New Delhi, July 19
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has decided that all crane-lifting operations near roads and public areas will be carried out only between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. and senior officials will be present to supervise all such activities.

The decision follows an accident that took place at the Metro construction site near Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital yesterday evening. A crane at the site malfunctioned because of which some construction material fell on a Tavera vehicle passing on the adjacent road. The incident took place at around 7:00 p.m. The driver of the vehicle, who was trapped in it for some time, suffered multiple fractures in his legs. While two passengers in the vehicle came out safely, one received minor injuries. The driver and the injured person have been admitted to RML Hospital.

The DMRC has given an ultimatum to the sub-contractor (M/s Navayuga) that it will cancel its contract and may blacklist it if necessary improvement in safety and procedures is not done immediately. Till then, all crane-lifting work will be suspended at the site.

According to DMRC spokesperson Anuj Dayal, the sub-contractor using the crane yesterday (M/s Navayuga Engineering Co.) has been asked to replace within 10 days all its cranes whose reliability was not up-to-the-mark

“A three-member team of senior DMRC officials and foreign consultants has been constituted to probe the incident in detail and investigation has already begun,” the spokesman said.

According to the spokesman, preliminary investigation has revealed that the crane involved was commissioned only yesterday to return to work after engine repairs. Soon after it started working, sparks and smoke were noticed in the engine compartment and panels.

“It appears that the crane operator panicked because of the smoke/sparks and jumped out of the crane in a hurry. While jumping, he seems to have depressed a lever because of which the 4-tonne iron beam that the crane was carrying was suddenly lowered. The operator is presently untraceable,” Dayal added.

He says that the beam, which was in a vertical position, fell on one end inside the barricaded area and started toppling over. As it was 18 feet long, the beam toppled towards the adjacent road. An alarm was raised and traffic marshals managed to stop almost all the vehicles on the road.

However, the Tavera vehicle involved in the accident was going at a high speed and failed to stop before it came beneath the toppling beam.

“The driver, identified as Manoj, 23 was trapped in the vehicle for some time but site staff used another crane to extricate him. He has suffered fracture in the left leg. He is presently in RML Hospital and the DMRC has offered to shift him to some other hospital if he so desires. Ex-gratia compensation will also be paid to him,” Dayal said.

The DMRC has ordered a full inquiry into the incident.

Meanwhile, rumble strips, which will act as speed breakers, are being placed in front of the emergency gate of RML Hospital to prevent vehicles from over-speeding on the construction stretch. An additional traffic signal will also be installed. Rumble strips will be put up at other Metro construction sites as well. 

Ghaziabad, July 19
Out of the 5,000 houses built by the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA), the files of over 3,000 houses are missing from its office.

The shocking fact came to light when GDA vice-chairman S.K. Diwedi wanted to prepare the list of unallotted houses and asked for the files of all such houses.

The missing of the files is being seen as the handiwork of a powerful lobby, which intends to sell the houses at market rates or allot them, out-of-turn to people close to them. It is believed that this way a group of insiders are aiming at minting crores of rupees while being in GDA service.

The vice-chairman has announced that a probe has been order and the officials involved in the fraud will not be spared. He added that some of the officials could be suspended or even terminated.

Diwedi also announced that if the missing files were not traced, he would issue a notice in newspapers listing the numbers of the houses whose files are missing. And in case, the present occupants fail to present themselves in the GDA office within the stipulated period, these houses would be allotted to other applicants.

A survey of unoccupied flats and houses is currently underway in the GDA. The survey is being conducted by staff from construction and property departments. The survey has found some 5,000 houses to be under unauthorised possession in Indira Puram, Vaishali, Govind Puram, Sanjay Nagar and other colonies developed by the GDA.

However, Diwedi has indicated that a new scheme will be floated for unoccupied houses once the actual positions of the houses are ascertained.

Interestingly, this is not the first instance when important files have been found missing in the Ghaziabad Development Authority.

Earlier, files pertaining to 90 plots in Govind Puram had gone missing. A probe was conducted, which had established that many plots of the lot had been palmed-off in violation of the procedures and norms. The inquiry also proved that the files were misplaced intentionally so that the plots could be sold off irregularly. But no action was taken against erring or guilty staff at that time.

New Delhi, July 19
In a unique initiative of reaching out to the customers, power provider BSES has appointed over 150 eminent citizens and opinion makers as vishisht sahayogis.

The partnership initiative was launched by Ramon Magsaysay Award winner Kiran Bedi today. The BSES invited citizens from its licensed area to become vishisht sahayogis.

As part of the initiative, BSES aims to engage in a two-way dialogue with the sahayogis for the larger benefit of its 25 lakh consumers.

“Senior officers of the company will regularly share the ongoing plans, the challenges it faces and the efforts it has made to meet the growing expectations of the consumers, with the sahayogis,” said Arun Kanchan, CEO, BSES.

The BSES also plans to organise regular educative trips for the sahayogis to its installations like grids, substations and the call centre.

The power firm will empower the sahayogis to be important stakeholders and change agents in the power development of their area.

“Such partnership initiatives lay the foundation of trust between various stakeholders and help bring about positive change. We can start the change from own homes, neighbourhoods, bastis, villages and schools,” said Kiran Bedi.

BSES spokesperson said the vishisht sahayogi initiative sought to build a mutually beneficial partnership between the firm and its customers.

The programme would enable BSES to get a better feedback and insights into the specific needs and requirements of an area and help design area-specific deliverables.

New Delhi, July 19
Delhi government has ensured all arrangements to provide free quality medical treatment to the poor families under Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY).

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today formally started distribution of RSBY smart cards in a function organised at Mangolpuri. The smart card enables family members of BPL and AAY ration cardholders to avail benefit of free treatment in more than 80 prestigious private hospitals and private nursing homes. This treatment is in addition to facilities being provided in the government hospitals. Smart card includes photos of five members of the family including head of the family, their fingerprints and a toll-free number.

The beneficiaries are also being provided with a list of designated hospitals and nursing homes.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister described this moment as historic one, which would go a long way in changing scenario of health services to the poor.

She described RSBY as the most ambitious plan to provide guarantee of quality treatment to those persons, which are otherwise not able to get themselves treated in private hospitals.

She further stated that there is no need to submit a separate application form for this purpose as all the 28,000 families holding red and yellow ration cards would be issued smart cards through their respective ration circle offices for which days have been prescribed circle-wise. The circle offices would function six days in a week for this purpose.

The Labour Department has got prepared 28,000 smart cards for poor families out of which 235 have been availing benefit and they have reported the set up as satisfactory. Apart from this, the beneficiaries would be entitled to a transport allowance for commuting up to hospitals from their residence with a maximum limit of Rs 1000 per annum.

The government is providing an opportunity to the poor families under the scheme as they would be able to get cashless treatment.

They will be able to select a hospital out of a list of designated hospitals and would be offered treatment on presentation of their smart cards.

The family of five persons would be able to avail medical treatment up to a limit of Rs 30,000 per annum. This would help in achieving an aim of a disease-free Delhi, the Chief Minister said.

Noida, July 19
A man committed suicide by hanging himself with a noose near the drain at the back of Sector-14 A, Noida. He said he was harassed by his in-laws. Police recovered his body late last night. A suicide note has also been recovered by the police from the deceased whose body has been sent for autopsy.

Sanjay Das, a guard in Black Cat security agency, lived with his family in Barola village. He was posted in Narela, Delhi. Before committing suicide, Sanjay Das reportedly rang up a relative, Samir, and told him, “I am extremely upset and I am going to end my life.” He left his house at about 4 p.m. Samir told the police about it and police and Samir then started a search for Sanjay Das. At the time of making a phone call to Samir, Sanjay was supposed to be near Gole Chakar, Sector-2 Noida.

Ultimately police was able to find Sanjay Das’s body hanging from a tree in Sector-14A near the drain.

In his suicide note, Sanjay Das accused his father-in-law and mother-in-law who were “misleading my wife. Due to this I am committing suicide”. However, his wife Mamta and her sister Sonia said Sanjay was a drunkard.

New Delhi, July 19
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today said all stadia of the Capital would be upgraded well before the commencement of Commonwealth Games 2010.

She said this after laying the foundation stone for the upgradation of Shivaji Stadium that had been selected as a training venue for the hockey event during the Commonwealth Games scheduled to be held in Delhi in 2010. Area MLA and vice-chairperson Tajdar Babar and chairman NDMC Parimal Rai were also present on this occasion.

Dikshit stated that to meet the requirements of international standard submitted by the Commonwealth Games Federation and International Consultant M/s EKS, the civic body had decided to upgrade Shivaji Stadium. The stadium will have four storeys in addition to two-level basements parking. It will be constructed in an area of 19,7000 square metres which will include a sports facility block having seating capacity of 9000 spectators on the ground floor.

The other facilities would be hockey stadium warm-up pitch, housing lounges, dormitories, physiotherapy massage room, first-aid medical room, dope testing room, press room, venue management office and changing rooms. The project will be completed at an estimated cost of Rs 160.27 crore by December 2009.

New Delhi, July 19
The Indian Women Press Corps (IWPC) at 5, Windsor Place held a panel discussion today on “The responsibility to report and responsibility in reporting” in the context of the much-heated debate on the media coverage of Aarushi case and similar other cases.

Among the panelists were Ved Marwah, former police commissioner, Delhi, and presently the honorary research professor of Centre of Policy Research; Prashant Bhushan, lawyer, Supreme Court; Pinaki Mishra, lawyer for the Talwars; Ashutosh, IBN7; Ravish Kumar, NDTV; Anil Chamaria, noted columnist; and Rashmi Sehgal (moderator), Asian Age.

Sehgal started the debate of the day by speaking about the amount of coverage that the Gujjar agitation was accorded. She said that today’s media is all about commercialisation and trivialisation of details. There is anarchy of information with the reporters going overboard at times in covering up personal moments, thus intruding on to people’s privacy.

On the occasion were also present Anuradha Bhattacharya and Anita Rawat, the mothers of the two teenager victims, who were killed in a car accident that was labelled by leading newspapers and channels as a case of drunken driving. They charged the media with maligning the reputation of their children and family, leaving the media guardians speechless by questions like “what are essentially the roles of the journalists?, Does media have the right to tarnish the image of dead people?” The grieving mothers asked the media to come up with a redressal mechanism for redeeming the reputation of dead people.

Pinaki Mishra said that there are no libel laws in the country that could prevent reporters from barging into people’s lives and thrashed the Noida police by saying that crimes occurred in Noida at the behest of police itself, thereby raising questions on the credibility of the entire police force.

Regarding the existence of libel laws, Prashant Bhushan differed and said, “Certainly there are laws which prevent the journalists from misreporting. In fact, earlier in crime cases it was a contempt of court to report anything other than a court order and though today rules have been modified, they are still accountable before law.”

Bhushan also stressing the fact that today media is TRP driven, and hence it is trying to cater to the baser instincts of people representing more of violence, bloodshed etc.

Ravish Kumar opined that the media ought to accept its follies and try to rectify them.

Then, Ashutosh emphasising on the essentials of journalism, questioned the senior journalists as to whether the basic crucible of journalism has changed.

Ved Marwah, lashed the media makers, holding them responsible for pulling media from its high pedestal of purpose and nobility and said, “No doubt, media still plays a crucial role in society, but today, the top brigade has compromised and fallen prey to the bourgeoning influence of commercialisation. Media today manipulates at the behest of some internal and external forces. Earlier, journalism was not a lucrative profession, but presently the editors and proprietors are making huge money.”

Greater Noida, July 19
Two young men going on a bike on Dadri Railway Road were knocked down by a rashly driven truck. Both of them died on the spot.

The truck driver managed to flee, abandoning his truck. The bodies of the victims have been sent for postmortem. The news of their death cast a pale of gloom in their village.

In the second accident a passenger, who fell from the railway train on Thursday also died on the spot. His body was sent for an autopsy by the police.

According to police, Charakh, son of Rattan and Manu, son of Nanak of Roopwas village under Kotwali police station, Dadri, had gone to Dadri railway station. They were returning to their village when a speeding truck knocked them down from the rear, near the Agarsen Inter-College killing both of them on the spot. The truck had dragged the two for a long distance after knocking them down. Both the boys were about 16 years of age. The police has seized the truck.

In the second accident, Raja Ram, son of Shyam Veer of Farakhabad, was travelling from Dadri to Delhi by train. As the train neared the Dadri station, Raja Ram is reported to have fallen from the train due to the rush of passengers who were pushing their way to the exit door.

He was run over by train and died on the spot. The police informed his family on the basis of address found in his pocket.

New Delhi, July 19
The Commissioner of Police presented a commendation roll with cash rewards to 123 personnel of the Northern Range in Delhi, acknowledging their efforts in effecting arrests of desperate criminals and recovery of robbed and burgled articles, including money and weapons, at a ceremony in the police headquarters.

The personnel who received reward ranged between the ranks of constables and inspectors. They had displayed outstanding investigative skills, professionalism and commitment in cracking cases handled by them.

The cases include a burglary reported at Kotwali, blind murder case of police station Bawana, robbery reported at a jewellery shop in Karol Bagh, robbery and murder case of police station Aman Vihar and robbery case of police station Rohini.

A total of Rs 2,90,600 was disbursed to the personnel as cash rewards.

New Delhi, July 19
With the arrest of Umesh Kumar Chauhan, 24, the North East district police has claimed to have busted a racket allegedly involved in preparing forged marksheets and certificates. The accused was running an institute at Shahdara by the name Aryabhatt Institute.

On July 17, complainant Israr reported that his son Ikrar enrolled in Aryabhatt Institute, where Umesh Kumar took Rs 15,000 from him on the pretext of helping him pass class tenth.

Umesh gave a provisional admission letter of National Open School and took Rs 950 as examination fee from Israr. Umesh also said Israr’s father that his son need not even appear for the examination.

Israr was issued a class tenth passing certificate on the payment of Rs 10,000. However, the roll number mentioned on the certificate was different from the one on the enrollment card. The complainant then checked the authenticity of the certificate on the Internet and found it to be fake.

On investigation, it was found that the alleged accused was running a racket of fake marksheets and certificates of National Open School, Noida.

The police team disclosed that Umesh used to select semi-literate people.

He would manage to enroll his students at National Open School, Noida with the help of some security staff of the office. After getting the enrolment letter, he would prepare fake certificate of the same roll number.

Six fake rubber stamps of different institutes including the CBSE and National Open School, 16 enrolment letters of class tenth issued from National Open School, Noida, four fake marksheets, visiting cards of Aryabhatt Institute claiming hundred per cent pass percentage and list of candidates have been recovered in a raid.