Delhi News highlights: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia Tuesday wrote to Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena saying the L-G is “bypassing the elected government” and that “all the inquiries ordered are illegal and unconstitutional.” This comes after L-G Saxena directed the the Chief Secretary for an inquiry report into the government’s flagship scheme — electricity subsidy. The secretariat of L-G Vinai Kumar Saxena has asked the Chief Secretary to inquire into and submit a report within seven days regarding why an “order” passed by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) in 2018 to pay electricity subsidy through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) was allegedly not followed, officials in the secretariat said. “Other than land, police, public order and services, you don’t have the authority to issue orders in any other matter. All your orders are politically motivated. So far, nothing has been found in any investigation. I request you to work in accordance with the Constitution,” Sisodia said.
Delhi’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection in the second quarter of 2022-23 dipped by more than 6 per cent as compared to the first quarter of the fiscal, reported news agency PTI, quoting official figures. However, the combined GST collection of the first two quarters of 2022-23 was 28 per cent higher than the corresponding period of financial year 2021-22, showing that the economic situation is recovering from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, officials said.
Delhi on Tuesday reported 74 fresh Covid cases with a positivity rate of 1.07 per cent, taking the total tally to 20,03,650, With no deaths reported, the toll stood at 26,503. Delhi had on Monday reported one Covid-related fatality and 39 fresh cases with a positivity rate of 1.56 per cent, according to data issued by the city health department.
Vehicle owners not having a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) for their vehicles may face suspension of registration certificate, officials said on Tuesday.
The Delhi Transport department is issuing notices to owners whose vehicles do not have a valid PUCC, warning that if they do not get the certificate within a week, their registration certificates may be suspended, they said.
“There are around 19 lakh vehicles that do not have a valid PUCC but there is no technology to know whether such vehicles are plying on the roads.
“So, enforcement teams have been formed to carry out checks, while SMSs are also being sent to vehicle owners warning them that their registration certificates may be suspended if they do not get a valid PUCC within a week,” said a top transport department official. (PTI)
An SRCC topper, an avid biker, a caring father and husband – to people who knew him, Rishab Gulshan was many things. The 45-year-old, a director at the Boston Consulting Group, died on Sunday night while returning to his Gurgaon home from a trip to Udaipur with his biker friends. He was riding a Ducati sports bike – a vehicle he cherished – when a truck allegedly hit him on NH-48 in Rewari.
On Tuesday, friends and family gathered at the Lodhi Crematorium for a prayer meeting. His uncle, Rakesh Gulshan, told The Indian Express, “He was an ambitious and passionate person. He loved bikes and going on trips with his friends. They were returning from Udaipur when this happened. I still can’t believe he is gone. He and his family stayed at my place in Lajpat Nagar for years.”
“The family has already seen a lot. Last year, my elder brother (Rishab’s father) died of a heart attack and Covid-related complications. He was a retired Armyman. Rishab was also like him – strong and self-made. He was a topper from Delhi University‘s SRCC and also did well in IIM, Bangalore,” he said. Read More
Hospitals across Delhi are gearing up to deal with the rising dengue cases. Last week, 412 cases were reported in the capital – more than twice the figure recorded last year in September. Doctors, however, say the majority of cases are mild in nature and no hemorrhagic fever, like what was seen last year, has been reported.
Seven confirmed and eight suspected cases have been reported at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
Officials said patients have been admitted in the medicine department and are exhibiting mild to moderate symptoms. Read More
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has approved a project under which five roads in Delhi will be strengthened and beautified at an estimated cost Rs 11.36 crore, an official statement said on Tuesday. The roads that will be beautified include Swami Narayan Marg, Nand Lal Marg, Link Road, Pratap Nagar Road and Shah Alam Dam Road in north and northwest Delhi, it said.
Sisodia, who also holds the PWD portfolio, said the government is conducting a survey of the capital’s roads and preparing blueprints to make Delhi roads stronger and safer.
Sisodia also directed officials to strictly follow safety and security norms during the progress of construction work to avoid any inconvenience to the commuters. (PTI)
Admissions to Delhi University’s undergraduate and postgraduate open learning programmes will begin Wednesday.
Unlike in DU’s regular programmes, admissions to the undergraduate open learning programmes will only be conducted through class XII marks. Common University Entrance Test (CUET) marks will not be applicable.
The admissions will be conducted online and the last date will be October 31. Read More
In yet another incident, the ceiling of a hostel room at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) partially collapsed, exposing the crumbling condition of the varsity infrastructure. The incident took place in Godavari Hostel when parts of the ceiling fell directly on a study table. Residents of the room did not suffer any injury but a laptop was damaged, said Swati Singh, who lives in the same hostel.
‘A part of the ceiling fell off in a room in the Godavari Hostel in JNU. Although there were no serious injuries to any resident, the residents of the room were sleeping nearby and the ceiling fell directly on their study table thereby damaging the laptop,’ said Swati Singh, president of the Democratic Students Federation (DSF).
This is not the first time that such an incident has happened in JNU. In April, a student in Sabarmati Hostel was seriously injured when the bathroom roof collapsed on him. (PTI)
The Delhi High Court recently directed a man to provide two orphanages with “hygienic and good quality burgers” as a condition for quashing an FIR registered against him for rape, stalking and criminal intimidation of his former wife.
A single judge bench of Justice Jasmeet Singh quashed the FIR against the man observing that the respondent no. 2 (petitioner’s former wife) was married to him and the couple had “temperamental differences due to which they decided to part ways”. The parties had reached a settlement before the Mediation Centre, Saket Courts, New Delhi on July 4, and further submitted before the high court that they had entered into the settlement of their “own will, volition and without any threat, force or coercion”. The petitioner’s former wife submitted that she had no objection if the FIR is quashed. “In view of this, the allegations under Section 376 IPC can be quashed,” the court held. Read More
The Delhi High Court dismissed a plea by Facebook India Online Services Private Ltd challenging an order of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) which directed an investigation against it with respect to WhatsApp’s 2021 privacy policy.
The CCI had, in an October 2021 order, clubbed the petitioner in a suo motu case investigating issues that arose from the updated privacy policy and terms of service for WhatsApp users and had sought information from the petitioner. Facebook India Online Services Private Ltd challenged this clubbing order stating that the CCI did not give any reasons while asking it to join the investigation.
Recognising the association between the petitioner and Facebook Inc, a single judge bench of Justice Yashwant Varma on September 28 observed that the scope of CCI’s investigation is not “merely limited to the operations and conduct of business by WhatsApp and Facebook Inc alone” but also extends to the subsidiaries and other companies incorporated by the latter. Read More
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said the people of Gujarat have liked AAP’s idea of free electricity which has prompted the BJP to obstruct the power subsidy scheme in the national capital.
Kejriwal’s tweets came after Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena directed the chief secretary to conduct an enquiry over the alleged non-implementation of power subsidy payment to consumers through DBT as was ordered by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) in 2018, sources at the LG office said on Tuesday.
Kejriwal in a tweet in Hindi said, ‘Gujarat is liking AAP’s guarantee of giving free electricity. That’s why the BJP wants to stop it in Delhi.’ The chief minister said that he will ‘not allow this to happen under any circumstances’. (PTI)
गुजरात को “आप” की फ्री बिजली गारंटी खूब पसंद आ रही है। इसलिए बीजेपी दिल्ली में फ्री बिजली रोकना चाहती है
दिल्ली के लोगों, भरोसा रखना।मैं आपकी फ्री बिजली किसी हालत में रुकने नहीं दूँगा
गुजरात के लोगों, आपको विश्वास दिलाता हूँ कि सरकार बनने पर 1 मार्च से आपकी भी बिजली फ्री होगी
The Delhi High Court recently dismissed a man’s plea seeking a criminal enquiry against a former Delhi University student for allegedly giving false evidence against him before the trial court. Sarvjeet Singh, who was arrested in August 2015 after the woman, in a Facebook post, accused him of making indecent gestures and obscene comments at a traffic junction in Tilak Nagar, was later acquitted by a Delhi court.
Singh had challenged two trial court orders that dismissed his application under Section 340 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) seeking a preliminary criminal enquiry against the woman for offences under sections 195 (giving or fabricating false evidence with intent to procure conviction of offence punishable with imprisonment for life or imprisonment), 193 (punishment for false evidence), 209 (dishonestly making false claim before court) and 211 (false charges with intent to injure) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Read More
After recommending a CBI enquiry into the Delhi government’s now-scrapped liquor policy, the L-G secretariat has asked the Chief Secretary for an enquiry report into the government’s flagship scheme — electricity subsidy.
The secretariat of L-G Vinai Kumar Saxena has asked the Chief Secretary to inquire into and submit a report within seven days regarding why an “order” passed by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) in 2018 to pay electricity subsidy through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) was allegedly not followed, officials in the secretariat said. The Delhi government has not responded to the development so far. Read more.
Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav’s health condition continues to be critical, a bulletin issued by Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon stated Tuesday. Yadav was last Sunday shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital.
Medical Director of the hospital Dr Sanjeev Gupta said in a statement, “Sh. Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji is still critical and admitted in the Intensive Care Unit of Medanta Hospital, Gurgaon and is being treated by a comprehensive team of specialists.”
On Sunday, when Yadav was shifted to ICU, the SP had tweeted, “Respected leader is admitted to the ICU, his condition is stable. It is a humble request to all of you that please do not come to the hospital. Information about his health will be given to you all from time to time.” Read more.
In the wake of upcoming Dussehra events in Noida’s Sector 21A stadium and Sector 62 on October 5, Wednesday, the traffic police have announced a series of vehicular restrictions and diversions. The police have also requested commuters to use alternate routes, while six cranes have been arranged in case of vehicle breakdowns.
The restrictions are as follows:
– From Sectors 12, 22 , 56 towards the stadium.
– From Sector 10/21 U-turn in the direction of the stadium towards Sectors 12, 22 and 26 T-point.
– From sectors 8/10/11/12 chowk to Stadium Chowk and Spice Mall Chowk
– From Metro Hospital Chowk to Sector 12/22 Chowk and Adobe/Reliance Chowk
– From Sector 31/25 Chowk to Sector 21/25 Spice Mall Chowk
– From the Sector 22/23/24 and Thana Sector 24 T-point to Adobe/Reliance Chowk and Spice Mall Chowk
– From Sector 20/21/25/26 Jalvayu Vihar Chowk to Sector 21/25 Spice Mall Chowk
– Towards Sector 12/22 Chowk by taking a U-Turn over the NTPC underpass from Coast Guard Sector 24 T-point
Check out the full list of restrictions and diversions.
Dengue cases in Gurgaon have almost doubled in the past eight days, with the district now reporting 241 cases so far. According to data from the district health department, 116 cases of dengue have been reported since last Monday. Officials said no dengue-related death has been reported in the city this year.
Of the total 241 cases, 100 have been reported from government hospitals while 141 have been reported from private hospitals. The maximum cases have been reported from Farrukh Nagar community health centre (CHC) and Wazirabad primary health centre areas in the district, with the areas accounting for 184 cases, followed by 34 cases in urban CHCs. Pataudi and Ghangola CHCs have reported 23 dengue cases. Read more.
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) director Dr M Srinivas Monday passed an order banning mobile phone use by outsourced staff at outpatient department (OPD) registration counters during their duty hours. The order said that they will have to surrender their phones before starting their shift.
“It has been noticed that the outsourced staff working at the OPD registration counters are often using mobile phones while patients are waiting in queue, thereby causing delay in service delivery and inconvenience to patients,” said the order which will be effective from October 16. Read more.
Delhi’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection in the second quarter of 2022-23 dipped by more than 6 per cent as compared to the first quarter of the fiscal, according to official figures.
However, the combined GST collection of the first two quarters of 2022-23 was 28 per cent higher than the corresponding period of financial year 2021-22, showing that the economic situation is recovering from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, officials said.
The GST collection in the third quarter (October-December) is expected to be higher with a spur in trade and business during the festive season, they added. (PTI)
From infrastructure, sanitation to connectivity, IAS officer and Noida CEO Ritu Maheshwari, who took on the additional portfolio of Greater Noida CEO, laid out the priorities that the Greater Noida Authority would have to focus on in the coming days.
Speaking to the press, the CEO explained the differences between Noida proper and Greater Noida in terms of potential development. “From the planning perspective, Greater Noida is actually better than Noida itself. Though it is a bit behind Noida in terms of development, it is also smaller, which means it can be developed faster. It can potentially even be better than Noida in some ways.” Read more
A Delhi court has dismissed the statutory bail plea of former Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Limited (DHFL) promoters, Kapil Wadhawan and his brother Dheeraj, arrested by the CBI in connection with a multi-crore bank loan scam case. The accused had claimed before the court that since the CBI failed to file the charge sheet against them within the mandatory 60-day period from their arrest, they had “indefeasible right” to statutory bail, also known as default bail, in the matter.
Special Judge Vishal Gogne, however, said the filing of the present charge sheet in the investigation shall rather be governed by Section 167(2)(a)(i) CrPC, which provides for a maximum period of 90 days. Read more
The AAP will burn effigies of Ravan made of garbage at about 3,500 locations here on Tuesday in protest against the BJP’s “failure” in the maintenance of cleanliness in the national capital, the Arvind Kejriwal-led party said.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, Rajinder Nagar MLA Durgesh Pathak said Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and supporters will also hold protests after burning the effigies at the respective locations and demand that Delhi municipal polls be held “at the earliest”.
When pointed out that the open burning of garbage is illegal and such a protest would add to air pollution, Pathak said that it would only be a ”symbolic” action. (PTI)
The CBI has detained a Russian national at Indira Gandhi International Airport in connection with its probe into alleged manipulation of JEE (Mains) examination last year, officials said Monday. The central agency had issued a ‘Look Out Circular’ against the foreign national, suspected to be main hacker, for alleged manipulation of the prestigious examination, they said.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was alerted by the central agencies when the Russian national arrived at the airport from abroad, they said. Read more
Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Gandhi Jayanti, at Gandhi Smriti in Delhi. (PTI)
Along with passenger service trains, the National Capital Regional Transport Corporation (NCRTC), which is constructing the rapid rail in Delhi-NCR, is planning to facilitate freight movement between Delhi and Meerut. “During the day, the trains will run for passengers… but the tracks will be empty at night… So, the NCRTC is planning to use night hours for logistics and cargo services. For this, separate coaches will be procured and run,” said officials. The construction of the 17-km-long priority corridor between Sahibabad and Duhai is in the final stages of completion.
Contractual employees in the Delhi government could soon be replaced with regular ones, with Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar directing all departments and autonomous bodies to submit data on the number of employees and their engagement and extension of contractual/ad-hoc period. Sources said the departments have been issued a memorandum to provide information within the stipulated time on a priority basis. The memo reads, “Top priority, Hon’ble L-G reference.”
Ahead of the MCD polls that are likely to take place in December, AAP MCD in-charge Durgesh Pathak said the party will bring “Ram Rajya in the civic body by killing the demon of corruption” and end the garbage problem and salary delays if voted to power. “Under the leadership of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, a model of development that is seen in the Delhi government’s health and education sector will be replicated in the corporation as well,” he added.
Two men have been arrested for allegedly killing a six-year-old boy, in what they claimed was a “sacrifice for prosperity”, at the construction site of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) headquarters in South Delhi’s Lodhi Colony Saturday night, said police. Police said the accused, Vijay Kumar (19) and Amar Kumar (22), were under the influence of drugs when they allegedly slit the boy’s neck and stabbed him in the head.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will be the chief guest of the Dussehra ceremony at Red Fort on October 5, organised by the Luv Kush Ramlila Committee, one of the oldest in Delhi. Kejriwal and Bahubali fame actor Prabhas will enact the battle from Ramayana and use a bow and arrow to kill a Ravana effigy. President of Luv Kush Ramlila committee Arjun Kumar said both Kejriwal and Prabhas accepted the invitation. Prabhas is part of an upcoming mythological film Adipurush based on Ramayana.
