New Delhi, August 27
People from several quarters, including grassroot activists, today gathered in the city to discuss the need for the passage of the Whistleblowers' (Protection in Public Interest Disclosures) Bill, 2011, in this session of Parliament.

The matter was taken up for discussion during a public meeting held to discuss the concerns over the delay in the passage of the Bill. The meeting was attended by many victims who shared their heartrending experiences.

One such victim was Bhikham Chand (63) from Todgargh village in Rajasthan who filed an RTI to know about the expenditure by the Panchayat under few development schemes in 2009-10, but this citizen's initiative landed him in hospital in a crippled and mutilated condition.

Chand, also a former sarpanch and founder member of Sahitya Sansthan, said that he was threatened by sarpanch's sons and both his legs were chopped off below knees in the guesthouse of his NGO on October 30, 2010.

"I spent Rs 5 lakh on my treatment. I now have rods in my legs and all this just because I filed an RTI to bring out corruption in the village funds," said Chand.

In a similar case, another RTI user and whistleblower, Mangla Ram, a resident of Barmer district, Rajasthan, faced the wrath of the village head when he went ahead with an RTI to enquire about the status of MNREGA.

"I was told to withdraw the RTI in 2007 but I refused. I asked for police protection but was denied and days after I was beaten up. I remained in hospital with fracture for months and am still limping. Nothing will work until those who want to fight out the wrongdoings are protected. Immediate FIRs should be lodged," he said while questioning the police's role in the process.

The activists think that the objective of the much-hailed Right to Information Act, 2005, have failed, especially those related to matters of irregularities in spending and governance, given the bureaucratic rigmarole with officials finding it convenient to dodge the legalities.

Recounting the harrowing experience of Satyendra Dubey, project engineer of the NHAI, who was murdered for exposing corruption in Golden Quadrilateral, Dhananjay Dubey, said that the efforts of his brother came to nought. His identity was exposed and all his pleas for support were unheeded. "If the Bill had come into existence earlier, his brother Satyendra would have lived," he said.

Speakers during one of the sessions, jointly organised by the National Campaign for People's Right to Information, Inclusive Media for Change and Foundation for Media Professionals and Accountability Initiative, underlined that the scope of the Bill should be expanded to go beyond the "whistleblowers from within" the system and consider others like journalists, activists and common man who risk their lives in the process.

Present on the occasion, member of the National Advisory Council, Aruna Roy, who had pressed for the matter in a letter to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Friday, pointed out that the Bill will only work if the five pillars of information, public hearing, action, people's participation and security for all complainants are ensured.

New Delhi, August 27
Delhi Irrigation and Flood department today asked the residents of the Capital living in low-lying areas in Trans-Yamuna, Okhla, and Jaitpur to leave for safer places as the water level is rising in the Yamuna and may touch the danger mark any time in the night.

An official said that the water level in the Yamuna had risen in the river after the release of around one lakh cusecs of water by Haryana from Hathini Kund barrage.

The most affected areas in the Capital would be Usmanpur, Shastri Park, Chilla Village, jhuggi clusters at the bank of river, extended parts of Zakir Nagar, Jogabai, Khidrabad, Batla House and Jaitpur.

A senior official said people are being evacuated from the banks of Yamuna as the water level in the river touched 204.16 metres and it may cross the danger level of 204.83 metres soon.

Revenue Minister A. K. Walia who also handles Irrigation and Flood department said that deputy commissioners and officials of the department concerned are closely monitoring the situation.

The government has activated control rooms in several areas and made all the arrangements to address any possible eventuality.

New Delhi, August 27
The Delhi cabinet today gave its nod for the establishment of a 200-bedded hospital at Burari to provide health care facility to the residents of north and northwest Delhi. The hospital will be constructed with an estimated cost of Rs 208.11 crore.

The proposed hospital at Burari, Kaushik Enclave in north Delhi will act as an institute for the patients referred from the health centres or dispensaries of the adjoining areas. It will provide round-the-clock emergency services, maternity services, surgical facilities and other specialty services for secondary health care.

The hospital building to be constructed as per the green building concept will comprise emergency, OPD, general ward, special ward, operation theatre, ICU and residential complex.

It is expected that the construction of the hospital will be completed in 30 months, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said.

The cabinet also decided to enhance the effectiveness and usefulness of Delhi Arogya Kosh (DAK).

While briefing the mediapersons after the cabinet meeting, Dikshit stated that the need was felt to enhance the usefulness of DAK in order to help poor people. A society called Delhi Arogya Kosh was registered under the Societies Registration Act.

It was felt that the usefulness of DAK be enhanced and the safety net widened substantially by revising some provisions of the operational guidelines, she added.

New Delhi, August 27
Angered over the recent anti-reservation remarks of Attorney General of India Vahanwati, activists of the "Save Reservation" movement today took a dig at him and demanded reservations in promotions during a dharna at Jantar Mantar.

Supporters of caste-based reservations united under the banner of All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations and Dr. Ambedkar Mahasabha, expressed their dissent against his views and said that he should be removed from his post.

National chairman of the confederation Udit Raj, said presently, of 51 political parties, only the Samajwadi Party is against reservation in promotions and is isolated from the mainstream.

If the constitutional amendment is not made immediately for reservation in promotions, they will hold a countrywide agitation and also stage dharnas throughout the country.

On November 26, a rally of lakhs of people will be held at Ramlila Maidan and the city will be brought to a standstill, said an activist.

This will not only open the eyes of the government, but will also shake the very existence of the Samajwadi Party, said another activist. 

New Delhi, August 27
Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (TPDDL) has been imposed a penalty of Rs 25,000 by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) for committing a series of violations, including wrong assessment of a consumer's electricity bill and snapping of supply.

A petition filed by Anita Goel, a resident of Sector 2, Rohini, against the power discom led to the order by the DERC. TPDDL official said the company would fully comply with the DERC order.

In the order, the DERC said the connection to the consumer was issued for non-domestic purposes but the same was billed by the TPDDL for domestic tariff by "mistake". The company later revised the bill based on commercial tariff instead of domestic rates which was not paid by the consumer.

The company had issued a disconnection notice to the consumer for defaulting in making the payment of Rs 57,373 on November 24, 2010. The revised demand was raised pursuant to revision of the tariff category from domestic to non-domestic.

Upset over the disconnection notice, the consumer had then approached the Consumer Grievances Redressal Forum (CGRF) which had ordered restoration of power supply.

The DERC observed that the TPDDL disconnected the supply of the complainant on December 20, 2010, in spite of the order of CGRF dated December 9, 2010, for restoration of the supply which is a violation of the regulations.

New Delhi, August 27
More than two dozen below poverty line (BPL) card holders, the majority of them are widows from Ghera village near Chhatarpur village, today made a complaint to the food and supply officer against the ration shop owner.

They said, "When we do not get ration, how we will get free gas stove and LPG connection that have been announced by the Chief Minister recently."

The Chief Minister had said that BPL card holders and ration card holders in jhuggies would be given free LPG connection and gas stove under a government scheme to make Delhi kerosene-free.

They said that the shopkeeper refused to give them ration saying that their ration cards had been cancelled.

But the record did not show this when they met the officer concerned in the food and supply office today.

Angoori, a below poverty line (BPL) card holder, said that they have been given ration (wheat and rice) just once in the last one year.