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SC asks panel to explore relief for mixed land use
Sealing action in Gurgaon put on hold
Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway to be ready |
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Seven Bangladeshi thieves nabbed
BSES enforcement team manhandled
Two kids burnt to death
Student hangs herself
Two brothers gunned down in Gurgaon
Mystery surrounds farmer’s murder
Faridabad in mire of encroachments
Dwarka housing scam: Bail denied to two accused
South African delegation visits DSIDC housing complex
Campaign against female foeticide in Haryana
Woman’s torso found in drain
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SC asks panel to explore relief for mixed land use
New Delhi, April 28 Blaming the government’s appeasement policy for the failure of the system in Delhi, a Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Y. K. Sabharwal and Mr Justice C. K. Thakkar also requested the monitoring committee to file its report by May 4 along with suggestions on whether some relief could be given to the residents of these zones as per the Delhi Master Plan under which 25 per cent of the area on the ground floor could be put to commercial use. Earlier, Solicitor-General G. E. Vahanvati, appearing for the central government, pleaded that of the 15 zones in Delhi only six had zonal plans while nine others, including the Rohini zone, which had many 58 by 80 ft wide roads, had no zonal plan at all. Mr Vahanvati, while conceding that the system had indeed broken down in Delhi, pleaded that there were 140 roads falling in zones without zonal plans and the residents of these areas should not be made to suffer for the failure of the authorities. The court, however, made it clear that today’s order shall not be construed as grant of stay against the ongoing sealing process and the same shall go on as per its orders dated February 16. The court has adjourned till May 5 the hearing of the Centre’s application seeking six months’ moratorium against the ongoing sealing process of commercial establishments operating from residential areas.
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Sealing action in Gurgaon put on hold
Gurgaon, April 28 The local chief of the department, Mr B.L.Kaushik, said that today no residential places were sealed. He said that the suspension of action was to enable the department consolidate by ensuring that no commercial activities resumed at the residential plots which had been sealed in the past two days. During the two days, 75 such premises have been sealed in DLF and Sushant Lok (1 and 11) areas. However, the Executive Director, DLF Estate Developers Ltd, Mr K.K.Bhattacharya, found fault in the drive, saying that the department was selective in its approach. The drive was just cosmetic as a good number of entities running commercial activities had been left out of the loop of the action, Mr Bhattacharya said. Surprisingly, these entities are near the ones which have been targeted for action. Mr Bhattacharya added that although the department had sealed the premises, the commercial activities continued. According to Mr Kaushik, the action was taken against the premises under the Control Area Act as they were used for purposes which had not been authorised or given licence. He said that the department had identified 650 such premises in the licensed areas in Gurgaon city. The licensed areas are those in which private builders have been given permission to set up colonies. Leading among them are the DLF City and Sushank Lok. Mr Kaushik said illegal commercial activities were going on in other colonies of the licensed area such as Ardee City and Palam Vihar. The department would watch whether the sealing drive had an impact on others who were flouting the rules. The department would come heavily on them if they did not mend ways. The department lamented that direct action was resorted to as the culprits did not wind up the commercial activities in the residential areas even after three notices served on them. Although the action by the department has come in late, it has found wide-ranging appreciation. The Tribune has pointed out several times in the past that persons of the so-called high end of society living in posh areas have been running illegal business in the residential areas. Although the department says that it has identified only 650 such premises and residential plots, the number actually runs in thousands if proper survey is done in the entire licensed areas. Guest houses, creches/primary schools furniture shops, art schools, hotels and all kinds of offices relating to services and show rooms have been opened in the areas. Either the owners run themselves or have given the premises on rent at whopping prices. The unfortunate part is that while the governmental authorities did not take action in earnest, a section of the builders-floaters of the colonies looked the other way.
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Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway to be ready by January
New Delhi, April 28 All this is going to be a change with the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway on National Highway 8 near completion and all set to roll by January next year. One of the flyovers on this 27.7 km road at Rojokri is already operational and the second one at the Rajiv Chowk, the third largest flyover in the entire project, is likely be thrown open for the public by May 15. The project is being executed by Jaypee DSC Ventures on behalf of the NHAI. The expressway that started with a project cost of Rs 500 crore in January 2003 has already seen substantial escalation in the cost and several changes in the project scope. The project cost has now increased to Rs 700 crore and it has been delayed by almost 18 months. NHAI Chief Project Director R. P. Indoria says the main reasons for the project running late have been the delay in handing over the land by Delhi and the Haryana Governments and the fact that there have been major changes in the scope of the project. All these and the fact that as many as 17 agencies were involved in the project resulted in procedural delays one after the other. “There was a delay in handing over of land from the Airport Authority of India for the Mahipalpur-IGI flyover and the defence land at RTR-Palam, Rajokri. The IFFCO land is still to be handed over for the border toll plaza by the Haryana Government agencies like HUDA, the HSIDC and Haryana Tourism. Besides this, there was also a delay in shifting of 66KV line by the BSES near Radisson,” he adds. There were also some major changes in the scope, like the ones at Rao Tula Ram Marg and Palam were decided as late as May 2004 . “Changes in the concept of major intersections on behest of the Haryana and Delhi Governments and delay in the finalisation of new alignment and capacity of existing ones, leaking of the main sewerage line falling under the proposed service road of NH 8 resulted in some more delays. Also, add to it the delay in shifting of utilities at Hero Honda Chowk and acquisition of land by the Haryana Government, delay in shifting of utilities of various users like MES, BSES, DHBVN, MTNL etc,” he says. While some major changes were introduced in the project on the behest of the Delhi and Haryana Governments, the final decision for the interchange at Kapashera for access to Dwarka Phase-II are yet to be taken. Whatever the reasons, the good news now is the expressway is all set to roll by January 2007 and for the daily commuter traffic jams will hopefully become a thing of the past. Now, several good features have been added to this multi-lane expressway to ensure that the ride is not only fast but also a pleasant experience. For this, the medians will be aesthetically designed with the help of plantations and urban waste. “The idea is make the journey on the highway a very pleasant and unforgettable experience,” says Mr Indoria. To present a different character to the expressway as per commuters who will be actually using it, it has been divided into three parts where different lighting, edges, signages will be used. The section between the airport and going towards Delhi has been classified as the “VIP route”, the one ahead of Delhi-Haryana border towards Gurgaon will be the “commuter’s realm” and the road leading out of Gurgaon towards Jaipur will be called the “tourist paradise”. In itself, the expressway is important as it is a part of the Golden Quadrilateral connecting Delhi and Mumbai and an important link between the national Capital and the industrial/residential town of Gurgaon. One of the busiest corridors carrying more than 150,000 vehicles per day, it will provide a link to Indira Gandhi international and domestic airports “There is heavy traffic beyond the present capacity of 35,000-60,000 pcu per day for the existing road and it is likely to increase at the rate of 7 per cent per annum,” Mr Indoria says. The expressway with 24-hour surveillance and all modern facilities will, however, not be open to two-wheelers , tempos or three-wheelers. Finally, since all good things come with a price tag, as per the last government gazette, vehicles going up to the airport will have to pay Rs 10, towards Gurgaon Rs 15 and to use the entire facility Rs 19.
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Seven Bangladeshi thieves nabbed
Noida, April 28 The police said the SOG team had nabbed Maroof, son of Yunus Khan; Jalal, son of Mujeever; Mohd Badshah, son of Ali Akbar; Rafique, son of Amir Ahmed; Sanover, son of Khalid; and Kamal, son of Mujeever. The thieves told the police that they were from Bangladesh and used to scout and identify locked houses during day to strike at night. They were operating in Noida and Delhi. The police have recovered costly saris, blankets, Videocon TV set, two cameras, VCDs, two computers, table clock, three daggers and one local revolver. They told the police that each time they committed a theft, they would escape to Bangladesh. Delhi police arrested them many times. They admitted that they had killed a man at midnight in Harola on March 11 by hitting him with stones because that man was proving to be a hurdle in their work. The police have identified that man as Sya Ram of Bishenpura. The accused have been sent to jail.
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BSES enforcement team manhandled
New Delhi, April 28 The team was visiting a leading printing press reportedly engaged by prominent newspapers in the Capital located at Shastri Nagar. According to a BSES release, the firm originally owed it over Rs 5 lakh, but the matter went to the High Court which reduced the penalty to Rs 1.25 lakh and asked it to pay it in four equal instalments. But the cheque for the very first instalment, due on November 30,2005, bounced. Now, when a BSES lineman climbed a pole to try disconnect its electricity, the firm’s employees apparently pulled out the ladder from under him. Later, the members of the team were allegedly locked up in a room and had to call up the PCR which eventually rescued them.
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Two kids burnt to death in slum fire
New Delhi, April 28 Police sources said that around 70 hutments were gutted in the fire. Immediately after the incident, the fire department was informed. Fire engines were rushed to the spot and the fire was put out in about two hours. The fire officials said the entry passage to the hutments was narrow and congested and the fire engines had to negotiate a lot to enter the main spot to control the fire. In another incident, 150 hutments were gutted in the fire that took place in the area of Shakarpur Pushta. The fire took place at 11.35 am at Thokar number 8. The police said no one was injured as the slum was evacuated soon after the fire was reported. The fire engines doused the fire by 1.30 pm. In the third incident, a huge lot of wood lying in the timber market was gutted in a fire at the Shahdara timber market. The fire was reported this afternoon at 1.25 pm. The fire engines took two hours to control the fire. The fire officials said it was a big fire and 20 fire engines were rushed to the spot to control it.
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Student hangs herself
Greater Noida, April 28 In a suicide note, the student had mentioned that she was fed up with life and was not interested in studies. Police have learnt that a young man from Delhi was her friend. Disinterest in studies coupled with the youth’s indifference to her could have been the cause of the extreme step, police feel. The police have started investigation. On hearing of the suicide, the college management and a large number of students had rushed to her flat. According to Kasna police, Rachna, daughter of Surinder Rai, had appeared
for Gate in February, but could not qualify the exam. All the four students had gone to the college in the morning while Rachna returned home at noon. When the other three girls came home, they found the room locked from inside. There was no response to knocking. So the girls had called in the security guard who opened the door from the balcony where Rachna was found dead.
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Two brothers gunned down in Gurgaon
Gurgaon, April 28 The SSP added that a family belonging to Jhajjar district had married their daughter to Hosihar Singh’s son
Kulbhushan. The bride died in September 2005 allegedly over dowry. Hosihar, Kartar and Kulbhushan were arrested under Section IPC 304 B (dowry death). Hosihar and Kartar were released on bail after sometime, but Kulbhushan is still in jail. The relatives of the bride had warned Hosihar and Kartar on April 24 on the court premises that they
would not forgive them and rather eliminate them for killing their daughter. Today six assailants, including two brothers and father of the bride and three other close relatives came and shot dead the duo in their field, added the SSP. Mrs Samoti Devi, wife of deceased Hosihar Singh, has reportedly identified the killers and lodged an FIR under Section IPC 302 against six persons, added the officer.
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Mystery surrounds farmer’s murder
Greater Noida, April 28 The police found the body in a semi-naked condition with injuries on the private parts. They said it appeared the victim was involved in a love affair. The youth was to marry on May 20. CO Sarvanand Yadav said the police would investigate the murder from all possible angles. The victim had been identified as Bhupender, alias Bubboo, 22, son of Pratap Singh of Austauli village. SO Rashid Khan said it appeared a romantic liaison could be the reason behind the murder. He said the police had found important clues which would help in solving the murder.
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Faridabad in mire of encroachments
Faridabad, April 28 The authorities have removed hundreds of encroachments both in the residential and commercial areas in the past few months. Nearly all the Housing Board colonies in the city and district have been a victim of encroachment. “The Municipal Corporation, Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) or the Town and Country Panning departments have perhaps no long-term solution to the problem and the exercise goes on fruitlessly,” claims social activist K.L. Gera. He said that any drive against encroachments would not succeed till the corrupt officials were punished. Demanding that the officials should immediately remove the material from the site, he said a majority of the people reassembled the damaged parts and started construction when the drive slowed down. It is stated that the notice served by the department mentions that the people should either remove the encroachment themselves or the office would demolish and the cost of removing would be taken from the property owner. Meanwhile, it is learnt that the encroachments were the bane in various parts, including the HUDA and DLF sectors, where the width of the road has been reduced to nearly half due to illegal constructions and private parks made by the people. Though a campaign had been launched several years ago against them, due to lack of checking, the problem has surfaced again with the people encroaching on the parking area in front of their houses. Hundreds of jhuggis and slum clusters have also appeared in many posh areas, claimed a local resident.
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Dwarka housing scam: Bail denied to two accused
New Delhi, April 28 Counsel for the aggrieved members of the housing societies submitted before the court that the accused had forged the signatures of many bonafide members of six housing societies in Dwarka. The forged documents were submitted for cancellation of registration with the housing society, the counsel submitted. Against the vacancies thus created in the Housing societies, the counsel submitted that the accused enrolled fictitious members in six societies to claim DDA land only to sell it later at exorbitant prices. All these continued without knowledge of the bonafide members.
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South African delegation visits DSIDC housing complex
New Delhi, April 28 The delegation had detailed discussions with Mr Mangat Ram Singhal, Delhi Minister of Industry accompanied by senior DSIDC officials. Talking to the delegation, Mr Singhal said that the low cost houses built by DSIDC for industrial workers under Rajiv Gandhi Housing Project were one of its kind. The housing complex at Bawana is an eco-friendly and self-contained complex with a reserve area of 23 acres earmarked for the purpose of housing. The delegations also discussed the technical aspects of the DSIDC low cost housing.
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Campaign against female foeticide in Haryana
New Delhi, April 28 The idea behind this campaign is to evoke revulsion in society on the issue of female foeticide. Over the past few years, laws have become stricter and punishment is stringent now. However, the practice continues. The campaigners feel that if the message goes out loud and clear, people will end this evil practice. The condition of a woman is miserable in Haryana. However, that is not to say all families kill their daughters. Many take this extreme step only because they know from the past experience that if she survives, her life will be quite harsh because of dowry demands and other related problems.
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Woman’s torso found in drain
Noida, April 28 Only Aleema’s hands, feet and her two-year-old daughter’s body had been recovered at that time. A dhaba owner had alerted the police on Thursday about the torso which police fished out with the help of scavengers. The torso has been sent for postmortem. It was found a few meters away from where Islam had pointed out to police in February.
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