Page 51 - Delhi

Delhi govt may have to write reasons to EC for early poll demand: Experts

As Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal pitches for early assembly polls in Delhi, experts on Sunday said the city government may have to write to the Election Commission giving reasons behind the demand. The final decision will, however, rest with the poll panel on when to hold the polls. The term of the Delhi Assembly ends on February 23 next year and the polls are expected to be held sometime early February. Kejriwal on Sunday demanded that polls in Delhi be held in November alongside Maharashtra. The term of the Maharashtra Assembly ends on November 26. The experts, who are conversant with provisions of the Constitution as well as the Representation of the People Act, said the city government may have to write to the Election Commission (EC) giving reasons for holding early polls but the decision will rest with the poll authority. "Legally, the EC has the power to hold the assembly elections in Delhi alongside Maharashtra. But on previous occasions, the polls in Delhi were held ...

Kejriwal to resign as CM in 2 days, calls for public to give verdict

elhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday arrived at the party office in Delhi

New 'stand fee' for interstate buses at Delhi ISBTs to start from midnight

The new 'stand fee' for interstate buses plying from the ISBTs will start from Saturday midnight, Raj Niwas officials said. These revised charges will be collected only through FASTag based system and no bus will be allowed to enter and operate from the terminal's premises without a FASTag, they added. "New uniform stand fee charges for interstate operation of State Government, AITP and other private buses (with valid permit) will kickstart in from the intervening midnight of September 14 and 15. They will be applicable to all such buses plying from ISBTs at Kashmere Gate, Anand Vihar and Sarai Kale Khan," the official said. As per the new scheme of things, private as well as government interstate buses will be paying the same amount of fee for parking and using the bus bays at ISBT. Currently private buses are charged more, which leads to a situation where they unauthorizedly park and pick passengers on roads outside the ISBT complex, resulting in huge traffic snarls apart from .

CM Kejriwal steps out of jail after getting bail in excise policy case

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal stepped out of Tihar Jail on Friday, hours after the Supreme Court granted him bail in the excise policy case being probed by the CBI. Hundreds of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers and senior party leaders, including Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, were waiting outside the prison to welcome Kejriwal. Drenched in rain, Mann, Sisodia raised slogans hailing Kejriwal from atop a truck. Slogans like "Jail ke taale toot gaye, Kejriwal choot gaye", "Bhrastachaar ka ek hi kaal, Kejriwal, Kejriwal" rent the air. Kejriwal came out of Tihar in a car, followed by his security convoy. The AAP chief was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on June 26. He has challenged in the apex court the Delhi High Court's August 5 order that upheld his arrest in the corruption case. On July 12, the apex court granted interim bail to Kejriwal in the money-laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi ex

BJP urges Delhi LG to intervene for notification on roads' mixed-land use

The BJP's Lok Sabha MPs from Delhi met Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Thursday and requested him to intervene for a notification of more than 350 roads for mixed-land use and granting of ownership rights to property owners in 69 colonies. They also requested Saxena for a provision of alternative plots to be given to farmers in exchange for their acquired land, South Delhi MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said in a statement. The delegation included Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Yogendra Chandolia, Praveen Khandelwal and Bansuri Swaraj. In 2007, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) passed a proposal to use 351 roads as mixed-use and commercial land and sent it to the city government, but the latter has not notified it to date, Bidhuri said. Additionally, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government halted the policy that provided alternative residential plots to farmers whose land was acquired, he claimed. Around 16,000 applications remain pending, the BJP leader said,

Metro passengers can travel with digital smart card as DMRC launches MJQRT

The Delhi Metro passengers can travel with a digital smart card for their daily journey from Friday as the DMRC has introduced the 'Multiple Journey QR Ticket' (MJQRT) facility in its existing mobile application. Like a metro smart card, the passengers can also recharge MJQRT with a maximum amount of up to Rs 3,000 as per their travel requirements. According to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, people will be able to view their journeys, including fare payments and recharges, on its app --- 'DMRC Momentum Delhi Sarthi 2.0'. DMRC's Managing Director Vikas Kumar launched the facility on Thursday, saying the MJQRT will simplify travel with a single QR code, enhancing convenience and offering eco-friendly benefits. The DMRC said that to avail the MJQRT, users are required to register on the app and can start with an initial amount of Rs 150, which can be used for metro travel. "There is no security deposit required for the MJQRT. Users can easily add value in multiples of Rs 50 throug

Delhi sees alarming rise in road crash fatalities: 1,571 lives lost in 2022

A recent report highlighted the alarming rise in road crash fatalities, with 1,571 people killed in 1,517 fatal crashes in 2022

Delhi waterlogged after heavy rain, IMD forecasts more showers today

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast moderate to heavy rainfall, along with thunderstorms and gusty winds, for the day in Delhi

IMD warns of extremely heavy rain in Delhi, U'khand, UP over next 3 days

A depression that originated over central India is expected to bring heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand, Delhi, parts of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh over the next two to three days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday. According to the latest IMD update issued at 8:50 am, the system was located near Gwalior, around 50 kilometres north of the city and 60 kilometres south-southeast of Agra. It is expected to continue moving towards the north-northeast direction over the next 24 hours. The IMD said Uttarakhand is likely to experience light to moderate rainfall from September 12 to 14, with heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in isolated areas. Haryana and Delhi are expected to see light to moderate rain, with heavy rainfall at times between September 12 and 15. East and west Uttar Pradesh may experience heavy to extremely heavy rainfall during this period. In Madhya Pradesh, heavy rainfall is expected on September 12, followed by ...

Delhi govt plans proposal for transitioning Gramin Seva autos to EVs

The Delhi government is planning to inject a new lease of life into the Gramin Seva autos by issuing guidelines to ensure their transition to electric vehicles, officials said. Launched in 2010, the Gramin Seva is a para-transit scheme wherein high capacity three-wheelers with a seating capacity of six passengers were given permits to ply in the rural areas, unauthorised, resettlement colonies and the JJ clusters of Delhi. "These vehicles are an important means of last-mile connectivity in rural areas. We have received representations from their union requesting us to issue guidelines for ensuring their transition into electric vehicles. The union has held meetings with the Transport Department officials and urged them to take steps to inject a new life into the services," said an official. According to the officials, there were around 6,000 registered Gramin Seva autos. However, many of them have gone off roads with the passage of time. At present, there are around 2,000 to 3,000 .

Diljit Dosanjh's Dil-Luminati tour: 100,000 tickets gone in 15 minutes

Dil-Luminati tour: The early bird tickets, bookings for which were opened at 12 pm on Tuesday, were sold out in just two minutes

Mpox patient at LNJP hospital stable, no need to panic: Delhi minister

The mpox patient admitted at LNJP Hospital here is in a stable condition, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said on Tuesday. Bharadwaj conducted a surprise inspection of the hospital to assess preparations for dealing with mpox and dengue. "There is one confirmed patient of mpox at LNJP hospital. He has a travel history and it's believed that he got infected during his travel abroad," the minister said. "The patient has been isolated in a separate ward. He is in a stable condition," he added. The 26-year-old patient, a resident of Haryana's Hisar, has only genital ulcers and skin rashes but no fever, a health department official said. Bharadwaj emphasised that there was no need to panic over mpox, as it spreads through contact, not through the air. The Union Health Ministry on Monday said that it was an "isolated case" and there was no immediate risk to public. "The individual, a young male who recently travelled from a country experiencing ongoing mpox transmission, is ..

Delhi food minister urges steps to control onion, essential items' prices

Delhi Food and Supplies minister Imran Hussain has directed officials concerned to take effective measures to keep prices of onion and other essential commodities under control, according to a statement issued on Monday. During a meeting, the minister cautioned the food and civil supplies department to be vigilant about the surge in prices of onion and other essential commodities in Delhi, it said. The minister directed food and civil supplies department to instruct the market intelligence unit to depute teams in markets to ascertain the retail prices of essential commodities, the statement issued by the minister's office, said. The minister also instructed the marketing intelligence team to evaluate the difference between wholesale and retail prices of commodities. Officers present in the meeting said average retail prices of onion in Delhi have been stable for some time and are likely to remain stable in the near future as well, it stated. Hussain directed the Supplies departmen

BJP holds membership drive in 250 slums in Delhi, Irani addresses workers

BJP conducted a membership drive in 252 slum clusters as part of its weekly outreach in jhuggis of the national capital as senior party leader Smriti Irani began her three-day organisational visit in the city. Irani addressed BJP workers in Shahdara, Karol Bagh and New Delhi areas as part of the BJP's membership drive. The party's membership drive in the JJ clusters were held under the leadership of Union minister Harsh Malhotra and Alka Gurjar, co-in-charge of BJP's Delhi unit. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva claimed that people living in slum clusters are enthusiastically becoming the party's members because they are disappointed with the Arvind Kejriwal government. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), however, said the people of Delhi were firmly in support of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and called the BJP's membership drive in the city as a "grand nautanki". Union minister Malhotra conducted the membership drive at the Indira Camp, Patparganj, along with party workers, an

Will raise GST issue on research grants in council meet: Delhi FM

Delhi Finance Minister Atishi on Sunday said she will raise the issue of imposition of GST on research grant procured by educational institutions in the 54th GST Council meeting. Addressing a press conference, the minister said, "The (central) government has reduced budget allocation for research from 2014 to 2024. If an educational institution gets research grant from a private entity, the government imposes 18 per cent GST, which is not justified. We will oppose it." She also said that taxes are not imposed on research grants in foreign countries such as the US and UK. Atishi said the second issue she will raise in the 54th meeting of the GST Council to be held on Monday is the imposition of GST on online transactions below Rs 2,000. "The central government is coming up with a proposal to impose GST on online transactions of less than Rs 2000. No GST was earlier imposed on such small transactions. We will oppose this proposal," she added. The GST Council on Monday is expected to

Delhi govt to soon notify new rates, norms for buses at ISBTs: Raj Niwas

The Delhi government will soon notify new rates and norms for buses at interstate terminals, Raj Niwas officials said on Sunday. Lt Governor VK Saxena inspected the Maharana Pratap ISBT at Kashmere Gate on August 31 and subsequently held a high-level meeting that was attended by Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot. The transport department is set to notify the new rates and norms for to-and-fro interstate buses utilising the iconic terminals. Delhi has three operational interstate bus terminals (ISBTs) at Kashmere Gate, Anand Vihar and Sarai Kale Khan. "Emphasising that efficiency and equality are two most important factors to achieve optimum utilisation of facilities, the lieutenant governor suggested equal parking rates for government and private buses and also reducing parking time equally to achieve a higher turnaround," a Raj Niwas official said. Saxena also directed that only buses with Fastag be allowed to enter the terminals to ensure tracking. Once notified, the new

Blaze spread in Delhi factory due to LPG cylinder explosion: Fire officer

Deputy Chief Fire Officer M K Chattopadhyay said that the fire spread due to explosion in LPG cylinder and it has been brought under control

Portion of 2 roads in central, west Delhi cave in, traffic affected

Portions of two roads caved in at Janakpuri and at Karol Bagh affecting traffic in the areas, Delhi Police said on Saturday. The police shared updates about the traffic situation in a series of posts on X. "Due to road cave-in on Joginder Singh Marg near District Centre, Janakpuri, movement of traffic is restricted in the carriageway from District Centre, Janakpuri, towards Lal Sain Mandir Marg. Commuters going towards Lal Sain Mandir Marg are advised to take Major Deepak Tyagi Marg at Dhauli Piao intersection, Janakpuri," it said. In another post, police said that the traffic was affected on Arya Samaj Road in Karol Bagh Market on the carriageway from roundabout Bagga Link towards Saraswati Chowk due to road sinking near Bikaner Chowk. The Delhi Police has covered it with barricades to avoid any kind of accident. A PWD official said that the portion at Arya Samaj Road has caved in probably due to water leakage. The concerned authority has been informed and it will repaired ...

Electoral rolls revision in Delhi to be carried out from next month

The formal exercise for holding the Delhi Assembly polls, due early next year, will begin with a special summary revision of the electoral rolls through a house-to-house verification campaign from next month in the city, officials said. The polls for the 70-member assembly in Delhi are due in February 2025, they said. As part of the special summary revision, a crucial house-to-house verification exercise is being conducted across the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi in which Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will be visiting the homes of the people to verify elector details and assist in filling up relevant forms, the office of Chief Electoral Officer, Delhi said. The Election Commission of India has ordered that the electoral roll of NCT of Delhi be updated with reference to January 1, 2025 as the qualifying date by conducting a special summary revision of the electoral rolls, it said. According to the special summary revision schedule of CEO, Delhi, the integrated roll will b

Delhi, Gurgaon face severe waterlogging, traffic jams amid heavy rains

IMD monsoon update: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted light to moderate rain across Delhi-NCR through September 14 and issued a 'yellow' alert for the national capital