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Hailstorm lashes city
Stir threat over Chandni Chowk revamp
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CM urged to raise mid-day meal amount
Hindu College students all set
for whacky V-Day
No differences with CM: L-G
Smooth show of MNIK in Delhi
Spend your V-Day at Mughal Gardens
HC issues notices on uncovered pits
Food plaza at CP soon
‘Most deaf students unable to complete Class XII’
Kirari gets 2 health centres
British minister to visit DU today
3 burglars arrested
Robber nabbed
Youth accidentally shot in marriage procession
Pay power bill arrears or get house auctioned
Colleagues protest as stamp vendor shot at, robbed
Panel to nail officials behind illegal mobile towers
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Hailstorm lashes city
New Delhi, February 12 The meteorological department has predicted that showers are likely to continue till tomorrow morning which would further bring down the temperature. “Rains are likely to continue till tomorrow morning. It will not be continuous but staggered. However, for tomorrow, we are expecting a clear sky,” said an official from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The day, however, began with a pleasant morning, with the minimum temperature settling at 11.7 degrees Celsius, two notches above normal. The maximum temperature was recorded at 23.7 degrees Celsius. While the rains, spelled inconvenience for those on roads, it brought a pleasant surprise for youngsters and children who enjoyed the unusual site of hailstones on a February evening. “It was unexpected but nice to see hailstones. I hope the weather stays like this even on Valentine’s Day. It will make for a perfect outing,” said Kritika, a sales executive. However, the downpour hit the traffic. “It is pouring heavily today. I am wondering how I will reach home from office,” said Sumit, a government employee. “The traffic has lost pace. The rain is heavy and its peak hour. Puddles of muddy water are making it all the more tough to drive,” said Rahul, a youth driving home from office. According to a Met department official, rain at this time of the year is not unusual. “The winter showers are expected at the end of January or first week of February, but this time they are delayed,” the official added. “This is the highest rainfall received in February in the past three years. On the intervening night of February 8 and 9, Delhi received 14.8 mm of rain. Last February, it rained 4.7 mm, while in February 2008 the city received 3.1 mm rain. However, 2007 received the highest rainfall of 76 mm,” he added.
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Stir threat over Chandni Chowk revamp
New Delhi, February 12 He said that thousands of crores had been spent in the name of Commonwealth Games (CWG) but nothing had been done to renovate Chandni Chowk— the market of Shahjahanabad also known as Old Delhi. Foreigners would not only visit Connaught Place but would also throng to Chandni Chowk, Goel said. Saying that the government has spent Rs 10,000 crore in Games preparation across the city and Rs 900 crore on the renovation of Connaught Place, he alleged that the government had not spent a penny in Chandni Chowk. Electric wires are hanging even on main roads. It looks ugly. Roads and footpaths too are in bad condition. He demanded that government should at least spent Rs 500 crore on the renovation of Chnadni Chowk. “When I was the MP from Chandni Chowk, I had got developed Parade Ground opposite the Red Fort, Ram Lila Ground and Ajmeri Gate. Congress MP Kapil Sibal has been representing the constituency for more than five years but no new development has taken place in the area. Chandni Chowk looks like a ‘barren chowk’,” Goel said. There were 900 havelis in the area as per the record of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). But of those, only 100 exist while the remaining have been changed into modern buildings, he said. This is the right time to renovate the ‘heritage’ buildings. When asked about the MCD’s action for developing Chandni Chowk, Goel said that he had contacted the municipal corporation.
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CM urged to raise mid-day meal amount
New Delhi, February 12 In a letter to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, leader of the House in MCD Subhash Arya said given the rising prices of food items the government should increase the rate to Rs 4.25 per child. “There has been a rise in prices of vegetables, pulses, spices and oil. It is becoming difficult to provide nutritious food to children in MCD schools,” said Arya. In 2008, the central government and the state government provided Rs 1.58 and Rs 0.92 per child respectively. “Subsequently, from April 2009 the centre increased it to Rs 1.88 per child but the Delhi government reduced the amount to Rs 0.62 per child. The centre is likely to increase the allocation by Rs 0.17 per child from April 2010. But the city government has kept its contribution capped at Rs 0.62,” Arya said. He said that though the centre has increased the contribution for mid-day meals by 30 per cent during 2010-11, the state government has reduced its share. “If the city government is committed to provide better nutrition to children, it should increase its share in the mid-day meal allocation,” added Arya.
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Hindu College students all set
for whacky V-Day
New Delhi, February 12 Hindu College students carry out a mass prayer as they try to please Damdami Mai, a glamour queen who they portray as goddess of love. They plead the goddess to bless them with one like her. Damdami Mai is also a reflection on the latest pecking order of female stars, mostly Bollywood divas. Last year, students’ choice was Katrina Kaif and she has only gone places since then. “There is a different girl every year but we have still not decided the one for this year,” said Neeraj Hasija, prime minister, students’ union, Hindu College. He said lack of funds has been a dampener this time. After the prayer, laddoos are distributed among the students, as prasad from the goddess of love. However, such is the popularity of the whacky event that students believe that they would definitely tide over any crisis. So you can be sure to see pictures and cut-outs of the chosen goddess on ‘virgin tree’ in front of the college library. Condom balloons will adorn the tree as well. Students chant prayers like “Damdami mai ki jai.” The ceremony is a symbolic appeal from boys to the cupid to help them get a girl on the festival that celebrates love. “Students ask the goddess to help them get the love of their life,” said Navdeep, a former student of the college. And it is only apt that one Mr Fresher leads the ceremony and circulates the pooja thaali among other boys in both college and hostel. Though no one really knows when the ceremony began but it was long before V-Day touched chords among the young crown in cities. Hollywood star Pamela Anderson has been made the Damdami Mai for maximum times so far. |
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No differences with CM: L-G
New Delhi, February 12 Khanna played down reports of his differences with CM and said “The Lt.-Governor acts strictly in accordance with the constitutional and statutory arrangement for governance of NCT of Delhi. The question of any differences between Lt.-Governor and Chief Minister does not rise,” a statement from Raj Niwas said.
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Smooth show of MNIK in Delhi
New Delhi, February 12 Amid beefed-up security, the movie had a smooth ride on its first day. If anything, it seems the controversy has only aroused people’s curiosity and they turned up in big numbers to watch it. At some places like Delite Cinema in Daryaganj, there were demonstrations in support of Shah Rukh and the movie. “There is absolutely no tension or security threat to any of our cinemas in Delhi. We have not come across any untoward incident since morning. We are in fact receiving tremendous response from the people,” said Manish Kumar, manager of one of the PVR Cinemas in central Delhi. The film also benefited from the Shivratri holiday today. On an average, multiplexes are running 11 to 12 shows of the film in a day, said a distributor, adding that booking was houseful. Kumar’s view was echoed by an official of Big Cinema. “We had asked for security from police as a precautionary measure, but the situation was normal. Shows are mostly houseful. Morning shows had 85 per cent occupancy, but the afternoon shows are sold out,” said Kuldeep, duty officer at Big Cinema, south Delhi. Speaking about vandalism at Satyam Cinema in Janakpuri, the police said the trouble-makers were not likely associated with any political groups. “A group of youngsters, who were drunk, broke glasses just to create mischief. One of them was caught. They don’t seem to be associated with any political party or group. They did not have any placards or posters against the movie,” said deputy commissioner of police (west) Sharad Agarwal. The Shiv Sena, which is protesting Khan’s remarks favouring inclusion of Pakistani players in the IPL, had threatened that it would not allow the screening of the film in cinemas and multiplexes in the national capital region.
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Spend your V-Day at Mughal Gardens
New Delhi, February 12 The gardens will be open for the public on all days from 10 am to 5 pm, barring Monday. On Monday, the gardens will be closed for maintenance purposes. The main Mughal Garden is blooming with annual flowers such as— roses, lilies, tulips, double pansy flowers and eye-catching velvet green lawns intercepted with lotus-shaped fountains and blue-base water canals.This year, the special attraction will be the Cactus Corner and a Bonsai Segment. Bonsai (dwarf plants) and a variety of cactii add to the beauty of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Bonsai lovers will be able to enjoy a collection of such plants, which are on display. While walking into the gardens, visitors will also be able to experience how green surroundings and water bodies can add to an eco-friendly environment by attracting fauna. The Mughal Gardens, contiguous to the main building of Rashtrapati Bhavan, cover an area of 15 acres. They were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and inspired by the beautiful gardens of Jammu and Kashmir, the garden around the Taj Mahal and Persian and Indian miniature paintings. The Mughal Gardens comprise three parts— the first is the Rectangular Garden adjacent to the main Rashtrapati Bhavan building, which is divided into four quarters, each with terraced gardens on either side. The central lawn serves as venue for receptions and ‘At Homes’ hosted by the President. The Biodiversity Park, which is home to deer, ducks, turkeys, turtles and migratory birds, is another attraction. This park is also full of peacocks that invite large number of visitors every year.
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HC issues notices on uncovered pits
New Delhi, February 12 The court was hearing the petition filed by criminal justice society highlighting the case of 78-year-old Trilok Nath Makan who died in August last year after falling into an eight-foot-deep pit outside his south Delhi home. Makan, who retired as additional private secretary to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, lived in B-Block of Shivalik road in Malviya Nagar.
“He had stepped out to buy groceries from shops near his house at 8.15 pm on Friday. The pit on the divider, where work was underway to install new street lights, was a death trap sans warning signs or barricade. To make matters worse, the area was dark because the power had been turned off while the street lights were being installed,” the petition reads. Demanding an enquiry report from the MCD, the petitioners have also sought compensation of Rs 1 crore and Rs 10 crore as punitive damages. “There are death traps in the shape of open manholes and pits all over the city but there seems to be no outrage over this and the officials responsible face no action,” the petitioner argued before the court. The court has asked the governments and other agencies to file a detailed reply by March 10.
— IANS |
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Food plaza at CP soon
New Delhi, February 12 The plaza that will be constructed by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will come in place of the existing Cup & Saucer restaurant at the Minto Road under-bridge. The place will have many well-recognised international food brands that will offer different international cuisines under one roof. In all, some 30-40 brands can offer their products from the plaza and each of them would be provided with dedicated cooking and seating space. These brands would be selected by a five-member committee consisting of experienced Indian chefs and other personalities. “Delhi is gearing up for the Commonwealth Games and CP is an important point for local, national and foreign tourists. The idea is to add value to the city’s image as these properties will remain relevant even after the Games are over,” said a senior MCD officer. The plaza would be designed and constructed completely in alignment with the architectural design of CP. “The site would have provisions for people to sit in the open and enjoy the evenings with their families. The visitors can also enjoy the street food of Delhi. There would also be provision to hold small cultural events and folk dances at the site. The entire building will be constructed with eco-friendly materials and shall be energy-efficient,” said the officer. |
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‘Most deaf students unable to complete Class XII’
New Delhi, February 12 “This is the reason why most deaf students do not complete 12 years of study,” said Madan Vasishta, associate professor from Gallaudet University, Washington DC. He was here today at Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) to deliver a lecture on ‘Sign Language and Deaf Education: the Role of Sign language in Education of Deaf Children’. Providing figures to substantiate his claims, Vasishta said around 5 per cent of the deaf students complete high school and just one per cent of them go to university. “The employment rate also is as low as around 15 per cent,” he said. The professor said that India needed at least one million interpreters for the deaf, whereas it had just 10 to 20 such interpreters. The Indian Disabilities Act (1995) has little provision for the development and standardisation of Indian Sign Language, which is used by 1.5 million people, said Vasishta. Coordinators of the newly-started B.A. programme in sign language at IGNOU are thinking of collaborating with Gallaudet University to develop of quality interpreters for the deaf in India. |
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Kirari gets 2 health centres
New Delhi, February 12 Such primary urban health centres, which would be opened in localities having 50,000 population, would provide medication starting from common illness, check-up of pregnant ladies, vaccination to children and pregnant ladies etc, said Walia. Health workers would apprise women of the area about the significance of breast-feeding and educate them about pregnancy, immunisation and adolescent health problems etc. |
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3 burglars arrested
New Delhi, February 12 On the day, the police received information about their presence at Rukmani Devi School in Maurya Enclave. A team of police rushed to the spot and found the locks of the canteen and office broken. A search was conducted on the campus and the burglars were nabbed. However, two of their accomplices, Narender and Vijay, both residents of Bawana, succeeded in fleeing the spot. On search, Rs 1,153 stolen from the canteen and equipment used in the burglary were recovered from them. “Raj and Sonu told the police that they used to hire Imtiyaz’s auto-rickshaw for committing crimes. They used to pay him Rs 500 every time,” said deputy commissioner of policeN.S. Bundela. |
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Robber nabbed
New Delhi, February 12 The crime Branch on Thursday received information that Ikrar would come near Okhla Subji Mandi to meet Lal. Accordingly, a trap was laid and they were nabbed. The police recovered a country-made pistol and two cartridges from Ikrar. The motorcycle that Ikrar was riding was found to be stolen from the Welcome area. Ikrar, a school dropout, is a member of a gang committing robberies, snatchings and other crimes. Lal, who runs a canteen at the Indian Overseas Bank, is Ikrar’s neighbour. Ikrar had lured him into providing information about people frequently drawing huge cash from the bank. |
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Youth accidentally shot in marriage procession
Gurgaon, February 12 A relative of the groom on Thursday night tried to fire a round in the air but the bullet hit Dharmendra’s face and he died on the spot. “He was rushed to Sai Hospital where doctors declared him brought dead,” said a senior police officer. The police was informed by the hospital authorities. “By the time we reached the spot, the marriage procession had moved and reached Ghamdaur village. But we have identified the person who fired the bullet and have sent a team to arrest him,” the officer said.
—IANS |
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Pay power bill arrears or get house auctioned
Noida, February 12 The corporation has come up with a plan for one-time payment of power bill arrears. According to the plan, 100 per cent of the surcharge amount will be deducted from the bills if the consumers choose to make one-time payment of arrears. According to power department sources, this will be the last chance for the consumers who want to pay their power bill arrears. The properties of those who fail to take advantage of this offer could be auctioned subsequently. This information was given by A.P. Mishra, head, Gautam Budh Nagar circle of UPPCL. He said the scheme, which started on February 8, would continue till March 31. Consumers can approach the officials concerned for the deduction of the surcharge amount. Officers have been authorised to write off the surcharge amounts as per heir ranks. A junior engineer is authorised to weave surcharge up to Rs 25,000, SDO up to Rs 1 lakh, executive engineer up to Rs 5 lakh, superintendent engineer up to Rs 25 lakh and chief engineer can write off surcharge amount up to Rs 50 lakh and above. “During this period, the leaves of all the officers concerned of the UPPCL have been cancelled and they have been asked to be available in their offices on all days, including Sundays and holidays, so that the consumers can get their bill amounts corrected and modified,” Mishra said
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Colleagues protest as stamp vendor shot at, robbed
Greater Noida, February 12 They gheraoed district magistrate, GB Nagar, and urged him to order the police to nab the accused at the earliest. The police said the victim Harinder Kumar was going to buy stamp papers when four bike-borne men attacked and robbed him. The bandits took away his bike too. Kumar of Bulandshahr worked as a stamp vendor near the registrar’s office in Greater Noida. He had reportedly left his residence for office on bike. Near Astoli village, four men on two bikes blocked his way. They tried to snatch the money bag. When Kumar resisted, the bandits first beat him and then one of them shot him in the stomach. Harinder fell unconscious after he informed his father and colleagues about the incident on phone. He was rushed to a hospital. He is said to be in a critical condition. The agitating stamp vendors said that they could buy stamp papers from treasury only on Mondays and Thursdays. This is known to criminals who often waylaid stamp vendors. |
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Panel to nail officials behind illegal mobile towers
Noida, February 12 The committee headed by C.B. Singh, deputy CEO of Noida Authority, has begun scanning the records from 2002 to 2008 when most towers were installed to identify officials responsible for illegal installation. On February 5, an Allahabad High Court Bench comprising Justice Prakash Krishna and Justice Yogesh Chandra Gupta while delivering the order on a petition filed by Idea Cellular had observed that the Noida Authority officials were equally responsible for the unauthorised installations. “These towers have bot been erected overnight. Without the connivance of the Noida Authority officials, the installation of towers is not possible. The authority should have taken disciplinary action for dereliction of duty against officials who were responsible for it,” the court had observed. “The Noida Authority is required to disclose the action taken against officials who were responsible to prevent such installation,” the court said while directing the authority to submit a counter affidavit within two weeks.
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New Delhi, February 12
New Delhi, February 12
