New Delhi, April 28
BJP councillor Yogender Chandolia was today elected unopposed as the third Mayor of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation amid protest from the opposition Congress members who walked out of the Municipal House.

Outgoing North Delhi Mayor Azad Singh announced Chandolia's victory for the mayoral post after his nomination papers were found in order during the election proceedings in the House.

Chandolia earlier served as the chairman of standing committee in 2010-11 and 2011-12 terms during the unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) before its trifurcation, NDMC public relations officer Yogendra Singh Mann said.

The five-year tenure for the Mayor post sees five single-year terms on a rotation basis, with the first year being reserved for women, the second open category, third for reserved category, and the remaining two also being in open category.

Earlier, however, disorder prevailed outside the House and briefly inside too as a large number of BJP supporters had gathered at the entrance with many having entered its premises. It was only when the outgoing Mayor as well as Chandolia appealed to the party workers to leave the House so that the proceedings could begin for the elections.

But, no sooner had the proceedings started, Congress councillors led by Leader of the Opposition in the House Mukesh Goel demanded an audience on an issue and later staged a walkout even before Chandolia was formally elected.

Talking to mediapersons after the elections, Goel said, "Such chaos, as witnessed today, has never been seen here in the House."

The BJP, let that disorder happen, just because it was feeling high about its candidate being elected unopposed, he said.

"The BJP party workers and supporters barged into the House, which is unconstitutional, now tell me who should be held responsible for that. We strongly condemn it," he alleged.

Chandolia later expressing regret on the walkout said, "I had come to the House thinking that I would thank the Opposition on this occasion, but I was sad that Congress members did not even stay for the election proceedings. And, it did not feel good."

On major issues for North Delhi, Chandolia said, "Cleanliness, water-logging issues with monsoons ensuing and responsible governance will remain our top priorities."

BJP councillor Ravindra Gupta was also elected unopposed today as the Deputy Mayor of North Delhi Municipal Corporation in the election for the second top-most municipal post.

The current year being third term, Chandolia was elected in the SC category, after Meera Aggarwal was chosen the first Mayor of North Delhi since the trifurcation of the MCD into three civic bodies NDMC, SDMC and EDMC, followed by Azad Singh as the second.

New Delhi, April 28
The Engineering Department of the city zone in the North Delhi Municipal Corporation has issued notices to commercial establishment in existence prior to 1962, asking them to deposit conversion and parking charges within 48 hours, failing which the premises will be sealed.

The markets in Jama Masjid, Chitli Kabar, Bazar Sitaram, Ajmeri Gate, Chandni Chowk, Fatehpuri, Lajpat Rai Market, Kashmere Gate, Mori Gate, Malka Ganj, Sabzi Mandi, Bara Hindu Rao, Sadar Bazar, Nabikarim, Kadam Sharif, Ram Nagar Paharganj, Model Basti, Manakpura, Naya Bazar and Jhandewalan Scheme Block-E have been existing prior to 1962.

The commercial establishments located in these markets have been issued sealing notices, said Mukesh Goel, Leader of the Opposition in the North Delhi Municipal Corporation.

He said that on June 13 last year in a joint press conference, the then Mayor of North Delhi, Azad Singh, chairman of the Standing Committee Ram Kishan Singhal and Leader of the House Dr. Mahender Nagpal announced that the corporation would not charge any conversion or parking charges from the commercial areas in existence prior to 1962, enlisted in the MPD-2021.

Goel said that it seemed that this statement was made only to appease Delhiites to gain undue credit.

The Congress in the North Delhi Municipal Corporation strongly objected to the sealing notice issued and demanded from the ruling BJP to cancel the notices and not to issue any such notice in future. It is also demanded that the commercial establishments in existence prior to 1962, be exempted from conversion and parking charges and no such property be sealed.

New Delhi, April 28
Rajya Sabha MP and former Delhi BJP president Vijay Goel today demanded that there should be a permanent and rational policy for nursery admissions in the schools.

"With constantly changing rules, parents are on tenterhooks. The current system of nursery admissions is completely insensitive," said Goel.

"It is sad and unfortunate that Delhi does not have a proper admission policy which is parents and children friendly. This has created havoc. The Delhi administration is playing with future of lakhs of children. This cannot be allowed."

Goel said, "The LG should have taken parents and schools representatives into confidence before framing the admission policy. But he did not take any other stakeholder into confidence and the result has been a big mess."

"We need to have better government schools and more schools to ensure admission for all nursery students smoothly. The DDA has not allotted land for new schools in the city for the past 10 years," he said.

The situation on education front has deteriorated during the Congress rule in Delhi. The AAP government in city further added to the mess on nursery admission. It did not take any initiative to set things right. In fact, the AAP government added to the confusion, he said.

New Delhi, April 28
The identity of the murderers of a British national still remains unknown to the Delhi Police, after his body was found in a plastic bag at a market in the Bhogal area, Southeast Delhi, last morning.

The police are examining the CCTV camera footage of the market where the body was found. Through the CCTV, investigators are trying to gain some clues on the murderers.

Last morning, the police were informed about a plastic bag lying outside a shop in the Bhogal market. The bag contained the two-day old decomposed body of the victim. The body bore head and brutal facial injuries, indicating that the murderers wanted to conceal the identity of the accused.

The police found a passport with the body and used it to identify him as Rodick Andrew Raymond. "That is the name given in the passport," said a police officer, privy to the details of the case. But investigators find it strange that the culprits left the passport with the deceased.

The police have requested the British High Commission for more details on the Raymond's antecedents.

"They will inform us about his family and what he was doing in India," said the officer. The police have taken DNA samples of the victim and will match it with the samples of his family.

According to the police, Raymond had arrived at Delhi two months ago.

New Delhi, April 28
Two persons were injured when two robbers shot at two policemen who were chasing them in the Jagatpuri area, East Delhi, today.

The policemen apprehended one of the two robbers, identified as Dhananjay, who is allegedly involved in 28 criminal cases. His associate managed to run away during the encounter with the police. Dhananjay is a resident of Sunder Nagari. The police claimed to have seized a pistol, two cartridges and a stolen motorcycle from Dhananjay.

The police had placed several pickets at different places in East Delhi police district, due to the increase in incidents of snatchings and robberies.

Today, constable Arvind and constable Shyam saw two persons on a Pulsar motorcycle. They found the two motorcycle borne persons suspicious. According to the police, the constables signalled them to stop for a check. But they tried to flee to avoid the check. The constables chased them on their motorcycle and hit the Pulsar motorcycle at Balmiki Chowk. The accused and the policemen fell on the ground.

"The accused aimed their pistols at the constables and warned them to stop. But the constables did not. The accused fired three shots at them. The bullets hit two passersby and injured them on their hands and thighs. Constable Arvind also fired a shot at the accused, in an attempt to stop them, but the bullet did not hit the accused. The constables caught Dhananjay, but the second accused took advantage of the chaos and fled," said Ajay Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (East District).

Kumar said that the accused allegedly snatched chains from men and women and when they faced resistance they did not hesitate to fire. "Sometimes they committed robberies in a group of four persons.

The robbers on one motorcycle committed the crime. The second motorcycle followed them to help them in fleeing from the spot, if there is a scuffle or resistance from the public and the police," explained Kumar.

New Delhi, April 28
In the wake of the Ramdev's uncivilised Dalit remark, the United Muslims Front (UMF) today urged people, especially Muslims and Dalits, to boycott all Patanjali goods and products.

The call came from senior leaders from the section following a resolution taken during a meeting held today at UMF head office here.

Leaders demanded that Ramdev be arrested and booked under the relevant provisions of the IPC and the SC/ST Act.

In the meeting, recent rapes of five Dalit women in Haryana were also condemned and thereupon it was resolved that a big demonstration shall be conducted at Jantar Mantar, if Ramdev and the rapists of the Dalit women are not arrested.

Among those present in the meeting were national president of the Ambedkar Samaj Party Bhai Tej Singh, United Muslims Front president advocate Shahid Ali, All India president National Minority Front Ravi Gautam, Maulana G.M. Mustafa, Maulana Gulam Rasool, Bhartiya Muslim Sangh president advocate Jammu Waqeel, student leader Sheikh Bakhtiyar, Muslim Kisan Union president Inam-Ur-Rehman, All India general secretary of Indian National League Shakeel Ahmad to name a few.

New Delhi, April 28
The waist circumference of a child may be an indicator for metabolic disorders in children, says a new cross-sectional study that found that risk factor for Indian children for developing metabolic syndrome was at 70th waist circumference percentile which is significantly lower than international proposed waist circumference cut off of 90th percentile.

Henceforth, Indian doctors and nutritionists do not have to rely on foreign standards for screening metabolic diseases in children as the indigenous study available online and in process of being published in the latest issue of The Journal of Paediatrics suggests that cut off values of waist circumferences can be used in screening for metabolic syndrome in Indian children.

The measurement of waist circumference will not only help identify children with obesity, but also those who are susceptible for metabolic syndrome but are not overweight or obese and this in turn who are prone to develop hypertension, says the multicentre study which was conducted by the International Diabetes Federation on 10,842 children in five cities - Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune and Raipur. The study found 3.3 per cent (358) of the total children sampled were hypertensive.

"The prevalence of childhood obesity is rising in developing countries, including India. Abdominal obesity is also on the rise and is associated with increased risk for metabolic syndrome. It results in increased risk for hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease," said paediatric endocrinologist of the Ganga Ram Hospital Dr. Archana Dayal Arya.

Calling for giving up sedentary lifestyle and weight management, they stressed the need for encouraging kids to participate in outdoor sports and other physical activities, cutting down on the high calorie foods.

New Delhi, April 28
The Department of Women and Child Development (WCD), Delhi government, has taken a few initiatives for welfare and rehabilitation of underprivileged boys and girls, including art of living, for 140 juveniles residing in Observation Home for Boys, Sewa Kutir Complex, Kingsway Camp.

The classes comprise simple breathing techniques like Sudarshan Kriya, informed WCD director Saumya Dutta.

"The five days' course aims to help the boys overcome negative emotions such as aggression, anxiety, frustration, etc., and to have more control on their emotions and behaviour. The meditation classes are specifically designed to enhance friendliness, forgiveness and respect among teenagers, introduce them to spirituality, nurture human values, inculcate self-discipline, and develop well-rounded personality," said the official.

The classes would be held on regular basis. Follow up sessions would be conducted in every 15 days and basic training would be provided to new entrants.

Besides, vocational training classes have also been started in collaboration with an NGO, Empower Pragati, which is partner corporate of National Skills Development Corporation at Observation Home for Boys.

At present, 20 resident boys are attending a short-term course of one month's duration in area of retail and hospitality. "They will also be facilitated with employment after successful completion of the course," said the official.

Dutt informed that three months' training course in basic computer concepts has been initiated in partnership with National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology-a Government of India enterprise for women from disadvantaged sections of the society at five locations in Delhi.