Page 4 - Mcd

Coaching deaths probe: Same water level of basement, road posed problem

An interim report of the magisterial inquiry in the death of three students in the flooded library of Rau's IAS Study Circle here said the water level of the centre's basement and the road was same that posed problem in pumping out water to rescue the trapped students. Another report by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) found that the flooding of the basement made the biometric gate there "non functional" that "caused casualty and delayed the evacuation of the students". The MCD report also suggested several possible reasons behind flooding of the basement including encroachments and the peculiar profile of the road outside the building housing the coaching centre. The interim magisterial inquiry report and the MCD Karol Bagh zone superintending engineer report were submitted to Revenue Minister Atishi who alleged that the "bureaucracy" was showing "laxity" in investigating the death of the civil services aspirants. In a post on X, the minister said that at 11.20 pm on July

LIVE: Protest over death of UPSC aspirants continues; Delhi LG assures appropriate action

Delhi basement UPSC aspirant deaths: From students' protest in Rajinder Nagar to political reactions over the incident, catch all latest developments around the tragedy here

Coaching center deaths: MCD says encroachments over drains to be demolished

The civic body is working on three fronts, including demolishing encroachments over stormwater drains, following the deaths of three IAS aspirants at a coaching centre in Old Rajinder Nagar after its basement got flooded due to heavy rain, MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar said on Monday. Action has also been stepped up on illegal basements that are a threat to safety, the senior Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) official added. "We worked on three fronts. Encroachments covering stormwater drains, due to which its cleaning was not easy, are to be demolished. Action has been initiated against illegal basements which are a threat to and safety," he said. "Three basements were sealed last evening. We have taken action against the maintenance engineers responsible for containing waterlogging. The junior engineer has been terminated and the assistant engineer suspended," Kumar said. Three IAS aspirants died due to flooding of the Rau's IAS Study Circle building basement in the central .

MCD House adjourned after Oppn creates uproar over coaching centre deaths

Opposition councillors on Monday trooped into the well of the MCD House on Monday protesting the Rajinder Nagar coaching centre deaths and demanding resignation of the mayor and Delhi chief minister over the incident. The BJP and Congress councillors also raised slogans and carried posters against the AAP-led Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Amid the ruckus, the mayor adjourned the House even before it could begin and left the House. After the adjournment, BJP councillors staged a protest on the fourth floor of the agency headquarters, demanding the mayor to resume the House. They also raised slogans against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and demanded an inquiry into the deaths. A heavy deployment of police force was seen at the Civic Centre at the agency headquarters. The uproar erupted over the deaths of three UPSC aspirants, two females and a male, who were killed after the basement of Rau's IAS Study Circle in central Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar area was flooded following

Coaching centre deaths: MCD fires officer, launches anti-encroachment drive

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has started action against illegal coaching centres and will set up a high-level committee to probe the flooding of the basement of a coaching institute which led to three civil services aspirants' deaths, an official said on Sunday. A team of the civic body reached the Old Rajinder Nagar area to seal several illegally-run basements of coaching centres, a statement by the Delhi government said. Around 13 such coaching centres were sealed during the action till late Sunday night. These included IAS Gurukul, Chahal Academy, Plutus Academy, Sai Trading, IAS Setu, Topper's Academy, Dainik Samvad, Civils Daily IAS, Career Power, 99 Notes, Vidya Guru, Guidance IAS, and Easy for IAS. "These coaching centres were found to be operating in basements in violation of rules and they were sealed on the spot and notices were pasted," the statement said. The Rau's IAS Study Circle, where the incident took place on Saturday, has been sealed by the police. The MC

Coaching centre deaths: Police to probe MCD officials on 'illegal' library

Delhi Police may question MCD officials about desilting of drains and the clearance certificate issued by them to the Rau's IAS Study Circle where three students died due to flooding of a basement being used as a brary, sources said on Monday. They said the police are going to write to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) over these issues, and if required in the course of the probe, may call the officers concerned for questioning. The MCD is responsible for the desilting of storm water drains. It has been alleged the drainage system near the coaching centre in the Old Rajinder Nagar area was not working properly due to which a large quantity of rainwater got accumulated at the road, and gushed into the basement. A Delhi Police official said they will also seek the details from the MCD about the cleaning of the drains and the number of inspections they carried out in the area. The police will also ask the MCD to furnish the occupancy certificate where the basement-owner alleged

Fire dept NOC to be must for electric connection in buildings over 15 m

With a rise in the number of fire incidents in summer months in the national capital, power regulator DERC has proposed that residential buildings that are over 15 metres high will have to obtain a no objection certificate of the fire safety department for getting an electricity connection. The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) has also mooted authorising discoms to disconnect power supply of buildings to be demolished by the civic agencies. The DERC issued a notice for amendments to the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (Supply Code and Performance Standards) Regulations, 2017. in exercise of the powers conferred "by Section 57 read with Section 181(2)(za) of the Electricity Act, 2003 (Act 36 of 2003)" . As per Regulation No 10(7) of the principal regulations, the discoms may disconnect the supply of electricity in case a direction or order for demolition of the premises is passed by a Court, or DDA or MCD or Competent Statutory Authority, said the ...

Breeding of vector-borne diseases spiked by 90% in Delhi in 2023: MCD

The breeding of vector-borne diseases like dengue, malaria and chikungunya spiked by nearly 90 per cent in Delhi during the monsoon season last year as compared to 2022, revealed an MCD report. According to the report, which also outlines the action plan of the corporation for the prevention and control of vector-borne disease for the forthcoming monsoon season, there has been a spike in the number of such breedings found during home inspections in the last four years since 2020. Monsoon is expected to arrive in the national capital by the end of this month, around June 27. Delhi recorded 3,25,875 cases of mosquito breeding at home in 2023, nearly 90 per cent higher than 1,71,931 in 2022, the data in the report shows. The year 2022 also saw a considerable dip in the number of house breeding cases by over 24,000 cases. In 2021, Delhi recorded 1,96,303 instances of such breedings. In 2020, instances of mosquito breeding at homes in Delhi stood at 1,09,550. The report also shows, the

Delhi does a London, to set up blue plaques at heritage buildings in city

Following London's 158-year-old programme involving marking significant buildings with blue plaques, the Delhi civic body will first mark 50 notable heritage structures

MCD issues fire advisory to health facilities, asks for report by May 31

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has issued an advisory to prevent fire incidents in health facilities here and asked for an action taken report by May 31. The advisory comes after a fire at a private children's hospital in East Delhi on Saturday night killed six newborns. The civic body has directed the in-charges of all health facilities under its jurisdiction to submit the action taken report. Health facilities are directed to regularly inspect fire-fighting equipment such as extinguishers, hydrants, and alarms to ensure all are functional, according to the advisory. Material used in construction and furnishing must be audited to identify and replace combustible material with those that are fire resistant, it stated.

Delhi Mayor asks MCD to act on illegal parking, seeks report in 5 days

Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi has written to the MCD Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti demanding action against illegal parking plaguing the city, according to an official statement. Oberoi has asked the commissioner to give directions to the officials concerned to identify and prepare a list of all the illegal parking spots in the city, take action against them and submit a comprehensive report to her within five days, the statement released on Sunday said. "It has come to my notice that so many illegal parkings are being run in various parts of Delhi. These illegal parkings are creating nuisance and inconvenience to the public due to traffic jams and also tarnishing the image of the corporation. Apart from this, it has also resulted in huge revenue loss to the corporation...," the letter written by Oberoi read. "In view of the above, it is desired that necessary direction may be given to the concerned officer to identify various illegal parkings running in Delhi, to prepare a list of all th

90% of fire doused at Ghazipur landfill, FIR registered: Top 10 updates

Police file against unidentified persons for blaze at Asia's largest garbage mountain; BJP blames AAP-led municipality for crisis

MCD takes down over 612,000 political ads from city ahead of LS elections

In view of the Model Code of Conduct in force for the Lok Sabha elections, the MCD has removed 6,12,729 political advertisement from across its 12 zones till date, according to an official document. Abiding by the Election Commission's order, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has removed 2,64,798 hoardings, 2,67,867 posters/banners/wall paintings, 45,971 signages and 34,093 flags. As per the Election Commission (EC) order, any kind of poster, hoarding or banner in a public place which promotes any political party or leader has to be removed within 24 hours of the election schedule announcement. The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into force on March 16 with the Election Commission announcing the schedule for the general elections. Delhi will vote on May 25 in the sixth phase of the seven-phase polls. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

MCD extends deadline for geo-tagging of properties till June 30, 2024

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has extended the last date for geo-tagging of properties till June 30, in a move to give another opportunity to taxpayers to register their property with the civic body, an official order said on Monday. The extension has been given as a large number of taxpayers were not able to register their properties at the MCD portal due to technical glitches or other issues, the order said. "In continuation to the office order dated 29.03.2024 vide which instructions were issued by the Assessment and Collection Department of the MCD regarding geo-tagging of all properties under the jurisdiction of MCD by March 31, 2024... it has been decided to extend the last date of geo-tagging of properties by taxpayers till June 30, 2024," it read. According to the order, many taxpayers were yet to complete the mandatory geo-tagging of their properties. If a taxpayer fails to geo-tag their property, they cannot avail the rebate on the lumpsum payment of tax by June 30 i

Death in cattle attack: BJP demands compensation from MCD for victim

The BJP's Delhi unit on Saturday demanded that the MCD should give a compensate of Rs 1 crore to the family of the man who has died in a stray cattle attack here. At a press conference held at party's Delhi unit headquarters, Leader of House in AAP-led municipal House Raja Iqbal Singh said if such incidents occur again, the BJP will protest against Mayor Shelly Oberoi and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). He demanded that the affected family be given a financial assistance of Rs 1 crore by the MCD. The man being killed by a stray cattle in Khanpur Ward is a "result of the negligence and failure of the Aam Aadmi Party-headed Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Mayor Shelly Oberoi", the Delhi BJP alleged in a statement. BJP councillors will not allow the functioning of the MCD House until the mayor takes "moral responsibility" for this incident, and action is taken against officials of the veterinary department, it said. Subhash Kumar Jha, 42, a resident of Khanpur, was wait

Explain increase in dengue cases in last 3 months: Delhi HC to MCD

The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to file a status report explaining the reason behind the increase in cases of dengue in the national capital in the last three years. A bench headed by Acting chief justice Manmohan, while dealing a suo motu case registered by it in 2021 concerning the spread of vector borne diseases, asked the civic body to give complete figures pertaining to the disease in all its zones. It also asked the Centre to expeditiously take a decision on the Delhi cabinet's proposal to increase the fine for mosquito breeding from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000. Amicus curiae advocate Rajat Aneja said in the last three months, there has been an increase of around 300 per cent in the cases of dengue, with the west zone witnessing over 380 cases. Some zones like centre and south were however not disclosing the data and therefore the civic authority should like a better status report, the lawyer said. "MCD is directed to file a better status repor

MCD develops 1.75 acre green cover in Wazirpur area to curb pollution

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has developed a 1.75 acre green cover in northwest Delhi's Wazirpur locality, a heavily industrialised region and among the top pollution hotspots in the capital, to mitigate the impact of the local sources of air pollution in the area. The civic body planted a total of 16,000 saplings of indigenous varieties on a vacant land that had turned into a garbage dumping point to develop a mini forest in the region using the Miyawaki technique, an official aware of the development told PTI. "The Horticulture department of the MCD in collaboration with an NGO converted the vacant land used for garbage dumping to create a mini forest in the area that will help in improving the air quality levels in the region. We have utilised 1 acre of land for plantation and the rest of the land is used to develop pedestal crossing, install swings, and benches," he said. Wazirpur is among the 13 identified pollution hotspots in the national capital that contribute to the

Last chance to pay salaries, pension to staff or will wind up MCD: Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court on Friday gave a last opportunity to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to set its house in order by augmenting resources and paying arrears of salaries and pension to employees or else it will wind up the civic body. The high court said the matter relating to non-payment of salaries to staff and retired employees is dragging on for long and added that it was the civic agency's statutory obligation to pay employees in accordance with the 7th Pay Commission. "The court has made it clear to the MCD counsel that it is not going to wait for the MCD to find ways and means of augmenting its resources. The liability to pay the 7th Pay Commission wages is a statutory obligation. If the MCD is not in a position to pay the basic wages then consequences will follow," a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora said. The court was hearing a batch of pleas relating to the non-payment of salaries and pensions to MCD employees and retired staff

MCD passes Rs 16,683 crore Budget for FY 2024-25 amid pandemonium

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi House on Thursday passed a budget of Rs 16,683 crore for 2024-25 financial year without a vote amid accusations of corruption against the mayor. The MCD passed the budget estimates for 2023-24 and 2024-25. AAP councillors stood guards at Delhi mayor Shelly Oberoi's podium as she announced the budget, with their BJP and Congress counterparts surrounding it. The house could function for no more than five minutes as Oberoi read the budget above shouts of accusations and hurried out. A total income of Rs 15,686.99 crore and expenditure of Rs 16,683.01 was approved by the House for the 2024-25 fiscal. The budget was passed in absence of MCD Commissioner who was supposed to present the budget followed by a vote.

MCD introduces cut motion in House, financial powers of Mayor to increase

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi on Tuesday presented a cut motion in the House meeting proposing amendments in the revised budget estimates 2023-24 which is said to enhance the financial power of Mayor Shelly Oberoi. Leader of House Mukesh Goel presented the cut motion to modify revenue expenditure under various zonal committees and transfer the control of the funds to the mayor. The councillors of the opposition parties objected to the proposed amendments in the budget stating it will dilute the power of the committees and lead to sole control of the mayor on matters related to disbursement of these funds. The BJP and Congress councillors protested against the amendments in the special House meeting at the Civic Centre here called to discuss the budget estimates for 2024-25. According to the amendments document, the civic body has proposed to cut down funds on the property tax department by 102 crore, education department by 52 crore and committees in Central and Zonal offices