New Delhi :&nbsp;The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR &amp; Adjoining Areas (CAQM) has formulated a comprehensive policy to abate the menace of air pollution in Delhi-NCR.This policy contains sector-wise recommendations for Agencies and Departments of Central Government, NCR State Governments and GNCTD along with Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and State Pollution Control Boards (PCBs) of the region to prevent, control and abate air pollution in the NCR including industries, vehicles transport, construction and demolition (C&amp;D), dust from roads and open areas, municipal solid waste burning, crop residue burning etc, said Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Wednesday.The policy framed by CAQM also deals with thermal power plants (TPPs), clean fuels &amp; electric mobility, public transportation, road traffic management, diesel generators (DGs), bursting of fire crackers and abating air pollution through greening and plantation.The scope of this comprehensive plan by CAQM is to abate air pollution, primarily in Delhi and NCR.Owing to a deficit in infrastructure and systems across sub-regions of the NCR, wide variations in baseline actions, and varying levels of urbanisation, a differentiated approach and timelines have been suggested for various sub-regions that includes National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, NCR districts near Delhi - Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, Jhajjar, Rohtak, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar and Baghpat, entire state of Punjab and the non-NCR districts of Haryana, primarily for addressing episodic events of stubble burning.The ministry said that the expert group apart from taking into account the suggestions received also reviewed and examined the existing scientific literature, relevant policies, regulations, programmes and funding strategies of the Central and State Governments in various sectors, the current status of action and best practice approaches. The suggestions received were from civil society, research bodies, industry, experts, academia, individuals, etc. and related to mitigation in the key sectors of air pollution, air quality management, monitoring framework and institutional strengthening for implementation.The expert group, considering the issues and complexities involved, has suggested short-term (up to one year), medium term (one-three years), and long term (three-five years, preferably) actions. This timeframe is further differentiated for different sub-regions/areas/districts/cities to provide the space for all to transform to meet the common air quality goal.The Commission has already shared this policy with the Central Government Ministries, Departments, NCR State Governments, GNCTD and various agencies for taking comprehensive action on the policy to curb air pollution in NCR. --- IANS

The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR & Adjoining Areas (CAQM) has formulated a comprehensive policy to abate the menace of air pollution in Delhi-NCR.

 CAQM formulates policy to abate menace of air pollution in Delhi-NCR

New Delhi [India]: The Rouse Avenue Court on Saturday sent Magunta Raghava Reddy to 10 days remand of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam case.

Magunta Raghava Reddy is the son of Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party's (YSRCP) MP from Ongole, Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, and he was arrested by ED earlier in the day.

According to the ED, Raghav through his proxy person Prem Rahul Manduri also held 32.5 per cent stakes in M/s Indo Spirits, which held L1 wholesale license. Raghav being part of the South group was part and beneficiary of the conspiracy in which the South Group paid Rs 100 Cr approx. to the Aam Aadmi Party.

ED stated that Raghav Magunta is a key person in the conspiracy of cartelisation and kickbacks hatched along with various persons in the Delhi Excise policy 2021-22 scam. Raghav Magunta is the owner of liquor manufacturing units in the name of M/s Enrica Enterprises Pvt Ltd located in Chennai. He further controlled 2 retail zones in the name of M/s Magunta Agro Farms Pvt. Ltd. directly in contravention of the Excise Policy 2021-22 where a manufacturer was not permitted to hold either retail or wholesale operations.

Raghav through his proxy person Prem Rahul Manduri also held 32.5 per cent stakes in M/s Indo Spirits, which held L1 wholesale license. Raghav being part of the South group was part and beneficiary of the conspiracy in which the South Group paid Rs 100 Cr approx. to the AAP, said ED.

Earlier Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also questioned Raghava Reddy and asked whether the liquor cartel paid bribes to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government functionaries in Delhi through a middleman.

It was alleged that the Magunta family was running one of the liquor cartels in Delhi and had been in the liquor business for the last several years.
According to the ED sources, Raghava Reddy will be produced in Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court by noon.

The Rouse Avenue Court on Wednesday sent Businessman Gautam Malhotra, son of former Shiromani Akali Dal MLA Deep Malhotra, and Telangana CM's daughter K Kavitha's auditor to ED, CBI remand respectively in the Delhi excise policy case.

Hyderabad-based chartered accountant (CA), also said to be the auditor of Bharat Rashtra Samiti MLC K Kavitha, was sent for three days of CBI remand in the liquor scam.
According to the CBI, during the course of further investigation, his (Butchibabu Gorantla) role has surfaced in the criminal conspiracy with other co-accused persons, in the formulation of favourable liquor policy and deriving undue benefits out of the same.

During further investigation, the scrutiny of WhatsApp chats recovered from the seized mobile phones of Butchibabu Gorantla has revealed certain incriminating facts about the formulation and implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy.
"He (Butchibabu) has remained in regular touch with FIR-named accused persons and other suspects during the relevant period. He has also attended various meetings with co-accused/suspects persons in Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai, where the criminal conspiracies have been hatched among them," CBI said.

The ED and the CBI had, last year, alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the Excise Policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, the licence fee was waived or reduced and the L-1 licence was extended without the competent authority's approval. The beneficiaries diverted "illegal" gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection.

As alleged, the Excise Department had decided to refund the Earnest Money Deposit of about Rs 30 crore to a successful tenderer against the set rules. Even though there was no enabling provision, a waiver on tendered licence fees was allowed from December 28, 2021, to January 27, 2022, due to COVID-19, which allegedly caused a loss of Rs 144.36 crore to the exchequer, which has been instituted on a reference from the Union Home Ministry following a recommendation from Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena.

Apart from Magunta Raghava Reddy, a total of five people have been arrested by the ED in this case till now. The agency filed its chargesheet last year before a court in the national capital in the said case naming liquor businessman Sameer Mahendru as one of the accused.

Following Mahendru's arrest, the ED raided nearly three dozen locations in Delhi and Punjab in October 2022.

The agency said it has so far undertaken nearly 200 search operations in this case after filing FIR after taking cognisance of a CBI case which was registered on the recommendation of the Delhi lieutenant governor.

The CBI inquiry was recommended on the findings of the Delhi chief secretary's report filed in July showing prima facie violations of the GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR)-1993, Delhi Excise Act-2009, and Delhi Excise Rules-2010, officials had said.

On Friday, the federal agency arrested the owner of Chariot Production Media Pvt Ltd, Rajesh Joshi, who was later sent to the ED's custody till Monday by the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi.

Joshi was arrested by the agency sleuths from the national capital following questioning and evidence against him showing his involvement in the case.
According to the Enforcement Directorate, Joshi was one of the beneficiaries of kickback money that originated out of the 'tweaked' policy which favoured 'liquor lobbies'.

He allegedly laundered and distributed money and also spent huge amounts of money received on behalf of the Aam Aadmi Party for the campaign during the elections in Goa.

This is the second arrest by the ED in the case in the last two days, as on Tuesday, the agency arrested Punjab-based businessman Gautam Malhotra, who is also the son of former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA Deep Malhotra and the Director of liquor manufacturing and distribution from OASIS group.
In October last year, the ED also raided the properties of Gautam and his father in Punjab. The younger son of Deep Malhotra, Gautam is said to manage the markets of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, apart from running the OASIS group's distilleries in Ambala and Indore.

As per sources, Gautam is an associate of Amit Arora, Director of Buddy Retail Pvt Ltd, who was arrested by the ED in November last year in the alleged Delhi Excise Policy scam.

Another arrest in the case was made by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), who arrested a Hyderabad-based chartered accountant, understood to be the auditor of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K Kavitha.

Other accused named in the case are Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, the then Excise Commissioner Arva Gopi Krishna, Deputy Commissioner Anand Tiwari and Assistant Commissioner Pankaj Bhatnagar.

Manoj Rai, a former employee of Pernod Ricard; Amandeep Dhal, director of Brindco Sales; authorised signatories of Mahadev Liquors Sunny Marwah, Arun Ramchandra Pillai and Arjun Pandey are some more accused in the case. ANI

Delhi Excise Policy case: Delhi Court sent YSRCP MP's son to 10 days remand

New Delhi: Congress leaders from Delhi and Punjab held a meeting here in the wake of AAP seeking the support of opposition parties against the ordinance brought by the Centre on control of service in the national capital.

Congress leaders Partap Singh Bajwa, Ajay Maken, Sandeep Dikshit and other leaders were present at the meeting.

According to sources, the Congress leaders were against extending support to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi in the matter.

The Union government on Friday brought an ordinance to notify rules for the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) regarding the 'transfer posting, vigilance and other incidental matters'.

The ordinance was brought to amend the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 and it circumvents the Supreme Court judgement in the Centre vs Delhi case.

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal called the move "undemocratic and illegal" alleging that it "attacks the basic structure of the Constitution".

Kejriwal will meet Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai to seek support against the Centre's ordinance on the transfer of bureaucrats in the national capital.

AAP has also decided to hold 'Maha-Rally' in the national capital to voice its opposition against the Centre's ordinance, Delhi Minister Gopal Rai said on Monday.

Amid the row over the Centre's Ordinance with respect to the control of services in Delhi, former Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken on Sunday left a piece of advice for Kejriwal while recalling the tenure of Sheila Dikshit as Chief Minister.

Maken urged Kejriwal to engage with officers respectfully, hold dialogue, and persuade them for Delhi's advancement.

The ordinance has created for the first time a National Capital Civil Service Authority (NCCSA) that will have the power to recommend the transfer and posting of all Group A officers and officers of DANICS serving in Delhi.

The ordinance designates the Lieutenant Governor (LG) as the administrator of Delhi who will have the final say on the postings and transfer of all bureaucrats serving the Delhi government. ANI

Congress leaders from Delhi and Punjab held a meeting here in the wake of AAP seeking the support of opposition parties against the ordinance brought by the Centre on control of service in the national capital.

Congress leaders from Delhi, Punjab deliberate AAP's demand for support against Centre's ordinance

New Delhi: On Monday, the Rajya Sabha was informed that the current drainage master plan for Delhi, which was prepared in 1976, is not sufficient to deal with "crisis situations."
The city of Delhi saw historic flooding and waterlogging last month. On July 8 and 9, the city received 125 percent of its monthly rainfall allotment in just two days, leading to severe waterlogging.
Subsequently, the Yamuna swelled to record levels as a result of severe rainfall in the river's higher catchment districts, which include Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Haryana.
Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri responded to a written question by saying, "The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) has informed that Drainage Master Plan for Delhi was prepared in 1976 and stated that the existing Drainage Master Plan is not adequate to deal with crisis situations in Delhi." Whether the current drainage master plan is sufficient to deal with crisis scenarios like the floods and waterlogging in the National Capital Territory of Delhi was the subject of a written question submitted by Rajya Sabha MP Mohammed Nadimul Haque.
According to Puri, the Delhi administration was also made aware of a 2018 proposal for a draught drainage master plan by the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.
The minister noted, "The GNCTD has stated that Delhi now needs a comprehensive new Drainage Master Plan," and added that the GNCTD had also notified him that certain low-lying regions have been identified.
The increasing urgency of this problem is underscored by the fact that climatic changes are already occurring, including more frequent and intense downpours.
Puri responded, "This requires concerted efforts on the part of all agencies concerned, including but not limited to the Public Works Department, GNCTD; the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, GNCTD; the Municipal Corporation of Delhi; the New Delhi Municipal Council; the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation; the Delhi Jal Board; the Delhi Cantonment Board; and the Delhi Development Authority."
On July 13, the Yamuna reached a new record height of 208.66 metres, breaking the previous record set in September 1978 at 207.49 metres. More than four decades had passed since it last made such a deep penetration into the city, but this time it was successful.
As a result of the floods, 27,000 people had to be relocated. Property, business, and income losses totaled in the hundreds of millions of rupees.
Encroachment on the floodplain, intense rainfall over a short period of time, and silt deposition that has risen the riverbed are what experts say caused the historic floods in Delhi.
The states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Delhi are all included in Yamuna's catchment region.
Delhi's 41,000 or so riverside residents live in low-lying neighbourhoods that are at risk of flooding.—Inputs from Agencies

On Monday, the Rajya Sabha was informed that the current drainage master plan for Delhi, which was prepared in 1976, is not sufficient to deal with "crisis situations."

The Hawk

Tag : GNCTD

CAQM formulates policy to abate menace of air pollution in Delhi-NCR

Pankaj Sharma

The Hawk

Tag : GNCTD

CAQM formulates policy to abate menace of air pollution in Delhi-NCR

Pankaj Sharma

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