New Delhi, January 15
In view of the nearing parliamentary elections, the city government has started revision of electoral rolls. Those who have not got their photo identity card can fill up a form for it.

Inclusion and deletion of names would also be done.

Delhi chief electoral officer (CEO) Satbir Silas Bedi said the Central Election Commission had ordered a special revision of electoral rolls. She informed that January 1 was the qualifying date in the 70 assembly constituencies of Delhi.

The drafted photo electoral rolls of all constituencies will be published on January 12.

Citizens can file their claims and objections from January 12 to 27. The final electoral rolls will be published on February 10.

The electoral rolls will be displayed at about 1,400 locations, including the offices of electoral registration officers, assistant electoral registration officers, voter registration and EPIC centres (VRECs) and schools (selected polling stations) from January 12 to 27.

Addressing a conference, Bedi said the drafted electoral roll of constituencies and the list of designated locations were also available on the election department’s website www.ceodelhi.nic.in.

She said citizens could also download the application forms from the website. They can obtain Form-6 for inclusion of name in the electoral roll, Form-7 for deletion of name, Form-8 for correction in the entry, Form-8 (A) for transposition of entry and Form 001B/001A for submitting photographs for the Voter Identity Card from all locations.

All forms were free of cost. The filled-in forms could be submitted at these locations, she informed. The forms for inclusion of name in the electoral roll can also be submitted on the department’s website. The application will not be received in bulk.

Bedi further said the Election Commission had introduced the concept of appointing Booth Level Agents (BLAs) by recognised political parties for each polling booth. This has been done to encourage the participation of grass-root level workers in the scrutiny of existing photo electoral roll and to obtain their feedback for the enhancement of accuracy of the rolls.

New Delhi, January 15
The police has taken M. L. Gautam, a former official of the DDA and accused in the flat scam, on eight days’ remand for further investigation. He was detained yesterday and arrested today after questioning.

Sleuths of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) produced the suspect before a magistrate of the Rohini district court and appealed for his remand. Having seen the sensitivity of the case, the court granted eight days’ remand to the police.

Additional commissioner of police (EOW), S.B.K. Singh said that Gautam was arrested after enough evidence surfaced against him. He was the one who allegedly arranged funds for filing applications under the reserved category.

He is accused of allegedly helping Deepak Kumar, the whistle-blower for applying under the reserved category flats. This happened when they became friends during their morning walks—both of them being the residents of Paschim Vihar.

Gautam told Deepak that there was no chance of getting a flat under the general category. So, Deepak filled in forms using forged documents, police said.

Ironically, it was Deepak who had approached the DDA and the Delhi police in October last year and alleged that there were irregularities in the applications filled under the reserved category.

Gautam’s name cropped up during the interrogation of Deepak Kumar.

Seeking his custody, the police had said, Gautam’s arrest was made after they recovered incriminating evidence from his Paschim Vihar residence in West Delhi.

During the house-raid, police recovered the 1,200 applications belonging to the SC category out of which 40 belonged to successful candidates from his house. Moreover, his arrest was required to identify the financiers who funded these people and the other people connected with the scam, said a police official.

Besides, police has already seized the software used for allotment in DDA housing scheme and sent it to Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory in Hyderabad to find whether the officials of agency were involved in it. The investigators are still waiting for the report, the official said.

Police sources said a couple of senior DDA officials were under scanner and they could be arrested in connection with the case.

With this arrest, Gautam becomes the third man arrested so far by the EOW after the detention of Lakshmi Narayan Meena, a sacked State Bank of India employee, and Deepak Kumar.

Ghaziabad, January 15
Over 14,000 B.Ed. students of Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, who had taken admission in various colleges during 2006-07 session under management quota, are likely to benefit from the Supreme Court decision to allow two students to appear in B.Ed. examination of Meerut University.

In view of various orders of the High Court, the Supreme Court and the government, Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, has decided to allow these students to take the final examination. The meeting of the examination board of the university is being called shortly to formally put the final seal of approval on this decision, it is learnt.

Registrar Prabhat Ranjan said the examination of students who had taken admission in 2006-07 B.Ed. academic session through counselling quota will start from tomorrow.

It may be recalled that 122 colleges of Meerut University had filled the quota of B. Ed. seats from the management students. The university had been treating the admission of management quota students as invalid. But the apex court had passed an order in favour of two students saying that they be allowed to sit in the exams.

On the basis of this, 19 institutions, which had gone to the High Court, were able to procure a favourable verdict for their students who can now appear in the exam. The apex court, which was approached by Meerut University had asked the High Court not to hear the case till January 28, 2009, when the matter is to come before the Supreme Court.

In the meantime, Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, took a decision to conduct B.Ed. examination on January 16, 2009, in which two students who had been given relief by the apex court have also been allowed to take the examination, Prabhat Ranjan said.

Gurgaon, January 15
The district administration yesterday issued disability certificates to differently abled persons after conducting their medical examination at a camp organised on the premises of the local civil hospital.

At the camp, inaugurated by deputy commissioner Deepti Umashankar, certificates were issued to as many as 213 persons on a single day.

Umashankar also interacted with the guardians accompanying the challenged persons. The DC directed civil surgeon Dr S.S. Dalal to identify a dedicated place in the hospital to make a rest room for the special children. She said that a ramp would be constructed in the hospital for wheelchairs, adding that a special children-friendly toilet would also be made.

During the camp, 175 challenged persons were enrolled for the state government’s cashless insurance scheme ‘Niramaya’. The scheme covers people suffering from Altizem, cerebral palsi, mental disability and multiple disabilities. As per the scheme, free medical insurance of Rs 1 lakh would be given to disabled persons having monthly income of up to Rs 15,000. Others are required to pay a fee of Rs 250 for availing the benefit of the scheme.

However, the deputy commissioner has directed the district Red Cross Society to pay the amount.

Nirmaya is being launched for the first time in Gurgaon and enrolments for it would be done till January 30. The task of enrolling deserving candidates has been entrusted to the Spastic Society of Gurgaon.

New Delhi, January 15
With a rise in both the minimum and maximum temperatures, Delhiites got a respite from chill for yet another day today.

According to the meteorological department, residents woke up to light mist in the morning. The rest of the day was cloudy but warm.

The minimum temperature was recorded at 8° Celsius, a degree above normal. While, the maximum temperature was recorded at 23.9° Celsius, three degrees above normal.

Passengers also breathed easy, as train and flight schedules did not divert much from normal.

So far, the city has witnessed a comparatively warmer January. Tomorrow’s weather is predicted to be almost the same with temperatures drifting in between 12 to 22° Celsius.

New Delhi, January 15
Delhi Traffic Police has been vigorously continuing its drive against errant motorists. As part of the drive, more than 10,000 vehicles were challaned yesterday.

According to the police, during the day a total of 10,688 vehicles were challaned, including 93 heavy vehicles, 2,222 light vehicles, 781 buses, including 479 Blueline buses, 48 small buses, 3,393 cars, 950 autorickshaws and 2,532 two-wheelers.

More than 2,200 vehicles were challaned for improper parking, 598 for dangerous driving, 571 for overspeeding, 1,914 for jumping signals and seven persons for drunken driving. Total of 170 vehicles were impounded and 641 driving licences punched.

Traffic police officials said the result was obtained due to area-specific approach of the police. As per this approach, while vehicles were challaned all over the Capital, certain areas were earmarked where a particular traffic rule violation was rampant and emphasis was laid to restrict such violation and persecute those who violate the rules, showing zero-tolerance for any violation.

As per this approach, emphasis was laid on improper parking in the areas of Patel Street, Connaught Place, Chanakyapuri, Tilak Marg, Patel House, Gandhi Nagar, Kalyan Puri, Vivek Vihar, Pahar Ganj, Karol Bagh, Daryaganj and Kamla Market.

On the movements of Blueline buses, special thrust was laid in the areas of Shahdara, Seelam Pur, Seemapuri, Pahar Ganj, Karol Bagh, Daryaganj, Kamla Market, Sadar Bazar, Civil Lines Subzi Mandi and Kotwali.

Similarly, interceptors were deployed to check overspeeding in the areas where there was such possibility.

Interestingly, a special drive against rule violation by the government vehicles was carried out in the areas of South Delhi.

Traffic police said it would continue its drive and motorists were advised to observe the rules to ensure their safety and the safety of others.

New Delhi, January 15
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has said the union ministry of power has issued mega status certificate to Bawana Pragati-III 1500 MW gas-based power project.

It is a combined cycle gas turbine project. The government had been approaching the centre for grant of mega status to Bawana project for a few months. With this status, the project has become entitled to waiver of customs duty on imported machinery and waiver of excise duty on indigenous plant and equipment, the Chief Minister said.

She stated that these concessions would result in savings of Rs 200 crore approximately.

The gas turbine-I would start generating 250 MW in March 2010, gas turbine-II would generate another 250 MW in May 2010, gas turbine-III would also generate 250 MW in July 2010.

Gurgaon, January 15
Residents of Mayfield Garden here woke up to shock and surprise today morning. Thieves had stolen stereos and LCD’s from more than dozens of cars here in the wee hours. The miscreants broke the window panes to take away the items. The targeted cars included Scorpio, Hyundai and Indica.

Praveen Sharma, whose car’s two stereos have been stolen, said, “Two stereos and an LCD worth Rs 25,000 were stolen from my car. We had returned home around two in the morning and at around six our car wash guy informed us about the incident.”

“This is really surprising for us. We have been living here for the last one and a half year, but something like this has happened for the first time,” he added.

Sharma retreated, “The thieves took out the glass of the back window and took out the stereos and the LCD screen.”

Satinder Singh, DCP (crime) said that stereos and LCDs from 13 cars were stolen by the criminals. He added that they were investigating the matter and will catch them soon.