Mangaluru to get four tiger towing vehicles: DCP
DCP Hanumantharaya in phone-in programme
Mangaluru, June 22: Deputy Commissioner of Police Hanumantharaya said that as the instances of haphazard parking of vehicles on the roads are increasing considerably in the city, shortly four tiger towing vehicles would be pressed into action in the city.
Responding to the public phone calls at the 80th Phone-in programme at the Police Commissioner’s office here on Friday, the DCP said that if those vehicles were added to the department, it would ease the burden. The department has already called tender for thrice, but did not get proper response. Now, it has decided to get the fresh towing vehicles and fresh tender process is on, he said.
When a caller Vinayak appealed the DCP to take action as vehicle owners park their vehicles on the road from PVS Circle to Bunts Hostel Circle, another caller Shailesh said that as vehicles are being parked on either side of the road in front of restaurant in Kadri, the people were facing inconvenience. Responding to their problem, the DCP directed the traffic police to book cases against those who park their vehicles at No Parking areas and on roads.
Another caller Jagadeesh from Perera Kaikamba said that for the last four days, the only private bus is not plying on Perera- Kaikamba route and this has caused problem to the passengers. Moreover, the place has schools and colleges. But the vehicles use high decibel sounds and it is disturbing the students, he said.
He would inform the RTO on bus problem. All public utility vehicles owners were strictly directed not to use more than 60 decibel sound in commercial places and 55 decibel sound in residential places. He also directed the traffic police to seize the vehicles which cause sound pollution between 10 pm and 6 am.
Another person Nagaraj complained that Yekkur junction has Kendriya Vidyalaya and other education institutions. But the road does not have the speed breakers. This might cause problems for the students, he said.
However, another person Shobha Nayak said that city bus conductors blowing whistles while school children getting on to the bus and alighting due to which, the bus moves. This would invite danger and action should be taken against such practices, she said.
The DCP asked the RTO officers to take action against this problem.
On the traffic congestion and inconvenience on the highway due to the construction of flyover and Pumpwell and Thokkottu circles, the DCP said that a meeting was already conducted on the issue and the company has given assurance of completing the work soon.
Raviraj from Byndoor called and demanded action against those who sell illicit liquor near the Mahalingeshwara temple. But the DCP said that as Byndoor is coming under the jurisdiction of Udupi district, he would speak to SP Nimbargi.
Total 18 complaints regarding bus service, roads, traffic movement, solar lights and others were received from Kottara Chowki, Honnakatte, Kulai, Kankanady, Kulashekara, Hampankatta, Kudupu, Padil, Mangaladevi and other places.
Traffic ACP Manjunath Shetty, police officers P Yogeshwar, Sunil Kumar HT, Thimmaraju, Purushottam B and others were present.
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Prez nod for FIR against AAP's Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain in Rs 2,000-cr classroom 'scam'
New Delhi, Mar 13 (PTI): President Droupadi Murmu has given her approval for the registration of an FIR against AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain in an alleged scam of Rs 2,000 crore in the construction of classrooms in Delhi government schools, sources said.
In 2022, the Delhi government's vigilance directorate recommended a probe into the alleged scam and submitted a report to the chief secretary.
The President has given her approval for registering the FIR against Sisodia and Jain in connection with the alleged scam during their tenures as ministers in the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government, the sources said.
The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), in a report dated February 17, 2020, highlighted "glaring irregularities" in the construction of classrooms in Delhi government schools by the Public Works Department (PWD).
The President's approval came under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act that pertains to "enquiry or inquiry or investigation of offences relatable to recommendations made or decision taken by public servant in discharge of official functions or duties".
Reacting to the development, senior AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the BJP of carrying out a witch-hunt against its political rivals.
The BJP has no interest or intention to fulfil the promises it made to the people of Delhi. Its only agenda is to carry out a witch-hunt against its political rivals to stifle the voice of people, the former minister said in a statement.
The BJP-led central government has already decided to prosecute every political adversary of the party and grant approvals to move the case forward but it should wait for the judicial process to begin, he said.
In July 2019, BJP leader Harish Khurana and then AAP rebel MLA Kapil Mishra, now a minister in the Delhi government, lodged a police complaint about the alleged scam.
According to a report prepared by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of the Delhi government, the complainants alleged that there was a scam worth over Rs 2,000 crore in the construction of classrooms and school buildings in Delhi. The work was done at a highly inflated cost by the Delhi government.
The alleged scam involves the construction of around 12,748 classrooms.
The ACB report said the total expenditure incurred for constructing the classrooms and school buildings was around Rs 2,892.65 crore. They were allegedly constructed at the rate of Rs 8,800 per square feet, whereas it was common knowledge that the average construction cost (even for a builder of flats) was around Rs 1,500 per square feet.
The total cost for constructing a classroom and school building, according to the tender awarded, was allegedly around Rs 24.86 lakh per room, whereas such rooms are easily constructed in Delhi at around Rs 5 lakh per room, it said.
The prices were increased almost five times to defraud the taxpayer by siphoning off money from the public exchequer in the garb of construction cost, the report said.
Even for a 5-star hotel, top ultra-luxury quality construction is around Rs 5,000 to Rs 5,500 per square feet, it said.
The complainants submitted a copy of documents in which information received under the RTI Act in respect of the construction of 18 classrooms in the Govt Girls Senior Secondary School, Nathupura, Burari (school ID:-1207111) revealed that they were constructed at a cost of Rs 12 crore, the ACB report said.
