 |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Preetam Singh held in Kishangarh land case
Chandigarh, October 29 The crime branch also secured an arrest warrant for his younger brother and Sarpanch of Kishangarh. He was arrested from his Panchkula residence by the crime branch following a tip-off. Preetam Singh and his other family members were booked under the Periphery Control Act, the Registration Act and Section 420 of the IPC two months ago. The police has procured one-day remand for Preetam Singh. Preetam Singh and his accomplices had sold land measuring less than 1,000 metres on the general power of attorney in violation of the GPA and the Periphery Control Act. They carved out residential plots from agricultural land. The crime branch, however, didn’t make a case against witnesses, lambardars and purchasers of the land. Apart from Preetam Singh and Sitaram, their brothers Shadi Lal, Dhani Ram, Sitaram’s son Ram Kumar were also booked and a case was registered at the Mani Majra police station. A former Sarpanch, Prem Singh, panch Gejo Devi, Sita Singh, Rammurthy and Jagtar Singh, who has died, were also booked in the case. The arrest followed the transfer of the investigation of the cases against rural politicians from Mani Majra police station to the crime branch.
|
|
PUDA brings down 51 structures
4 colonisers booked
Four persons — three residents of Kharar and a resident of Mohali — were booked by Kharar police on the charge of developing an illegal colony there. On the complaint from the
ACA, Mohali, PUDA, a case under Sections 3, 4, read with Section 36 of the Punjab Apartment Regulation Act, 1995, was registered against Ranbir Singh, Jasbir Singh, Amarjit Singh, all residents of Kharar, and Jaswinder Singh Riar of Phase IX, Mohali, at the Kharar police station, No arrests have, however, been made in the case.
Mohali, October 29 The operation started this morning following orders from the Additional Chief Administrator, PUDA, Mohali. The team, led by an Assistant Engineer, went around these three villages identifying fresh constructions taking place and demolishing them. Sources stated that in most cases only token demolition was carried out and the owners and builders were warned against resuming construction. Following orders from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the issue regarding regularisation of periphery’s growth and its development is being considered by a committee headed by the Chief Secretary, Punjab. However, following announcements by the Punjab Government that the illegal structures constructed in the periphery were being considered for regularisation, fresh construction activity in the area had increased manifold in the recent past. In order to maintain a record of construction activity going on in the periphery, PUDA had also organised videographing of the entire periphery last month. But despite the order of the high court to take effective steps to maintain the character of the periphery, irregular and unauthorised constructions have continued unabated in the past month. “We have received field reports which suggest that fresh constructions had started taking place in the periphery. We are committed to curbing all illegal construction activities in the periphery. Just because the government is considering certain policy changes in the periphery does not mean that PUDA will allow dilution of the current laws applicable to the periphery. The drive started today and will continue, and in case the message does not reach those undertaking illegal constructions, stricter action will follow,’’ cautioned Mr Yashvir Mahajan, ACA, PUDA, Mohali. As many as 51 structures were brought down by the team. While 29 of these were coming up in Kansal, another 14 were brought down in Milkh and another 8 in Mullanpur.
|
|
Man rescued from police custody
Chandigarh, October 29 According to a press note issued here today, a Warrant Officer, appointed by Mr Justice M.M. Kumar of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, raided Ropar Sadar police station and rescued Mr Gurcharan Singh, resident of Bhaliana village in Ropar district, from the illegal custody of the SHO. In a petition, sMr Mehman Singh, a Dalit driver hailing from Delhi, had alleged that his brother-in-law was picked up by two policemen on the orders of the SHO from his house. Mr Mehman Singh alleged that earlier on September 29, his son, Mr Jagjit Singh, was ‘kidnapped’ from Nawanshehr by Ropar police personnel. Jagjit had gone to Nawanshehr to get Rs 4.5 lakh back from Hazoora Singh, who had allegedly taken money from him on the pretext of sending him to Italy. Instead of returning the money, Hazoora used his contacts to get him "kidnapped". The petitioner alleged that Jagjit was brought to the police station and was threatened that in case he failed to pay Rs 1.5 lakh to the SHO he would be implicated in an immigration fraud case. Mr Gurcharan Singh mediated between Mr Mehman Singh and the SHO and got Jagjit released after the payment of Rs 1.5 lakh on September 24, the petitioner claimed. The SHO was also promised a payment of Rs 2 lakh more by mid-October. After his release, Jagjit approached the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Punjab DGP against the SHO. However, when Jagjit failed to pay the remaining amount, Mr Gurcharan Singh, who had taken guarantee for Jagjit, was picked up from his house by the SHO on October 27 morning. After Mehman Singh approached the forum, a habeas corpus petition was filed in the high court following which a Warrant Officer was appointed and Mr Gurcharan Singh released. The Warrant Officer will submit a report in the court on November 5.
|
|
8-year-old boy sexually abused
Chandigarh, October 29 The watchman’s son, Mukesh, has been arrested and put through medical examination along with the child. Mukesh has been booked under Section 377 (unnatural sex) of the IPC. The incident came to light when the parents of the child searched for him after he did not come back home for a long time. The child was allegedly kept bolted in a room after being abused, the police said. The child had gone to the school during the day for playing in the ground. Mukesh, son of Jagdish, was roaming about in the area. He seduced the child to come inside the room to help him close a window, according to the police. Mukesh, a driver, then bolted the room from inside and sexually abused the child. He reportedly remained in the bolted room for an hour and left it after threatening the child with dire consequences if he revealed the incident to anybody. The child, however, narrated the entire story to
his mother. The child used to go to the school, where a teacher gave tuitions to students free of charge and the child was playing after the tuitions. The child, son of a servant of a retired Colonel, was studying in classes held under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan.
|
|
|
No extension for S.P. Singh, Gaurav Yadav
Chandigarh, October 29 In a fax message to the Chandigarh Administration the MHA said both the officials had to go. In case of Mr Yadav, a 1991, Punjab cadre IPS, the Administration will be sending a fresh request to re-consider his case. His two year tenure ends in December. In case of Mr S.P. Singh, the Adviser to the UT Administrator, Mr Lalit Sharma, has written to the Union Home Secretary, saying that the Administration cannot spare an official to handle the work of MD, CITCO. Keeping this in mind he should not be relieved till his successor was appointed. Meanwhile a panel of names has been sought from Punjab to replace Mr S.P. Singh, whose four-year-tenure ends on tomorrow. In a separate development, the Haryana government has sent names of three more HCS officers to the Chandigarh Administration.
|
|
Market gets nod for podium
Chandigarh, October 29 However, the permission came with certain conditions. The MWA has been asked to install the podium in the centre of the market place where its prizes are presently displayed. The location has been changed in view of the representation of the Progressive Traders Association (PTA) comprising booth owners, who had claimed that the podium covered their shops' view and hampered business. The MWA has also been asked to pay Rs 50,000 for the festival and a penalty of Rs 5,000 for installing a gate and other decorations without prior permission. Also, the MWA would be asked to pay rent for the use of MC parking area for the days during which permission was under consideration. The Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC) has also advocated a penalty for the PTA for displaying prizes on MC land without permission. They have been directed to remove the same from the parking.
|
|
Trauma crime victims go through to get
justice
Chandigarh, October 29 The complaint was then lodged with the police but it took nine months for the counsellors and psychiatrists to mentally prepare her to give a statement before the magistrate for seeking justice. The culprit might be caught eventually but would the trauma of repeating the tragic event before strangers ever be compensated? Lawyer Dharmeshwary Sharma, of the Human Rights Law Network, Jaipur narrated one of many such incidents of the “revictimisation” of the crime victims while making a presentation on the inaugural day of the two day convention Human Rights and Mental Health at Panjab University today. The Human Rights Law Network, a nationwide body of lawyers , who are in the process of preparing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) for the right to mental health say that the victims of rape, child abuse, torture and domestic violence are already harassed is a known fact but that they have to go through endless rounds of mental agony while fighting for justice in the present set-up is the “often forgotten’’ tragic reality of many of such “survivors.’’ “Unlike in the USA and the UK judicial system, the Indian law only recognises the physical injuries inflicted on the victims but the mental agony is forgotten,’’ said Dr Mathiharan, a forensic sciences expert from Chennai. Dr Achal Bhagat in his presentation on the “counselling as a community service and mental health’’ said that its should be the task of the community as a whole to accept the victims and help in their rehabilitation without attaching any stigma. Colonel D.S. Goel, national consultant on mental health to the Ministry of Health, inaugurated the convention.
|
MC to form panel for Dadu Majra dump
Comprising 11 members, the committees would have elected and nominated councillors and have representation of women and Scheduled Castes. A ward having more than 35,000 persons would have an additional member for every 5,000 people. The term of the committees would be one year. The other members would be represented by the Administrator. The Federation of Sector Welfare Associations of Chandigarh
(FOSWAC), a body of 28 residents’ welfare associations, submitted a written representation seeking greater representation in the ward committees. This was, however, rejected by the House.
Chandigarh, October 29 She said that foul smell forcing many residents to leave the area. The Medical Officer, Health, informed the House that the garbage was being covered by a layer of earth, 10 cms thick. He also said that the MC was in touch with an agency which would provide a solution to put out the stench. The local Member of Parliament, Mr Pawan Kumar Bansal, joined issue and said that relocating the ground was not a solution to the problem. He added that regular checks at the site of the dumping ground should be carried out to ensure that the garbage was being covered with earth regularly. He suggested the formation of a committee to look into the matter. The House also gave its nod to a hike of 25 per cent in the fee to be charged for setting up temporary stalls during Divali Mela. Presently, Rs 600 is being charged for a stall. The MC will issue prepaid coupons from November 3 to November 8 at the Corporation office in Sector 17 and sub-office in Mani Majra. Anybody found to have set up a stall without a coupon would be charged double the rate applicable. An item on the agenda regarding renting out the exhibition ground in Sector 34 for the Baisakhi fair for Rs 1 lakh for 20 days and causing a loss to MC was debated. Members claimed that the Finance and Contract Committee did not have powers to fix a rent over and above whatever had been finalised by the House. The Mayor, Ms Kamlesh, said that the entire record of the item would be sought and the House would be informed at the next meeting. The House deferred the item pertaining to construction of the third floor of the MC office after Mr Pawan Bansal said that the offices of the UT Administration, housed in the MC building should be shifted. A resolution was passed that the Administration should be approached to vacate rooms occupied by the Registration and Licensing Authority (RLA) to a new place before constructing a new floor of the MC office. The item pertaining to auction of commercial property in different pockets of the city was deferred after the councillors raised objections over the reserve price fixed for various sites. They demanded that the item should be brought to the next meeting with details of the auction rates of sites in the various pockets and the cost be fixed at prices higher than what the last auction fetched. The councillors would be allotted a room in the community centres in their respective areas. These would also be used for holding meetings of the ward committees. Some councillors also raised objection that items leftover from last time had not been included in the agenda.
|
|
Admn to seek Rs 21 cr from Centre
Chandigarh, October 29 Apart from this the Administration will also seek about Rs 40 crore to meet expenses on power purchases made during summer months. Besides this another Rs 2 crore will be sought for running of officials vehicles and CTU buses in view of the rise in cost of petroleum products. These demand will be part of the revised estimates to be presented by Chandigarh on November 5 before the Finance Ministry. It is not that the Administration has no money, it is just that these expenses had not been accounted for in the budget for this year. The hike in salaries had come about after the merger of the 50 per cent of dearness allowance in salary from July. This merger raised house rent allowance of the employees which called for fresh calculations. Each employee got a hike of anything between Rs 500 and Rs 1200. Originally Rs 725 crore had been allocated for non-Plan and this includes salaries of employees among others expenses. Sources said the need to ask for more money for power was felt as the Administration spent a huge sum on buying power during summer months. At times power was being purchased at as high as Rs 6 per unit. The Union Power ministry had imposed a cut on power allocation forcing Chandigarh to buy power from the open market. In totality the Administration earns a net profit from sale of power. Even these Rs 40 crore will be overtaken by the earnings from the power sector, said officials. The cost of operating Chandigarh Transport Undertaking buses has risen due to hike in diesel prices, but fares have not been hiked proportionately. Already the Finance Ministry has said that it will impose a cut on non-plan expenses. The Chandigarh Administration is ready to tackle this claiming to be revenue surplus state. The earnings for the first six months ending September 30, are Rs 450 crore and are expected to sail beyond the target of Rs 850 crore by the end of the financial year.
|
|
Delhi group likely to help revive Punwire
Mohali, October 29 The sources added that the company had on October 19 shown interest in investing in Punwire to facilitate its revival and had written to the minister in this regard. The company had a few days ago contacted the minister against for furtherance in the matter. Representatives of the Punjab State Industrial Development Corporation (PSIDC) and Department of Industries and Punjab would also attend the meeting. Punwire, the once blue chip company worth Rs 500 crore, owes over Rs 600 crore to its various creditors. On April 12, this year, a 10-year revival plan was mooted by a core group formed by the government for the purpose under the chairmanship of the Finance Minister. The revival scheme prepared by Mr B.S. Baidwan, former president, Mohali Industries Association, was discussed. Mr Baidwan had in September also written to Mr. T.K.Nair, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, regarding the revival of Punwire. He had pointed out that funds required to restart Punwire were in the range of Rs 25 crore and while these funds could be provided by the Punjab Government, alternatively a suitable private promoter might be associated with Punwire. In case the revival plan did not find favour with creditors, then the assets of Punwire might be transferred to a new company at about Rs 40 crore with a stipulation that at least 60 per cent of Punwire work force be given employment in the new setup.
|
|
Privatisation of octroi deferred
Mohali, October 29 Pointing out that the council’s own employees had in the past nine months collected higher octroi than the amount offered as bids last year, the various councillors today stated that the council should continue to do the work on its own. Following discussion on the issue, a decision on the matter was postponed for at least six months after which it would be brought before the House and reconsidered. It may be noted that following the filing of a public interest litigation, the privatisation of octroi collection in Mohali was stayed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court this year. The council had to, as a result, undertake the task itself.In yet another significant decision, council members have decided to issue show cause notices to two of its employees who were on duty at octroi posts during the vigilance raid carried out by the Director, Local Bodies office, on July 19, 2004. Certain irregularities had been found during the raids and these employees were subsequently asked to give an explanation by the council. Mr Manjit Singh Sethi, an opposition councillor pointed out that as many as 54 Class IV employees of the council were ‘posted’ at the houses of various political leaders and bureaucrats living in the township. He demanded that these employees be called back to their respective duties. Admitting that this could be the case, the council president, Mr Kulwant Singh, agreed to look into the matter and recall any such employee back to the council. Council members decided to reject a request made to the council by the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) to hand over the Sulabh toilet vans in Matour village, for demolition. It was decided that PUDA be instructed to first lay down a sewage line for the villagers, only after which these toilets would be demolished. The councillors also agreed that the council would desist from passing cost estimate of various works higher that the provision of the budget for that year as had been instructed by the Department of Local Bodies, Punjab.
|
|
Journalists seek new wage board
Chandigarh, October 29 They raised slogans against the government and employers for delay in fixing salaries afresh. Carrying placards and banners, the demonstrators took a round of the Sector 17. The demonstration was held under the banner of the Chandigarh-Punjab Union of Journalists (CPUJ). CPUJ president Vinod Kohli said prices had gone up substantially during the past ten years and salaries had virtually been static during the period. He said the community that fought exploitation was being exploited by employers in collusion with the government. He criticised the contract system in newspapers, saying that it adversely affected freedom of expression. He condemned the termination of 362 employees by the management of the Hindustan Times. President of the PTI Employees Union Dilbagh Singh also supported the demand for a new wage board. CPUJ general secretary Charanjit Ahuja also addressed the agitating employees.
|
|
Sayeed releases souvenir on BBMB
Chandigarh, October 29 The Nangal channel is part of the Bhakra Nangal project and carries water to Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh and Rajasthan, an official release said here. The channel was dedicated to the nation by former Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1954, it added. Senior BBMB officials, led by the Chairman, Mr Rakesh Nath, attended the function.
|
|
House gutted
Mohali, October 29 The house was locked when the fire started. The house owner, Mr Yoginder Kumar, who owns a dry cleaning shop in the Phase I market, was at his shop with his wife. Neighbours told the Chandigarh Tribune that the fire seemed to have started because of an electric short circuit and lasted for over 15 minutes.
|
|
Bus passenger alleges misconduct
Zirakpur, October 29 The incident occurred on the Kalka-Ambala highway near Singhpura village at about 5.45 pm when Mr Sunil Kumar, who had boarded the bus from Zirakpur after purchasing a ticket for Rs 10, was asked by the conductor to get down as they did not carry local passengers. Mr Sunil Kumar told Chandigarh Tribune that the conductor also misbehaved with him. Following other bus passengers raised objections and he was allowed to board it.
|
NRI assaulted
Mohali, October 29 Mr Krishan Kumar Bagga, alias Krishan Dass, told newspersons here today that he had gone to the office of Oriental Insurance Company in Sector 17, Chandigarh. When he came out of the office, he saw police personnel ill-treating an auto-rickshaw driver. When he went to the scene and tried to intervene, a Sub-Inspector allegedly roughed him up. The Sub-Inspector also allegedly pulled his beard and threw away his turban. Mr Bagga, who said he had been staying in California, USA, since 1996, was shocked by the treatment meted out to him. Later, another Sub-Inspector arrived and tried to pacify Mr Bagga and asked him to give a written complaint. The NRI said he gave a complaint in writing. However, the second Sub-Inspector urged him to effect a compromise with the Sub-Inspector who had roughed him up. He said he would meet the SP in this connection and might also go to court.
|
|
Bimal Khalsa’s son-in-law assaulted Mohali, October 29 The incident occurred when Harinder was out walking late in the evening in a park outside near his house. The two assailants came in a white car (CH03 P 8168) and stood outside a house with loud music blaring out of the car. Harinder accosted them and the two went away only to return with another person some time later. The trio, who according to Harinder were drunk, forcibly entered their house in Phase 3B1 and pushed away his aged father when he tried to get in their way. The two were armed with knives and allegedly attacked Harinder who stopped the blow with his hand sustaining injuries. By this time the tenants of the family rushed down and caught the assailants. While the police arrested two of them, the third managed to escape.
|
|
|
Woman abducted, recovered
Chandigarh, October 29 Gold recovered: The Crime Branch of the Chandigarh police on Friday recovered 180 gm of gold from Manu. The gold was allegedly stolen from Sector 27 but Manu of Sector 24 failed to dispose if off. Theft: Jewellery and a VCR were stolen on Thursday from house No 2247 in Sector 45.
|
|
Immolation bid
Mohali, October 29
|
‘Her world’ opens
Chandigarh, October 29 In this three-day fair products including electronics, consumer durables, cosmetics, woman wear, leather, home interiors, home appliances, health and fitness and more will be exhibited. Candles and hand-made envelopes, ladies footwear, bed sheets, designer wear will also be on display. Around 25 stalls have been put up. It is being organised by Full Circle Expositions. The fair was inaugurated today by Ms Kamlesh, Mayor, MC, Chandigarh.
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
