New Delhi, May 23
Rabia Begum, a Delhi resident who was caught last year for allegedly trying to smuggle out controlled chemicals to Afghanistan for heroin manufacture, has been arrested again on the same charges, this time with contraband worth Rs 10 million.

The Delhi police’s crime branch arrested Rabia Begum, 45, and her husband Kalim Akhtar, 50, from their house in the Sangam Vihar area of South Delhi on Friday.

The police has seized 200 litre of phenobarbital and 300 litre of acetic anhydrate.

“Begum was arrested last year also on the same charges of selling the same precursor chemical destined for Afghanistan. She had recently got bail and we were keeping a vigil on her,” said additional commissioner of police Satyendra Garg.

“This time she roped in her husband and they were once again trying to illegally export these chemicals to Afghanistan,” he added.

Both chemicals fall under the controlled category of psychotropic substances and its possession without a license is illegal and an offence under the Narcotic Drugs and Pshychotropic Substances Act.

Garg said Begum and her husband used to send the chemicals to Afghanistan by air by declaring the consignment as garments.

“Begum has revealed that she was the key person behind the trade. She said she used to procure the psychotropic substance through her source and one Afghan Sikh was instrumental in illegally exporting these items outside India,” Garg said.

“She further engaged a cargo agent for sending the consignment by air to Afghanistan. The contraband were filled up in plastic cane and kept in garment bundles and sent to Afghanistan through airlines to Afghanistan,” he added.

Garg further said, “The accused say they have managed to send the same chemicals at least thrice to Afghanistan using the same modus operandi.”

The police said the invoice of the contraband consignment was given to the Afghan Sikh who used to receive the goods in Afghanistan to sell in the drug market. The police said raids were being conducted across India to make more arrests.

The development has sent the alarm bells ringing among security agencies, as Afghans of Indian origin are believed to have been used by powerful drug syndicates in Afghanistan to procure raw materials from India to make narcotics.

Last year the Delhi police had arrested Satpal Singh and Amarjeet Singh, Afghans who originally hailed from India, for procuring 200 litre of acetic anhydrate from Rabia Begum and her accomplices. They are cooling their heels in the Tihar Jail.

“It is a very disturbing trend. The chemical has been finding its way into Afghanistan from its bordering countries and some Central Asian countries. India’s name figuring in the racket is really a cause for worry and various measures are being taken,” said a senior official of the Narcotics Control Board (NCB). — IANS

New Delhi, May 23
The equation-one bed for more than five patients points out at the gross inadequacy of lodging amenities provided by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to outstation patients at its three shelters.

An outstation patient having undergone surgery, recovering from trauma care, but requires treatment or follow-ups can be referred by the doctor to any of the shelters.

With about three-fourths of patients turning towards AIIMS, the three shelters, namely Raj Garia Dharamshala (RGD), Surekha Vishram Sadan (SVS1) and Sai Vishram Sadan (SVS2), instituted in 1974, 2003 and 2004 respectively, provide temporary accommodation to the outstation patients and their attendants. Together the three shelters have a bed capacity of 411 and this is hardly any match to more than 2000 beds that AIIMS has.

The records of AIIMS show that daily about 8,000 patients come to the premier institute, out of which 200 are admitted to some or the other department. Out of another 150 patients heading towards its trauma centre, 80 per cent are the ones undergoing treatment and requiring frequent follow-ups.

There are also hundreds of outstation patients who along with their attendants wait for their turn while sleeping on footpaths, subway etc. A few of them go to nearby Shyam Dharamshala at Yusuf Sarai and Ratilal Sewa Sadan near IIT and others who can afford it stay as paying guests in adjoining regions like Gautam Nagar etc.

The welfare officer of AIIMS, Preeti Ahluwalia states, "Though the capacity of beds is limited, if an outstation patient with a referral slip lands up at AIIMS even at late hours in night or on a holiday or is undergoing treatment in casualty, he/she is not driven out but is given provisional allotment provided there is an availability of beds in the lodging houses."

She emphasises, "The best part of these sadans is that these are self-sufficient units and not the profit-making ones. The money received from the inmates as rent for bed and subsidised food is utilised for their running and maintenance." She added, "The Sulabh International is there for sanitation and food on thali basis is given at subsidised rates."

Sources say that a Rs 4-crore project of setting up another dharamshala funded by an NRI, is likely to find a place at the back of the Jaya Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre of AIIMS.

The premier healthcare institute is considering this proposal, which would cater to as many as 200-plus outstation patients, but the matter is still awaiting a thorough discussion and evaluation.

"The project would be taken forward after some time in the governing body meeting of AIIMS administration, says Shailesh Yadav, the deputy director of administration of AIIMS. 

Noida/Gt Noida, May 23
With unprecedented power cuts in this extreme humid weather, Noida and Greater Noida are in the grip of utter chaos. In Greater Noida, all sectors remain without power for hours together.

The power supply is restored for a short while, but again it is switched off. Sometimes power is switched off twice or thrice within two to three minutes, putting the electric gadgets to great risk.

During power cuts, people are seen walking on the roads at night.

According to NPCL, a fault in northern grid is responsible for this state. There is shortage of 55-megawatt power in Greater Noida town alone.

On Thursday, Alfa, Beta, Gama, Delta, Swaran Nagri, Eta, Jal Vayu Vihar and other sectors went without power supply.

Industrial units and rural area are facing their worst crisis. As against a requirement of 100 megawatt, Noida Power Co Ltd can supply only 45 megawatt in Greater Noida alone. Though power supply is being diverted to industry from rural areas, the shortage persists. As a result, industrial output is suffering in the entire belt.

According to NPCL manager Rajiv Goel, with the damage done by duststorms, the shortage will continue for at least a week.

The faults in grid have accentuated the problems. Many NPCL poles have been uprooted with storms, he said.

New Delhi, May 23
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has decided to give bio-cryptic cards to the vendors across the city.

The decision has been taken in view of prevailing corruption in renewing licences of vendors putting their stalls in weekly markets. The bio-cryptic cards are electronic cards bearing a unique code which would enable the vendor to deposit their licensing fees directly in the bank.

The proposal will come as big relief to 80,000 vendors who earn their living in about 270 weekly markets held in various parts of Delhi. This will put an end to corruption in the vendor policy.

“This initiative will allow the vendors to work independently without being harassed by the local police and MCD officials,” said Amiya Chandra, chairman, Remunerative Project Cell.

Through this electronic card, the vendors can also have an online access to the corporation apart from the bank. With the help of particulars mentioned on the card, they can make their payments directly to the civic body without taking the help of any mediator.

He said that the corporation had received a number of complaints from the small vendors about corruption on the part of MCD officials and police constables.

“It used to be manual process wherein the policemen or the corporation employees used to collect money from these vendors. It was observed that they usually charged more than the actual amount,” he said.

He said that bio-cryptic card would also enable the corporation to keep an online track of the vendors.

“The unique code will also give detailed information about all the vendors spread across Delhi. We can put any code on the MCD’s website and can get the entire information about the vendor, including his location, payment dues and registration,” said Amiya. 

New Delhi, May 23
To curb unauthorised constructions in Delhi, the MCD has announced to formulate a building policy for sub-division of plots by June.

“We will plan guidelines for the approval of the construction policy on a sub-divided plot by the next month,” confirmed MCD’s additional commissioner Naresh Kumar.

He added the matter was currently before the High Court.

Standing Committee chairperson Ram Kishan Singal said once the policy was finalised, it would help in checking unauthorised constructions in various parts of the city. 

New Delhi, May 23
The Delhi Metro is all set to complete the Inderlok-Mundka Metro corridor before time by the end of this year. According to sources, the line has already reached close to Bahadurgarh — Haryana border.

The corridor, which would provide relief to commuters shuttling from Haryana to Delhi, was scheduled to be completed by March next year.

Talking to The Tribune, Delhi Metro spokesperson Anuj Dayal confirmed, “The work on this line is going on at a good pace. Most advanced equipment are being used. We shall wind up the work by the end of this year.”

The line being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 445.49 crore will cover 16 stations. It will cover a stretch of 18.5 km.

There will be 15 elevated stations at Satguru Ram Singh Marg, Inderlok, Ashok Park, Punjabi Bagh East, Shivaji Park, Madipur, Paschim Vihar East, Paschim Vihar West, Peera Garhi, Udyog Nagar, Surajmal Stadium, Nangloi, Nangloi Railway station, Rajdhani Park and Mundka. A grade station will also be constructed at Kirti Nagar.

Dayal added, “This line has several characteristics. At Peera Garhi, the alignment will be above the flyover, which is 8 metre from the ground level. Therefore, the Metro elevated viaduct here would be 16 metres high.”

The distance between old and new Inderlok Metro stations would be 70 metre.

Metro shuttle service would be provided for smooth connectivity.

The line is likely to clear the rush at Nangloi, which is being treated as a major achievement. Subsequent politicos from the area have failed to ensure smooth traffic here.

Meanwhile, the Haryana government is also exploring the possibility of extending the Mundka line till Bahadurgarh.

Gurgaon, May 23
The Gurgaon police has chalked out an ambitious plan to regulate the flow of traffic in the city. As part of the drive, the police will tighten the noose around inebriated and underage persons found driving vehicles on the city roads.

Unveiling the plan at his office here today, Gurgaon police commissioner S.S. Deswal maintained that an awareness campaign would also be launched to educate the people about road safety and significance of following traffic rules.

“Children can play a key role in discouraging their parents from drinking before driving,” the commissioner observed, adding that in view of this, they planned to hold special lectures and workshops at schools to make the children aware of their duty.

Deswal said in view of the traffic congestion at red-lights, Gurgaon would have to be made a traffic light-free city in the long run.

“However, till the objective is achieved, we will take immediate measures like increasing road width, providing more parking lots and better slip roads and shifting of utilities elsewhere to ensure safe and smooth flow of traffic on city roads,” he asserted.

DCP (Traffic) S.K.Gupta gave an audio-visual presentation on traffic plan for Gurgaon, in which various infrastructural changes and other measures were suggested to relieve the city residents of traffic congestion.

The measures include provisions of AIIMS-style traffic interchanges at Shankar Chowk, Iffco Chowk, Signature Tower Chowk and Hero Honda Chowk; subways and foot-overbridges for pedestrians, Z-shape alternative design for toll plaza and bus queue shelters for commuters.

Gurgaon ADC Praveen Kumar, who was also present on the occasion, disclosed that the state transport department planned to roll out 200 city buses for local commuters.

The police commissioner also rolled out two special vehicles meant to spread awareness about traffic safety and curb the practice of drunken driving, besides demonstrating some modern policing gadgets, including a breathalyser and an electric device used to overpower miscreants by giving them high-voltage electric shock.

New Delhi, May 23 
Class XII students of Manav Sthali School have performed well in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) examination, whose results were announced yesterday.

Four hundred and twenty-eight students have scored A1 grade, 76 have got distinction in all five subjects. Besides, 277 students scored 90 per cent in various subjects, 94 have scored between 80 and 90 per cent and 75 have scored between 70 and 80 per cent.

The school toppers are — Siddharth Grover (science) with 94.6 per cent and Rohit Chhabra (commerce) with 94.4 per cent.

New Delhi, May 23 
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said to make a strong nation, we must have strong children, which is possible with the success of pulse polio immunisation programme. She exhorted parents to ensure that their children (till five years of age) are administered with the polio drops. She said the day was not far when Delhi would become polio-free. 

“Being the pioneer in the pulse polio programme, Delhi is regarded a role model and we will continue to strive to eradicate polio,” she said. 

Dikshit said this today while telling the US ambassador about the polio drive in the city. 

She expressed concern over two cases of polio reported in the city this year. She said the new cases might be due to the frequent visits of people from other states. Forty-nine cases of polio have been reported in the country this year till now, as against 559 reported the last year.

Meanwhile, the government has made elaborate arrangements to administer pulse polio drops to children. It will also undertake a weeklong house-to-house immunisation activity to ensure that no child is left. — TNS

New Delhi, May 23
A large number of Sikhs, including the 1984 anti-Sikh riots victims, protested outside the Karkardooma Courts where a CBI court was hearing accused Jagdish Tytler’s case.

The protestors swept the road and indicated to political parties, particularly the Congress, not to give any post to Tytler. They raised slogans like “Jagdish Tytler murdabad,” “Doshion ko saza do.”

Addressing the protestors, Delhi unit chief of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) Manjit Singh GK said, “Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had assured in Parliament that culprits of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots would be punished. Now he has been re-elected as the Prime Minister. People want justice from him. The time has come to test the integrity of the Congress and performance of Manmohan Singh.”

Ghaziabad, May 23
Three men, under the pretext of buying a nearby flat, entered a flower trader’s home this morning, had tea offered by the businessman’s wife and then dramatically held their grandchild hostage and walked away with cash and valuables worth over Rs 3 million.

According to the police, the trader Akhtar was not at his Shalimar Extension home when the robbers struck at 6 a.m. He and his son had gone to Connaught Place in Delhi to buy flowers.

The robbers apparently knew that Akhtar would not be at home.

The three men told the trader’s wife Saira and daughter-in-law Shama that they had been sent by a man named Saleem to negotiate the sale of a nearby flat.

The women, believing their story, welcomed them. The trio, after having tea, held a knife to two-year-old Aswin’s throat and asked the shocked women to get all cash and valuables in the house.

The police said the three walked away with nearly Rs 1.5 million and jewellery worth the same amount.

The robbers also bolted the apartment from outside before fleeing.

“The police is looking into every aspect of the case and will soon arrest the culprits,” said SP (city) Anant Deo. — IANS

New Delhi, May 23
The north district police has arrested one person for being allegedly involved in a murder case.

The accused Ashok Kumar (42) was arrested from SPM Marg while he was trying to flee the city, said a senior police officer.