DLD‰‰†‰KDLD‰‰†‰DLD‰‰†‰MDLD‰‰†‰C Mane course: Mali Madhuri THE TIMES OF INDIA Tresses distress Dixit Banna Saturday, April 12, 2003 Eva Herzigova! Chahti Hai... Page 7 Page 8 TO D AY S LUCKY 869 Ulta-pulta Old age pension 858 877 Satte pe satta Year of Independence 847 Your Dambola Ticket available in Delhi Times on 6th April, 2003 Numbers already announced : 10, 82, 7, 1, 19, 15, 33, 41, 52, 71, 84, 75, OF INDIA 53, 32, 89, 40, 60, 9, 26, 39, 64, 28, 21, 6 MANOJ KESHARWANI Govt burns a hole in Delhi’s pocket The latest CAG report indicts the Delhi government for failing to deliver despite spending crores on projects ARUN KUMAR DAS almost seven years to complete. Mean- tivities in the vicinity of a prohibited achieve the intended objective of Times News Network while, the preliminary estimate of Rs area. As a result, a prestigious project planned development for the area. 4.95 was revised to Rs 12.11 crore in conceived more than 15 years ago is yet ‘‘So much so, even eight years after irst, the facts. Conceived a good 15 1997. After a tender was to take off and the expendi- its existence, the Trans-Yamuna Area years ago, the Delhi govern- finalised, work was ture of Rs 30.85 lakh in- Development Board has neither stud- Fment’s proposed city museum is supposed to commence curred in the initial ied nor identified the drawbacks in the yet to be born. This, despite expendi- in March 2001, and be stages has remained existing infrastructure of the trans-Ya- ture to the tune of Rs 30.85 lakh having completed in 2003. unfruitful.’’ What’s muna area to facilitate the formulation been incurred by the Sahitya Kala However, when work more, this Rs 30.85 of a unified and coordinated area Parishad, the body assigned the job of was commenced, the lakh is just part of plan,’’ says the CAG report. executing the project. As things stand Archaeological Sur- the losses incurred On the land acquisition front, the now, the project is confined to paper- vey of India (ASI) is- by officialdom —the CAG report makes an observation that work and this has fired the ire of the sued a show-cause no- PWD has failed to ‘‘Slow progress in completion of land Comptroller and Auditor General of In- tice saying that the recover Rs 17.68 acquisition and the incorrect calcula- dia (CAG), which has taken the Delhi construction of the lakh as outstanding tion of interest has resulted in excess government to task. museum could not be dues from a default- payment of Rs 263.4 lakh.’’ Besides, the Offering the sarkari side of the story undertaken as the site ing contractor. CAG has detected that ‘‘Expenditure is a senior official of the department of chosen was a pro- Of course, the propo- worth Rs 52 lakh has proved unfruitful art and culture: ‘‘In July 1986, based on hibited area. Conse- sed city museum does on account of deficiencies in the pro- the decision of the Delhi lieutenant quently, work was not make for the only curement of essential accessories and governor to construct a city museum, a suspended.’’ official project which failure to position trained personnel high-level committee was constituted While indicting has fed on the excheq- for public health services.’’ for the purpose in June 1987. This com- the Delhi government uer and has nothing to Easy come, easy go. In simple-speak, mittee, in turn, approved the location for its failure to exe- NEELABH show in return. The the Delhi government seems to have no of the museum on a 22-acre plot at cute the project, the CAG, on its part, has problems with creating a hole in its Kashmere Gate. Work on the project latest CAG report MONEY MATTERS criticised the city own pocket. Unfortunately, the money was assigned a budget of Rs 4.95 crore states: ‘‘It (the non-implementation of government for spending more than Rs lost due to official apathy pinches the in 1990. However, the procedure of the project) was due to the failure to 415 crore on the Trans-Yamuna Devel- common man’s pocket. inviting and scrutinising tenders took foresee restrictions on construction ac- opment Board, which has failed to [email protected] Action replay: Puri, Cells are cool at school! Times News Network So, I need the cellphone to keep in touch with my parents,’’ explains Alok, a class XII student. he history lesson seems to go on forever. While the cool crowd dumps old cellular Big B as top cops TThose trigonometry theorems are just two models for trendier ones as frequently as twice much. No sweat, Gen Next doesn’t let these mi- or thrice a year, the latest law on the school nor classroom problems come in SURESH NAIR time that Nihalani, who dir- block is: flaunt the latest cellphone mod- the way of communication. With Times News Network ected Jaya Bachchan in Haz- el, but don’t get caught. Sometimes, the cellphone increasingly becom- aar Chaurasi Ki Maa, will though, even the most fool-proof pl- ing a part of the schoolbag, stu- mitabh Bachchan and work with the Big B. ‘‘Amita- an fails and students do get caught. dents just SMS... oops, MMS... Om Puri. They are two bh and I have been wanting Then, the cellphones are con- A away to glory. of a kind with one striking to do a film together since fiscated and parents are ‘‘I have just got myself the similarity about their caree- the days of Ardh Satya,’’ sa- called to school. In certain cas- latest model in the market. rs. In 1973, Prakash Mehra’s ys Nihalani. es, a fine is imposed on the stu- Now,I can mail pictures to my Zanjeer turned an unknown Bachchan himself admits dent concerned. ‘‘Admittedly, girlfriend at Springdales,’’ re- Bachchan, playing an angry to being an ardent admirer students do have genuine rea- veals a Modern School stu- cop at war against the syst- of Nihalani: ‘‘I am appreciat- sons to carry cellphones to dent on the condition of em, into hot property.Ten ye- ive of all his films, though I school,’’ says DPS (Mathura anonymity.Schools, after all, YOU WIN SOME, YOU TWIN SOME! Delhi Times freeze frames the funky funda of fashion ars later, Puri drew national haven’t seen some of his rec- Road) principal MI Hussein, have a strict no-mobile rule. this season as Vijay and Ajay Balhara court the cool colours of Rohit Bal creations, at the recognition playing a simi- ent ones. But like his other fi- ‘‘But the communication of But rules are made to be bro- Taj Mahal Hotel (To send this photograph to a friend, log on to www.timescity.com/delhi/) lar short-fused cop in Govi- lms, this one too is hard-hitt- students isn’t limited to con- ken, say today’s schoolkids. nd Nihalani’s Ardh Satya. ing. Yes, it has a commercial versation with parents. Stu- Aasna and her friends — And now, in 2003, Nihalani angle, but there is no com- dents start talking with each class IX students all — have achieves a casting coup of promise on realism.’’ other over their cellphones discovered a unique facility atten- sorts, bringing together Bac- As for Puri, it has been a and disturb the discipline at dant on cellphones. ‘‘Each time we Beep, beep: It’s Sehwag ki maa! hchan and Puri for the first long time since he has work- school. Also, cellphones are bunk school, we check with time in a film, titled Dev,in ed in a Nihalani film, consid- sometime lost or stolen and friends at school that every- NEELABH JYOTI SHARMA class X, I got him enrolled at a tutorial. But he which the two play cops. ering the duo had earlier do- precious teaching time is thing is fine back there. If a Times News Network would come up with excuses about how he ‘‘I am certainly very excit- ne movies such as Aakrosh, lost to searching for them.’’ teacher suspects that we are UPWARDLY MOBILE was not feeling well and not go for his coach- ed,’’ says Ardh Sat- While cellphone owner- missing, we return immediately!’’ says Aasna. ehwag ki maa ka phone hai. If the popu- ing classes. But, five minutes later, he would Bachch- ya and Dr- ship among students might be somewhat of a DOUBLE TROUBLE Of course, there are those who carry cell- larity of this ad is anything to go by, Kr- disappear to play cricket!’’ sore spot for schools, the fact of the matter is S phones to school for all the right reasons. ishna Sehwag is a celebrity in her own right. By the way, Viru wasn’t just passionate that today’s child is sold on the cell. No kidding! ‘‘From school, I head for my coaching classes. [email protected] ‘‘Nowadays, people stop me on road to congra- about cricket as a child, he was mischievous tulate me. Everybody wants to meet Virender. too! ‘‘Viru was a naughty child and we received I usually discourage them with the pretext th- complaints about him every other day,’’ says at he is not at home. But children are very en- Krishna, ‘‘I was always scared that he might thusiastic and ring our doorbell right through fall into bad company and, consequently, kept the day, asking to meet Virender. a strict eye on him. His friends, on When I ask them why they want DIAL TONE their part, would tell me not to to meet him, the worry and main- stock reply is that tain that Viru they want to tha- would make us nk him for perfor- all proud some ming so well.’’ day...he has.’’ Despite shari- With wedding ng the limelight bells ringing loud with her cricket and clear for star son, Krishna Rahul Dravid, Kr- Amitabh Bachchan and Om Puri will revive would rather not ishna wants her the angry cop act for Govind Nihalani’s Dev step beyond her son to follow suit: profile as a hous- ‘‘We have received an, ‘‘Om is one of our finest ohkaal.