New Delhi, November 14
The Economic Survey report released by Delhi Minister of Finance and Planning Dr A. K. Walia today indicated the present fiscal status of Delhi, which is almost at par with full-fledged states.

The survey report of Delhi for the year 2005-2006 was prepared by Planning Department, Government of Delhi. It is fourth in the series of survey started by the Government.

The survey provides analytical data for a large number of sectors like public finance, prices, environment, industries, energy, transport, urban development, sanitation, education, health, social welfare, rural development and trade & commerce etc.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT * Delhi has a vibrant economy; no fiscal deficit-fiscal surplus of Rs 245 crore * Total tax collection Rs 8,939 crore; 26% more than previous year * Delhi’s per capita income around 2.5 times of the national average * Per capita expenditure on education Rs 1,445 against national figure of Rs 752; per capita expenditure on health Rs 617 against national figure of Rs 189.

Dr Walia said that there was a fiscal surplus of Rs 245 crore in 2005-2006. This is a distinct fiscal scenario in case of Delhi as almost all other states are facing problem of controlling their fiscal deficit. Delhi Government’s outstanding block loan now stands cleared since it has prepaid the entire loan and no further such loan is being released by the Government of India as per the recommendation of the 12th Finance Commission. The grant received by 0Delhi Government in lieu of share in Central Taxes remained stagnant at Rs 325 crore for last five years.

The survey reveals that Delhi’s own tax revenue was 7.83 per cent of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in 2004-2005 as compared to all states level of 6 per cent of GDP during the year.

The GSDP of Delhi at current prices was estimated at Rs 90,733 crore during 2004-2005 indicating 12.6 per cent growth over the previous year. Net State

Domestic Product at current prices for the year 2004-2005 is estimated at Rs 83,085 crore with a growth of 12.4 per cent over the previous year.

Dr Walia added that trade, hotels and restaurants taken together accounted for 19.63 per cent of GSDP of Delhi in 2004-2005. The contribution of this sector in the GSDP has increased from Rs 15,165 crore in 2002-2003 to Rs 19,526 crore in 2004-2005 indicating an annual growth of 10.31 per cent during the first three years of 10th Five Year Plan. 

New Delhi, November 14
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today inaugurated Delhi Pavilion at India International Trade Fair–2006. The pavilion has been projected as a happening place with major infrastructural projects like Metro, flyovers and elevated Ring Roads.

The concept of designing is based on the Commonwealth Games – 2010 wherein the upper part of the facade has been designed to give a face-lift resembling a stadium and Metro link from Cannaught Place to airport—that is what the city will look like in 2010.

Addressing the gathering, Ms Dikshit added that the interior of the pavilion is a mini replica of Connaught Place. The concept of showcasing the Delhi Pavilion this year is, “how the game in 2010 will enhance tourism and generate opportunities for Small and Medium Enterprises”.

She further said the idea was to display all the changes that the Capital had witnessed over last few years.

The Chief Minister added that the Delhi had observed various infrastructure constraints over the last few years necessitating special emphasis on promotion of industries which could achieve optimum level of production without large demands on factory space, power, and also provide employment to skilled personnel. The thrust is on the establishment of hi-tech, environment-friendly, IT and IT-related services in Delhi.

Apart from this, traditional industries like handicrafts, handloom, leather goods and household industries are also being promoted. The growth of industries in Delhi will be in line with this approach.

Delhi Industry Minister Mangat Ram Singhal said that Delhi was bound to emerge as one of the biggest centres of small-scale industries in the country and there was a great need to give right direction for the growth of small-scale industries.

He added that Delhi had a large conglomerate nature to attract commerce, trade and industry and as the Capital of the country, it had comparative advantages in terms of availability of infrastructure.

New Delhi, November 14
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi today sealed 261 units. As many as 129 units in South Zone and 132 units in Najafgarh Zone were sealed.

Two prominent buildings were sealed in South Zone in Qutab Institutional Area for misuse of land. A multi-storey building belonging to Vaitalik Cultural Association was sealed. The land for this building situated at A-8 QIA was allotted by DDA at a very nominal price for promotion of cultural activities. But the allottees misused the premises.

A number of prominent corporate offices, including the one belonging to the Department of Science and Technology and other Government offices were sealed in the building.

A five-storey building in Qutab Institutional area allotted for promotion of Tibetian Art and Culture was misused. The land was allotted to the Institute for Research on Ladhaki Art and Culture, but the cultural society started running commercial activities there.

The other major properties sealed in South Zone include Satyapal Fashion Designer’s Boutique Showroom, CRC Furniture Showroom, Avlon Apartment comprising Guest Houses on third and fourth floors, DSIDC Wine Shop and Empire Estate Building, a prominent-showroom of stone artifacts.

The major properties sealed in Najafarh Zone include Lacoste Showroom, IFB Showroom, Maya Toys, Car Mart (Maruti Showroom), Giovani Restaurant, Eminent Furniture Showroom, Concept Furniture Showroom and Adidas Shoe Showroom.

The sealing operation was peacefully conducted, a spokesman of the MCD said.

New Delhi, November 14
The annual 14-day ordeal of Delhiites began today with the inauguration of the India International Trade Fair at Pragati Maidan here. Traffic in most parts of the city was thrown out of gear with the closure of some of the arterial roads in the vicinity of the fair site and diversion of traffic because of VVIP movement in the morning.

The section of Ring Road and some of the adjoining roads were closed for several hours in the morning as the VVIPs made a beeline for Shanti Van to pay tribute to the first Prime Minister of India, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru on his birth anniversary today.

The commuters, who were caught in the rush hour traffic snarls, cursed the authorities for not shifting the fair to some other location as has been demanded over the years. It took the traffic policemen best part of the day to restore some order on the Capital’s roads.

The traffic from East Delhi and adjoining areas of Ghaziabad and Noida was particularly affected and long traffic snarls were seen on ITO Bridge and Vikas Marg since morning.

Commuters claimed that despite the claims of the authorities of foolproof arrangements and the extension of the Metro to the fair grounds, things continued to be bad. “If this is the situation on a normal working day, imagine what will happen over the weekend,” lamented an irate commuter who was caught in the jam at ITO Crossing.

Like in the previous years, the autorickshaw drivers had a field day, demanding and getting exorbitant rates from passengers as the public transport system reeled from heavy passenger traffic.

The traffic snarls and related problems have once again given rise to a debate whether the fair should be allowed to continue at Pragati Maidan or shifted to a more secluded space out of the city limits. The majority of Delhiites would prefer the annual event to be shifted to prevent such problems.

Adding to the traffic chaos was a demonstration led by BJP leader and former Union Minister Vijay Goel against the holding of the fair while thousands of traders in the Capital were being virtually driven out of business due to the sealing drive.

Noida, November 14
Though the police have set up seven teams for working out the kidnapping of little Anant from Noida's posh Sector15-A yesterday and a Special Task Force team from Lucknow has also joined in the hunt for the kidnappers, there is little progress in the sensational case which has shattered the myth of security in hi-profile sectors. The claims of the Noida police as well as the dependability of private security agencies being liberally hired these days has also been torn into shreds.

November 13 proved unlucky for the family of Naresh Kumar Gupta, CEO of Adobe. Now, all hopes are pinned on police efforts.

According to the police, Anant's abduction appears to be well planned. The kidnappers appear to be professional criminals. After getting away from Sector 15-A, the criminals are understood to have entered Mayur Vihar in Delhi after going past the Noida police control room in a car.

The kidnappers had chosen a timing when the child's father was away to the USA. They appear to have detailed knowledge about the family members and their daily routine. They seem to have performed a recce of the whole area, noticing the timing of the school bus, the route to be taken and that the security guards at two gates of the sector paid scant attention to those on motorbikes.

They had covered the bike's number plate as well as their faces. The entire operation took hardly a minute. Within three minutes, the criminals had passed by the Noida police control room into Delhi. They are suspected to be linked to a notorious gang. The possibility of dreaded criminal Yashbir Fauji's hand in the kidnapping is also not ruled out.

Another possibility is the kidnappers had handed over the child to their colleagues in a four-wheeler and themselves sped away after removing the paper pasted on the bike's number plate.

"Oh my God, my son" is all that Ms Nidhi Gupta could utter on getting the bad news and breaking down into tears. Now, the entire family is praying and beseeching God that their beloved Anant is restored back to them soon and in good health.

Noida has witnessed nine kidnappings of children in recent years.

A student was abducted this year while getting into a bus of Amity School, Sector 44. The police had recovered him in good health. The same year, five-year-old Macs was abducted from Nithari, Sector 31. He has not been traced till date.

Another five-year-old was kidnapped from Harola this year. He was recovered by the police from Rajasthan and the kidnappers arrested. A five-year-old kidnapped from Chhijarsi was later recovered from Ghaziabad in 2005.

New Delhi, November 14
The three-day 59th Annual Nirankari Sant Samagam concluded here late last evening with call for love and peace from His Holiness Baba Hardev Singh Ji Maharaj, Head of the Sant Nirankari Mission.

He said the power of love and not love for power can bring peace.

Baba Ji said that today the earth seems to be thirsty for love. We find hatred and violence all around. While lack of love turns man into beast, the power of love can make him a God. It is unfortunate that man has failed to adopt this noble feeling of love in spite of the teachings of the saints, gurus and prophets, the holy scriptures and a host of examples in history. Baba Ji pointed out that hatred never produced peace and prosperity; for this man has always needed love.

His Holiness said that this is the reason why saints and sages have always counselled man to be linked with God, the supreme source of love.

New Delhi, November 14
The Delhi Police have begun a “parallel investigation” into the sensational abduction of a top executive’s son in neighbouring Noida keeping in view the possibility of the kidnappers sneaking into the Capital.

The anti-kidnapping wing of the Crime Branch and Special Cell have been alerted and are on the assignment of collecting inputs about the activities of various criminal gangs operating in the Capital, a senior police official said here.

“There is a possibility of the kidnappers sneaking into the Capital as Delhi is a neighbouring state. We are also not ruling out the possibility of the involvement of criminals here in the abduction. Beat constables of all nine districts have been alerted to keep an eye on suspicious movement and development,” he said.

Anant, the son of the CEO of Adobe Systems, Naresh Gupta, was abducted by two motorcycle-borne youths yesterday while he was waiting for his school bus outside his residence along with the family’s maid servant.

New Delhi, November 14
A 26-year-old businessman dealing in computers was shot dead in a busy locality in North-East Delhi today.

Kishan Kumar, a resident of New Usmanpur, was shot by two unidentified persons near Brahmapuri, while he was riding a motorcycle with his relative.

According to police, the motorcycle borne assailants intercepted his two-wheeler and fired at his temple point-blank. He died on the spot. Police officials added that the victim’s family suspect the involvement of one Pradeep Tomar, who had an old grudge against Kumar.

Meanwhile, an FIR has been lodged at the New Usmanpur police station and the police reportedly, have registered a case of murder against the unidentified miscreants. 

New Delhi, November 14
A 55-year-old former Border Security Force (BSF) officer made an immolation bid near the police headquarters at the busy ITO crossing in Central Delhi this afternoon.

He doused himself with some liquid at the ITO crossing and ran towards the Police Headquarters. He fell near the PHQ gate due to severe burn injuries. He was taken to the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital by the police personnel deployed there where his condition is said to be critical.

Police said he sustained 90% burn injuries and was not fit to make a statement. The reason behind the suicide attempt is not immediately known.

However, local sources said that he was being victimized by the local police. He was arrested five times by the local police in a false property dispute case.

In recent arrest, he got bail but the valuables seized by the local police at the time of arrest were not handed over to him. A resident of DDA flats in Hastal, near Uttam Nagar in West Delhi, Shashi had taken voluntary retirement from the BSF some time back.

Gurgaon, November 14
The State Vigilance Bureau (SVB) caught a superintending engineer (SE) of irrigation posted at Narnaul red-handed while taking a bribe of Rs 10,000 from a contractor.

The SVB Superintendent of Police, Mr Rajbir Deswal, said Mr S. K. Garg had allegedly taken Rs 1 lakh from a contractor, Kawar Singh, for clearing a pending bill. Kawar Singh alleged in his complaint to the SVB the SE was demanding Rs 10,000 more for clearing the bill.

Mr Jagtar Singh, City Magistrate, Narnaul, was appointed duty magistrate. As Kawar Singh gave Rs 10,000 to Mr Garg, the SVB team raided the premises and arrested the SE red-handed.—OC

Gurgaon, November 14
Mr Jasbir Singh, former manager of HUDA Gymkhana Club, Sector 29, died under mysterious circumstances this morning.

His body was found hanging from a tree in a park in Sector 40 in the early hours today. He had reportedly left his house in the morning after informing his wife he was going on his routine morning walk.

Senior Superintendent of Police Hanif Qureshi informed The Tribune there was no clear evidence to establish the cause of his death. No suicide note was found near his body or at his residence. No injuries were reported on his body, added the SSP.—OC