New Delhi, October 15
People who travel on autos in the national Capital may face difficulties tomorrow as the autos affiliated to the Auto Rickshaw Sangh will be on strike for a day.

They are demanding a hike in fares, reduction in GPS installation charges and establishment of a social welfare board for the auto drivers.

President of the Auto Rickshaw Sangh, Rajinder Soni said that the transport department, Delhi government, had said a few months ago that GPS would be installed at a cost of Rs 7,500. After the new Transport Minister Ramakant Goswami has taken charge, the cost of GPS installation has been made more than double. Now its cost is Rs 18,000.

During the tenure of former Transport Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely, a committee was constituted to discuss the suggestions given by the different auto unions for a hike in the fare. The unions had suggested 30-40 per cent hike in the fare. But nothing has been done so far. The minister had also reportedly assured the unions of setting up a social welfare board for the auto drivers.

Soni said the auto union members protested at Jantar Mantar today while they will be on strike tomorrow. If their demands are not met, they would decide on the next course of action.

In view of the strike, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has directed all the depot managers to ensure the plying of maximum buses.

Meanwhile, a delegation of Rashtriya Rajdhani Kshetra Tipahiyaa Chalak Union with its associated 14 unions called on Delhi Transport Minister Ramakant Goswami.

New Delhi, October 15
Just a day after the BJP got a complaint lodged against the Chief Minister and senior officials of the DERC and power distribution companies, chief secretary of the Delhi government P.K. Tripathi said that the power regulatory commission had never notified an order reducing power tariff in Delhi.

The BJP in its complaint said that when Brijender Singh was the chairman of the DERC, he had recommended that the tariff should be reduced by 23 per cent as the power distribution companies were in profit. Tripathi said that this was an allegation that has no base. The Delhi High Court in its judgment in May 2011 had ruled that no such tariff order had been issued.

The matter was taken to the high court by former BJP MLA Nand Kishore Garg, who wanted this alleged tariff order to be enforced. The court in its judgment delivered on May 23, 2011, (Nand Kishore Garg vs GNCTD and others) held, "We have no ounce of doubt that the tariff order was not signed and, hence, no order was made." Further, the court declined to issue the writ of mandamus directing the DERC to enforce the order since no such order existed. Since this specific issue has already been decided by the court, such allegations are completely baseless and factually incorrect.

Subsequent to this judgment, the DERC in its tariff order on August 26, 2011, analysed the personal opinion of the then chairman of the DERC given on June 30, 2010, that had estimated that the discoms were making profits and hence tariffs should be reduced and came to the conclusion that the findings were incorrect as they were based on false assumptions. The commission stated that the assumption by the then chairman was based on availability of power at a particular rate, which was simply not the case.

Further, the former chairman had assumed the availability of certain generating stations by certain date, which also did not materialise. Therefore, the DERC in its order in August 2011 came to the conclusion that the surplus as projected in the personal opinion of the former chairman, simply did not exist. And since no such tariff order exists, the question of government blocking it and not enforcing it does not arise.

New Delhi, October 15
In view of the concerns raised over the increasing tally of dengue cases--with 30 fresh cases being recorded today by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi pushing the cumulative to 455--Delhi Health Minister A.K. Walia issued directions to 53 government and private hospitals in the Capital to ensure round-the-clock production and supply of platelets and allied blood components, crucial in the treatment of dengue.

He directed all the government and private hospitals having platelet separator machines and blood banks to ensure round-the-block service and make sure that blood components are available. He also directed that extra manpower, if required, should be deployed for the treatment of dengue patients.

The instructions came following a high-level review meeting on dengue attended by Secretary (Health), Director (Health Services), municipal health officers and zonal health officers of all the three municipal bodies, medical superintendents of major hospitals and representatives of blood banks of Red Cross and Lions Clubs.

While the hospitals and nursing homes must co-ordinate and assist attendants in obtaining platelets, those in the government hospitals should supply platelets not only to their indoor patients but to patients from private hospitals and nursing homes also as per their requirement.

To further facilitate diagnostic, treatment and blood collection facilities for dengue patients, the Delhi Government has decided to upgrade eight hospitals across the city where these additional facilities will be made available, Walia added.

New Delhi, October 15
A Delhi police head constable was shot at by three alleged chain snatchers during a raid, said a senior police official.

Manoj Kumar Tyagi (38), who is posted with the Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) of southwest district, was shot at yesterday evening by three motorcycle-borne snatchers in the Bindapur area of southwest Delhi.

According to the police, the injured constable is a native of Sonepat in Haryana and stays in Kakrola village along with his wife and eight-year-old daughter.

"On Sunday evening, Tyagi received a tip-off from his informer that notorious robber Mohammed Mustaffa was spotted in Matiyala village. Tyagi along with his informer reached near Allahbad Bank, Matiyala village, where they spotted Mustaffa standing near a motorcycle, waiting for his associates," said Anil Kumar Ojha, Additional Commissioner of Police (southwest).

Ojha said that Tyagi started questioning him, but he tried to run away from the spot. "Suddenly, his two associates Mohammed Mukhtyar and Mohammed Yusuf reached the spot and attacked Tyagi with bricks and stones. Receiving injuries on his head, Tyagi took out his service revolver in self-defence," Ojha added.

The police official said though Tyagi apprehended one of them, but they snatched his revolver and opened fire before fleeing from the spot. "Local residents made a PCR call from Bindapur where Kumar was found injured with a bullet pierced through his hand. He was rushed to Ayushman Hospital where his condition is stated to be out of danger," said the official.

A case has been registered against the culprits at Bindapur police station in southwest Delhi, added the official.

New Delhi, October 15
A 42-year-old Delhi police traffic constable, Ratan Pal, who was deputed at Lajpat Nagar traffic circle near a flyover, was crushed to death by a overspeeding Delhi Transport Corporation cluster bus this morning.

The police said that Pal was rushed to All India Institute of Medical Sciences where he was declared brought dead.

The errant driver, identified as Somveer Singh, 24, was apprehended from the spot and a case of rash and negligent driving has been registered against him, said a senior police official. The bus was plying on route number 410 around 8.30 am.

"The bus, plying between Lajpat Nagar and Khayala, took a right turn at the traffic signal near Lajpat Nagar flyover and crushed Pal, a resident of South Delhi, to death. The bus has been impounded," said the official.