The MCD in Delhi has been run by the BJP for three consecutive terms. (Representational/File)Delhi Live Updates, November 4: The Delhi civic body elections will be held on December 4 from 8 am to 5.30 pm and the results will be declared on December 7, the State Election Commission announced Friday. Candidates can start filing their nominations from November 7. Nominations will close on November 14. The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) will be imposed in Delhi from Friday itself, State Election Commissioner Vijay Dev said.
In a slew of directives to tackle the air pollution crisis in the National Capital on Friday, the Delhi government announced that 50 per cent government employees will be directed to work-from-home and all primary schools will be shut. As the air quality plunged in north India, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar Friday said stubble burning was not a political issue, and asked state governments to work together to curb it. Tomar’s statements came hours after Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann, the Chief Ministers of Delhi and Punjab respectively, addressed the crisis in the national capital region and said this was “not the time for blame game and politics”.
In a related development, amid plummeting air quality across the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has announced ‘work from home’ for 50 per cent of government employees. Besides, staggered timings for all departments and markets will be issued soon by the revenue department, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said.
That the capital experienced its first good air day this year in September says a lot about the pollution levels that have been taken as par for the course by its residents. (Express Photo by Gajendra Yadav)
This December 4, Delhiites will vote for cleanliness, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said hours after the MCD poll schedule was announced by the State Election Commission on Friday.
"In the past 15 years, the BJP has spread filth around the city and created mountains of garbage," Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.
Amid plummeting air quality across the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has announced ‘work from home’ for 50 per cent of government employees.
Besides, staggered timings for all departments and markets will be issued soon by the revenue department, environment minister Gopal Rai said.
The government has also decided to implement all recommendations suggested by the Central Air Quality Management (CAQM) under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) stage IV. Read more
The Delhi high court Friday dismissed an application “with cost” seeking to implead Twitter CEO Elon Musk in connection with the suspension of a user’s account by the platform.
A single judge bench of Justice Yashwant Varma dismissed the application calling it “thoroughly misconceived”.
The application states that Musk has a “very different stand on free speech” that “as long as speech does not violate the law of the country in question, the same should not be curtailed by the platform”. The application relied on Musk’s tweets to assert this point. Read more
The state election commission Friday said the model code of conduct (MCC) will be imposed in Delhi from today. An app 'Dilli Nigam chunav' has been launched ahead of the MCD elections, which will allow users to complain against MCC violations.
Restrictions will be imposed on loudspeakers from 5 am to 11 pm, the SEC added.
The Delhi civic body elections will be held on December 4, the State Election Commission announced Friday. Candidates can start filing their nominations from November 7. Nominations will close on November 14.
'More than 2,000 sector magistrates will be deployed to check field arrangements for smooth functioning of the civic polls,' SEC head Vijay Dev said.
Additionally, more than one lakh staff will be deployed.
'68 general observers and external expenditure will be deployed besides elaborate law and order, security and other arrangements,' Dev said.
'We are completely ready for civic polls in Delhi,' SEC head Vijay Dev said Friday.
'As per the statutory provisions, there are 250 wards in 68 assembly wards, of which, 42 seats are reserved for SCs. Of these, 21 seats reserved for woman,' he said. In the remaining seats, 104 have been reserved for women, Dev added.
There will be total 13665 polling stations and one station will be completed manned by women staff.
'Mock polls will start on election day....NOTA will be there and there will be provisions of photos of candidates on the ballot papers,' Dev said.
The Crime Branch of Delhi Police has arrested a 24-year-old man for his alleged involvement in the well-publicised carjacking of a Fortuner SUV on the morning of October 29 in the Delhi Cantonment area.
The arrested accused, identified as Saurabh, is a member of the Prince Tewatia gang, according to police. Read more
As the air quality plunged in north India, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar Friday said stubble burning was not a political issue, and asked state governments to work together to curb it.
Tomar’s statements came hours after Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann, the Chief Ministers of Delhi and Punjab respectively, addressed the crisis in the national capital region and said this was “not the time for blame game and politics”.
“Despite the Centre providing funds and machines to states, rising stubble burning incidents is cause of concern,” Tomar said, suggesting the use of the PUSA decomposer, which has been effective in controlling stubble burning. Read more
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The government has constituted a six-member committee to closely monitor the implementation of curbs and measures to control air pollution in the Capital, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said Friday.
Special task forces will also be formed to monitor pollution hotspots in the city.
The minister added that staggered timings will be released for functioning of markets and office complexes.
To curb pollution, the Delhi Government has decided to implement the recommendations suggested by CAQM. All petrol and diesel trucks,lorry and commercial vehicles except Essentials and CNG vehicles will not be allowed to enter Delhi.
--All type of construction and demolition activities such flyover, road repair etc banned in Delhi.
--Delhi government announces wfh, 50 percent staffs to work from home.... Similar advisory will be issued to private organisations
The BJP on Friday accused the Delhi government of registering “bogus” construction workers and siphoning off money meant for them for AAP’s party-related work. In a joint conference with party MP Manoj Tiwari, BJP National Spokesperson Sambit Patra said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s intent and integrity was polluted. Patra termed it the biggest corruption case in India as far as construction workers were concerned. He said three NGOs working for construction workers alleged massive corruption in their registration through proxies. Read more.
Delhi's DG Prisons Sandeep Goyal has been transferred, according to news agency ANI. He will be replaced by Sanjay Beniwal.
The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed with Rs 25,000 costs a plea seeking to implead Twitter's new owner Elon Musk as party to a petition challenging suspension of a user's account for an alleged violation of its rules.
Justice Yashwant Varma termed the application to be "thoroughly misconceived". "This application is thoroughly misconceived. It cannot possibly be disputed that a corporate entity is thoroughly represented and therefore, there was no need to file such an application. Accordingly, it is dismissed with a costs of Rs 25,000," the judge said. At the outset, the court said "even we need entertainment" and asked the counsel for the petitioner if he was serious in prosecuting the application.
To this, advocate Raghav Awasthi, appearing for the petitioner, said his instructions were to press the application. He said Musk was not only the director but also holds substantial shares in Twitter and was a necessary party in the matter. (PTI)
Slamming the AAP government on Friday, the BJP alleged that 2 lakh out of the 9 lakh construction workers registered by the Delhi government were "fake". "Here, 65000 construction workers had only one mobile number & this is how the fraud took place," said BJP National Spokesperson Sambit Patra".
Hitting out at the Arvind Kejriwal government on Friday, the BJP alleged that farm fires had spiked by 34 per cent under the AAP’s rule. Addressing a press conference, BJP leader Manoj Tiwari said that AAP National convenor and CM Kejriwal was an “enemy of Delhi”.
Addressing the pollution crisis in the National Capital, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said that the AAP government in Delhi was contemplating re-imposing the odd-even scheme.
Air pollution is a North India problem. AAP, Delhi Govt or Punjab govt are not solely responsible. Now not the time for blame game: CM Arvind Kejriwal
All primary schools have been shut in the National Capital from tomorrow onwards, CM Kejriwal announced during the press conference.
Speaking at the press conference, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal added: "Air pollution is a North India problem. AAP, Delhi Govt or Punjab govt are not solely responsible. Now not the time for blame game."
Holding a joint press conference with Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann on Friday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the AAP government in Punjab was responsible for the excessive stubble burning that has led to a decline in air quality across NCR over the last few days. “Air pollution is a North India problem. AAP, Delhi Govt or Punjab govt are not solely responsible. Now not the time for blame game,” he said.