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Committee finds major violation of bylaws
Two held for robbing jewellery showroom
Wanted criminal killed in encounter
‘Govt exploiting farmers while acquiring land’ |
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Hiring of French firm by NDMC raises hackles
‘Most accidents due to drunken driving’
Govt school teachers to miss summer vacation
Asian Parliamentarians meet begins today
Illyasi files petition against mother-in-law, media
Juvenile Justice Board to get computers
AIMA office-bearers greeted
Timebound clearance for projects in
Haryana
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Committee finds major violation of bylaws
New Delhi, April 22 The panel, headed by former Lt Governor of Delhi Tejinder Khanna, is yet to receive recommendations from the Sheila Dikshit government on a long-term plan to deal with unauthorised constructions and commercial establishments running in residential areas, sources said. The committee has to submit its report by May 15. The sources said while consultations have been held with the chief minister and the chief secretary has also deposed before the committee, the NCT government was yet to convey its suggestions to the panel in writing. Delhi Government, though, is learnt to have forwarded recommendations on the issues of illegal constructions and allowing mixed land use to the Union Urban Development Ministry. The committee, meanwhile, will have to do a tight-rope walk in the face of stiff opposition by RWAs to any blanket regularisation of shops operating out of residential premises. The RWAs have told the committee that allowing commercial establishments in residential areas should be done on a case-to-case basis and not based on general terms such as the road width, the sources said. The committee has found that there is rampant violation of building bylaws in the Capital, and as much as 90 per cent of Delhi has violated the norms, which points at utter failure of the enforcement agencies in ensuring the rules were followed. Confident of preparing its report by the May 15 deadline, the committee today held consultations with the Mayor, Chairman of the Standing Committee of MCD, Leader of Opposition in the Corporation, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly as well as the elected representatives of DDA and NDMC. The Central panel has held several rounds of discussions, meeting the various stakeholders, including Lt Governor B L Joshi, the chief minister, civic agencies, police, DDA and the RWAs. Meanwhile, about 414 shops were put to seal by the MCD in various residential areas of Delhi on the 17th day of its sealing operation today. It also de-sealed 307 shops — 138 in Shahdara (South), 61 in Sadar Paharganj and 54 in Shahdara (North) – after submission of affidavits. While 72 shops were sealed between 5.00 pm and 8.00 pm yesterday, 119 units were de-sealed at the same time. The maximum number of 143 shops were sealed in Civil Lines while 116 in West, 50 in Shahdara (South) and 20 in Rohini. With today’s sealing, a total of 6,518 shops in residential areas have been sealed since the operation began on March 29. Sealing action has already been completed in the city area. A total of 2181 shops have been de-sealed till date.
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Two held for robbing jewellery showroom
Faridabad, April 22 According to the SSP, the accused, identified as Satish and Amit, were nabbed from two spots in Delhi in a well-planned move. The gang has been involved in at least 17 cases of loot and dacoity committed in various states, including Haryana, UP and Gujarat. Revealing that the two members of the gang were identified by cut marks on their faces, he said the local CIA team contacted both the Delhi and UP police to get information about the suspects who had been on bail since February 7 last. He said while the suspects could not be found at their residential addresses, the team was able to gather some information about their close kin. Claiming that the team had raided at least 100 spots in various states, he said nearly all members of the gang had been residents of UP and were involved in several cases of loot and robbery. He said the arrested youths had admitted to committing a similar dacoity at Mathura on April 11 and looting a jewellery showroom at Baroda in Gujarat on April 18. Though one of the gang members had been nabbed and handed over to the police, the others were able to flee along with the loot. The looting incident at Faridabad had taken place on March 27. Five members of the gang led by one Inderpal alias Guddu, had decamped with jewellery worth several lakhs in broad daylight. Though the owner of the showroom had claimed that gold and other valuables weighing around 4 kg had been looted by the accused, the police believe the total amount of the loot could be less. Th SSP said the police had adopted a clever strategy to nab the culprits as it had taken the help of some close kin of the accused to make them gather at a designated place in Delhi. He said while one was held from the inter-state bus terminus, the other one was nabbed from the railway station. The gang had looted jewellery worth about Rs 65 lakh besides snatching a few vehicles, including a Wagon-R and Zen cars and motorcycles from Sikandrabad, Ghaziabad and Surat in March and April this year. They had allegedly used the looted a Wagon- R in committing the dacoity in NIT here on March 27 last. The accused will be produced in the local court tomorrow.
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Wanted criminal killed in encounter
Ghaziabad, April 22 Two cops were also a wounded in the encounter. They were admitted to a private hospital in Ghaziabad. Dharam Veer, the police said, was a professional criminal who was wanted in about 20 cases of murder and loot. The police were tipped off by informants yesterday that Dharam Veer was present in his house in Mali Wada under the Sihani Gate police station area. The police surrounded the house from all sides. When the police saw Dharam Veer coming out of his house with a friend, they began to tail him. When Dharam Veer and his companion began aware of police presence, his friend started firing from his gun on the police party. The cops did not retaliate as it was a crowded market. Jeep driver Gopal Singh and Sihani Gate cop Anil Kumar were both wounded. The police were able to corner the criminals after one hour in Mali Wada behind the Civil Lines police post near the Chipyana railway level crossing when a police bullet hit Dharam Veer Jat while his accomplice managed to cross to the other side. Hit by four bullets, Dharam Veer was rushed to Government Hospital, Ghaziabad, where he was declared dead by doctors. The SSP, Ghaziabad said Dharam Veer was the second accused for Ajay Sharma’s murder. The other accused, Parmjit, had been nabbed by the police a few days ago.
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‘Govt exploiting farmers while acquiring land’
Noida, April 22 Mr Singh said if the state government could set up a Development Council for the “development of capitalists” why could it not constitute a Kisan Council for the benefit of farmers. The former Prime Minister was addressing a large anti-acquisition rally of farmers held in Sector 5 here on Friday to protest against the acquisition policies of the Noida Authority. The rally had been organised by the Kisan Manch of the Dehat Morcha. Mr Singh said it was necessary that elected representatives of the people should have a say in the Noida Authority decision making. This would serve two purposes – corruption in the Noida Authority would be checked. Secondly, the Noida Authority would not be able to reject people’s demands outright as was being done now. He hinted that the issue of controversial 2004 residential plot scheme (2004) could be raised again under the Right to Information Act. He said he would seek detailed information about the residential scheme. The former Prime Minister declared that a forceful Dera Dalo rally would be organised in Lucknow on May 30. Though Mr Singh avoided criticising any politician or political party, matinee idol and rebellious Samajwadi Party MP Raj Babbar did not mince words in attacking the policies of the Samajwadi Party. He said the state government could please itself by registering cases against him and harass his family or even throw him in jail, but he would not compromise and his campaign against the regime of pimps and commission agents in UP would continue. Mr Raj Babbar declared that he would continue to support the farmers’ struggle till the state government furnished full details of old Abadi land in Noida. The president of the National Lok Dal Party, Dr Masood Ahmed, asked farmers to rebel and start an agitation against corruption and the Noida Authority. Dehat Morcha president Babu Singh Arya said the anti-farmer polices of the state government and the Noida Authority had actually bred Naxalism. Dehat Morcha’s Raj Kumar Bhatti demanded CBI investigations into the property and assets of all Noida Authority officials who were all flush with money. He said the Noida Authority procured farmers’ land at cheap rates and sold the same to builders at high rates who further sold it to consumers at exorbitant rates. It was a criminal nexus, he said.
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Hiring of French firm by NDMC raises hackles
New Delhi, April 22 A senior architect said on the condition of anonymity that the proposed bus shelters would not match with the traditional and ethnic look of the area. “At the time of planning and inception of this area, Charles Lutyens had taken care of many minute things. Now the Council’s people are trying to shatter his dreamland. We do not understand why they are handing over the project to a foreign company. When we can construct the Taj Mahal and the Qutub Minar like great structures even hundreds of years ago, we can very well construct simple bus shelters,” he said. A senior officer of the Council said that in view of the area’s unique looks, all bus stops would be remodelled in the European and American styles. “As a matter of fact, we are planning to construct most modern and state-of-the-art bus shelter ever. The tender has been given for 15 years on Built and Operation basis to the company. The 10 to 20% revenue generated through advertisements will be shared by the Council. All 197 bus shelters will be 6-feet-long with ultra modern outlook, fitted with a PCO, bus timetable, road map of the area concerned, dustbins, water harvesting booster and floodlights. As an estimate, about Rs 10 lakh is going to be spent on the project,” he said. A senior citizen and president of National Development Forum, Mr J. N. Dogra said the uniqueness of this area must be kept intact. “In 1999, the council had also attempted to rebuild its existing bus shelters. Twenty-eight bus shelters had been remodelled in the first phase of the project, but due to lack of revenue generation through advertisements by those bus stops, its second phase could not be planned. It is also amazing that the tender for this project has been given to a company which has no previous track record of such construction,” he said.
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‘Most accidents due to drunken driving’
New Delhi, April 22 If one were to simplify these figures, 235 persons die and 1,600 are injured and hospitalised every day owing to road accidents. These accidents also result in huge economic loss of about Rs 15,000 crore per year to the country, besides the pain and suffering caused to the families of those dead and injured. An estimated 10 to 30 per cent of hospital beds are occupied by the victims of road accidents. Experts point out that a major reason for road accidents is drunken driving. The statistics of those who drink and drive and of the accidents that are caused by this negligence have triggered a demand for implementing more stringent laws against drunk driving. Citing the example of Britain, which has successfully reduced the rate of high road accidents after implementing such a law, Delhi Health Minister Dr Yoganand Shastri in a national consultative meeting to ‘Prevent Drunk Driving in India’ organised by Indian Alcohol Policy Alliance (IAPA) at India Habitat Centre here today, said India should emulate the example. The Delhi Health Minister said India already has a very high rate of accidents and it is time laws were passed to check drunken driving. Dr Shastri said that a recent survey conducted by the Directorate of Prohibition NCT of Delhi on drinking and driving revealed that more than 45 per cent vehicles are driven by drivers who had consumed alcoholic drinks. The survey revealed that youngsters, particularly college students, tend to mix drinking with driving for ‘a high’ which increases their vulnerability to accidents. A third of injured motorised two-wheeler riders in the Capital were under the influence of alcohol while driving, the survey noted. Highlighting these findings, the minister said IAPA should initiate such meetings and seminars in interior and rural areas to educate the masses. He urged the IAPA to educate society on the evil effects of mixing drinking with driving.
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Govt school teachers to miss summer vacation
New Delhi, April 22 Earlier, these examinations used to be held in April. They will be held in June now, the hottest month of the year, sources said. According to sources, the State Council for Education Research and Training has also issued a directive to organise seminars to be compulsorily attended by all Assistant and Trained Graduate Teachers. To compensate for lack of vacation to attend seminars, teachers used to be given earned leave, but they are not given such facility this year. An official of the education department said that results of home examinations (class VI – Class IX) are poor. Results of the majority of the schools are between 25 and 30 per cent. A few schools secured eight to ten per cent results. To improve the standard of government schools, the department has decided to continue the classes in summers also. Teachers have given another reason for poor results. They say that the students enrolled with the government schools come from slums and jhuggi clusters. Most of them do part-time jobs or assist their parents in other ways to earn livelihood. Secondly, the Education Director often visits schools disturbing the study programmes. Instead of teaching, the teachers as well as principals complete their registers and other records. General Secretary of Government School Teachers’ Association K.D. Tiwari said that a directive of the department for classes in summer was not going to help the students. May and June are the hottest months. Little children may not be able to tolerate the heat. Instead of conducting exams, the students should be promoted to the next class. The Director should go through the Education Act before issuing instruction, Mr Tiwari added. The Director, Mr Vijay Kumar, was not available for comments.
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Asian Parliamentarians meet begins today
New Delhi, April 22 Focussing on Asia and the Pacific, these Asian leaders will be participating in the 22nd Parliamentarians’ meet being organized by the Japan-based Asian Population & Development Association
(APDA) and the Indian Association of Parliamentarians on Population & Development
(IAPPD). Mr Somnath Chatterjee, Speaker of Lok Sabha, will be the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony on Sunday while Ms Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister of Delhi will deliver a special address. Ms Prabaka Laxmi, Minister of State for Health and Family welfare, will also speak on the occasion. In the two-day conference, participants will discuss ‘globalization’ and its impact. They will examine it from a variety of aspects, and therefore examine policy and legislative environment to foster globalization and population issues to strike a right balance. Explaining the impact of ‘globalization’, Dr Nafis
Sadik, Special Advisor to the Secretary General of the United Nations on HIV/AIDS, in a statement said that “Globalization has stimulated sustained economic growth and improved standards of living and levels of health overall. Yet the same economic growth has resulted in explosive urbanization, unplanned settlements in hazardous areas and degradation of air and water quality with all their negative health consequences, especially for the poorest”. She says that ever-increasing globalization of markets, technologies, communication systems and trade practices does not necessarily have the desired impact on global poverty, as set out in the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs). For instance, economic growth is not enough. However, “We must also address social issues directly”, she says, and suggests ways to do it. According to her, countries must address the needs of a growing generation of adolescents; the problem of gender-based violence; the accessibility, affordability and quality of sexual and reproductive health information and services, including HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment; and universal access to education, especially for girls. Above all, countries must create an enabling environment for individuals to exercise informed choice, to improve both their quality of life and their livelihoods.
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Schoolchildren participate in run on Earth Day
New Delhi, April 22 Children from more than 50 schools in Delhi and the NCR participated in the ‘Run For Earth’ on the occasion of Earth Day today. The run, organised by the Tata Energy Research Institute in association with the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and the Clean India initiative, was flagged off from the National Stadium in the morning by Minister of State for Environment and Forests Namo Narain Meena. The march, being held to mark the 36th annual Earth Day celebrations in the Capital, saw hundreds of children form a human chain around the India Gate to create awareness about the need to save the environment. The march was followed by a street play staged by the children on the need to preserve the ecosystem. Thereafter, the children, at an Earth Day pledge, resolved to make all-out efforts to save their natural environs from destruction. Meanwhile, in Manav Sthali School, R Block organised an exhibition on issues that affect environment. A workshop for teachers of various schools was also organised. The teachers’ workshop was addressed by noted scientists. The conference focussed on the methodology and project work, which is an integral part of environmental education.
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Illyasi files petition against mother-in-law, media
New Delhi, April 22 The application in which he alleged that publishing or airing of views amounted to prejudicing the trial of the case, was filed before additional sessions judge Chander Gupta. Ilyasi has sought initiation of contempt proceedings against his mother-in-law Rukma Singh and the reporters, printers, publishers and proprietors of some dailies and television channels. The application filed through his counsel R D Mehra alleged that Rukma Singh and the scribes have tried to influence the decision of the case by giving “tainted version” of it. Anju was found in a serious condition with stab wounds on the night of January 10, 2000, at her East Delhi home and she later succumbed to her injuries.
— TNS
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Juvenile Justice Board to get computers
New Delhi, April 22 The committee would submit its report before the High Court within 15 days. The High Court was reacting to a report submitted by a JJB panel over the reasons for pendency of the cases in the JJB for longer than laid down in the law. According to law, a juvenile case must be completed within four months. The JJB report was in pursuant to a High Court order to the JJB to file a comprehensive report over reasons for pendency of cases. The JJB report cited lack of computers as the main reason for the cases languishing for many years before the board.
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AIMA office-bearers greeted
New Delhi, April 22 Padmashree Dr Pritam Singh, Director, MDI Gurgaon was the guest of honour.
— TNS
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Timebound clearance for projects in
Haryana
New Delhi, April 22 Haryana Resident Commissioner Ashok Lavasa, who is Chief Coordinator of Investment Promotion Centre of the state government, told the delegation of JACTIM, that the industrial promotion policy of the state provided for timebound clearances. He said Haryana had succeeded in attracting 50 units from Japan with an overall investment of Rs 3,000
crore. — TNS
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