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Metro may run past midnight for CWG
Now, buy mobile recharge vouchers on DTC buses
Swine flu may be worse in winter, warn doctors
Online FIR in Noida soon
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Akali Dals slug it out in Haryana
World Arthritis Day: It is folly to ignore pain in knee joints
New treatment is here
Dreaded criminal Sunder Bhatti nabbed in Gurgaon
‘RTI integral part of social change’
Two teens held for murder
Man mowed down by tractor at Neb Sarai
Fire in Gzb mall
Metro network to ease commuting
11 new CBI courts to be set up
Paid holiday on polling day
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Metro may run past midnight for CWG
New Delhi, October 11 “They would provide safe transport and access to nightlife in the national Capital,” said a senior Delhi government official. With safety still an issue, chief secretary of Delhi, Rakesh Mehta said, “Metro is the best bet. We are discussing with the officials of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and have recommended them to keep their services running past midnight during the CWG.” The move, Mehta said, was in tune with the decision to extend hours for markets and malls in the national Capital, which mostly close by 9 or 10 pm. The Delhi Metro is set to expand from 75 km to 200 km with the opening of six new lines on its Phase II by October 2010. Thus, it will become a lifeline for thousands of commuters. The Phase II of Delhi Metro will provide easy access to most of the sports venues—the Commonwealth Games Village, Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, Yamuna Sports Complex, Delhi University Ground, Talkatora Indoor Stadium, Thyagaraj Complex, R.K. Tennis Complex, Siri Fort Sports Complex, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and the National Stadium. The sportspersons as well as spectators will also find it easy to commute from one place to the other as almost 10 out of the 11 Games venues will have “easy Metro connectivity”. To make the Delhi transport system easy and comfortable, the government is also planning to start a ‘smart card-based ticketing service’ for integrating public transport with several companies, confirmed Delhi transport commissioner R.K. Verma.
He said, “These smart cards can be used for travelling both in Metro and buses. The buses will have automated ticketing machines and the fare will be deducted automatically by punching of the smart card.” Moreover, by the next year, passengers can use the high-speed Metro Airport Express Line. Travellers will be able to get their boarding passes for their flights at the NH-8, Indira Gandhi International Airport, Dwarka sector 21 and the Dhaula Kuan Metro stations. Metro trains on this line will run at a speed of 135 kmph and cover the 21-km distance from New Delhi to the airport in 18 minutes. The entire National Capital Region (NCR), including neighbouring Noida and Gurgaon, will be linked in the 120-km network.
DMRC plans to train 600 customer relations assistants who will make travel easier as thousands of foreign tourists are expected during October 2010. “Apart from regular training, we are also training them from the tourism point of view. They will guide people the best routes via the Metro and then the buses or rickshaws to reach popular tourist destinations,” a senior Metro official said. |
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Now, buy mobile recharge vouchers on DTC buses
New Delhi, October 11 Officials of the transport department said the government would allow advertisements on the handle bars of the sleek low-floor buses of the corporation. They added that the DTC would have a fleet of 5,000 low-floor and semi-low floor buses ahead of the Commonwealth Games, 2010. The DTC, which runs the world’s largest fleet of CNG buses, has incurred loss of over Rs 1,222 crore during 2007-08. “Several measures are being introduced to improve the financial position of the corporation,” they said. According to the latest audit report, DTC’s loss stood at over Rs 6,500 crore in March, 2009. The officials said the government was also considering a proposalto rope in conductors of the DTC buses to sell tickets of the Games onboard the buses. The department has also sent a proposal to the Union Urban Development Ministry to develop commercial complexes like luxury hotels and restaurants at various inter-state bus terminals in the city. The corporation has been pressing for hike in bus fares, but the government has not taken any decision hitherto. In a recent proposal, the DTC had asked for a 50 per cent hike to reduce the losses which were estimated at over Rs 1 crore a day. The concession passes cost the DTC around Rs 150 crore per year. The fares were last revised in 2002. Justifying the proposal for hike in fares, a DTC official said bus fares in Delhi were the lowest among all metros. |
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Swine flu may be worse in winter, warn doctors
New Delhi, October 11 The government health officials have also admitted the fact and advised to take stringent precautionary measures. Delhi already has the second highest number of swine flu cases in the country after Maharashtra. Delhi health minister Kiran Walia, while acknowledging that the situation will only get worse as the winter comes closer, said all the facilities to tackle the flu are in place. “It’s widely known by now that as the temperature drops in winter, the H1N1 virus will spread more. However, there is no need to panic. If a number of people are testing positive, they are also recovering from the flu,” said Walia. The doctors have said that greater awareness needs to be taken among slum dwellers and the lower strata because the virus has established itself in society and is not confined to high flyers only. “Swine flu is no longer confined to those who have travelled abroad or those who have been in contact with people going abroad. Therefore, even in buses and the Metro, people need to practise basic hygiene etiquette, which I often find missing,” said a doctor Nandini Guha. According to the union health ministry, until Thursday Delhi had recorded 2,941 positive cases of swine flu and a death toll of 15 ever since its outbreak in the country on May 16. Maharashtra had the highest number of cases, at 3,187 and a toll of 153. A public health expert at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), said the high number of cases in Delhi or India for that matter, is nothing unexpected. He said just like common flu, the transmission of the air-borne swine flu will rise in winter. “In winter, there is a tendency (for people) to huddle together in small places which just helps the spread of the flu faster. Moreover, as the World Health Organisation had already said, one-third of the world population will be affected by H1N1 virus, these numbers are quite within the expected range,” he said. As of late Thursday, 11,507 people were affected by swine flu in the country, with the death toll going up to 374, according to health authorities. “The general hygiene habits should be practised and if there is any fever or sore throat, you should see a doctor. Nothing additional needs to be done,” said the doctor. Walia also said that all efforts were being made to reach across to as many people as possible with facts on the flu. “We have started awareness programmes in government schools, besides advertising the facts on swine flu and precautionary measures in print and on TV,” Walia said. “All our health facilities to tackle the outbreak are in place and I advise people to visit government hospitals in case they see any symptom,” she added. |
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Online FIR in Noida soon
Greater Noida, October 11 While computers have been installed in each police station of
the district, cops are being trained in using the software.
As per the system, complainants will be required to inform the time of the incident and the time it is reported at the police station. The rest of the information, including the Section of the IPC under which he has registered an FIR, will be filled by cops. Each computer will be manned by two cops. The daily entries at a particular station will be checked by the area staion house officer (SHO) and other senior officers. All information like the number of FIRs, time, type of incident, action taken by the police and how the case has progressed, will be available to the senior officers on computers. This, in turn, ensures efficiency and transparency. “Though the training of the first batch conducted at Surajpur Police Lines is complete, training of the second batch is going on. Once completed, no FIR will be registered on paper,” SSP of Gautam Budh Nagar AK Singh said. The cops are being trained in computers and functional English too. According to information, the FIRs can be registered in Hindi also. “This has been done to better the functioning of the police,” he added. He further added it would reduce the burden of maintaining registers which was quite cumbersome. The police is also working on developing an interactive website , where in one need not visit a police station for filing an FIR. For it can be done online. |
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1 dead, 24 hurt in wall collapse
Faridabad, October 11 The dead has been identified as Shree, a resident of village Shaaran, near here. While 13 of the injured hospitalised in local Badshah Khan Hospital are said to have received serious injuries, the others were discharged after the first-aid. The building housing a company was named Malco Steel and Buyers Industry. The land on which the building stood happens to be an industrial plot. A large number of workers were engaged in the construction work in which the rear side of the wall of the building was being raised. The wall collapsed midway. The administrative machinery got into act and after about three hours of rescue operation, the victims were brought out from the debris. The district town and country planner (Enforcement), Satish Prashar, said that the owner of the company, Jagdish Ratra, had got a building plan approved for the construction. However, he said it was being verified whether the construction was taking place as per the approved plan. No case has been registered in connection with the case. The police says that a case will be registered. The delay was said to be on account of the authorities’ preoccupation with the rescue operation. |
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Akali Dals slug it out in Haryana
Faridabad, October 11 The Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi), headed by Paramjeet Singh Sarna, urged the Sikhs of Haryana to vote for the Congress as it was the only party which had the interest of the community at heart. Significantly, Sarna is also the president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (DSGPC), a powerful body looking after the spiritual and temporal aspects of the community, and the functioning of the gurdwaras in the national Capital. Sarna, during his tour in the state to canvass support for the Congress nominees, asserted that Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was a “decent” person and political leader having “clean” image. Besides, the Congress government headed by him had done developmental works on a large scale in Haryana. Coming down hard on SAD (Badal), he said the Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal was following “double standards” in aligning with the INLD in Haryana and running a coalition government with the BJP in Punjab. He alleged that on account of Badal’s relationship with the clan of former Deputy Prime Minister, late Devi Lal, he never raised the interest of Punjab vis-a-vis Haryana when the INLD was in power in Haryana. According to him, the UPA government headed by Dr Manmohan Singh and the Congress government in Haryana could ensure the welfare of the Sikhs, not only in the country, but abroad also. In a counter to Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi), the president of the Delhi unit of Shiromani Akal Dal (Badal), Manjit Singh cautioned the public against the Congress in Haryana saying that it was angling to divide the Sikh community by creating a separate Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee in the state. This was not acceptable as the Congress had now resorted to its earlier policy of “divide and rule”, he added. Manjit Singh said it was the first time in Haryana that Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) candidates were contesting Assembly election of the state. His party has forged an alliance with the INLD. The party has put up two nominees in Ambala City (Ambala district) and Kalanwali (Sirsa). Both the Akali Dals are rivals in Sikh politics in Delhi. Holding a brief for the INLD, he said that all the development work of the Congress in Haryana was “hogwash”. In fact, the development was initiated by the INLD government headed by Om Prakash Chautala. |
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World Arthritis Day: It is folly to ignore pain in knee joints
Myths and facts There are many myths surrounding arthritis. One of them is that the disease affects only older people. However, the fact is arthritis affects any age, including children. There’s no question that the incidence of arthritis increases with age, but nearly three of every five sufferers are under 65. Yet another myth is that arthritis is just a minor joint pain. The fact is it can be permanently debilitating. Then there is a false notion that arthritis is like old age—it cannot be treated. The fact is modern medicine has several new treatments for rheumatoid arthritis which millions of patients in the US, Europe and now India can have access to.
New Delhi, October 11 Sadhna Arora, a resident of Punjabi Bagh, thought so and when she approached the doctor, he said that she has a severe osteoarthritis. In no time, Sadhna’s ignorance became her life’s biggest folly. “Usually people afflicted with nagging joint pain prefer to medicate themselves rather than approaching a rheumatologist. This is very common and stems from the fact that most patients are not aware of the seriousness of rheumatoid arthritis as a disease condition and therefore do not deem it necessary to get a correct diagnosis,” said rheumatologist Dr Rajeev Jain. World Arthritis Day, observed on October 12, focuses on a different aspect of living with a rheumatic disease. This year’s ‘Let’s Work Together’ theme is about healthcare professionals and families of patients of rheumatoid arthritis working together to support and embrace people with rheumatic diseases. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, debilitating inflammatory disease that causes pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of function in the joints. The onset usually begins in middle age, but it also affects children and young adults. The ratio of women to men affected by rheumatoid arthritis is 3:1. The Indian Rheumatology Association (IRA) today organised a ‘Let’s Work Together’ event at AIIMS with participation of 150 rheumatologists and patients of rheumatoid arthritis. Dr Ashok Kumar, consultant rheumatologist and president, Indian Rheumatology Association, said, “IRA has been steadfastly spearheading the cause of arthritis awareness in the country. I am sure the campaign will make people pay close attention to a disease that affects millions of Indians but is still not considered serious.” According to the Arthritis Foundation of India Trust, osteoarthritis affects each person differently. In some people it progresses quickly; in others the symptoms are more serious. Scientists do not yet know what causes the disease, but they suspect a combination of factors, including being overweight, the aging process, joint injury, and stress on the joints from certain jobs and sports activities. Osteoarthritis often occurs at the ends of the fingers, thumbs, neck, lower back, knees and hips. To manage the condition, doctors advise controlling body weight, eating healthy including intake of antioxidants vitamin C, calcium and vitamin D apart from taking medicines as prescribed by the doctor. |
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New treatment is here
Gurgaon, October 11 “Visco-supplement is a lubricant made from a natural substance that lubricates and cushions the joint and provides up to six months of relief in knee pain,” says Dr Sunil Marwah, a senior consultant in orthopaedics. He asserts that visco-supplementation is the preferred therapy for the patients suffering from osteoarthritis of knee who want to avoid surgery and painkillers. “A single shot can provide relief for six to eight months as well as avert gastrointestinal complications arising due to intake of common painkillers,” he adds. Since the cause of osteoarthritis is not completely known, there is no cure but only treatments that help reduce pain. Dr Marwah further explains, “In osteoarthritis, there is a breakdown of joint fluid and cartilage. This fluid covers and protects the ends of the bones in the joint. Visco-supplementation involves the removal of diseased joint fluid and its replacement with a biological substance that supplements elasticity and viscosity in the diseased knee joint and reduces pain and improves mobility.” Osteoarthritis (OA), also known as degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease, is a group of diseases and mechanical abnormalities entailing degradation of joints and affects approximately 50 per cent of the Indian population above 50 years of age. An International Osteoporosis Foundation assessment predicts that more than 50 per cent of osteoporosis patients will be from Asia in 2020, with India and China taking the maximum economic burden. Most people generally develop osteoarthritis after the age of 45. It is more commonly seen in women and obese people, especially those with previous knee injuries. |
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Dreaded criminal Sunder Bhatti nabbed in Gurgaon
Greater Noida, October 11 Bhatti, who had terrorised western UP, Delhi and the national capital region (NCR) with crimes like extortions, kidnappings and loots, was nabbed by the cops near a petrol pump on Ram Road in Sohna. However, according to another report, the gangster was arrested from the meeting of a politician yesterday. Sunder Bhatti is wanted in 23 cases in Dadri, Kasna, Surajpur, Greater Noida and Faridabad. Also, he is wanted by the Sikandrabad police in five cases of murder, five attempted murders, four loots, two abductions and many cases under the gangster and goonda acts. The police recovered a country-made revolver and cartridges from him. As per the Haryana police, who had informed the Noida police about the arrest, Bhatti had become a headache for the police of many districts. He was being seen with the leader of a political party in Gurgaon. The rival party is understood to have informed the police about him. In 2004, Bhatti, along with his gang, had shot dead the then zila panchayat president Naresh Bhatti, who was his ex-companion in the same gang. The two had parted ways following a dispute regarding truck union contract in Sikandrabad. After this, Bhatti had set up his own gang. Sunder had also allegedly murdered a Faridabad-based businessman and a person under the Kharkhonda police station in Meerut. SP (rural) Surinder Varma said the Bhatti gang was very active in collecting weekly extortion money. The police raided all his hideouts in the past fortnight. The reward on his head was recently raised from Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000 by the
IGP. |
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Run to educate
schoolchildren on Games
New Delhi, October 11 The mini-marathon started from Rajkiya Pratibha Vikash Vidyalaya, Surajmal Vihar. More than 3,200 boys and girls students below the age of 19 years from 218 schools of east and northeast districts participated in the race. Each school nominated 15 students for the race, where boys had to run 7 km and girls 5 km. Other leaders and eminent personalities present at the occasion were Sandeep Dikshit, member of parliament, East Delhi; Rakesh Mohan principal secretary (education); P. Krishnamurthy, director (education); Mahabali Satpal, additional director (sports); Sushil Kumar, bronze medalist in wrestling discipline of Beijing Olympics 2008; Yuki Bhambri, winner of Australian Open Junior Tennis Championship and Neha Aggrawal, table tennis player of Beijing Olympics 2008. |
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‘RTI integral part of social change’
New Delhi, October 11 The convention was organised on the eve of the conference being held from tomorrow. Wajahat Habibullah, Central Chief Information Commissioner, stressed on the need for democratic struggle and termed it as an integral part of social change. “The RTI is one such example. We have seen people struggling in the last four years, and hence, the RTI has continued to evolve,” said Habibullah. “This is the first time that users of the RTI from the grassroots have been provided a platform at the national level to share experiences of how it has helped them access better government services,” Manish Sisodia from Kabir said. The conference highlighted its significance as a tool of governance in the hands of the people to ensure that basic services are reached, leading to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and the National Development Goals. The Delhi government has asked its offices to organise workshops and publicity campaigns on RTI as a part of celebrations of the RTI week that began on October 6. The Act ensures a timely response to citizens’ requests for government information, promoting transparency and accountability. The Central Information Commission, which is the apex body under the RTI Act, has disposed of 33,000 cases in the last four years. But, nearly 10,000 cases are still pending. |
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Two teens held for murder
New Delhi, October 11 According to the police, Sanjay Mahto (23), who was a supervisor in a marble company, was stabbed to death by two teenagers when he resisted their attempts to rob him in West Kidwai Nagar. “Mahto was on his way to Safdarjung Hospital to meet his three-month-old daughter. The duo waylaid him and snatched his mobile phone, purse containing Rs 1,400 and wrist watch but when he resisted their attempt, they stabbed him in the chest and fled the scene,” said DCP (South) HGS Dhaliwal. Mahto’s body was identified by his cousin Ramjeet. “During interrogation, the duo told the police that they were drug addicts and they attacked passers by at isolated places and rob them,” Dhaliwal said. A mobile phone, wrist watch, Rs 700 and the knife with which Mahto was attacked have been seized. |
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Man mowed down by tractor at Neb Sarai
New Delhi, October 11 Kushal was a native of Uttrakhand and worked as a labourer. According to information, the driver, Pappu, has been arrested. Sweeper
commits suicide
A 25-year-old man committed suicide by hanging himself from a ceiling fan in Badarpur area of south-east district yesterday. The police said Satish, a resident of Gautampuri area of Badarpur, was found hanging by his wife last night around 11. No suicide note has been recovered. Satish was a sweeper in the area and he is survived by his wife and three children.
2 held for illegal distillation
The south-east district police has unearthed illicit distillation units being run by two persons of Jaitpur village in NTPC jungle and recovered 205 l of illicit liquor along with raw material used in distillation process. “Baldev Singh (33) and Sonu Singh (20) were caught from the Jaitpur area last night,”a senior police officer said. “They were preparing illicit liquor,” he added. The accused, Baldev Singh, has been involved in one such case and Sonu, a tailor by profession, was engaged with Baldev Singh. “The two accused were manufacturing the liquor for Diwali season,” he added. |
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Fire in Gzb mall
Ghaziabad, October 11 The incident occurred around 9 pm. “When a cook in one of the restaurants was frying vegetables the flames got out of control and the electric wires caught fire leading to a short-circuit. After that a fire broke out and spread in the entire food court comprising about a dozen restaurants,” assistant fire officer (AFO) A.P. Singh said. “ The mall management informed the fire department, which controlled the fire after bringing in two fire tenders,” Singh said. “Due to the fire the entire mall was covered with smoke. After the incident the mall was closed for public entry,” Singh added. At the time of the incident there were about 3,000 people in the mall.
— IANS |
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Metro network to ease commuting
Greater Noida, October 11 A few incidents have occurred on the Yamuna Bank–Anand Vihar and Yamuna Bank-Noida corridor, but authorities said the work was on and two corridors would be operational from December. The extension work from Indraprastha to Yamuna Bank was completed a few months ago that has been opened for commuters. Also, extension up to Noida has almost been completed which will be operational from December. Total ten stations will come up under the Yamuna Bank–Noida corridor’s 131-km stretch. The work on this line is scheduled to be completed in December. The Yamuna Bank-Anand Vihar corridor will have five stations on its elevated stretch; the work on this is scheduled to be completed by December. |
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11 new CBI courts to be set up
Ghaziabad, October 11 There are 9,345 cases pending in various CBI courts across India and the 60 existing CBI courts have poor infrastructure and hence there has been a delay in disposing of the cases, he told media persons. The move to set up new courts and upgrade the existing ones comes at the initiative of the Chief Justice of India (CJI). The CJI had written to the Prime Minister explaining the problem and the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had sanctioned 11 new courts while assuring that the existing ones would be upgraded.
— IANS |
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Paid holiday on polling day
Gurgaon, October 11 Agarwal said the employees who were not given paid holiday on the day of polling or were asked to come to work on Sunday in lieu of Tuesday could complaint about it to the deputy labour commissioner(DLC) concerned. Strict action would be initiated against such employers, he said. The DLC for Gurgaon is Suman Kundu and for Manesar is G.S. Thakur. Complaint can be made to Suman Kundu on her mobile number 9871404939 and to G.S. Thakur on his number 9818484683.
— TNS |
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