New Delhi, May 12
Contrary to the claims of three private discoms, the Delhi government today told the high court that these firms have not been cooperating with the Comptroller and Auditor General in auditing of their accounts.

"None of the discoms has so far given all the requisite information/data sought by the CAG... Today, the position is not different from what it was three months before," Additional Solicitor General Siddharth Luthra, appearing for the Delhi government, told a bench a headed by Chief Justice G Rohini.

"Serious prejudice has been caused to power distribution company as it has been cooperating with the CAG," the counsel for Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) said while refuting the claims of the government and the CAG.

Gaurang Kanth, counsel for the CAG, has been alleging that the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group firms, BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd and BSES Yamuna Power Ltd have not been supplying the requisite information and hence, the auditing has not led anywhere.

He also told the bench, also comprising Justice RS Endlaw, that the CAG, as asked by the court, would be filing an application in this regard.

During the brief hearing, the ASG informed the court that according to a letter by Deputy Secretary, Power, Government of NCTD, out of 190 requisitions raised by the CAG team to TPDDL, only 112 have been responded.

Meanwhile, Sandeep Sethi, appearing for BSES firms, said that the CAG had no jurisdiction to undertake audit of the private discoms.

"Moreover, we are fully cooperating with the auditing process as per orders of the court. Till date we have not received any document that we are not complying with the audit," he said.

The bench is hearing a batch of petitions including three appeals filed by TPDDL and Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group firms, BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd and BSES Yamuna Power Ltd. — PTI

New Delhi, May 12
In order to deal with the increasing risk of health hazards posed by electronic waste (e-waste) generated everyday in the city, the Delhi government has decided to set up 11 new centres for the disposal of such material.

Presently, there are 12 centres registered for recycling of e-waste through scientific methods. These centres reprocess the waste using scientific methods to defuse the harmful radiations that emanates from the waste. The Delhi Environment Department has approved a proposal to give licences to 11 more such centres for the purpose of recycling e-waste, taking the total number to 23.

The department has also written to market several associations directing them to send the e-waste coming to their shops to these registered centres for recycling.

The Union Ministry of Environment had framed guidelines in 2011 with regard to the disposal of e-waste, which had permitted only registered centres to handle such materials.

Delhi produces 25 to 20 thousand metric tonnes of e-waste every year, which, due to not being recycled properly, spreads dangerous chemicals in the environment, causing serious health problems. Apart from refrigerators, computers, mobiles, mobile batteries and televisions, e-waste includes electronic toys, pencils cells, bulbs, tube lights, CD players, mother-boards, cables, printer, charger, sockets boards, cartridges, etc.

Majority of the e-waste generated in the city is processed illegally due to lack of infrastructural support provided by the government. Recognizing the need to launch more recycling units for e-waste disposal in the national Capital, the government has taken this step.

The technological advancement with time has led to an increase in the generation of e-waste. According to a report of AASOCHAM, in Delhi alone, on an average, 8,500 mobiles, 5,500 TV sets and 3,000 computers are discarded every day.

New Delhi, May 12
Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is also the president of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and the institute's director Dr MC Misra today drew flak from the Institute Body (IB), the highest decision-making body of AIIMS, over the contentious issue of enhancement of superannuation age of the administrative post institute's director.

The matter which came for discussion during "extraordinary" meetings of the General Body and IB this evening called by the health minister was deferred after a lot of criticism came from the 20-member IB which has BJP senior leader Sushma Swaraj one among the members.

Both were criticised for bypassing other bodies of the institute, including the Staff Council and Academic Committee and discussing such an important issue of raising the retirement age, which warrants an amendment in the AIIMS Rules and Regulations Act, directly at the IB.

However, they were not averse for such a provision for teaching and research faculty, sources among the senior faculty said. As learnt, the premier institute's administrative head had proposed increasing the retirement age of the director and teaching faculty of AIIMS from 65 years to 70 years followed by the health mister sanctioning it for discussion in extraordinary meetings.

"The response on increasing the age among the faculty has been positive. If it can be for UGC and IITs can have it than why not doctors?" asked AIIMS spokesperson Dr Amit Gupta.

Among other major issues in today's agenda, the report of the high-powered committee probing the second major Indian anti-reservation stir to identify those who participated in the protests against 27 per cent reservation for students at premier institutes during 2006-2009 was also "withdrawn".

Then, the long-pending recruitment to over 140 faculty posts due to the resentment from a section of pro-reservation groups that has alleged faulty implementation of roster which put candidates of the reserved categorises at disadvantage too has been cleared though with a rider that appointment letters can be issued after the Lok Sabha polls counting day May 16. 

New Delhi, May 12
A luxury car of the son of former MLA Veer Singh today caught fire in Zamrudpur area of south east Delhi. The incident occurred when Amod, son of the former MLA from Badarpur, had gone for workout at a gymnasium in Zamrudpur and upon return saw his parked Audi Q7 car up in flames.

The fire soon spread to a nearby Maruti 800 car, which was also gutted in the incident.

Officials of fire department said they received a call about fire breaking out in a car around 1 pm and two fire-tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the flames. But by the time they reached the spot, both the cars were gutted.

Police officers are investigating the cause of fire but prima facie it appears a short circuit might have caused the fire. — PTI