New Delhi, November 27
In accordance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's emphasis on skill development, the Delhi government has roped in some companies under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode to upgrade the infrastructure of nine Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) and make students industry-ready.

"Keeping in mind that skill development is the need of the hour the government has signed MoAs (Memorandum of Agreements) with few private automobile and electronics companies like Samsung who will impart the necessary training to the students apart from upgrading the facilities of the ITIs," Principal Secretary (Education) Anindo Majumdar said.

The state education department has instituted management committees, comprised of representatives from the government, private body and the concerned ITIs, who will also be given loan, to bring systematic improvement to the facilities.

The government also announced that it has undertaken the construction of 19 school buildings, mostly in Dwarka and Rohini, during the last three months.

"The government is constructing 19 school buildings at the total cost of Rs 345 crore apart from adding 500 new classrooms to ease off congestion," Majumdar said at a press conference here today.

He also announced that the second campus of the IP University is coming up at Surajmal Vihar in East Delhi.

Claiming that almost all schools in Delhi have separate toilets for girls and boys, the secretary said that in tune with the 'Swachh Bharat Mission', the government has also sanctioned the construction of toilet blocks in 224 schools lacking adequate infrastructure. — PTI 

New Delhi, November 27
As a 70-year-old resident of Rangpuri Pahari, Noor Mohammad, died in Delhi's winter, Aam Aadmi Party leader Col (retd) Devinder Sehrawat, the party's South Delhi Lok Sabha candidate, today held the BJP MLA from Bijwasan assembly constituency, Sat Prakash Rana, responsible for the demolitions in the area on Tuesday.

In a letter to Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, Col Sehrawat sought permanent measures to resolve the issue of Rangpuri Pahari jhuggi dwellers.

He said demolition in the area has been carried out at the behest of Rana, allegedly to polarise the residents.

Showing a copy of the letter apparently written by the BJP MLA to the Delhi LG on May 27, he said, "This demolition has been carried out at his (Rana's) request and he and his organisations have written letters in which the poor residents have been classified as a grave threat to the airport security. This, along with the environmental damage has been cited as the reason for the demolition to be carried out. Women and children are left to bear cold with very few night shelters in the city."

New Delhi, November 27
The Manifesto Committee of the BJP today discussed the issues of teachers, advocates, labours, unorganised labours, south Indian people, Uttarakhand, power, water and unauthorised colonies.

According to sources in the party, the BJP is planning to take the issues that can attract a majority of voters particularly the middle and lower middle class as well as labour class. In its manifesto, the BJP will give prominence to the regularisation of unauthorised colonies where more than 50 lakh people reside. Residents of these colonies do not get even the basic amenities.

There are 1,600 unauthorised colonies. In these colonies, people of Uttarakhand are in a majority and they play major role in government formation in Delhi. If they are brought in favour of the party, its victory in the election will have strong chances.

Keeping in view thousands of vacancies in government schools, the BJP also discussed to include this issue in manifesto assuring teachers that if the BJP comes to power, the vacant posts of teachers will be filled. There are about more than 1,000 government schools. Besides there are MCD and NDMC schools, the sources said.

The BJP also discussed the issue of per day wage and monthly salaries of unorganised sectors and other labours. The labours of unorganised sectors do not have their permanent address. They also do not have identification card. The BJP discusses to assure them of giving these facilities, if it is voted to power.

Besides, power and water are perennial issues of Delhi discussed in the committee.

The meeting was attended by Jagdish Mukhi, Meva Ram Arya, Alok Kumar, Harsh Malhotra, Sahib Singh Chuahan and Rajiv Sharma.

New Delhi, November 27
There are 16,600 homeless people, including children and old persons, in Delhi and 184 night shelters that can accommodate 14,584 such people are currently functioning. This was informed to the Rajya Sabha today by the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Babul Supriyo, based on the information furnished by the Delhi government.

Supriyo stated that there are 12 night shelters exclusively for children with a capacity of 50 per shelter, seven shelters for women and children having capacity of 50 each one exclusively for girls with a capacity of 50.

The minister said the Delhi government has plans to build more night shelters under the National Urban Livelihoods Mission and seven sites have been already identified in this regard. The sites are at Gazipur, two each in Rohini and Dwarka, Narela and Nangloi Phase-II. 

New Delhi, November 27
Delhi Trade and Tax department has increased its revenue by Rs 724.69 crore for the year 2014-15 in comparison to previous year owing to the number of raids against bogus dealers, said Commissioner (Trade and Taxes) Sanjiv Khirwar. The department has earned a total revenue of Rs 10,556.85 crore in the current year.

"The department has collected Rs 10,556.85 crore as tax which is an increase of Rs 724.69 crore as compared to the previous year. Thirty-nine surveys have been conducted in which a sum of Rs 159.24 lakh as tax has been realized," Khirwar said.

He said that 20 dealers with bogus declared turnover of Rs 228.07 crore in 2013-14 were identified and registration certificate of these dealers cancelled. Input Tax Credit (ITC) of Rs 1.38 crore was also disallowed during this week.

"The Enforcement Branch of the department has conducted a number of raids in the city by constituting various inspection teams of the officers," he said.

Khirwar said the department has taken action against the violators to curb the menace of tax evasion.

"The department not only expects to recover due tax with penalty but also follow it up to ensure that the fraudulent dealers are arrested," he added.