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Assembly’s Budget session comes to an end
CAG report pulls up Delhi Govt for grants to NGOs
Liquor vends: Govt revenue target elusive
Massive hike in Noida land rates expected
Breach of privilege notice against Walia rejected
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Row in DCE over electronic attendance cards
HC bans loudspeakers, generators in recreation room
Haryana workers to rally for demands on March 26
Husband, in-laws booked for woman’s death
Police still in dark about double murder case
Sales Tax official jailed in graft case
Educationist found dead
Tax
fraud unearthed
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Assembly’s Budget session comes to an end
New Delhi, March 17 The state government faced considerable embarrassment more due to party dissidents than the opposition as it had to withdrew three important bills in the Assembly after Select Committees rejected them. The Assembly also accepted two Public Accounts Committee reports that found irregularities in government functioning and sought CBI probes in the 12-day session. On March 6, in what could be seen as a major jolt to the government’s legislative functioning, Delhi Chief Minister Ms Sheila Dikshit withdrew the controversial Delhi Water Board (Amendment) Bill 2005 that proposed to regulate and impose a cess on groundwater, as also the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (Second Amendment) Bill 2004 and New Delhi Municipal Council (Amendment) Bill, 2004 both of which sought to increase fine amounts from 20 to 50 per cent. Though forced to accept the rejection report of the Select Committees constituted to go into the subjects after considerable pressure from dissidents, Ms Dikshit said the Committees had not followed “due procedure”. However, this was objected to by the committee members. On March 10, Delhi Assembly accepted two Public Accounts Committee reports that indicated irregularities in privatisation of power distribution in the national Capital and issuance of ‘Smart Cards’ by the Transport Department and recommended a CBI probe into the issue. Much to the chagrin of Delhi
government, the adopted PAC report said the entire matter of ‘Smart Cards’ should be handed over to the CBI for a thorough probe into the acts and omissions of the officers of the department. Persons who had benefited from the contract, whether from the department or from the vendor company, as well as any middlemen need to be identified and punished, it added. On March 1, the Assembly had adopted a similar report on the power privatisation issue as well. That report too suggested that irregularities had been committed and sought a CBI investigation. The investigative agency would have to give its report on both the issues within three months. Yesterday, Delhi Assembly passed the state’s budget for 2006-07 by a voice vote. Replying to a four-day long debate on the budget, Delhi Finance
Minister Dr A K Walia said it would herald all round development of the national Capital and catapult it to international standards. He said unlike the previous BJP Governments, he was able to spend the money provided to the state by the Central Government. “We had not only been successful in using money where ever it was required but also sought to spend more funds on almost all fronts,” he added. The minister also enumerated progress made by the government on various counts in the last fiscal. He indicated that the state would request for additional funds from the Centre for its development and build up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games. On March 9, Dr Walia had presented a Rs 2,059.43 crore deficit budget for 2006-07 but cheered up citizens by reducing the prices of cooking gas, desi ghee, footwear and few other key items even while introducing no new tax.
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CAG report pulls up Delhi Govt for grants to NGOs
New Delhi, March 17 The CAG report on the Delhi government for the year ending March 2005 also found that the state government’s Directorate of Social Welfare had given away more than Rs 182 crore as old age pension between 2000-2005 without verifying the physical existence of pensioners, resulting in huge undisbursed amounts lying with banks/post offices. The report, which was tabled in the Delhi Assembly today, also said that the outstanding loans given by the Delhi Government to local bodies, autonomous bodies, co-operative institutions, public sector and other undertakings and government departments increased from Rs 22,351.21 crore in 2003-2004 to Rs 25,144.02 crore in 2004-2005 which constituted an increase of 13 per cent, indicating that Delhi Government relied more on borrowings from the central government rather than raising its own resources. The CAG report also included significant observations related to Tihar Jail. It recommended that convicts in the Tihar Jail should be made to engage in PWD work relating to jails to keep them occupied and equip them with skills and experience which may come in handy in civil life. The government should ensure that labour to which a convict may be put is properly classified and the description of work fixed in respect of each class of labour as stipulated in the jail rules. Since the high security Tihar Jail is over crowded, an inter departmental mechanism should be established for the expeditious processing of pending proposals for construction of new prisons as well as for monitoring the progress of work in the under construction jail buildings, the report stated. The report also recommended that the practice of referring jail inmates to outside hospitals for common ailments needs to be stopped as adequate medical infrastructure exists in the jail hospitals. The report recommends that activities of NGOs working in the jails should be closely monitored and an impact assessment should be undertaken to adjust their continued usefulness. A total payment of Rs 1.53 crore was made to various NGOs in the name of conveyance charges. The report also hints at malpractice in various departments of the jail, particularly in the account department. It recommends that maintenance of records and deposits into government account be strengthened.
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Liquor vends: Govt revenue target elusive
Gurgaon, March 17 Draw of lots for only 174 vends could be undertaken as against the total of 231 vends in this district under the new Excise policy of the state for the financial year 2006-2007. Out of the 231 vends, 139 are meant for sale of countrymade liquor and 92 for foreign-made. Out of the 174 vends for which draw of lots could be undertaken, 84 are in the category for sale of countrymade liquor and 90 for other category. In all, there were 6,668 applications for vends in the category of foreign-made liquor and 624 meant for sale of countrymade liquor. While there were no takers for the remaining 55 vends for the countrymade liquor as their were no applicants for them, draw of lots for the two vends meant for foreign-made liquor had to be shelved for technical reasons. According to the official version, draw of lots for the remaining vends would be conducted shortly. This year, the Congress government amended the Excise policy marking a shift from public auction of vends. Earlier, a mafia would manipulate to win at the public auctions. The preceding government in the state had allegedly played a partisan role in the allotment. The revenue earned for the current financial year, which comes to a close on March 31 through public auctions of the vends, was about Rs 81 crore. The 55 vends in the countrymade liquor category for which there were no applicants are to fetch about Rs 13 crore while the two other vends for which draw of lots had to be shelved are to pull in Rs 50 lakh.
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Massive hike in Noida land rates expected
Noida, March 17 The land prices are likely to be hiked by100 per cent, making the plots doubly costly in Noida, it is learnt. According to sources, the budget will have a provision of income and expenditure over Rs 2,000 crore. These figures were about Rs 1,400 crore in last year’s budget. The items of agenda for Board meeting are likely to include acquisition of land for new sectors, construction of 6,000 flats of two rooms each, development of 2,500 acre land for SEZ, construction of new administrative office building, further development of golf course, stadium complexes, etc. According to sources, the proposal for land rates are sought to be doubled with a view to increasing income. Though this item had formed part of Board agenda previously also, the members did not approve it. In its last meeting, members had asked the Board to re-examine the item pertaining to the hike in land rates. This time again, revised land rates have been proposed afresh. The minimum residential land rates are likely to be enhanced from Rs 4,500 to Rs 8,700 per sq mt. Similarly for institutional plots, the same rates are being proposed. The rates for commercial land are being proposed at Rs 17,500 for sq mt, industrial plots are being enhanced from Rs 3,200 to Rs 6,100 per sq mt. Noida Authority is planning a large-scale sale of commercial shops and plots in the new financial year. Officials are pretty sure that these proposals to doubly hike the rates will be approved by the Board this time which will considerably increase the Authority’s income.
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Breach of privilege notice against Walia rejected
New Delhi, March 17 Giving his ruling on the notice moved by Leader of Opposition Mr Jagdish Mukhi yesterday, the Speaker said he was satisfied with Dr Walia’s reply and it was not a case of breach of privilege or contempt of House. “I have studied the contents of the notice and from the information given by Dr Walia, it does not appear to be a case of breach of privilege and contempt of House,” he said. “My advise to the MLAs is that they should bear in mind the dignity and decorum of the House before moving such notices. I strongly object to such notices being moved for merely gaining publicity,” he added. Mr Mukhi had moved the notice, saying that though Dr Walia had said that each LPG cylinder would be cheaper by Rs 21 after reduction of VAT on cooking gas from 12.5 per cent to 4 per cent, the distributors were charging the same amount, which amounted to breach of privilege and contempt of House.
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Row in DCE over electronic attendance cards
New Delhi, March 17 Claiming to be “humiliated” by the directive to punch cards, the DCE Teachers’ Association is urging the administration to revert back to the old means of marking attendance by signing in a log book. “Whereas DCE is among the premier institutions of the country, the treatment meted out to the DCE faculty is worse than the lowest rung institutions. To add insult to injury, the faculty has been forced to punch attendance at 9 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. everyday, something unprecedented in the history of the higher education institutions in the country,” said the President of the DCETA, Dr D Roy Choudhary. The sentiment has, however, failed to evoke any sympathetic response from the administration. “The computerised attendance is a rule made mandatory by the Delhi Government; even the Chief Secretary punches in his attendance,” said Prof. P B Sharma, Principal, DCE. “A few of us who were in the habit of coming irregularly are the ones objecting to this. The new pattern requires them to stay in the college from 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Teaching is a profession that requires full devotion,” Prof. Sharma added. Punching attendance is not the only discord; DECTA is also upset that the college is behind schedule in implementing the Career Advancement Scheme as proposed by the AICTE. “The Delhi Government had accepted the implementation of AICTE package for technical institutions from January 1, 1996. Under the stated order, faculty members were expecting to get promotions under CAS. But these are still awaited after more than two years,” the DCETA pointed out. Refuting the allegations, Prof. Sharma said, “Those who are eligible for promotion will get it, the process has already been initiated. As far as their other grouse concerning appointments stands, we have informed the UPSC and the needful will be done shortly”. The DCETA had pointed out that several departments in the college are short-staffed. It said four under graduate programmes are “without a single faculty position till date. Two of these four engineering departments have been running since 1998 and the fifth batch of students graduating will pass out this year”.
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HC bans loudspeakers, generators in recreation room
New Delhi, March 17 A Division Bench of Justice Vijender Jain and Justice S N Agarwal issued notices to the MCD to file its reply on the matter and posted it for hearing to August 28. In a PIL filed through counsel Biraja Mahapatra, the Resident Welfare Association, Pocket (F), Mayur Vihar Phase-II complained that the library-cum-recreation centre was converted illegally into a community hall by the MCD for conduct of marriages and other functions. The petition recalled that following strong protests from the residents in June 2003, the MCD had given an assurance in the High Court that the hall would not be used for any marriages or social functions. However, it was alleged that since August 2005, the civic officials clandestinely permitted the conduct of marriages at the place resulting in extensive use of generators and loud- speakers thereby causing nuisance to the local public. It was submitted that during the marriages and functions the organisers were resorting to heavy burst of crackers disturbing the
tranquility of the residential area besides causing severe traffic jams in and around the region. According to the petition, though the residents made representations to the authorities concerned against the misuse of the premises, the MCD officials continued to permit the conduct of marriages and other social functions at the place.
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Haryana workers to rally for demands on March 26
Faridabad, March 17 The Sarva Karamchari Sangh, Haryana, has declared to hold state and zonal-level demonstrations and rallies in support of their demands. Mr Subhash Lamba, spokesperson of the Sangh, said here today that preparations had been on for the state-level ‘Parivartan Rally’ of the staff to be held at Rohtak on March 26. Claiming that this rally would tell the people about the problems of the employees and the government’s ‘failure’ to address them so far, he said though the Congress government had completed one year in power, it had not fulfilled any of their demands raised in the past 10 years. The new government has also been following the policies of the previous regime, leading to victimization of the staff, regretted the Sangh spokesperson. Describing the policy of privatization and the contractual system of employment as totally unacceptable, he said this move had resulted only in corruption and inefficiency in the functioning of the various government departments and this had been proved by a large number of instances highlighted from time to time. Demanding to reinstate over 20,000 employees removed or retrenched in the past six years, the Sangh has
criticised the government for failing to fill up the posts. It said the situation had turned worse in many departments like the Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (Power Supply), where there had been an acute shortage of staff. According to the Sangh, the employees of the SKS would also hold zonal and regional-level rallies and meetings to keep alive the issues concerning the staff and the common man. It said the agitation could be intensified in near future if the government did not take an action.
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Husband, in-laws booked for woman’s death
Greater Noida, March 17 According to police, one Raj Singh of Palwal in Haryana has filed a complaint that he had married his sister Usha to Subash, son of Angad of Fetehpur village. He had given gifts and considerable dowry to his sister at the time of wedding. Raj Singh alleged Usha’s in-laws had started harassing her for more dowry within a few months of the marriage. She was beaten up frequently. She had complained to her brother against the maltreatment. Raj Singh said he had tried to reason with Usha’s in-laws and told them that he was not in a position to meet their dowry demands. The police have registered a dowry death case on Raj Singh’s complaint and started investigations.
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Police still in dark about double murder case
Faridabad, March 17 A sum of about Rs 70,000 had also been taken away by the criminals. The incident had caused a considerable panic in the area. It is reported that while a case had been registered and police teams deputed to arrest the accused, no clue has been found so far. The victims identified as Dadka Devi, an elderly woman residing in house No. 774 in Sector-9 and Sunita, her grand daughter-in-law, had been clubbed to death by unidentified persons while they were taking a nap in the afternoon. It is reported that another woman, mother-in-law of Sunita, had also been present in the house, but she was asleep in another room at the time of incident. She came to know about the incident later, when someone knocked at the door. According to police sources, while the workers engaged in the construction of second floor of the house were suspected, the main accused were still to be identified.
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Sales Tax official jailed in graft case
New Delhi, March 17 Special Judge Sunil Gaur passed the order on a petition filed by the ACB seeking judicial remand of main accused Ved Kukreja, the sales tax official, and her co-accused Ashish Garg, a chartered accountant. Both accused were arrested in an ACB raid conducted on Thursday at the Sales Tax Office and booked under various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Garg has been accused of offering the bribe to the sales tax official. According to ACB, Garg had approached Kukreja on Thursday with a request to dispose a pending file of his client M/s Shivalik Enterprises and offered the official Rs 1,500 for her services. However, both were allegedly caught red-handed by waiting ACB sleuths, who had kept Kukreja under surveillance following suspicions that she had been taking illegal gratification for her official
services. — TNS
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Educationist found dead
Ghaziabad, March 17 According to police Circle Officer Border Dinesh Yadav and CO II Ram Mohan Singh, someone had left Dr Mittal at Narinder Mohan Hospital at about 6.30 pm on Thursday. He died at 10 pm. It gave rise to the rumours that he had been murdered, but preliminary investigation showed that death occurred due to some poisonous substance which blocked his respiratory system. According to police Circle Officer, it is not known who had dropped Dr Mittal at the hospital. But it is surmised that
his son-in-law had done so.
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Tax
fraud unearthed
New Delhi, March 17 According to P.K. Tripathi, Deputy Director, DGCEI, in a nationwide raid conducted on March 8, 2006, incriminating documents were seized from the offices and factories of M/s Ind Swift Ltd., and its dealers in Ghaziabad and Noida. The officials alleged that the company had taken credit worth crores of rupees on the basis of invoices on fictitious and non-existing manufacturers and dealers. The officials alleged that it was just a tip of the iceberg and a large number of dealers and manufacturers were involved in CENVAT misuse.
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