"Any substance or material which could be a substantial or potential threat to public health or environment is classified as hazardous waste. We look at four factors before classifying any waste as hazardous: whether it is inflammable, reactive, toxic or corrosive," a senior environment department official said.

Officials say that though Delhi produces more than 5,000 metric tonne of hazardous waste every year, there is no facility to ensure that it is disposed of in an environment-friendly manner.

Officials said more than 30,000 metric tonnes of hazardous waste could be lying in stores and godowns of industrial units or could even be lying in the open on the city's outskirts.

Source: Hindustan Times Soon, a hazardous waste disposal plant

"Creating land bank is significant to a plan for infrastructure and industrial asset development in a balanced manner," said a senior official. The land bank may also comprise plots available with the government for auction or land acquired in urban areas for redevelopment and setting up of public facilities, the official said.

The industrial policy of Delhi, which was unveiled by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit earlier this month, also favoured creation of a land bank for future needs of industrial development in the city. "The land bank will help in having a bird's eye view of Delhi's potential for development of industrial and other assets and judiciously distribute land for competing uses in future," said the industrial policy.

Delhi Development Authority, which functions under the Union Urban Development Ministry, is the land-owning agency in Delhi.

पहले एफएआर 1.5 था जो बढ़कर 1.75 कर दिया गया है। इससे रेजिडेंशल प्लॉट पर ढाई मंजिल की बजाय 3 मंजिल तक घर बनाया जा सकेगा। यही नहीं, एक प्रस्ताव के तहत अगर कोई समूह अपने प्रोजेक्ट को ग्रीन बिल्डिंग के रूप में डिवेलप करेगा, तो उसे अप्रूव्ड एफएआर में से एक पर्सेंट एफएआर मुफ्त मिलेगा।

150 वर्गमीटर से ज्यादा एरिया वाले प्लॉट पर यानी स्टिल्ट पार्किंग के लिए ग्राउंड फ्लोर को ओपन छोड़ने का भी प्रस्ताव पारित किया है। स्टिल्ट बनाने का प्रस्ताव अनिवार्य नहीं है। इससे पार्किंग समस्या काफी कम की जा सकेगी। इंडस्ट्रियल प्लॉट में भी एफएआर बढ़ाने का फैसला किया है।

रेट बढ़ाए गए
यमुना एक्सप्रेस-वे अथॉरिटी ने अपने सभी कैटिगरी के प्लॉट्स के रेट बढ़ा दिए हैं। साथ ही डिवेलपमेंट फीस में भी बढ़ोतरी कर दी है। यमुना एक्सप्रेस-वे के डीपीआर में बदलाव किए गए हैं। साथ ही यमुना एक्सप्रेस-वे के सेक्टरों में गंगाजल की सप्लाई का भी फैसला किया गया है।

"Majority of the complaints are made in respect of damage to bumper of cars, especially those of luxury cars. The contractor should use rubber tyres during towing process and exercise precautions to prevent damage while it is being towed away," a senior police officer said.

In the event of any damage caused to private vehicles while towing, the officer said, the owner of the crane "must reach the site of occurrence or traffic circle office immediately to settle the issue." The claim against damage, if any, caused to the vehicle during the process of towing will have to be compensated by the contractor, the officer said, adding these clauses were incorporated in the tender. "Traffic Police will not be responsible in any manner for any damage caused to the vehicle or claim sought by the vehicle owners in consequence to the towing activity," he said.

Traffic personnel on duty on the crane will maintain a register of vehicles towed or lifted along with time and exact location. "They will also take photographs of every vehicle towed as proof for justification of its removal from the location. The photograph will clearly show the registration number of the vehicle and the description of the location.

Source: The Pioneer Towing contractors to pay for damage to vehicles

While taking cognizance of reports pertaining to alleged siphoning off funds and alleged corruption in Games-related projects, Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi had asked the Delhi Government, the NDMC and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to put up information relating to tenders, nature of work and details of appointment of consultants/NGOs with regard to implementation of the Commonwealth Games projects on the website. The Commission had asked the State Government to comply under Section 4 of the RTI Act that provides for voluntary disclosure of information by a public authority.

The Commission had asked the NDMC to put up the information about the consultants or NGOs engaged by it on the website by August 30. The Commission has also directed the MCD and the Delhi Government to make details of tenders issued for Commonwealth Games and other development work in Delhi in the past five years on their respective websites in the format provided by them.

The Delhi Government has been directed to put the information on the websites of its executing agencies by September 15.

The Minister, who was replying to a discussion on the "increasing atrocities against SC/ST in the country" in the Lok Sabha, said during 1986-87 when Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister, he, as a then Minister for Personnel, had launched a special drive and filled-up 55,000 backlog vacancies for SC/ST in various government departments. "We did the first such special drive" and it was a record that in seven months so many posts were filled-up. The government was totally committed to implementation of reservation to SC/STs and OBCs, he added.

On the question of monitoring whether the government departments properly spent money allocated under various heads for the welfare of SC/ST, he said the Planning Commission had appointed a committee headed by its member Narendra Jadha to study the issue and the government would take steps based on the committee's report.

Expressing his anguish that the number of cases registered relating to atrocities against SC/ST persons had been increasing - it was 26,665 cases in 2006, 29,825 in 2007 and 33,365 in 2008 - over the years and only 30 per cent of those cases end up in conviction, he said the district judges should hold monthly meetings with the DMs and the SPs to review the progress of casesrelating to atrocities against the SCs/STs.

The petitioner, Atul Wadera, said that according to the notice put up at the main gate, the complex would remain closed from August 16 for all sports facilities on account of the Commonwealth Games till the sports extravaganza gets over.

He submitted that the decision to close the whole complex for sports lovers and joggers was arbitrary and illogical as only part of it where the badminton and the squash stadiums are located was required to be renovated. The complex is the venue for holding badminton and squash competitions during the Commonwealth Games.

He further said that the particular area could be cordoned off for renovation and the remaining space be kept open for the members for use. Several of the members were regular walkers or joggers and if they stopped exercising they might develop health problems, the petitioner apprehended.

Before moving the Court, the petitioner had approached the Lieutenant-Government for intervention in the matter but there was no response to his representation, the petition said.

It was also not clear whether the decision to close the complex was taken by its management board with the approval of the Lieutenant-Governor who is the chairman of the board, the petition submitted. The petitioner urged the Court to quash the decision to close the complex. The petition is likely to come up for hearing on Wednesday.

This is for the first time the traffic police have become so stringent with this rule. Call centre cab drivers are infamous or rash driving and resultant accidents in which many people have been injured or killed.

The GPS system in cabs will help us to prosecute the call centre cabs driver caught violatign traffic norms on Delhi's streets AJAY CHADHA Special CP (Traffic)

About 1,500 call centre cabs ply on Delhi roads daily.

"We have categorically asked all call centre cab owners and operators in a meeting on Tuesday to immediately install GPS in their cabs. This will help us to prosecute the cabs that will violate traffic norms on Delhi's streets," said Ajay Chadha, Special CP (Traffic).

Deepak Ohlian, president of Business Process Industry Association of India, said: "We welcomed the recommendation of the Delhi traffic police. GPS is already installed in some of the call centre cabs and other cabs will also have this technology soon."

Source: Hindustan Times By Subhendu Ray Keeping Track:  Traffic Police Wants GPS In Call Centre Cabs

Though on the face of it the Delhi Government has not launched any official drive to remove them as it wants to treat them in a humane manner, the fact of the matter is that the Social Welfare Department had recently sought additional police force to buttress its efforts to clear the main roads and crossings of New Delhi of beggars.

While officials believe there are about 5 lakh beggars in the city, according to various NGOs working in the social welfare sector the number could be as high as 20 lakh.

"What we do not want is beggars following or harassing tourists during the Games. That would present a poor picture of the Capital city which is now redoubling its efforts to ensure the success of the Games,'' said a senior Delhi Government official.

Another area of concern for the Government is the fact that about 25 per cent of all beggars are drug addicts. "They are the ones we fear the most as they often indulge in petty crime to raise funds for financing their habit of drugs.''

So the Government is silently but surely ensuring that either the beggars are removed to the various Beggars Homes or they relocate to areas which are not likely to be visited by too many tourists.

Delhi Social Welfare Secretary Manoj K. Parida, however insists that there is no drive to remove the beggars. "There is no instruction or government policy to remove them for the Games. They are nevertheless detained and arrested as part of the usual drive. We have nine mobile squads which detain them and three mobile courts to prosecute them. We are also assisted by 20 Delhi police personnel in this task.''

Source: The Hindu By Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar Beggars making a silent exit

The Municipal Corporation of Faridabad (MCF) on Tuesday passed a resolution for regularisation of 67 unauthorised colonies in Faridabad.

The 35-member House met this afternoon and besides many other issues deliberated on the issue of unauthorised colonies.

Amid the din, the resolution for regularisation of the 67 unauthorised colonies was passed with almost all the corporators describing it as "a landmark step for overall development of Faridabad". This was the second time such a resolution was passed.

Last year, a resolution for regularisation of 77 unauthorised colonies was passed and sent to the state government for approval. But, officials said, the proposal was returned with a few objections, forcing the civic agency to conduct a new survey.

The proposal for regularisation of 67 unauthorised colonies will now be forwarded to the state government through Gurgaon divisional commissioner for final approval.

"Some unauthorised colonies form part of my ward, which I represent. The clearing of a regularisation proposal will certainly make life in these colonies worth living," said Rajinder Bamla, Corporator of Ward number four.

If you are going to watch an event during the Commonwealth Games, get ready to empty your pockets.Literally. As part of a security measure, the Delhi Police is going to prohibit coins at all the venues and stadia.

And, once confiscated, they will not be returned.

Even pens are a big no-no.

Torn papers that could be rolled into pointed objects will also be banned.

Sources in the police department said so far, the list of all prohibited items has not been finalised but there is a proposal to ban coins at the Games venues.

Coins were prohibited earlier this year during the trial events for various Commonwealth Games events. In all, 39 items, including coins, were prohibited at the World Cup Hockey Tournament held in March this year.

"We cannot take risks as far as security is concerned and coins can be used to assault anyone if thrown from a distance," said a senior police officer on condition of anonymity.

Source: Hindustan Times By Vijaita SinghPolice Prepare List Of Items Banned At Games Venues

"The MCD has tied up with a voluntary organisation `Let's Do It, Delhi' to carry out the `Clean Delhi Challenge' and ensure that residents wake up and participate in the process and perform their part in cleaning up their city," said Mayor Prithvi Raj Sawhney.

ICICI, KPMG, Genpact, Jindals and students of LSR College and Sanskriti School, besides a group of civil servants, have already confirmed their participation in the drive, he added.

Leader of the House Subhash Arya and MCD Standing Committee chairman Yogender Chandolia said such campaigns would be organised from time to time. The corporation will ensure that they also focus on unauthorised colonies and urban villages, where the situation is worse than other parts of the Capital, they noted.

For the September 11 challenge, participants will have to choose an area of at least half a sq km and get it cleaned by volunteers or hired workers. The litter collected by them would be lifted by the MCD later. One winning group will be chosen from each of the 12 municipal zones.

Persons or organisations who want to volunteer for the drive may send an email to info@letsdoitdelhi.org before September 5 to confirm their participation.

Despite its assurance on August 6 that 4,000 flats in Vasant Kunj will be ready in time for the Commonwealth Games, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) admitted at a recent meeting of the Empowered Group of Ministers that it will now only deliver 1,600 rooms for the October event.

Sources at the Organising Committee (OC) have also revealed that the completed flats are not up to the expected `international standards', and only national technical staff will be accommodated in them. International technical staff will now be accommodated at hotels. The DDA, meanwhile, said it has not been informed of this decision yet.

The recent revelation is yet another in a long string of embarrassments for the land authority. The DDA was tasked with constructing the flats and the Indian Tourism Development Corporation was handed the task of furnishing them.

While the national technical staff will be accommodated in 1,600 flats, the rest were meant to accommodate tourists.

"The OC's original requirement for its staff was approximately 1,600 rooms, which we will deliver in time. ITDC is working on furnishing those rooms right now," said Nand Lal, Finance Member, DDA. When asked if the Ministry of Tourism was unhappy with the news as the rest of the flats were to accommodate tourists, Nand Lal added, "Not at all. They have enough rooms to accommodate tourists."

Source: The Indian Express DDA to ready only 1,600 flats in Vasant Kunj

"The root cause being, inflation, which in-spite of RBI's efforts has not come down to satisfactory levels, and is further spreading from food items to non-food items. RBI is cautious and it is expected that, it will act soon to counter that," said, executive director, HDFC Bank Ltd, Paresh Sukthankar.

He said, "Due to tightening of liquidity, we could see a hike of 50-75 bps in the lending rates. The rise is likely to impact loans across the board including home loans, personal loans, and the like. The rise however, will not happen at the first instance. It will take place in tranchesby the end of current fiscal," said Sukthankar.

He said the move will not dishearten the low and mid-income group from going ahead with their buying decisions.

The first draft of Direct Tax Code (DTC) was silent on exemption on interest paid on housing loans. However, after adverse feedback from

"It is a very good thing that the government has retained the exemption. It will have a feel-good various quarter, the second draft proposed to retain this exemption, which is also incorporated in the bill.

Commenting on the development, the country's largest realty firm DLF Group executive director Rajeev Talwar said: "It is good that the exemption has been retained. However, the industry was expecting enhancement of the limit.

"I think, in future the government has to consider increasing the limit to include more people in the bracket."