The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Delhi and neighbourhood

MCD starts desealing
New Delhi, February 6

New Delhi, February 6
Civic authorities in the national Capital Wednesday began a drive to deseal illegal properties from south Delhi’s Saket locality.

The move comes following a government notification Friday freezing all sealing activity till December 2008.

“It is just the beginning. In coming days, the desealing drive would start in other parts of the city as well,” Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) spokesperson Deep Mathur told IANS.

He said there was no need for any formal permission from the Supreme Court’s monitoring committee to comply with the government’s notification.

The MCD Tuesday apprised the Supreme Court of the desealing process, which is expected to cover 3,000 properties sealed for violating the Delhi Master Plan 2021. Over 1,500 unauthorised colonies in the city will also get some respite.

Urban development minister S. Jaipal Reddy had Friday notified: “Notwithstanding any judgement, decree or order of court, steps shall be taken by the local authority, including desealing, to maintain status quo as on Jan 1, 2006, in respect of encroachment or unauthorised development.”

The Delhi Pradesh Citizen Council, an NGO, has filed a petition before the Supreme Court urging it to declare the notification “unconstitutional and illegal”.

Jasbir Singh Malik of the council contended that the notification was issued under political considerations and was an attempt to overreach the apex court’s orders.

Malik said the government, in exercising its powers under Section 5 of the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2007, was trying to protect the properties in unauthorised colonies, which are not even protected by that law itself.

The sealing 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 bill, 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 the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) launched violent protests, the apex court gave relief to them by putting off sealing till Oct 31, 2006.

In November 2006, the government prepared a new master plan for Delhi, allowing mixed land use, according to which shops on over 2,200 roads could function. The sealing of shops on roads not mentioned in the master plan list started again on March 28, 2007. — IANS

Four minors held for burglary
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 6
The Seelampur police have detained four minors on charges of committing burglary. According to DCP North East, the foursome had allegedly broken into the jhuggi of one Md. Tahir in New Seelampur and made off with a VCD player and water pump accessories. The stolen items have been recovered from their posses sion.

Inter-state criminal held

A team led by inspector Govind Sharma and inspector Subhash Vats has apprehended a notorious inter-state criminal Mehraj Khan alias Guddu, resident of Etah, UP, after a brief encounter. He is involved in 10 cases of murder, attempt to murder, robbery and attack on police team in Delhi, UP and Gujarat. He was also involved in the sensational attack on Himanshu Shukla, additional superintendent of police (ASP), Vadodra, Gujarat Police near Police Station Etah, UP.

Specific information was received in the Special Cell that Mehraj Khan, a proclaimed offender involved in many cases and presently wanted by Delhi, UP and Gujarat Police, would come to meet his accomplice to commit some crime. A trap was laid at Lado Sarai Bus Stand. About 8 pm, a person came there and started waiting for someone. As the police team asked him to surrender, he whipped a pistol and fired at the team. Police returned the fire and managed to overpower the criminal. One English pistol of .32 calibre, along with five live cartridge were recovered from his possession.

Mehraj Khan was also wanted in connection with the firing at a police officer last year. A team led by Himanshu Ram Bihari Shukla, IPS, raided the house of accused Mehraj in his village in Distt Etah, UP, regarding a case in Vadodra. Mehraj Khan along with his accomplices attacked the police team. In the ensuing encounter, Shukla suffered bullet injury.

The UP and Gujarat police have been informed about the arrest of Mehraj Khan.

1 held for vehicle theft

With the arrest of Virender alias Ganja, a resident of Bharatpur in Rajasthan, the South West District Police has solved four cases of vehicle theft.

Three stolen cars, one motorcycle, a country made pistol and a live cartridge have been recovered.

Virender had come to the Dabri police station area, yesterday night, for a recce. He was travelling on a red Maruti car. He tried to flee, when the police signalled him to stop. But, he was apprehended after a brief chase.

It was found that the car, in which he was travelling, was stolen from Gurgaon.

On his instance, the police recovered two more stolen cars and a motorcycle from Gurgaon. The vehicles were stolen from Sector – 40, Gurgaon.

Proclaimed offender arrested

The Lahori Gate police arrested one Namko, 40, and resident of Gujjar Colony, Mainpuri UP from Shastri Nagar Jhuggis yesterday.

According to DCP North office, Namko was declared proclaimed offender by the court in 2006 in an Arms Act case registered at PS Lahori Gate in 2004.

Clean air
Delhi can learn from Beijing: CSE
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 6
Compared to Beijing, which will host the 2008 Olympics, Delhi has done very little to clean its air before it showcases the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

The latest CSE assessment of air pollution control measures undertaken in the two capital cities before the high profile sporting events says that both the cities face serious pressures to clean up their air and both have unique challenges.

The Chinese authorities have promised clean air during the Olympics and are working towards it. But Delhi seems to lack Beijing’s scale, stringency and frenetic pace of action, says Anumita Roychowdhury, author of the study.

If environmental sustainability is integrated in the Games-related planning and infrastructure investments, Delhi’s environment and public health can benefit in the long term, she points out. After seven years of consistent and aggressive efforts, Beijing still finds it difficult to ensure clean air throughout the year. But despite the odds, the authorities have succeeded in achieving 245 blue-sky days during 2007 and are is on its way to meet a 256 blue-sky days target in 2008. On those days, all key pollutants in the city’s air are expected to meet their national standards. CSE’s assessment of Delhi’s air quality has found that in ITO, which is close to the Commonwealth Games hub, levels of particulate matter less than 2.5-micron size (PM 2.5) could meet the national benchmark on 111 days only out of the total 307 days monitored in 2007.

Levels of nitrogen dioxide, or NO2, fared worse: meeting the national benchmark on 95 days out of the total 330 days monitored in the same year. The assessment points out that with every breath, athletes typically take in 10-20 times more air – and thus, pollutants – as sedentary people. Roychowdhury says that the report of the Commonwealth Games Evaluation Commission, 2003, has already stated that “mobility within Delhi is difficult and congested” and therefore, a “risk area”. It has further mentioned that the venues and the Games village will include “environmental considerations related to micro environment and other such parameters as air, water, and noise pollution”. Beijing, on its part, has done a lot. The city government unleashed aggressive reforms after it won the bid for the Olympic Games in 2001. The first city in China and second in developing Asia to phase in Euro IV standards, Beijing does not allow diesel cars and two-wheelers, has relocated polluting industry, and has controlled fugitive dust. These efforts have helped improve the number of blue-sky days, but Beijing can still not meet the air quality standards throughout the year. It finally had to pilot test removal of one million cars for four days during August 2007 to improve the air quality.

The city may have to resort to this contingent plan during the Games.

Set up patient grievance panel: Court asks hospitals

New Delhi, February 6
The Delhi High Court today directed all government hospitals to constitute a grievance redressal committee to look into complaints from patients.

A division bench of Chief Justice M.K. Sharma and Justice Reva Khetrapal directed the hospitals to constitute the committee within four weeks’ time.

“The committee’s primary function would be to examine the complaints by patients and give the action-taken-report to the complainant within eight weeks,” the bench said in its order while disposing off a public interest litigation (PIL).

Varun Goswami, a lawyer, filed the PIL pointing out the deplorable medical facilities and state of cleanliness in Safdarjung and Guru Tegh Bahadur (GTB) hospitals in then national Capital.

“There was an urgent need of addressing the increasing problems faced by the patients in the hospital these days, so I thought of filing an PIL to fight for the justice for the ill patients,” Goswami told IANS. — IANS

BJP seeks probe in food dept
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 6
A delegation of BJP MLAs led by Jagdish Mukhi, leader of opposition in Delhi legislative assembly, today handed over a memorandum to Lt-Governor Tejinder Khanna and sought his attention towards large-scale corruption prevailing in the food and supply department.

The memorandum said that no work was possible without bribe in food and supply offices.

The delegation members have demanded that stern action should be taken to curb corruption prevailing in the department. They have also demanded that ration should be provided to all APL card holders without the condition of annual income.

Clash with eunuchs leaves 10 injured

Noida, February 6
Ten people were injured when a group of eunuchs clashed with a family over the money they were to get in return for dancing to celebrate a wedding in the house here on Tuesday.

The incident happened in the afternoon in Kasna locality, in Greater Noida.

Around half a dozen eunuchs barged into the house of one Jagdish whose son was married a day earlier. The eunuchs started dancing and playing music. When the house owner Jagish objected and asked them to go back, the eunuchs refused and demanded Rs 11,000. Angered by the eunuchs’ actions, the family members and other people tried to throw them out by force.

In the ensuing scuffle, seven local residents and three eunuchs were injured.

The house owner filed a complaint with police. The injured were taken to a local hospital. The attending doctor said the injuries were superficial and the people were discharged after first aid.

Eventually, the local panchayat head intervened and negotiated a compromise between the clashing parties after which the police closed the case. — IANS

Nand Lal Bose show US-bound
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 6
Nand Lal Bose taught art to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Besides he had created posters for three Indian National Congress’ sessions in 1935, 1936 and 1938.

“Sati” by Nand Lal Bose

She took personal interest in ensuring that his body of work became part of the Indian National Treasure. Now the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) and the San Diego Museum of Art have teamed up to take the works of Bose , one of the early pioneers of the Bengal School, to the US.

It will also be for the first time that his works would leave the Asian shores that too nearly 42 years after his death.

The collection, ‘Rhythms of India: Art of Nandalal Bose (1882-1996)’, featuring 100 of his finest works,will be showcased at the San Diego Museum of Art from February 23. Along with him the NGMA would also be showcasing the works of some of other artists .

These would include works of Ramkinkar Baige , K.G. Subramaniam , Benode Behari Mukherjee , Atul Dodiya. The show will also include works of Rabindranath Tagore and Abnindranath Tagore.

Making the announcement here Prof Rajeev Lochan, in the presence of Jt.Secretary Ministry of Tourism and Culture R.C. Mishra, SDMA executive director Derrick Cartwright and curator Sonya Quintanilla, said that the 100 works which would be put up had been culled out from over 6500 of Bose’s works. The exhibition would showcase 125 years of Indian modern art.

Incidentally, this is the first time the Indian government has allowed Nandalal Bose’s works to leave Asia. Earlier, some of his works had been showcased in Japan.

The collection is a tribute to 60 years of the country’s Independence and the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi January 30, 1948. Bose was the only artist Gandhi patronised during his lifetime because of his portrayal of an independent rural India.

Sonya Quintanilla, curator of Asian art at the San Diego Museum, said, “this is a special collaboration.

The collection will be a value-addition to the museum’s rich repertoire of South Asian art featuring more than 1,400 art works, mostly miniature Indian paintings from 11th to 19th century, known as the

Edwin Binney’s third collection. It is one of the largest and the most important collection of South Asian paintings outside Asia.”

According to Mishra ,the exhibition brings out how Bose contributed to the success of India’s non-violent struggle for Independence through his association with

Mahatma Gandhi. Covering all his experiments, it will be on display in San Diego till May 18.

Thereafter, the ‘travelling show will briefly touch base’ at the Philadelphia Museum early July to August 31 on the East Coast and the Art Institute of Chicago from May 31 to August 31, 2009. It will then return home to the National Gallery of Modern Art for a retrospective show.

Prof Lochan said, “a body of his work had earlier travelled to Japan, but this is the first time he is going to the West. His paintings are very spirited that speak of a link between him, Rabindranath Tagore and the larger Indian art perspective.

He had evolved a language of his own, whose impact was very wide”.

He pointed out that this groundbreaking exhibition explores the crucial period of India’s transition from a British colony to an independent nation through the eyes of the country’s premier artist of the time.

Born in Bihar, India, in 1882, Bose spent most of his life in Bengal as a pan-Asian artist and teacher. Bose became the head of the Kala Bhavan, the department of fine arts at Shantiniketan founded by Rabindranath Tagore.

Carwright says, “Bose was a seminal figure in Indian art history and his paintings, drawings and murals will engage visitors with their refinement and pure aesthetic power. Furthermore the exhibition would celebrate SDMA’s emergence as a primary source of Indian art scholarship in the US”.

“Rhythms of India” will be accompanied by a catalogue, comprised scholarly essays and reproductions of all the works in the exhibition, including stunning epic tableaux built for the maharajas of Baroda.

Student, trader commit suicide

New Delhi, Feburary 6
In two incidents in the capital, a class 12 student allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in South Delhi while an elderly businessman ended his life by pumping bullet into his head, police officials said Tuesday.

In the first incident, G.N. Vijay, 18, student of Kalka Public School in the Alaknanda area, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in his rented accommodation in the Gulmohar Park area. No suicide note was recovered from him.

The caretaker of his hostel found his body hanging from the ceiling of his room. His parents live in Dehradun.

The police said he was an engineering college aspirant and preparing for entrance examinations held by several universities.

“We have registered a case at Defence Colony police station. Initial investigations suggest that he might have taken the extreme step due to poor performance in exams,” a police official said.

In the second incident, an 80-year-old retired army official and businessman shot himself dead in his west Delhi bungalow late Monday.

The police said a call was received around 10.45 p.m. that the former army official, identified as Charanjeet Singh, was lying unconscious and bleeding heavily from his head.

Singh was rushed to the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.

The police has recovered two suicide notes from Singh, who runs a construction company in Madhya Pradesh.

“Singh’s suicide notes read that he was depressed and tensed about several cheating cases being heard against him in a Chandigarh court. He had criticized his family for his condition, but lauded his manager for his support,” a police official investigating the case said. — IANS

Kidney racket: 3 hospitals’ records under scanner
Our Correspondent

Noida, February 6
The state administration has called for the records from three major hospitals in Noida pertaining to kidney transplants.

The Director General of Health Services, UP, has asked Noida Health Department to procure records from three main hospitals in the district where kidney transplants are carried out.

Chief Medical Officer has issued instructions to three hospitals in Noida to provide details of kidney transplant operations done by them during the year.

The names of kidney donors and recipients have also been demanded. Besides the sanction of Divisional Commissioner Meerut, obtained by the hospitals for these operations has also to be submitted.

There are 608 hospitals and nursing homes in GB Nagar district out of which 94 are large hospitals or nursing homes. But only Fortis hospital, Noida Medicare Centre (NMC) and Metro hospital have the facility of kidney transplant operations.

Migratory birds make zoo their home

New Delhi, February 6
Pintails, shovelers, common teals... The Delhi zoo is alive to the colour and cacophony of thousands of migratory birds, which have flown in from Europe, Russia, the Gulf and Southeast Asia in large numbers.

“Though they always come to the zoo, this time their number is much higher. The zoo offers a conducive environment to these guests. This is one of the factors that make migratory birds choose the Delhi zoo for the winter vacation,” zoo director D.N. Singh told IANS.

After covering a distance of 3,000-5,000 km, these birds start reaching Delhi at the beginning of winter and stay back till summer starts. They start their homeward journey by the end of March every year.

Prominent among the winged visitors this time are pintails, shovelers, common teals and dabchiks. Giving them company are white storks, black-necked storks, white ibises, spot-billed ducks and little cormorants.

These birds are of different sizes and colours. Some are vegetarian and others eat fish, frogs, small creepers and reptiles. — IANS

Al Gore tech competition from Feb 11
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 6
San Francisco-based Foundation for a Sustainable Future is sponsoring The First Al Gore Sustainable Technology Venture Competition here on February 11 and 12 in collaboration with the Indian Institute for Foreign Trade.

The event is drawing interest from top–tier US venture capital firms like Silicon Valley’s Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, which will be represented by greentech expert, Dr. Ajit Nazre, and major Indian VCs and executives. Union minister for water resources Saifuddin Soz will be the chief guest.

Oopali Operajita, a noted political strategist and parliamentary adviser thought up an All-India Sustainable Tech competition. “I recognized that in one stroke, it would be possible to make an entire generation of bright Indian students aware of the indispensable need to think ‘sustainability—and to have it firmly embedded in the consciousness of our students and future generations—for the sheer survival of the planet,” she said. Operajita was appointed Chair, India Projects for FSF in 2007.

Over sixty top Indian technical and management colleges and universities have been invited to send teams to the IIFT competition.

Approximately eight qualifying teams will be selected from the entries to make their presentations and compete in the finals at IIFT on February 11 this year. Qualifying entries will be judged by a panel of industrialists, executives, eminent IIFT faculty, investors and government representatives.

Winners will compete at the Global Sustainable Business Plan competition sponsored by the Foundation for a Sustainable Future, and hosted by Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh.