A health worker collecting swab samples for Covid-19 testing, in New Delhi. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)Delhi News Highlights: Delhi on Wednesday reported 583 fresh Covid-19 cases and three deaths, as the positivity rate also rose to 1.05 per cent, slightly higher than that of Tuesday. With the latest additions, the total number of cases rose to 18,57,598 and the toll to 26,109. The active caseload stood at 2,344. On Tuesday, Delhi had reported 498 Covid-19 cases at a positivity rate of 0.96 per cent and one fatality.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) is likely to further ease Covid-19 curbs in the capital amid a dip in cases after its review meeting on Friday, said sources.
In other news, an Air India special flight, AI1946, from Kyiv in Ukraine landed in Delhi around 11.30 pm on Tuesday. Those on board were mostly students who were returning after the Indian embassy in Ukraine issued advisories asking them to leave Ukraine temporarily.
Union Minister and Gurgaon MP Rao Inderjit Singh Wednesday called for complete transparency in the investigation into the incident at Chintels Paradiso society in Gurgaon, adding that there was a need to bridge a ‘trust deficit’.
“The incident that took place in Chintels Paradiso society is a matter of great concern. If there is a trust deficit regarding builders in Gurgaon, then neither would builders come to Gurgaon nor people settle here from other places. Gurgaon is a fast-growing city in North India and there should not be a lack of faith at any level. Action should be taken against the violators as per law,” he said.
“We have to make a decision and we have held meetings regarding this. A meeting of RWAs was also held by the Chief Minister to discuss these concerns. This should be resolved in such a way that the trust deficit, which has come in public and media, is bridged,” he added. Read More
A taxi driver allegedly strangled his wife to death before committing suicide on Tuesday night in Faridabad, said police. Police said a preliminary probe has found that the couple has been getting into frequent altercations regarding the man’s inability to find a more secure job. Police have registered a case of murder against the accused on the complaint of his father-in-law.
The deceased have been identified as Saroj Singh, (33), who was a head constable in Faridabad police posted at a women police station in NIT, and her husband, Dharmender (37). Police said Saroj, a native of Baldhan, Rewari, had married Dharmender, a resident of Nanagwas, Alwar, in 2005. She had joined the Haryana Police in 2010 and became a constable in 2018. Read More
At least eight key roads that connect the Parliament, India Gate and surrounding areas in the Lutyens’ Zone will get a ‘Central Vista-themed’ revamp which includes wider roads, ‘happiness plaza’, pedestrian crossings, landscaping and more greenery.
These roads will be redeveloped and beautified under the New Delhi Municipal Council’s ‘Smart Road’ initiative.
“When Central Vista will be ready, all the roads falling under the project like the India Gate Plaza and other roads will be redeveloped with landscape, beautification and other features. So, we have decided to revamp all other avenue roads that connect Central Vista on the same standards,” NDMC member Kuljeet Singh Chhal told The Indian Express. Read More
The charge of the Public Works Department, which was earlier held by Satyendar Jain, was on Wednesday allocated to Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, according to a Delhi government notification.
Jain was holding the charge of PWD for the last seven years since the Aam Aadmi Party came to power on its own in 2015. In exercise of powers conferred under Rule 3 of the Government of National Capital Territory, of Delhi (Allocation of Business) Rules 1993, the Lt Governor, in consultation with the chief minister, is pleased to allocate portfolio of Public Works Department to Manish Sisodia, Dy Chief Minister in addition to the portfolios he is presently holding, the notification stated.
No reason was given by Delhi government for the change of Jain's portfolio. He, however, still holds the charge of several important departments, including Health, Home, Urban Development, Industries, Water and Irrigation and Flood Control. (PTI)
The Kejriwal government is constructing decentralised sewage treatment plants in 5,000 parks in Delhi to meet the water demand for gardening, Water Minister Satyendar Jain said on Wednesday. He inspected one such under-construction D-STP in a park in Model Town.
Decentralised STPs are being built to conserve groundwater and promote reuse of waste water, he said, adding these will replace conventional sources of irrigation in parks such as tubewells, he said.
The Delhi government is constructing D-STPs at five major locations at present -- Sheikh Sarai-I, Sheikh Sarai- II, Sandesh Vihar, Ashok Vihar, and Model Town. These D-STPs will be a sustainable and cost-effective alternative for the treatment of wastewater, Jain added. (PTI)
Delhi zoo will reopen for visitors on March 1 after remaining closed for around two months in view of a spike in coronavirus cases in the national capital, officials said on Wednesday. An official said the zoo was closed for the public on January 4 and the link for booking tickets online on its website was disabled.
The administration has directed all section supervisors to ensure strict compliance of Covid-19 behaviour as the zoo gears up for reopening, the official said.
The zoo was reopened for visitors on August 1, 2021, more than two months after it was shut due to a rise in the number of Covid cases during the second wave of the pandemic. Earlier, the facility was shut for visitors in March 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic started ravaging the country and then again in January last year amid bird flu scare. (PTI)
Just ahead of the third anniversary of the inauguration of the National War Memorial in Delhi, school bands will start performing at the memorial every day on a rotational basis from Wednesday. The decision was taken by the Defence Ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.
The Amar Jawan Jyoti, lit underneath India Gate for 50 years, was merged with the eternal flame at the National War Memorial (NWM), which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 25, 2019. It has names of over 26,000 Indian soldiers of all ranks who have lost their lives in the many wars and operations for the country since Independence.
The Defence Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that “school bands will start performing at the National War Memorial in New Delhi on a regular rotation basis from February 23.” It mentioned that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) “has prepared a schedule of school bands in consultation with the Ministry of Education and Government of NCT of Delhi to perform at the NWM to celebrate the third anniversary of the iconic monument” on Friday. Read More
Awaiting the election results in Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa following hectic campaigning, the AAP has turned its focus to its home turf challenging the BJP in the upcoming civic body polls in Delhi.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Delhi Environment Minister and AAP leader Gopal Rai said preparations for the municipal polls is in full swing and 20 lakh people of Delhi have taken membership of the party.
The Aam Aadmi Party will start holding booth-level meetings with party members, workers and leaders Thursday onwards to prepare its strategy for the municipal election, he said.
The State Election Commission on Tuesday notified that elections for the three municipal corporations in Delhi will be held in April and the publication of the lists of polling stations will begin from Wednesday. (PTI)
A two-member committee headed by a retired high court judge has been constituted to investigate the alleged financial discrepancies in all accounts of the Delhi University's College of Vocational Studies, officials said on Wednesday.
The decision was taken during a meeting of the college's governing body on Wednesday. The enquiry committee will be headed by Justice (retired) Sunil Gaur.
During the meeting, an audit report into the alleged financial irregularities by the college administration between 2010 and 2013 was presented to governing body, headed by Chairman Rajan Chopra. The audit report highlighted many "irregularities in operational processes, documentation, compliance and internal controls that expose the college to a very high level of financial risk", as per the minutes of the meeting. (PTI)
The newly-constructed arrival terminal at T1 of the airport in the national capital will be operational from Thursday. The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), operated by DIAL, has three terminals -- T1, T2 and T3.
The state-of-the-art arrival facility is set to receive passengers from IndiGo's flight from Goa, 6E-6532. It is scheduled to arrive at around 3.20 am on February 24, Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) said in a statement on Wednesday. With the opening of the new arrival hall, the entire arrivals operations of T1 will shift from the existing facility to the new one.
Currently, IndiGo and SpiceJet operate flights from T1. Departure operations, however, will continue from the existing terminal, and will eventually be integrated with the new arrivals hall post completion of the expansion works, the statement said. (PTI)
A trend in Delhi shows people walk on the road, look left and right and file public interest litigation without any research or homework, the Delhi High Court Wednesday observed while pulling up a litigant for filing a frivolous plea.
“This is a trend in Delhi that you walk on the road, look left and right and file a PIL. No research and homework is done,” a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh said.
The court was hearing a PIL which alleged that illegal construction was going on in the Shaheen Bagh area and authorities were involved in it. The bench said the PIL was nothing but for blackmailing and extortion purposes. “This is for consumption of so-called activists and PIL champions,” it said. (PTI)
Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta on Wednesday said his party leaders and workers will get all the illegally opened liquor shops in the capital sealed, including those near schools and temples. During a protest at Haidarpur-Shalimar road, Gupta got a liquor shop shut down there in the presence of party workers and locals.
"Liquor shops have been opened everywhere, including near schools and temples as well as residential colonies. We will get all these illegally opened shops sealed," Gupta asserted. He hit out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, alleging it has failed to ensure supply of safe drinking water to Delhiites but opened liquor shops everywhere.
Under the new excise policy of the Delhi government implemented in November last year, over 580 liquor shops have been opened by private firms. The Excise department has allotted 849 licences for retail liquor sale to private parties through the tender process. (PTI)
Enactment of law is a sovereign function to be performed by the Parliament or the State Legislature and a court cannot issue direction to pass a law, the Delhi High Court said while dismissing a plea seeking to direct the Centre to implement the Whistle Blower Protection Act, 2014 by issuing a notification.
The high court said the State Legislature represents the “desire of people” and it is in the wisdom of the Parliament or the State Legislature to enact a law and bring it in force.
“Law is nothing but a desire of people and they (State Legislature) are bringing desire of people into force. We cannot issue a notice for sovereign function of the Parliament,” a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh said. (PTI)
The Delhi High Court Wednesday sought response of the Lieutenant Governor (LG), SDMC, DSIIDC and Delhi Police Commissioner on a PIL over the issue of illegal construction and encroachment on public land in Okhla Industrial area.
A bench of Justices Manmohan and Navin Chawla, in a suo motu public interest litigation initiated by the court itself, issued notices to the Office of LG, South Delhi Municipal Corporation, Chairman of Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (DSIIDC) and Police Commissioner of Delhi Police and asked them respond to the issue. The court listed the matter for further hearing on March 24.
The PIL committee of the high court had recommended that a July 7, 2017 letter by an individual be treated as a PIL in which he has complained over illegal construction and encroachment on public land in the industrial area. It was alleged in the letter that the illegal construction was not removed by the authorities despite judicial orders and people of the area were facing issues due to illegal grabbing of public land and road. (PTI)
For the first time, Delhi Police DCPs, posted in the specialised units, have been asked to take up night duty along with the DCPs of the districts and asked specifically to ensure that the men on duty do not consume liquor. They were also informed to take action against those found violating the norms. Read more
An Air India special flight, AI1946, from Kyiv in Ukraine landed in Delhi around 11.30 pm on Tuesday.
Those on board were mostly students who were returning after the Indian embassy in Ukraine issued advisories asking them to leave Ukraine temporarily. Read more
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) said it has allotted 679 economically weaker section category households constructed in Kalkaji Extension to Jhuggi Jhopri dwellers of Bhumiheen Camp in an effort to resettle these slum dwellers.
The households were allotted through a drawing of lots, which was conducted on February 17. Read more
Two men working as lightmen for a marriage band were electrocuted to death during a wedding procession in Faridabad on Sunday night.
The deceased have been identified as Attru (50) and Akhbar (27), both natives of Etah district in Uttar Pradesh. Police said both were daily wage workers who lived on the streets and had taken up work as light men for the band for Rs 500 for the day. Read more
Two months before the Term II of the CBSE board examinations begins, government schools in Delhi are going back to some basics for class 10 students.
The Term II CBSE board examinations are scheduled to begin on April 26. Board year students returned to classes two weeks ago after more than a length of school closure due to the onset of the last wave of the coronavirus pandemic. They completed the entirety of the previous grade through remote learning. Read more