New Delhi, November 10
Five people, including four minors, suffocated in a fire that broke out at a paper plate factory in Outer Delhi's Begumpur locality during the early hours of today.

The victims were identified as Shravan Kumar (17), Niranjan (5), Nilesh (11), Vipin (26) and Shivam (15). "They died due to the smoke which filled up a room at the factory in which they were sleeping," said a fire department official. The official added that there were no emergency exits at the factory.

Shivam was taken to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in central Delhi, where he died at about 10 am. The other victims were taken to the Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital in outer Delhi, where they were declared brought dead.

The incident took place at about 3.14 am at the unit at A-305 Rajiv Vihar in outer Delhi's Begumpur locality. Eight fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The fire was doused by 5.50 am. The cause of the fire has not been ascertained as yet.

The factory owner, Pintu Shah, was at his rented accommodation, located a few blocks away from the factory, when the incident took place. Pintu's son, Niranjan, occasionally slept with his cousins, most of them were minors employed at the factory.

About 18 people, all from Bihar, worked at the factory. They slept at one of the two factory rooms at night. On Sunday night, they slept at about 12 am after switching off the machines and lights.

The firefighters rescued all of the workers except the five victims, who had inhaled too much smoke and died due to suffocation. Their bodies have been sent for post-mortem.

A case under the Indian Penal Code section 304A (causing death due to negligence) has been registered in connection with the incident.

New Delhi, November 10
The Lieutenant Governor (LG) today directed the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) to complete the allotment of 8,815 flats constructed for the economically weaker sections within the next three months.

The matter was taken up in a meeting held to discuss the allotment of flats to slum dwellers. It was decided that the first batch of 400 allottees will be given possession of their flats on December 9. The process of handing over possession will continue during the first quarter of 2015.

The flats are located in Bawana, Baprola, Bhorgarh and Narela. The number of flats in Baprola is 5,568 and in Bawana, there are 893 flats. Besides, there are 942 flats in Bhorgarh and 1,412 flats in Narela.

The DUSIB has identified families in the 32 slum clusters, who will be given possession of these flats.

"It will be a big step forward in making Delhi slum-free and providing the much-needed facilities to economically weaker sections. The necessary social infrastructure around the flats has also been developed,” said a senior government official.

New Delhi, November 10
Giving priority to unauthorised colonies considered to be the Congress and AAP vote bank, the BJP today asked the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) to sanction Rs 20 lakh for the cleanliness work in these colonies, sources said.

In 2008, the Delhi government had got 1,600 unauthorised colonies registered in which according to an estimate 45 lakh people resided. Muslims or people of Uttranchal live in these colonies. They have always been traditional vote backs of the Congress. In the last election, they had reportedly supported AAP.

Sources said that to make inroads in the AAP and the Congress vote bank, the BJP has decided to start cleanliness work in these colonies. To begin with, the party will take up the work in South Delhi. Later, it will work in other corporations.

Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay who is a municipal councillor from Malviya Nagar said that he has asked the SDMC to sanction money for the job.

The BJP today had a meeting of all the 51 cell in-charges, convenors and co-convenors and directed them to speed up their activities for elections.

Delhi affairs in-charge Prabhat Jha said that the cells have a key role in linking the party organization with different sections of society.

He called upon the Traders Cell to disseminate a clear message that the BJP wants a close coordination between various departments and the traders' organization. 

New Delhi, November 10
The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has demanded a nationwide tax waiver on the picturisation of 'Char Sahibzadas', an animation movie on the life of four sahibzadas of the tenth Guru Guru Gobind Singh.

In a letter written to Arun Jaitley, Union Finance Minister also holding the charge of Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry, DSGMC president Manjit Singh GK said that Guru Gobind Singh and his entire family sacrificed lives for peace and humanity and laid the foundation for a secular India. The contribution of martyrs for the country cannot be ignored, GK said.

He appealed to countrymen to make their children watch this movie which shows the two elder sahibzadas of the Guru, Baba Ajit Singh and Baba Jujhar Singh who laid down their lives fighting the Mughals at Chamkaur di Garhi. While the two younger sahibzadas Baba Zorawar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh were bricked alive in Sirhind.

"Guru Gobind Singh Ji's father Guru Tegh Baghadur Sahib was martyred in Chandni Chowk, Delhi. Every citizen of India should be given a chance to witness the contribution of the Sikh Guru and his sahibzadas to the cause of peace and humanity," GK added.

New Delhi, November 10
As part of the preparation for the coming Delhi Assembly elections, a meeting of the senior leaders from the South Delhi Parliamentary constituency was held to draw up a plan for the 10 assembly segments under it.

The party faced maximum damage in South Delhi as it lost 10 seats. In an attempt to revive its traditional vote bank of Muslims and Dalits, Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh said the people know that their interest will be looked after by the Congress.

"The Muslim community in Delhi would get another chance to teach a bitter lesson to the opportunistic parties, as they know how to protect their interests which would be safe only at the hands of the Congress," he said.

The party also started distributing its candidature application form today to interested candidates for claiming ticket to the next assembly elections. The leaders passed a resolution, to support the candidates selected by the party. "All party workers would bury their differences to unitedly work for them," said Singh.

"After the exit of the Congress from power in Delhi, the condition of the capital had become worse, and in its 49-day rule, the AAP betrayed the confidence of the voters as they left them in a lurch to achieve its selfish political ends," said the leader adding that the party needs to stop the division of the Muslim and the Dalit votes by communicating that the Congress is the only logical option in Delhi, not the AAP or any other party.