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Lieutenant governor orders suspension of Delhi Development Authority staff over re-encroachment of Yamuna floodplain – The Times of India

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Lieutenant governor orders suspension of Delhi Development Authority staff over re-encroachment of Yamuna floodplain – The Times of India


New Delhi: Taking stringent steps to control encroachment of DDA land on the Yamuna floodplain, lieutenant governor VK Saxena on Tuesday ordered the immediate suspension of field staff for the alarming re-encroachment of land near Pusta Road in Mayur Vihar Phase-I to NH-24.
The suspended staff include the assistant and junior engineers responsible for the Mayur Nature Park project site, said officials.
“An FIR will also be lodged under relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, including sections 198, 223, 316 and 318, as well as Section 13 of Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 against the implicated staff,” LG’s office stated.
A departmental inquiry has also been initiated to ensure accountability and facilitate disciplinary measures. “A thorough investigation will be conducted to explore potential criminal conspiracy involving DDA personnel and external parties, with appropriate actions to follow. LG has directed the vice-chairman of DDA to submit a detailed report on the inquiry and actions taken in response to these directives within seven days for review,” said an official.
LG has directed DDA that similar stringent actions will be taken in case of any fresh encroachment or re-encroachment on its land, the statement added.
The stretch from Mayur Vihar Phase-I to NH-24 is crucial for the restoration and rejuvenation of the Yamuna floodplain, where DDA is currently implementing the Mayur Nature Park project.
In June 2024, a successful encroachment removal drive was conducted under the directives of Delhi High Court and National Green Tribunal, reclaiming approximately 390 hectares of land. This operation involved the removal of around 6,000 illegal structures, four illegal nurseries, the clearing of 250 hectares of illegal cultivation, and the dismantling of approximately 40 illegal borewells.
“Despite these extensive efforts, it was noted that officials permitted re-encroachments, raising serious concerns about potential collusion with external parties. Such negligence not only exposes the authority to severe criticism from courts and tribunals but also results in significant financial losses to the public exchequer,” the statement pointed out.
TOI had reported on April 5 that over 12 lakh square metres of the Yamuna floodplain, spanning a 22km stretch from Wazirabad to Madanpur Khadar, have been encroached upon. DDA had informed NGT that the encroachments included jhuggis, govt offices, two towers near a CNG pump, temples, a gurdwara, a masjid and dargah peer, residential areas, gaushalas, akharas, workshops and Ladakh Budh Vihar monastery market.





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At Rs 1,300 crore, Delhi Development Authority records highest surplus in 13 years | Delhi News – The Times of India

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New Delhi: A major boost in revenue from the housing sector has helped Delhi Development Authority record a surplus collection of over Rs 1,300 crore — the highest in 13 years.
In the financial year 2023-24, DDA recorded a surplus of Rs 511 crore under the general development account (GDA) after maintaining a deficit trend for 12 consecutive years. Maintaining this upward trend, the authority jumped to a surplus collection of Rs 1,371 crore in 2024-25. In 2022-23, GDA registered a substantial loss of Rs 1,304 crore.
“The unprecedented sale of housing units across all categories at various locations of Delhi following the implementation of initiatives suggested by lieutenant governor VK Saxena has helped us come out of the red or deficit reported for over a decade,” DDA stated. In 2024-25, it received Rs 3,477 crore under GDA while the total expenditure was Rs 2,106 crore, registering a growth of 169% compared to 2023-24, it added.
GDA is the main account of DDA and deals with transactions relating to the disposal of houses and shops, licence fees from built-up properties and management of sports complexes, etc.
“Due to a huge unsold inventory of flats, DDA was incurring massive losses till 2022. LG, who is the chairman of DDA, took over in May 2022, and in his first meeting, he took strong exception to the consistent losses and asked officials to take corrective measures to curb the losses and make DDA financially self-sustainable. Thereafter, the authority introduced a host of innovative initiatives and people-friendly measures,” said an official.
The steps included increasing the token money substantially to attract serious buyers, changing the mode of allocation from a lottery system to first-come first-serve or e-auction, which gave buyers their choice of flats. Besides, housing regulations were amended, such as removing the clause of excluding those already having a DDA property in Delhi.
“As a result, the collection from the housing sectors increased from Rs 665 crore in 2022-23 to Rs 2,398 crore in 2023-24, which shows a steep impressive upswing of about 260% in the total housing collections. This further exceeded Rs 3,176 crore in the financial year 2024-25,” stated the authority.
In the last three years, the focus was on Narela, where DDA had a huge inventory of around 40,000 flats. “LG placed significant impetus on civic infrastructure in the sub-city, with many projects in the pipeline. The upcoming education hub with all university campuses, proposed International Sports Complex, institutions, court complex, policing and enhanced connectivity are playing a catalytic role in making Narela a preferred choice for buyers,” said an official. Laying the foundation stone for the Rithala-Narela-Kundli corridor of Delhi Metro has also enhanced its locational advantage, he added.
DDA achieved an all-time record of disposal of over 8,500 flats in 2024-25 for over Rs 3,100 crore.
DDA has also registered impressive collections in the sports section, where the revenue steadily rose from Rs 77 crore in 2022-23 to Rs 89 crore in 2023-24 to Rs 111 crore in 2024-25.





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Indian Muslims condemn Pahalgam massacre | Mumbai News – The Times of India

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MUMBAI: Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy (IMSD), along with the Bebaak Collective, Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), Centre for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS), Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), and Wisdom Foundation, have strongly condemned the heinous terrorist attack targeting tourists near Pahalgam in the Kashmir Valley.
IMSD convenor Javed Anand, in a statement, said that Muslims join all fellow Indians in offering their heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the deceased. He also called upon the central and state governments to ensure urgent and adequate compensation for the loss of precious lives and proper treatment for the injured.
According to some reports, The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow group of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has claimed responsibility for the strike.
“We hope that the perpetrators are swiftly apprehended, brought to justice, and handed severe punishments,” the statement said.

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IMSD has consistently opposed the targeting of innocent civilians anywhere, irrespective of the justification offered for such savagery.
The terror attack strikes at the heart of the Valley’s tourism centre, Pahalgam, raising serious concerns about the so-called “return of normalcy.”
The latest mass killing raises disturbing questions about the failure of security agencies in providing adequate cover in and around Pahalgam—an obvious target for terrorist groups, Anand noted.
“We demand a thorough inquiry into this grievous security lapse, accountability for those responsible, and necessary corrective action,” the statement urged.
Meanwhile, amid this moment of grief and anguish, the statement highlighted the humanity displayed by average Kashmiri Muslims. On Wednesday (April 23), the entire Valley observed a complete bandh—shopkeepers, traders, and transporters all joined in. Reports have emerged from across Kashmir of mosques opening their doors to assist distraught tourists, along with widespread condemnations from religious leaders describing the attack as one on humanity itself.
Kashmiri newspapers, both editorially and visually, conveyed that this was a day of mourning for the lives lost. IMSD urged all media, especially television channels, to report developments objectively and avoid provocative coverage.
“We call upon all Indians, irrespective of religion, to emulate the fine example of communal harmony displayed by ordinary Kashmiri Muslims,” they urged.





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Railway Claims Tribunal gets new Member

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K. Raveen Kumar Reddy, assumed charge as member (Technical), Railway Claims Tribunal, Secunderabad Bench on Wednesday (April 23, 2025).
| Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT

Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) officer of 1988 batch, K. Raveen Kumar Reddy, has assumed charge as member (Technical), Railway Claims Tribunal, Secunderabad Bench on Wednesday (April 23, 2025). The tribunal bench is a quasi-judicial institution established in the year 1989 to expeditiously settle disputes regarding the claims for refund of fares, freight charges and claims for compensation pertaining to accidents and untoward incidents in Indian Railways.

Mr. Reddy had earlier worked as additional member (Traffic & Transportation), Railway Board. During his stint in South Central Railway (SCR), he worked as principal chief commercial manager, chief freight transportation manager and was also divisional railway manager, Kharagpur division, South Eastern Railway, as per a press release.



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