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DTC earns profit, first time ever!
Planning begins for Metro phase 3
Village poll candidate held with smuggled liquor
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Six held for killing cabbie
DDA accuses pvt firm for Games Village mess
BJP blames CM’s kin for CWG graft
OC to start relieving
staff today
DU revises annual schedule
Snag hits Noida Metro line
Dengue & Chikungunia
HC to hear Kalmadi sack case today
Delhi students get ready for Obama visit with quiz
Noida to have NCR’s most hi-tech FOB
Missing track holds up train for 4 hours
Drunk woman rams car into van
Suicide IGNOU’s new course
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DTC earns profit, first time ever!
New Delhi, October 19 Lovely said the DTC had always been in loss. It is the first time in history that it has shown profit, he said. Before the Games, DTC's earning from sale of tickets was only Rs 1.5
crore, but during the Games it earned Rs 2.7 crore. The minister said for the sincerity of its employees, the DTC had decided to give Rs 3,500 as bonus to them. The transport corporation has also decided to give it employees dearness allowance equal to 10 per cent of the basic pay from this month. The allowance will cost DTC exchequer Rs 4.5 crore while the bonus will cost it Rs 10.25
crore. There are 30,000 employees with the DTC. Addressing a conference, the minister said the drivers and conductors behaved very nicely during the Games. The foreign dignitaries and sportspersons praised them for their behaviour and punctuality, he added. Praising the
DTC, manager of women's hockey team, Australia, Robyn Shaw, said, "The transport arrangement has been very good. The buses are clean and
cool." Alexei Evanguloc, a sportsman from England, wrote, "DTC has very good service. Conductors and drivers always give positive
reply." Abhinav Narang, member of the Indian shooting team, wrote, "Good timing and service. Keep it up." Lovely said 574 air-conditioned buses used for the CWG had been handed over to the
DTC. When asked why the frequency of DTC buses were low in late evening, the minister said global positioning system had already been installed in 1,500 buses and the remaining buses will have the system within two months. The GPS would ensure monitoring of their movements. Talking about speed governors, the minister said removal of speed governors from buses for the CWG had taken two days. Now their reinstallation will also take same time. Keeping this in mind, the DTC has decided to purchase buses that will have inbuilt speed governors. Responding to a question about fixing GPS in auto rickshaws, the minister said the call centre for auto rickshaw GPS was ready and would be inaugurated by the Chief Minister on October 30. But it would be first used for DTC buses and then for auto rickshaws. He said from the next month, the DTC would use computrised ticketing system. The DTC is also planning to ask conductors to sell tickets at bus shelters instead of inside the buses. |
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Planning begins for Metro phase 3
New Delhi, October 19 After the ambitious Phase II project that connected Noida and Gurgaon with Delhi, adding another 125 km to the Metro network, groundwork has already begun for Phase III. The DMRC is keen on finishing the Rs 21,468-crore project by 2015. DMRC expects the official approval for the phase by Dec end . Delhi's transport department has also made suggestions to the DMRC about the plan. Based on a study by government agency RITES, the department wants the third phase to connect the city in a ring. While the DMRC plan has 15 points where passengers can change over to another line, the transport department's plan has 25. The six corridors proposed under Phase III will cover an area of 70 km, including a 39 km underground stretch. The transport department's recommendations include extending the Mukundpur-Rajouri Garden line to Dhaula Kuan and connecting the Dilshad Garden and Anand Vihar stations. It also wants the Central Secretariat-Red Fort corridor to end at ITO, reducing cost by Rs 1,288 crore. The department has rejected the proposed Malviya Nagar-Kalindi Kunj corridor, saying it will have few takers. It has also objected to the Ashoka Park -Delhi Gate corridor as it is parallel to another Metro line. Plans for the stretch have been shifted to Phase IV. Other proposed corridors include the Outer Ring Road line covering Noida Sector 18, Okhla, Janakpuri and Transport Nagar. The total length of Phase III could increase to nearly 108 kilometre if a proposal by transport officials to construct a corridor from Jamia Nagar to Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar is approved. THE CORRIDORS
1.Rajouri Garden - Mukundupur (Jahangirpuri) (6.8 km): Stations include Mukundpur, Azadpur, Shalimar Bagh, Netaji Subhash Place, Shakurpur, Shivaji Park, ESI Hospital, Rajouri Garden. 2. Jahangirpuri - Badli (3.4 km ) will include Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar, Badli 3. Anand Vihar - Dhaula Kuan Stations (25.6 km ) will include IP Extn north, I P Extn south, Daulatpur, Trilokpuri south, Trilokpuri north, Mayur Vihar, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Ashram, Srinivaspuri, Lajpat Nagar, South Extn, Safdarjung Hospital, Bikaji Kama Place and Moti Bagh 4. Ashok Park to Delhi Gate (9.6 km) will include Ashoka Park, Anand parbat, Sarai Rohilla, Karol Bagh north, M M Marg, Paharganj, New Delhi, Ramlila Ground, Lal Quila. 5. Malviya Nagar- Kalindi Kunj (11.6 km): Malviya Nagar, Saket District centre, Pushp Vihar, G. K. West, G K East, Tughlaqabad Extn, Okhla Phase II, Jasola, Jasola Vihar, Kalindi Kunj. 6. Central secretariat-Lal Quila (6.8 km): Firozshah Crossing, Mandi House Crossing, ITO Crossing, Delhi Gate, Daryaganj, Lal Quila. |
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Village poll candidate held with smuggled liquor
Greater Noida, October 19 The Surajpur police on Monday nabbed a candidate for district panchayat membership, Naval Pradhan, with 15 boxes of beer, which he had reportedly smuggled in from Haryana. To hoodwink the cops, Pradhan's Alto car was displaying a 'Police' sticker on its windscreen. On being questioned, he concealed his name and said he was Hari Singh. But the police recovered his election posters and banners from the car. SP (rural) Atul Saxena said Pradhan would be booked for violation of election code. A letter has been sent to the district election officer in this connection, Saxena added. This time, election code is being observed more in violation than honour, it seems. Every candidate is canvassing in a fleet of vehicles. Each one of them is out to convince voters by hook or crook. Most feel that a liberal dose of liquor is the best way to woo voters. According to reports, each candidate has spent lakhs of rupees on liquor. The large-scale spurt in demand has hiked liquor prices in the area. According to conservative estimates, over a thousand boxes of liquor have been smuggled in from neighbouring Haryana. Interestingly, the administration has not yet issued notice to any candidate for violating the election code. One can easily see a large number of drunkards moving around in various villages. |
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Six held for killing cabbie
New Delhi, October 19 According to the police, the incident was reported on September 27 and a case in this regard was registered at the Paharganj police station in central Delhi. According to Neeraj Thakur, additional commissioner (crime), the gang was arrested from the Sarai Kale Khan area after a tip-off. The stolen Innova car, which the gang was looking to sell, has been recovered from Prasad Nagar. The accused have been identified as Jaswant (29), his wife Asha (35), Suraj (19), Ashu (19), Rishi Ralhan (29) and Kiran Pal. According to the police, the plan was hatched by Jaswant. He hired a Toyota Innova car from a tour and travel agency in Delhi for a trip to Mussourie via Dehradun. He introduced himself as Satya Prakash. According to Thakur, Jaswant called the taxi to an address in the Gole Market area on September 24. When the driver, Manish Mann, reached the given address, he found all the six persons waiting for him. "All of them boarded the car and reached Haridwar. They stayed in Haridwar on September 25 and left for Mussoorie the next day. While returning to Delhi on September 27, Mann was strangled and then shot at in Saharanpur in UP," said Thakur, adding that the accused dumped Mann's body in a jungle and returned to the national Capital in the car. The weapon of offence, a country-made pistol, has also been recovered from the accused. According to the police, Jaswant already has four criminal cases registered against him, including theft and possession of illegal firearms, in various police stations in Delhi. |
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DDA accuses pvt firm for Games Village mess
New Delhi, October 19 The DDA expressed its views in a reply submitted to Union urban development minister Jaipal Reddy who also heads the Group of Ministers, supervising Games-related works. Reddy had sought the agency's reply on the matter in a letter on October 7. The DDA has blamed the private builder for not adhering to the agreed norms and the irregularities in the village's construction that invited wrath of the visiting delegations who went on to the extent of calling it "unlivable" and "filthy". Reddy had written to the DDA, citing reports that EMAAR MGF had not "executed the project of developing the Games Village diligently and efficiently". He said that the reports further alleged that the construction was against the provisions of the sanctioned plan and did not adhere to the obligations of the project development agreement. Reddy then asked the DDA to send a detailed report to him, saying that it did not only adversely affect the DDA's image but also that of the Games. The DDA has blamed the private agency, while washing its hands of any responsibility for the mess. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had blamed the government agency for the filth and other negative issues about the village as it was the supervising authority. It was only after a week of breakneck drive headed by Dikshit which brought order to the village. L-G Tejendra Khanna, to which the DDA reports, had in turn said that his agency was equally responsible for cleaning the village and it was unfair on Dikshit's part to walk away with all the credit. |
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BJP blames CM’s kin for CWG graft
New Delhi, October 19 Delhi BJP spokesman Vijay Jolly in a statement levelled charges against her by stating that one of her close relatives, Vineet K. Dikshit, was appointed as the deputy director general (communications and media) in the organising committee headed by Suresh
Kalmadi. "Sheila Dikshit's family is partner in the CWG corruption. Vineet K. Dikshit is a cousin of Vinod Diskhit, the late husband of the Chief Minister," Jolly charged in the statement. He further alleged that Vineet K. Dikshit was appointed on the recommendation of the CM in September 2009 and worked for more than two years in the OC. "The Chief Minister now cannot escape by accusing only the OC for corruption and mismanagement and excluding her government," Jolly said. "BJP holds Chief Minister equally responsible along with Suresh Kalmadi for the mess, mismanagement and adverse media publicity over various charges of financial irregularities. BJP has demanded that officials of the PMO, NDMC, OC, Delhi government and Union urban development ministry be included in the probe by the V.K. Shuglu enquiry committee appointed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last week," added Jolly. |
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OC to start relieving
staff today
New Delhi, October 19 Around 500 employees will be relieved on Wednesday and the remaining ones are expected to leave by October 30. The OC had hired 2,000 people, approximately, to work for the smooth conduct of the Games. The employees at senior positions of the committee had been called from various Central and state government departments on deputation basis. However, earlier there were rumours that the temporary staff of the OC would be given some monetary benefit in the form of bonus at the time of being relieved, but according to some OC staff, they are not being given any such advantage. While the government had announced to extend the OC's tenure to carry out investigation, the GoM that met for the first time after the conclusion of the event had also decided to extend the tenure of central government officials in OC. The extension was given to ensure that the accounting process related to the Games could be completed. Meanwhile, OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit are at their flinging best, with both parties pointing fingers at the other and refusing to take the responsibility for the mess. While Dikshit claims that the OC was solely responsible for the fiasco, Kalmadi counterattacks by blaming her department for being sneaky in their under-handed corruption tactics. Both the parties are also trying to take the credit for the things that went well during the Games. The Central government had intervened and ordered a probe into Kalmadi's actions that might have affected the nation's reputation. Dikshit too will not be spared and have to go under the scanner. On the other side, the comptroller auditor general of India said that a team of auditors will visit the OC headquarters soon. They will inspect files of all 34 functional areas of the Games. |
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DU revises annual schedule
New Delhi, October 19 While the classes will shut from December 3, days from December 6 to December 14 have been kept for preparation leave and exams. Classes for the next semester will now begin on January 3, 2011. The teachers' association (DUTA), meanwhile, is still adamant about its stand on semester system. However, sources say most teachers have mellowed down after the mid-term break. Classes are running on a better pace and most departments are hopeful to complete the syllabus in accordance with the new stipulated timeline. The teachers' body will hold its general body meeting on October 22 and defied its further course of action. While teachers also now realize that they might have to reach at some sort of consensus with the administration, pressure from the student union is also mounting up. |
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Snag hits Noida Metro line
New Delhi, October 19 Services on the crowded Line-III (Dwarka Sector 9-Noida City Centre/ Anand Vihar), which registers an average ridership of 6 lakh on weekdays, were adversely affected due to the "interlocking problem" between Moti Nagar and Ram Krishna Ashram Metro stations, resulting in the loss of train identification numbers. "Once the train identification numbers are lost, the trains are not able to move. And, this resulted in the bunching of trains. However, the problem was rectified after sometime and services on the line resumed," said a DMRC spokesperson. "Technical snag affected train services on the line from 11:42 am to 12:35 pm. Trains between Moti Nagar and R.K. Ashram were run on restricted speed during this time. However, other lines remained unaffected," he added. However, passengers at Rajiv chowk Metro Station among others complained of services being affected for more than an hour. Some passengers said that they were not able to get trains from Anand Vihar even at 1pm. |
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Dengue & Chikungunia
New Delhi, October 19 While a massive campaign will be launched to apprise people about the facts related to chikunguniya and dengue, the government would be asking the National Institute of Virology, Pune, to give testing kits to its hospitals. With Delhi recording 4,679 dengue and over 30 chikungunya cases, Walia asked officials from the government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to coordinate to control the situation. Walia said that effective measures would be taken to intensify the drive. Aggressive fogging and sprinkling tamifoss powder will be carried out across the city. She asked senior health officials to define the workforce within the identified areas in the Capital. All heads of the departments of the city hospitals have been told to keep a tab on the mosquito-borne diseases, while ensuring that patients get the best available treatment. The minister has advised people not to panic and has assured that government hospitals are fully equipped for treating chikunguniya and dengue patients. The matter was discussed during a meeting attended by health secretary Rajender Kumar, colonel Rajat Srivastva of the Delhi Cantonment Board, Dr R.P. Vasisht, MCD medical health officer Dr N.K. Yadav and medical superintendents of the Delhi government hospitals. |
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HC to hear Kalmadi sack case today
New Delhi, October 19 The petition filed by lawyer Ajay Aggarwal on September 29 demanded an independent audit of the works and sealing of records pertaining to tenders, work measurements and expenses above Rs 1 lakh related to the Games. He also demanded a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the multi-million rupee deals for the CWG preparations. The petitioner has also made the cabinet secretary, youth affairs and sports secretary and the CBI as respondents. On Wednesday, the matter is likely to come up before a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Manmohan. The petition demanded that an udit of the works should be conducted by an independent agency. "Work measurements and a check on compliance with contracted specifications should be done by private engineers and not those who have retired or are in government employment," the petition said. "The process of law has been blocked by retaining the accused committee even in the face of strong prima facie evidence. Honest investigation will be impossible while maintaining the same management in power," said the petition. "Today, after the disclosures, we are giving the committee and the chairman ample space and opportunity to doctor records, replace papers and remove letters from competing suppliers," the petition said. The petition said that the scale of corruption, the status of those involved and their political links called for intervention by the highest judicial body in the land. Another PIL alleging corruption in theCWG filed by a lawyer is also likely to be taken up by the court on Wednesday.
— IANS |
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Delhi students get ready for Obama visit with quiz
New Delhi, October 19 The quiz will be on US presidents, with special focus on Obama. The show will take place in the Hard Rock Cafe in south Delhi's Saket and will have ten teams participating. An official of the American Center said, "We are organising an Obama trivia as a run-up to the President's visit next month. To participate in it, the teams have to brush up their knowledge on all US presidents, especially Obama." "There will be five rounds of questions. The winning team will take home i-pods," the official said. The participating teams will be from colleges under Delhi University like Miranda House, Lady Shri Ram and St. Stephen's. Obama is scheduled to visit India from Nov 5-8 and will address Parliament on November
8. — IANS |
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Noida to have NCR’s most hi-tech FOB
Noida, October 19 The bridge will have an escalator on petrol pump side and stairs on gate no. 4 of GIP Mall. Across the road, it will have an escalator towards gurdwara in Sector 18 and a staircase on the other side. The overbridge will fulfill great public need as heavy volume of traffic has made crossing on foot difficult and hazardous. As there are shopping malls on both the sides of the road, most shoppers need to go from one side to the other. Being built at a cost of Rs 3 crore the overbridge is likely to be ready by January 2011. Provision for washrooms is being made on both the sides. Another feature will be a 24-hour presence of security personnel at both the sides. Noida Authority's deputy CEO N.P. Singh said that LSTL Media Ltd and N.S. Public India Pvt Ltd would jointly build this overbridge on BTO basis. The bridge will be fully covered to protect pedestrians from rain and sun. |
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Missing track holds up train for 4 hours
Ghaziabad, October 19 On Monday morning, divisional manager Ashwani Kumar Lohari of Delhi Railway Division inspected the spot. The railways has ordered a scanning wagon to run on the route. The scanning wagon is capable of observing and highlighting even a minor fault on the track, Lohari said. At the time of the incident, a goods train was passing over the affected track. A gangman who had noticed the defect had reportedly alerted the driver of Jan Sadharan Express who stopped the train a few feet away from the track. Engineering staff reached the spot and helped other trains pass from the other line. |
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Body found in car
New Delhi, October 19 A foul smell was reportedly emanating from the car. This made some locals check the vehicle. It was then that they found the body. They informed the police. "The body was found in a decomposed state. It seems it has been lying in the car for many days. The body has been sent for autopsy to the Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital," said a police official, adding that the cause of her death is not yet clear and they are awaiting the autopsy report. |
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Drunk woman rams car into van
New Delhi, October 19 According to the police, the incident took place around 10 pm when the victim Anju, travelling with a man rammed her Santro car into a PCR van parked on the roadside. However, no policemen were injured in the incident. "None of our men was injured in the incident. The woman has suffered some minor injuries. She was taken to a hospital where medical examination confirmed consumption of alcohol. We have lodged an FIR against her under Section 279 of the IPC," said a police official, adding that she was later released on bail. |
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