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Master Plan will take ground realities into account: L-G
SC notice to Centre, Delhi Govt on state of schools
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HC asks govt to set up sewage treatment plant for Yamuna
Illegal constructions: District officials summoned by HC
HUDA issues eviction notices to 18 govt employees
Parents’ body demands action against schools
Goons thrash college students
Criminal escapes from police custody
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Master Plan will take ground realities into account: L-G
New Delhi, March 1 He said the Delhi Government is now faced with two historic opportunities – Commonwealth Games 2010 and Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). Other key infrastructural projects will now be taken up on a mission mode to facilitate a quick, time-bound, cost-effective and professional take-off in the crucial sectors, he said. Delivering the speech amid shouting by the BJP MLAs, the Lt-Governor said that the government was striving for an early release of raw water from the Tehri Dam for the Sonia Vihar Water Treatment Plant. For the present, water conservation, water harvesting and recycling of sewage were the priorities. On the power front, the government is planning to sign a memorandum of understanding with the NTPC for setting up of a 490 MW power plant in Dadri, from where Delhi would derive 90 per cent of its power. Emphasising the developmental work done by the Sheila Dikshit government, the Lt- Governor said that Delhi had identified 575-km corridors for different modes of transport, which includes High Capacity Bus system, Metro rail, LRT, Monorail and Integrated Rail corridors. All the three corridors of Metro rail have been commissioned. Work on Phase II Metro rail has also commenced. Construction work for the High Capacity Bus system Corridor from Ambedkar Nagar to Delhi Gate is to be completed by next year, he assured. To promote the education of girls, the government has decided to provide them free education, textbooks, uniform subsidy and stipend to girl students up to class XII irrespective of parental income. To train girl students in self-defence, women physical education teachers have been imparted training by the Delhi Police. He said that rates of compensation for acquisition of agricultural land have been increased in 2005. The Rural Development Board has taken key decisions for initiating important projects in Delhi, including the setting up of mini sewerage treatment plants in rural villages to treat the waste water to prevent village ponds and water bodies from environmental degradation. The BJP-led Opposition members tried its best to disrupt the Assembly session. The BJP members entered into Well of the House shouting slogans against Sheila Dikshit government. One of them even broke a microphone. The Opposition will bring an adjournment motion in the House tomorrow on the issue. Outside the Assembly, BJP workers clashed with police as they were stopped from marching towards the House to protest against the demolition drive. The police lobbed teargas shells and used water canons to disperse the crowd.
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SC notice to Centre, Delhi Govt on state of schools
New Delhi, March 1 The PIL has sought directions to the respondents, mainly the Centre, for issuing necessary orders and guidelines to the government and government-aided schools to provide all basic amenities to the school going children in order to save them from unhygienic and inhuman conditions these children are subjected to. A bench comprising Justice A.R. Lakshmanan and Justice Dalveer Bhandari issued notices on Friday on a petition filed by ‘The Environmental and Consumer Protection Foundation’ on the basis of a newspaper report carried by a leading English daily published from Delhi. The news report had highlighted the appalling conditions in a government aided senior secondary school in Adarsh Nagar and said that the school has bare rooms, broken asbestos roofs, no fans or light fixtures, drinking water from a handpump and library that had only 30-odd books despite the fact that government pays 95 per cent of teachers’ salary. The right to education has been made a fundamental right under article 21 A of the Constitution of India. The news report said that an open urinal has been set up in place of closed toilet and roofs have gaping holes while some of the rooms are bare. The children were found sitting on the floor while writing question papers. For science students there is only one laboratory with broken tables. The court has also issued notice to the principal of Adarsh Senior Secondary School. In another case, the Supreme Court today stayed a Delhi High Court order to close down an IBP petrol pump at Noida Morh near the newly-constructed Akshardham Flyover in east Delhi. A Division Bench of Justice Ruma Pal and Justice Dalveer Bhandari passed the interim stay order after senior counsel Mukul Rohtagi mentioned the filing of an SLP on behalf of the petrol pump owners/dealers. The SLP was likely to come up for hearing on March 20. A Delhi High Court Special Bench of Justice Vijender Jain and Justice R S Sodhi had ordered closure of the petrol pump and also imposed a penalty of Rs 50,000 on its owner Gyan Gupta for trying to influence the DDA officials in changing the original flyover plan to protect his property. “The petrol pump has to go forthwith. We know how influential you are. The entire design of the road was changed for you,” the High Court had observed. Ostensibly constructed to decongest heavy traffic near the Noida T-Junction point of the National Highway 24, the original design of the Akshardham Flyover constructed around 2001 was allegedly altered by DDA officials to avoid demolishing of Gupta’s petrol pump. In their anxiety to bail out Gupta, DDA officials allegedly reduced the radius of the flyover’s cloverleaf design, resulting in severe traffic congestion in the area. The matter came to the court’s notice in a PIL which complained that the flyover, instead of easing the traffic, had turned out to be a nightmare for the motorists. Due to the reduced width vehicles had to slow down when motorists negotiating a left turn faced obstruction from those proceeding to the NH 24. This apart, passengers of buses bound for Mayur Vihar and surrounding areas alighted at the mouth of the clover leaf creating further chaos. The Bench, at one of its earlier hearings, had warned that it would recover the cost of the faulty flyover from the DDA officials since it involved criminal misuse of public money. Meanwhile, experts of the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) and RITEs submitted a joint report to make the intersection signal-free. The report suggests separating the traffic by way of constructing a divider at the end of the Nizamuddin Bridge meridian up to the loop of the flyover where it starts. Besides, it also recommends installation of road markings and signages at the entry of the Nizamuddin Bridge.
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HC asks govt to set up sewage
New Delhi, March 1 It granted four months to the Delhi Chief Secretary to initiate steps for setting up an effluent treatment plant to prevent discharge of sewage water into river Yamuna and other water bodies in the Capital. The Chief Secretary was asked to constitute a monitoring committee comprising officials of NCT, MCD and Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to look into the matter. Earlier, MCD Commissioner and DJB Chief Executive Officer appeared in person in the court in response to its summons. The Bench, which had also summoned the Chief Secretary, condoned his absence as the official claimed he was pre-occupied with the Delhi Assembly’s ongoing Budget session. The DJB CEO, in his affidavit, submitted that consultants for studying the feasibility of setting up the treatment plant would be constituted by the end of this month. He assured that once the consultants made their reports, the government was committed to start work on the setting up of the plant within six months. The court’s directions followed a writ petition complaining that besides the Yamuna, over a dozen other water bodies in the Capital had been polluted due to discharge of sewage water released from about 200 surrounding villages. It was alleged that instead of constructing separate sewage lines, the government was releasing the sewage through storm-water drains causing severe pollution and also deaths of animals dependent on these water sources. In a case relating to DDA, the court asked the civic body to file a comprehensive on the mushrooming of 1,762 illegal structures in public parks and community centres at Kalkaji in south Delhi within four weeks. The court questioned the DDA’s rationale behind allowing people to construct houses in parks and asked them why they have issued notification granting people permission to erect such structures. The court passed its direction while dealing with a PIL which alleged that DDA had granted official sanction for the construction of large number of houses in public parks, in blatant violation of the Delhi Master Plan. In another case, the High Court ordered the removal of over 1,000 unauthorised structures and ‘jhuggis’ in the erstwhile fly-ash pound on Bhairon Marg, near Pragati Maidan. The court also directed the DDA, MCD and other government agencies to file an explanation as to how over 2,800 ‘jhuggis’ were relocated at the place, which was unfit for human dwelling. The Bench passed the direction while dealing with a PIL complaining about the relocation of the ‘jhuggis’ at the fly-ash pound, where a power plant was proposed to be constructed. It was felt that besides being a hindrance to the setting up of a power plant, the relocation posed serious health concerns to nearly 10,000 poor dwellers spread over an area of 150 acres. In another case, the court ordered the government to release special funds at the rate of Rs 25 per day for each cattle housed in the 60 odd ‘goshalas’ housed in the national Capital. The Bench passed the orders following the recommendations submitted by a court-appointed committee on the measures required for providing adequate food and shelter facilities for stray cattle. The L C Jain Committee, which was appointed by the court to study the problems posed by stray cattle, stated that it required at least Rs 25 expenditure every day on each cattle for their fodder and maintenance at the ‘goshalas’. It suggested that the MCD and the Delhi Government may be directed to jointly contribute the expenditure required for the maintenance of the cattle. Today’s order is expected to benefit 3,000-odd stray cattle that have been impounded by the authorities for causing traffic jams in the Capital. An NGO Common Cause through its counsels Sugriv Dubey and M S Namita had earlier filed a PIL in the court seeking directions to the authorities for ensuring proper and ethical treatment of the animals. It was alleged the stray cattle were impounded and kept under unhygienic conditions at the ‘goshalas’ without proper food and fodder facilities resulting in the death of many cattle. Following the PIL, the court appointed a committee comprising experts from different walks of life to suggest steps for providing adequate facilities for the cattle.
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Illegal constructions: District
Faridabad, March 1 The Director, Town and Country Planning, Haryana, and the District Town Planner (Enforcement) have also been asked to be present in the court on March 8, the next date in this regard. In the PIL filed last year, the petitioner, Mr K. L.Gera, had alleged large-scale and rampant violations of the zoning plan and provisions of Section 12(2) of the Punjab Schedule Roads and Controlled Areas Restriction of Unregulated Development Act, 1963, in the urban Sectors of 10 and 11 and the dividing roads located here. It had been claimed that a large number of shops and showrooms had been built illegally by the owners of the houses in these sectors, especially those located on the dividing road, and had been rented out in an unauthorised manner and the authorities concerned had failed to take any action against such development. Describing it as an encroachment, the petitioner had blamed the laxity on part of the civic and other authorities here who, he claimed, had not even served notices to the offenders. The District Town Planner had filed an affidavit in response to an order passed by the court where it was stated that action for checking unauthorised construction or use had been taken as per the provision of the Act and notices had been issued in respect of 167 properties. It further stated that while 102 properties were sealed, owners of 53 others had moved this court or the tribunal or other courts. But the High Court observed in an order recently that the status report filed by the officials concerned was far from being satisfactory. The authorities concerned had not taken any meaningful action in terms of the order passed by it and it reflected the lacklustre approach of the authorities towards the problem highlighted in the petition. The court in its order said, “Under the circumstances, we are constrained to direct the Director, Town and Country Planning, Haryana, Deputy Commissioner, Faridabad and the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Faridabad, and the District Town Planner (Enforcement) to appear in court in person on March 8, 2006, along with the relevant records of each of the properties and assist the court in making appropriate order in the cases. The court also observed, “We also expect and hope that the tribunal constituted under Section 12( C) of the Act shall take a final decision in the matter expeditiously. The court has also directed the District and Sessions Judge, Faridabad, to send a report with regard to status of Appeal no 95 and 96 of 1999, 3 of 2004 and civil suit no 529 of 1997”. It is alleged that hundreds of flats have been constructed in these sectors by builders and property dealers over the past few years in violation of the zoning plan.
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HUDA issues eviction notices to 18 govt employees
Gurgaon, March 1 As per the notices served to these 18 employees, Mr Randhir Singh, Executive Engineer (XEN) owes the maximum amount of Rs 2,72,000 to HUDA as penal rent. Mrs Urvashi Chaudhary, Lecturer, DSD College, owes Rs 2,16,400; Mr Sunil Kumar, Manager, Panjiri Plant Rs 1,53,000; Mrs Renu Hooda, Lecturer, Government College Rs 1,0,2000; Mr R S Gulia, Junior Engineer (JE), Ground Water Rs 67,500; Mr Jaiveer Singh Arya, General Manager, Roadways Rs 66,690 and Mrs Anjali Singh, an employee of HSIDC owes Rs 25,900 to HUDA as per the notices served to them on February 28. These seven government persons are not employees of HUDA and had been given the HUDA houses on special consideration. They belong to other state government departments. Besides that, there are 11 employees of HUDA, who had been transferred to other districts. But these 11 employees have neither vacated the houses allotted to them nor paid their dues to HUDA. Out of these 11 employees, two are XENs, five JEs and one DTP. These employees were transferred to other districts one to two years back. They owe more than Rs 7 lakh to HUDA. In the notice, it is mentioned that “as per instructions on account of unauthorised retention of houses they are directed to deposit the penal rent immediately and vacate the house, failing which disciplinary action as deemed fit will be taken against them”. One copy of the notice has also been sent to the office in which they presently work where the senior officer has been requested to “recover the penal rent from the salary of these house occupiers immediately, failing which he would be held personally responsible for non-recovery and suitable action would also be initiated against him”. As per highly placed sources in HUDA, there are at least five important officers of HUDA currently posted in Gurgaon who are without government houses. Finding no alternative, these officers, one Superintending Engineer, two XENs, two Assistant District Attorneys, and a Sub Divisional Engineer (Survey) are forced to stay in private houses. HUDA has a total of 166 houses in the city for its employees, informed an officer of the department.
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Parents’ body demands action against schools
Faridabad, March 1 The body has asked the Administrator, Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), to supply information regarding action taken against the erring schools. The office-bearers of this body had met the authorities here about three weeks ago and had taken up the issues concerned. The manch had been told that positive action would be taken against the violators within 15 days’ time, but the office had not given any information or signal in this regard so far, leading to resentment among the members of the manch. Claiming that while the admission process in a majority of the schools had already started, he alleged that there was hardly any school which had been following the norms and rules laid down by the Department of Education and HUDA which had given this land. An officebearer of the manch said that while the conditions attached with such allotment provide resumption of the land and the building of the erring schools, not a single school had been punished by HUDA or the state government, though there had been glaring irregularities and these had been brought to the notice of the government on several occasions. The manch had also taken up the issue with the office of the Deputy Commissioner here, but it was claimed that there had been no positive response from any office so far. According to the manch, the authorities or the district officials who could take action against the violations had been avoiding to do so as they were being invited as chief guests by the schools. Moreover, the school management appeared to be enjoying patronage of political-influential persons. It, however, announced intensifying the campaign to force the government to take a serious view of the problem so that exploitation of both students and their parents could be checked and the schools did not turn into commercial ‘teaching shops’. There are about 100 schools either affiliated to the CBSE or state education board which have been allotted land by HUDA here.
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Goons thrash college students
Greater Noida, March 1 The students alleged the goons had been brought by the college management and used clubs, hockey sticks and rods in mercilessly beating up the students, many of whom had to be hospitalised, including three who are said to be serious. The anti-social elements were said to have pushed the security guards into a room and bolted it from outside. In spite of having been informed soon, the police reached the college an hour late. Certain bad characters were, however, arrested along with arms, including Mausers, when they were hanging around in hospital. The trouble started when MBA students told some noisy B Tech students to keep quiet. In the argument, MBA students are alleged to have slapped a B Tech student and it led into a clash. Teachers separated them and MBA students left threatening the other group. On Tuesday noon, when B Tech students Vaibhav Sharma, Sidharth Mishra and Ashutosh Rana reached the institute for taking exams, they were pounced upon by goons along with MBA students Dharmender and Yogesh who were waiting for them at the gate. They trained Mausers and revolvers on them and thrashed them with rods, hockey sticks and clubs. The assailants brandishing their arms fled away in waiting vehicles after half-an-hour. Angry students boycotted the college classes and sat on indefinite dharna at the college gate.
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Criminal escapes from police custody
Noida, March 1 A case of negligence and dereliction of duty has been registered against three cops who were responsible for his custody and the enquiry of the matter has been entrusted to a CO. The relatives of the absconding criminal have been arrested for questioning. Dinesh, a resident of Atrauli, Tahir and Tanvir, son of Razak, were arrested from Sector-19 with illegal arms. All three accused were being escorted by Constable Narinder, Home Guards Vipin and Prashant for taking them to jail when Dinesh quietly slipped away from the police station. By the time his absence was noticed, Dinesh was nowhere to be seen in the area outside the police station. Later, the police brought in Dinesh’s family members from Harola for questioning. But they have failed to nab him so far. SO of the police station N. R. Singh blamed the incident on a power cut in the area. While CO Sewak Ram has been asked to probe the matter, a case for dereliction of duty against Constable Narinder Kumar and Home Guards Vipin and Prashant has been registered.
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