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Jam and jamboree: Festivities hit roads
Industrial policy to focus on green technology
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Say ‘bye’ to long queues for Metro tokens
Bhai Dooj: Free ride for women
on DTC buses
Villagers felicitate LG for denotifying DDA area
5-yr-old kidnapped, killed by servant
Female guards missing in
key places
Members of notorious Sandeep Chitania gang held
Gang of chain snatchers busted
in Delhi
Another spurious mewa unit busted
Glittering Divali expected
in Noida
Beware! Crackers can trigger heart attack: Doc
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Jam and jamboree: Festivities hit roads
New Delhi, October 16 Starting from shopping malls to multiplexes, Delhi saw all its popular hangouts crowded. The public transport also felt the stress of the festival. “The buses are so crowded that you could not get on to them. To make the situation worse, autorickshaw drivers are fleecing passengers by demanding exorbitant fares,” said Lubna Shaheen. The radio-taxi services also saw a total breakdown yesterday as none of their lines could be reached on phone. “I was trying to call a cab when I could not get an auto. Even though I waited for half an hour, they did not send the cab,” said Archana Singh, who complained that her organisation did not close even at Divali.
South Delhi areas of Saket and Green Park had traffic jams stretching for hours for a week before the festival. “I have a problem with the private parking contractors. There management is really bad; the whole street was blocked for hours only because they wanted some car to back up into the parking lot,” said Vinay Kaushal, who had been stuck in traffic for more than an hour at Green Park market. Some shoppers complained that the malls were more crowded. “I went to a mall in Saket and could not buy a single thing as I felt suffocated in the crowd. There was no space,” said 23-year-old Vaishali, who added that it was impossible to get an auto for ITO today. With Divali around, some of the biggest Bollywood blockbusters are also opening at the city theatres today. The films that would be screened in the cinemas include Blue and All the Best. “I was thinking I would celebrate Divali in Delhi this time. But now I think it was a bad idea. I planned to watch a film tonight but could not get tickets for a single one,” said Jacob Cherian, who also had difficulty getting a table for him in a restaurant last night. |
Industrial policy to focus on green technology
New Delhi, October 16 The policy makes it clear that even the existing industries of the Capital need to be upgraded to make them environment-friendly and create employment for skilled operators. According to the sources, this is for the first time after 1982 that an industrial policy is being framed for the Capital. The objectives of the policy are to promote non-polluting and clean industries, promote high technology industries, develop world class industrial infrastructure, promote cluster approach, walk to work concept and facilitate business through e-governance. The new policy provides for infrastructure development through better organisation and maintenance and decongesting industrial areas. Polluting industries will be discouraged by imposing higher infrastructure development fee. The policy points out to the excellent infrastructure - road connectivity, metro, strong research and educational infrastructure, 100 per cent telecom penetration and also one of the highest internet penetrations in the country. It advocates promoting cluster development and high-technology and skilled industries in new industrial areas through the public private partnership (PPP) mode, facilitating business by simplification, e-enabling and investor-friendly face along with promotional measures relating to skill development and allowing knowledge-based industry in industrial areas. In a bid to remove multiplicity of agencies, the policy stipulates that DSIIDC would own and manage all existing and new industrial assets of the city. It will introduce the cluster approach where dedicated industrial parks on the PPP model would be set up. Moreover, the policy talks of “walk to work” philosophy, where in industrial parks would be set up near residential areas so that the workers do not have to travel long distance. The vision is to make Delhi a hub of high-technology and skilled economic activities by 2021. The new industrial policy would be permitting hi-tech enabled services which will boost revenues of the Capital and deter polluting industries too. |
Say ‘bye’ to long queues for Metro tokens
New Delhi, October 16 “The TVMs are touch-screen-based machines containing the digital map of the entire Metro network. Commuters can select their destination station by touching the desired station on the screen. The machine will then show the fare of the journey and ask for the number of tokens required,” said Anuj Dayal, spokesperson, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). The machine will calculate the total fare and display it on the screen. The commuters can then insert the required money into the designated slot. However, the maximum number of tokens that the TVM would dispense at a time would be six only. The machine can accept only coins of Re 1 and Rs 5 and notes of Rs 10 and Rs 50. The balance amount would be returned to the commuter in the denomination of Re 1 and Rs 5 coins only. The machine would not accept soiled, damaged and fake notes. The commuters can use the TVMs without any assistance as all the information pertaining to its operation will be displayed on the machine, both in English and Hindi. The machines have been manufactured by private contractor M/S Thales. TVMs will be installed on upcoming Metro stations under phase-II also. |
Bhai Dooj: Free ride for women
on DTC buses
New Delhi, October 16 Wishing Delhiites happy Divali, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit ssaid the women would be allowed free ride in all DTC ordinary and green low-floor buses till 5:00 PM on that day. She has expressed confidence that this festival of lights would bring prosperity and happiness. She further exhorted people to avoid crackers to curb pollution. |
Villagers felicitate LG for denotifying DDA area
New Delhi, October 16 While conveying Divali greetings to the villagers, Tejendra Kumar said the sole objective of the administration was to provide better civic amenities to the Delhiites, particularly for the welfare of the rural class. Sajjan Kumar and Ramesh Kumar said on having accepted the long standing demand of the rural areas, an atmosphere of exuberance was prevailing in the homes of the villagers. Sajjan Kumar said he had been struggling for conceding this demand in the Parliament and outside as well as he raised this issue in the meetings of Consultative Committee of Union Urban Development Ministry, Delhi government, DDA and at the level of Lt. Governor. He held several meetings with officials along with the representatives of the villages. The decision of Lt. Governor would be applicable on all villages and extended population of the villages. Due to this, arbitrariness of the DDA would be eliminated. While terming the decision of Lt. Governor as historic, Ranbir Singh Dabas, convener of 360-villages Sangharsh Samiti, said Khanna has won the hearts of the villagers by giving them this as a Divali gift. |
5-yr-old kidnapped, killed by servant
New Delhi, October 16 Lakshya Bindal, a resident of East Azad Nagar, went missing on 13 October. A case of kidnapping was registered with the Krishna Nagar police station. Lakshya’s father Sushil Bindal had expressed suspicion that their domestic help Bhairon Singh could be behind the incident as he was also missing since the day of Lakshya’s kidnapping. “According to Sushil, Lakshya had gone outside to play, but did not return. The family searched Lakshay in the neighbourhood and at relatives’ home, but when failed to find him, it approached the police. An FIR was registered on October 14,” said a senior police officer. The officer said Bhairon Singh was under scanner since the very day of kidnapping. “He was yesterday arrested from his relative’s house in Okhla. During interrogation he broke down and confessed to have been involved in the crime. Bhairon told the police that after killing Lakshya he threw the body in a canal. A police team reached the area and after half-an-hour-long search, the divers fished out body,” said the officer. However, the officer refused to divulge the motive behind the killing, saying they were interrogating the accused. Lakshya was a UKG student and was studying in DAV School’s Shreshta Vihar branch, while the accused had been working with his family for the past seven years. |
Female guards missing in
key places
New Delhi, October 16 Amid fears of fresh attacks, one expects security to be tight, especially ahead of festivals like Divali. However, security at most places in the Capital and NCR was found to be lacking as this reporter went around the region. Important places in the NCR region do not have women security guards. District Centre, Janakpuri, Radisson Suites in Gurgaon, a branch of Radisson Group of Hotels and retail chains such as Reliance Fresh at Kamla Nagar and Marks & Spencer at Hauz Khas market are some of the places where no security checks are conducted before a woman enters the premises. Princy Ahuja (24), a management professional with Bank of America, Gurgaon, gave vent to her anger: “It is absolutely silly to think that women can be allowed in unchecked even though it was a woman who assassinated Rajiv Gandhi and they are also part of Naxalite movement. Terror knows no gender.” Says Jatin Dua (25), a software consultant with Headstrong, Noida, anyone would feel unsafe to go out during the festive season. Laxity of the authorities concerned is disappointing, especially post 26/11 terror attacks. Whereas Rajan Bhagat, PRO, Delhi police, told The Tribune that owners of the commercial units, including malls, cinema halls and retail stores are given guidelines to ensure security. If anyone doesn’t follow them, the police takes action. When asked about places having no women security guards, he said, “The Delhi police is not aware of any such place.” While Alok Mittal, joint commissioner, Gurgaon, said: “The Gurgaon police has directed the managements of all commercial places to step up security, especially during the festive season. We have also asked the owners of all commercial units, including hotels, to appoint women guards as soon as possible. I have no clue to Radisson Suites, Gurgaon, having no women guards.” |
Members of notorious Sandeep Chitania gang held
New Delhi, October 16 One Italy made 9 mm pistol and a .32 bore revolver have been recovered from the duo. The duo was arrested on Wednesday while trying to flee after shooting at a property dealer in Narela. The property dealer Hawa Singh was shot at in the leg by Sandeep Pehalwan, who was later owerpowered by the police. Sombir then tried to shoot at the policemne, but he was also nabbed. During investigation it was revealed that Sandeep Bishnoi was carrying a reward of Rs 5,000 on his head in connection with a case in Hissar. During interrogation, the duo revealed that they were searching for three persons who had lodged an extortion complaint against them. They also told the police that the revolver that they were carrying was snatched by them from a dhaba owner in the Paschim Vihar area of west Delhi a few months ago. |
Gang of chain snatchers busted
in Delhi
New Delhi, October 16 According to the police, the snatchers, who had been active for the past six months, rode on motorcycles and targeted women walking on the roadside. “The jeweller bought the snatched chains at half the market price,” said the police. The arrested persons have been identified as Navin (19), Ravi Totla and Manoj Verma, who runs a small jewellery shop from his house in Nandnagri. Navin, Ravi and Manoj were nabbed together with a stolen Bajaj Platinum motorcycle near Sector-19, Rohini. The motorcycle was stolen from Patel Nagar. |
Another spurious mewa unit busted
Greater Noida, October 16 Three persons, including the owner of the factory, were taken into custody. Police said the trio had supplied over 3,000 kg mewa in the Morigate area of Delhi during the past few days. The accused have been booked under NSA. The police also recovered ingredients used in making mewa. S.P. Rural Surinder Kumar Verma said the Bisarakh police raided Taj Dairy in Alivardipur. Riyaz, Rijwan and Tasleem were arrested from the spot. Riyaz is the owner of the factory while the other two are his cousins. One Maruti car, two gas cylinders, four tins of refined oil, lime and some chemicals were recovered from the factory. During interrogation, the accused said that they used to supply adulterated mewa in Delhi and NCR areas. Most of it was supplied in Delhi’s Morigate area. Over 400 kgs of spurious mewa was supplied in this area. The samples lifted have been sent to lab for testing, police said. SDM Shailender Singh said samples had also been collected from Javer. |
Glittering Divali expected
in Noida
Noida, October 16 Besides, change in weather frees considerable power load consumed by A/C plants especially in software and IT industries, said superintendent engineer A.P. Mishra. According to Mishra, the load pattern is like this: 60 per cent is consumed by industry, 20 per cent by commercial and 20 per cent by residential sectors. “But wind, storms, rains, etc are our enemies,” said Mishra. He said one 60 MVA transmitter is being commissioned at 220 KC station in Sector 62. It will benefit sectors 11 and 33. A 2 x 2 315 MVA generator is under commissioning. In another two months, we will be commissioning a 315 MVA substation. Two such substations are already functioning. By the year-end, a third 315 MVA will be commissioned and that should put us in a very happy position, he added. Mishra said a door-to-door campaign is being conducted in various sectors of Noida to know the power consumption, approved limit and the gadgets being used. The inspecting teams will also check the units consumed by the household during the previous couple of months. |
Beware! Crackers can trigger heart attack: Doc
Noida, October 16 He said the gravity of these ailments could also increase many a times due to highly polluted atmosphere, smoke and noise. Heart and asthma patients should therefore be very cautious and take all precautions on Divali, he added. Dr. Parshotam Lal, chairman of Metro Heart Institute, Noida, said it had been observed for years that the number of patients of heart problem, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia and nasal allergies swells to more than double after Divali. Besides incidents of burn injuries, serious damage to eardrum and eyes also increase manifold during this festival. Dr Lal advised the people to desist from exploding crackers, explosives and to partake sweets in large quantities. Sweets, prepared with adulterated ingredients, he said, also cause ailments. According to Dr Lal, experiments have proved that asthma is adversely affected by a heart attack. Similarly, an acute asthma attack could aggravate heart condition. He added that the crackers that explode with loud bang are more dangerous for they can damage the eardrums, increase the blood pressure and can trigger a heart attack. A sound of 60 decibel is normal for humans but addition of another 10 decibel makes it doubly piercing, which can adversely impact children, elders, heart patients and pregnant women, he added. |
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