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Four killed in warehouse fire
Tabla player, auto driver die in mishap
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Water privatisation can lead to riots, deaths: RSS
DDA to auction 63 residential plots this week
12th Plan: Delhi to have 550 more schools
RML: Panel to probe harassment charge
Trade fair opens today
Principal fined for not replying to RTI query
3 held for duping jeweller of Rs 1 cr
Rs 3.5 lakh looted at gunpoint
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Four killed in warehouse fire
New Delhi, November 13 The cause of the fire has not been clear so far. However, officials suspect an electrical short-circuit could have caused the fire. The police is investigating the case. Onlookers and fire officials claimed that the victims were trapped inside when the fire broke out at Rajdhani Transport godown on Asaf Ali Road near Ajmeri Gate here around 9.45 in the morning. Eight fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the blaze was doused after an hour, according to the official. "The injured were rushed to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital (LNJP) where they were reported to be in critical condition," fire official said. Just three days back, two lives fell prey to a fire incident in the Karol Bagh commercial area, leaving six more injured. The victims tried to jump off the blazed building. While two of them lost their lives, other landed on the ground with broken legs. |
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Tabla player, auto driver die in mishap
New Delhi, November 13 The deceased have been identified as Atul Prasanna and Rama Shanker (45), an autorickshaw driver. "The incident took place around 2 pm when Atul was returning home along with his uncle Lakshman Prasad and cousin Shivik in an autorickshaw after finishing his rehearsal at Pragati Maidan when the municipality truck carrying garbage hit them from behind near Shanti Van traffic signal," said a police officer. They were taken to Jaya Prakash Narayan Hospital where they were declared brought dead as they had received serious head injuries. "Prasad has been admitted to the ICU. His condition is critical while Shivik fractured his hand and sustained minor injuries on the head and leg," said the police officer. The police officer said that the errant truck driver fled after the incident, leaving behind the vehicle. "We have seized the truck," added the police officer. |
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Water privatisation can lead to riots, deaths: RSS
New Delhi, November 13 According to the RSS, the Congress government in Delhi was planning to privatise the water
supply, which would cause immense hardship to the common people. The RSS has made the statement in an article published in its mouthpiece, Organiser. The right-wing outfit has warned that the
proposal, if implemented, could lead to riots and deaths as had happened in Bolivia,
a small South American nation, when the World Bank pushed it to go for the privatisation
in 2000. The RSS claimed that Dikshit had roped in a multinational company to prepare a blueprint for the proposal after recently announcing that her
government would go ahead with the privatisation plan. "Water is a national resource. It cannot be supplied as somebody's property to make profit.
It is a necessity and the government has a basic duty to provide clean water to every household in the
country," it said. "But Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has been making repeated attempts to privatise the water supply since 2000," the mouthpiece said in an editorial of its latest edition. The article, however, also indirectly attacked the BJP, alleging that there was no strong opposition to the government's attempt. "One of the reasons that have emboldened the
government decision is the absence of a strong political opposition," it said. Talking about the
war on water in Bolivia, the article in the Organiser said, "After the privatization
of water supply in the South American nation, the water bills skyrocketed. In several cases,
half the family incomes went into paying the water bills. Within weeks, riots for water broke out, resulting in deaths and injuries. Finally, the government had to break the contract." The article said only 2 per cent of the urban population in the world, mainly in England and Wales, is served by private water companies. "Another 6 per cent of the world population gets water through privately managed but public owned companies. If Sheila Dikshit has her way, Delhi would join this miserable lot," it said. "Water is a necessity for living. If it is affected, people would react violently. Let not Delhi become another Bolivia," it said. The article further said in Delhi, only a few select VIP homes get 24/7
water supply. Suggesting measures to improve the water availability, the RSS said efforts should be made to improve the water table, plug leakages, stop pilferage and fix metres. |
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DDA to auction 63 residential plots this week
New Delhi, November 13 The plots, located in the plush areas like Vasant Kunj and Friends Colony, will be auctioned on Thursday and Friday at Vikas
Sadan, the DDA's office at INA Market, with a reserve price ranging from Rs 1 crore to 30
crore. To be sold on freehold basis, the 63 plots are located in areas like Model Town, Jasola Pocket-II, Vasant
Kunj, Dwarka, Pitampura, Yamuna Vihar, Friend's Colony, Paschim Vihar,
Rohini, Vivek Vihar and Yamuna Vihar. While the maximum reserve price fixed for the 63 plots is Rs 30
crore, the minimum price is Rs 72 lakh, a DDA official said. Thirteen plots, with the reserve price ranging from Rs 3 to Rs 12
crore, will be available for sale at Vivek Vihar Phase-I area and the plot at upmarket Vasant Vihar will cost over Rs
6 crore. The only two cheapest plots are in Rohini whose reserve price is pegged at Rs 72 lakh, while the costliest plot is up for sale in posh Panchsheel Park, an official notification said. |
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12th Plan: Delhi to have 550 more schools
New Delhi, November 13 Recognising the growing needs in secondary education sector, the government said there was need to set up 550 new senior secondary schools in the next five years for the projected population of 1.90 crore by 2017. For the purpose, the government said the city's largest land owning agency Delhi Development Authority (DDA) needed to make allotment of land at concessional rates to private entities to set up new schools. In a policy paper submitted to the planning commission outlining priorities for the period of the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17), the city government said a "massive investment" was required in education sector to cater to the rapidly increasing demands for quality educational institutions. It said there was a need to set up more quality educational institutions in the field of higher education and argued that the demand could be gauged from cut off marks of 97 to 100 per cent prescribed by some colleges of Delhi University for admission to some popular courses at under-graduate level in the current academic session. As per official figures, the city currently has 5,043 schools which include 2,636 pre-primary and primary schools, 583 middle schools and 1,824 secondary and senior secondary schools with total intake of around 38 lakh students. The total number of teachers is around 1.10 lakh. Out of 5,043 schools, 2,666 are government schools while rest 2,377 is private. Currently there are 160 colleges in the city which includes 83 colleges of Delhi University, 77 colleges affiliated to Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Jamia Milia Islamia University, being the central universities, do not have any quota or preference for Delhi students and that is why they often face tough competition to get admission, the paper said, laying stress on setting up of new colleges. In the field of professional and technical education, Delhi has 107 degree and post-graduate level professional and technical education institutions affiliated to GGSIP University, Delhi University and other universities. Listing government's initiatives to improve educational infrastructure, the paper said the literacy rate in Delhi had been on the rise, saying it had risen to 86.34 in 2011 from 61.54 in 1981. The per capita expenditure on education in Delhi has increased from Rs 2,077 in 2007-08 to Rs 3,492 in 2011-12. The government said plan expenditure on education sector had been enhanced during the 11th Five Year Plan. The plan allocation for the education sector was Rs 479 crore in 2006-07, the terminal year of the 10th Five Year Plan which was enhanced to Rs 1,341 crore in 2011-12, the terminal year of 11th Five Year Plan. Taking into account, the non-plan expenditure of Rs 4,551 crore in 2011-12, the total investment in would be of Rs 5,851 crore in the education sector, the government said. |
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He begs for medicines for the needy
New Delhi, November 13 It has been three years that the good Samaritan, who lives in a small rented house (B-180) in the Palam area Manglapuri, embarked on this humanitarian journey and now stands as a perfect example for others, such as his grandson Shahrukh (13) who was seen accompanying him during his rounds today at the central government employees' colony in South Delhi's Kidwai Nagar. "I come with him when it is holiday in school as 'nana' can't pick them all," Shahrukh, who studies in the class eighth at Government Boys Senior Secondary School and wants to take forward his grandfather's cause, said as he stood nearby holding a bag full of medicines. Sharma held another bag as people responded to his spirited call-"Is there somebody…who would donate unused medicines"--from their balconies. Manju Khera, an asthma patient and Shanti Devi Jainwal, both residents of C block are regular donors. "Medicines of cough, cold or fever keep lying and we give it to him whenever he comes. He has been coming for quite some time. He is doing a great service," said Shanti Devi. A "Mobile Medicine Bank" as his long orange shirt reads along with his contact details, including his mobile numbers: 09250243298 and 09971926518. He moves on foot on Saturdays and Sundays and fixes the exercise for the government colonies. "I have gone to a lot of colonies in Sarojini Nagar, R K Puram, Nauroji Nagar, Moti Bagh besides other residential areas. People are quite generous and want to help," said Sharma who used to work as a blood bank technician in a private hospital in Noida. It was in 2008 that he started the journey from a government colony of Moti Bagh following the Metro bridge collapse in East Delhi's Laxmi Nagar in October 2008. Sharma feels that he has found the real purpose of his living. It hasn't been easy for him, with people casting doubts and questioning his work. However, he sticks to his mission with unfading enthusiasm. Even his disability in legs after a childhood accident and his married son's mental derangement have not weakened his resolve to serve society. "The 2008 accident in Laxmi Nagar at a Metro construction site moved me. At emergencies of hospitals, I found poor people running around for medicines. This made me take up this job that is my mission now. My life has got a meaning. People used to suspect my intentions and many even made fun of me," said Sharma, who seeks sponsorships for his dream-a medicine bank for the poor. The medicine man said many people give even financial help up to Rs 10,000 a month with which he's able to move around the city and carry the social service. Rahat Hi Rahat, Sharma's initiative has been registered as an NGO this week. "In donations, I receive simple medicines to those costing lakhs of rupees and I donate all of them to NGOs as well as charitable dispensaries. There should be 24-hour pharmacy service for needy patients," said Sharma, calling for streamlining the system of drugs distribution. Importantly, he prepares a list of medicines and drugs before donating them and makes sure all his donations are documented. |
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RML: Panel to probe harassment charge
New Delhi, November 13 "I got complaints from some nursing students yesterday. There was some argument between the vice-principal and the student. Later, the student alleged misbehaviour," said medical superintendent Dr T S Siddhu. The student hailing from Kerala had apparently returned from leave and had to get the rejoining form signed. During this exercise, she was allegedly scolded by the teacher for not abiding by the protocol of hospital uniform. They entered into an argument and during the spat, the student’s shirt was torn and she started crying. Students of the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital's nursing college then went on a strike yesterday. Meanwhile, a few students reportedly met Kerala opposition leader V.S. Achuthanandan at Kerala House last evening and submitted a written complaint. Achuthanandan is learnt to have assured the students of appropriate action. The complaint would be sent to the Delhi Chief Minister and Union health minister. |
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Trade fair opens today
New Delhi, November, 13 IITF is organised by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) under the commerce ministry. It is the largest trade fair in the country with both B2B (business to business) and B2C (business to consumer) components. The first five days of the fair (November 14-18) will be reserved for business visitors. The fair will open to the general public from November 19-27. According to ITPO chairman and managing director Rajeev Kher, this year the organisation has not partnered with any country. It has West Bengal and Jharkhand as partner states and Bihar and Orissa as focus states. "There is a huge participation from various states and abroad. The number of outlets is more this year," Kher said. The theme for this year's event is 'Indian handicrafts--The magic of the gifted hands'. The fair will host products from 230 exhibitors from 26 countries, in addition to 27 Indian states, 31 central government ministries and around 260 private companies. The visitors can also expect a wide variety of Indian and international cuisines. |
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Principal fined for not replying to RTI query
Ghaziabad, November 13 According to official sources, Shiv Kumar Garg had asked for information about the expenditure incurred on the publication and printing of the annual college magazine of Kishan Degree College in Simbhawli, earlier this year. The college information officer Vishwa Pal and principal Maya Rani did not provide him with information under Right to Information (RTI), after which he had complained to the district-level officer and later the state-level commissioner. Holding the college guilty of not providing a response, the state information commissioner imposed the fine and directed the district magistrate to recover the amount within a month. The principal of the college has been told to
give the information immediately and fax a copy of the order to the district officer.
— PTI |
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3 held for duping jeweller of Rs 1 cr
New Delhi, November 13 Kumar said he and his sons had opened a jewellery shop in Ramesh Nagar . Over the time, they came in contact with Gopal Chauhan, who owned a jewellery shop in Karol Bagh. To gain his confidence, he regularly made small purchases and paid him promptly. Once they won his confidence, they collected 2.5 kg of gold and jewellery from him and told him that they would make the payment after getting customers’ approval.
— IANS |
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Rs 3.5 lakh looted at gunpoint
Ghaziabad, November 13 In another incident, two farmers were allegedly robbed at gunpoint near Muradnagar yesterday after they withdrew Rs 87,000 from a bank in Suthari village. Kanwar Pal and Hari Kishan were returning to their house when they were stopped by the three robbers.
— PTI |
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