The Hindu : New Delhi News : Inside delhi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 04, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

Inside delhi

A different role

“Super Cop” Kiran Bedi was seen in a totally different role this past week, extending her support to the cause of elimination of discrimination of the girl child.

Ms. Bedi was spotted cheering for her daughter Neetu Bhatia who took part in the inaugural match of the eighth CRY Cadence Corporate Cricket Challenge “special match for the girl child” .

“As a child I was given every opportunity to develop my potential and chose my path. I believe it’s every child’s right. Given the status of the girl child in India, it’s time we all stood up against every kind of discrimination and demanded equal justice for all our children,” said Ms. Bedi.

Emphasising the need for a strong campaign to ensure citizens’ participation in the issues facing the girl, Ms. Bedi added: “I feel honoured to be part of the CRY cadence corporate cricket challenge that is addressing such burning issues. I hope each one of us will take this determination beyond the pitch into every sphere of our daily lives and spread the message to our family, friends and acquaintances across the country.”

The event was put together to unite people to speak out against injustice towards the girl child. The friendly cricket match brought together corporate bigwigs, sportspeople and eminent personalities.

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

New-found glory

Accustomed to receiving more brickbats than bouquets, the Delhi Jal Board was in for a pleasant surprise when a residents’ welfare association decided to honour it with a “lifetime achievement award” this past week.

The award was presented to the Jal Board for being the “best performing utility” by Triveni Residential Association-II in Sheikh Sarai. The association, which represents about 10,000 residents, said the Jal Board had not just made it possible for them to receive more water at scheduled intervals through the day, it also has a team of “responsive” officials.

They cited an instance where a zonal engineer of the utility went from door to door to inform residents about a snag that resulted in no water supply.

The award was presented to the Chief Executive Officer of the Jal Board, Arun Mathur, by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who incidentally is the Chairperson of Jal Board. And while the residents are happy with the improved water supply in their area, the Jal Board is basking in its new-found glory.

Smriti Kak Ramachandran

A few hiccups

The pre-paid auto-rickshaw service at the Capital’s railway stations helps commuters generally get a hassle-free ride to their final destinations after a long and tiring rail journey.

While the system in place has proved to be fairly effective in curbing harassment of commuters, a few hiccups still remain.

A friend who arrived at Old Delhi railway station around midnight this past weekend has an interesting story to tell. He approached the pre-paid auto service booth and furnished an East Delhi address in full. The person manning the counter asked for a few clarifications, but the problem apparently remained.

While the friend had to go to Mayur Vihar Phase I (Extension), the man sitting at the counter told him that the addresses available on his computer were of Mayur Vihar Phase I and Vasundhara Enclave only. The two localities, though in the same area, are quite far apart.

The friend then asked if New Ashok Nagar, which is right opposite Mayur Vihar I (Extension), was there in his list. The man at the counter again answered in the negative.

Finally, with not many options left, the friend opted for Vasundhara Enclave. As luck would have it, the auto-rickshaw driver who got that receipt knew the exact address where the friend had to go, but he wanted extra money to take him there.

While the man at the counter did admonish the driver for demanding extra fare and told him clearly that he would not get a single additional paisa, the driver continued to harass the friend all the way for a few extra bucks.

It is high time the authorities realised that a more detailed destination chart would help them provide a much efficient and hassle-free service to commuters. Also, while in this case the commuter happened to be well versed with the area, someone new to the city would find it extremely difficult to choose a suitable destination from a small list in the middle of the night.

Prashant Pandey

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