Jackfruits, taps stolen from MP's house, police lodge FIR

NEW DELHI: The New Delhi district police have registered an FIR of theft after JD(U) MP Mahendra Prasad gave them a written complaint stating that some unidentified men had sneaked into his bungalow in Tughlaq Road.

Nothing substantial has been reported missing apart from jackfruits and taps.

Delhi Police's senior officers said that they register FIRs on every complaint received.

They rubbished reports of forming a special team for this incident.

"The cases are dealt with on the basis of their severity,'' a senior cop said

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/followceleb.cms?alias=Mahendra Prasad,jackfruits

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Couple die within minutes of each other

NEW DELHI: Premlata and Shanti Lal Jain were headed home to Guwahati on Thursday but the flight proved to be their last.

Premlata, 65, suffered a heart attack mid-flight and died soon after, only to be followed by her 75-year-old husband who could not bear the shock.

The couple, from Churu in Rajasthan, had been living in Guwahati. On Thursday , they were returning home with two relatives. Their SpiceJet flight took off from IGI airport at 3.15pm. Twenty minutes later, Premlata suffered chest pains. Premlata soon fainted, and the crew decided to turn back. "The couple was travelling on a SpiceJet flight SG 893 from Delhi to Guwahati when the incident occurred.

Their flight took off at 2.40pm and within 20 minutes, Premlata began complaining of discomfort," said an airport official. The pilot immediately informed the air traffic control and made an emergency landing in Delhi at 3.45pm.

Premlata was rushed to a hospital near IGI where she was declared brought dead. Upon hearing the news, Shanti Lal, who had stayed back at the airport, too suffered a heart attack and died.

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi named NDMC chairperson

NEW DELHI: BJP leader and Lok Sabha MP Meenakshi Lekhi on Friday took over as the chairperson of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).

An official notification regarding the appointment of the New Delhi MP as chairperson of NDMC was received from the home ministry late yesterday.

Lekhi takes over from Jalaj Srivastava, a 1984-batch IAS officer who was appointed the NDMC chairperson in August last year.

Lekhi will be the second MP to be part of the Council after amendments were made in the NDMC Act in 2011. Before Lekhi, the Congress MP from New Delhi, Ajay Maken, was its member.

As per the 2011 amendment, the MP and MLA of the New Delhi Lok Sabha and assembly constituency automatically become members of the council.

The area under NDMC's jurisdiction comprises the territory known as Lutyen's Delhi and covers the VIP zone that houses the seat of authority in the national capital.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/followceleb.cms?alias=New Delhi Municipal Council,Meenakshi Lekhi

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Indian delegation to attend Asian ministerial conference in Bangkok next week

NEW DELHI: A high-level Indian delegation, led by Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju, will be engaging with Asian leaders in Bangkok next week in an inter-governmental meeting to draw up a strategy for inclusion of Asia's agenda in the successor to the Hyogo Framework.

The Asian ministerial conference will review 10 years of implementation of the Hyogo Framework of Action and discuss how to deal with increasing disaster risks, which are seriously threatening development gains and the region's economies.

"It is also the final opportunity for the region to discuss the Asian issues that will be included in the successor to the Hyogo Framework that will be announced at the Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in March 2015 in Sendai, Japan," said a press note from the UN office for disaster risk reduction (UNISDR).

India is among 86 countries which have set up a national platform for disaster risk reduction and already has a 10,000-strong highly trained force to work on rescue and relief operations in case of natural or man-made disasters. The 10 battalions of India's National Disaster Response Force comprise of soldiers drawn from its paramilitary forces trained in commando operations.

India's efforts on disaster risk reduction have been lauded by UNISDR chief, Margareta Wahlstrom, particularly when the local administration in Odisha successfully evacuated almost one million people before cyclone Phailin hit the state in October 2013.

"We have started work on documenting the Odisha success story and will highlight it as an example in the lead-up to the 3rd World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, in 2015. It is easy to talk about problems and failures. We have to bring into people's minds what works," Wahlstrom had said.

India's national platform for disaster risk reduction provides important support to the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action, the global agreement on reducing disaster losses.

According to UNISDR, last year's disaster losses cost more than $ 53.8 billion in Asia, which represented almost half the global figure.

The Bangkok inter-ministerial meet next week will have 2,500 delegates, including 20 ministers and industry leaders from more than 39 countries in Asia and the Pacific.

The meeting, hosted by the Royal Thai government in collaboration with the UNISDR, is the last Asian regional inter-governmental gathering before the completion of the Hyogo Framework for Action that was adopted in Kobe, Japan in 2005 by 168 governments.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/followceleb.cms?alias=UNISDR,Japan,united nations,SENDAI,National Disaster Response Force

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Indian youth vie for K-Pop stardom

Himanshu Kataria is a young Delhi choreographer. He is trained in classical ballet but Kataria is now chasing a new style - the energetic K-Pop or Korean Pop. It was Gangnam Style, the wild blockbuster by singer Psy, that put this form on the world map. Today it has become almost a cult with fan followers and practitioners across the world.

It is to locate this talent in India that the Korean Cultural Centre started hosting its K-Pop festival a couple of years ago. The centre invites young musicians and dancers from across the country to present their take on K-Pop and after nearly two months of audition a winner is picked.

So what exactly does K-Pop entail? "It involves lot of aggression and energy," says Kataria. It is hard to put a finger on precisely what defines it but K-Pop originally is a mix of western and Korean music and dance moves. In the Indian context, this could mean a mix of Bollywood, western and Korean - a bewildering mix but that is what is expected of the original work presented by the participants.

Last year's winner Edwin Jamir, 20, says his experience was "amazing". Jamir, who hails from Nagaland, is among the many youngsters from the North-east to follow K-Pop closely.

Says Kim Kumpyong, director of the centre: 'K-POP fever has amplified in India and we were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of people last year. We are expecting K-POP 2014 to be one of the sensational events of the year'.

There will be large scale audition in Dimapur, Chennai, Mumbai and New Delhi and the finale will be staged at Siri Fort auditorium on August 30. Korean stars are expected to sit in on the panel to judge the artistes.

The centre has served as a platform for many young artists. Says dancer Yukti Bhatnagar who is participating in the competition this year: "This event could change our life. And we get to learn more about the Korean culture."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/followceleb.cms?alias=Korean Cultural Centre,Finale,Edwin Jamir,Bollywood

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

9-year-old raped by neighbour

NEW DELHI: A nine-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her neighbour when she was sleeping on the terrace of her house in Anand Parbat area of Central Delhi.

Police said the incident occurred on Sunday night when the accused, Mukesh (23) jumped over the terrace of the house where the girl was sleeping and sexually assaulted her, they said.

"Mukesh took advantage of the absence of the girl's parents on the terrace, who had gone down for dinner after putting her off to sleep. He covered his face, jumped over to the terrace and committed the crime," a police official said.

According to the complaint filed by the girl's parents, the accused also threatened the minor of dire consequences if she revealed about the incident to anyone.

Mukesh has been arrested an a case under IPC sections and POCSO has been registered at Anand Parbat police station.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/followceleb.cms?alias=Rape,Minor rape,Anand Parbat area

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Few mahila toilets in Delhi, Centre asks for 370 more

NEW DELHI: When the two girls in Badaun were found hanging from a tree after being raped, the nation was outraged. As per the police report, the girls had gone to a nearby farmland to attend to nature's call there as there were no toilets in their village.

Delhi hardly fares any better. Even in the capital, women are raped as there are no public toilets. A woman was raped last month in a park outside RML Hospital where she had gone to relieve herself as there was no toilet nearby.

In a meeting held on Monday with Sudhir Krishna, urban development secretary, toilets for women was an important issue that was repeatedly brought up and discussed. The corporations have been asked to construct 370 toilets. However, this isn't a new demand. For at least the past six years, the municipal corporation has been earmarking a budget of Rs 15 lakh for Mahila toilets but not a single one has been constructed till date.

Surprisingly, there are just 269 toilets for women in Delhi even while there are 3,712 for men, according to a report presented by the municipal corporations before Delhi high court in 2013. Karol Bagh zone has 391 toilets for men and only two for women. In south zone, there are 309 toilets for men and only five toilets for women. Most of them do not function or are unsafe. Some remain locked up, so users do not have access.

"Access to toilets and women's safety is inter-linked. It's a shame that the capital does not have toilets for women. In fact, one of the main reasons for rapes and girls dropping out of schools is lack of facilities. The municipal corporations are partly responsible for all the rapes taking place in Delhi where the victim had to go to a vacant plot or a park to attend nature's call and was then raped," Ashok Aggarwal, the advocate who filed the PIL, said.

The corporations had apparently been pleading ignorance of the problem for so long that some RWAs and market associations took it upon themselves to pitch in and help. In north Delhi, North Delhi Resident Welfare Federation, along with locals, helped in building and repairing toilets for women at six places with the funds of 'My Delhi I Care' programme under the bhagidari scheme of Delhi government some time ago.

However, the corporations have now approved a proposal to construct 48 Mahila toilets in the city. "The scheme has been passed and work will start soon. More toilets will be constructed in coming months," Y S Mann, spokesperson, North and East Corporations, said. Krishna has given the municipal corporations six months time for a job they have so far been unable to accomplish in six long years.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/followceleb.cms?alias=toilets for women,RML hospital,Mahila toilets,Few mahila toilets in Delhi

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Yamuna facelift plan to be tried out at Barapullah

NEW DELHI: The public works department is planning on cleaning a small stretch of the Barapullah drain and developing its banks for walking and cycling. The project, first floated in 2005-06, may finally see the light of day with lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung expected to review it shortly. The proposal is being held up as a miniature version of the Yamuna channelization which civic agencies also hope to implement in the near future. PWD officials said most of the Barapullah drain is either covered or is in the process of being covered.

"This is a portion which we can do nothing about. However, the remaining 4.5km stretch from Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium to Sarai Kale Khan which is open, will be cleaned to ensure that flow of untreated sewage into the Yamuna is reduced," said an official. To clean the drain, PWD intends creating ponds at four-odd locations to ensure that the effluent remains still for at least eight to 10 hours. The still water will then be treated with anaerobic bacteria and plantations that will kill the stench of untreated sewage.

As a first step, a hydraulic study of the drain will be carried out and locations for ponding will be identified. These spots would be deepened and retaining walls will be constructed along the drain to channelize the flow of water. A treatment facility will be created nearby to treat the sewage with anaerobic bacteria.

"Increasing the depth of the drain and increasing its holding capacity will eliminate the existing problem of back flow that usually floods the nearby colonies of Nizamuddin east and west. Over the past several years the drain has not been desilted which has resulted in decreasing its holding capacity. Holding the sewage is also necessary. Ponding at four points will ensure the entire 4.5km stretch will have the same quality of water and treatment will be done four times," explained officials.

Along with this, a smaller drain running along Nizamuddin Basti will also be developed. A detailed presentation will be made on both drains in the lieutenant governor's office on Wednesday. The LG was apprised of the plan during an inspection of the Barapullah drain on Tuesday. Once this work is over, said sources, landscape consultants would be appointed to suggest how the freed space along the drain could be utilized.

"We intend converting the stretch into a non-motorized transport green corridor. The proposal has been pending for several years but this time the government is serious about implementing it," said an official.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/followceleb.cms?alias=Yamuna facelift plan,Nizamuddin basti

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Once decried, BRT on revival road

NEW DELHI: Implementing bus rapid transit across the city has been one of the key recommendations of the lieutenant governor's committee on air pollution. Allaying fears of congestion and traffic mess that the current BRT stretch has been accused of causing, a committee member said recently that it will be designed differently.

Not all members agreed on the idea at first during a meeting with the LG but later a consensus was reached that increasing the number of buses and implementing bus rapid transit system is the only way forward if use of public transport is to be maximized.

BRTS is only one of the long term measures. Expediting the peripheral expressway project, shifting out the inland container depots, use of bus depots as parking lots and increasing surface parking fee are the other recommendations by the committee.

When implementation of BRT was raised at first, even the LG was reportedly hesitant about it. But experts from various agencies agreed a better design can be explored. "Public transport cannot be successful unless we use it to full capacity. It was discussed that the number of buses will be increased and BRTs will be constructed to complement that measure. The committee believes that BRT is a very important step to check the air pollution problem in Delhi," a committee member said. There are two ICDs in Delhi—Tughlakabad and Patparganj under Container Corporation of India (CONCOR).

The Congress government had introduced the 14km Ambedkar Nagar-Moolchand BRT in 2008 but that stretch faced a number of issues including long traffic snarls, accidents and lack of enforcement resulting in cars, two-wheelers and autorickshaws using the BRT corridor. Some BRT users also felt that accessing the BRT station in the middle of the road is unsafe. Private vehicle owners claimed such a corridor prioritizes bus users over others. A cycling lane, also 14km long, is integrated with the BRT on this stretch but is hardly used by cyclists. The committee member said that the idea is in fact to prioritize bus users. "The majority have to get the right of way. It will be very difficult to get car or two-wheeler users to switch to buses if buses ply slowly. The committee has agreed that we may have to explore different designs," added the official.

Private vehicle users in the city may have to gulp down a few unfriendly policies if they want better air quality, it seems. The lieutenant governor had formed the committee to come up with an air pollution action plan only after a WHO report cited how poor Delhi's air quality is. Beijing which has implemented BRT in five heavy traffic lines of the city has also taken some strong measures to cut down on cars.

According to a Centre for Science and Environment analysis, Beijing has capped the number of cars that can be sold in a year and has introduced Euro V fuel norms and low sulphur fuel for buses. They continue to ban diesel cars within the city, have hiked the parking fee in 2011 and increased subsidy for scrapping old vehicles.

The BRT in Delhi has been a political issue as well. Former chief minister Sheila Dikshit, who had introduced the Moolchand BRT stretch, had promised to scrap it after public opposition. She even promised to scrap 14 similar projects that were planned on different stretches.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/followceleb.cms?alias=Congress government,Ambedkar Nagar-Moolchand BRT,Air Pollution

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jung okays Rs 1 crore for kin of slain Delhi cop

NEW DELHI: A day after TOI reported that Delhi Police will seek a Rs 1 crore compensation for the family Mana Ram, the traffic cop run over trying to enforce a noentry rule, lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung on Tuesday approved the request and also set up a special investigation team to probe the case.

Jung said the government will try to give a job to one of Mana Ram's relatives, subject to certain conditions being fulfilled. "We will explore all possible help to the family members," said Jung.

Ram died on Saturday after jumping on the bonnet of a car trying to enter a no-go zone in west Delhi. The special investigative team to probe the death of traffic constable Mana Ram will be led by ACP Eish Singhal, the police announced on Tuesday. It will also have one inspector each from the crime branch, traffic police and the Moti Nagar police station. The team will establish the sequence of events that led to Saturday's incident at the Zakhira flyover. It will also reconstruct the scene and try to determine what led the driver, Raman Kant, to commit the act. Kant was allegedly adamant on driving over the flyover, which was closed for fourwheelers at the time.

Locals will be questioned to find out if Kant was provoked by the two juveniles sitting in the car. A forensic team will be roped into analyse call details to find out whether Kant had intentionally run over the cop. Police will also try to find out how exactly Ram died. Ram's brother Suresh said father Gyanaram was still in shock.

22.16 | 0 komentar | Read More