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HC rejects MLA’s plea for quashing eviction order MCD cannot put its own house in order Samiti threatens stir over govt’s ‘apathy’ towards SSI |
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Pak couple held in Meerut for illegal stay Faridabad cleanliness drive in the mire The cleanliness campaign of this industrial town may go haywire if the civic authorities and the agencies responsible for the ‘safai’ work continue to have a confrontation. Delhi hosts world’s longest dance party! They continue to dance, exhaustion and aches notwithstanding, the 40-odd dancers who are all set to make it to the record books for being the participants of the world’s longest dance party are on a high.
GGS varsity campus to come up in Dwarka PIL in HC for reserving seats in DU for Delhi students Students run to mark World Population Day An open sesame to the world of amusement Man nabbed for assaulting PCR staff |
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HC rejects MLA’s plea for quashing eviction order New Delhi, July 11 Justice S.K. Kaul held that Mr Tanwar had concealed facts and imposed a cost of Rs 20,000 for not approaching court with clean hands. The BJP MLA had challenged the April 17 order of the Additional Session Judge rejecting its plea to grant stay on the state officer’s order directing him to vacate the land, which he had ‘unauthorisedly’ occupied since 1977. The court accepted the arguments of army counsel Jyoti Singh that the local leader had concealed vital facts about the case, including February 2003 order of a Division Bench, which had dismissed a similar plea by some people claiming possession of same piece of land. Jyoti Singh had also alleged that Mr Tanwar had concealed the fact that the original allottee from whom that land was acquired in 1961 had filed a PIL questioning the possession of the land by the BJP leader which had been acquired for defence purposes. The land in question had been acquired in 1961 through a government notification and its owner was given compensation. However, Tanwar, who was a tenant, remained in unauthorised possession of the land. On April 15 the High Court had directed the authorities to take whatever action was required in the case of Mr Tanwar, who was allegedly illegally occupying 122 acres of prime defence land in South West Delhi. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice BC Patel and Justice BD Ahmed told the authorities, including the Defence Ministry, to take action in accordance with the law and file a report in the court within a week. The order came after Mr Tanwar’s counsel failed to show that his client had protection against removal from the said land, granted by the court. The judges also turned down Additional Solicitor General KK Sud’s argument that
removal action could not be taken against Mr Tanwar in view of the Election Commission’s order prohibiting demolition or removal of unauthorised occupants from illegal structures until after the elections. |
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MCD cannot put its own house in order New Delhi, July 11 The colony was built by the MCD, the body responsible for providing civic amenities to the Capital, to accommodate its employees in 1990. But it was apparent that the employees were quite familiar with their department’s efficiency and, as a result, there were few takers. Those who were allotted flats in this colony preferred to sub-let them rather than live there. This further aggravated the neglect as the occupants felt that they were under no obligation to maintain the flats. The situation continued to deteriorate. As a result, the colony now has a deserted and seedy look. According to the chairman of the Residents Welfare Association (RWA) of this colony, Mr Rishipal Singh, these flats were constructed after persistent demand by the MCD workers, as there was no such planned residential colony for them. “When these flats were constructed we were very happy as it was our first residential colony where there were flats for almost every category, from a peon to that of a director level officer. We were under the impression that there would be little disparity as far as the basic facilities were concerned. But our happiness was short lived. The construction was so poor that most of the flats developed cracks in a short time. The residents are facing shortage of even basic amenities like uninterrupted electricity and drinking water. Most of the flats are without windows and doors, water tanks and sewer systems.” The distraught chairman of the RWA said that they brought these issues to the notice of all concerned a number of times but nothing has happened. Recently, the MCD sanctioned Rs 20 lakh for the maintenance of this colony. However, no initiative has been taken so far to implement the plan. When contacted, the Press and Information Officer of MCD, Mr Deep Mathur, said, “I am well aware of the situation as I was also residing there three years back and I personally fought for the installation of many of the basic facilities. The local RWA is not effective. There are many groups apart from the existing RWA for this colony. They seldom agree on any issue, resulting in total confusion. Most of the developmental works related to this colony fall under the jurisdiction of DC, Shahdara Zone, and the chief engineer of the area. They are obviously facing a fund crunch.” |
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Samiti threatens stir over govt’s ‘apathy’ towards SSI New Delhi, July 11 The Supreme Court’s order relating to eviction of small-scale industries (SSIs) in ‘non-conforming’ areas was the cause of their ire. Panic buttons were pressed with the Supreme Court’s final order on May 7, 2004, that directed the Government of NCT of Delhi to shut down all units, which began their operations after 1990 in non-conforming areas, whether polluting or non-polluting. An interim order some years ago by the apex court had led to the formation of ‘Laghu Udyog Bharati’, a body formed to settle issues emanating from a similar order by the court. The leader of the ‘Laghu Udyog Sangharsh Samiti’ is Mr Vishwa Mittra Bahl, a fatherly figure among industrialists and one who spearheaded the earlier agitation. “The livelihood of more than one lakh owners of small-scale industrial units in Delhi is threatened, not to speak of the large labour force that will be thrown on the roads. The entrepreneurs are at a loss as to what they will do. They are at cross-roads,” he said. He perceives the process of liberalisation as a threat that will result in the marginalisation of small units. Recently, a meeting in this regard was convened by ‘Laghu Udyog Bharati’, which was attended by more than 25 SSI associations from all over NCT of Delhi. “The SSI associations decided to fight back the irresponsible acts of the governments of different regimes. The governments have been responsible for this situation as they paid only lip service to the problem of units in non-conforming areas, culminating in this unfortunate decision of the Supreme Court,” said Mr Bahl, who owns a small-scale unit producing iron springs for cars, buses and trucks. The Samiti would put pressure on the government to work out alternative options. One such option is that the government should notify the new Master Plan. Urging owners of SSI units to unite to face the impending crisis, Mr Bahl said an agitation programme would be chalked out by the members of the Samiti taking into consideration the response of the authorities. |
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Pak couple held in Meerut for illegal stay Meerut, July 11 Violating the visa norms, the couple stayed in Meerut after leaving India officially for Pakistan from Etah district. The Central and the Local Intelligence Units are looking into their objective of staying in Meerut. A case under Section 14 of Foreign Act has been registered against them. They are still being interrogated by the intelligence agencies. The intelligence department got a tip-off late on Saturday evening that a Pakistani couple were staying at Shambhu Nagar in Meerut. The local police and the intelligence agencies raided the premises of one Ziya-ul-Haq where three Pak nationals Moh Suab (44), his wife Shahna Begum (40) and their son Ferheen (8) were found living after the expiry of their visa. Both Suab and his wife Shahna came to India separately. A senior intelligence official told The Tribune that many Pak nationals go underground in India after the expiry of their visa. And they find a safe haven in Meerut. As many as 52 Pak nationals have been lost somewhere in Meerut. According to intelligence officials, these 52 Pakistanis officially started their journey for Pakistan long ago, but they have not yet crossed Wagah border. The intelligence agencies and the local police could not trace them despite repeated efforts. Their modus operandi was the same. They all informed the officials that they were leaving for their country, but then decided to stay back. The intelligence officials think that these Pak nationals might be engaged in subversive activities. |
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Faridabad cleanliness drive in the mire Faridabad, July 11 While the safai employees of the Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF) are up in arms against the authorities for not accepting their demands, the workers of a voluntary organisation, which had been given the contract of cleanliness in several residential sectors of the town, are agitated against the delay in payment of their wages. It is stated that about 700 workers of this organisation have not been given their wages for the past three months due to non-release of the MCF funds. The MCF pays about Rs 25 lakh a month to the agency for the work. Dozens of the workers of Sulabh International, the agency which has the contract of cleanliness in several parts of the town, staged a demonstration outside the office of the Commissioner, MCF, here yesterday demanding release of the payment. Sulabh had been given the contract for 11 months in July 2001, for the first time to do ‘safai’ work in majority of the sectors, lying on the eastern side of Mathura Road. It was perhaps the first time that the state government had partially handed over the cleanliness work to a private agency. This move had been vehemently opposed by the Haryana Nagarpalika Karamchari Sangh, which alleged that the government wanted to get rid of them. The Nagarpalika also announced to launch an agitation in this regard. It may be recalled that the MCF had retrenched about 1,519 safai karamcharis in the same year, though about half of them were re-employed after the court’s order. |
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Delhi hosts world’s longest dance party! New Delhi, July 11 Dance floors came alive with the first strains of music, which set the dancers in motion. The extravagance that began on the evening of July 9 has since seen thousands of Delhiites joining in to shake a leg. What seems will continue forever, the party is aiming for a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s longest dance party. A group of 40 enthusiasts have been dancing non-stop, except for the small breathers allowed under the regulations of the Guinness Book of World Records at the event here and have been joined by scores of denizens eager to be part of the record-breaking endeavour. On at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the event aims at breaking the Guinness record of a party in Cleveland, US, which lasted for 52 hours and three minutes. Incidentally, the Cleveland party had broken the record of an MTV party in Gurgaon, Haryana, in 1999, which had gone on for 50 hours. While the 409 dancers are the cynosures of all eyes and clearly the stars of the show, enthusiasm and euphoria have enveloped the Delhiites who are there each moment, shaking a leg and joining in the merriment. The participating dancers for the event, organised by LG Electronics, Kingfisher, Radio Mirchi and Indiatimes, were chosen after a thorough screening, which included a medical check-up. According to the rules, at least 75 per cent of the dancers should be on the floor at any given time; there is a break of 10 minutes at the end of every one hour and all the 40 dancers get a break of 15 minutes after every eight hours. |
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Rain, at last New Delhi, July 11 The downpour brought the temperature down by four degrees, the Met department officials said. They said the temperature was likely to drop further in the next few days; the rain activity is expected to continue for the next 24 hours. The rainfall in the period June one to July 7 has been 10 per cent less than normal. The department has, however, predicted “100 per cent normal rain” during the monsoon months of June through September. |
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Film studios being used for non-filmic acts Noida, July 11 Large plots of land allotted to the film houses and film personalities at throwaway prices have hardly been used for film-making. The buildings and studios built on them are being misused for a variety of other activities but the film production. After the cancellation of lease of Yash Chopra’s Aditya studios, the Noida Authority has, it is learnt, decided to serve notices to other studio owners also, including Marwah Studio where an institute of training in film and TV programme is functioning. It may be mentioned that Noida Authority had also been sitting pretty for more than a decade and had failed to take cognizance of the colossal waste of assets by the owners of film studios. It was Ms Jaya Bachan, who as chairperson of UP Film Development Corporation, had taken exception to the gross misuse of facilities in the film city where most of the studios were being used as venues for marriages and other such social functions According to the Noida Authority records, there are 13 film studios, each studio having a number of plots allotted in its name. For example, three plots had been allotted to M/s. Super Cassettes Industries Ltd., measuring 11,646 sq.mt., 3,770 sq.mt and 8,000 sq.mts. Most of the studios owners had lost sight of their objectives and targets. On Marwaha Studios plot, apart from a film and TV training institute, the board of a University of Media Arts had also been displayed, which was later removed from the premises. According to a senior officer of Noida Authority, no permission had ever been sought nor accorded for the so-called University of Media Arts and the training academy for film and TV. Failure to attract film production units to use the premises for film-making, many studios face financial problems, involving unresolved loans and debts so much so that they are unable to pay salaries to their staff. |
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GGS varsity campus to come up in Dwarka New Delhi, July 11 Finance Minister AK Walia said that land measuring 60.46 acres at Sector 16-C Dwarka and 19.11 acres in Surajmal Vihar had been allotted by the DDA for construction of West Campus and East Campus, respectively, of the university. To process the detailed plan and designs, prepare detailed estimates and float tender documents, it was decided to appoint architects and project management consultants. Accordingly, a sum of Rs 7.86 crore has been sanctioned by the EFC. The minister said that a two-lane bridge on Hindon Cut Canal and across Gazipur Drain would be constructed by the UP Irrigation Department and Irrigation and Flood Control Department of Government of NCT of Delhi for which a sum of Rs 1.67 crore and Rs 1.47 crore has been sanctioned, respectively. On completion of both these projects, a direct approach to Delhi would become available to societies like Eat End Apartments, New Ashok Nagar, Nagarjuna Apartments, Allahabad Bank Apartments, Indian Express Apartments etc without having to cross the
UP check post on UP-NOIDA road. |
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PIL in HC for reserving seats in DU for Delhi students New Delhi, July 11 The PIL, filed by an NGO, Delhi Study Group (DSG), alleged that domiciled students of Delhi are being denied admission to various graduate courses in Delhi University colleges due to large-scale migration of students from other states to the national Capital. It was stated in the PIL filed by Siddharth Nath Singh, the NGO’s secretary, that the influx of students from other states has resulted in severe distortion and regional imbalance. The petitioner sought the court’s direction for framing guidelines for reserving 85 per cent seats for the Delhi-based students in the university. The PIL, which has named Human Resource Development Ministry, Delhi Government and University of Delhi as respondents, contended that the denial of admission to the Delhi-based students was against the fundamental rights of education. The DSG claimed that the present situation has given rise to a serious problem of depression among students of Delhi. |
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Students run to mark World Population Day New Delhi, July 11 The Union Health Minister, Mr A. Ramadoss, flagged off the run at the India Gate in which more than 6,000 students
participated. The Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Ms Panakaba Lakshmi, was the guest of honour on the occasion. The Delhi Health Minister, Dr Yoganand Shastri, was also present on the occasion. Meanwhile, on-the-spot painting competitions and debates were organised in the city schools and colleges to highlight family planning programmes. The World Population Day is observed every year on July 11, the day on which global population crossed the five-billion mark in 1987. While world population has increased three-fold during the last century from two billion to six billion, the increase for India was nearly five times from 238 million to one billion. India is expected to become the most populous country by 2035. Meanwhile, the President of the Delhi Medical Association, Dr I. P Dhalla, called upon the government to initiate innovative steps to curb the growth of population in the country, which was putting pressure on national resources. “With 18 million being added each year, the government must put in place immediate measures to ensure smaller families,” he said. |
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IGNOU invites applications New Delhi, July 11 According to the university, courses are offered in several specialised fields like computer, library and information sciences, journalism, creative writing, health, engineering, rural development and women and youth development. The university is offering Master’s Degree, Post Graduate Diploma, Bachelor’s Degree and Certificate courses in various subjects. Applications will be available from July 16. |
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GNIDA to rein in land mafia Greater Noida, July 11 The authority has taken a decision that no funds will be released for development in these colonies, including for roads, and no power and water will be supplied to such colonies which include colonies coming up on Kulesra- Haldoni-Bisarakh Road. All the development and building activities will thus be stalled in these colonies. The Greater Noida administration has devised this strategy to thwart the designs of encroachers and land mafia. As these colonies will be deprived of development funds, they will be deprived of basic infrastructure like roads, water and power. The officials in GNIDA feel that the people who live in these unauthorised colonies are equally at fault along with the mafia who sell the plots to the gullible people. These people immediately start constructing their houses in these colonies, in violation of the GNIDA rules and yardsticks and without verifying the facts from the authorities or the land revenue officials. |
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An open sesame to the world of amusement New Delhi, July 11 From water games to exotic dance floors and crazy rides, the park promises a day of fun and frolic. Apart from the amusement park, there are provisions for camel and horse riding, paragliding and monorail cycling. The amusement park, which takes pride in its economical pricing, offers free entry to the physically challenged people. Special offers are also made for the students and corporates. Dr Chadda, the chief organiser of the park, says that the economic pricing of the tickets has been done to allow the middle class people to join in the fun. The Water Park has a multi-racer, tornado, blackhole and spiral slides among other features for an adventurous day out. A wave pool has been built to give the feel of a sea shore and wave rising techniques have been utilised to make it a real life experience. The aqua dance floor is claimed to be another USP of the amusement park. vice-president, Jagdeep Singh also claims to have made provisions for ensuing security at the park. Home guards have been deputed at various rides, waterslides and pools. The Amusement Park, which is a stone’s throw from the national capital, attracts a fair share of people from Ambala, Jhind, Karnal, Panipat and Kurukshetra among other places. |
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8 held for vehicle thefts New Delhi, July 11 Based on a tip-off, the police nabbed Rakesh Singh Bhandari, Parveen Kumar Sharma, residents of Sant Nagar, Rajesh Kumar and Rajender Singh, residents of Burari, Rajesh Kumar, alias Raju, resident of Jharoda, Rajender Singh, alias Guruji, Mandan Singh and Jat Singh, residents of Uttaranchal. The accused persons used to commit motorcycle theft and dispose off by preparing fake
documents. |
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Man nabbed for assaulting PCR staff New Delhi, July 11 The police are on the lookout for his five associates, identified as Sanjay Malik, Sandeep
Lakra, alias Tarara, Sandeep, alias Tarara, Tinnu, residents of Nangloi and Sunny, resident of Prem Nagar. The incident took place on July 5 when the policemen tried to prevent a robbery in the area. Constable Satish was injured when the miscreants fired at the PCR staff. Based on a tip-off, the police were able to arrest Praveen Kumar from the Nangloi
area. During interrogation, the accused confessed his involvement in the assault along with his five
associates. |
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