New Delhi, November 16
Refuting the fresh charges of scam, Chief Minister who is also the Chairperson of Delhi Jal Board (DJB) today said that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has instituted only preliminary enquiries into the alleged irregularities in the four projects implemented by the Board.

Referring to the allegations levelled by the BJP, Dikshit said, "The BJP is in the habit of smelling a scam in any project whatever it may be."

"The investigating agency has only raised certain posers and asked the DJB to submit its answers. It is a routine exercise being adopted by the agency before taking any matter for investigation. The DJB is ready to make all required documents available to establish that the decisions were taken on merit and in public interest," she said while addressing a press conference along with her ministerial colleagues Harun Yusuf and Arvinder Singh.

The CBI is probing three projects meant to ensure 24x7 water supply and the one regarding the procurement of four lakh water meters. The projects relating to the water supply in three different zones are being taken up on pilot basis to assess the benefits of the new initiatives whereas the procurement of meters has been taken up to overcome wastage of drinking water across the city, the Chief Minister said.

"The Board is concentrating on installation of meters in order to provide the correct bill as per their actual recorded usage. We have nothing to do with the finalization of terms and conditions of tenders, bid documents, bidding and other related processes," she said.

She said that at the Board level, chaired by the CM in her capacity as Chairperson of DJB, only major decisions are taken, including the granting of administrative approval.

"The terms and conditions of tenders are formulated by technocrats and officers of DJB. The bid documents in respect of the four projects were prepared by the DJB based on the model documents of the Planning Commission, Govt. of India. The bidding was through an internationally accepted and transparent e-tendering process and the procedures were fully followed by DJB before awarding the work," clarified Dikshit.

Lashing out at the BJP, Yusuf said, "The BJP is running a rumour mill and has been carrying out a misinformation campaign. The party has also been inciting the retail traders to sell the essential items at high prices."

New Delhi, November 16
Delhi BJP today said that 80 per cent of the slum dwellers uprooted during the Commonwealth Games in 2010 have not been rehabilitated so far.

Campaigning at Zakhira in the JJ Colony, Delhi BJP president Vijay Goel said development in these colonies has been ignored in the last 15 years.

He said the BJP will rehabilitate the residents of JJ colonies as promised in the slogan, 'Jahan jhuggi, wahin makan'.

"The rehabilitation track record of the Congress government has been poor. Twenty-two jhuggi bastis were destroyed to raise the Commonwealth Village. Mere 20 per cent of the population was relocated to Bawana, which is a deserted field with no public utility services.

The rest 80 per cent of the population of the 22 slums was left to fend for themselves on the streets," Goel said.

Referring to the Union Urban Development Ministry report, he said that Delhi under the Congress government has failed on basic urbanization parameters such as electricity, drinking water and poverty index.

The report titled 'Strategy for Planned Urbanisation in the States and Union Territories of India' has been prepared by the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) after studying the urban changes in the country over the last decade.

Goel said that the report suggested that the value of land is soaring even as there is little space available to build essential facilities such as public dispensaries, hospitals, bus terminals and night shelters. So many people are dying every winter due to freezing cold conditions in the Capital.

The report highlights that there are several households which do not have electricity connection. The situation was better in 2001 than in 2011.

The planned urban growth is visibly far from reality.

New Delhi, November 16
Moving a step further from its role of providing security to citizens, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) of India could be seen promoting integration of women into armed and paramilitary forces during the 33rd India International Trade Fair (IITF) in the national Capital.

Live demonstrations from members of two its major initiatives, All Women Paramilitary Pipe Band (AWPB), world's first women paramilitary band and Mahila Commando Team would certainly be a delight for visitors from November 19 onwards till the fair closes on November 27.

The 30-member AWPB, which started with nearly 24 members in April last year as shared by Major of Pipes, sub-inspector Darshana Kumari of the battalion 88, would be playing Indian patriotic as well as tunes from Scotland. "We had training for this and now we perform and play musical language on various platforms and here it is our first appearance," she told The Tribune.

The Mahila Commando Team, comprising 76 commandoes polled from all the three battalions-213, 135 and 88 that would demonstrate skills in combating low-intensity conflicts for 15 minutes (2:45-3pm) in various locations at Pragati Maidan, is sure to inspire many young girls to join defence forces.

"The pipe band played even on the inauguration day. On the request of India Trade Promotion Organisation, the CRPF is not only working for a mobile security system but will also have a ceremonial contribution. We have a woman commando team who would be showcasing their skills in front of public during the fair after the cultural evening at Hamsadhwani Theatre," said Inspector General of Police (Northern Sector), CRPF AP Maheshwari.

New Delhi, November 16
Adopting a first-of-its-kind approach in India, doctors at the Fortis Flt. Lt. Rajan Dhall Hospital, used an external artificial lung to save a woman suffering from chronic lung disease, making her the first such patient in the country to survive after being weaned off a ventilator.

Kavita Sharma, 55, from Delhi had been suffering from Interstitial Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), a chronic lung disease which results in worsening breathlessness due to progressive shrinkage of the lungs.

According to doctors, she arrived at the hospital with severe chest infection and her condition continued to deteriorate and she had to be put on mechanical ventilator. She had associated illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, hypothyroidism and coronary heart disease.

"There is no definite treatment for this disease and such patients usually survive for only 2-3 years. Death usually occurs due to respiratory failure and it has always been a problem whether to put such patients on mechanical ventilator, as the chance of being weaned off the ventilator is almost none," says Dr. Vivek Nangia, head and director of pulmonology of the private hospital.

The team decided to use extra-corporeal membrane oxygenator, a modality that has never been used in India in such a patient before, as per the hospital. This system provides heart-lung bypass support outside of the patient's body. The technique uses a pump to circulate blood through an artificial lung.

Within 3-4 days of initiating the treatment, the patient started showing dramatic improvement and could be taken off the ventilator. On the seventh day, she was weaned off the oxygenator and discharged on the 16th day.