Gurgaon, February 21
The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Rakesh Gupta, has directed the Additional Deputy Commissioner to investigate the demolition exercise, carried out by District Town Planner (Enforcement) at Anupama College of Engineering and Anupama Institute of Management, Bhorakalan on February 5.

Mr Devendra Gupta, founder and chairman of institutes has alleged in his complaint, sent to Prime Minister of India and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi that the buildings of these two institutes were demolished by Mrs Gurmeet Kaur, District Town Planner (Enforcement) (DTP-E) despite the fact that they were approved by All India Council for Technical Education, Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India and affiliated to MD University, Rohtak.

Signing an affidavit, Mr Gupta has alleged that Junior Engineer of DTP-E, Mr Mahipal had demanded Rs 20 lakh to be given to senior officials for sanctioning the maps of the two institutes.

Three-storeyed canteen block, double-storeyed hostel, three-storeyed gymnastic block, six-storeyed workshop fitted with machines and machinery, computer centre and the college main block were razed on February 5 for no fault of the management, alleged Mr Gupta, adding that the DTP-E demolished the buildings as we did not pay the ‘illegal gratification’, demanded by the department.

The chairman of the institutes further alleged that the DTP-E demolished even old existing buildings on campus which were built before 2004 when the land was in ‘no control zone’.

A notice was served on the institutes by the DTP-E on October 9, 2006, regarding the building plan, of which the reply was filed on October 23 itself, added the chairman.

He further mentioned that the institutes had already submitted all the building plans, other relevant documents and maps on November 10, 2006, for approval whereas the demolition drive was carried out on February 5.

He further stated that as per Section 9 of Punjab Road and Control Area Act 1963, a minimum notice of 24 hours was required to be served to the applicant by the DTP-E. As the institutes were not served any notice, this obviously shows the mala fide intention, he added.

According to Mr N C Jain, government-approved valuer, the damages caused due to the demolition at the institutes are more than 90 per cent and the loss suffered by them is approximately Rs 11.86 crore.

The DTP-E, Mrs Gurmeet Kaur informed that the area was declared Control Area in 2005 and no construction can be allowed without getting approval from the authorities concerned.

The buildings constructed before 2005 were not demolished on campus and all other illegal buildings were demolished as the maps and other building plans were not found sanctioned, informed the DTP-E.

The DC, Mr Rakesh Gupta informed that the DTP-E, Mr Gurmeet Kaur had approached him for providing police protection to demolish illegal structure at the institutes. However, after the demolition, the management of the institutes complained against the DTP-E. The ADC would investigate the allegations, levelled against the DTP-E, revealed the DC. The ADC, Mr Satyaprakesh, informed that both the parties had been served notice with around ten questions each. He had aimed to complete his report within a fortnight, claimed the ADC.

The action would be taken as per the findings of the ADC, added the DC.

New Delhi, February 21
The PHDCCI urged the Delhi Government to exempt car rentals from 12.5 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) as no other state imposes this tax.

The PHDCCI urged the government at a pre-Budget meeting with Dr A K Walia, Finance Minister, Government of NCT, Delhi.

Besides, for increasing stamp duty revenue on property registrations, PHDCCI suggested that registration of properties should be as per the true value of transactions and determined on the basis of declared rates of land and the cost of construction as per CPWD rates. Since a number of companies have shifted their offices to Mumbai to avoid the high rate of stamp duty on stock market transactions, it was suggested to streamline the same as per the rates in Mumbai for enhancing revenue of the Delhi Government.

Mr Vijay Mehta, Chairman, Delhi and NCR Committee, PHDCCI, urged the Delhi Finance Minister to focus on increasing developmental expenditure on social welfare and infrastructure to a level of 60 per cent in the 11th plan and to begin with at least 10 per cent additional allocation for developmental projects be made in the year 2007-08 budget.

Voicing concern over pollution of the river Yamuna, he suggested that the entire city should be brought under an efficient sewage system to minimize pollutants entering into the river Yamuna and the river be cleaned up commencing in the 1st year of 11th Plan. In this connection primary sewage treatment plants should be installed at the terminal points of all drains in the city to ensure that clean water enters the Yamuna.

It is important to note that 55 per cent of population is covered under organized sewerage system and 15 per cent under on-site sanitation systems.

The Chamber also suggested that railings along the central verge should be similar on all roads and be at least four feet high to prevent accidents and jumping over by pedestrians.

The PHDCCI has suggested privatization of maintenance of all major PWD roads in the city on the model of the ring road.

The state government’s expenditure on general and technical education should be increased to at least 10 per cent to enable Delhi emerge as the ‘Education Hub’. The existing buildings of government-run schools should be redeveloped and used for double shifts for increasing their utility.

Since Delhi will be hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2010, it is necessary to substantially enhance the plan expenditure on sports and youth services and public health for common man.

Faridabad, February 21
Liberation of society from social evils and inculcating humanity and humility with the education was perhaps the most pressing need of the hour and any degree of skill was irrelevant unless it was supplemented with the spirit of working for the uplift of the poor and underprivileged. The students should not only strive for excellence in the fields they choose, but also ensure that the education and training acquired ought to be socially oriented.

This was stated by Mrs Asha Hooda, wife of the Chief Minister of Haryana, while delivering the convocation address at the Jawaharlal Nehru Government College in sector 16- A here today. She gave away degrees to about 77 students of post-graduate courses and 277 students of undergraduate courses.

Mrs Hooda, who is Vice-President of the Haryana State Council for Child Welfare, said that getting degrees was not just another day for student community, but also a time for introspection.

She said quality of education is what was required at present and it should be the main focus of the institutions. She said while women in a country like the United States got the right to vote just about 30 years ago, the condition of women in out country was still an issue of concern. Evils like dowry, child marriage and illiteracy were still the bane of society and this was the reason why the present government had paid extra attention by launching various schemes in the past two years.

Later, speaking to the select media persons, Mrs Hooda claimed that there was a need to do extra efforts to help the women of rural areas. A large number of them had a frail health and had been deprived of various basic amenities, she regretted.

According to her, while schemes had been on to provide facilities in the villages, she called upon the NGOs and the business houses to adopt villages and work towards providing civic amenities in the rural areas.

She claimed that education for all sections of society was the basic need and illiteracy had been basic cause of social and economic problems.

She said her society was prepared to honour and motivate those bodies which wanted to do ground work in helping women and children to facilitate what they required for an all-round development.

New Delhi, February 21
The Delhi State Election Commissioner, Mr S. P. Marwah, said that the MCD elections would be held in the first week of April and tentative dates of the elections were April 3, 4 or 7. March 31 and April 1 also figured during discussion with the political parties but polling could not be held on both dates due to festivals of Mahavir Jayanti and Eid-e-Milad respectively.

The actual date for municipal elections will be finalised by the State Election Office within a few days keeping in mind that the MCD House should be constituted by April 9. The election timing will be 8 am to 5 pm, Mr Marwah said.

He said that elections would be held for all the 272 seats and counting will held the same day. He would speak to the Delhi Police Commissioner to provide police force for counting of votes on the same day of elections.

When the same day counting issue was raised by the Election Commissioner, a few political parties expressed reservation saying that it would be an extra burden on party workers. It was done in Chandigarh which comparatively is a small city. Finally, they agreed, the State Election Commissioner said.

After having a meeting with five political parties, the Congress, BJP, BSP, NCP and CPI which are active in Delhi, the State Election Commissioner said that the tentative dates for elections were given by the all parties unanimously. They agreed to follow the election code of conduct.

During discussion with the political parties, the Election Commissioner has clarified that the use of microphone for campaigning during the elections would be banned as it creates disturbance. After being insisted by the political parties to allow using mike on auto rickshaw for campaigning for electioneering, Mr Marwah said that there was time enough for door to door campaigning.

There will be 14 days time between the last date of filing nominations, withdrawal of names and the date of polling that will be enough for campaigning. He also directed the political parties not to use hoarding which is banned by the court. He directed the political parties to install boards at party election offices and there would be one election office in each municipal ward. If hoarding is found installed at public places, the area SHO will be held responsible. If it is on some private property, the owner will be punished.

He told the political parties that party candidates could write their names, party names, election symbols on the gate of their houses for campaigning purpose. As far as election expenditure is concerned, the political parties have been given a limit of Rs 1.50 lakh for each ward. 

New Delhi, February 21
Mr Vijender Gupta, member of the Standing Committee of the MCD and secretary of the Delhi unit of the BJP, yesterday alleged Delhi denizens would have to face the problems of waterlogging and sewerage blockage during the monsoon since the Congress-ruled MCD had failed to take any administrative approval on desilting and remodelling of various nullahs. As a result, work on this had been considerably delayed.

Giving details, Mr Gupta informed on January 10 a meeting of senior officers was held in the chamber of the Chief Secretary, where a presentation was given on desilting of nullahs and remodelling of drains. It was unfortunate that despite strict instructions from Chief Secretary all work of desilting and remodeling of nullahs had not been started. Approval for this work had also not been taken from the competent authorities.

Mr Gupta alleged that during the past many years the work of desilting of drains started on February 15. Even then, this work could not be completed by the time the monsoon arrived. Waterlogging occurred continuously in various areas of Delhi. But this year, the work had not been started. Even approval had not been taken, which would, of course, cause substantial delay in the start of work.

Mr Gupta also disclosed keeping in view the worst situation faced in the past it had been decided that in December the action plan of desilting of nullahs as well as remodeling of nullahs would be prepared so that work should start soon.

He alleged that owing to the lethargic attitude of the Congress no action whatsoever had been taken in this regard despite adequate provision in the budget.

New Delhi, February 21
Scores of Janata Dal (United) followers, led by party chief Sharad Yadav today burnt the effigy of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh protesting the spiralling of prices of essential commodities and the entry of MNCs in the retail sector.

Protestors at the ‘dharna’, organised by the Delhi Pradesh JD (U), later courted arrest at the Jantar Mantar here.

Mr Yadav, addressing the gathering said the ‘aam aadmi’ was being fleeced by the rising prices of essential commodities while favourable laws and plans were being laid down for big companies to prosper.

“We are into an era where the poor were being burdened with more and more taxes while the rich were enjoying tax benefits and it was precisely the reason why the poor were getting poorer and rich richer.”

He also informed that the NDA would be holding a meeting tomorrow to chart out the course for further action against price rise and the usurping of the livelihood of small traders.

“We need to stand unitedly to make an impact against the UPA policies which were throttling the poor and burdening the common man with its anti-people moves,” Mr Yadav added. 

New Delhi, February 21
Expressing serious concern and anguish over the non-implementation of its direction on providing proper medical treatment to patients suffering from autism, the Delhi High Court has warned government officials concerned of contempt proceedings.

It is high time the legislature thought over the failure of governance in the country, a Division Bench comprising Mr Justice Swatanter Kumar and Mr Justice H. R. Malhotra observed while coming down heavily on the officials.

“We grant last opportunity to the authority concerned to put in place what the court has stated before we proceed with contempt of court”, the Bench said.

“Since September, three different Benches have expressed displeasure and anguish over your performance and now you are asking for one more month”, the Bench said when the government asked for another month to provide facilities to patients suffering from autism.

The order sheet of the case reflected carelessness on the part of the authority. Children, who needed attention, were the least priority of the authority, who were more interested in paper work, the Bench said.

There was a public perception that if a person wanted a clean public toilet, wanted to get rid of monkeys and rats in the city or sought proper and timely medical facilities, it was the court which came to his rescue, the Bench said expressing concern over the inefficiency of government officials.

Anguished over the inordinate delay in providing proper facilities and medical treatment despite its several orders, the high court had on February 14 directed top health officials of the central government to appear before it to explain what steps it had taken so far in this regard. The Bench had also asked the Centre and the Delhi Government to conduct a survey through NGOs to know the exact number of autistic people in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

Noida, February 21
The pulse polio campaign in Gautam Budh Nagar District failed to achieve the targets fixed for it, largely due to the internal squabbles of the top officials and staff of the health department, it is learnt.

The death of a child after taking “Do boond zindagi ke”, apart from dampening the effect of the campaign had also demoralized the staff and the people.

As a result, out of a target of over 4 lakhs kids, over 22,000 children could not be administered the polio drop. Now transit teams have been pressed into service to cover these children.

From February 11, some 662 teams had been formed to administer pulse polio drops to some 4.83,050 kids below the age of 5 years in the district.

But for a lack of guidelines and proper supervision, at many places the polio teams had failed to achieve their targets.

District Supervising Officer A.K. Dhawan partially blamed the weather for the department’s failure to achieve the targets set for the pulse polio campaign.

Greater Noida, February 21
Robbers decamped with cash, valuables and jewellery from three houses in posh residential societies in Alpha-I Greater Noida under Kasna police station area. The criminals had broken open the padlocks to gain entry into the houses.

All the house owners had gone out of station. The police reached the site on getting the news on Tuesday. Security guards and servants have been arrested by the police who also lifted the fingerprints of the robbers.

Akhilesh Verma, owner of the C-22 had left on February 18 for Baneras while his wife had gone to a relative’s place in Greater Noida. A hawker who is said to have noticed the padlock broken had informed the security guard. Akhilesh’s wife on her return saw the house ransacked. About Rs 10,000, jewellery and valuables worth lakhs were missing. The thieves had not touched the artificial jewellery.

The bandits had also ransacked C-18 house of professor A.K. Mahajan of IILM College. The intruders had decamped with Rs 5000, jewellery and valuables. The inmates had gone to attend a wedding in Indore, the police said.

Besides, the robbers had also ransacked C-17 after breaking open the lock. The fact that three houses in a posh residential colony were broken into has created a panic in the locality.

CO Mani Ram Yadav has inspected the houses and police took into custody two security guards and a servant of the society. Incidentally, the student hostel of three engineering colleges is also located in Har Mukh Apartments. 

New Delhi, February 21
With the arrest of two desperate carjackers, Mukesh (28) and Sandeep (27), the North-West district police today claimed to have busted a gang involved in many cases of car and auto theft. Five stolen cars have been recovered from their possession.

Acting on a tip-off that two persons would dispose of a looted Indica car near M2K cine complex in Rohini area, a trap was laid around the area. Initially, they tried to flee from the spot, but were finally apprehended after a brief chase. Initially, they also tried to mislead the police.

During interrogation, they allegedly confessed to have stolen four Maruti cars from Model Town area in last two months. The vehicles have been recovered at their instance, said a police officer. 

New Delhi, February 21
Fog enveloped the Delhi skyline for the third time this week, visibility levels have been steadily low in the morning hours even as bright sunlight led to a rise in mercury in the Capital.

Fog enveloped the skyline in the morning hours for the second consecutive day, and for the third time over the last one week. The fog reduced visibility to 800 m at about 0700 hours. Low visibility procedures had to be put in force at 7:35 am when the runway visual range fell to 850 m, an Airports Authority of India spokesperson informed.

He added that no flights were diverted, rescheduled or cancelled.

Meanwhile, bright sunlight today led to a rise in minimum temperature to 11.0 degree Celsius, from 10.2 degree Celsius yesterday. Weathermen said the mercury was likely to witness a further rise tomorrow to 12 degree C. There could be a drop in mercury towards the weekend with the weathermen forecasting scattered to fairly widespread rain or snowfall over the western Himalayan region during the next 24 hours under the influence of a fresh western disturbance.

The MET office has forecast a mainly clear sky in Delhi during the next 24 hours with likelihood of the sky becoming partly cloudy by evening or night. They have also forecast a slight fog or mist in the morning hours. 

New Delhi, February 21
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today visited burn ward of Safdarjung Hospital where ill-fated victims of Samjhauta Express train blast had been undergoing treatment. She met around 11 patients and gave instructions to the medical staff to provide best possible treatment to them. She enquired about their health and wished them speedy recovery. She was accompanied by Delhi Health Minister Dr. Yoganand Shastri.

Mrs Dikshit assured that her Government would provide all possible assistance to the victims.—TNS

Ghaziabad, February 21
Heavy security arrangements have been made at the district court for production of two Nithari serial killings accused before a special CBI judge tomorrow.

No one would be allowed to enter the court when the CBI produces Moninder Singh Pandher and Surendra Koli and the administration will ensure that the January 25 incident is not repeated, District Magistrate M K S Sundaram said today.

Pandher and Koli, who are to appear before Special CBI Magistrate at 10:15 am tomorrow, were thrashed by lawyers on January 25.

New Delhi, February 21
The Raghavan Committee on ragging set up on an order of the Supreme Court will be visiting Chennai tomorrow to hold public discussion on the ‘ragging’ issue. The committee was constituted by the Ministry of Human Resource Development on November 27 last year with the help of former CBI director Dr R.K. Raghavan as its head.

It was then made mandatory to look into the whole issue and suggest means and methods of prevention of ragging, a practice which sometimes took extreme forms in educational institutions.—TNS

New Delhi, February 21
The Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr P. R. Dasmunsi, today released a biography of veteran Urdu and Punjabi poet Shamsher Singh ‘Sher’. The biography was titled as Abhinandan Granth.

Releasing ‘Abhinandan Granth’ at a function organised by the National Commission for Minorities member Harcharan Singh Josh and Punjabi Akademi here, the Minister being a poet himself said, meeting a veteran poet like Singh was an experience akin to the communion of souls.

Noida, February 21
A senior journalist and writer Surinder Singh Johar, 79, passed away in a Noida hospital last night. He had been ailing for about 10 days.

Born in Rawalpindi, SS Johar had his education in Rawalpindi and Lahore before the Partition. Johar was a prolific writer and journalist. He continued to write for all leading Punjabi newspapers, including the Ajit and the Punjabi Tribune.—OC