New Delhi, December 11
Initiating a debate on the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in multi-retail brand on the first day of the Delhi Assembly winter session, the Opposition opposed the move, saying that the policy is 'anti-national' and will adversely affect the small traders of the city.

The matter was moved by Leader of the Opposition V.K. Malhotra on a short-notice discussion. Stating that the Dikshit government was the first to announce implementation of the FDI in Delhi, Malhotra said that when the issue was raised 10 years ago in 2002, Congress leaders had called the FDI an 'anti-national'.

"The then chief whip of the Congress, Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi had described the FDI in retail as anti-national. Now the same Congress is allowing it," said Malhotra. On the prospects of creating huge amount of employment, he said that it will not create position other than for "sale girls and sales boys". "Even if the multi brands employ 100 people per store, there will be only 10,000 jobs if they open 100 stores in Delhi, which is maximum estimate," he said.

He alleged that, according to the reports filed by WalMart with the US Senate, the company has spent close to Rs 125 crore since 2008 on its various lobbying activities for investment in India. "It has spent Rs 125 crore to influence the law-makers in our country. This is the reason why the government wants to bring the FDI," added Malhotra.

In his reply to the discussion, Delhi Development Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan stated that the city government is firm on its commitment to implement the FDI in Delhi and there is no question of going back.

Parliamentary Secretary to Chief Minister Mukesh Sharma stated that it is wrong to state that the FDI will eliminate small traders, apart from bringing unemployment. "The BJP is creating confusion by doing false propaganda. The party has never supported any forward-looking steps as it is a conservative entity," said. Giving examples of computerization technology, functioning of KFC and Domino Pizza, Sharma said that they have not affected any trader.

"Even with coming up of Reliance Fresh, the shops situated in the lanes are flourishing and income of small traders have gone up substantially. The BJP is against economic development of Delhi and the country," said Sharma.

New Delhi, December 11
The Opposition today created pandemonium on the first day of the winter session of the Delhi Assembly over the issue of five deaths in the Sushruta Trauma Centre last week, while the ruling Congress tried to sweep the matter under the carpet saying that much more people die of dengue every year.

Leader of the Opposition in the House VK Malhotra, along with his party members, shouted slogans against the Delhi government, before walking out of the House.

Whereas, targeting all three corporations controlled by the BJP, Heath Minister AK Walia said that thousands of people die of dengue in the city due to failure of the civic agencies in checking mosquito breeding. "Who is responsible for these deaths which is maximum in the whole world," said Walia.

Though the BJP objected to the outsourcing of the oxygen supply to the trauma centre, the Health Minister said that the hospital was built during the BJP government in 1994.

"The trauma centre was built when the BJP was in power. The contractor was appointed during that time and it was not renewed since then," said the Health Minister.

However, members of the BJP raised questions over the non-revision of the contract in the past 18 years and the appointment of under-qualified staff operating the equipment of the hospital.

However, the BJP kept demanding the ruling party to table the findings of the report in the House that was prepared after investigating the matter.

Four critically ill patients had died in the trauma centre allegedly due to malfunctioning of an oxygen supply machine, prompting the Delhi government to order a probe into the incident.

The government has constituted a committee which includes senior physician of GTB Pant Hospital AK Sethi and head of the Anaesthesia Department, GTB Pant Hospital, Deepak Tempe to probe the incident.

Taking serious note of the incident, the government had announced Rs 2 lakh compensation to the next kin of the victim.

Two persons of PSE, the firm managing the oxygen supply in the gas plant of the hospital, have been arrested and a case of negligence has been registered against the company.

New Delhi, December 11
A 24-year-old married woman died of burn injuries at Lok Nayak Hospital last night, a month after a stove exploded at her house in Rohini.

Sukhvinder Kaur stayed with her husband, Amarjeet Singh, and in-laws at Sardar Colony in Sector 16, Rohini. She had allegedly told the police that the stove exploded on November 10 when she was cooking.

Kaur's husband and in-laws allegedly harassed her for dowry. She allegedly didn't deny that her in-laws could be behind the stove explosion. Her statement was recorded by the police in front of a SDM on November 11.

In her statement to the police, Kaur alleged that Amarjeet and his mother, Sindoor Kaur, would beat her and demand dowry. They demanded a car and a portion of the property owned by her father.

She mentioned that her husband had allegedly left her after she had given birth to a daughter in 2011. He had later accepted her following a panchayat's decision. — TNS

New Delhi, December 11
In the last two days, as many as 32 children were rescued from hazardous occupation from the areas of north and central Delhi from bangle-making industry, hotels, dhabas, ring-chain and paper-making factories.

Today, a joint raid was conducted by NGOs Bachpan Bachao Andolan, Child Line and Prayas and the Labour Department and the Delhi Police and rescued 14 children from Jahangirpuri. These children were trafficked from Bihar over six months ago.

In a similar operation yesterday, six employers were apprehended following the rescue of 18 children from hotels, dhabas, ring-chain and paper-making industry in central district of Delhi.

They were allured by the agent at different time from villages of UP, Bihar and Assam and employed in hazardous work for more than 12-15 hours a day. In both the cases, most of the children, between 10-14 years of age, belonging to poor families, were forced to work for hours together for Rs 50 to 100 a week.

One among them said, "I work from 9 am till 11 pm without a break. Although I was promised a monthly salary of Rs 3,000, I have not been paid anything till now."

Sharing a similar story another 10-year-old boy said, "I came to visit Delhi a few months back with my father but I was made to work in this factory against my wish. I do not want to work and want to go to school."

Chairperson of Bachpan Bachao Andolan R.S. Chaurasia said: "Children in large numbers are working in organised industrial sectors in Delhi. The way these children are being hired from hazardous occupations, it goes to show that the employers are not afraid of laws. The Labour Department is mainly responsible for this as it is not implementing the directions of the Delhi High Court in releasing arrear wages to the children and Rs 20,000 as compensation from the employers."