The land development agency has been directed by the Union Urban Development ministry to consider allowing Delhi Metro to proceed with property development projects without seeking the DDA technical committee's approval.

"DMRC is at present allowed to carry out property development in an area of three hectares around Metro stations in all-use zones, subject to approval of technical committee of DDA," a senior DDA official said.

But that last bit of the decree -- "subject to approval of technical committee of DDA" -- may now vanish. As per documents in possession of Newsline, the ministry has proposed that DDA amends Masterplan 2021 to delete the words, in effect making it easier for Delhi Metro to auction plots for property development in and around its stations.

Three existing IITs -- Guwahati, Madras and Delhi -- have been made `mentor institutions' for the new institutes at Patna, Medak and Rajasthan.

Faculty from the Guwahati and Madras IITs will be deployed to teach at makeshift campuses at Patna and Medak. IIT Rajasthan doesn't even have a `makeshift campus', and will debut from its mentor's campus at IIT Delhi.

Besides inconveniencing faculty assigned to the new IITs, the arrangement is bound to affect the quality of instruction. Taking into account the new OBC quota, the teacher student ratio will increase to 1:18 from the existing 1:12. Ideally, it should be no more than 1:9.

In April, Higher Education Secretary R.P. Aggarwal announced that IIT Rajasthan would have a makeshift campus at IIT Delhi. Ministry officials also said IIT-D had begun work on the campus.

But on Monday, authorities at IIT-D betrayed ignorance: "There is a lot of talk about it but I don't know whether it would happen or not," DN Jain, Deputy Director (Faculty) at IIT-D, said.

The sprawling campus spread over 8.5 acres contains the state-of-art facilities like -- centralised AC, full power backup, lift, local area network (LAN), mini auditorium, well-equipped spacious and digital library and an EDUSAT terminal.

The Chief Minister expressed happiness over the fact that the campus was developed by the PWD in a short span of one year and 10 months. She called upon the students to acquire skill and contribute towards the development of the city.

East Delhi is all set to become an educational hub as IP University is also developing a campus in the Trans Yamuna area. The development of the Games Village will also enhance the prestige of the area.

In the face of hundreds of complaints, the civic body is yet to devise a mechanism to punish erring residents. In most cases, the MCD does not even initiate any action.

The civic body's contro1room receives as many as 90 complaints related to unauthorised construction every single day. But there is still no database to show how many unauthorised constructions exist in the city. The MCD doesn't even know if there has been an action on these complaints.

"We receive as many as 90 complaints on an average every single day. We carry out a first hand inspection of the concerned building as soon as we receive the complaint. We then forward the inspection report to the concerned zonal building department for carrying out further action," said a senior MCD official.

According to Dr P. C. Dikshit, MS of GTB Hospital, "The construction work is on. Only 20 per cent work re mains. So we are sure that this time the deadline will be met."

FACT FILE

• Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit inaugurated the OPD in September 2003 for the first time.
  
• Since then it has been inaugurated and closed several times.

The residents complain that every leader wants to get political mileage through the hospital so they do not care about its completion.

Chief Minister Sheila Dik shit inaugurated the OPD in September 2003 for the first time. Since then the hospital has missed three deadlines.

The project is being con structed at an estimated cost of Rs 90 crore. It will provide spe cialised services in cardiology, gastroenterology and radiology. Modern machines and equip ment will be available for every patient.

The hospital would ease the pressure on other East Delhi hospitals like GTB Hospital, Swami Dayanand Hospital, Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, Chacha Nehru Hospital and Jag Parvesh Chandra Hospital.

At present, in the absence of any super spe ciality hospital patients from East Delhi and other satellite towns depend on Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and others that are situated far from the trans Yamuna area.

I live in Alaknanda (Aravali Apts.).  My office has recently shifted to Sector 16, NOIDA, and I need to find a chartered bus from Alaknanda/Kalkaji/Nehru Place for commuting.  I could also share the cost of  a cab/car pool ( I don't have a car right now).  I would really appreciate any info.  Please email me at partho61(at)hotmail(dot)com.

Sample this. A woman shopper alights from her car and hands over the vehicle keys to the waiting woman attendant in the basement parking lot of a mall, who then parks the car for her. She is escorted to the lift by yet another woman security guard and then left alone to continue shopping.
 

"We are recruiting women security guards for our mall. Almost 30 per cent of our women attendants are women. In fact, our contract with the security agency clearly lays down that 30 per cent of the security staff should constitute women attendants. We want our women customers, perhaps the largest spenders, to feel safe and secure in the retail environment," says Pranay Sinha, president and CEO, Select CityWalk.

The elevated road measuring 5.5 kilometres over the Barapullah Nullah connects Sarai Kale Khan with Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and will move further on till Dilli Haat. The estimated cost of this project is around Rs 610 crore.

FAST TRACK

• The group headed by HRD minister Arjun Singh approved the Delhi govt's proposal for constructing the elevated road, but said that ASI should be kept updated.
  
• The games village site gets embroiled in controversy over lack of funds. Click on Image For Large

The Kingfisher Training Academy, which already has a year old centre in Mumbai, plans to set up 25 centres by 2010.

COURSES

• The academy would offer two courses - a sixmonth training program in aviation and hospitality, with a fee of Rs 1 lakh.
  
• 12 month programme in hospitality in hotel industry and aviation and hospitality training with a fee of Rs. 1.25 lakh.

"The starting salary for cabin crew now could be up to Rs. 40,000," Kingfisher Airlines and the Academy's chief mentor Rajesh Verma said.

The utility bill, which is an important source of address proof, is generated in the name of the person owning the residence. There are instances where a wife staying with her husband or parents staying with their son, or children with parents find it difficult to open account in some banks as the utility bills required for address verification are not in their name.

"It is clarified, that in such cases, banks can obtain an identity document and a utility bill of the relative with whom the prospective customer is living along with a declaration from the relative that the said person (prospective customer) wanting to open an account is a relative and is staying with him," said the notification.

Banks can use supplementary evidence such as a letter received through post for further verification of the address.

The RBI has clarified that the adoption of customer acceptance policy and its implementation should not result in denial of banking services to general public, particularly to those financially and socially disadvantaged.

With regard to Know your Customer and Anti-Money Laundering practices, the RBI has asked banks to put in place a system of periodical review of risk categorisation of accounts and apply enhanced due diligence measures in case of higher risk perception on a customer. The review of risk categorisation should be done at least once in six months.

The suggestion to the legislatures comes from the high court in the wake of a case in which the judge was informed that an alleged property grabber whose name is "Judge Chawla" has cheated various people. Stung by the information, Justice S. N. Dhingra asked legislature to consider framing laws to check the possibility of misuse of high designations.

"Legislature should take cognisance of such names and make appropriate law so that people do not start naming themselves or their sons and daughters with designations of high positions and in the garb of having such a name, one may start cheating innocent people," Justice Dhingra said.

The court, hearing a civil case pertaining to property dispute, said that name `Judge Chawla' was deceptive and "nobody can be allowed to name himself or his wards in the manner that the name looks like designation".

"Somebody may name himself as District Collector, another may name himself as Prime Minister, one may name himself as Chief Justice..."

Vaneeta Khanna and her husband had filed a case alleging that they have been dispossessed from their house in Pashim Vihar in west Delhi by Rajeev Gupta and Judge Chawla and others, who had earlier sold the property to them.-PTI

With great difficulty I submitted a letter for refund of my money. They are refusing to refund my money.

What can I do to retrieve my from money from such companies?

The rumours have it that the PSG developers themselves, who have cheated hundred's of lacs of rupees have floated the company. If you see the director and M.D. they are all dummies and placed as puppets to hide the previous background of Vian investors.
Many people duped by PSG developers have contacted and confirmed me about the background about Vian Infrastructure who have been researching and following this company since it's inception around 1.5 years back.
This company website will tell you that they have vast experience in real estate development. But if see their team -- the Director which has a dubious 15 year experience in real estate, no mention of where he worked or what he did etc.

This same company has been advertising that they are having running a project in Haridwar. When I found it's true location it turned out to be in Roorkee!

Not only that it's draconian terms and conditions say that if any body does not pay any money as par of their two year instalment for two months all the money paid till now shall be forfeited by this company. They have been able to earn lot of money by this way.

Also one should know about their bouncing of refund checks story!

Have all property owners already submitted their details?

In a statement, standing committee chairman Vijender Gupta said that a proposal for enhancement of rates of taxes that could be levied on animals and vehicles had been before the Delhi government for the past five years and these taxes are already incorporated in the Third Schedule of Delhi Municipal Corporation act 1957 (as amended in 1993). They have however not been amended for the past 51 years and the proposal before the Delhi government is to rationalise the maximum tax for a period of 100 years -- which means that the maximum amount fixed by the government will be valid till 2108.

EXISTING RATES
Some existing tax rates (maximum that can be levied but not being collected):

• Each camel: Rs 10
  
• Each dog: Rs 5
  
• Each pig: Rs 4
  
• Each bicycle: Rs 3
  
• Each cow kept for milking: Rs 30
  
• Each she-buffalo kept for milking: Rs 50

The tax caps as fixed by the cabinet recently include Rs 2,000 for each four-wheeled vehicle drawn by an animal, Rs 1,000 for a draught animal, Rs 500 for a domestic animal and Rs 1,000 for a cycle-rickshaw or trolley. A senior UD official clarified: ``These are the maximum taxes that the MCD can charge in the next 100 years. Even after the rates have been fixed, they will have to come back to the government to get them approved.''