New Delhi, October 8
Delhi minister of finance and planning, Dr A.K. Walia, today instructed the department of trade and taxes to ensure that there was no harassment to the traders during this festival season.

He has further asked department of VAT to issue necessary instructions to its field staff to be more considerate and courteous with traders.

The inspectors will not visit any shop and will not conduct any raid without the prior permission of the commissioner.

This decision has been taken because the traders of Delhi have been sincerely rendering cooperation to the government.

Dr Walia has also appealed to all traders to continue issuing receipts of each and every sale and transaction.

This is helpful in maintaining mutual trust between the department and traders. He added that the department of trade and taxes would become more trade-friendly.

Dr Walia reiterated that there had been an appreciable increase in tax revenue. The revenue so collected was required for the constant development of the city and turning it in to a world class city.

New Delhi, October 8
Bharatiya Janata Party MP and party’s chief ministerial candidate for Delhi, Vijay Kumar Malhotra has squarely held the Delhi government responsible for the pitiable condition of river Yamuna.

Malhotra said in a statement yesterday that at the conclusion of Navratras, lakhs of people of the Capital will be gathering at the banks of Yammuna for immersing the sacred idols.

But when they reach the banks of the holy river, they are greeted by the stench and filth flowing in the river.

Malhotra said that the Delhi government has been unable to provide a proper environment to the devotees to complete the rituals.

Malhotra added that the state Congress government has spent more than Rs 2000 crore in the name of eradicating pollution in the Yamuna, but unfortunately, the situation has gone from bad to worst.

The BJP MP said that the Delhi Jal Board falls under the direct control of Chief Minister. As such the Congress government cannot absolve itself from the present unfortunate condition of the Yamuna.

Though the Supreme Court has been repeatedly issuing directives to eradicate pollution from the river but, it is astonishing to see even then the Delhi Government has not been effective, nor has it shown any sensitivity towards the issue.

The holy river has been converted into a sewer. This is an example of the mental and moral bankruptcy of the present government, he said.

Malhotra pledged that the Bharatiya Janata Party, if voted to power, will take vigorous and prompt steps to implement plans to make river Yamuna look like a real river so that Delhities may be able to offer their prayers with devotion on its banks.

Gurgaon, October 8
Showing compassion towards abandoned infants, the Gurgaon administration today launched a unique scheme for such unfortunate kids.

It has placed a cradle right inside the main entrance of Civil Hospital, so that any unwanted child can be left in it, instead of being thrown on the mercy of nature reducing chances of its survival.

The first of its kind scheme launched in the state, is the brainchild of Gurgaon deputy commissioner Deepti Umashankar, who was moved by a case of an abandoned infant found dead in the bushes near the mini-secretariat here recently.

Umashankar told The Tribune, “Under the scheme, anybody can leave the unwanted child in the cradle without being identified. Anonymity of the parents would be ensured in case they express willingness to surrender the child. Such parents will have to execute a surrender document to be kept along with the child left in the cradle. This document will be openly available in the hospital building.”

A board informing about the scheme is also displayed at the spot, she added.

Apart from this laudable administrative effort, private nursing homes in the district as well as local chapters of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) have also been roped in for the purpose of this facility to ‘rescue’ abandoned infants.

This cradle facility will soon start at civil hospital, Sohna as well.

The deputy commissioner explained that once a child was found placed in the cradle in the government hospital, its medical superintendent would notify her, or in her absence, additional deputy commissioner, within 24 hours of discovering the child.

The concerned medical authorities would immediately ensure medical examination and proper treatment of the infant.

The expenditure for such treatment shall be borne by the district health and family welfare society.

A special fund with a corpus of Rs 50,000 has already been created by the district child welfare council for food and clothing.

If the new born is abandoned at any private nursing home, its owner or in charge may get the surrender document executed by the parents.

In case of the absence of parents, it will hand over the infant to the civil hospital with an undertaking stating the circumstances under which it was found with details of time and location.

Thereafter, a meeting of child welfare committee (CWC) under the chairmanship of the DC would be convened within a period of seven days to find out the way to keep of child in suitable and safe custody till further inquiry.

The CWC can also order an investigation to trace the background of the child for its other legal claimants through the process of telecasting and publication of photograph in at least two leading newspapers.

During the process of inquiry, if the legal claimants of the child show up, they will have to appear before the CWC within a week.

If the parents express a desire to assume responsibility of the infant, the CWC may decide to restore it to them.

In case no claimant appears, the CWC will issue a certificate of abandonment declaring the infant legally free for adoption.

Such children, thereafter, shall be kept at the Shishu Grah of Panchkula or Rai (Sonepat) till completion of formal process of adoption as per law.

Noida, October 8
A report against three persons has been lodged with police for the double murder of brothers-in-law in Dadri on Monday over dispute on the division of assets of the company, police said.

According to police, Om Veer Sharma and his cousin Mahesh were partners in Golden Steel Company near Badalpur.

They were having a dispute in connection with the division of the company for
quite some time.

As a result, Mahesh prevented the sale of company product in the market since
the last week.

Om Veer lodged a written complaint with Dadri police that he feared some people could kill him.

On Monday, both Om Veer and Mahesh were called by one Upender Sharma for the division of the company assets.

Om Veer, his wife Savita and her brother Vicky came to the factory while Mahesh brought his brother-in-law Sugam and nephew Ravi to the company for discussion.

There was heated argument between the two groups due to division of the
company. Things came to a boil and Mahesh then sent Ravi to fetch a pistol
kept in the car.

According to Savita, the two had come prepared with the intention to kill. As
soon as Ravi handed over the pistol to Mahesh, he emptied the magazine on Om
Veer and Vicky. Mahesh was seen fleeing the venue along with his group waving
his pistol in the air.

Company security guard who rushed on hearing the gunshots found Om Veer and Vicky lying in a pool of blood.

SSP R.K. Chaturvedi said two teams have been constituted to arrest the accused.

The police has also made Prakasho Devi as one of the accused.

New Delhi, October 8
Around 68 monkeys, 90 rabbits, several sheep and ever-multiplying guinea pigs and rats are reported to be sick and dying in small cages at central animal facility of All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

This had the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) activists up in arms outside the AIIMS campus today.

“Stop Monkeying Around” and “AIIMS: Send Monkeys to Rehabilitation Centres”, read the colourful placards carried by PETA activists who were dressed as “Hanuman” and his “Vanarsena” to buttress their point.

Holding a silent demonstration, they were demanding freedom for the monkeys from the ‘animal house’ of AIIMS.

“We want to make people aware of the inhuman ways in which these esteemed hospitals are keeping these animals and we also want the authorities of AIIMS to ensure that these animals are given liberty of living a free life,” said a PETA member.

Fifty of the 90 rabbits are suffering from an infectious skin disease, and several including a few guinea pigs have gone blind, claimed a PETA official.

The group has also written to health minister Anbumani Ramadoss, and the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA) to shut the central animal house of AIIMS and rehabilitate all animals.

“The government must rehabilitate these animals who are incarcerated in the lab,” says PETA India campaign manager N.G. Jayasimha.

New Delhi, October 8
Vijay Jolly, BJP MLA from Saket, today submitted a petition before the Delhi lok ayukta seeking an inquiry into the purchase of low-floor air conditioned buses by the Delhi government.

The BJP MLA alleged that the government had paid an excessive amount for these buses allegedly because of a conspiracy between the suppliers and buyers.

The petition claimed that the same quality of buses were bought by the Chennai administration for almost half the price.

Jolly, while demanding an inquiry, claimed that the Chief Minister and the transport minister were both part of the conspiracy which had left the state exchequer poorer by several lakh rupees.

New Delhi, October 8
The crime branch of the Delhi police today claimed to have busted a friendship club racket with the arrest of seven persons, including five young women, who used to act as college girls and dupe people of large amounts of money.

The racket was being allegedly led by Sunit Kumar, a graduate of Agra University.

The police said the suspect was running the racket out of an office in Azadpur.

The suspects used to place advertisements in newspapers seeking friends for these girls. On response, they used to ask for money to introduce the girls to them.

Subsequently, when the girls came face to face with the client, they used to demand as much as Rs 25,000 to go out with them.

A spokesman of the branch said investigations had revealed that Sunit Kumar had earlier allegedly defrauded a large number of people in the same manner from another office he was running in Netaji Subhash Place.

The suspect was also operating several bank accounts and in one of the accounts the police found Rs 12 lakh.

The suspects have been identified and efforts were being made to trace them.

Noida, October 8
Doctors at Fortis Hospital, Noida, have claimed a landmark achievement—having successfully treated more than 200 patients suffering from piles through MIPH (Minimally Invasive Procedure for Hemorrhoids).

Fortis claims to be among the few hospitals in Uttar Pradesh to conduct MIPH and treat severe cases of piles.

Piles or hemorrhoids have become more of a lifestyle-related disorder.

Lack of exercise, working under stressful environment and consuming excessive mineral-based medication can disturb bowel movements leading to piles.

“Though conventional surgery for hemorrhoids is an option, it is less recommended due to pain, blood loss and post-operative discomforts associated with it. The use of MIPH reduces patients’ pain, post-operative discomfort and care, and also the use of pain-killers, resulting in quicker return to normal life and work,” said Dr Yogesh Agarwala, head, department of surgery, Fortis Hospital, Noida.

Piles are the swelling of veins in the rectum and anus. Lack of awareness and a need for confidentiality due to the embarrassing nature of the problem prevent patients from discussing the ailment freely with doctors and seeking right solution,” Agarwala added.

Patients who think piles could be controlled by diet, by doing so, suffer for years by compromising with their lifestyle.

Eating at short intervals, sticking to high fiber diet and taking lots of liquid everyday can help in avoiding the recurrence of piles once treated, the doctor added.

“The MIPH surgery is performed inside the rectum and no cuts are made outside the anus. Here we use a circular stapler and deal with the problem by excising a circumferential strip from the anal canal.

“This results in the pulling back of the hemorrhoidal cushions to their normal position and thus providing a permanent solution to the disease.

“The patient gets the normal bowel motion usually on day two and then no great discomfort is caused. Staples may be passed from time to time during defecation,” explained Agarwala.

Dr Sudhir Sharma, senior consultant and coordinator, department of surgery, Fortis, said, “MIPH, also known as Stapled Haemorrhoidectomy, is being performed by a handful of hospitals in Uttar Pradesh. Our medical team shares an extensive experience in handling complex cases of piles and has delivered excellent results.”

The MIPH is also a surgeon-friendly procedure. It does not require any secondary equipment and the surgery is normally performed under general anesthesia.

New Delhi, October 8
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today greeted all the citizens of the state of Delhi on the occasion of Dussehra.

She expressed that the festival which signifies the victory of good over evil and truth over falsehood will bring joy and goodness in the lives of the people.

Dikshit hoped that Vijay Dashmi that marked the beginning of festive season will strengthen the spirit of togetherness and brotherhood in the society.