New Delhi, January 30
Members of residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) and the New Delhi People’s Alliance (NDPA), a consortium of more than 30 society organisations, and planners will meet Union Minister for Urban Development Jaipal Reddy tomorrow to press for deferment of the Master Plan in view of grave concerns expressed by environmentalists, planners and residents alike.

Ms Alpana Kishore, NDPA coordinator, said the group had already sent a letter to the minister’s office putting forth their arguments in brief, asking for a stay on the Master Plan until it was reviewed by a body of independent experts.

“We will try and ask for an urgent appointment with the minister failing which we will all proceed towards Nirman Bhawan and congregate there at 3 pm to press for a hearing,” said Diwan Singh, a member of the NDPA and an activist closely associated with the issue of agricultural land acquisition.

Mr Vinod Jain of the NGO, Tapas, which has worked extensively on water bodies in Delhi said, “The Master Plan is an incomplete document because it does not account for the carrying capacity of the city in meeting its targets. It is merely a quick-fix job to appease a vocal section of society.”

Members of the group have reacted with disappointment at the reported statements of the minister regarding sealing. “We are not sure exactly how the minister has arrogated to himself the powers to stall a court order. If he has made these statements, he stands to face contempt on the issue”, said an advocate associated with the group.

Eminent planner Kuldip Singh has listed out 15 objections with the real requirements of the city. He opined the Master Plan would only compound matters, increase “inspector raj” and put unbelievable pressure on the city’s resources”.

Prof Vikram Soni of the Ridge Bachao Andolan has demanded a six-month moratorium should be provided to residents for a thorough evaluation of the Master Plan before it is notified. 

New Delhi, January 30
Participating in a seminar on Master Plan for Delhi 2021 ‘Implication on Traders’, held here today under the banner of Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), the traders community rejected any kind of categorisation of areas in Delhi.

The CAIT also passed a resolution at the seminar demanding from the Union Government to regularise all business establishments in any part of the Capital that existed as on December 31, 2006. The resolution further says that to meet the end of justice, all traders of Delhi should be kept at par.
Mr Satender Wadhwa, President of Greater Kailash Traders’ Association, and Mr Rajesh Kumar, Secretary, South Extension Traders’ Association, asserted that in principal, the government had accepted the policy of regularisation of pre 1962 colonies in Delhi. Therefore, the benefit of such policy must also be extended to pre-1962 colonies like South Extension, Greater Kailash Green Park etc. They further said that layout plan of any colonies approved before 1962 should be the benchmark.

The trade leaders further said that parking problem was the real issue, which needed to be addressed in a better way in MPD 2021. “If crores of rupees are being spent on Commonwealth Games and if a few hundred crore rupees are spent on making effective and sufficient parking space, the issue will be resolved to the satisfaction of both traders and residents,” they said. Mr Satish Garg, Secretary, Delhi Loha Vyapar Sangh, said that negative list of items needed to be redrafted as items like coal, fire wood, iron, steel and building materials or essential items for development of any
city. “If at all needs arises to displaced traders of negative category, provisions of alternate space and reasonable times for relocation must be provided in MPD 2021. Mr Keshav Aggarwal and Mr Gopal Aggarwal of tuition centers and computer coaching centers, demanded that such institutions should be allowed to continue as they play an important part in supplementary education system benefiting lakhs of students in Delhi. In the seminar, the traders also demanded that existing basements should be allowed for use as commercial spaces. 

New Delhi, January 30
A series of strikes and bandhs called by the Karamcharis Union against the Delhi University administration have crippled life at the university, with the two sides continuing to be at logger-heads over certain issues.

The university administration is adamant on its stand of ‘no work, no pay’ and has taken the employees’ union on refusing to relent to the latter’s demands. The union, on the other hand, has a list of demands that it wants to be fulfilled before the employees get back to work. The workers are fighting for issues central to their interests like a pay hike and a better pattern of promotions.

The karamcharis demand that the ‘upward movement scheme’ on the pattern of IGNOU be approved by the VC and in this regard they have sent off many letters to the VC with no concrete results. They want promotions on the pattern followed by IGNOU where an employee gets the first promotion after eight years of service and the second one after the next eight years. Added to this is the fact that DU karamcharis have not had a pay hike after the 5th Pay Commission.

The karamcharis are being supported in their protest and strikes schedule by the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) and the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU). Amar Deo Sharma, the DUTA president, recently informed the press that, “We want to show solidarity with the Karamcharis. They are an integral part of the university and this order of ‘no work, no pay’ against them means taking away their right to protest.”

New Delhi, January 30
With the assurance of the central government that there will be no sealing from February 1, there is confusion in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi as the sealing began after the directive of the Supreme Court. There is no order from the court to stop the sealing drive.

A senior officer of the civic body said the sealing began with the direction of the Supreme Court and would continue till the MCD received an order to stop it. The traders were submitting affidavits saying that they would change their trading according to the order. The traders’ shops would be sealed if they did not submit the affidavits till February 1.

Sources in the MCD said after the statement of Union Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy, Municipal Commissioner A. K. Nigam called a meeting of senior officers but they refused to divulge details.

Gurgaon, January 30
Haryana police have taken the help of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to trace the culprits who had stolen 10 precious Jain idols from Digambar Jain Mandir on the night of January 26-27, revealed Inspector General of Police, Gurgaon Range, Mohinder Lal.

Assuring a delegation of local citizens who met him in his office today, Mr Lal said that Haryana police were doing their best to recover the idols and that was why, various teams had been sent to several parts of the country.

Haryana police had also taken the service of a sketch expert of Punjab, who visited Jain temple and zeroed in on three sketches. These three local criminals might have helped the professional criminals who stole the precious idols, said a police officer attached with the investigation.

Local police with private sketch expert today went to Basai police station falling in Jaipur where eight ancient idols were also stolen on the same night using the same modus operandi in a Jain temple, informed Senior Superintendent of Police Hanif Qureshi.

To support the Jain community, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders of the state, including two ex-ministers Ram Bilas Sharma and Rao Narbir Singh visited the spot where six persons were sitting on relay hunger strike.

The BJP leaders said that Haryana police must take every possible step to ensure the earlier recovery of idols. Any delay on the police action might give the smugglers the chance to send these idols overseas, opined the political leaders.

Local Congress leaders also reached the venue and assured that the state Congress government would leave no stone unturned to recover the idols, which are the symbols of faith of the community.

The industrialists led by Mr V P Bajaj, president of Gurgaon Industrial Association (GIA) and its general secretary Mr K C Papreja also reached the venue and condemned the incident.

Mr Bajaj said that the government machinery should take appropriate action to apprehend the culprits and recover the idols fast so that the people’s faith in law and order is revived.

He lamented that the sad event has hurt the sentiments of thousands of persons belonging to different religious, social organisations, political bodies and resident as well as industrial associations.

President of DLF Qutab Enclave Resident Welfare Association and Gurgaon Citizen Council, Mr R S Rathee reached the venue and demanded that the local senior officials should immediately be transferred for security failure.

The District Bar Association has also supported the relay hunger strike and demanded the immediate recovery of idols. Its president along with scores of advocates reached the venue.Today, six persons, Raj Kumar Jain, Ravinder Jain, Pramod Jain, Janinder Jain, Narender Jain and A D Tyagi sat on relay hunger strike.

Bulandshahr, January 30
The district and sessions court, finding an accused guilty of having raped and later killed a five-year-old girl child, daughter of his elder brother, sentenced him to death. The crime had been committed two years ago.

Archana, five-year-old daughter of Rajinder Giri was playing outside her house on March 26 , 2005, in village Larana in Khanpur area. When Archana did not return home till late in the evening, the worried family members fanned out to look for her. Two villagers told the parents that they had seen the girl going along with Chanderpal, her uncle.

When parents reached near Chanderpal’s house, they found Chanderpal stepping out from his house.

On seeing girl’s sandals and noticing blood drops under the thatched roof, they sternly asked him about the child. As Chanderpal removed the thatched roof, the family found the body of the child lying underneath.

Rajinder Giri lodged a report against Chanderpal and also handed the accused to the police. 

New Delhi, January 30
The Sahitya Kala Parishad in collaboration with the Department of Art, Culture and Languages, Government of NCT of Delhi, today launched a mega event, ‘Satyagraha’, at Central Park, Connaught Place, here to mark the martyrdom of Mahatma Gandhi. The six-day event was inaugurated by the Delhi Chief Minister, Ms Sheila Dikshit.

Central Park in the heart of the Capital’s commercial area was rededicated to the people after its recent makeover by the Chief Minister. Cultural events highlighting the rich diversity of the nation would be held there every month.

The programme shall take the audience through a vast canvas of events starting from an exhibition of the origin of Satyagraha. Another salient feature shall be the importance of khadi as a medium of peaceful non-cooperation during the Indian freedom struggle as a humble yet powerful statement of self-reliance, human dignity and national pride. This shall be portrayed through a contemporary dance performance by Zheel.

The relevance of khadi, as a fashion statement in the modern context, shall be further reinforced in all its vibrant yet dignified splendour through an appealing display of 28 mannequins adorning khadi creations of talented designer Pranavi Kapoor. Another unique aspect of the cultural extravaganza will be the choral songs and folk music from Barmer (Rajasthan) and Amritsar (Punjab). 

New Delhi, January 30
Despite the light drizzle in some parts last evening, it was another warm day for the Capital today, as the minimum temperature shot up to 14.3 degree Celsius, six degrees above normal.

The cloud cover in the Capital led to a rise in minimum temperature from 12.3 degree Celsius yesterday to 14.3 degree Celsius, thus continuing the warm trend of the past few days.

The clouds, which had built up last evening, had resulted in light rains, bringing down the night temperature. The weatherman said about 2 mm of rainfall was recorded till 0830hrs this morning.

The Met office has predicted partly cloudy sky during the next 24 hours with a possibility of thundery developments or light rains in some parts.

Faridabad, January 30
Is the famous Surajkund Craft Mela, whose 21st edition will start from February 1 here, also being used as a ‘trump card’ by some to serve one’s political interests? This question may sound odd to many, but a debate over the developments this time regarding organizing this event seems to be hogging the political circles here.

The fortnight-long cultural feast showcasing the art and craft of various parts of the country is slated to be inaugurated by the Congress president, Ms Sonia Gandhi, next Thursday.

While this would perhaps be the first time that a head of a political party and someone who is a functionary of the government either at the Centre or the state would chair the occasion, this development has started a discussion, especially in the political circles. This event was inaugurated by a union minister last time.

The announcement made recently that the UPA chief Ms Sonia Gandhi would be the chief guest this time has made the event more important, claimed a political activist here.

He said the news regarding Sonia Gandhi being the chief guest on the occasion could have come from the head of the state government rather than through a state minister, which, he claimed, had surprised many.

According to another political worker, it is also the first time that besides the press preview conference to be held on January 31, the Tourism Minister of Haryana had held two separate press conferences, one in Faridabad on January 28 and another in Delhi on January 30 for the media based in the Capital, which, he said, had been against the set pattern.

He said the minister and the senior officials of the state as well as the district administration had been busy in attending the meetings at Surajkund while the local officials ought to have been available more for the residents here.

The officials who have already been here in connection with the event include the Chief Secretary of Haryana, Commissioner, Tourism, Managing Director of the Tourism department, Director- General Police, Haryana, and senior officials of the Special Protection Group.

The Chief Minister of Haryana, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, also chaired a meeting of the senior officials regarding the event, on Sunday last.

It has been announced by the authorities that Mrs Gandhi would be spending about 40 minutes at the venue, addressing the gathering or the media persons.

She would cut the ribbon at the main gate and may take round of some of the stalls and the Mela Chaupal. Only those persons, including the media persons, who have been issued special passes by the authorities, would be allowed to enter the premises during her visit.

New Delhi, January 30
There is no arrangement in place to check deficiency in service by travel agents who take indiscriminate service charges from tourists. Tourist operators reportedly fleece tourists and go scot-free, according to transport analyst Ravi Jain.

Hardly 200 tour operators’ firms in Delhi, claiming to have proper infrastructure and a fleet of vehicles to provide travel and tourism related services, are attached to the Department of Tourism, Union Government. However, there are more than 2500 tour operators, travel agents or passenger transport firms engaged in the business without proper infrastructure. They control the business of general travelling and tourism for various destinations within Delhi, the National Capital Region, religious centres in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Rajasthan, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. These operators have almost 25,000 tourist vehicles.

The Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training (IFTRT) made a survey in this connection and found these operators were guilty of deficiency in service, indiscriminate service charges and shortchanging of travellers in providing various services.

During the survey, the IFTRT also found there were six associations or unions of the operators.

There is no well-defined and operational mechanism available to travel service users for addressing their complaints and deficiency in service through the forum of the Tourism Department.

The IFTRT recommends the need for having an institutionalised mechanism to bring reform in the industry.

New Delhi, January 30
The South-West district police today claimed to have arrested a proclaimed offender Sanjay Rathi (35), who is a notorious criminal, from Kapashera area with loaded firearm. More than two dozen criminal cases are allegedly registered against him in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

According to police, the Scorpio jeep he was driving was later found to be stolen from Sonepat and his driving license was also found to be counterfeit.