New Delhi, August 21
Delhi and Haryana will shortly sign an agreement for supply of 1,500 MW power to the national Capital.

“A memorandum of understanding will be signed between Delhi and Haryana in two to four days’ time for supply of 1,500 MW power,” Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde told the Rajya Sabha while replying to a debate on the National Electricity Policy.

Electricity production would start before 2010 Commonwealth Games, Mr Shinde said, adding that the Centre did not want power shortage in the national Capital.

The minister assured the House that Delhi would also get power from the Tehri project.

New Delhi, August 21
A consumer court here has ruled that the insurance companies are not allowed to re-assess the market value of an insured vehicle once a policy for a specific amount is issued against the requisite payment.

“Once an insurance policy for a specific amount is issued against the requisite payment it is no more open to the insurance companies to re-open the issue as to the market value of the vehicle,” Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC) observed. Directing the appellant, National Insurance Co Ltd, to pay Rs 1, 80,000 with nine per cent interest from the date of filing the claim to the date of its order, the commission, comprising the president, Justice J. D. Kapoor, and member Rumnita Mittal asked the company to pay Rs 3,000 also as litigation cost to the respondent, Dharam Pal Machocha, of Lajpat Nagar here.

The commission further said if the insurance companies were allowed to re-assess the market value of the vehicle after the event then the very purpose of receiving the premium against the specific insurance amount would be rendered meaningless would be of no significance.

The National Insurance Co Ltd had preferred an appeal before the commission following an order by the district consumer forum to pay Rs 2,00,000 with interest of nine per cent per annum to Mr Machocha, who had lost his vehicle on May 25, 1999, whereas it was insured on August 26, 1998.

The insurance company, in its appeal, said the respondent was not entitled to any more amount as he had already received Rs 95,000 as full and final settlement of the claim, which was assessed by a surveyor. “Covenants like full and final settlement or without protest have in themselves an element of coercion, arbitrariness and blackmailing the consumer who is caught in the dilemma whether to wait for years to secure the actual loss or accept whatever is offered,” the commission observed.

Partly allowing the insurance company’s appeal by reducing the amount of Rs 2,00,000 by 10 per cent as depreciated value, the commission stated that the legal right of a person always survived if it had been abridged or incised by way of negotiation. 

New Delhi, August 21
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today said Bismillah Khan was a true representative of composite culture of India. She said this in a condolence message on the demise of Bismillah Khan who died today in Varanasi.

At least 450 rural youths from Jammu and Kashmir today met Ms Dikshit at her residence. Dr Shakeel Ahmed Khan, Director General of the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, was also present on the occasion.

The participants paid homage to late Bismillah Khan, the great music maestro.

Two minutes’ silence was observed in his memory with prayers for the peace of his great soul. All observed that Bharat Ratna Bismillah Khan was not just an outstanding musician but a true representative of the composite culture of India a truly noble soul.

New Delhi, August 21
In what can be termed as the first ever exercise of its kind in India, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has sought the opinion of people to find out what kind of designs they would prefer for coaches for the 100 trains to be deployed on the 76-km Phase-II.

This, DMRC officials say, is the normal international practice where public opinion is generally sought from the real end users before the design of coaches they will travel in is finalised.

In India, however, this procedure could not be followed before the launch of Phase-I of the Delhi Metro as at that time people really had no idea or a way to compare or present their opinion on something that was an absolutely brand-new experience for them.

Besides this, between 2002 and now, technology has also grown by leaps and bounds in the international market, giving a tremendous scope for improvement in the designing of coaches.

Though no complaints have been received by the Delhi Metro from metro-enamoured Delhites as far as the comfort level or design of its coaches are concerned, officials say its been nearly four years since the first Metro rail rolled off in the Capital and Delhites are now in a position to give their suggestions for improvement, if any.

So all one has to do is send an e-mail to anuj@delhimetrorail.com or send a letter to the DMRC’s postal address at the NBCC Place in Pragati Vihar till August 25. Others who want to personally air their point of view can do so by visiting the DMRC public relations cell in NBCC Place on August 28 at 3 pm.

For Phase-II the Delhi Metro will be requiring as many as 400 coaches for the 100 trains that will ply between Central Secretariat and Ambedkar Colony, Viswavidyalaya and Jahnagir Puri, IP to New Ashok Nagar to Noida , IP to Yamuna Bank to Anand Vihar and Inder Lok and Mundka . Phase-I has 60 trains with four coaches each for its three routes.

Subsequently, the provider and designs will be finalised.

Meanwhile, the DMRC today awarded the contract for general consultancy for Phase II to a consortium of five companies, Pacific Consultants International (PCI), Parsons Brinckerhoff International, Japan Railway Technical Services, TONICHI Engineering Consultant and RITES Ltd. These companies had earlier provided the consultancy for Phase I of the Delhi Metro Project also.

The agreement was signed by Mr C.B.K. Rao, Director Project and Planning, and Mr Masayoshi Taga, Executive Managing Director, PCI, in the presence of Dr E. Sreedharan, Managing Director.

The consultants will help the DMRC in project planning, programming, monitoring and quality assurance, especially in underground construction, signaling, telecommunications, AFC system, track, ventilation, air-conditioning, BMS and rolling stock and safety, health, environment etc.

According to Mr. A. Shankar Rao, Director of the Narcotics Control Bureau, Delhi, “This is a banned drug and should not be available in the open market but it is reported that it is being sold in some markets in the Capital. It is a major component in preparing banned drugs like Ecstasy and Ice that are consumed in rave 
parties worldwide,” he said.

“Ephedrine is not classified as a dangerous drug in India but its production and sales are restricted and controlled by government agencies.

It is manufactured only by private laboratories which are monitored by the government agencies. We believe some private laboratories are illegally selling these drugs in the open market at a higher price,” he added.

The president of the Delhi Medical Association Dr. K. K. Kapoor said, “We are worried about the recovery of these drugs because they are not only available in the open market but also found in some of the commonly used drugs. They are commonly found in medicines for diabetes, bronchitis, cold, weight loss and muscle building,” he said.

“We are worried because this drug is now being used for unethical and illegal purposes by some private laboratories. Earlier, the drug was sold only on prescription. Since, it is now available in the open market we suspect more people, especially youngsters, could get affected by it,” he added.

In the meantime, the Delhi Police took Toor, the kingpin of the racket, to Mumbai to get more information about his network and those officials 
who had helped him in sending consignments out of country.

The DCP, South-West district, Mr Ravinder Kumar Yadav, said, “He has confessed that he had two more stock houses in Mumbai where he had 
hidden some more 
consignments that were to be sent to the US and
Canada.

Toor had sent over a dozen shipments totaling 500 kg of ephedrine to these countries in the past two years and we suspect that some of the government officials could also be involved in the racket.

The regulated price of ephedrine in India is around Rs 1,200 for one kg but in the international market the drug can fetch even up to a few million dollars,” informed the 
officer. 

New Delhi, August 21
The North Delhi Power Limited (NDPL) today announced that it had become the first power utility in northern India to receive accreditation for its state-of-the-art meter testing lab from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories.

The NABL is an autonomous body established under the aegis of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

The accreditation signifies that the results obtained on testing at NDPL’s lab would be on a par with test results of any laboratory across the globe. At present, there are only 20 such laboratories in India which are recognised.

Gurgaon, August 21
The Haryana government has failed to start a Japanese Hostel-cum-Restaurant whose construction was completed around one and a half years back in the city.

A senior Japanese company representative on the condition of anonymity said that the project, spread over three acres of prime land on National Highway No. 8, opposite to Sector 29, had cost the Haryana State Industries and Infrastructures Development Corporation Limited (HSIIDC) more than Rs 20 crore at that time.

As per today’s market value, the land of the project is worth more than Rs 200 crore.

He further informed that this centrally air-conditioned complex has 100 per cent power back-up. Located opposite to the Management Development Institute (MDI) in Gurgaon,

it has 27 double occupancy suites, 40 single occupancy rooms, a restaurant and bar, a gymnasium with swimming pool, conference and banquet halls and business centre, added the source.

Confirming the delay, the spokesperson of the HSIIDC informed that the department had invited bids to lease out the complex ‘as is where is’ basis initially for 10 years in June last year. The agreement was planned to be renewed at a rate of 25 per cent increase after five years. The day-to-day maintenance would be the responsibility of the successful bidder.
Last year, the department received a total of 32 bids, out of which 21 were rejected and 11 discussed. The HSIIDC had fixed a minimum reserved price of Rs 22 per sq ft per month. However, the deal was not finalised as the state government had wanted to give it to a company which had an experience of Japanese food and culture.

However, the spokesperson added that a high-level meeting was held recently under the chairmanship of the HSIIDC’s chairman and Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Mr M L Tayal in which it was decided that the fresh bids would soon be invited to hire out the premises to the deserving company so that the hostel-cum-restaurant complex can be started immediately. Preference would be given to those companies or agencies, which are conversant with the management of hotel or hostel catering to Japanese food, culture and lifestyle.

Here, it is pertinent to mention that Haryana, particularly Gurgaon, has attracted a good amount of investment from leading Japanese companies.

The Japanese representative informed that as per the study conducted by Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), Japanese companies have evinced keen interest in the fields of automobiles, IT, textiles and agriculture in the state.

Japanese investment in India is set to increase threefold to 600 million dollar this year from the last year’s levels of 200 million dollars, added the source. 

Noida, August 21
The fast development of the area has thrown up a variety of possibilities and hazards in Noida. On the one hand, unscrupulous people seem to be in a race to build commercial complexes on the cheap ‘abadi’ land, available within the boundaries of villages in Noida. On the other, Noida authority rules that they are illegal buildings and must be razed.

In Nithari village, Sector-31 Noida, Krishna Complex was to be razed by Noida authority squads yesterday. But Dehat Morcha which has its office in the complex and others had collected hundreds of villagers to oppose it. The Noida authority team which had police presence in strength could not demolish the buildings, though orders for it had come from Lucknow.

According Noida officials, the Krishna complex is built on village ‘abadi’ land where commercial activity could not be allowed.

Farmers and Dehat Morcha activists said that this complex was being demolished owing to political jealousy as VP Singh and Jan Marcha organizers had visited this place. Since Dehat Morcha and Jan Morcha are opposing the Samajwadi Party government, Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav wants it to be demolished.

Dr Sunil Awana, the owner of the complex, says he has not yet received any notice from Noida authority on this issue. The government order for razing Krishna complex in Nithari is so strict that even the leave of SSP has reportedly been cancelled for it. The complex in Sector-31 is situated opposite Sector-26 and near Army Sector 25. Showrooms, coaching centres, offices and shops are located in the complex. 

Noida, August 21
The sale of forms for Noida’s scheme of HIG flats has not picked up. With only a few days left for the close of the scheme, only 10,000 forms have been sold.

However, Noida Authority officials are confident that not a single flat will be left unsold.

According to the Chief Executive Officer, Noida, Sanjiv Saran, “Some 465 applications have already been received and I shall be the happiest person if we have as many applications as the number of the flats available so that we don’t have to conduct the draw and allot the flats to all the genuine applicants.”

On the other hand, the indications are that the common man seems to have rejected the schemes, say the observers.

A draw for 395 HIG flats in Sector-105 on the Expressway will be conducted through lottery. The registration amount of Rs 6 lakh to be deposited along with the applications for the scheme, is being perceived as a dampener for the scheme.

The authority has virtually sold out the forms but there is no time to reprint the forms. Over 12,000 forms were printed which have been sold out.

Private builders, however, claim that they have better flats than the ones being offered by the Noida Authority which they can offer at cheaper rates. Total price, after registration of these flats can touch Rs 45 lakh. Despite the high price, people say quality of construction of flat, is not matching.

Noida CEO, Mr Saran has ruled out the possibility of extending the last date for this scheme which closes on Wednesday.

New Delhi, August 21
Acting against the ongoing illegal constructions, the MCD today demolished four such residential buildings that were being built on the Palam-Dabri Road in South-West Delhi.

The four buildings were being constructed by private builders in the Mahaveer Enclave locality without requisite sanctions from the MCD, according to a civic body official. MCD bulldozers carried out the demolition under heavy police deployment, the official said.