New Delhi: Nearly 1,700 primary schools under the three municipal corporations in Delhi have been ordered to shut down on Saturday due to high air pollution levels in Delhi, an official said on Friday.

About 10 lakh students are enrolled in these schools administered by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC), he said.

SDMC Leader of the House Subhash Arya confirmed that all primary schools under the Corporation will remain closed on Saturday due to high pollution levels in Delhi.

“The decision was taken today (Friday) at a meeting in the wake of severe pollution that the residents of Delhi are facing. We have decided to keep the schools closed on Saturday, as the smog is worse during morning hours,” Arya said.

The SDMC has issued guidelines on strict action against garbage burning and has constituted teams at zonal level to take action against those found burning and throwing garbage in the open.

“We are deeply concerned about high levels of pollution since Diwali in Delhi. The Corporation has been working on an action plan to overcome the problem of pollution. The Additional Commissioner will monitor the implementation of the plan,” Arya said.

He further said the Sanitary Inspector and the Assistant Sanitary Inspector concerned will be held responsible for burning of garbage at ‘dhalaos’ (covered space for storing garbage) and near dustins. “We have ensured that one responsible employee remains present at each dhalao.”

“The SDMC is striving hard to impose ban on burning of garbage. In case any employee of the Corporation is found burning garbage strict action will be taken against him,” he said.

Arya also appealed to the citizens, social organisations and RWAs to come forward to curb the rising pollution.

“It may be mentioned that as per the National Green Tribunal’s orders to take action against burning and throwing of garbage in open, the Corporation has instructed for imposition of Rs 5,000 fine,” Arya said.

The Corporation has also issued instructions to teachers and students to avoid outside activities in the coming days, in view of the rising pollution levels.

“The schools have also been instructed to hold prayers inside the classrooms and not in the ground. Medical assistance will be provided in case any student complains of respiratory problem,” he said.

(IANS)

Lucknow: The war of words in the Mulayam clan seems far from over with Shivpal Yadav today taking a swipe at his nephew Akhilesh Yadav, saying some people inherit power without doing anything while others get nothing despite making sacrifices.

While making it clear that he does not want to be the Chief Minister, Shivpal Yadav said Akhilesh can “sack” and “insult” him but he can give his blood for the party and stressed that he has worked hard as minister in the last four years.

“I want to tell popular CM Akhilesh that whatever sacrifice you want from me, I will give. I never want to become CM. You can insult me, sack me many times (as minister) but I can even give my blood for the party,” he said while addressing the party’s silver jubilee celebrations.

“You (CM) have done a good job. But I have also done a good job in past four years in the ministries given to me. You can verify works done by me in PWD, irrigation, Revenue, Cooperative and others departments”, he said.

An emotional Shivpal, who was sacked by his nephew CM Akhilesh said, “Some intruders have entered (in the party) and are creating atmosphere (of differences)…You (Akhilesh) can insult me anytime…What you want from me just tell me and I will not say anthing…But whenever question of netaji (Mulayam) arise, I myself, the entire party will take a stand and not tolerate. I have to stay with netaji”.

Pointing at Akhilesh, Shivpal said, “Some persons get things due to their fate and other work had and don’t get their due. Some person indulge in sycophancy and get benefits of government but those who made sacrifices are sidelined”.

“We have to take everyone along. Post (in the government) did not matter. We are followers of Ram Manohar Lohia and will follow his ideals”, he said at the function which was being attended by party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.

The SP has been battling a family feud between Akhilesh and Shivpal. While Mulayam has been insisting that all is well in the party, both Shivpal and Akhilesh have been making statements exposing the rift in the party.

Earlier, when the event started, Akhilesh and Shivpal were given swords which they accepted smilingly. Akhilesh also touched the feet of uncle Shivpal.

RJD Leader Lalu Prasad, who was present at the function, was seen holding hands of both Akhilesh and Shivpal. They were earlier seen having a discussion about the programme on stage in a bid to show unity in the family.

In his address, Shivpal also welcomed Lalu, JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, former PM HD Devegowda, INLD leader Abhay Chautala, Ram Jethmalani and other leaders.

(PTI)

Raipur: BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy has described Ratan Tata as the most corrupt chairman in the history of the Tata group.

“The most corrupt person in Tata history is Ratan Tata. He is not even a Tata, as his father was an adopted child,” he said.

“Ratan Tata is doing injustice with Cyrus Mistry. Two months back, the entire board appreciated the work of the Cyrus Mistry and it could be his (Ratan Tata’s) jealousy that prompted the action,” he added.

Swamy told reporters in Raipur that Ratan Tata has been involved in various scams like the 2G scam, Air Asia scam, the Vistara partnership and the Jaguar deal.

“He has taken the step to save himself from getting caught in scam deals, but he will not be spared whenever he is tried in court,” the BJP leader said.

Swamy said, “The government should intervene and set up an SIT. I have written to the Prime Minister and informed him about the sections involved where Ratan Tata has breached the Indian Penal Code.”

Tata Sons has accused Mistry, who was appointed chairman in 2012, of making “unsubstantiated claims and malicious allegations” post his sacking. Mistry has accused the company of governance failures and unacceptable interference by Ratan Tata in running the affairs of the group.

(PTI)

Bengaluru: Bangalore Development Authority on Thursday gave an undertaking to Karnataka High Court that that it will not construct the proposed steel flyover in Bengaluru.

The proposed steel structure which is 6.72 km long, is estimated to cost Rs 1,791 crores and was to connect the city centre to the Hebbal flyover. Authorities say it will decongest the ride to the international airport located on the city’s outskirts.

The high court will now examine all legal and constitutional issues related to the steel flyover for sanctioning a Rs 50 lakh grant to a trust allegedly in a fraudulent manner in 2001.

Some people in Bengaluru are content, after National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered a month-long stay on the proposed steel flyover project.

Those opposing the construction of the flyover plan to hold a hunger-strike on November 6 to further pressurise the state government to cancel it.

(Agencies)

Bhopal: The entire drama of encounter killings of 8 SIMI under-trials appears to be a fake, dubious and stage managed, said SDPI General Secretary Elyas Muhammad Thumbe, while addressing a press conference at Bhopal on 03 November at Bhopal Press Club.

While terming the encounter as stage-managed, ElyasThumbe said, the entire episode was very tragic, astonishing and has created terror and insecurity in the minds of common people. He charged the high level police officials of their complicity in the dubious encounter which took the invaluable lives of 9 people. He further said, the questions raised in the minds of civil society are unanswered and reasonably proclaiming as the incidents are nothing but a drama with vicious intentions.

The panel furnished some significant questions being raised from all quarters which reasonably proclaim the incident as an unreal drama managed withvicious intentions:

1. How 8 SIMI jail inmates were able to break through the three layered security ring of the Bhopal Central Jail which considered to be a breach proof ISO certified prison. The jail is guarded by abundant police personnel and how can these SIMI under-trials escaped with such impunity in quick time of about 20 minutes that none of the guards on duty were able to see.
2. The fact that Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Bhupendra Singh and STF Chief Sanjeev Shami said that the SIMI operatives did not have firearms while IGP of Bhopal YogeshChowdhary claimed these under trials fired on police.
3. How can the jail guarding police personnel unnoticed the incident of killing of a high secured police colleague and even not heard the screaming during murder. If noticed the incident, why the culprits were scot-free in the jail itself.
4. How did they scale 32 feet height barbed wall of jail using bed sheets which is physically impossible. In the jail only blanket is supplied to the inmate. How these 8 inmates got the 32 bed sheets (not blankets) to make it as a rope to climb the wall. There are two other walls outside of the main wall which are of the height of 20 feet and 5 feet. It’s a mockery that those jail breakers have climbed the two heightened walls but couldn’t climbe the outside compound of 5 feet but to break the strong metal locked gate. It’s surprising that, while smashing the metal gate how the police personnel couldn’t hear the sound and see the breaking.
5. How and where did they procure those alleged weapons as they were gunned down within 10 KM of jail in 10 hours of escaping?
6. If they could procure weapons, why did not they procure a vehicle to make quick escape? Why did they move towards open space where they couldn’t hide?
7. Why no other jail inmates escape when these operatives left a wide trail and open doors behind them?
8. How did these operatives have access to branded clothes, sports shoes, wrist watches and bands that they sported when killed?
9. Why the hundreds of CC Cameras were not working in the jail?
10. How can the locks of jail gates can be opened by a key made up of wooden stick or tooth brush handle? How the inmates can open the lock of jail gates inside the cell, which can open only at the outside.
11. Though the jail breakers have not fired at the police why they have been killed. They can be easily caught and the whole episode could have been investigated.
12. Why the police didn’t shoot them below their waist instead of their chest and head in a close distant.
13. While civil society’s claim with concrete evidence that this was a cold blooded mass killing by the police why the CM has announced monetary gift to the intruders.
14. Though the operatives did not possess weapons, the police defending themselves of the killing of those unarmed operatives. How can the police claim that they can kill even though the operatives possess no arms?

Party leader Mohammed Shafi said, encounter is no way acceptable. Aftermath the incident, we see from the various sources and records furnished by witnesses that the under-trials could have been arrested without even injuring them anyway, but the police choosing to murder them in cold-blood demonstrates larger conspiracy. Still there are numerous questions which arise leading to the conclusion that the entire episode of killing the under-trials was viciously planned, he said.

The party leaders came up with a list of demands:
1. A sitting judge of Supreme Court should investigate the incident within a short time.
2. The entire responsible police and jail officers connected to Bhopal jail should be suspended immediately and all the police personnel in Bhopal jail should be transferred because of chances of tampering the evidences.
3. Immediate arrest of the police involved in the killing of unarmed operatives violating all norms regulated by the Supreme Court.
4. Allow the Human Rights Organizations, Fact finding teams, counsels and relatives of the deceased to meet the other inmates of the jail to know the facts.
5. Immediate resignation of Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh who is responsible for this barbaric and anarchic incident.

The press meet was participated by SDPI MP State President, Adv. Sajid Siddiqui, National General Secretaries Mohammad Shafi, Elyas Muhammad Thumbe and State General Secretary Salim Ansari.

New Delhi: An inter-ministerial committee of the I&B ministry has recommended that a leading Hindi news channel be taken off air for a day after it concluded that the broadcaster had revealed “strategically-sensitive” details while covering the Pathankot terrorist attack.

The ministry may ask NDTV India to be taken off air for a day from November 9 (1pm) to November 10 (1pm), according to sources. This would be the first order against a broadcaster over its coverage of terrorist attacks.

Efforts to reach the channel for its comments could not fructify. The committee felt that “such crucial information” about the Pathankot attack could have been readily picked by terrorist handlers and had the potential to “cause massive harm not only to the national security, but also to lives of civilians and defence personnel.”

When the operation was on in January this year, it allegedly revealed information on the ammunition stockpiled in the airbase, MIGs, fighter-planes, rocket-launchers, mortars, helicopters, fuel-tanks etc “that was likely to be used by the terrorists or their handlers to cause massive harm, the sources said.

Official sources said that as the content appeared to be violative of the programming norms, a show cause notice was issued to the channel.

In its reply, the channel replied that it was a case of “subjective interpretation” and the most of the information they had put out was already in public domain in print, electronic and social media.

The committee, in its order, however observed that the channel “appeared to give out the exact location of the remaining terrorists with regard to the sensitive assets in their vicinity” when they telecast in real time.

The panel expressed “grave concern” that this was a matter of national security and that the channel had revealed sensitive details like location of ammunition depot viz-a-viz the space where the terrorists were holed up, location of school and residential areas.

“Such crucial information could have been readily picked by their handlers, which had the potential to cause massive harm not only to the national security, but also to lives of civilians and defence personnel,” the committee said disagreeing with the channel’s contention that similar content was carried by newspapers.

(PTI)