New Delhi, October19
Fire broke out in a Durga puja pandal in Chittranjan Park, South Delhi today at around 4 am.

However, the situation was brought under control within an hour. Many vehicles parked in the vicinity were also damaged. Efforts are being made to ascertain the cause of fire.

The Delhi Fire Service personnel have urged the organisers of puja pandals to observe fire safety precautions to prevent any untoward incident.

New Delhi, October 19
If you are planning to attend religious gatherings or visiting any of the hundreds of puja pandals (marquees) this festive season, then think twice - for most of them have no fire safety clearance.

On a day that a Durga puja marquee caught fire in Chittaranjan Park’s Pocket 40 gutting it completely, the Capital’s fire department officials said that Delhi Police had not asked them to recommend fire safety inspections at such crowded places.

Delhi fire chief R.C. Sharma said, “Deputy Commissioner of Police (Licensing) Arun Kampani has written a letter to us that they are not recommending inspections at any of the religious functions being held in the capital, but the fire department may take action on its own.”

However, Sharma added that the fire department could give a ‘No Objection Certificate’ but only after a formal police request.

“As per the laws, we are not authorised to go to any of the pandals or religious places and check the fire fighting equipment installed there on our own. We only act as per the request forwarded by the civic agencies, police or the event organisers,” Sharma told IANS.

According to the fire chief, the department had in its reply to Kampani “It was clearly mentioned that since police are not recommending that the fire department inspect places of religious gathering, so, as per the law, we are not taking any action on our own”.

When asked, Delhi police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat told IANS, “For granting licence to fairs and joyride events, the fire brigade department had written to us that if a pandal had no inflammable material then a ‘No Objection Certificate’ was not required.”

During the festive season - for Dussehra and Durga Puja - the capital sees a few thousand marquees sprouting up in every nook and corner of the city where community Durga puja celebrations and Ram Lilas are held. The pandals are always swarming with hundreds and thousands of people.

According to fire department officials, the marquees are vulnerable to catching fire as they are built with bamboo and cloth, and decorated with inflammable material.

“The lighting and electric arrangements should be handled and inspected very cautiously every time. A fire spreads in no time in such structures and, what is more dangerous is that they are erected very close to homes. The roads during festival time are congested and it delays the fire fighting work.”

The blaze at the Pocket 40 Navapalli Puja broke out at 4 a.m. reportedly damaged some cars parked nearby. Fortunately no one was injured in the blaze.

Seven fire tenders were pressed into service and the blaze was extinguished after 45 minutes. A fire official said the inferno had spread from the kitchen area of the pandal where the ‘bhog’ (holy offering) was being prepared for Maha Ashtami Puja Friday.

“The fire could have spread to nearby houses as the pandal is centrally located and is close to houses all around it,” a fire official at the spot said.

Tapan Acharya, a local resident, said: “I have not seen any fire extinguisher in the pandal.”

But Asim Banerjee, president of the organising committee of B Block Chittaranjan Park, said: “Though we have not taken any No Objection Certificate from the fire department, we have installed at least 25 fire extinguishers in our pandal. We would also welcome if the police come up with any new advisory after the Pocket 40 fire incident.” -IANS

New Delhi, October 19
A senior Central excise official has been sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment in a disproportionate assets case, while his father and wife were awarded one year jail term each for abetting him, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said here Friday.

“V. Jayaraman, joint commissioner of central excise, his wife Waheeda Jayaraman and father P. Velu were sentenced by a special CBI court in Madurai (Tamil Nadu) Thursday,” the agency said in a statement here. According to the CBI, a case was registered against Jayaraman after he failed to explain the source of his wealth - four properties, two cars, shares, and bank balance of around Rs.6 million.The statement said it was also found that Jayaraman had acquired two houses by declaring lower
values. —IANS

New Delhi, October 19
The Delhi government has made installation of solar water heaters mandatory at hospitals, nursing homes, hotels and other business organisations.

This step has been initiated for ensuring energy conservation in wake of sudden climatic changes and depletion of fossil fuels.

The government has decided to implementis is also being implemented on a sector level basis at residential, commercial, non-commercial centres and government buildings in the Capital. Old age homes are also required to install solar water heater. A few hospitals, like Moolchand and Jasola hospital have already installed the equipment. Besides, the government has identified 72 government buildings for the installation of these heaters. The hotel industry has already welcomed this move since they are being given a tax rebate, sources said.

In a bid to make the move popular among residents the government has announced a subsidiary of Rs 6,000 for residential complexes with solar water heaters.

The cost of installation of the solar water heater is anywhere between Rs 18, 000 to 22, 000, principal power secretary, Delhi government, Rakesh Mehta said.

The government has also roped in business establishments, banks and other financial organisations to grant loans to people interested in installing solar water heaters. For this purpose ‘Urja Haat’, a fair is being organised at Sanjay Lake Park from October 27 to Nove- mber 4.

The centre has drafted a scheme for the Delhi Transco Limited employees to receive soft loan from banks with payment through salary. 

New Delhi, October 19
The Delhi High Court has appointed 18 volunteers to evaluate the standard of teaching and the status of basic facilities in MCD-run schools of the Capital.

This decision , given by Justice Geeta Mittal,comes in the backdrop of a plea by advocate Ashok Aggarwal that it was difficult for him to single-handedly scrutinize each school in the 12 zones of the Capital.

The court has also strongly warned school officials not to interfere with tasks of the volunteers. Recently, the Delhi Government announced a package of Rs 150 crore for upgrading and constructing 200 schools in East Delhi.

Elaborating on the success story of Government schools in the Capital, Chief Minister Sheila Dixit had said that “the performance of government schools was much better today than a number of well-established and famous public schools of the Capital.”

New Delhi, October 19
A unique treat awaits music lovers in the Capital tomorrow evening at a concert that will bring together three much sought after singers from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

Runa Laila from Bangladesh, best known for `Dama Dam Mast Qalandar’, Malika Pukhraj’s daughter Tahira Syed from Pakistan and Delhi based Rita Ganguly will sing at the Siri Fort auditorium at a concert being organised by the Indian Council For Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC).

In an interaction with mediapersons at the IWPC here today, Tahira said that her mother Malika Pukhraj was very reserved and spoke very little about herself to her children. ``I came to know a lot about her childhood from her book. She had a very pampered childhood and started having `hookah’ from the age of 4. She got addicted to it as nobody except her mother would scold her.’’

Tahira said that she was 14 when her father passed away.Her mother was very depressed and she began singing to please her mother and lessen her depression.

The singer who has mesmerised audiences all over the world by her melifluous voice said that this is the second time that she has come to India through ICCR. ``Last time, I went to Hyderabad, it was a big pain trying to ger visas and permission.’’

Asked if she sings on television, Tahira said that she is basically a TV singer. ``I started singing for TV in thesixties. I have also sung for one or two films and one of the songs was a hit. My voice is not suitable for films. I always had a base voice which did not fit well with the delicate voices.’’

On the changing face of media in Pakistan, Tahira said that art, music and culture have got a lot of encouragement during the Musharraf regime. ``I have lived through many political changes. The kind of freedom that television, newspapers and radio have was never available.TV, radio, newspapers and artists are greatly respected.

Music has flourished and has been gretly encouraged. People in Pakistan have got used to this freedom and will not tolerate going back to darker times. We now have 15 to 20new channels. Programmes on sensitive subjects such as

homosexuality and adultry which were not touched before are now on air.’’

Tahira told TNS that she has vivid memories of a very successful ICCR concert in Lucknow where she sang with her mother. Rita Ganguly said that although she has sung for `Bhawandar’, she prefers live concerts. ``We have a typical character in our voice, which suits only our face. It will not suit any other girl’s face.’’

ICCR Director General Pavan K. Varma told mediapersons that the Council’s aim is ``to play an enabling role as we believe that enhancing people to people contact and bringing in artists who have a following in each others countries are worthwhile goals.’’

New Delhi, October 19
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has issued instructions to power distribution companies for maintenance and proper upkeep of all streetlights in the Capital to ensure that cent per cent lights remain functional during festive season of Divali.

These instructions were issued after the Chief minister reviewed position of street lighting in Delhi in a high -level meeting attended by power minister A. K. Walia, PWD minister Raj Kumar Chauhan, principal secretary, urban development and power, engineer-in-chief and all chief engineers of the PWD and all chief executive officers of three Discoms.

The Chief Minister has asked the power minister to write to all MLAs and

members of Parliament to render their cooperation in making all the streetlights functional.

They would be requested to bring non-functional streetlights to the notice of the power minister.

Dikshit stressed the need for urgent action as certain important roads

have presently been put in darkness. The discoms concerned have been asked to submit certificates stating status of the streetlights under their area.

She further stated that most of the high -mast lights were also not functioning. The MCD was also being requested to take care of their high- mast lights.

Noida, October 19
As Indians across the globe invoked Ma Durga for her blessings on the occasion of Saptami Puja yesetrday, one could feel an extra buzz of excitement at the Noida Kalibari. All boys band, Stash was to give their first big performance. The residents were excited to see the home grown boys perform. Puja revelers grabbed the seats early .By the time the band took stage one could only see posters and banners of the band swaying in the air.

The band, dressed in casual tees, was introduced by Balbir Punj and Navjot Singh Sidhu and began their performance with rousing applause. Balaj with his husky voice got splendid company in Shivanu, whose mastery of the guitar was simply riveting. Prateek gave Shivanu good company on his guitar. One after the other the band belted out popular numbers.

Oh! these boys are Metallica fans or what? There was Metallica everywhere. Shourya with drums and Rudra with his mixing were good. Also, Paavun rendered some good numbers in a voice, which is trained and understands the nuances of singing. The boys sure had the audience tapping and clapping and swinging to their tune — a powerhouse performance. 

New Delhi, October 19
A nation-wide Veena Arpana will be launched on October 21with a rudra veena recital by Ustad Azad Ali Khan in Rashtrapati Bhavan here.

President Pratibha Patil will be present on the occasion.

Veena players in thousands, representing the Hindustani and Carnatic music traditions, will offer Veena Arpana as part of a programme by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts and the Veena Foundation of Delhi. Veena Arpanas will be offered every year on Independence Day, Republic Day, Gandhi Jayanti, New Year, Vijaya Dasami (Dashera) and Id, the IGNCA spokesperson said.

The IGNCA will receive recordings of the events, which will be added to its archives.

The Veena Foundation and the IGNCA recently held a Veena Navratri in Chennai in which over 30 leading veena artistes participated. —UNI

Ghaziabad, October 19
One scooterist was killed and seven others injured in two seperate road accidents here in Sahibabad yesterday.

A roadside vendor, riding on a scooter was mowed down by a speeding truck on Loni road in Sahibabad early on Thursday morning.

According to the police an out of control truck collided head on with a scooter at around seven in the morning, seriously injuring two persons.

One of them, Shahid a resident of Malik Nagar in Murad Nagar died on the spot, but his younger brother Zahid had a narrow escape as he got away with minor injuries.

Both the brothers were returning from Delhi 
after visiting some relatives. The police seized the truck and registered a case against the driver.

In another incident, seven persons were injured when a tanker lorry rammed into an autorickshaw near Garima Garden on Delhi – Wazirabad road. Seven passengers on the three- wheeler, Ashrafi, Vicky, Pintu, Sheetal, Neetu, Kaushal and Brijinder were injured in the mishap.

They were all rushed to Narinder Mohan hospital, Sahibabad. All of them were returning to Amar colony in Delhi after pilgrimage of Arthala Pir’s Shrine.

Noida, October 19
Puja Narula, 24, committed suicide by hanging herself in her house in B-93, Sector-26 here. No suicide note has been found from the site.

Puja lived with her mother Sunita. Her brother, Arun, who lives at Jhilmil Colony, Shahdara with his family, seldom visited them. She ran a boutique ‘Deviya’ on the second floor of her house.

Sunita had gone to a satsang while Puja was working with her artisans - Mohd Salim, Gulzar and Muyen. After serving tea to the artisans, she received a phone call and went to her room. When Sunita returned from the satsang, she found the door of Puja’s room bolted from inside. She knocked it several times, but there was no response. When the artisans peeped from the window, they found her hanging from a ceiling fan.

The police is trying to trace the call, the caller and what had transpired between the caller and Puja.