Thursday, March 27, 2014

Earth Hour this Saturday


NEW DELHI: This Saturday, Delhiites will once again join nearly a billion people in over 6,000 cities across the globe to observe the Earth Hour. Between 8.30pm and 9.30pm, they will switch off their electrical appliances and lighting fixtures to show their concern for the environment.

"BSES is committed to protecting the environment. We are again gearing up for the Earth Hour and hope to take this event to greater heights,'' said a BSES spokesperson. The discom is actively supporting the Earth Hour, an annual international event started by the World Wide Fund for Nature. It urges households and businesses across the world to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour at the appointed time to encourage them to protect the environment.

To tell consumers to switch off their non-essential lights on March 29, BRPL and BYPL have included an Earth Hour message in Synergy -BSES' monthly newsletter going to over 34 lakhs customers. SMSs have also been sent to over seven lakh customers and appeals have been made through their website .
BRPL and BYPL will also switch off lights at over 400 offices, spread across an area of about 950 sq kms, during the appointed hour. In 2013, New Delhi was announced India's 'Earth Hour National Capital 2013' in the Earth Hour City Challenge. Delhi had saved around 250MW (169MW in BSES area) last year.

with thanks : Times of India : LINK

Monday, March 24, 2014

Withdraw orders that make Aadhaar card mandatory: Supreme Court

There has been widespread criticism that the UIDAI was compromising the privacy of Indians by giving the contracts for procuring bio-metric information about individuals to private companies.


NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the union government to withdraw all its orders that makes the Aadhaar card mandatory for availing various welfare schemes.

Hearing petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Aadhaar card, the Supreme Court further asked the Unique Identification Authority of India not share any information about an Aadhaar card with any government agency without permission of the card holder.

The bench comprising of Justices BS Chauhan and SA Bobde was told that the 'biometrics' on which the project is based are unreliable and untested as public funds were being siphoned off to private enterprises without much validation, CNN-IBN reported.

There has been widespread criticism that the UIDAI was compromising the privacy of Indians by giving the contracts for procuring bio-metric information about individuals to private companies.

The UIDAI is a government agency responsible for implementing the Aadhaar scheme.

The agency was established in February 2009 and owns and operates the Unique Identification Number database.

Earlier in 2013, the apex court had ruled that Aadhaar card is not mandatory for an Indian citizen to avail essential services.

576 million Aadhaar cards issued

A total of 576.16 million Aadhaar cards have been issued till Jan 31, with Maharashtra topping the list with 82.99 million beneficiaries, the government informed the Lok Sabha Wednesday.

Andhra Pradesh (79.06 million) and Tamil Nadu (44.33 million) were placed in the second and third spots, Minister of State for Planning Rajeev Shukla said in a written statement.

They were followed by Madhya Pradesh (42.44 million), Karnataka (41.76 million), Rajasthan (38.33 million), West Bengal (34.92 million), Kerala (30.44 million), Gujarat (26.43 million) and Jharkhand (25.82 million).


with thanks : Yahoo News : LINK

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Gems of Indian freedom !

83 सालों के बाद भी भगत सिंह, राजगुरु, और सुखदेव जैसे महान शहीदों को सरकार की तरफ से एक शहीद का दर्जा नही मिला. आख़िर कौन है इसका ज़िम्मेदार ?


Friday, March 21, 2014

Blood / Eye Donation Camp

"Samarpit NGO” is organizing  a Blood/Eye Donation Camp on Sunday, the 23 March 2014. from  10.00 am to 2:30 pm, at the premises of Dr. Hedgewar Arogya Sansthan, Karkar Dooma Institutional Area, Delhi-110032We request you to bless the occassion by your esteemed presence and kind words about this noble cause and motivation to all donors.
Vinod Kumar

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Now pay the raised Tariff by 1st April ?

kept requesting you all to participate in the rallying against the Tariff hikes. But none cooperated now friends kindly pay the raised Tariff by 1st April n others to follow.

Happy Holi !!

Good Day !

Bharat Tiwari

'hung parliament' in their own selfish interest ?

Dear Mr. Vohra,

While all of us appreciate your clarion call and laudable objective/aim, the present day politicians of various and innumerable parties do not wish to achieve this goal but to have a 'hung parliament' in their own selfish interest so that when their alliance comes to power they could bargain for prized and coveted posts in the cabinet to amass wealth and acquire fame but least interested in the overall development of the country so that we could become a strong nation and attain the forefront position, even surpassing China. But unfortunately we don't wish to achieve this position through our politicians! Why so many parties at the national and regional levels? 

Can we cannot force and forge and demand merger and unity amongst them so that we could also arrive at a two/three party system, as in USA or UK etc. so that the nation could march forward and we need not go begging for alms. It appears, unfortunately, that the AAP may finally spoil the broth and prevent achieving the two strong parties system at the national level. We should admit that both the major 'national parties' i.e. Congress and BJB have done a commendable job at the state and national levels whenever they are in power but due to lack of strong opposition and self-serving and corrupt politicians have spoiled the economy and failed to forge the national spirit amongst the people (aam aadmi) leading to corruption and chaos at various levels beyond measure. 

Unless and until we ruthlessly and religiously in spirit and letter eliminate corruption at various levels, starting from the top and then leading to the bottom, as corruption is more rampant with huge implications at the top, indirectly being helped by those in helm of affairs, including our bureaucrats who reaped the alms to the extent possible! 

I am extremely pained with anguish to witness the ways and means adopted by the foresaid twins i.e politicians and bureaucrats to exploit the country as a whole! Of course, we do now require a strong and solid party with a brute majority to resolve the problems being faced by the nation at various levels and do away with all free alms extended to the people for no logic or reason or justification indeed!

An aam aadmi (in the true sense).

T K Balu

Tribunal clears way for power rate hike

NEW DELHI, Mar 11, 2014, DHNS:
Asks DERC to create road map to help discoms recover arrears
Delhiites may suffer another power tariff shocker as the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL) has asked the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) to take an early decision on getting the huge accumulated arrears owed to the discoms cleared.


The three discoms of Delhi – BSES Yamuna Pvt Ltd (BYPL), BSES Rajdhani Pvt Ltd (BRPL) and Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (TPDDL) – had approached the APTEL a few months back complaining against fear of a prejudiced order from DERC against them.

Bank loans
After the hearing, the tribunal asked the DERC to create a road map for paying back the arrears of Rs 8,000 crore to the three discoms. This will give the discoms a chance to demand an enhanced power tariff to balance their accounts.


After the tribunal decision, the discoms will be able to get loan from banks to pay off their due to power generation companies (gencos) National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Pragati Power Corporation Limited Delhi (PPCL), Indraprastha Gas Power Generation Company Limited (IPGCL) and Delhi Transco.

The NTPC had threatened to discontinue power supply to the Reliance Infra-backed discoms BYPL and BRPL is the fail to pay of the dues of RS 127 crore. 

The Supreme Court had asked the NTPC to not to cut the power supply till March 25 and asked the discoms to pay Rs 50 crore to the genco.

 “We welcome the order of APTEL directing DERC to take an early decision for liquidation of the huge accumulated arrears owed to the Delhi discoms. APTEL has clearly directed DERC to ensure sustainability of the business of the discoms,” said a BSES spokesperson.

Financial support 

APTEL has also recognised the need for financial support from the Government to ensure discoms recover their past dues, with minimum burden on consumers. 
DERC has already proposed last week a road map for payment of over Rs. 8,000 crore and interest thereon owed to the discoms, he added.

The subsidy on power tariff of 50 per cent on 0-200 and 201-400 units slab announced by former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is also going to end on March 31.

It is understood that the DERC will allow the discoms for a hike in power tariffs next month.

with thanks : Deccan Herald : LINK

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

KHEL GAON - RELAY FAST ON 5TH MARCH FROM 11 AM ONWARDS ... PROTECT PUBLIC GREENS, STOP NOISE POLLUTION, DESTRUCTION OF HERITAGE

PRESS RELEASE
Residents of many colonies in South Delhi like Gulmohar Park, Panchsheel, Hauz Khas, Anand Lok, Niti Bagh, Shahpur Jat and Khel Gaon have been battling for 16 long years against the misappropriation of a district Park by a single Banquet hall owner ‘Asiad Banquets’ who had got the Tower restaurant and a small piece of land around it on lease in nexus with DDA, but proceeded to occupy an entire District Park at the entrance of Asian Games Village by manipulations with DDA officials, posting their security guards at the entrance. This is in violation of the Master Plan in which it is continues to be a DISTRICT PARK.
This is resulting in following problems for the residents :
PROTECT PUBLIC GREENS
We are enclosing photographs of when it was a Park 20 years ago and how it was slowly misappropriated, to which entry of public has been banned. Public land is now in possession of a private person. Many children used to play in this Park.
STOP NOISE POLLUTION
Apart from inability to use the Park there is immense noise pollution all nights from many weddings with loud music and crackers effecting the health of citizens.
Thousands of calls to the Police have no effect.
AVOID TRAFFIC JAMS
Hundreds of cars are parked inside the park and cause huge traffic jams outside also to the residents, including hindered movement of Ambulances. In short every night is a nightmare in this otherwise peaceful area.
We call upon the media for their support to help us in this crisis.
DESTRUCTION OF HERITAGE
The 14th Century Siri Fort Wall and Bulbul Ki Masjid is inside which has been taken inside his boundary wall including the ASI plaque. It was earlier open on the road.
LOCALS WILL KEEP RELAY FAST ON 5TH MARCH FROM 11 AM ONWARDS.
WE ARE HOLDING A  ON WEDNESDAY MARCH 5th AND WOULD REQUEST YOU TO KINDLY COVER THIS. WE WILL BE VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
You can speak to :
Gr. Capt. Jain : 9811449431
Mr. Billy Gupta : 9811020017
Ms. Manju Lal : 9811038343

Warm Regards,

Rajiv Kakria

Monday, March 3, 2014

'Traffic - Ab Bus Karo', with Film Actor Rahul Bose on DD News : B S Vohra




 LINK : YouTube : Must View

VOICE OF DELHI

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Janta Ki Samasya Se Kursi Tak ki Kahani


Sunday, March 2, 2014

The reality of Delhi on water front ! Thanks Daily Mail.

Lakes left high and dry: Study finds Delhi has lost over 190 of its 611 water bodies... and is doing nothing to save the rest 


By SHIBAJI ROYCHOUDHURY


Dry and dirty - the Capital's water bodies are dying. With encroachments, sewage and concrete constructions all over them, these reservoirs portray yet another picture of ineptitude in the government and its agencies. 

Of the 611 water bodies in the Capital, 274 have already dried up, while the remaining 337 that still have water are in a terrible condition.

But the DDA, MCD, block development officers and Delhi Jal Board are in a deep slumber even as the city grapples with water shortage year after year.

Badkhal lake























The stench of apathy and greed is hovering all over these reservoirs. Rather than doing the needful to boost the eco-system and water table in Delhi, the MCD and DDA are busy minting money by selling the dry water bodies to private companies, allowing them to build on the land.

In the process, the Capital has lost over 190 water bodies forever as they cannot be revived, according to a survey released by the Delhi Parks and Gardens Society (DPGS) that works under the Delhi government's department of environment. 

The stark reality hits hard when a count is taken. Of the 54 water bodies in Delhi's east zone, 18 are dry and 21 have been encroached upon. In the south, 44 have been encroached upon out of total 120. Furthermore, eight water bodies are polluted by the sewage. 

Only the Central district can boast of a large number of water bodies that have been developed and have a permanent flow. Hauz Khas, the once beautiful reservoir in south Delhi, is covered with algae now. With garbage dumped at places around it, one cannot escape the foul smell that fills the air. 

Most lakes in Delhi are rapidly turning into sewage ponds. Rather than doing the needful, various agencies are selling the dry water bodies to private
companies


























Most lakes in Delhi are rapidly turning into sewage ponds. Rather than doing the needful, various agencies are selling the dry water bodies to private companies

Bhalaswa Lake in the north has turned into a sewage pond. 

Neela Hauz Lake in the south and Sanjay Lake in the east are going the same way. 

The Kakkadooma Lake in the north, which used to recharge ground water, has been converted into the Ambedkar Park. 

Not surprisingly, environmentalists have raised their voices about the gradual loss of water bodies, which are essential to maintain the groundwater levels. 

"Water bodies are part of the natural water chain on which an entire ecosystem is dependent. Once these natural catchments and reservoirs are destroyed, the chain is broken," said Ravi Agrawal, director of Toxics Link, an NGO.

"Water bodies also contribute to keeping up a healthy groundwater table that has come under serious threat in the Capital. Delhi is already grappling with a serious water shortage," he added. 

Between 1997 and 1998, a total of 21 water bodies had disappeared from the map of Delhi. Most of these were lakes, according to Ritu Singh, a scientist at the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). 

Plans to revive some of them never really took off. The DPGS took over two years to compile the list of water bodies under various agencies before conducting a survey to find out the current status of these reservoirs. 

"It was a tough process as we had to gather data from all the agencies. But now that we have an overall idea, we can formulate a plan. For instance, those that have become dry need greening around them for rejuvenation," said S.D. Singh, chief executive officer of the agency.

However, there seems to be no clear picture about the number of water bodies in the Capital.

"The Delhi High Court has over the years got several committees to short-list the total number of water bodies in the Capital. But most of them came up with different numbers," said Vinod Kumar Jain, who founded the NGO Tapas in 1996, and has been working towards saving the water bodies in and around Delhi. 

Dying a rapid death

From picturesque lake to dust bowl
By Ajay Kumar in Faridabad
It is impossible to imagine that what is now only a dry terrain in Faridabad was once the fascinating Badkhal Lake. But this is the reality, and it seems the Haryana government agencies are not bothered about it, even as environmentalists have flagged the condition of the water body. 

And not just Badkhal, the situation is equally grim for the Surajkund Lake which too, has dried up. It's a bleak story in Faridabad that has been hovering for the last 10 years, leading to gradual depletion of the water table.

Spread over three km, Badkhal Lake is now fully dependent on rainwater. But with sparse rainfall, the lake doesn't hold water round the year. 

And the government's apathy isn't helping either: besides impacting the local eco-system, tourism has been hit badly. Jakir Housain, a guide at Badkhal Lake, said tourists are no longer visiting the lake. 

A decade ago, the lake had a source of water from Baniya Khan area in the Aravalli Hills. But over the years, flow in the water channels has been disrupted due to digging. 

"Our tourism business has been severely affected. Only few tourists have been coming to this place for horse or camel riding. We had got a contract for `40,000 to run the business in the lake area, but we hardly earn anything," said another tourist guide, Javed Khan. 

The situation in Surajkund is slightly different. Though it has been dry for many years, the place now attracts visitors for cultural activities.

with thanks : Daily Mail : LINK

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Letter to Hon'ble LG of Delhi : Regular meetings at the DC office

Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Delhi
Raj Niwas: 6- Raj Niwas Marg,
Civil Lines, Delhi-110054 

Sub. : Regular meetings at the DC office

Dear Sir,
 
Under the Bhagidari scheme, we the RWAs of Delhi were regularly invited by the DC office, for a meeting with Area SDM, to look into the local issues.
 
But seems that BHAGIDARI scheme is no more into existence & therefore, we don’t think, that, they have any such instructions to call similar meetings.
 
May we request you to please look into it & instruct the concerned authorities to regularly call a meeting with local RWAs so that our civic issues could continuously be resolved, as earlier.
 
With best regards,
 
S Vohra
Voice of Delhi – A group of RWAs & like minded persons
East Delhi RWAs Joint Front – Federation
Krishna Nagar Welfare Society

Letter to Hon'ble LG of Delhi : Not to Discontinue the “Life Line Water Scheme” provided by the previous government in Delhi.

National Platform Against Water Privatisation (NPAWP)
Citizen’s Front for Water Democracy (CFWD)



To                                                                                                                    28th February 2014
Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Delhi
Raj Niwas: 6- Raj Niwas Marg,
Civil Lines, Delhi-110054                                   
                                                                                   
Subject:   Not to Discontinue the “Life Line Water Scheme” provided by the
                 previous government in Delhi.

Dear Sir,

We are quite disappointed to know through mainstream media that the “free of cost lifeline water scheme” started by the previous government in Delhi is at the threat of being discontinued from the next financial year (2014-15) starting from 1st of April. Under the scheme, people with metered connections are entitled to free water of up to 20,000 litres (20 Kl)per month.

It is quite strange that the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has put forward its demand to continue this scheme to the Central Government but the latter decided to do away with this subsidy in the Interim Budget for 2014-15. This indicate a thinly disguised attempt by the Central government to help the private water operators and to push the water privatization in Delhi which got impacted with the pronouncement of the free water scheme in Delhi. If this pro-public and environment friendly scheme be reversed; this will be a big blow to the fundamental human rights of the people for access to safe water as well as a big setback to the much-needed positive steps towards conservation of water through the lifeline water scheme.

Unfortunately, this disturbing news has come despite a clear direction from your office, after the review meeting with the Jal Board as well as Delhi governmental officials, where you clearly expressed that “none of the decision of the former government will be scrapped, including the scheme to provide 667 litres of free water daily for domestic consumption to each household having a meter. You also asked the officials to ensure that the scheme reaches its intended beneficiaries and is not misused by unscrupulous elements”. 

The CFWD and NPAWP have, time and again, demanded for supply of a minimum quantity of free of cost lifeline water to the citizens of India, particularly to the people of Delhi. In the Peoples Water Manifesto prepared by us just before the Assembly Election in five states in November – December 2013, we urged all the key political parties to give their commitment

to provide minimum quantity of free of cost potable water to each family member in those states in order to ensure water security along with the food security under the National Food Security Act 2013. We firmly believe that food security can’t be achieved without ensuring water security. Besides that we had also demanded for the setting up of a network of Piaos (Water kiosk) and public stand posts in different locations to restore the traditional service of free water supply to the people, especially the poor, homeless and other destitute communities on the roads or in jhuggi jhopries, as well as for passerby on the roads.

On 30th December 2013, the former government in Delhi made an unprecedented decision for supplying 20 Kilo-liters (KL) of “life line water” per family per month to each household ‘free of cost’.  We sincerely  believe that  this scheme would bring  multifold  benefits to water consumers in Delhi by ensuring their right to water besides promoting water conservation through reduction of water consumption by consumers in order to avail the benefit. This scheme would encourage DJB consumers to use precious water resource more cautiously and judiciously because every drop of piped water would count. In this age of high inflation and super increased water tariff, every household would try their best to conserve this important resource to keep their consumption below 20Kl to save money on their water bill. This may result in managing our existing water supplies more efficiently and it may also help to ensure better water supplies to water deficit areas in the city. However, if they fail to do so, the consumers would not only be deprived off the subsidy but would have to cough up much more even if they exceed their water usage by a liter and would come under the bracket of 21 Kl. This will also encourage non-metered consumers to get water meters installed to avail this benefit, thus would encourage better management and auditing of water supply in Delhi.

The ‘Lifeline Water Scheme’ will be a breakthrough for water conservation in Delhi. It would achieve what the previous governments failed to achieve even by spending crores of rupees to create awareness on water saving and water conservation through awareness drives and advertisements. We hope that this scheme will bring in incredible results on water saving through people’s self-governance on water use to avail this scheme. It is difficult to imagine how much water would be saved but the saved water would be lifeline for those who are not getting DJB water at present and can be supplied to water deficit areas.

We therefore sincerely urge you to please don’t discontinue the lifeline water scheme in Delhi in order to guarantee fundamental human rights to water and to ensure water security to the people of Delhi.

Yours’ sincerely,

SA Naqvi                                                                                                                 
Convenor, CFWD
National Coordinator, NPAWP