New Delhi, March 29
The Delhi government today submitted its preliminary response to the high level committee (HLC) report on city infrastructure development during the Commonwealth Games 2010. The HLC was headed V. K. Shunglu.

The government's preliminary response was prepared by a committee of three senior officers of the Delhi government. The officers are Delhi Jal Board's Chief Executive Officer Ramesh Negi; principal secretary, Land and Building Department, D. M. Sapolia; and principal secretary, Environment, Dharmender Kumar.

The preliminary response said, "We constrained but compelled to point out that the HLC report is not just full of contradictions and anomalies but has caused damage to the image of the government and political executives."

"This seems to be the product of paranoia, suspecting every action, every individual and assumes that every policy bespoke of a 'grand construct of corruption'. The HLC report is speculative and presumptuous," the preliminary response said.

The phrases - "how stage was set for restricted tender", "subterfuge to share spoils", "method in madness" and "unusual interest"- are all assumptions and were used to tarnish the image of the government.

The government was not given chance to explain its version. "It is unfortunate that officer and engineers who have toiled to meet the national goals should be indicted by the HLC without being given any opportunity of hearing," the response said.

It said that these are the preliminary remarks of the government based on the HLC report downloaded from the web and in the absence of any official communication.

A detailed and complete reply would be furnished shortly the committee of three senior officers. The findings of the committee will be available on website, the preliminary response said.

New Delhi, March 29
Speaker Yoganand Shastri today confirmed that the proceedings of the Assembly House were adjourned sine die due to the attitude of the Opposition as it disrupted the session disobeying his ruling.

He said, "Although the sittings of the House were scheduled to be held up to March 31and four short-duration discussions were listed apart from question hour and special mention, the members of the Opposition disturbed the proceedings of the House during the whole session for which I had to adjourn the House frequently."

The Speaker said, "When the Opposition members repeatedly disobeyed the ruling of the chair and created pandemonium and did not leave the Well of the House, at last the marshals were called in to maintain decorum of the House. In such circumstances, it was very difficult to conduct proceedings of the House in the days ahead."

Besides, the government also informed that no business is pending for consideration, therefore, "I adjourned the House sine die to prevent occurrence of any possible untoward situation", he said.

The report (Shunglu Committee report), for which the Opposition members were disturbing the proceedings of the House, was not under the jurisdiction of the Delhi government. The Assembly secretariat has not received the copy of the report.

He said the people of Delhi had elected them to raise and solve their problems related to respective constituencies and not for creating ruckus or wasting the floor time.

New Delhi, March 29
Refraining from hiking water tariff and extending the water supply to unauthorised colonies, the annual budget of Delhi Jal Board (DJB) for the year 2011-12 was presented today by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ramesh Negi.

The primary focus of the Rs 1716.28-crore Budget will be to extend water network to un-authorised colonies, starting of Bawana WTP, arresting water leakages, full domestic metering, augmentation of treatment capacity at Dwarka and Okhla, implementation of SCADA and improving consumer convenience.

For the year 2011-12, a total plan Budget of Rs 1716.28 crore has been proposed for the water sector and sewerage sector. Out of this Budget, Rs 925.05 crore is for the water sector which includes grant-in-aid of Rs 70 crore for MLA priorities, Rs 0.55 crore for rainwater harvesting, Rs 9 crore for JJ Clusters and Rs 136 crore for water supply in unauthorised colonies. While for the sewerage sector, Rs 791.23 crore has been allocated.

"In the water sector, the water network has been extended to 744 un-authorised colonies and sewer network in 98 colonies. To give immediate relief to the public in pocket areas with water shortage, additional tubewells have been bored and about 100 water tankers will be deployed for supplying potable water for far-flung areas, JJ Clusters and deficit prone areas," said Negi.

"In the sewerage sector, as estimated wastewater generation is 680 MGD, whereas the DJB is augmenting capacity by 105 million gallon daily through 45 MGD sewerage treatment plant (STP) at Kondli, 25 MGD STP at Yamuna Vihar and 30 MGD at Okhla, 5 MGD STP at Kapashera by 2011 and thereby raising the installed capacity to 618 MGD," he said.

The officials said construction of 15.5 MGD sewage pumping station at Jeewan Park and seven MGD at Punjabi Bagh were in progress and would be commissioned by June.

The ministry of environment and forest with JICA has sanctioned five major projects under Yamuna Action Plan-II amounting to Rs 387.17 crore which includes DJB Rehabilitation of Ring Road Sewer, Reconstruction of Bela Road Sewer, Construction of Wazirabad Road Sewer and Construction of 30 MDG STP at Okhla Rehabilitation of Keshopur STP. All the projects are in progress and are to be completed by the year-end. DJB has engaged six NGOs for developing public awareness on hygienic sanitation and solid waste management practices.

Noida, March 29
World Cup fever has engulfed the twin cities of Noida and Greater Noida. Some educational institutions and corporate houses have announced half-day leave for their students and employees to watch the Indo-Pak clash tomorrow. Even malls and restaurants have made special arrangements for their customers like big screens and special menus.

Today, a hawan was performed at IMS College in Noida for the victory of India in the hugely anticipated clash.

Ishan Institute of Management and Technology (IIMT) in Greater Noida has announced a day's leave on the match day and made arrangements for the students and staff to watch the clash together.

"We have arranged a special projector that will show the match on a 450-square ft screen. It is the largest screen installed in the NCR. Students, college staff and VVIPs from the twin cities will view the match together and enjoy the moment. Apart from it being a World Cup match, the fact that it is being played between India and Pakistan is what has raised the sentiments," said D.K. Garg, chairman, IIMT.

"I have invited the district magistrate, senior superintendent of police and several senior district and police officers to the college campus for viewing the crucial match. We want India to beat Pakistan and enter the final round of the tournament," said Garg.

Several other colleges too are planning to hold similar screenings on their campuses.

Dhiraj Mangal, director, IEC College, said, "On the demand of the students, we have installed a plasma screen for the World Cup matches. But the students are more interested in the India-Pakistan clash."

The general secretary of the Association of Greater Noida Industries, P.P. Sharma, said, "Manufacturing units too have set up plasma screens for their workers to see the World Cup matches during the lunch hours. Many employees have applied for leave on the day of the Indo-Pak match. Some non-manufacturing companies have declared half-day as more than 40 per cent of their staff have applied for leave."

Similarly, IT and software companies have made special arrangements for their staff, whereby they can watch the match while working.

"We have set up a screen at our auditorium in Technology Parks, Sector 62. It has a capacity of around 250 persons. It will be open to the company staff," said Shakti Nath, chairman, Logix Group of Techno Parks.

Malls have also made special screening arrangements.

"A huge screen has been installed for the visitors to see the World Cup matches," said Piyush Pushpak of Great India Place Mall.

Centre Stage Mall, Shopprixs Mall and Spice Mall too have made special screening arrangements.

Even restaurants have set up large-screen televisions to attract customers. "We have installed 29-inch colour televisions at all our restaurants in Noida and Indirapuram and taken cable connection especially for the World Cup. This will ensure that the footfall does not decline during matches, especially the Indo- Pak clash," said Vikas Mehta of New Wok Group of restaurants.

"We are also offering special discounts on the day of India-Pakistan match," said Mehta.

The Residents Welfare Associations are also not lagging behind. They too are making plans to make Indo-Pak clash memorable.

"We have arranged for the screening of the match at the Federation Office in Sector 52. Further, sector RWAs have been asked to arrange for screenings at community centres," said N.P. Singh, president, Federation of Noida Residents Welfare Association.

"On Wednesday, I will take leave from work and watch the match at home. I have asked my wife to prepare special snacks for the day. My brother too has taken leave from work. My whole family will watch the match together," said Amit Mehta, a Noida resident.

Even saloons and block-level shops have installed televisions for public viewing of the match tomorrow.

"I want people to see the match and motivate the Indian players," said Rehman, a saloon owner.

New Delhi, March 29
Almost one-and-a-half month after the Airport Express Metro Link from New Delhi Railway Station to Indira Gandhi International Airport began its commercial operations, Delhi Metro's Rail Corporation's (DMRC) Managing Director Dr E Sreedharan went on a surprise inspection of the link today.

Sreedharan said he was disappointed with the present frequency of 20 minutes of the Airport Express line and stressed on the importance of increasing the frequency of trains on the corridor to provide better connectivity and service to the commuters. Earlier, when the link began operations, the frequency of trains wasn't more than 5 minutes.

Sreedharan boarded the train at the railway station at 9 am and travelled up to Dwarka Sector 21. He got down at all the operational stations on the corridor and inspected the amenities available for the commuters for the next two hours.

He also said instead of the current speed of the trains travelling at 105 km/hour, the maximum speed of the trains must be increased up to 120 km and all the issues related to it must be sorted out at the earliest.

The proposal of inspection of the increase of speed is yet to be approved.

Expressing his dissatisfaction about the passenger amenities, including the lack of tea/coffee vending machines that are yet to be provided at the stations, Sreedharan said the stations must have refreshment kiosks for the convenience of the commuters.

He pointed out that the lack of proper signage and mobile connectivity in the underground sections were causing inconvenience to the commuters. He also noticed that the announcements made inside the trains and at the stations were not adequate and were not giving the correct information on some occasions.

The Managing Director of the Delhi Metro also said that there should be seamless platform-to-platform connectivity for the commuters coming from the Delhi Metro network to the airport link and vice-versa at the Dwarka Sector 21 station.

Sreedharan, however, appreciated the efforts of the airport express link staff in keeping the system neat and clean.

He said the corridor was one of the most technologically advanced in the world and was at par or even better than most other airport Metro links in other cities globally.

New Delhi, March 29
Mayor Prithvi Raj Sawhney today unveiled the logo and a dedicated website of recently launched scheme for the Resident Ward Committees (RWCs), which will work as consultative bodies for local-level development.

The corporation had announced the scheme for formation of the RWCs earlier this month and said it would boost public participation in the civic decision-making. As per plan, the RWCs would comprise one representative from each registered Residents Welfare Association (RWA) within a municipal ward, apart from the area junior engineer (works), sanitary inspector and section officer (horticulture).

The councillors would chair the committees.

The new website: www.rwc-mc.org will have all details about the scheme and the RWAs can download application forms, rules and regulations. The MCD has already issued a public notice for the commencement of the scheme and said the RWAs could send a letter of nomination, along with application for registration, to the chief coordinator of the RWC Management Cell under the Mayor's office. The forms must be submitted by April 15, it said.

The website will also be managed by the RWC cell. Sawhney said the link of the website would soon be made available on the MCD's site. He said the logo of RWC made in a honeycomb pattern with a base line 'Citizens Make a City' represents dialogue, interaction and engagement which signified coming together of the people towards a purpose. The logo was a reflection of the importance that the MCD gave on involvement of citizens in building of a city, he added.

The United Residents Joint Action (URJA), the RWA wing of NGO People's Action, has been asked to assist Mayor's office in execution of the scheme. Sawhney said though most of the councilors involve RWAs while deciding on development works in their areas, the new panels would 'institutionalise' the system.

The Mayor said the move would aid the councillors in conducting area development work in a smooth way. Leader of the MCD House Subhash Arya said the RWCs would act as a bridge among people, elected representatives and corporation. He had earlier said the RWCs would be empowered to give suggestions on various works in the area costing up to Rs 30 lakh.

Members of the RWAs present at the launch felt the scheme could be beneficial. "The RWAs and councillors can bring a change through the scheme if they want," said Rupak Vaish, resident of GK-I and URJA representative, while New Rajinder Nagar RWA representative D M Narang felt this was an initiative on the lines of bhagidari which would benefit all.

New Delhi, March 29
To ensure the smooth implementation of the Continues and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) Scheme, the CBSE has plans of closely monitoring schools and conducting random verification in over 200 schools to ensure the process is being smoothly followed at the school level, including the examination process.

In fact, a nationwide evaluation of the system is now underway for the first time since it was implemented in 2009. A CBSE official said, "The CBSE will be analysing the summative assessment and the formative assessment data. The entire CCE process will come under close examination in schools across the country so that the board can assure its smooth implementation. The board will analyse the results of some 45 selected students from over 200 schools spread across the nation."

The official said each school would be required to send the data of a total of 15 students, five each in the top, average and lowest grade. The board would analyse the subject wise performance of the students in a number of subjects. This would help the board to arrive at the correct picture of how the CCE was being implemented in the schools across the country.

Later, certificates would be issued to schools where monitors had visited and data had been collected.

The schools for this exercise would be chosen randomly, this includes both the government and the private schools. However, all schools would be submitting their basic data to the board.

"The board is conducting this verification exercise as a system of checks and balances has to be instituted to ensure them smooth functioning of the CCE. Further, schools are expected to submit the data by April 20 latest and this will simultaneously be uploaded on the CBSE website. Also, parents have expressed concern that schools might manipulate the grades if they are not closely watched. Hence, this verification exercise is essential. Further, we also expect to encounter problems inherent in the system which can later be rooted out," added the official.

New Delhi, March 29
Facing charges of illegal detention and beating inside the lock-up at the Inderpuri police station in southwest district, the deputy commissioner of police of the area, A.K. Ojha, has ordered a vigilance enquiry against station house officer Ramesh Chander, sub-inspector Datta Ram and constables Darshan Singh and Sandeep.

According to information, one Arun Kumar has reported to a senior official that on March 24, when he was passing through Todapur village while a fight was going on in the village, SHO Chander along with SI Datta Ram and others illegally detained him and beat him. Later, they also allegedly beat Arun's brothers and 12-year-old son.

According to Arun, SI Datta Ram told him that the SHO wanted to meet him at the police station. When he reached the station, Arun was beaten up and locked. Later in the night, when his brothers, Rakesh and Vijay, along with his son Jitender went to the police station, they too were beaten up and allowed to go only around 12 midnight.

New Delhi, March 29
A 32-year-old woman who planned her husband's murder along with her 19-year-old paramour and his friend has been arrested by the outer district police. The arrested have been identified as Rekha (32) and her friends Naveen (21) and Mandeep (19).

Rekha's husband Vinod Kumar (38), a commission agent, was stabbed to death in Rohini Sector-20, close to his house while he was taking a walk in the morning on March 23.

According to Chhaya Sharma, DCP (outer), the investigating team found the conduct of Rekha suspicious after the murder of her husband. Initially, she tried to mislead the police, but broke down after sustained interrogation.

"Rekha confessed to the crime and revealed that Vinod used to beat her often. She along with Naveen and his friend Mandeep planned the murder. Naveen used to teach the couple's children and had developed illicit relations with Rekha. Vinod had come to know about this and fought with her," said Sharma, adding that the police has recovered the two knives used by Naveen and Mandeep in the murder.

Both the accused are unmarried and residents of Sultanpur Dabas. Rekha and Vinod married about 18 years ago and it was a love marriage. The couple has three children.

New Delhi, March 29
With the arrest of three men--Anwar (25), Akshar (23) and Safuddin (22)--, the police has claimed to have solved the murder of one Jakaullaha, who was stabbed to death in the Seemapuri police station area three days ago. Jakaullaha was killed when he tried to intervene and save one Rahis, who was being beaten by the accused.

The weapon of offence has been recovered.

According to the police, Rahis was attacked by the accused along with their absconding accomplice Aftab around 11 pm outside a hotel in Masjid wali Gali, New Seemapuri. Jakaullah, a resident of F-72 New Seemapuri, intervened to save Rahis. On this, the accused attacked him on the neck. Both the injured persons were taken to GTB Hospital, where Jakaullah was declared dead.

On interrogation, it was learnt that there was an enmity between Aftab and Zafar, the stepson of Rahis. Aftab and Zafar were involved in a murder case, but had developed differences on money and a girl. The accused had attacked Rahis as he was intervening between Zafar and Aftab. Jakaullah was murdered accidentally.

New Delhi, March 29
The northeast district police has arrested two crime reporters for allegedly extorting money from a person by threatening him to publish an incriminating article against him in their newspaper. The victim is the brother of one of the reporters.

According to S.K. Jain, DCP (northeast), the accused have been identified as Sahdev Singh (30) and Shahdi Ahmad (37), reporters with a weekly newspaper, Vardaat A to Z. "Singh and Ahmed were arrested red-handed while taking Rs 5,000 from the complainant, Rashid Mehmood, who is Ahmed's brother. The duo had earlier taken Rs 15,000 from him and were demanding Rs 10,000 more," said Jain.

Mehmood had complained to the police that someone posing as a journalist was demanding money from him, threatening to publish a news report that he was a thief who sold and purchased stolen utensils.

"Yesterday, Mehmood had called Sahdev to Bhgirathi Water Works Plant, where he was caught red-handed taking Rs 5,000," Jain said.

The conspiracy was hatched by Ahmed. He wanted to extort money from his brother Mehmood. As per their plan, Singh went to Mehmood's shop and clicked some photographs. He then threatened Mehmood to publish a story against him in his newspaper. A heart patient, Mehmood got frightened and paid Singh Rs 15,000, Jain said.

During investigation, the police learnt that the newspaper had been recently registered by Sanjay Gupta and about 500 copies were printed at a cost of Rs 560.

Gupta had hired 150 reporters, but did not pay them salaries.

"Though the reporters were on his rolls, they were not paid salary," Jain revealed. Singh also runs a mobile phone repair shop.

New Delhi, March 29
Four youths were arrested in the Capital today within 24 hours after they allegedly committed an armed dacoity at a house.

They have been identified as Veer Bahadur (22), Satbir (23), Raju (19) and Atique (19), V Renganathan, DCP (west), said. The gang had allegedly barged into a residence in Kirti Nagar and looted cash and jewellery worth around Rs 20 lakh yesterday at a gunpoint.

"They had put knife on a child and even threatened to pour hot boiling water on women if they ever attempt to utter a word during the robbery," Renganathan said.

They were arrested from Maya Puri Chowk this afternoon. Two of their associates Jugnu and Dhirender are still large. The police has recovered Rs 7.70 lakh and jewellery worth Rs 10 lakh.

"The gang leader, Veer Bahadur, was inspired by the lavish lifestyle of the rich people living in posh areas like Mansarovar Garden, Kirti Nagar and Rajouri Garden and always dreamt of becoming rich like them one day.

"He first worked as a cab driver during which he fell in love with a girl whom he married secretly. After marriage he could not fulfill the requirements of his wife and started planning to do something big," the DCP added. — PTI