New Delhi, October 9
Effigies of Ravana, his brother Kumbhakaran and son Meghnad went up in flames across the city as the sun set today, marking the victory of good over the evil.

Men, women and children watched in amazement dazzling fireworks lightening up the sky, as the giant size effigies crackled in the fire.

The biggest show, like in previous years, was at the historic Ram Lila Maidan, which dates back to the Mughal period. People were jostling for space, stepping on each other’s toes to get a glimpse of the effigies.

And as in previous years, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi accompanied by daughter Priyanka and her two children witnessed the show.

Even the threat of a possible terrorist strike and the presence of huge police force could not deter people from coming in large numbers.

Dussehra is also an occasion when many non-Hindus join the celebrations, as most of the artisans involved in the erection of attractive pandals and the making of the giant size effigies are Muslims.

“I love to work for Dussehra celebrations. It has got nothing to do with my religion. Back home nobody is against my work. It gives me immense pleasure. It is not just a Hindu festival, families from different religions come together and enjoy it,” said Zakir Ahmed, an artisan.

New Delhi, October 9
The Delhi government has decided to augment ambulance services by deploying 150 more new fully equipped ambulances and 20 first responders (two- wheeler) ambulances.

It has also approved issuance of e-entitlement Smart Cards to beneficiaries for availing benefits of various welfare schemes under Mission Convergence, enhancement of remuneration of part time vocational teachers and revised scales and enhancement of superannuation age from 60 to 62 to the librarians of the diploma level polytechnics under government of Delhi.

These decisions were taken in a cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit yesterday.

Briefing media after the meeting, Dikshit said that her government was committed to provide pre-hospital emergency medical response services of international standards to Delhi citizens, with at least one ambulance per lakh population, which is the recommended norm.

She said that the Delhi government had undertaken an exercise to explore feasibility and modalities of expanding ambulance services in the capital city. Since 1991, pre-hospital medical emergency transportation i.e. ambulance services have been provided through Centralized Accidents and Trauma Services (CATS), a Govt. of Delhi organisation under the Societies Registration Act 1860.

The cabinet has decided to deploy a total of 150 ambulances out of which 141 would be basic life support ambulances and nine would be advanced life support. In addition to this, another 20 first responders (two-wheelers) ambulances would be deployed to reach difficult and congested areas, in the first phase.

The services would be branded and promoted as “102 Ambulance Service-Government of Delhi”. The services would be restricted to the territory of Delhi. It would be ensured that the ambulance reaches the patients/sites within 15-20 minutes. It would also be ensured that the patient is shifted to the nearest hospital within 20 minutes. This would go a long way in overcoming casualties.

Dikshit also claimed that Delhi would become the first state to issue E-entitlement Smart Card in shortest possible time to beneficiaries for availing benefits of 47 different welfare schemes relating to nine departments under Mission Convergence.

The cabinet has approved an Action Plan for issuance of such cards. This integration would have certain advantages such as holders would take advantage of bus travel automatic fare collection, facilitate use of a single smart card for multiple services i.e. ration shops, hospitals, social assistance, DTC buses, private buses, to use all multi-modal transport system and enable the people to have the bank accounts.

Dikshit said that the cabinet had also decided to enhance the remuneration of all 781 part time vocational teachers working on contract basis. PGT Vocational teacher on contract basis would now be entitled for remuneration of Rs 13,160 per month instead of Rs 8200. Those part time teachers who are not qualified as per the recruitment rules of PGT Vocational would now get monthly remuneration of Rs11,140 per month instead of Rs 8200.

This decision has been taken to bring part time vocational teachers at par with other teachers. The cabinet has also decided to grant revised pay scales to the librarians of diploma level polytechnics under Government of Delhi.

The CM said that the superannuation age of librarians has also been enhanced from 60 to 62 years. They have now become entitled for pay scale of Rs 8000-13,5000 at the entry level, Rs 10,000-15,200 at the senior scale level and Rs 12,000-18,300 at the selection grade level with effect from 01-01-1996 provided they fulfill the provisions of the Recruitment Rules.

New Delhi, October 9
About 53 per cent of working women feel insecure, especially during night shifts, in all major hubs of economic activities across the country, especially in key segments such as BPO/ ITeS, hospitality, civil aviation, nursing homes and garment industry, and consistently call for suitable safety norms from their respective establishments, according to the Assocham Social Development Foundation (ASDF).

The assessment based on the feedback received from stakeholders further reveals that 48 per cent female working population with small-scale firms are extremely worried and concerned as regards to their outside moments and nearly 26 per cent of this workforce in the medium sector are quite apprehensive about their safety and security, particularly after dark. The same fear of security lapses is felt by about 23 per cent working women engaged in large-scale establishments.

The assessment was made in the wake of the recent murder of a young TV journalist, Soumya Vishwanathan, while she was returning home after work in the early hours of the morning and several incidents of attacks on women returning home from night shifts in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

Releasing the assessment, Assocham secretary-general D S Rawat said in sector-specific cases, BPOs and ITeS women employees are the most vulnerable and prone to both physical and non-physical attacks, especially after their duty hours. As a result of this, female employees remain extremely security concerned.

In nursing homes, including hospitals, 53 per cent women employees continue to suffer from a sense of insecurity. This percentage in leather and garment industry is 45 and 34, respectively.

Among the women working force belonging to the low skilled category, 34 per cent are concerned about their well-being. In the case of moderately skilled women category it is 29 per cent and those women who are endowed with high skilled power, the sense of insecurity is pervasive among 8 per cent women workforce.

The fast growing BPO/ ITeS, hospitality, civil aviation industry has generated parallel employment for cab drivers. The number is many times more in Bangalore, the world’s largest BPO hub employing about 2.5lakh people, half of them are women. Still a large number of industries have to pay adequate attention to the quality or background of these drivers. According to the assessment, 86 per cent of women on night shifts face commuting problems because of lack of adequate transport arrangements by employers. Those working in Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune face the maximum commuting problem and those in Delhi, Hyderabad and Ludhiana face the least.

Among the various metros, Delhi topped the list with 65 per cent of women respondents complaining that they feel unsafe. As much as 35 per cent of women in Hyderabad, 28 per cent in Chennai, 26 per cent in Mumbai have reported feeling unsafe while working in night shifts. They expect their employers to make the security arrangements.

New Delhi, October 9
‘If you find this hard to read - book a cab!’ - many restaurants and bars here will put up such signboards this festive season, urging customers to take a cab instead of driving their own vehicles after drinking.

“This is part of our ‘you drink - I drive’ campaign during this festive season,” Gavin Dábreo, vice-president marketing Meru Cabs, told IANS.

Meru Cabs has tied up with four TGIF (Thank God It’s Friday) outlets and 160 fine dining restaurants and bars where it will place tent cards and coasters on the tables as well as display messages on LCD screens advising customers to take a cab rather than drive.

Interestingly, not only will slogans be displayed but colour-coded coasters will also accompany drinks to “pinch customers about their drinking”.

“The first drink you are served has a black coaster. The next is green, followed by an amber one and the fourth drink has a red coaster - signifying that it is time to call a cab,” Dábreo added.

Regarding the trends in cab usage among Delhi-based clientele, he said, “People are prone to booking a cab between 5 pm and 11 pm - cabs are booked for night outs or family dinners and even many one-way drops from the restobar to residences have been registered.”

Among the Indian cities, New Delhi has the highest number of car accidents caused by drinking and driving. About 105,000 people die in drunken driving accidents every year in the country, according to figures provided by social activist Prince Singhal.

Although there are laws in place against drunk driving, they are poorly enforced and every year the death and injury toll simply increases.

“Given the long distances in Delhi and the poor public transportation available, especially at night, commuters need to realize the need for alternatives,” Singhal says.

“You can’t expect that people won’t be drinking in festive spirit - but if you get drunk, letting someone else drive you home or hailing a cab can ensure you aren’t a risk to others,” adds Singhal, who has been running a campaign ‘Citizens Against Drunk Driving’ for the past seven years.

Leading psychiatrist Sameer Parekh said: “It’s a good initiative taken by the radio cab service providers and restaurants. Such steps create awareness in a responsible way.

“Restaurants may not stop you from drinking but by helping in getting a cab back home they are doing a commendable job. Such a practice should be exercised everywhere.”

But he also stressed on enforcing the laws more stringently.

“When you are drunk, money is not an issue. If someone spends thousands on drinks, spending Rs 300 on a cab ride home is not an issue. The challenge is ensuring he is not behind the wheel,” Parekh added.

Singhal said generally during the festival season revellers take to streets and drive carelessly.

“In the Dussehra-Diwali season, drinking peaks - so do accidents. Then there is the marriage season in November that gets carried on to January and the cold season when drinking-driving cases really surge,” he pointed out.

The Delhi police too welcomed the initiative. “We always appeal to the people not to mix drinking and driving, and such a step will definitely help the people not to violate traffic rules,” Delhi Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said. — IANS

New Delhi, October 9
Amid hollering crowds and the frenzied beating of drums, hundreds of idols of Goddess Durga and her four children were immersed in the Yamuna river here Thursday, with many devotees bidding a tearful farewell to the deity.

For many Bengalis, the immersion at the end of the Durga Puja festival was like parting with a member of the family after five days of praying, feasting and merry-making at marquees across the city that housed the idols.

Emotionally-charged chants in Bengali of “Hail the mother goddess! She’ll return next year!” reverberated across the calm riverbed, as devotees thronged the immersion point at Kalindi Kunj in southeast Delhi.

“We have just immersed our idol from our house puja. This has been a tradition for ages - 30 of our family members and friends take out a procession from our home and immerse the goddess’ idol in the waters of the Yamuna here,” said Nipa Nag Chowdhury, a 40-year-old homemaker.

Each year her family organises a family puja at their home in Chittaranjan Park, a predominantly Bengali colony in South Delhi.

The final day of the festivities is called Vijaya Dashami or Bijoya, when Durga - the goddess of strength - triumphs over the demon Mahishasura, signifying the victory of good over evil.

On this day, the morning is marked by a ritual called ‘sindur khela’, when women smear vermilion on one another, signifying the return of Durga to her marital abode.

In the afternoon, the idols of Durga and her children - Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartik - that were worshipped for five days at hundreds of marquees across the city were loaded on to trucks.

Hundreds of processions comprising these trucks and buses loaded with devotees as well as private vehicles then spilled on to the streets and made their way to the Yamuna banks.

Some of the idols were taken to Kalindi Kunj.

The other immersion point near Delhi University was for idols from north Delhi.

After the serial blasts in Delhi on September 13, which left 24 killed and over 100 injured, the security arrangements for the Durga immersions along the procession routes and at the Yamuna banks were tight.

This year the security has been so tight that unlike in other years we were not able to take a boat to immerse our idol. Instead, we had to wade into the waters. Only police were monitoring the immersions from boats,” Nag Chowdhury added.

Her daughter Yagna said after several days of festivity, the parting left everyone said, almost tearful.

“After immersing the idol I realised that festivities had come to an end. I am very sad, and letting Ma Durga go each year is very painful for us. We plan all year for the pujas and wait for this time of the year, but suddenly it’s over.”

Aditya Majumdar, a member of the Joint Puja Committee (JPC), said: “Although the idols are carried amidst much cheering, on our return we fall silent to express the sorrow of having to part with the goddess.”

“The JPC - the committee that coordinates the pujas ensures that all the idols are immersed.

The small household idols come in first, by noon, and are followed by the bigger ones,” said Mazumdar.

For immersing the idols from big pandals like K Block or B Block in Chittaranjan Park, cranes are required, so the immersion takes place once the crowds lessen towards the evening.”

With the immersions, Goddess Durga and her children depart, leaving devotees with memories of five fun-filled days and a yearning for next year’s festivities. — IANS

New Delhi, October 9
The little nip in the air in the month of October also heralds the colours of the festive season in Delhi. It is also the month to keep a date with the five-day Ananya Dance Festival from October 11 organised by Seher, an NGO, in association with the government of NCT of Delhi and Sahitya Kala Parishad. In its seventh year, the festival takes place against the backdrop of the majestic Purana Qila (Old Fort), bringing out the best of the dialogue between the Indian classical dance and the ancient heritage of India.

Sanjeev Bhargava, festival director, says: “Ananya is an attempt to popularise Indian classical arts amongst the youth. In this age of television boom, our heritage and culture need to be preserved and marketed smartly. This festival’s growing popularity amongst all sections of Delhi’s audience is testimony that our classical arts have what it takes to weather all storms.”

The festival gets under way with Kalakshetra from Chennai, who are renowned for featuring different styles of music and dance from across the country. Choreographed by Leela Samson, they will be performing the bharatanatyam, a classical dance form originating from Chennai.

This will be followed the next day by the traditional dance form from Kerala, mohiniattam, by Jayaprabha Menon, one of the most accomplished dancers of the new generation. A disciple of Padma Shri Guru Bharthi Shivaji, Jayaprabha’s dance is rooted in tradition. She blends in her dance a refreshing originality with traditional discipline.

One of the participating choreographers is veteran Guru Sri Durga Charan Ranbir who will be presenting odissi, the classical dance form of Orissa. He says, “Odissi’s colour, rhythm and gaiety evolve from the sculpture of the temples. It is completely engrossed in the varied moods and sentiments of sringar rasa.”

A sought-after nattuvanar, Sri Jaikishore Mosalikanti, has not only mastered the intricate kuchipudi style of Andhra Pradesh but also developed a unique personal style with innovative use of rhythm and rhythmic variations. Says Jaikishore, “the innovative choreography retains the essence of the kuchipudi form. With lilt and drama, the dance is rooted in classical poetry.” At Ananya, Jaikishore will be showcasing his recent works along with five dancers.

The finale is with Malti Shyam’s performance of kathak, the major classical dance form of northern India. Belonging to the Lucknow gharana, she credits her growth as dancer, to Pandit Birju Maharaj’s guidance.

Says Malti, “At Ananya, our presentation begins with prayers offered to the Lord of the Lords Shiva. Then there is the thumri (tender, evocative turn of wrists); dadra that gets into the heart of the stealer of hearts, and then there is the radiant smile of tarana and Sargam.”

An interactive seminar with the artistes of the dance festival will take place at Alliance Francaise de Delhi on October 13 & 14 from 10.30 am to 1.30 pm.

Noida, October 9
The Noida Authority has come up with a magnificent road improvement project in the city which is destined to transform not only the shape of the roads but will overhaul the entire transport system in the town boasted as the gateway to Uttar Pradesh.

Bad roads will be a thing of the past so will be the most of the red lights crossings and other frustrating and irritating features for the drivers and the pedestrians. Many of the features in the proposed Noida Authority new road project costing Rs 1,200 crore will not only boost its road and transport infrastructure by 2012, but will give the city new-look road landmarks like flyovers, underpasses, elevated roads and parking lots, most of which are slated to be completed by well before the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

According to the chief executive officer of Noida Authority Mahinder Singh, “A Rs 1,200 crore traffic and transportation plan has been prepared for Noida. It is a three-in-one as it mainly comprises a road infrastructure development plan, a traffic management plan and a public transport plan.”

Singh said six major roads would be widened, 21 crossings would be made signal-free, new road corridors would come up along the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway. These are besides 25 foot overbridges and multilevel parking lots, 348 buses will also be added for a better public transport system.

“Major arterial roads will be widened from four to six lanes in the first phase of implementation by 2009 end. The projected roads include the Delhi Noida Link Road, Harsinagar Marg, MP Road No 3 etc,” he said.

Mahinder Singh said new road corridors will be constructed for better connectivity to new residential and institutional areas planned in Sector-62 and in sectors along the Gautam Buddha Expressway. “Twenty-one crossings are projected to be made signal-free by construction of grade separators by 2009,” he said

Besides these, elevated roads at the Agrasen Chowk junction and the Sector-25, 25A, 31 and 32A crossings are expected to cater to the large volume of traffic. These are proposed to be implemented by 2012. Around 25 foot overbridges or subways are proposed to be developed at densely populated areas like DSC Road adjoining Sector-18 and MP Road No. 2 near the Great India Place.

Seven parking spaces would be developed. This includes one multilevel parking lot for 2,000 vehicles at Sector-18, four at Sector-3 and Sector-58.

To boost the public transports system, 29 bus routes have been identified where 358 new buses – 308 ordinary and 40 – will be added. Singh said about 10,000 to 12,000 rickshaws ply in the city and at some locations are the only means of public transport available. In order to regulate the movement of non-motorised modes, cycle rickshaws will be allowed only on service roads.