Delhi Underground

Mind your tongue

Adverse media coverage that followed the Shunglu Committee’s report,criticising the Public Works Department (PWD) over the execution of Commonwealth Games projects,is giving senior department officials sleepless nights. Worried that PWD engineers,who were speaking to journalists to clarify their stand on the report’s findings,may shoot their mouth off too early,top department officials have issued a gag order. A circular was shot off a few days back to all engineers and officials associated with Games works,asking them to stop speaking to journalists. The department has designated a senior official as its spokesperson as of now,a move it says will ensure propriety and confidentiality. Meanwhile,the PWD is said to have submitted its final reply on the Shunglu Committee report to a Delhi government panel.

Handing down skills

“I wish I could be your senior for five minutes,” was Delhi High Court Chief Justice Dipak Misra’s reaction as he expressed his disenchantment over the manner a young lawyer sought adjournment in a matter. As the case came up for hearing last week,the lawyer forwarded an adjournment slip,saying his senior was in some difficulty. Justice Misra,who usually allows such pleas whenever moved with genuineness,rebuffed the request straightaway. He also asked the lawyer how long he had been practising at the Bar and about his senior. The judge then addressed the court and also the Bar Association’s president A S Chandhiok: “Mentioning a matter is an art. A casual approach in addressing a court leads to casualty. I wish I could be your (the lawyer’s) senior even for five minutes and you could learn the art.” Justice Misra,however,later softened his stand and allowed the adjournment.

Heritage hurdle

The National Monument Authority (NMA),a body to be constituted after an amendment in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 2010 to implement heritage bye-laws,is still struggling to get members and a chairperson on board. The body is being constituted to consider the construction of projects within the prohibited (100 m) and regulated (300 m) zones of heritage sites. Hundreds of cases are already awaiting the body’s permission. Recently a chairperson was zeroed in on,who also heads a body that oversees projects related to urban town planning and aesthetics. The nomination,however,had to be re-considered after it was found that the nominee himself lived within the prohibited zone of a heritage site.

Photo-finishing quacks

In a bid to crack down on quacks,the Directorate of Health Services of the Delhi government has allocated special funds to provide digital cameras to Chief District Medical Officers of all the districts in the city. The special provision,one hears,was made due to frustration with the police. According to government officials,SHOs refuse to acknowledge complaints filed by health officials against quacks,who continue to run their clinics despite closure orders from the Delhi Medical Council. After the latest meeting between district health officials,the medical council and anti-quackery officials,the Health department has now decided that police officials will be forced to take action if they are given “visual proof” on these matters.

Telecom affairs

Visitors to the new state-of-the-art CBI building are faced with a curious gag on their mobile phones — no signals. Reporters — TV mostly — are often much inconvenienced by this,being unable to send “news alerts” or be on “phono”. A major telecom operator,possibly after being alerted by its officials who found themselves faced with the same problem,offered to install boosters in the entire building. The proposal may a take a while to be considered,with the investigative agency busy with other telecom issues — the 2G spectrum scam.

All the CM’s men

Following the appointment of AICC functionary Manish Chattrath as the chairman of Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC),the Sheila Dikshit-led Delhi government has added three more MLAs to the board in an attempt to dilute Chattrath’s impact. They include Rajesh Lilothia and first-time MLAs Devender Yadav and Somesh Shokeen,all of whom are seen as Sheila loyalists.