From April, residents of Noida can generate their own electricity bills

From April, residents of Noida will not have to wait for the electricity department to dispatch their monthly bill statements. Instead, they will prepare their own bill by reading the meter and immediately make online payments. The electricity department has already completed the work that will enable the shift in the billing process. The online portal too will be functional from next month.

The power corporation has taken a decision to change the bill generation and payment system owing to repeated complaints from residents that the electricity department workers, who are responsible for meter readings, are not doing their duty properly. Consequently, bill statements often show more units than what is actually recorded on the meter. Noida News

All that consumers need to do under the new system, is access the portal and submit the current readings of the meter. A bill will then automatically be generated. The new system, will also benefit the electricity department as they will not have to deploy manpower for reading the meters.

For generating bills, consumers have to visit the electricity department's website - www.uppcl.org. It has two sections ----Bill payment for rural areas and bill payment for urban areas. The user also needs to create a login ID. Once the data of the meter reading is submitted on the portal, its acceptance will be confirmed via a SMS or e-mail. The new bill will be provided within 24 hours via SMS or e-mail.

According to AK Singh, superintending engineer of the electricity department, the meters of all the online bill payers will be examined at regular intervals to ensure that the  bill amounts actually tally with the meter readings.

CBI arrests income tax officer in Gurgaon for accepting a bribe

On Tuesday, an income tax officer was caught by CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) officers in the act of accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh at his office in Udyog Vihar, Gurgaon.

According to a City Spidey source, Anup Singh, inspector of income tax, Ward 1, was arrested for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh in lieu of not levying a fine under the Income Tax Act. The source also informed that CBI had laid a trap.

On the basis of a complaint lodged by Ram Avtar Singla, who operates a petrol pump in Nuh, district a case has been registered against Singh under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988. According to the CBI, Singla had alleged that Singh had demanded a sum of Rs 1 lakh in order to carry out the tax assessment of his fuel station. The fuel station is registered in the name of Singla’s son. Gurgaon News

In his complaint Singla stated that Singh had called him to his office for a meeting and demanded the bribe for not imposing an additional tax of Rs10 lakh on the petrol pump. The CBI spokesperson stated that raids are being conducted on Singh’s properties, including a prime property in Mahipalpur Extension. The accused will be produced in the court on Wednesday.

Incidentally, last year on November 3, the CBI had arrested an income tax officer for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 60,000 from a Gurgaon-based businessman. Even in that case the accused had demanded the bribe for not levying a penalty under the Income Tax Act. J S Gahlaut had been arrested under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Ironically, Gahlaut too was posted as an income tax officer in Ward 1 of the IT circle in Gurgaon.

RESIDENT SPEAK: No simple green drink , but the elixir of happiness

There’s always a long list of complaints — that’s life. If you ask people living in this satellite town just off the coast of the Yamuna, they, too, have a neat register of grouses — what with the highest pollution levels, constant congestion and what not! But, Indirapuram has an equally long list of reasons to feel happy about.    

This small town in UP is always bustling with energy, and is in constant pursuit of happiness.

Every morning, at the corners of parks, one can find several stalls selling juices of every colour, especially the green bitter gourd — and all the goodness is served out of plastic glasses.  What grabs your imagination are the faces, the smiles, the gossip and the energy. Huddled around these stalls, with the latest sportswear, are people who want to start their day with a healthy fix.

While some seek this green elixir for weight reduction, while others want a handle on diabetes, and yet others plainly seek a feeling of positivity before starting the day.

In our daily routines, we often fail to notice the juice vendors selling the colourful drinks at the start of the day. These concoctions are made by hardworking men and women who are trying to make a living out of the knowledge they hold and, at the same time, fulfil our needs for health and happiness.      

It is said that gratitude is the first component of being happy, and just this thought that your pursuit of happiness is helping a few to survive should, in itself, be enough to help you start your day with a new energy.

So, next time you step out for your morning walk, take a little time to observe. Stand in front of one such stall and witness the man at work before you move on to another hectic day at work.

Stay happy folks! 

GDA mulls multi-level parking near Swarn Jyanti Park, Indirapuram

Indirapuram residents can finally hope for some respite from the daily traffic chaos, as the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) is planning to set up multi-level parking lots in the township.

The GDA has sought a feasibility report from the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) for a multi-level parking lot near Swarn Jyanti Park in Indirapuram. GDA vice-chairperson has written on the subject to CRRI, confirmed officials.

The GDA has also asked CRRI to prepare a comprehensive mobility plan for three busy stretches in the city — Ghanta Ghar to Bhatia More on GT Road, Modinagar along NH-58 and Indirapuram.

The traffic management proposal for Indirapuram is also set to include proposals for U-turns, roundabouts and installation of traffic lights.

Only recently, the GDA had issued notices to 11 entities in Indirapuram regarding haphazard parking of vehicles on roads outside their premises. However, residents of this Ghaziabad township maintained that it had little impact and the problem.

“The multilevel parking lots may come up in the already existing parking areas near the Swarn Jayanti park. The CRRI has been asked to submit a feasibility report over the issue,” said a GDA official.

The GDA had signed a memorandum of understanding with CRRI for creating a comprehensive mobility plan for the entire city earlier in February this year.

Speaking to City Spidey, Alok Kumar, president of Federation of Apartment Owners association(FedAOA), Ghaziabad, said that illegal parking is a major problem for the township and many commercial entities don’t have parking areas of their own. “Also, commuters often park on roads for short visits to nearby shops or street vendors,” Kumar added.

Three days after the Gyan Khand couple death, reason still remains a mystery

Three days have passed after the mysterious death of Neeraj and Ruchi Singhania, a couple who used to reside in a second floor apartment in the Gyan Khand area of Indirapuram. The Ghaziabad police however have not managed to make any headway in terms of ascertaining the cause.

During the late evening hours of March 2, family members of the deceased had found them lying nude and unconscious on the bathroom floor. They had then called for an ambulance and immediately transported the couple to a hospital. The couple had been declared brought dead.

Addressing media in the course of a press conference, Akash Tomar, Superintendent of Police, Ghaziabad City said that no complaints have been lodged in this case as family members of both the husband and the wife were present in the flat at the time of the incident.

According to sources close to the family, on Friday evening around 6.30 pm Neeraj and Ruchi Singhania had locked themselves inside their bedroom after playing holi with the rest of the family. However, around 9.30 pm when the couple did not respond to calls for dinner, Neeraj’s younger brother peeked through the bathroom window and saw a portion of his sister in law’s feet lying motionless on the ground. Family members then broke open the bedroom door and found the couple lying inside the bathroom.

This strange incident became even more baffling after the results of the post mortems. The results were inconclusive and failed to ascertain the reason behind the deaths.

Tomar maintained that although the police did have a few leads, nothing substantial has emerged so far. “The visceral organs of both the bodies have been preserved and the report of their study is awaited. We have also sent a letter to the concerned department to hasten the process. The cause of the deaths can only be ascertained once we have the report. Meanwhile, we are interrogating neighbours and other relatives of the family,” Tomar further said.

South City II residents demand fresh RWA elections

Not wishing to extend the tenure of the existing RWA, residents of South City II in Sector 50, Gurgaon, have called for fresh elections. The last election was held in 2016, and residents have alleged that there has been no development in the sector since then.

They don’t want to extend the tenure of the current body, which will get over on March 12, 2018.

Though the RWA executive committee is keen to extend its term, senior citizens’ forum, block presidents and other residents are opposing the move tooth and nail.  They have even written to the registrar of societies, seeking intervention in the matter. They have urged him to appoint a returning officer to hold the elections at the earliest.

The residents received a notice from the RWA, informing them about a general body meeting (GBM) of the members on March 11 to decide on whether to extend the term of the present body by a year or hold elections.

“The membership is not complete — it needs a total of 43 members. The vacant seats have not been filled by the RWA. How come an incomplete body decide on such an important issue? Under such circumstances, the RWA should call a general body meeting, including all RWA members. The tenure of the present RWA could only be extended in special situations, or in the event of an emergency,” KK Singh, a resident, said.

Shailesh Giri, another resident, complained, “During its two-year term, the current RWA was not able to speed up the process of transfer of the society from the developer to the MCG. Nor did they work on the problems of water and electricity supply to the area.”

The RWA even failed to remove shanties from different blocks, Giri added.

“There is no emergency that warrants postponement of the elections. The performance of the current body has not been satisfactory. So, it makes sense to elect a new body,” iterated Col (retd) DR Yadav, a resident.

However, RWA president Neeraj Yadav said he called a meeting of the collegium members as per the rules governing the functioning of RWAs and a decision on holding elections will be taken at the meeting. “I only wish to continue in the post till the colony is handed over to the MCG. We have also invited the registrar to attend the meeting on March 11,” he said.

Gurgaon, Sector 37C: Should the women remain indoors after sundown?

Residents of Sector 37C, Gurgaon, fear to venture out their homes after sundown. The reason? Failure to replace non-functional streetlights in the area despite repeated complaints.

Poorly lit streets pose a threat especially to working women on their way home at night. Most feel unsafe to venture out.

“The road that leads to the residential colony is not properly lit. You are not even safe if you are driving or travelling in a car, as potholes and lack of streetlights make commuting on the road a risky affair,” complained Vikas Bansal, RWA general secretary of Taksila Heights.

The residents met PWD minister Rao Narbir Singh on the matter. Assuring the residents, the minister said he would expedite the process of awarding the contract for replacing the defunct streetlights.

“I have ordered the officials of the department concerned to visit the area and check why the concerns haven’t been addressed for so long. They will submit their report as soon as possible. We will ensure that the streetlights are replaced within a month,” Singh said.

Members of RWAs said Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) should replace the streetlights at the earliest.  

“Authorities are ignoring our concerns. Our sector suffers from the lack of basic civic amenities. There are not enough streetlights on most of the sector roads,” lashed out Atul Gandhi, another resident.

The women feel particularly vulnerable.

“We fear for our safety — there are no streetlights; the roads are riddled with potholes and, topping it all, there’s a liquor shop close to the residential area! Commuting even by car is a nightmare for pregnant women and those carrying infants,” Surbhi Bhargava, a resident, said.

Residents have been dealing with the issue for almost a year now.

HUDA officials said they have written to officials of Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) to instal more streetlights. “The concern regarding lack of streetlights will be addressed by the end of this month,” HUDA administrator Yashpal Yadav assured.

Everything must return to dust, but SDMC has given the words a new spin!

Here’s an irony that’s worth writing about: South Delhi Municipal Corporation, or SDMC, hires mechanical sweeping machines to reduce dust pollution on roads — and the dust thus gathered is dumped in the open on the sides of the roads near vacant lands, leading to dust storms of sorts!

The subject has brought to notice by some of the activists of Dwarka. They took photographs shared them on various WhatsApp groups. The gravity of the situation is clearly visible from the and video shared by the residents.

According to observers, such dumping is happening regularly at a site in Sector 20-23.

President of Dwarka Forum and a resident of Sector 22, Rjimon CK, said, “The mechanical sweeping machine empties all its dust on the side of the road in Sector 20/23 every day at around 9-9:30 am. As per contract agreement, they are being paid to dump the same at a waste recycling plant — and this is what’s happening in reality!”

He continued, “I have requested the mayor to urgently intervene. At least, make a green enclosure, and have it sprinkled with water. I did mention this to the concerned SDMC officials of the area too. Undoubtedly, mechanical sweeping is a good initiative, but if the collected dust is dumped like this, all the good work comes to naught!”

Lashing out against the casual approach of the SDMC, RTI activist Shobhit Chauhan said, “SDMC is reversing the very purpose of having mechanical sweeping machines in place. These machines were introduced so that dust is not suspended into air while sweeping the streets. Now here, these machines are releasing dust into open air, further adding to pollution. According to information, they are being paid for dumping the dust at recycling plants, but they are dumping it here in the open. This needs to be stopped immediately. Corruption is what’s eating into SDMC’s efforts. I have communicated this to everybody via Twitter, but no action has been taken till date.”

According to an RTI reply dated March 2017: In Dwarka, Link Road, Road Number 221,205, 201, Mall Road, Palam Dabri, Sector 4 and 5, Sector 6 and 10 internal roads are to be under the scheme of mechanical sweeping. The RTI also said that dust thus gathered is to be sent to a site in Okhla.

There’s even provision for penalty in the event of violation of the terms of the agreement, inside sources confirmed. However, the RTI reply does not mention any penalty.

Anurag Bahal, a resident of Shruti Apartments in Sector 7 — who has been promoting a campaign for clean air and the right to breath — said, “Sadly, most SDMC vacuum machines worsening the situation. As per the staff, they don't have enclosures to dump this fine dust. This is a serious issue and must be addressed as soon as possible”

Could old Gurgaon residents hope for Metro connectivity?

Old Gurgaon residents looking for Metro connectivity finally have news to cheer about. Haryana government is mulling a 12-km-long route between HUDA City Centre and Gurgaon railway station.

To that end, it has asked government-backed engineering consultant RITES Limited to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) on the proposed initiative.  

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) constructed Yellow Line Metro to connect Gurgaon with central Delhi with five stations Guru Dronacharya, Sikandarpur, MG Road, Iffco Chowk and Huda City Centre. All the five stations are located east to the NH, depriving residents living to the west of the NH of last-mile connectivity.

RITES is expected to submit the DPR in six months.

On January 31, in a GMDA meeting chaired by Haryana Chief Minister Manhor Lal Khattar Metro routes were discussed at length.

An executive of Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation Limited (HMRTC), which is supervising the Metro project under HUDA, said the 12-km route is expected to cost Rs 2,751 crore.

TALKING POINT with Rashesh Purohit: Is only the builder to blame for buyer woes?

Initial claims by UP government to give possession to 55,000 flats to buyers by December 2017 have fallen flat on their face. So have the later claims of giving possession of 40,000 flats. 

The various authorities in Uttar Pradesh hold builder-buyer issues, and assure buyers that all their woes will come to an end, now that they are the helm of things — but to what end? 

As frustration among buyers rises and disillusionment deepens, City Spidey gets chatting with Rashesh Purohit, founder member of the NCR Homebuyers' Association. 

Hear our reporter deconstruct the situation with Purohit and analyse with who exactly the quantum of blame lies.

Gurgaon: It's all about herbal colours, rain dances and delicacies this Holi!

It’s that time of the year again when the entire country is thinking colour, calories and creativity.

While some in the NCR have planned to catch up on some family time indoors, most others have already started stacking up on their thandai and gujiya packets. And Gurgaon seems particularly enthusiastic, especially DLF Phase 2.

The society has organised a two-day Holi bash on its premises, comprising Rasleela and a “phoolon ki Holi”,w ith artistes from Vrindavan coming in for festivities. The second day will see games such as dahi matki, musical chairs and lucky draws, and organic colours, a rain dance and a range of mouth-watering dishes.

"There will be Amritsari kulchas and Purani Dilli’s khomcha, comprising chaat papri, bedmi aloo, rajma chawal and Manchurian noodles. For dessert, there will be kulfi, jalebi, rabri, gulab jamun and rasmalai. And, of course, who can forget thandai?" said Vinod Tayal, vice-president of the DLF Phase 2 RWA.

Taksila Heights in Sector 37C also has big plans for the day.

“The participation of all residents will make this Holi special,” said Vikas Bansal, general secretary of the RWA. Most residents, he said, had opted for herbal colours. There will also be a phoolon ki Holi.

Vipul Greens, on Sohna Road, will also celebrate the festival with a two-day event. “We have planned a ‘Holi Hurdang’ from 9 am to 2 pm on Friday. Entry will be free for residents and their guests. We have organised a food truck, which will be available throughout the celebrations. We have also roped in a DJ to keep visitors tapping their foot to the latest songs,” said Amit Jindal, president of the RWA.

The RWA members of Mahindra Aura in Sector 110A have arranged a food festival for its residents, along with a rain dance.

“We have marked a designated area for residents to play Holi. We have requested residents to not force anyone into celebrating with colours, and hope this Holi will be a safe and memorable one for all of us,” said Yashesh Yadav, president of the RWA.

Haryana town planning grants completion certificate to Suncity

With town and country planning (TCP) Haryana issuing a completion certificate (CC) to Suncity in Sector 54, Gurgaon, civic maintenance will be handed over to Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) from the private developer.

JP Sihag, chief town planner, Haryana, said, "We have issued a CC to Suncity a few weeks ago after completing essential formalities. Certificates were also issued to five or six other commercial and residential projects in Gurgaon."

In April 2017, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar had announced the transfer of four private colonies to MCG after an assessment of infrastructure gaps. These included DLF I, II and III, Palam Vihar, Sushant Lok I and Suncity.

MCG appointed consultants to assess deficient infrastructure in these colonies. The assessment included a study of roads, sewers, drains and maintenance cost of the townships for the next five years.

Suncity had applied for the plotted township in 1998 under the name of Uddar Gagan Properties Private Limited and Others. And it is the first among the four to be transferred to MCG.

However, Sudhir Chauhan, senior town planner, MCG, said, "We have no information about the CC to Suncity project. I can say something only after I see the certificate."

TALKING POINT, with Dr Nishant Chajjer: Don't pick up that balloon this Holi!

With excitement running high on Holi, it's easy to throw caution to the winds and pick up any colour available on the streets. But a little research on what chemical colours can do to your skin and hair can make you swear off synthetic colours for life.

But here at City Spidey, we can help you with your research. We are in conversation with Noida-based cosmetic surgeon Dr Nishant Chajjer, who will tell you how exactly to keep your skin and hair safe this Holi.