Liquor becomes cheaper in Delhi as govt scraps 70% Special Corona Fee

However, the government has hiked the Value Added Tax (VAT) to 25 per cent on all categories of liquor with effect from June 10

The Delhi government on Monday withdrew Special Corona Fee levied at 70 per cent of maximum retail price on all categories of liquor, with effect from June 10, an official said. However, the government has hiked the Value Added Tax (VAT) to 25 per cent on all categories of liquor with effect from June 10.

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“The Delhi government has withdrawn the Special Corona Fee levied at 70 per cent of maximum retail price on all categories of liquor, with effect from June 10. Further, VAT increased from existing 20 per cent to 25 per cent on all categories of liquor sold in the jurisdiction of Delhi with effect from 10 June,” said official. On May 5, the government imposed a “special corona fee” set at 70 per cent of the maximum retail price…Read More

Covid-19 crisis: Delhi opens all shops, salons; seals borders for a week

Kejriwal also sought a public vote on whether hospitals in the national capital should be reserved only for residents.

Fearing a deluge of patients from across India because Delhi offers highly subsidised medical treatment, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sealed the border for visitors from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana for a week and asked city residents for their opinion by June 5 on how and when the border should be opened.

Kejriwal also sought a public vote on whether hospitals in the national capital should be reserved only for residents. “CM Arvind Kejriwal has sought suggestions from the people on whether Delhi hospitals should be reserved for Delhi residents during the Covid-19 pandemic. Send in your suggestions by 5th June, 5 pm,” the tweet from the chief minister’s office (CMO) said.

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There was chaos on Delhi-Noida, Delhi-Faridabad, and Delhi-Gurugram borders as only the entry of essential services and those with passes was permitted. Most people, buoyed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) guidelines issued on Sunday declaring interstate borders open but subject to state government review, got ready to come to Delhi to attend office, only to be turned away at the border…Read More

Lockdown 3.0: Around 150 liquor shops likely to open in Delhi from today

On Saturday, the excise department directed these four agencies to identify liquor outlets which fulfil all conditions prescribed by the the Ministry of Home Affairs

Around 150 liquor shops located outside Covid-19 containment zones in the national capital are likely to open from Monday as the Delhi government has announced implementation of the latest lockdown relaxations. According to an official, four government-run agencies, which are responsible for sale of liquor in Delhi, have submitted the list of the liquor shops which can be allowed to open following coronavirus guidelines. “About 150 liquor shops are likely to open in Delhi from Monday,” the official said, adding that these are likely remain open till 7 in evening.

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On Saturday, the excise department directed these four agencies to identify liquor outlets which fulfil all conditions prescribed by the the Ministry of Home Affairs. However, liquor shops will not be allowed to open in Covid-19 containment zones. Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation, Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation, Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited and Delhi Consumer’s Cooperative Wholesale Store have been given the permission to open liquor shops in public places, except malls and market complexes.

Nirbhaya convict’s mercy plea sent to President; govt recommends rejection

Mukesh Singh, one of the four death row convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case, had filed the mercy petition a few days ago

The Union Home Ministry on Friday forwarded to President Ram Nath Kovind the mercy petition of one of the convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape case, recommending its rejection, officials said. Mukesh Singh, one of the four death row convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case, had filed the mercy petition a few days ago.

“The Home Ministry has forwarded the mercy petition of Mukesh Singh to the President. The ministry has reiterated the recommendation of the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi for its rejection,” the official said. The Delhi LG had sent the mercy petition of Mukesh to the Home Ministry on Thursday, a day after the Delhi government recommended its rejection.

The four convicts — Mukesh Singh (32), Vinay Sharma (26), Akshay Kumar Singh (31) and Pawan Gupta (25) were to be hanged on January 22 at 7 am in Tihar Jail. A Delhi court had issued their death warrants on January 7. However, the Delhi government had informed the high court during a hearing that execution of the convicts will not take place on January 22 as a mercy plea has been filed by Mukesh…

Doctors agree to talks with Mamata Banerjee; IMA nation-wide strike today

Doctors said they would meet Banerjee if their community was adequately represented, but set a condition that the discussion should not take place behind closed doors

Six days after the strike, doctors in Bengal have agreed to meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at a place of her choice, raising hopes for a breakthrough in the impasse. The meeting is likely to take place on Monday afternoon at Nabanna, the state secretariat. This comes as the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the apex doctors’ body, called for a nation-wide strike of non-essential services on Monday.

Following a meeting, doctors said they would meet Banerjee if their community was adequately represented, but set a condition that the discussion should not take place behind closed doors. Representatives from 14 medical colleges are expected to be present at the meeting.

“All the hospitals must be well represented, including those from North Bengal. Moreover, the meeting should take place in the presence of the media. We will not meet behind closed doors,” the agitating doctors had said. Mamata Banerjee is under pressure to resolve the strike, which started when two junior doctors at the NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata were assaulted after a 75-year-old patient died. One of the doctors, who was beaten up, was seriously injured and is still undergoing treatment at a private hospital.

Banerjee had sought to meet the doctors on Friday and Saturday at the state secretariat, Nabanna, but the doctors turned down the request insisting that the venue be NRS. However, doctors on Sunday appeared to soften their stand after public pressure started rising against the continued strike, especially after the government agreed to their demand of beefing up police protection at government hospitals to protect them from miscreants. Hundreds of junior doctors had offered to resign on Friday. However, the Chief Minister said that mass resignation had little value.

Free bus, Metro rides scheme: What Delhi govt’s proposal means to women

Contrary to the expectation that women in urban areas get more employment opportunities, the data show that India’s female labour force participation rate in cities is lower than in rural areas

On a winter’s day in early 2018, 23-year-old data entry executive Sheela* had to make a split-second decision when the driver of her shared mini-van ignored her requests to slow down and drop her off: she could either stay on the vehicle–the lone passenger–and risk possible assault, or jump off the moving vehicle and risk injury.

She chose to leap off, injuring her right arm and ankle to ensure her safety from the driver of the gramin seva (rural service) van, a preferred mode of transport in the low-income suburbs of India’s capital. Travelling more than 7 km from an office in Okhla Phase I in southern Delhi to her home in Dakshinpuri, the shared van–Rs 5 per ride versus a minimum of Rs 10 per km for an auto–was the only reliable and affordable transport option for Sheela, in a city with 3,900 buses and an 8-line, 373-km metro-rail network.

Sheela is one of many women who navigate risks on the streets of Delhi while going about their daily activities. The recent announcement by the Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, to make metro and bus rides free for women in the city, has key implications for women’s mobility, which, in turn, is linked to decisions about education, employment and access to public spaces.

Wife with toddler walks, husband takes motorcycle

In my research on women and service work in Delhi, young women seeking work raised concerns over safety, accessibility and affordability of public transport. Take the case of 29-year-old Sushma*, a car driver. After she got married and moved to Delhi from a village in Rajasthan, Sushma was keen to study further and find employment. She had heard about driver-training classes for women and told her husband that she wanted to sign up. However, her in-laws discouraged her, telling Sushma that her place was at home.

Some of Delhi govt's major initiatives could not succeed due to its constant run-ins with the Centre

As the Arvind Kejriwal government completes two conflict-ridden years in office tomorrow, some of the key poll promises made by AAP remains unfulfilled while realistic actions on the ground are seen in areas of education, health and drinking water.

The AAP, which stormed to power in February 2015 with a stunning performance of winning 67 out of 70 seats is yet to implement some of its key schemes including Wi-Fi in public zones, installing 10-15 lakh CCTV cameras across Delhi, bringing a law for devolution of power to mohallas and setting up subsidised canteens.

The AAP had promised to significantly improve the public transport but the Kejriwal dispensation could not add even a single bus to the existing fleet of the DTC. There was no progress toward fulfilling the promise of ensuring last mile connectivity.

The party had mentioned in its manifesto that eight lakh jobs will be created during the government's tenure but nothing concrete has been initiated on this front.

Some of the major initiatives of the AAP government could not see light of the day due to its constant run-ins with the Centre which adversely affected overall governance of the city.

However, newly appointed Lt Governor Anil Baijal has given indication he is ready to adopt a cooperative approach in dealing with the AAP government so as to ensure speedy implementation of developmental initiatives.

The acrimonious relations between AAP government and Centre peaked when the CBI, dealing a major blow to the Kejriwal dispensation, arrested the then Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Rajendra Kumar, along with four others, in a corruption case in July last year.

The arrests triggered a political firestorm with Kejriwal training guns on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on virtually every issue, deepening the rift between the two sides.

The impact of this confrontation was quite visible on the governance structure.

The pace of work by the government got affected when former LG Najeeb Jung in August last year set up a panel to examine over 400 files pertaining to Delhi government's decisions notwithstanding Kejriwal's strong objection.

The panel headed by former CAG V K Shunglu submitted its report last month wherein it pointed out many discrepancies by AAP government.

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