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Depot manager suspended as 2 more buses catch fire
Tata to spruce up maintenance of buses
Automatic parking lot at KG Marg to miss CWG deadline
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Bus mows down three in Noida
Over 4 cr km covered as Metro turns 7
Delhi revenue up by 3.4%
Poor children have a merry Xmas!
Cops on toes to check Christmas revellers
NRI’s wife gets Rs 6.7m as maintenance
Visagate: Spaniard among five arrested
Children’s Fund rechristened
Man stabbed to death in Lahori Gate area
Man shot at for resisting molestation attempt
Suspected pickpockets beaten on bus
Woman burnt for dowry
Thieves set post office afire
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Depot manager suspended as 2 more buses catch fire
New Delhi, December 24 The information was given by Naresh Kumar, managing director, DTC. Kumar said sparks came out of two DTC low-floor buses due to short-circuit that burnt the wires. All the passengers were safe. Directions had been issued to all DTC depot managers to closely monitor the fitness of the buses and ensure that only fully fit buses were allowed to ply. He added that complete check-up of all DTC low-floor buses by January 31 had been ordered. Instructions have also been issued to Tata Motors to improve the maintenance of buses and rectify the technical problems by January 31, failing which strict action will be taken against the company. Kumar informed that the manpower for maintenance of buses has been increased at every depot to keep a vigil on the fitness of the buses.
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Tata to spruce up maintenance of buses
New Delhi, December 24 Addressing a press conference today, Pishrody said that 15-point maintenance was done at present. The frequency would be increased now. He said that there was no manufacturing default. Delhi roads are good for such buses. When asked why the Delhi government had imposed a fine of Rs 4 crore and suspended the payment of 100 buses, he said it would be sorted out in a meeting with the authorities concerned. Meanwhile, Dr L.K. Jindal, a senior official of Tata Motors Limited, said the fire that took place in a low-floor bus on November 3 was caused by electric short-circuit, claimed When asked the cause of fire or smoke in other buses, he said a committee had been constituted by the Delhi government to find it out. When asked the cause of fire reported in two buses (route number 165 in Vivek Vihar and 120 in Najafgarh) today, he expressed ignorance of the incidents. Sources said that finding of the government committee report was that teflon used in the brake shoe was swollen due to the heat generated by the engine. |
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Automatic parking lot at KG Marg to miss CWG deadline
New Delhi, December 24 The work of construction on the parking site began early this month, though the project was launched in 2007. DS Construction Limited has taken over the project and will take over 18 months to complete it. “Earlier it was supposed to be completed before the Games but it took several months to finalise the project. Also the project was postponed several times,” said a senior official in New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC). The parking lot is important as it will be automatic and will serve a huge number of vehicles. It is first automated parking project of the Capital, the construction work of which has finally been kicked off. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi had also announced to build six fully automatic multi-level parking areas on the same lines in Delhi, but none of them has started yet. The cars in this automatic parking lot will not be parked manually but by the computer. The car will placed on a platform which will automatically take the car to the vacant position on a suitable floor. The parking lot will accommodate cars in 13 floors and three basements. The technology will be imported from Germany and 400 cars can be parked in an hour. To make optimum use of land, the building will be triangular and have attractive glass exteriors, the official said. KG Marg has more than 18 high-rise buildings, including major national and international officies. The major roads leading to the parking lot are Tolstoy Road, KG Marg and Barakhamba Road.
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Bus mows down three in Noida
Noida, December 24 Two persons died on the spot, while one died at hospital. The condition of the two injured persons was stable till late evening. The mishap took place around 9.30 am when the private bus took a left turn at the Morna crossing. The driver suddenly lost control and the bus rammed into two cycle-rickshaws and a motorcycle. The injured were rushed to the district hospital. The deceased have been identified as Anil Singh and Sulender Paswan and Lakshman Singh. Anil and Sulender were rickshaw pullers. The two injured are: Uttam Kumar and Manoj Singh. Both have suffered fractures. “We have arrested the driver of the bus Rakesh Kumar. A case has been registered in this regard at Sector 49 police station,” said A.K. Tripathi, SP (city).
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Over 4 cr km covered as Metro turns 7
New Delhi, December 24 The first section of the Metro, an 8.5 km-long-stretch between Shahdara and Tis Hazari, was inaugurated on December 24, 2002, and commercial operations began at Christmas, the same year. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) officials said in the last seven years, the Metro network had grown over 10 times and now covered almost 90 km, firmly establishing itself as the backbone of public transportation in the city. Another 6.17 km from Yamuna Bank to Anand Vihar is poised to be added to the network soon. The trains have covered more than four crore km since 2002 and today run about 35,000 km every single day on the three operational lines—Dilshad Garden to Rithala, Jahangirpuri to Central Secretariat and Dwarka Sector 9 to Noida Sector 32. Delhi Metro achieved a significant milestone on November 9, when it crossed the one-billion mark for commuters who have travelled by the Metro since it became operational, almost equivalent to the population of the country. DMRC also recorded its highest-ever single-day ridership of 10.29 lakh on November 24, 2009. About nine lakh commuters travel on the Metro every weekday now, up from just 35,000 when the Metro operations started in 2002. The year 2009 saw 21.56 km being added to the network as part of Phase II. While the 6.36-km Vishwavidyalaya to Jahangirpuri section opened to the public on February 4, services on the 2.1 km from Indraprastha to Yamuna Bank section started on May 10. On November 13, a new chapter was added to Delhi Metro’s history when commercial services beyond the boundaries of Delhi started with the opening of the Yamuna Bank to Noida Sector 32 section, a distance of 13.1 km. Delhi Metro also added 13 trains to its stable in the last year, with the number increasing from 70 to 83. Trains were brought in by aircraft and ships from Germany and Korea. Two more trains will be added when the Yamuna Bank to Anand Vihar ISBT section opens and new trains will be added every 10 to 15 days to cater to the increasing number of commuters. The second Operations Control Centre (OCC) of Delhi Metro began functioning in the corporate headquarters, Metro Bhawan, in March this year. It controls the train operations of the Dwarka Sector 9 to Noida Sector 32 line and other sections of Phase II will be added to it subsequently. On the construction front, DMRC completed the tunnelling for Phase II this year by employing 14 tunnel-boring machines, the highest in any south Asian city at one time. About 28 per cent of Delhi Metro’s Phase II, i.e. 35 km out of 125 km, is underground and the complex tunnelling work was completed without untoward incidents. This included building the deepest Metro tunnel so far which passes 20 to 25 metres below the existing tunnel at Rajiv Chowk. On New Year’s 2009, the Metro Museum showcasing the genesis, history and journey opened to the public at Patel Chowk Metro station. It is the only such installation worldwide in an operational Metro station and has attracted dignitaries from India and abroad. The year also brought to the fore the immense environmental and social benefits of Delhi Metro, with a study by the Central Road Research Organisation revealing that these benefits will help recover the full cost of Phase I (Rs 10,571 crore) by December 2011. The coming year will be very crucial for DMRC as new sections are set to be opened almost every month and the operational network will double in less than a year. The sections that are scheduled to be opened in 2010 include Inderlok-Kirti Nagar to Mundka (18.47 km), Central Secretariat to HUDA City Centre (Gurgaon) of 27 km, Central Secretariat to Badarpur (20.16 km) and the Airport Express Line (22.7 km).
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Delhi revenue up by 3.4%
New Delhi, December 24 Giving the break-up of the revenue collection at a review meeting held today, Dikshit said collection from state excise tax had increased by 13.2 per cent and from betting tax by 14.1 per cent. There has been an increase of 5 per cent in VAT collection. The revenue collection, which was Rs 8,119 crore last year, has gone up to Rs 8,394.2 crore this year. There had been a marginal decrease in collections from stamp duty, registration fees and taxes on motor vehicles, the Chief Minister said. At the meet, Dikshit stressed upon the need of a better management system to keep an eye on fluctuations in tax collection. |
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Poor children have a merry Xmas!
New Delhi, December 24 The young lot staged an exciting puppet show at PVR Priya in the Capital for many kids, who are not that blessed and privileged as them. To make the day special for those who had never stepped into a PVR and watched a movie, there was a special screening of the movie, ‘Paa’. While watching the movie, the children, mostly from nearby slums, chirped and the joy that they brimmed with was reflected in their eyes. During the session, they also had the chance of enjoying a magic show and were left spellbound with the performance. To make their happiness complete, Santa Claus had come with a bag filled with gifts and toffees. Head of PVR Nest, Deepa Menon, said the idea behind holding this fest was to make Christmas a memorable occasion for the poor children and to ensure a fun way of learning. Besides, the initiative has been taken to revive the dying art of puppetry and to help the children adopt and understand this long lost art as a vehicle of communication. The entertaining puppet item, which was made livelier by musical scores, was conceptualised by Kuch Kuch Puppet Theatre Group, an affiliate of Ishara Theatre. |
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Cops on toes to check Christmas revellers
New Delhi, December 24 Policemen equipped with breath analyzers and alco-meters will be deployed on the roads near pubs, malls, hotels, clubs and ridge areas. According to the traffic police, special teams have been formed to check traffic violations and ensure safety of the commuters and general public. According to S.N. Shrivastava, joint commissioner (traffic), the drive will continue till the New Year. "Extensive arrangements in co-ordination with other units of the Delhi police have been made to ensure a hassle-free flow of traffic and safety of the commuters and general public," said Shrivastava. The police has appealed to the citizens to inform it in case any suspicious object, vehicle, person or any hindrance in the smooth flow is noticed.
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Further fall in temperature today
New Delhi, December 24 The weather experts say that the sudden downfall in the temperature is due to the icy winds blowing from the snow-capped mountains in northern states. However, the Met officials have predicted a further fall in temperature with mercury likely to touch 6 degree Celsius at Christmas. “Snowfall in the upper reaches of Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir has brought down the temperature and cold conditions will continue to prevail in the coming days,” said Met officials. The weatherman predicted ‘mist in the morning’ and ‘mainly clear sky’ later in the day tomorrow. The maximum will hover around 22 degree Celsius. In 2008, the lowest minimum of the month was 6.4 degree Celsius recorded on December 26 while in 2007, it was 3.9 degrees on December 29. The record for 2006 was 7.3 degree Celsius on November 29. However, the all-time record for minimum temperature for the month was recorded on December 26 of 1945 when the mercury dipped to 1.1 degree Celsius, confirmed sources.
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NRI’s wife gets Rs 6.7m as maintenance
New Delhi, December 24 Justice Kailash Gambhir granted anticipatory bail to Ankur Sahni (name changed), a British national and a businessman, and directed him to pay the settlement amount to his wife Ritu (name changed) in three installments and file for mutual divorce. Ankur had approached the court after Ritu filed two cases against him. He asked the court to grant him bail and allow him to go and look after his business abroad. Advocate K.K. Manan, appearing on behalf of Ankur, submitted before the court that both parties had resolved all their disputes by entering into a settlement agreement under which the husband would pay Rs 6.7 million to the wife. “In view of the terms of the agreement, both the parties have agreed that the husband shall deposit a sum of Rs 32 lakh in a fixed deposit account favouring his wife and then two subsequent installments of Rs 25 lakh and Rs 10 lakh will be deposited after the divorce proceedings by way of mutual consent get over,” the judge said. Ritu and Ankur got married on August 8, 2007 and left for England. But after six months, Ritu returned to her parents’ house due to a temperamental dispute between the two. Ritu also lodged two cases of criminal breach of trust and attempt to murder against Ankur. The court directed Ankur to approach the trial court where the cases are pending against him and take permission to travel abroad.
— IANS |
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Visagate: Spaniard among five arrested
New Delhi, December 24 According to Neeraj Thakur, Addl. CP (Crime Branch), the gang was busted after the crime branch received a tip-off on their activities. “We had received specific information about these people. On December 17, Anand Malkani, the gang leader along with his accomplice Upkar Singh was arrested from Lajpat Nagar where they had come to exchange forged documents/passports. Two others, Satish Rattu and Maxon Tito, who had come to meet them, were also apprehended,” said the officer. During interrogation, they disclosed that they were involved in obtaining Schengen and other visas on the basis of fake/forged documents. They further revealed that one Spanish national, Gerardo, along with an official of the Spanish embassy, is also involved in the racket. The gang charged Rs 8 to 10 lakh from the prospective immigrants and the money was distributed among the accused and their agents. As per the disclosure statement, Gerardo was also arrested the next day from Chanakyapuri. Photocopies of four Schenegen visas were recovered from his possession. According to police, members of this racket are spread all over India, though mainly in Punjab. They would contact aspirants who wanted to migrate to European countries. “For getting the Schenegen visa, there are some requirements which are to be fulfilled. Documents like income tax returns, bank statement, invitation offer, LIC polices are required. Most of the aspirants belong to villages and do not fulfill many of these requirements. Agents of this gang would lure the gullible and charge money which ranged from Rs 8 to 10 lakh for preparing forged documents,” informed Thakur. Gerardo, the Spanish national, used to provide the invitation letter. After fulfilling the necessary requirements, the passport was presented in the embassy where the Spanish official would arrange for the visa. |
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Children’s Fund rechristened
New Delhi, December 24 “The name, Child Fund India reflects the international scope of the organization’s work and recognizes our affiliation with a network of 12 international child development organizations, the Child Fund Alliance, which assists children in 55 countries,” said Dola Mohapatra, national director. The new identity was unveiled by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit at the India Habitat Centre. For the last 70 years, Child Fund India has been working to lessen the burden of poverty for children and their families and help them secure a better living. |
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Man stabbed to death in Lahori Gate area
New Delhi, December 24 According to the police, the incident took place around 5.50 in the morning. “The victim, Kamlesh, was found lying in a pool of blood near DDA Park. A passerby spotted him and gave a call to the police,” said the police. The police further stated that Kamlesh was rushed to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital where he succumbed to the injuries. “During physical search, we recovered Rs 12,000 and a mobile phone from his pocket. We have ruled out robbery as a motive behind the incident,” stated the police. Kamlesh was a native of Mehsana district in Gujarat and was residing in a rented accommodation in the Chowk area. He was working as a delivery boy with a courier company and was going to ISBT at the time of the incident. “Initial investigations point out towards personal enmity angle, but we are probing the case from all possible angles,” added the police. |
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Man shot at for resisting molestation attempt
Greater Noida, December 24 “The victim was identified as Arshad Khan. He is uncle of the girl who was being teased by the youth who also made a molestation bid. As Arshad objected to the act, the youth fired shot at him. Bullet hit his stomach and passed out. Arshad was admitted to hospital where his condition was stated to be stable,” said Ramakant Chaturvedi, SHO Dankore. “The girl’s brother Qadier Khan has lodged an FIR against Vipin Kumar. An attempt to murder case has been registered. The accused was absconding till late evening today,” said Chaturvedi. Secretary of Greater Noida Mahila Shakti Samajik Samiti, Aarti Sharma, said, “Law and order in the city has been deteriorating every day. Police was unable to check the rising cases of eve-teasing. Women are feeling insecure in the city. The Samiti has decided to train them in martial arts for self-defence.” |
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Suspected pickpockets beaten on bus
New Delhi, December 24 According to the police, Luvkus was severely manhandled by the passengers of a bus plying on route number 761 (from Mangolpuri to Azadpur Mandi). The incident took place on outer Ring Road when a group of five-six men got into an argument with the conductor of the bus. While the victims claim innocence, the conductor and the driver maintained that the group had boarded the bus with the intention of robbing the passengers. The police is investigating the matter. Married woman hangs self
A 24-year-old housewife allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself from the ceiling in the Patel Nagar area of central Delhi, today morning. According to the police, Sonam was discovered dead by her husband Naresh who informed the police. “Marital discord is the reason behind the suicide. Naresh had yesterday called the girl’s parents to sort out the matter. The two went to bed around 10 pm, but Naresh found her hanging by a rope around 5 am,” said the police. According to information, Sonam married Naresh against her wishes about two years ago. “She liked someone else in her hometown of Sonepat and was in touch with the man. Naresh came to know about it and had called her parents to sort out the issue. However, she committed suicide later in the night,” said the police. No suicide note was found by the police. Labourer killed in wall collapse
A 20-year-old labourer working at a construction site in Model Town area of north Delhi was today afternoon killed when a wall at the site collapsed. According to the police, Chhotu was digging the foundation of the house when the wall collapsed. A case has been registered at the Model Town police station and investigations are on. |
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Woman burnt for dowry
Faridabad, December 24 The man, Sachin, his father, mother and brother have been named in the FIR. Kishan Lal, father of the deceased, Manju, was married to Sachin in 2004 and her in-laws were demanding a car. But he could give them only a motorcycle. Manju was allegedly burnt on October 24. She succumbed to her injuries yesterday night. |
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Thieves set post office afire
Noida, December 24 In another incident at Dadri, thieves struck at a jewellery shop on Jarcha Road and stole jewellery worth lakhs. Shop owner Tara Chand Verma has lodged a theft report at Dadri police station. Till late evening today, police could not trace the thieves.
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New Delhi, December 24
