New Delhi, February 28
The annual allocation for the national Capital has been increased substantially to Rs 988.11 crore for the year 2007-2008 from Rs 356.65 crore last year.

Most of the additional funds allocated in this year’s budget are meant for improving infrastructure in the sprawling metropolis in view of the Commonwealth Games 2010. This includes Rs 350 crore exclusively for the Commonwealth Games infrastructure like the construction of the Games village and upgradation of the stadiums.

The national Capital, which enjoys the status of a limited state-hood, is provided Central assistance for financing the Plan schemes. The Central assistance under Plan includes normal assistance as well as Additional Central Assistance for specific programmes like National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) including Annapurna and Nutrition Programme For Adolescent Girls (NPAG).

In addition to these programmes, Plan assistance for Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). The government of NCT of Delhi is not provided any Central assistance for meeting the Non-Plan gap in resources as it has a positive balance of current revenues.

Also, in its efforts to promote infrastructure facilities in the national Capital and adjoining areas and in its bid to meet additional requirement of 20,000 hotel rooms for the Games, the government has given a five-year tax holiday to hotels in the Budget 2007-2008. The five-year income tax holiday has been allowed for two, three or four star hotels as well as convention centres with a seating capacity of not less than 3,000 located in the national Capital, Ghaziabad of Gautam Budh Nagar, Faridabad and Gurgaon.

The only stipulation for these hotels and convention centres to seek tax exemption is that these should be completed and begin operations during the period between April 1, 2007 and March 31, 2010.

New Delhi, February 28
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) will burn the effigy of Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram as the traders say the budget is an “aimless document” of the government, which has failed to protect the internal trade of the country. There is no mention of domestic trade in the Budget.

CAIT secretary general Praveen Khandelwal, while reacting on the Budget, said no declaration on the roadmap of the goods and services tax, which is scheduled to be enforced from April 1, 2010, amply reflects the lethargic approach of the government. The Budget has not spelled out any policy to restrict the entry of multinationals and big industrial houses in retail trade, which is trying to dislodge small shopkeepers. Though forward trading in wheat and rice has been banned, it continues with pulses and other commodities, which will escalate the prices.

It was regrettable the Finance Minister had not made any comment on simplification and rationalisation of the tax structure. Even the audit limit had not been increased. The Finance Minister had grossly neglected the crores of small shopkeepers, said Khandelwal.

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) alumni have welcomed the increase in education cess from two per cent to three per cent in the Union Budget 2007-08. They hoped the money would be spent in improving the primary education in the country.

Mr Y. P. S. Suri, Secretary, IIT , Kharagpur Alumni Association, said, “The national means-cum-merit scholarship of Rs 6,000 per child proposed in the Union Budget will help in bringing down the school dropout rate in the country”

He said, “Apart from primary education, the biggest challenge that is being faced by the various Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) is of retaining the present set of faculty and finding new one to meet the increasing number of intake of students in the coming days due to government policies”.

Delhi BJP president Harsh Vardhan said this was an exhausted and destructive Budget which would adversely affect farmers, small entrepreneurs, unemployed persons and all sectors of society. It would also increase the price spiral many times.

It would also be proved superficial on infrastructure like power, water, road, transport, housing security etc.

DPCC president Ram Babu Sharma said this was a well-balanced Budget which would pave the way for the benefit of one and all. He particularly mentioned 34 per cent increase in the education sector and also doubling the budget for middle education.

New Delhi, February 28
The annual allocation for the Delhi Police has been marginally increased in the Budget 2007- 2008 to Rs 1,461.88 crore from Rs 1,367.73 crore last year. This includes Rs 75 lakh for installation of traffic signals and lights in various parts of the National Capital territory of Delhi.

Delhi Police, which is responsible for maintaining and enforcing law and order, traffic management, VIP security, licensing and registration of foreigners in the national Capital is a reserve subject and has been retained by the Central government. Earlier, the expenditure of the Delhi Police force was being met by the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi but the Central government took on the responsibility of looking after the 55,000 strong force from August 1, 1996 because of the limited state-hood status. 

New Delhi, February 28
DPCC president Ram Babu Sharma today announced that there would be no nepotism while distributing tickets for municipal elections to be held on April 5. The workers who are active in party politics, social work and do not have criminal involvement will be preferred.

The leadership would also consider the application of workers who had been active in the politics for a long time and had never been given chance to contest the elections, he said.

Addressing a conference, he said that family members of politicians would not be given tickets. “Youngsters will be preferred in this election. While allotting the ticket, candidates of OBC, minorities, people of Uttranchal, Rajasthan and Poorvanchal will be given representation. Transparency will be maintained for ticket distribution process,” he said.

“Under this policy, preference will be given to those who have a clean record, good moral character, selfless to serve the electorates and believe in service to all and for whom social service is the utmost duty,” he added.

Ram Babu Sharma said that the DPCC was issuing an application form for the aspiring candidates to be filled in by them after getting routed through their Block and District Committees, it had to be deposited with the state party office by March 6. There are no charges of application form.

New Delhi, February 28
In an effort to deal with the ever growing competition related pressure on students, Fortis Hospital, Noida, part of Fortis Healthcare Ltd, today announced the launch of free telephonic consultation for one month, starting March 1, 2007. The hospital launched its helpline with the number 0120-2403821/22 for students reeling under examination pressure, who can call and consult with eminent and experienced psychiatrists and psychologists of the hospital on queries related to exam stress and how to cope with this stress.

Eminent psychotherapist and psychiatrist of Fortis Hospital, Noida, will be available for queries relating to examination stress. Students can speak to experts from March 1-31 daily by calling the number 10 am to 12 noon and 4 pm to 6 pm. The experts suggested students should have spare time for walking or jogging, communicate with family, take short breaks in between study sessions and stand up straight and smile.

They also suggested not to stay awake all night studying, study on the exam day or outside the exam hall, go to the exam without breakfast and compare performance with friends.

New Delhi, February 28
The faculty of Architecture and Ekistics at Jamia Millia Islamia University is holding a third major national seminar on March 8 and 9 on Planning Practices in India and their attempt is to set up a common platform in this area.

‘Architecture for Masses’ is a series of national seminar and it focusses on issues concerning the masses. It especially provides a dynamic opportunity to academicians, architects, planners, decision-makers and students for in-depth discussions and deliberations on issues of vital concern for the masses.

This year, the seminar will be reviewing planning practices prevalent in India in search of a humane habitat. The main idea behind this initiative is having cities with an urban matrix equitable to a balanced eco-system. This becomes more relevant in today’s context when only 0.4 per cent of the land is being used by the cities. The negative impacts of high rise buildings, mixed land use on the pretext of new modern look are areas that will be enquired into at the seminar.

Master Planning was taken as a tool for fulfilling the aspirations and needs of the people for the creation of a humane habitat across the nation. Delhi being the Capital city took the lead by coming up with Ambitious Master Plan 1962 which was followed by most of the large and medium and smaller cities.

New Delhi, February 28
iCONGO and the Khemka Foundation announced the launch of the right every wrong social justice and action conclave and Karmaveer Puraskaar at a conference here.

iCONGO or the Indian Confederation of NGOs is a unique initiative created to establish credibility of the NGO sector through a strict adherence to the norms of accountability and transparency. Member NGOs - national and international, work with various communities, issues and causes. In a nutshell iCONGO’s mission is to create a collective infrastructure for the NGOs genuinely working for the betterment of the community.

iCONGO aspires to bring in professionalism in the sector and promote self-dependence rather than just depending on grants and donations. iCONGO is also created to promote social entrepreneurship and enterprise by getting investment from individuals for long term self sustainability.

The credo is to educate, empower and evolve on social issues and responsibility and thus inspire, include and involve one and all Indians to practice true democracy based on the constitution of India which promotes the concept of equal basic, fundamental, social, economical and political rights and dignity for all.

The conclave will be held on March 9 and 10. 

Noida, February 28
The antenna for improving national sports, sports infrastructure and the administration in sports associations and organisations in the country was upped at the seminar, ‘If Indian economy can boom, why can’t Indian sports zoom’ held as part of the Amity Media and film festival this morning.

Various speakers including the former Olympians, sportsmen, experts and administrators dwelt in detail on the importance of sports in the life of the nation and its youth. They all stressed the role of dedication, devotion and love for sports among the youth and clean administration and apolitical leadership of sports bodies and the sports ministry of the country.

Mr Bhure Lal, retired IAS and member of UPSC, said, “sports demand discipline, physical capacity, power of conviction, hard work to achieve success. It can make us health conscious. Wishes alone would not fetch success.”

“A player like a soldier brings glory to the nation. A nation of over a billion and no gold at the Olympic is a sad situation which calls for drastic action and remedies. A past world champion in hockey, we have lost even that glory, Mr Bure Lal added.

Dr Gurmeet Singh, sports director at Delhi University, making a significant suggestion said 2 per cent education cess was being collected in the country. “While education institutions are booming, not much had been done for sports so far. If the government were to channelise half a per cent or even one fourth of a per cent of education cess to development of sports, and improvement of sports, it could have given amazing results. We too can build more stadiums and play grounds in cities and rural areas like most European countries,” he said.

Olympian Col. Balbir Singh said he was a cadet at Indian Military Academy when he was selected in Indian hockey team for the Olympics. He said it was the drive, hard work, dedication and commitment which made an outstanding player. “We must take sports to grass root level along with building need infrastructure,” he said.

Balbir Singh was the youngest player to have played in Olympics and to get an Arjuna Award.

The former sportspersons also rued that sports organisations were being presided over by bureaucrats and political big wigs without knowing an iota of sports. Sports ministers, chiefs sports authority and sports bodies etc. should be top sports personalities of the country, they demanded.

It was disclosed that Amity University was training 10,000 students for duty at coming Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010.

Gurgaon, February 28
The rates of commercial properties would rise further whereas there would be stagnation in residential properties in the near future, opined Mr Avneesh Sood, Director of Eros group.

A Bhoomi Poojan ceremony was held at the site of Eros group’s forthcoming commercial project, Eros Corporate Park, at IMT Manesar today.

The group had also recently won the bid for a five-acre hotel site at the rate of Rs 255 crore against the reserve price of Rs 163 crore in Gurgaon. “We would build 600 rooms plus a five star hotel by the end of 2009 there”, revealed Mr Sood.

He further added the group was not interested in Special Economic Zone (SEZ) projects as there was uncertainly and confusing guidelines and rules both at the state level and at the Centre.

Speaking about the Eros Corporate Park, he said the meticulously designed commercial structure would have a total of five lakh square feet area with two-level retail space, six-level office and three- level car parking facilities.

Mr Sood averred Manesar-Gurgaon was soon going to be one of the most strategic locations for corporate offices and trade towers. Manesar would become a Mecca of industry-specific infrastructure — service ancillaries, commercial and other essential services within a space of five years due to its proximity to the international airport, the upcoming SEZ of Reliance industry.

Eros Group had targeted suitably planned development of IMT, Manesar, specifically planned to cater to a wide spectrum of target segments. National Highway 8 was being widened to a eight-lane expressway between Gurgaon and New Delhi and flyovers were being built which would eliminate all red lights so that IMT got connected to Delhi by a few minutes’ drive alone.

Expected to be completed by end of 2008, Eros Corporate Park would have all utilities to cater to the requirements of shops, offices, businesses and visitors. It would be a modern and sophisticated commercial building with all amenities and infrastructure that was essential to a business complex, claimed Mr Sood. With availability of all basic services of fire station, car service station, health facilities, school sites, post office, banks, warehouses, cargo facilities, golf course and helipad, the IMT, Manesar was all set to attract huge chunk of corporate traders, manufacturers, industrialists and also MNCs. With dynamic ambience and all freehold land, multi-functional HSIDC complex, wide roads and parking space and other utilities, the location was perfect to be counted upon as a magnificent site.

Noida, February 28
A fake IAS officer kicked up a ruckus in the Sector 58 police station when he beat up agents of a private bank in the room of the SO in the presence of the SP City. The two looked on mutely.

When two TV journalists tried to cover the event, they also had to face the wrath of the impostor IAS in the presence of the police officers. When a policeman tried to rescue the bank agents he, too, was beaten up.

When SSP Rajiv Sabharwal and District Magistrate Ajay Chauhan reached the spot and inquired about the matter, the man claiming to be an IAS officer turned out to be an impostor. He was then put behind the bars.

Neeru Shiv, a resident of Shatabdi Vihar in Sector 61 here, came to the Sector 58 police station and introduced himself as an IAS officer of the 1981 batch. He said two youths had tried to take away his car. As the police told him to give a written complaint, two recovery agents of a private bank, Loveleen and Gaurav, also trooped in.

The agents told the police Neeru Shiv had taken a car loan for Rs 3.21 lakh on his credit card by giving a fictitious address and was not paying the instalments. At this, the so-called IAS officer pounced on the recovery agents and started thrashing them in the room of the police station in-charge. On getting information, SP City Vijay Yadav also reached the police station, but Neeru continued to thrash the agents. The police officers were silent spectators of the whole drama. When Satish, a policeman, tried to rescue the agents Neeru beat him up also.

Soon, two TV reporters who arrived there tried to capture the whole episode on their camera. Neeru is reported to have man handled them. He snatched their camera and smashed the cassettes. A crowd of mediapersons soon gathered at the police station. In protest, the mediapersons jammed the road and sat in front of the police station.

District Magistrate Ajay Chauhan and SSP Rajiv Sabharwal reached the police station and in view of press reporters’ complaint ordered the so- called IAS officer to be arrested and put behind the bars. Neeru Shiv was then arrested from his house in Shatabdi Vihar and put behind bars. The man claimed to have been a CDO in Rai Barreilly in 1985 and was currently working as a consultant. His brother, a cable operator in Meerut, is reported to have good contacts in the administration.

Noida, February 28
Noida police have arrested six members of a gang of mobile phone thieves who used to send the stolen phones to Bihar and Jharkhand.

The Sector-58 police had allegedly arrested the six thieves after an encounter on Tuesday night, four country-made revolvers, daggers and number of live cartridges were recovered from the bandits. It may be added that mobile phone thieves had been involved in several cases of stealing and snatching cell phones in Noida markets, busy locations and even from people talking on phone.

Even in spite of electronic surveillance by cops, the thieves could not be apprehended. But on a tip-off by an informer, the police were able to corner the mobile phone thieves in A Block of Sector-58. Though the thieves allegedly started firing on the cops, the police succeeded in nabbing six of them eventually.

Those caught included the ring leader, Santosh Kumar Singh, Arjun Kumar, Birju Kumar, Gangu Mahto, Kuldip Sahto and Govind.

The police seized 45 costly mobile phones, four revolvers, daggers and cartridges from their possession. All the thieves are said to be from Maharajpur village of Sahibganj in Jharkhand.

A number of people in the area around their village were engaged in this criminal activity, they told the police.

Noida police had been depending on electronic surveillance in Delhi and NCR areas. But the criminals had been sending the stolen mobile phones to far off Bihar and Jarkhand. The gang had specialised in stealing such phone which carried premium value in the market. All the cell phones recovered were worth more than Rs 10,000 each.

New Delhi, February 28
With the arrest of Shamim (37), Dinesh (34), Sunny (22) and Habib (37), the North district police today claimed to have busted a gang of robbers while they were planning to commit robberies in buses plying on the Ring Road. A search revealed two countrymade pistols along with two live cartridges and two knives.

Acting on information that a gang of robbers would assemble near Yamuna Pustha besides the wall of Vijay Ghat to commit dacoity in buses plying on the Ring Road, a trap was laid around the area. Five suspicious looking youths were spotted. When they were challenged, they tried to flee but were overpowered after a brief chase. However, one accomplice, later identified as Vijay, managed to escape under cover of darkness.

In another incident, the same district police claimed to have arrested four persons, Arjun (19), Silva (19), Kumar (25) and Gopi (18), in connection with a road robbery case. The looted booty and two knives used in the crime have been recovered from them.

Birender Kumar along with his brother Ram Babu was going towards ISBT from Mori Gate on a rickshaw. When they reached near Gole Chakkar, Moro Gate, four boys came and robbed them of Rs 5,000, train tickets, two mobile phones and watches at knifepoint and fled from the spot.

On the basis of some clues, Arjun was apprehended. During interrogation, he allegedly accepted his crime. His other accomplices were later identified and arrested at his instance near a wine shop in Tis Hazari Court area.

During interrogation, they also confessed they had consumed liquor together prior to commiting the crime and to compensate the expenditure incurred they committed the crime, said a police officer.

In another incident, the same district police claimed to have arrested Islam (35) in connection with a drug peddling case. Nine kilogram charas worth Rs 2.5 lakh was seized from him.

New Delhi, February 28
Power supply will be affected in Defence Colony and adjoining areas on March 1 between 11 am and 2 pm on account of planned upgradation and strengthening of the distribution system – making Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) compatible.