Page 24 - Delhi

Vande Bharat train to Kashmir: PM Modi to launch service on April 19

The long-awaited train will initially operate on the Katra-Baramulla route, before being extended to Jammu

Pay compensation for illegal occupation of Lodhi-era monument: SC to RWA

The Supreme Court has directed the Defence Colony Resident Welfare Association to pay Rs 40 lakh as compensation for the unauthorised occupation of Lodhi-era monument "Gumti of Shaikh Ali" for over six decades. A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Ahsanuddin Amanullah refused to waive off the cost and posted the matter for hearing on April 8. "We think it will be appropriate if compensation of Rs 40 lakh is paid by the Resident Welfare Association (RWA) to the department of archaeology, Delhi govt, entrusted with the task of conservation and restoration of the monument," the bench said. The top court had earlier asked the RWA to explain how much costs should be imposed on it for the unauthorised occupation of the monument. The bench had directed Delhi's archaeology department to constitute a committee for the restoration of the monument. The bench previously directed for a "peaceful" handover of the site's possession to the Land and Development Office. The bench had passed th

Delhi to prudently handle social welfare schemes, capex to widen fisc

The Rekha Gupta government proposed a 32 per cent rise in expenditure to Rs one trillion in FY 26 with the share of capital expenditure expected to rise to 28 per cent from 21 per cent in FY 25 (RE)

Delhi CM allocates Rs 900 crore for slums; takes 'Sheesh Mahal' jibe at AAP

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday announced an allocation of more than Rs 900 crore for providing basic amenities in slum clusters as she accused the previous AAP government of building a "Sheesh Mahal" and neglecting the needs of slumdwellers. She also took a jibe at the opposition AAP MLAs, saying in a lighter vein that the "Sheesh Mahal" would be included in Delhi's tourism circuit. The BJP -- which returned to power in Delhi after more than 26 years -- built its poll campaign narrative around corruption to corner AAP and party supremo Arvind Kejriwal, dubbing the former chief minister's official residence a "Sheesh Mahal" for its "lavishness". The BJP has already announced that its chief minister would not reside in the bungalow and that it would be put to some other public use. Gupta, who also holds the finance portfolio, on Tuesday presented the city government's 2025-26 budget with an outlay of Rs 1 lakh crore, marking a 31.5 per cent increase from the previous ...

Delhi govt increases monthly aid for senior citizens

Delhi government has announced an increase in the monthly financial assistance for senior citizens, raising the amount from Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 for those aged 60 to 69, while those aged above 70 will receive Rs 3,000 per month. Presenting the Budget, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the government is committed to strengthening financial support schemes for senior citizens. "The monthly assistance for senior citizens aged 60 to 69 is being increased to Rs 2,500, and those aged above 70 will now receive Rs 3,000 per month," she said. Additionally, senior citizens from Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and minority communities in the 60 to 69 age group will receive an extra Rs 500 per month. A total of Rs 3,227 crore has been allocated for these schemes, the chief minister said. The government has also earmarked Rs 20 crore under the 'Grant In Aid (GIA) to Recreation Centres for Senior Citizens' scheme to provide spaces for relaxation and social activities, she added.

Delhi govt allocates Rs 139 crore for tourism, international film festival

The Delhi government has allocated Rs 139 crore for various schemes related to tourism and art, culture, and language in the 2025-26 budget, aiming to transform the national capital into a major tourist hub. According to budget proposals, a sum of Rs 117 crore has been marked for various schemes, which is almost double of Rs 66 crore allocated last year. Presenting the Budget in the Assembly, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta emphasised that the city has the infrastructure and facilities to host an international-level film festival. "We propose to hold an international film festival this year to enrich Delhi culturally and promote it as a film destination. For this, I propose an allocation of Rs 30 crore," she said. To boost tourism and branding, the government has proposed an outlay of Rs 25 crore. The government also plans to introduce boat tours on the Yamuna River, covering the stretch from Sonia Vihar to Jagatpur Shani Mandir. This project will be executed through the ...

Delhi to replace pink tickets with digital cards for women's free bus rides

The Delhi government will introduce digital travel cards for women to avail free rides in state-run buses, replacing the existing pink tickets, a move that will curb corruption in the ticketing system, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced on Tuesday. Presenting the 2025-26 Budget, Gupta, who also holds the finance portfolio, announced that Rs 12,952 crore has been earmarked for the transport sector to improve public transportation and urban mobility in the capital. To ensure a smoother, corruption-free experience for women using free bus services, Gupta said a new digital travel card will replace the existing pink tickets. "The card will allow women to travel freely on public buses anytime, eliminating corruption linked to ticketing," she said, adding that the entire system will be digitised for better efficiency. "We are committed to providing this service to women corruption will not be tolerated. We will introduce digital travel cards that women can use as often as they need, .

Delhi Budget: ₹500 cr for Yamuna cleanup; ₹250 cr for new sewer lines

Yamuna gets ₹500 crore for its cleanup in Delhi's 2025 Budget, with ₹500 crore set aside for STP repairs and a decentralised plan involving 40 plants for treated water

Electricity rates in Delhi to rise soon? Minister cites Rs 27,000 cr debt

Delhi Power Minister Ashish Sood warned of likely electricity rate hikes due to a Rs 27,000 crore debt left by AAP, saying Discoms can raise tariffs to recover dues

Delhi saves 269 MW by switching off non-essential power during Earth Hour

Delhi saved 269 MW power joining hands with other cities of the world by switching off non-essential electrical appliances during the Earth Hour on Saturday. The lighting around the India Gate was also switched off to mark the Earth Hour. Last year, the city managed to save 206 MW power during the Earth Hour observed from 8.30 PM to 9.30 PM, under the aegis of World Wide Fund (WWF) to create awareness about the need to protect the nature and planet earth. The BSES discoms saved 159 MW of power during the Earth Hour with people switching off electrical appliances, said a company spokesperson. Tata Power-DDL consumers collectively saved 74 MW during the Earth Hour 2025 by switching off non-essential lights from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM, said a spokesperson of the discom. "This Earth Hour, we turned awareness into meaningful action by actively engaging with our workforce, customers, resident welfare associations and industrial welfare associations through targeted and impactful communicati

Delhi Assembly to go paperless, signs agreement to implement NeVA platform

Moving towards paperless work, the Delhi Assembly on Saturday signed a tripartite agreement with the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and the Delhi government for implementation of the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA). The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in the presence of Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta. With this, Delhi Assembly has become the 28th legislature to adopt the NeVA platform, a statement from the Assembly Secretariat said. The agreement was signed by Satya Prakash, Additional Secretary in Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Ranjeet Singh, Delhi Assembly Secretary, and Reetesh Singh, Principle Secretary (Law) in Delhi government. The agreement signifies Delhi's commitment to a paperless and more transparent legislative system, the statement from Assembly Secretariat said. The NeVA platform aims to bring greater efficiency, accessibility and sustainability to legislative procedures by digitising House ...

Construction of largest Namo Bharat station likely to finish by April

The largest Namo Bharat station in the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor, Sarai Kale Khan, is likely to be completed by the end of April. According to an official statement, with key construction and electrification works nearing completion, trial runs on the stretch between New Ashok Nagar and Sarai Kale Khan are expected to begin by the end of this month. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) stated that track work between New Ashok Nagar and Sarai Kale Khan stations has been completed. Sarai Kale Khan will serve as a major transport hub, connecting the Namo Bharat corridor with Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station, Delhi Metro's Pink Line, the Veer Haqeeqat Rai Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) and Ring Road, it stated. To enhance interconnectivity, a 280-meter-long foot overbridge (FOB) is being built to link the Namo Bharat station with Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station, it mentioned. The NCRTC stated that this FOB, equipped with six travelators, will ensure smoo

Parvesh Verma inspects drainage projects in Delhi, launches new helpline

Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Parvesh Verma conducted inspections across multiple constituencies on Saturday, reviewing sanitation and drainage projects ahead of the summer and monsoon seasons. He also announced a new four-digit PWD helpline (1908) to streamline public grievance redressal. Verma, in a post on X, said that during his first departmental meeting, senior officials struggled to recall the existing 10-digit helpline number. "Who can remember such a long number? Perhaps that's why the previous government chose it -- to ensure complaints weren't registered, he remarked. He then sought a four-digit alternative from the central government, which approved 1908. The minister emphasised that citizens can now easily report PWD-related issues, while other essential helplines --1916 for water board complaints -- remain operational. During his visit to the Trinagar constituency with local MLA Tilak Ram Gupta, Verma expressed disappointment over the lack of developme

Mumbai temperatures hit five-year high; heat-related ailments rise 10-20%

Delhi, Kolkata expect surge in heat-related emergencies

Mahila Samriddhi Yojana to be implemented after Budget: Delhi BJP chief

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva on Thursday said the financial aid under the Mahila Samriddhi Yojna will be provided to women in the national capital after the budget is passed in the assembly. Sachdeva, who was responding to AAP's criticism over alleged delay in the scheme's implementation, said it was the Aam Aadmi Party that "misled" women in Delhi and Punjab by failing to deliver on the monthly allowance. "(Arvind) Kejriwal is well aware that the BJP government will ensure proper provisions in the 2025-26 budget to implement the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana. Once this happens, it will become impossible for him to mislead the women of Punjab any further," he said. The Aam Aadmi Party has been targeting the new BJP government over the implementation of the scheme since the latter formed the government in Delhi last month. The Delhi government will table its maiden budget on March 25 during the assembly's five-day budget session. Addressing a press conference earlier in the day,

'Regret moving to Canada': Reddit post asking Indians to stay back is viral

A Delhi man who moved to Canada calls his migration experience a 'scam' in a viral post, urging Indians to stay back and focus on opportunities at home

MCD allocates Rs 800 cr for regularisation of 12,000 contractual employees

For the regularisation of 12,000 contractual employees, Rs 800 crore has been allocated in the MCD budget to cover their salaries. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) special meeting, held on Wednesday to finalise the budget for 2024-25 and the next financial year, began in chaos as AAP and BJP councillors stood on tables and chairs, shouting slogans against each other. The House saw the passage of the Revised Budget Estimates for 2024-25 and the Budget Estimates for 2025-26 amid uproar. Several key proposals were rejected, while others were passed, including the allocation of Rs 800 crore for the regularisation of 12,000 contractual employees to cover their salaries. Following this, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convener Arvind Kejriwal took to X, saying, "Big news for the 12,000 temporary employees of the Delhi Municipal Corporation. "The Aam Aadmi Party government in the corporation has allocated Rs 800 crore in the budget, fulfilling their long-pending demand. Now, all t

DDA doubles revenue generation, surplus rises to ₹1,299 cr in 2024-25

Registering a financial turnaround, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has doubled its revenue generation with a growth of 89 per cent in the last three years, the Raj Niwas said on Tuesday. Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena had in July 2022 flagged the DDA's finances being in "red" and asserted to make it a profit earning agency, the LG office said in a post on X. "From perennially being a revenue-deficit entity to becoming revenue-surplus in last two consecutive financial years, it has been a story being rewritten by the Delhi Development Authority," it said. The DDA through a "rational and liberal approach" in terms of housing policy reforms, innovative marketing strategies, enhanced customer experience and digital transformation, managed to record a 215 per cent rise in sale of its unsold inventory during (2022-23 to 2024-25) as compared to preceding three years (2019-20 to 2021-22), the post read. "It has contributed significantly to enhanced revenue generation of Rs 6,75

'Was a mistake': Delhi Trademark office cancels profane biscuit brand name

The earlier acceptance of 'CHU#$%&RAM' had raised concerns among intellectual property experts regarding its approval process

DMRC, Blue Dart to roll out freight services on Delhi Metro soon

DMRC said that Blue Dart will transport cargo via metro trains during non-peak hours, utilising available capacity to ensure faster and more reliable movement of time-sensitive shipments.