72 hours notice to Congress by Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee

AMRITSAR: Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has given 72 hours ultimatum to Congress party for revealing names of those Congressmen who were involved in 1984 riots, failing which DSGMC and Shiromani Akali Dal Badal has warned to launch stir against the congress party and gherao its vice president Rahul Gandhi who in a recent interview had confessed that some congressmen were probably involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

While talking to TOI on Friday, GK who is also president of Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) Delhi unit said: "It is really shocking that everyday new revelations are made which is like rubbing salt into the wounds of families of innocent who were mercilessly killed 30 years ago by Congress goons who were charged by Congress leaders such as Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler, and two other leaders who have died including HKL Bhagat and Dharam Das Shastri."

He said it was shocking the then Congress party-led government was allegedly watching Sikhs being killed despite presence of 5000 strong Army personals in Delhi cantonment and when Army was called after three days of the anti-Sikh riots it was instructed not to shoot.

He said that when the scion of Gandhi family, Rahul Gandhi had accepted that his partymen were involved then he should not hesitate to name them. "If Congress party has some compassion for the minority community Sikhs it should not only come out with the names but should also give them exemplary punishments" he said.

He also claimed that when Sikhs were being killed on the streets of Delhi, the telephone links of the then president Giani Zail Singh were snapped and he was unable to contact then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to intervene into killings of innocent Sikhs.

Meanwhile, general secetery of DSGMC Manjinder Singh Sirsa alleged that when Ved Marwaha commission constituted by the government to investigate into the riots highlighted the role of top Delhi Police cops was, the commission was told to stop inquiry halfway. "This shows clear cut involvement of the congress party in killing of thousands of Sikhs in a planned manner," alleged Sirsa.

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Student from Arunachal 'beaten to death' in south Delhi

NEW DELHI: A college student from Arunachal Pradesh was allegedly beaten to death at Lajpat Nagar in south Delhi, Times Now reported.

According to reports, Nido Taniam, a student from Arunachal Pradesh, along with his friends, had gone to Lajpat Nagar market on Wednesday (January 29). Taniam, a first year student, had reportedly gone to Lajpat Nagar with three friends on Wednesday afternoon, and was looking for an address when someone at a sweet shop started mocking him.

Police sources say a fight erupted in which Taniam broke a glass at the shop.

A group of seven or eight local men then allegedly beat him with sticks and rods. Someone called the police, which reportedly arrived at the spot and took the four students away but inexplicably dropped them back at the same place after a while.

There were allegedly beaten again, sources added.

Meanwhile, the victim's cousins have claimed that Taniam was targeted because of his hairstyle.

The Aam Aadmi Party has put the onus on Delhi police over the death of Arunachal student.

"Whoever is responsible for the attack on Arunachal student must be given stringent punishment," Dilip Pandey, AAP leader, said.

The shopkeeper behind the attack has been detained by the Delhi police.

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SC satisfied with police handling of Kejriwal protest

NEW DELHI: Days after ticking off Delhi Police for allowing protest by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal near Parliament, the Supreme Court on Friday expressed satisfaction over the way the agitation was handled, saying it had acted "swiftly" and did what was required.

After going through the affidavit filed by Delhi Police giving details of how it handled the agitation last week, a bench headed by Justice R M Lodha refused to pass any direction against the force, noting that no further action is required to be taken.

"They have acted swiftly and quickly registered the FIR for violation of Section 144 (prohibitory orders). They placed additional barricades at the site of dharna. We cannot go into the details and court cannot substitute its opinion on it," the bench said.

"Decisions were taken fast and they were not dormant and idle," the bench said, adding, "They have done what was required to be done".

On the last hearing on January 24, the bench had slammed the law enforcing agencies for allowing unlawful assembly of supporters of the chief minister in the heart of the national capital and had sought response from police.

Police in its reply said it had exercised maximum restraint and dealt with protesters with patience despite sustained provocation.

AAP party workers led by Kejriwal went on agitation on January 20 demanding action against policemen who refused to carry out a raid on an alleged drug and prostitution ring on the directive of Delhi minister Somnath Bharti. The agitation was called off the next day.

The apex court was hearing a PIL filed by a Supreme Court lawyer seeking action against police for allowing Kejriwal and his supporters to hold the agitation outside Rail Bhavan.

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Arunachal MLA's son dies after being 'thrashed' by shopkeepers in south Delhi

NEW DELHI: An Arunachal Pradesh MLA's son, studying in a college here, was allegedly thrashed by some shopkeepers in Lajpat Nagar area of south Delhi when he retaliated after they made fun of his hairstyle, which led to his death.

Nido Tanian, son of Congress MLA and parliamentary secretary in health and family welfare department, Nido Pavitra, died at his home in Green Park area on Thursday, police said.

His relatives claimed that he had an altercation with some shopkeepers on Wednesday after they made fun of his hairstyle, following which they allegedly thrashed him.

Some locals intervened and the quarrel was stopped after which Tanian came back home. However, his condition suddenly deteriorated yesterday after which he died under suspicious circumstances, his relatives claimed.

"His postmortem has been carried out in AIIMS. The cause of death would be clear only after the autopsy report. There was some altercation he had on Wednesday, we are investigating the case," a senior police official said.

A youth claiming to be his cousin told a TV channel, "This is surely about racism. Everybody in Delhi discriminates against us based on our looks. We are living in India, but we don't know whether we are actually living in India or not.. every time we are discriminated against.

"His family has been informed," he said.

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Ministry to digitize, revamp libraries

NEW DELHI: Libraries in the city will soon be brought up to speed. The ministry of culture has set up the National Mission of Libraries (NML) to arrest their declining popularity and give a fillip to people's reading habits by digitally linking about 5,000 public libraries across the country. The revamped libraries will be computerized, with cataloguing of not just books and journals but also of government policies in the public domain for easy access and research. Providing multilingual reading material will be another goal.

Culture secretary Ravindra Singh said NML's aimed to bolster people's learning capacity, expand the reading population and deliver a first-rate, user-friendly library system. "We are looking at a two-pronged strategy: improvement of infrastructure and technological upgrade in libraries, along with capacity building," he said. "Public libraries are vital to dissemination of knowledge and information. We want to use innovation for engaging people in the physical and digital space and help them access reading material in print and electronic form with the help of ICT," he said.

The government had approved the ministry's scheme for modernizing libraries under NML on November 28 last year. NML was set up in keeping with a report of the National Knowledge Commission, headed by Sam Pitroda, which made a strong case for revamping the library and information service sector. Kolkata-based Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation has been designated as the nodal agency for the task. "As creation of new institutions or libraries may not be feasible, it is better to upgrade libraries by improving their infrastructure,'' said Dr K K Banerjee, director general of Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation.

Officials said new library buildings will be constructed and the existing ones extended or renovated through painting of their exteriors and interiors. The new-look libraries will have WiFi-enabled reading rooms with modular furniture; modern lighting system; carrels for scholars, senior citizens and people with special needs; better signage; power backup; purified drinking water equipment and washrooms. There will also be specially designed furniture and games for children besides an internet connection, conference and recording rooms, and a training-cum-meeting room. The libraries will have facilities for providing e-journal/e-book services to the patrons. They will hold quizzes, music competitions and creative writing workshops for advocacy and outreach. They can also open extension counters in local schools for students and teachers. Libraries will use cloud computing to maintain data repositories.

Library professionals will get need-based training to improve their skills and competence in using ICT applications. "Training has been planned for all personnel-elementary, middle and top level. It will include students from Library Science Schools who have just received degree in B.Lib Sc or its equivalent," added an official. "We may eventually go for ISO certification as it is important for standard practices in libraries," said the culture secretary.

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Congress MLA disrupts Kejriwal's press meet, demands SIT probe into Batla House encounter

NEW DELHI: Congress legislator Asif Muhammad Khan on Thursday disrupted Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's press conference and demanded a probe into the Batla House encounter case.

Khan, a legislator from Okhla, said that Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal despite promising a special investigating team (SIT) probe into the case is now refusing to do so.

"He (Kejriwal) had promised the people of Okhla that he will probe the Batla House encounter case, and had even distributed handbills saying the same," said Khan, adding that Kejriwal is now backtracking from his promise.

"I will vote against the AAP government in the assembly, even if Congress expels me from the party," MLA Asif Mohammad Khan said.

Arvind Kejriwal was addressing the media on completion of the one-month of the AAP government in Delhi.

Kejriwal said that corruption has come down during the one-month rule of the AAP government and they are trying to end VIP culture in Delhi.

"An interesting campaign was launched to tackle corruption. I do not have a scientific study to show corruption has been reduced but there are individual incidents where people have come and told me that money is not being asked," said Kejriwal at a press conference.

"I had sent the volunteers five days ago to different departments and it is their observation that in most department corruption has been reduced but in VAT the same system is in progress," added Kejriwal.

He went on to say that "there is a sense of fear which is necessary so we are encouraging that some independent organisation does a survey and checks what amount of change in corruption has been made".

On Lokpal Bill, Kejriwal said: "The Delhi Lokpal Bill will be introduced in the cabinet on Friday and in 10-15 days there might be an assembly session and there it will be passed."
(With inputs from IANS)

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Three private airlines lose prime landing slots at Delhi airport

NEW DELHI: In the first action of its kind, three private airlines have lost their prime slots at Delhi's IGI Airport for failing to roster crew trained to land in fog here. The Met department had on Wednesday evening predicted dense fog for Delhi. The directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) immediately asked airlines to ensure that both the commander and co-pilot of their flights to and from Delhi are trained to use instrument landing system, category three (Cat III) to avoid any diversions from Delhi.

"Inspite of repeated efforts, two flights each of Jet Airways, GoAir and IndiGo were diverted from Delhi to Jaipur. Airports Authority of India informed that one of the flight crew on the said flights was not Cat III trained ... DGCA viewed it very seriously that instructions issued from time to time are not adhered to by the airlines," a statement issued by the aviation ministry said.

As a punishment, the DGCA forfeited six slots these three airlines.

Prabhat Kumar, who took over as the regular DGCA on Wednesday, had clearly warned airlines earlier this month (when he holding the charge of DG in addition to being a joint secretary in the aviation ministry) that any diversions in fog due to airline's failure to have Cat III trained crew on flights to Delhi in fog time would mean losing slots. Incidentally, on the very first day of his taking over as regular DG airlines failed to do so and Kumar immediately cracked the whip.

The three airlines did not comment till the time this story was filed.

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People are happy with our performance, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal says

NEW DELHI: As his government completed one month in power, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said controversies surrounding the AAP dispensation never affected its functioning and asserted that his team did a good job in addressing various challenges facing the city.

In a press conference which was disrupted by a Congress MLA, the chief minister claimed his government has done far more work for the people in the first month than its predecessors and said rooting out corruption, ensuring security to women and enhancing water distribution network were among his top priorities.

"Your surveys have shown ... it is clear people are happy with the performance," he said, adding a number of key decisions have been taken to help the common man like providing 20 kilo litres of free water per month to each household besides providing power subsidy to a large section of consumers.

On his government's decision for an investigation by a special investigation team into the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, he said a thorough probe was required as demanded by the Sikh community.

Kejriwal's press conference was disrupted by Congress MLA from Okhla Asif Khan after Kejriwal, in reply to a question, said he was not considering appointing an SIT to investigate the Batla House encounter in 2008.

He said as a court has already given its verdict in the case, there was no need for a probe again.

On corruption, Kejriwal said his government will come down hard on corrupt officials but at the same time will protect the honest officers. "We are considering ways to protect the honest officers," he said without elaborating.

Kejriwal said the Delhi Janlokpal Bill will most probably come before his Cabinet on Friday and the assembly is likely to meet in a fortnight for its passage.

"Our aim is to provide a corruption-free government. (Fighting) Corruption is very important for us. I have visited various offices and people said now their work is getting done without bribing," he said and referred to the anti-graft helpline launched earlier this month.

The chief minister noted that AAP government had taken the initiative to end the VIP culture in city.

The Kejriwal government's one month saw several controversies, including over the CM's choice of house, the chaos at his public hearing or 'janta darbar' and the conduct of his ministers especially law minister Somnath Bharti who raised hackles with his plan to call a meeting of high court judges and later by leading a midnight raid against African nationals.
The chief minister said the 'nursery helpline' launched by the education department has also been "very helpful" to parents.

He said government has mapped all its schools across the city to check their infrastructure requirement and follow up action was being taken.

The chief minister asked agitating contractual employees including DTC workers and guest teachers who have been sitting on dharna demanding regularization of their services to end their strike immediately.

He said government was in the process of regularising their services and if they do not end their protest, government would recruit new employees.

The government has already appointed a high-level committee to recommend policy guidelines to regularise services of contractual employees.

"If the striking employees don't come back to work, we will not consider them for regularisation. We can't afford to have 600 DTC buses off the roads," Kejriwal said.

On women's security, he said a committee has been formed to suggest measures to enhance women security. He said government was working on setting up a women security force but clarified that it would not be a parallel police force.

He said enhancing water distribution network in the city was one of his major priority.

Kejriwal said third party power meter testing will be carried out across the city.

He said 58 night shelters were being set up to provide shelters to homeless people.

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Contemporary iconic structures to become heritage buildings

NEW DELHI: A building does not necessarily have to be over a hundred years old to be considered priceless heritage, rather it should part of the docomomo (documenting modern movement) movement, say historians.

Chankaya cinema's demolition almost a decade ago and a proposal by India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) for pulling down landmark buildings in Pragati Maidan like the Hall of Nations and Nehru Pavilion to make way for a new exhibition centre, has made India National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) shoot off a proposal to Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) for protecting iconic contemporary structures in Delhi. INTACH has already identified about sixty such buildings in the capital which they say have significant heritage value and need to be preserved.

INTACH had sent the list of these contemporary buildings to DUAC in May, last year and the Commission in its latest meeting has decided to fast-track finalizing the list in consultation with professionals. The Commission recalled that it had at a meeting held on May 7, 2013 indicated that iconic buildings in the capital which were constructed in the post independence period need to be conserved and that the INTACH/HCC need to take up the exercise for identifying such buildings. The Commission observed that it has subsequently received a letter from the HCC wherein it has been indicated that the Heritage Conservation Committee (HCC) will also start process of finalising list of contemporary iconic buildings only after identification criteria is first established and that DUAC may also initiate process of finalising the list of such buildings, on the same basis,'' said DUAC officials.

Buildings like Rail Bhavan, India International Centre, Lalit Kala Academy, Civic Centre, British Council all figure in the list of buildings identified by INTACH. More are likely to be added by experts. Modern buildings also have heritage value. They contain memories, significance, lifelong associations and the loss of these buildings would be devastating. They show the development of Indian architecture through the decades and we cannot allow them to disappear as usually happens to modern buildings as a byproduct of modernization and development,'' said INTACH convener AGK Menon. Menon spoke about the worldwide docomomo movement that works towards documenting, valuing and preserving modern buildings which tells of 'the story of ancient architecture and civilisation'. We want to initiate a dialogue to look into protecting these iconic buildings. DUAC is incharge of urban heritage and we cannot let urban heritage in Delhi vanish. They should be declared protected heritage buildings,'' added Menon.

DUAC chief Raj Rewal shared similar views that these buildings needed protection. Urbanisation needs aside, the ongoing Master Plan review which talks about higher FAR regulations in Delhi could be a threat to many of these buildings.

As of now the UD ministry is proposing higher FAR in all parts of Delhi, barring Lutyens Bunglow Zone. People have no idea about modern architecture. There are some very important buildings in Delhi which needs to be preserved for future generations.. the architecture of these buildings is of world wide importance, they are taught in international schools of architecture.

Not just the buildings, even the area around them should be preserved,'' he said. Rewal has also written a letter to DDA in her personal capacity opposing the move for higher FAR. When you increase FAR, it leads to more density, cars, pollution in any area. You have to see whether infrastructure can take it. Enhanced FAR should be allowed only in site specific areas after conducting an urban design study to evaluate what can or cannot be done. Local area plans need to be prepared. In some areas, you can have more FAR, in other areas you simply can't,'' he said.

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Tata Power launches new smart meter technolgy

NEW DELHI: Tata Power Delhi has become the first Indian power utility to launch the Automated Demand Response (ADR) Project with smart meters in the capital. It is one of the first projects in the world where ADR and AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure for Smart Meters) are conceptualized together. The project is implemented in partnership with IBM, Honeywell, Landis+Gyr with participation of select Industrial and Commercial Consumers of Tata Power Delhi Distribution; and has been rolled out post the approval of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC).

The project's components include Automated Demand Response (ADR) infrastructure, Smart Meters, Radio Frequency (RF) Mesh Based Communication, Meter Data Management System (MDMS) and integration with other Operational Technology & IT systems like Outage Management System (OMS), SAP etc.

Under the project, Tata Power Delhi Distribution's select Industrial and Commercial Consumers having load greater than100 KW and consolidated connected load of over 400MW are covered. The project covers an area of more than 100 sq. km in the industrial, commercial and institutional belts of Tata Power Delhi Distribution like Lawrence Road, Narela, Delhi University, Civil Lines, Naraina, Wazirpur, Pitampura etc. covering industry sectors like Flour Mills, Food Processing Industry & Cold Storages, Commercial establishments, Plastic & Footwear Industry etc. A Total of around 250 consumers are participating in this project and will contribute towards a collective shed potential of 20 MW. This project involves around hundred 11 KV feeders, fed from 40 grid stations spread across the Tata Power Delhi Distribution's distribution area.

The integrated project will empower consumers to analyze consumption patterns closely and optimize electrical equipment energy consumption through the dedicated Customer Portal. Through this Customer Portal, consumers will have options to set threshold values for key parameters like load and power factor and receive alerts once these thresholds are breached either through their Customer Portal Account or on their mobile phones through SMS. The smart meters installed at the consumers' premises integrated with the Control Center will provide Tata Power Delhi Distribution with instant information on outages and other factors related to quality of power. This will help Tata Power Delhi Distribution to improve the reliability of power and to manage peak power demand more optimally and avoid expensive power purchase during the peak hours. It will further permit Tata Power Delhi Distribution to effectively manage Grid emergencies for building the new age distribution network capability.

In the future, Tata Power Delhi Distribution plans to scale up this project to another strata of 800 consumers which will provide an additional potential of 20 MW. The company also intends to propose an incentive scheme for the consumers who are participating in the Demand Response Program after the approval from DERC.

Power regulator, DERC, can use the project outcome to work on differential tariffs and financial incentives for consumers including further refining of the Time of the Day tariff and introduction of other differential tariff mechanism due to larger availability of data and detailed inputs related to consumer consumption. The initiative will also reduce time taken to make changes in the meters in relation to changes in tariff. Besides this, the DERC will get an opportunity to introduce regulations and policies to promote Demand Response including incentives to consumers for participation.

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