
No odd-even this winter: Delhi Chief Minister chalks out pollution control plan
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday said that there would be no odd-even scheme implemented this year in the winters to curb pollution, as the method had yielded no results in the past. Listing out the state government's plans to curb pollution this time, she said latest innovations and technical measures will be adopted.The odd-even scheme, allowing vehicles with odd and even registration numbers to ply on alternate days, was implemented by the former AAP-led Delhi government. advertisementAttacking the preceding regime, Rekha Gupta, who launched this year's Air Pollution Mitigation Plan on Tuesday, said that her government believed that the scheme was brought to increase the troubles of the people, but did not have any effect on reducing pollution.
Government's pollution control plans listed by the Chief Minister:To promote local transport, 2,300 e-autos will be deployed at metro stations, along with 200 new electric buses that will run starting June 5.A total of 2,080 electric cluster buses will operate in Delhi by year-end and the target is to increase this number to 10,000 by 2027.For these EVs, 18,000 charging stations will be set up in the private and semi-private sectors.Pollution Under Control (PUC) centres will be audited in half-a-year.Smart intelligent traffic systems will be implemented to reduce traffic jams.A thousand water sprinklers and 140 air guns will be active throughout the year to reduce dust pollution, barring during monsoon.70 road sweeping machines, 70 electric litter pickers and 30 water tankers will work in tandem to keep check on pollution by particulate matter (dust).Air sprinklers will be installed in commercial buildings larger than 3,000 square meters.ANPR cameras will be installed at Delhi's entry points to identify end-of-life vehicles.advertisementFurther elaborating on the measures planned by the Delhi government to contain and mitigate hazardous levels of air pollution during the month of November, Rekha Gupta said that work has started on artificial rain and cloud seeding in collaboration with IIT-Kanpur.From November 1, 2025, only Bharat Stage VI commercial vehicles will be allowed to enter Delhi. The 'End of Vehicles' data of neighbouring states will also be with the Delhi government and necessary warning messages will be sent.Strict instructions will also be issued for construction and demolition waste, and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) will impose fines on violators. As for landfill sites in Delhi, solid waste management efforts are being accelerated in order to reduce mountains of garbage. Currently, four waste-to-energy plants are operational in the city, of which two are new, while work to enhance the capacity of two other plants is underway. The waste processing capacity will be maximised in the next few days.Special attention will be given to waste segregation through the Municipal Corporation. At least six new air quality monitoring stations will be installed this year. Apart from this, 70 lakh trees will be planted under the "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" campaign from June 5.Must Watch
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Indian Express
43 minutes ago
- Indian Express
None from Congress going to jail, other Opposition parties need to think of a Third Front: Atishi
At a time when the Opposition INDIA bloc seems to be struggling to take on the ruling BJP-led NDA, senior AAP leader and Delhi's former Chief Minister Atishi has said that non-Congress, non-BJP parties 'definitely need' to think about a Third Front. Expressing disappointment with the role of the Congress in the INDIA bloc, Atishi accused the party of being in an 'unstated alliance' with the BJP. While leaders of non-Congress Opposition parties, she said, were facing 'persecution' of one kind or another, that was not the case with the Congress. She pointed to what she called 'a pattern' and asked, 'Why do their (Congress) leaders not go to jail?'. Atishi made these remarks in an interview with The Indian Express Wednesday, a day after the AAP skipped a meeting of several INDIA constituents which met in Delhi to discuss a joint letter to the Prime Minister to seek a special session of Parliament to 'discuss the developments following the terror attack in Pahalgam'. Leaders of 16 INDIA parties, including the Congress, TMC, SP, RJD, DMK, JMM, National Conference, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Left, signed the letter. The AAP, however, chose to send a separate letter to the Prime Minister, demanding a special session. Atishi is currently Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Delhi Assembly. 'I would say I am disappointed with the Congress (role in the INDIA bloc). It was their responsibility to assume a leadership position. For example, if I am a Chief Minister… it is my role to take everyone along… I feel that in the INDIA alliance, Congress is the most senior party. It is the biggest party. It has a footprint in all states. In that context, it was their responsibility to take everyone along,' she said. On the issue of forming a Third Front, Atishi said, 'I think there is definitely a need for non-Congress, non-BJP parties to think about what is happening in the country and the rights of states, the way the persecution of their leaders, etc, is happening – it (Third Front) is definitely something to think about.' Citing an example, she said Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, during a recent trip to Kerala, 'trashed' Chief Minister and CPM leader Pinarayi Vijayan, a key INDIA ally. She accused Gandhi of 'speaking the language of the BJP' and alleged an 'unstated alliance between the Congress and the BJP'. 'There seems to be an unstated alliance between the Congress and the BJP. In the Delhi excise policy matter (there was) no recovery of money, no evidence, no nothing, par saare neta hamare jail chale gaye; par National Herald case mein Congress ka ek bhi neta jail nahin gaya hai (All our leaders went to jail in the Delhi excise policy matter, but not a single Congress leader has gone to jail in the National Herald case),' she said. 'How has this happened… This entire DLF land scam – has Robert Vadra gone to jail? No, he hasn't. Commonwealth Games ka to poora matter hi close ho gaya (the entire Commonwealth Games case has been closed),' she said. 'Just look at the pattern – it is only cases of leaders who join the BJP that are closed… A similar thing is happening with Congress. What does this pattern tell you? How is it that Aam Aadmi Party netas go to jail … you are filing cases against TMC's Abhishek Banerjee, against the daughter of CPM's Pinarayi Vijayan. Why doesn't this happen when it comes to the Congress? Why do their leaders not go to jail? So there is definitely an unstated alliance,' Atishi alleged.


Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Why not FIR filed over stampede near Chinnaswamy Stadium, questions Karnataka BJP
Bengaluru: Slamming the Congress-led government in Karnataka for not filing an FIR regarding the stampede incident near the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru which resulted in the deaths of at least 11 people, the Karnataka BJP on Thursday demanded a judicial probe into the incident by a sitting High Court judge. The demand was made in the joint press conference by the BJP State President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra and the Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka and Chalavadi Narayaswamy, the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council. Vijayendra said: 'An unnatural death case (UDR) has been registered at the Cubbon Park police station, and an investigation has begun regarding the tragedy. Eleven innocent lives were lost due to the government's irresponsibility and thorough investigation is needed. The state government cannot escape accountability. Why the FIR has been not filed yet,' he questioned. Vijayendra urged the Chief Minister to order an inquiry by a sitting High Court judge and called for proper decisions from the state government. He further demanded a minimum compensation amount of Rs 50 lakh for the families of the victims. Criticising the magisterial probe order, Vijeyandra charged that an inquiry by a magistrate would be insufficient to investigate the Chief Minister and cabinet members, who are in a position of culpability. He questioned the Chief Minister's decision to order a magisterial inquiry, stating that the government is unwilling to take responsibility for its failures. He stated that a situation has arisen in the state where the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and Home Minister should resign. Vijayendra also demanded that RCB owners should provide compensation. He highlighted that when an elephant from Karnataka caused a death by trampling in Kerala, the Karnataka government announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh. Vijayendra further criticised the state government's "inhumane conduct" as "condemnable". He pointed out that even as news channels already reported five or six deaths, the Deputy Chief Minister was celebrating at Chinnaswamy Stadium, and ruling party members continued their selfie spree at Vidhana Soudha. Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka, meanwhile, said: 'We will not accept an investigation by the District Collector. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) is being filed before the High Court Chief Justice. The investigation must be conducted under the supervision of a High Court judge, and an SIT should be formed for this purpose. The report must be submitted directly to the High Court. Justice must be delivered for all these deaths, and those responsible must be punished.' 'How can Deputy Commissioners, who work under the CM and report to him, conduct an impartial investigation? They were responsible for planning the event, finalizing its framework, and making preparations. It's impossible to believe they would honestly investigate the government's lapses and errors. Deceiving the public and causing deaths is bad enough—why are they now resorting to self-deception and adding to their sins? Only a judicial probe can deliver justice to innocent lives and their parents. The Congress government must not stoop to such pettiness even in the face of death." Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, questioned: "If the police and the government are not responsible, then who is?" Narayanaswamy, has asserted that the state government is directly responsible for the deaths. He demanded that the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister take direct responsibility and resign immediately. He questioned why the state government felt the need to organise the celebration, which should have been handled by a cricket body. He condemned the government's announcement of only Rs 10 lakh compensation for those who died in such a tragic incident, calling it unacceptable. Meanwhile, social activist Snehamayi Krishna filed a complaint with the Cubbon Park police on Thursday against CM Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, office-bearers of the KSCA, and others. In his complaint, Krishna demanded that the police register the case under Section 106 of the BNS Act. A copy of the complaint has also been sent to the bench of the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, and the petition has pleaded for action to be initiated against the guilty, stating it is a serious matter.


News18
an hour ago
- News18
'A Punching Bag?': Harsh Goenka's 'Justice' Post Gets Vijay Mallya's Thumbs-Up
Last Updated: Goenka questioned why Mallya was still a "punching bag" despite his loan recovery and said justice must be fair. Mallya is accused of defaulting on loans worth Rs 9,000 crore. Business tycoon Harsh Goenka's recent social media post, where he questioned why fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya continues to be a 'political punching bag" despite the recovery of his loans, has reignited the debate surrounding one of India's most high-profile financial scandals. The RPG Enterprises Chairman acknowledged that Mallya had 'lived the high life" and defaulted on his loans, but stressed that his dues worth over Rs 9,000 crore had been settled. He emphasised that justice must be fair and not selective. 'Vijay Mallya lived the high life, yes. Defaulted, yes. Unlike most others, his ₹9,000+ crore dues are now reportedly settled. Meanwhile, bigger defaulters walk free with much fatter haircuts from banks. If dues remain, the banks should clearly say so. If not, why is he still a political punching bag? Justice must be fair, not selective," Goenka said on X. Vijay Mallya lived the high life, yes. Defaulted, yes. Unlike most others, his ₹9,000+ crore dues are now reportedly settled. Meanwhile, bigger defaulters walk free with much fatter haircuts from banks. If dues remain, the banks should clearly say so. If not, why is he still a…— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) June 5, 2025 Mallya swiftly responded to Goenka's post, saying, 'Thank you Harsh. The Union Finance Ministry has confirmed in writing that Banks have recovered Rs 14,100 crores from me against a DRT judgement debt of Rs 6,203 crores. Why the blatant discrimination?" Thank you Harsh. The Union Finance Ministry has confirmed in writing that Banks have recovered Rs 14,100 crores from me against a DRT judgement debt of Rs 6,203 crores. Why the blatant discrimination ?— Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) June 5, 2025 'Vijay Mallya didn't repay out of goodwill. His assets were seized and auctioned after years of dodging Indian courts and living lavishly in the UK," another user said. Others agreed with Goenka's statement, saying Mallya had been unfairly targeted. Mallya is an accused in a bank loan default case of over Rs 9,000 crore from an SBI-led consortium, involving his defunct Kingfisher Airlines. He was accused of fraud and money laundering and fled the country in 2016. He has since lived in the UK while fighting his extradition to India. Last year, the Enforcement Directorate said it had recovered Rs 22,280 crores from various banking scams, from the high-profile names like Mehul Choksi, Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya and some fraudulent companies. In February, Mallya told the Karnataka High Court that the Rs 6,200 crore debt he owes to banks has been recovered 'multiple times over". 'According to an admitted statement, as of today, the recovery officer confirms that Rs 10,200 crore has been recovered. Additionally, the official liquidator states that the banks have regained their dues, and even the Finance Minister informed Parliament that Rs 14,000 crore has been recovered," he said at that time. The 69-year-old businessman was declared bankrupt in July 2021. He remains on bail in the UK while a 'confidential" legal matter believed to be related to an asylum application is resolved in connection with the unrelated extradition proceedings. A consortium of banks, led by SBI, won their court appeal in London to uphold a bankruptcy order against him in April.