New Delhi, October 18
Scores of Congress workers today staged a protest outside the office of the Delhi Cantonment Board against the sealing drive in villages falling under its jurisdiction.

Protestors, led by Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) chief Arvinder Singh, raised anti-BJP slogans during the demonstration and demanded relief for people from the sealing drive.

They have also threatened to 'gherao' residence of Union Minister Arun Jaitely, if the sealing notice is not withdrawn soon.

Addressing a gathering here, Singh said, "Sealing drive is being carried out by the Delhi Cantonment Board at the direction of the BJP-led Central government at Naraina and all the six villages falling under its jurisdiction.

"The BJP, in principle, was against the villagers and the poor, whenever the BJP came to power, it had harmed the interest of the villagers." The DPCC chief also said the sealing drive being carried out in villages under the Delhi Cantonment Board is "unconstitutional" and it was being done to deliberately harm the villagers.

"There is a big difference between the words and deeds of the BJP, and the common people of Delhi were totally disappointed with the party," Singh said.

DPCC spokesperson Mukesh Sharma said the Congress was in support of the villagers and the party was fully committed to the regularization of their houses.

"If the sealing notice issued to the villagers of the Delhi Cantonment Board was soon not withdrawn, the Congress workers will gherao the residence of Union Defence Minister Arun Jaitley," Sharma added. PTI

New Delhi, October 18
Launching its Resident Welfare Association (RWA) wing, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today unveiled a "citizens empowerment plan" for RWAs and promised to give these bodies a legal sanction.

At a conference attended by representatives of over 700 RWAs from across Delhi, former Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal announced the party's stand on setting up of a Citizens Local Area Development Fund after giving a legal sanctity to RWAs by passing an act in the state assembly.

Kejriwal said, after being elected, the AAP government's priority will be to empower the RWAs by creating a Citizens Local Area Development Fund in each assembly constituency of Delhi and this fund will be equal to that of the MLA Local Area Development Fund.

He proposed Rs 4 crore annually to RWAs that will be legally recognised once the RWA Act is passed, to carry out their local development, repair and welfare works without any external interference.

The former Chief Minister, however, added that to allow smooth functioning, every locality should have a single and registered RWA, which should have free and fair elections at regular intervals as per its constitution.

"As a part of this exercise, it is proposed that the RWA will have a general body meeting of all its members on a fixed day and time every month. All important decisions shall be taken in the meeting by the residents.

The RWA shall be responsible for subsequently implementing those decisions.

"The accounts of RWA shall be transparent and available for public inspection. They shall be annually audited and presented to the meeting. There shall be social audit of accounts at regular intervals," AAP's vision document on RWAs said.

Kejriwal said the AAP's stand was that there should be no scope for any external interference, including that of MP or MLA, in the works that recognised RWAs can do with public consultation in their respective areas.

He responded to queries from many representatives of RWAs, who raised the issues ranging from lack of cleanliness to ineffectiveness of civic bodies.

The party also announced setting up of its RWA wing on the occasion. Pandav Nagar RWA vice-president Ratnesh Gupta will head the AAP RWA wing. — PTI

New Delhi, October 18
Four men, including two Afghan nationals, have been apprehended for allegedly running a heroin racket in Delhi, the police said today.

The accused have been identified as Hamidullah, the Afghan national and Saifullah and Sajid, who belong to Kerala. They were apprehended by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police. The police said they recovered 890 g of heroin from them. The three men were apprehended on October 12. Hamidullah's handler, Abdul Rehman, alias Habib, who belongs to Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan, was also arrested from Kasturba Nagar, Lajpat Nagar, on October 17.

The Special Cell was tipped off about the drug syndicate. They apprehended Hamidullah, Saifullah and Sajid during a raid in Lajpat Nagar, south Delhi, on October 12. Hamidullah was handing over heroin to Saifullah and Sajid when the accused were caught.

"Three hundred grams of heroin in a polythene bag was seized from Saifullah and Sajid, while 290 g of heroin was seized from a black colour bag of Hamidullah," said Rajiv Ranjan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell), adding that the three men were arrested.

Hamidullah said he met Abdul in Afghanistan, who offered Hamidullah money for supplying drugs. "On Abdul's instructions, Hamidullah visited India and supplied drugs in Delhi to different persons. On October 10, Hamidullah came to India. He took a room at Kasturba Niketan, Lajpat Nagar. On October 12, on Abdul's instructions he came to supply drugs to Saifullah and Sajid," said Ranjan.

Saifullah he went to Kuwait to search for a job. At Kuwait, he stayed with Jabbar, who is a native of Kasargod, Kerala. Through Jabbar, he came in contact with Ali in Kuwait.

"Ali offered him a job of supplying heroin in India at designated places. He assured to pay a handsome amount for this job. Sajid also accompanied Saifullah in the supply of heroin. On the intervening night of October 11 and 12, he with Sajid came to Delhi to obtain the drugs from Hamidullah where they were caught. They had to supply this consignment to someone, whose name is not being disclosed," said the police officer.