New Delhi, February 7
Delhi Development Authority (DDA) should be strictly restricted as a developer of low-cost housing only and that its other functions of strategic planning and housing estate development should be striped of in view of emerging real estate competition in and around Delhi.

That’s the view of 75 per cent of Delhi-based CEOs and MDs belonging to large, middle and small corporate houses interviewed under ASSOCHAM Business Barometer (ABB) survey on ‘Future Role of DDA’.

These CEOs and MDs felt that DDA had not being able to deliver on its chartered of promoting development of Delhi in accordance with a plan. A case in hand was the difficulties experienced during ceiling drive in 2006, a release said.

The survey on which a total of 400 CEOs and MDs participated, 300 businessmen felt that DDA had utterly failed in providing quality housing to the ‘Delhiwalas’ in the last over four decades and therefore, its role as regulator of Delhi Development should be redefined wherever there was no conflict of interest.

About 80 per cent CEOs and MDs were of the view that the maintenance of public utilities such as parks, communities halls and centres which currently fall under jurisdiction of multiple agencies such as NDMC, DDA, MCD and others should be given to one statutory authority to ensure there proper care.

“Currently, most of public utilities in Delhi are in a shabby condition and attract general apathy and abhorrence from public at large primarily for the reasons because these are poorly planned, developed and maintained,” argued these CEOs.

Majority of the CEOs and MDs further argued that enough competition was now generated with population of Delhi getting multi-layered in which employment opportunities were rising thereby upwardly propelling income levels of ‘Delhiwalas’ and its average citizen had now become choosy for better real estate facilities even if there prices were higher and had lost faith in agency like DDA for higher priced houses.

About 85 per cent of CEOs and MDs explained that there was no conflict of interest if the role of DDA was confined to specific group housing developers only because for constructing low cost houses large players would always remain reluctant.

“It is only for higher priced houses, the competition will help for the consumers and therefore, the DDA should lease out the acquired land to real estate trust instead of putting up sky rocketing apartments on them,” said these CEOs.

About 25 per cent of the CEOs and MDs have, however, opined that the role of DDA in providing housing facilities had been significantly important during closed and isolated economic regime in which there was hardly any competition and property buyers were content with whatever stuff the DDA provided them with.

However, for the services rendered by DDA during close economic regime should not be rewarded in a manner that might discourage it to under take challenging opportunities in era of competitive economy and therefore, the Delhi Government should strengthen the DDA and enhance its muscle power to take on competition and co-exists with other real estate developers, felt these 25 per cent CEOs and MDs.

New Delhi, February 7
The plans of the Delhi Police to bring extradited gangster Abu Salem to the Capital in connection with two cases of extortion have not been materialised so far due to the don’s reluctance to come to Delhi, said a senior police official today.

“He is trying to avoid being brought to Delhi on certain health pretexts. We are constantly in touch with the Mumbai Police and are waiting for information from their side but it looks like we might not be able to bring Salem here tomorrow,” said a senior police official attached with the Special Cell of Delhi Police.

Salem was scheduled to be produced in the court of Delhi Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Seema Maini on Thursday for two cases of extortion registered against him in 2002. One of the cases dates back to July 2002 in which Salem has been accused of demanding Rs 10 million as protection money from Rajat Nagrath, owner of Allied Communication in East of Kailash in South Delhi.

The other pertains to his alleged role in an extortion call to Ashok Gupta, a Greater Kailash-based businessman, in which Rs 50 million was demanded from him as protection money in April 2002.

It was also planned to put Salem under isolation at Tihar Jail. “Salem would be put under high security cell and there would be no inmate in his barrack,” a senior jail official said.

“We were also planning to vacate the adjoining cells where Salem would be kept and we would not allow any one to communicate and met him,” he added. 

New Delhi, February 7
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has disclosed that her government is considering implementing a 3-tier healthcare system in Delhi, which would include 200 to 500-bedded hospitals, 100-bedded hospitals and well-equipped dispensaries with mobile health vans. This would bring healthcare facilities at the doorsteps of the people.

Inaugurating four new blocks in Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital at Mangolpuri, the Chief Minister said that improving health sector in the national Capital was important as people came from various states for treatment. Not only from states of the country, but also from foreign countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan people come for treatment.

She said that the new blocks in Sanjay Gandhi Hospital were a 150-bedded maternity and child block, emergency ward and administration block, doctors’ hostel, and nurses’ hostel. The blocks have been constructed with a cost of Rs 36 crore. The special features of new blocks include earthquake-resistant construction, provision of fire detection, fire alarm and fire-fighting majors, recycled water for horticulture, flushing and air-conditioning and standby power arrangement.

Delhi Health Minister Dr Yoganand Shastri and Development Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan also addressed the gathering.

The Chief Minister assured that maternity and child block and emergency ward would become fully operational by March 31 and all medical appliances would be made available within shortest possible time to enable this hospital to treat the poor and needy persons residing in Mangolpuri, Sultanpuri and other adjoining localities. The hospital with 276 beds would now be developed as a 500-bedded hospital to cater to the needs of residents of all nearby resettlement colonies. 

New Delhi, February 7
Ignoring the announcement made by the Union Urban Development Minister Mr Jaipal Reddy yesterday that there would be no sealing in Delhi, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) today sealed 11 commercial units in Civil Lines area.

The Union Minister had said that he had signed the Master Plan and now there would be no sealing in the national Capital.

However, the spokesman of the MCD said that there was no official order to stop the sealing drive. “It will be continued till the corporation receives order from the authorities concerned,” he said. 

Gurgaon, February 7
The country’s Chief Information Officer (CIO), Mr Wajahat Habibullah, today yet again asserted that “notings” on official files by officers were covered under the Right to Information Act, 2005.

Mr Abdullah, who was speaking at a discussion jointly organised here by the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) based in the national Capital and the Haryana Institute of Public Administration (HIPA), located in Gurgaon, said the notings were within the definition and parameters of information enunciated by the Ministry of Personnel at the Centre.

He was chief guest at the programme, presided over by retired Chief Secretary of Haryana, Mr M. C. Gupta. Mr Gupta is also the former chief of IIPA.

The CIO’s assertion assumes significance as the controversy on whether notings on official files made by officers fall within the scope of the Right to Information Act refuses to die down.

He said the Act strengthened democracy as it allowed scope for participation of the public in governance. He sought to allay apprehensions in a section of the bureaucracy, saying that the Act was not a “weapon” to beat the government by the public, but a tool to inject participatory democracy. In earnest, the Act would only strengthen the government, he added.

He also underlined the commission was not a grievance redressal forum or an outfit to deal with corruption cases. It was merely a body to ensure the public got the information that should be with the departments and their officers.

He said awareness among the public on the Act was increasing in leaps and bounds. He lamented the commission was only able to dispose 60 per cent of the cases reaching it. However, he said it was taking measures to remedy the situation.

He said the commission had taken with the Centre the case for taking measures for further increasing public awareness about the Act.

Audiences from various walks of life took part in the discussion

Mr Gupta said while the Consumer Protection Act had brought about a revolution in the country on consumer consciousness about their rights, the Right to Information Act had the huge potential to go far. A huge beginning had been made by the country. However, while lauding the Act in totality he underlined it should not be considered a panacea for all ills plaguing the country.

He also made reference to the mindset in various quarters about the Act. He expressed the hope that it would be taken in the right spirit on the part of all concerned with the passage of time.

Ghaziabad, February 7
It was a day of agitations, demonstrations and protests in Moradabad, Bareilly and Ayodhya yesterday.

In Moradabad, Shiv Sainik barged into Cosmopolitan Public School and beat up the teachers, including the Principal and the manager, blackened their faces and damaged the furniture and windowpanes. At least 13 persons, including the Principal and manager, were arrested.

Shiv Sainiks assaulted the Principal and teachers of the school with whatever came handy, including buckets, chairs, tables etc. When the Principal, Ms Samina Usmani, was pulled from her hair and slapped tightly, she collapsed unconscious on the floor, but the sainiks reportedly continued to kick and slap her.

Most of the injuries were inflicted by women Shiv Sainiks, the police said.

New Delhi, February 7
BSES’ efforts to control power theft and remove distribution supply constraints are getting increasing support from the long arm of the law. In two recent but separate cases, a Special Court of Electricity sentenced two factory owners to jail for stealing power and failing to deposit court-stipulated bail amount.

In another case, Delhi Police with assistance from BSES apprehended a gang of thieves – allegedly responsible for stealing 53 transformers from BSES area in South and West Delhi.

Recently, two factory owners R K Sharma and Thomas, running a Plastic Injection Moulding unit at Okhla Industrial Area – Phase I were sentenced by a Special Court of Electricity to 7 days jail for stealing over 100 kw of power and failing to deposit Rs 3 lakh each as stipulated bail amount.

Earlier, the duo were caught by a BSES Enforcement Team stealing over 100 KW of electricity by tampering the Electronic Meter. A penalty amount of nearly Rs 42 lakh was imposed on them – which the duo failed to deposit. BSES then lodged an FIR against them and filed a case in the Special Court. In November 2006, the Court directed the accused to deposit Rs 3 lakh each as stipulated bail amount.

To avoid paying the amount, the duo challenged the order of the Special Court in the High Court of Delhi. In a judgment delivered on December 15, 2006, the High Court, upholding the decision of the Special Court, rejected the bail application of the duo under Section 482 of the CrPc.

Speaking on the extent of power theft in Okhla, a BSES spokesperson said, “In the last four years, BSES Enforcement Teams have booked over 450 cases of power theft in Okhla, amounting to nearly 15,000 KW of power theft, and penalties of Rs 8.8 crore have been imposed. Such cases of power theft definitely affect power supply to other industrial customers in the area.”

In a major breakthrough, Delhi Police with assistance from the BSES have managed to apprehend a gang of thieves, including the mastermind, responsible for stealing pole mounted electricity transformers in BSES area.

The arrest of the gang has solved over 50 cases of transformer thefts in South and West Delhi areas, including Sewak Park, Mohan Garden, Om Vihar Phase 1-5, Press Enclave (West Delhi), Sainik Vihar, Hastsal, Avtar Vihar, Uttam Nagar etc.

Explaining the modus operandi of the gang, a BSES official said, “The thieves used to open the nuts and bolts of these 25 KVA transformers and throw them on the ground. They left the box behind and sold the copper core and ‘stamping’ to the ‘Kabariwalas’ of Mayapuri.”

“The total value of the stolen transformers is nearly Rs 25 lakh,” he added.

The BSES spokesperson further added, “We appeal to our customers, Bhagidari partners, RWA and local neighbourhood patrols to help BSES fight this menace of theft of electricity equipment in the East, Central, South and West areas. Customers are requested to be alert and inform local BSES authorities or dial 100 and ask for police assistance in the event that they find unidentified people damaging or sabotaging power supply equipment.

New Delhi, February 7
The youngest motivational guru of the West, Chandresh Bhardwaj, was conferred with ‘thinker of the year’ award by a well-known socio-cultural organisation of the Capital here today.

Chandresh basically hails from the Gurudaspur district of Punjab. Currently, he is pursuing his higher studies from prestigious Baruch College, New York.

According to president of the organisation, Mr Sanjeev Kumar, his regular column on positive thinking titled ‘Beware of what you say’ in a local daily has become so popular that curious readers across the globe has started taking his advice on various sensitive and complex issues related to day to day life.

He has written about two dozen pieces on motivation, positive thinking and new way of life in the paper and is toying with the idea of compiling all those articles in a book for the benefit of his potential readers.

In an informal chat, he said, “Our words derive from thoughts. Thoughts are powerful and helpful, yet they are the most dangerous things we have. Your thoughts can destroy you. Your personality, the state of your life and your nature reflect the quality of your thoughts.”

Bhardwaj started thinking on human related issues when he was in the sixth standard. “Depression in people’s mind always used to bother me and I thought that there should be different ways of looking at things that come in any body’s life. My grand father Mr Ratan P. Bhardwaj had once rated among very few original Punjabi writers. I have learned so many things from my great grand father as far as my writing is concerned.
I am also inspired by all time great thinker of India, J. Krishnamurthy,” he says.

In another function, five books of internationally renowned management guru Avinash Narula, ‘Customer Math’, ‘Unhappy Customer Stock Exchange’, ‘Implementing Advertising Strategy’, ‘Rules of Communicating Effectively’ and ‘Customer Icebergs’ were released here today.

Narula is popular as the James Hadely Chase of management-related writings in the West. “Most of the management books are dull and boring so I use story telling format during writing to maintain better readability,” he added. 

New Delhi, February 7
The Health Ministry-appointed public relations consultant B K Dash, who was disallowed from attending office, has filed a police complaint alleging that he has been wrongfully restrained, physically intimidated and assaulted by officers close to AIIMS Director P Venugopal.

Dash, who filed the complaint in the Defence Colony police station yesterday, has also alleged fabrication of documents of the governing body by AIIMS authorities.

He complained that the minutes of the governing body, which is the statuary body under AIIMS Act 1956 under schedule 11 of its regulations, have been fabricated. “The governing body has reappointed me as consultant, Protocol and Public Relations of the institute. I have been wrongfully restrained, physically intimidated and assaulted,” Dash said in his complaint.

The Director has been acting contrary to the governing body decision and has prepared fabricated, forged and motivated documents in the name of governing body and acted illegally, the complaint said.

Dash, who retired on January 31, was reappointed as consultant by Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, who in his capacity as AIIMS president, was authorised to take a decision by the governing body at its January 24 meeting.

New Delhi, February 7
Cold winds greeted Delhiites this morning after short showers in some parts of the Capital last night even as the minimum temperature rose by about two degree Celsius.

The minimum temperature was recorded at 14 degree Celsius, five degrees above normal, the met office said, adding that the last night rainfall was not measurable. There was an increase in minimum temperature of about two degree Celsius compared to yesterday.

The minimum for yesterday was 12.5 degree Celsius, four notches above normal. The maximum was four degrees above normal as well, recorded at 26.7 degree Celsius.

The weather office has forecast mainly clear skies for tomorrow with mist in the morning. The minimum temperature would be around 14 degree Celsius.—TNS

Gurgaon, February 7
A section of the public, at a meeting with the Deputy Commissioner, Gurgaon, Mr Rakesh Gupta, alleged officials of the tehshil office demanded bribe for effecting registration and mutation of land.

In an ongoing process to make government functioning transparent and accountable, the Deputy Commissioner had convened a joint meeting of the elected representatives of the municipal council, representatives of residents’ welfare associations, officers and district heads of 10 departments.

Mr Gupta had convened the meeting to listen to grievances from residents of colonies falling in the municipal limits and the elected representatives of the municipal council and to seek explanation and review the status of the cases raised from the officers of the department concerned.

Mr Gupta was heard admonishing officers who were found wanting in discharging their duties. He asked them to mend their ways before it was late and that they would be made accountable not only to the government but to the public regarding their grievances in the next such meeting.

Someone charged officials in the local tehsil office demanded one per cent of the transaction on the land deal as bribe. It was further alleged the officials justified the demand for bribe as they had to send it to higher echelons of the government. This further got the goat of the Deputy Commissioner who said that he did not take bribe. He further went on to say the Financial Commissioner did not take money. Then he demanded to know where the bribe was being sent. 

New Delhi, February 7
The CBI today claimed to have arrested a doctor and a staffer of Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) hospital for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs one lakh from a medical supplier.

The duo - Dr Vikas Rampal and Mishri Lal - were arrested by the sleuths of the anti-corruption wing of the agency following a complaint by the medical supplier that the duo had been demanding bribe from him to clear his supplies, official sources said.—OC

New Delhi, February 7
The 16th International Conference on Human Integration advanced on February 5 and 6 here with hope and a clear direction for its realisation with the spiritual leadership of Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, President World Council of Religions and Head of Sawn Kirpal Ruhani Mission - Science of Spirituality.

The speakers included Rabi Ezekiel Issac Malekar, Father Bento Rodrigues, Swami Sachidananda Bharti from Kerala, Dr Maulvi Mufti Mohamad Mukaram Ahmed, Mr Vijay Goyal, Reverend Patrick Motilal, Mahamandleshwar Swami Pragyanand Ji Maharaj, Brother Richard Scotti from Germany, Sister Martha Smith from Florida, Zaki from Pakistan, Brother Etienne Delaulx, Sister Anne Vecoe and others. The Sawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission gave medicines, fruits and eatable items to cancer patients of the Shanti Avedna Sadan.