New Delhi, July 23
The Ministry of Urban Development (UD) has turned down the demand of the Delhi Government agencies which wanted the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to pay market rates for allotment of land for the construction of lines under the Phase-III project.

The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Boards (DUSIB) had earlier refused to provide land to the DMRC at concessional rates, thereby increasing the cost of projects by Rs 1003.48 crore. The issue was taken up in the DMRC Board meeting wherein it was decided to submit the proposal of additional cost for the approval of Empowered Group of Ministers in the Central government.

Following the matter, the ministry has advised the Delhi Government to either give the additional amount as grant to the DMRC or in the form of interest-free subordinate debt to meet the extra burden of Rs 1003.48 crore.

In a letter to the Chief Secretary, Delhi Government, the Secretary of Urban Development Ministry, Sudhir Krishna, said that it will not be possible for the ministry to support the demand of the Delhi Government, asking the DMRC to pay market rates to various public sector undertakings, including DSUIB, as it would open up similar demands from all other entities.

"The proposal has been examined by the ministry. As a matter of policy for all the Metro Rail projects in the country, with the exception of Delhi, the entire cost of land including Central government land, resettlement land, is made by the state government," said the Secretary of Urban Development Ministry in the letter, adding that the cost of land belonging to the state government is not included in the total cost of the project while working out the sharing pattern.

It also said that only in case of Delhi since a considerable portion of land is owned by the Central government, the cost of land for Metro construction in the city is shared on 50-50 basis between both the governments.

However, the senior officials of DUSIB said that DMRC is well under the capacity to pay the slated prices.

"We are not dependent on government support and generate our own finances with the capitalization of land available to us. The DMRC earns huge revenue from advertisements and can pay at market rates," said a senior DUSIB official.

New Delhi, July 23
With e-learning technologies playing a crucial role in classroom education nowadays, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has decided to provide online training to more than 30,000 teachers across the country.

With a view to bridging the gap between classroom and online teaching, the training will focus on imparting knowledge regarding Olab-Online Lab Experiments of Science and Mathematics of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education.

Also, at a time when schools in the country are marred by infrastructure problems, budget constraints, this step would equip the teachers better to teach students.

"Olabs-Pan-India Content Delivery Network (CDN) for e-learning" has been designed by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology. The project will be available on Education and Research Network (ERNET) CDN 24x7 across the country.

"In order to adapt to the changing scenario of education in the era of e-learning, Olabs will help overcome the limitations faced by both the teachers and students, thus making learning more effective," CBSE chairman Vineet Joshi said.

In the two-phased training process, ERNET will train master trainers (1,250) who will, in turn, train other teachers. Two teachers per school will participate in the one-day training.

Olabs, will be available in English and regional languages. It will demonstrate the complex functions of e-learning using "interactive simulations based on mathematical models, videos and rich interactive animations to create real world environments."

Besides, it would apprise students of the current trends in the information and technology field.

The idea is to provide maximum exposure to its students in terms of content, technology as well as infrastructure for which the CBSE has been continually adopting new techniques and practices.

New Delhi, July 23
A 35-year-old Tihar Jail inmate died after he fell from a moving truck in which he was trying to escape today.

The man has been identified as Pappu, alias Mehtab. According to jail officials, he was a vagabond, who was living at Hanuman Mandir in north Delhi, before he was arrested.

He was lodged in the jail on July 18, after he was arrested for a theft at New Delhi Railway Station. The officials added that he was a drug addict and was referred to a drug de-addiction centre on the premises of the jail on July 19. Yesterday, he was sent back to the jail cell.

"About 10 am today, he was running behind a truck hired by a contractor of the Public Works Department.

“The truck was heading towards the gate after unloading the construction materials. While he was trying to climb on the truck, he fell down and suffered serious head injuries," said Sunil Gupta, Public Relations Officer, Tihar Jail.

Pappu was taken to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital in Hari Nagar, where doctors declared him dead.

The postmortem will be conducted after a Metropolitan Magistrate starts an inquiry into the incident.

All incidents that occur in Tihar Jail and involve the death of an inmate are investigated by a Metropolitan Magistrate.

New Delhi, July 23
Shopkeepers of Tibetan Market will have a sigh of relief with the construction of a retaining wall on the right bank of the Yamuna on Mahatma Gandhi Marg (Ring Road).

The decision to this effect was taken today at a meeting of the Delhi Flood Control Board.

The wall will be built between Boat Club and Kudesia Ghat to protect heavy inhabitation area of the market which becomes flooded during the rains forcing people to shift their houses and shops from this densely populated stretch, said AK Walia, Chairman, Flood Control Board.

The wall will cover a length of 1,100 m and shall have raft slab foundation supported with piles.

With the construction of the wall, a large number of inhabitants and shopkeepers of the market will be saved from inconvenience and heavy losses due to flooding of their inhabitation and market.

The estimated cost of the construction will be Rs 10.61 crore and the project would be completed within 15 months after requisite sanctions.

The board today cleared five schemes at a total estimated cost of Rs 18.91 crore.

Apart from this, the other schemes comprise development of two parks on the right bank of Najafgarh Drain at a cost of Rs 2.34 crore, construction of inspection path on the right bank of Najafgarh Drain at a cost of Rs 2.37 crore, building of inspection drain on the left bank of Drain No. 6 from Mukhmailpur village to G.T. Road, Palla More in Alipur Block at a cost of Rs 1.80 crore and a guard wall on the left and right inner side of bank and pitching work along with laying of bitumastic sheet on the left bank on Najafgarh Drain.

New Delhi, July 23
A 38-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly cheating a businessman of Rs 20 crore by 'selling' the government land and prime property in south Delhi on the basis of forged sale deeds.

The accused is identified by the police as Pawan Solanki, who lives with his family at Noida Sector-50. The victim, a resident of Vasant Kunj, is named Ajay Chaudhary.

"Ajay alleges Pawan with his associates entered into an agreement with him to sell properties in Jor Bagh and Mayfair Garden in Hauz Khas," said Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Economic Offences Wing) Harendra K Singh.

The accused allegedly showed Ajay documents with signatures and stamps of the DDA officials and he gave the money believing the documents to be genuine.

A case was registered with the Economic Offences Wing police station on the basis of Ajay's complaint. Investigation revealed that the property in Jor Bagh was a government land and under the possession of the Union Civil Aviation Ministry.