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It’s cooler, but intense humidity adds to
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Residents outraged by electricity crisis in Faridabad
Noida police goes high-tech
BJP charges Congress of ‘anti-people’ policies
DJB constitutes safety department
Role of ahimsa stressed for resolving disputes
Committee set up to examine JNU health centre issue
CGHS dispensary foundation stone gathers dust
Demand for release of compensation to ’84 riot victims
No notice served, alleges Rai director
Energy conservation awards instituted
Awareness campaign against drug abuse
Man held for wife’s murder
Businessman robbed, thrown out of moving train
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It’s cooler, but intense humidity adds to
New Delhi, June 21 The maximum temperature recorded today was 42 degrees Celsius, which was three degrees above the average temperature recorded at this time of the year, weather office said. The minimum temperature today moved up 4 degrees from yesterday. It was recorded at 33.1 degrees Celsius, which is four degrees higher than the average temperature for this time of the year. The weather office had forecast dust storms today, but they were yet to show up by the time this report went to press. The normal date of monsoon arrival in Delhi is June 29.
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Residents outraged by electricity crisis in Faridabad
Faridabad, June 21 Besides erratic power supply and endless electric cuts in the day, several parts of the city remained without power for almost the entire night today, making for an almost unbearable ordeal for lakhs of residents. “The power supply went off around 10 p.m. as usual for about 30 minutes, but just 15 minutes later, it disappeared again. It was restored only around 4.15 a.m in the morning,” said Sachin, a resident of sector 9. He says it was unbelievably uncomfortable, and his family – including his four-month-old child – felt like they were being roasted alive in a heat chamber despite a battery-powered fan, which too cannot sustain forever. He said constant efforts to contact ‘Bijli Suvidha Kendra’, the centralised complaints control room set up by Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Ltd (DHBVNL) some time back, proved futile since all its numerous phone lines returned an engaged tone throughout the night. He said cuts during the day were still tolerable, but power outages in the night when one was trying to sleep was a matter of ‘shame’ for the H.S Rathi, a social activist residing in sector 10, lamented that nothing seemed to have changed in the functioning or performance of the power department even after the change of government in the state. He alleged that corruption and inefficiency in the DHBVNL was responsible for the present state of affairs as no one was ever punished for poor performance. K.L Gera, a resident of sector 15 A said that power disruption during the night was most annoying and blamed it squarely on irresponsible functioning of DHBVNL officials and employees. He blamed them for not taking care of ‘line loss’ and using substandard material by DHBVNL, which he said was causing the power crisis in the city. He demanded accountability by putting the onus of such infrastructure problems on district officials like Deputy Commissioner and transfer of senior DHBVNL officials. Admitting an acute shortage of power in the city, the Suprintendent Engineer (SE), DHBVNL, Mr V.K Jain said that there were several reasons behind it, including undeclared load by consumers and a general short supply of power. The city was getting around 70 lakh units of power daily against a demand of about 80 lakh units, he said. He added that his department proposed to soon launch a drive to detect excessive and undeclared load by consumers, and penalise the defaulters. Regarding last night’s power outage, he said the disruption of the supply in sectors 9, 14, 15, 15 A last night was caused by a fault in a transformer at Ford factory, in sector 13.
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Noida police goes high-tech
Noida, June 21 Presenting laptops and digital cameras to the officers in charge of police stations at a function here today, Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav, MP, highlighted the need for modern equipment to improve the policing system. “Only a high-tech police force with latest gadgets and skills can keep a tab on the high-tech criminals and crimes these days,” he said. The Noida Authority would be investing Rs 65 lakh to buy such equipment. Besides a neat and green Noida, the state government is keen to make it a safe and secure Noida, Prof. Yadav said. He underlined the importance of electronic surveillance in cracking down on criminals. The Noida Chairman, Mr Deo Dutta, said the Noida authority is determined to convert Uttar Pradesh into an ‘Uttam Pradesh’. In his welcome address, the Senior Superintendent of Police, Mr Piyush Mordia, said the state-of-the-art system would help the police keep track of criminals in the area. Cameras installed at important crossings would help track down criminals who used Noida as an escape route, he said. The area IGP, Vipin Verma, thanked the Noida authority for helping in the modernisation of the police force in the district and hoped that it would lead a to better law and order situation in the district.
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BJP charges Congress of ‘anti-people’ policies
New Delhi, June 21 A number of prominent BJP activists, led by its president, Mr Harsh Vardhan and other senior leaders including former Delhi Chief Minister, Mr Madanlal Khurana, took part in the demonstration in which attention was pointed out to the “sky-rocketing” prices of essential commodities. “The prices of petrol and diesel have been increased four times in the last one year. This will have a cascading effect and the prices of other essential commodities will also rise,” Mr Harsh Vardhan said addressing the demonstrators. Lashing out at the Congress, he said the party had come to power riding on a pro-poor slogan but was hell-bent on ruining them. Terming the hike “unprecedented”, Mr Khurana asked the Left parties to withdraw their support to the Congress-led UPA government. “The price rise was effected with their support and now they are shedding crocodile tears. If they are really pro-people, they should withdraw support to the government and hit the streets,” he said. Attacking the Sheila Dikshit government, former MP Mr Vijay Goel said that even after spending Rs 800 crore on the Sonia Vihar project, Delhi continued to thirst for water. “The government has failed to bring water from the neighbouring states though Congress is ruling in Haryana and Uttaranchal and supporting the Mulayam Singh government in Uttar Pradesh,” he added.
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DJB constitutes safety department
New Delhi, June 21 According to officials, 25-odd employees of the DJB have fallen victim to accidents while performing various duties over the last 5 years, including 7 who died while cleaning sewers. In the latest incident, a Junior Engineer and a worker died in a sewer accident as they were not adequately equipped with safety equipment to protect themselves from poisonous gases. Henceforth, it has been made mandatory that sewer cleaning jobs should be undertaken by a team of at least 4 persons, including a Junior Engineer (JE). The DJB is also holding a workshop next week in the Capital to create awareness among its employees about safety measures. “Although the workers normally prefer to clean the sewers without wearing the mandatory masks, the DJB has made it compulsory that the workers wear safety jackets and masks from now on,” an official said. Taking cognizance of the mishaps that occur in the sewers, the DJB board has also in principal approved the enhancement of insurance cover to all categories of employees. It also discussed improving the corpus and scope of Labour Welfare Fund to provide immediate relief to the family members of employees injured in the line of duty. The DJB employs about 22,000 workers, including 7,000 sewer workers.
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Role of ahimsa stressed for resolving disputes
Gurgaon, June 21 The Governor said Mahatma Gandhi had used ahimsa successfully during the freedom movement. He stressed the need for moral values and ethics, as it gives us stress-free life. In his address, Acharya Mahapragya said that the materialistic gains would have no meanings if it was obtained through immoral means. The goods amassed by him would not give him peace, he added. He emphasised the need for self-analysis and self-introspection. He highlighted the importance of non-violence, morality, self-denial and self-restraint. The emphasised the need to remove poverty from our society. All sections of the society have to play a role to meet the objective, said the saint. Meanwhile, the ‘Ahimsa Yatra’, started in 2001 in Rajasthan, reached Gurgaon on June 18 in the city. It has covered various towns of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana. During the past 42 months, the Yatra has traversed more than 3000 km in these five states. Hundreds of Jain saints belonging to Shwetamber Terapanhi sect are participating in the Yatra with an objective to trace the reasons for violence in our society. The Gurgaon Divisional Commissioner, Dr Avtar Singh, the Inspector General of Police, Ms Deepa Mehta, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Sudhir Rajpal and the Senior Superintendent of Police, Mr Yoginder Nehra and other distinguished persons attended the programme. The president of Subhash Jain Yug Pradhan Acharya Shree Mahapragya Pravash Samiti, Gurgaon, also spoke on the occasion.
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Committee set up to examine JNU health centre issue
New Delhi, June 21 “We have set up a five-member committee to study the requirements of the health centre and the demands that have been raised by the teachers and the students,” said the acting Vice-Chancellor, Dr Balveer Arora. The committee, which has been asked to submit their report by July 22, has been asked to look into the existing facilities and standard operating procedures, added Dr. Arora. The five-member committee is chaired by Prof. Anjan Mukherjee of the School of Social Sciences and includes Dr Imrana Qadeer of the Centre for Social Medicine and Community Health, the JNUTA president, Dr Rupamajari Ghosh, Chief Medical Officer, Dr Gautam Patra and the Deputy Registrar in charge. “There are many issues that need attention; the presence of a 24-hour ambulance is just one of them. There was a provision for an ambulance on the campus and some arrangements have been made with some private agencies and once the report is submitted we will ensure that all wide ranging issues are being addressed,” said Dr Arora. Faculty members were cautious in their response to the move. “The setting up of the committee is the first step. One needs to watch how much of the recommendations are actually implemented.” said a senior faculty member.
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CGHS dispensary foundation stone gathers dust
New Delhi, June 21 According to the residents of the area, the dispensary’s foundation stone laying ceremony by the then Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Mrs Sushma Swaraj, was conducted with much fanfare on August 14, 2003. The then local MP, Mr Lal Bihari Tiwari, had also been present. The minister had announced that the construction work of the proposed dispensary would be completed within a year. According to official sources, 1723.69 square metres of land had been acquired for the proposed dispensary. Out of this, the main dispensary building was planned to be constructed on 499.64 square metres of land. The rest of the land was to be used to develop related infrastructure. According to the president of a social service organisation, ‘National Development Forum’, Mr J. N. Dogra, the local people were suffering considerably because of such government negligence. “A large number of government employees reside in Dilshad Garden, Vivek Vihar and other adjoining colonies. They were happy about the new dispensary as it would save them the trouble of travelling to other CGHS dispensaries,” he said. But they are still waiting for it to come up. A senior officer of the CGHS clarified that because of some ‘misunderstanding’ among the concerned departments, the dispensary’s construction work had got delayed so far. “It will be started very soon,” he assured, while declining to give details of the ‘misunderstanding’. Other senior officers also confirmed that the construction would begin soon, but refused to give a timeframe.
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Demand for release of compensation to ’84 riot victims
New Delhi, June 21 Led by the Akali Dal (Santokh Singh) president, Mr Manjit Singh, the delegation sought Dr Singh’s intervention to implement the Delhi High Court’s directions to the government. It was pointed out that the judgement in question had said that it is the duty and responsibility of the state to secure and safeguard the life and liberty of an individual from mob violence. The judgement affected some 2,800 Sikhs injured during the riots in the Capital following the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The delegation also requested the Prime Minister to ensure the full implementation of the status of Punjabi as Delhi’s second official language, which was given that designation in 2003. Manjit Singh also sought Dr Singh’s intervention in resolving the problem faced by Sikh students in France because of that country’s order banning overt religious symbols, which included wearing of turbans in classrooms.
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No notice served, alleges Rai director
Noida, June 21 The college director, Mr S. S. Ghosh, said that 388 students were studying in the college. He alleged that the Noida authority had taken action without serving any notice. The Noida authority had, however, got the area video graphed on Friday, said an official. The officers of the Noida authority alleged that the land for the colleges had been acquired by the Rai Foundation from the farmers. Officials claimed that 33 acres of land had been vacated from illegal possession through the anti-encroachment drive. The anti-encroachment squad was led by Mr Arun Kumar Sharma. The land on which these buildings had been constructed was notified for acquisition by the Noida authority. Officials of Revenue Department said that some of the land (Khasra No. 58, 57) belonged to the gram sabha, while
the rest had been procured directly from the farmers. Most of the students were away from the campus preparing for exams. Mr Ghosh said that the Foundation had acquired the land through legal means, and some confusion that had arisen would be sorted out soon.
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Energy conservation awards instituted
Faridabad, June 21 The objective of the scheme is to create awareness about the importance of energy saving as well as recognise the efforts of those who take measures to save energy. There would be two categories of consumers to whom the awards will be awarded. The first is of ‘High Tension Consumer’ in which the first prize will be of Rs 1 lakh besides a certificate and shield. The second and third prizes will be Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000. In the ‘Low Tension Consumer’ category, the first and second prizes will be Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000 respectively. Consumers will have to submit their energy or fuel consumption data of the past three years on a prescribed performa to be considered for the awards.
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Awareness campaign against drug abuse
New Delhi, June 21 The Department of Social Welfare, Delhi Government, in collaboration with former Asian marathon champion, Sunita Godara, is organising the campaign at India Gate on June 26. The campaign is being sponsored by BSNL, Systopic Labs and MTNL. The campaign is in line with the UN theme, “Value yourself... Make Healthy Choices.” The campaign would reach out to the masses and raise awareness about drug abuse so that people are adequately educated on the subject and make healthy choices. A number of dignitaries from UNODC, WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA are expected to attend the function. The Delhi Chief Minister, Mrs Sheila Dikshit, will be the chief guest, a release said.
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Man held for wife’s murder
New Delhi, June 21 The accused has been identified as Pramod Kumar, a resident of Rewari. The body of the deceased was found in a room of the hotel on June 16. During investigation, the police found a paper containing the name of a petrol pump in Rewari district, Haryana. Investigation led the police to one Pramod Kumar. Pramod Kumar was living in the same area with his wife Neha, the deceased. The police said that Neha was earlier residing in Punjab and had been married to one Ram Niwas Sharma. She had three children from him. Pramod Kumar used to visit her house in Punjab. He subsequently developed intimacy with the deceased and both decided to elope. Later, both started living in a rented house in Rewari and started working in a printing press for a salary of Rs 4000 per month. However, Neha was not satisfied with his salary and often fought with him on the issue. Fed up, Pramod Kumar decided to murder her. On June 15, he along with Neha and his daughter came to the hotel and allegedly murdered her.
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Businessman robbed, thrown out of moving train
New Delhi, June 21 The businessman, identified as Rizwan (24), was on his way to Ferozabad on a business visit when he was confronted by robbers on the train near Shahdara. The assailants robbed him of Rs 30,000, sources said. Later, when Rizwan protested, he was thrown out of the moving train by the assailants. He was admitted to a hospital in Shahdara. The police sources said that no one in the train came forward to help him as the assailants were equipped with knives and country-made pistol. They also added that such incidents are common on local routes. However, no preventive actions have been taken to check such anti-social elements travelling in trains. Although the Shahdara police have started investigating the matter, they are yet to register a case. No senior officer was available to comment on the incident.
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