The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Delhi and neighbourhood

	Power shortage in the Capital States overdraw electricity from Northern Grid; Officials claim situation will improve shortly Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 29 Many parts of the Capital reeled under a major power crisis today due to problems in the Northern Grid. A BSES spokesman said that with overdrawing of power by Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana creating a crisis in the Northern Grid, the Capital got 800 MW less than its requirement. “The power requirement in the Capital today shot over 3,000 MW, which can be attributed to the sudden rise in temperature. But we got 800 MW less power today, resulting in the crisis,” he said. Most parts of Delhi experienced several hours of power cut, including Central and South areas, which comparatively fare better in terms of load shedding. Four to five hours of load shedding have become a daily routine in South Delhi. As a result of shortage of power, people have water problems, resulting in difficulties for school students and office-goers, for one. “The frequency problems being encountered by the Grid are due to in the demand for power far surpassing the generation of the Grid,” sources in the Delhi Transco said. The generation level in the Northern Grid has not been able to keep pace due to several central sector plants being non-functional. However, with several central power plants expected to get back in operation in the coming week to ten days, the situation is expected to improve, they said. “We are hopeful of soon getting back to action several central sector plants at Dadri, Sanghrauli and Nathpa Jhakri. The annual maintenance work on these units, which have witnessed frequent breakdowns over the last 10 months, will soon be over and hence we hope to get them back to operation,” sources said. While the 500 MW Singhrauli plant is expected to be back in operation by next Tuesday, Nathpa Jhakri will resume operation next week and Dadri in the next ten days, they said. With the operationalisation of the units, the problem of frequency in the Northern Grid will be solved to a large extent, the sources said. “We expect the situation to start normalising from Monday onwards,” they said. Another factor that could contribute to solving the frequency problem faced by the Northern Grid was the Central Electricity Authority asking all the nine states which draw power from the Grid, not to overdraw. CEA chairman Rakesh Nath has asked all the nine states to stop overdrawing. This would mean that when the frequency is low and some state tries to overdraw, their supply would be automatically cut off. In fact, excessive overdrawing by the states drawing power from the Northern Grid had pushed the Grid to the brink of collapse resulting in acute shortage of power in the grid.
	BJP seeks dissolution of MCD, fresh polls Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 29 BJP today demanded dissolution of the MCD and holding of fresh elections, saying the people of the Capital have lost faith in the Congress-led civic body due to its “lack of action and untenable” policies. “If the Supreme Court and the High Court do not trust the MCD, then how can the general public repose faith in it,” party president Dr Harshvardhan said in a statement here. He said the courts have reprimanded the MCD on several occasions and against such a backdrop the Centre should dissolve the civic body and call for fresh elections. “If fresh elections are held, the people will get an opportunity to elect new representatives who have a clean image,” he added. He also demanded framing of a new law to save shops and business establishments in the capital from the Supreme Court ordered closure. Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and local MLA Subhash Chopra was detained in a south Delhi area today when he and scores of his supporters tried to stop the MCD’s ongoing sealing drive. Chopra, DPCC General Secretary Jagdish Thukral, local councillors Virender Kasana and Captain Khawinder Singh were detained while they tried to prevent MCD officials from sealing shops in Kalkaji area. They were taken to Govindpuri police station and kept under detention there all through the day. Chopra had kickstarted a relay hunger strike by Congress MLAs against the Supreme Court-ordered sealing of commercial establishments in residential areas. He said the legislators would go on an indefinite hunger strike if the Centre do not bring in an ordinance or a bill to resolve the vexed issue, which has triggered widespread opposition from the trading community. Traders on their part announced to observe a ‘Sangarsh Week’ from May 4-11 demanding a legislation to end the sealing drive and to end their week-long protest proceedings with a massive rally. MCD today sealed 432 commercial properties in nine civic zones of the capital with majority of the action coming in Shahdara (South) and Central zones. It sealed 74 properties in Shahdara South, 72 in Central, 53 in Civil Lines, 50 each in Karol Bagh and Rohini, 47 in Najafgarh, 43 in Sadar Paharganj, 28 in West and 15 in Shahdara North zones. MCD also demolished half a dozen unauthorised constructions in the posh South Delhi area as part of a High Court-ordered drive against illegal structures. The civic body pulled down illegal constructions in Lajpat Nagar market, Srinivaspuri, East of Kailash, Malviya Nagar and Sultanpur, MCD officials said. A multi-storeyed building and two residential properties were demolished in East of Kailash, Malviya Nagar and Sultanpur areas, while a building under construction and unauthorised extensions of some properties were razed in Lajpat Nagar and Srinivaspuri respectively. MCD had yesterday demolished a big commercial complex in East Delhi. The civic body had started demolition of illegal constructions on December 17 on the orders of the High Court.
	Medicos to hold demonstration on May 2 Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 29 Striking medicos were holding talks with school and college students to gather support for a “huge demonstration” in the national Capital on May 2 against the government’s proposed move to increase the OBC quota in educational institutions. The medical students, who have been boycotting classes since Wednesday, have planned a demonstration here and it would coincide with Tuesday’s nationwide protest, Shubham Garg, student representative of the Youth for Equality (YST), which is spearheading the agitation, said here today. “We have been meeting school students and principles to garner their support for our agitation against the proposed hike in the OBC quotas,” he said. The YST is trying to involve students of Class XI and XII in the agitation as they would be the ones affected by the government’s proposed move, he added. Students from Delhi University, whose annual examinations end on Monday, are likely to join the agitation on the next day, Garg said. The medical students were also holding talks with the representatives of the Delhi Medical Association for support. Medicos in Lucknow, Bangalore and Kolkata have expressed solidarity with their counterparts in Delhi by holding protests, observing fasts, and wearing black badges at work. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has called a General Body meeting here tomorrow to discuss the issue, which hit the headlines after the police action on striking students in the Capital on Wednesday. Students of Delhi’s five premier medical colleges, including AIIMS, also bunked classes today as part of their protest against the Centre’s proposed move to hike OBC quotas in educational institutes. Students of the Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College and representatives of AIIMS, Lady Hardinge, Maulana Azad Medical College and University College of Medical Sciences gathered at the India Gate and shouted slogans against the government for its controversial move. They have threatened to continue the boycott and also mobilise support from across the country till HRD Minister Arjun Singh meets them again and discusses the proposal to increase reservations for OBCs. The students are unhappy with the outcome of the meeting they were granted with Singh yesterday after two days of protests, which turned ugly after clashes with the police, Delhi Medical Students Association General Secretary Jiten Jaipuria told reporters. The minister told a five-member delegation, representing the five medical institutes that he could not discuss the issue of reservation until after the Assembly elections end on May 11. Students carried out protests marches in their respective college campuses. They are also mobilising political support against the government decision and are likely to meet a few BJP MPs in this regard.
	Noida reels under severe power crisis Parmindar Singh Noida, April 29 A debilitating power crisis in Noida and Greater Noida has adversely affected the daily routine of the residents. According to many residents, the power crisis in the GB Nagar district seems to have become “unmanageable”. As a result, dharnas and “attack” on power sub station in different localities have become a common occurrence these days. By far the worst hit is the government district hospital in Noida where many pathological tests, Xrays etc cannot be conducted due to the power shortage. Moreover, the patients have been suffering without light and fans and the resultant water crisis. According to one estimate, power cuts range between 6 to 12 hours daily in different localities and villages. Some villagers had even attacked some power sub stations and damaged equipment and furniture in Greater Noida. The power cuts have also seriously jeopardised the industrial production here. However, the officers of the UP Power Corporation are indulging in “jugglery of statistics”, alleged an industrialist here. So severe is the crisis that in many commercial sectors, generators have come to a grinding halt and inverters do not get enough power to recharge the batteries. Even cell phones can’t be charged properly, complained a resident. In effect, many of the residents are regretting their decision to shift to Noida, the so called “no power cut zone” which has now almost turned into a “no power zone”.
	Students jam traffic after accident Our Correspondent Ghaziabad, April 29 Students of Madrassa Jamia Arabia Islam were standing in a group when a speeding vehicle injured four of them and a fruit seller Sartaj near the wall of the Madrassa on Bulandshahr Road in Hapur. Livid students of Madrassa jammed traffic on Bulandshahr Road, Hapur bypass and Tehsil crossing in protest. They damaged a number of vehicles too. A Maruti van No. UP14-2358 apparently being driven at a fast speed first hit the fruit trolley and then hit many students before overturning. The injured students included Sarika and Sajid from Aligarh, Amir from Delhi and Ibrahim from Bihar. Sajid is stated to be serious. The driver of the car reportedly absconded. The students alleged that the driver of the Maruti van was having a race with another driver. Both the vehicles were being driven at a reckless speed. The students jammed Delhi Lucknow G.T. Road also. Uttaranchal Roadways bus No. UA-7M 6807 and a truck No 14 W 9808 were extensively damaged. SDM Sanjay Chauhan came with the Madrasa’s vice-president Reejaz Hussain. When both of them reportedly assured the students that guilty driver would be punished and injured would be given free medical treatment, peace was restored.
	Looting case solved Tribune News Service Faridabad, April 29 With the arrest of the leader of an inter-state gang, the district police claimed to have solved the looting case in a jewellery shop in the NIT area here in March 2006. The Senior Superintendent of Police, Mr Mahender Singh Sheoran, told mediapersons here today that the main accused in the loot case at ‘Om Jewellers’ in NIT here on March 27, 2006 Inder Pal alias Guddu, was arrested by a special team of the CIA from a place near his native village. Inder Pal is a resident of Mirpur village of Aligarh district in Uttar Pradesh. The local police had earlier nabbed two members of this group, identified as Satish and Amit, both residents of U.P. One member of the gang, identified as Mohit, is in the custody of the Gujarat Police, after an unsuccessful attempt to loot a jeweller in Vadodara. The gang is wanted in several cases of robberies and other crimes in various states. The SSP said that the investigating team recovered the looted jewellery from Bullandsahr, including 1.34 kgs of gold and silver ornaments valued at Rs. 9.50 lakh. The person, who had bought these items, had actually paid an amount of Rs 7.40 lakh and had promised to pay the rest later, he said. According to SSP, the rest of the missing jewellery would be recovered soon.
	Advani summoned by Gurgaon court Tribune News Service Gurgaon, April 29 A local court today issued summons to former Deputy Prime Minister L.K.Advani in connection with a criminal case petition of Abhishek Verma, son of former Congress MP Mr Srikant Verma. The court of Mrs Raj Gupta, Judicial Magistrate issued summons against the BJP leader for July 17 in response to Mr Verma’s charges with regard to defamation, forgery of electronic documents as well as under Section 66 of the Information Technology Act. Apart from the charges of defamation, the court has taken cognisance on specific charges under Sections 471,499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Mr Advani. Mr Verma’s stand is that Mr Advani used forged documents to malign and defame him in Scorpene submarine deal of the Indian navy. According to Mr Verma, Mr Advani has alleged that he has acted as broker on behalf of the Congress and got kickbacks from the private foreign firm dealing in the submarine.
	DUJ celebrates Foundation Day Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 29 The Delhi Union of Journalists celebrated its 57th Foundation Day with a meeting on ‘Challenges before the Indian Press’ today at the Press Club of India. Mr Kuldip Nayyar, veteran journalist and former Parliamentarian, in his keynote address called for the establishment of a media commission to look into the state of affairs of both print and the electronic media. He said the last Press Commission was appointed 29 years ago. Other speakers cautioned against the danger of coercive contracts and increasing unfair labour practices even in the Capital. It took serious note of increasing encroachments on the freedom of expression and association in the industry. The meeting called for a white paper on the state of the newspaper industry in the Capital.
	Villagers gherao police station Our Correspondent Noida, April 29 Agitated villagers gheraoed the Sector-20 police station to protest against the apathy of the police after a 5-year old boy was kidnapped from Nethari. Even as a SOG team had been pressed to trace the child, the police are clueless. Ashok Kumar, the father of the child is a building material supplier. The boy, identified as Satinder alias Max, was found missing shortly after he had gone out to play, said Ashok Kumar, the father of the victim. Ashok Kumar had lodged a report with Sector-20 police station yesterday but the police had apparently “not taken the matter seriously”. The agitated family members and residents of Nithari gheraoed the Sector-20 police station today.