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December 14, 2002, Chandigarh, India |
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Armed burglars strike in Sec 41
Chandigarh, December 13 A Home Guards volunteer, Mr Aman Kumar, who was with a constable, Mr Rajinder Singh, on beat duty had a lucky escape when one of the burglars hit him with a rod. The policemen, who were unarmed, chased the burglars to a distance, but could not catch them. However, the burglary came to light only later, when the affected shopkeepers informed the police. The beat policemen had thought that the armed men had made a futile attempt to burgle a confectionary shop. “The burglary in my shop came to light only early today,” said Mr Prem, owner of a jewellery shop. The burglars had taken away silver and gold jewellery from the shop, Naveen Jewellers in Badheri village (Sector 41-D), and were about to break into Thakkar Confectionery when they had to escape. A lock on the confectionery shutter was also found damaged; the burglars, however, failed to break open a safe in the jewellery shop. Side locks on the shutters of both shops had been broken. The watchmen, Mr Hukam Raj and Mr Puran Singh said all burglars had their faces covered. They had rods and other crude weapons in their hands. Mr Hukam Raj said: “The burglars charged at me with weapons in hands, but I gathered courage and reached the other watchman and the beat policemen.” After striking at the jewellery shop, the burglars reached the confectionery and overpowered Mr Hukam Chand, but ran away on seeing the other watchman and the beat policemen. Mr Prem Sagar, president of the Sector 41 Market Association, said: “The body advises all shopkeepers to install central locking. It appears that the burglars take a lot to time to break open these locks.” About 20 days ago, some men had tried to burgle two shops in the same market and a watchman was bashed even then. These burglars were seven in number. Since the shopkeepers did not suffer any loss, the incident never came to light.A police official said the modus operandi of the burglars in today’s incident appears to be the same from the last two incidents. “They break open side locks of shutters with the help of iron rods,” he said. The burglars who had struck in the Sector 34 market in late November had taken the watchman deployed there at gunpoint. Meanwhile, the police conducted raids in Sector 39 and rounded up 26 drug addicts, suspected to have been involved in the burglaries, according to a police official.
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Jan
7 reopening of evening OPDs unlikely Chandigarh, December 13 The issue came up for discussion at a meeting of the PGI Governing Body convened in New Delhi yesterday, by the Union Health Minister, Mr Shatrughan Sinha. “It has been decided to take senior residents to fill the vacant posts in various departments to run the evening OPDs,” said one of the members, who attended the GB meeting. The PGI had advertised 104 posts of senior resident doctors in May, for which, interviews are to be held on December 24 and 26. “It is not clear whether these 104 senior residents will run the evening OPDs or a separate cadre of doctors will be recruited for the job,” said a member of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD). The ARD is firm on not joining the evening OPDs when these reopen on January 7. “Since the posts were advertised much before the
idea of the evening OPDs had even come up, running the facility will be possible only if a separate cadre of doctors is recruited for this task,” said a PGI official. The
PGI authorities, when asked about these posts, did not come out with the details of how
the evening OPDs would be run from January. Out of the 104 posts advertised, the highest number, 17 each, are in the Departments of Paediatrics and Anaesthesia. Eight each are in the Departments of Internal Medicine and Gynaecology, 7 in the Department of Psychiatry and five Radiodiagnosis. The 104 posts are in 24 departments and
specialties. The faculty members who had bailed out the PGI Director, Prof S.K. Sharma, by agreeing to run the evening OPDs, though reluctantly, when resident doctors had adopted a tough stand, are not willing to relent this time. “When the evening OPDs were introduced on December 7, in spite of our reluctance, we were asked to take up the job till the time a separate cadre of doctors was recruited; so we won’t be on duty this time,” said a senior faculty member. Even though the PGI Director, Prof S.K. Sharma, has said, as per the directions of the Union Health Ministry, a detailed report of the staff and monetary requirement for running the evening OPDs has been sent to it, it is unlikely that a separate cadre of general-duty medical officers will be recruited as early as January 7. |
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‘Bad Vaastu city’s problem’ Chandigarh, December 13 “The air in the city seems to be weak, bringing uprooted people to the city and forcing their progenies to make a living outside.” A Vaastu consultant of the Vedic Vaastu Vision Mr Naresh Singhal, said here today. “This is a preliminary understanding, through Vaastu, of the socio-cultural problems of the city, but, to reach a conclusion, an extensive study of this aspect is required,” he said. Mr Singhal, who has Glaxo India and Neelgagan Stationeries among his 266 corporate clients, has been giving demonstrations in the city, mostly in schools, to popularise this “science.” Regarding the difference between Vaastu, astrology, pyramidology and Feng Shui, he said Vaastu could pinpoint the problem, while astrology could only be accurate in the hands of a few experts. Chinese Feng Shui and Egyptian pyramidology had come as solutions to the problems of Vaastu that generally, could not compromise on directions and structures. Trained by a US-based pyramidologist, Purnchandra Rao, who is among nine scientists studying pyramids in Egypt, Mr Singhal says that Vaastu cannot change ones destiny, but help in realising its full potential. He said, inspite of the help from the Vedic science, a person could not wish away “Karma”, which was 40 per cent
responsible for one’s success, followed by 30 per cent destiny and an equal share of Vaastu, astrology and all supernatural help. Initiated into the ancient Indian “science” as a non-believer, Mr Singhal, now, makes you a sort of horoscope as per Vaastu to check the position of one's elements — earth, air, space, water and fire — to predict your nature, status and life. He says, that Vaastu can be applied to all things, while the effect of astrology on each individual is guided by a particular constellation. Mr Singhal offers a general advice to all for getting better results from their efforts. He says, in Vaastu, north-east and south-west are vital directions; and any Vaastu fault in these has to be removed. He advises you not to use the space under a beam for any activity of life. Books of students should face east and a little away from wall. The head should be southwards while sleeping. No part of the body should be seen in a mirror in the bedroom and portraits showing violence, wars, depressing people and animals involved in violent activities should be kept out of the house. Mr Singhal said Bonsai, cactus and rubber plants should not be kept in one's house, these could only be kept outside in big gardens of huge bungalows. |
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IT PARK Chandigarh, December 13 After signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Information Technology giant,Infosys, the Chandigarh Administration is looking for companies which can set up other major sites. For such companies the Administration has offered small campus sites of a size between 2 to 6 acres. The rates shall be Rs 76.5 lakh per acre. A discount of 10 per cent on the premium shall be offered for the initial period of six months starting from November 20. A discount of 5 per cent shall be offered after six months. The IT department will also give permission for clubbing small campus sites which means that a company can effectively have a 12-acre site. The main attraction in the 111.30 acre park were the rates of the main campus site. This was given to Infosys at a rate of Rs 31.54 lakh per acre. The premium shall be payable by the allottee as per the terms. However, a discount of 5 per cent shall be offered for payments made within the first six months of allotment. The allottee of main campus site, Infosys, shall be eligible for seeking allotment of additional land. However, this additional land shall not be more than the land allotted in the first instance. The premium for the additional land to be allotted shall be the same as fixed at the time of original allotment. The allottee shall have the option of seeking such an allotment for a period of another two years at an enhanced premium of 6 per cent per annum for each year. It may be recollected that last month Information Technology giant, Infosys had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chandigarh Administration. The latest amendment supercedes the orders passed on August 29, 2002. Besides the Administration has also notified area of the IT park touching the north eastern border with Haryana bordering Mansa Devi complex. |
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HUDA-MC lock horns over transfer of funds Panchkula, December 13 Though Municipal Council has been vehemently asking HUDA authorities to transfer funds (75 per cent of income generated as extension fee, building application fee and compounding fee from January 2001 onwards, as in agreement between the two departments, the latter says that this money will be transferred only from October 1 this year, when the maintenance of streetlights and sanitation work was actually transferred to MC. Sources in HUDA say that since all development and maintenance activities in the sectors within the MC limits were carried out by HUDA till the actual transfer of departments , the MC would be paid the money only from the time they have taken over the functioning of the two departments. However, senior officials, inform that the matter will be decided during a high level meeting of Department of Town and Country Planning and Department of Urban Development. The issue of transfer of staff from HUDA to Municipal Council, Panchkula, will also be discussed in this meeting. It may be noted that HUDA had proposed to transfer as many as 150 of its staff members to MC, but the Finance Department has sanctioned only 104 posts for MC. The total staff to be transferred to MC is still unclear. Meanwhile, the issue of constructing a slaughter house and meat market in the township, too, has been hanging fire. It was earlier decided that HUDA would provide within one year this basic infrastructure of a slaughter house and meat market. HUDA authorities have asked the District Town Planner and Executive Officer, Municipal Council, to identify a site for this purpose. A suitable site, within the Municipal Council limits here, is now being identified. It is also learnt that HUDA will have to provide for other basic infrastructure like cremation ground , Transport Nagar, disposal \ landfill site for solid waste management plants for proper maintenance and operation of essential services of town. The site for a Town Hall/ Municipal Council building , which was another bone of contention between the two departments, has now been allotted by HUDA in Sector 4. The four bay sites at the rate of Rs 2587 per square yard have been offered to MC on a freehold basis in the past fortnight. |
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Singapore
may ease visa restrictions Chandigarh, December 13 Mr Harnal was in Chandigarh for an update seminar with travel agents on the theme “Live it up in Singapore”. Ruling out “visa on arrival” facility, Mr Harnal said the restrictions would be eased to such an extent that there would be no hassles in getting a visa card. He said travel update seminars would be held in Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar to apprise the travel agents about the holiday packages and also to get their views on the problems faced by the tourists. This was the first time the Singapore Tourism Board had opened its wings to explore tourist potential in Punjab. In his presentation with clippings on the screen, Mr Neeraj Dhawan, from the board’s Delhi office, unfolded what he called “treasure trove of surprises” that awaits the tourist. The clippings took the viewers to the underwater world (tunnel going under the ocean), night safari and the Sentosa beach and explained to the viewers the five themes of Singapore city————-City of Diverse Cultures, Garden City, Fun City, City for the Arts and the Gateway City. |
ATFI protests against Pak, terrorism Chandigarh, December 13 The ATFI submitted a 10-point memorandum to Haryana Governor Babu Parmanand to forward it to the President after a protest where its activists burnt the effigies of terror and Pakistani flag and raised slogans against Pakistan and terrorism. The organisation urged the President to hang those who attacked the Parliament without a trial, arm the youth to fight terrorism, ask all political parties to jointly fight it and attack Pakistan immediately. The organisation urged the President to direct the Government of India to seek a report from all states about facilities being given to the families of martyrs, form a committee under the leadership of the President to monitor the facilities given to the kin of martyrs, grant a special status to those policemen and armymen who are fighting terrorism, grant permission to members of the organisation to go to Jammu and Kashmir with the support of the government and sack those governments which do not fight terrorism.  |
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RUN UP TO MC POLL: WARD NO. 9 & 10 Panchkula, December 13 The electorate of Ward No. 9 (Sector 16) and Ward No. 10 (Sector 9) feel that the main issue during the elections is providing better roads, cleanliness, better water supply system and better policing. While candidates supported by the Congress, the Indian National Lok Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party will have a neck-to-neck fight in Ward No. 9, more Independents will be in fray in Ward No. 10. Mr S.S. Goel, a social worker, has already announced his decision to contest in Sector 16, along with Mr J.L. Narula, Mr Anil Goyal and Mr Harbilas Jindal who are also aspirants from this ward. As many as 8,125 voters (3,808 and 4,317 in Ward No. 9 and 10, respectively) will exercise their franchise to elect their representative to the Municipal Council. While Ward No. 9 is a general ward, the other one is reserved for woman candidates and politicking to field candidates has already begun. Most residents of these wards feel that civic amenities like better street lighting facilities, cleanliness, providing better water supply and better policing are the main issues they would like to be redressed. A resident of Sector 16, Mr Parveen Kumar (Ward No. 9), said roads were in a dilapidated condition. “Even removal of garbage is not regular and the garbage bins remain unclean for several days. Frequent complaints with HUDA and MC for getting the garbage cleaned and proper maintenance of parks have always fallen on deaf ears,” he said. For residents of Ward No. 10, one of the main election issues would be strengthening the water supply network in Sector 9. Twelve persons here today announced their decision to participate in the MC election. Interestingly, two women — Ms. Urmil Dheer and Ms Kanwal-have announced their candidature for Ward No. 4 (Sector 6) which is a general ward. Other candidates who have announced to take part in the elections are — Sadhu Ram Jain ( Ward 11), Ms Raj Rani ( Ward No. 4), Mr R.K. Kakkar (Ward No. 11), Mr R.S. Badhran ( Ward No. 20), Mr Pawan Joshi ( Ward No. 11), Raju Bangali ( Ward No. 6), Ajay Goyal ( Ward No. 3), Vikas Chakravarty ( Ward No. 21), Urviz Aggarwal ( Ward No. 30) and Raj Kumar Sharma (Ward No. 9). |
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Code of Conduct for MC poll Panchkula, December 13 Outlining the general conduct for candidates, the Election Commission has clearly spelt out that no party or candidate can aggravate any existing differences or create mutual hatred between different castes and communities, religious or liguistic; no appeal to caste or communal feelings for securing votes; and, religious places cannot be used as forum for election propaganda. The general conduct for candidates also says that criticism of other political parties, when made, shall be confined to their parties and programmes , past record and work. Demonstrating or picketing before the houses of other candidates against their opinions shall not be resorted to under any circumstances. The State Election Commission has said party and candidates shall inform local police authorities of the venue and time of meetings; a party or candidate shall ascertain in advance if there are any restrictive or prohibitory orders. |
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‘Cities showing signs of stress’ Chandigarh, December 13 The CM said architects and planners should plan cities on the pattern of counter-magnet cities like Patiala, Varanasi and Gwalior, to provide high class infrastructure to citizens yet retaining the conformity of the design. He said Chandigarh had started showing signs of stress due to ever- increasing population, rapidly transforming urban form, fast changing class structure and ever-increasing unplanned economic activities. There was an urgent need to minimise these. He said there had been a steep increase in the population of the city. There had also been a rapid increase in the floating population that comes here to work and avail itself of the services in the city, which was causing anxiety to planners and administrators. Distribution of population within the city had not been orderly and some sectors had become overcrowded, whereas, the density of population was low in other areas. Chandigarh promised basic amenities of life even to the poorest of the poor, but, as things stood today, 10 per cent of its population lived in slums. What needed to be seen was who were the people who came to this city and squatted on the government land. The Chief Minister said no city was finite, so, it would be wrong on part of planners to plan for a finite city. A city should be planned to cater to any unforeseen growth and absorb any shock caused by it. It should have an in-built system of flexibility that did not affect the basic fabric of the city. |
4 held for selling porno CDs Chandigarh, December 13 According to the information available, Vikram, owner of CD Blast in Sector 40, was arrested for possessing 23 porno CDs. The owner of the shop was selling a CD for Rs 150. In another case, Bablu Kumar, who runs a shop, Audio Video in Hallomajra, was arrested for possessing two porno CDs. Two other persons, Dheeraj, owner of Super Sale in Sector 18, was arrested with one CD and Sashi Sharma, owner of Video 22 in Sector 22, was also arrested for possessing one CD. Meanwhile, three persons — Madan Lal, Som Nath and Satish Kumar were arrested for gambling at a public place. A sum of Rs 2300 has been recovered from them. Missing girls found: The two inmates of Sector 26 Nari Niketan, Sonika (15) and Jassu (10), who had gone missing yesterday on their way to Bhartiya Vidhya Bhavan in Sector 27 were today found at two different places in the city. The two girls used to attend special classes, held for deranged children, and were escorted to school by an employee of the Nari Niketan. However, for the past few days the girls had been going on their own to the school. While one of the girls, Jassu, was found in Sector 22, the other, Sonika, was found in Sector 15. A medical examination of both the girls was done at the Sector 16 General Hospital. Later, the girls were handed over to the in charge of the Nari Niketan. Booked: Satish Saini, a resident of Sector 44, today complained that he was beaten up by Vaneet Verma and Munish Verma. A case under Sections 323, 452 and 34 of the IPC has been registered at the Sector 34 Police Station. In another case, Mr M.L. Verma, a resident of Mauli Jagran, complained that he was beaten by Anil Dube, Ram Asra, Shankar and Girja Thakur. Injured: Two pedestrians were injured when they were hit by a Punjab Roadways bus near the Sector 20 mandir. Both the injured, Anurag and Parag were admitted to the Sector 32
GMCH. |
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Flesh trade racket unearthed; 8 held Panchkula, December 13 The police had received secret information that two middle aged women — Monica and Meenu Mehra — and the former’s brother, Love Kumar, were running the racket from house No 350, Sector 7. They reportedly got girls from other towns/cities on the pretext of getting them jobs here. The girls were employed by them at a salary of Rs 30,000 per month. The police said one of the girls, hailing from Patiala, had tried to end her life recently. But she was saved by other members of the racket. The police alleged that Monica was the kingpin and was earlier employed in a government department but later resigned from the job. They had taken the house on rent only a month back and were operating from there. |
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