New Delhi, January 24
In a major development, the Centre and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) today moved fresh applications in the Supreme Court seeking review of its various directions on closing of illegal shops on the ground that the new Master Plan for Delhi to be notified soon by the Government would virtually render the directions ineffective.

Both the Union Government and the MCD said that the new Master Plan, 2021, was expected to be notified by January 31 and latest by the middle of February, which had contemplated the regularisation of shops functioning in residential areas.

The MCD, in its application, said that in view of the proposals contemplated in the Master Plan, the direction for filing of the affidavits by nearly 4 lakh traders for shifting of their ventures away from residential areas, would also require modification, as their shops would no more be unauthorised under the new plan.

The Centre and the civic body also said that the two notification, issued in July and September last year by the Union Government allowing mixed land use plan on 2,186 roads and streets, would also be rendered ineffective after the notification of the Master Plan, 2021.

Since all the orders, issued by the court after August 2006, were based on these notifications, they would necessitate review, the applications said.

The latest stand of the government was seen as a major shift in its approach in dealing with the sealing issue, as politicians from all parties under pressure from powerful trading community had been pressurising the Centre either to seek review of the Apex Court directions, or notify the Master Plan as early as possible.

The court though had fixed the matter for further hearing in February after the traders had completed the formality of filing the affidavits by the January 31 deadline, the government and the MCD are expected to make a request for early hearing of their latest applications.

The then Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal had taken a tough stand on the illegal shops while ordering their closure, saying that it was choking the civic amenities in the city, which were already under pressure and causing pollution.

Besides, he had described the property-related matters as a major source of corruption in the MCD, which had failed to do its duty to prevent mushrooming of illegal shops in residential areas, making peaceful living of people difficult.

Some associations of residents had challenged the government’s January 2006 Act providing for one year moratorium on sealing and the July and September notifications on mixed use plan.

New Delhi, January 24
A city court today sentenced a retired Delhi Police inspector to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment for the custodial death of a 37-year-old man 17 years ago.

Additional Sessions Judge Rajender Kumar, who convicted H P Singh of the offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh, out of which Rs 50,000 is to be given to the successors of victim Subhash Chand.

Chand had died on February 3, 1990 following severe thrashing by Singh.

New Delhi, January 24
The Crime Branch of the Delhi Police today claimed to have busted an inter-state gang of robbers and auto thieves with the arrest of four active members of this gang. Seven stolen luxury vehicles, two sophisticated pistols and a large quantity of other ammunition have been recovered from them.

Numerous cases of robbery and motor vehicle theft have been worked out with their arrest. The arrested persons, Amarjit Singh (35), Anil (33), Sapan (33) and Pawan, had allegedly confessed their involvement in an armed robbery of Rs 30 lakh in Saharanpur district in Uttar Pradesh and another in Jalandhar, Punjab, worth Rs 16 lakh.

Ghaziabad, January 24
In view of the Republic Day, authorities have put the police department and security agencies on high alert. Strict security is being maintained at Narora Atomic Power Station.

The jawans of Central Industrial Security Force have intensified their patrolling of the plant premises. A strict vigil is being maintained from the watchtowers and dog squads have also been pressed into service. Even employees of the plant are frisked thoroughly before being allowed in.

All this exercise of high alert has been undertaken in view of a terrorist threat.

The commander of Central Industrial Protection Force said a high alert is being maintained at Narora Atomic Power plant in view of terrorist threat during the Independence Day celebrations.

Jawans at all the five watchtowers have been ordered to maintain strict vigil. Patrolling has been intensified around the Atomic Power Plant. The security staff have been asked to keep an eye on the premises. On the eve of the Independence Day last year, the Army had taken over the security of Narora Atomic Power plant into its hand.

The district authorities have also beefed up security in the district especially at public places like bus stands, railway stations, busy markets, theatres, malls, etc in view of the Republic Day when terrorists from across the border try to create disturbance.

New Delhi, January 24
After several days of relatively clear skies, the Capital was today draped in a blanket of fog as it woke up to a chilly morning with temperatures continuing to hover below the normal levels.

Air traffic was not affected even though the runway visibility levels dipped to 950 metres at around 9:30 am and all international and domestic flights operated on schedule, airport sources said.

The minimum temperature was recorded at 5.3 degree Celsius, three notches below the normal. Yesterday’s minimum temperature was 5.2 degree Celsius, while the maximum was recorded at 21.5 degree Celsius.

Visibility level in the Capital went down to 500 metre in the early morning hours and continued to be low, as the sun remained hidden behind the clouds.

Ghaziabad, January 24
Property worth Rs 2,000 crore has been registered in the name of women during the past nine months though it might have actually been bought by their husbands. Women have purchased 32,000 properties worth Rs 2,000 crore in recent months. This is because a 2 per cent concession is given to women for the registry of the property. More and more families are keen to avail the 2 per cent concession in the registry of property offered by the state government.

The 2 per cent concession in the registry of property was announced by the government in April 2006. Normally, 10 per cent of the total value of the property has to be paid by way of stamp duty while registering the property.

For example, for a property worth Rs 10 lakh stamp duty of Rs 1 lakh has to be paid. The state government has extended 2 per cent exemption in stamp duty to women proprietors on the pattern of Delhi.

The 2 per cent concession in stamp duty is permissible to women for the registration of property worth up to Rs 10 lakh. Thus, women owners of property straightaway save Rs 10,000 in stamp duty on property worth Rs 10 lakh.

Previously, most of the properties used to be registered in the name of the husband but now the trend has reversed. During the past nine months, women owners have availed of Rs 20.29 crore concession in getting 32,000 properties registered worth Rs 2000 crore

The Assistant Commissioner, Stamps, West zone, Mr Ajay Goel, said now those purchasing property worth Rs 20 lakh tried to go in for two registries worth Rs 10 lakh each in the name of two women in the family so that they could avail the stamp duty concession offered by the government. Now, women were acquiring property in their name in a big way, he added.

Gurgaon, January 24
Congress MP Kuldip Bishnoi, son of former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal, today urged his party’s government in Haryana to scrap the understanding for a joint venture between the HSIDC and Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Group of Industries for the mega Special Economic Zone (SEZ) proposed to be set up on about 25,000 acres of land starting from Garhi Harsaru here.

In a statement, Mr Bishnoi said the Group of Ministers (GoM) set up by the Centre on SEZ projects in the country had also called for a freeze on more projects. He said this had validated his stand that the SEZ was anti-farmer in Haryana. He also urged the state government to amend the existing laws to protect the cultivable land of farmers.

He said he was the first political person in the country to oppose the manner in which the SEZ projects were being implemented.

The MP again questioned the stand of his party and the state government on the SEZ issue. He pointed out how state Finance Minister Mr Birender Singh had changed his stand on the SEZ.

Mr Bishnoi said in May Mr Birender Singh had opposed his stand but a couple of days back at Karnal. At a public meeting there, he veered round to the former’s view, maybe keeping in mind the changing public opinion in the country, Mr Bishnoi opined. He further said Mr Birender Singh was party to the state government’s decision in favour of setting up the SEZ.

He called upon political leaders from all parties in Haryana not to canvass for those candidates in Punjab who had opposed the construction of the sensitive Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal project so that the state could get its share of Ravi-Beas waters. He joined issue with Mr Birender Singh, who is reported to have publicly said Congress leaders from Haryana would go to Punjab to canvass for the party nominees.

Political leaders of Punjab had opposed sharing of the Ravi-Beas waters for the past 25 years to the detriment of Haryana. Any leader who would visit Punjab to canvass for elections in favour of any nominee there would be doing so against the collective interest of Haryana, he added.

Greater Noida, January 24
A large number of visitors and customers thronged the Garment Technology Expo 2007 organised at the Indian Expo Mart, Knowledge Park here. Trade agreements worth more than Rs 400 crore were signed at the four-day Garment Technology Expo.

Some 400 companies from 26 countries exhibited their products during the expo. At least 80 per cent participating companies were from abroad.

The largest numbers of companies were from China, which also accounted for the largest number of stalls by a single country. A number of machines exhibited at the expo are manufactured in China alone.

More than 20,000 visitors, including foreigners, were exposed to the latest methods and technologies of textile manufacture, dyeing and embroidery works on it.

Organiser Inderjit S. Sahni said by the final day of the expo, trade agreements worth Rs 400 crore were signed. Most of the 20,000 visitors evinced keen interest in the wares displayed and the latest technology used in the garment sector.

Some machines had the thread moving from the top while others had the thread move from bottom upwards. The designs set on computers were used in the manufacture of textile. 

New Delhi, January 24
Chronic childhood arthritis, sometimes referred to as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis or juvenile chronic arthritis, is quite different from adult rheumatoid arthritis. In fact, many people have dropped the word ‘rheumatoid’ and now call chronic childhood arthritis as Juvenile Arthritis, or JA. Defined as continuous inflammation of one or more joints lasting at least six weeks for which no other cause can be found, arthritis is not just a disease of old people. In fact, approximately one in 1,000 children under the age of 16 suffer from arthritis. Juvenile arthritis is among the most common chronic childhood disorders that come in varied forms, says Dr Arvind Bountra, Consultant Pediatrician, G M Modi Hospital.

“There is great variation in both the symptoms and nature of childhood arthritis. Therefore, once it has been diagnosed in your child, consultation from a specialist or pediatrician or a rheumatologist is required. Accurate diagnosis is important and necessary to design the right treatment for the child,” Dr Bountra says.

Dr Bountra stresses that the exact cause of childhood arthritis is unknown. Children with arthritis do not always complain of pain. Sometimes the only initial clue to arthritis may be that the child is stiff upon awakening in the morning or after a nap, and walks with a limp, or has some difficulty using his or her arm or leg. There may be no signs other than a swollen joint or some movement loss when the child is examined, thus the disease can be difficult to be detected even by the most experienced physician.

Occasionally, if the arthritis is severe, a slowing of growth may occur. In children with arthritis, the immune system seems to be overactive, it may respond inappropriately to infection or mistakenly identify something in the body for an infection, causing continuous inflammation.

This inflammation results in warm, stiff, swollen and often painful joints. Though there is no cure for JA still, timely medication can reduce the inflammation associated with arthritis and helps make exercise programmes more effective and minimize permanent joint damage.

Once your child has been diagnosed of arthritis, the overall treatment plan is co-ordinated by an expert, and includes medication and rehabilitation therapy. 

New Delhi, January 24
A free health check-up camp was organised by Jain Arogya Naturocare at an open ground in Yamuna Vihar area here today. It was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Delhi, Ms Sheila Dikshit.

Around 500 patients suffering from various ailments were diagnosed and given free medical advice and medicines on the occasion. The director of the organization Dr Anil Jain said the camp was the part of an awareness drive carried out by the organisation.— OC