DDA shows red flag to waste mgmt plant
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has rejected a proposal to establish a solid waste management facility in Maidan Garhi near IGNOU Campus.
The proposal was first floated by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) in July 20.
“The reasons for rejection are that the proposed solid waste management site is near a heavy built-up area and an educational institute, IGNOU Campus, and a proposed South Asian University,” said Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta, who is also a member of the DDA.
The site is near the Asola Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary where DDA had proposed the Tilpat Valley Biodiversity Park, and has water bodies that helps groundwater recharge.
Gupta said he asked DDA to put up an alternative proposal to provide land to the south corporation for a dust-free zero waste solid waste management facility at a remote area which is less habited.
Hindustan Times had earlier highlighted how residents of Maidan Garhi, Freedom Fighter Enclave and other nearby villages were opposing the facility.
The land owning agency after looking into the demands of villagers and residents constituted a board of enquiry consisting of Gupta and other senior officials of DDA.
The inquiry board after going into the representation of the people opposing the plant at the proposed site and the ground realities recommended rejection of the proposal.
Tyagi said Nitish attended the PM’s dinner for Mukherjee as he shared a “personal and special relationship” with the outgoing President.
The Bihar CM also called on President-elect Kovind and later met party colleague Sharad Yadav.
He had earlier too sought to allay such apprehensions in the opposition camp by speaking to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul over phone. The Congress chief had also spoken to Prasad in a bid to prevent the collapse of the grand alliance in Bihar.
Congress leaders were of the view that the issues over which Kumar snapped his 17-year-old ties with the BJP remain unchanged. Kumar walked out of the NDA in 2013 after the alliance named Modi as its prime ministerial candidate.
A Congress leader said despite repeated denials, the Bihar CM wanted to be immediately declared the opposition’s PM candidate for 2019 and the “frustration over the delay” was reflected in his latest moves, including support for Kovind.
On Saturday, Kumar and Rahul also discussed the opposition strategy for the August 5 vice-presidential elections.
The JD(U) chief is also expected to attend Kovind’s oath taking ceremony on Tuesday.
Some put a circle around the numeric. The BJP got one vote invalidated because the 1 was slanted “by about 30 to 40 degrees” and not perpendicular; the Congress got the same opportunity later. One of the MLAs wrote 1 over Meira Kumar’s name.
Given that legislators were clearly informed about the dos and don’ts, such errors were unexpected. Many of them could be inadvertent and a result of sheer habit but the rules set by the poll watchdog were not to be bent.
Senior BJD leader Bhartruhari Mahtab recalled one such instance in 2012 presidential poll in which he was the counting agent for PA Sangma. A Congress MLA from Odisha decided to go by his conscience—permitted in presidential polls where there is no party whip — and voted for Sangma. He used Oriya numeral P and not E for 1. Although both are used for 1, his vote was rejected after the Congress objected to it.
The list of possible errors is long. According to Anoop Mishra, secretary general of the Lok Sabha and the Returning Officer for the presidential poll, any of these can lead a vote invalid: Writing the same preference number outside both candidate’s names, putting a tick mark, or writing outside the box. “Votes can also be declared invalid if there are any other marks, which are not required and which can later identify the voter. These can even be a dot, a line or even a wrong-coloured ink,” he told HT.
Deepender Singh Hooda, counting agent for Meira Kumar, maintained that “broadly, votes for both sides got cancelled” due to errors, but the BJP seemed better prepared. Senior BJP leader Bhupendra Yadav, counting agent for Kovind, said that a day before the polling, his party had made a presentation to its legislators on voting rules.
“It’s possible that some members themselves might have got their votes rejected, but there could also be inadvertent errors. The Election Commission should think of a better way to ensure that votes are not rejected,” said Hooda.