Circle rates revised
New Delhi, November 21
The Delhi Cabinet today decided to revise the minimum circle rates in order to make them reasonable and affordable keeping in view the categories for valuation of property tax as formulated by the civic bodies. 

Schoolchildren release balloons to celebrate the Child in You, a nationwide campaign for the right to education, in New Delhi on Wednesday. Tribune photo

EFC approves 31 PWD, irrigation projects
New Delhi, November 21
The Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC), Delhi government, today gave its approval to 27 public works department (PWD) projects and four Irrigation and Flood Control (IFC) projects.

75-yr-old bizman shot at by robbers
New Delhi, November 21
A 75-year-old businessman was shot at by unidentified assailants when he resisted a robbery attempt at Seelampur in northeast Delhi on Tuesday. The victim has been identified as Jyotiram Garg, a resident of Krishna Nagar who runs a plastic packing material shop at Brahmpuri. He suffered a gunshot wound on his right hand and was rushed to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital.

Lid off visa racket; two held
New Delhi, November 21
The Central district of Delhi police has busted a racket of two high-profile cheats who were allegedly providing an interstate visa and work permit for foreign countries and recovered five passports from their possession, said police officials today.

Armyman held for smuggling drugs
New Delhi, November 21
The Central Industrial Security Force today claimed to have apprehended an Indian Army jawan and his three associates from Mizoram at IGI Airport for allegedly smuggling drugs. — TNS

Circle rates revised
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 21
The Delhi Cabinet today decided to revise the minimum circle rates in order to make them reasonable and affordable keeping in view the categories for valuation of property tax as formulated by the civic bodies. 

It has given threefold hike in circle rates in ‘A’ category colonies and almost double in ‘B’ category colonies while in other category of colonies, a marginal increase has been made.

The existing circle rate in category ‘A’ colonies is Rs 2,15,000 per sq meter which will become Rs 6,45,000 per sq meter. The colonies coming under category ‘A’ are posh colonies. In respect of category ‘B’ colonies, the present rate of Rs 1,36,400 per sq meter will become Rs 2,04,600 per sq meter. The families in colonies falling under category B are also well-to-do. 

The Cabinet while taking note of the colonies coming under C, D, E, F, G and H took a sympathetic view and allowed a marginal hike. In respect of category ‘C’ colonies, the present rate of Rs 1,09,200 per sq meter will now become Rs 1,33,224 per sq meter; in respect of category ‘D’ colonies, the rate of Rs 87,200 per sq meter will become Rs 1,06,384 per sq meter; in respect of category ‘E’ colonies, the rate of Rs 47,840 per sq meter will become Rs 58,365 per sq meter; in respect of category ‘F’ colonies, the rate of Rs 38,640 per sq meter will become Rs 47,140 per sq meter; in category ‘G’ colonies, the rate of Rs 31,510 per sq meter will become Rs 38,442 per sq meter; and in category ‘H’ colonies, the rate of Rs 15,870 per sq meter will become Rs 19,361 per sq meter. 

Talking to the media after the meeting, the Chief Minister said that the Cabinet had also decided to allow reimbursement of 50 per cent of minimum wages for engagement of peon and home orderlies for judicial officers.

The Chief Minister stated that the Cabinet has decided to request the Lt. Governor to summon the 12th session of the 4th Legislative Assembly from December 11 to 14.

EFC approves 31 PWD, irrigation projects
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 21
The Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC), Delhi government, today gave its approval to 27 public works department (PWD) projects and four Irrigation and Flood Control (IFC) projects. 

An amount of Rs 584 crore has been sanctioned for the 31 projects approved today by the EFC in its meeting chaired by the Chief Minister.

While talking to the media after the meeting, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit stated that the government has initiated an ambitious programme of road infrastructure development with an estimated cost of over Rs 2,000 crore. The project is to be completed within next two years.

She said that the city government is more concerned about the roads transferred to it by the corporations. The roads transferred from the MCD are not motorable. That is why the government has decided to repair 26 such roads at an estimated cost of Rs 492 crore, the Chief Minister said. 

Besides, the EFC has also ratified widening of Mehrauli-Mahipalpur Road from Andheria More to Masood Pur with an estimated cost of Rs 58.21 crore. Widening, strengthening, improvement of a segment of 3.5 km from Andheria More to Masood Pur has been found essential as its completion would decongest the national highway number eight at Mahipalpur resulting in saving of fuel and travel time. 

The work includes widening of the existing roads from four to eight lanes, improvement of footpath and drains, providing modern signage and upgradation of streetlights. 

The EFC has also approved three projects of Irrigation and Flood Control Department. The projects relate to Kirari Suleman Nagar drains, procurement of modern machines for desilting of drains and construction of a boundary wall along the left bank of Najafgarh drain.

75-yr-old bizman shot at by robbers
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 21
A 75-year-old businessman was shot at by unidentified assailants when he resisted a robbery attempt at Seelampur in northeast Delhi on Tuesday. The victim has been identified as Jyotiram Garg, a resident of Krishna Nagar who runs a plastic packing material shop at Brahmpuri. He suffered a gunshot wound on his right hand and was rushed to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital.

The robbers also opened fire on the victim’s son, but he escaped unhurt. The robbers were looking to snatch Jyotiram’s bag, which only carried his lunch box and some documents. Assailants might have assumed that Jyotiram was carrying cash.

According to the police, the incident took place when Jyotiram was returning home from his shop with 39-year-old son Ramcharan at around 9 pm on Tuesday. “Ramcharan was shutting the shop, while Jyotiram was sitting on the rear seat of their Maruti WagonR car when they were approached by three masked men,” a police official said.

The accused opened fire at Ramcharan without warning and went towards the car when he fled from the spot. They broke the window of the car and tried to snatch a bag carried by Jyotiram at gunpoint.

“Jyotiram was then dragged out of the car and shot at when he refused to loosen his grip on the bag. Seeing his father being attacked, Ramcharan came back and tried to intervene,” the official added.

The robbers kept on firing at the father-son duo, but finally fled from the spot after noticing the locals gathering on the spot.

Lid off visa racket; two held
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 21
The Central district of Delhi police has busted a racket of two high-profile cheats who were allegedly providing an interstate visa and work permit for foreign countries and recovered five passports from their possession, said police officials today.

The accused Ajeet, alias Gulshan Sharma, (38), a resident of Pratap Vihar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh and Sanjay, (37), Sagarpur, Delhi, used to cheat on the pretext of providing a visa, said the police.

The police said that the accused had collected lakhs of rupees from the gullible people by charging them between Rs 8 and Rs 10 lakh for providing visa and work permit depending upon the country. This racket had been going on for about five years.

According to the police, a call was received yesterday regarding a quarrel in front of Metro Food Plaza, New Delhi railway station at Kamla Market where one Karandeep Chawla complained that he gave Rs 3 lakh to accused Sanjay and Rs 3 lakh to accused Ajeet as he wanted to go to Australia, but they failed to provide him a visa.