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Sale of Games tickets begins
CM in dark about ticketing function
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Visitor dies in mishap at Games office
Environment Day today
Pollution— the price for Delhi’s development
Shop owner shot
Man drowns near DJB pipeline
CAR CRASH
HC: Women can be booked for domestic violence
Self-employment scheme falls through
HC stays panel on phone towers
Boy missing for 29 days, kidnapping report yet to be lodged
CM monitors IGI terminal work
India’s youngest Everester wants to join army
Gt Noida sweats due to power cuts
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Sale of Games tickets begins
The first two tickets were presented to the LG and Delhi Mayor Prithvi Raj Sawhney. Ticket prices for the sporting events range from Rs 50 to Rs 1,000. Prices of the tickets for the opening ceremony will range from Rs 1,000 to Rs 50,000, and for the closing ceremony, from Rs 750 to Rs 50,000. Almost 40 per cent of the total sporting event tickets will be priced at Rs 200 or below. Four events— marathon, the walk, cycling road race and cycling time trial—have been kept free of charge for viewing. “The tickets for the Games are affordable and easily available. I believe that sports fans across the country are eager to witness the spectacle that will unfold in October. I hope all Delhiites will come forward and buy tickets in large numbers and the stadiums will be houseful for all the competitions,” said Kalmadi. Ticketing is one of the four revenue streams for the OC of the CWG. The other three being broadcast rights, sponsorships and merchandise. The sale of tickets will begin with immediate effect at outlets of Central Bank of India and Hero Honda, CWG ticketing call center (1800-200-1294) as well as through the official ticketing website. |
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CM in dark about ticketing function
New Delhi, June 4 Her absence in the programme was conspicuous while the leader of opposition in Delhi Legislative Assembly, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, was one of the dignitaries on the occasion. When asked by the media about the function, the Chief Minister expressed ignorance. “I don’t know. Even I was not told about the event. I am coming to know about it from you (media)”, she told reporters at the Secretariat. This function marked the beginning of the sale of tickets for CWG. When asked that the attitude of organizing committee was insulting, the Chief Minister said, “I don’t call it insulting. It does not make any difference to me. I am doing my duty for the city.” She was, however, present at an organising committee function in February to release the Commonwealth Games Ecological Code. |
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Visitor dies in mishap at Games office
New Delhi, June 4 "The deceased has been identified as Shambu Nayak. He had come to meet Suresh Kalmadi and was waiting for him when a pillar holding a wooden platform fell over him. Nayak was rushed to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries in the wee hours today," said a police officer. According to information, the incident took place while a stage was being erected for the ceremonial launch of tickets for the Commonwealth Games, today. An official from the OC, adding that a compensation package for the deceased could be announced. A case has been launched against the event management agency that was responsible for the ticket launch ceremony. |
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Further drop in temperature expected
New Delhi, June 4 The weather office has predicted more drop in temperatures in the days to come and with a strong possibility of rain and thundershowers in the next three days. “The city will see a partly cloudy sky tomorrow. There is a possibility of rain and thunderstorm in some areas accompanied with squall. The maximum temperature is expected to settle around 39 degree Celsius, while the minimum is expected to hover around 29 degree s. The met department has attributed these changes, including the drop in the temperatures, to an approaching western disturbance. “The residents can be relived of the scorching heat as the dust haze has blocked most of the sun. This has reduced the heat in the air and led to the drop in temperatures. The winds have also led to lesser humidity,” said a Met official. |
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Environment Day today
New Delhi, June 4 Environment secretary Dharmendra Kumar says the condition will be better in the coming months as the government works hard to make the city pollution-free before the Commonwealth Games. Kumar said that the introduction of sulfur-free diesel is an important step in this regard as sulfur is a major cause of pollution. The government is also concentrating on increasing the green area of Delhi. In 1998, only 10 per cent of the Capital’s area was green, now more than 20 per cent area has turned green after the plantation of saplings, he said. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) are setting up six air quality monitoring stations, including two mobile stations, in the areas with high vehicular traffic. These stations would track all notified air pollutants and toxins during the Games. Official sources said that the CPCB officials are working with two French firms, Aria Technologies SA and Leosphere, to set up a mechanism for making the air clean in parts of Delhi. Besides, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) at Pune in Maharashtra has already prepared a forecasting system for the Games. The system will monitor 10 locations in and around the Games venues and the Village. As far as water pollution is concerned, the Delhi Jal Board has invested Rs 246 crore under Yamuna Action Plan (YPA) – I and II to make the river clean. It has planned to construct water interceptors to treat the sewerage lines that fall into the river, said a DJB spokesperson. Recently the Union Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure has approved of DJB water interceptor projects to be constructed on Najafgarh and Shahdara drains at a cost of Rs 1,357 crore. The spokesperson said that cleaning the Yamuna is a major project and it would take some time to make the river water clean. |
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Pollution— the price for Delhi’s development
New Delhi, June 4 The national Capital is in a ring of smog and has been rated the fourth most polluted city of the world by the World Health Organisation. With Delhi being a city with roughly one million vehicles plying a day and where waste burning is a daily affair, pollution levels are reportedly on the rise. Recent reports of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) have stated that levels of nitrogen oxide and ozone are rising in almost all locations in Delhi. The particulate matter (PM) too has reached the pre-CNG days. An air purifier set up by an Italian firm in Connaught Place has confirmed the presence of toxic gases like carbon monoxide, lead and uranium in Delhi's air. The environment experts have attributed the degrading air quality in Delhi to the increasing vehicular pollution and felling of trees for developmental projects. The situation has forced the state government to implement citywide pollution reduction strategies before it hosts the Commonwealth Games in October. The state government recently enhanced the security deposit for cutting down a tree while carrying out developmental work from Rs 1,000 to Rs 28,000, and made plantation of 10 saplings mandatory for cutting a tree. "The step was taken in view of the thousands of trees that have been felled during the past few years for developmental works ranging from road expansion to laying of the Metro network," said a senior Delhi government official. But the spaces marked by the government for re-plantation of saplings is generally located in the outer limits of the city, which will hardly benefit the air quality in Delhi, feel experts. "Planting trees miles away from where they have been cut is no compensation. It will have no direct impact on improving the city's air quality. The compensatory re-plantation rule also does not bind civic agencies to look after the saplings till they grow up to become trees," said another official. |
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DU offers B.Sc maths to humanities students
New Delhi, June 4 Two courses offered by the university in the past, B.A. (Hons.) mathematics and B.Sc. (Hons.) mathematics, are now being offered as B.Sc. (Hons.) mathematics. The courses were merged last year with an understanding of providing a common science degree to all the students opting for mathematics course. “The university had two separate courses of mathematics each one for students coming from humanities and science background. However, they were compiled last year to offer one B.Sc. course,” said N.K.Jain, senior faculty member of mathematics department of DU. The B.Sc. (Hons.) mathematics is offered to students coming from either humanities or science background. “I wanted to apply for mathematics as it is one of my main subjects in school even though I am from humanities background,” said Ruchira Kumar, DU aspirant, who said she did not apply for the course thinking it was only for students from science stream. The admission assistants sitting on information counters do not know much about the course content and requirements. “Many students have been coming to us asking about the course as mathematics is one of the popular subjects offered by DU, but there is much confusion about this,” said Nikhil Malik, admission counsellor. After the merger into the one B.Sc. (Hons.) course, the university now provides students with different optional subjects. “Students from the science stream are given subsidiary subjects from the science stream while students from humanities background are given optional subjects from arts,” said Abha Dev Habib, Academic Council from science, DU. The faculty from the mathematics department, however, said students might face difficulty due to the name of the course. “The administration would only understand the problem after one batch graduates as DU’s M.A. in mathematics would become redundant then,” said Jain. At present, the university offers two postgraduation courses for mathematics M.A. and M.Sc., but the teachers said students coming from humanities background with undergraduate science degree would not be able to cope with the science course. “There might also be problem for these students to get science-oriented jobs as they basically come from the humanities background,” said Jain. |
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DU science teachers stick to annual exam system
New Delhi, June 4 "The teachers unanimously resolved to teach in accordance with the syllabi under annual system," said Inder Kapahy, chairman, general body of science teachers. He said the annual scheme syllabi had the sanction of the University Act, satutes and ordinances while the semester-based courses lacked the statutory mandate. The teachers also decided to function under the banner of DUTA to resist alleged moves of the vice-chancellor. |
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Shop owner shot
New Delhi, June 4 According to police, the bikers opened fire at Praveen five times and left only after ensuring that he was dead. "Praveen received five bullet injuries, two in the head and three in the chest. He was declared brought dead at the hospital," said a police official. As per information, Praveen was walking towards his house after shutting shop when two bike-borne persons shot him twice from the pointblank range. After Praveen fell on the ground, the man with the gun got down from his bike and again fired three shots at him. Since there was no attempt of robbery and Praveen's wallet, watch and rings were found on him, police believes enmity to be the reason behind the murder. "It could be business rivalry. However, it is not a robbery attempt. We are investigating the matter and cannot say anything for sure now," said a police official. |
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Man drowns near DJB pipeline
New Delhi, June 4 "The deceased has been identified as Naushad and was taking a bath along with his four children near the pipeline. His leg slipped and he drowned in the ditch," said a police officer. The police further stated that he stayed in the Pusta area, Gali number-10 in New Usmanpur with his wife, Mehar Jahan and five children. |
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CAR CRASH
New Delhi, June 4 Dinesh is son of Kanwar Singh Tawar, who contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections on the BSP ticket from the South Delhi constituency. "He has been released on bail. The investigations are on," a police official. |
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HC: Women can be booked for domestic violence
New Delhi, June 4 “If restricted interpretation to the Domestic Violence Act is given, the very purpose for which this act is enacted would be defeated. It would be very easy for the husband or other male members to frustrate the remedy by ensuring that the violence on the wife is perpetrated by female members,” the court said. The court was hearing the appeal filed by Varsha Kapoor, mother-in-law, against a lower court order that had issued her a notice for violation of the provisions of the act. Kapoor had challenged the order, saying a woman cannot charge another woman under Domestic Violence Act. The petitioner also stated that the act is enacted to protect women from men, and therefore, a woman cannot be respondent in a petition filed by another woman. “We are afraid there is hardly any merit in the argument. Main provision deals with those who are in a domestic relationship with the respondent, whereas proviso deals with aggrieved wife or a female in live-in relationship,” the court said.
— IANS |
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Self-employment scheme falls through
Greater Noida, June 4 However, one of the physically challenged persons, Praveen, got
only Rs 100 out of her share of Rs 20,000. She does not know where the
rest of the money has gone. Praveen’s husband is also physically
challenged. They are too weak to ask the secretary of the group for the
details of the amount. Now the date for repayment of the loan to bank
is drawing near and she has to deposit Rs 20,000 of her share. The
couple might have to sell their small cottage to deposit the
amount.Another member Rubina was lucky as she had received Rs 17,500 out
of Rs 20,000 of her share. Praveen and Rubina are not solitary cases.
It appears to be the case with most of the recipients of government
loans. The money meant for the poor and needy is being devoured by the
government babus, gram secretaries and officials, it is alleged. Under
the Swarn Jyanti Yojna, a self-employment group is formed and people are
provided with bank loans for starting some business. Half of the loan
amount is given as subsidy by the government. Last year 167 groups were
to be formed, but only 16 could be set up. This year, only seven groups
have been formed. The central government had granted loans worth Rs
82.76 lakh while the UP government provided Rs 27.59 lakh worth of
subsidy. From 1999 till date, only 205 groups have been formed, but 170
groups had to close down for want of grants. Even the bank officials
harass the hapless people under the Swarn Jyanti Gram Yojna, says Manika,
president of Inshu Sahayta Samooh. “We have to make many trips to
government offices and banks. Bank officials harass us after the release
of the money,” she said. |
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HC stays panel on phone towers
New Delhi, June 4 Hearing an appeal filed by the MCD against the single bench order of May 31, a division bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Madan B. Lokur stayed the formation of the panel and issued notice to the cellular operators association to file their responses by July 8. The court also overturned the single bench order that had asked cellular operators to pay Rs 2 lakh as licence fee and said the operators should now pay Rs 1.5 lakh and a fixed deposit of Rs 50,000. The fixed deposit will remain with the MCD till the disposal of the case. On May 31, Justice Kailash Gambhir had asked the department of telecommunications and the MCD commissioner to set up a committee of medical and technical experts and NGO representatives to look into health risks caused by phone towers and the regulation policy for such towers adopted in developed countries. The sealing drive against illegal towers is on hold for now. The stay on sealing will continue till further orders. There are 5,364 mobile phone towers within MCD’s jurisdiction. Of these, 2,952 have been declared illegal for coming up without the civic agency’s authorisation. Under the revised MCD guidelines unveiled on February 9, the licence fee to be paid by a telecom operator to the civic agency for installing a tower has been increased from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. Cellular operators have, in their petition, termed the hike totally arbitrary. “The licence fee earlier was Rs 1 lakh for 20 years, which has now been increased to Rs 5 lakh for five years. When MCD increased the fees, did it make any arrangement to increase the facilities attached to the tower?” the cellular operators have asked. The MCD sealed about 300 towers in recent months. But 41 of them were made operational again after the companies completed the formalities. According to the civic agency, mobile operators who have set up towers illegally were given one month to get them regularised. The deadline expired in the first week of May.
— IANS |
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Boy missing for 29 days, kidnapping report yet to be lodged
Noida, June 4 The family of the boy fears that he may have been killed by the kidnappers by now. It seems the Noida police has torn to shreds the government order that makes it mandatory for the police to lodge a kidnapping report within three days of a minor going missing. Mohit Kumar, 15, a resident of Khora Colony here, was a student of Kendriya Vidalya. On May 7, he left home on his bicycle for school. However, he neither reached school nor returned home. His father, Narinder Pal Singh, checked with all his friends and relatives, but could not get any information about Mohit. On May 8, Singh lodged a missing report at the Sector 24 police station. Singh found Mohit’s cycle at a pan shop in Sector 12. The shopkeeper told him that the cycle was sold to him by three boys, including one called Chintu. Chintu told the police that Mohit was one of the boys who had sold the cycle. The police now claims that Mohit have gone on his own. However, Singh feels his son may have been killed by his kidnappers. But the Sector 24 police has not yet converted the missing report of Mohit into a kidnapping report. This, according to the rule, should have been done by May 12. A.K. Tripathi, SP (city), however, says efforts are being made to recover the boy. |
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CM monitors IGI terminal work
New Delhi, June 4 She said that modernization work was being carried out by Delhi International Private Limited. The work is near completion and the terminal will likely to be inaugurated in July. A presentation was also made before Dikshit. The terminal at ground level has vast arrival facilities and on the first floor, it has departure lounges for domestic and international travellers. The area has been developed to present a pleasing look and provide comforts to the passengers. She was also briefed about the details on landscaping inside and on approach roads to it. |
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India’s youngest Everester wants to join army
New Delhi, June 4 Arjun Vajpai, a doughty schoolboy from Noida, met Singh on Thursday, the spokesperson said. “Army chief Gen. V.K. Singh felicitated Arjun Vajpai, a young boy from Noida who scaled Mt. Everest recently,” the spokesperson said. “On meeting the chief, he expressed a deep desire to join the Indian Army where fortitude and courage is a norm. His next mission is to join the elite National Defence Academy,” the spokesperson said Vajpai, son of a retired army Major and an alumnus of Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, last month hoisted the Indian tricolour on the snow-clad summit of the 8,848 metre mountain. He is a class 12 student of Ryan International School in
Noida. — IANS |
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Gt Noida sweats due to power cuts
Greater Noida, June 4 People prefer to stay indoors due to dusty winds. Since Noida Power Company Ltd (NPCL) is not having enough power to supply to the area, a power crisis has been persisting for the last two months. NPCL has about 80 to 90 megawatt power while the demand is around 130 megawatts. Rakesh Kumar, a resident of Gama Sector, said power cuts used to be confined to daytime only, but now there are frequent power cuts during the nights also. Dusty winds outdoors and stifling heat inside have made people breathless. Residents have the grievance that the Greater Noida Authority had promised 24 hours of power supply while allotting houses to them. There is neither power nor water in the area, pointed out Ramesh Kumar of Suthyana village. |
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Lt. Governor of Delhi Tejendra Khanna (R), together with President of the Indian Olympic Association
(IOA) Suresh Kalmadi, Archery Association of India president Vijay Kumar Malhotra and Shera (L), the mascot of 2010 Commonwealth Games, poses with a CWC ticket during the launch of Commonwealth Games ticket sales in New Delhi on Friday. Tribune photo: Manas Ranjan Bhui
New Delhi, June 4