|
|
|
|
At 6.2°, Delhi sees season’s coldest day
23 new police posts for Gt Noida
DU canteens dishing out winter-special menus
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Robbers clean up house at gunpoint
Man portrays suicide as murder
for Rs 10-crore insurance
Snag delays metros on
Dwarka-Noida line by 50 mins
Lieutenant-Governor may be on the way out
Criminals pull the wool over cops’ eyes
Yamuna e-way till Jewar likely by December-end
Newlywed ends life
Land relief drives youth to luxury, crime
2 nabbed for murder
Galli Galli Sim Sim makes learning numeracy easy
Grain Scam Probe sought
|
|
At 6.2°, Delhi sees season’s coldest day
New Delhi, December 11 "Today's minimum temperature is the season's lowest so far. The minimum today is also three degrees below normal for this time of the year. Just yesterday, the minimum was 8.7 degrees," said a senior meteorological department official. The department has further asked everyone to prepare for the coming days as any respite for the next two days is highly unlikely. "The mornings and late-night hours will now be much colder with the minimum temperature likely to hover between six and five degree Celsius tomorrow and on Monday respectively," added the official.Even the days will be comparatively colder as the maximum temperature will also be below normal for the coming two days. The maximum temperature today settled at 21.3 degree Celsius, three degrees below normal and it is likely to hover around 22 degrees for the next two days. The maximum humidity recorded was 89 per cent while the minimum was 37 per cent. "This year, Delhi has seen extreme weather. Even the heat during winters broke all-time records. This much cold was seen only during January last year. It's just been 10 days in December and it's so cold. Some real chill is definitely in store this year," said Ronak Choudhary, an executive. The lowest-ever minimum temperature for this month was 1.1 deg C recorded on December 26, 1945, while that for the highest maximum was 29.3 deg C recorded on December 3, 1987.
|
|
23 new police posts for Gt Noida
Greater Noida, December 11 As many as 23 new police posts will be set up in the area and CCTVs installed in banks, petrol pumps, etc. The sites have been selected to establish the police posts. GNIDA's chief executive officer Rama Raman said the police force would be equipped with the latest arms, weapons, vehicles, etc. It has also been made mandatory to equip all the petrol pumps and banks with CCTV cameras. Dy CEO Deepak Agarwal and SP Greater Noida Atul Saxena were also present in the meeting. Rama Raman stressed the need for better policing in view of the ongoing development projects. The population in Greater Noida is also constantly increasing. Thus, it is necessary to change the policing system and have better equipment for the force, he said. Besides, CCTV would be installed on major roads in the area. All new police posts will be ready by next year, the CEO said. All the petrol pumps and banks will have CCTV cameras. The SP (Rural) said 11 of the 33 police posts will be in the Kasna area--a police post each at Jagat Farm, Alfa-2 market, Alfa-1 commercial belt, Knowledge Park. To cover Gama-1 and Gama-2 sectors, a separate police post will be set up. A police post will cover Site-4, Swaran Nagari, Echhar. For Site - 1, 2, Sector-36, 37, a police post will be set up while another post will cover Sigma 1, 2, 3 and 4. Some new police posts will be set up to cover Noida Extension and the racing track.
|
|
DU canteens dishing out winter-special menus
New Delhi, December 11 Innovation is the word for the season, as canteens are introducing special soups, non-veg dosas, keema and egg samosas, kathi sandwiches, paneer and chicken tikkas and much more, priced only a few bucks more than the normal menu. At Lady Shri Ram College canteen, fresh lime soda has been replaced by black coffee and ginger tea and sandwiches have been replaced by fruit tarts and muffins and cakes. The canteen owner, Sanjeev Pradhan, says during winters, they sell more than 500 fruit cakes in just half a day. "During lunchtime, we normally make close to 100 to 150 dosas every day. But the number almost doubles in winters. Everyone picks the hot sambhar over North Indian subzis. Moreover, this time we have introduced egg, keema and chicken dosas, among other things, as they attract students. Also, the meal is heavy and filling and very ideal for Dilli's cold," said Swaminathan, a South Indian cook at Jesus and Mary College. And if you thought these delicacies were popular only among the students, think again. The faculty members equally savour the winter treats. Towards North Campus, where some college canteens have limited menus, the 'pakode waali gali' near Patel Chest Institute is a life-saver for the students. Similarly, momos and Tom Uncle ki Maggie outside Miranda House is also a hit with the students. "Looking for something hot, students move from bhelpuris to momos in winters. Be it veg or non-veg momos, the winner is the red chilly garlic sauce that is served along," said Cheng, who runs a small momos stall outside Hansraj College. "One plate Maggie here used to be for Rs 15, but with the winter strengthening its grip, the rate now stands at Rs 30. Similarly, the price of one plate non-veg momos, which was Rs 40, is now Rs 60. But it hardly matters. When the cold hits, we cannot help but shell out money on these foods. After all, they make the flavour of our campus and we are proud of it," said Saumika Kumar, a student of Miranda House College. |
|
Robbers clean up house at gunpoint
New Delhi, December 11 The police said the family, which has only Ashish Bhuwan and his mother Pushpa Bhuwan, was asleep when the criminals broke into the house. The house belongs to an IAS officer and the family had been living there on rent. The accused broke the grill of the house and then broke open the lock of the main gate. When Ashish woke up hearing the noise, they held him captive at gunpoint and hit him with the butt. He sustained injuries in the head and nose. They then held him hostage and ransacked the house," a police officer said. His scared mother took off her ornaments and handed them over to the robbers. The robbers then ransacked the house and collected all the cash and valuables, mostly jewellery. A senior official said the accused might have come from Uttar Pradesh which is adjacent to the place. "We are trying to see if the identifications given by the victims match any of the criminal in our files. We believe they had parked some vehicle nearby and escaped in it," he said. Rs 10-lakh theft
in west Delhi
In another case of theft reported in the city, thieves broke into a house at Siddharth Enclave in west Delhi last night. The owner of the house, a petrochemical businessman, and his family was away when the burglary occurred. The family told the police that it had last money and other assets worth close to Rs 10
lakh. |
|
Man portrays suicide as murder
for Rs 10-crore insurance
New Delhi, December 11 The businessman, Ajay Gupta, had orchestrated his death in such a way that it looked like murder and his family could claim the whopping insurance of Rs 10 crore, the police said today. The police claimed that Gupta ended his life and was not murdered. Two persons -- Vinay Sinha and Sunil Kumar Lakara -- who had allegedly fled with his car and goods after finding him dead inside the vehicle have also been arrested. Several cases have been registered against them. Gupta's car and stolen goods have been seized from them. Gupta was last seen around 5 pm on November 30 when he left his office at Dilkhush Esate in his Honda City car. When he did not return home, his family members lodged a missing report at Adarsh Nagar police station. Later, the police registered a case of abduction. His body was found near Ganda Nala in the Khyala police station area on December 10. "There was no injury mark on his body. A search was carried out to find his missing car and other valuables. His phone details were taken out and all those he talked to on Nov 30 were interrogated," the police said. His missing car and valuables strengthened the doubts that he was murdered. But the absence of external injury mark on his body puzzled the police. According to the police, Gupta's friends and family members said that he was debt-ridden and depressed. He often talked to his friend Rajesh Wasan about committing suicide, the police said. He had allegedly asked Wasan and some of his other friends to arrange for a pistol or poison for him. "He, however, wanted to present his suicide as a murder and planned accordingly. He asked Wasan to call from a PCO on his mobile. On November 30, when Wasan called him at 1:42 pm, Gupta dialed 100 and said that he had received a threatening call from the number. He also typed an application in this regard, requesting that the police should consider it as an FIR," the police said. He told some of his relatives that some men from Kota with whom he had some enmity were threatening him. Then, he left his office around 5 pm and stopped responding to phone calls after 6:25 pm. During investigation, the police learnt that Gupta had an insurance of around Rs 10 crore in his name. Therefore, he planned to present his suicide as murder. He was under heavy debt and his house, office and gadown were mortgaged. His phone details revealed that he had visited Seelampur twice on November 29. A local, Ashraf, told the police that Gupta had asked him to arrange for a pistol or poison. Ashraf had allegedly delivered a poisonous substance to Gupta which he consumed to end life. |
|
Snag delays metros on
Dwarka-Noida line by 50 mins
New Delhi, December 11 Passengers claimed that the trains on the line, which sees the maximum footfall of 6 lakh commuters on weekdays, were delayed for nearly an hour and there were no announcements about the delay. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation spokesperson later said that the delay was due to the malfunctioning of the software system on the line. Services on Line 3 -- Dwarka Sector 21 to Noida City Centre/Anand Vihar were affected due to an "interlocking problem" at the Dwarka Sector 21 station resulting in loss of train identification numbers around 8.15 am. If the trains' identification numbers are lost, they are not able to move, a DMRC spokesman said, adding that this resulted in bunching of trains. "Though the problem was rectified in around 15 minutes, the bunching of trains on the line led to delays and normalcy was restored after 50 minutes," the spokesman said. However, Metro commuters' troubles did not end here. Later in the day, the Jahangirpuri-Gurgaon line was also affected due to some technical glitch, leading to delay of trains. Some technical problem on the line resulted in slow movement of trains, especially between Qutub Minar station and HUDA City Centre. Delays in Delhi Metro have become a headache for the authorities. In the last two months, nearly 10 small and big disruptions have been reported on different Metro lines in Delhi. In the recent weeks, there have been several incidents of technical snags disrupting Metro services, especially during morning and evening peak hours. The problem blew out of proportion after services on the busy Jahangirpuri-Gurgaon route were disrupted twice last month due to a problem in overhead electrification, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at various stations. |
|
Lieutenant-Governor may be on the way out
New Delhi, December 11 Sources said the Central government is toying with the name of three former IAS officials as his replacement. "There is a general feeling that replacing Khanna would be in the larger interest of the state government. Dikshit has made her dislike of him very clear," sources said. The simmering tension between the two top authorities of the Capital exploded during the recent session in the Assembly when Dikshit spoke against him and later accused him of siding with the opposition BJP in order to defy her government's decision. Dikshit is pushing for appointment of a person who is aware of Delhi government's functioning and could walk the fine balance between the powers of the LG and the elected government. The relations between Khanna and Dikshit deteriorated over the issue of circle rates as Khanna returned the cabinet's recommendations twice and then asked the authorities to go by his suggestions. Dikshit said the LG was openly defying the elected government while Khanna believed that circle rates concerned land which was constitutionally his domain. She said the intervention of the LG had made functioning of her government difficult. The laws regulating Delhi's status say that "government in Delhi means government of LG" while according to Dikshit, Khanna was interpreting it to defy her government. She had demanded special state status for the Capital if full statehood was not possible. "The Delhi government is an elected government and has cabinet of ministers. It should be given independent charge to function as other state governments have been given," she had said. Sources said the change of LG would placate Dikshit who is rated as a popular politician and is considered largely responsible for the Congress returning to power for the third time.
|
|
Criminals pull the wool over cops’ eyes
Criminals turned the tables on cops last week when they managed to escape after watching the raiding party through the cameras which they had installed. The incident, some embarrassed cops say, occurred in Asola Vihar where a gang of lawbreakers was engaged in manufacturing spurious fuel in a large walled area. Fully aware that their brazen act could catch the authorities' attention anytime, they had put up several cameras around the premises to keep a watch on all the visitors. When the cops came finally knocking, they could find only oil tanks, no offenders. Promise-keeping thieves!
Not all the cars are stolen for monetary gains and a software engineer would vouch for it. The police say the techie was on way back home in his Santro car last week when three boys riding a bike forced him to stop. They barged into his car and said they were stealing it only to attend a wedding as they were a bit embarrassed to do so on a bike. They duly apologised to him for his troubles and promised him that they would leave his car in a day. They also requested him not to bring cops in this matter. The engineer was then dropped at Vasant Kunj and he straightway called up the cops. The search for the carjackers was still on when the car was found abandoned somewhere two days later. One can condemn the action of the three wedding guests, but they can't be accused of breaking their promise! New Year dos to be costlier
December is not even halfway through, but the scramble to book seats at the New Year parties has already begun. If organisers are to be believed, some most sought-after parties are booked fully despite a considerable hike in the ticket price compared to the last year. Oraginisers of farm parties at Chattarupur, Guragon and Civil Lines host some of the most widely attended dos every year and they charge anything between Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000 for a couple. This year most DJs and club owners have also hiked the prices. "There is much chaos on the 31st night and we get complaints every year as it gets very crowded at midnight inside the club. This time around, we are increasing the fee and just giving out passes. No one else will be allowed entry inside that day," says Taufiq Aslam, joint manager, Agni Club, Park Hotel. MCD’s new headache
The city's tallest building and new headquarters of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) at Minto Road appears to have become a symbol of controversy. This time around, it is the turn of the municipal teachers belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes who have threatened to boycott the city's landmark. Their grievance is that they have a dedicated place in the MCD's office at Chandni Chowk and they have been denied space in the tallest building. According to the SC/ST municipal teachers committee, their interests have been ignored as they are not given a dedicated office in MCD's new building. "It is nothing but discrimination," they contend. Admission woes for parents
Getting their children admitted to schools is among the most arduous task for the parents and confusing signals coming from the Delhi government on the admission issue have only added to their woes. The yet-to-be-decided criterion for the nursery admission is a hot topic these days and education minister Arvinder Singh Lovely said this week that lottery system remained a distinct possibility. However, his boss and Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said it would be anything but lottery which was more about luck. Amidst the contrasting voices emanating from the government, parents are a confused lot. They are calling up schools and newspaper offices to know what fate awaits their kids. (Contributed by Kumar Rakesh, Jyoti Rai, Himani Chandel, Syed Ali Ahmed) |
|
Yamuna e-way till Jewar likely by December-end
Greater Noida, December 11 This will provide connectivity to the Formula 1 racing track site and the proposed Airport. Y.K. Bahl, additional CEO of YEA, said, "We had told the developer Jaypee Infratech to complete the expressway by March 2011. But due to the recent violent agitation of farmers in Aligarh, Mathura and Agra, it had put spanner in the project work. However, with farmers accepting the new land acquisition policy, work is expected to progress smoothly now." "Next year, Formula 1 race is scheduled to be organised in Greater Noida. Track work is going on at a fast speed. On Saturday, a YEA team inspected the progress of work on the expressway. The way work is being carried out till Jewar under Gautam Buddh Nagar district, it seems it will be ready by December 31," said Bahl. "The YEA officials are also holding discussions with Aligarh, Mathura and Agra district officials to see that no more obstacles come in the expressway work," said Bahl. "Around 80 per cent work on the 165-km stretch has been completed. The bridge over the river and the railway line at some stretches is taking time. The developer has been rescheduling the project. But it will be ready by December 2011," said Bahl. "For greenery, a nine-metre green belt is being developed on the central verge and two green belts on the either side of the expressway," said Bahl. The total length of the Taj Expressway is 164.775-km from Greater Noida to Agra. The expressway's length in Gautam Buddh Nagar district is 41.2 km. In Gautam Buddh Nagar, 23 underpasses and seven bridges are being constructed as part of the expressway. The expressway has changed the lifestyle of nearby villagers. These villagers hail from Safipur, Haldona, Chuharpur Khadar, Kasna, Gharbara, Mursadpur, Mirzapur, Roniza, Rustampur, Mehandipur, Karoli Bangar and Dayantpur. The expressway has two interchanges. One at zero point in Greater Noida's village Safipur from where the expressway starts and the other at 38-km near the projected Airport site. The projected speed at the expressway is 120 km/ per hour. The Taj Expressway is 10-feet above the ground level. Four hundred hectares was acquired in Gautam Buddh Nagar for the project. The remaining part of the Taj Expressway falls under Hathras, Aligarh and Agra districts. The entire expressway is on the eastern bank of the Yamuna. It may be recalled that work on the project was stalled in 2003 when the Mulayam Singh Yadav government came into power in Uttar Pradesh. After several inquiries, the Mulayam Singh government cleared the project in 2007, before the collapse of his government. After Mayawati took over the UP government, the project was resumed. Had the project not been stalled for more than three years, it would have been ready before the Commonwealth Games.
|
|
Newlywed ends life
New Delhi, December 11 Dhana Lakshmi (18) was allegedly found hanging at her parents' place where she had been staying for over a month, after her husband Vijay went to Chennai. She got married to Vijay two months ago. The couple belonged to different communities. The victim's parents said that Vijay's family was against their marriage. After the marriage, tension developed in the couple's relation. As a result, Vijay left her went to Chennai. The victim's parents have demanded that a case of abetment to suicide be registered against Vijay and his parents, as it was due to their pressure that Lakshmi ended her life. |
|
Land relief drives youth to luxury, crime
Gt Noida, December 11 Dinesh Bhatti, who had received Rs 35 lakh as land compensation, started spending lavishly. He purchased a luxury car and other costly gadgets. After having squandered the money, Bhatti took to crime to sustain his high-class living. According to the police, he teamed up with his friend Promode, both from Loharsi village in Dadri, and indulged in over a dozen crimes in the Noida and Greater Noida area, Dy S.P. Vikas Tripathi said. Bhatti's family had received over Rs 1.5 crore as land compensation in 2007 which was divided among four claimants, including three brothers. Bhatti and his friend Promode used to target rich students in Greater Noida Knowledge Park. The sector-58 police arrested both Bhatti and Promode on Friday night from sector-64 while they were preparing to commit some crime. A countrymade revolver, a dagger and a bike were seized from the duo. |
|
2 nabbed for murder
New Delhi, December 11 The police said its probe into the murder of Manish (20) revealed that both the accused, who have a criminal background, were at the spot around the time of the incident. "Both of them were found missing since the date of incident. The two were apprehended from their hideouts and subjected to interrogation," the police said. The two told the cops that they along with their third accomplice had a fight with Manish near a dhaba and Manish had slapped one of them. "All hree accused were drunk and stabbed Manish with a knife," the police said. |
|
Galli Galli Sim Sim makes learning numeracy easy
New Delhi, December 11 One of the favourites with children, the popular show launched "Math & Money Sense Educational Kit", an initiative to impart numerical literacy in an entertaining format. This kit promises to make learning numeracy and financial literacy easy, fun and interesting for young children. This first of its kind kit teaches children as young as 3 to 6 years old not just numbers, but concepts of money, spending and saving. Chamki and Googly, the much loved moppets from the Galli Galli Sim Sim television show launched the kit at an event attended by about 150 children from NGOs across the city. "Galli Galli Sim Sim", which is aired on Pogo and Cartoon Network channel, is much more than a show and has been associated with 20 NGOs across India. "Galli Galli Sim Sim" has been working in India for about five years and worldwide for over 40 years. This pioneering and innovative kit includes a market stand and coins where children can actually buy and sell, helping build social skills along with mathematical skills. It is a storybook on the journey of a 10-rupee coin that takes children across the various states of India while teaching children about the concepts of spending, sharing and saving. It also includes number flash cards and a floor number line that children can play on. Emphasizing the need to strengthen and complement the government's early childhood education initiatives in India, Sashwati Banerjee, executive director, Galli Galli Sim Sim, said, "The Galli Galli Sim Sim education kits are aimed at enhancing children's knowledge on different subjects and aspects of life while making education enjoyable. Inculcating numeracy and financial literacy skills amongst children at young age will help them understand the concept of spending and saving money and a basic understanding of numbers." "We strongly believe that early childhood education is one of the prerequisites to having a healthy society. However, without investing in the right tools and teaching modules, one cannot achieve inclusive education for all the sections of society," she said.
|
|
Grain Scam Probe sought
New Delhi, December 11 The chief of the Delhi unit of the BJP, Vijender Gupta, has demanded an enquiry into the bungle of the grain. The probe should be conducted by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, he demanded.
-- TNS |
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Classified Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
CCTV cameras are considered to be an effective tool in identifying the lawbreakers, whether it is lifting goods from shops or violating the traffic rules.
Criminals turned the tables on cops last week when they managed to escape after watching the raiding party through the cameras which they had installed. The incident, some embarrassed cops say, occurred in Asola Vihar where a gang of lawbreakers was engaged in manufacturing spurious fuel.
CCTV cameras are considered to be an effective tool in identifying the lawbreakers, whether it is lifting goods from shops or violating the traffic rules.