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3 kids die in wall collapse
Removal of hoardings undemocratic: BJP
Hoardings: BJP chief gets notice
ADM, 7 others booked for fraud
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Cheats usurp land relief
Fear of mobile tower radiation grips Delhi area
More facilities to treat biomedical waste
First aid kiosks to be set up at 23 Metro stations
Punjabis urged to speak their mother tongue
Warehouse gutted in Pitampura
Water crisis may
affect South Delhi
Neuro patient hangs self
Three held, 21 cases of burglaries worked out
Gang of burglars smashed
Moolchand to offer diploma courses
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3 kids die in wall collapse
New Delhi, June 13 The dead were identified as Ashu (4), Arup (4) and Shala (6). The injured were Shivani, Sangeeta, Akash, Savita, Roopa, Anita, Vinod and Golu. They were admitted to Kalawati and Sanjay Gandhi hospitals, police said. The police said that wall of a vacant plot fell on a jhuggi due to storm in the Nihal Vihar police station area where Ashu, Shivani, Sangeeta, Arup, Akash and Savita were buried under the debris. Residents of other jhuggis removed them from the debris and called the police that rushed them to hospital. Ashu was declared brought dead in the hospitals while others are fighting for life. In another incident in the same police station area, Shala, Vinod and Golu were buried under the debris after wall collapse in which Shala was removed dead while two were injured, the police said. |
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Removal of hoardings undemocratic: BJP
New Delhi, June 13 Both the agencies –MCD and Delhi government—worked overtime on Saturday to remove the hoardings. It is surprising that in a single day, that too on a holiday, 25 hoardings from DTC bus stops and 20 hoardings from MCD poles were removed. The hoardings highlighted the misdeeds of DERC and Delhi government, the leaders said. Both the BJP leaders in the MCD said that the hoardings were erected in an authorised manner. The advertiser had paid the private concessionaire who was allotted the sites. The hoardings highlighted that DERC was going to reduce the electricity tariff, but the Chief Minister came in the way. “Power distribution companies are looting the hard-earned money of Delhiites to the extent Rs 1,000 crore. We wanted to raise our voice through these hoardings,” they pointed out. The hoardings were erected at Pusa Road, Karol Bagh, Shankar Road, Hari Nagar, Jhandewalan, Delhi Gate, Rani Jhansi Road, Najafgarh Road, Rajendra Nagar Road, New Rohatk Road, Filmistan, Subzi Mandi, etc. The saffron party leaders emphasised that the BJP was not served with any notice whereas even private organizations are issued with a show cause notice and asked to remove the hoardings by themselves within 48 hours. Arya and Chandolia said that they would build up a public campaign against the undemocratic action of the Delhi government. |
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Hoardings: BJP chief gets notice
New Delhi, June 13 The legal notice served by Dikshit tells Gupta to tender an unconditional public apology within three days and withdraw all false allegations and derogatory statements made by him in various advertisements, failing which he would face strict legal action, a statement said. As per the legal notice, numerous hoardings at various prominent locations across Delhi, violating the outdoor advertisement policy approved by the Supreme Court, were conspired to be displayed by the Delhi BJP. It has been stated that the hoardings and advertisements issued at the behest of Gupta are in fact a part of conspiracy to mislead people and besmirch the reputation of a popular Chief Minister who has returned to power successively three times after dismantling the stronghold of the BJP. Gupta has also been asked to disclose the names of his co-conspirators in this slanderous campaign, the statement said. |
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ADM, 7 others booked for fraud
Greater Noida, June 13 He alleged that Chet Ram, Gulab Jagat, Narinder, Ravinder and Bishambri Devi in collusion with the tehsil and revenue department officials fraudulently got their names entered in revenue record and got his name erased. He came to know about the fraud over six months ago and lodged a complaint with SDM Dadri. The SDM had ordered the names of the accused persons to be removed from the records as he found them to be fictitious. But these people had already taken Rs 13.50 lakh compensation on the basis of old khataunis. SHO Harish Chander Joshi said the police was investigating the case. If the ADM and the LA were found involved in the fraud, a letter would be sent to the administration for initiating departmental action against them, the SHO said. |
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Cheats usurp land relief
Greater Noida, June 13 Surinder Sharma and his brother Girjesh Sharma owned 23 bigha land in Khet No 117 of the village. This land has been acquired by Yamuna Expressway Authority and the compensation of this land comes to about Rs 2 crore. When the authority engineers reached there to take measurements of the fields, the Sharma brothers opposed them saying that they would not allow the Yamuna Expressway Authority engineers to take measurements of the area unless they were paid the compensation. The brothers were shocked when engineers told them that the compensation for the fields had been paid a month ago. In their complaint to the police, the brothers asked how the compensation could be paid when the file pertaining to it was still in the office of the ADM and LA. |
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Fear of mobile tower radiation grips Delhi area
New Delhi, June 13 Shubash Kapoor, a resident of BC Block in Shalimar Bagh (east) says an Idea Cellular tower has been erected on the terrace of the third floor apartment where he lives as a tenant, with the permission of the landlord. As telecom giants pay huge rents, house owners allow them to set up mobile phone towers. “Why can’t they look at other alternatives for revenue? Why are they playing with the lives of residents?” Kapoor asked. Sudha Sharma, another angry resident, said, “Why don’t they (mobile companies) understand residents’ problems? We have to suffer because of mobile towers.” “For over two years since the erection of the mobile tower, we have been suffering health problems like headache, fatigue and vomiting because of radiation. My six-year-old son is the worst-hit,” she claimed. “My doctor has confirmed these health issues are linked to radiation from the mobile tower,” she added. Sharma said their neighbour was suffering from cancer in the spinal cord, while another resident had complained of heart ailments. According to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi has over 5,000 mobile phone towers, of which 2,500 are illegally erected. Shockingly, most of these are in residential areas. The MCD has threatened to seal illegal mobile phone towers because of possible health hazards. The Delhi High Court, which had earlier ordered the formation of a panel to study the health risks caused by mobile phone towers, put a stay on it and issued notice to the cellular operators association to file their responses by July 8. “Despite the civic body’s norms, many mobile towers are installed near residential colonies, schools, hospitals and dispensaries - all areas where they are not allowed,” said a civic body official. Experts say mobile phone towers installed on the top of buildings are a definite threat to human health. “Exposure to electromagnetic waves generate heat in the body and high levels of radiation can even affect the enzyme system, cause mutation of DNA, protein structure and cell membranes,” said Neha Kumar, an expert in industrial biotechnology, who has done research work on electromagnetic radiation. “People who stay within the beam of the towers are the worst-hit. The continuous exposure to electromagnetic radiation could have a pernicious effect on our health,” she said. “The safest radiation exposure limit for a human being is 100 micro watts per square metre. But in many residential areas, the exposure limit is more than 1,000 micro watts per square metres,” she added. G.K. Jadhav, senior consultant in the oncology department of the Apollo Hospital, said the worst-affected by mobile tower radiations are heart patients, particularly those who have pacemakers. “We also attend to many brain tumour patients who are constantly exposed to electromagnetic radiation,” Jadhav added. However, chief co-operative affairs officer of Idea Cellular Rajat Mukarji denied the allegations, saying the towers installed by the company across the country were not harmful. “The radiation levels are checked by a telecom engineering centre and they are at nominal levels; yet if residents demand that the tower be removed, they should approach the company directly,” he added. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), along with other central agencies, has proposed that the radiation exposure be limited to be 9.2 watts per square metre in India, though experts say this needs to be widely debated and analysed before implementation. S. Raghunath, senior scientist in the Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CEERI) at Pilani, however, said, “As a scientist, I cannot believe that mobile towers emit such radiation. Radiation from mobile phones used for long duration is higher than those from mobile towers.”
— IANS |
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More facilities to treat biomedical waste
New Delhi, June 13 The DHS has already issued expression of interests and invited bid for the existing BMW set-up at Okhla as the private consultant currently offering the biomedical services wants to end the partnership with the city health department. “The current private operator (Synergy Waste Management Pvt Ltd) has clearly said that it no longer wants to carry the work. Though no fixed date has been fixed, we are receiving requests from parties for all the four biomedical facilities, two of which are yet to come. We want to encourage competition among the operators,” said Dr S Bhattacharjee, DHS, Delhi government. Under the climate change plan 2009-2012, these units would be targeting 100 per cent quality in treating biomedical waste and for this the consultants would help in the tender issuance and bidding process. As of date, eight proposals from the interested private consultants have been received by the DHS. Within two months, the names of the consultants might be shortlisted, said Dr Bhattacharjee. While the biomedical waste facility in Okhla, based on the model of public-private partnership, has been in operation since 2006, another facility for which previously land was allotted in Ghazipur is slated to be functional by August. As land allotted at Ghazipur was found to be unfit, in Nilothi an alternative area was identified in November last year. The capacity of current BMW set-up at Okhla is 10 tonnes per day. In the Capital, according to official data, about 25 tonnes of bio-medical waste is generated per day from the organised sector, which entails government hospitals, dispensaries, nursing homes, etc. However, the city records a total of nearly 50 tonnes of biomedical waste every day, both by the organised sector and small practitioners and quacks. |
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NHRC set to open a new chapter
To set the record straight, these violations had occurred before Justice Balakrishnan assumed office and even the NHRC’s cognizance came prior to his appointment, but the media has been apprised of these developments only now. Sources said NHRC had earlier an acting chairman as its Act says that only a former Chief Justice of India could be its full-time head. Balakrishnan’s appointment has invigorated the commission and you can expect it to go into overdrive in the coming days. Political scandal in hospital
The public protests in Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital on June 9 over the “removal” of a patient’s kidney may have something to do with the local MLA’s “animosity” with the hospital management, especially medical superintendent RA Gautam. Hospital officials say they would have managed to convince the patient’s family that the allegations were unfounded but for the intervention of MLA Anil Chaudhary and his sloganeering supporters. They threw stones at the hospital and rallied people around the emotive issue of kidney removal, an allegation which was later proved conclusively wrong. The Congress leader nurses some old grudge against the hospital and found the timing opportune to get back at it. Interestingly, Delhi Pradesh Mahila Congress leader Manju Dixit vouched for the hospital’s integrity and her supporters accused Choudhary of deliberately trying to malign the hospital’s image in order to settle personal scores. The MLA, of course, says he was serving a public cause and has nothing against the hospital. Admission
bonanza for rickshaw pullers!
Rickshaw pullers on the North Campus made good business during the admission rush at Delhi University (DU). For thousands of outsiders, who thronged the campus to purchase and deposit admission forms, these rickshaws were the only option to go from one college to another in the scorching heat. Some student groups had worked to make some customized rickshaws available to admission seekers, which were more comfortable, but charged an exorbitant Rs 100 to take them around different colleges. Many students complained that they were short-changed and taken around the whole campus while they needed to go just to the adjacent college. Since the admissions were centralised, students needed to visit maximum two colleges on campus, which should not have taken more than Rs 20. A long pending fare hike
Increase in fuel prices has long been on the cards and it has kept Delhi transport officials on tenterhooks. The transport union has been pushing for a fare hike, saying auto fare is not commensurate with CNG price. The government has so far ignored their demands though it’s a different matter that few auto drivers in the Capital charge their passengers the meter rate. Last week, when reports appeared that the Union cabinet was likely to hike the fuel prices, Union members stepped up their efforts to make the administration accept their demand. However, the expected hike in the fuel prices never came and the government heaved a sigh of relief. But it is certain that whenever fuel prices are jacked, people should be ready for another hike in auto and taxi fares. Some solutions
to gridlock
A majority of commuters in the Capital use public transports to travel around but 75 per cent of road space in Delhi is occupied by cars and two-wheelers, which are modes of personal conveyance. Transport officials say the government may keep widening the road and raising flyovers as much as it can but a solution to gridlocks would evade it unless it comes with concrete measures to keep private vehicle off roads. And one idea doing the round is slap motorists with “congestion tax”. “We should make private transport expensive and public transports more comfortable and accessible,” an official said, adding that the government is working on
it. (Contributed by Kumar Rakesh, Ananya Panda, Akhila Singh, Syed Ali Ahmed, Jyoti Rai) |
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First aid kiosks to be set up at 23 Metro stations
New Delhi, June 13 DMRC has shortlisted these stations as they are expected to have a higher footfall during the CWG. The kiosks will be set up at Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, Udyog Bhawan, Qutub Minar, Kashmere Gate, Rithala, Patel Chowk, R.K Ashram, Chandni Chowk, Netaji Subhas Place, Model Town, Pitampura, Akshardham, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Jangpura, Pragati Maidan, Indraprastha, Tughlakabad, AIIMS, INA, Hauz Khas, Anand Vihar, and Vishwavidyalaya stations, where teams of four qualified ‘first aiders’ will be on duty. Metro has tied up with St. John Ambulance Brigade that will provide round-the-clock ambulance facilities. It will also provide first aid and other basic medical facilities. Ambulances will be stationed at some strategic locations from where they can be rushed to the Metro stations in cases of emergency, said a Metro official. Metro has also given detailed training of providing first aid to their Customer Relation Associates (CRA) who will help the commuters in case ‘Special First Aid Kiosks’ are not available. The station staff have also been provided with a detailed list of the hospitals near their stations so that they can take the commuters to these hospitals in cases of emergency, said a DMRC spokesperson. |
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Uphaar victims remembered
New Delhi, June 13 On June 13, 1997, the city’s worst fire tragedy led to the death of 59 people, mainly due to lack of proper firefighting facilities and closed exit doors. In front of the cinema hall which has remained closed after the tragedy, a small remembrance garden with a water feature, with the names of the victims inscribed on it, had been constructed by the relatives. On every anniversary, they gather to relive their pain and resolve to fight the case — as they did again Sunday. In December 2008, Delhi High Court sentenced the owners, Sushil Ansal and Gopal Ansal to one-year prison term. The Ansal brothers were out on bail within a month. The Association of Victims of the Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) have filed an appeal in the Supreme Court which will come up for hearing in August. “We are disappointed with the judgment of the Delhi High Court where the accused were merely sentenced to one year for death of 59 innocent children, women and men. This is nothing but travesty of justice,” said Neelam Krishnamurthy, AVUT president. She said that there is a need for more stringent laws to tighten the noose around the high and mighty who escape easily after committing serious crimes. Recalling the Bhopal gas tragedy, she said there is no worth attached to the life of the common man. “Thousands of people lost their lives and still many are suffering from different diseases but the law favours the influential. Instead our system should work towards nailing the accused persons whose negligent act was responsible for such a big tragedy,” Krishnamurthy said. She also advocated the establishment of fast track courts for cases like Bhopal gas tragedy and Uphaar tragedy so that people get justice within a limited period. — IANS |
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Punjabis urged to speak their mother tongue
Greater Noida, June 13 Speaking at the 53rd death anniversary of modern Punjabi writer and poet, Bhai Veer Singh at Veer Singh Sadan here on Friday, Nayar said the Indian government had not been fair to Punjabis, a large number of whom had migrated to India from Pakistan. But the determined and sturdy Punjabis, both Hindus and Sikhs, had not only rehabilitated themselves in a short time but also proved an asset to the areas wherever they had settled down. Punjabis, Nayar said, had made tremendous sacrifices for the freedom of the country and even during all these decades after the Independence, they had made noteworthy contributions for the security and development of India. Nayar said after Sikh gurus, Bhai Veer Singh had brought Punjabis nearer to the language through his writings. He urged the people to speak Punjabi, read Punjabi and love their culture and heritage. |
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Warehouse gutted in Pitampura
New Delhi, June 13 The fire services were informed around 11.50 when the situation went out of control, said locals in the area. “We rushed to the spot, it was a serious fire but thankfully there was no casualty,” a Delhi Fire Service (DFS) official said. “We got to know about the incident at 11.50 am. As many as 15 fire engines were rushed to the spot,” the official said.
The electrical equipment inside the warehouse got damaged. The official refused to say anything on the extent of damage to property saying, “it was not yet quantified.” |
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Dust storm hits city
New Delhi, June 13 The Met department had forecast that on Sunday the sky would remain clear. “Due to western disturbances, many parts of the Capital experienced dust storm and light showers this afternoon,” an official said. In the next few days, Delhi might witness rainfall accompanied by thunderstorm and dust storm, he added. During the day, the maximum temperature hovered around 44° Celsius, while the minimum settled at 28.1° Celsius. |
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Water crisis may
affect South Delhi
New Delhi, June 13 Delhi Jal Board spokesperson Sanjan Cheema said, “We have got information that the agitating Jat community members have closed the Uppar Ganga canal in Murad Nagar that supplies raw water to Sonia Vihar water treatment plant in East Delhi and Bhagirathi in West Delhi. Residents of East and South Delhi get water supply from both the plants”, she said. Leaders of Jat community today decided to stop water supply to Delhi from the canal at Muradnagar in Ghaziabad. |
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Neuro patient hangs self
New Delhi, June 13 Her neighbours said Asha took the extreme step as she was depressed for not being able to cope with her disorder. In her suicide note Asha has stated depression to be the reason behind her taking the extreme step. “A suicide note confirmed that Asha was suffering from neurological disorder. She was depressed and did not wanted to live,” the police officer said. Her body has been sent for post-mortem. |
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Three held, 21 cases of burglaries worked out
New Delhi, June 13 Police has recovered stolen property worth Rs 2 lakh, housebreaking implements and four rubber grips of cricket bat handle used to conceal implements of housebreaking. Several incidents of burglaries were regularly reported from the South Delhi area and also from Noida. Police suspected a gang of Bangladeshi origin for the increasing crime. All accused were staying at Sector 58 in Noida and belong to Bangladesh. On sustained interrogation the accused revealed that Mental, the leader of the gang, had earlier been arrested several times in cases of burglaries. He came to India around 10 years ago and settled with his wife in Assam where he purchased property and built a house. He is addicted to drugs, said a senior police official. |
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Gang of burglars smashed
New Delhi, June 13 On May 26, a person reported about burglary of a laptop, mobile phones, ornaments, some cash and other articles from his house. Subsequently on June 12, police received information that burglaries have been committed by a gang known as “Jangbhadur” of Kathputli Colony. Jangbhadur was then arrested from Pandav Nagar, Shadipur Depot. At his instance, the other gang members were also arrested. Their receiver Abdul Gani (jeweller), Rehmuddin (money exchanger) and one Jitender were also caught. All the gang members are residing in the area of Kathputli Colony and entered the world of crime to make a fast buck. The gang members were previously involved in many cases of theft, a senior police official said. The police has seized a mobile phone and 32 foreign currency coins from their possession. Further investigation is in progress, official added. |
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Moolchand to offer diploma courses
New Delhi, June 13 The distance learning school has given the consent for allowing 20 seats under each educational course, but the private healthcare body has kept the number of seats at 10 for each course, with the academic session commencing from August. |
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Bike rally to promote CWG
New Delhi, June 13 “The CWG are not just for Delhi but for India and these bikers while crossing the five states of north India will spread the message and spirit of the Games,” Kalmadi said. The 3,500-km rally from Delhi to Leh will promote the event across five states— Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and J&K.
— IANS |
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When the news of appointment of former Supreme Court Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan as chairperson of National Human Rights Commission came, many Supreme Court watchers said that the apex human rights body would be in media headlines more than it was earlier. And within a few days of his takeover, reports of NHRC taking cognizance of incidents violating human rights of Delhi residents are rife.