NEW DELHI, Aug 17: The Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the capital’s premier housing agency responsible for providing land for Government projects, is hankering for a piece of land to construct an entertainment club for its officials.
In 2005, the DDA had to vacate an ‘Officers Club’ situated at the Siri Fort complex, after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) took over the building citing the law that no recreational facility can function at a location which lies in the 100 metre perimeter of any heritage structure.
For the past three years hence, the DDA is on the look out for a prime location in the city to establish a centre for recreational activities, where families of staff members can meet.
The ASI at present is running a heritage museum for school children in the building.
"There should be a club for recreational activities, where families of staff members can meet and chat. After ASI took it over from us in 2005, we have no club for our people," a senior DDA official said.
Staff members have requested the management to provide them with a new alternative club, for which the agency is preparing the proper policy framework, the official said.
The club will have various social and recreational activities such as training sessions for employees in morning.
The official said it is an "irony" that an agency which provides housing facilities for residents all over the capital is "unable" to find a location to establish a social and recreational activities hub for its officers. (PTI)
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
DDA TO FACE STAFF CRUNCH BEFORE COMMONWEALTH GAMES
New Delhi, Aug 10: Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the owner of the land where the Commonwealth Games village is coming up, may face shortage of experienced staff before the commencement of the mega event in 2010 with nearly 50 percent of its employees retiring over the next two years.About 600 gazetted officials or 50 per cent staff of the civic agency, who are looking after the preparations for the Commonwealth Games, will retire in the next two years prior to the extravaganza.
Key officials
The situation looks even more grim with the fact that the list includes over a dozen senior officials who are looking after the policies and planning to achieve the infrastructural targets."We are aware of the retirement issue and are looking at the options available with us to face the shortage of manpower. We know that there will be lack of some experienced hands but these retirements will not affect the preparations of the games at any cost," said a senior official of the civic agency.
Re-induction
The civic agency is also planning to re-induct some of its senior officials back into its fold, who had retired or will be retiring in the coming months. "We are thinking of re-inducting some of our seniors, who will retire in the coming months or had retired. Their experience will benefit us in the long run," the official added. (PTI)
MCD allocates Rs 300 cr for developing school infras
New Delhi, July 17: The MCD has allocated Rs 300 crore for developing infrastructure of its schools, many of which are at present operating from temporary sheds, tented accommodations or semi-pucca buildings.
Around 300 schools have already been identified for the job by a high-level committee of the Corporation which is now in the midst of preparing a detailed report on implementing the action plan.
"The fund will be utilised to develop concrete infrastructure in the schools that are presently running under temporary sheds, tents and semi-pucca buildings," Vijender Gupta, Chairman of MCD Standing Committee, said.
"We have already included this allocation of funds in our budget - both planned and non-planned," he said adding that tenders will be floated soon in this regard.
"Our high-level committee has already worked out the process of floating tenders and are in talks with some leading corporate houses," said Gupta.
Keeping the next year as a deadline, the civic body will start distributing funds once all formalities are complete.
"Though we already have security guards in some of our schools, now we are taking steps to deploy security personnel in each educational institution to ensure safety of the students," Gupta added. (PTI)
Around 300 schools have already been identified for the job by a high-level committee of the Corporation which is now in the midst of preparing a detailed report on implementing the action plan.
"The fund will be utilised to develop concrete infrastructure in the schools that are presently running under temporary sheds, tents and semi-pucca buildings," Vijender Gupta, Chairman of MCD Standing Committee, said.
"We have already included this allocation of funds in our budget - both planned and non-planned," he said adding that tenders will be floated soon in this regard.
"Our high-level committee has already worked out the process of floating tenders and are in talks with some leading corporate houses," said Gupta.
Keeping the next year as a deadline, the civic body will start distributing funds once all formalities are complete.
"Though we already have security guards in some of our schools, now we are taking steps to deploy security personnel in each educational institution to ensure safety of the students," Gupta added. (PTI)
MCD asks schools to re-draw their parking policies
NEW DELHI, JUL 20: To ease the increasing traffic chaos in the capital, the MCD has decided to ask all city schools to re-draw their existing parking policies failing which the civic body may contemplate strict action.
The MCD will also ask under-construction schools to give first priority to parking space in their premises, Standing Committee Chairman Vijender Kumar Gupta said.
Earlier this week, MCD had written a letter to Police Commissioner Y S Dadwal, asking him to instruct schools to park their private vehicles, including those driven by parents dropping or picking up their children, inside the premises.
"We will ask all the schools, including the under-construction ones to re-draw their existing parking policies. We want them to seriously address this issue as it is leading to inconvenience to commuters," Gupta said.
"We want schools to take some concrete steps in this direction. If they fail to do so, then we will see whether strict steps are required to be taken. Let us give them (schools) their own time to take action," said Gupta.
Long queues of school buses and private vehicles in the morning and afternoon have led to long-stretched traffic jams with residents of the locality and other commuters finding it difficult to drive on the roads in front of the schools.
Resident Welfare Associations have long been asking the civic body to redress the issue.
"We had on a number of occasions discussed the issue with RWAs. After reviewing the situation, we had written a letter to the Police Commissioner," Gupta said, adding that most of the RWAs have welcomed the proposal saying it would help in reducing traffic congestion.
Gupta, however, admitted that the initial response from the schools have not been favourable and they seem reluctant to implement the proposal of parking inside the premises.
"We are looking at the responses from the side of the schools, which according to initial reports have not been able to develop a consensus on the issue. But, let them take their own time and decisions," Gupta said.
The MCD in its letter to the Police Commissioner had also asked the schools to make full use of land available with them and convert them into parking lots.
Police have reacted positively to the letter and asked school principals during meetings to regulate traffic at both the picking-up and dropping time of students. (PTI)
The MCD will also ask under-construction schools to give first priority to parking space in their premises, Standing Committee Chairman Vijender Kumar Gupta said.
Earlier this week, MCD had written a letter to Police Commissioner Y S Dadwal, asking him to instruct schools to park their private vehicles, including those driven by parents dropping or picking up their children, inside the premises.
"We will ask all the schools, including the under-construction ones to re-draw their existing parking policies. We want them to seriously address this issue as it is leading to inconvenience to commuters," Gupta said.
"We want schools to take some concrete steps in this direction. If they fail to do so, then we will see whether strict steps are required to be taken. Let us give them (schools) their own time to take action," said Gupta.
Long queues of school buses and private vehicles in the morning and afternoon have led to long-stretched traffic jams with residents of the locality and other commuters finding it difficult to drive on the roads in front of the schools.
Resident Welfare Associations have long been asking the civic body to redress the issue.
"We had on a number of occasions discussed the issue with RWAs. After reviewing the situation, we had written a letter to the Police Commissioner," Gupta said, adding that most of the RWAs have welcomed the proposal saying it would help in reducing traffic congestion.
Gupta, however, admitted that the initial response from the schools have not been favourable and they seem reluctant to implement the proposal of parking inside the premises.
"We are looking at the responses from the side of the schools, which according to initial reports have not been able to develop a consensus on the issue. But, let them take their own time and decisions," Gupta said.
The MCD in its letter to the Police Commissioner had also asked the schools to make full use of land available with them and convert them into parking lots.
Police have reacted positively to the letter and asked school principals during meetings to regulate traffic at both the picking-up and dropping time of students. (PTI)
Delhi University becomes experimental ground for 'spying' skills'
New Delhi, June 22: Delhi University has become an experimental ground for all detective theories of Sherlock Holmes with parents first beginning to spy on their wards and the new generation striking back to find out the "spy masters" roaming in their campus.
This year the Delhi University saw many of the "spy students" hired by private detective agencies being roped in by parents to keep an eye on their wards. However, the new generation went a step ahead and approached other detective agencies to find out whether they were being spied upon.
Growing number of students are visiting detective agencies and are offering handsome amount to them to know whether their parents have hired any "spy students", mainly girls, to keep a watch on their activities.
Also in the news: Karunanidhi to mediate between Congress and Left Column: Don’t link Sarabjit Singh with Afzal Guru
"Many students have approached us to find out whether their parents have hired any detective agency to spy on them," Kunwar Vikram Singh, President of Association of Detective Agencies of India, said adding, he was looking into some of such cases himself. "They are offering handsome amounts to us to take up their cases and to check whether spies are following them or not and if yes, then what information they have gathered," Singh said.
"After hearing about spying in campus, I became suspicious about my parents as for the last few days, they had started asking a lot of questions about my friends' circle and hangouts," says Ritesh (name changed), a student of Ramjas college. "Smelling something wrong, I visited one of the detective agencies and asked them to find out whether my parents have hired someone spy on me. To my shock I found that they have," Ritesh said.
A large number of parents in the capital have engaged private detectives to track their children's movements in and outside their campuses.
"Our office receives 100 calls a day on an average from concerned parents, who want to hire us to know about their child's activities. They are ready to pay any amount of money to us. Our business has grown by 50-60 per cent after this," Singh said.
"We are also receiving calls from many corporate houses to send these girl detectives to their offices to find out any corrupt activities."
The detectives also stumbled upon some frightening cases, with drug abuse, alcohol and blackmailing being involved, leading to serious consequences for the students.
"Our detectives cracked a case where a north campus (Delhi University) girl from a decent family got involved with some people, who used to throw late night parties at a farm house in Chhatarpur area of the city. They provide girls alcohol and drugs and have fun with them," Singh said.
"When this girl's parents came to know about her frequent late night hangouts, they approached us and when one of our campus detectives revealed all information about her, they were shocked to know that she has become a part of a drug abuse racket.
"We rescued 10-15 other girls of DU campus from the racket and the person running it was handed over to the police," he said.
With the new admission season going on, the spy girls too have taken a break.
"As soon as the new session begins, more girls will be hired by us and our work will go on," Singh added. (PTI)
This year the Delhi University saw many of the "spy students" hired by private detective agencies being roped in by parents to keep an eye on their wards. However, the new generation went a step ahead and approached other detective agencies to find out whether they were being spied upon.
Growing number of students are visiting detective agencies and are offering handsome amount to them to know whether their parents have hired any "spy students", mainly girls, to keep a watch on their activities.
Also in the news: Karunanidhi to mediate between Congress and Left Column: Don’t link Sarabjit Singh with Afzal Guru
"Many students have approached us to find out whether their parents have hired any detective agency to spy on them," Kunwar Vikram Singh, President of Association of Detective Agencies of India, said adding, he was looking into some of such cases himself. "They are offering handsome amounts to us to take up their cases and to check whether spies are following them or not and if yes, then what information they have gathered," Singh said.
"After hearing about spying in campus, I became suspicious about my parents as for the last few days, they had started asking a lot of questions about my friends' circle and hangouts," says Ritesh (name changed), a student of Ramjas college. "Smelling something wrong, I visited one of the detective agencies and asked them to find out whether my parents have hired someone spy on me. To my shock I found that they have," Ritesh said.
A large number of parents in the capital have engaged private detectives to track their children's movements in and outside their campuses.
"Our office receives 100 calls a day on an average from concerned parents, who want to hire us to know about their child's activities. They are ready to pay any amount of money to us. Our business has grown by 50-60 per cent after this," Singh said.
"We are also receiving calls from many corporate houses to send these girl detectives to their offices to find out any corrupt activities."
The detectives also stumbled upon some frightening cases, with drug abuse, alcohol and blackmailing being involved, leading to serious consequences for the students.
"Our detectives cracked a case where a north campus (Delhi University) girl from a decent family got involved with some people, who used to throw late night parties at a farm house in Chhatarpur area of the city. They provide girls alcohol and drugs and have fun with them," Singh said.
"When this girl's parents came to know about her frequent late night hangouts, they approached us and when one of our campus detectives revealed all information about her, they were shocked to know that she has become a part of a drug abuse racket.
"We rescued 10-15 other girls of DU campus from the racket and the person running it was handed over to the police," he said.
With the new admission season going on, the spy girls too have taken a break.
"As soon as the new session begins, more girls will be hired by us and our work will go on," Singh added. (PTI)
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Want to get married, a detective may be probing your life
New Delhi, July 13 : Prospective grooms and brides, beware. Private detectives are keeping an eye on your past and present. With matrimonial websites and agencies now coming up, parents are increasingly roping in detective agencies to crosscheck the veracity of claims made by prospective grooms and brides. The "investigations" include whether the to-be groom or bride had any "intimate" relationship with anyone, their activities after working hours, educational background and health. "The trend has been increasing like anything where parents are mostly concerned about prospective match's moral character and relationship status," CEO, Indian Detective Agency, Sanjay Singh, said. With marriages increasingly being fixed through the Internet instead of traditional networks, the need for such hired personnel to verify the credentials of prospective better-halves has increased, he said. "Earlier family friends and neighbours frequently acted as middlemen or mediators in the process of matchmaking. As a result the reliability was high," said Singh. "The trend of independent verification has increased now with more and more websites and agencies coming into play in the business of matchmaking as their clients are being presented in an attractive manner by hiding vital information," Kunwar Vikram Singh, Chairman of Association of Private Detective Body of India, noted. While a clean professional and personal character is what most parents look for, in many cases they also want to know whether the concerned boy or girl was involved with someone. "Moral behaviour on part of the prospective match is of paramount importance to families, who often seek information regarding activities after working hours," Vikram said. "We put the concerned person under constant surveillance and station people to monitor their hang-out joints and late night destinations. We also monitor their associations with friends of opposite sex to get a reasonable view of their behaviour," Vikram added. The detectives, on a look-out trail also keep a tab on the number of visits made by the person to his or her doctor. The instances of the surveillance yielding negative results are substantial, Vikram claimed, adding that 20 to 30 per cent of the people scanned fail to cross the "morality metre". "The percentage is really high, where we find boy or girl still maintaining their past relationships after getting engaged. We generally advice prospective in-laws not to go ahead with the alliance based on our findings," Vikram said. "We are also concerned about the lives of the children getting married as parents do. We also want these people to live happily after marriage. So, we put every effort of ours to gather as much information as possible," said Singh.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Sush to tickle funny bones in "Do Knot Disturb"
New Delhi, July 2: Well-known Bollywood actress and former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen is all set to break her almost year-long absence from the silver screen with David Dhawan's comedy Do Knot Disturb, where she plays an "unusual" role.
The sensuous actress, known as "Sush" among her fans, is all upbeat about the movie and says she is playing a very "unusual character".
"It is out-and-out an entertaining film with comedy king Govinda in it. It will turn out to be a laugh riot for cine lovers," says Sushmita.
"I am playing a very unusual character and people will love it," says Sushmita, whose co-stars in the film are Riteish Deshmukh, Rajpal Yadav, Ranbir Shorey and Sohail Khan.
This is also for the very first time she will be working with another beauty queen -- Lara Dutta -- in a film.
Asking about her long absence from the silver screen, Sush says there were some personal matters apart from her own production film Rani Laxmi Bai, whose research work and scripting took away most of her time.
"There were some personal issues, which are nothing to talk about. Also there is this film Rani Laxmi Bai, whose research work took almost a year and then scripting took another six months to finish as you can't take chances with a brave character like her, when you are making a film on her," Sushmita says.
The sensuous actress, known as "Sush" among her fans, is all upbeat about the movie and says she is playing a very "unusual character".
"It is out-and-out an entertaining film with comedy king Govinda in it. It will turn out to be a laugh riot for cine lovers," says Sushmita.
"I am playing a very unusual character and people will love it," says Sushmita, whose co-stars in the film are Riteish Deshmukh, Rajpal Yadav, Ranbir Shorey and Sohail Khan.
This is also for the very first time she will be working with another beauty queen -- Lara Dutta -- in a film.
Asking about her long absence from the silver screen, Sush says there were some personal matters apart from her own production film Rani Laxmi Bai, whose research work and scripting took away most of her time.
"There were some personal issues, which are nothing to talk about. Also there is this film Rani Laxmi Bai, whose research work took almost a year and then scripting took another six months to finish as you can't take chances with a brave character like her, when you are making a film on her," Sushmita says.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Sorry, no blogging for me: Hrithik
NEW DELHI: Bollywood's heartthrob Hrithik Roshan has distanced himself from the war of blogs, which have Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan as their main warriors, saying that he has no plans to start his own blog.
"I am not interested in blogging and don't want to comment or join the war of blogs. Sorry, no blogging for me," says Hrithik.
"I am enjoying my fatherhood these days and very soon will be busy with my next project 'Kites' to be shot outdoor extensively. I am not giving any serious thought to blogging given my busy schedule. As for the future, I can't say," he says.
Hrithik, who reportedly for the very first time in his career plays a "raunchy" role in his dad's next "Kites" says, it's too early to talk about the movie as shooting is yet to start.
"Shooting will start from the next month and it's too early to talk about it at this stage," says the actor, who made his film debut with the blockbuster 'Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai' (2000).
"This movie will take a year or so to get completed and I will have more to talk about it after its completion," he says.
The movie, starring US-based Spanish model Barbara Mori and Kangana Ranaut in the lead is about the romantic engagements between an Indian boy and a Latino girl who do not speak each other's language, in which Hrithik plays a man who keeps oscillating between love and lust.
The movie to be shot mostly in New Mexico, Las Vegas and Los Angeles will be directed by Anurag Basu with music by Rajesh Roshan.
"I am not interested in blogging and don't want to comment or join the war of blogs. Sorry, no blogging for me," says Hrithik.
"I am enjoying my fatherhood these days and very soon will be busy with my next project 'Kites' to be shot outdoor extensively. I am not giving any serious thought to blogging given my busy schedule. As for the future, I can't say," he says.
Hrithik, who reportedly for the very first time in his career plays a "raunchy" role in his dad's next "Kites" says, it's too early to talk about the movie as shooting is yet to start.
"Shooting will start from the next month and it's too early to talk about it at this stage," says the actor, who made his film debut with the blockbuster 'Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai' (2000).
"This movie will take a year or so to get completed and I will have more to talk about it after its completion," he says.
The movie, starring US-based Spanish model Barbara Mori and Kangana Ranaut in the lead is about the romantic engagements between an Indian boy and a Latino girl who do not speak each other's language, in which Hrithik plays a man who keeps oscillating between love and lust.
The movie to be shot mostly in New Mexico, Las Vegas and Los Angeles will be directed by Anurag Basu with music by Rajesh Roshan.
Boys beware! Spy girls are watching
NEW DELHI: College students, if you are lying to your family about your whereabouts, beware! Your parents may outsmart you by hiring "spy girls" to keep an eye on you. A large number of parents in the capital are taking help of private detectives to track their children's movements. "In most colleges of Delhi, there are girls who work as a campus detective on a part-time basis. These girls are trained by us to carry out their operation secretly", said Kunwar Vikram Singh, President, Association of Detective Agencies of India. "These girls are generally college students, so it's easy for them to enter campuses. All they have to do is to get involved in group activities, so as to track a certain person's activities and pass on the details to us. We arrange all the information obtained and give it to the students parents," Vikram said. The demand for these girl detectives was felt because parents wanted to know about the activities of their wards in and around the campus. "Most of the parents who approach us are concerned about their ward's portrayal of different character inside and outside home", said Sanjay Singh, CEO, Indian Detective Agency. "These girl detectives get into the group with which their subject hangs around. Any undesirable relationship, drug abuse or alcohol, late night hanging out with friends is tracked with the help of these girls." Singh added. These girls are picked up by the agencies through secret sources in the campuses or by publishing advertisements in the newspapers. The agencies then assign work to these girls according to the requirements as laid out by the parents of the boy who will be under observation. "The girls earn handsome amount, ranging between Rs 8,000- Rs 12,000 depending upon the period of their operation", Vikram said. These detectives also undergo a training session on how to carry out the spying without revealing any detail. Detective agencies have their own training module, which could span from three to four months or may be 20 to 30 hours depending on the assignment, he added. But what about the safety of these girl detectives? "The safety and security of girls is of paramount importance. But the girls themselves are very smart and their track record of success is 100 per cent," Singh added. So, are the parents of these girls informed? "Parents of these girls are generally informed about their daughter's vocation,and if their is any communication gap we encourage girls to clear out things with them so as to avoid future problems and girls backing out at last moment," Vikram added.
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