New Delhi, May 1
A campaign against hoarders, black marketeers and touts was carried out today by the Delhi government, which exposed serious irregularities and violation of legal provisions.

During the drive, teams inspected 26 Fair Price Shops (FPS) across the city, out of which 13 shops were found either closed or grain was being diverted from these outlets. They have been sealed by the teams.

In five cases where the diversion of food articles was detected or the records were not found available in the shops, FIRs have been lodged under Section 7 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 against the licensee of the shops.

"In the FPS where maintenance of record was found to be improper, relevant records have been seized and the department will take action against them under the provisions of Public Distribution System Control Orders, 2001 issued under Section 3 of Essential Commodities Act, 1955. The action will also be taken against violators for irregularities like closure of shop, non-distribution of food articles, non-display of rate list and statutory information, etc," said a senior Delhi government official.

Major violations were found by the Health department which had sent two teams to Bhagirath Place and Naharpur, the wholesale markets of drugs and medicines.

"Drugs meant for 'ESI supply' were found in the stocks for sale. MRP found erased on tablets and injections. Insulin cartridges meant for hospital supply were found for sale in grey market. Insulin and Tetnus injections found lying in open outside the shop which are required to be kept under 2-8 degree," said a senior official of the Health department.

Sales bills for Phensidryll cough syrup were not found. Wholesale dealers were checked and notices issued to them, the official said.

The Directorate of Education also conducted a surprise inspection and the team found that admission details were not displayed by the schools. There was no record of accounts and the salaries of staff were not paid. In one school, a bank was found running.

"Irregularities were found in nursery admission process as schools were not following the circulars issued by the Directorate. EWS seats have not been filled to the extent of 25 per cent. The guidelines were not followed either," said the official.

The reports are being examined and action will be taken after obtaining the response of the schools concerned.

To check the malpractices, the Department of Weights and Measures of Delhi government took action against several petrol pumps for cheating the consumers by dispensing less quantity of petrol and diesel.

The department checked 16 petrol pumps and launched prosecution against 13 of them under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009.

New Delhi, May 1
The Delhi Pradesh Mahila Congress (DPMC) today staged a demonstration outside BJP headquarters, condemning yoga guru Ramdev's 'derogatory' remarks against Rahul Gandhi and Dalits.

The members of women cell also raised slogans against BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi for 'backing' Ramdev and demanded action against both of them.

"We are protesting against Ramdev for his derogatory remarks against Rahul Gandhi and Dalits. We also condemn Meenakshi Lekhi for backing Ramdev, who has now become the man of BJP," DPMC president Onika Mehrotra told reporters here.

"Ramdev is not a yoga guru. He has become the man of BJP, which does politics over the issue of Dalits," the Congress leader said.

"BJP leaders are making such comments as they do not respect Dalits and women. If the party is voted to power, they will divide the country, which will not be good for the welfare of this country," Mehrotra said.

Police had erected barricades near the BJP headquarters on 11 Ashoka Road to prevent protestors from entering inside. The women Congress workers tried to break the barricades, but the police checked them.

During the protest, the women activists burnt effigies of Ramdev and Lekhi.

They also protested against BJP senior leader Uma Bharti for comments that she made about Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Bharti had yesterday compared Priyanka to actor Rakhi Sawant. "Rakhi Sawant too speaks a lot but it does not mean anything," she said in response to a question.

New Delhi, May 1
The North and East Delhi Municipal Corporations are making pre-monsoon arrangements to avoid water-logging and spread of water-borne diseases during the rainy season.

Commissioners of these two corporations, Praveen Gupta and S. Kumaraswamy directed the engineering and DEMS department to de-silt drains on time.

The deadline for completion of de-silting has been fixed for May 15. The work of de-silting has begun and about 50 per cent of it has been completed, the commissioners said.

Giving the details of the measures being taken, a senior official of the civic bodies said that the departments have been asked to identify the vulnerable points and deploy portable pump sets there to make sure that water-logging does not happen at these points.

Officials of the building department have been directed to identify dangerous buildings in their jurisdiction to avoid any eventuality.

The health department will launch a public awareness programme against water and vector-borne diseases and take strict action against selling of unwholesome food, cut fruits and sugarcane juice.

"For control and prevention of dengue and malaria, the workers have been asked to clear stagnant water in and around houses and work places. They have been asked to ensure proper arrangements of weekly anti-larva spray," said the official.

The horticulture department has been directed to ensure proper availability of manpower, tools and machineries to deal with the uprooted trees immediately for free flow of traffic.

"We have directed the officials to ensure round-the-clock functioning of the central as well as zonal control rooms during the monsoon season.

“All the complaints received in the control room should be attended in a timebound manner and disseminated to the departments concerned," said Commissioner Praveen Gupta.

New Delhi, May 1
A joint May Day rally on the occasion of International Labour Day was organized in the evening from Ramlila Grounds to Town Hall, Chandni Chowk. At Town Hall, the rally was converted into a public meeting.

The rally was organized by AITUC, AICCTU, AIUTUC, CITU, among others.

At Ramlila Grounds, the rally was led by AITUC secretary Amarjeet Kaur, Delhi AITUC secretary Dhirendra Sharma, Harbhajan Sandu of HMS and Anurag of CITU.

Thousands of workers were addressed by AITUC general secretary Gurudas Das Gupta at Town Hall.

He said May Day is celebrated by workers to fight against imperialism and capitalism. In India, pro-corporate functioning attacks the working class and its rights. 

New Delhi, May 1
A 23-year-old woman, who worked as an executive at a private telephone company in southeast Delhi's Okhla area, was brutally stabbed to death allegedly by her jilted lover, police said today.

Anesh Kumar (38) had planned to kill the girl two months ago, police said.

"For this he rented a flat two months ago right opposite her office. On April 23, he called her at the flat and stabbed her 35 times with a scissor blade. He then bolted the flat from outside and fled to Haridwar," said a senior police official.

Kumar was arrested yesterday and on his instance highly decomposed body of the woman was recovered from the flat.

Kumar was neighbour of the girl and was known to her family.

"The two were apparently in a relationship, but around two months back, the girl had started avoiding her as he was around 15 years older than her. This irked Kumar, who then decided to kill her," the official said.

Kumar then rented a flat right opposite her office in Tughlakabad Extension.

"On April 23, he called the girl on some pretext and took her to the flat which was on the fourth floor of a building. After reaching the flat, he started an argument with her over her drifting away from him. He then took one of the scissor blade and stabbed her," the official said.

He then changed his clothes, bolted the house and fled to Haridwar and then to his native place in Haryana.—PTI

New Delhi, May 1
Two alleged snatchers, including a 26-year-old man who is reportedly involved in more than 100 cases of snatching, drug peddling, burglary and assault on police officers, have been apprehended.

They have been identified as Vikram, alias Vicky (26), who is a resident of Mangolpuri in outer Delhi and Badli, alias Mahesh (35), who lives at Budh Vihar, Delhi. The police have also arrested Dalip (47), who allegedly received the stolen property from the two men.

"With their arrests, the police have solved three cases of robberies that are registered at the police stations of Mangolpuri, Vijay Vihar and Maurice Nagar in Delhi. We have recovered three robbed gold chains from the accused. Twenty more cases of snatching in northwest and outer Delhi have been solved," said Ravindra Yadav, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime).

The Crime Branch of the Delhi Police was tipped off that Vikram and Badli would allegedly come near Jheelwala Park at Sector 3 in Rohini to dispose of the robbed jewellery. The police laid a trap near Jheelwala Park. They parked their motorcycle near the park and were waiting for someone. Another man came there and one of the motorcycle riders handed over a gold chain to that person. Three men were identified by a police informer and apprehended.

"Vikram has been involved in more than 103 cases of snatching, burglary, drug peddling, illegal firearms and assault on police officers. The cases are registered in different police stations across Delhi.

Vikram also allegedly admitted that due to the police pressure he and his associates, Monu and Ramesh, had shifted from Delhi to Alwar and Khetli in Rajasthan and Nangal in Punjab.

New Delhi, May 1
In a case of alleged harassment of two teachers by the acting principal of Daulat Ram College, the Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) today warned the principal, asking her to give up her alleged high-handed and vindictive behaviour or else face action.

The issue in contention is an educational trip organised by the college in March 2013 apparently with due permission from the college principal and the group was accompanied by these two teachers. The principal had also written to the Railways seeking students' concession for this educational trip.

Principal Dr Daya Aggarwal reprimanded Dr Gurmeet Kaur and Dr Sonia Mehta for an educational trip in March 2013 and declared the trip non-educational even as it was she herself who had sanctioned it.

The matter was raised by the principal a year later in an adjourned Staff Council meeting on April 3 and 16, 2014, without any notice as it was not on the agenda. In the meeting, she blamed the aforesaid teachers for organising the trip and read out a complaint which was never shown to the teachers concerned.

"Negative and derogatory comments against the two teachers were recorded with their names in the minutes of the Staff Council of 03/04/2014," stated DUTA which received a written representation from several teachers of the college on the same issue.

"The two teachers wanted their names to be expunged from the minutes, but the principal shouted them down and did not allow them to speak during the college's Staff Council meeting today. They were asked rudely to keep quiet. She has subjected both the teachers to mental harassment and humiliation," said DUTA president Nandita Narain.