Delhi underground

Perks of VIP duty

A private security officer (PSO) posted with a VIP lost his service revolver while dancing at a wedding. Any other policeman would have been in a tight spot as a departmental enquiry follows every time a cop loses his service revolver. However,sources said the VIP called up a senior Delhi Police officer and the matter was sorted without an enquiry. The PSO’s colleagues were surprised to see him report to work without facing any action.

Victory,on paper

Delhi University student politics are rarely taken seriously. Members of the DU learned this the hard way. They got no response from authorities even on the fourth day of their indefinite hunger strike for free online registration to UG seats. The strike began last Thursday and was finally called off on Tuesday. Though officials refused any discussion,the strikers got their memorandum signed by the proctor as proof that the university “had given in” to their demands.

Another shelved plan?

The grand show,which is to mark the centenary of Delhi being made the capital of the country,is at risk of becoming another shelved plan. Work at the venue — Coronation Park — is progressing slowly and may not be completed in time for the show,to be held on Independence Day. Experts in the heritage circuit say there has been a conscious political effort to avoid any celebrations marking the occasion as it might appear like glorification of the British Raj. While initially the Delhi government stayed away from celebrations,Delhi Development Authority tried to revamp the Coronation Park to mark the occasion. However,with both civil works and work on an upcoming interpretation centre at the site running way behind schedule,the new round of plans for Independence Day too are most likely hit.

Too much work

A senior police officer was temporarily handed charge of an entire range as well as the Traffic police for a while as his counterparts were either on leave or away on official work. When a colleague asked him which departments he was supervising,he said: “I handle traffic,apart from my area of operations,and law and order.” To this,the officer said,“Arre aap toh CP sahab ban gaye (You have become the Commissioner of Police).”

Making work easy

Dr R C Deka has become the first AIIMS director to ask for two bodyguards. One security personnel was appointed for the director during the tenure of Dr P K Dave from 1996-2003,after a member of the karamchari union reportedly tried to hit him. Now,Dr Deka has appointed a second guard. Doctors and karamchari union representatives are wondering what made Dr Deka take this decision. Administrative officials told Newsline that the lone bodyguard was not eligible to be paid for working overtime since he was working on part-time contract duty. Now,shifts can be shared equally.

Target audience reached

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda allotted 50 acres to IIT-Delhi for setting up an extension campus at Sonepat. The Haryana government took pride in inviting an “important institution of the country” to the state. IIT-Delhi,however,found out about the allotment from a newspaper advertisement. “We have not received any official communication confirming the same,but we saw a newspaper advertisement about the allotment,” an IIT official said.

Under the radar

On Monday,Haryana Police constable Mahavir Singh was killed after he was run over by a truck,which had illegally taken sand from the Yamuna riverbed in Faridabad. The driver of the truck broke the barricade at Palla Chowk,where Singh was stationed,and drove towards Delhi with three PCR vans giving chase. The truck only stopped after it crashed into a Maruti van at the Badarpur border. The van driver refused to press charges. When asked why,the cab driver said,“I was afraid I would get a challan because I was not wearing a seatbelt. I just wanted to get out of there.”