lookingforward 2012

SUNDAY TIMES OF INDIA, NEW DELHI JANUARY 1, 2012

A BETTER PLACE...
Technology and new civic infrastructure will make Delhi a better place to live in this year. Measures such as online challans and speedy trials will improve law and order while bringing down corruption. Services ranging from the airport to hospitals will improve. But expect to pay a little more for the comfort

HERITAGE

EDUCATION SET FOR A BOLD NEW COURSE THIS YEAR

PAST WONT BE A HURDLE

he years first week will probably settle an important question: the entry level for formal schooling. While the minimum age for nursery admissions remains three years, Delhi High Court is likely to decide on January 6 if nursery should be the entry level for school or not. A petition filed by the NGO Social Jurist has pointed out that the current system of schools admitting children aged 3+ to nursery and then directly promoting them to KG is against Ganguly Committees recommendations that oppose nurserys inclusion in formal schooling.

EDUCATION
The year will also see some progress on the plan of Delhi University, JNU, Jamia Millia Islamia and IITD to create a system for students to mix and match their best courses in a hybrid curriculum. Students will be allowed to attend classes in any of these four institutions under the name of a meta uni-

versity. The collaboration follows the governments plan to set up a meta university under National Innovation Council. If all goes as per plan, this university may be launched by July . In all likelihood, the January 6 general body meet of JNU will bring back student politics to the university Supreme Court on De. cember 8 vacated the stay on JNUSU elections. The apex court had stayed elections in 2008 for violations of Lyngdoh Committees recommendations. It will also be interesting to follow DUs new admission policy thats being worked out by a highpowered committee, which is likely to recommend re-introduction of the pre-registration process and shorten the admission window. The admissions will also be under the scanner due to the fake certificate controversy which mired the 201112 process. While DU, despite rolling out the semester system at the undergraduate level amidst massive opposition from the teaching community, is still fighting a legal battle on the issue, Jamia Millia Islamia is likely to have a smooth run in implementing the system from the 2012-13 academic session. Jamia has been working on the semester system and the curricula for more than two years now.

his year, people who own property near ASI-protected monuments in the city can expect a response to their applications for carrying out alterations and modifications. With the appellate body, National Monuments Authority, starting work, Delhi Metro can also expect a decision on the fate of its crucial Red Fort line. Delhis nomination dossier for Wold Heritage City status will also be sent to UNESCO in 2012, marking a significant move in spreading awareness of the citys rich heritage.

IGI EYES 1,000 FLIGHTS A DAY

MODERN TECHNOLOGY TO FIGHT TERROR

ith the threat of terror activities looming large, Delhi Police plans to go high-tech to combat crime in 2012. The department will install more CCTV cameras in the city and roll out a mobile laboratory. It also plans to train more personnel in anti-terror operations. In 2012, Delhi Police will focus on officer-oriented policing, under which a large number of educated subinspectors with exempla-

aving touched the 1,000 aircraft movement once in 2011, IGI Airport is gearing up to having over 1,000 flights on a daily basis in 2012. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is in the planning stage for devising operating procedures under which IGIs three runways can be used simultaneously The peak hourly ca. pacity of the busiest airport in the country is now about 65 movements, which should go up to 75-80 if the plan is successfully implemented. By March 31, the airport expects to have handled passenger traffic of 34 million in the fiscal year 2011-12. To improve functioning of the three runways, a new air traffic control tower is also on the cards. Airport officials say the construction of

CRIME
ry investigative skills would handle important cases. The department plans to surrender about 900 constabulary (constable) posts for some 400 sub-inspectors. We are facing an acute shortage of sub-inspectors. As constables are not authorized to do paperwork like filing reports, we need more investigating officers to cut down on pendency, said a senior officer. Cops also hope to curb crimes like chain-snatchings and robberies. Delhi Police aims to

complete the registration of all senior citizens. The department will join hands with various universities and departments to hone communication skills of its officers. It will provide more facilities to personnel, including better offices, improved technical help and more rewards, to encourage its 80,000 officers. The department will also organize more training exercises for its men in agencies like NSG and FBI in the US. Top officials say the force will work towards improving coordination with police departments of neighbouring states.

SPECIAL COURTS TO SPEED UP JUSTICE

COURTS
he coming year promises a speedy disposal of criminal cases with plans in the offing to revamp the judicial system by creating special courts. From January three new CBI courts , will become functional at Tis Hazari, Saket and Patiala House to meet the long-standing demand for additional special courts to dispose of the rising number of cases with the investigating agency These courts will be conducted . by special judges. 2012 may also see the establishment of special fast track courts to try rape cases with the Delhi government finally beginning work on creating its firstever special court to fast track cases of assault on women.

AIRPORT
the new tower will begin in the coming year. At a height of 102m, the tower will be taller than Qutub Minar and equivalent to a 32-floor-high building. The present ATC tower has limited visibility and one cannot properly see the new runway which is on the other side of terminal 3. The new tower, coming up at a cost of roughly Rs 200 crore, will provide a birds eye view of the airport, said an AAI official. The new commercial area coming up near the tunnel road between Centaur Hotel and the main runway will finally start showing signs of completion. The first hotel to become operational here will be Ibis Hotel. The 456-room hotel is expected to open by early to mid 2012. More hotels in the area are likely to follow suit in the next few months. With the construction of the new ATC tower to start in 2012, the black and yellow taxi stand will have to move. The new stand, with space for 1,600 taxis and a cafeteria and restrooms, will come up next to Centaur Hotel and is meant to serve only terminal 3, airport officials said. At one point, 50 taxis can be parked outside the terminal on the arrival concourse. Modernization of the old cargo complex is also expected to be over in the coming year. A new cargo complex near the old one will also be completed in 2012.

The main focus of the judiciary will be on increasing the number of judges in the trial courts for better efficiency . Currently, about 500 judges are work-

ing and the strength will go up to 700 in a couple of years, a source said. Also, after the division of the capital into nine civil districts, the courts will be divided into nine criminal districts in 2012, streamlining the work. The city will be divided into nine metropolitan areas, with each having its own chief metropolitan magistrate and sessions court for speedy disposal of cases. Currently, Delhi has six district courts and only one chief metropolitan magistrate. Under the new system, each district will have a chief metropolitan magistrate. The courts have already taken the initiative of establishing the special courts. In 2011, a special court for NIA cases and 2G spectrum was established. Sources say more special courts may be formed if the number of cases with the National Investigating Agency increases.

ELECTRONIC CHALLANING BY MARCH

TRAFFIC
number of exciting changes in traffic management await the city this year. While the traffic police have promised that the e-challan project will start by March, components of the Intelligent Traffic Signaling (ITS) system will be gradually introduced. We are in the process of finalizing the tender and the e-challan system should be in place by March, said joint commissioner of police (traffic) Satyendra Garg. Using this system, challans will be issued electronically with hand-held devices, and repeat offenders will pay more. Traffic cops will be armed with hand-held computers attached to a camera and a printer. Photographs of violations will be used as documentary evidence. The devices will be connected to a central server where details will be saved for future reference. The systems will also be GPS-enabled in the final phase. These will have a facility to swipe both credit cards and licences, making the payment of challans easier. Although no decision has been made about ITS, there are plans to upgrade the current technology with new traffic signals, speed cameras and automated number plate readers (ANPRs). Some stretches like NH1 and Sardar Patel Marg have already been identified for the system. The focus will shift to enforcing lane discipline and checking corruption in the traffic police ranks. Although the department claims it has cracked down on corrupt officials, Grameen Sewa and other commercial vehicles are known to flout traffic rules after buying off officials.

NEW CORPORATIONS MUST WORK OUT REVENUE MODEL

he year 2012 will mark the end of the 54-year-old MCD which has 94% of the city under it and caters to 97% of the population after the municipal polls in April. While the Sheila Dikshit-led Delhi government has been successful in making the three-way MCD split a reality and defining the contours of the new corporations, what lies ahead is the real challenge of dividing assets and liabilities and working out a viable revenue model. The 272 seats in 12 zones will be divided among the three corporations with 104 each in South and North Delhi corporations and 64 in East Delhi. At pres-

MCD

SOON, PICK YOUR DISCOM

POWER
evision of power tariff is expected again by mid-2012, which, experts hint, could see another hike going by the loss-making claims of the discoms and statements made by DERC during the revision of 2011. The coming year may also see the introduction of the system of open access in which consumers would have the freedom to opt for their own power supplier irrespective of where they live.

ent, property tax is the main source of revenue for MCD but its collection is uneven throughout the 12 zones. Maximum revenue is collected by zones in south and north Delhi. Revenue collection from the east is the weakest. The biggest challenge before the high-level committee led by former bureaucrat K Dharmarajan is to prepare a revenue generating model for all the three corporations, especially for East Delhi. The trifurcation Bill mentions the Delhi Municipal Fund that will be available for all the three corporations. But decisions on common sources of income like toll tax, property tax and the civic centre will be taken next year. Before split-

ting MCD, the government needs to have a bailout plan for the corporation, which has a liability of Rs 1,500-1,800 crore. Though all political parties have welcomed the proposal for 50% reservation for women in the new corporations, it is likely to worry nearly 40% male councillors.

PATIENT CARE TO IMPROVE WITH MORE HOSPITALS, DOCTORS

HEALTHCARE

2ND AUTOMATED PARKING IN JAN

NDMC

elhis first automated multilevel car parking which can accommodate 824 cars was made operational at Sarojini Nagar in December. The nine-storey building will have a shopping complex on the first two floors ground and first and parking space on the rest. NDMC is all set to make the second multilevel parking at Baba Kharak Singh Marg operational in January 2012.

ear 2012 will be time for the government to fulfil long-pending health infrastructure commitments. Four major hospital projects planned in Janakpuri, Tahirpur, Rohini and Dwarka may finally open after years of planning and the governments failure to run them on the public-private partnership (PPP) model. Many private hospitals are also setting up units in Outer Delhi areas, which will improve the health infrastructure. According to state health minister AK Walia, a fleet of 100 new ambulances is going to be added soon to the Centralized Ambulance and Trauma Services (CATS). We are working on the specifications for the vehicles to be purchased, said Walia. He

added that radio-diagnostic services and dialysis facilities will be augmented further. In view of the acute shortage of dialysis machines in the city and the problem faced by poor patients suffering from renal failure on account of it, we have decided to install standalone dialysis units in all hospitals with private partnership. The interested company will use its own equipment and staff to provide the services, for which everyone except BPL patients will be charged. The government will provide space to them, he said. The health minister added that influenza vaccines will be introduced under the universal immunization programme. Private hospitals overruling court orders with regards to their obligation to treat poor patients free of cost may face government ire.

The state government is going to launch an awareness campaign to make poor people aware of their rights and will set up a special cell to monitor action against hospitals that are not fulfilling their commitment to provide free treatment, despite being allotted land at discounted rates. Patients visiting AIIMS will no longer have to go through the rigmarole of paying bills separately but can instead pay for all the services registration charges, diagnostic facilities, bed charges, cost for medical implants and surgical consumables together. The premier medical institute and hospital is going to introduce a smart card or cash card soon. Also, the shortage of doctors at AIIMS may finally end as the institute will recruit more than 100 assistant professors by February .