New Delhi, March 5
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and Khudra FDI Virodhi Rashtriya Morcha, a joint coalition of retail stakeholders, declared today that Delhi markets would remain closed on March 7 to protest against the FDI in retail.

Calling a 'Delhi Trade Bandh', CAIT secretary Praveen Khandelwal and Delhi State president Narendra Madan said a rally would also be held against the step-motherly treatment meted out to the trader community in order to favour big corporates.

"The government is working under pressure of big corporate houses and global powers. The acts and laws are being framed as per their convenience. The economy is in bad condition and the government has failed to exploit the domestic resources for the reasons best known to the policy makers," said the CAIT secretary.

He said the government is doing everything to hand over the Indian retail supply and markets to global retailers. To oppose such an attitude of the government, the traders and other retail stakeholders from all over the country will participate in the rally.

Taking up the issues like disparities in VAT, proposed GST, Food Safety and Standards Act, Delhi Rent Act, new drug policy, Money Laundering Act, conversion and parking charges imposed on traders by all the three Municipal Corporations of Delhi, the CAIT has made an appeal to all the trade associations across the country to close their markets and proceed to Ramlila Maidan.

Khandelwal said that various stakeholders of retail trade will join the rally. Many leaders of different political parties will also attend the rally.

New Delhi, March 5
BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) has started replacing the existing 'oil-based' transformers with 'dry' transformers in select residential group housing societies and commercial buildings in East and Central Delhi, which will ensure better safety of consumers.

All the existing 'oil-based' transformers installed in the basement, within the premises and under the stilts in Cooperative Group Housing Societies (CGHS) and commercial buildings and complexes will be replaced in due course.

"Oil-based' transformers have been replaced with the safer 'dry' transformers in 35 group housing societies and commercial buildings in East and Central Delhi," said a BYPL spokesperson.

Some of these group housing societies and buildings include Vidyut Nikunj and Geeta, apartments in IP Extension; Manas CGHS and Police Apartments in Mayur Vihar; Nehru House and Hans Bhawan at ITP, and Geetanjali and Anupam apartments in Karkardooma.

"The 'dry' transformers have many advantages both for the consumers and the discom, over their oil-based counterparts. The main among them is the elimination of fire hazards. Oil-based transformers contain mineral oils, which are combustible in nature and any leakage can be a potential fire hazard," he said.

"We are scheduling the replacement in coordination with the CGHS and commercial building officials,” said Ramesh Narayanan, CEO, BYPL.

New Delhi, March 5
TERI University is all set to get an academic chair under the Railway Ministry, after a formal announcement by the Union Minister at the time of presenting the Railway Budget.

The proposed academic chair would focus on research in respect of sustainability which would be relevant to the Indian Railways, as well as to programmes at the university, which aim at creating a cadre of professionals who could look at problems of development in the railways.

Dr. R.K. Pachauri, Chancellor TERI University and Director General, TERI, today said, "We value the commitment of the Indian Railways to reduce their carbon footprint and building capacity in the country for undertaking research in this critical area of economic growth. We believe that the example the railways, with their economic impact and huge employee base, set in striving to become a role model for sustainable development will be an inspiration for millions in the country".

Highlighting the importance of the Indian Railways in promoting sustainable development, Dr. Leena Srivastava, Vice-Chancellor, TERI, said, "The Indian Railways have the potential to significantly alter the transportation choices of India's increasingly mobile population and growing markets. We look forward to working with the railways in defining and influencing such choices and enhancing exponentially the resource efficiency of the transportation sector in the country."

Through this unique initiative, the Indian Railways and TERI University will engage youth through research and an exposure to higher education in areas related to the railways.

New Delhi, March 5
Newly appointed Delhi BJP president Vijay Goel today warned that the saffron party would go to the streets if the power tariff is increased further.

"We will launch a "Bijli Andolan" in the city if a decision to hike the tariff is taken. There will also be a rally at Ramlila Grounds. The discoms and the Delhi government have been putting a lot of burden on the people of Delhi. We will not tolerate it further," Goel said, addressing his maiden conference after assuming the new responsibility.

Goel said that the tariff would be reduced to 30 per cent if the saffron party is voted to power in the forthcoming assembly election.

Hike in power tariff is likely to become a major issue in the run-up to the assembly election. Aam Aadmi Party's chief Arvind Kejriwal has already announced that his party would fight the assembly poll, focusing on the hike in electricity and water tariffs.

The power tariff was hiked by 22 per cent in 2011 in the city followed by five per cent hike in February last year. The tariff was hiked by up to two per cent in May last year and again by 26 per cent for domestic consumers in July last year. It was hiked by up to three per cent last month.

Sounding the poll bugle, the senior BJP leader said that the party would pay more attention to "40 lakh people living in unauthorised colonies, 30 lakh people in JJ colonies, 10 lakh in slums and 5 to 10 lakh residents of villages where no development has taken place during the Congress regime.

When asked about the chief ministerial candidate, Goel said his party would decide the issue in due course.

New Delhi, March 5
Depressed over her strained relations with her husband, a 25-year-old woman who was studying at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison at her hostel on the premises of the hospital.

The woman named Kirti Gakhar was pursuing her postgraduation in pharmacology at AIIMS. She was staying with a batchmate at the ladies' hostel. Kirti belonged to Bhiwani in Haryana.

The police found a suicide note purportedly written by her. "She has mentioned that she held no one responsible for her death. The note had a few lines written for her mother and father. She begged for their forgiveness and wished them to live happily," said a police officer.

Investigators learnt that in 2010, the woman married Avanish Gakhar, who is also pursuing his postgraduation from a medical college in Assam. A few months later, they filed for a divorce.

Kirti was alone in her room on Monday night as her room-mate had gone to stay with her friend. On Tuesday morning, a resident doctor telephoned her numerous times. When he didn't receive a response, he went to her hostel with a female security guard. They noticed that the door was locked from the inside. They knocked at it several times. The guard then informed her senior officer who alerted the control room.

In the presence of doctors, security guards broke into the room. They saw Kirti lying unconscious on bed. She was rushed to the casualty ward, where she was declared dead.

The police is questioning her friends and relatives. It has also informed her estranged husband and asked him to join the probe. A sub-divisional magistrate enquiry has been initiated, besides the police probe.

New Delhi, March 5
A Delhi police head constable (50) allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a ceiling fan in his house in southwest Delhi's Baba Haridas Nagar on Monday night.

He was identified as Vedpal. He was posted with the southwest district police control room, he said. The incident came to light at 10 pm after Vedpal's family found him hanging inside his bedroom. His family told the police that he was depressed because of poor health.

Vedpal had been having health problems for the past ten years. He had not been coming to office for some days, he added. Vedpal is survived by his wife and three children who live at Gopal Nagar in Baba Haridas Nagar.