The Hindu : New Delhi News : Briefly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 12, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Briefly

Mobile ambulance donated

NEW DELHI JULY 11. The Union Minister and Chandni Chowk MP, Kapil Sibal, donated a mobile ambulance to the people of his constituency at a function here on Saturday. The ambulance will provide free medical facilities to the people of the area.

Mr. Sibal also inaugurated his office near Golcha Cinema where free legal aid would be provided to the poor people of his constituency. The office will function 365 days a year. This apart, a new website www.chandnichowk.org has also been launched where people can send suggestions on how to make the constituency a better place to live in.

Foundation stone laid

NEW DELHI JULY 11. The Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, laid the foundation stone of the Action For Autism (AFA) National Centre here on Saturday. Noted danseuse Shovana Narayan was present at the function.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Dikshit pledged the support of the Government. The support assumes importance in the light of the Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram's announcement in his Budget speech that the UPA government would extend the benefit of Section 80DD and Section 80U to persons with autism, cerebral palsy and multiple disabilities.

Shovana Narayan recited shlokas on the occasion. This was followed by a song "Mindblind" by students from the Open Door School for children with autism. The song highlighted the puzzling world of autism.

The national centre will try to address the needs of the growing number of children diagnosed with autism. The building under construction will house the National Autism Organisation with function-specific units focusing on education, training, advocacy, research and rehabilitation.

Applications invited

NEW DELHI JULY 11. The Indira Gandhi National Open University has invited applications for admission to various programmes for the January 2005 session. They include computer and library and information sciences; journalism, communication and creative writing; health nutrition and child care; engineering and rural development, bachelor's preparatory programme; education and distance education; management and tourism studies; women and youth development; and area specific awareness and manpower development programmes.

The sale of prospectus will commence from July 16 and the last date for submission of forms at the regional centres is September 30.

Bridge inaugurated

NEW DELHI JULY 11. The Delhi Development Minister, Raj Kumar Chauhan, inaugurated a bridge across the Pankha Road drain in West Delhi on Saturday. The Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Jagdish Mukhi, presided over the function. The bridge has been constructed by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department of the Delhi Government at a cost of Rs. 22 lakhs.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Chauhan said the bridge connecting Jeevan Park with the Main Pankha Road would ease traffic congestion in West Delhi and people of the neighbouring areas would also benefit. He added that as many as six bridges across the drain had been constructed by the Delhi Government in Jeevan Park Area and construction work of another bridge was in progress.

Mechanics' strike continues

NEW DELHI JULY 11. The indefinite strike by the Delhi Pradesh Panthers Mechanics Front to protest against the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's decision to remove all motor mechanic shops from the Capital entered its second on Sunday.

According to Sanjoy Sachdeva of the Delhi Pradesh Panthers Party, there are 44, 000 mechanic shops in Delhi and the order would render around 1.5 lakh workers in Delhi jobless. He claimed that sale and purchase shops have also gone on an indefinite strike to demand withdrawal of the order. On Sunday, shopkeepers organised dharnas at several places across the Capital in protest against the decision.

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