New Delhi, February 2
Delhi’s civic body wants the government to regularise illegally built fourth and fifth floors in over 4,000 properties in the capital after the urban development ministry froze the sealing of unauthorised construction.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Saturday decided to meet Urban Development Minister S. Jaipal Reddy with the request to regularise illegal constructions in the properties in violation of the building bylaws.

“Delhi’s Master Plan for 2021 has regularised the construction of up to three floors. Over 4,000 properties have been left out with more constructions and we would urge the central government to notify their regularisation as well,” senior BJP councillor and Accounts Committee chairman Jagdish Mamgai told IANS.

The civic body would approach the Supreme Court next week, seeking permission to de-seal the sealed properties in view of the central government’s notification of Friday.

“Early next week, we will take up the matter with the apex court,” Mamgai said.

The sealing drive in Delhi began in 1996, when the Supreme Court ordered closure of small industries in the residential areas by Dec 31, 1999. By 2000, only 39,000 units had been closed, leaving a vast bulk untouched.

In February 2006, the MCD started sealing commercial establishments in residential colonies, only to end the drive in May after the central government introduced a bill suspending sealing.

The law, however, did not go down well with the Supreme Court, which, in August 2006, termed it invalid and ordered the sealing to continue.

As traders under the banner of Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) launched protests, the apex court gave relief to them by putting off sealing till October 31, 2006.

In November 2006, the government prepared a new master plan for the capital, allowing mixed land use, according to which shops on over 2,000 roads could function. The sealing of shops on roads not mentioned in the list started again on March 28, 2007. — IANS

New Delhi, February 2
The January 30 notification issued by the union ministry of urban development will mainly focus on de-sealing.

Subhash Arya, Leader of the House and Vijender Gupta, chairman, standing committee of Municipal Corporation of Delhi, said this at a joint conference today.

Gupta said only 3500 shops at Madhu Vihar, Sanjay Nagar, Saidulajaib, Neb Sarai, Razapur, Mahipalpur, Nangloi, Badli would be de-sealed by the Delhi Development Authority.

The MCD was preparing a zone-wise list of shops to be de-sealed.

He said the delay in bringing out the notification had caused undue harassment to citizens and traders, since punitive action of sealing and demolition continued to take place during this period.

Subhash Arya said that the notification had no mention of mixed land use. The shops and establishments situated at first and second floors on various roads notified by the MCD as commercial or mixed land use and un-notified roads could be sealed.

Arya said that the Congress had got the notification issued with an eye on coming Delhi Assembly elections. It has limited scope that too within the provision of Master Plan 2021 itself. The issues regarding unauthorised constructions beyond 15 meters height, regularisation of canopies (chajjas) and projections, sub-division of residential plots or houses had not been taken care of.

Both the leaders reiterated the demand for ordinance on one time amnesty.

Meanwhile, the state cabinet in a resolution appreciated the notification to maintain status quo on encroachments and unauthorised constructions that existed on March 31, 2002 and as on February, 2007. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit presided over the meeting.

New Delhi, February 2
To keep a city like Delhi clean and green is an onerous task.This challenge can’t be accomplished without the involvement of people. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said people’s support was essential in reducing pollution caused by vehicular emission, plastic bags, industrial effluent discharge in rivers and domestic garbage. She said this addressing the eco-club members of St. Stephen’s College, North Campus ,after launching a cleanliness drive today.

Scientific disposal and management of garbage was the government’s aim of making Delhi a world class city. She called upon the youth to proactively participate in the Government’s Clean City campaign. For garbage management and disposal,it was essential that the garbage was properly segregated at source , Dikshit said.

She said that children of Delhi had contributed in extending green cover in Delhi during last nine years. The city would be a green capital before the Commonwealth Games -2010.

Dikshit directed secretary environment, Delhi, to start a cleanliness drive in each North Campus college and provide blue and green dustbins to them.

New Delhi, February 2
The Delhi Police recently busted a gang of robbers. The gang comprising three members was active mostly in the Saraswati Vihar, Keshav Puram, Panjabi Bagh and Moti Nagar areas of the Capital.

More than four cases of robbery have been registered against the gang. The gang had murdered Ghanshyam Soni on the night of January 26 in the Saraswati Vihar area, when he resisted their robbery attempts. The robbers escaped with Rs 2,700, after murdering Ghanshyam.

The three would roam on the city’s streets and loot people till each of them had managed Rs 1,000.

The police first apprehended Krishnamurti alias Vicky from the Raghuvir Nagar area here. His associate, Raj Kumar alias Raju was arrested on his instance from Shakarpur. While their accomplice Sonia was arrested yesterday.

Sonia worked as a physiotherapist. After befriending women, she would rob them with the help of Vicky and Raju. She also sold robbed jewellery. 

New Delhi, February 2
Cold northwesterly winds continued to lend chill to the air in the Capital with the minimum temperature falling sharply from 4.1° Celsius yesterday to 2.9 degrees, six degrees below normal.

A slight fog was also witnessed in the early morning, though the visibility level subsequently improved to 1200 m.

The weatherman has forecast a rise in the minimum temperature to 6° Celsius tomorrow. The Met office has forecast a mainly clear sky during the next 24 hours with light rains or thundershowers tonight or tomorrow morning. — UNI

New Delhi, February 2
Melodious strains of Russian folk music and the echo of literary giants like Tolstoy and Pushkin floated in the air on a chilly Saturday morning as nine days of literary feast began at the 18th World Book Fair here.

The spotlight is on Russian publishing and books as Russia has been anointed the guest of honour at the mega book fair at Pragati Maidan in which over 1,300 publishers from 23 countries are participating.

“There is a growing hunger for books everywhere. Books are men’s best friend,” said Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh in his inaugural address, which was read out by a senior official of the ministry. Singh was expected to inaugurate the event but could not come for the function.

Bilingual writer U.R. Ananthamurthy, the author of “Samskara”, a contemporary classic depicting ironies of the caste system in India, who presided over the inaugural function, made a strong pitch for the culture of debate reviving the romance of books.

“There is a pleasure in disagreeing. All quarrelling authors are present at the book fair. It’s a celebration of quarrel, criticism and debate,” he said.

Ananthamurthy also made an impassioned plea to the government to treat all languages, including tribal languages, as equal. “India is a natural home for books. The government should treat all languages as equal. Who knows a Homer may be born in a tribal language?” he said.

Fiercely opposing the banning of books under the pressure of religious zealots, he said: “There are increasing demands for books to be banned. But this goes against the culture of criticism and debate.”

The highlights of this year’s book fair include an International Rights Exhibition on Mahatma Gandhi and special pavilions for children and youth.

Although 23 countries, including Iran, Pakistan, Germany, Ireland and Norway, are participating at the book fair this year, Russia is easily the scene-stealer with an entire hall showcasing classics as well as contemporary Russian literature.

Books on science and technology - Russia’s proven forte - are also displayed in the Russia Hall where folk musicians and flute players welcome the visitor.

“Russian publishing has more than doubled in the last decade. Russia has been concentrating on itself all these years. Russian publishers are now trying to reach out,” said Vladimir V. Grigoriev, a senior executive with Russia’s Federal Agency of Press and Mass Communications.

“We would like to introduce a new generation of Russian writers to India,” he said.

“The idea is to marry business and culture. Russian publishing industry is growing,” said Mikhail Seslavinskyi, head of the Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications.

“India will be a guest of honour at the Moscow International Book Fair in 2009 which will be the year of India in Russia,” he said.

“We hope to renew and revive our old relationship,” said Nuzhat Hussain of the National Book Trust.

The Russia hall has some rare gems for book lovers.

Yaroslav Kostyuk, an ace book collector, is displaying his collection of miniature books measuring from one centimetre to a few inches.

The publishing industry in Russia is booming with total revenues estimated to be anything between $4-8 billion.

Eminent Russian writers like Eduard Uspensky, Sergey Chuprinin, Mikhail Veller and Yuri Polyakov will participate in different seminars and discussions at the fair.

Quizzes, drawing competitions, concerts of Russian folk instruments ensemble, Russian craftsmen, national costumes and painting competitions have been melded into a composite show that is set to rekindle interest in Russian art and literature in India.

The Russian exposition also includes a demonstration in space travel by Russian cosmonaut Anatoly Berezovoy. — IANS

New Delhi, February 2
Actress Sharmila Tagore says fighting for the rights of girl children, especially by educating them, is one of her prime concerns.

Speaking at a function organised by the NGO, Child Rights and You (CRY) on Friday, Sharmila said, “I have been involved in supporting many socially relevant issues and fighting for the girl child is one of my prime concerns.

“If we educate our girls, they will be empowered to fight against injustice and fight for their rights.”

CRY, along with IT company Cadence Design Systems, organised the event to felicitate the sponsors of the CRY Cadence Corporate Cricket Challenge that mobilised the corporate fraternity for the cause of eliminating discrimination against the girl child.

Sharmila said, “CRY and Cadence blended a wonderful combo of cricket and children to fight for a cause.

“The government proclaims that a happy girl child is the future of India. But the girl child continues to suffer and her struggle starts in her mother’s womb itself. The situation in our country is bleak and the solution lies with families with daughters and the civil society,” she said.

Sharmila also signed the CRY Girl Child Rights Charter, which has already been signed by over 2,000 people in the past two months. This charter will be sent to the ministry of women and child development once it has 10,000 signatures.

Acclaimed theatre personality Lushin Dubey received a standing ovation for her heart wrenching performance in a play called ‘Untitled’ that was staged as part of the event.

The play, directed by Arvind Gaur who heads a Delhi-based theatre group Asmita, depicted the poor state of women in India. Indian women cricketers Anjum Chopra and Jaya Sharma were present. — IANS

New Delhi, February 2
Vandana International Senior Secondary School, Sector-10, Dwarka, and Kamal Model Sr. Secondary School, Mohan Garden, got 1st position for presenting “Tiranga Sakshi Hai” in Republic Day Parade-2008 at Rajpath.

V .P Tandon, chairman and Vandana Tandon, principal, respectively , of the two schools, jointly received the glittering trophy and certificate from A K Antony, defence minister. The minister praised the efforts of the management and students.

As many as 200 students of the two schools presented the action song.

Both Tandon and Vandana thanked the defence minister for recognising the work of the students.

New Delhi, February 2
As the dyslexic child Ishaan Awasthi in the Aamir Khan-produced ‘Taare Zameen Par’, going through the turmoil of his free and carefree childhood shackled by the constant pestering of parents and teachers for good academic grades, this child actor left many a cinegoer teary-eyed with his brilliant and moving portrayal.

Just eight years old, Darsheel Safary, who had the entire audience misty-eyed with his poignant portrayal of a dyslexic child in ‘Taare Zameen Par’, whose ‘childhood innocence’ and ‘free spirit’ is curbed under the societal norms of perfectionism, is already being hailed in film circles as the ‘best performer of the year’, in the league of actors like Shahrukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan and Akshay Kumar.

Ever since the release of ‘Taare Zameen Par’, movie analysts and film experts have been full of praises for the acting prowess of Darsheel, whose performance in the film has endeared him to children and adults alike across the country.

The overwhelming impact that Darsheel’s ‘natural’ portrayal in the film has generated among cinegoers across India led the jury of the recently-concluded Screen Awards, led by actor-turned MP Shatrughan Sinha, to award him the special jury award for best actor, something which is unprecedented in the history of Indian cinema.

Speaking at the Screen Awards function, held in Mumbai on January 10, jury chairman Shatrughan Sinha heaped effusive praises on Darsheel, calling him a ‘’son of the soil.”

Filmmaker Ravi Chopra, a member of the awards jury, too is effusive in his praise for the child actor.

‘’According to me, Darsheel is the best actor of the year. We gave him the jury award for best actor because we felt he was the best performer of the year. In fact, the work this child has done at such a small age is really commendable,’’ Chopra told UNI here.

Asked why, then, Darsheel was nominated in the best child actor category and not the best actor one, Chopra said, ‘’Because Darsheel is a child, he automatically comes into the category of best child actor. However, to recognise his brilliant performance, we gave him the jury award for best actor.’’

In fact, Chopra went so far as to say that the success of ‘Taare Zameen Par’ was in large part attributable to Darsheel’s moving performance in ‘Taare Zameen Par’.

‘’I feel that in ‘Taare Zameen Par’, Darsheel’s has been the most fantastic peformance. So much so that I would attribute the success of the film in large part to Darsheel’s work in the film which tugged at many a heart strings among cinegoers,’’ the filmmaker said.

Chopra felt that as a child the character of Ishaan Awasthi suited Darsheel to the hilt. ‘’I feel that as a child, the role of Ishaan Awasthi suited Darsheel. He looked quite good in the film,’’ the filmmaker said.

Chopra said he would certainly cast Darsheel in one of the films in the near future provided the right script came along.

Trade analysts also feel that the performance of Darsheel is the best one by a child actor in a long time.

Says film analysts Komal Nahata, ‘’Darsheel Safary has delivered an award winning performance in ‘Taare Zameen Par’. As the eight year old Ishaan Awasthi, he is extremely effective and natural in his portrayal of the mental trauma being undergone by the child, so much so that he has the viewer’s heart bleed for the small child.’’ — IANS