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MC works hit too Chandigarh, March 10 Mr M.P. Tyagi, Commissioner of the corporation, and Mrs Kamlesh, Mayor, in separate communications to the UT Electoral Officer have sought clarification regarding the work manual in view of the code of conduct. Approval has been sought for the execution of works that were in progress or had been approved in the past but not yet started. They have also asked if fresh work that falls under essential services, like water supply, can be undertaken or not. Mr Pradeep Chhabra, Senior Deputy Mayor, said the issue needed to be clarified at the earliest. The administration had approved finances for more than 10 projects out of the MP local area development (MPLAD) fund. However, no work was likely to commence because of the uncertainty, he added. The schemes under the MPLAD category, for which 75 per cent of the finances, had been approved included tile pavement in Sector 18-D, flooring in sector 16-A, Sector 8-B and 20-A, “paver” blocks in Sector 22-D and other flooring works in sectors 20-A, 19-A, 16-A, 7-C, 19-C, 21-A and 21-B. One of the queries in Mr Tyagi’s letter to the Chief Election Officer pertains to the works under the MPLAD fund that have been approved by the administration and money for which has been deposited with the MC. He has asked if the tendering can be initiated and in the cases where tenders have been already received, can those be allotted. Also, in the cases where allotments were made before the code came into effect, can the work begin? The corporation has also sought clarification whether public-interest works like carpeting of roads, new streetlights, and the installation of tubewells and boosters can be carried out. |
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Cop held in disproportionate assets case Mohali, March 10 Harbans Singh, a resident of Phase 3A here, had been facing a vigilance inquiry following which he was arrested from Khanna today. Harbans Singh had also been posted as the Reader of former DGP, Mr O.P. Sharma, sources informed. He will be presented before a magistrate tomorrow. Mr Niranjan Singh, DSP, Vigilance who is handling the case could not be contacted. Mr Pramod Jain, SSP, Khanna, however confirmed that an inspector from Khanna had been booked by the vigilance. |
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Accused of theft, student
commits suicide Chandigarh, March 10 According to police sources, Ravi Sharma, a native of Kulu, Himachal Pradesh, and student of the non-medical stream, hanged himself from the ceiling fan of room No. 10, Himachal Hostel-II on the college campus. The suicide came to light when Sharma didn’t answer his roommate’s several knocks on the door. Students entered the room after breaking window panes at the rear of the room. A hostler had reported that a sum of Rs 2,500 had been stolen a day before Holi. The other students at the hostel started suspecting Ravi. The police said Ravi had stolen Rs 1,000 and few books of a fellow hostler some time ago. However, he had returned the money and books later. Ravi kept denying that he had not stolen Rs 2,500, but no one believed him. He bolted the room at 2.30 pm. In his suicide note he has admitted that he had stolen Rs 1,000 on an earlier occasion, but not Rs 2,500. His body is currently lying at the General Hospital, Sector 16, where an autopsy would be performed tomorrow. His parents have been informed. The police has started proceedings under Section 174 of the Cr.P.C. |
286 students awarded certificates Chandigarh, March 10 The Finance Secretary, Chandigarh Administration, Mr Karan A. Singh, gave away prizes to the students. Jaswinder, Deepika, Paramjit, Renu and Nisha were the five girls who were awarded Roll of Honour. Jaswinder Kaur was the member of the Panjab University Basketball team, which was placed second in the All-India Inter-varsity championship and the North-East inter-varsity championship, held at Bilaspur. Similarly Deepika, Paramjit and Renu were awarded for their performances in weight and power lifting. Nisha got the prize for securing positions at various city and state level cartoon-making competitions. While speaking on the occasion, Mr Karan Singh said girl students were definitely heading towards advancement and exhorted them to play a crucial role in curbing social evils such as female foeticide and dowry. He asked them to get together at every forum to address these problems. He said everybody had a hidden talent which needed to be developed and college period was the best time to determine the future course of action. He complimented the winners for bringing laurels to the college. Earlier, the Principal of the college, Mrs. Shashi Kanta, gave a detailed account of various activities undertaken by the college during last year. She said that endeavour of the college was not only to concentrate on academics but also to encourage the students to participate in sports and extra-curricular activities for the overall development of their personalities. She said during last year the college had organised various activities, which included seminars, workshops and camps. The NAAC Peer Team, which had visited the College on February 19-20 this year, lauded the college for multifarious activities undertaken by it. The Principal said the college had prepared a proposal for introducing B.Sc in bio-technology from the forthcoming academic session. The Education Department, Chandigarh Administration, had already given its consent to this proposal. An amount of Rs. 10.75 lakh had been sanctioned by the UGC for various developmental schemes of the college, she
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Pawan
Bansal gets Congress ticket Chandigarh, March 10 Mr Bansal has been a member of Parliament on three occasions earlier. During 1984-1990 he was a member of the Rajya Sabha. He won the Lok Sabha elections in 1991 and 1999. Mr
B.B. Bahl, president of the local unit, said Mr Bansal’s name figures in the first list of candidates declared by the party. Mrs Kamlesh, the Mayor, Mrs Lalit Joshi, a former Mayor and Mr
H.S. Lucky, president of the local unit of the Youth Congress, have welcomed the announcement. Mr Bansal said “ I can only thank Mrs Sonia Gandhi, the Congress President, for reposing faith in me. I am very clear about my agenda for public welfare. A number of activities started during my last tenure will be carried forward”. Mr Bansal did his LLB from the Department of Laws, Panjab University. He did his schooling at Yadvindra Public School, Patiala, and his B Sc at Government College, Sector 11. He is an advocate. As a member of the Lok Sabha he has served on Ethics, IT, Home Affairs and Broadcasting, Commerce and Rules committees. He has also served on a number of committees in the Rajya Sabha. |
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Wait for affidavit may prove fatal for kidney patient Chandigarh, March 10 The authorities, including an Executive Magistrate, expressed their unwillingness to attest the affidavit “on the pretext” that a writ petition regarding the alleged kidney scam was pending before the court,” the applicant claimed. He asserted that the affidavit was attested after great difficulty. “It proved to be a job of three days and the patient had to remain confined in an ambulance during the period. Mr Nath claimed that his wife had been “on dialysis since November, 2002, and admitted to Kakkar Hospital since October 8, 2003. She had undergone about 150 dialysis. As of now, her veins could not be traced for further dialysis. Her bones had become brittle as continuous dialysis had made her frail. She was also unable to walk”. He further submitted that fear caused by the petition was evident from the fact that the doctors and hospital authorities, instead of acting on humanitarian grounds, preferred to “escape” so as to avoid controversy. “Negation of duty to avoid controversy has become the hall mark of every citizen,” he insisted. Going into the background of the case, the petitioner submitted that his wife was initially operated upon in August, 1995. However, the kidney failed and she was left with no option, but to go in for another transplant. Subsequently, her mother donated kidney. But that too stopped functioning in November, 2002. Application for a third transplant was submitted before the
Authorisation Committee on March 2. He added that Dr P.K. Sareen, who had earlier conducted two operations, was a competent surgeon to operate his wife. But Dr Sareen too had refused as he was already an accused in a case.
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30 notifications to accommodate Quark Mohali, March 10 A review of the current status of these notifications by various departments was undertaken by the Chief Secretary, Punjab, during a special meeting held on March 5. While some notifications dealt with Phase I of the Quark project in Mohali, majority have been listed to facilitate Quark’s acquisition of 5000 acres of land in the Punjab in Chandigarh’s periphery as Phase II of the project. Quark is expected to invest Rs 450 crore in Phase I and another Rs 3000 crore in Phase II. According to this list of notifications reviewed by the Chief Secretary, Quark will be allotted 46 acres of land in Mohali by the PSIEC after which change in land use will be facilitated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Quark will also be allowed to sub lease, transfer, rent and sell any part of this land at any rate determined by Quark. The Industries Department will notify that Quark be allowed to set up educational institutions, guest houses, multiplexes and malls on this land. Quark will be allowed to construct high rise buildings beyond 45 metres subject to compliance of air safety norms. For Phase II of the project, Quark will be specially allowed to buy agricultural land beyond the permissible limit under provisions of the Punjab Reforms act 1972 and shall be exempted from filing any declarations required under any law pertaining to surplus agriculture holdings. Other than facilitating the land use change that is required for the 5000 acre land under consideration, Quark will be exempted from payment of conversion charges by PUDA which will also exempt the project from any restrictions laid down by the Punjab New Capital Periphery Control Act 1952. Quark will also be allowed to sub-lease, transfer, rent or sell any portion of the infrastructure in any stage to third parties. The Local Bodies department will by way of notification acknowledge the area as an industrial township, as a result of which Quark will at its discretion be entitled to fix rates and levy user charges, service charges, and tolls in the project area in respect of basic facilities like roads, health care, public health, sanitation etc. Quark will be exempted from the provisions of the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulations Act 1995 and also payment of electricity duty for a period of five years from the date of release of connection by the Punjab State Electricity Board. The Excise and Taxation Department will ensure that the sales tax and work contract on all construction material required for the projects will be charged at the minimum floor rate. The Revenue Department will not impose any land or building tax covering the project area for a period of 10 years from the date of completion of respective units. The local bodies will not charge any entry tax on the building material brought for the purpose of implementation in
the project and will not be included in the octroi limits of the local bodies. |
Court upholds plea of
firm director Chandigarh, March 10 The judgement is significant as in some cases the courts were dismissing applications for discharge on the ground that the same were premature particularly when the stage of leading evidence by the accused had not arrived. The orders were pronounced by Mr Justice S.K. Mittal of the high court on a petition filed by a director of a firm. He had challenged the orders passed by Sirsa’s Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) dismissing his application for recalling the summoning order and discharging him. Directions were also sought for quashing the proceedings with regard to him on the basis of complaint under the Insecticide Act following the alleged failure of a sample. The petitioner had submitted that the complaint, at its face value, did not disclose any offence against him. Moreover, he was just a director in the company and had nothing to do with the day-to-day functioning. Moreover, the sample could not be termed misbranded as the alleged variation in the percentage of ingredients was within the permissible limits. After going through the documents and hearing the arguments in the case, the Judge allowed the petition. The Judge also ordered the setting aside of the impugned order passed by the courts below with regard to the petitioner. Consequently, the proceedings pending in the CJM’s court against the petitioner were also quashed. The Judge, however, clarified that the complaint and proceedings with regard to other accused would continue. In his detailed order, the Judge added that in the instant case the courts below dismissed the application for discharge filed by the petitioner only on the ground that it was premature to consider the petitioner’s plea particularly when the stage of leading the evidence by him was yet to come. The Judge concluded that the petitioner in the case in hand could not be described as person responsible for the conduct of the company’s business. In the absence of material connecting the petitioner with the provisions of the Insecticide Act, his summoning order to face the trial was an abuse of the court process. |
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2 killed, 3 hurt as car, bus collide Kharar, March 10 One of the deceased was D.S. Dhillon (20) of Mohali while the other had not been identified till the filing of this report. The seriously injured were Kailash (21). Four victims were residents of Sector 29, Chandigarh. A few others sustained minor injuries. Traffic remained disrupted on the road for more than an hour. Traffic on the busy Ludhiana-Chandigarh road resumed after the vehicles were moved to one side. Witnesses said the accident took place when the car coming from the Ludhiana tried to overtake the truck and collided with a Punjab Roadways bus coming from the opposite direction. The driver of the truck, too, lost control over his vehicle, which collided with the bus. The car was badly smashed, and the front portion of the bus, too, was damaged. Glass splinters lay strewn all over the road near Kharar town. The driver of the bus, Mr Gurnam Singh, told Chandigarh Tribune that his vehicle had nearly 60 passengers, but no one was seriously injured. Witnesses said the truck was transporting buffaloes. Hospital sources said Kailash and Manpreet Singh were conscious while Ravi had sustained a serious head injury and was unconscious. Kailash gave personal details of the victims. Witnesses said police personnel and others extricated the victims from the badly damaged car by cutting through the metal. The police said a case under Section 304A (causing death by negligence) had been registered. |
Firebirds completes 50 years Chandigarh, March 10 Raised as 104 Helicopter Flight at Palam by Flt-Lt Neal Todd in March, 1954, which goes by its popular name of Firebirds, it has a chequered history. Starting with simple communication, logistics,
reccee, VIP transport and mercy missions during war and peace, the `One-O-Four’ has evolved into a frontline and formidable attack helicopter squadron. Changes over the years saw it altering its operational philosophy from that of “Apatsu
Mitram” (friend of others) to an offensive — “Stalk, Strike and Survive”. The unit has operated seven types of helicopters which include S-55, S-62, Bell 47G3, Mi-4, Chetak and the present Mi-25/Mi-35. In the sixties, Soviet Mi-8 and French Allouttee-IIIs too were inducted into the squadron. In 1961 it set a world record, with Sqdn Ldr V K Sahgal along with a French test pilot, Mr M.
Boulet, landing an Allouttee at an altitude of 19,500 feet. In 1977, the Firebirds assumed the role of an anti-tank attack squadron and its Chetak helicopters were modified to carry guided missiles. It received the coveted President’s Colours in 1988. In August, 1990, came in the deadly Mi-35 attack helicopters. During the Kargil conflict, its gunships were involved in the sanitisation of Srinagar and Awantipur airfields. During Operation Parakram, it flew over 200 air support missions. A detachment from the squadron has also served with the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Seirra Leone. |
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Tibetans observe uprising day Chandigarh, March 10 The rally, which started from the Panjab University campus, was joined by a large number of students from local colleges and other educational institutions. The march which was also supported by foreign students passed through Sectors 15, 16, 22 and 23 and concluded at the Sector 17 plaza. Mohammad Abdi, president of the Foreign Students Association, stressed the need for ending colonisation. He targeted the United Nations Organisation for not finding any way to curb colonisation. Mr Arvind Thakur of the Lawyers for Human Rights International also expressed concern over human rights violations in Tibet. At the conclusion of the session, at least 60 Tibetan students observed a 12-hour token strike. In the evening, Mr H.S. Lucky, president of the local unit of the Youth Congress, offered juice to the students who observed a relay fast. |
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Baba Thakur Singh
recovering Mohali, March 10 Talking about the contribution of Fortis, Dr Moulick said, “It has been our constant endeavour to contribute to the community. This effort is an extension of our philosophy to benefit the people of our region and raise their health standards. We are committed to undertaking such initiatives in future as well.” Dr B.P. Panigrahi, Head of Anesthesiology, said that the Baba had shown speedy recovery. |
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Publication on pollution released Chandigarh, March 10 The publication, authored by R.S. Saini, Rajvinder Singh Bains and Sanjiv Shukla, is based on a study undertaken by the Idma Foundation for Sustainable Development and the Indian Council of Social Welfare’s Chandigarh chapter. According to a press note issued by the Indian Council of Social Welfare’s honorary general secretary Sharestha Mehta, the publication has summarised how well the government was upholding the commitment it made during the 1992 Rio Earth Summit regarding environment. |
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Chandigarh Club
functioning questioned Chandigarh, March 10 The letter seeks clarifications with regard to the procedure adopted for the enrolment of new members, including dependent members, government official membership and honorary membership, purchases for the bar, employment of staff, gardening repair, staff salaries, restaurant and catering and granting of permission for use of lawns for various functions. |
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Sant Prabhudass
coming Chandigarh, March 10 |
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Liquor trader’s plea to Sonia Chandigarh, March 10 |
Six underweight cylinders seized Chandigarh, March 10 Sources in the department alleged that the two persons, one of whom has been identified as Ram Raj, escaped because the police did not reach the spot in time. The allegation has been denied by the police. A doctored weighing machine and three instruments used to fill cylinders with gas were also seized, the sources said. Cars stolen Hurt in mishap Held for storing crackers On a tip-off a team of the Sector 19 police raided the house of Pritpal and seized about 100kg of crackers stacked in the house. He will be produced before a local court tomorrow. |
Deposit advance tax
sincerely, industry asked Chandigarh, March 10 The appeal by the CCI was made after its members had a meeting with Mrs Manju Lakhanpal, Commissioner, Income Tax. During the meeting, the Commissioner expressed concern over the negative growth of income tax revenue for the Chandigarh region, especially from the industrial areas of the city. This was stated by Mr Vinod Mittal and Mr A.L. Aggarwal, president and general secretary of the CCI. They brought to her notice the problems being faced by the small-scale units of Chandigarh, especially those dealing in iron and steel products. It was pointed out that this industry was passing through a critical phase because of the recent series of price hikes. Chemists’ plea The Chandigarh Chemists Association has urged Dr C.P. Bansal, Director, Health-cum-Drugs Controller, UT, to ensure that private nursing homes do not stock medicines in huge quantities, which leads to unfair competition for them on the one hand and the fleecing of patients on the other. At a meeting with Dr Bansal, the association emphasised that private nursing homes should stock medicines only in small quantities to meet emergencies. Mr Vijay Anand, general secretary of the association, said it was also demanded that big
hospitals and institutions should have five or 10 chemists shops located in their commercial complexes. The shops should be allotted to reputed chemists and not auctioned, as is the practice. The association also assured Dr Bansal that its members did not indulge in the sale of narcotic drugs and other habit-forming medicines. Such medicines were being imported into Chandigarh from neighbouring states. It said a number of chemist shops had mushroomed on the periphery of Chandigarh in recent years, which were largely
responsible for the sale of narcotic drugs and other habit-forming medicines in the city. They asked the Drug Controller to check this menace. |
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Pratapgarh samiti has best stall Chandigarh, March 10 Global Micronic of Haripur, Panchkula, was second while Anchalik Gram Parishad of Junia in Barpeta, Assam, got the third place. In the khadi section, the Nagaland Khadi and Village Sangh, Dimapur, got the first position, the Manipur Foundation, Imphal, second and the Khadi Gramodyog Karyakarta Sangh, Dera Bassi, Punjab, third. In the painting competition, Arushie of Vivek High School got the first prize, while the second and the third prizes went to Prahleen Kaur of AKSIP School, Chandigarh, and Gaurav of St Hills Public School, Bartana. In the 9-11 age group, Amanjot Kaur, Kohima Goel and Heena Chauhan stood first, second and third, respectively. The top three in the 12-14 years category were Inderjot Kaur, Shruti Sawhney and
Pragati. |
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