Delhi Underground

Taxing time

Litigants troubled by the recent lawyers’ strike in the city came up with their own solutions. “Make the advocates appear free for two hearings for every strike,” said one,“Impose a tax on them,” said another,taking cue from the cause of the strike — imposition of service tax on legal services. An old man,who had come from a UP village for his case,had a radical suggestion: “Make them do compulsory community service by providing free legal aid on holidays.”

Message unclear

To give out the message “Healthy mother leads to a healthy baby”,the Municipal Corporation of Delhi recently made some posters,only to realise that the poster showed an Indian mother with a white baby. The faux pas was noticed soon enough and clear instructions were given to change the baby. Last heard,even the picture of the mother is being replaced because the mother in the picture looked “too sick and unhappy”.

Power play

While there could be several reasons for the adjournment of hearing in a case,this one certainly stood out. Additional Sessions Judge Madhu Jain had to defer the proceedings in a case as there was no electricity in the courtroom. Also waiting for the power to come back was another judge Vidya Prakash,who had come to the court as a witness of the Test Identification Parade (TIP) of an accused in the case against former MCD deputy chairman and Congress councillor Ashok Jain and his associates for allegedly murdering a realtor and running a crime syndicate. “One envelope containing the TIP proceedings of an accused,conducted by Vidya Prakash,was also opened,but in the meanwhile,electricity has gone and has not come despite waiting till 4 pm . As such,the witness is discharged unexamined,” the ordersheet read.

Playing with the team

While the Opposition was busy raising slogans against PWD minister Rajkumar Chauhan,BJP MLA from Kirari Anil Jha engaged in friendly banter with him. All the time his partymen made themselves hoarse demanding Chauhan’s resignation,Jha kept joking with him. It was much later that BJP’s Sahab Singh Chauhan noticed this and pulled him aside,leading the astray sheep back to the flock.

Motivation missing?

Former social welfare minister Mangat Ram Singhal,who lost his Cabinet berth to Ramakant Goswami last month,seems to have also given up his punctual ways in the Delhi Assembly. As a minister,Singhal used to attend the House regularly and sit through long sessions. However,during the ongoing budget session,his first session as a legislator,Singhal has been spotted making only special appearances. On most days,he walks in during the Question Hour — occasionally even later — sits for a while without speaking much,and leaves the proceedings midway. Unlike earlier when he was a minister,he does not even have to attend department meetings now. Wonder what other engagements keep him so busy.

Opposing opinions

Metro’s upcoming corridor,connecting Mandi House to Red Fort,has drawn ire from heritage enthusiasts who complain that the line will run close to important heritage sites like Delhi Gate and Red Fort and may cause harm to the structures. The competent authority appointed for all heritage regulations,Vijay Madan,has,on the other hand,asked the Delhi Metro to construct more subways and connections linking the station at Red Fort to the monument so that visitors can easily reach the site. While heritage enthusiasts are looking to keep the Metro away from the heritage sites,authorities protecting the monument have an entirely different take.