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CFSL seeks more time to file report Chandigarh, January 30 The three teams from these departments had collected samples of soil to ascertain what kind of implements were used for digging and also what material was used to strengthen the walls of the tunnel. In the initial reports it was suggested that an electrical machine was used to dig out the earth. The police, however, has not been able to find the machine. It was expected that a formal report would be out today.
TNS |
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3 shot at in robbery bid Dera Bassi, January 30 The assailants shot at Mr Ranjit Singh, peon with the LIC, Mr Tarlochan Singh, home guard jawan, and Mr Paramjit Singh, autorickshaw driver, with a pistol following a scuffle over a bag containing the sum in the courtyard of Sadashiv Complex, housing the LIC office on the third floor, located on the Kalka-Ambala highway near here. Mr Ajay Kumar Gupta, an assistant administrative officer with the LIC, who was accompanying them at the time of the incident, escaped unhurt. The trio were on their way to deposit Rs 3,15,060 and cheques worth Rs 61,987 from the LIC office to the local branch of the State Bank of Patiala located around 500 metres away, when the assailants fired After receiving first-aid at the Civil Hospital at Dera Bassi, the injured were rushed to the PGI in Chandigarh. The assailants, fled on their scooter. According to eyewitnesses, the assailants were waiting for LIC employees to come down from the staircase of their office building and tried to snatch the bag from Mr Ranjit Singh at gunpoint. Despite resistance from Mr Ranjit Singh and Mr Gupta, one of the youths snatched the bag from them and ran towards his accomplice, waiting for him on the scooter, which was on. Home guard jawans Tarlochan Singh and Hari Singh, carrying sticks, pounced upon him, made him lie down on the ground and beat him up, said Mr Mohan Lal, a tea vendor, The assailant raised his head and pointed his pistol towards the LIC employees and fired three shots. “One bullet pierced Mr Ranjit Singh’s chest near the collar bone, the second hit Mr Paramjit Singh in the thigh, and Mr Tarlochan Singh sustained injuries on his hand in the third shot,” he added. Mr Mohan Lal the pistol of the assailant said fell during the scuffle. In the meantime, his
accomplice Another eyewitness said Mr Mohan Lal and Mr Paramjit Singh also rushed in to foil the robbery bid, in which Mr Paramjit Singh sustained bullet injuries and Mr Mohan Lal had a narrow escape. Mr Ranjit Singh went upstairs and handed over the bag to Mr Pyara Singh, senior branch manager with the LIC. Talking to Chandigarh Tribune, Mr Pyara Singh claimed that Mr Ranjit Singh and Mr Gupta were escorted by the home guard jawans while going to deposit the money in the bank when the incident occurred. He complained that the police had not provided them with adequate security despite repeated representations. Soon after the incident, Mr Deepak Raj Garg, Subdivisional Magistrate, and Mr G.P. Singh, Station House Officer, Dera Bassi, reached the spot and recovered three used cartridges from the scene. The police also took samples of the blood splattered on the ground. Mr Manmohan Sharma, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Dera Bassi, was not available for comments. Mr G.P. Singh claimed that the assailants used a grey Bajaj Chetak scooter with a Patiala registration number. The assailants had covered the number plate of the scooter with mud. The home guard jawans read PB-11-E as part of the scooter number. The police sounded an alert in neighbouring states, and Chandigarh and all entry points to and exit points from Dera Bassi were sealed. The police also contacted the District Transport Office and sought a list of scooters allotted registration numbers under the PB-11E series. A case under Section 364 of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act was registered on the complaint of Mr Hari Singh. Sources in the police said Mr Inder Mohan, Superintendent of Police (Detective), and Mr Sharma held a meeting with their subordinates and decided to prepare dossiers of the criminals involved in such activities in the area in the past. Panic gripped the residents after the news of the incident spread. This was the second such incident in the last five years. Earlier, a librarian of Government Senior Secondary School, Dyalpura, near Zirakpur, was also shot near the State Bank of Patiala branch in broad daylight. The robbers had decamped with a bag containing over Rs 6 lakh. |
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Bird flu rumours baseless, says farmers’ panel Barwala (Panchkula), January 30 According to sources, a high-level meeting under the chairmanship of Dr KS Dangi, Director of the Animal Husbandry, was held at Chandigarh yesterday in which the Assistant Poultry Officers of the districts were asked to keep a close watch on the poultry farms in their areas. Similarly, the poultry farm owners had been asked not to allow strangers in their poultry farms. Meanwhile, reacting to the media reports that over 5,000 egg-laying hens have died of the bird flu in Hisar, the Northern India Poultry Farmers Association clarified that there was no connection between the chicken consumption and infection. Mr Rajinder Mittal, general secretary, said the rumours of panic on account of bird flu were “baseless” and had been spread by the vested interests. In fact, even the Central Government had put the record straight by reiterating that India continued to be free from bird flu. The association claimed that it was pointless to compare the Indian poultry industry with the industries in Asian countries, including Pakistan, which had been severely hit by the bird flu. The very fact that no case of bird flu had been reported in the country during the last 40 years showed that hygiene was a priority in the Indian poultry industry. |
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Rain intensifies cold wave
Chandigarh, January 30 Attributing the change in weather due to certain metrological factors, weathermen said the maximum temperature had fallen to 15°C, 5 degrees below normal for this time of the year. The minimum temperature was recorded at 10.2°C. Over the past three days the minimum temperature has been rising due to warm conditions. The weathermen said the spells of rainfall were likely to continue for another day which could further intensify the cold-wave condition in the region. Till 8 a.m., the weather observatory at the Air Force Station has recorded 3mm of rainfall. Wide-spread rain was reported from the adjoining areas of Punjab and Haryana, said the met officials. Explaining the phenomenon, officials at the met office said, a lower pressure system had resulted in the rainfall. The snowfall at Shimla could further intensify cold-wave condition in the region. In the city, the intermittent rainfall forced the cancellation of a number of public functions in the city. It being a marriage season, people were forced to make alternative arrangements. Besides inundating low-lying areas, the traffic on the roads was moving at snails pace due to poor visibility. A number of vehicles were stranded on the roads. The wet conditions resulted in shortage of daily-wage earners as the rainfall played spoilsport. The markets wore a deserted look as a few person turned up for shopping in the commercial centres. The business at the cinema houses was also affected.  |
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Geeta Hooda challenges arrest stay order Chandigarh, January 30 Blaming them for levelling false allegations against her, the petitioner had submitted that the two, after obtaining stay orders, were constantly threatening her and her father to withdraw the complaint. Describing the allegations as serious, the petitioner had submitted that as per the first information report, the
Hooda's had demanded Rs 60 lakh from her parents. She further alleged that the Hoodas, by using their political influence, had not been properly joining the investigation. As such, the orders deserved to be quashed.
— TNS |
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Gen Mehta looks back with affection
Chandigarh, January 30 Lieut-General Mehta, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command Headquarters, who retires tomorrow after putting in 41 years of service, said “I am feeling great and enriched about the outstanding experience I had while serving the force.” Born in Rawalpindi on January 20, 1944, he got commissioned into the Army in 1962 in 63rd Cavalry, a regiment he commanded later on. Talking on the Kashmir problem, the General said, “The Army can never be an answer to any problem with political connotations. It can only create conducive environment, where political dialogue can take place to resolve the problem.” The job of the Army was the preservation of peace, he added. The dimensions of threat were constantly changing and the terrorists were becoming more well equipped and armed, both morally and materialistically. Hence, there was need to use an equally well-equipped force against them, the outgoing General said while adding that the biggest challenge before the Army was to be always prepared to meet all kinds of challenges. Lieut-General Mehta said he saw a bright future of the Indian armed forces, which had been modernised with conceptual thinking and was still on the path of development. As part of its move to imbibe information technology, a small communication device would be made available to all soldiers to get details about the time data on the battlefield. The setting up of the Army Technology Board and the Army Management Studies Board would go a long way in the upgradation of the armed forces with the relevant collaborations with the IITs and the IIMs of the country to get the latest technology required by the force. These were set up two years back when he was the Commander of ARTRAC (Army Training Command) in Shimla. Answering a question on the budgetary allocation of funds being inadequate, General Mehta quipped, “the Army is getting, what they need”. He said a tribunal would be set up to take stock of the increase in the number of litigation cases against the Army authorities and there was thinking on these lines within the force. The General, who could not recall even a single moment of regret, during his entire service, said the career in the Army was a great challenge in terms of the value and quality of life it promised and also the money it offered. But still the younger generation opted for a career in private and public sectors as it promised greater monetary benefits early in life. General Mehta had no immediate plans after his retirement tomorrow, but intended to settle down in Pune. His son is presently serving in his parent regiment, 63rd Cavalry, and his three other brothers, younger to him, are also in the Army. |
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CBSE offers help to Punjab school board Chandigarh, January 30 Acting on a request of the Punjab School Education Board, the regional office of the CBSE here has been asked to do the needful. In the past the state education board had been struggling to plug the loopholes in the system of the conduct of examination and the evaluation of the answer sheets. A number of reforms have been introduced. But the chinks in the system of the evaluation of the answer sheets and the preparation of the award lists gave an opportunity to unscrupulous elements to take unsuspecting students for a ride. Sources in the state education board said in a communication to the CBSE that the board desired to study the evaluation of answer sheets, process of collection of answer sheets from examination centres, dispatching of answer sheets, process of collecting award lists from examiners and paying of remuneration to examiners. When contacted, the Regional Officer of the CBSE, Mr P.I.Sabu, confirmed that a request letter of the PSEB had been forwarded to him by the CBSE headquarters. He said the CBSE had a foolproof system for the conduct of examination and many state boards were adopting it. Ms Narinder
Kaur, Controller of Examination, PSEB, said , “ The board was interested in studying the process of evaluation of answer sheets being followed by the CBSE. If we find it good, we might follow it”. The reforms were for the betterment of the students, she added. |
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Special cell to curb female foeticide Chandigarh, January 30 Stating this here today, Mr P.K. Hota, Secretary, Family Welfare, emphasised the need for strict implementation of the PNDT Act to check female foeticide, which was one of the top priorities in the family welfare programme. Ten districts in Punjab and Haryana are amongst the 10 districts with the lowest sex ratio in the country. Keeping in view the acute shortage of gynaecologists and obstetricians, the ministry will launch a massive campaign “Vande Matram” on February, 9. “Through this venture 18,000 gynaecologists affiliated with the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India will volunteer their specialised services free of charge in all government health institutions on February,9,” said Mr Hota. The Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Punjab, Mr D.S. Guru, said maternal mortality rate in the state was 196 as compared to 407 at the national level. |
Mahatma Gandhi remembered Chandigarh, January 30 A seminar was also organised by Sector 40 Government High School in collaboration with the university’s Directorate of Adult Education. The students and the teachers also pledged to “take care of the girl child” and to remove illiteracy, besides planting more trees for clean environment. Meanwhile, addressing the gathering, chairman of Servants of the People Society Onkar Chand asserted that Gandhi ji’s message of satya and ahinsa was all the more relevant in today’s world where violence and terrorism were on increase. At Gandhi Samarak Bhavan, a two-minute silence was observed. Prof V C Nanda, who retired from Panjab University, paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. He talked about the Mahatma and his principles. The programme progressed with shalokas from the Bhagwadgeeta by Archana. A group song was also presented by college students. Members’ of college’s Charkha Club, along with the members of Gandhi Samarak Bhavan, also spinned charkha. Poems and speeches were delivered by the college students. The principal of Dev Samaj College, Dr Satinder Dhillon, said, “By following the teachings of love, peace and respect towards all, we can make our society and nation a wonderful place to live as desired by father of the nation”. Ropar: The martyrdom day of Mahatma Gandhi was observed at the Mini Secretariat here on Friday by observing two-minute silence. All officers of the district, including the Deputy Commissioner, Ms Seema Jain, paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi. A contingent of the Punjab Police reversed arms. |
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Admn staff observe silence Chandigarh, January 30 |
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MC house to discuss PUDA
offer on cattle pound Mohali, January 30 Mr Kulwant Singh, president of the Municipal Council, told Chandigarh Tribune here today he personally felt that the land for the cattle pound should have been given free of cost. But since residents were facing the problem of stray animals, the council would have to accept the offer. The final decision in this regard would be taken by the House. He said PUDA had offered to give 2 acres at the rate of Rs 15 lakh per acre. The council had been asked to deposit Rs 6 lakh within a month. A letter to this effect was received from the PUDA authorities by the civic body here yesterday. After taking possession of the land the council would have to construct a boundary wall and a shed in the area, he added. The disposal of the increasing number of stray animals has become a problem for the civic body. At present the council has a small cattle pound where only 15 to 20 animals can be kept at a time. In fact, on January 14 the council had asked officials of the Local Government, in a letter, to issue necessary guidelines as to where the stray animals, caught by the council staff, were to be released. Two writ petitions, in connection with the problem of stray animals, had been preferred in the Punjab and Haryana High Court following which directions were given by the court in December last year to PUDA to allot land for the cattle pound at a lower price. Earlier, at a meeting held on May 15, 2002, the council had rejected PUDA’s offer of providing land for a cattle pound at an exhorbitant price of over Rs 1.70 crore. Rejecting the offer the House had said it was the responsibility of PUDA to provide essential facilities such as community centres, schools, cremation ground, a cattle pound, etc. In November 2001 PUDA had agreed to give 2 acres for the cattle pound on a cost basis, if the council deposited Rs 1 lakh as token money. On December 21, 2001, the token money was deposited. But in a letter in May 2002, PUDA had stated that the land would be allotted at the rate of Rs 1758 per sq yd with the total cost coming to Rs 1,70,17,440. The council was asked to deposit 25 per cent of the amount (Rs 42,54,360) within 60 days. |
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Ex-prof, wife killed in mishap Chandigarh, January 30 |
2 women beat up another Panchkula, January 30 According to information, Ms Sharma was alone at her house when the assailants, including Ms Sumitra, wife of a Haryana Police Head Constable, Mr Jagvir Singh, posted in the security of a top bureaucrat, at Chandigarh, barged into the
house. They bolted the door from inside and hit Ms Sharma several times. A dispute over the continuation of the services of the maid servant of Ms Sharma — Ms Ram Dai — is reported to be the reason behind the attack. As Ms Sharma was being attacked, a family friend, Mr Darshan Lal, dropped by to hand over a sim card of a mobile phone. It was Mr Darshan Lal, who forced opened the door and came to the rescue of Ms Sharma. Professor Soni, who teaches music at a local government college, was away to Karnal. Mr Darshan Lal rushed Ms Sharma to the local General Hospital where she was medically-examined. A DDR has been lodged at the Sector 15 police post. Meanwhile, Ms Sharma alleged that the police was “shielding” the accused and no action was being taken against them. She alleged that the attackers had threatened her of dire consequences, in case the complaint was not taken back. The president of the Citizens’ Welfare Association, Mr S.K. Nayar, has expressed concern at the deteriorating law and order situation in the town. The cases of murder, robbery, flesh trade and eve-teasing were on an upswing, he added. |
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10-yr-old girl found dead Chandigarh, January 30 The body was noticed by a passerby this morning. There were no apparent injury marks on the body of the girl, said police sources. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination, which would be performed tomorrow. |
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