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Private schools reluctant to provide freeship
Conman in police custody
Major power crisis cripples Faridabad
Noida residential scheme money to be refunded
Administration to pay Rs 50,000 as compensation
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Three villagers shot at by ‘land mafia’
Waiver scheme for outstanding electricity bills
Metro work on Vikas Marg to speed up in March
Bomb scare in Rajdhani Express
All ESI hospitals, dispensaries to be computerised
Dhaula Kuan rape: Court frames charges
Fraud case booked against NRI firm
British minister calls on Sheila
Meet on global paediatric surgery
‘Orthopedic Week’ on at GM Modi Hospital
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Private schools reluctant to provide freeship
New Delhi, December 5 Following the Delhi High Court’s ruling on September 13, 2005, the Chief Minister had asked schools to put together their proposals to draw up a conclusive plan for freeship in schools. Claiming to be already doing their bit for the poor students, these schools through the proposals have delivered their message: They are unwilling to keep the poor in the same class as their privileged counterparts. Taking refuge under the garb of ‘experience’, these schools have submitted, “that running schools in the second shift for the economically and socially weaker sections of society will best serve the social cause as well as will be in the interest of the children”. In the second shift, children belonging to the economically weaker sections will be admitted and offered freeships to the extent of 15 per cent of the strength of the school, the proposal reads. Further, “even otherwise since all the schools in Delhi today are primarily fee-based institutions, the burden of bearing the expenses for these extra shifts will fall upon the rest of the 80 per cent of the students of the school. To reduce this burden, it will be in the overall larger interest of all concerned that the school be permitted certain relaxation and granted certain permissions, if need be, by making appropriate amendments to the Delhi School Education Act, 1973 and Delhi School Education Rules, 1973”. Seeking amendment to Sections 8 and 10 of the Delhi School Education Act, 1973 and the provisions of the Chapter of Delhi Education Rules, 1973, they have sought permission to hire retired teachers on fixed remuneration and also rely on volunteers who are qualified to teach. In trying to exert control over the government-run schools, there is a proposal to bring one government school under the direct supervision and control of an unaided school for all purposes, including in the matter of disciplinary actions. To ensure that their financial liability is limited, the private unaided schools have even sought a share out of the corpus meant for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan. They have put forth, “The Delhi Government is spending approximately Rs 1,400 per child per month, as per the budgetary expenditure… under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan. The Government of India has received World Bank Aid equivalent to Rs 17,500 crore. Out of this amount, the Delhi Government has received Rs 80 crore for the current academic year. Out of the money allocated for SSA, the Delhi Government can announce scholarship for the meritorious children equivalent to per unit cost of education, which is roughly Rs 1,400 per month. The scholarship offered to these children can be paid to the private unaided schools for running full strength shift for economically weaker sections of society. The schools would be made to bear the burden of the balance of expenses over and above the scholarship offered. The schools shall be made liable to offer free education, free books, dress, extra-curricular activities, educational tours etc. as being offered to all other students of the school”. The process of seeking exemptions goes a step ahead with the demand for “exemption to all the Private Unaided Schools from payment of Property Tax altogether”, this is supposedly to “lessen the burden on
parents”. The schools have also sought exemption from paying charges as the same rate of water and electricity charges are being charged from the residential
premises. While the Chief Minister is yet to take a decision regarding the suggestions, which is to be submitted on December 7 in the Delhi High Court, advocate Ashok Agarwal who has filed a PIL seeking action against schools flouting the freeship clause, said “these suggestions sound like negotiations. How can one negotiate a contract after violating it? If the conditions were not acceptable – the land should not have been accepted”.
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Conman in police custody
New Delhi, December 5 The cheat, identified as one Vijay Raghunath Singh (35), MD of India House Hold and Healthcare Ltd, also told the victims that he was authorized to appoint clearing and forwarding agents and distributors in various parts of India. Based on complaints from the victims, the sleuths during investigation came across attractive advertisements given by the said company claiming that it holds the sole license to market household and healthcare products of M/s LG Care, Korea in India. One complaint also told the sleuths that during the meetings with Raghunath Singh and his accomplices, he was promised to be made as state director cum clearing and forwarding agent by the accused persons. The accused persons also promised that they would place goods of LG Care worth Rs 2 crore at his disposal. They also told the complainant that IHHL would spread its business to the extent of Rs 300 crore and Rs 30 crore would be spent on advertisements alone. Later the victim also paid Rs 1.5 crore to the accused persons through three cheques. The complaints also told the police that the accused persons could not provide the goods as promised to them and the goods were inferior in quality. Investigation also revealed that LG Korea, in its affidavit filed in Hon’ble Chennai High Court, has categorically affirmed
that the said company was never authorized by LG Korea. In another case, the
Economic Offences Wing has claimed to arrested two notorious cheats identified as Kishori Lal (57) and Satish Kumar (37) for duping 37 shopkeepers of Najafgarh Grain Market to the tune of Rs 3 crore. The accused persons, both grain merchants, had purchased agricultural products, foodgrains and oil seeds from as many as 37 shopkeepers and then vanished.
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Major power crisis cripples Faridabad
Faridabad, December 5 While this has led to severe inconvenience for consumers, there is no one who can tell how long this problem will continue. The poor supply has adversely affected the commercial and manufacturing activities in a majority of the industrial units here. It threatens job security of a large number of workers due to the layoff situation caused by the disruption in power supply. Though the officials concerned attribute the power shortage to the crisis faced by several power generation source points, including those in Haryana and other states like Himachal Pradesh, they are not in a position to say when the crisis would be over.
Power production in at least two thermal units at Panipat and one unit here has been off due to snags. The power generation at the 55 MW unit of the thermal power station here had come to a halt about 36 days ago due to a major fire in the station here. The authorities concerned here have not been able to repair the plant so far causing a shortfall in the total production, said sources in the department. There are cuts round the clock and the total availability of power supply has been reduced to merely 10 to 12 hours daily, claimed a resident here. He said the situation had worsened in the past few days as the number of cuts had surpassed the duration of supply in a day. Even the early morning and evening hours when the students have to study had not been spared from the cuts, said Suresh Kumar, a resident of Sector 10 here. He said this could affect the studies of the children who were facing half-yearly examinations these days. The local industry and the commercial establishments has also been bearing the brunt of the poor supply, said an entrepreneur here. He said if the situation did not improve soon, some of the units might be facing closure or would be shut down due to the crisis. Expressing concern over the problem, a spokesperson of the Faridabad Small Industries Association said the disruption was unexpected. It had definitely brought down the production and trading activities, affecting the overall scenario in the industrial sector. Mr Shailender Singh, an activist of the Punarjagran Sanstha, a social body based on Gandhian values, said the government had no right to collect taxes and revenue from the people when it could not provide basic amenities like water, power and roads. He said the style of functioning of the present government did not appear to be different from the previous one as the people were facing similar problems. He ridiculed the idea of Haryana Government bosses touring foreign countries to seek investment when the state had been facing problems on power front.
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Noida residential scheme money to be refunded
Noida, December 5 The Authority has decided to retain Rs 1,000 per application which means the applicants will be eligible to participate in the draw whenever it is held. The decision for holding the fresh draw will depend on the order of the apex court, it is learnt. According to Deputy CEO Tanvir Zafar Ali, instructions are being issued to all 30 banks through which registration money was received by the Noida Authority for refund of the same to individual applicants within three days. In case applicants of the residential scheme 2004 do not get their refund within a week, they should contact their respective banks, advise Noida officials. On the question of payment of interest accrued on the registration money deposited by applicants with Noida Authority, the DCEO said only those applicants whose money had been kept for one year would be paid bank interest on the registration amount deposited with Noida Authority. It was well-known that the Noida Authority had been worried over the payment of bank interest to applicants which would have meant an outflow of Rs 95 crore from the Noida Authority to the applicants who had to suffer because the draw on July 2 had been rigged and the case had gone to the Allahabad High Court and then to the apex court. It may be recalled that December 7, 2004, was the last date for depositing the application form and registration money. By that date, some 60,000 applicants had deposited their forms and money with the Noida Authority through the designated banks. The officials were also upset as to who would take moral responsibility for the payment of this fat interest amount calculated at Rs 95 crore.
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Administration to pay Rs 50,000 as compensation
Noida, December 5 The District Magistrate, Santosh Kumar Yadav, has also ordered Additional District Magistrate Rajesh Kumar Yadav to hold an inquiry into the whole matter. Meanwhile, a number of political and social organisations have criticised the authorities for its “carelessness” leading to the death of the boy, identified as Raven (son of a labourer) during the anti-encroachment demolitions by the Greater Noida authority yesterday. The local MLA Nawab Singh Nagar “condemned the carelessness of administrative machinery” in this regards. According to eyewitnesses, the boy was first hit by a police bullet and later run over by a JCB machine. The police have, however, refuted this version, clarifying that there was no firing by the police. It is learnt that the police had put pressure on the father of the deceased for filing an FIR against the driver of the JCB machine. Meanwhile, Mr Nagar has demanded an inquiry into the whole episode including punishment for the officials involved in putting pressure on the father of the deceased for filing an FIR against the driver of the JCB machine. He said according to documents shown by the villagers, the land on which the Greater Noida authority had launched such a big operation was gram samaj reserved land. The authorities ought to have taken the villagers into confidence, he said.
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Three villagers shot at by ‘land mafia’
Greater Noida, December 5 However, according to the police, one of the victims, Ajab Singh, had complained that some people were trying to construct illegal buildings on public land. It seemed that irked by this complaint the land mafia had gone there to “teach him a lesson” by targeting his house in the attack, the police said. According to reports, annoyed at the show of courage and defiance, criminals opened fire at Ajab Singh, a resident of the village. Ajab Singh was wounded in the chest. Hearing the sound of gunshot, when Ajab Singh’s brother, Jatinder, came out of the house, the bandits shot him also in the chest. Later, when their cousin, Naresh, challenged the intruders, he was also shot at and wounded. Before the villagers could assemble, the intruders sped away in their vehicles. The wounded persons were rushed to a Noida private hospital.
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Waiver scheme for outstanding electricity bills
New Delhi, December 5 The one time scheme, which starts from December 7, would allow a 100 per cent waiver of the Late Payment Surcharge on the payment of full principal amount of outstanding electricity dues. The scheme would apply to arrears of the entire period i.e. DVB era arrears as also the post reform period. The scheme has been approved by DERC and Government of Delhi and would be open just for a month, till January 6, 2006. Under the scheme, consumers can make the payment of their outstanding electricity dues in cash (without any ceiling) or Demand Draft/Pay Order. In those cases where the outstanding electricity arrears are in excess of Rs 50,000, consumers can request the discoms for accepting payment in two equal monthly installments for the incremental amounts. No
interest/LPSC will be levied for payment in installments. To avail benefit under this scheme, consumers can approach their nearest District/Division office of BSES or
NDPL. In those cases where there are disputes or which are under litigation, consumers can avail the benefit under this scheme if they agree to withdraw the case from
Court/CDRF/CGRF or any other statutory legal forum and pay the full principal amount of outstanding electricity arrears. For this purpose, consumers need to sign a declaration in the format available at District/Division offices of BSES and NDPL and submit it along with the application form. If consumers do not wish to withdraw the case but wish to mitigate the liability of an adverse outcome of the case under litigation, they can pay the full principal amount of outstanding electricity dues and obtain waiver of LPSC on an understanding with the concerned discom that depending on the outcome of the case, any difference between the amount paid under this scheme and amount finally decreed by the
court/CDRF/CGRF or any other statutory legal forum, shall be trued up and paid by the consumer or discom as the case may be, a release said.
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Metro work on Vikas Marg to speed up in March
New Delhi, December 5 According to DMRC officials, to ensure that traffic is not disrupted on the busy Vikas Marg while the metro work is going on, vehicles will be diverted on the service road. Though they do admit that while the metro work is going on this highly congested Vikas Marg, there are bound to be some teething problems while managing the traffic, especially once the work begins on a full scale. Meanwhile, though there has been no official indication, the Connaught Place-Dwarka line should begin operating by the end of this year or early next year. The exact date of inauguration of this line will depend on the availability of VIPs to flag off the train. It will take just 35 minutes to complete the journey on the Line–3, touching Barakhamba Road, Rajiv Chowk, R.K. Ashram Marg, Jhandewalan, Karol Bagh, Rajendra Place, Patel Nagar, Shadipur, Kirti Nagar, Moti Nagar, Ramesh Nagar, Rajouri Garden, Tagore Garden, Subhash Nagar, Tilak Nagar, Ganesh Nagar, Janakpuri, Uttam Nagar East, Uttam Nagar West, Nawada, Dwarka Mor and Dwarka stations. Trial runs have already started on this 22-km segment and the Commissioner of Railway Safety has also carried out the first inspection of this line. The next inspection is sometime next week after which the final clearance for the metro to run on this long-awaited segment will be given.
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Bomb scare in Rajdhani Express
Noida, December 5 The train was surrounded by GRP, RPF and civil police. The security check took about 40 minutes after which “all clear” was given and the train allowed to proceed further. Although it meant a lot of inconvenience to passengers and security staff, everybody heaved a sigh of relief when nothing dangerous was found. The bomb was reported to have been put in coach AS-6 where an unattended brief case was found.
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All ESI hospitals, dispensaries to be computerised
Faridabad, December 5 This was announced by the Director-General of the ESI, Mr Ramesh Inder Singh, while addressing officials and employees of the ESI here recently. He appealed to doctors and other staff to get computer-savvy and be prepared to the changes that were required under the ongoing computerisation programme of the department. He said going hi-tech was very much the need of the hour as it would save hours and hours of precious time that was being spent in the work of filing information in the registers. One click of the button could produce the data and record of any patient in seconds which otherwise would have not been possible. He claimed the computers could prove very handy and useful as the doctor could easily know the drugs and medicines prescribed last time and the medicines which could be prescribed now as it would be putting the data of the drugs available in the dispensary and the hospital. The Director-General suggested formation of a core group to review functioning of the scheme from time to time and suggest ways to make improvements. He said funds would be no problem for the computerisation scheme, but asked the state government and the officials concerned to chalk out a strategy for immediate implementation. The ESI serves several thousand industrial workers and employees in the state and it has a Regional Director’s office here, which supervises the work of all hospitals and dispensaries run by it in the state. He asked the people, especially industrial workers, to bring to notice any irregularity in connection with the ESI facility at industrial units conforming to the norms and who were required to provide such a service to their staff. Ms Saroj Siwach, Labour Commissioner and Special Secretary, Labour and Employment, Haryana, Mr A. J. Pawar, Insurance Commissioner, and Dr Kamlesh Kalra, Medical Commissioner, were also present. An awareness programme was also launched for the doctors and branch managers of the ESI Department for the scheme.
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Dhaula Kuan rape: Court frames charges
New Delhi, December 5 Additional Sessions Judge S L Bhayana charged Ajit Singh Katiyar of having committed the offences of gangrape, abduction, intoxication with intent to commit offence, criminal intimidation and criminal conspiracy. According to the charges, Katiyar, along with his three co-accused, who could not be arrested, conspired to gang-rape the college student in a moving car by intoxicating her and forcing her to illicit intercourse. The accused had forced the girl, belonging to north-eastern India, into a Santro car at about 2.15 a.m. on May 8 this year when she was walking to a ‘dhaba’ with her roommate, in the Dhaula Kuan area in south-west Delhi. After assaulting her for two hours, during which they drove to north-east Delhi, they dropped her off near her house in a Maruti
Zen. Katiyar, aged 28 years, a driver with a private company, whose features were described by the 22-year old victim, was picked up on May 13 from near the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border. He was later pointed out by the victim as one of the culprits in a Test Identification Parade (TIP). According to the police, Katiyar, hailing from Kanpur Rural district, is a history sheeter with at least 10 cases of attempt to murder, auto-theft and Arms Act registered against him, including for shooting at a police party.
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Fraud case booked against NRI firm
Faridabad, December 5 The complainant, Managing Director of a public limited company here, has alleged the accused had gobbled up an amount of Rs 4.5 crore submitted by his company in form of service tax for getting a loan from the company based in Malaysia. It is claimed that despite paying the tax, the company had not released the loan amount to the company. The police have registered a case under Sections 420, 406 and 120-B of the IPC against as many as 13 persons of Indian origin, who had been named owners or partners of the accused firm. The accused include three women.
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British minister calls on Sheila
New Delhi, December 5 Apart from discussing issues various matters of mutual interest, the visiting Minister had a lengthy discussion on issues like education, drug trafficking, pre-budget relating to UK, post-independence India, gender ratio, development of sports and the recently launched Yuva Progarmme of Government of Delhi. Ms Tessa Jowell also discussed the forthcoming Commonwealth Games 2010. Ms Dikshit apprised the visiting Minister of the existing administrative set up of NCT Delhi and Union Government. She also expressed confidence that the city would also be hosting ASIAD 2014. Apart from giving details of preparedness of her government for the 2010 games, Ms Dikshit informed that all the required infrastructure development would be completed much before the start of the games. Referring to ASIAD 82 in Delhi, which changed the face of the city, Ms Dikshit said that all the programmes have been well planned and that world class transportation would be made available during the Games. Ms Dikshit also apprised Ms Jowell of the recently enforced Right to Information Act, which has added to transparency and accountability.
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Meet on global paediatric surgery
New Delhi, December 5 The CME dealt with paediatric surgery with the surgical problems in children from the time they are born to adolescence. The objective of this CME was to bring together world-renowned experts in paediatric surgery under one roof to share their experiences of wide range of paediatric surgery conditions.
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‘Orthopedic Week’ on at GM Modi Hospital
New Delhi, December 5 The orthopedic surgeons at the GM Modi Hospital would give advice on preventive measures and address queries related to all ortho problems. A panel of doctors would also give a demo on the necessary exercises that should be done to manage arthritis. Also, the registration to this week-long camp is free and people registered will get discounted consultation and follow-up treatment.
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New Delhi, December 5
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