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HC orders closure of unlicensed meat shops
Eight hospitals to treat poor patients free
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UP playing politics over Sonia Vihar project: Sheila
Sore Shivaji College staff to boycott exams
Five held for woman’s murder in Kalkaji
Two freed as police botch fake currency case
Motorable roads pose a threat to Ridge area
Walia insists that LPG rates will come down
Rains to raise productivity of wheat
Shops in Karol Bagh found stealing power
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HC orders closure of unlicensed meat shops
New Delhi, March 14 A Division Bench of Mr Justices Vijender Jain and S. N. Aggarwal asked the MCD to file a compliance report in this regard within four weeks. They posted the matter for further hearing to May 19. The Bench, while asking the corporation to close down the meat shops, asked the Commissioner of Police to provide all assistance to the civic authorities in enforcing the closure. The directions were passed on a PIL filed by one Mohd Sharif through counsel Satyapal Singh, alleging that the existence of eight unauthorised and unlicensed meat shops in the Shahdara area posed a danger to public health. Agreeing with the contention, the court observed that no one who did not conform to proper hygiene, quality and standards prescribed under the law should be allowed to sell meat. In another case, taking exception to the poor sanitation conditions in the Capital, the Bench also asked the MCD Commissioner to file within four weeks a status report on the action initiated against errant safai karamcharis and their supervisors. The Bench asked the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, to file a report on the action taken against those karamcharis and their supervisors who wilfully neglected their duties. Mr Justice Jain said if the MCD could not extract work from 60,000-odd, safai karamcharis it would be better to mechanise cleaning operations as public money could not be wasted on such employees. The court’s directions to the MCD were passed on a PIL filed by retired Lieut-Col B. B. Sharan, president of the NGO, Nyayabhumi. The petitioner alleged that there was rampant absenteeism among the safai karamcharis on whom the Corporation was annually spending Rs 400 crore as salaries and perks.
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Eight hospitals to treat poor patients free
Gurgaon, March 14 The Deputy Commissioner, Mr R P Bhardwaj, informed that 3,500 families have been identified for their treatment in private hospitals. Family members may approach the designated hospital and get free treatment. Though patients can be treated for all ailments, mother and childcare would get special attention, added Mr Bhardwaj. Gurgaon has 42 per cent Infant Mortality Rate The Civil Surgeon, Dr
D.V. Saharan, explained that they would pay to these hospitals for treating the needy. The hospitals are: Naval Hospital, Lal Nursing Home, Mamta Hospital, Umkal Hospital, Jain Hospital, Aashirwad Hospital, Vidya Devi Charitable Trust and Swastik Hospital, located in different areas of the city. They have selected the hospitals as per the location of the BPL families in the city, added the officer. The project, christened
‘Vikalp’, a pilot project of public private partnership, is being run under National Rural Health Mission, said Dr Saharan. The Civil Surgeon added that the state government would make the following payment to these hospitals: Rs 200 for a normal delivery; Rs 1,000 for a cesarean operation; and Rs 100 to per patient for five visits to the hospital. The BPL families would not have to pay any consultation fee to these hospitals. Out of the 3,500 identified families, around 70 per cent families have already been given a card and they have been told to visit a particular hospital in case they need some treatment. The work on the remaining families would soon be completed as they have to fix the photo of the family before handing the card to them, added the Civil Surgeon. Each card is made in duplicate and one card is handed over to the hospital concerned for billing, added Dr Saharan. These hospitals have voluntarily come forward for treating the patients living below poverty line. The payments given to them would just meet their expenses, said Dr Saharan. When the families start availing themselves of the facilities, there would be less pressure on the government civil hospital, added the Civil Surgeon. Dr R K Jain, owner of Jain Hospital, informed ‘The Tribune’ that they had chosen the scheme on their own to fulfill their social responsibilities.
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Special drive to check
anti-social elements on Holi
New Delhi, March 14 In this connection, the Commissioner of Police, Dr K. K. Paul, had recently banned indiscriminate throwing of coloured water, rubber balloons containing coloured water, smearing colour on any unwilling person and riotous and indecent behaviour by Holi revellers. Wilfully pushing, pressing, hustling or obstructing any person in a public place had also been banned. Besides this, the order said, nothing should be done to cause annoyance to the public or danger to life or disturbance of public tranquility. Any person contravening the order will be punishable under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code. As part of its efforts to check bootlegging on the eve of the Holi festival, the Delhi Police on Saturday and Sunday arrested six persons, including five women, from various areas of North-East Delhi for possessing huge quantity of illicit liquor. The police and the Delhi University, in coordination with voluntary organisations, have initiated “internal and external” steps to check any untoward incident, particularly harassment of women, on the campus and colleges. “Some people take advantage of Holi and indulge in hooliganism. Delhi University is determined to take action to curb disturbances,” a senior university official said. He said anyone who violated discipline and caused harassment would be subject to strict disciplinary action under the provisions of the University Ordinances XV-B and XV-C. Policemen have been deployed at various strategic points around colleges and mobile patrol squads have also been posted to prevent any mishap. Women officers have been placed on special duty around women’s colleges. “Law enforcing agencies will maintain a constant vigil and student volunteers will also assist the authorities,” he added. A Joint Control Room has been set up by the police, the DTC and university officials on the North as well as the South Campuses to provide immediate assistance to students. The university has requested the Transport Department authorities and police officials to check harassment of girl students in buses and also asked DTC crews to take buses to the nearest police station if any such incident occurs on board.
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UP playing politics over Sonia Vihar project: Sheila
New Delhi, March 14 She said that before construction of the project, the central government had taken consent from the UP Government to supply raw water to the Sonia Vihar project meant to quench the thirst of citizens of East and South Delhi. The agreement reached between the UP and the Delhi Governments in the presence of central government officials was for providing 350 million gallon water for the Sonia Vihar project. The Chief Minister said if the UP Government failed to supply water, they would move the court. As far as privatisation of water was concerned, the Delhi Government had not taken any decision so far. This was an allegation made by the Opposition to tarnish the image of the Congress government in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, she said. The government wanted to manage equal water distribution in the Capital but due to lack of water it could not. While responding to the questions of House members, she admitted that residents who lived in high-rise buildings did not get enough water supply. She said once Delhi got water from UP, the supply would improve.
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Sore Shivaji College staff to boycott exams
New Delhi, March 14 The staff council, which has written to the university as well as the Chief Minister, Ms Sheila Dikshit, wants an inquiry to be conducted against the Principal, Ms Rama Patnaik, who, they allege has “committed financial, academic and administrative irregularities”. “A white paper highlighting the corruption unleashed by the principal has already been submitted and the demand for an inquiry is a long-standing one. Because the authorities have failed to address these issues, they have decided to boycott examination duty,” said former DUTA president Aditya N. Misra. Following the boycott call, the university has begun negotiations with the staff council. The Delhi University Teachers’ Association too called an emergency meeting here today to discuss the issue. “We are aware of the issue and we are talking to the teachers to find a solution,” said Dr Shirin Rathore, Dean of Colleges. Declining to comment on whether an inquiry would be conducted, she said a review committee had been assigned to verify the allegations. “A review committee was sent to the college earlier this month. They are yet to submit their report, pending which, we cannot say whether an inquiry is required,” she said. The staff association has also demanded that in the wake of an impending inquiry, the principal should be asked to proceed on leave.
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Five held for woman’s murder in Kalkaji
New Delhi, March 14 The accused have been identified as Rajesh (22), Suresh Kumar (18), Ram Babu (18), Sajivan (18) and Hassanoo (40). The police also claimed to have recovered Rs 2,970, two gold bangles and a gold chain with a pendant which the accused took off from the body of the deceased. Suresh was the domestic help of the deceased Gulshan before being thrown out by her. To take revenge, he along with the other accused hatched a plan to rob the house. When Gulshan resisted, they allegedly killed her, said the police. The police further said the accused, Rajesh, was the kingpin of the gang. He had allegedly killed another woman, Praveen Jeena, on January 29, as she refused to allow Rajesh to stay with her in her hutment. The police said Rajesh wanted to own her hutment and with this motive asked Praveen to let him live with her in the same hutment.
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Two freed as police botch fake currency case
New Delhi, March 14 Additional Sessions Judge Rajiv Mehra discharged accused Muzamil and Bhura of Rampur District on the sole ground that the ‘expert’ opinion gathered by the police was not sufficient to prove that the notes were counterfeit in nature. The IO had sent the notes for detecting the forgery to Treasurer, Reserve Bank of India, instead of the Government Press in Nasik as per procedure. “There was no reason for the Investigating Officer to not seek the opinion of experts from Government Press, Nasik. The IOs should take full responsibility when accused are discharged in such cases,” the court observed. Both accused were arrested on September 27, 2004 by a team from Darya Ganj police station. Police had allegedly seized Rs 21,300 in counterfeit currency from the duo’s possession. A chargesheet was filed on November 16, 2004 in the
case. — TNS
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Motorable roads pose a threat to Ridge area
New Delhi, March 14 While rejecting the idea that the Ridge was changing from a reserved forest to a commercial parkland, the Minister said that an inspection had confirmed the existence of wide motorable paths in Sanjay Van, the adverse impact of frost on the vegetation and the presence of shops etc. The inspection was carried out jointly by officials of the Delhi Government, the Delhi Development Authority and an NGO. He said the state government had taken steps to remove illegal structures from the Ridge area. No new constructions were being allowed to improve the vegetation cover in South-Central Ridge. To check degradation of the forest cover, the Ridge Management Board had directed all land-owning agencies to take measures, including not allowing any constructions in the Ridge area and abandoning all roads, except the lanes essential for protection and maintenance of the vegetation.
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Walia insists that LPG rates will come down
New Delhi, March 14 This had been announced in the annual budget proposals tabled before the Delhi Assembly, he said. Talking to reporters after the Budget session today, he said, “We are making a notification about the cut in VAT rate on LPG today itself. The gas agencies and dealers will be required to immediately reduce the cost of LPG.” However, the Union Petroleum Minister, Mr Murli Deora, yesterday said the cut in VAT rates would be used by oil firms to bridge part of their losses and there would be no change in prices at the consumer end. But Dr Walia argued that revenue from VAT was for the state government and if it was making any reduction in the tax rate, it should be passed on to the consumer. He said, “We had informed the meeting of the empowered committee of state finance ministers on VAT about our decision to reduce VAT on cooking gas and Delhi is the only state in the country to have reduced the tax on LPG.” The Delhi Government wanted to give relief to people and as soon as the notification was made, gas agencies, distributors and dealers would have to reduce the cost of LPG, Dr Walia said.
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Rains to raise productivity of wheat
Faridabad, March 14 The wheat has been sown on about 1.26 lakh hectares this time. According to the authorities, the recent unseasonal rains in the region would help increase the overall productivity of the wheat crop and it had come as a major relief to the farmers facing a dry and hot spell for about a month. The farmers in the district had sown other Rabi crops, including barley in 5000 hectares, gram in 600 hectares, pulses in 500 hectares, and other crops in 6000 hectares during this season. The agriculture department had provided good quality seeds and fertiliser to the farmers worth several lakhs during the period. But shortage of power and irrigation water had increased the problems of the farmers.
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Shops in Karol Bagh found stealing power
New Delhi, March 14
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