Police Protection to children of VIPs, and others

It is indeed heartening to note how the children of VIPs are protected

Two grilled for driving close to Priyanka’s motorcade

Police interrogated two young men for over three hours when they accidentally drove close to the convoy of Priyanka Gandhi and her husband Robert Vadra near Safdarjung’s tomb early Sunday. One of the Personal Security Officers (PSO) made a call to the police that a white Santro car was “following them” and they anticipated threat from it.

Police said when a PSO noticed that the white Santro (DL 9CG-0091) was following them from Delhi Haat and also overtook the security cavalcade near Safdarjung Tomb, the PSOs got into action, intercepted the car and forced it to a stop.The two men were handed over to the police.

Priyanka Gandhi and Robert Vadra were on their way home when the incident occurred around 1 am. The PSOs questioned the two men thoroughly before handing them over to the police.

The two men identified as Arun and Jayant were taken to Tughlak Road Police Station, where they were grilled for more than three hours. The two men live in Saket.

Arun is a law student, while Jayant works for a private firm. No case has been registered.

Police said it was routine questioning and they were released soon. The two men told the police they were on their way to India Gate and had no clue they were moving parallel with the Vadras and their security convoy.

‘46 Gzb, Noida kids go missing in 60 days’

3 Jun 2008, 0431 hrs IST,Sapna Verma,TNN
More than 46 children have gone missing in Ghaziabad and Noida in the last two months. This is claimed by an NGO, Naujawan Bharat Sabha, which has alleged a huge trafficking racket, in a report.

The report is based on the figures obtained under the RTI Act. The maximum cases are reported from Nandgram, Harsh Vihar, Vijaynagar, Pratap Vihar, Sanjay Nagar, Raeespur, Mirzapur, Rahul Vihar, Khoda Tigri, Khadda, Arthala, Viklang colony, Ghukna, Deendayal Puri, Salarputi, Karheda, Shyam Park Extn, Budh Vihar, Navada, Pyarelal colony in Ghaziabad and Bhangel, Bishanpura, Mamura, Chotpur, Chhijarsi areas of Noida.

The report says that most of these children are from poor families, and when they complained to cops, it was alleged, they were turned away both in Noida and Ghaziabad. Nithari in Noida had witnessed a similar disappearance of children till the story of Surendra Koli and Moninder Singh Pandher emerged. The CBI is now investigating the matter.
President of the NGO Tapish Maindola said,” We have urged the Ghaziabad DM to take immediate action, but the attitude of the police remains negligent despite cases like Nithari. We demand that CBI take strict action against the police.”

The report says India is a target for criminals engaged in human trafficking for organs, child pornography and paedophiles. Gangs that abduct children for begging or selling them off are also active in NCR.

Ghaziabad SSP Deepak Rattan said, “Till now, the cases registered have not pointed towards human trafficking and the like. After the Nithari case, we are cautious.”

MLA: An exceptional one

This MLA picks up garbage, cleans drains

Bosco Dominique | TNN

Puducherry: N Anand, fondly called “Bussy” Anand, is a busy man. A firsttime MLA, he was elected from the Bussy assembly constituency in the Union territory in 2006 and hence the prefix. And when the 44-year-old legislator of Puducherry Munnetra Congress is not pushing for schemes, meeting voters or discussing local politics over a cuppa, he’s clearing garbage, cleaning clogged drains and spraying mosquito repellent across the town. And he does this with his own money, spending Rs 75,000 to Rs 85,000 every month from his earnings.

Anand’s dual role began nine years ago when, disappointed with the government’s slack conservancy work, he started a garbage collection unit of his own. Since then, he has been going to the ‘‘field’ himself, assisting a small team in spraying mosquito repellent, clearing blocks in drains and undertaking door-to-door collection of garbage from all households in his constituency.

When his nine-year-old unit launched an intensive cleaning campaign last week, the MLA was spotted going around in a spotless white shirt and pants with a mosquito repellent kit on his back, covering the thoroughfares of Puducherry. MLA’s ‘cleaning’ unit has 14 members
Puducherry: N Anand, a firsttime MLA, from the Bussy assembly constituency in Puducherry clears garbage, cleans clogged drains and sprays mosquito repellent across the town.

And he doesn’t do it for publicity: for long, he was neither given a party post nor a ticket while he was in Congress. But Anand plodded on with garbage-clearing, not letting the mess in the Congress stop him from cleaning the city. ‘‘The government is not effectively undertaking garbage clearance work,’’ he says, as he expertly sprays repellent on an open sewage drain. Anand’s unit, which started with a single tricycle and two men in 1999, has 14 members today, equipped with four tricycles and gadgets ‘‘to carry out our mission’’.

So much so that residents refuse to hand over garbage to the government conservancy staff and wait for Anand’s unit every morning. The members visit all households daily, barring Sundays, from 6am to 12 noon, and from 4pm to 6pm and collect segregated garbage. ‘‘People appreciated my work and rewarded me by electing me in 2006. I am grateful to them, but my garbage collection campaign will continue forever,’’ said the firsttime MLA.

‘‘The workers engaged by the municipality haven’t got their salaries for the past 11 months. They staged a token protest and are now threatening to go on indefinite strike. It is high time the municipality evolved a long-term plan for clearing garbage,’’ says the MLA.

Insurance: Some relief for customers:

No claim denial for concealing disease

New Delhi: Delhi Consumer Commission has held that insurance companies cannot deny mediclaims on grounds of concealment of pre-existing disease unless the insured person undergoes operation or remains in hospital just before purchasing a policy.
‘‘Until a person is hospitalised or undergoes operation in near proximity of obtaining mediclaim policy or a year or two before that, he is not supposed to disclose day to day problems or normal wear and tear particularly in modern times, where a person lives a stressful life,’’ said the Commission.

Coming down heavily on insurance companies for repudiating claims, commission President Justice J D Kapoor said,‘‘They cannot take advantage of its act of omissions and commissions as they are under an obligation to ensure, before issuing mediclaim policy, whether the person is fit to be insured or not.’’

The Commission’s observations came while dismissing Oriental Insurance Company Ltd’s appeal against a district forum order, directing it to pay, as compensation, Rs 1.07 lakh, inclusive of an insured amount of Rs one lakh, to one Mohinder Singh. Singh purchased the policy on July 10, 2000 for one year and was hospitalised following chest pain. The angioplasty carried on him cost Rs 1.34 lakh.

‘‘It appears that insurance companies do not properly discharge their obligation, since half the population is suffering from such malaise and they would be left with either no or very little business,’’ it said. PTI