The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Delhi and neighbourhood

	Smart card for 7 m poor soon Rajeev Ranjan Roy New Delhi, April 20 Around 7.5 million low income group people in the Indian Capital will soon get multipurpose smart cards to avail themselves of various government welfare schemes, says a top government official. The cards will replace the many cards and documents that poor people have to carry now to make use of these schemes. “It is going to be an integrated social benefits card and will be known as the Samajik Suvidha Sangam (SSS). In three months, the cards will be issued to the prospective beneficiaries estimated to be 7.5 million,” Rakesh Mehta, the Delhi government’s chief secretary, told IANS. According to Mehta, the government will soon intimate the Planning Commission about the issuance of the cards, which will cover around 50 percent of the city-state’s total population. The smart cards will give the city the distinction of being the first in the country to have the multipurpose SSS. It will be fully operational in a year. The cards will cover the schemes of nine departments like social welfare, education, health, child and women, labour, foods and civil supplies, the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and minorities. “The SSS card will be like all-in-one. The beneficiaries will only need to produce this card to avail of any benefits they are entitled to. For instance, a senior citizen can avail of pension of Rs 1,000 by producing the card,” Mehta said. The Planning Commission, a central government agency, allocates plan funds to states for asset creation. The Delhi government has got Rs 100 billion as plan outlay for 2008-09. Mehta claimed that the SSS would ensure a hassle-free facility to targeted groups. People would not find it difficult to preserve the SSS cards, which may not be the case with a host of documents otherwise. “At the moment, a family has to carry several cards for different schemes, from ration cards to those for availing of scholarships. The SSS card will offer solutions to multiple problems.” According to the latest Economic Survey, there were 2.81 million public distribution system (PDS) cardholders in the city in 2006-07. In Delhi, families with an income of Rs 24,000 per year or less fall in the below the poverty line (BPL) category. — IANS
	Test run of bus corridor shows discipline needed New Delhi, April 20 The test run of Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) corridor between Ambedkar Nagar and Moolchand on Sunday has shown that more discipline is called for from the prospective users, said the officials associated with the project. “It is a system trial, and will continue for days before the corridor is officially thrown open for the users on May 1,” Manoj Aggarwal, a senior official of Delhi Integrated Multimodal Transit System (DIMTS), told IANS. “There were not many jams, but educating the people on how to use the route remains a key challenge. The motorists must stick to the lanes meant for them,” he said. A joint venture of the Infrastructure Development Finance Company (IDFC) and the city government, DIMTS is the implementing agency for the 15.5-km long Ambedkar Nagar-Delhi Gate BRTS corridor. The test run took place along the 5.6-km long Ambedkar Nagar-Moolchand in south Delhi. “The teething problems are there, but will be sorted out in a week’s time. The concept is new. The lane driving has never been serious issue for the city motorists, something the BRTS strictly calls for. The traffic marshals are being trained accordingly,” he added. “The corridor on each side has four lanes, meant for the buses, scooters and cars, cyclists and pedestrians. The width of the bus lane is 3.5 metres, while that of the scooters-cars 7 metres, cyclists and pedestrians each have two metres wide lane,” R.S. Minhans, senior manager, BRTS, said. Minhans said around 25 high-capacity low-floor buses along with others plied on the route. There were slight jams because traffic signals broke down at places and because the bus drivers made some mistakes, the official said. “The overall experience was good. Things will be all right by the time the route is finally opened for the traffic. The users of the corridor must adhere to the lane driving to have the feel of the new corridors. It is a must,” Minhans said. — IANS
	Jains in Delhi seek minority status Madhusree Chatterjee New Delhi, April 20 The Jain community in the Capital is raising the pitch for minority status on par with the Buddhists, Christians, Sikhs, Muslims and Parsis, listed as notified minority groups under the Delhi Minorities Commission Act, 1999. Members of the community say they want minority status primarily because they want to incorporate Jainism, the religion of the community, as a subject in Jain schools. The Capital and its adjoining areas have eight Jain schools. They are not being able to teach Jainism to their children because most of the Jain schools in Delhi are partially funded by the government, which doesn’t allow the teaching of any particular religion at schools unless it is a minority community. “The government is ignoring the community. We want minority status as enshrined (under Article 25) in the constitution, which empowers the government to accord minority status to six marginal ethno-religious groups, so that we can teach Jainism to our children in schools run by us. We don’t want reservations in jobs or in education,” Chakresh Jain, head of the Delhi Jain Samaj, told IANS. Members of the Jain Samaj had assembled at Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s home on Saturday to celebrate Mahavir Jayanti, the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavira, the last of the Jain spiritualists. Mahavira was born 2,604 years ago in Vaishali (now in Bihar). Chakresh Jain said children of the community here were losing touch with their traditional culture because they were not being taught Jainism in schools. The community, comprising mostly businessmen, trace their lineage to Lord Adinath, a seer-king who preached non-violence, tolerance, vegetarianism and the importance of karma and literacy during the Vedic Age (2nd-6th century B.C.). Members of Jain community in the Capital are jewellers by profession with the highest literacy rate. Till the middle of the last century, the community lived in the old walled city of the Capital. According to official estimates, there are 480,000 Jains in Delhi. The Jain community is known for its social work and service in the sphere of education. Underscoring the need for minority status, Chakresh Jain said Jains were included in the list of minorities in seven states across the country - Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal (which enacted a law to bring the community under the minority fold three weeks ago). According to 2001 Census, the Jain community forms .45 percent of the population. “Delhi is one of the few states where the Jain community has not been granted minority status,” he said. According to Jaipur-based Jain scholar Hukam Chand Bharill, “Jainism as a religion is older than Buddhism, Sikhism and Islam”. Bharill has authored 66 books on Jain spirituality and way of life. “Sikhism, the dominant religion of Punjab, is barely 500-years-old whereas you will find mention of the Jain community in the Vedas. The ancient Indian scriptures acknowledge Rishab Dev, hailed as the first Jain guru,” the scholar told IANS, arguing in favour of minority status for the community in Delhi. “One must not forget that Lord Mahavira’s grandfather, the ruler of Vaishali, propounded the concept of a republic (Loktantra),” Bharill said. Bharill runs 400 Jain elementary night schools across the country (known as Vitrag Vigyan Pathshala), which churn out nearly 500 Jain scholars every year. “We want to teach our children compassion, good behaviour, health and hygiene in school, according to Jain tradition. But we cannot do so because the government provides aid to most of our education institutions in the country. Minority status would solve the problem. But we will never teach our children to look down upon other religions,” he said. The Jain community, who don’t like to be clubbed with Hindus, have their own temples, texts, religious mores, food habits and deities. Like Buddhism, the group is divided into two sects - the Shwetambar and Digambar folds. “We do not believe in Jagatguru Shankaracharya, we have our own spiritual identity,” Chakresh Jain said. — IANS
	Property dealer found dead Ghaziabad, April 20 A property dealer’s body was found abandoned near a bus stand with bullet injuries on his chest, family sources said here on Sunday. According to family members, Ravendra Verma, a leading property dealer of Indirapuram area in Ghaziabad, a suburb of national capital, returned home late on Saturday night from a wedding function. Verma was about to retire for the day, when he received a call on his mobile asking him to come to the bus stand. Verma left and when he did not return for a long time, his wife started calling his mobile. After repeated attempts, a person picked the call and said that Verma was lying unconscious near the bus stop. Family members rushed to the spot and found him lying in a pool of blood. His revolver was also found near his body. They took Verma to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The doctors said the deceased had sustained two gunshot injuries on his chest. Sihani Gate police station-in-charge Mohan Lal said that it seemed to be a case of suicide. But the family said the police was trying to pass off the murder as a case of suicide. — IANS
	HIV+ man commits suicide Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 20 Raj Kumar Gupta, 32, an HIV-positive man committed suicide by jumping off the sixth floor of the Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital in East Delhi. He was undergoing treatment in the hospital. Gupta was reported missing from his ward late on Saturday night. His body was found lying in the hospital premises today morning. The body has been sent for postmortem. “The cause of suicide could be depression and frustration,” said a senior police official. A resident of Seemapuri, Gupta was admitted to the hospital on April 13. He is survived by his wife and two children.
	Woman killed in cylinder blast New Delhi, April 20 A woman was today killed when an LPG cylinder exploded at Gandhinagar today. The incident occurred when a group of devotees was listening ‘satynarayan katha’ at one Anil Jana’s residence. A leaking cylinder caught fire in the house during the preparation of ‘prasad’. Anil, 46 himself received 30 per cent burns, police said. His neighbour, Jagat Chakraborty received 15 per cent burns. However, an elderly woman Rashmani Das, who received 100 per cent burns was declared brought dead at the GTB Hospital, police added. — UNI
	IPL matches, a windfall for gamblers Sandeep Yadav Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 20 The first few matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has evoked enormous enthusiasm and curiosity even amongst the worst critic of this format of the game. Thus, it is a clear first round advantage for Lalit Modi, father of IPL, who set out to make the game more popular and exciting. With teams like Knight Riders getting Rs 40 crore and Rs 45 crore sponsorship from Nokia and Reebok respectively, the owners of the team are not grumbling. With likes of Ishant Sharma getting Rs 3.4 crore, players are happy from day one. However, there is another market, which is abuzz with unseen excitement due to these matches. The format of the game is a gambler’s paradise, bookies and their clients are sure to reap windfall with the IPL. According to satta bazaar estimates, anything between Rs 20,000 crore and to Rs 25,000 crore will be wagered on the IPL’s 59 matches over a period of 44 days. Shah Rukh’s Knight Riders had emerged as the favourite team for bookmakers and sattorias after their swashbuckling batting display on the opening day. However, things changed yesterday, after the match between Chennai Super Kings and Mohali Kings XI Punjab. The odds have tilted towards Chennai Super Kings taking their stake to 100:145. According to satta market, the betting odds shifted in favour of Chennai Super Kings when they scored 240 for 5 which was much more than 222 for 3 by Kolkata Knight Riders in the first IPL match. Chennai is now at the top of the chart with odds of 100:145. So if you bet Rs 100 on them, you will get back Rs 145. However, there is no fixed betting rate. It is quite flexible, changing even between the games. The bookmakers and sattorias in metros, which are major centres for betting, are looking at this as a mega event and it is estimated that Rs 300-500 crore were up for grabs on Friday. A cricket bookie says, “Even I cannot bet on the exact amount of money. However, I can say that it will be many millions more than ever seen in this game.” He said that a minimum of Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 crore would be at stake. He said, “Earlier people who refrained from betting due to patriotic reasons, will have no such dilemma now.” However, the national Capital’s police claims to be alert and fully prepared to deal with such actions. “We are monitoring the situation closely and any complaint of betting in the city would be acted upon. But since betting takes place over phone, it becomes slightly difficult for us,” said a senior Delhi Police official. But how betting takes place? Bets are taken in various forms – will there be a six in the seventh over of the innings? What will be the minimum score before the first wicket falls? Who will take the next wicket? Which bowler will bowl to a particular batsman?
	Doctors mull infant infections Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 20 On average, one in 10 babies, born in India needs to spend at least a few days in neonatal unit to recover from infection and, hence, requires intravenous antibiotics and extra monitoring or breathing support. This was learnt during the two-day continuous medical education (CME) organised by the Indraprastha Hospitals in association with the Delhi branch of Indian Association of Paediatrics (IAP) on “NICU survivor — Early identification and Intervention” that concluded today at the India Habitat Centre. Dr Nipun Kashyap, developmental pediatric, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals said, “Neonatal infections that are not treated promptly or that spread can have serious consequences. As the body of a baby undergoes rapid development, any interruption in the process can lead to complications, including growth and can cause developmental, neurological, cardiac, respiratory and sensory problems. In some cases, neonatal infections can even be fatal.” The need for developing appropriate management protocols for the neurodevelopment of babies discharged from neonatal intensive care unit was also discussed. It highlighted the guidelines and best practice principles for the management of high-risk infants. Dr Vidya Gupta, neonatologist, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals said, “Newborns particularly are susceptible to certain diseases, much more than older children and adults. Their immune systems are not adequately developed to fight bacteria, viruses and parasites that cause infections. When newborns are ill, they may need to spend time in hospital or, even in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). A stay in hospital is often the best way back to good health for a sick newborn.” With their fragile immune systems, babies cannot deal with infections. Premature or immunocompromised babies are at greater risk of developing critical disease from a bacterium or virus. An early diagnosis, swift treatment, close monitoring and care give a baby a chance to overcome the infection, said a doctor. This CME is the first of its kind to be held in North India. Faculty from the KEM Hospital in Pune, PGIMER in Chandigarh and leading hospitals of the capital participated in the CME.
	Sheeba murder case solved, cops claim Our Correspondent Noida, April 20 The Noida police on Saturday claimed to have solved all the five crimes that took place on April 8, including the murder of ex-airhostess Sheeba Thomas. Police claimed to have nabbed Mukesh, alias Mukhiya, an accomplice of Lachhi Yadav, who had surrendered in a court and was taken on a remand by the police. Police said these two had also made a murderous attack on retired Lt-Gen TJS Gill in Sector-44. The police said they had recovered a revolver from Mukesh which was used by the criminals in firing shots at the retired army officer the same night. Noida SSP A. Satish Ganesh said that Lakshman, alias Lachhi Yadav. along with his companions, Mukesh Annu and Ashok, all heavily drunk, had committed the five crimes. All these facts came out in interrogation of Lachhi Yadav. Mukesh, alias Mukhiya, was arrested on the basis of Lachhi Yadav’s interrogation. Police claimed a .32 revolver was recovered from Mukesh which was used in attack on Gill. The SSP’s statement that he cannot share all the facts of these cases with the media gave rise to speculation whether the police was under some pressure or was it a new ploy of the police.
	Artscape Artist’s passion for female faces Ravi Bhatia Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 20 Narotam Das Mehra, a Delhi-based artist, is presenting ‘Splendour of the Rainbow’, an exhibition of his recent paintings. The exhibition will be showcased at the Open Palm Court Gallery, India Habitat Centre here on April 24 and 25. Narotam Das Mehra was born in 1939. He studied at Bishop Cotton School at Simla and graduated from Delhi University in 1959. He completed his higher studies (MBA) from Syracuse University USA (1960-62). Since childhood, he had a great passion for painting and sketching female faces and group figures. He fared well in art at school. He also learnt traditional European art at Syracuse University USA. After studies, he had to give up his passion for art for sometime due to pressure from his family to join the family business. However, he soon started furniture designing and also set up a furniture factory at Okhla. Since he had time to spare, he again took to painting, mainly on paper using various mediums. Special interest continued to be female faces and group figures. He participated in various international fairs and his paintings got noticed by some leading art galleries here. His works have been put up at Dhoomimal Gallery, Galleria, D. G. Priceless Gallery, amongst others. ‘Sacred and profane’ The India International Centre (IIC) here and the Delhi Music Society are jointly presenting an evening of “Sacred and profane – western classical music from Baroque to contemporary” on April 22 at the Centre’s auditorium. The music will be presented by Jonas Olsson, vocalist from Sweden and Neecia Majolly, pianist from India. On April 25, the IIC is presenting an evening of Hindustani classical music, a Rudra Veena recital by Bikramjeet Das from Kolkata, a disciple of Guru Asad Ali Khan. Photo expo The Alliance Francaise de Delhi and the French embassy here along with Sasint Etienne Metropole France are jointly holding an exhibition of photographs, “Regards Croises” by Diwan Manna and Michel Diendonne at the Galerie Romain Rolland from April 18 to April 23. Art festival C’est La Vie!, a voluntary organization promoting young talent, is organizing the Delhi Art Festival, Summer’08, at Travancore Art Gallery here from April 23 to April 27. On view will be works by some renowned artists and sculptors. Simultaneously it will provide a platform to 50 budding artists from across the country whose works are exquisite but who have lacked the opportunity to showcase their talent. Some senior artists supporting this cause are Prithvi Soni, Biplab Biswas, Jahar Das and Apurba Debnath, among others. According to the organisers, most of the artists come from very humble backgrounds and have the conviction to make it big by virtue of their talent. Also being organized is an Art Camp for junior and senior school students who will be taught the use of mediums like charcoal, water colours and clay. The teachers are professionals from the Delhi College of Art, Jamia Milia Islamia University and some participating artists. Flamenco dance The Indian Council For Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Embassy of Spain here are jointly presenting an evening of Flamenco dance and music by the renowned Compania Maria Pages at the Kamani auditorium on April 22. On April 24, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Federal Agency of Culture and Cinematography of Russia are presenting the Orchestra “Musica Viva” at the FICCI auditorium. Painting expo Arushi Arts here is holding an exhibition of paintings of artist Bhagat Singh at its gallery in Okhla Phase One. Entitled “Painted Gardens of Heaven”, the exhibition is on till April 30. ‘Pink new blue’ The Suruchi Art Gallery in Noida is holding an exhibition “Pink is new blue” showcasing the collection of rare masterpieces by renowned national award winning women artists from all across the country on April 22. ‘Measure for Measure’ “Measure for Measure”, an exhibition of paintings is being held at the Visual Art Gallery, India Habitat Centre here from April 21 to April 25. The fund from the exhibition sales will go for funding the NGO “Auvsar”, set up to look after the destitute and the needy. Buddha theme The Dhoomimal Art Centre here is opening its summer bonanza with an exhibition entitled “A journey Inward” comprising recent works of artist Goldy Malhotra from April 25 to May 10. In the current exhibition the artist centres her works around the Buddha theme, making the life of the lord the focus of attention of her artwork. Group show The Chawla Art Gallery is presenting its Annual Group Show here from April 22 to April 30. It includes the works of eminent artists as well as promising young and aspiring talent.
	After reality TV, it’s now reality radio New Delhi, April 20 Following the footsteps of the small screen, an increasing number of reality shows on radio have revamped the audio medium among urban masses. The sudden spurt in the number of ‘reality shows’ that promise to guarantee entertainment are riding high on the radio airwaves. Most FM radio stations believe that the time has come to provide their dedicated listeners an opportunity to showcase their talent on air. The radio reality shows provides a much broader platform to the younger lot of our country to showcase their hidden talent and become famous instantly as I think every individual has some inherent quality in him, says Anand Chakarvarthy, vice-president, Marketing, Big 92.7 FM. It’s wonderful to know that radio is coming out with such a great form of entertainment providing ample opportunities to the untapped talent of our country. I have also taken part in one of the reality show on TV and I know radio is a wonderful platform to prove yourself, says actress Pooja Bedi, who had participated in star one’s reality show Jhalak Dikhla Jaa . Big 92.7 FM has launched a sing-along reality show with Sonu Nigam, where one lucky winner will be selected from cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Chandigarh to share centerstage with music maestro himself at special concerts scheduled to be held in each of the 5 cities between the 16th and the 20th of April and then attend the final in Mumbai. — PTI

6 inspector-level police stations in Noida soon
Our Correspondent

Noida, April 20
Noida will soon be having six full-fledged inspector-level police stations and an exclusive women’s police station.

Most police stations in GB Nagar are presently having senior sub-inspectors as their officer in-charge.

This assurance was given by the state director-general of police, Vikaram Singh, during his meeting with the representatives of Federation of Noida Resident Welfare Associations (FONRWA) yesterday.

The police brass and state government now realise that Noida has an inadequate police presence. The DGP now visits Noida more often after the recent spurt in crime.

Vikram Singh said work on new police stations under an SHO will be taken in hand, after seeking approval from the state government within 15 days

In response to a question, the DGP said soon a DIG-level officer will also start sitting in Noida.

He regretted there was not enough interaction between the people and the police force. “This aspect will also be improved,” he said.

The RWA and FONRWA had demanded upgrading the police stations to full inspector-level and setting up an exclusive women’s police station in Noida. The DGP was also asked to increase the strength of constabulary in each police station.

DGP Vikram Singh assured citizens that security will be beefed up soon and the law and order in GB Nagar strengthened.

Minor fire at CGO Complex
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 20
A minor fire broke out on the seventh floor of CGO Complex at Lodhi Road around 11 a.m. today.

The Complex houses many central government offices. However, no casualty has been reported.

The fire was detected in Staff Selection Commission (SSC) office in block number 12. Eight fire tenders and six fire units were deployed to control the situation.

“The blaze was controlled in about 20 minutes,” said a Delhi Fire Service (DFS) official. The official said that the fire might have been caused due to short-circuit in an air conditioner.

Power shutdown in East, South Delhi
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 20
The BSES today announced that there would be power shutdowns in some areas of East and South Delhi tomorrow due to the ongoing power supply upgradation work.

New Sanjay Colony, Amar Colony and Bikham Singh Colony in East Delhi would be affected between 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

While Hauz Rani, Chirag Delhi, Khirki Extension, Mehrauli village A, J, K and L blocks in Dakshin Puri, A and F blocks in Khanpur village, Khanpur Extension and Devli village in South Delhi will be affected from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Harsh Vihar – II, Lakhpat Colony, Badarpur, Batla House, Okhla, Mohammad Pur, Ambedkar Basti, RK Puram in South Delhi will suffer power shutdown from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Multi-speciality hospital ready in Ghaziabad

Ghaziabad, April 20
Ghaziabad will soon have a new multi-speciality hospital with a dedicated cardiac centre, which will have Indian and US doctors on its panel.

Vinay Agrawal, chairman-cum-managing director of the Pushpanjali Crosslay Hospital, said the hospital was set up at Vaishali in Ghaziabad by a group of professional medical practitioners.

The 400-bed hospital with a chopper landing facility would be inaugurated May 11, 2008 by Sadhvi Ritambhara. BJP president Rajnath Singh would also attend the function, he said.

He added the hospital had entered into an alliance with a Chicago-based university for imaging and digital facilities. — IANS

Kalyan blames MP for son’s defeat
Our Correspondent

Bulandshahr, April 20
Former UP Chief Minister and BJP’s vice-president, Kalyan Singh’s revolting posture is likely to cause some turbulence in the BJP. Kalyan Singh, who had been quiet for quite sometime, was once again seen in an angry mood in Bulandshahr on Saturday.

Kalyan Singh held local BJP MP, Ashok Pradhan responsible for his son’s defeat in UP Assembly elections.

Kalyan Singh has announced that he would openly work against Pradhan in the coming Lok Sabha elections. He has also criticized the act that his photos appeared on posters and hoardings. “This has been done without my consent,” he said.

Kalyan Singh said after Khurja seat having been declared a normal seat, Ashok Pradhan was making preparations to contest from Bulandshahr.

He said posters and hoardings have been put up by Pradhan to misguide the people. He accused Pradhan of having plotted his son, Raj Veer’s defeat and rejoiced at it also.

Though Ashok Pradhan has refuted these accusations saying that he held the former Chief Minister and party vice-president in high esteem.

IMI diplomas awarded
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 20
The 24th annual convocation of International Management Institute (IMI) was held here on Friday.

RP Goenka, chairman of IMI, awarded diploma certificates to over 200 students. KV Kamath, MD & CEO, ICICI Bank Ltd was the chief guest.

The first batch of 41 students specialising in Human Resource Management graduated with Ms. Ankita Agarwal securing the gold medal for her academic achievements.

Debarati Basu of two-year postgraduate programme won the gold medal. Samarth Gupta received gold medal for the evening programme, while Sudhansu Mohan Jena got it for one-year programme.