New Delhi, February 5
The Delhi Cabinet today gave its nod for introduction of ‘Chandni Chowk Sewa’—eco-friendly CNG mini buses on two routes in the Walled City and for construction of a three-level grade separator at Azadpur.

While briefing media after the meeting, Ms Dikshit said that her government was committed to improving accessibility to the markets in Chandni Chowk, reduce the traffic volume and possible congestion situation in the area and provide pedestrian a safe and convenient passage.

The Cabinet while considering recommendations of the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) and directives of Delhi High Court has decided to introduce pollution-free CNG mini buses on two routes—Chandni Chowk and Fountain routes..

It has been decided to grant 10-stage carriage permits on first route and five permits on the Fountain route initially. The remaining permits will be granted after the operation of the 15 buses is found to be satisfactory.

The mini buses would be painted green to highlight need of providing environment-friendly and most convenient public transport system. The Fare Revision Committee under the Chairmanship of Principal Secretary (Finance) would finalise the fare structure whereas Transport Department and MCD would facilitate introduction of new service, which would provide relief to the residents, traders and visitors coming to Chandni Chowk area. The MCD and the Transport Department would also make an assessment of putting certain restrictions on plying of cycle-rickshaws after introduction of mini CNG buses on two routes.

Ms Dikshit said that a new three-level modern grade separator would be constructed at Azadpur Intersection to make it signal-free. The PWD would complete this project within 30 months. It would have a grade separator joining Ring Road and Road No 51, underpass on GT Karnal Road, Mall Road and Mall Road Extension, Rotary at ground level for right turns, pedestrian subway for movement of bus commuters, cycle track, railing and footpath. This would also have proper rainwater harvesting infrastructure apart from beautiful landscaping.

The Delhi Metro would also pass through this junction from Model Town to Jahangirpuri side.

She said that Azadpur Intersection was one of the busiest junctions catering to heavy traffic from various directions from Mukarba Chowk NH-1, Ring Road from Shalimar Bagh and Pitampura on Mall Road from Model Town. The traffic is further multiplied due to Subzi Mandi Azadpur as so many heavy vehicles with fruit and vegetables pass through this intersection every day.

The Ring Road also caters a very large traffic from Pitampura, Rohini and connects the North-West District passing from this junction and caters to a large residential area adjoining Mall Road Extension, Mall Road and other urban colonies. It also connects newly constructed Road Number 51, which joins the junction to Outer Ring Road at Mukundpur Crossing. After coming up of this grade separator Road Number 51 will become part of Ring Road. The grade separator will also facilitate better road communication for decongestion of Delhi roads.

Noida, February 5
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to lay a six-lane eastern peripheral expressway, NE-2, connecting Sonepat in Haryana with Faridabad through Bagpat, Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar. To be built at a cost of Rs 3000 crore, the total length of the expressway will be 135 km, 41.54 km of which will pass through Gautam Budh Nagar, it is learnt.

The eastern peripheral expressway is being constructed to reduce the pressure of traffic in NCR towns.

For 41 km of the distance of the expressway in GB Nagar, the peripheral road will pass through 39 villages, for which 15 minor bridges and 31 underpasses will have to be constructed in the district.

To invite public objections, the District Magistrate, Gautam Budh Nagar, will preside over a meeting on March 15. During the hearing, the public will be asked to file their objections, if any, against the project. The people will be assured their possible losses accruing as a result of the eastern peripheral highway project will be made good.

All possible objections would have to be resolved before work on the project was taken in hand, NHAI officials said.

According to the Pollution Control Board, Noida, the NHAI has assured losses caused by the construction of the highway will be made good by it. For every 100 trees chopped for the road, at least 150 new trees will be planted. A project to rehabilitate the people uprooted by the highway has also been formulated.

The load of internal traffic is likely to decrease considerably with the construction of the road, it is claimed.

New Delhi February 5
Eminent environmentalists and members of Ridge Bachao Andolan (RBA) have strongly condemned Delhi Government for spending crores of rupees on promoting artificial harvesting systems and destroying the natural water resources in Ridge and Yamuna River bed.

“It’s surprising that Delhi Government has killed natural water recharge resources like Ridge by allowing construction of malls and unauthorised constructions as the Delhi Ridge has the amazing ability to recharge even 80 per cent of the rain that falls on it,

making it a remarkable sanctuary for pure water for Delhi,” said Prof Vikran Soni, an eminent environmentalist.

“The Ridge area in Vasant Kunj near JNU is an invaluable natural endowment that has an astounding 85 per cent recharge into the community groundwater reserve of Vasant Kunj, Munirka, Mahipalpur, Vasant Vihar etc,” he added

“Similarly it is imperative that the areas extending from south west of Mehrauli to Masudpur and north to Vasant Vihar is ‘Recharge Area’ for the underline aquifers in the vicinity. Development activities may adversely affect the groundwater regime,” Prof Soni said.

“Instead of protecting the natural water harvesting and recharge resources, which can never be substituted by manmade systems, Delhi government is busy promoting rain water harvesting. Most of the countries have strict laws to protect such special natural recharge and aquifer systems,” said Diwan Singh of Ridge Bachao Andolan. 

Gurgaon, February 5
The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) today auctioned nine commercial sites for Rs 341 crore against the reserve price of Rs 174, registering 195 per cent increase.

Mr S. P. Gupta, Administrator, HUDA, Gurgaon zone, informed a hotel site, a multiplex, a primary school site, three department store sites and three booth sites were auctioned today.

The famous Millennium group took the five-acre hotel site at the rate of Rs 255 crore against the reserve price of Rs 163 crore. The auction of this hotel site was cancelled last month when the highest bid amount was Rs 225 crore, informed Mr Gupta, adding that today’s auction of Rs 255 crore justified the department’s stand.

A multiplex site of around 2700 square metres was auctioned at Rs 73 crore against the reserve price of Rs 6 crore.

A primary school site of around 1.8 acres was sold at Rs 7.75 crore against the reserve price of Rs 2.9 crore.

Three departmental store sites, measuring around 78 square metres, were sold at Rs 1.72, Rs 1.26 and Rs 1.11 crore, respectively.

Three booth sites measuring around 22 square metres was sold at Rs 40, Rs 42 and Rs. 44 lakh in Sector 21, informed the Administrator.

Faridabad, February 5
Hundreds of employees of the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) and members of the resident welfare associations staged a demonstration in protest against the move to outsource and shift the work of billing and new connections from the subdivisional offices to the customer care centre at one place in the city.

The staff of the power department owing allegiance to the All Haryana Power Corporations Workers Union’ (AHPCWU) has also opposed the decision to terminate the services of the staff not meeting the target of recovery of pending bills and decreasing the line loss. The administration had to take the help of the police in maintaining law and order. A memorandum was also submitted to the authorities after the demonstration.

It was alleged the change in the existing pattern of attending to complaints regarding the faults in billing, preparing the file for releasing new connections and lodging of complaints regarding various services would result in severe inconvenience and problems for consumers. It would also be problematic for employees to attend to complaints due to incoordination resulting from clubbing all important services at one place.

A spokesperson of the employees’ union said a resident of Sector 37, which is near the Delhi border, would have to visit the customer care centre (Suvidha Kendra) in Sector 23 here, which was about 15 km away. It took at least 30 minutes to reach from either side. Mr Kailash Sharma, a member of the RWA, claimed there were a large number of families where such work was looked after by aged persons. It would certainly be not a good idea to make them run from one place to another.

Claiming that at least one out of every four consumers had a problem regarding overbilling or non-availability of bills on time and it was not possible for the consumers to rush every time to one place which was located too far.

Earlier, the consumer had to report or lodge a complaint regarding the bill at the subdivisional office located within a radius of 2 km to 3 km, he said. The total number of such spots in the city were more than 15 in the city, covering Old Faridabad, Ballabgarh and the NIT areas.

Now onwards, these spots would only attend to complaints regarding the fault in supply and checking power theft, claimed an employee. There were a total of more than one lakh connections in the city. The policy of outsourcing and privatisation, which came into effect a few years ago, resulted in the starting of the customer care centre at Sector 23 here, where all the major services regarding the consumers have been shifted.

Demanding immediate scrapping of this policy, the employees’ union has blamed it for degradation of services in the past few years. According to Mr Subhash Lamba, district president of the union, the number of complaints regarding faulty billing had gone up sharply after outsourcing.

Describing the move to fix the target for each of the employees of the DHBVN for recovery of old bills and line loss, he said it was undemocratic and unjustified to threaten them with job dismissal in the wake of non-realisation of bills. It was unacceptable to the staff in any condition. He alleged while poor quality material was being used by private contractors the employees were being held responsible for services. 

New Delhi, February 5
We are among the lowest per capita consumption of power units in the world. Our per capita consumption is approximately 500 units compared to the global average of 2600 units and even our neighbour China consumes 1100 units. We still have 1.25 lakh villages that need to be electrified, 45% households need to have access to electricity, said Mr R V Shahi, Secretary, Ministry of Power while inaugurating a seminar on “Energy Management”, organised by the India Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers Association here today.

“Looking at the present power scenario in the country, with the existing installed generating capacity of 1.30 lakh mw, we need at least five to six times more than the current status by 2030 in order to fulfill the ever-growing power requirements as per the government’s integrated energy policy. The government also has taken new initiatives, including the ultra mega power projects and merchant plants. However, it is important to think also about constructively utilizing what we already have. We need to give thought to the alternative means which can deliver the same levels of service but require less energy, he asserted. 

Gurgaon, February 5
The District Town and Planning, Enforcement, today demolished about three structures, including 40 rooms, a hostel and a laboratory of Anupma Engineering Degree College on the Bilaspur-Pataudi road, near here. The police had to resort to lathicharging the protesting students.

The Deputy Commissioner, the district police chief and the chief of the DTP (Enforcement) were present when the lathi charge took place. While the DTP (Enforcement) chief, Ms Gurmeet Kaur, said the structures were illegal as they had been constructed after the area was declared a “controlled area”, the management of the college said the case did not warrant such harsh and anti-democratic measures.

The students of the college, who were taken out of the premises, and others, who were not allowed to enter, later entered the campus and staged demonstrations against the authorities and the demolitions. Some pelted stoness at the authorities.

This led to a lathi charge from the police.

Bulandshahr, February 5
People angered by police failure to trace the nephew of a butcher in Pahasu in Khurja took to the roads, stabbed a police sub-inspector, jammed the roads at three points, pelted stones on the cops and torched two UP Roadway buses and a police jeep yesterday.

Six cops were also injured as people resorted to pelting stones. As a result, the police had to fire in the air to disperse the violent mob.

The main reason for the situation getting out of hand was the reluctance of the police to register an FIR for the missing youth. Later, police circle officer Kishen Chand of Shikarpur got the complaint registered. Two persons in Pihasu were identified as the trouble-shooters.

After raiding a number of places, the police were able to nab one of them while the other is still absconding. The police picked up his handicapped brother, who is being interrogated to know about the miscreant’s whereabouts.

Certain persons had met the police CO in the morning and impressed upon him the need to deal with the brother of the accused sternly. When the CO said it could create a law and order situation, the angry people left in a huff and took to the roads. They jammed the roads of the town at three important places, including the Aligarh bus stand.

Some miscreants in the mob reportedly dragged SI Sharma into a shop and repeatedly stabbed him. The police, then, lathicharged the mob. The mob retaliated with torching two UP Roadways buses and a police jeep. Seeing the situation getting out of the hand, the police fired in the air to disperse the mob.

Ghaziabad, February 5
In a sensational kidnapping and murder case, four accused have been handed down death sentences for the murder of Abhishek, alias Lovi, by a fast track court. Two accused have, however, been set free for want of evidence.

Abhishek, 17, son of Pradeep Garg, had been kidnapped from his house in Patel Nagar in Muzzafar Nagar on October 27, 2003, by four criminals and later done to death in a savage manner. His body was cut into pieces and concealed in suitcases and disposed of in an unknown place in a jungle near Muzzafar Nagar.

The father of the victim, Pradeep Garg, had filed an abduction report with the police, naming four persons, including his accountant, Vikas Sharma, Rajesh Saini, Aashu, alias Rajat, and Arvind. The police from Nai Kotwali had arrested all accused on November 28, 2003. They had all confessed to their crime. The police had recovered the body from the jungle with the help of the accused.

During investigations, the names of Kailash and Kallu Saini had also cropped up as accused.

The district judge had started the hearing, under the fast rack formulae, which was completed on January 25 this year.

Pronouncing his judgement on February 1, Judge Rajiv Sharma had set free Kailash and Raj Kumar for want of clinching evidence while Vikas, Rajesh, Aashu and Arvind were awarded death sentences for the murder of Abhishek, life imprisonment for abduction and seven years’ imprisonment for concealing and disposing the dead body after cutting it into pieces in the jungle. The court also imposed a penalty of Rs 20,000 on each of the guilty persons.

New Delhi, February 5
With the arrest of four persons—Mintoo, Babul, Rafik and Rafikul, the East district police today claimed to have busted a gang of bank dacoits. They were planning to loot a bank in Mayur Vihar, Phasee–3 area.

They had assembled in park near St Marry School and were conspiring to loot a nearby branch of Bank of Baroda. Seeing the raiding party, they tried to flee but were apprehended after a brief chase. Their one accomplice, later identified as Khokan, managed to escape taking the cover of darkness.

The North district police claimed to have busted a satta racket from Sarai Rohilla area. Four members of the gang Parvinder Singh, Harjeet Singh, Jitender Singh and Avtar Singh have been arrested in connection with the case. Mobile phones, laptop, colour TV, Rs 25,000 stake money were also recovered by the police.

In another development, the North-West district police claimed to have unearthed a spurious desi ghee manufacturing unit in Nangloi area. 

New Delhi, February 5
The Delhi High Court today directed the Delhi Police to trace by February 27 one of its suspended officers who has been reported missing for a month.

The order came on a petition filed by the son of missing Inspector Balbir Singh Malik, who was earlier posted at Rajouri Garden police station in west Delhi.

A division bench comprising Justices Manmohan Sarin and S L Bhayana asked them to investigate the case with renewed vigour and inform it by February 27, the next date of hearing.

The petition sought that a proper inquiry be made into the alleged harassment of his father by Police Commissioner, Dr K. K. Paul, which led to the inspector’s disappearance on January 5.

New Delhi, February 5
A 30-year-old man today climbed a high-tension electricity tower in East Delhi and threatened to jump off protesting against the execution of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, keeping the police on tenterhooks for several hours.

The high-voltage drama began in the morning when Mohd Chand, who claims to be a Samajwadi Party member, climbed the 50-feet tower situated near the Shastri Park metro station in Gandhi Nagar locality.—OC

Noida, February 5
Two families came to blows in Wajidpur village while trying to sort out a dispute. During the clash, Edra, wife of Ved Prakash, was injured when she was fired at. She was rushed to a local hospital

Ved Prakash, a resident of Wajidpur village, was a twice married man. His first wife is Edra while the second is Devi. Some time back, he had left his second wife Devi at her parent’s house.

This had annoyed Devi’s brothers, Ravinder and Satveer, who lived in Aligarh. The brothers decided to counsel Ved Prakash to bring back Devi and let her also live in the house with Edra.

In the midst of a discussion, both the parties came to blows. At this, Ravinder pulled out his revolver and fired a shot, seriously wounding Ved Prakash’s first wife Edra. She was rushed to a local hospital where she is stated to be in a serious condition. 

New Delhi, February 5
Water supply will not be available from the morning on February 7 to morning on February 8 in the group of colonies/villages in Najafgarh Block and adjoining areas, parts of West Delhi, Vikaspuri, Uttam Nagar, Hasta village, Bindapur village, Sadh Nagar, Mahabir Enclave F and D, Palam Village, Raj Nagar, Pooran Nagar, Viswas Park, Pappan Kalan, Dwarka and adjoining areas.

Residents are advised to store sufficient water in advance as per requirement.

New Delhi, February 5
The temperature rose by a degree in the Capital today even as a thin layer of fog enveloped the city for some time in the early morning.

The minimum temperature settled at 12.3 degree Celsius, three degree Celsius above normal, against yesterday’s 11.2 degrees, the Met office said. The maximum temperature was also three degrees above normal and was recorded 25.6 degree Celsius.

The thin fog which enveloped early morning gradually disappeared as the sun rose in the eastern skies. It did not affect air services.