New Delhi, May 3
The newly elected chairman of the Standing Committee, MCD, Vijender Gupta, today announced a number of policies which include paperless offices of the corporation, advertising and transfer policies, implementation of national vendor policy formed during the NDA government, multi-level parking and steps to de-seal commercial establishments.

He was elected unopposed as chairman by members of the most powerful Standing Committee today. The election result was announced by a senior BJP councillor Meera Aggarwal who acted as a presiding officer. Later, Vijender Gupta declared the name of Yogender Chandolia elected unopposed as deputy chairman of the committee.

Delivering his maiden speech, Vijender Gupta, who has been active in politics during college days, assured to make the civic body a paperless office. All corporation offices will be computerised during the BJP regime. Entire detail of the land and building would be available through computers.

Pointing out the parking problem in the national Capital, he said that construction for 12 multi-level parking would be started from December 2007.

As advertising is a major source of revenue of the MCD, a new policy on advertising would be formulated within 30 days, he assured.

Gupta, who was a member of opposition in the Standing Committee during the Congress regime, said that the MCD was short of officials and employees. The Delhi Selection Board failed to fill up a large number of vacant posts. The officials who come to the MCD on deputation from other governments go back to their parental services, as here they do not get better working environment. Now a new transfer policy is required so that employees prefer working in the civic body rather than going back to their parental organisations, he said.

The new policy will emphasise to fill up the C and B categories vacancies and reduce the system of ad hocism. The Delhi Government will be pressurised to give good officers to make the MCD perform better.

The Standing Committee chairman who was vice-president, Delhi University Student Union in 1984-85, also announced to launch online building plan as at present citizens of the Capital are harassed while getting the building plan approved manually.

The Municipal Commissioner is also determined to launch this scheme. The chairman also laid stress on streetlights.

During his speech, he spoke of the menace of stray cattle, dog and monkey in Delhi.

Taking the issue of sealing and demolition of unauthorised constructions, he announced to form committees—zonal and headquarters level.

“The applications for de-sealing will be submitted to the zonal committee and later it will be given to the headquarters committee to examine the applications. Later, the applications will be submitted before the monitoring committee appealing to finalise the issue within 24 hours,” he said. 

New Delhi, May 3
Northern Railway and the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi have undertaken a project to revamp security in railway premises.

A team of experts led by Professor D.T. Sahni from IIT surveyed the Delhi Junction to study the density of passengers, movement of trains and working of various security agencies. A press note issued by Northern Railway here today said that the team was likely to revisit the station to suggest ways of improving security arrangements.

The Railways have strengthened security on Platform number 18 in Delhi Jn for the smooth departure of Attari Link Express.

Northern Railway has deployed an additional fleet of three companies of Railway Police Special Force (RPSF) in Delhi area. Apart from this, 12 dog squads have been added to the railway stations in Delhi. These police hounds assist the Railway Protection Force in security check of luggage and other packages. Door frame 0and hand held metal detectors and close circuit television cameras are also being used by security personnel at New Delhi, Delhi Jn and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations. A baggage screening machine is also being commissioned by the railways. 

New Delhi, May 3
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today flagged off the first batch of 100 Delhi Cabs and an air-conditioned radio cab for the national capital region. Its main focus will be to provide safe, clean, and cost-effective transportation to Delhiites.

A call to the countrywide local number 4333222 will ensure that the Delhi cab is at doorstep of the caller.

Voter I-cards

Sheila has instructed chief electoral officer, Delhi, to make elaborate arrangement for issue of election photo I-card to the remaining electors by commissioning all the 70 Voter Registration and Election Photo Identity Card Centres at the earliest.

The Chief Minister stressed the need to issue the identity card to all voters.

She further directed new divisional commissioner Rakesh Bihari to co-ordinate efforts of all departments concerned, including chief executive officer, PWD and subdivisional magistrates to ensure completion of entire process without delay. The decisions were taken in a meeting presided over by the Chief Minister.

The meeting was attended by industries and election minister Mangat Ram Singhal, chief secretary Ramesh Narayanswami, secretary (Finance), divisional commissioner, CEO and all revenue deputy commissioners.

It was reported in the meeting that sixth Voter Registration and Election Photo Identity Card Centres would be made functional on Friday and sites for another 44 have already been identified.

The divisional commissioner has been instructed to function as nodal officer. All the officers concerned have been instructed to bring any bottleneck straight to the notice of the chief secretary. With the commissioning of all 70 VRECs, the work relating to the issue of identity cards to voters would gain momentum and would be completed by June 30. These centres would function as permanent office for updating, deletion, addition and transfer of entries of electors and issue of identity cards.

The Delhi Government has already sanctioned adequate staff and financial allocation for this purpose. The VRECs have already been commissioned in Seemapuri, Timarpur, Nangloi Jat, Mehrauli and Mangolpuri whereas another VREC in Ram Nagar would become functional on Friday.

As far as preparation of photo rolls is concerned, the district election officer (North) has started an exercise on pilot basis in Timarpur assembly constituency.

Coordination for Games

Sheila Dikshit exhorted all stakeholder departments and agencies to have effective co-ordination for commissioning of infrastructure for Commonwealth Games 2010.

She further directed them to work in tandem and ensure completion of projects well within the stipulated period. All the stakeholders have also been requested to ensure quality control.

Addressing a high-level sub-committee meeting today wherein a presentation on city infrastructure for Commonwealth Games 2010 was made which included new flyovers, bridges and stadiums, transport connectivity including parking facilities; improvement and widening of roads, augmentation of power supply and water supply and improvement of various services.

She stated that a monitoring mechanism had already been created which include committee of secretaries under the chairmanship of cabinet secretary, Union Government, which met every month, two empowered committees under secretary, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Chief Secretary, Delhi to ensure fast-track mechanism. A committee had also been constituted under the chairmanship of secretary, ministry of urban development, to achieve great co-ordination between various agencies, she added.

It was reported in the meeting that 27 new projects of flyovers and bridges would be commissioned before December 2009. Out of these, 13 would provide connectivity to Games village, venues and hospitals whereas the remaining would provide intra-city connectivity. 

New Delhi, May 3
‘Will remain an orphan?’ in this milieu of violence and unrest. Regional and trans-national conflict abounds all over the globe, whether it is conflict within a family, in a region or trans-national, unrest marks the world. To reflect on this global situation, the Indira Gandhi National Center for Arts (IGNCA) and Bharat Soka Gakkai (BSG) jointly held a seminar on Thursday entitled, ‘Daisaku Ikeda: Building a Culture of Peace.’

Former ambassador to the US Dr Abid Hussain nostalgically recalled his meeting with Dr Ikeda when he was impressed with the latter’s concern and deep compassion, “I found it amazing how this man from Japan could be so interested in the poor, humble and wretched and how he was able to stir up feelings in the hearts and minds of millions.” Dr Hussain further mentioned details of his interaction with Ikeda and the magnetic influence he wielded on people, “He managed to convert the mind and heart of the most heartless.”

Ikeda especially stressed that the solution to disharmony did not lie in war and the only lasting solution to peace was in continuous dialogue, meetings and interactions amongst people who yearn for complete peace.

The artist Sushma Aggarwal commented that, “When all turbulence is erased from the mind, deep peace emerges from within. This was really the deep peace that Ikeda knew which proved to be the source of his endless compassion.

The IGNCA has added a new corner for peace after Ikeda’s name and Dr K.K. Chakravarty, the member secretary IGCNA, added that, “With the setting up of Dr Daisaku Ikeda Corner for Peace, we are creating actions for future benefit. Our intention is to put to practical use the following thoughts by Dr Ikeda - it is better to kill the will to kill.” 

Faridabad, May 3
Some of the hoardings of the state government on the publicity of various development schemes here have been damaged. These hoardings bearing the photos of the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh,

have been erected by the district administration at various places, including the Mini Secretariat and the judicial complex in Sector 12 here.

The photo of the Chief Minister, printed on the left and lower side of the board, has been torn on both the hoardings put on the road facing the entrance gate of the judicial complex in Sector 12 here, claimed a local resident.

Claiming that it might be the handiwork of the political persons opposed to the Chief Minister, an office-bearer of the district Congress party demanded an enquiry into the matter and registration of a case in this regard.

He said it was amazing that while the posters of all political and non-political persons kept adorning the walls of the Mini Secretariat and nearby area, amounting to violation of Public Defacement Act, the local authorities seemed to be sleeping over the incidents of damage to the hoardings regarding the government schemes.

It is interesting that the damaged hoardings are hardly 100 metres from the Central Police station here and there is movement of the police and other officials for most part of the day.

Surprisingly, there is no proper enquiry or reception desk in the Mini Secretariat in Sector 12 which houses the offices of the district administration. As a result, there is chaos when people ask about the location of a particular office or facility, claimed a local visitor.

He said though an information room exists, there is hardly any clue available to the person who enters the complex as there is no signboard to guide the visitor. The management of the secretariat building which is known as the index of the district administration also seems in a shambles due to the poor upkeep of the building and non-availability of the facilities expected at such a place. While this building was built by the HUDA at a cost of about Rs 12 crore about two and a half years ago, it is still to be handed over to the PWD department which has the responsibility to maintain such buildings.

“While the bathrooms and toilets stink, there is no drinking water available to the visitors,” claimed an employee here.

He revealed that the firefighting system had become outdated due to lack of maintenance. The nameplate of the secretariat complex has been lying damaged for over two months and there is hardly any relief from the congestion in the parking space occupied by a private contractor, said another employee.

Gurgaon, May 3
The police today booked a firm contractor of toll barrier at Badshapur village, one of the three barriers in Gurgaon given on auction by the state government in the city, for extortion of money for ingress and exit of commercial vehicles.

Snatching away of a truck last night just ahead of the barrier has alarmed the police to probe the wider angle in the extortion incident. Recently, there was allegation of loot at nearly the same place.

Although the anti-social activities on the part of personnel at the three barriers, the other being on Pataudi Road and Dundahera, had been taking place for a long time, this is the first time a criminal case has been booked against one of the firms.

The president of the Gurgaon Truck Union, R.S.Yadav lodged a complaint with the police that the personnel manning the barrier at Badshapur on Sohna-Alwar Road—a state highway—was charging excess of laid-down rates from heavy vehicles. Besides, the personnel of the firm which had won public auction to man the barrier were issuingng receipts/memos of the excess charges.

The errant firm accepted the allegation and rationalised that the personnel posted there were new to the job. It returned a sum of Rs 51,000 for the alleged extra money that had been charged from the trucks and lorries. This suggests that the extra money was being charged for a long time.

Incidentally, the Sohna-Alwar road is the second highest density in term of vehicular movement. The highest bid for manning the barrier was Rs 7 crore—the highest perhaps in the state on a state highway..

The wide-ranging view is that the personnel at the toll barriers on the roads of the state government misbehave with the owners and those plying in private vehicles which are exempted from toll tax.Livid at girl’s abduction, villagers damage police post

Noida, May 3
Enraged villagers pelted stones at a police post in Dadri over ‘police inaction’ against some youths who had allegedly abducted a 12-year-old girl in Narauli village under Jarcha police station.

According to reports, three youth who came with a marriage party in the village allegedly abducted the girl. Following this, hundreds of villagers, including women, reached the NTPC police post, but cops allegedly did not pay any heed to their complaint. Enraged villagers then pelted stones and damaged the police post. The cops at the post ran for cover in view of belligerent villagers. Later, police circle officer got the FIR registered and pacified the villagers.

The daughter of Naresh Kumar (changed name) was a student of Class VII in Junior High School in the village. She had gone to the field to answer the nature’s call and crossed the NTPC railway line as some farmers were still working in their field.

But she did not return home till late in the evening and as the family members and friends failed to trace her, they went to NTPC police post. Here the cops not only did not hear them but started humiliating them, the villagers alleged. The villagers told the cops that three young men had came in a van as part of a marriage party from Durjana in Salarpur village.

The villagers suspected the youth in a van who were seen in that area to have abducted the girl.

When hundreds of farmers reached the NTPC police post late in the evening, the cops were interrogating a youth in this connection. He was slipped away from back gate to the police station, while villagers wanted the youth to be interrogated in their presence.

Enraged at this, villagers pelted stones at the police post and damaged it.

Later, circle officer Dinesh Tripathi pacified the villagers, got their FIR registered and assured them that the culprits would soon be nabbed.

New Delhi, May 3
Security outside the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s official residence was beefed up today following a suicide attempt by a businessman near his house. The entire high-security area surrounding the PM’s residence was cordoned off as a precautionary measure. The vehicular traffic resumed an hour after the incident.

Kishori Lal Saigal (42) allegedly stopped his Maruti Zen car near a PCR van positioned opposite the PM’s residence on Race Course Road and shot himself on the right side of his chest with a pistol. He was immediately rushed to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital where his condition was said to be out of danger, said the DCP of the area Anand Mohan.

The police claimed to have recovered the revolver used in the crime and a suicide note written by the businessman. “However, a clear picture will emerge only after the businessman gives any statement,” said the officer.

“Earlier we thought it was a case of property dispute but after recovery of the suicide note, it has established that the businessman was upset due to his wife’s extra-marital affairs. His wife has been intimated in this regard,” said the officer.

After hearing the gun shot, when a PCR rushed towards the spot, they found an abandoned car with some cash and pistol in it and a person was lying in a pool of blood. Later, he was identified as Kishori Lal, a businessman-cum-property dealer from Dwarka.

New Delhi, May 3
The Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC) is planning to spend over Rs five crore to renovate the ethnic shopping hub Dilli Haat because of the recent competition offered by shopping malls which have sprouted all over the Capital and in the adjoining districts of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

“For the last four years, the number of visitors has been steady at 16 lakh per year. Hence there is an urgent need to upgrade and introduce new facilities to attract visitors, particularly foreigners,” a DTTDC official said.

This is for the first time in the last 13 years since its construction, that authorities have decided to renovate the Dilli Haat.

A spacious art gallery, better sitting space and a new look for the food plazas and shops selling ethnic articles are part of the organisation’s ambitious plan to give a new look to the shopping complex.

The mart known for its ethnic look is entering into the new age and plans to install energy saving and cost effective CFL lamps, replacing conventional bulbs all around the premises mainly on the pedestrian paths.

The idea is to cut down its existing hefty power bill considering that the Haat remains open till 10.30 pm everyday.

New Delhi, May 3
A meeting of Shiromani Gurdwara Sewadar Committee was held in the trans-Yamuna area yesterday. The president of the Kalgi Dhar Sewak Jatha, Gandhi Nagar also participated in the meeting (Jatinder Pal Singh Goldy).

Delhi state secretary Harvinder Singh told the mediapersons that he had appealed to the Sangat of Delhi to recite the sacred ‘paath’ of Sukhmani Sahib in their homes or in gurdwaras everyday in connection with the martyrdom day of Guru Arjun Dev, falling on June 17. The fifth Sikh Guru Arjun Dev was tortured to death on the orders of Muslim King Jahangir in June 1606 at Lahore.

New Delhi, May 3
To popularise hockey at school level, a two-day hockey tournament ‘D B S Cup’ was jointly organised at Delhi Public School, R K Puram today by the Asia’s largest books outlet ‘Delhi Book Store’ (DBS) and the India Hockey Federation (IHF).

The students of 12 public schools of the Capital are participating in the tournament.

Managing director of Delhi Book Store Vijay Ahuja said “Ours had a glorious past in hockey and to continue our old legacy, we should promote this national game at school level like cricket.”

IHF president K P S Gill will be the chief guest at the prize distribution ceremony of the tournament to be held tomorrow.—OC

New Delhi, May 3
After enjoying a day of unexpected spell of rain which brought considerable relief from the sweltering heat conditions, Delhiites today woke up to a bright and sunny morning but the mercury remained below normal.

The morning was pleasant as the minimum temperature settled at 22.4 degree Celsius, two notches below the normal and down from yesterday’s 27.4 degree Celsius.

According to the Met office, the city received 5.3 mm rainfall yesterday, bringing down the maximum temperature to 32.3 degree Celsius, seven degrees below the normal range, from the sweltering 40s.

The Met office said the cool effect could be expected to last for another day and predicted that the maximum temperature would hover around 37 degree Celsius today. It also forecast the possibility of rain or thundershowers.