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| Friday,
January 4, 2002, Chandigarh, India
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PUDA modifies landscaping policy
SAS Nagar, January 3 It is learnt that the existing parameter of allowing the use of 50 per cent of the available width of a road berm, subject to leaving a minimum width of five feet, has been relaxed. Instead of leaving 50 per cent of the available width of a road berm, an applicant will now have to leave a width of five feet from the road berm and rest of the area, irrespective of the type of road, can be maintained by him. At a meeting of PUDA officials, chaired by the Chief Administrator, Mr K.B.S. Sidhu, it was decided that a hedge up to a height of 2.5 feet would be allowed, instead of the earlier restriction of two feet. The residents would also be allowed to maintain grass on the road berm area which they otherwise could not maintain. It was not allowed earlier. Mr Sidhu said the modifications were recommendations which would put up for approval before the Punjab Housing and Urban Development Minister, Dr Upinderjit Kaur. Sources in the authority said landscaping on V4 roads would also be allowed. Earlier landscaping was allowed only on V5 and V6 roads. The authority was contemplating to allow the applicants to put up wire mesh, around the area maintained by them. After being approved, the recommendations would be brought before in the high court on the next date of hearing of the OIL. Earlier, the policy was very specific and all the plots were not covered under it. Even in respect of the plots that were covered under the policy, the extent and the nature of the land that could be landscaped, was quite limited. When asked about the recovery of the cost incurred in the demolition exercise, the PUDA chief said it was being worked out and would ave to be borne by the residents equally. It is learnt that PUDA will also clarify its stand regarding corner plots on the next date of hearing in the high court.  |
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SDO
suspended, XEN repatriated Chandigarh, January 3 Both had been allegedly found guilty of allocating tenders favouring two firms and buying material much over and above the approved costs. The duo will be handed over a charge sheet soon, well placed source said, adding that action came following an inquiry conducted by senior official into the scam. Action may be coming against more officials, a source said, adding that a comprehensive list of involvement, if any, of all officials was being worked out. The duo had a unique modus operandi. They placed orders worth Rs 49 lakh to two firms — one in Sector 41 and the other in Sector 46. While favouring the firms, the duo allocated 76 and 71 orders, respectively. Such was the rot in the system that 18 other firms were given a total order of just Rs 21 lakh till the year ending March, 2001. To bypass the age-old method of inviting tenders, the duo used to break up bigger orders into small ones. Each one being less than Rs 40,000. This is the limit till which officials at the level of SDO or XEN are allowed to place orders on the basis of quotations. This permitted them to place orders on their own without even taking consent of their officers. In some cases the two orders were placed on the same day to the same firm. The cost of material in some cases was nine to 10 times the approved cost. The purchases included fancy water mixers and other items for use in official residences of senior government functionaries. |
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No decision
on CHB flat to Puri Chandigarh, January 3 Prof Puri has appealed against the cancellation order issued by the CHB. Some members of the board, the sources said, were of the opinion that Prof Puri's plea was correct while another segment opined that under Rule 63 the CHB had the right to seek a fresh affidavit at any stage. In the affidavit the professor had said he did not own any residential property in Chandigarh. Earlier the professor approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court in July, 2000, against the CHB. The High Court asked him to appeal before the CHB. In his appeal, Prof Puri claimed that at the time of sending in an application for a flat in the MHC, Mani Majra, he had no residential property. Prof Puri had also claimed that when he filed the purported affidavit the cooperative housing society of which he was a member had not allotted any land to him and no possession had been given. |
Rs 2.2 cr grant for
rehabilitating scavengers Panchkula, January 3 This was stated by Ms Manju Chandra, Vice-Chairperson, National Commission for Safai Karamcharis, while presiding over a meeting of district officials here today. She is on a two-day visit to the district for reviewing the poverty
alleviation schemes being implemented by the District Administration for these scavengers. Ms Jyoti Arora, while speaking on the occasion, informed that they had conducted a survey of these
scavengers and their families which revealed that their total figure in the district was 361. While 143 of these were later found ineligible on account of having moved out of the district, minors or defaulters, the remaining 218 have been identified as beneficiaries under this scheme. Ms Arora informed that these people have been provided financial assistance worth Rs 26. 56 lakh for starting their own ventures, of which Rs 12.85 lakh has provided as subsidy, Rs 3.99 lakh as margin money and Rs 9.72 lakh as bank loan. She also briefed the various welfare schemes being implemented by the district welfare department and the Haryana Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation. Later, Ms Manju Chandra visited the Bir Ghaggar village and met people in Safai Karamchari Bastis and heard their grievances. She was accompanied by Mr M.S. Yadav, SDM, and Ms Geeta Bharti, Estate Officer, HUDA. |
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First official MCC meeting on Jan 29 Chandigarh, January 3 The date, however, is likely to change to a time which leaves scope for calling a second meeting in a month, Congress sources told Chandigarh Tribune. The date of the meeting will only be decided after the Municipal Commissioner, Mr. M. P. Singh, clarifies the position whether a house meeting could be called without the most powerful Finance and Contract Committee being elected and members and chairmen of the other nine committees being finalised. The Congress is thinking that if the House could be called without formation of these committees, it will call the meeting in the last week of the month, and if elections and nominations are first held, then the meeting may have to be held early. From February the party is considering to advance the date to the second week unlike the BJP which, the Congress blamed, was running away from holding meetings due to internal wrangling, sources said. A section of the Congress is also of the view that the meeting be held in the first week of a month so that there is ample opportunity for the Mayor to call a second meeting to dispose of pending matters. The Commissioner is likely to inform to Mayor, Ms Lalit Joshi, whether the House can directly transact the business without committees, including the F&CC. As per the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act extended to Chandigarh the committees have to be formed within one month of the Mayor assuming charge. While the Mayor heads the F&CC there are five other members who are elected by the House. The committee can clear expenditure up to Rs 20 lakh. Chairmen of the other committees are also elected and members are nominated by parties. The last seven-month Congress term having a minority support had formed the committee last year but except for F&CC, other committees could not function due to lack of support in the House. The Congress this time would not have to face the same scenario due to a comfortable number of 14 in the House requiring support of only two votes from nominated members to get agendas passed in the House. The Congress may also be burdened with evolving conventions for the smooth functioning of the House. The matter came up before Ms. Joshi today when the first city Mayor and a senior BJP councillor Ms. Kamla Sharma and another party Councillor Rajesh Gupta made a courtesy visit to Ms Joshi. Ms Sharma who was defeated by Ms Joshi by 22 to eight votes in this Mayoral election assured Ms Joshi that the BJP will play a constructive opposition’s role in the House. Ms Sharma’s assurance came after Ms Joshi said that the city could be better taken care of if everybody helps run the House. The last House including during the term of the Congress Mayor Rajkumar Goel, was marred by obstructionist attitude from Councillors. |
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KNOW YOUR COUNCILLORS MS Lalit Joshi, the new city Mayor, has politics and social work in her blood, as her father was a freedom fighter associated with Dr Radhakrishnan, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Dr Rajendra Prasad. Ms Joshi, who is also the Mahila Congress president of the UT and an AICC member from UT, began her political career with the Congress in 1979. Her husband, Dr Raj Bahadur, is the Medical Superintendent and Head of the Department (Orthopaedics) in the Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh. The Mayor possesses qualifications of MA and LL.B (with gold medal). Ms Joshi has held positions in Women Welfare Society, Anti-dowry Ladies Welfare Society, Chandigarh Social Welfare Advisory Board and the Regional Employment Exchange. Legal aid for the poor and destitute, blood donation, fighting atrocities against women, empowering the weaker sections and educating people against social evils are dear to her heart. Beware, Chandigarh officials! The new Senior Deputy Mayor of the city, Mr Surinder Singh, has a hobby of writing to the authorities about local development and public needs. He cannot be fooled in official procedures, given his qualification of masters in public administration from Panjab University. The 48-year-old first time councillor has an avid interest in reading books, magazines and newspapers apart from organisational and administrative experience in different capacities in various political and social bodies. Mr Singh has been in the forefront to organise day and night langars from 1978 to 1986 for pilgrims of Mata Mansa Devi during Navratras apart from participating and organising relief during natural calamities and Operation Vijay in Kargil. The Senior Deputy Mayor has been president of the Block Congress Committee, Manimajra, Manimajra Welfare Society and the Chandigarh Rural Welfare Society. He served as secretary in the Bharat Sevak Samaj between 1970-1974. Mr. Singh has been associated with the Congress since 1970. |
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SAS Nagar council fails to check defacement SAS Nagar, January 3 According to the figures available with the council yesterday, only six notices have been given and two challans filed against offenders since April last year. The council had discussed the issue at that time and it had decided that an official would be authorised to penalise violators under Section 178 of the Punjab Municipal Act, 1911. Under this law, a violator can be fined up to Rs 500. A round of the town revealed that advertisers were having a field day, sticking posters and bills wherever it suited them. Walls, streetlight poles, bus queue shelters, sector guide maps, traffic signboards, etc, have been defaced. The boundary wall of the Primary health Centre in Phase 3BI has a number of advertisements painted on it. Shockingly, even pillars in the verandah of the civic body’s offices in Phase VII had handbills pasted on them on Wednesday. The council in its notice sent to offenders says that the action has been taken to maintain the beauty of the town and in pursuance of the verdict of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. It further says that a ban has been imposed on defacement and if the violator did not remove the poster, etc, after the receipt of the notice, legal action would be initiated with the expenses being borne by the violator. The council president, Mr Kulwant Singh, said the council did not have powers to lodge FIRs against the offenders, as was the case in Chandigarh where the West Bengal Prevention of Defacement of Property Act was applicable. Violators there could be fined from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 or undergo three months’ simple imprisonment. Mr Kulwant Singh said the council employees assigned the job of checking defacement made efforts to remove posters, handbills, etc, at unauthorised places. A wire mesh had been fixed on 10 sector guide maps put up recently. However, in many cases public property belonged to different government departments, including health, the state power board and telecom. In such cases it was also the duty of the departments concerned to inform the police regarding defacement of their property, he added. |
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Residents
boycott meeting with SDM on cable rates Panchkula, January 3 The meeting, which was scheduled for today, was cancelled with the representatives of residents welfare associations accusing the authorities of playing a partisan role by calling a meeting “for increasing the cable rates.” In an open letter sent to the SDM, these representatives, while reiterating that the increase in rates was unjustified and uncalled for, said that the operators had executed agreements with various associations which stated that the rates would be charged at Rs 150 per connection and all disputes would be decided mutually. However, against this agreement, the operators were now demanding the new rates of Rs 165 per month. They have also accused the operators of providing poor service by not showing all channels, not attending to complaints and failure in service following power failure. The cable operators have also been accused of defrauding the subscribers by claiming that they were paying Rs 139 per connection to the pay channels when they were reportedly paying a mere Rs 50 per connection. The residents have said that the meeting with the operators to decide on the issue would be successful only if the operators were willing to provide information for the past five years on the number of connections each month and the connections for whom the payment had been made to various channels. |
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Societies
resent delay
in allotment letters Chandigarh, January 3 The societies and their members are feeling distressed and dejected because of this delay. The Administration had collected Rs 50 crore. In addition, Rs 20 crore was collected by way of interest which was being used by the Chandigarh Housing Board. The delegation comprised Mr Sunil Parti, chairman, Mr Lal Singh, vice-chairman, Mr Surjit Choudhry, executive director, Mr Kulwant Singh, director, and Mr Bhupinder Singh, director, finance. The delegation expressed resentment of the societies over the act of the CHB to retain 18 per cent amount of each member. This works out to be Rs 9 crore. Regarding electricity connections to the societies, the delegation requested Mr Bansal to impress upon the Chandigarh Administration to provide individual electricity connections since the related infrastructure of electricity in the areas of the societies against which the Administration had already charged the cost of development at Rs 210 per sq yard. On the issue of enhancement of the instalments from the three to eight, the delegation expressed the inability of the members in paying heavy instalments to the extent of Rs 1,15000, Rs 1,00,000 and Rs 95,000 in respect of members of A, B and C categories while paying the instalments of housing loans. Mr Bansal assured the delegation that he would approach the Administrator and the Administration for issuing the allotment letters and impress upon to them to resolve the other issues. |
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Residents
told to furnish details of tenants Panchkula, January 3 The order says that there is apprehension that anti-social elements may make their hideouts in residential areas and cause breach of peace and disturbance of public tranquillity, besides posing danger to human life or public property. It further states that it was necessary to have check on tenants, landlords/owners or managers/in charges of commercial establishments so that anti-social elements in the guise of tenants may not cause any harm. The Deputy Commissioner has asked all landlords/owners and managers/in charges of commercial establishments to inform in writing the particulars of their tenants to the police. |
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Bank, LIC employees threaten agitation Chandigarh, January 3 At a meeting held today, the agitated employees said that the matter would be taken up with the Mayor and in case of inaction, there would be an agitation by the employees of various institutions working in this area. A joint action committee of the representatives of banks and other financial institutions was also formed for the purpose and Mr B S Gill, a trade union leader from the Central Bank of India was unanimously elected its convener today. The other members of the committee are Mr Ashwani Sharma (LIC), Mr Rajiv Sehgal (LIC), Mr Randhir Singh (PSB), Mr Rajesh Jaidka (PNB), Mr Ramesh Khanna (PNB), Mr Ashok Sharma (Syndicate Bank) and Mr Rakesh Gandhi (CBI). Mr Gill said that parking in Bank Square should be managed free of cost. “The decision will discourage people like pensioners and students from visiting the banks, thereby creating an adverse impact on the business of the banks in the area,” he said. |
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Exhibition
on spiritual
empowerment Chandigarh, January 3 According to the centre in charge, Sister B.K. Kusum, “The main motive for organising the exhibition is to empower women to face today’s turmoil and provide an answer to queries concerning life . We are training the women to lead a stress-free life which should be away from worry, anger and fear.’’ She added that after visualising and going through the pictures and models, meditation could be done by women who visited the camps even for five minutes. |
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YOUNG VOICE NITIN SOOD is a man with a strong head that compliments his rugged good looks. Driven by a passion to make it big in the world of modelling, Nitin is all set to dazzle on the silver screen and set the ramp in fire. "My desire to enter modelling was kindled after I won a male pageant contest in Ludhiana," says Nitin who visited the city to participate in a beauty contest in which he escorted the contestants on the ramp. Nitin has been taking part in all the major ramp shows in Punjab and Chandigarh. "This year I am going to enroll myself in some acting schools as after completing my graduation I want to pursue this profession in a serious footing," says Nitin. This youngsters harbour a wish to get into music videos and commercials. What was about modelling that attracted him to join this line. "Fame and recognition," says Nitin. "It gives an immense pleasure to be recognised anywhere you go," he adds with a dreamy look.
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Canadian
MP for Indo-Pak talks Chandigarh, January 3 “Obviously the international community is concerned with the military build-up and tension at the border between the two nuclear powers,” he said. Earlier, Mr Grewal condemned the terrorist attack on Parliament. |
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Residents
sore over house tax policy Panchkula, January 3 A number of representatives from various residents’ welfare associations today met the Executive Officer of the Municipal Council and expressed their resentment over the levying of tax at the present rate. They have urged that the tax should be charged accordance to the value of the land at the time it was purchased by the owners or construction thereon was done. The rate of tax, as worked out by the authorities comes to Rs 100 to Rs 130 per sq metre approximately. However, residents plead since the MC here does not have an elected body as yet, it cannot charge house tax. Mr S.K. Nayar, president of the Citizens Welfare Association, said residents were against the constitution of the MC and a case in this regard was already pending in the high court. Thus, the MC was not justified in charging house tax, he said. |
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Fresh
cleanliness drive in city Chandigarh, January 3 This was communicated to the MC officials in a customary acquaintance meeting. The meeting was attended by Commissioner
M.P. Singh, Chief Engineer Manmohanjit Singh, Assistant Commissioners Ashok Vashishth and Ashwani Kumar, among others. Official up to the rank of executive engineer attended the meeting. The Congress said that the cleanliness campaign ordered by it would not be akin to that launched by the BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal. |
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Body found Chandigarh, January 3 The police believes the killing took place at some other place and the body was dumped in the forest. One of the shoes of the deceased was missing and the shirt torn. The body has been sent for post-mortem and the police is investigating. |
Drive against rickshaw-pullers: 11 held Chandigarh, January 3 Those arrested have been identified as Bhagat Ram, Shish Pal Singh, Mohinder, Chanchal Kumar, Chahed, Mohatam, Khali Parshad, Sunny, Uday Mathu, Tipline Ahmed and Ram Parvesh. Most of them belong to villages in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and were residing in various slums in and around the city. Held for forgery A resident of Ram Darbar, Amrit Pal Singh, has been arrested by the police for allegedly trying to withdraw Rs 10,000 from the Sector 17 branch of the Punjab and Sind Bank by forging signatures of a check. Based on a complaint filed by a SAS Nagar resident, Jasbir Kaur, the police has registered a case. According to the police sources, the accused, working in a co-operative bank as a sweeper, had earlier encashed two cheques for Rs 6,500 and Rs 2,500 from the same account which belongs to a person residing abroad. Booked for fraud The police has booked a resident of SAS Nagar on charges of defrauding a Sector 40 resident. Inderpal Bhandari has reported that he had paid Rs 50,000 to the accused, Rs 25,000 in cash and the balance by cheque as token money for the purchase of a booth in Sector 40. The complainant added that the accused neither sold him the booth nor did he refund his money. 1
booked The police has booked a resident of Bapu Dham, Kushal Singh, for allegedly possessing two passports. According to the police, he earlier possessed a passport in his own name, but later got another passport made in the name of Rakesh Singh by producing fake documents. Based on a complaint filed by one of his associates, Sudesh, the police has registered a case. The accused is still absconding. Three arrested Three persons have been arrested under the Excise Act from various parts of the city. A Sector 29 resident Roshni Devi was arrested with 69 pouches of liquor, while a Burail resident, Gulshan Kumar, was arrested with three bottles of whisky. A Sector 37 resident, Gurbachan Singh, was arrested with 18 bottles of liquor. Booked for assaulting The police has booked several persons for allegedly assaulting a constable of the local police, Mahender Lal, while he was buying vegetables last month. The case was handed over to the Crime Branch for investigations and a case was registered today. Former PAP constable booked The police has registered a case of fraud against a former constable of the Punjab Armed Police, Gurmeet Singh, for allegedly producing fake documents for enrolment. According to a complaint lodged by
Commandant R P S Brar, the accused had been enrolled in the PAP in October, 2000, but was dismissed in December, 2000, after some documents were found to be fake on verification. Chain snatched A Mani Majra resident, Sonia Bansal, has reported that two motor-cycle borne persons snatched her gold chain near the Durga Nursery while she was going on her moped. She was unable to note the motorcycle’s registration number. The police has registered a case. Injured A Sector 23 resident, Surinder Singh, was injured after he was hit by an unknown scooter while he was taking a walk in the same sector with his wife. He has been admitted to the PGI. The police has registered a case. Stolen A Sector 34 resident, Sarpal Rai, has reported that his motorcycle (CH-01-X-8299) has been stolen from his residence. The police has registered a case. Girl abducted SAS NAGAR: A 23-year-old resident of Bihar, Dilip Kumar, was on Thursday arrested by the Sohana police, for allegedly abducting an 18-year-old girl of Dharamgarh village. Earlier, the police had registered a case against the accused on the complaint of the girl’s mother, Ms Kuldeep Kaur. Dilip will be produced in a court in Kharar on Friday. Liquor seized The police has arrested two persons from Zirakpur under the Excise Act and seized 500 pouches of liquor from them. Six booked Mr Gurinder Deep, a fast food owner in Phase X, complained to the police that six persons indulged in rowdyism at his shop and took away Rs 700 and his mobile phone yesterday. A case has been registered. |
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