Delhi underground

No animals please
While some Commonwealth Games projects have reportedly fallen behind schedule,the MCD has said that now,with most funding issues resolved,it will be able to fast-track the work. Besides the construction of 12 Railway underbridges and flyovers,the Corporation’s wish-list comprises ridding the Capital of stray animals and pests. After its hi-tech programme of micro-chipping stray cattle,the latest additions to the list are monkeys,rats and donkeys. “We will ensure that the Capital is totally clean before visitors arrive for the Commonwealth Games,” a senior member of the MCD said.

Early bird
Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh caused quite a flutter while inaugurating a butterfly garden in Lodi Gardens. Used to taking his morning walk at Lodhi every day,Ramesh reached as early as 5.30 am to check out the butterfly observatory,only to find,not surprisingly,that no one was there. He was early for the inauguration too. Frantic calls were made to NDMC officials to get them to the spot,and Ramesh’s speech had to be put on hold for a few minutes as NDMC Chairman Parimal Rai had not arrived. But the hullabaloo was too much for the fragile butterflies that the people had gathered to watch. Only two butterflies were spotted in the 40-day old observatory. Of the two,a lime green butterfly died before the dust had settled.

Green fingers
For the common man,parks and historical monuments are places to relax and unwind. What they do not know is that gender plays an important role in the appointment of gardeners in the lawns. In the NDMC,women gardeners are only allotted parks and monuments where there is a presence of other women to make workplace safer for them. Most women who take up the job get placed in the big parks like Nehru Park and Lodhi Garden while the men are usually sent to the smaller colony parks.

It’s all about money
Many cultural centres and social welfare projects proposed in the various board meetings of the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA) are now in cold storage. Senior officials of Noida Authority have acknowledged that there is no money to start welfare projects or set up cultural hubs proposed by the UP government itself. “The same land could be sold for crores which will generate revenue,so why make it an expenditure by setting up welfare projects,” the official asked.

Pressure tactics
Staffers at Delhi High Court were taken aback when they uniformly received as Diwali gift one-litre pressure cookers. Sure,a job at the Delhi High Court involves a lot of work-related stress and ‘pressure’. But some of them are quite ill at ease with the “unwieldy” gift,and are thinking twice about taking them home.

Lost in translation
Trying to speedily wrap up a criminal case,a city court has hit a “language” barrier. As an important witness knew only Tamil,the court has been trying its best to arrange a translator for him but with the police officials showing little interest in helping the judge,the case has been stuck for the last one month. The first “translator” sent by the police was someone who had passed only Class IX and had no idea that he was supposed to translate Tamil. The second knew Tamil but neither English nor Hindi. Worried over the attitude of the police officials,the sessions judge has now given them a ‘final’ opportunity to get a proper translator — or face the music.

Dadwal to stay till Games
Following rumours that the Commissioner of Delhi Police,Y S Dadwal will be replaced,the Police department feels that he would stay on till the Capital hosts the Commonwealth Games in October 2010. “There was a strong feeling in the Police Department that if Dadwal stays till October or November,he will continue as Delhi police chief till the Commonwealth Games. And now with preparations for the Games on the fast track,it is likely that he will stay,” a senior Delhi Police officer said.