New Delhi, March 15
Eight candidates have filed their papers on the first day of nomination for the April 10 Lok Sabha elections in Delhi.

The Delhi Election Commission said it received eight applications out of which four were filed by Independents, while the rest were received from other registered parties.

Two nominations have been received from the Chandni Chowk constituency, four from Northeast and one each from the East and New Delhi constituencies, said an election official.

Independent candidate Ashutosh Mudgil and Dhan Raj Chauhan of the Naya Daur Party have filed their nominations from Chandni Chowk.

Independents Nafe Singh Rajput and Dinesh Pal Singh, besides Narendra Sharma of Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) and A.K. Aggarwal of the Agar Jan Party have filed their nominations from Northeast Delhi.

Manju Chhibber of the Republican Party of India (A) has filed her nomination from East Delhi, while Maharaj Kumar, an Independent candidate, has filed nomination from New Delhi.

The filing of nominations will continue till March 22. After scrutiny on March 24, candidates can withdraw their nominations till March 26.

Out of seven constituencies in Delhi, six are general seats and one is reserved for the Scheduled Caste. The parliamentary constituencies are Chandni Chowk, Northeast Delhi, East Delhi, New Delhi, West Delhi, South Delhi, and Northwest Delhi (reserved). The election in Delhi is scheduled for April 10.

New Delhi, March 15
The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has decided to suspend its bus service till 2 pm on the day of Holi on Monday.

"The service will be restored after 2 pm as per traffic requirement," said a senior DTC official.

He said since traffic load will be very less on Monday, only 1,669 buses will be operated in the afternoon. AC buses will be operated only on Airport Express Bus Service.

To avoid incidents of eve-teasing on the buses during Holi, the DTC has issued necessary instructions to its drivers, conductors and traffic supervisory staff.

"In case of any untoward incident, drivers and conductors have been instructed to take the bus immediately to the nearest police station or PCR van," he added.

Delhi Metro services will also be curtailed till 2 pm on Monday.

"On the day of the Holi festival, i.e., March 17, Metro services will not be available till 2 pm on all the lines of Delhi Metro, including Airport Express Line," a DMRC spokesperson said.

Metro train services will begin from 2 pm on all lines and will continue normally thereafter.

No feeder bus services will be available for the whole day on Monday. —TNS/PTI

New Delhi, March 15
Holi revellers beware! If you are going to drink and drive on the day, you may land up in jail.

Delhi Police today issued advisory for Holi announcing elaborate traffic arrangements to check incidents of drunken driving, overspeeding, dangerous driving, red light jumping, triple riding, minor driving, performing stunts on two-wheelers and other traffic offences.

Drunken driving would invite strict action against drivers, who, besides prosecution, are even liable to be arrested and their vehicle impounded, police said.

The traffic police on the spot would counsel the offenders about the negative effects of drunken driving.

"Ahead of Holi, special checking teams with alcometers and interceptor will be deployed at major intersections to detect and prosecute violations," Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Anil Shukla said.

About 200 special traffic police teams along with PCR and local police zzzzzteams will be stationed on roads and strategic locations/intersections across the city to check drunken driving and other traffic violations, Shukla said.

Last year, 10,339 prosecutions were made out of which 3,914 were for riding without helmet, 1,819 for red light jumping, 973 for triple ridding, 124 for dangerous driving and 1,278 drivers were prosecuted for drunken driving, besides, 581 vehicles were also impounded at Holi. — PTI

New Delhi, March 15
Three newly developed parks with 3,000 rose plants and acupressure paths were inaugurated today near INA Metro Station, Laxmibai Nagar by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).

These parks developed by the Horticulture Department of the NDMC at the total approximate area of 7,000 sq m in which a rose garden was beautified with different rose plants and rose creepers, said Jalaj Shrivastava, chairman of the NDMC. It took three months to develop these gardens.

The Canna Garden has 3,500 different colours of canna. A Fragrance Garden has also been developed with the 4,000 plants of different species. Park consists of a lawn, flowering wall of rose creepers, an acupressure path and jogging track. These parks have approximately 10,000 plants of various species like rose, canna and the fragrance. This park is open to the public and residents of the nearby areas of INA Colony and Laxmi Nagar.

The NDMC maintains five big parks in its area like Central Park, Lodhi Garden, Talkatora Garden, Nehru Park, Sanjay Jheel, 122 NDMC colony parks, 52 schools greens and 52 roundabouts, about 30,000 avenue trees.

Apart from this, the NDMC is also maintaining 981 colony parks of the Central government. As regular greening efforts, the NDMC is planting 5,000-10,000 tree saplings, on an average, every year for replacement of dead and dry trees or cluster plantations in the parks.

New Delhi, March 15
Highlighting issues like gender bias, Internet freedom and Naxal problems, artists from India and abroad will perform on March 23 in the Capital to celebrate the freedom of expression through music.

In the concert titled "Sounds of Freedom" (SOF), Kerala's alternative rock band "Avial", Egypt's hip-hop musicians "Arabian Knightz", a music and dance band "Bastar Band" from Chhattisgarh and Irish singer Bob Geldof will perform and also address pertinent issues.

It will take place at the NSIC Grounds in Okhla.

"Given the huge potential that art has to generate dialogue and discourse, we hope that through music SOF will be a powerful tool to reaffirm the importance of creativity and emotion in sustaining conversations around right to freedom of expression," said Sanjoy Roy, managing director of Teamwork.—IANS

New Delhi, March 15
Community participation is needed to control dengue and put an end to the menace, said Manish Gupta, Commissioner MCD (South).

A workshop on the prevention and control of vector-borne diseases was organized today by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation.

"The corporations are taking several measures even then the vector-borne diseases are increasing by the day. Dengue is a problem which is to be handled in a socio-cultural way only," he said.

Speaking on the occasion, A.P. Dash, Advisor WHO, said that global initiatives are required for the timely control of vector-borne diseases.

The workshop presented detailed information about the challenges and newer initiatives to check the menace.

There were discussions to implement programmes for the control of such diseases in the urban areas. Experts also explained new tools for GIS-based surveillance, issues in lab diagnosis of dengue and management of fever.

The speakers stressed a need for the community participation to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes in domestic settings.

The workshop was attended by the top officials of the state government, municipal corporations, New Delhi Municipal Council and Delhi Cantonment Board.

New Delhi, March 15
A 50-year-old property dealer was shot dead allegedly by his neighbour over a parking issue outside his house in the outer Delhi area last evening.

The victim, who has been identified as Rajbir Singh Rana, had sustained three gunshot wounds. He was declared dead at Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital.

Rajbir lived with his family at Mukhmelpur village. He has an office at Bhalaswa Dairy. A police officer said that Rajbir was killed allegedly by his neighbour Prem Rana (58). Prem is also a property dealer and his two sons own and operate a factory in Faridabad, the officer said.

Rajbir's house has been undergoing renovation and construction material was kept outside his house. Last evening, Prem returned to his neighbourhood in his Hyundai Accent car after work and could not find space to park the vehicle.

His house is located across the street near Rajbir's house. Prem allegedly called him outside and an argument started between the two men. "Prem then called his elder son and asked him to fetch his licensed pistol from the house," said the officer.

After allegedly receiving the pistol from his son, Prem opened fire at Rajbir. He was hit twice in his chest and once his stomach. Rajbir collapsed on the spot. Eyewitnesses told the police that three shots were fired by Prem.

The police rushed him to Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital at Jahangirpuri, where doctors confirmed that he was dead.

A case of murder has been registered at the Alipur police station. "We are searching for Prem and his sons, who have played a role in the execution of the crime," the officer added.

New Delhi, March 15
A notorious drug peddler, who escaped from a court after he was convicted in a case 15 years ago, was caught living in Madhya Pradesh with a new identity, police said today.

The Special Cell of Delhi Police arrested Bishan Singh from Gwalior on March 12, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said.

Singh had been living in Gwalior with his family for the past 15 years. He had taken a new name, Anil Kumar, Yadav said.

A well-known drug supplier of late nineties, Singh fled the Tis Hazari Court premises in 1999 after being convicted under the NDPS Act.

He and his two accomplices Mohd. Anwar and Parveen Singh were held guilty for supplying drugs by Tis Hazari Court on May 15, 1999.

After the conviction, Singh absconded from the court the same day. He was declared a 'proclaimed offender' by the court on July 23, 1999.

"Singh is now being brought to Delhi. He told police that after being convicted by the court in 1999, he immediately left Delhi and went to Gwalior where he changed his name and assumed a new name of Anil Kumar," Yadav said.

In Gwalior, Singh was running a transport company. He was involved in four criminal cases of the NDPS Act in Delhi, Yadav said. — PTI