New Delhi, November 4
The Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee has taken a “stern” view of the failure of the MCD to resume the sealing drive against unauthorised business establishments and has told the court about it.

The three-member committee in its report, which it submitted to the court yesterday, has taken into account the “repeated failure” of the MCD in resuming the sealing drive despite its directions to do so, sources told reporters.

The sources said the committee has detailed the “factual position” with regard to the sealing drive, especially the developments over the last few days when the action, that was earlier scheduled to resume on November one, was repeatedly deferred in the wake of a three-day bandh and the violence that followed.

The monitoring committee has, however, not made any recommendations with regard to whether the non-resumption of the court-ordered drive amounted to contempt as it was for the court to decide, the sources said.

The court may initiate contempt of court proceedings against MCD and Delhi Police for not resuming the sealing of about 41,000 commercial premises who had filed affidavit of undertakings as ordered on September 29.

Despite having given an undertaking to the court that the traders would cease their commercial activities on their own latest by June 30 and the deadline being extended till October 31, the sealing was not resumed from November 1 due to agitation by traders and the monitoring committee had directed the MCD to start sealing from today.

The police commissioner had been asked to provide security to MCD officials on sealing duty but the process was not resumed by the authorities on the grounds that there may be a serious law and order problem.

The Supreme Court is scheduled going to hear the applications filed by the Centre, Delhi Government and MCD seeking deferment of sealing drove on Monday.

The court is also likely to consider the recommendations of the monitoring committee.—Agencies

New Delhi, November 4
Delhi Government today said that it was hopeful of surpassing the target for collections under the Value Added Tax (VAT) regime and the sealing drive was unlikely to impact the revenue mop-up from traders.

“In view of the present healthy situation on the financial front, we are hopeful to surpass the target of Rs 6,500 crore in the current fiscal year,” the Delhi Sales Tax Commissioner, Ms Archana Arora, said.

The state government had collected more than half of the targeted revenue from VAT for 2006-07 in the first seven months ending October, she said. The collections were growing by 17 percent on an average per month compared to the previous year, she added. “However, since 65 percent of the total earnings is contributed by our 700-odd key dealers who will have negligible impact of the sealing. We don’t expect much effect on revenue receipts due to sealing,” she said.

The collections touched Rs 8,939 crore in 2005-06 compared to Rs 7,106 crore in 2004-05, when VAT was introduced in the national Capital. “For the convenience of the traders submitting over Rs 50 lakh tax, online return file facility has also been started,” Ms Arora said.—OC

New Delhi, November 4
Even as temperature during evening and morning hours has come down, there is no let up in dengue cases. The viral disease claimed three more lives in the Capital taking the death toll to 61, while 58 fresh cases were registered in various hospitals across the city.

Sheela Devi (35) from Gurgaon, Rajesh (28), a resident of Karawal Nagar, and Shivani (11) from Kalkaji died at AIIMS during the last 24 hours, the hospital sources said.

The Board of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) reviewed deaths suspected to have been caused by dengue and found that six persons had died due to other complications.

The official dengue death toll, which was 57 yesterday, has been revised to 54.

With 58 fresh cases, the total number of dengue patients in the Capital rose to 2,872, civic health officials said.

New Delhi, November 4
Merely 1.5 per cent of the world population is estimated to be affected by vitiligo, a skin disorder commonly known as leucoderma, but its effects can be so distressing that sufferers are known to contemplate suicide.

Vitiligo is, in fact not a disease at all but a cosmetic disorder that occurs due to the loss of dark pigments (cells- medically termed asmelanocytes / melanin) from the skin. It can affect men, women and children of any age.

For some reason Indians are more susceptible to the disorder than people of other races. According to an on-line survey on website (www.leucoderma.com) run by Dr Rajesh Shah, around 8-9 per cent of Indians are affected by vitiligo. Though a fairly harmless condition, society tends to look down upon the victims. They often face discrimination and scorn from ‘normal’ people. There are also many myths associated with it. Some think it is contagious, while most consider it as incurable.

“Vitiligo is a social disorder,” points out Dr S.A. Raza, a Patna-based Homoeopathic medical practitioner.

He narrates the case of a young girl affected by vitiligo who felt restless, lonely, depressed and considered herself to be a burden on her family. She was mocked by her friends so often that she eventually lost faith in the medicines prescribed by him and lapsed into a state of depression Her parents and Dr Raza had a tough time in convincing her to take the medicines and think of life in a broader perspective. “We have to address the inferiority complex that often besets such people. They need a social support.”

Dr Raza claims to have treated thousands of people suffering from vitiligo. He insists that Homeopathy can cure the disorder by restoring pigmentation, although it is a long process.

So what does a victim of vitiligo should do in general as far as lifestyle is concerned? A person suffering from vitiligo / leucoderma should avoid citrus fruits, onion, brinjal, yoghurt, pickles, tomatoes and restrain from non-vegetarian food items. It seems that the flesh consumed by vitiligo sufferers form distinct body cells that react with the person’s body cells and, hence, lead to melanin loss.

‘Achromia’ is the medical term for vitiligo. It is not caused due to impure blood formation or germs. Vitiligo is unpredictable, and can spread anywhere on the body at any age. It is a common myth that vitiligo is genetic. However, it is not necessary that the children of a victim of vitiligo would also suffer from the same disorder. Excessive mental worry, acute gastric problems, jaundice, a defective respiratory mechanism and burns are also believed to be causative factors of leucoderma.

Apart from Homeopathy, Ayurveda too is effective in ‘curing’ vitiligo. Besides these, Yoga too helps in vitiligo. Presently, NBUVB, an Allopathic treatment (narrow band ultra-violet light of type B) is being used worldwide to ‘cure’ it.

Vitiligo is a cosmetic disorder that leads to numerous psychological disturbances, but does not cause any organic harm and is curable. To get cured of vitiligo / leucoderma, both the doctor and the sufferer have to be patient.

Faridabad, November 4
In order to make village panchayats more accountable, the state government has made it compulsory to hold at least three meetings of the Gram Sabha in a year in which the head of the panchayat would have to respond to the queries of the people and produce the accounts of the funds used in various schemes in the village.

Earlier, two meetings were required to be held, but they were not organised and no action was taken against anybody. It has been announced now that any sarpanch not holding the meeting would lose his or her post immediately.

This decision was made public recently at the time of holding a meeting on October 27 in the district. The panchayats organized the meeting of the Gram Sabha in all the 279 villages.

The district administration had organized training-cum-awareness programme for the officials, employees and members of the elected bodies under the Panchayati Raj Act on October 24 at MCF Auditorium here.

Addressing the participants, the District Development and Panchayat Officer (DDPO), Mr Devinder Singh Surjewala, said though the practice of holding the meeting of the Gram Sabha had been introduced as soon as the Act came into force, the main change introduced this time was raising the number of such meetings to three instead of two.

He said according to the Act, any sarpanch who failed to comply with this order would stand to lose the job.

He said the heads and members of various elected bodies had been told in clear terms that they would have to involve the residents in the process of development and every resident had a right to question any decision or work in the meeting of Gram Sabha.

He said if the sarpanch failed to provide a satisfactory answer or there was any irregularity in the work, the district authorities were authorized to take action into the matter.

Claiming that holding three meetings on pre-decided dates which include February 27, May 27 and October 27 in a year would lead to more transparency in the work of the village panchayats and motivate the majority of the people to supervise the ongoing works, and report the lacuna, if any.

He claimed that there was lots of enthusiasm in the people during the meeting held on October 27 and claimed that it would check any misuse of the funds by the sarpanches or the elected representatives.

There have been a total of 3,182 elected representatives of the village panchayats and 25 members of the Zila Parishad in the district at present, besides 139 members of the Panchayat Samitis.

New Delhi, November 4
The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) took out a procession of Nagar Kirtan in the Capital today.

The procession was started from Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib and after passing through Chandni Chowk, Fatehpuri, Khari Baoli, Lahori Gate, Qutab Road, Teliwara, Azad Market, Pul Bangash, Roshan Ara Road, Ghanta Ghar, Sabzi Mandi, Rana Pratap Bagh, it terminated at Gurdwara Nanak Piao Sahib.

New Delhi, November 4
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has said that sacrifices made by freedom fighters in the freedom struggle of the country should always be remembered for strengthening the unity and integrity of the nation.

Mr Hooda was speaking at the 13th All India Conference of Freedom Fighters and 4th All India Conference of the Successors of Freedom Fighters at Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh today.

While lauding the role of freedom fighters, Mr Hooda said that the welfare of freedom fighters and their successors is the priority of his government.

He said that in Haryana, the pension of freedom fighters has been increased from Rs 1400 to Rs 5125 per month.

The freedom fighters and their successors have congratulated the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, for enhancing the ‘Samman Pension’ of freedom fighters. The conference also called upon the Central Government and state government to grant the freedom fighters’ families the status of ‘Rashtria Parivar’.

New Delhi, November 4
A 100-year-old woman has successfully undergone gall bladder laparoscopic operation here and this could well find a place in the record books.

Gowardhan Kaur underwent the surgery at a private hospital on October 27 and is now back to her normal routine, said Dr Arun Prasad, the surgeon who operated on her.

Kaur had been suffering from acute pain due to multiple gall stones and could not bear the idea of daily injections to control pain.

Her son Dr Anant Ahluwalia then approached Dr Prasad, Senior Consultant, Apollo Hospital, who was reluctant to do the surgery citing her old age.

Dr Prasad then got her medical tests done and found that her heart, liver, lungs and kidney were perfectly normal, after which the operation was carried out.

The doctors have sent the case to the Guinness and Limca Book of Records for recognition.— PTI

New Delhi, November 4
The Ganguly Commission report makes nursery admissions in the Capital an even more arduous task for parents, especially for those who are uneducated.

The ‘tough’ regulations make it mandatory for nursery schools all over Delhi to handle admissions together through a single application form that will be available from December 1. All applications will have to be processed within a fortnight. Interview sessions with parents and children have been called off.

The High Court has accepted all conditions of the Ganguly Committee report much to the dissatisfaction of most schools.—TNS

New Delhi, November 4
A local court has issued summons against 14 persons, including six doctors and two close aides of slain BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, who were chargesheeted by Delhi Police for destruction of evidence related to Rahul Mahajan drug abuse case.

The Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate also directed the police to invoke relevant provisions regarding fabrication of evidence and giving false information to a public servant under Sections 193 and 177 of the IPC.

Six doctors – Anupam Sibal, Prasad Rao, Awdesh Bansal, Mukund Pandey, Ali Mohammed Ganai and Abha Gupta – and six staff of Apollo hospital were directed to appear in person before the court on January 12 next year.

Pramod Mahajan’s close aides, Sudhanshu Mittal and Harish Sharma, have also been summoned on the same day.

The Delhi Police on Wednesday had filed a chargesheet accusing Apollo Hospital’s Management and its doctors of conspiring to deliberately mislead the probe into alleged drug abuse by Rahul Mahajan.

The chargesheet filed before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate alleged that the private hospital and its six doctors, at the instance of a close acquaintance of the family of late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, committed the offence to save Rahul.

The doctors abetted Mittal and Sharma in giving false information regarding the toxic state of Rahul, the chargesheet said.

Noida, November 4
A bus carrying 21 members of a marriage party turned turtle due to high speed on Expressway, killing two persons. All ‘baraties’ were injured.

The bus driver was drunk, police said.

Six ‘baraties’ are in a serious condition in district hospital. The police have seized the bus, but the driver has absconded.

The bus was taking the marriage party of Karmveer, son of Suraj of Gerpur village to Palwal after his marriage with Neetu, daughter of Zile Singh of Kasna village in the wee hours yesterday.

The bus driver was said to be drunk and was plying the bus at a fast speed even after people had advised him to go slow. Suddenly the bus turned turtle on Expressway with a bang at 3.30 am. There were 40 persons in the bus. The driver jumped out and fled away. The police patrol jeep soon reached the site and rushed the injured to district hospital.

But Mumraj, 17 and another person who could not be identified had died. Fifteen injured were discharged after first aid from hospital.

In another mishap at NTPC Road in Greater Noida, a tractor hit a motorcyclist, killing the son-mother duo on the spot while another person was injured in this accident.

Sanju, wife of Anil Kumar of Patari in Bulandshahr, was coming to Dadri on a bike along with her brother Ashok and her one-year-old son Priyanshu. A tractor coming from behind hit them, killing Sanju and her son on the spot while Ashok was seriously injured. Ashok was rushed to a Dadri hospital by police.

Noida, November 4
Two women in Sectors 9 and 10 Noida have died in suspicious circumstances after drinking tap water.

Their family members alleged that the women died after drinking polluted water supplied by Jal Board. Local residents from the jhuggi clusters demonstrated for hours with the bodies of the deceased.

On people’s demand, samples of water have been sent to lab for testing. However, police said both the women had been ill for some time and died of some disease.

Subhanti Devi, 20, was living with her husband Verinder Prasad. On Friday she had drunk water from tap and after an hour she complained of stomach pain. She had vomited before her death.

Neetu a resident of A-107 Sector 10, lived with her husband Santosh. She had also drunk water from the tap and then died after vomiting.

There was anger among people when reports of two women dying after drinking water spread in the area. Hundreds of residents of jhuggis demonstrated with bodies on the road.

The SP (City) said both the women Subhanti and Neetu had been under treatment in civil hospital and were later referred to SGTB Hospital Shahdara and Lady Harding Hospital in New Delhi respectively. 

Gurgaon, November 4
Gurgaon police have lodged an FIR against Kulwinder Singh for employing a minor girl child under Sections 23, 26 of Juvenile Justice Act, Sections 3, 14 of Child Labour (Prohibition and Registration) Act, Sections 342 and 371 of IPC.

The Senior Superintendent of Police said that Kulwinder Singh, a resident of Palam Vihar has been absconding after the lodging of the FIR.

A Faridabad-based NGO, Shakti Vahini, came to know that Rupa, a 13 years old girl child was working at Kulwinder Singh’s residence. Mr Singh was allegedly not providing her basic facilities and salary. Rupa used to handle all household works, including washing and cleaning of the owner’s car.

A relative of the girl had brought her to Delhi three years back from her village Bopul in Jharkhand. Rupa was hired by Kulwinder Singh through a private placement agency.

On the complaint, the police raided the place, recovered the girl and sent her to a women shelter at Karnal till her relatives would come to take her back home.

However, a relative of Mr Kulwinder said that they had provided everything, including food and salary to her. Rupa must have been misguided by someone, complained the relative. 

New Delhi, November 4
The police today claimed to have solved a ‘self-hatched’ kidnapping case by one Soni Lal (25).

One Raja Ram, a resident of Ghondli, had reported that his son Soni Lal was kidnapped in Hardwar and the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of Rs 2 lakh.

During investigations, it was found that the ransom calls were allegedly made from the cell phone of Soni Lal and the amount was to be deposited in the account of the victim.

After tracing the call details and the use of ATM card of Soni Lal, the police found that the ‘kidnappers’ were travelling between Haldwani, Haridwar, Dehradun and Mussouri.

Some ATM booths were identified which were used by the ‘kidnappers’ from time to time to check whether the ransom amount was deposited or not. The police claimed that three days after the ransom money was deposited, Soni Lal was caught attempting to withdraw money from an ATM booth in Hardwar.

During interrogation, Soni Lal allegedly confessed to having staged the kidnapping drama to repay his debt of Rs 50 thousand, the DCP, East, said.—OC

New Delhi, November 4
The North-West district police today claimed to have arrested five auto-lifters Jaiveer (18), Deepak (18), Vikram (20), Javed (30) and Mumtaz (32) from Narela area. Two stolen motorcycles and one tempo have allegedly been  recovered from their possession.

The accused allegedly confessed to having indulged in vehicle-theft to make easy money, the police said.