The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Delhi and neighbourhood

	Medical students up in arms against quota Police use water cannons, teargas shells Tribune News Service New Delhi, May 12 Reviving their protest against the Government’s move to reserve another 27 per cent seats in the centres of higher education, hundreds of medical students marched towards the Prime Minister’s Office today, halting the midday traffic in Central Delhi and forcing police to use water cannons and teargas shells. Surrounded by the riot police, students blocked traffic on Rajpath when stopped from progressing towards the PM’s North Block office. Soon, they were bundled into 13 police buses and taken to Connaught Place, Chanakyapuri and Tughlaq Road police stations. “Arjun Singh Down, Down”, they shouted in unison against the Union Human Resource Minister as the police aimed the water cannons at them. Later, police also lobbed teargas shells to push them back. A police spokesman said nearly a dozen policemen were injured and taken to hospital due to “violence indulged in by the students”. According to Amitasha Sinha of Lady Hardinge Medical College, 20 students were injured when police rained lathis at them. In a related development later, junior doctors at the All India Institute of Medical College, Guru Tegh Bahadur, Loknayak Jai Prakash Narain, Lady Hardinge and other hospitals went on a flash strike in support of the students’ demands. The protest near India Gate was staged at the end of a march from Lady Hardinge Medical College through the central business district of Connaught Place. Traffic on the route was thrown out of gear because of the protest. Since the Assembly elections are over and the election code does not apply any longer, the Prime Minister and Mr Arjun Singh should make their stand clear on the reservation issue, they said, reiterating their point that the quota move was anti-merit and would push back India’s development. Students from Delhi’s five medical colleges, under the banner of ‘Youth for Equality’, with support from United Students, Youth for Justice and other organisations, have been agitating since April 27. They have also been boycotting lectures. Representatives of the medical students —from Maulana Azad Medical College, Lady Hardinge Medical College, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, University College of Medical Sciences and Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College—had met Mr Arjun Singh on April 27. According to the agitating students, he had declined to discuss the issue till after the elections at the meeting. A day earlier, on April 26, the students had clashed with police when stopped from reaching the Minister’s bungalow en masse to petition him against the Government’s move.
	Land compensation paid fraudulently Parmindar Singh Greater Noida, May 12 Strict legal action awaits those who had manipulated to receive land compensation for Gram Samaj land showing it as their own. Land compensation worth lakhs of rupees has reportedly been paid to some cheats in three villages in the district. According to the Revenue Board member, Mr T George Joseph, revenue officials are probing the cases where some people had claimed and received land compensation by misrepresenting the facts. A list of all such villages and individuals is being drawn, it is learnt. The administration had stepped up its campaign for forcing the villagers, who had received land compensation of public land fraudulently, to refund the same to the government. Mr T. George Joseph, Revenue member probing land scams worth hundred of crores, is learnt to have ordered the revenue officials to examine the records of all such villages where compensation for public land had been lifted by some unscrupulous persons. The revenue officials are busy collecting, collating and examining the old revenue records of villages and comparing the entries of Gram Samaj land. The names of those who received the land compensation and in whose name the land title were entered are also being collected. In all, the land of 63 villages in Noida and Greater Noida was acquired by government after payment of compensation. Some of those who had taken the compensation money, were said to be not even the original residents of those villages, but had the land titles in their names. A large number of villagers in Noida and Greater Noida are said to have received the land compensation illegally. Strict legal action will be taken against all those found guilty in this probe. Additional D.M. (Finance & Revenue) Rajesh Kumar Yadav said cases have come to light where people have fraudulently drawn compensation amount for Gram Samaj land, amounting to Rs 5 lakh. The amount will be got back from such people who will be dealt with strictly under the law of the land, Addl. D.M. Rajesh Yadav said.
	RWAs feel let down by Bill on sealing drive Tribune News Service New Delhi, May 12 Resident Welfare Associations have criticised the Bill introduced in Parliament to stop the demolition drive against unauthorised construction across the city, saying it meant to circumvent the Supreme Court order on the issue. The introduction and passing of the Bill to stop the sealings and demolitions in the national Capital by the Union Urban Development Ministry at the behest of the state government was seen by most residents as a sinister campaign to defeat the directions of the apex court, United Residents Joint Action Convenor Promod Chawla said in a statement. RWAs that had initiated the action against commericalisation in residential areas and those that had fought against illegal constructions were feeling let down by the very administration they thought would support them, he said. “The smiling face of the CM along with Delhi MPs after they came out of the meeting with the PM to press for a stop to the sealings and demolitions, will remain etched in the minds of all Delhi RWAs as the ultimate stab in their back,” he added. URJA’s East Delhi Coordinator Rajesh Dokwal said, “On behalf of RWAs of East Delhi who are bearing the brunt of commercialisation of their areas, I have no hesitation in saying that the MP of this area has worked against every law-abiding citizen of this city and this zone. “The RWAs of East Delhi are regretting the support they gave to this government in the last elections,” he added. South Delhi RWAs were most upset with the decision of the Government. Mr Sandeep Dutta Gupta from Chittranjan Park expressed anguish over the actions of the Delhi government. He said, “The charade of Bhagidari is over. The truth of this scheme is now exposed for all to see. At no point during this crisis did the CM ever take the side of the RWAs.” GK-I RWA and Defence Colony RWAs were also astounded at the manner in which the CM batted for the traders. RWA Federation of Rohini demanded a probe into the Bhagidari scheme to understand what the purpose of the entire exercise—if the interests of residents and RWA were to be accommodated at all.
	EFC clears three projects worth Rs 98 cr Tribune News Service New Delhi, May 12 The Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC), Government of Delhi, has given its nod to three projects amounting to Rs 98 crore, of which one proposal was from the Education Department and two others from the Department of Power. Delhi Finance and Planning Minister, Dr A.K. Walia said a sum of Rs 91 crore has been sanctioned for improving the power supply for two projects of the Power Department. He said the power supply is expected to improve in Civil Lines and the university area and uninterrupted power supply would be provided to Chhatrashal Stadium during the Commonwealth Games 2010. The EFC has also cleared another project amounting to Rs 29.16 crore to cater to the load requirement and improving the power supply in South Delhi, NDMC and Delhi Cantonment. The project relating to supply, laying, jointing, testing and commissioning of 220 KVS/c 1x200 sq. mm XLPE 5.4 Km cable from 220 KV sub-station at Ridge Valley would be completed within nine months from the date of award of contract, he said. Dr Walia said the EFC has also cleared a proposal of Education Department to construct a “Pucca School Building” at Ashok Nagar, East of Loni Road with an estimated cost of Rs 6.72 crore within 18 months after the award of work. The new building would provide proper education and infrastructural facilities to the students of Ashok Nagar and adjoining areas.
	Double murder solved, one held Tribune News Service New Delhi, May 12 With the arrest of a person, Delhi Police claimed to have cracked a double murder case in which the accused has allegedly strangulated two persons and decamped with the cash from the house. The accused has been identified as Mohammed Wasim (23), a resident of Shahin Bagh. The south district police recovered the bodies of two persons Akhtar Afindi (52) and Jamshed Alam (32) from their house number F-213, Shahin Bagh, after a complaint of missing was lodged by one Qasim, a friend of the deceased Akhtar. A raid was conducted at the house and the main doors were found open while the kitchen and bathroom were locked from inside. On breaking open the doors, the police recovered the bodies of the two in a decomposed condition. During investigations, it was revealed that the deceased Akhtar was working with Prudential Life company and was also engaged in the money-laundering business. He hired Wasim as recovery agent of his money which he used to lend on interest, police officials said. On May 8, Jamshed, another deceased informed Wasim that Akhtar was keeping a large amount of money in his house. The duo planned to eliminate Akhtar and to divide the money between them. As per plan, they entered his house and strangulated him and threw his body in the kitchen, police said. Thereafter, Wasim allegedly strangulated Jamshed and threw his body in the bathroom and decamped with the cash, police officials said. The police have recovered Rs 4,500 and a cheque book and other documents of Akhtar from the accused Wasim.
	IN PARLIAMENT Delhi facing worst power shortage Tribune News Service New Delhi, May 12 National Capital Territory of Delhi is facing its worst power shortage with a 4.4 per cent peak demand deficit, Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde told Parliament today. Delhi faced an energy shortfall of 4.2 per cent and peak deficit of 4.4 per cent in April. Peak shortage in 2005-06 was 3.3 per cent, 1.9 per cent in 2004-05 and 3 per cent in 2003-04, he said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha here. He said the Government had taken various measures to augment power supply in Delhi. These included allocation of 1884 MW from Central Generating Stations (CGSs) located in northern region, allocation of up to 295 MW power from unallocated quotas in CGSs in different time slots and 033 MW allocation from unallocated quota of Rajasthan Atomic Power Plants Unit 3 and 4. “Under the Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (APDRP) launched by the Government of India for improvement of sub-transmission and distribution system, projects amounting to Rs 922.61 crore have been sanctioned and Rs 105.51 crore have been released to Delhi as on March 31,” he said.
	Bar dancer, five others caught in sleaze racket Our Correspondent Noida, May 12 A Mumbai’s bar dancer and two other women and three men were nabbed by Noida police under sections of flesh trade being carried out in the market of a posh colony in Sector-62, Noida. A woman, a resident of Ghaziabad is the leader of this sex racket in which some bar dancers of Mumbai are also involved according to Sector-58 police. According to SSP Rajesh Kumar Singh, for many days, reports of such a racket in the posh market of Sector-62 were being received. A cop, Vishal Srivastava, incharge of NIB police post, was sent to Babita, the woman running the brothel as a client. She was already finalizing deals with her customers. Babita took Rs 2000 from Vishal Srivastava and promised to send the young girl after two hours. Cops in mufti kept an eye on Babita. Sometime later, police arrested Babita, two other women along with three young men while they were leaving in two cars. The arrested clients have been identified as Ram Singh of Ballabgarh, Sunil and Brijender Singh. Young women included Anita from Meerut, Rani Arya from Mumbai who was a bar dancer there. They had come to Noida on Babita’s invitation. Babita is reported to have invited a number of Mumbai’s bar dancers whom she offers a fat package for about a fortnight to serve her special clients in Noida.
	Bill confusing, misguiding: Arya Tribune News Service New Delhi, May 12 Leader of Opposition in MCD, Mr Subhash Arya reacting to the Bill passed by the Lok Sabha with regard to one-year time on sealing and demolition operations alleged that it is “confusing and misguiding since orders of Supreme Court will be directly affected”. Giving details, Mr Arya disclosed that the directions were issued on February 16, 2006 and the Government should have brought this Bill immediately. The delay of three months in bringing this Bill has affected lakhs of people. Till notification, the Bill has to pass a lengthy process and until then the MCD will continue its sealing and demolition operation, he said. He alleged that the Congress government has not made clear in this bill whether the new Amnesty Scheme will be brought or not so as to regularise the so-called unauthorised constructions. The position with regard to unauthorized constructions, new commercial establishment and encroachments of public land has not been cleared in this Bill. Mr Arya further said that the Bill is not clear about the mixed land use. He said the fate of about 40,000 shopkeepers who have submitted affidavits remains unclear.
	Ousted daughter-in-law delivers baby at station Our Correspondent Ghaziabad, May 12 A pregnant woman writhing in pain at railway platform gave birth to a baby girl yesterday. But at the busy Ghaziabad railway station, none of the passers-by showed sympathy for the poor woman. Premila in the ninth month of pregnancy was reportedly thrown out by her mother-in-law from their home in Morna village in Sector-35 Noida on Thursday. Her mother-in-law, she said, had always treated her badly during the pregnancy, asking her to perform all household chores, including lifting heavy objects. When she expressed, inability she was thrown out by the older woman. Her husband, she said, was a driver in a Meerut transport co. When her husband was around, the woman treated Premila well. She was on her way to her sister-in-law’s house in Mawana, Meerut when she experienced birth pangs while crossing the overhead bridge at old railway station Ghaziabad. Later, a woman constable of GRP had helped Premila and her baby child to alight from the bridge and she took her to the district hospital in a cyclerickshaw. She is admitted to the hospital where doctors said the mother and child were in good health.
	Diarrhoea patients sharing same bed Our Correspondent Noida, May 12 The increasing number of diarrhoea patients has created a piquant situation in Noida hospitals. In ESI hospital, for example, two or even three patients are sharing a single bed in the general ward as about 30 diarrhoea patients troop into this hospital daily. In view of this situation, patients are kept in emergency ward for a few hours and then sent home. Some 185 patients on 150 beds are being treated there. In government hospital too, a dozen patients were admitted in the past 24 hours. Most of the patients who had initially gone to quacks, were in a bad shape. In spite of a large number of diarrhoea patients, hardly any precautions seem to have been taken. These in turn seem to have contributed to the spread of the disease among slum clusters and villagers, who constitute the majority of patients. Besides impure water, polluted eatables, meat and sugar cane juice, have been identified as contributing to the spread of the disease. Dr R.K. Mathur, Director of ESI hospital, is of strong views that the quality of potable water and eatables needs to be tested.
	Two-day ENT conference Our Correspondent New Delhi, May 12 The Association of Otolaryngologists of India (Delhi branch) is going to organise the 29th annual conference on ‘Recent Advancement in the Field of ENT’ starting from tomorrow at the Hotel Ashok. According to the organising secretary of the organisation, Dr Arvind Soni, the DG, Health Services, Army Medical Corp and a well-known ENT surgeon Dr B. P. Singh will inaugurate this two-day conference. The Dean of Maulana Azad Medical College Dr A. K Aggarwal will be the guest of honour on the occasion. “About two hundreds specialist ENT doctors across the country are expected to participate in the conference,” he said.