New Delhi, March 16
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) today said it will frame guidelines on allowing floorwise sanction of building plans within two months, after a key panel of the civic body adopted a resolution that it should be permitted with some conditions.

The issue was discussed at a meeting of the MCD standing committee, a key decision-making body of the corporation. Councillors said that not allowing floorwise sanction was leading to increasing corruption and the solution of the housing problem of the city lay in its vertical development.

The committee resolved and recommended to the MCD that floorwise sanction of a building plan be allowed subject to conditions that the building is certified as structurally sound by the competent authority and there exists adequate civic amenities in the area under the building byelaws with additional FAR as per the MPD-2021 without insisting upon signatures of owners of the other portion of the property.

At present, ground plus two floors are allowed in most parts of the capital but the owner of the uppermost floor needs to obtain a no-objection certificate from the owners of

other portions if he or she wants to build an extra floor.

Chairman of the standing committee Yogender Chandolia said the issue was of public importance and complaints had been coming from many residents in the matter. The panel said thousands of applications are pending for floorwise sanction and allowing it may bring good revenue to the MCD.

The councillors were told that at a meeting with the Lt Governor on January 6, in which various agencies took part, it was decided that no floorwise sanction should be taken up till the issues of structural safety, distribution of floor area ratio, impact on services like water, electricity, drainage, effect on open space, lift, parking provisions and compliance

of building bylaws as per MPD-2021 were adequately addressed.

Municipal commissioner K S Mehra said that lots of complexities were involved in the issue and the MCD would need time to look into it. After this, he was directed to frame guidelines in the matter within two months.

The guidelines would then have to be approved by L-G. The panel noted that the issue of structural safety merited serious consideration before any sanction was accorded. It also pointed out that for parking space, there was no provision up to the plots of area 250 sq m, under the MPD-2021.

New Delhi, March 16
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is contemplating auctioning cars of the dealers of old vehicles who park them on public lands outside shops.

The matter was raised by a BJP councillor at a meeting of the standing committee today. Municipal commissioner K.S. Mehra suggested auctioning of the cars seized for being parked on public lands.

"The vehicles which are found parked on roads or public lands outside the shops dealing in second-hand vehicles are towed away by the corporation," said Mehra.

"We release the vehicles after charging a fine and being assured by the shopkeeper that he would not violate the law in future. But now, we are planning to take strict action against such violations," said Mehra.

On an average, each dealer parks 10 to 15 cars on the pavements and service lanes, especially in Lajpat Nagar, Karol Bagh, CR Park, Saket, Shakarpur and Tilak Nagar, causing inconvenience to the residents.

The civic agency has been issuing warnings to the second-hand car dealers to not park their vehicles on public lands for sale or repair purposes. Such vehicles would be confiscated. 

New Delhi, March 16
Even as the Delhi University administration announced its success in having the semester-based syllabi of 11 disciplines approved by the faculty of arts, the English department in its general meeting today rejected the semester system outright.

About 138 members, out of the total 150 members, present opposed the semester system.

Departments of English, history, economics and Germanic and Romance studies, and geography are some of the departments vehemently opposing the semester system of the undergraduate courses in Delhi University.

"We have rejected the proposal after a very serious thought. This isn't a frivolous decision. We know it is a big step we have taken; the battle for us has just begun. This isn't about politics, egos or anything else, the effort is for the students," said Devjani, English department faculty, Indraprastha College.

All of the above mentioned departments were asked to call a meeting of their committee of courses (syllabus making body) to approve the introduction of the semester system.

But the plan doesn't seem to be working as before English department, the undergraduate committee of courses (the syllabus-making body) of history and sociology shot down the proposal on March 9 and 10, respectively, citing time constraints.

Now, the department of geography will be holding its general body meeting on March 23.

"After the science courses, the DU administration now plans to introduce semester system in arts, social sciences and commerce programmes arguing that the university cannot run in "dual mode". We were assured that the teachers will form a core part of the decision-making bodies in the process. But that's not happening. So, the teachers have to do something on their own now," said a faculty member from geography department, DU.

An angry missive shot off by the DU registrar to the heads of history and sociology stated: "The university has taken note of your letter with a sense of dismay and alarm. The argument forwarded in the UG committee of courses resolution that there is lack of time for semesterisation is untenable."

"There seems to be a disregard and defiance of the decisions taken by the supreme statutory authorities (academic and executive council) of the university," the letter further read.

All the departments have now been "directed to immediately convene a meeting of the committee of courses" and clearly mention the names of those who vote for or against the implementation.

Just yesterday, the Delhi University Mathematics Teachers' Association (DUMTA) condemned the semester system, almost a week after the faculty of mathematics on approved semester in mathematics, computer science and operational research.

Nandita Narain, head of mathematics department, St Stephen's College said, "The head of department of mathematics has hustled through the proposed syllabus for new semester course for BSc mathematics (H). He hurriedly called meetings without calling a general body meeting of teachers, or even a meeting of teachers-in-charge. This is a complete breach of the assurance given by the Vice-Chancellor that no syllabus would be prepared without a thorough discussion with the teachers."

Meanwhile, the joint action body today continued teaching students in the open lawns at Mughal Gardens for the fourth day today. Teachers also placed placards displaying their counterpoint on semesters.

Greater Noida, March 16
The education department of Uttar Pradesh has taken several measures to prevent the education mafia from helping students secure admission on fake marksheets and documents. The district inspectors of schools have been asked to scrutinise the documents of all the candidates applying for admission to classes IX and above.

"In Uttar Pradesh, this year, the scrutiny of marksheets and other documents of students of classes X and XII under the UP Board found that more than one lakh admissions were secured on fake marksheets and documents," said Jyoti Prasad, district inspector of schools (DIOS).

"To check fake admissions, from the academic session 2011-12, the education department has directed us to verify the marksheets of the students enrolling for class IX onwards at the admission level itself," said Prasad.

"As mafias admit a large number of candidates directly to classes X and XII, officials have been instructed to scrutinise these cases on a priority basis," said Prasad.

Most private schools are allegedly involved in the racket. Besides ensuring admission on fake documents, they promise success to students. The education mafias, in connivance with private schools, allegedly help students in cheating at examination centres.

When raid teams reach the centres, all objectionable materials are removed. As these schools are located in remote areas, the mafias get information about raiding teams in advance. "To check copying, centre superintendents have been given magisterial powers," said Puran Singh, principal, Inter College, Sector 12, Noida, and the sector magistrate for exams scheduled to start on March 17.

New Delhi, March 16
Jamia Millia Islamia is going out of its way to help empower housewives, maids, unemployed youths and home-based workers. The Outreach Programme of the university will organise a two-day workshop on "Economic Empowerment of Home-Based Workers through Microfinance and Other Government Schemes" on March 17 and 18.

The workshop is supported by the National Commission for Women (NCW) and aims to initiate an interface between the local and state governments and the home-based workers in the Okhla area. It will also initiate a process of spreading awareness about various government schemes for home-based workers.

The main objectives of the workshop are to learn about the problems faced by the home-based workers of the area and spread awareness about the schemes and programmes launched by the government and banks for such workers.

Further, the workshop targets to train the key organisers working among these women in the concepts and working of micro-credit, which forms the basis of most of these schemes, and also explore the role that the university can play in facilitating the link-up between the government, banks and other organisations and these home-based workers, largely housewives and maids.

Alongside the workshop, an exhibition-cum-sale of handicraft products will also be put up by the Zakir Husain Welfare Society, Janvadi Mahila Samiti, Muslim Womens' Forum and Balak Mata Centre.

New Delhi, March 16
If the average casualty on the Delhi roads during the holi celebrations is an indication, minimum of 15 persons in the city would be celebrating their last festival of colours this Sunday.

According to the Delhi traffic police statistics, 159 persons have lost their lives in the road accidents on the holi celebrations in the past 10 years, the direct outcome of dangerous and drunken driving by the people on this day.

On last holi (2010), exactly 15 persons were reported dead on the city roads. According to an ACP with the traffic department, these figures are way high when compared to an average of five fatal on any normal day.

"On an average, five fatalities are reported in the city on normal days but drunken driving during holi shoots up these figures. However, all this is going to change this year as we are not only going to put a heavy penalty and suspend their driving licence, but also send them to jail if found driving under the influence of alcohol," said the official.

The offenders would be challaned for Rs 2,000 along with judicial custody which will be decided by the magistrate on the spot. With over 400 persons already sent to the jail for drunken driving since August 2010, the police is not bluffing.

"Armed with over 400 breath-analyzsers, it would be difficult for drunken drivers to escape the police net this time and no mercy would be shown to them," the official added.

The minimum casualty during holi in the past 10 years was reported in 2005 with nine deaths while maximum of 22 deaths followed in 2006. Despite prosecuting 5,300 persons under various Motor Vehicle Acts, 436 for drunken driving alone, the police could not avert 15 road deaths on the festival last year.

However, with guaranteed jail if found drunken and driving, the police is hoping the day would pass off better than last year. While the full strength of the traffic police of over 6,000 men would be on road that day, even the local police of the area would be assisting them in checking, prosecution and arrest of rowdies.

"In fact, the traffic police is getting on the job from tonight itself and more than 50 police teams would be checking the drunken driving outside the pubs and bars," said the official.

New Delhi, March 16
A Delhi court has awarded rigorous imprisonment for life to five persons, including a woman, for stabbing to death the manager of a firm after they were sacked from it on allegations of misconduct.

Additional Sessions Judge Satinder Kumar Gautam, who said the offence was committed in a "cold blooded manner", also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 each on the convicts.

"All the accused have strong motive to take revenge from the deceased, as such they were in full mood to take advantage of the weakness of the deceased.

"They allured him through accused Rani, who took him to a lonely place in a field and committing the murder," the court said.

Convicts Ram Parkash, Krishan, Prithvi Raj, Arun and Rani, who were working in a factory at Nangloi in west Delhi, were sacked by victim Satdev Rathi in 2008 after one of them was found in a compromising position with the lone woman accused and others were found drunk inside the factory premises. — PTI

New Delhi, March 16
Three persons-- a senior citizen, a young housewife and an autorickshaw driver-- were murdered in three incidents reported from different parts of the Capital since last night.

In the first incident reported from the Kamla Market area of central Delhi, a 48-year-old autorickshaw driver was stabbed to death by an unidentified man last night.

According to the police, Prem Kumar Mathur was stabbed by the accused during an altercation after he forcibly got into Mathur's auto which was already occupied by a woman.

"Mathur was stabbed around 8.30 pm. He was ferrying a woman passenger when the accused forced his way inside the vehicle. The woman objected to this and Mathur asked him to get down. However, reluctant to get down, the man stabbed Mathur with a razor and fled the spot," said a police official.

He added that a case under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC had been registered at the Kamla Market police station.

New Delhi, March 16
A 31-year-old Columbian national identified as Edier Jaidiber, resident of Bagota (Columbia), has been arrested by the Delhi police for the alleged burgling of two houses with the help of his three foreign associates, including a woman.

According to the police, Eider was arrested from Saket yesterday when he was found with a bag containing ornaments and house-breaking equipment.

According to H G S Dhaliwal, DCP (South), his arrest led the police to the unique way adopted by foreigners in committing crime here while coming on legitimate tourist visas.

"Criminals from abroad come on three-month tourist visas with the intention of committing crime. They stay in hotels and commit crimes in posh areas with the help of other foreigners. It has also come to notice that the Jaidiber's gang had even studied the Indian Penal Code (IPC) law," said Dhaliwal.