NTPC to cut power supply to BSES discoms in Delhi from Sunday

New Delhi: State-run NTPC Ltd has decided to snap power supply to BSES discoms in eastern and central parts of Delhi from Sunday midnight because of non-payment of dues amounting to Rs.961.58 crore.

“A notice for regulation of power supply has been served on the BRPL & BYPL which will deprive Delhi of 445 MW of power with effect from 00:00 hrs of 5 September 2016,” NTPC Ltd said in press statement.

“Despite clear directions of the Supreme Court, the dues continued to accumulate. Today, the outstanding amounts are Rs.961.58 crore (Rs.695.25 crore of BRPL & Rs.266.33 crore of (BYPL),” it said.

NTPC Ltd’s arm Aravali Power Company Pvt Ltd (APCPL), Jhajjar has been supplying power to Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group’s BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd (BRPL) and BSES Yamuna Power Ltd (BYPL) since 5 March 2011. The power allocated to these discoms from APCPL is 445 MW (372 MW to BRPL and 73 MW to BYPL) and average monthly energy bill is about Rs.87 crore (Rs.73 crore to BRPL & Rs.14 crore to BYPL) for the current financial year.

The company said that the payments by the BSES discoms (power distribution companies) had become irregular for quite sometime. The matter was brought before the Supreme Court, which in its judgement dated 26 March 2014 directed the BSES discoms to ensure payments of all current energy bills from 1 January 2014. However, the company said that despite clear directions of the Supreme Court, the dues continued to accumulate.

In a meeting taken by Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) on 16 May 2016, both BRPL & BYPL had given plan for liquidation of outstanding dues based on which regulation notice issued by APCPL earlier on 6 May 2016 was withdrawn.

The company said that APCPL has to pay in advance to its fuel suppliers which constitute about 70-80% of its monthly energy bills. “If the above situation continues, APCPL being a single power station company is unable to meet any of its commitments inter alia including payment to fuel suppliers, debt servicing requirements and even payment of salaries to its employees. under the circumstances, APCPL has no other option but to regulate power on the BSES discoms,” it added.

A spokesperson for BSES said the company was under huge financial stress due to non liquidation of regulatory assets — costs not yet allowed to be passed on to consumers — estimated to be over Rs.16,000 crore as on 31 March 2016. As compared to this, dues payable by BSES to Aravali Power Company Private Limited (APCL) are around Rs.900 crore.

The spokesperson said that payment of dues to power utilities by BSES discoms was sub judice in the Supreme Court. The judgement in the matter is reserved since February 2015.

“BSES discoms are also making concerted endeavour to address the situation and clear pending dues in a just and equitable manner. Moreover, BSES discoms have sufficient power at their disposal and the regulation will not have any impact whatsoever on the power supply situation in the city,” said the person.

(Reliance Group companies have sued HT Media Ltd, Mint’s publisher, and nine others in the Bombay high court over a 2 October 2014 front-page story that they have disputed. HT Media is contesting the case.)

with thanks : Live Mint : LINK

जागो दिल्ली जागो !

जॉन केरी ने आज दिल्ली वालों को सल्यूट कर दिया कि इतने जल भराव के बाद भी, इतने ट्रॅफिक जाम के बाद भी वो लोग IIT पहुँचे हुए थे. जॉन केरी ने पूछा की क्या आप लोग आज नाव से आए हैं. समझ नही आता की जॉन केरी के इस सल्यूट पर हमे खुश होना चाहिए की उन्होने हमारी बहादुरी व जिंदादिली की तारीफ की या फिर शर्म आनी चाहिए कि आज़ादी के इतने सालों के बाद भी हम किस तरह की जिंदगी गुज़ार रहे हैं. कैसे पिछले 20 - 25 सालों से लगातार हर बार, हर मानसून मे दिल्ली का यही हाल होता है. जागो दिल्ली जागो !

A Gold Medal atlast. That must be the spirit : HT

डेंगू - चिकनगुनया : आख़िर क्यों सरकारों को शर्म नही आती ?

डेंगू और चिकनगुनया का दौर अब तेज हो रहा है. सरकारी अस्पतालों का तो हाल छोड़ो, प्राइवेट हॉस्पिटल्स मे भी लोगों की कतारें नज़र आ रही हैं. कासुआलिटी मे भी, बिना किसी रूम के, अगर आपको बेड मिल जाता है तो उसका चार्ज भी तीन हज़ार से उपर है और सारे दूसरे खर्चे, डॉक्टर्स के, टेस्ट्स के, दवाइयों इत्यादि के अलग से. अगर कहीं प्लटलेट्स की कमी हो गई तो 13,000 से लेकर 30,000 तक के दाम पर भी आपको प्लटलेट्स के लिए धक्के खाने पड़ सकते हैं.

लेकिन इसके बाद भी अभी तक कोई फॉगिंग की शुरुआत नही हुई. अभी भी सरकारें सोई पड़ी है. लोग परेशान हैं, अस्पतालों की चाँदी हो रही है. लेकिन लगता है कि सरकारों की नींद सिर्फ़ तभी खुलेगी जब 25 - 50 लोग मर चुके होंगे. आख़िर क्यों सरकारों को शर्म नही आती ? क्यों ये चुने हुए नेता बातें बनाने के अलावा कुछ नही करते ?

दिल्ली मे MCD क्या कर रही है ?  LG साहिब किधर हैं ?  दिल्ली के CM किस कोने मे अपनी पार्टी का परचार कर रहे हैं ?  दिल्ली के हेल्थ मिनिस्टर किधर हैं ?  हमने दिल्ली के CM और हेल्थ मिनिस्टर को मेल डाल कर रिक्वेस्ट करी थी की प्लटलेट्स का दाम भी फिक्स कर दिया जाए, ताकि लोगों को डेंगू के इलाज मे आसानी हो सके, लेकिन अभी तक उस पर भी कोई action नही हुआ. सिर्फ़ हमारी मेल को हेल्थ डिपार्टमेंट मे फॉर्वर्ड कर दिया गया.

हमारे नेताओं को शर्म आती हो या नही लेकिन अब हमे शर्म आने लगी है कि कैसे हम लोग इन ब्लेम गेम खेलने वाले लोगों को चुन कर सत्ता मे बिठा देते हैं. ये लोग हमेशा दूसरे पर ब्लेम कर के अपना पल्ला झाड़ लेते हैं. लेकिन कब तक ये दिल्ली वालों को बेवकूफ़ बनाते रहेंगे या फिर दूसरे शब्दों मे, कब तक दिल्ली वाले इस तरह से बेवकूफ़ बनते रहेंगे और डेंगू चिकनगुनया जैसी बीमारियों से  मरते रहेंगे ?

B S Vohra
www.RWABhagidari.com

JIO CHALLENGE : How long these mobile companies will keep on looting INDIANS ?

Reliance JIO introduced its new sim at the Lowest price & AIRTEL slashed its data charges significantly. Just a few months ago, same Airtel & Vodafone had increased the data charges significantly. My very simple question to the Ministry of Communications : How long these mobile companies ( Airtel, Voda, Idea etc. ) will keep on looting INDIANS?  Is there no check, no control on them ?

To shield voters, booth - wise results to remain a secret : TOI

Dear Friends,

In August 2013 I had mailed the trailing mail ......... Times of India had covered the story : 

Booth-wise poll results open to manipulation: Civil society

NEW DELHI: As the election commission declares results booth-wise, civil society members fear that the upcoming assembly polls are not going to be free and fair as there is enough scope for manipulation.

"The secrecy of the ballot is a farce. For any political party, it is easy to identify group of voters who didn't vote for them as election results are declared booth-wise," said Rajiv Kakria, president of GK1 RWA.

Civil society members allege that it is easy for political parties to indulge in votebank politics and manage the votes, especially of people belonging to the economically weaker section of the society.

"As it is easy to identify groups of houses in a locality who voted for a certain party, this information is used to intimidate poor living in slums. The electronic voting machines of a constituency should be jumbled up so that it becomes impossible to find out voting pattern," said Kakria, who has written to the lieutenant governor, Lokayukta and cabinet secretary among others in this regard.

Chetna, a Delhi-based NGO, has written to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Vijay Dev, Delhi's chief electoral officer, to discontinue the practice of declaring results booth-wise. "We have also sought an appointment with Dev to discuss the issue. If we want free and fair elections in the city, then this practice has to be stopped immediately," said Anil Sood, president of Chetna.

While the civil society is pushing for its quick implementation, Dev is not certain whether it can be done in time for the elections. "We are aware of the problem and have discussed the matter with the Election Commission of India. This is a policy matter and I can't say if any change will be possible in the coming assembly polls," he said.

It is learnt that ECI has recommended a change to the Centre as part of reforms in the electoral process. But a final decision in this regard is yet to be taken.

Meanwhile, civil society members have decided to file a PIL in the Delhi high court in case the change is not implemented in the upcoming polls.

Thereafter together with CHETNA (NGO) filed a PIL in the Delhi High Court which on 19-12-2013 passed an order stating ..... "We hope and expect that the concerned authorities shall take necessary decision as early as possible." (Court Order Attached)

Todays Times of India has given us the good news :

With best regards,

Rajiv Kakria

Navjot Singh Sidhu's fate is a reminder that AAP exists only to serve Arvind Kejriwal

It can be safely assumed that Arvind Kejriwal doesn't venture out of home at an hour when shadows start becoming longer.

So insecure is the AAP leader that he may be mortally scared of his own shadow growing taller than him, making him look puny in comparison.

In Punjab, Kejriwal's defining trait —  insecurity typical of a man who has achieved more than he deserves — is once again on display, being played out in public in all its ugliness, leading to backroom intrigues, betrayals and fights that could put crabs to shame.

Kejriwal's latest victim, in a series of casualties, is former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu, who finds himself adrift after being jettisoned by the AAP and encouraged to jump the BJP ship without a life jacket.

Kejriwal was reportedly unwilling to let Sidhu become the face of the party in Punjab and thus overshadow him. Scared of Sidhu's popularity, Kejriwal reneged on the promises he had made to the cricketer, turning the cricketer into the proverbial washerman's canine.In July, when Sidhu resigned from the Rajya Sabha, it was assumed he would become the AAP's CM candidate or star campaigner. After dropping hints that Sidhu will soon join the AAP, earlier this month Kejriwal publicly shut the door on Sidhu, tweeting that the former cricketer needs more time to make up his mind.

It is strange that Sidhu took a rash decision. Cricketers are trained to leave their crease only when they are sure of completing the run. But, Sidhu made a dash for it without watching the batsman at the other end, finding himself stranded in the middle.

Several years ago, Sidhu retired midway through India's tour of England, walking out of the team one fine morning and taking a flight back home from Heathrow. He paid a heavy price for his indiscretion and gradually disappeared from the cricket stage. Unfortunately, Sidhu did not learn from the mistake.

Left with no option, Sidhu is now reportedly negotiating a deal with the Congress.

According to The New Indian Express, he may soon meet Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and talk about his induction into the party. As part of the deal, Sidhu may get to contest for Parliament on the Congress ticket from Amritsar. His wife may also be promised an important post, in case the Congress wins the Assembly elections in Punjab.

Sidhu's fate is another reminder of the fact that the AAP exists only to serve Kejriwal and his clique. It is a one-man act, produced and directed by Kejriwal with his toadies providing the adulatory chorus. Such is the psychology of the party "with a difference" that it doesn't want anybody to become Kejriwal's equal.

The problem with outfits run by insecure dictators is that they are as bad as their leader: Edgy, nervous and freaked out by constant fears of becoming irrelevant or getting eclipsed. Since its inception, the AAP has always been at war with its own members, leading to recriminations, fights and expulsions. Almost every other leader who acquires some sort of stature ultimately gets thrown out, either through a sting, taped conversation or the farcical expedient of an internal probe.

It is almost a given that anybody whom Kejriwal embraces ultimately gets stabbed, unless of course he is part of his core group of sycophants defined by their lack of public stature and, thus, condemned to be at the leader's mercy and destined to be his drumbeaters.

Punjab shows why AAP is almost like a snake pit. Two of its four members of Parliament have been suspended from the party for dissent. Its convenor Sucha Singh Chhotepur has been sacked after being caught in a sting — the favourite weapon of war within AAP. The only politician, ironically, who has been able to thrive and survive is a stand up comic suspected of alcohol addiction, MP Bhagwant Mann.

Chhotepur's case, in fact, is weird. In Indian politics, stings are generally conducted by rival parties for electoral gains. Chhotepur, ironically, has been trapped allegedly by his own party. This has lead to a farcical situation where his own party is condemning him while rivals like Captain Amarinder Singh are vouching for Chhotepur's integrity.

The backstory of Chhotepur's ouster is an encore of the drama that preceded the eviction of AAP's founding members Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav. Like Yadav and Bhushan, the Punjab convener is also believed to have had dissented with Kejriwal on several issues, including distribution of tickets. Like them, he has also been allegedly taught a lesson.

In a short span of three years, the AAP has several splits, dozens of public fights and has run up a long list of leaders sacrificed at the altar of Kejriwal's ego, ambition and insecurity.

Every few months, the AAP comes up with fresh evidence that it has turned into a deranged entity that needs to gobble up its own tail for fear of becoming too long.

It is an ailment that reflects Kejriwal's fear of shadows, including his own.

with thanks : FIRSTPOST : LINK

NOIDA : Mystery fever stalks Sarfabad, villagers say 12 deaths in 2 weeks

NOIDA: Sarfabad village near Noida's Sector 73 is in the grip of a mystery fever that, residents say, has claimed 12 lives over the past fortnight. The district administration on Thursday ordered a probe to determine if there's an outbreak of a disease and whether it is the cause of all the deaths.

Sukhveer Pahalwan, a Sarfabad resident and social activist said more than 100 people were suffering from fever in the village. "There is panic among locals. The administration should quickly control the situation," he said. Residents allege poor sanitation in the village has led to the situation. Sector 73 and its nearby urbanscape have big housing societies.

The victims are in the age group of 21-72 years. Vipin Sharma, 22, a BA second-year student of Government PG College, Noida, complained of mild fever on August 15 and his family admitted him to hospital, where he was given medicines. Shri Chand Sharma, his grandfather, said the hospital did not admit him because, according to the hospital authorities, he hadn't shown serious symptoms other than fever.

"On August 16 morning, Vipin suddenly complained of severe chest pain. All family members were just planning to take him to a hospital when he collapsed on the bed and died," Shri Chand said. The sudden death did not give time to the family to rush him to hospital.

with thanks : TOI : LINK

DISCOM MOVES DERC AGAINST PENALTY ON POWER OUTAGES

NEW DELHI: Power distribution company, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited, has filed a detailed petition in the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC), highlighting practical and technical hurdles in implementing penalty on unscheduled outages.

A DERC notification in June stated that the discoms will have to compensate consumers for unscheduled power cuts, with penalties ranging from `25 to `100 per hour. Delhi LieutenantGovernor Najeeb Jung is yet to approve the notification.

The DERC had issued the order following directions from the Delhi government. The discom said the Delhi government’s orders are not binding on the power regulator.

The Delhi High Court had recently quashed the directions of the government where prior approval of the L-G was not taken before issuing them. However, a senior government official said the high court verdict will have no effect on the notification issued by the DERC, which the TPDDL has challenged.

“The high court cancelled only the directions issued by the government to the DERC under Section 108 of the Electricity Act. But the DERC on its own can issue notifications which it has and also placed it in the Assembly,” the official said.

Under the notification, the discoms – BSES Rajdhani, BSES Yamuna and Tata Power – have given a time frame within which a particular outage has to be fixed, failing which penalties will be imposed.

The default period shall be considered from the time the first someone registers a complaint till the supply is restored. In its petition, the TPDDL has said the proposals were not possible to adhere to.

The high court cancelled only the directions issued by the government to the DERC under Section 108 of the Electricity Act. But the DERC on its own can issue notifications which it has and also placed it in the Assembly.

A SENIOR OFFICIAL, Delhi government

With thanks : Hindustan Times

Dengue and Chikungunya: Symptoms and Dos and Don'ts : Times of India

NEW DELHI: Every monsoon, there is an increase in the number of people infected bydengue and chikungunya. Both are viral diseases transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. While a number of the symptomsassociated with the two diseases are similar, there exist some key differences.

Here are some key facts to keep in mind about the symptoms of dengue and chikungunya, and the preventive measures that can be taken to avoid infections.

DENGUE -SYMPTOMS

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the primary symptom of dengue is high fever, which occurs with at least two of the following symptoms: severe headache, severe eye pain, joint, muscle or bone pain, rash, mild bleeding from the nose or the gums, small spots caused by bleeding into the skin, and low white cell count.

The CDC advises that medical help be sought immediately if one of the following warning signs manifest themselves as the fever declines 3 to 7 days after the first symptoms appear: severe abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, red spots or patches on the skin, nasal bleeding, bleeding from the gums, vomiting blood, black, tarry stool, drowsiness, irritability, breathing trouble or pale, cold or clammy skin.

Severe dengue can entail plasma leakage leading to shock, hemorrhage (internal bleeding), and organ impairment. At this stage, the disease is potentially fatal.

CHIKUNGNYA - SYMPTOMS

Chikunguniya symptoms include high fever, severe joint pain, joint swellings, muscle pain, head-aches and rashes. It is mostly non-fatal.

DOs

1) Get plenty of rest, and consume fluids to avoid dehydration if you have the disease.

2) Get tested immediately if any of the symptoms above manifest themselves. If you have a high-grade fever for more than twenty four hours, go see a doctor.

3) Use mosquito nets and wear long sleeves and pants to avoid being bitten.

4) Keep your surroundings clean, and dispose of waste regularly.

DON'Ts

1) Aedes mosquitoes - which transmit both dengue and chikungunya - breed in clean water. So don't leave water in containers, coolers, flower pots and other such recipients exposed to the air. Don't let water stagnate anywhere in or near your home.

2) If you are using mosquito repellents, don't use them on children below two months of age. For children older than two months, use insect repellents containing 10% DEET.

3) Don't apply mosquito repellent on your palms, or near your eyes or mouth. ALWAYS read instructions before using repellents, especially those pertaining to infants, pregnant women, and breast-feeding mothers.

4) Mosquitos are attracted to dark colours, so avoid wearing dark-coloured clothes.

5) Don't wear tight clothes, for mosquitoes find it easier to bite through tight-fitting garments.

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With thanks : Times of India

'TERI' meet on segregation of Solid Waste in Delhi !