Starved of development, trade hub weighs options

NEW DELHI: A BJP stronghold until 1998, the Sadar Bazar assembly constituency has switched sides and undergone a demographic transformation over the years. Traders—a BJP vote bank—have been moving out, and the increasing numbers of Muslims and migrant workers have enabled Congress to win thrice from here.

"The old inhabitants, mostly traders, have been moving out as a lack of planning , and rampant unauthorized construction have turned the area into a veritable slum,'' said Prakash Chauhan , a trader in Sadar Bazar.

Besides migration, the delimitation done before the 2008 assembly polls has also changed the voter profile to the advantage of Congress' three-time MLA, Rajesh Jain. Although the area lacks basics like roads, sewerage and water supply, Jain has won with huge margins. In Sadar Bazar, waterlogging is a serious problem and rainwater takes 3-4 days to recede.

No infrastructure has been created to end the area's daylong traffic jam. The erstwhile MCD had planned the Rani Jhansi Flyover, but it is incomplete after seven years. Jain blames the BJP-led corporation for the delay. "That flyover has become a cause of traffic jams. People in Azad Market had to be relocated but nothing has been done till now,'' said Jain.

The MLA, who is seeking a fourth term, claims he has got schools, dispensaries, roads and community centres built. For him, areas like Inderlok , Shahzada Bagh and Bara Hindu Rao that have large Muslim populations are important. "These areas are extremely congested with little scope for development. The main concerns of the residents are roads and sewers ,'' said Mohd Ismail, a resident of Bara Hindu Rao.

Pyarelal Rajput, a resident of Pratap Nagar, said, "This time, people will vote for development" . Many others said they are not satisfied with the conditions in the constituency and are considering voting for AAP or BSP. The latter, which has fielded a Muslim candidate, Mirza Ali, hopes to draw away Muslims and SC/ST voters from Congress. AAP has also made its mark in slums and resettlement colonies.

BJP is also hopeful of winning Sadar Bazar this time. The party has fielded Jai Prakash , who claims to have done a lot of work in the area, for the second time. "Last time, people didn't know me, but I have done a lot of work in the area,'' he said.

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Delhi cops write to RBI for safety steps

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Wednesday wrote to the chief security manager of Reserve Bank of India to take steps for making ATMs safer, a source told TOI. The step follows an attack on a woman inside a Bangalore ATM booth on Tuesday morning, and was taken after a meeting of senior police officers on Wednesday.

The officers discussed various measures to make ATMs safer. One of the suggestions was to install a self-locking mechanism on the rolling shutters of ATM booths so that only the authorized personnel can lower them. In the Bangalore attack, the woman couldn't seek help as the assailant had pulled down the shutter. Police also want at least one person made accountable at every bank for compliance with the safety norms.

While most ATM booths have a camera facing the user, police want multiple cameras installed so that the faces of all visitors are also seen in profile, for easy identification, and a voice recording feature for more leads into cases. In most ATM booth crimes, the available CCTV footage provides a narrow angle of view, and criminals who are aware of the camera's position can easily keep out of it.

"Most of the ATM cameras have poor quality VGA recording (0.3 megapixels), making it difficult to identify the culprits. They should use modern high resolution cameras," said an officer. Police also want ATMs to have panic buttons or some other mechanism to raise an alarm.

After many incidents of duping inside ATM booths, a nationalized bank has installed software to prevent such cases, a bank source said. "We have installed a device to stop the cash telling software if someone tries to tamper with the ATM keypad," said a bank official, but the device can't send an alert to the bank's nearest branch.

Nitin Bhatnagar, a security analyst, stressed on increasing customer awareness and regular monitoring of CCTV footage by banks.

"Last but not the least, the surveillance audit of banks has to be conducted by third parties to make sure the banks' ATMs are meeting the compliance requirements," he said.

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Nigerian held with Rs 1cr drugs

NEW DELHI: A Nigerian man was arrested near Kashmere Gate for carrying 400gm of MDMA, a party drug, in a golf kit for transporting it to Malaysia. Police said the seized drug was worth around Rs 1cr.

Samuel Okeke had come to handover the consignment to Prince, also a Nigerian national. Okeke said he met Prince during a party and was lured into the drug racket. Okeke was arrested on Tuesday evening near the Kashmere Gate ISBT flyover. "We are interrogating Okeke, to find out other details about the trade," said Ravindra Yadav, additional CP, crime.

MDMA is used for treating trauma and stress disorders, but is popular among addicts and used in rave parties. It acts as stimulant and comes in a crystalline or powder form.

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2 hurt in crash on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg

NEW DELHI: Two people on a motorcycle were seriously injured after coming under the wheels of a car they were trying to overtake in the Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg area on Wednesday evening.

"The bike was being driven at a high speed and slipped while trying to turn near the subway. The riders were not wearing helmets. The driver of the Polo swerved and hit the divider," said Vimal, an eyewitness. The men on the bike were taken to a hospital and are said to be critical.

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Upstart AAP manages to scare Cong, BJP

NEW DELHI: It may have seemed a David versus Goliath act, but it has given Delhi's big two - Congress and BJP - quite a headache.

Fledgling Aam Aadmi Party's in-your-face campaign and personalized accusations have forced the mainline parties to drop their disdain for activist Arvind Kejriwal's outfit and acknowledge it as a rival who must be checked.

AAP's calculated decision to breach an unwritten code of mainline parties not to level direct allegations in poll advertisements has paid off as the new outfit has managed to get under the skin of both Congress and BJP leaders.

Determined not to accept any "compact" between Congress and BJP, AAP has been intent on disrupting the status quo, ensuring it cannot be treated as a "joker'' in the pack with a no holds barred confrontational style.

Sample this: AAP posters on auto-rickshaws call CM Sheila Dikshit 'baimaan (dishonest)', urging people to ring in an 'imaandaar' government to power. Earlier, radio spots saw Kejriwal hit the nail on the head by asking people if they would trust BJP leader Vijay Goel instead of Dikshit.

The campaign claims that AAP is now all set to form a government and will sweep out corruption seems a bit arrogant, but the party's strategy lies in making a dream seem completely probable.

The single campaign message of being the "incorruptible'' has been driven home whether it is through Gandhi topi or the brave assertion that AAP will hark back to the ideal of Lal Bahadur Shastri, known for his simplicity and honesty.

AAP has sought to trip its slow moving rivals by nimble attacks, clubbing BJP as no different from Congress. It has taken a while for BJP to realize that an audacious rival could end up stealing the election, forcing it to target AAP specifically.

AAP has depended heavily on social media and door-to-door campaigning instead of using billboards and print advertisements that are more expensive. And the end result is not too bad. Less than 13 days before polling, the party has garnered 4.74 lakh likes on Facebook, boasts of 18.27 lakh followers on Twitter and has 1.12 lakh campaign calls made by volunteers.

Sociologist Shiv Visvanathan said, "AAP is a local party that has grabbed national interest... I would still call it an experiment which people find exciting and are responding to it.''

He said what worked for AAP was the fact that they were critical without mincing words. "Kejriwal appears the least aggressive of the three leaders that are in the running. Even when Anna Hazare criticizes him, Arvind says he is my guru. He does not shun continuity but also acknowledges that he is going his own way,'' Visvanathan said.

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Family rallies behind Mahabal Mishra's son

NEW DELHI: A family reunion seemed to be underway at the Vijay Enclave house of West Delhi MP Mahabal Mishra on Tuesday. Mishra's extended family had turned up in a show of strength for his son, Vinay Mishra, now a Congress candidate from the Palam assembly constituency.

Although Vinay did not get a ticket from the Dwarka constituency, which has father represented five times, he is banking on the area's Poorvanchali voters and his father's image to win. The locals say Vinay may have an edge in Palam as his father is popular there while the sitting BJP MLA will face an anti-incumbency wave.

Until 2008, Dwarka had a predominantly Poorvanchali electorate that propelled Mahabal Mishra's career, from a councillor to an MP today. But when Palam was carved out of the Dwarka constituency, the Poorvanchali voters also got divided. However, Vinay, 30, sounds confident at public meetings and padyatras with his father by his side.

"I am definitely banking on my father's reputation and his work," he said. The support showed at his public meetings and padyatras in Vijay Enclave and Sadh Nagar on Tuesday afternoon. Garlanding his son in front of the cheering crowd, Mahabal said: "Main kasam nahin khilaya hun, maine jeet ka mala pehnaya aap ke bete ko, (I am not asking you to promise votes for Vinay, your son; I am placing the garland of victory on him)".

After the meeting, Vinay led the supporters on a door-to-door campaign through Vijay Enclave. "My father worked for the development of this area for 20 years. I was born in Vijay Enclave; I am seeking votes on developmental issues and my priority will be water, as there is an acute shortage of water in this area," he said.

Vinay says, by not getting the Dwarka seat he has got an opportunity to improve Palam. Mahabal added, "Dwarka is our karmbhoomi (field of action) and Palam is our janmbhoomi (birthplace)."

The locals see Vinay as a representative of his father, a man they have known for years. "Although it won't be an easy win, Vinay does have the edge. His father's popularity can translate into votes," said Rakesh Sharma of Vijay Enclave.

The president of Association of Suffering Members of Cooperative Group Housing Societies, Ashok Kumar, said none of the candidates will have it easy this time and there will be a straight contest between Congress and BJP in Palam, Dwarka, Matiala and Bijwasan.

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Grass-roots movements key to ending world’s toilet problem: UNICEF

NEW DELHI: Toilets are still out of reach for more than one-third of the global population, with devastating consequences to the health and development of children, UNICEF said on World Toilet Day. However, the key to bridging the gap lies within communities themselves, the organisation emphasised. Since 1990 almost 1.9 billion people gained access to improved sanitation, but in 2011 the total without access was still 36% of the global population, or approximately 2.5 billion people.

"Access to toilets remains the unmentionable, shameful secret for even some very prosperous countries," said Sanjay Wijesekera, the global head of UNICEF's Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programmes. "But its invisibility doesn't make it harmless; in fact it is quite the reverse. Lack of access to toilets is quite literally killing children, making adults sick, and slowing progress - day after day after day."

According to figures released by UNICEF earlier this year, lack to access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene is a leading cause of deaths from diarrhoea in children under five, amounting to approximately 1,400 children dying each day. UNICEF's has spearheaded a social change movement that that has led more than 25 million people to end the practice of open defecation and now use toilets. The Community Approaches to Total Sanitation (CATS) programme, encourages communities to take the lead and identify their own measures to end open defecation, and has been achieving results at scale.

At the last count, over 50 countries have implemented CATS and many governments have mainstreamed a similar approach into their national policy. But despite this success, Wijesekera said more still needs to be done, and urgently, by countries, communities and individuals, principally to bring the taboo subject of toilets and open defecation from the shadows, discuss it frankly, and agree on tackling the problem.The CATS approach works precisely because it depends on people taking their own decisions, and coming up with their own solutions. As more governments and communities apply the method to eliminate open defecation and scale up access to toilets, many more people stand to benefit, especially from a reduction in WASH related diseases.As well as its on-going global "No access" campaign at www.unicef.org/toilets4all, UNICEF is promoting major pushes around the world on World Toilet Day, to bring awareness to the dangers of open defecation and the problem of lack of access to improved sanitation.

In India, where in 2011 approximately 65% of the population did not have access to improved sanitation, and over 620 million people defecated in the open, UNICEF India is rolling out Poo2loo, an on-line campaign addressing the issue of open defecation in the country.

In Mali, on World Toilet Day, UNICEF is launching a Sanitation Marketing Project in partnership with PSI-Mali and the National Directorate of Sanitation.In Eritrea, there will be celebrations of certifications of Open Defecation Free communities throughout the country.

"Every action which spurs people to change their way of dealing with defecation brings us closer towards the goal of sanitation for all," said Wijesekera. "It is not easy, but it is certainly doable, and moreover, it is absolutely indispensable if we are expecting to live healthy lives in the 21st century."

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Common vision urged to turn policy into action on malnutrition

NEW DELHI: Experts and country representatives meeting at Food and Agriculture Organisation headquarters said both international political momentum and practical solutions tailored to specific countries were needed to tackle the nutrition-related problems that plague more than half of the world's population.

"A common vision is important to ensure and enhance international cooperation and solidarity around nutrition issues, and to ensure that attention given to nutrition on the international development agenda and beyond is elevated significantly. But a common vision doesn't mean a one-size-fits-all vision," said FAO assistant director-general Jomo Sundaram, as he wrapped up the final day of discussions at the November 11-15 meeting. Jomo's comment echoed earlier calls to listen more carefully to information coming from communities around the world about what is needed and what would work in the formulation of policies.

Around 300 people took part in the preparatory technical meeting, which was jointly organised by FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO) in advance of a major international conference on nutrition in 2014. The second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2), scheduled to take place from November 19 to 21, 2014, will aim to address the persistently high levels of malnutrition by translating political momentum into policies and programs that improve nutrition, especially in developing countries.

"I think we all agreed that this meeting has provided very valuable input, but there is more knowledge out there, there are more experiences that need to be recognized, and to be part of that technical basis for ICN2," said Dr Hans Troedsson, executive director of WHO's director-general's office, who said that consultations would continue with countries.

Over the course of the three-day meeting, experts reviewed agricultural food and nutrition policies since the first International Conference on Nutrition in 1992. They also shared stories from successful nutrition-improvement policies and programmes in various countries. Country cases highlighted, among other things, the importance of getting policies right by making social inclusion, equity, women and children explicit considerations, and by making sure that nutrition is mainstreamed in policies across sectors. They also underscored the importance of partnerships, communication and government support.

Experts also exchanged information on trends in malnutrition, from child stunting to obesity; trends in the supply, quality and safety of food; and the influence of issues like sustainability, food waste, trade and social protection measures on nutrition.

Jomo pointed out that while the most extreme and chronic forms of hunger have declined globally, an estimated 842 million people go to bed hungry and over two billion people are estimated to be affected by micronutrient deficiencies. Around 45% of the nearly 7 million children who die before their fifth birthday every year do so because of nutritional problems, and 162 million children under five are stunted, while at the same time, over half a billion million people are obese.

Speakers discussed the need to give greater priority to nutrition as a goal in various sectors, not only in food production, marketing and consumption. Some called for providing more carefully-targeted social protection services and infrastructure to be sure they reached the most vulnerable populations, including women - whose high workloads could have a negative impact on family nutrition. Many agreed public information and community education are needed to help families and smallholder agricultural producers better understand the role that diversified crop production and diets play in improving nutrition. Other points that emerged included the need to build institutional capacity and coordination among sectors; the need for better data for better policy-making; the importance of policies that enabled workable solutions, rather than hindering them; and, the value of experimenting with different solutions at the local and national levels.

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AAP promises more power to people, cheaper electricity, Lokpal Bill

NEW DELHI: Cheaper electricity, decentralization of power and a Delhi Lokpal Bill are among the promises the Aam Admi Party (AAP) has made in its manifesto for the December 4 assembly elections released on Wednesday.

Announcing the manifesto, AAP leader Yogendra Yadav said the party will undertake a "radical experiment" of decentralizing power by organizing "mohalla sabhas" (colony assemblies).

"Mohalla sabhas will be given some funds every year, and the people will decide what they want for their areas. Decisions will not be taken by MLAs or officials," Yadav told reporters.

"Rates of electricity will be slashed to half, we will change the entire system of electricity distribution which is at present being manipulated by power discoms," he said.

He added that control of the police will be brought under the Delhi government. At present, Delhi Police comes under the jurisdiction of the Union government.

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Arvind Kejriwal gets EC notice for poll code violation

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Wednesday slapped a notice on Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal for distributing a pamphlet here, containing an appeal for votes on religious grounds.

The notice was issued after Rajouri Garden resident Harish Khurana complained to EC about a pamphlet distributed by AAP, in which Kejriwal presents the party as a "secular" alternative for Delhi's Muslim voters. "The BJP is a communal party ... until now, the Muslims (of Delhi) did not have an alternative. But now they have got an honest and secular alternative. I appeal to all Muslims to join AAP in its efforts to create a cleaner polity," the pamphlet quoted the AAP national convenor as saying.

Holding that Kejriwal's distribution of the said pamphlet had prima facie violated the model code of conduct, the EC allowed him time until 11am on November 25 to explain why action should not be taken against him for violating sub para(3) of Para I of the model code of conduct.

According to this provision of the poll code for guidance of political parties and candidates, "there shall be no appeal to caste or communal feelings, for securing votes...mosques, churches, temples or other places of worship shall not be used as forum for election propaganda."

The EC notice said that if no reply was received within the prescribed time-limit, it would presume that Kerjiwal had nothing to say and the Commission would proceed to take appropriate action without any further reference to him". The pamphlet had Kejriwal seeking Muslim votes on behalf of AAP.

"I am not seeking votes for political power or money. We want to build a corruption-free India, where people belonging to all religions can co-exist with peace and harmony," it said, while proposing AAP as an honest and secular alternative (to the Congress).

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