Pay toll on Noida-Greater Noida Expressway from Sep 30
Mar 10th
he Noida-Greater Noida Expressway will cease to be toll-free from Sep 30, the Uttar Pradesh government said Tuesday.
The government, in a notification, has included the 21.5-km-long stretch into the toll road category. A car commuter will have to pay Rs.18 for the journey on the road.
It also said the toll rate applicable on all toll roads in Uttar Pradesh will be on per-kilometre basis.
A car commuter will have to pay Rs.0.80 paisa per km; a Light Motor Vehicle (LMV) owner will have to pay Rs.1.30 paisa per km, a bus owner will have to pay Rs.2.75 paisa per km, a seven-axle vehicle will have to pay Rs.4.30 paisa per km and heavy vehicle travellers will have to pay Rs.5.25 per km to travel on toll roads in the state.
The Noida-Greater Noida Expressway would be clubbed with the Yamuna Expressway, which opens for commuters September 30, said Deputy Chief Executive Officer (DCEO)-Yamuna Expressway Authority, R.K. Singh.
Former state minister Nawab Singh Nagar, in a hurriedly called press conference, criticised the government’s decision and announced a mass agitation against the move.
Nagar argued that the local farmers alongside the Expressway would be unable to bear the toll. The way to their farm lands would be restricted, and hence, they would oppose the move, he added.
Boards: Some jittery, some cool ……… Best of Luck
Mar 7th
This is a board examination with a difference, for class X students are facing their last boards. They will become optional from next year. The assessment for class X is also going to be on the basis of grades. Over 16 lakh students from both class X and XII sat for their examination today. For class X students, the paper was on music and class XII students had physics paper.
While class X students tend to be relaxed this year, class XII students are on edge. The sheer number of students sitting the examination this year shows a marked increase of 8.72% over last year.
The most significant changes have been for students facing their class X boards. Many of them tend to be satisfied with the changes.
Gaurav Malhotra, a class X student of Vasant Valley School, says, “There is nothing to worry about this examination. I will worry when I get to class XII. This examination is cool, we will be graded and that’s exciting. What I like is that there will be no marks.”
Another class X student Radhika Sharma from Springdales School, says, “I’ve been studying throughout the year and am not overly concerned. The first main paper is social science and though prepared, I will be having last-minute revision. In this grade system, so many kids will get A grades and the feeling is not something special like getting high marks or ranks.”
There are mixed reactions from parents, many favouring a regular exam based on marks in class X, while some are satisfied with the changes.
Anahita Sehgal, a parent, says, “My daughter is in class X and I have had to really push her to study and complete her course on time. With the new grade system, kids are not taking the boards as seriously as they should. I can’t say whether ending the old system is a good idea and I don’t know what these kids will do in class XII when they face a competitive board examination.”
If class X students are taking it easy, the mood of class XII students is very different. They are stressed. Nandita Kapoor, a class XII student, says, “Our first paper was physics. I found it difficult though I prepared hard. Some of the questions were tricky.”
Another class XII student Samir Sehgal says, “My first exam went off well. I am relieved though there is a lot more to prepare, the examination has just begun.”
Farmers agitate for abadi land
Mar 7th
Hundreds of farmers from Khairpur Gujjar village today protested at the authority office over abadi land and compensation issues. Sangarsh Samiti president Sharda Ram and kisan leader Teja Gujjar led the demonstration. Heavy police force was deployed to avert any untoward incident.
Hundreds of litigations were pending concerning the abadi land. While farmers claim it is their abadi land, the authority terms it unauthorized occupation.
Several clashes have taken place in the past whenever the authority bulldozers went to demolish the abadi land.
The other issue was hike in land compensation rates. “Farmers want the right to sell the land directly to private builders. We want that land acquisition amendment bill, pending at the centre, should be passed immediately,” said Gujjar.
Deep Chand, Rajesh Pradhan, Charanjit Singh, Virendera and others sat on peaceful dharna till late evening today.
Toll tax soon on Noida-Gt Noida e-way
Mar 7th
Vehicles using Noida-Greater Noida Expressway will soon have to pay a toll tax. With the commissioning of Taj Expressway, the toll regimen will be made applicable on Noida-Greater Noida Expressway also, it is learnt. J.P. Group is constructing the 165-km-long Expressway. The group is expected to pay the cost of its construction to Noida Authority as per the terms and conditions of the agreement.
Under the agreement, J.P. Group will receive the toll tax for the next 36 years on the Expressway. An agreement for this was signed by J.P. Group and Taj Expressway in 2003.
According to sources at the time of commissioning of Taj Expressway, Noida-Greater Noida Expressway will also be handed over to J.P. Group.
It may be added that the J.P. Group has been allotted 500 acres of land on the sides of Taj Expressway for constructing this highway on its own cost. With the commissioning of Taj Expressway, users of this highway will have to pay a toll tax and simultaneously a toll tax will become applicable on use of Noida-Greater Noida Expressway also, it is learnt.
A toll tax plaza is being constructed near Kondli on Expressway which will ultimately be made into an 8-lane expressway as against the present 4-lane road.
It may be recalled that Noida and Greater Noida authorities had jointly constructed Noida-Greater Noida Expressway in 2000.
Twenty-km-long length of Expressway out of total 23 km lies in Noida while 3 km falls in Greater Noida. It had been constructed at a cost of Rs 18 crore.
According to sources, the rates of toll tax on the Expressway have been decided along with the toll tax rates on Yamuna Expressway.
Apart from Noida-Greater Noida Expressway and Yamuna Expressway, a toll tax will be payable on the inter-change and overbridges, it is learnt.
Vehicles will have to pay toll tax at four places from Noida to Agra. Each plaza will receive toll tax for its own segment only, the officials clarified.
Couple arrested for cheating 113 BEd, MEd aspirants
Mar 1st
A young couple who allegedly cheated over 100 BEd and MEd aspirants of over Rs 65 lakh were arrested in the national capital, police said on Sunday.
Rochak Sharma (28) and his wife Jasmine Sharma (27), who were putting up in a rented Kothi in the posh locality of Delta-1 in Greater Noida, were arrested.
Both were absconding and a non-bailable warrant was issued against them by Delhi High Court, a senior police official said.
The Crime Branch was investigating a case against them in which 113 students were cheated of around Rs 65 lakh on the pretext of giving them degrees of BEd and MEd from Jammu and Kashmir and Kurkshetra Universities.
The arrest came on a complaint filed by one Simmi Trehan, a resident of Sector 9 of Rohini that Rochak, the Director of Dolphin College in Vikaspuri, collected money from several students who applied for BEd and MEd and but later closed down the office.
Later, police said, the couple started a new institution ‘Sharma College of Education’ in Janakpuri and again allegedly cheated many other aspirants. Again, they shut the institute without paying the money back.
Rochak was arrested earlier too but his wife Jasmine managed to get interim bail from the court. The court later granted bail to both husband and wife when they assured that they would settle the issue with the victims.
However, instead of settling the issue, they jumped interim bail and absconded.
“The court had issued non bailable warrants against both of them and proceedings to declare them proclaimed offenders were also initiated,” the police official said.
The couple then established their new base in Greater Noida and started luring other aspirants and supplied them prospectus of various universities and collected money.
They decided to shift from Noida as they sensed people were getting suspicious of their activities. “They contacted a few property dealers in Lodhi Road to secure a rented premises in the institutional area to start another fake institute named Jasmine Institute of Professional Studies,” the official said.
The two were arrested yesterday from Lodhi Institutional Area.
During interrogation, they told police that they started the Dolphin College of Teacher Training initially and started making contacts with the people of various Universities.
“They initially managed to get some bona fide admissions in the Universities but the commission was very less and they could not live the lavish life they desired. In order to earn easy money, they lured BEd and MEd aspirants through advertisements as these courses were in great demand,” the official said.
A car, seven ATM and credit cards of various multi national banks, pass books, PAN cards, bank statements, BEd and MEd related study material, prospectus and gold jewellery were recovered from them during searches at their premises.
