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HC notice to govt on unsafe school buildings
Contempt notice to Escorts Hospital
Student’s death leads to violence
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Women declare war on liquor, thrash cops
BJP demands fast track courts for power, graft cases
Gurgaon administration working on traffic, transport policy
‘No proposal for World Bank loan for 24x7 project’
College students to be trained in disaster management
New mini stadium to be named after Shastri
Delhi Press Summit to discuss journalism
Residents protest against shops’ closure
Noida youth’s body found in suspicious circumstances
Four held for drug trafficking
Youth sentenced for sexually abusing minor girl
Feud claims lives of four women
Nagar Kirtan organised
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HC notice to govt on unsafe school buildings
New Delhi, November 24 Taking note of the fact that in spite of the PWD having declared as many as 15 school buildings “unsafe” two years ago, classes are still being held in some of these unsafe structures, a Division Bench comprising Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Rekha Sharma issued notice to the Government of Delhi and directed it to take immediate measures to ensure that no untoward incident takes place. The respondents have been asked to submit a compliance report to the court within one week. Seeking the court’s intervention, advocate Ashok Agarwal of the Social Jurists informed the Bench that a stark example is that of the government school in Kanjhawala, where classes are being held in an unsafe building. He said: “The school is being run in a semi-permanent structure, which is just four years old. The rooms have developed massive cracks. According to the PWD standards, the normal life span of a semi-permanent structure is 30 years and that of a ‘pucca’ building is 60-80 years. The unsafe structure was vacated and classes were held in the open for a few days. The students have been shifted into tin sheds now.” Mr Agarwal informed the court that there are several other unsafe schools, which have not even been included in the PWD list of unsafe structures. Citing an example of the same, he said Government Senior Secondary School, D-Block, Jahangirpuri, has a totally dilapidated building and the lives of 4500 students studying in this schools are in danger. It was pointed out that the High Court, hearing a PIL filed by Social Jurist’s on September 16, 2002, took notice of poor quality construction of school buildings by PWD and sought explanation from the Chief Engineer, PWD, for the sub- standard work, which has been effected by the department in construction of classrooms, but nothing happened there after. The High Court had
earlier in its order dated July 24, 2002, observed, “from the photographs it is clear that children have been made to sit for their classes in open, exposed to hot summer sun. The photographs gives credence to the allegation of the petitioner that the respondent is intending to hold classes in makeshift accommodation made of tin sheds. We cannot approve the inhuman treatment which is being meted out to children.” In another order dated September 2, 2003, the court observed, “if the children who are attending the schools are not provided a good classroom with sitting arrangements or a playground, it would not be possible for the students to get proper education. Other facilities such as sanitation and pure water are also required to be provided by the school authorities. In absence of adequate facilities, if children are sent to schools, it means torture to them.”
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Contempt notice to Escorts Hospital
New Delhi, November 24 Justice Anil Kumar, who had on September 30 ordered status quo regarding the sale of EHIRC, asked EHIRC Company Secretary and Legal Head Anil Khubchandani, Managing Director Shivender Mohan Singh and Financial Controller O P Verma to file their replies to Anil Nanda’s contempt petition by Decenber 15, the next date of hearing. M/s Goetze (India) Ltd is the other contempt petitioner in the case. In their petition filed through counsel P K Bansal, Anil Nanda, a former member of EHIRC Governing Body, and Goetze accused the defendants of “deliberately and wilfully” violating the September 30 order of the court. Appearing for Anil Nanda, senior counsel Mukul Rohatagi submitted that despite the order the defendants indulged themselves in diluting the assets of EHIRC Delhi Society. The petitioners said that in response to Income Tax Department’s claim for Rs 81.48 crore, EHIRC issued a post-dated cheque to the Department for Rs 5 crore. They also submitted that the defendants were believed to have offered a huge sum of Rs 100 crore to DDA to permit them to run it as a commercial enterprise on the 6.9 acre land which was leased out to them by DDA for
charitable purposes. The petitioners alleged that due to fraudulent acts of the defendants, the DDA has already terminated the lease. However, the court has restrained the DDA from taking possession of the hospital. Anil Nanda, who has challenged the conversion of EHIRC from a charitable institution to a company and its subsequent sale to Fortis, had earlier requested the court to appoint a receiver for the hospital. In an application filed before the court, Anil Nanda accused EHIRC and certain other defendants of violating the September 30 order of the court staying the sale process. He has also denanded that Rs 200 crore EHIRC money in Escrow Account of HDFC bank be frozen and the sale proceeds be handed over to EHIRC. The court adjourned the matter to December 15 as the replies filed by EHIRC and other defendants to Anil Nanda’s plea were not on record.
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Student’s death leads to violence
Faridabad, November 24 A mob torched as many as five buses of the state roadways and damaged another dozen vehicles and the property at the main bus stand here besides blocking traffic on National Highway 2 passing from here. Two buses were completely burnt down, while several others were damaged by the enraged students. The situation, however, returned to normal after the intervention of senior district officials. According to reports, the trigger for the violence was the death of a first year student, identified as Pardeep Kumar of the local Government College. The youth was run over by a Haryana Roadways bus (HR-38-0543) at about 9.15 am this morning just outside the main bus stand at Ballabgarh. The victim, who died on the spot, was trying to board the bus to go to college but it is learnt that the driver did not halt and tried to speed up. This led the student to lose his grip who fell down just ahead of the rear wheel of the bus. The deceased hailed from the nearby Neemka village. The incident led to a large number of college students and youths gathering at the spot. They not only stopped the vehicles moving on the main road, but also went on a rampage in protest. At least four buses were torched. Two of these got completely burnt. As many as seven other buses of Haryana Roadways were slightly damaged. The mob also damaged five other vehicles passing from here, which included three buses of UP, one bus of Rajasthan and a police jeep. They also damaged the ticket counters at the main bus stand. The police had to use teargas shells and resort to a lathi charge to disperse the mob involved in arson. Senior officials, including the Deputy Commissioner, the Additional Deputy Commissioner and the SP, rushed to the spot. They assured the agitating students of taking action about their demands, which included the arrest of the driver, compensation and government job to the kin of the deceased and proper halts of the roadways buses for students having travel passes. The blockade was lifted at about 12 noon after the Deputy Commissioner assured them that no criminal case would be booked against the students who went on a rampage following the death of the student. She announced that roadways inspectors would be posted to ensure halts of all the buses passing from the main roads. Regarding the demand of compensation of Rs 15 lakh to the family of the deceased, she said the demand would be forwarded to the state government for consideration. Meanwhile, the police have arrested the driver of the bus, identified as Naval Singh, on charges of rash driving and negligence.
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Women declare war on liquor, thrash cops
Ghaziabad, November 24 In Garh Mukteshwar, Ghaziabad, a police team which had gone there to arrest some women was beaten up by aggressive women who had earlier damaged a liquor shop at Manak Chowk village in Garh. The livid women had also beaten up some men who had queued up for buying liquor at the shop. The police team had been sent to arrest the women who seem to have decided to take the law into their hands. The windscreens of police vehicles were smashed by angry protesters. To bring the situation under control, the police had to fire a few rounds in the air. The SDM, Mr S. P. Sharma, who rushed to the spot, failed to pacify the women. A liquor shop has been operating from the house of Dhan Veer. This is strongly resented by women of the area, who feel the liquor shop in the village is a source of domestic discords in many houses. Besides, some drunkard rowdies make it difficult for women to move about and they decided to teach them a lesson. Gram pradhan Rajendri Devi had led a large number of women and declared a war on liquor. They beat up young men standing there for buying liquor. One Anuj Bansal had filed a report in the Kotwali from where a contingent of police was sent to arrest women. The women of the village resisted the arrest of any woman by the police and in the process beat up the cops too. The women surrounded the cops and started beating them up while demanding that the SDM should immediately order the closure of the liquor shop in the village. There is considerable tension in the area. In another incident, a prisoner from Dasna jail in Ghaziabad, who was brought to the district court in Noida for a hearing, allegedly thrashed the police constable escorting him yesterday. The constable later filed a report with the Phase-II police station, Noida, that the prisoner had interfered in the discharge of his official duty. Constable Shripal, posted in the Police Lines, had brought prisoner Sunil Kumar from the Dasna district jail in Ghaziabad to the courts in Gautam Budh Nagar for a court appearance.
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BJP demands fast track courts for power, graft cases
New Delhi, November 24 By virtue of this the people may be able to get justice fast and the people shall have trust in law. Provisions should be made that appeal against these cases could be made only to the Supreme Court to dispose cases within 30 days, he said. At a press conference today, Dr Harsh Vardhan said that the BJP through its continuous and multi-dimensional movement had sought the opinion regarding the ‘loot of consumers’ by private power companies and the ‘connivance of the government’. More than 10 lakh power consumers signed these protest papers voluntarily and not a single consumer was found satisfied with the power companies or the functioning of the government, he said. Dr Vardhan said that at the time of installing fast running meters in more than 10 lakh houses, the private power companies did not inform the consumers that these meters shall record reading of the neutral and direct phase separately and the reading which will be higher shall be the basis of the bill. Now the Delhi Chief Minister Ms Sheila Dikshit is clarifying that she had only asked for replacing the meters of the consumers getting 10 kw of power. But by disregarding the rules, the private companies installed fast running meters in more than 10 lakh houses out of which most of the consumers get 1 to 5 kw power. Dr. Vardhan also said that the former General Manager in Delhi Transco M.K. Chaudhary has stated in a report to the court that the new electronic meters are running fast and recording the reading without consumption. It has been designed in such a way that it could record wrong reading so that the power companies may benefit. The State Power Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission has also found these meters to be defective and has ordered to stop issuing bills on the basis of its reading, Dr Vardhan added.
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Gurgaon administration working on traffic, transport policy
Gurgaon, November 24 The Police Department, the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), the Town and Country Planning Department, RITES and even private consultants are being involved for the master plan, informed the Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner, Mr R. P. Bhardwaj. The Deputy Commissioner revealed that at present the city had a population of roughly seven lakh which was expected to grow up to 20 lakh till 2021. “ We are planning roads, bus stands, bus stops, bridges, flyovers, underpasses, subways etc for the city as per the growing demand of the city”, added Mr Bhardwaj. The Inspector-General of Police, Gurgaon Range, Mr Mohinder Lal, informed the police department in the city had already started making small experiments and diversions for the smooth flow of commuters. A number of roads were being converted into one way and heavy traffic was being diverted away from the city, added Mr Lal. “We had already appointed a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) rank
official exclusively for traffic movement in the city”, added Mr Lal. The IGP said that planning was at the final stage for a fixed parking place for mini and private buses and autorickshaws. Their routes were being planned in consultation with experts and these vehicle owners to decongest the city main roads, added the police officer. He claimed that he was personally planning and supervising the experiments in the city minutely. HUDA administrator S. P. Gupta informed that the department intended to develop the city in such a way that there would be no traffic jams and snarls. A sum of Rs 186 crore had been set aside for the development of roads, flyovers, subways etc for the next three years. He explained that Rs 100 crore would be spent for constructing flyovers whereas Rs 86 crore would be spent on building new roads and maintaining existing roads. Mr Gupta revealed HUDA was also discussing with officials of BHEL (Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited) for plying mini battery-operated buses to make the city less polluted. One of the highest congested roads, MG Road, would be expanded and a subway and a flyover would be constructed as per the guidance of RITES, added the HUDA administrator. A sum of Rs 6 crore had been sanctioned for expanding the stretch on this road from the IFFCO crossing up to the Delhi-Mehrauli border, added the officer. This was the stretch where more than 22 malls and commercial complexes had to come up in the near future, told Mr Gupta. Mr Gupta further revealed that a number of roads (initially congested roads) in the city would be notified under Section 144 which bars the commuters to park their vehicles on these roads. More tow-away cranes were to be added to the present strength of three cranes, added Mr Gupta. For easy reference, all roads in the city would soon be named in memory of martyrs, freedom fighters, national and state eminent leaders and distinguished citizens of the city, said the officer. All sectors in the city would soon have unified glow signs for tracing locations, said Mr Gupta. All entries from Delhi, National Highway 8, the Delhi-Mehrauli border and the old Gurgaon-Delhi border would be expanded and beautified on a grand level, added Mr Gupta.
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‘No proposal for World Bank loan for 24x7 project’
New Delhi, November 24 “GNCTD (Government of NCT Delhi) has written to Government of India indicating that for the present there is no proposal to seek any loan from the World Bank,” the water authority wrote to Roy in the letter dated November 10. The letter comes in response to a communication from Roy requesting for inspection of various documents and files pertaining to the project under the Right to Information Act. NGOs and social activists, including Roy, have been opposing the proposed project, alleging that this would lead to privatisation of water in the Capital. The project had been put on hold and referred to Planning Commission for its recommendations in the light of the opposition. Recently, the Commission said that in alliance with Delhi Government it has decided to form an expert committee to look into the matter and hold consultations with all stakeholders. “DJB has already initiated the process of starting consultation on its reform process,” Public Information Officer S N Shrivastava said in the letter.
The Board also wrote in its reply to Roy that she could check the documents pertaining to the project on the DJB website.
It said the inspection of the remaining documents and files on these projects has been arranged.
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College students to be trained in disaster management
New Delhi, November 24 With an aim of preparing the people for such eventualities, the University of Delhi in association with the Home Guards is initiating a disaster management programme for students. Though disaster management is a component of the revised B A programme of the university, it is yet to become a part of an education programme that trains students in life-saving skills. This five-day workshop being held in four colleges of the university covering four zones of the city is aimed at introducing students to disaster management skills. “Instructors from the Home Guards will first teach students in these four colleges, then these students in turn will be expected to teach government employees and factory workers. It is a chain process that will begin with the students and percolate into civil society,” said the Joint Proctor, Dr Gurmeet Singh. Pointing out that lack of adequate knowledge of intervention in time of a calamity compounds the impact, thereby causing more death and destruction, Dr Singh said, “the course will teach them first-aid, fire fighting, providing relief camps, food, water and amenities and maintaining communication”. The workshop, which will begin on December 12, 2005, will be held in Sri Venkateswara College, Maitreyi College, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College and Bhim Rao Ambedkar College. “Students from adjoining colleges can enroll for the course that will be divided into five sessions, which includes one on self-defence,” the Joint Proctor added.
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New mini stadium to be named after Shastri
New Delhi, November 24 Member of the All India Congress Committee, Mr. Anil Shastri, today laid down foundation stone of the stadium to be constructed at a cost of Rs 30 lakh. A formal function was organised to mark the
occasion in which president of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, Mr. Ram Babu Sharma and area councillors were present. Addressing the gathering, Mr Anil Shastri stressed on need for providing more such mini stadiums where all kinds of sports facilities were available. He expressed hope that forthcoming Common Wealth Games would provide impetuous to sports activities in the city.
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Delhi Press Summit to discuss journalism
New Delhi, November 24 Labelled as ‘Delhi Press Summit’, the gathering at the Constitution Club will discuss issues of ethics, morals and other challenges before the media world which is expanding at a rapid pace, DUJ
President S K Pande said. While the summit would strive to evolve guiding principles of “correct and balanced” journalism, the gathering would also
concentrate on problems being currently faced by working journalists, Mr Pande pointed out. He added that issues like contract journalism
would also figure in the meeting.
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Residents protest against shops’ closure
Faridabad, November 24 The Haryana Government will be filing a status report before the high court on December 8. The court has asked for a reply in response to a PIL filed in the Supreme Court in 1999 by the market association of the Haryana Urban Development Authority and the Housing Board colonies, which had sought closure of shops and markets running unauthorisedly from residential areas. While the case had been transferred to the high court, it was pleaded that due to functioning of such markets (illegal ones) the official markets developed by HUDA were not getting a proper response. On the other hand, the people protesting against the move claimed that their shops had been very old and had been established when there was no market nearby. The Deputy Commissioner, who accepted a memorandum, asked them to put their claims in a legal manner and avoid such demonstrations which, she said, were of hardly any use when the matter was sub judice. Meanwhile, the markets of various areas, including the main markets of Sectors 7 and 10 remained closed.
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Noida youth’s body found in suspicious circumstances
Noida, November 24 Bisht was found by the Delhi police lying unconscious at some distance from PVR Saket in New Delhi on Tuesday night. Finding him in a grave condition, the Delhi police had taken him to AIIMS in a Gypsy where doctors told the police that the man had died a few hours earlier. With the help of his mobile phone and some papers found on his person, his family was informed about the mishap. The police, who consider it a natural death, have not yet registered any case. A post-mortem examination has been performed on the body in AIIMS and the report is awaited. DCP (South) Praveen Ranjan said there was no sign of injury on Manoj Kumar Bisht’s body and all his belongings and papers were found intact.
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Four held for drug trafficking
New Delhi, November 24 The accused have been identified as Charanjeet Singh Chaddha alias Shampy (29), a resident of Kamla Nagar, Sunil Kumar (21), Balram (35) and Sarwan Kumar (42). Police said that Shampy belongs to a good business family. His family was
settled in Kuwait and later migrated to USA. He came back to India and started helping his father in exporting articles to USA. He was earlier arrested by the Mumbai Police in cheating and forgery cases twice. The Mumbai police also impounded his passport and hence he could not fly back to States. He was using cocaine for his personal use and very soon he started feeling short of money for his lavish lifestyle. Soon he started selling cocaine to other customers to earn quick money. The other three persons were arrested from his disclosure during interrogation, said the police.
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Youth sentenced for sexually abusing minor girl
New Delhi, November 24 “The accused satisfied his unnatural lust by indulging in an act which caused extensive mental trauma to the five-year-old. It will send a wrong signal to the society if a lenient view is taken towards such persons,” observed Additional Sessions Judge Swarna Kanta Mehra while convicting 27-year-old Raju. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 5,000 against the accused found guilty under section 377 (unnatural offences) and 363 (kidnap) of the IPC. The girl was playing in her terrace on May 10, last year, when the accused, a family friend and immediate neighbour, lured her to his house and sexually abused her.
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Feud claims lives of four women
Ghaziabad, November 24 The women killed have been identified as Chanderwatti, wife of Bhopal Singh, Sharda, Bhopal Singh’s daughter, Vijenderi, wife of a nephew of Bhopal Singh, and another woman relative, Siksha . The women had gone to the fields for picking up fodder for cattle on the outskirts of Nupur village when suddenly at least six assailants surrounded them, subjecting them to intense firing, as a result of which the faces of all victims were disfigured. A few limbs were also seen torn off and strewn around the bodies. According to the police, a long-standing bloody feud had been going on between the families of Surinder Singh and Bhopal Singh in the village. The main cause of the enmity is said to be a land dispute. Last year, a father-son duo belonging to the other group had been murdered by Bhopal Singh’s family. Those accused of these murders are all lodged in Dasna Jail. According to the police, the bloody feud had earlier resulted in the loss of seven lives to both the families.
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Nagar Kirtan organised
New Delhi, November 24 Palki Sahib with Sri Guru Granth Sahib was decorated with flowers and banners followed by Panj Piyaras and Nagara. Thereafter, schoolchildren with bands and gatka parties followed by horses and elephants marched through the main bazars of Chandni Chowk, Pahar Ganj, Gole Dak Khana, Gurdwara Bangla Sahib and finally terminated in the evening at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib.
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