Immersion ceremony
Eight drown in Yamuna
New Delhi, September 18
In separate incidents, eight people drowned during the immersion of Lord Ganesha idols in the Yamuna in north Delhi today. The police fear that the figure of the dead may rise as the rescue operations are still continuing. "We have received several calls of drowning from afternoon onwards. The rescue operation is still on.

Delhi pollS
Justice Party to field 17 candidates
New Delhi, September 18
The Indian Justice Party (IJP) today announced a list of candidates for the 17 constituencies from where it would contest election. It has also declared the name of candidates in 12 constituencies. Party president Dr Udit Raj said that so far the party has decided to field candidates in 17 constituencies to contest the assembly election in Delhi.

NCP to contest all 70 seats
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) today announced to contest all 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly polls. Delhi unit chief of the NCP, Kanwar Pratap Singh said the party would project itself as an alternative to the Congress and BJP. The selection process of the candidates has already begun and the final list will be announced soon.

Devotees immersing an idol of Lord Ganesha into the Yamuna near ITO in New Delhi on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Manas Ranjan Bhui

12 minor boys, girls rescued
New Delhi, September 18
Twelve minor boys and girls were rescued by the Delhi Police from the national Capital, where they were illegally detained after being brought from Assam and Bihar. The Crime Branch with an NGO, Bachpan Bachao Andolan, conducted raids in two locations in Delhi.

Sub-inspector commits suicide
New Delhi, September 18
A Delhi Police sub-inspector posted with Diplomatic Enclave, allegedly committed suicide by shooting at himself with his service revolver in Chanakyapuri this morning. The deceased has been identified as Kaptan Singh (57). He stayed in Kanjhawala, outer Delhi. He had been posted with Diplomatic Enclave for the past two years.

Now tax amnesty scheme for traders
New Delhi, September 18
In a poll sop for traders, the Delhi Government today announced a VAT amnesty scheme for settling the pending dues without any penalty. "The scheme is aimed at encouraging both the registered and unregistered dealers to voluntarily disclose their outstanding tax dues for the period ending on March 31 and discharge this tax liability without levy of any penalty and without fear of criminal prosecution.

Housing project for JJ dwellers
New Delhi, September 18
Even as the beneficiaries of Rajiv Rattan Awas Yona await the houses promised by the Delhi Government during the last assembly elections, it today inaugurated another housing project at Kalkaji Extension to rehabilitate the slum dwellers of the area. The government projects to rehabilitate 3,000 families of JJ clusters by developing similar number of multi-storey dwellings units at the cost of Rs 232 crore. The work will be carried out by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). — TNS

Immersion ceremony
Eight drown in Yamuna
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 18
In separate incidents, eight people drowned during the immersion of Lord Ganesha idols in the Yamuna in north Delhi today. The police fear that the figure of the dead may rise as the rescue operations are still continuing. "We have received several calls of drowning from afternoon onwards. The rescue operation is still on. The exact number of people who died is yet to be ascertained. Until now five bodies were fished out of Wazirabad Shamshan Ghat," said a police officer.

The deceased have been identified as Rajesh (25), Toshi (25), Rahul (31), Kale (31) and Yogesh Kumar (20). They came in a group of about 50 people to immerse the idol of Lord Ganesha. The police received a call regarding the incident at around 4.40 pm. The eyewitness said that the deceased were in a group and while immersing the idol, they were carried away with the current.

"As the group could not find the appropriate depth and space required for the large idol, they stepped ahead and reached the middle of the river amid stern currents. Unable to face the sudden water pressure, the group lost the balance and collapsed in the river. All of them were washed away," said an eyewitness, who was one of the hundreds of devotees gathered to perform the holy ritual.

Rescue officials of the revenue department said they had fished out five bodies from the Wazirabad Shamshan Ghat area and fear more people might have drowned.

Officials said other incidents of people drowning were reported from Sonia Vihar and Burari. Around hundreds of people in different groups gathered at the Yamuna river banks at Sonia Vihar and Burari. While two persons- Sunny, 22, and Bhagat, 20, -- were fished out from Sonia Vihar, a man aged 45-years-old, Bhagat, was fished out from Burari.

The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) official said that they received two calls of drowning from north Delhi and their teams are on the spot and helping in fishing out the drowned. "Our teams are on the spot and carrying the rescue operation," said a DFS official.

Last year in September 2012, during the same festival of Ganesh Visarjan, five people drowned at Wazirabad Ghat in north Delhi.

Delhi pollS
Justice Party to field 17 candidates
Tribune News Service

NCP to contest all 70 seats

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) today announced to contest all 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly polls. Delhi unit chief of the NCP, Kanwar Pratap Singh said the party would project itself as an alternative to the Congress and BJP. The selection process of the candidates has already begun and the final list will be announced soon.

The party will select candidates having a clean image. Minority communities and women will get substantial representation. It will fight the election on two major issues -- inflation and unemployment.

Attacking the Sheila Dikshit government, Kanwar said it failed to fulfil the promises it had made to people before assembly polls in 2008.

He said, "We have received an overwhelming support from people during our Jan Chetna Abhiyan which was launched two months ago."

12 minor boys, girls rescued
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 18
Twelve minor boys and girls were rescued by the Delhi Police from the national Capital, where they were illegally detained after being brought from Assam and Bihar.

The Crime Branch with an NGO, Bachpan Bachao Andolan, conducted raids in two locations in Delhi. The police and the NGO rescued seven boys and three girls from the Lily Gupta Placement Agency in east Delhi’s Shakurpur area. Two girls were rescued from another placement agency, the Lucky Adivasi Enterprises, in Shakurpur. The persons were rescued on Sunday.

“They were lured to Delhi and supposed to work as domestic helps,” said a police officer.

The Bachpan Bachao Andolan informed the Crime Branch about the illegal detention of minor girls and boys in Delhi. “The exact location was not known,” said Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Ravindra Yadav.

The Crime Branch started conducting raids across Delhi. “The staff of the Crime Branch posed as job seekers and went to 13 placement agencies,” said Yadav.

The police identified two suspected locations where the minors could have been kept.

“The raiding team approached the places and heard some voices. Through binoculars, the team saw the inmates in the houses from the terrace of the buildings located on the opposite side,” said Yadav.

The Crime Branch with the local police and the NGO raided the houses and rescued the persons.

Sub-inspector commits suicide
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 18
A Delhi Police sub-inspector posted with Diplomatic Enclave, allegedly committed suicide by shooting at himself with his service revolver in Chanakyapuri this morning. The deceased has been identified as Kaptan Singh (57). He stayed in Kanjhawala, outer Delhi. He had been posted with Diplomatic Enclave for the past two years.

His son, who is also serving with the Delhi Police, is posted in a different district.

According to the police, the incident took place about 6.30 am, when Singh was on duty. After hearing the gunshot, one of Singh's colleagues rushed to the spot and found him in a pool of blood.

He was taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. His body has been preserved for the postmortem.

According to the police, Singh was allegedly depressed over personal issues besides financial. The exact reason for the extreme step is yet to be ascertained as no suicide note was found from the site of the incident.

Now tax amnesty scheme for traders
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 18
In a poll sop for traders, the Delhi Government today announced a VAT amnesty scheme for settling the pending dues without any penalty. "The scheme is aimed at encouraging both the registered and unregistered dealers to voluntarily disclose their outstanding tax dues for the period ending on March 31 and discharge this tax liability without levy of any penalty and without fear of criminal prosecution. A substantial relief has also been offered on the interest payment," said Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

The amnesty scheme will cover all the outstanding tax dues, even for the erstwhile sales tax regime. The dealers will need to self-declare and pay 50 per cent of the admitted tax by January 31, 2014 and the balance by March 21, 2014.

The works contractors and builders can also settle their tax dues by paying a lumpsum turnover tax at 3 per cent (1 per cent in case the value of land is included in the total cost). Even the contractors who have failed to deduct TDS or pay the same can avail the scheme.