The rains over the past few weeks have triggered a spurt in vector-borne diseases in Delhi, with official figures indicating that malaria cases have doubled compared to last year.

New Delhi The Delhi government is drafting a new legislation that will provide a one-time amnesty to several illegal constructions, currently exempt from demolition on a temporary basis.

The Union government had cleared a special legislation in 2006, offering amnesty to thousands of illegal constructions that were in line to be sealed or razed. The Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act was passed by Parliament on May 19, 2006, and has been extended several times since — with the latest extension valid till December 31, 2014.

‘We have brought in stringent laws to check smoking in public places’

Members of various non-government organisations working in the area of tobacco control have demanded that Delhi too join the various States across the country and ban gutka/smokless tobacco products sale in the Capital which will have a direct health benefit for over 10 lakh gutka users specially youngsters. Voluntary Health Association of India executive director Bhavna Mukhopadhyay said: “We have met with the Delhi Chief Minister on Monday and asked her to consider the ban.

Government will incur an expenditure of Rs.150 crore

The Delhi Cabinet on Monday approved implementation of “Dilli Annashree Yojana”, which was announced in the State Budget 2012-13 and seeks to provide food security to two lakh vulnerable households not covered under the Below Poverty Line and Antodaya Anna Yojana schemes through cash transfers of Rs.600 per month each.

Pushing for a ban on manual cleaning of sewers, a committee formed by the city's SC/ST department has sought fixing of accountability of the chief engineers and agency officials engaging workers in

In a city where surveillance cameras are being sparingly used, the 17 cameras installed along the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor in South Delhi by the Delhi Multi-modal Integrated Transport System (DIMTS), primarily for traffic monitoring purposes, have regularly come to the rescue of policemen scouring for evidence in crimes where suspects have strayed on to these roads.

The cameras presently installed are basic-purpose pan-and-zoom ones that watch the traffic condition on the BRT corridor to suitably trigger the intelligent signalling system. They also help address traffic problems like spotting accidents and broke-down vehicles blocking traffic.

New Delhi The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notice to Delhi’s gas utility Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL) and the Centre on a petition challenging the Delhi High Court judgment that held that petroleum and natural gas regulator PNGRB has no jurisdiction to fix rates or regulate gas tariffs.

A bench headed by Justice KS Radhakrishnan sought reply from the ministry of petroleum and natural gas and IGL on PNGRB plea alleging that “the HC failed to note that it had not fixed the maximum retail price but only sought to fix the network tariff and compression tariff charges representing cost of transportation which are completely different. The latter is only one of the many components of the former’’.

Learn from Delhi’s experience, says Montek to other States

The Annual Plan for Delhi for 2012-13 was on Thursday finalised at Rs. 15,862 crore at a meeting between Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and State Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. In his initial remarks, Mr Ahluwalia lauded Delhi’s performance in all sectors and highlighted a number of initiatives it has taken which have helped in expediting the pace of development. The Commission, he said, would suggest to other States to learn from the Delhi experience.

Pilot project in command areas of Malviya Nagar, Vasant Vihar and Nangloi

The Planning Commission on Thursday gave thumbs up to Delhi Government’s move to involve private entities in supply of water in several areas of the city on the lines of power sector. The reform initiative in the water distribution sector has been complimented by Planning Commission Deputy Chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia when Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit briefed him about the move.

The Delhi high court on Wednesday issued notices to a dozen reputed private hospitals of the city for their failure to comply with its previous order that free treatment be given to patients from economically weaker sections.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw issued notices to 12 hospitals, including the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Hospital and St. Stephen’s Hospital, and sought their replies by August 30 on a plea seeking initiation of contempt of court proceedings against them for their failure to comply with the court’s March 22, 2007 order.