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Probe into failure to lodge FIR in rape case BJP petitions LG, seeks dissolution of MCD IN PARLIAMENT Residents thirst for potable water
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A 276-bedded hospital without specialists Noida Board okays plan for three Anti-encroachment drive comes a cropper in Noida Over 200
history-sheeters rule the roost in Ghaziabad Integrated rail, bus system for Capital in the offing Election norms get nod ON CAMPUS Haryana govt schools score poor marks ‘Social welfare not possible without NGOs’ Artworks of 20th century on show Spiritual liberation as important as physical Three killed in road accidents Passports, fake visas seized Arrested pickpocket dies
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Probe into failure to lodge FIR in rape case New Delhi, August 16 After the registration of the FIR, the police had recovered the victim last month from village Raipur near Noida. The police had arrested three persons in this connection. Disposing of the petition, a Bench comprising Justice T. S. Thakur and Justice J. P. Singh directed the Police Commissioner to probe why the complaint had not been lodged prior to court’s direction. “We, therefore, consider this to be a fit case in which a direction ought to be issued to the Police Commissioner to look into the circumstances in which no case was registered on the complaint filed by the brother of the victim and no effective action taken to ensure that the alleged detenue was recovered from captivity and set free,” the Bench said. Observing that “it is not uncommon to hear complaints of indifference on the part of the police agency in dealing with complaints lodged before them, especially those from the weaker sections of society,’’ the court said such incidents are likely to create an impression that the police is only there to protect the interests of those who are economically strong or politically well connected. Pulling up the police for shoddy investigation carried by them before court’s intervention, the Bench said it was only when the court intervened and directed the SHO concerned to lodge a case on the complaint lodged by the victim’s brother, the FIR had been registered and the apprehension expressed by him turned out to be true. “The victim, a widow, who had been in captivity at the house of an accused and the apprehension that she had been physically abused also turned out to be true as per her version,” the court said, referring to the letter written by her to the brother. “All that we need to say is that the ordeal, which the detenue underwent from June 15 to July 4, when she had been eventually rescued, could have been avoided if the SHO concerned had taken prompt and appropriate action on the day the matter had been reported to him,” the court said. “His failure to do so does not, in our opinion, speak well of the officer and may call for proper inquiry at the appropriate level,” the court further said.
18-year-old IP College student commits suicide An 18-year-old girl, a law student in IP College, committed suicide in her room this afternoon. The deceased, identified as Aakriti Dhar, a resident of Jammu, had been staying in hostel accommodation. She was a first year law student in IP College. A suicide note, which was recovered from her room, did not blame anyone for her extreme step. According to the police, at around 1.30 pm, Dhar’s roommate found the room was locked from inside. When the door was opened, Dhar was found hanging from the ceiling fan. A case of suicide has been registered in the Kashmere Gate police station. |
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BJP petitions LG, seeks dissolution of MCD New Delhi, August 16 The delegation submitted a memorandum to the Lt. Governor in which detailed allegations of corruption against the Congress councillors have been made. The Lt. Governor has promised the delegation of necessary action, the delegation claimed. In the letter, the delegation has alleged that corruption was at its peak in the MCD in which not only officers and employees were involved but also leaders belonging to the Congress party. Citing examples, Mr Subhash Arya said that recently the Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee, Ashok Jain, had been caught red-handed by the CBI while accepting a bribe. He alleged that “the majority of councillors belonging to the Congress were involved in scandals.” Mr Arya further alleged that earlier also the Deputy Chairman of the Sanitation Committee, Mr Khazan Singh, had been caught red-handed by the CBI. Again, Haren Tokas, Councillor from R.K. Puram, was chargesheeted by the CBI last week. He alleged that under section 32 of the DMC Act, each and every councillor took oath to discharge his duty with allegiance to the Constitution Besides, Section 500 of the DMC Act provides that Municipal Councillors are public servants at par with municipal officers and employees. Therefore, the same action should be initiated against Municipal councillors as it is taken against the municipal officers. He apprised the L-G that under section 2 (1) of the DMC Act the Lt. Governor is an administrator and is competent to initiate legal action against the guilty councillors. Many scandals have erupted ever since Congress assumed power in the civic body. In the Slum Department there has been a scam in
desilting of nullahs and allotment of parking sites. One tender mafia enjoyed the protection of a Congress Municipal Councillor, he alleged. There were scams in Education Department in purchase of uniforms, books, benches and mid-day meal. Similarly, there was scam in repair of municipal vehicles and recovery of advertisement tax.
Can a code of conduct help? Following the incident of manhandling of the Mayor in the MCD house and the recent arrest of the Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee, Ashok Jain, the Leader of the House in Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Mr Satbir Singh, today urged all councillors to follow a code of conduct and always stay in discipline. He called a meeting and reminded the councillors of the confusion created by a Congress Councillor in the last meeting of the House. He said, it should be pre-decided who would speak in which meeting. A meeting should be held where all councillors should put forth their issues before the Leader of the House and the Chairman of the Standing Committee. |
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IN PARLIAMENT New Delhi, August 16 South Delhi, South West Delhi and East Delhi, which are at the tail end of the distribution system as well as the areas located at an elevated level face problems. The colonies of Dwarka, Rohini Phase III and Vasundhara Enclave Co-operative Group Housing Scheme are also facing shortage of drinking water. The water supply could be augmented after commissioning of Sonia Vihar Water Treatment Plant, but the supply of water would depend on the availability and augmentation of raw water to NCT of Delhi, he said. The DJB has reported that 100 deep tube wells have also been drilled in the flood plains of Yamuna river, which has given a discharge of about 30 MGD of water. The minister, however, admitted that DJB sustains 40 per cent drinking water losses every year, which is referred to as “non revenue water.” Of this, 20 per cent represent free water supply through Public Stand Post, Water Tankers, etc, and the remaining 20 per cent includes transmission and distribution losses, leakages on the DJB lines and service pipes of the consumers, unauthorised connections. “The approximate revenue losses on account of wastage of water due to leakages, etc, during the last two years are stated to be about Rs 32 crore per annum,” he said. Mr Azad said DJB has informed that it was not feasible to have a leak-proof distribution system. The reasons for leakages are intermittent supply, large scale on line boosters by consumers, tapping directly on the mains, leakages from joints due to movement caused by traffic loading, water hammer, air valves not being operational, old encrusted house service connections and the existing distribution system, which was laid about 25 to 30 years ago. However, detection of leakages is done continuously by DJB and last year, 28,324 major and minor leakages were repaired. |
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Residents
thirst for potable water Noida, August 16 High elements of lead, iron, chloride, nitrate, sulphate, have rendered Noida water quite hard and brackish. While in Delhi water, the TDM level is 250 ppm, in Noida water it is 1,000 to 1,200 ppm. The water hardness is indicated by its TDM level. The Noida Authority mixes chlorine in water which no doubt destroys the germs, but the salt ratio of water is increased which renders its taste bad. According to senior Project Engineer Home Singh Yadav, water in Noida is so hard that even the treatment plant does not make much difference in improving its drinking quality, says Mr Solanki. To clean this water, we need a high calibre treatment plant. Proper attention is not paid to the bleaching mixed in the Noida water. Chlorine does destroy the germs, but mostly a large quantity of chlorine is mixed which renders water yellowish and tasteless. In Noida, people use different methods to make water drinkable like using mineral water, water purifier, or using water filters. According to a number of residents, though the Noida Authority is constantly increasing water tax; little attention is paid to improve the water quality. As a result, even the middle class residents are forced to use mineral water etc. In many sectors, residents tie a cloth on the tape to filter the yellowish water. This piece of cloth gets torn every second day due to the bad quality of water. |
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A 276-bedded hospital without specialists New Delhi, August 16 Besides, there has been only one MS here for years despite the sanctioned three posts for the medical superintendents. The condition of other departments is almost the same. In the absence of sufficient staff, the hospital has been in a deplorable condition. This hospital was opened about two decades ago under the Sixth Five Years Plan in the memory of late Congress leader Sanjay Gandhi. At the time of its opening, it was decided that it would cater to the health care of lakhs of people of nearby colonies like Nangloi, Mangolpuri and Sultanpuri. It was also decided to give special attention to the people of slum areas and those of the SC and ST categories. Those objectives are still on paper, according to the hospital sources. A well-known social activist of the area and president of
Sawera, a social service organisation, Mr Anand Sharma said, “We were quite hopeful when this hospital was opened. But the government failed to fulfill its promises. In the name of facilities, there is hardly anything. Leave the vital facilities like Citiscan and MRI, there is only an old X–ray machine in the hospital. In serious cases, this hospital would refer a patient to other hospitals. When contacted, the Medical Superintendent, Dr Anil Mehra, admitted to the shortage of staff in the hospital, “We work with the help of ad hoc staff like senior and junior residents. There is no denying the fact that there is a lot of pressure.” |
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Noida Board okays plan for three new sectors Noida, August 16 Out of a total expected expenditure of Rs 850 crore on the Metro Rail link in Noida, 20 per cent will be contributed by the Noida Authority/UP state, 20 per cent by the Central Government and the remaining 60 per cent will be raised by the loans from the financial institutions. A presentation on behalf of Metro Rail Co. was made in the Board meeting. The losses likely to be incurred will also be evaluated and taken into account in this project. An important decision was about the development of three new sectors: 67 for industry, 44 for residential and 132 for institutional purposes. The Board has approved the plan for them, Mr Sharma said. The work on the city centre is to be expedited. New plans and architectural designs will be invited for setting up a landmark city centre in Sector-32. It will have a national landmark. In the industrial Sector 67, out of a total area of 85.59 hectare, 14.23 hectare will be earmarked for industrial-commercial purpose. For the NRI city in sectors 96, 97 and 98, technical bids from the international agencies will be invited. The tenderers should have a turnover of Rs 500 crore for three past years and should have experience of developing the real estate worth Rs 200 crore, the Noida Chairman said. Another significant development, the Noida chairman said was that the policy on the industrial plots has been laid down by the Board. Plots up 2000 sq. mt will be allotted on the basis of project reports to be scrutinised first and then the final allotment will be made on the basis of open bid. In a significant development, the Board decided that one residential plot will be allotted to all those who are given an industrial plot in Noida. This facility had been withdrawn three years ago, when each co-director was entitled to a residential plot. The Board gave a green signal for setting up another Export Promotion Zone NEPZ for which the Government of India has already been approached by the Noida Authority. An IT Park will be set up for which a survey has already been done. A study team is leaving for Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad to study IT parks there. Thirty-five acres have been earmarked for a medical and dental college to be set up in the institutional area. It will be as per the norms fixed by the All India Council of Medical Education and Research. Three parking lots in Sector-18 will be constructed with a capacity to park 3,000 vehicles. The Board also approved setting up Inder Prastha Gas stations (CNG) for vehicles in Noida. In the new sectors, the Chairman said, optical fibre and pipeline network will be provided for the supply of CNG gas. For the Commonwealth Games, the state government’s approval has been received and technical experts of different fields will be consulted before setting up infrastructural facilities in Noida, Mr Dev Dutt said. |
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Anti-encroachment drive comes a cropper in Noida Noida, August 16 Pavements, roads and even complete markets were freed from the encroachments by the well-established shopkeepers, small-timers as well as those eking out their living by pushing carts of fruit, vegetables etc. However, it was back to business for most of the people after sometime. Small-time vendors have again occupied road-dividers, footpaths, street corners and roadsides. Even in well-established markets, shopkeepers have started displaying and dumping their wares on public land. While the illegal encroachments and pan-cigarette and tea stall on the street corners are a slur on the fair name of the industrial and high-tech city, the authorities become complacent after undertaking this exercise once or twice in a year, feeling this would work as a deterrent. Cycle-rickshaws parked on the roadsides and on the dividers, even a few metres from Sector-20 police station, present an ugly picture. It leads to many accidents as there is no check on them crossing or coming from the wrong side even at red lights on the inter-sections. The authorities undertake such anti-encroachment campaigns annually, but fail to sustain them. |
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Over 200
history-sheeters rule the roost in Ghaziabad Ghaziabad, August 16 The list of history-sheeters has been provided to the SOs of police stations and in-charge of various police posts. But instead of nabbing them, the city police are reported to have developed a soft corner for the hardened criminals. They allegedly report back to their superiors that many of them are a reformed lot now. This façade is then used to mint money from the dreaded criminals, the insiders say. The district police may claim to have eliminated more than two dozen criminals through encounters etc, but the local history-sheeters are still beyond the police net. A perusal of the list of the history-sheeters of the two circles in the Mahanagar indicates that the police have hardly taken any action against more than two hundred criminals for long. Sometimes, the police SOs and the police post in-charge are oblivious of the names and addresses of the history-sheeters having taken refuge in their areas. Those who have severed their links with the world of crime are literally a goldmine for the policemen. They are threatened with severe action and fleeced with “collections”. There are 42 history-sheeter criminals under Kotwali police station, 50 in Sihani Gate, 35 in Kavi Nagar, 50 in Vijay Nagar and 29 in Indirapuram, making up a total of 201 for five police stations. Only 13 history-sheeters are lodged in jail these days. In Kavi Nagar list, there are 35 history-sheeters while 20 live in Shastri Nagar police post, seven in Sector-23, two in Raj Nagar police post area. In this list, DP Yadav’s name is not included. The police officers just do not know how Yadav’s name has been missing from the list. The name of a woman of Vijay Nagar area tops the list. Apart from a number of other heinous crimes, she is accused of having murdered her three husbands. What is astonishing is that she continues to retain her government job. Good relations with the top criminals and the Mahanagar policemen, have helped her retain the government job, it is stated. |
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Integrated
rail, bus system for Capital in the offing New Delhi, August 16 In the first phase of the
IRBT, the 14.93-kilometre-long Shahdara–Ghaziabad, the 17.36 kilometre-long Sahibabad–Shivaji Bridge and the 30.53 kilometre-long
Trinagar–Gurgaon are to be taken up. According to information made available, a transport cell has been created under the Union Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation to execute the
IRBT. Urban transport is a part of the Union Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation since July 1986. It was transferred from the Union Ministry of Railways to this Ministry through an amendment in the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules.
Building inaugurated The President of the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC), Mr Prehlad Singh Chandok, unfurled the national flag and inaugurated a newly constructed four-storey Bhai Lalo Block building in Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Industrial Training Centre. The building is meant for ITI students as the institute plans to launch a few professional courses from the new session. The Secretary of the DSGMC, Mr
S.H.S. Matharoo, was also present at the function. |
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Election
norms get nod New Delhi, August 16 The code of conduct calls for a ban on the use of posters, including stickers with adhesives, hoardings and graffiti. Mikes and loudspeakers should not be used outside or inside the University or the college, and candidates should not use more than two vehicles for canvassing. Further, it also calls for implementing a ceiling of Rs. 10,000 per candidate for the purpose of election expenditure and non-students have been prohibited from entering the campus or the college for electioneering purposes.
Pilot addresses students in JNU Member of Parliament Sachin Pilot addressed the first of the public meetings organised by the NSUI in Jawaharlal Nehru University. |
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ON CAMPUS New Delhi, August 16 The second issue that has been unanimously agreed upon after the cry for spending less moolah during campaigns is the yardstick for the selection of the candidates. Screening committees are the latest modus operandi to make sure that those with a clean image, reasonable intellect and charisma get to battle it out. “We have set up a screening committee to scan the applications that have been sent by those seeking a ticket. The committee has laid down strict criterion for the selection of the candidate,” said NSUI spokesperson Kuntal Krishna. The committee has been instructed to look out for any kind of police case against the aspirants. “We do not want anyone with a criminal record to contest the elections,” adds, INSO spokesperson, A. Kapoor Chaudhry. The INSO, too, has set up a seven-member screening committee. Apart from verifying whether the prospective candidates do not figure in the police records, the committee will also scrutinise their academic performance and ascertain their commitment to the cause of students. “We want to know why the aspirant is keen on contesting the elections, what work has he or she been doing in the past, what are their aims and plans for the welfare of students,” added Chaudhary. Social acceptability, says Kuntal, is also a key determinant. “How do the students react to a certain candidate and what is his or her winning chance will also be considered by the committee,” he said. He went on to add, “There will be a legal team, which will study in detail the profile of the candidates and allegations against them, if any. Sometimes the police during protests in the university might have detained a student, but that will not amount to having a criminal record. It will be the duty of the legal team to minutely scan such cases.” Not to be left behind, the ABVP has also formed a screening committee, “though the academic and criminal records will be checked, we will stress on the work done by the candidate in the last two years. It will be an added advantage if they have experience of having fought an election even at the college level. The winning chances of a candidate will be the most important
factor,” said national president, ABVP, Jatin Mohanty. |
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Haryana govt schools score poor marks Faridabad, August 16 The Haryana State Education Board (HSEB), which had been in the news recently for its intensive campaign to check the copying menace, has come out with some shocking figures of the performance of the government schools in the state. According to the details, there are about 500 schools, mostly of the Middle standard, where the pass percentage had been zero this year, which also means that not a single student could pass the exam.
Of these 13 schools are located in Faridabad district. These include Government Middle schools in Rajpur,
Lakhnaka, Karnera, Rupdaka, Manjhavali, Dehkola, Dadasia, Chhaprola,
Chhajunagar, Chandpur, Bahbalpur, Government High School, Mirpur Korali and the Government
Girls Middle School in Fatehpur Billauch.
About 162 schools in the state have been identified in the state where the pass percentage has dropped up to 30 per cent this year in comparison to the results last year. The Board officials admit that there were almost 1,000 schools in the state where the pass percentage had dropped up to 20 per cent this year. These include as many as 45 schools in Faridabad district. Interestingly, the pass percentage had only been 10 per cent in about 2,700 schools in the state. The Secretary of the Education Board, Mr Rakesh Gupta, IAS, believes that the pass percentage of many schools may have gone down this year mainly due to the strictness by the Board in the annual examinations. He said the important thing was not the pass percentage, but bringing the required change in the mindset of the people and the students that they have to work hard to get through the exams. He said the results would automatically improve once the menace of the mass copying was wiped out and an efficient system takes place. Claiming that the measures by the Board had already started bringing positive results, he said the analysis by the Board shows that the merit position in the matric and plus exams this year had gone up by 11 and 3 times respectively and the pass percentage of students in as many as 13 districts of the state had gone up this year. |
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‘Social welfare not possible without NGOs’ New Delhi, August 16 Ms Kanti Singh said that voluntary efforts are the primary means by which social development can be achieved and the needy and marginalised sections of society can be made self-reliant. |
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Artworks
of 20th century on show New Delhi, August 16 The exhibition, Manifestations II, which is on till August 21, showcases a hundred works of art by various artists. The show is an attempt to present a comprehensive overview of the 20th century art in India. The emphasis is on themes, genres and styles and on presenting urban artists from different regions in India. The exhibit is supplemented with an extensive catalogue, for which 23 distinguished art writers and critics from across the country have provided the textual interface on select works of art. Art historian Roobina Karode has edited the catalogue and written the main essay. |
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Spiritual
liberation as important as physical New Delhi, August 16 One feels bad to see the violent tendencies prevailing here and there, he said. “We also have instances where the unity and integrity of the nation is threatened by the forces of division, dissension and disintegration. Is this all that our freedom fighters made sacrifices for?” Baba Hardev Singh Ji Maharaj wondered. Let us remember, he said that even after freedom, we have to enable ourselves to reap the rich harvest of the seeds of sacrifice sown by our freedom fighters. The result must be a happy and prosperous life for one and all. If a student goes outside the hostel wall or a railway train does not keep itself bound to the track, we know the result—disaster only.. His holiness pointed out that spiritual liberation is also as important as physical freedom. This also calls for selfless sacrifices on the part of saints who continue to try for this despite hurdles in their way. They have always desired that the mind should be liberated from all that is negative so that our thoughts and feelings are the source of happiness not only for ourselves but for others also. For this one must link one’s mind with the Almighty Nirankar—the supreme source of
all that is good, noble and blissful, His Holiness said. The Sant Nirankari Mission celebrates August 15 every year as Mukti Parv or the Spiritual Liberation Day all over the world. Fortunate are those whose souls are liberated, and therefore, they deserve celebration with all jubilation. Pointing out the significance, His Holiness said that the Mission seeks to express its gratitude not only to its founder Baba Bula Singh Ji and his successors Baba Avtar Singh Ji and Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji, but also the numerous missionaries who dedicated themselves to preach the message of truth, love and peace under their guidance. Their lives were not only an example of self-sacrifice and service to others but also a staunch faith and dedication towards Satguru. Baba Ji pointed out that when we find the tendencies of hatred, jealousy, animosity and violence flourishing in the name of religion, caste and community etc, we are constrained to conclude that we are yet to be liberated spiritually. One must seek the company of saints for this, he said. It is only they who can help man rise above the narrow feelings and strengthen the forces of human unity and universal brotherhood. Earlier, addressing the gathering, Baba Ji’s holy mother, Nirankari Rajmata Kulwant Kaur Ji said that even after Independence, if we continue to live in an atmosphere of hatred and conflict, the entire struggle for it loses its value. In order to make freedom fruitful, we must promote the feelings of love. Since saints possess such positive feelings. Let us seek their guidance and make our lives useful. |
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Three killed in road accidents Noida, August 16 Udhay Shankar Jha, an employee of Educational Consultants India Ltd, Sector-16 Noida, died of electrocution while working in office. Dinesh Pandya was knocked down by a vehicle in Sector-8
Jhandpura. He died on the spot. The driver sped away after the accident. Hari Om going on his cycle was crushed under the wheels of a truck near Gole Chakkar Sector-2. He too died on the spot. The truck driver fled with his vehicle, after the accident. All these accidents occurred under Sector-20 police station area. Another person Ghasi Ram while crossing the road in Sector-41 was knocked down by a motorcyclist. He also died on the spot. Ghasi Ram had sustained head injury as he hit the road-divider with the impact of the accident. Motorcyclist Ram Dev Sharma was caught by people on the spot and later handed over to the police. The police have sent all the bodies for autopsy. |
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Passports, fake visas seized New Delhi, August 16 Acting on a tip-off that a gang involved in issuing fake visas is active in Delhi, the sleuths nabbed four persons who were later identified as Amit Jatana (25), a resident of West Patel Nagar, Amar Singh (65), a resident of Chander Vihar, Jaspal Singh (23), a resident of Vikas Puri, and Dharmender alias Lovely alias Raju (23), a resident of Chaukhandi. One of the accused Amit Jatana, who runs a travel agency in Connaught Place, used to affix the fake visas in the passports.
Burglars held With the arrest of two inter-state criminals, the North-East district police claims to have busted a gang of night burglars active in Nand Nagari and Loni areas. The police recovered two knives, two colour televisions and one CD player from them. Acting on a tip-off that the suspects would come near Ex-Taj restaurant in the Seelampur area, the police nabbed two persons. Later, they were identified as Mahender, alias Fonda (51), a resident of Nand Nagari, and Satpal Singh (40), a resident of Loni.
Heroin haul In another case, the North-East district police have arrested a drug peddler and seized 265 grams of heroin worth Rs 26.5 lakh in the international market. Based on a secret information, the police nabbed the accused Subodh Kumar, alias Bhure (26), a resident of Etah, and seized the drug from him. |
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Arrested pickpocket dies New Delhi: A 23-year-old man, against whom the police had registered a case of pickpocketing, died today in the RML hospital, as he had sustained serious head injuries while he was trying to escape from a bus on August 12. The police said that the victim, Deepak, had tried to pick the pocket of one Sanjay Sharma, an accounts officer in private firm. When Sharma noticed Deepak during the act, he tried to escape from the bus and sustained serious head
injuries. — TNS |
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New Delhi, August 16
