New Delhi, November 28
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday pulled up the central and state governments for poor infrastructure and lack of facilities in city hospitals as a result of which patients suffer.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice M.K. Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Khanna also took serious note of Tuesday’s strike in city hospitals.

“Despite our orders, strikes are going on. The government should take action against those who are participating in them,” the judges said.

Meera Bhatia, a member of a committee constituted by the Delhi High Court to look into the functioning of hospitals in the national capital, said the government makes good plans on paper but they never materialize.

The court then ordered the central and state governments to review their healthcare policies and present detailed plans.

“The number of outstation patients is increasing day by day. So the government should take stringent steps to improve the health services in the hospitals,” the bench added.

The court asked the committee to submit a detailed report within six weeks.—IANS 

New Delhi, November 28
The ministry of urban development has decided to set up a regulatory authority to monitor and curb malpractices in real estate activities in Delhi and NCR region as also address the grievances of builders and developers, which will come into effect by early 2008.

Disclosing this at the ASSOCHAM Conference on ‘Urban Land Markets and Finances’ here today, union minister of urban development Jaipal Reddy announced that the proposed authority would work as a role model for other states to follow. This announcement has been made in view of growing real estate activities throughout the country so that the consumers get fair deal. 
The urban development ministry has also taken a policy decision that wherever space around commercial streets is available, the private sector can put up small hotels and motels to create additional spaces for tourists so that hotels room problem was resolved for good.

On the issue of stamp duty and multiple clearances required for real estate activities, Reddy said that his ministry would shortly be issuing directives to all states and UTs to reduce stamp duty to around 4 per cent and evolve single-window system for clearances to enable builders commence their building operations without any delay.

The minister regretted that currently builders are required to obtain clearances in 18 months from multiple center and states authorities before they commence their developmental activities.

Reacting to the shortage of rooms in hotels, particularly in metro cities like Delhi, Reddy said that additional lands would be allocated to hoteliers especially in view of Commonwealth activities so that chains of hotels were set up and room problems are resolved.

He also declared that the urban development ministry would be taking additional initiatives to vertically rebuild old Delhi so that its current face is uplifted and proper development takes place and present congestion is removed. Delhi government has also cleared a proposal to set up a special purpose vehicle for Shahjahanabad heritage conservation.

The minister also announced that , the government will encourage municipalities and local bodies to raise bonds to fund their social obligations . 

New Delhi, November 28
South Asia’s fusion music, fashion show and the region’s gastronomical delights will be among the ingredients of the inaugural SAARC cultural festival, a 10-day cultural extravaganza that begins on Friday with the objective of giving an impetus to people-to-people connectivity.

Other components of the event includes SAARC folklore festival, car rally, photo exhibition and sales outlet of regional textiles and handicrafts.

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) is the implementing agency for the festival in collaboration with the external affairs ministry and other partners.

Unveiling the event at a press conference, ICCR Director-General Pavan Kumar Verma said the first-ever SAARC cultural festival would give a cultural support to the 29th session of the inter-sessional SAARC council of ministers being held here on December 7-8.

As per Verma, the festival will commence with the SAARC bands festival on Friday in the Connaught place central park, where popular bands from the region like Strings and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy will perform for three days. External affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the bands festival, featuring groups from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal and Afghanistan.

The SAARC folklore festival, organised in Indira Gandhi Centre for the National Arts during December 5-8, will bring together 100 folk artistes from all SAARC countries. The performances, featuring best of folk arts in the region, will be spread over the city, specially on university campuses, schools and colleges, to acquaint young people with these traditions.

The SAARC food festival will be organised by Indian Tourism Development Corporation in the hotel Ashok during December 6-9 to bring out gastronomical delights of south Asian cuisine. Two chefs from each of the SAARC country will participate in the festival with gourmet preparations and delicacies for the occasion.

Verma said SAARC fashion show “Threads of unity” would be organised in association with the Fashion Design Council of India. The event will demonstrate the use of traditional South Asian fabrics and crafts, such as knitting, weaving, embroidery and intricate hand detailing in certain garments that are contemporary in nature.

The fashion show will be inaugurated by tourism minister Ambika Soni and bring together for the first time 14 renowned designers from South Asia, including India’s Ritu Kumar and Anamika Khanna and Pakistan’s Saadia Mitza and Ather Hafiz.

The SAARC car rally photo exhibition will be organised on the ICCR premises to highlight the high degree of connectivity in the region and into focus the immense potential for intra-regional trade, tourism, investment, business opportunities and people-to-people contact.

The photo exhibition will display photographs of the participants of the rally from some of the neighbouring countries.

Verma said Handlooms Exports Corporation of India would organise a sales outlet for regional handicrafts and textiles products between December 7-10. Two weavers/artisans have been invited from each of the SAARC country for skill demonstration.

To bring out the rich traditions of textiles with the eight-member grouping, an exhibition on the museum of textiles and handicrafts, titled ‘Textiles traditions of South Asia’, will be inaugurated by textiles minister Shankersinh Vaghela on December 7 at the crafts museum here. The exhibition will showcase 15-30 pieces from the major traditions of textiles of the South Asian countries.

The 14th SAARC summit had decided to strengthen cooperation and dialogue on educational matters through exchange of academics, experts, policy-makers, students and teachers.

Verma said 10 school students from each of the SAARC country, along with three teachers, are currently in India.  

New Delhi, November 28
The Administrative Reforms Commission has recommended wide-ranging measures for effective self-governance of local bodies and proposed an ombudsman for checking corruption while power is devolved to such bodies.

The commission headed by Veerappa Moily in its sixth report submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the growth of the three-tier governance has been uneven, halting and slow despite constitutional amendments.

The 422-page report local governance termed zila parishad as a colonial legacy and said it should be replaced with district council representing both urban and rural areas, with district collector functioning as its chief secretary.

This will ensure convergence of planning and developmental activities for rural and urban areas, Moily told newspersons here today.

The report laid stress on clear delineation of functions of various spheres of government for effective devolution of functions and powers.

It also suggested convergence in terms of ending rural-urban divide, redressing the neglect of peri-urban areas and ensuring a single window delivery for every citizen.

The commission also recommended that the government place before parliament a framework law for local bodies on the lines of South Africa for laying down the broad principles of devolution of power, responsibilities and functions to local bodies.

In order to ensure that unauthorised constructions do not escape the tax net, the commission insisted that state laws should stipulate that levy of tax on any property would not, in itself, confirm any right of ownership.

Favouring greater transparency, it said tax details of all properties should be placed in the public domain to avoid collusion between the assessing authority and the property owner.

A periodic physical verification of the properties and the taxes levied on them should be carried out in each municipal area by a separate wing directly under the control of the chief executive, it said.

The commission said all service providers in cities should be brought under one umbrella by establishing ‘one stop centres’. This could be completed within two years in all cities.

Call centres, electronic kiosks, web-based services and other tools of modern technology should be used by all urban local bodies to bring transparency and accountability into delivery of services to the citizens, it stressed.

The commission wants the municipal bodies to meter all water connection within a timeframe, a move that can help in identifying pilferage. It said targeted subsidy should be provided to the poorest sections.—PTI 

New Delhi, November 28
People’s organisations fighting against the construction of Commonwealth Games Village on the Yamuna riverbed have written to Delhi Lt. Governor Tejendra Khanna, urging him to do a rethink on construction of high-rises in the area in the wake of the earthquake that rocked Delhi and neighbouring areas on Monday morning.

The letter inked by Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan and Yamuna Satyagrah terms the earthquake of Monday morning a “rather gentle caution in form of a mild but firm shudder” served by the nature on Delhi.

“It is a known fact that the entire east Delhi (Trans-Yamuna) stands over sand and silt and hence any high-rise building is vulnerable to damage in the event of an earthquake.

While builders make claims that the buildings are earthquake-proof, the fact is that no such thing is actually possible. Examples of serious damages happening despite earthquake-proof claims in structures, from Los Angeles in the US and Kobe in Japan, point to limitations of such claims,” the letter signed by YJA convener Manoj Misra says.

It quotes the example of Mexico City in September 1985 where all high-rise buildings (almost 800) standing over what once used to be a lake bed came tumbling down and over 10,000 people were killed and 50,000 injured.

“Under the circumstances, the least that the state could do is to not to make high-rise buildings in vulnerable areas like riverbed and flood plains. The planned Games Village on sandy riverbed in Delhi is a high-rise and hence deserves a serious rethink, while there still is time at hand with us for such an exercise,”it adds. 

New Delhi, November 28
Claiming that the existing legislations were potent enough, the Centre has rejected the Supreme Court’s suggestion for amending legal provisions to make unauthorised occupation of government accommodation a non-bailable offence.The apex court’s suggestion was aimed at incorporating provisions in the existing law so that illegal occupants could be sent to jail for over-staying in government houses.

In an affidavit filed before the apex court, the union ministry of urban development has claimed that just 0.3 per cent of the government accommodation in the country was under unauthorised occupation and it would take all available measures for tackling unauthorised occupation.

According to the Centre, there is no need for amendments in the public premises (eviction of unauthorised occupation) PPE Act, 1971 as it provided sufficient powers and authority for initiating eviction proceedings against illegal occupants.

Therefore, it is submitted that there is no pressing necessity to make any change in the existing provisions of the PPE Act or section 441 IPC, as measures relating to checking unauthorised occupation are satisfactory, the affidavit stated.

The affidavit also said that under the PPE Act and the Revenue Recovery Act, the authorities had adequate powers to recover the rental. —PTI  

New Delhi, November 28
The Delhi Metro witnessed a heavy rush of commuters at its Pragati Maidan station on the last five days of the India International Trade Fair (IITF), which concluded yesterday, with the station recording a footfall of over one lakh on each of these days.

The ridership of the Delhi Metro also crossed eight lakh overall on a single day for the first time during the trade fair.

According to final ridership figures available today, the total footfall (entries and exits) at Pragati Maidan station during the 14-day trade fair, which started on November 14, was 12,20,015. Almost half of this, i.e., 5,91,978, was recorded between November 23 and 27.

The only other day during IITF when the footfall at Pragati Maidan crossed the one lakh figure was on November 18 when it touched 1,00,743.

The Delhi Metro also recorded its highest ridership till date during the fair with 8,13,716 people using the system on November 23. According to a recent commuter survey, 43 per cent of Metro passengers use two or three trains during each trip. This means that the actual train occupancy on November 23 was 11.63 lakh.

DMRC had made elaborate arrangements to handle the extra passengers at Pragati Maidan station during the fair. For the first time at any Delhi Metro station, safety barricades made of stainless steel were erected on the platform towards Dwarka to prevent commuters from falling onto the tracks.  

New Delhi, November 28
A 20-year-old engineering student from the Delhi School of Engineering has allegedly committed suicide.

Saurabh Arya’s body was found hanging in his friend’s hostel on Tuesday evening.

Arya was a fourth year mechanical engineering student in the college. In a suicide note left by the deceased, he has held nobody responsible for his extreme step.

According to the police sources, the suicide note says that Arya did not want to live anymore.

A resident of Rohini, Arya failed to appear in his examination which worried his friend, who rushed to check on him after the exam, only to find him dead.

This is second case of suicide in the national capital in a week.

A postgraduation medical student had committed suicide a few days ago on the premises of Maulana Azad Medical College.  

New Delhi, November 28
The Indian anytime delight and after dinner digestive, ‘pan’, can be carcinogenic and terrible for your teeth. But, did you know that betel leaves could harbour the potentially fatal salmonella bacteria?

The common sight of betel leaves soaking in water, at the innumerable ‘pan’ kiosks in your city, is the harbinger of salmonella infection that can cause typhoid, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea and sometimes vomiting.

According to the WHO, salmonella is a genus of bacteria that are the major cause of food-borne illness throughout the world. Often, the bacteria are transmitted to humans through the consumption of contaminated food of animal origin, mainly meat, poultry, eggs and milk.

But, the National Salmonella Centre at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute in Izatnagar, Uttar Pradesh, found salmonella bacteria in betel leaves too.

“Salmonella is a common bacteria, whose mode of transfer is through contaminated food and water.

It is not surprising, if it is found in ‘pan’, as the shopkeepers keep the betel leaves soaked for long hours in water that may be infected,” cautioned Sandeep Budhiraja, head of the internal medicine department, Max Healthcare.

“The bacterium commonly causes typhoid and we get at least 10 cases of it weekly. Common symptoms are high fever, severe aches, nausea, diarrhoea or constipation.

Urgent medical assistance must be provided to the patient otherwise, it may lead to gastrointestinal bleeding and multiple organ failure that can prove fatal,” Budhiraja told IANS.

He said that the organism is responsive to medication but, resistant to oral antibiotics, so a patient is given intravenous antibiotics.

“This disease is not acquired because of the lack of personal hygiene, but because of the contamination via food or water. In India, when people go out to eat in a restaurant, they drink mineral water, but they never think of the cleanliness, when it comes to ‘pan’,” said Rajan Gupta, MD pathology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals.

The study has sent alarm bells ringing through the world of ‘pan’ lovers, many of whom cannot do without the periodic fix and are known to carry betel leaves when they travel abroad. 

New Delhi, November 28
JNUSU along with research scholars from other universities has given out a protest call against the UGC’s recent bar on disbursal of any further fellowships for the Central University research scholars.

The call is for a protest demonstration at the UGC on Thursday at 12 noon.

On Saturday, JNUSU held a public meeting on JNU campus with research scholars from other central universities on the issue.

Over the past week, the JNUSU leadership has also visited different campuses and addressed public meetings mobilizing students to be a part of this agitation.

JNUSU maintains that the, “provision of fellowships is a basic need of the student community, and is necessary to enable students pursue their research and continue studies, without any financial deterrence.

The fellowships being provided are sustenance grants and not administrative charity, their curtailment on the plea of any ‘guidelines’ will only encourage bureaucratic hurdles and administrative red-tape, rather than helping improve the quality of research.”

The immediate concern is the unilateral stalling of the Rs 3,000/5,000 fellowships by the UGC on the pretext of setting up a committee to look into the modalities of the disbursal of the fellowship amount. This has distressed the student community.  

New Delhi, November 28
The Supreme Court lawyers today held a dharna before the apex court to protest against the terrorist attacks on court premises in Utter Pradesh towns resulting in the death of 13 persons.

But the protest was peaceful and did not affect the working of the apex court as the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) had made it clear that its action would not in any way create a situation like in the lower courts and the Delhi High Court where the lawyers had gone on a day’s strike yesterday, Bar Association president P H Parikh said.

In a resolution passed by the SCBA general body condemned the attack on the court premises in Varanasi, Faizabad and Lucknow on November 23, killing three lawyers and 10 litigants and vendors.

Describing the attack as “heinous crime” against humanity, the SCBA said targeting the “temples of justice” was in fact aimed at hindering the justice delivery system.

“This is a direct attack on administration of justice and independence of the Bar. We express solidarity with the legal fraternity in Utter Pradesh,” SCBA general body in the resolution said.

It also condoled the death of the 13 people who lost their lives in the attack.  

Noida, November 28
During an operation, a doctor had forgotten to take a pair of scissors out from a patient’s stomach. The patient had filed a case in Consumer Forum, which had given a verdict against the lady doctor of Prakash hospital Noida.

The patient will get the insurance amount of operation plus damages and expenses of litigation.

Rachna Kulsreshth of Sector Gama-I in Greater Noida, who was admitted to Prakesh hospital, Noida for delivery in 2004 was operated by Dr Mamta Jha for delivery. After two days of operation, Rachna Kulsreshth started feeling severe pains in her stomach. When an X-ray was taken, a pair of scissors was spotted in the stomach. But patient was not given the X-ray report in spite of many requests.

In a second operation, the pair of scissors was removed from Kulsreshth’s stomach, but her health had deteriorated, as a result of this.

Rachna’s husband filed a case in Consumer Forum. But the doctor and hospital denied that any scissors were left in the patient’s stomach during operation.

The advocate of victim, Ravi Bushan, demanded compensation from the doctor, hospital administration and insurance company.

Forum president R.P. Shukla and member Joshna Khan pronounced a decision in favour of the consumer and ordered Rs 50,000 for mental torture and Rs 2,000 as the expenses of case. Doctor, hospital administration and insurance company have been ordered to make the payment of all these amounts within two months to Kulsreshth. 

Ghaziabad, November 28
History of sorts was made at Ghaziabad railway station when a goods train, without a driver, started from Ghaziabad railway yard and completed a run of 12 km at a speed of 30 km per hour, crossing many cabins, stations and level crossing on the way. The train was scheduled to go from Ghaziabad to Roza.

This lapse of the railway authorities also highlighted serious lacuna in security arrangements at the railway station and the yard. Thefts in yards, at railway platforms and in trains are often heard of but this incident has proved that there is no security at all for equipment and valuables worth crores of rupees in railways stations and the yards.

Though according to railway officials, the engine with four empty oil tankers wagons had started on its own, but according to reports, some mischief-mongers had set the train in motion after joining the engine with the empty oil wagons.

The goods train passed from many level crossings in busy traffic areas. After Naya Ghaziabad station, it crossed Guldher station. Some pointsmen diverted it on to Delhi-Dehra Dun line. The railway control was informed as it crossed Kotgaon level crossing Nasirpur, Naya Ghaziabad, etc. Railway staff at Guldher station placed some stones, rocks and other obstructions on the track to slow it down. Immediately two men, Prakash and Rahul Senger, jumped onto the engine and brought it to a halt.

Luckily it did not collide with 305-Moradabad passenger train which was expected around the same time.