Page 25 - New Delhi

Delhi's master plan proposes conservation plans, heritage cells, more

The draft Master Plan of Delhi - 2041 envisions identification and preparation of conservation and revitalisation management plans for cultural precincts, adaptive reuse of old buildings and constitution of heritage cells, a move that seeks to promote holistic development in the historic city. The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Tuesday approved the draft master plan with Lt Governor VK Saxena highlighting its thrust for inclusive development, sustainability and innovative interventions such as transit-oriented development hubs, land pooling, heritage and Yamuna rejuvenation, and regeneration of the city. Besides proposing to boost infrastructure growth, the voluminous vision document also includes norms for heritage zones, archaeological parks and cultural precincts as well as instruments for improving conservation of heritage buildings to promote Delhi's rich history and culture. It suggests for "identification and preparation of conservation and revitalisation management pla

Court defers passing order on Gorantla's bail plea in excise policy case

The Special Judge M. K. Nagpal of the Rouse Avenue Courts, on February 24, had reserved his order after hearing arguments in Gorantla's bail plea from both sides and had listed it for hearing on Wed

Too early to talk about replacement for Sisodia in Delhi cabinet: Sources

It is too early to talk about a possible replacement for Manish Sisodia in the cabinet, Delhi government sources said on Monday, a day after the deputy chief minister was arrested by the CBI in the excise policy scam case. While there is no doubt that Sisodia will continue to be a minister like his cabinet colleague Satyendar Jain, who is in jail over money laundering charges, his departments will be distributed among others, they said. There are speculations that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal may take over some of the key portfolios currently held by his deputy. Sisodia holds 18 of the 33 departments of Delhi governments, including key portfolios such as education, finance and public works department (PWD). His workload increased after Satyendar Jain was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in May last year. Sisodia was handed over Jain's portfolios such as health, industries, power, home, urban development, irrigation and flood control, and water. The BJP has demanded that C

NGT forms panel to obtain report on 'encroachment' of south Delhi pond

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has formed a panel to obtain a factual report on a petition alleging illegal encroachments and constructions near a pond in the Vasant Kunj area here. According to the petition, the pond, adjacent to Kishangarh village, contributes to the waters of a larger lake in the nearby Smriti Van DDA park and the overall wetland ecosystem of the area, but authorities are not taking action despite illegal constructions. A bench comprising Judicial Member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Expert Member A Senthil Vel said a substantial question relating to the environment has arisen but before taking any action, it is appropriate to obtain a factual report. "We constitute a joint committee comprising the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), the district magistrate, South Delhi, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Delhi Wetland Authority, which shall submit a report within two months," the bench said. It said the DM will be the nodal agency for coordinat

CBI produces Deputy CM Sisodia before court in Delhi excise scam case

The CBI on Monday produced Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, arrested in a corruption case related to the excise policy, before a city court. There was a heavy security presence in and outside the Rouse Avenue Courts premises. The agency produced Sisodia before special judge M K Nagpal and was likely to seek his custodial interrogation. The CBI on Sunday evening arrested Sisodia in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped liquor policy for 2021-22.

New Delhi World Book Fair to be held from February 25: National Book Trust

With the participation of over 30 countries and nearly 1,000 publishers and exhibitors, the New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF) is returning to its full physical form after a gap of three years, the National Book Trust announced on Thursday. This year's festival will be inaugurated on February 25 by education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, French ambassador Emmanuel Lenain, and NBT chairman Govind Prasad Sharma, among others. The last physical edition of the festival was in January 2020 and then the pandemic enforced the book gala to go online. Based on the theme of 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav', the book fair will host France as the guest country with the participation of 16 French authors, including the Nobel Prize winner Annie Ernaux, and more than 60 publishers, literary agents and cultural representatives. "Today we are seeing French people are more and more interested in Indian literature. France and India are two big countries of literature. We have dozens of people arriving from .

Heavy security deployment at MCD headquarters for Delhi mayoral poll

Authorities have stepped up security inside the municipal House and on the Civic Centre premises in Delhi for the mayoral poll, scheduled to begin shortly. Several civil defence personnel, including women members, have been deployed in the chamber of the House. Civic Centre is the headquarters of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Heavy deployment of paramilitary force has been done on the premises of the Civic Centre. After much delay since the high-stakes civic polls in Delhi, the stage is set for the election of a new mayor following a Supreme Court order. During the municipal House, election to the posts of mayor, deputy mayor and six members of the standing committee will be held. The exercise to hold elections to the top post will be carried out after previous three failed attempts. Last week, Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena gave his nod to convene the municipal House for holding the mayoral election following the apex court order. The top court on February 17 ordered

Delhi sees dense fog but min temp 3 notches above normal at 14.6 degrees C

Delhi and neighbouring areas witnessed a dense layer of fog on Wednesday morning, an unusual phenomenon for the month, even as the minimum temperature settled three notches above normal at 14.6 degrees Celsius. The visibility levels dropped to 50 metres at the Palam observatory, near the Indira Gandhi International Airport, an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. "Dense fog observed at isolated places over Haryana, Delhi and west Rajasthan, and shallow to moderate fog over Bihar and Odisha," an IMD official said. Mahesh Palawat, a senior meteorologist at Skymet Weather, said a cyclonic circulation has developed over Punjab and Haryana under the influence of a western disturbance affecting the western Himalayan region. "Warm and humid easterly winds and cool northwesterly winds are interacting over the region due to the induced cyclonic circulation. The increase in humidity and condensation are leading to fog formation. Such weather is not common in February,"

Delhi is one city where indiscipline is the highest: N R Narayana Murthy

Citing an example of traffic rule violation in the national capital, Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy on Tuesday said that he feels uncomfortable coming to Delhi because it is the one city where indiscipline is the highest. While speaking at the All India Management Association (AIMA) Foundation Day, Murthy shared that people should treat community property better than personal property as one of the values to avoid issues of dishonesty in public governance. "I really feel very uncomfortable coming to Delhi, this is one city where indiscipline is the highest. Let me give you an example. I came yesterday from the Airport. At a red signal, there were so many cars, motorbikes and scooters, you know, violating the red light without a single care. "If we can't even wait a minute or two, just to move forward. Do you think those people will wait if there is money? Of course they won't wait," Murthy said. He said while emphasising on the creation of right value in the corporate world.

Nearly 7,000 kg single-use plastic seized by MCD in February in Delhi

Nearly 7,000 kilogram of single-use plastic has been seized by the civic authorities in February so far in the city under a 100-day campaign, officials said on Monday. As many as 587 penalties have been issued to the violators from February 1-20, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) said in a statement. Among the 12 zones of the MCD, the maximum amount (1,263 kg) of single-use plastic has been seized from Shahdara South Zone. This is followed by Rohini Zone (1,003 kg), Najafgarh Zone (977 kg) and South Zone (789 kg) Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on January 21 had kicked off a thematic 100-day campaign to make areas under the municipal corporation free of plastic. "The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has seized 6,939 kg of SUP plastic items and issued 587 challans from 1st February to 20th February 2023," the statement said. Strict action is being taken by zonal teams of the MCD to curb single-use plastic (SUP), it said. The identified SUP items include earbuds with plas

Delhi Lt Governor trying to act against Vidhan Sabha committees: AAP

The AAP on Monday alleged that Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena is trying to "act" against Vidhan Sabha committees and has written to the chief secretary and the assembly seeking details on their functioning. Party national spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj told a press conference that the Petitions Committee of the Delhi assembly had recommended action against officials on three different issues. But the Lt Governor (LG), instead of taking action against them, decided to take action against the committees, he alleged. "The Delhi LG is trying to act against Vidhan Sabha committees. He has written to Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar and the Delhi Vidhan Sabha questioning how the committees are functioning and whether they are going against the law," the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said. "He feels that they are interfering in the work of government officials. The LG has problems with the committees. This makes it clear that whatever the officials do to interfere in the functioning of the government is

Delhi Waqf Board moves HC against Centre's decision: Amanatullah Khan

The Delhi Waqf Board has moved the High Court against the Centre's decision to take over 123 Waqf properties, Board chairman Amanatullah Khan said on Monday. He asserted that the 123 properties are with the Waqf Board for long and the Centre was bypassing the law and courts in trying to "occupy it forcibly". The Land and Development Office (L&DO) of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs recently decided to take over the 123 properties of the Delhi Waqf Board, including mosques, dargah and graveyards.

Deputy CM Sisodia meets market associations to prepare for Delhi Budget

Delhi Transport and Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot and Chamber of Trade and Industries Chairman Brijesh Goyal were also present during the meeting

Dilli 6 food festival serves authentic old Delhi flavours and delicacies

The much sought-after food festival, "Dilli 6", is back in the capital to tickle the taste buds of Delhiites with authentic old Delhi flavours and delicacies. The ongoing festival, now in its 13th edition at Crowne Plaza New Delhi Okhla, has roped in street food 'khansamas' from the by lanes of 'Purani Delhi' to curate a unique dining experience -- 'Chandni Chowk Ki Galiya'. It is themed as "Bazaar-E-Purani", an ode to the iconic market places of Chandni Chowk which have stood through times, generations and dynasties. So be it a stall serving the much relished deep-fried breads from Chandni Chowk's iconic 'paranthe wali gali' or different counters of kebabs, kulfi offering street style experience, the menu boasts of cyclic dishes with over 100 options such as 'dahi bhalla', 'golgappe', 'aloo chaat', 'fruit kulia chaat', 'matra kulcha', 'chole bhature' and more. "Our chefs have collaborated with local khansamas to capture the secrets behind the aromatic delicacies which are deeply .

RWAs hopeful that new Delhi mayor will address long-pending civic issues

With Delhi set to get a new mayor soon, the resident welfare associations (RWAs) of the city are hopeful that the long-pending civic issues would be addressed, certain policies would be re-drafted and the pending Local Area Development (LAD) funds would finally be released. The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the issuance of a notice within 24 hours for convening the first meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to fix the date for the election of the mayor, the deputy mayor and the members of the standing committee. The RWAs expressed satisfaction over the Supreme Court order, saying they always wanted a mayor to be elected as soon as possible. Atul Goyal, president of the United Residents Joint Action of Delhi, said the city and the citizens are suffering in the absence of a mayor. The RWAs feel a lot of pending issues need to be addressed at the earliest -- be it those related to sanitation, encroachment, waterlogging or potholes. BS Vohra, president of the East Del

Delhi govt submits report to NGT, says solid waste consistently increasing

The Delhi government has filed a status report before the National Green Tribunal, saying the quantity of municipal solid waste was "consistently increasing" because of various factors, including a rapid population growth and mass migration. In October last year, the NGT had directed the Delhi government to pay Rs 900 crore environmental compensation for improper management of solid municipal waste, saying citizens cannot be faced with an emergency situation due to lack of governance. It had also formed a committee to find the factual situation and determine the future course of action, including suggestions for disaster management plans, regarding the incidents of fire at the Bhalswa dump yard and Ghazipur landfill. On Thursday, the tribunal heard the matters related to the management of solid and liquid waste along with the fire incidents at the dumpsites. The Delhi Chief Secretary appeared before the tribunal through video conferencing. An order from the tribunal is ...

PM to inaugurate 'Aadi Mahotsav' in Delhi to showcase tribal culture today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate 'Aadi Mahotsav', the mega National Tribal Festival on Thursday at 10According to a statement by the Prime Minister's Office, the Aadi Mahotsav, which celebrates the spirit of tribal culture, crafts, cuisine, commerce and traditional art, is an annual initiative of the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation Limited (TRIFED) under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. This year, it is being organised from 16 to 27 February at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in Delhi."The programme will showcase the rich and diverse heritage of tribes from across the country in over 200 stalls at the venue. Around 1000 tribal artisans will participate in the Mahotsav. Since 2023 is being celebrated as the International Year of Millets, along with usual attractions like handicrafts, handloom, pottery, jewellery etc., a special focus in the Mahotsav will be on showcasing Shree Anna grown by tribals," the statement said.

Taxi, auto drivers benefitting from Delhi govt policies: Transport Minister

Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot on Wednesday said taxi and auto drivers are continuously benefitting from the policies of the Delhi government. Addressing the drivers of kali-peeli cabs, the minister assured them that he would meet them on a regular basis to understand and address their issues. "Taxi and auto drivers in Delhi are continuously benefitting from the policies of the Delhi government with each driver saving more than Rs 7,000," he said. Various charges, including penalties, levied on autos and taxis were revised in 2019 by the government. The Delhi government had recently increased auto and taxi fares. During the programme, representatives from the union submitted various demands to the minister, who, in turn, assured of providing all possible help. The taxis have existed since decades and still plying on the roads of Delhi. With time, there have been more options for the users to travel but Delhi government is standing with our taxi drivers," he said. "During

Fire breaks out at HDFC Bank in Greater Kailash, no casualty reported

A fire broke out at an HDFC Bank in the national capital's Greater Kailash-II area on Thursday, an official said.

Delhi records minimum temperature of 8.6 degrees Celsius, AQI of 156

Delhiites woke up to a windy Wednesday morning with the minimum temperature settling at 8.6 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the year. The air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 156, which is in the moderate category. The relative humidity at 8.30 am was recorded at 100 per cent. The weatherman has forecast strong surface winds during day time with the maximum temperature likely to settle around 20 degrees Celsius.