New Delhi, December 2
Delhi Chief Minister, Ms Sheila Dikshit, today said that the fruit and vegetables market at Azadpur would soon be re-modelled to make it a ‘Mandi’ of international repute.

Azadpur Mandi, the Asia’s largest market, is recognised as a market of national importance.

Ms Dikshit today dedicated a modern air-conditioned office complex with a total covered area of 6,600 square metres, constructed at a cost of Rs 10 crore and a modern air-conditioned Kisan Bhawan sprawling in an area of 4,000 square metres constructed at a cost of Rs 7 crore to the fruit and vegetables traders and their employees at Azadpur.

The CM further said that all the ‘Mandis’ in Delhi would soon have such modern office complexes and Kisan Bhawans within next two years.

Inaugurating the new buildings, she expressed confidence that the new infrastructure would help in better management and increase in the earnings of traders apart from providing amenities at reasonable rates to the visiting traders for their comfortable stay.

She assured that a modern cold store would also be made functional in the ‘mandi’ to provide relief to those farmers who are forced to sell their products at throw-away prices fearing the damaging of their products.

Ms Dikshit said, “With our continuous efforts, we have been able to bring Delhi Metro service at the doorsteps of traders of Azadpur Mandi. A flyover would be constructed at a cost of Rs 200 crore at Mukarba Chowk to provide relief to a large number of traders visiting the Mandi from various states.”

The CM added that Delhi Government was committed to safeguard interest of every section of the society, including traders and their employees. The government had recently constituted a traders’ advisory committee to avail benefit of valued views of traders in all important matters concerning betterment of trade and commerce in Delhi, she claimed.

Speaking on the occasion, the Delhi Social Welfare Minister, Mr Rajkumar Chauhan, announced that an integrated facility centre for sorting, grading, packaging and electronic auctioning for fruit and vegetables would be set-up at Azadpur, apart from computerisation and e-commerce facilities at Azadpur.

A new fruit market at Tikri Khamphur would be developed to decongest the Azadpur mandi, he said.

The fruit and vegetable market presently known as Chaudhary Hira Singh Market was set-up by Azadpur Market Committee.

It is spread over 76-acre area. There are 118 notified commodities of fruit and vegetables available for transaction in the market. Daily arrival of fruit and vegetable was around 13,000 tonnes, the Minister said.

New Delhi, December 2
In the wake of continued sealing operations in various parts of Delhi, including DDA flats, trade leaders will observe a “Sealing Chetna Week” from Monday by holding a meeting of traders at Hari Nagar.

The Chairman and President of the Delhi unit of CAIT, Mr Murli Mani and Mr Ranesh Khanna, respectively, claimed more than 500 trade bodies of the Capital would take part in various protest programmes during the week.

They also informed that in week-long protests here the trade bodies would observe dharnas, protest rallies, day-long fast and a torch march.

Several meetings will also be held in different markets where political leaders will be invited to express solidarity with traders.

Meanwhile, prominent CAIT leaders, including Mr Narender Madan and Mr Shyam Sharma, along with other trade activists will offer themselves for arrest. CAIT General Secretary Narender Madan said sealing operations in DDA flats had generated much hue and cry among traders.

Mr Madan asked Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy to immediately direct the authorities concerned not to carry sealing anywhere in Delhi as announced by him in Parliament and introduce Master Plan 2021 before January 31.

He also demanded the constitution of a special task force comprising  officials and traders to look into the issues and problems requiring remedial measures in Master Plan 2021.

Mr Madan also reiterated his demand to slash conversion charges which were on a very higher side and beyond the pocket of a common trader.

CAIT has also decided to meet Mr Ajay Maken, Minister of State in the Ministry of Urban Development, to apprise him of the immediate concerns of Delhi traders.

Noida, December 2
The Noida Authority has incurred a reprimand from the Commissioner, Right to Information, UP. The Commissioner has asked the Noida Authority to refund the fee received from the public under the RTI Act.

The Noida authority had inserted press advertisements in a leading Hindi daily. The advertisement said those who wanted to appeal under the RTI Act would have to pay a fee of Rs 400 plus Rs 100 if they wanted a copy of the decision. It has been pointed out this decision of the Noida Authority was arbitrary and against the spirit and provisions of the Act

The state Information Commissioner, Mr Jatinder Sharma, said a notice had been issued to the Noida Authority in this connection. The Authority has been asked to correct its illegal decision and also refund the money deposited by any applicant within a week.

The matter had been brought to the notice of the Information Commissioner by the people who, after studying the rules on the subject, had immediately pronounced his decision.

While levying the fees, the Noida Authority had reasoned the money obtained as fee would meet the expenses on postage, photostat etc. The RTI Commissioner had questioned the Noida Authority’s format for the application. Tantamount to this, applications are being accepted on plain paper now.

Ghaziabad, December 2
The police resorted to firing to disperse a mob of farmers who were opposing the cut in irrigation channels in Kukrana area by the technicians working at a power project site.

Though no one was wounded in the firing, it created a panic among farmers.

Yudhishter Shashodia, president of Kisan Sangarsh Samiti, said the power project technicians had allegedly cut the irrigation channel near Kukarana with a JCB machine, which had stopped the flow of irrigation water to the fields of farmers.

Opposing the move, a large number of farmers from nearby villages gathered at the spot. A large posse of policemen and PAC jawan on duty at the power project site resorted to firing to disperse the group of farmers. It resulted in a commotion as farmers were seen running helter shelter in panic.

The firing infuriated the farmers who were later joined by tillers of land from nearby villages.

SDM Hapur and SO police station have, however, denied the firing by the policemen at farmers. 

New Delhi, December 2
The SOS Children’s Villages of India conducted a nationwide campaign ‘Say No to HIV/AIDS’ as part of its efforts in making the world a safe and better one to live.

The campaign, in which children, co-workers, mothers and members of the community participated, was dedicated towards the cause of eradicating the greatest scourges of the world, AIDS.

Under the initiative, a series of events were organised across Children’s Villages in the country to promote knowledge and awareness regarding the spread, prevention and removing misconceptions regarding HIV and AIDS.

The SOS Children’s Villages, an organisation working for children in need, has been actively involved in HIV/AIDS issues and has worked through education, advocacy and family strengthening programmes. Under the initiative, a two-week puppetry workshop was also organised in SOS Faridabad under the aegis of Ishaara Trust.

New Delhi, December 2
“Medical science has progressed a lot, but the appearance of white patches on skin is still considered a social stigma. The worst affected are girls of marriageable age,” said Dr Munish Paul in a press conference here today.

Ironically, it is still associated with myths. But, this social disorder is treatable and is not contagious. The white patches that develop on one’s body is popularly known as Leucoderma or Vitiligo. According to Dr Paul, this disorder affects only 1 per cent of the world population. Keeping this in mind, he has launched a website ‘www.skinlasercentre.com.’

There are various treatment options available for curing this disorder. The latest treatment for curing it is narrow UVB therapy or TL-01 therapy.

The treatment is convenient as it does not require the sufferer to apply oral medicines and avoid sunrays.

The therapy being safe can be administered even to children.

The disorder can be treated by ‘Laser Assisted Melanocyte Transplantation.’ Sufferers with large and stable patches of Leucoderma, which were not responsive to medical therapy and were thought to be incurable can look forward to get back their normal skin colour through this therapy.

The technique involves taking a very thin skin layer from normally pigmented area, preferably buttocks.

A pigment cell suspension is made from the skin layer and the suspension is then spread on the scraped area and covered with special collagen dressing.

The dressing is removed after six days. The earliest pigmentation is noticed within four weeks and is usually complete in about 2 to 4 months, he said. 

New Delhi, December 2
For once, playing golf was more fun than competition. As senior bureaucrats and defence personnel, corporate honchos and avid golfers got together at the Qutub Golf Course, Saket, it was not just another game of golf, it became a platform of expressing concern and doing their bit for the environment.

‘Green Fuel-Clean Environment Golf Challenge-2006’ was an event which saw the who’s who of the city come together for the Petronet LNG Ltd Golf Challenge 2006 that was organised in the morning today at the 18-hole Qutub Golf Course for promoting a greener and cleaner environment. The event was sponsored by RasGas, Hutch and Adani Group.

The tournament, which witnessed participation from almost 100 golfers, was kicked off by former India cricketer Madan Lal teeing off first, who said that the informal ambience at such tournaments helped facilitate interaction between diplomats, bureaucrats and avid golfers.

The highlight of the tournament, of course, was participation by Kapil Dev, Air Marshal A.K. Singh (C-n-C Western Air Command), Dr Ajay Dua (Secretary Industry Policy and Planning), Sheila Sangwan (Joint Collector Customs), Shoban Roy (President Bacardi Martini, India), Vijay Shankar (Director CBI), Ajay Prasad (Secretary, Civil Aviation), Asko Numminen (Ambassador of Finland to India), besides national level golfers like Gagan Verma and Shalini Malik.

The tournament was played on the Stableford points system. The winner was Kapil Choudhury and first runner-up was Kuldeep Berry.

New Delhi, December 2
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan brought a gust of musical freshness from across the border when he recently regaled Delhiites with traditional Sufi Qawwalis. Rahat is successor to his uncle, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s tradition of Hindustani music, especially the Hindustani Khayal Gayaki as also the Qawwali.

Rahat’s deep melodious voice ran through his program of Qawwali and some popular songs with ease. His vocal performance is simply stunning scaling the highs and lows of the offered notes with ease and to perfection. He also sang some popular hit songs like ‘Man ki Lagan’ from Paap, ‘Jiya dhadak dhadak Jaye’ from Kalyug and ‘Naina Thag Laingay’ from Omkara.

This event was organised by the Indian Women’s Press Corps in conjunction with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) as a celebratory function for the IWPC’s 12th anniversary.

The Union Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, was the chief guest on the occasion.

Others present on this occasion were Ms Sheila Dikshit, the chief minister of Delhi and Ms Ambika Soni, the Union Minister for Tourism and Culture.

Speaking about performing in India, he said, “I have been given a lot of love here more than I get in Pakistan and there is amazing understanding here. People really understand devotional music in India and I feel very happy and comfortable performing here. Qawwali is devotional music at its best and it is like a message of peace and love, which this subcontinent needs.”

He further said that music was a very important bridge to help lessen the gulf between India and Pakistan. “Artistes from India are going to Pakistan and those from Pakistan are coming here. So differences are lessening and love is growing. People in Pakistan are fans of Indian cinema, the audience is very caring and it is only politics that divides us,” he pointed out.

New Delhi, December 2
The RK Puram branch of Delhi Public School, the recipient of MUNGLO Award, is organising the DPS MUN 2006 at India Habitat Center till December 4. This is a part of the Global Classrooms project of the UNA-USA, sponsored by the Merrill Lynch office of Global Philanthropy.

This United Nations replication will host 700 high school students along with teacher-advisers from all over India and other countries, including Sharjah, Nepal, China and Sri Lanka.

As a sponsor of the Global Classrooms, Merrill Lynch supported the DPS MUN at every stage.

According to Eddy Bayardelle, head of Global Philanthropy, Merrill Lynch, “Global Classrooms will help today’s youth to become tomorrow’s global ambassadors and business leaders.”

The opening ceremony today was graced by Mr Ashok Chandra, Chairman, DPS Society, Dr Lucia Rodriguez, Vice-President of Education, UNA-USA, Ms Glenda Tesalona, Director of Global Classrooms. The chief guest for the function was Mr Kapil Sibal, Minister for Science and Technology.

The spectacular opening ceremony commenced with a soulful song, “Will you be there”, by the school choir followed by a self-composed piece by the budding musicians of DPS RK Puram, titled, “The End of the War.”

In her welcome address, the Principal, Ms Shyama Chona, expressed her gratitude towards Merrill Lynch and the UNA-USA for making this event possible. She encouraged the participants to share with others the lessons learned as life itself is a “learning experience”. Students of DPS Shiksha Kendra, who danced to patriotic tunes, summarised the anticipation and enthusiasm that lay before the participants.

The talented students of Tamanna School presented a song written by the President of India and a dance choreographed by Shiamak Davar.

The Chairman of the DPS Society, Mr Ashok Chandra, congratulated Ms Chona and commended the school’s initiative for providing students with a platform to debate, understand and negotiate diplomatically.

Mr Sibal, Minister for Science and Technology, who has been actively involved with the UN, consented to be the chief guest for the ceremony. He referred to the student community as a “constellation of stars that shine in the dark sky” and urged the participants to enlighten others as they were the leaders of tomorrow. He remarked, “I came here differently abled and will leave differently enabled.”

The Director of Global Classrooms, UNA-USA, Ms Glenda Tesalona, had a more hands-on approach by initiating an interactive activity, “Just Like Me,” which was earlier introduced in the training sessions.

The Vice-President of Merrill Lynch, Ms Priti Gulati, quoted Thomas Friedman’s “The World Is Flat” as we have moved into a progressive age that transcends geographical boundaries. She felt students were an embodiment of the hope of the future and it was their ideas that would lead to the creation of an “inter-connected global network”.

The discussions will take place in six committees; General Assembly (Plenary), International Atomic Energy Agency, ECOSOC, Security Council, United Nations Development Programme, Human Rights Council. The participants will be representing a total of 140 countries of the UN in the simulation.

The Model United Nations is an amazing learning experience that makes students responsive to world affairs as they collectively endeavour to mitigate obstacles affecting the global community sanctioning them qualification as international citizens.

He said, “The demand for professionally trained people is growing. They need the portfolio of knowledge and skills by which they can undertake profiles of newer jobs.” He added that reform in management and governance and the insemination of innovative ideas both in academic and administrative fronts makes GGSIPU, a university with a difference.

Haryana Governor Dr A.R. Kidwai officiated as the Chancellor of the university and awarded degrees to some 112 students of M. Tech and to 11 PHD scholars. 

New Delhi, December 2
BSES’s energy conserving scheme- ‘Buy One, Get One Free CFL offer,’ received a good response by its customers. Apart from helping Delhiites conserve scare and precious electricity, it also helps them make substantial monetary saving.

In about a month over 96 thousand CFLs have been bought from 52 special kiosks put up at BSES customer care centres and selected cash counters. The discounted rate offer is valid only till the end of this month, informed a BSES official.

The data collected by the organisation indicates that BSES’s West Delhi customers have taken the lead in energy conservation with over 34,000 CFLs sold, while South Delhi ranked second with over 31,500 CFLs purchased. East and Central districts ranked third and fourth respectively with over 23,000 and 7,000 pieces sold.

Another interesting thing observed was that the 15 Watt CFL (equivalent to 75 Watt at the rate of Rs 150 for two pieces) has been the most popular with over 41 thousand sold so far, said an official.

New Delhi, December 2
ZAK Group is hosting the nation’s biggest international trade fair on high-performance glass products from December 8 at Pragati Maidan here. As many as 250 manufacturers from 20 countries will take part in this three-day event
where high-performance glass products, such as architectural glass, fire-resistant glass, structural glazing and curtain wall, spiders, frameless fittings, silicon adhesives, industrial tapes, air spacers, vacuum coating systems, glass processing software and more than 40 different categories of high-performance glass products will be on display.

Glasstech International Expo shall witness a wide spectrum of visitors, including practising professionals (architects and interior designers); trade channels (wholesalers, distributors, manufactures, importers, exporters and consumers); institutional buyers (hotels, restaurants, hospitals, shopping centres, property developers and builders); and government departments (Public Works Department, Planning and Construction Department, Security Service and Defence Service Departments).

New Delhi, December 2
The day when Gurgaon road rage victim Dr Amit Dewan succumbed to his injuries in a city hospital, another road rage case in which a 29-year-old was beaten up by bank recovery agents was reported from the heart of the Capital.

The incident occurred around 11.30 am in Connaught Place on Friday when Piyush Gupta, a corporate communications executive with an MNC, was on his way to office

Gupta recalled: “I was near the Deutsche Bank building on Kasturba Gandhi Marg when the Honda City car ahead of my car braked suddenly. My car went into it but there was hardly any damage to the car as we were barely at a speed of five kilometres per hour.”

Since there was no dents on either car, Gupta assumed that it was all over. But he was wrong. The driver of the car ahead walked to him and an argument ensued. “He didn’t give me a chance to speak and before I could realise what was happening, he gave me three strong blows on my face and neck. A woman sitting in the car also got off and slapped me repeatedly,” Gupta said.

The commotion caused a traffic jam on the busy road as a crowd collected around. Two traffic policemen arrived there and tried to intervene, but to little avail.

“Both parties called for help and within minutes, the occupants of the Honda City found support in 5-6 more men, their office colleagues who arrived at the spot. They caught hold of the lone man and the next I saw him lying flat on the road and all the men were battering him,” said Gopal Srivastava, an eyewitness.

The police intervened and saved Gupta. “Had the police not come in time, I would have been killed by those goons. Even the cops standing on the road were not threat enough for them. From their conversations, I know that they were working as recovery agents in a bank,” said Gupta.

Meanwhile, a case has been registered at the Connaught Place police station and two persons have been arrested. “The accident took place in Connaught Place where a Honda City (DL 4C AB 2383) bumped into a Wagon R. The persons in the Honda City — Rajesh Paswan and Naveen Sharma have been arrested and charged with sections of illegal confinement and causing injury. They were working as recovery agents for a bank,” said a senior police officer.—Agencies

New Delhi, December 2
The police claimed to have arrested a drug peddler and seized one kg of heroin worth Rs 10 lakh from his possession at ISBT in East Delhi area.

Police officials claimed that Vijay Ram (32) had brought drugs from Badayun in U.P. Ram, a farmer by profession had often visited the Capital in the past few months to supply narcotics.

The DCP (Narcotics) said that the accused allegedly provided heroin to peddlers and often visited the Capital. He added that Ram was waiting to meet his contact when he was arrested.

The official claimed in the past 11 months, over 67 kgs of heroin worth Rs 670 lakh were seized in Delhi alone.

New Delhi, December 2
At least one person was injured and more than 200 hutments gutted in a major fire which broke out in a slum near the Nizamuddin railway station in South Delhi late last night, fire brigade officials said today. The injured person was taken to a local hospital.

Sixteen fire engines had to struggle for two hours to put out the blaze. The slum is enclosed by a drain on one side and houses on the other side. This prevented fire engines from coming close to the scene. Fire-fighters had to use water pipes from a distance.

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.—OC

New Delhi, December 2
The police have arrested one Narendra, a resident of Bahadurgarh, in the hit-and-run case involving a Gurgaon-based medical practitioner.

Dr Amit Diwan died on Friday morning in hospital after battling for his life for a month.

He was standing outside his house in Gurgaon’s Sector 10 when two men in a Tata Safari hit his car. Amit chastened them to drive carefully, following which the vehicle reversed and hit him. He was dragged for about 150 meters and then left by the roadside.

One person who was arrested soon after the incident, Jitesh Godara, was given bail and is now on the run.—Agencies

New Delhi, December 2
With the arrest of Yogesh Pathak (29), Harish (20) and Hira Lal (20), the North-East district police today claimed to have busted a gang of inter-state gang of auto lifters.

With their arrest, six cases of auto lifting have been worked out.

They were apprehended on a tip-off that three auto lifters would come from Nand Nagari side and go towards Ghaziabad to sell the stolen motorcycles,. Four stolen motorcycles have been recovered at their instance, said a police officer.

In another development, the police claimed to have solved a house theft case with the arrest of Vijay pal (21) and Ram Chander (36). 

The stolen money of Rs 1,90,000 has also been recovered.