Page 3 - Delhi

Delhi govt may wind up its lending agency DFC due to mounting losses

The Delhi government may wind up its lending agency DFC in view of its "financial sickness and mounting losses", officials said on Saturday. The Delhi Financial Corporation (DFC), which provides loans to medium, small and micro projects, has been facing "financial constraints" for long, they said. The corporation used to extend financial assistance to restaurants, hotels, amusement parks, other tourism-related activities, construction of commercial complexes, multiplexes, hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, diagnostic centres and commercial vehicles among others. Its board of directors, in a meeting in November last year, held detailed deliberations, taking a serious note of the "acute financial constraints" currently faced by the corporation. It was apprised to the board that the share capital has already been eroded and the losses have accumulated to Rs 42 crore. The corporation was also not in a position to repay the total outstanding loan of Rs 80 crore it owed to the Delhi ...

NDMC converts community halls near government hospitals into night shelters

As biting cold prevails across the capital, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Saturday announced that it has opened its 'barat ghars' (banquet halls) and community halls to shelter relatives and attendants of patients near major government hospitals. NDMC Vice-Chairman Kuljeet Singh Chahal, in a statement, said the step was taken in compliance with directions of the Delhi High Court and in coordination with the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB). He said the facility would remain available till March 15, depending on the availability of community halls. The shelters are meant primarily for patients and their attendants visiting AIIMS, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and Lady Hardinge Hospital, many of whom are forced to spend nights outdoors during treatment, the statement read. Chahal said barat ghars and community halls without prior bookings were being used, to ensure that scheduled public functions were not disrupted. "Locations are being chosen carefully so t

PWD plans new flyover on Outer Ring Road to ease traffic in Punjabi Bagh

PWD Minister Parvesh Verma on Saturday said that the government is planning to construct a new flyover on the Outer Ring Road to tackle traffic congestion in several parts of North-West Delhi. "The proposed flyover will bring direct traffic relief to commuters from Keshopur, Haiderpur, Punjabi Bagh, Pitampura, Shalimar Bagh, Rohini and adjoining areas of North-West Delhi, which currently witness chronic congestion during peak hours," Verma said. PWD has initiated the process for the construction of the flyover connecting the Supplementary Drain near Keshopur Depot to Haiderpur. The study will comprehensively assess traffic volume, engineering design, environmental impact and long-term sustainability, ensuring that the flyover is future-ready and executed without delays, he said. The feasibility study will lay the foundation for swift execution, ensuring the proposed flyover addresses all critical choke points and aligns with Delhi's long-term traffic management and urban developmen

MCD to launch two 'Shri' schools per zone for meritorious students

The Delhi civic body on Saturday announced that it will set up 'MCD Shri' schools on the lines of the Centre's 'PM Shri' schools and the Delhi government's 'CM Shri' schools, according to a statement. Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh stated that in the first phase, two such schools will be established in each MCD zone, with admissions focused on meritorious students. Singh said these institutions would focus on identifying and nurturing students' abilities while preparing them for higher studies. "Education, values and discipline together form the backbone of society," he said, calling teachers the true builders of the nation for shaping young minds and instilling the right values. Civic body's Education Committee chairman Yogesh Verma said special emphasis was being placed on identifying meritorious students in MCD schools. "As many as 100 outstanding students from Class five will be selected every year, with their names and achievements in academics, sports or co-curricular activities ...

Gig union representatives meet Delhi CM, propose bill for workers

The demands include the formation of a dedicated Gig Workers Board to ensure improved working conditions and social security

India 2nd most congested in Asia; Delhi 3rd among metro cities: Study

India emerged as the second most congested country in Asia, with New Delhi being the third most jam-packed metro city in the nation last year. According to data released by Netherlands-based location technology firm TomTom, the commuters in the national capital lost an average of 104 hours last year due to traffic congestion, equivalent to four days and eight hours. Among all Indian cities, Delhi ranked fourth with a congestion level of 55.4 per cent last year, 1.7 per cent higher than in 2024, it said. According to the report, globally, the national capital placed 23rd with 60.2 per cent congestion, while in Asia, it ranked seventh. India emerged as the second most congested country in Asia. Nationally, Bengaluru was ranked the most congested city in India and second globally, followed by Pune, Mumbai and New Delhi. Among metro cities, Mumbai topped the list, followed by Bengaluru and Delhi. The study showed that the total time lost last year was five hours and six minutes more t

High ammonia in Yamuna to disrupt water supply in Delhi till Feb 4

The national capital is set to face significant water supply disruption until next month, with at least five major water treatment plants (WTPs) of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) reducing water production due to high ammonia levels in the Yamuna and reduced raw water supply from Haryana, officials said on Thursday. The affected WTPs include Wazirabad, Haiderpur Phase 1 and 2, Bawana, and Dwarka, with water production reduced, impacting several areas across the city until February 4. "The situation is being constantly reviewed by DJB. Four water plants are currently operating at 75 per cent of their overall capacity until the situation improves," a senior DJB official informed PTI. The Wazirabad WTP, which has an overall capacity of 138 million gallons per day (MGD), has halted production completely. "Operations at Wazirabad WTP have been temporarily suspended due to high ammonia levels in raw water from the Yamuna and reduced canal supply," DJB officials said. Areas likely to be impact

Grap III curbs revoked in Delhi-NCR after AQI drops to 'poor' range

GRAP 3 restrictions were revoked in Delhi-NCR on Thursday following improvement in air quality. In an order, the Commission on Air Quality Management said the AQI of Delhi had improved to 332 on Thursday, following which the restrictions were being relaxed. It said the weather forecast indicated that the AQI was likely to remain in the 'moderate' to 'poor' category in the coming days.

South Delhi to get ₹1,471 crore double-decker flyover to ease traffic: Govt

In a major boost to road infrastructure development in the national capital, the Delhi government approved a six-lane double-decker flyover along Mehrauli-Badarpur (MB) Road in South Delhi, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Tuesday. In a meeting if the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC), the project worth an estimated cost of Rs 1,471.14 crore will be completed by December 2027. "The integrated elevated road project, with a total length of nearly 5 kms, will be developed in two phases. The first phase will cover a 2.42-km stretch from Saket G-Block to Sangam Vihar, while the second phase will extend for about 2.48 km from Maa Anandmayee Marg to Pul Prahladpur," CM Gupta said. She said the initiative would mark a significant step towards creating a more organised and seamless traffic network in South Delhi, the corridor will be constructed by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). "The design features a double-decker system, with the metro corridor on the upper deck and a six-lane .

Grap IV lifted in Delhi-NCR as air quality shows marginal improvement

CAQM revoked Stage IV actions under the revised GRAP after Delhi's AQI improved to 378. It said Stages I, II and III curbs will continue across the NCR

Delhi airport plans to shut third runway from February 16 for upgrade

No cancellations due to upgrade; airport currently handles about 1,400-1,500 aircraft movements per day

Karur stampede: Vijay appears before CBI for second round of questioning

TVK chief and actor Vijay was at the CBI headquarters here on Monday for the second round of questioning in connection with the Karur stampede case, officials said. The actor arrived at the agency headquarters in Lodhi Road in a fleet of luxury SUVs this morning they said. He will be questioned during the day by a team of officials led by a Deputy Superintendent rank officer drawn from the Anti Corruption unit of the agency, they said. Vijay was questioned at the CBI headquarters here on January 12 for more than six hours. He was asked to come again on Tuesday last but the actor sought another date citing Pongal, they said. The federal agency took over the case from an SIT following a Supreme Court order and has been gathering evidence related to the September 27, 2025, stampede, which claimed 41 lives and left more than 60 injured in Tamil Nadu's Karur.

Restoration, widening of Delhi-Meerut road stretch complete: NCRTC

A stretch of the Delhi-Meerut Road between the Meerut Tiraha and the Eastern Peripheral Expressway at Duhai on the capital's border has been handed over to the Public Works Department (PWD) after completion of reconstruction and widening works, the NCRTC said on Saturday. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) had undertaken comprehensive restoration and widening of the over 9-km-long stretch, in view of keeping public convenience and commuter safety, the agency said, adding that nearly 6 km of drains have also been constructed to provide a permanent sewerage solution. The NCRTC said it was entrusted with the upkeep of the road by the PWD in 2018 during the construction of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor, and was responsible for its maintenance throughout the construction period. The stretch passes through densely-populated areas marked by heavy traffic, particularly by heavy vehicles, which frequently affected road conditions, it said. According

Delhi reimposes Grap IV restrictions as air quality plunges to 'severe'

Dense fog covered large parts of the national capital on Saturday morning, sharply reducing visibility and causing delays to several flights at Indira Gandhi International Airport

Delhi Speaker says Sikh guru remark video not doctored, CBI probe ordered

Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta on Saturday said a forensic examination has found that the video of Leader of Opposition Atishi's alleged derogatory remarks against Sikh gurus was not doctored, and that a CBI probe will be ordered in the matter. Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj rejected the forensic report, saying it does not answer the key question of whether Atishi uttered the word "gurus". "She did not utter the word 'gurus', but the report does not mention it. The BJP tried to fan religious discord by using the video, and action should be taken against its leaders," he said. Earlier, police in AAP-ruled Punjab claimed that their forensic examination revealed that the video was "doctored". Following this, the AAP's chief whip in the Delhi Assembly, Sanjiv Jha, demanded that Speaker Gupta take action for breach of privilege against minister Kapil Mishra for sharing the clip on social media. Addressing a press conference, Gupta said that in view of the serious question

MCD records highest-ever property tax collection, crosses ₹2,700 crore

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has recorded its highest-ever property tax collection, crossing Rs 2,700 crore by December 31 in the 2025-26 financial year. The figure marks a jump of about 45 per cent over collections during the same period last year, officials said on Saturday. Officials said that the increase has been accompanied by a sharp rise in the number of taxpayers. The total count of registered property taxpayers has surged from 10.31 lakh in 2024-25 to 12.43 lakh this year, an increase of nearly 21 per cent. Civic officials attributed the rise to a combination of taxpayer outreach, tighter enforcement and the response to the tax amnesty scheme, SUNIYO, introduced for 2025-26. "Under the scheme, property owners can get interest and penalties waived if they clear the current year's tax along with dues from the previous five years," an official statement read. Officials said the scheme encouraged many owners who had earlier filed incorrect property tax returns or

Delhi govt revises ration card norms, raises income cap to ₹1.2 lakh

The Delhi government has decided to raise the annual income cap to Rs 1.20 lakh from the previous Rs 1 lakh, to enable more households to be eligible for ration cards. According to official data, due to the absence of clear rules for several years, more than 3,89,883 applications for ration cards have remained pending in Delhi, and over 11,65,965 people are still waiting for food security benefits. Data verification revealed the income details of around 6,46,123 people did not match the prescribed norms. About 95,682 individuals had remained in the system for a long time without availing any benefits. Nearly 23,394 duplicate names were found, while in 6,185 cases, benefits were recorded in the names of deceased persons. Around 56,372 people had themselves requested to opt out of the system. Owing to all these reasons, a total of more than 8,27,756 vacancies were created; these slots will now be filled with those who have been waiting for years for ration card or food security ...

Weather today: Dense fog, cold wave grip North, mercury dips; snow in hills

North India remains under dense fog and cold wave conditions as temperatures stay below normal. IMD warns of travel disruptions, with snowfall likely in Himalayan states and rain in the plains

Delhi may allow one-month window to register unregistered e-rickshaws

In an effort to improve road safety, the Delhi transport department is considering giving unregistered e-rickshaw operators a one-month window to complete vehicle registration, officials said on Wednesday. Initially introduced as an eco-friendly transport option, e-rickshaws have increasingly become a problem on city roads due to their slow movement, contribution to traffic congestion and safety concerns. According to the official data of the Delhi government, 204,131 e-rickshaws are registered on the Vahan dashboard as of January 2026. However, unofficial estimates put the actual numbers much higher. "A plan is under consideration to give one month's time since the order is issued to unregistered e-rickshaw owners to get registered so that livelihood is also maintained along with safety on roads," the transport department said in reply to a question in the Delhi Assembly's recent winter session. The date for the start of the scheme has not been decided yet. Earlier this month, the

Red Fort blast: Delhi court extends NIA custody of 5 accused till Jan 16

A Delhi court on Wednesday extended till January 16 the NIA custody of five accused in the Red Fort blast case including three doctors and a maulvi. Principal District and Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna allowed the agency's plea to extend the custodial interrogation of Dr Adeel Rather, Dr Shaheen Saeed, Dr Muzammil Ganaie, Maulvi Irfan Ahmad Wagay and Jasir Bilal Wani. The agency, in its remand paper, said that the accused persons are required to be confronted with other co-accused, suspects and witnesses on certain contradictory points. It underlined that the accused persons possessed exclusive knowledge of certain facts and circumstances at various locations, including Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR). The remand paper said that such facts were revealed by some witnesses and by the technical analysis of the extracted data retrieved from the seized digital devices. It said "certain code words" and "other incriminating material" which ...