Court pulls up DDA over delay in allotting plots
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court Wednesday pulled up the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for an over 30-year delay in allotting plots to around 25,000 applicants in a housing scheme.The court was hearing a bunch of petitions filed by applicants of north Delhi’s Rohini Residential Scheme, 1981.”It is pathetic to hear that some of the applicants have even died,” a division bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna said, adding that the vice chairman of DDA will have to take the responsibility.”You file an affidavit about your layout plan and specify the reasons as to why they have not got their plots during last three decades,” the court said, asking the DDA to file its response within three weeks.The court came down heavily on the housing agency saying that the DDA was only making verbal assurances but had not proceeded in making any layout plan.”We are not at all satisfied with the submission made by the DDA,” said the court.The court asked the authority if it was right to say that it took two-and-half years just to clear a layout plan.”You sit on your drawing board and fetch your plan by Sep 7, the next date of hearing in the case,” said the bench.Earlier, the bench questioned as to how the DDA could undertake various other housing projects, carry out draw of lots and even hand over many flats to cooperative group housing societies in Rohini after 1981.”Shouldn’t these people on waiting list have been given priority,” the bench asked.(IANS)
PM’s statement on Hazare disappointing: Nitish
PATNA:Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Wednesday said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement in parliament regarding the police action against anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare was “disappointing”. “PM Singh has disappointed me and all by his statement in parliament,” Kumar said.Earlier in the day, Manmohan Singh had said: “The path he (Anna) has chosen to impose his draft of a bill upon parliament is totally misconceived and fraught with grave consequences for our parliamentary democracy.”Nitish Kumar said that it was not expected from the prime minister as he is considered above petty politics.”It is beyond comprehension what threat the movement launched by Hazare has to the government. Everybody has the right to protest democratically in a non-violent way,” he said.Nitish alleged that central government was trying to suppress a peaceful and democratic movement. “The central government was afraid of the massive support to Anna’s movement against corruption across the country” he said.Kumar said powerful people in the government must see the writing on the wall. “Any government cannot deprive people of their right of protest in a democracy,” he said.Nitish Kumar said that police action against Anna Hazare reminded of the emergency period in 1974.(IANS)
Hasan Ali’s wife moves court against proceedings
MUMBAI:Pune-based Stud farm owner Hasan Ali Khan’s wife Rheema Khan on Wednesday moved an application before the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court seeking quashing of the proceedings initiated against her. Hasan Ali Khan is accused of stashing away black money in foreign banks besides tax evasion. In her application, Rheema pleaded she sought to quash proceedings initiated against her after she did not reply to summons. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleged that Khan and Kolkata-based businessman Kashinath Tapuriah had laundered billions of dollars in foreign banks, of which a large chunk was obtained by Khan through the sale of weapons to international arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi. Tapuriah had also allegedly helped Khan in scurrying some contracts for supply of scrap to some top steel companies. Khan is facing the charge of stashing away billions of dollars in foreign banks with the help of Tapuriah. He is also facing charges for evading tax to the tune of Rs 70,000 crore. (PTI)
6 prisoners, including 2 Maoists, escape from jail
JAMSHEDPUR:Six prisoners, including two hardcore Maoists, escaped from high security Saraikela Jail Wednesday evening after overpowering the jailer.Superintendent of Police Abhishek Kumar told UNI over phone that Maoist ultra Sumra Hansda, involved in 30 criminal cases, and another hardcore Naxalite Balram Sahu, who was recently brought on transit from Ranchi, overpowered the jailer on gunpoint and ran away from the main gate.Four other inmates also escaped during the chaos.Police has sealed the borders of the Saraikela-Khasawan district and efforts were on to nab the runaway prisoners.The whole episode was also being investigated.In a similar incident, three hardcore Naxalites had escaped from Chaibasa prison of neigbbouring West Singhbhum district after cutting the window rods. (UNI)