New Delhi, November 19
The Delhi Government is all set to empower computer illiterates by setting up a web portal for information dissemination and online interaction coupled with a call centre to take care of the ‘digital divide’.

The Government has already delegated the responsibility to a Gurgaon-based company to set up a call centre by April 2006 for providing government-related information on services and procedures.

“We have asked different departments of the government to study the proposal for submitting the necessary data and information to the company. Everyone gets benefited by this new technology and our primary aim is to provide a medium to the people to access information without going to the Internet,” said an official.

Recently at a World Summit on Cities and Local Authorities on the Information Society in Bilbao, Spain, Delhi Chief Minister Ms Sheila Dikshit stressed the importance of e-Administration and e-Democracy for Good Governance and also the initiatives being taken by her government to make Delhi an e-City by bridging the digital divide.

As the only Chief Minister to participate in the summit from India, Ms Dikshit told the special gathering that Information Technology is being harnessed in a big way and our aim to make Delhi, a truly e-City where people can transact with the government electronically, most of the public services are available online and also there is no digital divide.

She also said that her Government’s vision is to ensure that, “all government services are accessible to the common man in his locality throughout his life through a one-stop shop by ensuring efficiency, transparency and reliability at affordable costs to meet their basic needs.”

But Ms Dikshit also underlined the difficulties faced by her government towards building an Information Society. Low computer literacy and internet penetration, mindset of employees and lack of Information and Communication and Technology (ICT) manpower in the government acts as a major stumbling block, Ms Dikshit said.

She said adoption of public-private partnership for running of citizen service centre and State Wide Area Network (SWAN), to run and operate such centres, have been utilized to overcome these difficulties.

Information technology plays an important role in today’s world. “The growth is very fast and those not having access to this technology are being left behind. Thus, the technology has brought in a new divide, called ‘Digital Divide,’ which needs to be bridged so that the deprived lot can become a part of Information Society,” she told the summit.

New Delhi, November 19
While ultimately it all depends upon the Centre as to whether the metro will reach Gurgaon through the Mehrauli side, as had been planned earlier, or via the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGAI) on the Dwarka side as the Haryana Government has lately been pressing for, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) says that the decision in this regard can be expected soon.

The DMRC admits that the alignment plans for Gurgaon link are not clear at present. However, it adds that the plans for Noida and Gurgaon links are likely to be on the agenda of the next Group of Ministers meeting and both NCR townships will be included with the rest of the phase-II links.

But whether the metro will enter Gurgaon through the Mehrauli side or Dwarka, both Noida and Gurgaon links will be ready by 2010 as planed earlier and reiterated so many times by the DMRC chief E.Sreedharan, who wants all Phase –II links to be ready by the Commonwealth Games.

DMRC spokesperson Anuj Dayal told ‘The Tribune’ today that the Delhi metro was a professional adviser and the decision on the metro alignment to Gurgaon will ultimately depend upon the Centre.

In fact, speaking to ‘The Tribune’ a couple of days back, Haryana Chief Secretary Meenaxi Anand Chaudhry said the state government was also trying to work on the possibility of a direct metro link to Gurgaon from the IGIA side near the Dwarka sub-city.

The 6.5-km extension till Dwarka sub-city, of the 22.9-km stretch from Connaught Place to Dwarka Mor, is expected to be ready by March 2006. This means that it would be easier and faster for the DMRC to take the metro from this side, rather than the Mehrauli side.

Though the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the metro link to the IFFCO chowk from the Mehrauli side has been ready since November, 2004, in September, the GoM, while giving a go-ahead to a majority of links in the Phase-II, had struck down the NCR links to Noida and Gurgaon, saying that the funding patterns and the alignment of lines were not clear.

Considering that the IGIA is just 4.2 km from Gurgaon, there is also a possibility that the metro is taken to Gurgaon from the Dwarka side than from the Mehrauli side, as planned in the DPR.

New Delhi, November 19
Junior doctors of a prestigious hospital here, whose colleague was allegedly forced to have unnatural sex by the Head of Department, have claimed that the victim has gone missing.

They claimed the 23-year-old victim, an intern of Ram Monohar Lohia Hospital, had been taken for medical examination last afternoon but had not been seen since then.

All attempts to contact him on phone had failed, the junior doctors claimed.

The intern had alleged that the HOD of Orthopedics department, A K Khare, had sodomised him on Monday. However, Khare had claimed that the victim was mentally unstable.

The police officials were not available for comment on the incident.

Meanwhile, the police have registered a case against the accused Dr A.K. Khare. The case has been registered for unlawful confinement, threatening and causing injury, but did not mention sodomy charges levelled against him by the 23-year-old intern.

The police sources said that no arrest has been made so far. 

New Delhi, November 19
The Supreme Court said its order banning hawking and squatting from Chandni Chowk area will continue and asked the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to make guidelines for rehabilitation of those displaced due to this.

A bench comprising Justice B P Singh and Justice Arun Kumar said MCD will make the guidelines for rehabilitation of hawkers and squatters in different parts of the capital, including Chandni Chowk.

The Bench said till the approval of the scheme in this regard there will be no allotment of space for them.

Several petitions have been filed in the apex court in this regard. While hawkers are agitating that they should be allowed to carry their business on pavements, Market Associations, including Chandni Chowk Vyapar Mandal, had sought that it should not be allowed.

The court in September had declined to grant any concession to hawkers and part-time shopkeepeers to carry out their businesses during the period of Ramzan and Dasehra in Chandni Chowk area, which has been declared a non-hawking zone.

It had on August 25 passed an order making it clear that police authorities will act in accordance with the orders passed by it earlier and remove all hawkers and squatters and in case of any breach of the order will be held responsible for Contempt of Court. 

New Delhi, November 19
Security forces went into a tizzy after a call was received about a bomb being placed in one of the restaurants at Pragati Maidan.

The call, which later turned out to be a hoax, was received by the Police Control Room at about 1000 hrs and was made from a Public Call Office, said police sources.

The caller, who was yet to be traced, said that the bomb would be taken to a restaurant inside the trade fair grounds, concealed in an LPG cylinder. Security agencies soon went into action and combed the entire area around the restaurant for more than an hour but found nothing.

New Delhi, November 19
Lawyers and students of law aspiring to make it as solicitors of the Supreme Court of England and Wales will no longer have to trudge to England to take the necessary test.

The College of Law, the largest provider of vocational legal education and training in Europe, is opening two test centres for the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test in India.

The QLTT is the conversion examination, which enables overseas lawyers to qualify as solicitors.

Indian lawyers who are eligible to take the test can do so in Delhi and Mumbai in April and October 2006 and the College will also provide them with the preparatory tuition.

Major UK firms will be offering scholarships for the test.

Nick Olley, Director International of the College said, “Over 370 Indian lawyers have already passed the test with us. We are delighted to be able to bring the test to India and strengthen our links still further with the Indian legal profession.”

The College of Law is an educational charity incorporated by Royal Charter and provides a range of pre and post qualification training, including the legal practice course apart from professional development programmes.

New Delhi, November 19
The CBI has seized eight banned Shawtoosh shawls following raids in a posh South Delhi locality today, said the CBI sources.

The CBI sleuths raided the premises of Naqash Arts and Crafts on Thursday in Uday Park and seized the shawls which are prohibited items under the Wildlife Act, said the CBI officials.

The officials said that during the search, they also found evidence of trading of such shawls with foreign countries.

The sleuths are
further investigating into the matter and trying to trace out the origin from where the accused company got the delivery of the shawls.

A case under various acts has been registered with the CBI, said the officials. 

Gurgaon, November 19
The Haryana Pollution Control Board held an entrepreneur camp chaired by Mr Sameer Mathur and Ms Jaiwanti Sheokand, Chairman and Director Member of the board, respectively, at the HSIDC auditorium here yesterday late evening.

The camp was organised for issuing consent and no-objection certificates to industrialists who had either applied or submitted their applications during the camp along with the consent fee. More than 200 certificates were issued on the spot. However, during the interaction session, Col R. P. Dhawan and Raj Singla, president and general secretary of the Chamber of Industries of Udyog Vihar, questioned the requirement of consent certificates, saying that as per the provisions of the new policy only those industries which were falling in the orange category of polluting units were required to do so. The small-scale industries and other non-polluting green category industries are in any case not required to apply or deposit fee for consent certificate.

The chamber was of the view that the pollution department was not following the government policy and entrepreneurs were being asked to pay heavy fees for up to five years ,which they were not required to do so.

The Chairman of the pollution board appreciated the spirited presentation by the chamber’s representatives and felt there was a need for going into further details immediately. He suggested that members of the associations sit down separately with him so that issue could be resolved.

A separate meeting was subsequently held by Mr Sameer Mathur and Mrs Jaiwanti Sheokand with J. N. Mangla, vice-president of Laghu Udyog Bharit , Haryana, Col R P Dhawan, Col Raj Singla, P. K. Jain, founder president of Gurgaon Chamber of Commerce and Industries (GCCI), and some other entrepreneurs. Provisions of the new policy and other directives were discussed in detail. Mr Mathur gave a patient hearing and agreed with almost all points brought out by the representatives of various bodies.

Dr C V Singh, Regional Officer of Pollution Board, Gurgaon, while accepting the mistake said that only orange categories of polluting units would be asked to obtain consent or NOC and consent fee as also lab testing fee charged from entrepreneurs falling in the categories of SSI and other non-polluting industries would be refunded.

Noida, November 19
The Trade Tax Department of the state government has sent a notice to the Noida authority asking for full details about the construction of houses.

The Trade Tax Commissioner in his notice had referred to the Apex Courts decision under which builders are to be brought within the ambit of tax net.

However, Noida’s Purchase officer, Harsh Vardhan Singh Bhadoriya, said he has not yet received such a notice.

It is learnt that for the first time such a notice has been sent by the Trade Tax Department.

It may be recalled that in a case involving Karnataka Government and RK Raheja, the Supreme Court had given a decision that builders also come under the purview of taxes. Thus the Trade Tax Department has initiated action against six builders in the district. Subsequently, the Trade Tax Department thought of sending notice to the Noida authority, as it is also involved in the constructing work.

The Trade Tax Department considers the Noida authority as a contractor and builder in view of the receipt of money through installments and lump sum from the allottees.

The detailed particulars of the builders, copy of the contract and the total payments released to the contractor, have also been demanded by the Trade Tax Department.

The details of the challans in state treasury in this connection have also been asked for.

Greater Noida, November 19
The body of a teacher posted in a college in Sakipur village of Surajpur, was recovered from near a village in Sekanderabad. The teacher was shot dead in a money dispute on November 13. The Sekanderabad police have arrested a shopkeeper in CM Market, Greater Noida, identified as Amit. The victim, Balraj of Sakipur village, was a teacher in Sakipur College. He had given a loan of Rs one lakh to Amit Kumar, a resident of village Jitsona, under BB Nagar police station in Bulandshahar.

Amit was managing a merchant shop in CM Market Sector Bita, Greater Noida.

Balraj had reportedly come to Amit’s shop on November 13 to demand his money.

Failing to trace Balraj, his family contacted the Surajpur police and lodged a missing report at the industrial area police post.

On Thursday evening, the body of a young man was recovered by the Bulandshahr police from village Retora.

Balraj’s family was informed by Surajpur police of the body having been recovered. A murder case was then registered in Sekanderabad police station against Amit, who was later arrested by the police.

Gurgaon, November 19
The Chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW), Dr Girija Vyas, this evening urged for sensitisation of menfolk to make them understand the importance of empowerment of women and allowing them pride of place in society.

Speaking as chief guest at a function organised by the local S. D. Adarsh Vidyalaya, Dr Vyas said the NCW had already recommended to the Centre for amendment to the IPC. The NCW’s stand is for amendment to the rape sections of the statute to make them strict to ensure proper justice to the victims.

She thanked the UPA chief, Ms Sonia Gandhi, for heeding the NCW’s recommendation for legislating an Act to prevent domestic violence.

However, she lamented that the atrocities against women went unabated. For the rules to be actually implemented, as also the status of women to be improved, men needed to be sensitised. It was in this context that the NCW in its ongoing campaign, “Challo Gaaon ke Or”, had incorporated a component towards sensitising men on gender justice.

She expressed concern at the negative male-female ratio even in advanced and developed states of the country. The NCW urged upon all, especially women, to ensure that they were not treated as a mere commodity.

She was appreciative of the present Haryana Government making pro-women policies. However, she urged that the policies needed to be implemented on ground.

The Chairperson of S. D. Adarsh Vidyalaya, Ms Asha Sharma, said there was room for optimism as women could make a difference and examples were many to support this theory.

Greater Noida, November 19
The state employees have gone on an indefinite strike protesting against the non-fulfillment of their demand for the payment of 50 per cent Dearness Allowance merged in the basic salary from June 2004. The call for the strike was given by the state leadership of the respective employee unions.

The strike adversely affected the government work in the Collectorate. The protesting employees have also demanded the revoking the compulsory retirement of the state secretary of employee’s union, Mr Sheetla Prasad Shukla.

Addressing the employees sitting on dharna, the secretary of Collectorate employees, Avinash, said the state government was giving step-motherly treatment to the employees.

While the Union Government employees were being paid 50 per cent of dearness allowance merged with their basic salary since June 2004, he UP state employees were being paid this merged DA with effect from 2005.

The government was accused of compulsorily retiring government employees. It was stated that the employees would continue their strike till their demands are fulfilled. Primary teacher’s union, district entertainment tax employees union, district election employees union, district treasury workers union and district accounts service union are supporting the strike, it was claimed.

New Delhi, November 19
“About 30 per cent cases of cancer can be effectively checked if the pregnant women are saved from pollution, and the children in the families, where cases of cancer have been found earlier, are consistently given protein-rich diet,” informed Dr Tarang Krishna, a well-known cancer expert and the Director of the World Cancer Care Foundation, at his New Friends Colony-based clinic at a press conference here today.

Dr Krishna said the pollution affected the immune system of the babies in their mother’s wombs. “This could be taken care of if the mothers are saved from undue exposure to the polluting environment. Similarly, the children from the families with cancer background should be given protein-rich diet as a preventive measure. It increases the children’s immunity power,” he added. Citing a survey conducted on 200 children and pregnant women, he informed a low on protein diet and pollution were found to be leading causes for retinal thyroid cancer among the children. “A specific survey was conducted recently for Delhi, 1756 cases were screened for various types of cancers in district cancer detection centres, of which 249 were suspected foe cancer. —OC

Noida, November 19
Fortis Multi-Specialty Hospital has adopted 15 districts around here to provide epilepsy treatment at Re 1 per day at a function here yesterday, which was World Epilepsy Day. More than 100 local doctors trained by Fortis were also awarded diplomas on the Fortis campus. At stage two, the Fortis Epilepsy Control Programme will adopt 50 districts and gradually the programme will be extended to the entire country.

Dr Alok Roy, COO, Fortis Hospital, Noida said there was no national policy for the care of millions of epilepsy patients. Apart from a handful of complicated cases, most of them could be treated at the community level through right guidance and easily available drugs.

More than 80 per cent epilepsy patients can be successfully treated in our country. Unfortunately, rather than getting doctor’s advice and right treatment these patients bear the brunt of myths and social neglect.

“Epilepsy is a neurological disorder. Proper education and awareness will help people take medical treatment rather than believing traditional myths and misconceptions”, said Dr A. K. Singh, Director, Neurosciences, Fortis Hospital, Noida.

An Epilepsy Awareness Team (EAT) and a mobile Fortis Epilepsy Van (FEV) will work together to spread awareness in the rural areas about the myths related to epilepsy. Speakers will address public in rural areas.

“My family was quite apprehensive about me stepping out alone as I could get seizures anytime. But thanks to right guidance and the treatment, I lead a normal and happy life today”, said an emotional Dhiraj during the launch of Fortis Epilepsy Control Programme (FECP) at Fortis Hospital here today.

Mr Amar Singh, MP, said he could get Amitabh Bachchan to lend his voice in the epilepsy jingles and if Fortis had a significantly higher budget the actor would not mind acting in the TV advertisement as he had done in the case of pulse polio which had dramatically enhanced its appeal with the masses. Dr Satish Jain, Senior Consultant, Neurology, Fortis Hospital, Noida said, “The programme is designed to provide scientific information about the causes and treatment of epilepsy at the community level. We will provide affordable treatment to a majority of epilepsy patients, enabling them to live a normal life and contribute their share to society rather than being a burden to society,” Dr Jain added.

Faridabad, November 19
The ‘sharp division’ among members of the District Cricket Association (DCA) may jeopardise the holding of the one-day international cricket match (ODI) between India and England next year at the Nahar Singh Stadium. Nahar Singh Stadium is the one international cricket ground in Haryana. The last one-day international match was held here in October 2003.

A demand has been raised by certain members to dissolve the new executive body of the DCA, and have called for the intervention of the Haryana Cricket Association (HCA) in the matter. It may be recalled that the DCA was in the news after the old executive body had been dissolved by the Deputy Commissioner, who is the ex-officio chairperson of the association. However, this re-organisation had led to sharp resentment among a section of the association.

The former international player, Mr Yadav, alleged that there were several discrepancies in the DCA, which would create “negative image” about the association.

He regretted that non-cricketers were playing a dominant role in the DCA and the resolution adopted in 2003 that all Ranji-level players would be inducted as life members of the DCA had not been implemented so far.

Demanding that the body should be reconstituted in a proper manner with preference being given to prominent cricketers, he said the HCA should take an immediate action to put things in order if the “reputation” of the DCA is to be maintained.

Meanwhile, some social activists have demanded a transparent system of working in the DCA so that the cricket lovers are not taken for a ride.

However, the Deputy Commissioner, Mrs G. Anupama, denied that there had been any irregularity or rift among the members. She said efforts would be made to ensure that all controversy would be sorted out soon.

A total of seven ODI matches have been played here since 1986, when the stadium was inaugurated.

Noida, November 19
Thieves decamped with cash and jewellery worth lakhs of rupees from the house of a bank manager. The bandits decamped with Rs 80,000 in cash and jewellery and other valuables worth Rs 1.50 lakh, it was claimed.

The manager and his teacher wife live in DPS society in Sector-51, Noida.

The bank manager, identified as Varun Chatel and his wife were away on duty when the thieves broke into their flat.

The police have started investigation into the matter.

In another theft, bandits decamped with valuables worth Rs 4 lakh from the house of a retired Army brigadier in Sector-15A, Noida.—OC

Gurgaon, November 19
Principals and academicians here have welcomed the proposed evaluation process in which students of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) would be awarded grades.

As per the new system, the Central Board of Secondary Education has decided to switch over to the grade system. The student’s performance will be interpreted by GPA (grade point average). The 9-point grading scale will be introduced in class IX from 2007. The highest grade will have a numerical value of 9, while the lowest grade will have the value of 1.

The new reforms have opened a stress- free education for the students. Now the students have to qualify only in four subjects out of five in order to be promoted to class XI. However, some of the principals here have demanded that grading system should also be implemented at the graduation and postgraduation level to maintain the symmetry in the evaluation process.

Mrs Anita Makkar, Principal, DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 14, welcomed the 9 point grading system.

However, she emphasised the need to extend the system to the college level to make it more effective. Mrs Makkar suggested that there should be a uniformity in the assessment process so that the students of the country do not face hardship while taking admissions in different institutes.

New Delhi, November 19
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has cancelled the contract of NGOs who were entrusted with maintaining the electric crematoria at Bela Road, Green Park, Sant Nagar and Paschim Vihar as the department concerned was not satisfied with their performances.

The NGOs were awarded the contract under the Bhagidari scheme of the Delhi Government which welcomed the public private partnership to develop the national Capital. The Municipal Commissioner, Mr Ashok Kumar, who has recently joined the MCD, tabled a proposal before the Standing Committee for the cancellation of their contracts, which had been approved by the Standing Committee.

The proposal said that contract to Paschim Vihar Cremation Ground was allotted to Mahilayen Pragti Ki Ore, Bela Road to REFRO, Green Park to ASRA and Sant Nagar to a local welfare organisation.

These organisations had no experience in maintaining a cremation ground. They were new in this field. The reason for allotment of contract was their affiliation with the Congress party, sources said.

The sources said that there was poor maintenance of the garden, shabby and broken condition of fuel wood and payer sheds. This was reported to the Municipal Commissioner by area MLA Manget Ram Gangwal and councillors M.S. Pawar and Suresh Yadav.

Bela Road electric crematorium was maintained by REFRO which was unable to repair the hearse van given to it and it had not employed any driven to drive the van. The NGO has skeletal staff for maintaining the crematorium, resulting bad sanitary conditions and security arrangement. REFRO was asked to take over new prayer hall also but it refused without giving suitable reason. Finding the NGO non-serious, it was given a show-cause notice but its reply was not given within the stipulated time. The reply was also not satisfactory, the proposal said.

The Municipal Commissioner said the NGO, ASRA, which maintained Green Park Crematorium, failed to deposit the electricity bill. Notices have been served by the power company, BSES Rajdhani Power Limited.

New Delhi, November 19
The Minimal Access Surgery (MAS) department of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, in a proactive initiative to generate awareness about growing overweight problem in the city, is organising an ‘Obesity week’ from November 21.

During this week, the focus will be on effective and detailed check-up of obese people, free consultations, counselling and free full body check-up through Body Composition Analyzer machine installed at the department.