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MCD orders probe into alleged illegal properties of Sheila
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Sale of park land angers residents of Indirapuram
Kin go ballistic as patient dies; attack doctors, nurse
Hooda opens 220 KV power station
‘Officials need to be proactive in addressing grievances’
‘Warmth of summer’ in the dead of winter
Need for world peace emphasised
Nurses demand fresh recruitment to end acute shortage of staff
Pak militants among five get 10-yr RI for blasts
Three get life term for murder
2 held for production cess evasion
Cardiologists come together to patronise medical tourism
Project to help govt schoolkids build bridges of friendship
22 hurt in roof collapse
Accidental insurance for MCD schoolkids
Two held for murder
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MCD orders probe into alleged illegal properties of Sheila
New Delhi, January 18 The Chief Minister’s office, reacting to the allegation, has issued a statement refuting the charges levelled by Gupta, who was asked to withdraw the allegation at a meeting of the Standing Committee here today by Congress leader Farhat Suri. Unfazed by the Chief Minister’s explanation, Gupta, however, stood by his charges claiming that he has documentary evidence of them. A confident Gupta later added that he would resign from his post if the charges were proved wrong. The issue led to heated exchanges between the Congress and the opposition benches at the meeting. Finally, the Chairman of the Standing Committee Mukesh Goyal directed MCD Commissioner A K Nigam to probe the alleged unauthorised properties of the Chief Minister, her son and relatives. The Commissioner has been asked to submit a report to him in this regard by tomorrow. Addressing the media here yesterday, Mr Gupta had alleged that the Chief Minister had carried out unauthorised construction in her property at B 2 Nizamuddin East, flouting all provisions of the Delhi MCD Act as well as the Preservation of Historical Monuments and Heritage Buildings Act. Mr Gupta further alleged that the Chief Minister’s son Sandeep Dikshit had purchased a basement at 5 Jaipuria Estate, Nizamuddin East, which had been declared an unauthorised structure by the MCD in June last year while her sister Rama Dhawan had purchased property at Nizamuddin East, demolition orders for which had been passed by the MCD in September. In a statement late last night, the Chief Minister and her son Sandeep Dikshit, however, termed Mr Gupta’s charges as ‘baseless’. Sandeep Dikshit has stated that the basement of 5-Jaipur Estate was bought on September 11, 1993 from Sarla Devi Saran and others. It is also on record that the Completion Certificate of this was issued by the MCD on 25.8.1993 to the original owners. There has been no addition/alteration/construction done in the basement since it was bought, he said. He mentioned that he does not run any office in the basement and denied having received any notice from the MCD. The statement issued by the Chief Minister’s office said the, “reported allegations are totally fabricated and have been made with mala fide intention”. It specified, “As regards flat No. i.e. 1st Floor, B-2, Nizamuddin East of Ms Sheila Dikshit is concerned, this single floor was bought by her as a readymade flat on 18.10.1995 from late Ms Pahawa for which the MCD had issued the Completion Certificate after taking care of all prevalent rules and regulations way back on 2.1.1990. It is a single floor flat, which has no mezzanine. It is on record that all building plans were sanctioned by the original owner late Pahawa and there has been no addition/alteration/construction done in the said flat since it was bought”.
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80% buildings unauthorised, MCD tells court
New Delhi, January 18 Asserting that it would not deviate from taking demolitions to their logical conclusion, the Corporation, however, sought the court’s permission to initially target major violators responsible for mushrooming encroachments in the city. In an affidavit filed before a Division Bench of Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Rekha Sharma, the MCD contended that major violators included unauthorised constructions of properties housing big showrooms, retail shops, wholesale shops, restaurants and shopping malls. In the status report submitted over the demolition drive, the MCD claimed it had initiated penalty proceedings, based on findings of the Vigilance Department, against 113 officials of the level of junior engineers and assistant engineers.
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Sale of park land angers residents of Indirapuram
Ghaziabad, January 18 The residents alleged that the land situated in Indirapuram had been sold through a bid to ‘Super Teck Kence P.Ltd’. And when the residents of the locality objected to this sale, the GDA is reported to have attempted a rescue operation to “salvage its image”. However, now the GDA does not have an alternative plot in the area to allot it to the builder. The matter was taken to the GDA board meeting for a wayout of this situation. None of GDA officers are willing to explain as to how a part of a land belonging to a park was sold to the builder in the first place. When the residents learnt that GDA has auctioned the land of the proposed park to a builder, they registered their protest through the local M.P. Now, that the matter has come out in the open, the Ghaziabad Development Authority is fearful that the local politicians may jump in the fray and start an agitation on the issue.
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Kin go ballistic as patient dies; attack doctors, nurse
New Delhi, January 18 The agitated staff of the LNJP Hospital and the MAMC, including doctors and nurse, went on strike to protest against the incident. According to the police officials, one Razi Ahmed was admitted to the hospital three days back. His head was bleeding. When he was brought to the hospital, the condition of the patient was stable, said the police. But his condition got worse, and the patient died last night due to bleeding. Police sources present at the hospital said that the relatives of the patient reported the matter several times to the doctors, but they did not listen to their emergency call. Now they were blaming the doctors and other staff of the hospital for his death. On the other hand, the doctors stated that the condition of the patient was serious and it was properly reported to his relatives that there was little chance of his survival. Police said around 50 persons gathered at the hospital immediately after his death, and thrashed the doctors and a nurse present at the emergency ward. “When the matter came to the knowledge of the Medical Superintendent of LNJP Hospital, he reached the spot and reportedly got annoyed with the hospital staff and doctors for their attitude,” said a senior police official. In protest against the incident, the staff demanded arrest of the persons who had attacked the hospital staff. The hospital staff also alleged that the police and private security guard present at the hospital at that time did not intervene or try to save the doctors. According to the DCP Central District, M.M. Oberoi, “We have already arrested the accused in this connection who have attacked the hospital staff. Further inquiry is on in this regard.” Meanwhile, in another similar incident that took place in the GTB Hospital, the relatives of an elderly woman who had died there in the emergency ward, thrashed the doctors and other staff of the hospital. The son of the deceased is in Delhi Police. He along with his supporters gathered at the hospital and attacked the hospital staff. According to senior police officials, they brought the patient to the emergency ward of the hospital. But the doctors present there did not attend to the patient, and the woman died on the stretcher itself. Reacting furiously, the relatives attacked the doctor. “We have registered a case against the persons who had thrashed the doctor. Although no written complaint has been made so far against the doctor in this regard,” said DCP northeast district, R.L. Meena.
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Hooda opens 220 KV power station
Gurgaon, January 18 The air-conditioned substation, the first of its kind in the state, has the capacity to distribute three lakh units. Mr Hooda said with the commissioning of the substation power supply network of the area, including Gurgaon city, will get a boost. Also, it will give a boost to the infrastructure development being undertaken in the industrial estate here by the Haryana State Industrial Development Corporation(HSIDC). The Chief Minister said his government was committed to further modernising Gurgaon and development works relating to infrastructure would start showing results soon. He further said the government had taken measures to increase the generation of power in the state by 5000 MWTs in three and a half years. The state would hopefully enjoy surplus power in the coming four years time. He urged all sections of society to work towards the government goal of making Haryana the number one state in the country.
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‘Officials need to be proactive in addressing grievances’
Faridabad, January 18 She highlighted the need to pay special attention to the poor, particularly the women. Ms. Rathaur was given a grand welcome by the party workers and supporters on her arrival to the city yesterday. Addressing the party workers, she warned the officials that action would be taken if they were found ignoring the problems of the people. She asked the district administration to pay special attention towards the problems of the rural people, particularly those related to drinking water, education and basic amenities. She claimed the government had launched several new projects, especially for the women and the weaker sections. Later, speaking to the Tribune, Ms Rathaur said that crime against women needed to be checked for which education and awareness were the most important issues that needed to be addressed.
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‘Warmth of summer’ in the dead of winter
New Delhi, January 18 Sweaters and jerseys were out for many people in Delhi as the mercury continued its upward movement with a significant rise in both the minimum and maximum temperatures. Though it was a by and large overcast sky here with clouds hovering over the skyline for the fourth day running, the minimum temperature registered a jump to 14.4 degree Celsius, from 12.8 degree Celsius yesterday. The minimum temperature recorded today was seven degree above normal. The cloud cover in the Capital which weathermen say is an offshoot of rains in some parts of North India over the past few days also resulted in the day temperature rising to 26.5 degree Celsius today, six degrees about normal. Weathermen say the sharp rise in mercury over the past four days is largely due to the cloud cover enveloping Delhi’s skyline. The minimum temperature, which was eight degree Celsius on January 14, has since risen to 14.4 degree Celsius. In fact, it is the sixth day in succession that the mercury has continued its upwards climb. The day temperatures have also witnessed a steady rise, from 18 degree Celsius last week, to 26.5 degree Celsius today. The warmth in the air is expected to remain all through this week with the BBC predicting day as well as night temperatures to remain steady at today’s level. The weather office, however, forecast a brief spell of rain or thundershowers expected in the next 24 hours. The warmth in the air is a welcome development for people here, which witnessed a ‘chilly spell’ during the first week of January, with the mercury touching a 70 year low of 0.2 degrees Celsius on January 8.
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Need for world peace emphasised
New Delhi, January 18 While the day-long programme of spiritual
introspection and meditation was organised in the different centres, some
of its main centres in Delhi had organised public programmes in which the divine discourses on the noble life of Brahma were delivered. Addressing one such public get-together at Rajouri Garden here today, Rajyogini Dadi Rukmani, Delhi Zonal Head of the Brahma
Kumaris, highlighted the need for world peace. Terming negative traits as obstacles on the path of peace, she called for
sublimation of these evil traits. At another meeting in East Delhi, Rajyogini
Dadi Kamal Mani said that the practice of easy Rajyoga meditation did not require one to leave one’s hearth and home. It could be practiced while doing one’s worldly duties and while
discharging one’s social responsibilities, she stressed. Rajyogini Brahma Kumari Shukla, incharge of Hari Nagar Rajyoga Centres urged the
people to follow in the footstep of Pitashri. It was necessary to follow in Brahma’s spiritual foot-steps and ideals of simple living, it was emphasised. Similar functions were held in other centres including in Karol Bagh, Derawal Nagar, Sirifort, Malviya Nagar etc.
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Nurses demand fresh recruitment to end acute shortage of staff
New Delhi, January 18 According to the president of the Nursing Union of the hospital, Ms Veena Jacob, they have been working under tremendous mental and physical pressure as most important wards of the hospital like emergency, labour room and heart care units were facing shortage of nursing staffs. “The hospital has three delivery tables. According to medical norms, one nurse should be attached to every delivery table. As per rule, there should be six separate nurses for all six beds but there is only one nurse. Even the emergency has staff shortage,” said Ms Jacob. She informed that out of six hospitals run by the MCD, the Swami Dayanand and the Hindu Rao are dubbed as super speciality hospitals. Despite this, both the hospitals have similar shortage of nursing staff. “It is amazing why the MCD is not implementing the prescribed medical norms while it is in practice in all other hospitals of the Central Government and the Delhi Government. According to this rule, at every significant ward, at least one nurse must be deployed over one patient and in other general wards, deployment of one nurse is mandatory over six patients,” she said. She said “we wrote many letters in this regard to the concerned officials but due to official apathy little have been done to rectify the situation. We will go on full strike on January 30 in support of the demands,” she said. According to the president of the National Development Forum, Mr J. N. Dogra, it is quite surprising that at a time when the corporation is busy making its six hospitals online, its two major hospitals are facing acute shortage of nursing staffs. When contacted a senior official of the Directorate of Health Services of the MCD said there is no denying the fact that there is shortage of nursing staff but “we are planning to carry out fresh recruitment in those hospitals”.
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Pak militants among five get 10-yr RI for blasts
New Delhi, January 18 Additional Sessions Judge Rajiv Mehra found the Pakistanis Aijaz Mohd and Mohd Hussain guilty of conspiring to wage war against the country, and under provisions of the Foreigners Act and the Explosives Act. Their three accomplices Amir Khan, Mohd Shakeel and Abdul Baqi were slapped with similar sentences and found guilty of waging war against the country, and under provisions of the Arms Act and the Explosives Act. Two other accused Mohd Umar Ali and Mohd Abdul Qasim have been sentenced to five years’ rigorous imprisonment. Fines ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 have also been imposed on all the accused. The court had convicted them yesterday. The trial of the case was held under tight security at Tihar Jail. A total of 37 blasts in Delhi, Panipat, Sonepat, Ludhiana, Kanpur and Varanasi on different occasions in 1997 had claimed 17 lives and injured nearly 300. “The identical nature of all the blasts confirmed that they were planned by the same group who had acted in pursuance of a common intention,” Mr Mehra had observed while convicting the accused yesterday. Besides, the fact that the same chemicals and explosive substances were used proves beyond doubt the complicity of the convicts, the judge had added. Police had arrested the accused from a hideout in Sadar Bazar area in North Delhi on February 27, 1998 and seized 50 kg chemicals used for making bombs, USD 2,200, Rs 70,000 and some incriminating documents. In 2003, the court convicted eight other accused after they had pleaded guilty while five were discharged for “want of sufficient evidence” against them. The kingpin of the blasts Abdul Karim, alias Tunda, and key agent of the ISI in Delhi, Haryana and UP, is absconding. He is also wanted in connection with the 1993 Bombay serial blasts. The role of the Lashkar-e-Toiba and the Pakistani-Inter Service Intelligence was revealed following the interrogation of five ISI activists in December 1997.
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Three get life term for murder
New Delhi, January 18 After hearing the arguments of both the prosecution and the defence, a Patiala House Court Special Judge held Praveen Kumar, Daboo and Satish Kumar guilty of murdering Sushil and sentenced them all to life imprisonment. The court further slapped a fine of Rs 6,500 on each of the convicted persons. On the intervening night of August 2-3, 2003, Satish, along with two of his associates Praveen Kumar and
Daboo, kidnapped Sushil and later strangled him. The body was burnt to destroy traces of the crime. The chargesheets were filed on February 10, 2004, according to the prosecution. Prior to the incident, Daboo was nursing a grudge against Sushil and there was an altercation between the two. The court had found that this could be the intention to kill the deceased, although the matter had been solved amicably. There were 25 prosecution witnesses in this case. All the three were convicted under Sections 302 (Murder), 201 (Destruction of evidence) and 34 (Common intention to commit a crime) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
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2 held for production cess evasion
Noida, January 18 The managing director, Ashok Sudha and representative K.K. Gogia were taken into custody late on Friday night by the vigilance wing and sent to judicial remand for 14 days by the court for allegedly evading central production cess to the tune of Rs 6 crore. According to sources, raids in Chandigarh, Pune and Noida led to the seizure of goods worth Rs. 4.50 crore. According to information, M/s. Uniword Telecom Ltd had floated fictitious companies to evade production cess on their products. From the invoices it was clear that they were all fictitious companies.
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Cardiologists come together to patronise medical tourism
New Delhi, January 18 This enterprise is the brainchild of the Indian Working Group on Pacing and Electrophysiology in collaboration with the Electrophysiology Research Foundation, New Jersey, USA, and this novel enterprise came under discussion at the 2nd annual conference on Cardiac Rhythm Management at Escorts Heart Institute. The highlight of the conference was the launch of the Indian Heart Rythme Society, which would comprise a body of experts, largely cardiologists working in electrophysiology from across the nation. The society would be involved in both research as well as training cardiologists in this new field. Dr T.S. Kler, the director at Escorts said, “Cardiac arrhythmia or irregular rythme is the most upcoming and a revolution in cardiac diseases in India and abroad. It offers all advanced treatment modalities, including radio frequency ablation, pacemaker implantation, ICD implantation and many more. This service is dedicated to providing comprehensive, compassionate and cost-effective care for patients with cardiac arrhythmia, heart palpitations, irregular heartbeat and more.”
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Project to help govt schoolkids build bridges of friendship
New Delhi, January 18 Launching the project, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit expressed hope that the cross-cultural interaction will help build bridges of friendship between the participating students and teachers. Using technology tools such as the Internet and video-conferencing, CultureQuest currently links the student communities of India and the United States. It is proposed to be extended to students of other countries as well. The project aims at giving the students an interactive experience into each other’s cultures and experiences, a booklet distributed on the occasion by the state Education Department informed.
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22 hurt in roof collapse
New Delhi, January 18 The roof of the Shiv Mandir Dharamshala in Samaypur Badli area came crashing down at around 5:15 pm, they said. Rescue operations were launched immediately with the firebrigade department despatching seven fire tenders to the scene. The injured were admitted to the Ambedkar Hospital and the Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital, the sources said.
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Accidental insurance for MCD schoolkids
New Delhi, January 18 About nine lakh children are enrolled with the MCD schools. The premium chargeable for the children is Rs 8, 94,000 per annum, inclusive of service tax that is Rs 0.92 per child plus eight per cent service tax. The actual amount of premium has been worked out keeping in view the enrolment of children. For accidental death, the insurance benefit is Rs 25,000; loss of two limbs or one limb and one eye Rs 25, 000; and for hundred per cent disablement Rs 25,000. The MCD school record will be the basis of insurance and claims. The disablement claim certificate on the format provided by the insurance company will be submitted from the qualified doctors having a degree of the Master of Surgery. Certificate from in-charge of a government hospital will also be valid for this purpose. The insurance cover will be applicable for one calendar year from the date of the agreement.
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Two held for murder
Noida, January 18 The Superintendent of Police (City), Soumitra Yadav, said the body of Satish Yadav was found in Sector-50 on Saturday after he had been murdered in Sarfabad village. The accused and the victim had earlier consumed liquor together, he said. The two accused have confessed to their crime, the police chief said. It may be recalled that Rakesh Yadav and Dholu of the same village had been accused in the murder. The police had raided the Sarfabad village a number of times but could not nab the accused. Based on a tip-off, the police nabbed them when they were trying to catch a bus for Ghaziabad from Dadri. A number of Samajwadi Party workers reached the Phase-II police station where the two accused were being interrogated.
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Bike snatched
Greater Noida, January 18 Moreover, when the victim somehow reached the police post near New Holland factory, the cops asked him “play down” the incident.
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The Municipal Corporation of Delhi today ordered a probe into the alleged unauthorised properties owned by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and her relatives as claimed by Leader of the Opposition in the Standing Committee Vijendra Gupta here yesterday.
