildings will be cut off and a fine of Rs 50,000 imposed on the owners or occupiers. Subsequently, the buildings may be sealed sources in the DFS said. In September, the DFS had issued a public notice to the owners and occupiers of all buildings in the Capital above 15 metres in height, that is those having five storeys or more including the ground floor, that penal action will be initiated against them if they do not put into place 12 minimum standards of fire safety by December 17. According to estimates, there are around 2,500 buildings in the Capital, some of them in its busy marketplaces Karol Bagh and Sadar Bazar, which do not have fire safety measures installed. It was one such building in Kirti Nagar in west Delhi, which had caused the deaths of five fire department personnel, including Deputy Chief Fire Officer Surendra Kumar, when it collapsed due to a blaze on
December 31 last. This week, the DFS will start inspections to identify the buildings which are yet to meet the minimum requirements and initiate action against them, sources said. The public notice had been issued after the Delhi High Court directed that all buildings, irrespective of whether they are in ‘lal dora’ or ‘extended lal dora’ areas, will have to comply with the fire safety measures. ‘Lal dora’ and ‘extended lal dora’ areas mostly comprise the urban villages of Delhi, in which building plans do not have to be submitted to the civic authorities. Many of the buildings, which have not met the fire safety requirements, are believed to be from these areas. According to the notice, owners and occupiers of buildings more than 15 metres tall will have to ensure that there is an access road at least six metres wide leading up to them so that fire tenders can easily drive upto them. The buildings should also have water storage tanks of 50,000 litre capacity in case of residential properties or 200,000 litre capacity for commercial properties.
Another fire officer succumbs to injuries
Yet another fire brigade officer died today in the fire which took place at a Kirti Nagar timber warehouse on the New Year’s Eve raising the number of casualties to six. Sub-Officer Ram Kishan died in a hospital at 7.25 am, the fire brigade sources said. On December 31, a blaze erupted at a timber warehouse in Kirti Nagar, reducing the four-storeyed building to rubble, in the Capital’s worst fire last year.
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Community policing going places
New Delhi, January 9 Though the history of community policing goes back to the creation of regimented police under the Police Act in 1861, police officers say the concept has assumed enormous significance in the past two decades. Since the anti-Sikh riots in November 1984 brought a lot of criticism to the Delhi Police, the creation of the Special Police Officers (SPOs) in the aftermath of the riots brought laurels to the police force considering the work done by them. The SPOs played a key role in controlling property offences and educating the local people besides making use of other measures to protect the valuable lives of the riot-affected. “Since the police cannot be omnipresent with its limited resources and inadequate manpower, the role of the public in their neighbourhood areas was significant,” said a senior officer. According to the officer, the police by establishing contact with the community leaders encourage them to participate in a day-to-day policing and report to the police if there is any trouble in their areas. Thus, the Civil Defence volunteers and HSPOs are deployed for major law and order arrangements and patrolling along with the police. “They are the eyes and ears of local police. They help in gathering criminal information and detecting the crime,” said the officer. To ensure the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme to maintain its objectivity, the elected representatives of the Residents and Market Welfare Associations manage the scheme in cooperation with the beat officers. In order to provide safety to the women and senior citizens, the police also set up women helpline and rape crisis intervention centres besides maintaining a checklist of senior citizens in every district. Women were also given training in self-defence techniques in the Hauz Qazi area in Central district and a legal awareness camp was organised for the adolescent girls and women of Gandhi Nagar and Geeta Colony slums in collaboration with Pratidhi, an NGO. While the South district was chosen as a model district to implement Community Liaison Programmes as their officers were trained in Singapore and Jaipur to become active “change agents,” the South-West district organised security melas and security surveys in 2004. Further, the West district initiated a project Nidar—a joint community programme of police and children. The East district also launched a Student Police Community Defence Programme followed by Nagrik and Yuva Suraksha Samities by the North-East district..
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Ban on beer sale without expiry date
New Delhi, January 9 The government further directed the authorities concerned not to register any brand or approve labels not mentioning the expiry date. In case of brands, which have already been approved and are in the market, the Excise Department has directed the licencees to put stickers mentioning the expiry date on such bottles. The decision, according to the circular, was taken in view of an advice in this regard by a District Consumer Forum and came into effect on January 1. While disposing of a complaint by N K Gupta, a resident of R K Puram, Sheikh Sarai District Consumer Forum had advised the government to protect the rights of the consumers by issuing a direction in this regard. Besides awarding compensation for putrid beer sold to him, the forum had commended Gupta for doing a “good service to the consumer movement” by pointing to the deficiency on part of the manufacturer in not displaying on the labels of bottles the relevant information with regard to the ageing of beer and its fitness for consumption. Gupta, an officer with the Railway Ministry, thereafter, approached the Health Ministry for necessary guidelines in this regard. The ministry pointed out that the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act made it mandatory upon the manufacturers of food items to mention the expiry and asked him to approach the Excise Department. Gupta who plans to approach the Centre to seek a uniform policy in this regard, said that the government should implement the mandatory provisions of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act which applied to all food items, including beer.
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‘Poor’ water supply: BJP blames it on Congress
New Delhi, January 9 The Congress administration, he alleged, reeked of corruption. Prices of essential commodities have been deliberately increased to benefit the loyalists of the ruling party, he claimed. Dr Harsh Vardhan asserted that the present economic condition was a complete contrast to what it had been when his party was in power. “National growth rate exceeded eight per cent when the BJP was in power. Foreign reserves increased heavily and markets were replete with essential supplies,” Dr Harsh Vardhan said.
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Bank employee stoned to death
Noida, January 9 The victim and the accused had consumed liquor together on Friday night and later come to blows over some dispute, the police said. Armya Jojha, 45, who was a clerk in Bank of India, Ranchi, had come here to attend a bank training programme from January 3 to 7. Jojha, who was staying in Bank of India, Training Centre in Sector-62 Noida, had suddenly gone missing. Later, the Manager Training Centre had lodged a missing report with Sector-58 police station about it. The police control room received the information that one person was being hit with stones and bricks in Sajidpur village. Seeing the police vehicle, the man hitting the victim tried to escape but was overpowered by the villagers. The injured man was declared brought dead by doctors of the district hospital. The accused has been identified as Sher Bahadur, a native of Nepal. After investigation, the deceased was identified as Armya Jojha, an employee of the Bank of India, who had gone missing on January 5, from the training centre. Sher Bahadur confessed that he had hit Armya Jojha with stones and bricks on his head during their brawl as a result of which Armya Jojha had died. The SO of Sector-58 police station, Ajay Kumar, said a murder case has been registered against Sher Bahadur.
Criminals make
a killing in Jal Vayu Vihar
The residents of Jal Vayu Vihar, Sector-25, are in a state of panic these days, where a theft a day seems to be the rule. This sector till recently was considered one the safest sectors in Noida. For the last four days, more than six houses have been burgled. The sector, inhabited by defence forces employees, seem to be especially targeted by the criminals. The Sector-20 police, it, seems, is doing precious little to reassure the residents. The thefts are being blamed on the connivance of private security agents with criminals. The police have rounded up a number of junk dealers for interrogation as it feels they are responsible for the thefts or could provide useful leads in the matter. Besides the house burglaries, an esteemed Maruti car (No DL-2C K-1113) has also been stolen at night from opposite house (No L-188). Another vehicle was stolen from Punjab and Sind Bank, Sector-19, also under Sector-20 police station. The motorcycle (No UP13G-2414) belonged to Vebhav Sharma of Vasundara, Ghaziabad. However, six houses have been burgled in Jal Vayu Vihar in the last three days. In two houses, the intruders, after barging into the house, they broke the pad lock and later decamped with cash and jewellery worth about 10 lakh. Surprisingly, the residents, through a number of written communications, have repeatedly brought to the notice of the District Magistrate and the SSP about the poor law and order condition of Jal Vayu Vihar. A letter signed by hundreds of residents has also been sent to the authorities. But little has been done by the district authorities to improve the situation. Even the pleas of Kendrya Sainik Board and Safety and Security sub-committee of Noida Residents Forum have failed to stir the authorities.
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DTH company in tax net
Noida, January 9 The company, which markets DTH gadget, has been ignoring the notices of the department in this regard for the last few years. As a result, the company has been directed to deposit the tax forthwith or face departmental action including confiscation of their property. The New Era Entertainment charges a monthly rent of Rs 110 to Rs 250 for the DTH gadgets and has thousands of clients in the town. According to the Additional District Magistrate, Mr Ajay Deep Singh, the company had approached the Allahabad High Court after the receipt of the notice. However, when the High Court has ordered it to deposit the tax amount, the company was trying to shift to Gurgaon without depositing the entertainment tax here. When the district administration got a wind of this, orders for immediate action against the company were issued, Mr Singh said. However, the company has contended that no entertainment tax has been imposed for DTH. The High Court had directed that should the company fail to deposit the tax, the department was well within its rights to recover the tax amount, department officials said. The district entertainment officers, Mr Sawtantar Kumar Mathur and Mr R. K. Singh Dahya had served a notice on the company for the recovery of the amount. The company will have to deposit the amount of the recovery challan and if they fail to do so their property will be confiscated, said district entertainment officer Sawtantar Kumar Mathur.
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Spirituality through action gets under way in Chicago
New Delhi, January 9 More than 1,500 people filled the ballroom of the Oakbrook Marriott every day for meditation with Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, the spiritual head of the organization. Although they had come together to focus on their individual spiritual growth, the tragedy in the Indian Ocean was on everyone’s mind. The ‘Science of Spirituality Young Adults Group’, moved by the disaster, decided to make its contribution to the rehabilitation process. Within 72 hours, they collected over US $ 61,000, a spokesperson said. Dr Rimjhim Duggal, who together with her brother helped spearhead the effort, said, “This disaster directly affected three of my friends and their families, who lost their lives and homes. I was touched by their circumstances. When I shared this with my spiritual community, everyone came together to reach out to help rebuild a shattered community.” Her brother, Kenny, a medical student at Rush, added, “Many people dedicated their time and energy this week in an act of true selfless service. Reaching out across the world, helping families unknown to us brings a feeling of true fulfillment.” Melissa Coon from Florida said, “The immediate response of ‘Science of Spirituality’ members was a wave of open hearts, compassion and deep concern.” “It’s amazing to see how the love and fellowship we experienced during this holiday programme can be extended to people throughout the world,” David Seader from New York added. The contribution collected will go directly to help the survivors. The organization has always responded to natural disaster, whenever and wherever they have occurred. Members rebuilt the entire village of Sarneshwar in rural Gujarat after the devastating 2001 earthquake. Many people left their families for months at a time to participate in this huge humanitarian effort.
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Father-son team experiments with glass and acrylic
Ravi Bhatia Tribune News Service
New Delhi, January 9 The Inderprastha Art Gallery here is showcasing the work of contemporary painter, Rajesh Sharma at an exhibition, which is on till January 18. Rajesh’s creations swing between abstract and surrealism and exhibit different human expressions. ‘Five Decades’ of Sahitya Akademi The President of India, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, formally received the first copy of Sahitya Akademi’s prestigious publication, Five Decades, from the hands of Prof Gopi Chand Narang, President of the Sahitya Akademi last week. President, Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, who had earlier read the book, called it "a beautiful book...an important contribution...a brilliant historical study...great history of Sahitya Akademi’s five decades". Earlier, the Akademi President, Prof Gopi Chand Narang, introduced the book as "a critical history... a prestigious publication... an objective and balanced evaluation of the work done by the Akademi". The short but dignified function, held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, was attended by eminent writers and personalities among whom were Mr I. K. Gujral, former Prime Minister, Mrs Sheela Gujral, Dr Giriraj Kishore, Prof Indra Nath Choudhuri, Mr K Jayakumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Mrs Padma Sachdev, Mr Karanjit Singh and Prof K. Satchidanandan, Secretary of the Akademi. Dr D. S. Rao, the author of the book, was present on the occasion. The book is a short history of the Sahitya Akademi spanning 50 years and marks the golden jubilee celebrations of the Akademi. While the different chapters detail the growth of the Akademi over the decades, the appendices carry its constitution, names of officers, members, award-winners and Fellows. The book also carries historic photographs taken during the inauguration and various activities of the institution as also facsimiles of rare letters and documents from the Akademi archives. The well- produced book is expected to generate a lot of interest among writers, scholars and journalists as an objective assessment of the Akademi’s role in promoting Indian literature. Bollywood beckons Kavita Seth
Popular
sufiana and ghazal singer Kavita Seth enters Bollywood music scenario
with a fast paced number for Vashu Bhagnani’s upcoming film ‘Vaada’.
The song `Maula Maula...’ picturised on Amisha Patel is sure to become
a rage with the metro savvy generation. This is her first number for a
Hindi film, which also features Arjun Rampal and Zayed Khan. The
talented Himesh Reshammiya has composed the music of the film, which has
been released under the T-Series label. Having studied music in
Gandharva Music College, Kavita’s repertoire includes ghazal and
Sufiana to Indipop. Her earlier albums include `Who Ek Lamha...’ and
`Dil-e-Nadan’, compilation of ghazal numbers were well accepted by
music lovers all over. These were followed by an Indipop album under
T-Series called `Haan Yahi Pyar Hain’. Mumbai- based Kavita is
currently working with several top producers and music companies of the
country. With a voice quality and singing style that are truly amazing,
Kavita has given several ghazal and sufiana performances all over the
world including places like Sweden, London, Germany, Scotland and many
other cities. Recently, she gave a very special performance at Shri
Murari Bapu’s ashram. With a distinct singing style of her own,
Kavita feels that besides having a good voice, a talented singer should
regularly practice with complete perseverance and dedication. In her own
words, ‘Gulshan mein jo phool khilenge, chunne wale chun lenge, tum
apni dhun mein gaye jao, sunne wale sun lenge’.
Legends come together
in jugalbandi
"Rub-Ba-Ru", a unique jugalbandi album by
Bharat Ratan Ustad Bismillah Khan and Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, was launched
jointly by Haveli and Music Today, at an impressive function here last
week. As a tribute to the two living legends of Indian classical music,
the unique album was launched by none other than the famous poet
Gulzar. The highlight of the evening was obviously the recital by Amaan
Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash, who held the elite audience
enthralled.
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Scholarships, books distributed
New Delhi, January 9 Inaugurating the function, the former Union Minister, Dr Sahib Singh Verma, appreciated the efforts being made by the Parishad for the upliftment of the needy persons and students since 1975. He appealed to the people to donate generously to rehabilitate the tsunami victims. The patron of the Parishad, Mr Inder Chand Jain Badjatya, released its annual souvenir `Sankalp Aur Sahyog’. The general secretary, Mr Manoj Jain, briefed the guests about the various activities of the Parishad. The Convenor, Mr Ashok Jain, disclosed that 350 needy students were presented books, stationery and woollen sweaters. A number of students were also awarded scholarships. Moreover, 51 mentally challenged were presented tricycles, wheel-chairs, artificial limbs and sewing machines. A cultural programme was also held on the occasion.
Prakash Utsav celebrated
Prakash Utsav was celebrated on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Jagjit Singh Anand, president of the Sikh Welfare Society and Satpal Singh Manga, president of Gandhi Chowk Market Vyapar Mandal, were present on the occasion. The President of the National Akali Dal, Mr Paramjit Singh Pamma, was also present. A prayer was held for the Tsunami victims.
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Awards for VBS students
Noida, January 9 Their award-winning project, which was started from December 8 to 12, was a culmination of an in-depth research done diligently over a period of one and a half years. The award constitutes sponsorship by Intel for Summer Internship at IIT-New Delhi under the guidance of Department of Computer Science and would enable patenting their creation. Anshuman and Gaurav were part of the five member team that represented NCR region and won the Best Category Award for the project titled ‘Secured Licensing of Applications at user and Retailer Levels’. After having crossed hurdles during the synopsis stage of the competition, their project found its place among the 224 entries in 10 branches of science, selected for the National Fair. Intel organises such national fairs in over 40 countries spread around the globe. The national level winners become eligible for selection to participate at the International level.
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Harvard students visit Amity
campus
New Delhi, January 9 Over 60 students from the renowned Harvard University visited the Amity campus at Noida to gain first hand experience of Indian education system and cultural values. Dr Ashok Chauhan, Founder President, Ritnand Balved Education Foundation, welcomed the guests and opined that the interaction between two different institutions is an exchange of ideas, thoughts and values. Dr Suraj Singh, president, Harvard Club of Asia, expressed his keenness to initiate more of such cross-country exchange programmes and said that India has a potential to become world
economic power in the coming decades.
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Factory owner robbed of Rs 9 lakh
New Delhi, January 9 The incident occurred last night when the businessman R K Jain (45), resident of Shalimar Bagh, was returning from his factory in a Santro car along with his manager. The robbers waylaid the car near the Wazirpur Industrial area and robbed a suitcase containing Rs 9 lakh. The victim runs a plastic factory in the Wazirpur Industrial area. The police have obtained the details from the victim about his employees and other business contacts to ascertain if anyone had tipped off the criminals about the suitcase that Jain was carrying.
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