New Delhi, May 10
The Delhi Cabinet today approved the recommendations of the group of ministers (GoMs) consisting of Raj Kumar Chauhan, Arvinder Singh and Ramakant Goswami in respect of various issues relating to unauthorised colonies, urbanised villages, resettlement colonies, private katras, etc.

The decisions will facilitate the early regularisation of illegal colonies and would help overcome obstacles in development of illegal colonies, urbanised villages, etc.

The Cabinet decided that the development works in all the eligible colonies would be taken up without any delay. So far, 1,018 colonies are fulfiling the eligibility criteria for regularisation. No objection certificates have been granted by all the departments concerned to take up developmental works like roads, drains, water supply etc in these colonies.

The development may also be undertaken in the colonies built on the government land.

The Cabinet gave its approval to start the developmental works in the remaining 200 unauthorised colonies on receipt of clearance from agencies like forest, Archeological Survey of India, etc.

To simplify the regularisation process, the Cabinet has decided that the aerial map of 2007 will form the basis for fixation of boundaries. This will ensure that a large portion of the area left out by the 2002 survey will be covered, thus, minimising hardship to the residents.

The Cabinet directed the urban development department to get maps prepared as per the aerial photographs of 2007 within two months. 

New Delhi, May 10
Instances of children exploited at the hands of designated caretakers is not unheard of, with the latest surfacing from Prayas's Children Home for Girls at Tughalakabad where two inmates (18 and 17) were allegedly used for personal work, by its manager Baby Naaz.

Considering the matter prima facie as that of causing pain and trauma to both children, the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) of Lajpat Nagar today pulled up Prayas for failing in having a proper institutional management for handling of abuse within the home, even as the Rule 50 of the Delhi Juvenile Justice Act, 2009, necessitates a management committee for such child care homes.

It is a clear case of violations of the Rule 60 (III) and 89 of the Delhi Juvenile Justice Act, 2009, noted the committee, chaired by Raaj Mangal Prasad, while directing Prayas to organise sensitisation programmes for its staff for apprising them of child abuse and neglect.

While the CWC has told the SHO of the Ambedkar police station to submit a report to the CWC on May 29, the authorities of Prayas termed CWC's order as harsh.

"Both girls, who eloped from homes and married against their parents, had come to us for one and a half months. It is a case of rivalry with the manager who is also in her early twenties. We run vocational courses, such as dress-making, typing, beauty treatment and these girls also had interest in beauty and in fact requested Naaz to get it done. All allegations are baseless," Prayas director, Arun Grover said.

However, the accused has admitted before the CWC on May 8 that she had punished them and used to get pedicure and manicure done from them but apparently paid money for it even as she denied other allegations.

The incident, in which two girls, one five-month pregnant, were made to sit outside their dormitory whole night without food, brought to the CWC's notice by Bijli Anil, legal aid counsel with the Delhi Legal Services Authority.

New Delhi, May 10
A spate of suicides was reported from Delhi during the past 48 hours. Four persons, including two women, allegedly committed suicide by hanging themselves from the ceiling fans at their residences.

In the first incident, Gaurav Soorna (33) ended his life at his residence in Kirti Nagar. Sources said that he was depressed over insufficient income from his business. In the suicide note, he has mentioned financial crisis as the reason behind the suicide. He also suggested his wife to marry somebody else. Gaurav was married few months ago.

In the second incident, a 29-year-old taxi driver, Arjun Singh, allegedly hanged himself from the ceiling fan at his residence in Ambedkar Nagar, today.The police was informed about the incident at 8 am.

In the suicide note, Arjun wrote that he was not happy with his life. Arjun had married twice, after his first wife died very young. He lived with his second wife and had two children from each wife.

In the third incident, a 26-year-old woman, Najma, allegedly killed herself at her house in Seelampur, last night.

She was married to Hassan in 2009. Her family alleges that she took the extreme step because her in-laws demanded dowry from her. She had an 18-month old daughter.

In the fourth incident, 21-year-old Shivani found hanging from a ceiling fan at her residence in Bharat Nagar. She had returned to her parents' home, after complaining about her in-laws. She was sent back by her parents who asked her to make a compromise.

Shivani committed suicide two days after she returned to her home. No suicide note was recovered. Her family alleges that her in-laws thrashed her and demanded dowry. She had a four-mont h old daughter.