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Power reforms fail to impress common man
Govt wakes up to menace of traffic snarl ups
Light drizzle leads to heavy jams
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‘New Master Plan will not provide relief from sealing’
Radio cabs to hit the street from New Year
Six persons, accused of being involved in a drug racket, in police custody on Tuesday. — Tribune photo by Rajeev Tyagi
Gurgaon village in the fast lane of life
Parliamentarians, environmentalists join hands to demand ban on soft drinks
Golf course to be built around ammunition depot to prevent encroachment
Mulayam seeks Manmohan’s help to resolve bus tangle
Sahibzadas Martyrdom
Day
‘Flexi use’ of airspace mooted
Search on to nab five criminals in Gurgaon
Annual Day function
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Power reforms fail to impress common man
New Delhi, December 26 According to a survey conducted among the RWAs by the United Residents Joint Action (URJA), the umbrella organisation of about 500 associations, only ten per cent of the respondents rated the performance of the NCT government as excellent in ‘bijli-pani’ sectors. While 46 per cent said the performance of Delhi Government was average, 43 per cent rated it as poor or very poor in resolving their power or water woes, the survey claims. Discoms also bore the brunt of the RWAs disenchantment with a whopping 89 per cent saying that the private parties were taking unfair advantage of consumers for making huge profits. The URJA survey covered about 500 RWAs in the city and the initial findings are based on its survey of 30 of them. The survey also claims that most Delhiites believe that the ‘mall lobby’ is behind sealing and demolition drives in the Capital. Seventy-four per cent among them find the allegation that ‘big fish’ were behind the drives against shops in residential areas and unauthorised constructions as authentic. About 81 per cent among them also agreed that the government failed to provide adequate commercial space. The report also says that the RWAs are not at all satisfied with the performance of MCD councillors with 41 per cent of them feeling that the performance was poor. Only 17 per cent said that their councillors were ‘excellent’, while 67 per cent noted that their corporators were ‘corrupt’. |
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Govt wakes up to menace of traffic snarl ups
New Delhi, December 26 He gave specific instructions for construction of an underpass at Pusa Road Chowk and an underpass and a flyover on New Rohtak Road to enable smooth flow of traffic between North and Central Delhi. These issues were today discussed at a high-level meeting attended by Chief Whip, Ruling Legislature Party, Mr Ramakant Goswami, and senior officers from all departments concerned. Directing officers present at the meeting, Dr Walia said that Delhi Government would no longer remain mute spectator over present situation of heavy and long traffic jams witnessed on these roads causing lot of inconvenience and delay to commuters at large. He has also instructed all concerned officers to come back with a most feasible action plan which could be implemented at the earliest to provide much wanted relief to the people. Mr Ramakant Goswami narrated woes of people who are forced to face difficulties almost everyday. He exhorted Dr Walia to get the proposals implemented in first quarter of next year. Dr Walia directed concerned officers to plan an underpass at T-point near Anand Parbat on New Rohtak Road to facilitate direct flow of traffic to and from Liberty Cinema to Punjabi Bagh without disturbing traffic turning towards Shakti Nagar, Shastri Nagar and Gulabi Bagh. He further instructed to plan a flyover near Liberty Cinema Chowk to facilitate direct flow of traffic from Jhandewalan to Punjabi Bagh without disturbing traffic movement on Desh Bandhu Gupta Road. Apart from this, Dr Walia also directed the officers to plan an underpass at Pusa Road facilitating smooth and direct flow of traffic to and from Pusa Road to Shadipur Depot without disturbing flow of traffic coming from Naraina and Shankar Road which would be managed at ground level with the help of existing rotary. The Pusa Road Chowk is an important intersection connecting five roads bearing high quantum of traffic. Dr Walia expressed confidence that new projects would be able to provide relief to large number of people and commuters before commencement of Commonwealth Games 2010.
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Light drizzle leads to heavy jams
New Delhi, December
26 With a thick cloud cover throughout the day, several parts of the Capital also received a light drizzle adding to the chill factor. The chill was apparently brought about by strong easterly breeze. The visibility levels, however, continued to remain normal. The Met office said that 600m visibility was recorded at 7 am, which is considered normal. Though the coming 24 hours could witness a slight rise in the minimum temperature, night temperatures could witness a fall from Thursday onwards with the Met office forecasting a fresh phase of snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal and Uttaranchal and rains in Punjab and Haryana during the next 24 hours. It has also predicted a fall in night temperature in Delhi to as low as five degrees C on Friday and six degrees C on Saturday. Meanwhile, it has forecast a partly cloudy sky in the city during the next 24 hours with possibility of light rains in some areas.
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‘New Master Plan will not provide relief from sealing’
New Delhi, December 26 The new Master Plan was almost ready and will be presented before the board for approval and implementation on December 29. After its approval, the Master Plan running into 200 pages will be implemented in January 2007. “In such voluminous document, there is no mention about relief from sealing and demolition. Most likely, the sealing and demolition drives will continue the next year too,” Dr Harsh Vardhan claimed. He expressed doubts on the utility and practicability of the Master Plan 2021. He said that the quittance for the missed development and the relief, which should have been given through the Master Plan during the last six years, have not been mentioned in the proposed Master Plan. The BJP Pradesh President said, “The government had decided to hand over the work of construction on valuable land residential and commercial areas to the builder lobby. Due to this, the cost of houses, shops, offices etc. will go many times higher. The dream of the common man to have his own house will remain a dream.” In the Master Plan, the role of the DDA had been limited to a planner only, he claimed. The DDA will become “a white elephant”, he added. There was great stress on multi transport system, roads of Delhi and sky scrappers in the proposed Master Plan, he alleged. Dr Harsh Vardhan said that Delhi government had claimed that in the Master Plan, efforts would be made to make Delhi a heaven. “The reality is that Delhi is taking its last breath due to lack of basic amenities. In the budget of 2006-07, huge amount was allotted to the transport sector, which was given top priority. But even after one year, the government has been able to utilise only 42 per cent of the allotment.” This year, 1801 people were killed in accidents due to bad roads, he alleged. “The multi-transport system about which Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has been talking loudly is only mentioned on the papers. The Chief Minister has declared that in the new year, 800 ultra modern low-floor buses will run in Delhi. But the fact is that not a single corridor is ready for these buses as yet,” the BJP leader claimed. The 140 MGD capacity Sonia Vihar Water Treatment Plant was at present supplying only 35 to 50 MGD water, he claimed.
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Radio cabs to hit the street from New Year
New Delhi, December 26 Speaking at a function organised to launch the radio taxi service, ‘Easy Cabs’, the Transport and Power Minister of Delhi, Mr Haroon Yusuf, said, “With the launch of Easy Cabs radio taxis, we have taken yet another step towards providing a reliable and safe mode of transport to the people of Delhi and to those who would be visiting us.” “Carzonrent India has good experience in handling the Indian Car travellers with quality services, which they provide through Hertz and I am sure that experience will be showcased through Easy cabs too”, he said. “Easy Cabs launch is a part of our plans to support the mission of Delhi Government to provide The fleet of 250 cars is fitted with GPRS technology, digital fare meters and thermal printers for issuing bill etc. The Chauffeurs for Easy Cabs have been recruited after conducting four verifications, including police, bank and two personal verifications. Also the Chauffeurs had to undergo a multi-step process of various tests such as written, spoken, attitude, psychology, road knowledge and behaviour. “All of them have gone through training sessions and are committed to delivering a very different and pleasant taxi experience to the residents and travelers to our capital region. We will make sure that the commuters’ experience with Easy Cabs remains pleasant and constant each time they commute,” Mr Ashok Vashist, Vice-President, Radio Cabs Business, Carzonrent India. The cabs will be available for hire by dialing 43434343 from any phone. “This number will roll out across India, over the next 36 months during which period we will launch this service in all business and tourist cities in India,” he added. According to the plans for NCR, Easy Cabs will go commercial on January 1, 2007. “We want to gift Easy cabs services as a new year present to all the commuters and travellers specially the women,” added Mr Vij. The company plans to add 250 more cabs within three months and build a fleet of 5,000 cabs before Commonwealth Games 2010. The services will be provided for 24 hours in Delhi by a call center. Easycabs call centre will locate the taxi closest to the pickup location through real time GPRS screen and instruct the Easycabs online to pick up the client. Also the client will be billed from the point of pick up till the drop point and the billing will be on a per kilometer basis as fixed by Delhi Government- current rate of Rs 15 per kilometer. The cabs will also be positioned at the airport, metro stations, railway station and inter state bus terminals, besides this being available at major hotels, tourist spots, hospitals, prominent shopping malls, cinema halls and other important locations. Additionally, all chauffeurs will be in uniform and will be conversant in English and Hindi.
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Over 17 kg heroin worth
Rs 18 crore seized, six held
New Delhi, December 26 “It appears to be a networked gang of drug couriers operating in the national Capital since the past few days. We have recovered 17.8 kgs of ‘heroine’ worth Rs 18 crore in the international market from their possession,” said the joint commissioner of police. The accused- Tejinder, Vinay, Kalpesh, Kingsley, Jack and Afzal were arrested from different areas in the Capital. While Kingsley and Vinay were arrested from Utam Nagar, Kalpesh and Jack were caught from Tilak Nagar, Tejinder from PVR Vikas Puri and Afzal was arrested from Connaught Place. “The involvement of Nigerians in the narcotic trade is not new but the arrest of a Pakistani is shocking. We think the network is wide,” claimed the police officer. An information was received that an international module of drug trafficker was operating in India and drugs in huge quantity was being supplied from across the boarder. Following a tip off Vinay and Tejinder were apprehended red-handed near PVR Cinema, Vikas Puri. 5.024kgs of heroine was recovered from Vinay while, 4.025 kgs of it was recovered from Tejinder. Later, the police arrested one Kalpesh, a resident of Kerala, from Nawada Metro Railway Station with 1.866 kgs of heroine. The arrest of Kalpesh led to the arrest of Ebenezar, a Nigerian from Janak Puri Metro Station area with 2.020 kgs of heroine. The Nigerian was further interrogated which led to the arrest of another Nigerian Kingsley from Uttam Nagar area with 2.946 kgs of heroine. The accused revealed that Julfikar and Afzal of Lahore in Pakistan operated the entire network. Vinay and Tejinder revealed one of the Pakistani kingpins was in Delhi and had met Vinay earlier. Afzal was apprehended from a place near PVR Plaza, Connaught Place. Two kgs of heroine was recovered from his possession, informed a police official. |
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Gurgaon village in the fast lane of life
Ullawas, December 26 Cars of all shapes and sizes — Scorpios, Safaris, Sumos and Santros — are parked outside dozens of homes. Almost every house has a car. Ullawas isn’t the only Haryana village on the fast track these days. At least four other villages in the vicinity — Maidawas, Kadarpur, Tikri and Badshahpur — are abuzz with roaring engines. Villagers estimate about 70 Scorpios, 20 Safaris and more than 10 Elantras have been bought by these five villages in the past six months. “Some folks would have opted for even more expensive cars. But with so many potholes around, they prefer to buy the tougher Scorpios and Safaris,” says former sarpanch Harichand. Adds another villager from this Gujjar-dominated village, “Nobody really knows which car to buy. You just buy what your neighbour buys.” The fortune of these villages changed since the Gurgaon Master Plan 2021 was announced earlier this year. With the Plan proposing to convert the entire area into a residential zone from an agricultural zone, land sharks moved in, resulting in a skyrocketing of property prices. Property dealers say there has been almost 400 per cent increase in the land price in the last six months. “The price is around Rs 3-4 crore per acre nowadays. One particular plot of land even fetched Rs 5 crore per acre. All major developers — including DLF, MGF, Unitech and Ansals — have bought land, foreseeing increase in the demand for residential properties,” says Satish Kataria, president of Property Dealers’ Association in Gurgaon. The easy money has created a neo-rich class. These days Ullawas — once notorious for gangsters and living off mustard and wheat crops — bustles with fresh construction work. Earlier homes were single-storeyed and basic; now most new constructions are double-storeyed homes embellished with tiles and plastic
paints. — Agencies |
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Parliamentarians, environmentalists join hands to demand ban on soft drinks
New Delhi, December 26 “To ban or not ban Coke and Pepsi cannot depend on one Minister under the influence of the US Government. It cannot depend only on the standards set by corrupt and manipulated Government agencies,” environmentalist Vandana Shiva said. Shiva, along with various other citizen movement groups, has charted a three-month protest programme throughout the country wherein they will go to schools and colleges in both villages and cities to educate them about the hazardous effects of consuming colas. The programme also includes a week-long complete blockade of all transport facilities for the cola products in November. The protests are being organised under the banner “Coke Pepsi Quit India”. Speaking on the occasion, Member of Parliament Veerender Kumar brought forth the issue as how the Parliament was not allowed to debate the issue. Health Minister A Ramadoss on Tuesday told the Parliament that the Centre for Science and Environment had not followed a balanced approach while undertaking the scientific review of the cola samples. The committee, constituted by the Health Minister for examining the methodology adopted by CSE, said that not only the sampling methodology lacked “scientific and statistically valid basis” but the “residue data reported based on GC-Mass confirmation is inconclusive.” The movement has also filed a public interest litigation against Coke and Pepsi, which has been pending for the last two years. Also participating in the programme are Banwari Lal Sharma of the “Azadi Bachao Andolan”, Supreme Court Advocate Prashant Bhushan, Dunu Roy of the Hazards Centre, and Mira Shiva, Chairperson of Ministry of Health Task Force on Food Safety. — Agencies
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Golf course to be built around ammunition depot to prevent encroachment
Gurgaon, December 26 “Checking unauthorised constructions in 900 mt restricted belt around the ammunition depot is proving a big challenge,” stated a letter by Ms Shakuntala Jakhu, Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary; Town, Country Planning and Housing of the state government to Secretary, Union Ministry of Defence. The golf course that is to be build in around 200 acres of land around the depot would become a barrier between the civilian habitation and the ammunition depot, suggested the lady officer. The letter added that according to Defence Act, 1903, no construction activity is permissible in the belt without the approval of the General Officer Commanding the district. The letter clarified as per the Defence Act no building would be constructed in the restricted zone and only the land would be suitably prepared and landscaped to suit the requirement of a golf course. The club building required for the said project would be constructed outside the restricted zone, added the officer. Meanwhile, the state government has sought a no objection certificate and requisite permission from the Centre so that the acquisition proceeding for the land can be initiated for setting up of the golf course. The Group Captain, Commanding Officer, Air Force Station, Gurgaon had suggested to the district administration that the state government’s earlier proposal which was sent in 1999, for establishing a golf course in the restricted belt may be reviewed by the Air Force authorities favourably in view of the threat to security due to unauthorised use of the land around the depot. Mr S.P. Gupta, Zonal Administrator, Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) said that thousands of illegal constructions had thronged around the depot. If the golf course is set up around the ammunition depot, the vacant land would be utilised, and the risk would also be minimised, observed Mr Gupta.
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Mulayam seeks Manmohan’s help to resolve bus tangle
Ghaziabad, December 26 In a letter to the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, the UP CM has requested the PM’s intervention in resolving the bus crisis. This was confirmed by UP Transport Minister Mr Naresh Agarwal here yesterday. Mr Agarwal seems to have failed in his effort to resolve the UP Roadways-DTC bus tangle and holds Delhi Government responsible for the current crisis. He alleged that DTC wanted to ply its buses anywhere in UP and on any route it wished, but UP Roadways buses were not allowed to enter railway stations, ISBT in Delhi and the Delhi airport. He lamented that UP-CNG buses were allowed to enter Delhi only for refueling under the apex court orders, but when some UP Roadways buses got converted to CNG, in stead of counter signing their permits, Delhi Transport Department started seizing them. However, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav wrote to the Prime Minister regarding the issue who is expected to use his office to end this crisis. UP is earning a profit of Rs One lakh per day, while it is losing Rs 2 lakh daily on account of DTC buses not coming to UP.
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Sahibzadas Martyrdom
Day
New Delhi, December 26 The programme started with recitation of Sri Sukhmani Sahib and Nitnem at Gurdwara Mata Sundri Ji. Thereafter, Asa-Di-War along with Shabad Kirtan was performed by Bhai Kultar Singh Ji Hazoori Ragi followed by Kirtan performed by Bhai Manohar Singh Gurinder Singh Ji and Bhai Amrik Singh Ji Zakhmi. Apart from S Sarna, President, S Joginder Singh Walia, Sr Vice-President, S Manmohan Singh Kochhar, Jr Vice-President, S Rajinder Singh Techno, General Secretary. Thekedar Surjit Singh, Joint Secretary-Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee and majority of the members of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee participated in the congregation. A ‘Guru ka Langar’ was also served on the occasion.
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‘Flexi use’ of airspace mooted
New Delhi, December 26 Despite all precautions, sources admit landing in such circumstances is taking a chance at IGI in changed wind direction. Since the VVIP zone can’t be shifted, the civil aviation ministry is talking to the defence ministry to allow “flexi use” of its air space. “If commercial airliners are allowed to use the Hindon airspace when the defence personnel are not making any movement, planes can head straight, clear the restricted VVIP airspace and then take a go-around to make another attempt to land at the secondary runway,” said sources. The civil aviation ministry is hopeful of a positive response as the defence ministry had some time back opened a restricted airspace over Rajasthan to facilitate commercial planes’ entry to Pakistan on their way west. The third runway at IGI will be ready only by 2008. But air traffic is continuously growing and using the existing runways together is an absolute must to cut delays. “Currently, maximum daily aircraft movement has touched 620 from 550 a few months back. Next year, it will climb to 700. The growing traffic will have to be managed somehow till the new airport and runway are ready,” said a source. — Agencies
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38 percent of college students are addicted to tobacco
New Delhi, December 26 He said that it was a very dangerous trend that could make them suffer from the dreaded disease cancer. “Our foundation has chalked out a plan to initiate an awareness drive in this regard. A homeopathy medicine based on immune therapy ‘Cancer Healer’ is very helpful in initial stage of any form of cancer,” he added. |
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Search on to nab five criminals in Gurgaon
Gurgaon, December 26 In DLF area, the six looted the vehicle, which was coming from Jaipur and going towards Delhi, at gun-point yesterday. When they were fleeing with the vehicle, they were challenged by the police on Sohna-Palli road in Faridabad district. They fired at the policemen. In the firing one policeman was injured. They abandoned the vehicle and five of them managed to escape. One of them was, however, nabbed by the police. According to the police, the six accused have been identified as Basir, who was nabbed by the police, Akhtar, Sahum, Shahhum, Yunus and Aasu. According to the police, all the accused had criminal records and were involved in several cases of robberies in the state.
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Annual Day function
New Delhi, December 26 The folk dance presented by a group of girls from different countries was the main attraction of the event. Over 1,000 people from different walks of life attended the function. According to Mr S. S. Marwah, Secretary General of the organisation, “We are dedicated to usher in peace, harmony and social welfare irrespective of
cast and creed to serve humanity.”
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New Delhi, December
26
