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Panchayat Samiti wants chairman removed
Chandigarh, December 20 In a signed “no-confidence” letter to the Deputy Commissioner, 12 of the 15 members have demanded the ouster of the chairman, accusing him of showing little interest in development work in villages falling under the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Barring the chairman and two members, the entire Panchayat Samiti wants Mr Badheri removed. The Administration has taken cognisance of the letter and summoned a meeting on December 27 to take stock of the situation and take necessary action. The Deputy Commissioner confirmed that he had summoned a meeting after some Panchayat Samiti members met him and submitted the letter. The letter to the Deputy Commissioner reads: “We, the following members of the Panchayat Samiti, Chandigarh, request your goodself to remove Mr Bhupinder Singh from the office of chairman, Panchayat Samiti. We have no faith in him as he does not take interest in any work of development in villages and he has lost confidence of the members of the Panchayat Samiti, Chandigarh”. The move assumes importance as Mr Badheri, a one-time close confidant of a former Union Minister and senior Congress leader, Mr Vinod Sharma, had switched loyalties and joined the camp of the local MP, Mr Pawan Bansal. A no-confidence move against Mr Badheri, who is also the president of the District Congress Committee (Rural), spells bad news for the Congress as the move is bound to impact the hold of the Congress in UT villages. When the Panchayat Samiti was formed in January, 2002, for a five-year term, Mr Badheri had secured eight of the 15 votes (including his own) to become chairman. Mr Mohinder Singh was second and he became the vice-chairman of the samiti. Mr Mohinder too is a signatory among the 12 members who have expressed “no-confidence” in Mr Badheri. The other signatories to the “no-confidence” move are Mr Didar Singh, Mr Hukam Chand, Ms Bhupinder Kaur, Ms Jasbir Kaur, Ms Lata Sharma, Ms Sukhdarshan Kaur, Ms Minakshi, Mr P.C. Sharma, Mr Jagir Singh, Mr Dayal Singh and Mr Shingara Singh, besides Mr Mohinder Singh. Interestingly, it was only yesterday that Mr Badheri had dashed out a letter to the Congress President, Ms Sonia Gandhi, accusing the Chandigarh Administration of showing a bias while dealing with the local bodies and had stated that the Administration had failed to implement the Panchayati Raj system.
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MC limits set to expand
Chandigarh, December 20 The Municipal Corporation had asked the Administration as to who would fund the project if these villages were included in the MC limits. The Administration has asked the Chief Engineer, Chandigarh, the Chief Engineer, MC, and the Chief Engineer, Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB), to sit together and suggest how much money will be required for the purchase. Once included, these villages will be covered by the municipal bylaws. The money required for the upgradation will be a few crores, said an official. The Adviser to the UT Administrator, Mr Lalit Sharma, confirmed that the Administration had agreed to fund the upgradation of the three villages out of the capital plan outlay and the financial burden was being worked out. All three villages are today urban sprawls, where a large section of society lives. This includes the lower social economic strata, employees, daily-wage workers and villagers. Kajheri is opposite to Sector 43, Palsora is behind Sector 41 and Hallo Majra is behind the Industrial Area, Phase II. Since almost all land has been acquired, there is little or no farming activity in these villages. Also located at Kajheri and Hallo Majra villages are godowns of several city-based traders and small companies. The idea of the Administration is that each of these villages has a population in excess of 10,000. Inside the villages, homes are being used by largely non-farmers. Thus, there is no need for them to carry on as rural areas. By providing civic amenities on a par with the city, these villages can act as residential places. About 10 years ago, four UT villages - Burail, Attawa, Badheri and Buterala - were included in the Municipal Corporation. Meanwhile, the chairman of the Panchayat Samiti, Mr Bhupinder Singh Badheri, has shot of a letter to the chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), Ms Sonia Gandhi, alleging that the Chandigarh Administration is giving a stepmotherly treatment to local bodies and panchayats and has failed to introduce the Panchayati Raj system. During the tenure of the previous Administrator, Justice O.P. Verma, it was mooted that all vacant land in UT villages be acquired to build a specified green area around Chandigarh and protect the land from misuse and encroachers.
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Neelam cinema found wanting, issued notice
Chandigarh, December 20 The move follows an inspection by a team of the Deputy Commissioner’s office today. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Arun Kumar, said the condition of the other theatres was found to be satisfactory. The team inspected the condition of seats, cleanliness, the condition of toilets,
provision for First-aid box, fire extinguishers, drinking water, display of rate list by the canteen and other amenities.
The Deputy Commissioner, said the inspecting team reported that seats in the Neelam cinema were found torn and the exhibition of the film was not proper because of a dirty screen and on old projector. The team reported that the condition of the toilets of KC Theatre and the Nirman cinema was not up to the mark. The managers of these theatres have been asked to make improvement in this regard.
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Sambar caught in Zirakpur
Zirakpur, December 20 A four-year-old male sambar strayed into a cycle stand right adjacent to the Lohgarh police post at about 1.30 pm. Confused after straying into this urban area, the antelope reached this densely populated area and was finally netted by the Chhat Bir Zoo authorities. The sambar leaped over scooters and cycles parked in the stand and took refuge at a corner. Mr Desa Singh, contractor of the cycle stand, made a futile attempt to catch the animal. Mr Desa Singh was then joined by his assistant, Mr Satnam Singh. Two police personnel — Iqbal Singh and Major Singh — who were on their way back to the Zirakpur traffic light point after having lunch at the police post, noticed Desa Singh and others drying to herd the animal to a corner. The cops also joined the operation. The cops and the workers finally caught hold of the animal and tied it to an iron pole. The police then called the Chhat Bir Zoo authorities. The animal sustained injuries on the back and the rump while being captured. During this process, the sambar damaged some vehicles in the stand. A veterinary team from the Chhat Bir Zoo reached the spot. Mr Ram Dev, a compounder, gave two shots of a tranquilising drug in the neck of the animal following which the sambar dozed off. Talking to Chandigarh Tribune, Mr Sukhminder Singh, Forest Range Officer, Dera Bassi, said the animal would be released into the forest area in Sanaur, near Patiala. The Chhat Bir Zoo authorities and officials of the Punjab Forest Department locked horns over the custody of the captured animal. Sources in the zoo forest officials at Dera Bassi refused to take back the animal from the zoo authorities after it was provided medical assistance.
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Sexual harassment case: clean chit to Sabu?
Chandigarh, December 20 The committee, comprising the Joint Secretary (Administration), Mr Sashi Bhushan, and the Chief Grievances Officer, Ms Rama Sharma, today quizzed over 40 employees, including officers, posted in the regional office of the board here. Though the committee members said the outcome of the fact-finding inquiry would be tabled before the Chairman of the board in the next few days, they said it appeared the complaints were not very specific and appeared to be an after thought after the recent transfer of two employees. On being asked about the final outcome, they said a clear picture would emerge after they analysed the statement of the employees. The committee members recorded the statement of the employees and gave extra time to the women employees who had complained against the officer. Ms Rama Sharma, who is also a member of the sexual harassment committee of the CBSE, said, “From the quizzing of the employees, it appears that the complaints were the outcome of efforts by the regional officer to enforce discipline in the office”. She claimed that all procedural modalities had been followed while quizzing the employees, specially the women staff. All employees were given enough time to speak truth without any fear. “A few more women employees retracted from their previous statements while being quizzed. Some of the employees said they did not have any complaint”, she added. During the course of the inquiry, around 20 women employees, while supporting the regional officer, gave a joint representation to the committee regarding issues which need to be clarified. Before leaving the office, the committee members called all employees to know their opinion on the issue. Sources in the board said some women employees said they were asked to sign the representation on the pretext of pleading the case of transfer of two assistants. Mr Sashi Bhushan told The Tribune that if any employee was found guilty of issuing a false statement, action would be taken as per the provisions of the board. Meanwhile, Mr Harpreet Singh Gill, in a statement issued to the media, said he stood by his previous statement without caring for the consequences. He said the responsibility of tampering with the answer book lay with the regional officer.
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2 INLD councillors join Congress
Panchkula, December 20 Mr R.S. Badhran, a leading lawyer and councillor from Sector 14, here and Mr Pawan Mittal, a one-time close confidante of MC President, Ms Seema Chaudhary, announced their joining the Congress at a hurriedly convened press conference here tonight. A visibly jubilant MLA from the Kalka seat, Mr Chander Mohan, and the District Congress chief, Mr R.S. Chauhan, said they would pass a no-confidence motion against the MC president within a week, after convening a meeting of the House. Mr Chander Mohan, along with all other 12 Congress councillors, and the newly inducted councillors, said the INLD councillors were upset at the total failure of the MC president for the development of the township. “In the coming week, a few other councillors will join the Congress, and we will have an absolute majority in the House,”he said. It may be noted that the Congress was against the formation of the Municipal Council and the party had itself stayed away in the election, and distanced itself from all its workers who participated in the election fray in 2003. However, when the party leaders and workers managed to win 16 seats in the MC, having a total of 31 seats, the Congress was forced to throw its hat in the ring, and decided to make its president in the council. The BJP had won three seats and the rest of the 12 seats were won by the INLD. But it proved to be a late move, as most of the Congress affiliated councillors, other than Mr V.K. Kapoor, and Ms Manveer Gill, had joined the INLD and decided to support Ms Chaudhary’s candidature for the post of president. Mr Abhay Chautala, Rori MLA and son of Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, ensured the “majority of the INLD in the MC House”, after a personal meeting with most of the Congress-affiliated councillors. Barely six months after the council was formed, the Congress-affiliated councillors again started coming back to the party fold, and the strength of the party in the House has been increasing rapidly.
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Vaid group sweeps Syndicate polls
Chandigarh, December 20 While candidates of the Vaid group were elected unopposed in four of the six faculties, elections were held only in the Languages and Medical faculty to elect 15 members from the newly constituted Senate to the Syndicate which would come into effect from January 1. The first results came in from the Arts faculty where Dr Ravinder Kumar Sharma, Ms Kuldip Kaur Pannu and Mr Radhey Sham Sharma were declared elected unopposed. In the Science faculty, Mr Des Raj Gupta, Ms. Madanjit Kaur Sahota and Mr Rajinder Bhandari also made it to the Senate, unopposed. In the Languages faculty where both the seats were won by the Vaid group, the contest was between Dr Deepak Manmohan-Dr RPS Josh team and Mr PS Sangha-Mr SS Hundal of the Chatrath group. While the team of Dr Deepak Manmohan and Dr Josh polled 15 and 14 votes, respectively, Mr Sangha got 11 votes and Mr Hundal polled 12 votes. In the Combined faculty again, Dr S.S. Sangha, Dr Suresh Tandon and Mr Subhash Marriya of the Vaid group and the DAV group were chosen unopposed while Dr A.C. Vaid and Mr Satya Pal Jain were elected to the Syndicate from the Law faculty. However, the most keenly contested and closely watched election of the Medical fraternity was last on the agenda. While Mr Ashok Goyal and Dr S.L. Mahajan were fielded by the Chatrath group, the names of Dr R.K. Kohli and Dr Sanjeev Handa were proposed by the Vaid group. The two winners, Mr Goyal and Dr Kohli, polled 18 votes each while Dr Handa and Dr Mahajan polled 15 votes each. The elections were followed by faculty meetings while all “business” pertaining to discussion on syllabi and academics will be held tomorrow. While elections of deans of a few faculties were held today, those for the remaining faculties would be held tomorrow.
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Senate decision questioned Chandigarh, December 20 “I have earlier worked in the UBS and the Evening Studies Department, but there were no complaints against me. As soon as I joined in the Correspondence Courses Department, one of my father’s students, the co-ordinator, began levelling allegations against me. The co-ordinator who took over from him, too, continued the tirade against me,” he alleged. Mr Rathore added that show-cause notices were served upon him and he kept replying to them, stating that he was regularly taking classes and had not misbehaved with anybody in the department. “While the department gave me no work, I got involved in filing replies and work began to suffer. This was their way of putting me at a disadvantageous position,” he said. He questioned the validity of the Senate decision, adding: “The new Senate assumed office only in November. How could they do justice to my case which has been going on for seven years’. I’m sure nobody tried understanding my point of view and passed a decision against me. Seeking legal recourse seems the only answer,” he maintained. |
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Chandigarh Calling IT has been more than eight months but the PGI authorities have been unable to honour former director Prof S.K. Sharma by installing his portrait in the board room in the Kairon Block here. He retired on March 31. The room has the portraits of all eight previous directors who had served the institute. “Everyone knew that former Deputy Director, Administration, Meeta Rajivlochan had never favoured the honour deserved by Professor Sharma. That was the reason why his portrait was not installed all the while she was here. However, after her repatriation two months ago, the pending work is still not complete. The employees wonder why the Administration is not completing this task?” remarked a PGI employee. Senate meeting It was a different kind of a Senate meeting at Panjab University this time round. The new-comers to the highest authority of the university could easily be identified from their lost look as some veteran Senators argued on items. While most others “enlightened” the House on the goings-on in the university, two Senators stood out during the discussions. While Dr Keshav Malhotra seemed to have some objection on every item, former BJP MP from Chandigarh Satya Pal Jain took upon himself the responsibility of summing up the discussions. Dr Malhotra during the course of the meeting stood up nearly a hundred times only to be made to sit. It soon elicited comments like a special seat with a belt should be reserved from him. Mr Jain, on the other hand, summed up whatever was said during the dissussion on various items and conveyed it to the Vice-Chancellor.
Shiamak’s magic The craze to learn dance from renowned choreographer Shiamak Devar has picked up in the city. More than 150 dance learners, including children and adults, in the group of four to 40 years practiced for more than a fortnight. The concluding function was held on December 17 at the Tagore Theatre. Even mothers of many kids took part in the dance show. The practice session was held at Hotel Parkview, Sector 24. Few parents were heard talking that how their wards were able to learn so fast various steps and movements. This made one of them to say “yehi to Shiamak ka jadu hai.”
The three-day chrysanthemum show, which had to be extended for two days, registered an unprecedented rush of flower lovers. The gala show concluded with a colourful cultural programme which marked the impressive finale, with the folk songs and dances presented on the occasion adding zing to the ongoing jamboree. However, the happiest were the teeny-weeny brigade who were gung-ho over the extravaganza as they played hide and seek around the topiaries. (see photograph).
Letters from Gandhis Mr Gurdev Singh Jain, a resident of Baltana and former Markfed employee, has been collecting bits and pieces of history of the Nehru-Gandhi clan through correspondence with members of the family. Since 1978, when Indira Gandhi, won the election from Chikmaglur, he has been corresponding with members of the Gandhi family and has been getting replies. He has handwritten letters of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and greetings from the Congress President, Ms Sonia Gandhi. From a letter by Rajiv Gandhi, explaining why the Chandra Shekhar government fell in March 1991 to Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s greetings, Mr Jain, an avid Congress supporter, has been collecting letters, which he says are his true treasure.
The life of Prem Prakash Naaz, a resident of Ropar has changed for better. He claims that he has a rare 21-mouthed “Rudraksha” and one-mouthed “Rudraksha”. These are very sacred for him and he refuses to part with them. A 90-year-old saint who visited the temple near his house around 40 years ago gave these to him. He says that it helped him to grow spiritually. An optician by profession, he says he has devoted his life to spiritual growth.
Illegal parking The menace of illegal parking of trucks on the Zirakpur Nagar Panchayat land along the Chandigarh-Panchkula road has once again put a question mark of the competency of the civic body authorities. The area has again been encroached upon by the truckers even though Mr Narinder Sangha, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Dera Bassi, has directed Mr Girish Verma, Executive Officer of the Zirakpur Nagar Panchayat, to clear the area of the trucks and dhabhas that have come up on the government land since November 22. This has not only become an eyesore but also adds to road congestion, making the highway accident-prone.
Don’t worry, it’s
just a theft Thefts are no longer a shocking experience for some. This was discovered by a journalist when he received a call that two houses had been burgled in Sector 42. The owner of the one of the houses said that the thieves had entered by breaking open the locks. When asked how much was the loss, the reply was that it doesn’t matter. The owner said some cash and jewellery had been stolen and there was nothing to worry about. He also gave a piece of advice to the journalist
Sexual harassment The recent allegation of sexual harassment against a regional officer has once again exposed the manner in which the law on sexual harassment was being misused in society of different forums. After the case was highlighted in the papers, a number of readers called up Sentinel to convey their concern over the misuse of provisions of sexual harassment and the Dowry Act.
Aadarsh Library On the seventeenth anniversary of Aadarsh Library, Sector 47, which is run by Aadarsh Educational Trust (Regd.), programme comprising songs from Himachal and Punjab and ghazals was held at the community hall, Sector 47, on Sunday. It was attended by the family of the founder, Mr Jagdish Kaushal (81). It was presided over by Air Marshal Randhir Singh (retd). He donated Rs 11,000 for the library. Mr Madhav Kaushik, Secretary, Chandigarh Sahitya Academi donated 100 books for the library. The area-councillor Jitender Bhatia, was the chief guest.
— Sentinel |
Re-auction held amid protests
Panchkula, December 20 Amidst protests by the successful bidders of the previous auction, and heavy police deployment, the auction of 57 sites in Vegetable Market , and 97sites in Grain Market was carried out this evening. Over 20 persons, who had successfully participated in the auction of 23 sites in the market, conducted by the Haryana Agricultural Marketing Board, were taken by surprise when they found that sites for which they had auctioned last time, were again on offer. “We were shocked, as we had already deposited 25 per cent of the total amount with the board. Though we have not been issued any allotment letter but no cancellation letter, was issued to us,” informed Mr Radhe Sham, who had been allotted a shop site in the auction on July 8, last year. The successful bidders of the July auction gheraoed the area where the auction was being held, and did not allow the Mandi Board and Market Committee authorities to hold the auction. The authorities called the police but the bidders refused to relent. “ Five months have passed since the auction and now we are told that the auction has been disapproved, because the money realised through the auction was too less. We were not even told about the cancellation of the previous allotment,” said Mr Charanjit Singh. The traders alleged that they were not even informed about the reserve price, and alleged that the authorities wanted to favour someone, so the sites were being auctioned again. The Chief Administrator, Haryana Agriculture Marketing Board, Mr Sajjan Kumar, when contacted, said he had disapproved the auction conducted earlier, as the government was suffering losses because of low rates that the sites fetched. “The market value of the sites is several times higher, so I ordered for a re-auction on December 12. We had not even issued the allotment letters, as we felt that there was a lot of variation in rates - Rs 28 lakh to Rs 35 lakh for a shop site , and between Rs 7 lakh to Rs 10 lakh for a booth site. Only one shop site, which fetched Rs 35. 10 lakh, and two booth sites have been cleared from the previous auction,” he said. It was only after the police force was called in that the traders finally relented and the auction of sites began around 3 pm.
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Is unity among ex-servicemen possible?
IF the track record of ex-servicemen is anything to go by, then one can say the chances of their unity are dismal. Why? Because every officer after retirement thinks that he can lead them better than all others. No wonder then that the meeting held at Punjab Raj Bhavan a few days ago has raised controversy.
Today, the number of ex-servicemen organisations is many times more than what it was about a decade ago. Every organisation tries to score over the others by betting them down. What to talk of that, one hardly finds any organisation that does not have intrigue and deception within its own ranks. Barring a few, most ex-servicemen bodies are politically aligned. Their leaders work only with one aim, that is to seek some position of importance. Politicians use such “self-seekers” to their advantage. Each ex-servicemen body calls the other politically motivated. But in actual fact, it is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. No doubt, one should not lose the hope of uniting ex-servicemen organisations. But it seems that it is not possible to bring them on one platform.
Heath scheme Fortis Heart and Multi-Specialty Hospital, Mohali, is empanelled for the treatment of Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) members. Until December 14, the ECHS patients treated at the hospital were 53 in-patients and 76 out-patients. And on this day, 18 in-patients were under treatment. The current system laid down by the Army medical authorities for sending ECHS patients to Fortis Hospital not only causes delay in the treatment but also affects the morale of the patients. For instance, if a patient is referred to Fortis for angiography by the Command Hospital, Chandi Mandir, the former cannot give the patient any further treatment than this. Fortis cannot carry out angioplasty on its own after angiography of the patient even when it is considered essential. It has to refer the case back to Command Hospital. Each further treatment needs Command Hospital’s clearance. This system defeats the aim of empanelling hospitals.
Army assumes young profile The acceptance of the first part of the Ajai Vikram Singh Committee report has brought cheer to middle rung officers. This will bring quicker promotions to these officers and give the Army younger Commanding Officers (COs). The COs, at present, are around 42 years of age and cannot keep pace with their troops. This weakness was clearly evidenced in the Kargil war, where majority of the COs could not influence the battle. With their age coming down to around 37-38, it will give the Army a comparatively younger profile. About two decades ago, a young officer was promoted to the rank of Captain and Major after 6 years and 13 years of service. This age has now been brought down to 2 years and 6 years, respectively. At that time, an officer became Lieut-Col (by selection) at the age of 38-39 years. And those who were not selected were promoted to the time scale Lieut-Cols after 24 years of service. Now Majors will be promoted to Lieut-Cols ranks automatically after 13 years of service. After that the promotion will be by selection. Those Lieut-Cols, who do not make the selection grade, will be given time scale Col’s rank after 26 years of service.
Colonel of Rajput Regiment The Colonel of the Rajput Regiment is Lieut-Gen Bhopinder Singh and not Lieut-Gen Milan Naidu. The convener of the Rajput Regiment Officers’ Association, Chandigarh, has intimated that Lieut-Gen Milan Naidu’s name was inadvertently given by him for the Fauji Beat column (November 16). Havildar Pritam Singh from Sangrur, who has gone through open heart
surgery in a Hospital in Mohali, on December 10.
— Pritam Bhullar
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Accused raises pro-‘Khalistan’ slogans at Beant trial
Chandigarh, December 20 In an application before the court of the Special Judge, Balbir Singh alleged that in spite of the clear instructions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court directing the holding of a daily trial for four hours, the court proceedings could not be held even for three hours last week owing to the laxity of the prosecution. Shouting "pro-Khalistan" slogans, Balwant Singh alleged that the witnesses could not be examined due to the non-appearance of the prosecution witnesses last week. And on December 17, the CBI counsel could not come and the case was adjourned. During last week, the court was held for two days only, which was the main reason for the protest from the accused. Meanwhile, the examination of the DSP of the CBI, Mr R. S. Dhankar, was completed.
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Cheating case: BKU activists hold protest
Mohali, December 20 The protesters raised slogans against the government and Naib Tehsildar, Sucha Singh, who has been booked by the police on charges of cheating. They demanded immediate arrest of those involved in the case, cancellation of fake registration papers and licences of lawyers involved in the case and security to Mr Pritam Singh. Mr Sewa Singh, a member of the state committee of the BKU, said all efforts would be made to get justice for Mr Pritam Singh. He alleged that a tehsildar was also involved in the fraud, though his name did not figure in the police case. Mr Amar Singh Karala, president of the Patiala unit of the Human Rights Council, said Mr Pritam Singh, who was unmarried, had willed his land in the name of three members of his brother’s family in 1996. They were Mrs Ajaib Kaur, Mrs Baljinder Kaur and a nephew of Mr Pritam Singh, Mr Amrik Singh. Mr Jagat Singh, his relative, alleged that Karamjit Singh, who also lived in the village, had played a trick with the family. He had won the confidence and had been interacting with the family in various ways over the past many years. It is alleged that Karamjit Singh sold eight acres of Pritam Singh by using his power of attorney. Pritam Singh who is more than 80-year old, can barely see or hear. The registry of the sale of land was done by the Naib Tehsildar, Sucha Singh. Karamjit Singh had allegedly taken thumb impressions of Pritam Singh on a number of documents on the pretext of filing the papers with PUDA. Karamjit Singh later, along with his uncle Sher Singh who is a village lambardar, allegedly used the power of attorney to sell parts of land owned by Pritam Singh. Relatives said the Naib Tehsildar had been told that Karamjit Singh was using an unauthorised power of attorney to sell the land but he did not bother and registered the sale of the property. The police had registered a case against six persons, including the notary public and another lawyer, Sucha Singh, Karamjit Singh and Sher Singh. Lawyers here today struck work showing solidarity with Ravinder Pal Singh Anand, who had been booked by the police in connection with a case where an old man, Pritam Singh of Chilla Manauli village, had been duped of his land. The lawyers, who held a meeting before striking work, said Mr Anand was not at fault. Mr Vidya Sagar, president of the local Bar Association, said innocent persons had been implicated in the case relating to personal friction of two property dealers.
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Gurdwara panel polls may be declared void
Chandigarh, December 20 The Act empowers only the Chief Commissioner of Gurdwara Elections to supervise and conduct the gurdwara committee elections. The Rules, on the other hand, authorise the Election Commissioner to conduct the elections in the absence of the Chief Election Commissioner. The sources claim that the possibility of government interference cannot be ruled out if the elections are not conducted by the Chief Commissioner of Gurdwara Elections. Taking a serious view of the variance, the Chief Commissioner of Gurdwara Elections Justice Jai Singh Sekhon has approached the Central Government for amending the rules. Justice Sekhon refuses to comment on the issue. But sources in the Punjab Government admit that the variance between the Act and the Rules “can have serious implications at a later stage”. Giving details of the variations, sources in the Gurdwara Election Commission (GEC) say that the power to conduct the committee elections vests only with the Chief Commissioner of Gurdwara Elections under Section 47-A of the Gurdwara Act. Only he is empowered to prepare the electoral rolls, besides supervise and conduct the election process. But the rules say that the Election Commissioner too can conduct the elections. Quoting Section 146 of the Act pertaining to the framing of rules, the sources say that the same have to be in consonance with the Act. There cannot be any variations or discrepancies between the two. Describing the rules as redundant, the sources add that amendment of rules will enable the GEC to smoothly conduct the polls and that also in accordance with the Act. The sources also claim that the government has still not notified constituencies for the committee elections despite reminders by the GEC. They say that the relevant rules make it mandatory for the authorities to notify the constituencies as early as possible. In any case, the government should have notified the constituencies by October. But so far the GEC has not heard anything from the government.
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City gets all-women police post
Chandigarh, December 20 Mr Rajesh Kumar said the city police was working hard on its people-friendly approach and which is required more in hospitals. He added as women are more compassionate than their male counterparts they are able to deal with the patients while discharging duties. The SSP said only willing police personnel would be deputed at this police post. Mr S.C. Sagar, Deputy Superintendent of Police, (Central), said the police post had one Sub-Inspector, two Assistant Sub-Inspectors, one Head Constable and six constables. The staff would attend to criminal cases as well as medico-legal cases in the PGI, apart from their duties. The post would function under the jurisdiction of the Sector 11 police station and under the supervision of the DSP (Central).
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Woman doctor beats up bus conductor
Mohali, December 20 It is learnt that the two doctors boarded the bus coming from Kapurthala from Ropar which was bound for Mohali. The conductor of the bus, Gurbax Singh, allegedly passed some comment on the doctors. Not taking this lightly, the two doctors, one of whom works in the PGI, Chandigarh, beat up the conductor in the bus itself. Later, they approached the women cell which contacted the police and rounded up the conductor. It is learnt that the conductor tendered a written apology but the doctors were still not satisfied.
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Insurance staff to strike work today
Chandigarh, December 20 The local unit will also hold a demonstration in front of the Oriental Insurance Company, Sector 17, in which employees of the New India Assurance, the National Insurance Company, the United India Insurance Company and the Oriental Insurance will take part. The “callous attitude” of the management and independent wage revision are the grouses of the agitating employees.
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He was a safe driver: mishap victim’s father
Chandigarh, December 20 Mr Brij Mohan Chawla, father of the deceased said, “Ramesh was a very safe driver and he never over- speeded. Whether it was a tyre burst or he took a sharp turn to save himself from running into another vehicle, we do not know. That day, before leaving home at 8 am. Ramesh told his wife that he would be back by 11:30 am.” Mr Chawla said a dhaba owners told them that they saw a car going down into a gorge. They informed the police, which retrieved the body some 400 ft down from the gorge. The police found the mobile phone of the deceased and dialled up the number from which the last call was received. It was his sister’s number, who lives in Gwalior. “ Only a day before the accident Ramesh had called her up to give birthday wishes to his nephew.” said Mr Chawla. Mr Sudesh Chawla, brother of the deceased said the car fell from such a height that the engine got detached from the body. There was a steep turn at the accident site. That day, there were two accidents there. There were no parapets on the side of the road, he added. Ramesh Chawla was cremated yesterday.
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Press Club invites entries for best report, photograph Chandigarh, December 20 The secretary-general of the club said, “Instituted on the occasion of the club’s silver jubilee year, the awards aim at raising and recognising the standards of journalism in the region.” The awards are open to journalists and photographers of all newspapers and magazines in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Participants can submit more than one entry, but they must be published in 2004. The last date for submission of entries is January 5, 2005. Winners will be felicitated at a special function in February. |
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2004
Panchkula, December 20 This year the biggest achievement of the Panchkula district administration has been its reigning in of the Municipal Council over lack of civic amenities and its effective dealing of the flood situation in August. With the poor state of sanitation, maintenance of streetlights and poor working of the almost two-year old Municipal Council, the administration decided to keep a check on the services by forming committees of its officials and later refusing permission for amendments to the MC budget after the local body had exhausted its financial resources by November. During the flashfloods in the district on August 3, all officers of the administration, led by Deputy Commissioner, Ms Neelam P. Kasni, ensured all possible relief to the victims and mobilised the health authorities to ensure that there was no outbreak of epidemic in the flood-affected areas. On the flip side, no major project was sanctioned in the district this year. Work on all development works that were earlier sanctioned in the district continued and few of the projects like the bus stand at Kalka, commissioning of the 66 KV, Sector 3, power substation here and installation of a 100 MVA transformer at Ramgarh-Madanpur substation were completed. Towards the end of the year, the administration was rocked by the scam at the tehsil office. The Tehsildar and the Naib-Tehsildar got the sale deed of a showroom owned by the Golden Forest group registered against the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The officers were later suspended and action against six officers was recommended after an inquiry was conducted by Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr Brijender Singh. On the power front residents, especially in the rural areas of Pinjore, Kalka, Barwala and Raipur Rani blocks, had to sweat it out in the summer because of a bad monsoon, leading long power cuts. But as the weather improved the power situation too improved in the district. The district health authorities added a feather in their cap with the inauguration of two primary health centres at Nanakpur and Surajpur. Multispeciality camps and 40 camps under the Swasthya Aapke Dwar scheme were held in the year, besides upgradation of technology at the General Hospital here. However, the residents were left waiting for the tie- up through tele-conferencing between the General Hospital and the PGI, Chandigarh. HUDA’S FAILURE
This year’s highlight was the inability of HUDA to hold the draw of lots for plots in Sector 2 and 6 Mansa Devi Complex, and frequent changes in the posts of Administrator and Estate Officer, Panchkula. During the financial year only one auction of commercial sites could be held because the posts of both Administrator and Estate Officer had been lying vacant for several months. For quite some time, the additional charge of Administrator was given to the Administrator, Headquarters, HUDA, and Secretary, HUDA, held the charge of the Estate Office. There were three changes in the post of Estate Officer and four in that Administrator of the amid long periods of interim arrangements. For most part of the year it was the MDC plots issue that kept HUDA authorities in the limelight. With a Naya Gaon resident challenging the development of the catchment area of the Sukhna in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the HUDA authorities could not hold the draw of plots and in November decided to refund the money to the applicants. For those who decided against the refund, HUDA sought permission from the high court for carrying out the draw but in vain. Over 34,000 residents had invested over Rs 465 crore for participation in the draw of lots. On the positive side, it was the successful auction of the two mall sites in Sector 5 here that brought respite to the authorities. These sites were auctioned for over Rs 50 crore.
MUNICIPAL COUNCIL
The going was tough for the MC President, Ms Seema Chaudhary, who was rocked by one controversy after another and hounded by the public and administration over her alleged inability to perform. The contract amount for all development works went up by 100 to 300 per cent, but the quality of work suffered. Streetlights remained defunct in the monsoon and poor sanitation and stray cattle menace were the problems that the MC refused to take by the horns. The MC efforts to beautify the parks by installing swings was more of an overdrive, as all green patches were fitted with swings and joy rides. The quality of the swings installed, the paths carved and the benches installed too came under a cloud. There were just two meetings of the MC House during this year. The third meeting was called in the first week of December for making amendments to the budget of the council, but a walkout by the Opposition ensured that the budget was not passed. Development and beautification of the town surely took a beating.
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Readers Write THE Chandigarh Administration should allow private schools to function from residential buildings, and earn the gratitude of 5,000 women teachers, 35,000 students and 70,000 parents. Schooling of 35,000 students from the lower-middle section of society is the responsibility of the Administration. This is laid down in the Constitution of India. If these students can be accommodated in government schools, 70,000 parents would be grateful. Women teachers can be absorbed in government service on the basis of their experience. The managements of private schools have been sharing the burden of the government for 40 years, without any grudge and without headache to the Administration. These schools are not “shops”. “Neighbourhood” schools are a necessity for a large number of parents with limited resources. These schools also charge a nominal fee. Prof J.C. Sen Impose fine If we really wish to make City Beautiful a beautiful city, we have no choice but to impose a token fine of Rs 500 on those irresponsbile persons who throw carry-bags and empty tins all over whenever they visit tourist spots like the Sukhna Lake, the Rose Garden and the Leisure Valley. I am sure that quite a number of bureaucrats and politicians who have been to Singapore, the USA and other foreign countries must have been deeply impressed by the cleanliness of the gardens and roads there. Heavy fines imposed in those countries have successfully made people responsible for keeping their environment clean. We have to discipline ourselves. Signboards indicating the penalty of Rs 500 for throwing garbage here and there should be displayed at important tourist spots, and I am sure Chandigarh will be cleaner. Dr
H.C. Gupta |
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Entertainment club refutes charges Chandigarh, December 20 He said the company has fulfilled each and every promise made to its clients and it had hosted over a dozen events since April 2003. Mr Sharma said the report “Ghazal singer Jagjit Singh’s fans taken for a ride!”, published on December 19 was based on the complaint of one Mr V.P. Sharma. But this Mr Sharma was neither their client nor had he anything to do with the entertainment club. He said the company was in regular touch with all its clients on a regular basis and “each one of them was a satisfied customer”, he claimed. He further said the company had paid entertainment and service taxes and there was nothing irregular about the functioning of the company or the programmes it
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Vijay Divas celebrated Panchkula, December 20 An Army band was enthralled the audience with their lively music. Air Marshal P.s. Brar (retd), Vice Air Marshal manjit Singh (retd), Maj. Gen Mangla (retd) spoke on the
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Anganwari workers hold rally Mohali, December 20 An essay-writing and poetry-writing contest of the workers was also organised by the Child Welfare Council. Mr Surinder Kaur won the first prize in essaywriting while Ms Chattarpal Kaur got the first prize in poetry writing.
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3 proclaimed offenders held
Chandigarh, December 20 Krishan Kumar, Harjit Singh and Parveen Kumar, all residents of Mani Majra were arrested. The police recovered gold rings, cosmetic items (stolen from a shop in Mouli Jagran), utensils, cycle, water meter, angle-iron sign boards of municipal corporation from their possession. The suspects were of 20 to 22 years of age and were reportedly drug-addicts. Varinder Rana of Sector 15, Panchkula, Rakesh Kumar of Mouli Complex and Sukha Mohamad of Darshani Bagh in Mani Majra who were wanted in two cases registered against them in Mani Majra and Sector 39 police station were also arrested.
Car thieves arrested
The police today arrested Rajinder Kumar (19) of Bapu Dham Colony and Marinal (20) of Sector 19 for in stealing a car from Sector 20. S.R. Jain of Phase IX, Mohali today filed a complaint to the police that his car (PB-08-D-4111) was stolen from Rehri Market in Sector 19, yesterday. They were arrested as they were driving the car with a tempered number plate. A case has been registered under Sections 379, 411 and 317 of the IPC.
Scooterist injured
A scooterist, Ms Saran Goel of Sector 37, was hit by another scooter (CH-01-F-1560) near the Kisan Bhavan chowk on December 16. She was admitted to General Hospital in Sector 16. A case under Sections 279 and 337 of the IPC was registered in the Sector 36 police station.
Theft in shop
Rakesh Gupta of Sector 20 has filed a complaint that a multi-media projector was stolen from his shop. A case of theft has been registered in the Sector 19 police station. In another incident, Sandeep Saluja of Sector 18-D reported to the police that printers, computer parts and compact disc writers were stolen from his shop during the night of December 19. The thieves gained entry into the shops by breaking the locks. A case under Sections 380 and 457 of the IPC has been registered.
Porn CDs seized
Yogesh of Attawa village was arrested and three blue films CDs, one VCD and one TV which he had given on rent were seized. Yogesh operated from his shop in Kajheri village. A case under Section 293 of the IPC has been registered.
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Self-immolation victim succumbs to injuries
Chandigarh, December 20 He is survived by his wife and three daughters. Shocked over the drastic step taken by him, they were inconsolable. The administrative committee of the department had constituted a sub-committee to look into the self-immolation and recommend action in view of an inquiry pending against him. The university authorities had alleged that the deceased had been irregular in his work for the last one-and-a-half years. He had also received some communication regarding default on bank loans and the full extent of his liabilities was not known.
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Sex determination test violations: 55 cases registered
Mohali, December 20 This was stated by Mr D.S. Guru, Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, at a meeting of the state-level advisory committee constituted under the PNDT Act here today to review its implementation. He informed that up till now 55 cases had been registered against such violations. He emphasised that implementation alone was not sufficient to contain this menace and the mindset of the society had to change. He appealed to the medical fraternity to come forward for the cause of the unborn girl child. The advisory committee has recommended that the government should take strict action against unregistered ultrasonologists and quacks indulging in the abortions of the female foetus. It is also suggested that social organisations must be involved for changing the mindset. They felt that the social support to fight the strong son-preference notion of the community was required to achieve satisfactory results.
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Fake receipts: probe ordered
Panchkula, December 20 The duo would give fake receipts to the residents who came to deposit their house tax or fire tax. The fraud was detected when a resident came to collect a refund of the tax he had collected and the MC authorities found the receipt was fake. The MC has now asked the Deputy Commissioner to take action against the accused.
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Army officer held for rash driving
Mohali, December 20 It is learnt that the two arrested persons, Gurinder Singh, an Army officer living in Phase I, and Jasveer Singh, were later released on bail. According to the police, the two, who were travelling in a car, hit Anil Kumar of Sector 57, Chandigarh, near the Phase I khokha market while he was going on a scooter. Instead of helping Anil Kumar, who was injured, the two car-borne persons started beating him
up. Police personnel, who happened to be nearby, intervened. It is alleged that the two persons tried to misbehave with the police personnel when they tried to question the two about the accident.
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4 schoolchildren, teacher, hurt in road mishap
Zirakpur, December 20 According to sources four students of the local Mount View Public School and their teacher were going in the autorickshaw towards Sector 21, Panchkula, when the car collided head-on. Autorickshaw driver Desh Raj also sustained injuries. The injured were admitted to the General Hospital, Sector 6, in Panchkula, while Mr Desh Raj was admitted to the Civil Hospital, Dera Bassi. In another accident, Gurpreet Singh and Jagvir Singh were injured when their scooter met with an accident on the Kalka-Ambala highway near the local bus stand today. The injured were admitted to the Civil Hospital, Dera Bassi, where Jagvir Singh’s condition deteriorated. He was later referred to Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, in Chandigarh.
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Driver booked for hurting religious sentiments
Mohali, December 20 It is learnt that the police has booked Jeeta Singh, a resident of Khuda Lahora village falling in Chandigarh, for making curtains out of banners that had been put up in connection with functions being held in connection with the 300th martyrdom anniversary of the four Sahibzadas of Guru Gobind Singh. A complaint in this regard had been made to the police by Mr Gurpreet Singh, manager of Gurdwara Amb Sahib, Phase VIII, here. The police has registered a case under Sections 295-A and 153-A of the IPC in this regard.
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Industry apprehensive of VAT
Chandigarh, December 20 In a letter to the Finance Secretary, the general secretary of the chamber, Mr Naveen Manglani, has pointed out the resistance from the trade and industry to VAT. Representatives of the industrial units are apprehensive that it would spell death knell for the industry here. Being a small state, the industry here depends on its raw material requirements and sale of finished products on other states. The city has been given a special sales tax exemption, as only 1 per cent is levied here as compared to 4 per cent in other states. Similar exemption should be given in case of VAT also, the letter says. The members have also urged him to organise a seminar or an open house to make the industrialists aware of the concept and its effects before it is imposed. In a separate letter sent to the Deputy Commissioner, who is also the Commissioner, Excise and Taxation, they have sought that a special registration camp should be organised in the Industrial Area to facilitate the manufacturers and dealers to get themselves registered afresh before VAT is introduced.
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Industrialists rue lack of amenities
Panchkula, December 20 The industrialists complained that the roads in the Industrial Area were in a bad condition, poor storm water drainage, and lack of sanitation in the area were other problem areas. Mr C.B. Goel, former President of the Haryana Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr Rajneesh Garg, and other industrialists attended the meeting. The industrialists also wanted that an ESI hospital should be opened in the Industrial Area. They demanded that the solid waste management plant be set up fast. The Deputy Commissioner assured them all possible help. Representatives from the HSIDC, the Sales Tax, the HUDA, UHBVN also attended the meeting.
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Traders seek Sonia’s help
Chandigarh, December 20 The delegation said the issue had created an uncertain situation due to its adverse effects on traders who earn their livelihood from the rented accommodation. The mandal delegation submitted the memorandum through General Secretary of the AICC and in-charge of the Chandigarh affairs, Mr Janardhan Divedi. It was also demanded that till a balanced model rent Act was implemented throughout the country, the notification should be kept in abeyance. Mr Kamaljit Singh Panchhi, Mr Jagdish Pal Singh Kalra, Mr Satpal Garg and Mr Ravi Ahuja were also in the delegation.
Chandigarh |
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