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2002 Atma Ram Gupta Murder Case
DJB to ensure clean water during Games
Swine Flu Update |
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MCD rids Delhi of 8,000 posters
Rs 48 lakh looted from jeweller in Rajouri Garden
Walia concerned over dip in
tax revenue
Walia rules out another
landfill site
Haryana BJP dismisses talk of alliance with HJC for assembly poll
Bikers loot trader of Rs 15 lakh
18 groups of artistes to perform in Moscow fest
Pali station soon to ease power crisis
Delhi to host film fest on the marginalised
2 held for robbing contractor of
Rs 5.80 lakh
2 DU students held for duping youth
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2002 Atma Ram Gupta Murder Case
New Delhi, August 27 A division bench comprising Justices Pradeep Nandrajog and Indermeet Kochhar upheld the life imprisonment to Sharda Jain, her brother Rajkumar Jain and two contract killers, but acquitted five others involved in the case. The court was hearing a bunch of appeals filed by Sharda Jain and others challenging the lower court order of sentencing them to life imprisonment in 2006. According to the prosecution, Sharda Jain had hired two contract killers who had gunned down Atma Ram Gupta in her presence at Chhajjupur village in Ghaziabad. The motive behind the murder was “irreconcilable differences” between Atma Ram Gupta and Sharda Jain over the former’s alleged relationship with another woman councillor. Sharda Jain allegedly had started feeling insecure because of Atma Ram Gupta’s proximity to the other woman. — IANS |
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DJB to ensure clean water during Games
New Delhi, August 27 According to sources, the DJB is mulling over a proposal to build a team of technicians, foreman, chlorine operator, shift incharge, engineers, pump operator, electrician and other experts, who will be trained to handle threats. “There looms a serious threat of water contamination as the easy accessibility of underground pipelines can pose as target for terror outfits and individuals,” said a source in DJB. He said that in case of water contamination, the new team would immediately act and stop the supply of water. “Contaminated water can easily claim thousands of lives in a minute. We would train our technicians to deal with the crisis. They would be taught to check the quality of water,” said the official. He added that the body will also procure the latest equipment and machinery in this regard. The team would also guard the DJB’s various pumping stations and treatment plants. On the similar account, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has also proposed to install bomb-proof dustbins in the city during the Games, which will cost the civic agency Rs 50,000 per bin. The MCD claims that it wants to install these dustbins around sensitive buildings like stadiums, the Games Village and multi-level parking lots. Each of the expensive dustbins will be of 1,000-litre capacity. A UK-based company has made a presentation before the corporation, said a senior MCD official.
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Swine Flu Update
New Delhi, August 27 The principal health secretary, J.P.Singh said, “An inspection team from our department visited the SRL lab, and on the basis of its assessment report, yesterday evening we decided to permit SRL for testing of H1N1 samples. While SRL would be starting it tomorrow, the other three labs have started the work today.” The primary diagnostic centres have heaved a sigh of relief, with the private pathological laboratories sharing the testing load. This was also clear with the city reporting 13 positive cases today.
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MCD rids Delhi of 8,000 posters
New Delhi, August 27 Attempting to make Delhi’s walls free from posters and handbills, MCD had on Monday launched a drive to rid the city of posters and declared August 24 as Poster Free Day. According to additional deputy commissioner Amiya Chandra, 400 MCD staffers in 12 zones in coordination with 14 traders associations and several resident welfare associations (RWA) swung into action . “This is the first time we have marked a day to ensure a crackdown against defacement of public property and the drive was very successful. The staff kept count that 8,000 posters were removed,” said Chandra. — IANS
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Rs 48 lakh looted from jeweller in Rajouri Garden
New Delhi, August 27 Two bike-borne persons robbed Pradeep Kumar Bedi (50) of jewellery at J-Block in Rajouri Garden around 2:40 pm. “Pradeep was carrying a bag containing jewellery when two bike-borne persons stopped him and snatched his bag at gunpoint. Pradeep said the bag contained jewellery worth Rs 48 lakh. He added that the pillion driver was not wearing a helmet. Based on Pradeep’s description, we are preparing a sketch of the robber. Investigations are on,” said a police official from Rajouri Garden police station adding that Pradeep failed to note down the registration number of the motorcycle. According to the police, Pradeep is a wholesale dealer in gold jewellery and has a shop at J-Block in Rajouri Garden. “He lives on the first floor and his jewellery shop is on the ground floor of the same building. The incident took place just outside his jewellery shop and the robbers managed to flee before he could raise an alarm,” said the police official. Pradeep was walking towards his car parked some meters away from his shop. In his statement to the police, Pradeep said that he was on his way to deliver the jewellery to one of his clients. Meanwhile, the police suspects the robbers had prior information about Pradeep’s movement and is questioning workers at his jewellery shop.
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Walia concerned over dip in
tax revenue
New Delhi, August 27 There has been collection of Rs 4,176.03 crore up to July 2009 whereas it was Rs 4,344.65 crore up to July 2008. The shortfall is around 3.88 per cent that is Rs 168.62
crore. There has been substantial decrease in collection from stamps and registration fees, entertainment tax, betting tax and luxury tax. However, there has been increase in collection of excise tax by 5.02 per cent and 0.21 per cent in respect of value added tax (VAT). There has also been decrease of 8.10 per cent in taxes on vehicles. The collection from stamps and registration was Rs 407.48 crore which has decreased to Rs 292.20
crore. The collection from state excise has gone up from Rs 433.75 crore to Rs 455.51 crore and collection from VAT marginally increased from Rs 3,209.42 crore to Rs 3,216.14. There has been decrease in taxes on vehicles which was Rs 162.21 crore and decreased to Rs 149.07
crore. Collection from other taxes and duties on commodities and services witnessed drastic downfall. It was Rs 131.79 crore and decreased to just Rs 63.11
crore. There has been decrease in collection of entertainment tax, betting tax and luxury tax. Dr Walia while expressing concern over the situation exhorted the departments concerned to avoid wasteful expenditure and streamline their collection process. He has called for ensuring transparency and overcoming tax evasion. The departments have also been instructed to be careful in tax collection as there are still eight months left in the current financial year, which are enough to bounce back. Dr Walia further stated that decrease in collection of tax revenue would affect developmental activities which are essential to fulfill promises. |
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Walia rules out another
landfill site
New Delhi, August 27 Door-to-door garbage collection is a major task. The city government has also been concentrating on rainwater harvesting, he said. The workshop was organised by the Delhi government as well as Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan and Japan International Cooperation Agency. Dr Walia said that Delhi had four core issues—pollution (air, water and noise pollution), waste management, greening and climate change. The government is developing a mechanism to tackle these issues. Giving a presentation in the workshop, secretary (Environment), Dharmendra said that to control air pollution, the government was doing ambient air quality monitoring, stringent emission norms for industries and thermal power stations. Besides, burning of leaves or plastic bags is prohibited; more than 15 years old commercial vehicles are not allowed. Public transport has been converted into CNG mode. He said the Yamuna river has become a drain. The government has ordered that all industrial units should install effluent treatment plants. So far 1400 units have followed the order. Major hotels, hospitals, construction projects have been directed to set up sewage treatment plant to treat their wastewater. Sixteen sewage treatment plants have also been installed. |
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Haryana BJP dismisses talk of alliance with HJC for assembly poll
Faridabad, August 27 The president of the Haryana unit of the BJP, Krishan Pal Gurjaar asserted that there was never any talk with either the HJC or the BSP for an alliance, overt or covert, after his party parted ways with the INLD. However, sources say that the HJC had wanted some kind of alliance with the BJP to consolidate non-Congress vote bank. The HJC hoped for some desertions in the Congress by those who would be denied tickets to contest election. However, the HJC’s plan was scuttled by the BSP supremo and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati. It is learnt that the BSP brass vetoed the move for any relationship with the BJP on the ground that it would have a bearing on its political prospects in the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh. Besides, any relationship with the BJP would hinder the prime ministerial aspirations of Mayawati as she and her party would lose credibility among the claimed “secular” political groups in the country as well as the non-Congress parties in future. Sources say that the HJC leadership had offered about 15 assembly seats to the BJP from part of its quota in the HJC-BSP alliance in the possibility of the party coming on HJC-BSP board against the Congress. Gurjaar denies that the Haryana BJP was involved in any such talks with the HJC. However, he said that he was not sure if the HJC had made such proposals to the central leadership of his party. According to many, the HJC was prone to talking only to the central leaderships of political parties. Even at the time of HJC alliance with the BSP, the state unit of the BSP was not involved and the secretary-general of the BSP, Mansing Manhera, was not present in Lucknow when the leadership of the two parties announced their alliance in Haryana. According to political pundits, some strategy on the part of the HJC and the BJP to consolidate non-Congress votebank in the assembly election could not be ruled out. Gurjaar on his part asserts that there was no question of the BJP forging any kind of alliance. The BJP has taken a tactical decision to go to the polls alone, and it was poised to spring a surprise in the election.
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Bikers loot trader of Rs 15 lakh
Ghaziabad, August 27 Raj Nagar is the area where the Ghaziabad district magistrate, SSP and other senior police officers reside. A resident of Sector-8, Sanjeev Gupta runs an iron business in the Navyug market in Ghaziabad. Sanjeev had just reached his residence around 9 pm and was taking out bags from his car’s boot inside his house when four armed bandits on two bikes reached there. The criminals at gunpoint snatched all the four bags containing Rs 15 lakh and sped away. Sanjeev then immediately informed the Kavi Nagar police and Shiv Shankar Rathi, the general secretary of Loha Vikreta Mandal, about the incident. The incident that took place in one of the posh areas of the city created a commotion in the police department. SSP Akhil Kumar; SP (city) Rahul Yadvender and SHO, Kavi Nagar Kotwali, Anil Kuperwal, reached the spot immediately. A large number of traders also gathered there. While traders said the amount looted was Rs 15 lakh, police officers maintained that it was only Rs 10 lakh. Though a vehicle check at all important escape points was ordered immediately, the bandits managed to give the police a slip. The daring robbery has forced people to question the usefulness of the police system. The incident follows the kidnap of a Ghaziabad doctor from Maha Nagar. He was freed only after the payment of a ransom of Rs 50 lakh.
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18 groups of artistes to perform in Moscow fest
New Delhi, August 27 The festival has been running since March and is a reciprocal celebration which follows the festival of Russia in India held in 2008. It was inaugurated by Dr Karan Singh, president of the ICCR, and Alexander D. Zhukov, prime minister of the Russian federation. The ICCR has planned an array of events based on both folk and classical traditions in India. President Pratibha Patil is scheduled to make an appearance at the festival. The show will be held at Bolshoi Theatre and 80-85 artistes will go to Moscow for the event. “We have selected art forms from across the nation. These include Nadswaram from South India, Thunchen from Jammu and Kashmir, Talavadyam from Kerela, Pung Cholam from Manipur, Mentok Stanmo from Ladakh and folk dances from Rajasthan and Kinnaur,” says Dr Bansikaul, the choreographer for the festival. “Alongside the folk and popular art forms, we have also included a contemporary art group in the repertoire. Further, there are a few classical components to the program like a rendition of Hindustani vocal and Kathakali from Kerela. My attempt has been to create a fusion of various art forms from across the country and mix them to create a unity of colour, verve and expression in the performance,” adds Bansikaul. Apart from the dance forms, textile from across the nation will also be showcased at the event.The duration of the show will be 90 minutes. The ICCR is planning a series of festivals in different nations. A festival was held in Belgium in 2006 and Japan in 2007. A festival has been planned for China in 2010 which will be followed by festivals in USA and Canada. This year festivals are being held in Iran and Indonesia and a series of mini- festivals have been planned for the Commonwealth countries.
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Pali station soon to ease power crisis
Noida, August 27 Superintending engineer Ayodya Prasad Mishra said the district has 1,98,890 consumers. The residential load is 556 MVA out of which 442 MVA is for Noida city alone. GB Nagar gets its power supply from the central grid. “In three months, Pali power station will be commissioned which will supply another 315 MVA to Gautam Budh Nagar district. This should see us through any crisis,” he added. On frequent loadsheddings or power cuts in the district, he said some times all factories, households and commercial establishments switch on their gadgets at the same time which creates pressure on the power system or sometimes it can happen due to vagaries of weather such as storms. |
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Delhi to host film fest on the marginalised
New Delhi, August 27 Amongst the various issues the documentaries, to be screened during the Jeevika film festival at the India Habitat Centre, will highlight include respecting property rights of street entrepreneurs and decentralisation of management of public spaces. In its sixth edition, the publicity for the festival has been done in a rather unique manner - not just through newspapers advertisements but also through street plays by students in the Capital. Led by noted theatre artist Arvind Gaur, students have been spreading awareness about the various issues that the festival deals with. The festival will also see a panel discussion on the subject Documentaries: Changing Realities. — IANS |
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2 held for robbing contractor of
Rs 5.80 lakh
Noida, August 27 Those arrested have been identified as Dan Singh of Habibpur and Mahesh of Chaura village. During interrogation they confessed to having looted the contractor. The police said three criminals had committed the loot and one of them was still absconding. SSP Ashok Kumar Singh said the police was tipped off by an informer that the criminals would come to Phase-II from the Noida– Greater Noida Expressway via the Sector-82 cut. The police team then pounced upon the two criminals who were travelling on a motorbike. A .315 revolver, two cartridges and a dagger were recovered from them. The police recovered Rs 4.10 lakh from the house of the bandits. According to the police, Dan Singh had worked as a tailor with the contractor and knew that he used to come alone on a bike with money withdrawn from Canara Bank in Nehru Place for paying wages to workers on every 10th and 25th day of the month. Dan Singh roped in another unemployed tailor Mahesh and one Sunil Gupta to comit the crime. |
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2 DU students held for duping youth
New Delhi, August 27 According to information, Preeti and Amit, B.Com second year students at the School of Open Learning (DU), were arrested after the victim lodged a complaint against them. The victim alleged that the two did not return his money after failing to provide him admission in Kirori Mal College. “They had taken Rs 2 lakh from the complainant promising him admission at Kirori Mal College (KMC). They kept assuring him that they would get him admitted there. But now that the session has already started and he has not yet got through the college, he demanded his money back. When the two refused to return the amount, he lodged a complaint,” said an official from Maurice Nagar police station. Trader killed in mishap
A cardboard dealer died in an accident in the Panjabi Bagh area of west Delhi last night. The victim Vimal Dewan was on his way back home to Pitampura when an unidentified vehicle hit him killing him on the spot. “The accident took place near Panjabi Bagh flyover close to TD Park in the wee hours today. The vehicle responsible has not been identified yet,” said a police official adding that investigations are on to trace the vehicle. Vimal Dewan owned a shop in Panjabi Bagh. He is survived by a son and two daughters. |
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