Stay updated with the latest Other news, articles, and insights from trusted sources. Explore in-depth coverage and expert analysis on Other topics.
Gurgaon: Haryana govt's expert committee report on stilt-plus-four (S+4) residential buildings has returned to the centre of legal and planning debate after Punjab and Haryana high court stayed the policy, citing inadequate infrastructure and apparent dilution of key safeguards proposed by the panel.Hearing a batch of petitions, HC restrained the state govt from acting on its July 2, 2024, notification that allowed S+4 floors on residential plots. It underlined that infrastructure capacity could not be ignored while permitting high-density construction.The expert committee report filed in June 2023 proposed a detailed framework for allowing S+4 buildings, but only with riders. Its central recommendation was a mandatory infrastructure capacity audit before any additional floors were permitted, especially in developed sectors.The committee said S+4 buildings in existing colonies should be allowed only in blocks abutting roads at least 12 metres wide and supported by adequate, or augmentable, infrastructure, including water supply, sewerage, drainage and parking. The revised rules, however, extended permissions in HSVP sectors to roads as narrow as 10 metres, prompting concerns that the policy had moved away from the committee's original framework.The panel also prescribed a clear implementation sequence -- preparation of a standard operating procedure (SOP), submission of a detailed audit report within three months, and final approval by the deputy commissioner after technical verification. The high court observed that the audit mechanism was necessary to prevent further strain on civic infrastructure, which is already under pressure in many parts of Gurgaon.A key finding of the report was the distinction between new and existing sectors. The committee supported S+4 buildings in upcoming areas where infrastructure could be planned in advance, but warned against blanket approvals in older colonies where civic systems were already stretched.Consultations held across Gurgaon, Faridabad and Panchkula recorded recurring concerns from stakeholders. These included internal roads effectively reduced to 4-5 metres because of encroachments and utilities, acute parking shortages, traffic congestion, structural risks to adjoining buildings, misuse of stilt areas for commercial purposes, and mounting pressure on sewer, drainage and water networks.The report also flagged that a large number of permissions were being granted on narrow roads and small plots, raising questions about long-term sustainability.Official data cited in the report showed that by March 2023, around 24,600 building plans had been approved and more than 11,400 occupation certificates issued, indicating that the policy had already been implemented at scale even before the revised notification.After the 2024 changes, approvals accelerated further. In the city alone, 7,000 to 8,000 building plans were sanctioned in colonies and sectors, and more than 1,500 occupation certificates were issued. While this reflected strong uptake, it also coincided with growing complaints from residents over infrastructure stress and deteriorating quality of life.The committee's recommendations went beyond the question of whether S+4 construction should be allowed. It called for revisions to Haryana Building Code, 2017, strict action against misuse of stilt parking, grievance redress mechanisms, mandatory structural safety norms, linkage of permissions to infrastructure augmentation plans, and regular public disclosure of approvals.Most importantly, the panel stressed that permissions in many cases should follow prior infrastructure upgrades, not run parallel to construction or come afterward.HC's interim order reflected many of these concerns. It observed that roads, sewer systems and drainage network in the city were already under severe pressure and might not be able to absorb increased density without advance upgrades.A court-appointed inspection reinforced that concern. It found that roads officially recorded as 10-12 metres wide often had motorable carriageways of only 4-5 metres, exposing the gap between planning standards and actual site conditions.The bench warned that allowing S+4 construction without infrastructure audits could impose an "additional burden over existing infrastructure of Gurgaon, which is on the verge of crumbling with increased use by a larger population..."Urban planning experts said the court's intervention had restored attention to the committee's original roadmap. "The report never rejected S+4 outright. It laid down conditions. The issue is implementation without safeguards," a senior town planner said.The dispute now turns on the committee's core finding: vertical expansion in plotted colonies cannot be separated from infrastructure readiness.
Nainital (Uttarakhand) [India], June 7 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 27 development projects of Nainital district worth about 126 crore 69 lakhs in a program organised at Lalkuan, Nainital on Saturday. These projects include schemes related to education, road, medical, irrigation, sewerage, urban development, beautification and destitute cow protection. During this, 9 schemes were inaugurated at a cost of 25.93 crores and foundation stone were laid for 18 schemes at a cost of 100.76 crores. The Chief Minister said in his ad ...Read More >
Anantnag (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 8 (ANI): The Indian Army with support from an NGO, M3M Foundation, organised the Gujjar-Bakerwal Mela at Aishmuqam in South Kashmir's Anantnag district, aimed at supporting the nomadic community ahead of the annual Amarnath Yatra. Speaking to ANI, Dr Aishwarya Mahajan, Managing Trustee of M3M Foundation, said, "Discussions with the Indian Army were going on from a long time, on furthering their community initiatives in the valley. One of them was, that as soon as the Amarnath Yatra begins, facilities are needed here for the Gujjar Bakarwals who accom ...Read More >
HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Telangana High Court comprising Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Renuka Yara on Monday issued notices to the state of Telangana and other authorities concerned in response to a PIL seeking protection of government land from alleged encroachment and unauthorised construction. The PIL was filed by the Erraboda Weaker Section Colony Welfare Association, represented by its president P Sridhar Reddy. The petitioner sought judicial intervention against the alleged inaction of the authorities on representations submitted by the association, requesting st ...Read More >
SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha visited the Nunwan and Chandanwari base camps, on Sunday and reviewed the arrangements for the holy pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath Ji, which is scheduled to begin from July 03. At Nunwan Base camp, the Lieutenant Governor inaugurated a foot overbridge for smooth movement of pilgrims. The new facility will ensure efficient security checks and reduce the waiting time for devotees. The Lieutenant Governor interacted with the administrative and security officials deputed for the holy Yatra, and took stock of the security arrangements and preparations of sta ...Read More >
Kolkata: A two-member National Commission for Women team on Sunday visited the south Kolkata law college where a student was allegedly gang-raped last week.The team, accompanied by a videographer, was initially denied entry and asked to produce a formal order. After an hour-long discussion at the college entrance, the team, led by Archana Majumdar, was allowed in under two conditions -- no access to the crime scene and no videography permitted.The visit lasted 10 minutes. "We were denied access to the crime scene and other floors. I will include this in my report," said Majumdar, who was the f ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing from all angles, including sabotage, in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad that killed 274 people on board and on the ground last month, Minister of State (MoS) For Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said. Mohol said the black box of the Air India flight AI 171 that has been recovered is in AAIB's custody and will not be outside the country for a thorough assessment. The MoS was speaking at the Pune chapter of the Emerging Business Conclave. "It (plane crash) was an unfortunate incident. The AAIB has begun a full investig ...Read More >
Agartala (Tripura) [India], July 6 (ANI): A crucial Airport Advisory Committee meeting was held on Saturday at the Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport, Agartala, under the chairmanship of the local Member of Parliament, Biplab Kumar Deb. The meeting, which takes place twice a year, serves as a platform to discuss future development plans, passenger amenities, and various operational matters concerning the airport. Also Read | PM Narendra Modi, Argentine President Javier Milei Agree to Diversify India-Argentina Trade Basket, Vows to Expand Cooperation in Defence, Security and Minerals (Watch Vi ...Read More >
Udhagamandalam: Residents of Ajjoor village in Ooty taluk have sought the intervention the Nilgiris collector to stop an eviction exercise initiated by the forest department. In their petition to collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru, the villagers have stated that the Badaga village was established 300 years ago, and currently, at least 300 agrarian families reside there. At least 100 members, including women, of the village gathered in front of the Nilgiris collectorate on Monday to hand over the petition to the collector. "Recently, we have been asked to vacate the land under old survey numbers ...Read More >
Also Read | Sambhal sparks rift: INDIA bloc allies face leadership turmoil? "Multiple encroachments are being seen around the area," Sambhal DM Rajendra Pensia told ANI. Pensia said, "There was encroachment on roads, sewers, water bodies, and that too for a long time. We are undertaking an 'abhiyan' (drive) to fix it. We launched a campaign in Chandausi and we had decided we would start the campaign here in November. But we could not start." The DM stated the anti-encroachment drive will conti ...Read More >
Haridwar: A woman politician has been arrested for allegedly letting her boyfriend and others repeatedly rape her 13-year-old daughter in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. The horrifying crime, which occurred between January and March, was exposed when the minor bravely confided in her father, prompting a police investigation that led to the arrest of the accused. The accused was arrested with her boyfriend and one more. According to police reports, the minor was gang-raped multiple times, often in the presence of her mother. The minor, who had been living with her father following her parents' separat ...Read More >
Srinagar: Before towering cranes and cutting-edge engineering transformed the Himalayan landscape, the monumental dream of connecting "Kashmir to Kanyakumari" by rail began with the plodding footsteps of humble mules. This extraordinary backstory underpins the official realization of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6, 2025, a project crowned by the awe-inspiring Chenab Bridge. According to Afcons Infrastructure Limited, the company behind the Chenab Bridge, the earliest and most formidable hurdle wasn't just the design of ...Read More >
Srinagar- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said foreign countries were told clearly during the post-Operation Sindoor diplomatic outreach that in case of a fresh provocation, India would repeat its action. Speaking at a discussion at the Ahmedabad Management Association, Tharoor said Indian delegations which visited foreign countries in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor managed to convey that India acted with restraint and responsibility. "In other places, we actually were able to get some very high-placed people to say not only that they respected and supported India's right of self- ...Read More >
Gurugram: Torrential rain brought Gurugram to a near standstill on Thursday, July 10, making the district administration to issue a work from home advisory for all corporate offices and private institutions. The advisory, issued after a night of intense rainfall, aims to ease road congestion and ensure public safety. Between 7:00 pm on July 9 and 7:00 am on July 10, the city recorded 133 mm of rain, with a staggering 103 mm falling in just a 90-minute window between 7:30 pm and 9:00 pm. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an Orange Alert for the city, indicating a forecst of ...Read More >
Srinagar, June 7: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, on Saturday, congratulated the University of Kashmir for getting an A++ grade in the NAAC inspection. The Lt Governor extended his heartiest congratulations to the Vice Chancellor, faculty, staff, and students of the University of Kashmir for attaining the prestigious A++ Grade by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), and securing an outstanding Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.68 on a seven-point scale. Calling it a proud moment for J&K UT, the Lt Governor said, "The A++ Grade places the Un ...Read More >
Nainital (Uttarakhand) [India], June 7 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 27 development projects of Nainital district worth about 126 crore 69 lakhs in a program organised at Lalkuan, Nainital on Saturday. These projects include schemes related to education, road, medical, irrigation, sewerage, urban development, beautification and destitute cow protection. During this, 9 schemes were inaugurated at a cost of 25.93 crores and foundation stone were laid for 18 schemes at a cost of 100.76 crores. The Chief Minister said in his ad ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Revenue minister Suresh Pujari on Saturday said Odisha would not be allowed to follow the lawless path in sand operations like it is in Bihar and West Bengal, while responding to the recent assault of an additional tehsildar in Kaptipada block, Mayurbhanj district, by the sand mafia. He promised stringent action against the sand mafia regardless of their connections, while speaking to mediapersons here on Saturday."The Kaptipada incident represents a serious escalation in conflict between law enforcement and the sand mafia. The attack on officers performing their enforcement dutie ...Read More >
Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of Bombay high court on Monday directed the Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC) to develop a comprehensive statewide policy for tree cutting and compensatory afforestation. This directive came after reports revealed violations of the Maharashtra Urban Areas Protection and Preservation of Trees Act during infrastructure projects.A division bench comprising justices Nitin Sambre and Sachin Deshmukh granted MSIDC four weeks to submit a detailed affidavit outlining its policy, compliance measures, and monitoring mechanisms. The order emerged fr ...Read More >
MADURAI: Likening the custodial murder of Ajith Kumar in Tiruppuvanam to an 'organised crime by police where the state kills its own citizens,' Madras high court lambasted the Tamil Nadu police and said the action against the perpetrators should be more stringent than in normal murder cases.A division bench of Justice S M Subramaniam and Justice A D Maria Clete pointed to 44 external injuries on the person of Ajith Kumar and said no part of the body was spared by the delinquent cops. "Even an ordinary murderer would not have inflicted such kind of injuries," the bench said on Tuesday.The natur ...Read More >
Kolkata: On the 13th day of teachers' protest outside Bikash Bhavan, the protesting teachers split among themselves and formed a new platform. At least 2,500 protesters stood by the chief minister, as stated in a press conference by education minister Bratya Basu on Monday. Reacting to a question from media, Basu said in Titagarh, "I will trust those who have written to me expressing their faith in the chief minister."The new organisation formed was named the West Bengal Untainted Teachers Associ ...Read More >
Silchar: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday visited the flood-ravaged districts of Hailakandi and Sribhumi in the Barak Valley. He assured affected residents of providing timely disbursement of rehabilitation grants and swift repair of damaged infrastructure.This marks Sarma's second visit to the flood-hit region within four days, underscoring the gravity of the situation. Speaking to the media in Sribhumi after inspecting multiple relief camps, the CM said, "Flood-related problems may persist till July. I will return before Durga Puja to ensure that roads and infrastructure ar ...Read More >
Ranchi: The long awaited Ratu road flyover was inaugurated by Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Thursday. The 4.18 km long, four-lane project has been built at a cost of Rs 560 crore. Once opened for traffic movement, the flyover will boost the city traffic by doing away with the perennial traffic congestion at Ratu road. Besides inaugurating the flyover, Gadkari also laid the foundation stone for two new flyover projects at the OTC ground in the evening. Various MPs, state transport minister Deepak Birua among others were present on the occasion.Calling the newly ...Read More >
New Delhi, June 6 (PTI) The Delhi government on Friday released over Rs 900 crore funds to urban local bodies for development works, according to a statement. They have also released Rs 820 crore to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) received Rs 146 crore under the free drinking water scheme. "In this scorching summer, ensuring clean and sufficient drinking water for every citizen of Delhi is our top priority. Water is not a privilege for a few, it is a basic right of every citizen. It is the government's responsibility to ensure that every household has a ...Read More >
Kolkata, Jun 7 (PTI) The West Bengal Police have submitted a charge sheet against 13 people in the father-son double murder case in Murshidabad's Zafarabad violence in April, a senior officer said. The murders of Haragobindo Das (74) and his son Chandan Das (40) took place on April 11 during the Dhuliyan-Suti-Shamshergunj communal violence, amid protests over the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 in the district. The riots left at least three people dead and many injured, besides forcing hundreds to flee their homes. The unrest, which lasted from April 8 to 12, had also caused widespread damage to ...Read More >
Gurgaon: MCG additional commissioner Yash Jaluka directed bulk waste generators (BWG) across the city to ensure proper disposal of waste by private agencies who are assisting them. Giving these instructions in a meeting held on Friday, he said it is often observed that BWGs hand over their waste to private agencies, which only sort valuable items and dump the remaining waste on roads, drains, vacant land or public places. This, he said, not only affects cleanliness of the city but also poses a threat to public health."Under the Solid Waste Management Rules-2016, it is the legal and moral respo ...Read More >
Mumbai: Senior BJP leader Ravindra Chavan is all set to become the next Maharashtra BJP chief as he filed his nomination for the post of party's state president on Monday. Mr. Chavan presented the nomination forms to Union Minister Kiran Rijiju, who has been appointed as a central observer for the elections by the BJP. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and outgoing party chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule were present on this occasion. With no other nomination being filed for the post, Mr. Chavan is certain to become the next state president of Maharashtra BJP, said party leaders. The ...Read More >
Shimla/Dharamshala, Jun 26 (PTI) With the recovery of three more bodies on Thursday from a hydro project site in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district that was hit by flash floods a day ago, the death toll has risen to five, officials said. Search operations have been intensified to find the six persons still missing since flash floods triggered by cloudbursts hit Kangra and Kullu districts on Wednesday. Two bodies were recovered on Wednesday. The deceased have been identified as Chain Singh, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir, Aditya Thakur from Chamba, Sanjay from Nurpur, and Pardeep Verma and ...Read More >
Ahmedabad: As Gujarat's commercial capital continues to embrace digital infrastructure and rapid urban development, the demand for high-speed mobile internet has never been higher. But do all areas of Ahmedabad get good mobile internet speed? Perhaps not! A recent telecom performance audit conducted by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) across key city zones reveals that Ahmedabad clocked its fastest mobile internet speed of 674 Mbps at the IIM Ahmedabad main gate.However, some kilometres away, the picture changes dramatically. At RTO Circle, 7.5km from the IIM campus, top speeds ...Read More >
Chandigarh, Dec 18 (PTI) Noise levels exceeded the prescribed limits during singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh's concert here on Saturday, the Chandigarh administration told the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday. The submission was made by the administration before a division bench of the high court. Also Read | 'Vapas Ja Rahi Hu Dubai': 'Karan Arjun' Actress Mamta Kulkarni Promises She'll Be Back to India for Shahi Snan at Kumbh Mela 2025 (Watch Video). "Strict action" has been recommended against the violators, the court was further informed. On December 13, the high court had allowed ...Read More >
Nagpur: Warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj belonged to the entire country, but British history tried to confine him as a regional icon, said BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi, who was in Nagpur on Friday to attend an event marking the 351st anniversary of Shivaji Maharaj's coronation. Trivedi told TOI at the event organized by Shivaji Maharaj Kruti Samiti that Shivaji Maharaj's contribution in 'safeguarding' the southern part of India from Mughal invasion must not be forgotten.Trivedi said, "Shivaji Maharaj belonged to all of us, entire country. Unfortunately, the British p ...Read More >
New Delhi [India] June 7 (ANI): Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, on Friday, announced a series of development projects worth crores of rupees for Palwal assembly segment, covering sectors such as sports and education. The projects will also boost civic amenities for the region. Addressing a public meeting in Palwal, the Chief Minister announced that an international-level modern sports complex will be constructed in Palwal. In addition, the local indoor stadium will be upgraded with soundproofing for Rs 55 lakh. According to a release, he also announced Rs 50 crore for the developme ...Read More >