New Delhi, October 22
One of the biggest and most controversial projects of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Ghogha Dairy, is in news again, but for a good reason. The corporation has decided to refund the booking amount of the claimants who were identified fake and has confiscated their money.

The MCD had received around 1,500 applications in 2004 from dairy owners in Delhi, out of which 938 were found fake.

“The corporation had then collected Rs15 crore from the fake applicants and confiscated money as their applications were declared void after it was revealed that they were not dairy owners and thus, were not eligible for the draw.

The applicants later moved to the high court, which asked the corporation to refund certain percentage of the total amount. The MCD has to refund Rs 12 crore to these applicants in the coming weeks,” said one of the corporation officers.

However, the MCD had also conducted a draw of lots for allotment of dairy plots at ghogha dairy colony in February, who are yet to get the final allotment of the plot.

According to the MCD, 159 plots of 60 sq m and 171 plots of 96 sq m were allotted to eligible dairy owners.

In order to deal with the problem of stray cattle in the city and to shift illegal dairies running in urban areas, a dairy colony at ghogha was proposed to be developed by the corporation, where in 2,080 dairy plots were to be made available in Phase-I and 1,920 plots in Phase-II.

Earlier in June, 2008, a draw was held by the corporation for allotment of 304 dairy plots to eligible dairy owners at Ghogha Dairy Colony.

New Delhi, October 22
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) today claimed that the modern slaughterhouse at Ghazipur in East Delhi, built after the direction of the Supreme Court, started functioning today. It is based on modern technology where slaughtering will be done by machines.

Claiming that now the citizens of Delhi will get wholesome meat, a spokesperson of the MCD said that all the facilities demanded by butchers had been provided. It has good live stock market.

The Jhatka section was started in December last year whereas the Halal section has been started today.

He said that at present the live stock market is functioning at Idgah, but it will be shifted to Ghazipur on October 29.

The spokesman said that at Idgah, slaughtering was done in three shifts and in each only 2,500 animals were slaughtered whereas 5,000 animals were being slaughtered in one shift in Ghazipur and 10,000 animals in two shifts.

Idgah is surrounded by thickly populated area causing traffic jams and and unhygienic conditions. Ghazipur abattoir is located in an open area and has convenient approach.

Idgah slaughterhouse was constructed in a small area, but Ghazipur has covered an area of more than seven acres.

Idgah slaughterhouse was out dated. Animals were slaughtered in their full consciousness. Slaughtering was done manually on floor. De-skinning was also done on the floor which often caused contamination. But in Ghazipur, de-skinning is done by machine.

Ghazipur has proper effluent treatment plant to treat the liquid waste. The slaughterhouse is cleaned by machine.

New Delhi, October 22
As many as 6,30,999 people fall prey to cancer in India each year, and a majority of the prevalent cancers—oral, breast, cervical—can be prevented or treated, if diagnosed at early stages. However, due to infrastructural inadequacies and lack of awareness both in villages and cities people seek medical advice when it is too late.

As per the latest data of Indian Council of Medical Research, Delhi records 32 cases of breast cancers in every one lakh women, breaching the predictions of 21.8 per cent of the Delhi government.

As per the World Cancer Report 2003, 50 per cent of patients succumb to breast cancer in the country within one year. The extrapolated data of 10 per cent of the total populace in the country indicates that 10 lakh new cancer cases are reported annually with 80 per cent of those coming in advanced stages and of which only 20 per cent is curable.

With an aim to address the major causes behind the current worrying scenario, the Cancer Research Foundation of India (CRFI) today signed an accord with the Instituo Europeo di Oncologia (IEO) of Italy in the national Capital. The joint venture targets to tackle the problem of cancer through a holistic solution.

Dr Sidharth Sahni of CRFI said, “With the incidence of cancer heading steep both in the country and our part of the world, the initiative would enable in reducing the burden of cancer cases through comprehensive management, entailing education, training, research and infrastructural upgradation.”

As of now, Dr B R Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Tata Memorial Hospital and Cancer Research Institute, Mumbai and Regional Cancer Centre, Trivandrum, have already joined in with the CRFI. The Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre would soon be coming on board as well, informed Dr G K Rath, head of department of radiation oncology of AIIMS.

The scientific director of IEO, Dr Umberto Veronesi, known for his contribution to breast cancer research, remarked, “In Italy, breast cancer, having high mortality rate, was very common, but the trend is coming down gradually, which has been due to a paradigm shift with minimum effective treatment for cancer.”

In Italy, 95 per cent of cases are detected at early stages vis-a-vis 10 per cent in India.

Dr Veronosi, who was nominated for this year’s Nobel Prize for Medicine, stressed the importance of early detection. Female advocacy groups are going to be created for this purpose. They would try to reach out to the grassroots level in rural areas, and on this front, the CRFI has already tied up with NGO Khushi to educate the women folks in Neemrana, Rajasthan.

Calling for such efforts to increase the penetration of cancer prevention methods in the country, the Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said, “Cancer detection camps are mostly held in cities and a large section of the country’s population remains unattended. The initiative would make cancer care accessible to rural people as well.”

She added the country is yet to bridge the gap between the requirement and availability of well-equipped cancer treatment centres. “There are a few centres but the need is for more hospitals. Indigenous medicines help in treating cancers particularly stomach cancers,” Dikshit pointed out.

New Delhi, October 22
Alleging that senior government law officers, handling the case, had defended accused Octavio Quattrocchi in the Bofors pay-off scam case, advocate Ajay Agarwal who opposed the CBI’s move to withdraw the case against the accused today raised a question of propriety before the court.

While filing his submissions in the court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Kaveri Baweja, Ajay said Solicitor General (SG) Gopal Subramanium and Additional Solicitor General (ASG) P P Malhotra, who represent the CBI, had appeared for Chaddha, one of the accused, before courts here.

The propriety and professional ethics demand that counsels, who are holding high offices like SG and ASG, should have refused accepting the brief of the Centre and CBI in this case, once they had appeared for the accused, he submitted.

Earlier on October 9, ASG Malhotra and CBI counsel Naveen Kumar Matta had questioned locus standi of Ajay in opposing CBI’s application to close the case against 69-year-old Quattrocchi, by claiming that publicity and politics should have no role and the petitioner was a stranger in the matter.

In reply, Ajay countered their plea by saying that, “The Supreme Court had recognised me as a party in the connected matter and had decided the question of locus standi in my favour by granting permission to file special leave petition.”

On October 3, the probe agency had sought withdrawal of the case against Quattrocchi, saying that it has arrived at the conclusion after its failure on two occasions to get the Italian businessman extradited from Malaysia and Argentina to face the trial in India.

Noida, October 22
Two students pursuing B.Tech from the Amity University here consumed poison, doctors said here today. They added that the duo was now out of danger.

The college authorities said two students Shobhit and Aditya had failed in most subjects in the first year and even then had been promoted to the second year.

“Their attendance was also short,” vice-president, Corporate Communication of the university, Savita Mehta, said.

“We had asked them to call up their parents, but they did not inform them. Left with no choice, we had sent them circulars to either take an academic break or to pay a complete year’s fees. This was absolutely justified,” she added.

Doctors at Kailash Hospital, where the duo was brought after they consumed poison yesterday night, said both were out of danger. — IANS

Greater Noida, October 22
The alleged merciless beating of a Class VII student by a teacher in a Dadri school took an ugly turn when the father of the boy came to school to lodge a complaint.

The boy’s father alleged that when he went to the school to inquire about the incident, the principal shot at him. However, the principal, in turn, alleged that it was boy’s father who had fired at him.

The student, Sachin, a resident of Dadri’s Preet Vihar colony, had a fight with a classmate. One of the teachers, annoyed with their fight and the commotion it created, had reportedly beaten up Sachin. The beating allegedly displaced Sachin’s shoulder bone.

According to Sachin’s father Jagvir Gujjar, when he along with his two friends went to the school, the principal refused to meet them. There was an altercation between the principal and Jagvir’s friends. Jagvir’s friends alleged that during the argument the principal had fired at them. The bullet hit a teacher, they said. However, the school principal said that the shot was fired by Sachin’s relatives.

Sachin has been admitted to a private hospital in Dadri. Jagvir Gujjar said he had lodged a complaint with the Railway Road police post about the beating and the firing.

But, according to Rahul Kumar, circle officer, Dadri, no complaint had been received by the police about firing on school premises.

“We shall take action if a complaint is received,” Kumar said. 

New Delhi, October 22
After trying hard to thwart attacks on his credentials by a section of faculty within the college, principal of St. Stephen’s College Valson Thampu has alleged “an orchestrated campaign to mislead the public and malign” his image as well as that of certain members of the governing body.

In a public statement issued by the college today, the administration has condemned the efforts to spread confusion and cause embarrassment to Enos Das Pradhan, a member of governing body of the college.Questions were raised in the media on Pradhan’s appointment as the Synod nominee in the governing body.

“In the 84th meeting of the Synod executive held in August, it was resolved that Pradhan would continue to discharge his functions and responsibilities in the governing body without let or hindrance,” said Nandita Narain, media advisor of St.Stephen’s College.

Another clarification was given by the college with regard to the appointment of S.Y. Quraishi as the principal’s nominee in the governing body.

“The principal has appointed S.Y. Quraishi as his nominee with effect from August this year for three years. This appointment has been approved by Delhi University and the letter of approval is with the members of governing body,” said Narain

Ghaziabad, October 22
To make commuting easier in the NCR, a system of issuing special permits to general and radio taxis has been started from today.

This indicates the beginning of the first phase of the integrated transport system in the NCR.

Also, permits to auto-rickshaws and charted buses will be issued. With the new system coming into force, auto-rickshaws and taxis with permits will not have to pay Octroi or any tax at the border of states in the NCR.

However, the tariff of taxis will have to be paid under the new taxation policy, but once a common policy is hammered out, a common tariff will be payable at all places.

Region transport officer, Ghaziabad, Lalji Chaudhary, said all disputes pertaining to ITS had been resolved. Since Bagpat, Meerut and Bulandshahr also fall within the NCR jurisdiction, buses and taxis in these districts will be granted these permits.

But, since these places are far from Delhi, NCR permits to auto-rickshaws will not be issued.

A tariff of Rs 11.70 for the first kilometre in Uttar Pradesh and Rs 6.70 for every subsequent km has been fixed for taxis while Rs 3.35 for less than half kilometre will have to be paid.

Tariff for the first kilometre for auto-rickshaws has been fixed at Rs 5.30 and Rs 5 for every subsequent kilometre.

All vehicles eligible for the special NCR permit must be using CNG and all taxis and auto-rickshaws must be fitted with metres while buses must be fitted with speed governors.

The vehicle will display special NCR Logo Boards with green strip motto on their front top portion.