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MC nod to housing scheme in Mani Majra
Chandigarh, February 9 The corporation has scrapped the quota of houses proposed for the Mayor, oustees and middle income groups. Earlier proposals provided a quota of 10 per cent to the Mayor, 10 per cent to oustees, 20 per cent to middle income group and 20 per cent to economically weaker sections. The reservation figures touched 70 per cent, which was objected to by a number of councillors. The new plan entails nearly 200 dwelling units. A quota of 15 per cent for the economically weaker sections has been retained because of the infrastructural needs on the campus. It has also decided to work out a separate plan for the middle income group and the oustees. The dwelling unit on land measuring 5.40 acres is proposed near the Fire Station, Mani Majra, which is a prime location. The corporation will again fix the value of the land. It was earlier fixed at Rs 9.15 crore. Being projected as a scheme to raise money, the corporation might rope in the DLF, the Chandigarh Housing Board or the like. Mr Subhash Chawla, a former Mayor, pointed out that there was no question of keeping any quota for the Mayor or any other sections as it would affect the pricing of the property and encourage corruption. “In view of the fast developing IT Park at Kishangarh, which falls near the venue for proposed construction, we expect a good market for the residential quarters in this area,” he said. The scheme was conceived to fill budgetary gaps of the corporation and not as a general housing scheme. It was felt that in case a reservation of 70 per cent on the house allotment was made for different categories, the value of the site would go down. Ms Anu Chatrath, Mayor, said the scheme was planned as a source for major revenue generation. The corporation was thus chiefly targeting the high income group. Necessary arrangements would be made for houses of the supporting staff of a society, she said.
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Circulation of porn MMS: case registered
Chandigarh, February 9 The case — under Section 292 (circulating obscene material) of the IPC and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 (using multi-media for lascivious material) — has been registered on the basis of a media report published yesterday, DSP (Central) S.C. Sagar said today. Sources in the police said it would try to find out those behind the circulation of the clip. It would also try to identify the woman and the man who feature in the 22-second video clip. The sections invoked in the case are the same as those slapped in the DPS students case in Delhi. The Chandigarh Police is likely to contact the Delhi Police in this regard. Though the MMS bears the name of a woman without her surname, the identity of the man, who is not visible in the MMS, has not yet been established.
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More rain likely in city
Chandigarh, February 9 The city recorded a maximum temperature of 23°C and a minimum of 13.8°C. Official sources predict “a cloudy sky with few spells of rain or thundershowers in the coming 24 hours”. Sources in the meteorology office said there was every likelihood of rain in the coming 24-hours. “ There has been a snowfall in the areas adjoining Shimla so the cold wave is likely to continue for some more time”, the sources added. After a long spell of rain last night the city woke up to a clear sky. Around afternoon the clouds began to gather and it started drizzling in the afternoon. The evening also remained heavily overcast. Mr Tarlochan Lal, a retired school teacher, said “ it might be a little cold now and may seem a little uncomfortable to certain citizens. However, the rain was very good for the coming summer. It was shocking to learn about the falling water levels in the reservoirs of dams, including the Bhakra. Snow in the hills means better water supply to the reservoir areas during summer”. Mrs Anuradha Sharma, a housewife, said “ I was on verge of packing all heavy woollen material for the coming summer.The rain has given us more time to feel the warmth of
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NRI was ‘given soporific-laced’ drink
Chandigarh, February 9 Dass, who regained consciousness today, said alleged robber Rajinder Pal was standing at the ISBT Delhi when the former boarded the bus. Dass had luggage, and was finding it difficult to load it on to the bus. Pal noticed and came forward to help Dass. Pal sat next to Dass and kept insisted on having drinks together. Dass told him that he did not drink. But, the alleged robber kept on insisting. When the bus stopped at Pipli, Pal brought drink with soda. Pal had also brought glasses. Dass told the police that within 15 minutes of having the drink mixed with soda, he fell unconscious. The police found a tablet also from the possession of Pal. This tablet was mixed in the bottle of soda which was poured into the drink of Dass. Dass said that Pal became friend with him in the name of coming from the same area of Punjab. Pal today was remanded in police custody for two days.
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Charges framed against Munjal, notice issued
Chandigarh, February 9 The Bench of Chief Justice Mr Justice B.K. Roy and Mr Justice Rajive Bhalla also framed charges against Munjal and issued show-cause notice to him. The next date of hearing is February 11. The order pronounced today stated that the Bench was prima facie of the view that Munjal "has scandalised the administration of justice of the court of Mr Justice M.M. Kumar in view of the fact that he did not pass any oral directions altogether or had not made the alleged oral direction, as referred to in the note of Munjal". The Bench asked Munjal to explain whether he had "scandalised and attempted to interfere in the administration of justice" as envisaged under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971. The Bench noted out that Munjal owed a duty to the State of Punjab as Additional Advocate General to place facts correctly, impartially and fairly to its police authorities. "Scandalising the court in such manner was really polluting the very fountain of justice and has prima facie brought to disrepute the entire administration of justice. He has obviously misunderstood his functions both as a lawyer representing the interest of his client...By indulging in making a note in the police papers he has prima facie abused his position both as a lawyer and an officer of the court and has done distinct disservice to the state of Punjab in general and to the noble profession of law and the administration of justice in particular," the order said. On November 2 last year, Munjal had written to the Abohar police informing it that Mr Justice M.M. Kumar had "orally stayed" the arrest of Anil Midha, accused in a criminal case. It later transpired that no such order had been passed by the Judge. In fact, the court had not even heard the petition for interim pre-arrest bail to Midha. After coming to know about the development, one Archit Goel, who was the complainant in the case in which Midha is the main accused, wrote to the Chief Justice, Mr Justice Kumar, High Court Registrar, Punjab Advocate- General and, ironically, the Chairman of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana. Munjal had only recently put in his papers from the post.
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Polio still a major concern for India
Chandigarh, February 9 “The disease knows no boundaries. So no one can be sure that polio can never occur again,'' said Past President of the Rotary International Mr R. K. Saboo, while addressing the media persons here today. Elaborating on the Rotary International's fight against polio, which began four years ago in Uttar Pradesh, Mr Saboo said since then like-minded Rotarian doctors from across the country teamed up to eradicate the disease completely by holding more and more polio camps. “India has 132 polio patients today, and UP accounts for 79 cases alone. Bihar follows with 40 polio cases. Stray cases of the diseases are found in West Bengal, Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Uttaranchal. In many states the disease was wiped out in previous years but has re-surfaced,'' added Mr Saboo. Under the Operation Polio Corrective Surgical Camp, the team of doctors from Rotary International led by former President, Rotary Chandigarh Shivalik and former President of the Indian Medical Association, Chandigarh branch Dr G. S. Kochhar, conducted a free polio camp at Badaun near Bareilly. Over 200 patients were examined during the camp and 112 polio corrective surgeries were performed on 52 patients. “We selected Buduan because it has the second highest polio positive cases in UP, next only to Moradabad, which recorded 20 cases during 2004,'' said Dr Kochhar. This was the third visit of the team to UP, after covering Azamgarh (near Varanasi) and Lakhimpur Kheri in its earlier rounds. “After conducting the camps, the awareness levels among the residents have increased manifold,'' added Dr Kochhar. Rotary International has organised 26 camps in 2003-04, especially in the endemic areas. “In the coming months, we are planning to organise polio camps at affected areas with the collaboration of the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF and the Government of India. We are working towards achieving the `zero level' of polio by the end of 2005 and the achievement will coincide with the celebrations of 100 years of Rotary International,'' said Mr Saboo. Trustee of the Rotary Foundation Mr Ray Klinginssnth and secretary Mr. Himesh Sablok were also present on the occasion.
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‘Matthi’ magic working in govt schools
Chandigarh, February 9 The Sarv Shikha Abhiyan (SSA), started to take illiterate children into its fold, might not have been a phenomenal success initially but it is adding new family members everyday. While getting new books is an attraction for these children to come to school, the UT Education Department has added a new dimension by extending the mid-day meal to these students. After enrolling nearly 10,000 children under the scheme and beginning classes, the attendance dropped to nearly 60 per cent of the total number after the initial charm of new books wore off. It was then that the department decided to give its SSA students a reason to stay in class — providing two “matthis” each under the scheme. Started on January 1, the scheme has seen the attendance touch 90 per cent mark in most schools. Though most children arrive before classes begin, a number of them trickle in even an hour later. Anju, whose father is a labourer involved in recarpeting of roads, can’t help coming late to school. She has to wash utensils in four homes before she can get down to studies. “I enjoy studying though this is the first school I have ever seen. I get to know about so many things which I may never see,” she says. She doesn’t eat her “matthis” but tucks them away safely in her bag to take back for her kid brother. Eleven-year-old Manu’s father is jobless. He can’t fend enough for the family. Manu insists he doesn’t attend classes only for the “matthis”. “My teacher is very good. He tells us something new everyday. I want to come to school regularly but my father wants my services as a delivery boy since it earns me Rs 50 a day. My father has now confined my work to morning hours so that I can bring home money and get ‘matthis’ in the afternoon,” he adds. It’s a similar story for the rest of the 150 students attending classes at the Sector 25 school, which is a centre for the SSA.
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Even at 80 she talks of ecstasy of love
Chandigarh, February 9 In town to give lectures on love and ecstasy in various colleges and institutes, says, “I tell the young Indian people to celebrate Valentine’s Day with zest because love is lovely and must be celebrated. But I appeal to them to understand and experience true love. The man-woman relationship should not be turned into mechanical business as it has happened in the West.” Known best for her bedroom lore or
Sej-Shastra, as it is called in Punjabi, the vivacious old lady says, “Sex is a vital part of life and should be enjoyed to the utmost. But it should accompany romance and love. Shorn of love, sex becomes a mechanical act and ceases to be ecstasy”. Kailash says that she enjoyed the bliss of love in marriage to her husband Gopal Singh Puri, a scientist who like her belonged to
Rawalpindi. Looking back with dreamy eyes, she recalls: “I was just 16 when I got married. I knew nothing of love or sex. The mystery unravelled itself very gently. I experienced joy and I wanted to share it with others. This is how I started writing on love and sex.” Kailash says those times were orthodox but she took care to write with restraint and dignity thus the charge of obscenity was never levelled against her. In fact, she
did path-breaking work in Punjabi especially creating awareness and providing sex education to her woman readers. “My readers have also been male but I have never fallen into the trap of
tittilation,“ she adds. She will be giving talks at the Dev Samaj College for Women, Sector 36, on sex education and AIDS awareness on Thursday afternoon. “I want to carry the message of love and responsibility to the youth. I want to tell them that love and caring go hand in hand,” she says. The author of scores of books, who recently received a lifetime achievement award at the Ealing Townhall in London, says “I was shattered when my husband died. We loved each other so much. But it was this very love that gave me the strength to live without him and carry on my work. “She is a mother of two daughters, a son and several grandchildren. Kailash says, “My greatest joy comes when my grandchildren discuss with me their love life”.
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Your department carried out the first liver transplant in India five years ago. What has been the department’s achievements in the field since? I want to clarify that AIIMS does only cadaver liver transplants. Liver of a brain-dead person donated by the family is transplanted into the patient’s body. Since there are not many donors, the number of liver transplants in the hospital has not gone beyond five to six a year. What about liver transplants in private hospitals? Many private hospitals in India are practising what is known as live-related transplants. In these cases, a portion of a healthy liver of the patient’s relative is transplanted into the patients body where it grows into healthy liver. But such transplants raise many ethical questions and a nationwide debate on this issue is already on. What are these ethical questions and what is your position on the issue? It is a fact that the donor in such cases is at a risk of losing life or liver functioning once a part of his liver is chopped for use in the recipient patient. What right does a doctor have to put at risk the life of a healthy person in to save the life of another who is ill. Also, if it happened with kidney transplants, there would be rich people trying to buy portions of livers of the poor. — Chitleen K. Sethi
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Govt to develop villages falling in urban estates
Mohali, February 9 This was stated by the Housing and Urban Development Minister, Mr Raghunath Sahai Puri, while addressing local residents here today. Granting a demand put up forth by the MLA Kharar, Mr Bir Devinder Singh, the minister pointed out that he would ask his officers to lay down a comprehensive plan to improve infrastructure in villages that fall within PUDA urban estates. Stating that the Punjab government was also formulating a ‘land pooling’ compensation scheme for farmers whose land was acquired, the minister pointed out that a high level committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, Punjab, would be finalising this policy soon. The minister also said the department had already given its recommendations to the Punjab Chief Minister regarding the regularisation of unauthorised colonies in the state. The decision would be implemented once the recommendations were cleared by the Cabinet, he said. Reacting to another demand put up by the MLA, the minister announced that a sports complex for use of city residents would be built over two acres of land in Sector 59 at the cost of Rs 1 crore. Earlier, speaking on the occasion Mr Bir Devinder Singh had pointed out that PUDA should launch a resettlement scheme for the slum dwellers who were encroaching upon PUDA land in various parts of the township. He added that before ousting these poor people from their slums the government should provide then alternative places for them to live. Mr Bir Devinder demanded that the government should also give a better deal to the farmers whose land had been acquired by the government for development. “These persons loose not just their land but also their source of income. Socially and culturally also these persons suffered the most. The government should, instead of just giving them compensation should think in terms of providing their families a source of alternative employment.” He said. The Municipal Council President, Mr Kulwant Singh, demanded that the roads in the township be widened keeping in view the growing population of the township. Mr K.B.S. Sidhu, Secretary Housing and Urban Development stated that Mohali was one of the fastest growing township in the state and would be an exemplary city in Punjab soon. Mr. A.S. Chattwal, Chief Administrator, PUDA and Mr Yashvir Mahajan, Additional Chief Administrator, PUDA, also spoke on the occasion. Earlier, Mr Puri laid the foundation stone of Punjab’s first Habitat Centre to come up in Phase 10 here. The Habitat Centre would be developed on 1.60 acres of land and provide facilities to the residents for social gatherings, parties, meetings, conferences, sales and exhibitions etc. The Centre would also provide boarding and lodging facilities to government officials visiting the township on official tours. For this purpose a separate block of 23 rooms would be constructed within the Centre. The Rs 2.20 crore project is expected to be completed within one year. The minister said that the Centre would have a multipurpose hall with a seating capacity of 500 persons, a dining hall a conference room, a dormitory, a green room, staff quarters etc. The minister also laid the foundation stone of phase II of the city park in Sector 68. The existing City Park is spread over 18 acres of land. Phase II of the park would have a waterfall, a lake, and RCC bridge connecting the park with other sectors, a foot bridge along with a rain shelter, a skating terrace, a butterfly house, a green house and swings. The minister also announced that a piece of land would be given in Phase 10 for the construction of a government dispensary.
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80 structures pulled down
Chandigarh, February 9
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Air Force launches sorties to help armed forces personnel
Chandigarh, February 9 "Transport squadrons at Chandigarh executed 18 sorties over the past two days, Air Officer Commanding, 12 Wing, Air Cmde T.K. Venugopa, told The Tribune. "This task was in addition to regular air maintenance sorties to the norther region," he added. The IL-76 strategic freighter as well as the An-32 medium lift aircraft from the two squadrons based here were pressed into service. Sorties are being flown from Jammu and Udhampur to Srinagar and vice versa, with some sorties also being flown from Srinagar to Chandigarh. According to available information, the squadrons had airlifted about 2,300 army and air force personnel yesterday. A similar number is expected to have been ferried today. Air Force officers added that there no civilian evacuees were airlifted Sources said that yesterday three IL-76 and eight AN-32 sorties were flown between Jammu/Udhampur and Srinagar. Today five An-32 and two IL-76 sorties were flown between Jammu and Srinagar. Sources said that aircraft could not operate from Udhampur today due to inclement weather conditions. The Jammu — Srinagar national highway (NH-1A) is the lifeline of the state and the sole major connecting it with the rest of India. The alternate route to the Kargil-Leh axis through Manali in Himachal Pradesh is still not all weather. On the land routes being blocked, the link to the areas lie on the wings of the Air Force. Last month, the IAF had airlifted thousands of persons after NH-1A was cut-off due to heavy snow. While the vagaries of the weather may have created some logistic backlog, it does not seem to have had any adverse affect on troops positioned in high altitude areas. "There is no change in the number of cold weather injury cases being airlifted to Chandigarh," a source said. After the Kargil conflict, medical facilities in forward areas were greatly improved and very few cases got referred to larger hospitals.
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A unique Punjabi primer for the illiterate
"My endeavour is to propagate the Punjabi language. It
is all right for me if it chooses to wear, for its script, a
salwar-kameez, a sharara or even a pair of jeans," says Abhai
Singh, a Chandigarh-based writer of Punjabi and a mother-tongue
enthusiast. Not only does he make this rather offbeat statement on the
accessibility to the script of the language but he has also prepared an
easy primer for the literate readers to learn Punjabi writing in
Gurmukhi, Shahmukhi and Roman scripts.
So while attempts are in the
process to develop infallible software to transcribe the Shahmukhi
script into Gurmukhi and vice versa, Abhai Singh has made his own
home-grown effort to bridge the yawning gap between the two scripts. Not
just that he had also come to the aid of those who know neither script
by including the learning of Punjabi even in the Roman script. This
primer explores an easy decoding system and has been published in a
volume called, 'Learn Punjabi Language in Three Scripts:
Gurmukhi-Shahmukhi-Roman.' The author says, "Any literate person
applying himself to this primer for an hour a day can learn the three
scripts in just 30 days." This book also provides introduction to
the Punjabi language, its brief history and present-day problems in the
context of the partition of Punjab into two. The practical applications
include learning to write Punjabi in Roman script, reproducing Gurmukhi
or Shahmukhi or both from the Roman script and transcribing Gurmukhi to
Shahmukhi and vice versa. This son of the soil who comes from Zira
near Amritsar is committed to the promotion of his mother tongue and to
gain access to Punjabi written on the other side of the border, he took
pains many years ago and did a course in Persian. Talking of his work,
he says: "Even in the age of electronic translations and
transcriptions, the personal knowledge of scripts has its advantages. I
have gained by this and I want others to do the same. This book also
helps in learning variations of Punjabi words as used in Shahmukhi
script with its Arabic and Persian influence and as used in the Gurmukhi
script with its influence of Hindi." Abhai Singh says while Roman
is technically not the script for Punjabi it is being used extensively
to communicate in Punjabi as the link because of lack of knowledge of
one script or the other. "Some of the Punjabis settlers abroad
have even suggested the adoption of Roman as script for Punjabi.
Although this seems improbable yet the script is certainly fulfilling a
need."
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Team to study Unesco role in preserving Harmandar Sahib
Mohali, February 9 This was stated by Bibi Jagir Kaur, President, SGPC, to mediapersons after the inauguration of a sarai at Amb Sahib Gurdwara here today. She said involving Unesco was only to take the help of renowned architects to preserve it as heritage. When asked whether Sikhs would lose control of the holy shrine by involving Unesco, she said interference of that organisation would not be tolerated. Sri Harmandar Sahib had its own place in the world and linking it with Unesco would not add to its importance. Purpose was to seek world class expertise. When asked why the expenditure to be incurred and other details had not been made open, she said all explanations have been given in the gurdwara gazette and the Sikhs could read that. She said any person linked with the SGPC could not get a foreign visa without getting a no-objection certificate from the SGPC authorities. Various emba-ssies had been informed in this regard. Bibi Jagir Kaur also laid the foundation stone of an institution being set up at Amb Sahib Gurdwara which would cater to the advanced study of gurmat. Various other languages would also be taught at the institution. Earlier, addressing a gathering, the SGPC chief asked people to give their suggestions to help make the SGPC more strong. She said the SGPC believed in democracy and it was the only religious body in the world whose members were elected.
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Examinations, test of head & heart
RIGHT now tension is high among middle-class families of most metros in view of board examinations and crash revision courses are in progress. In many cases, parents are more worried and in need of counsel than children preparing for the examinations. Delhi University has set up helplines and counselling centres to handle students’ problems. Through them, it hopes to extend psychological and academic support to those in distress. One wonders how examinations become such a horror, increasingly more so with every passing year. Some of the counsellors rightly point out that parental pressure could have an adverse impact on their children already under tension. A society that is becoming increasingly materialistic could look upon these examinations as certain passport to lucrative careers and prosperity. No wonder young persons, particularly from the middle class, are compelled to fall in line. The competitive spirit engendered in them from their childhood eggs them on to excellent performance. In the rat race many fall by the wayside; to the few who are unable to cope, life becomes a nightmare. They look at a poor record card or failure as unpardonable and without hope. In desperation, a son or a daughter chooses to end it all through suicide rather than disappoint their parents. The travails some young persons face on the eve of tests are brought upon by their own ways that are least conducive to success in these tests and later to the trials of life. Pampering by parents have taught them that the world exists for their convenience and they are not to contribute anything to the well-being of society, but simply go on receiving from it what they need for a good life. Rather than developing the qualities of courage and sacrifice, they tend to become self-centred and comfort loving. There are those parents whose hearts are broken seeing their impulsive children following the fads of the moment, whether it is cricket or some other addiction, and waste their time and opportunities. Television, trivial pursuits, jealousy and a thousand junk foods kill their appetite for studies. These children from middle-class families whose parents undergo great sacrifice to provide them with the comforts of life and a good education get into wrong company, get addicted to drugs, to cricket and frivolous pursuits copied from their rich companions. The effeminate qualities of the neo-rich are strengthened by the media, particularly television, that provide these young persons with more and more fads and diversions that only serve to enlarge stupidity and vanity. They are so much sold to things trivial that redemption is a difficult task. One quality that has to be taught to our youth is persistence-on their right goals. Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933), former US President, used to say: Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. After the results of the board examinations are out, newspapers are bound to come up with the few tragedies involving those students who could not stand failure. This again is a pathetic reflection of the kind of education that does not provide the kind of inner strengths to these kids to face the challenges of life. But they have been brainwashed into believing that life is all about earning a living and if they do not have good mark sheets they are doomed for life! What a fatal error. Though value education is much talked about, gaining knowledge and wisdom or building up character are not cherished ideals with those who, after spending considerable time in educational institutions, leave their portals and launch into the wide world. For this, society takes a larger share of the blame. A society that respects the powerful and the rich and has least respect for character or qualities of the heart cannot expect the progeny to be different. Listen to what Malcolm Muggeridge (a journalist and an educationist in his own right) had to say about the kind of education imparted currently in our schools and colleges: “Education, the great mumbo-jumbo and fraud of the age, purports to equip us to live, and is prescribed as a universal remedy for everything from juvenile delinquency to premature senility. For the most part it only serves to enlarge stupidity, inflate conceit, enhance credulity and put those subject to it, at the mercy of brain- washers with printing presses, radio and television at their disposal.” And again he says: “A future social historian is likely to decide that the most powerful instrument of all in bringing about the erosion of our civilisation was none other than the public education system set up with such high hopes and at so great expense precisely to sustain it.” A quote I received recently through e mail said: “A poor, ill-educated man created the billion-dollar Reliance industry. Two business graduates from Stanford and Wharton Business School are busy breaking it up. That’s education...” Our heads are very much educated. Not our hearts. — M.P.K. Kutty
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Grain market road to be recarpeted
Chandigarh, February 9 It also requires replacement of the damaged kerb channel/edges on the berms. The Deputy Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Agricultural Marketing Board, Mr Arun Kumar, said that the total project was likely to cost Rs 85 lakh to Rs 90 lakh. The Chandigarh Housing Board was being entrusted with the responsibility of carrying out the work. The requisite funds would be deposited with the housing board immediately and the work was expected to be completed before the next monsoons. The Deputy Commissioner further added that the board had already deposited Rs 12 lakh for creation of additional storm water drainage facility, for which the work had been entrusted to the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation. The DC said that the work was in progress and was expected to be completed within one month.
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MC asks PUDA to widen roads
Mohali, February 9 In a letter written to Mr Yashvir Mahajan, Additional Chief Administrator,
PUDA, the council president, Mr Kulwant Singh, said due to the growing population in the town, the traffic on roads was also increasing accordingly. The Chandigarh Administration had widened the roads in Chandigarh for the convenience of residents. Similarly, the residents of this town were also demanding that roads be widened. He said if some sort of problem was coming in the way of widening of the roads, a meeting of senior officials of
PUDA, Department of Local Government and the council could be called to take the final decision.
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CHB seeks powers over employees
Chandigarh, February 9 Since all CHB employees are on deputation from the Administration the CHB cannot initiate any action against them. The matter has to be referred to the appointing authority, Finance Secretary or the Home Secretary. Invariably nothing comes out of such complaints. Last year then UT Home Secretary, R.S. Gujral a gave powers of punishment to the Municipal Commissioner. The CHB formed in the 1970’s does not have a direct recruitment policy. It takes employees on deputation from the Administration. Senior official of the Administration said since power of punishment has been given to MC Commissioner same powers be given to Chairman of Chandigarh Housing Board.
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Panchkula resident succumbs to injuries
Mohali, February 9 Batta was accompanying two of his friends Batta was riding a motorcycle while two others were driving a scooter when the three were hit by the broken carrier of a Scorpio car that had met with an accident with a Maruti Zen. Batta’s friend Rajesh (27), a resident of Phase 3B2, here, was killed on the spot. Batta and Rajesh’s brother Gaurav, who were seriously injured, were rushed to a private nursing home in Mohali. Since Batta’s condition was very serious he was shifted to the PGI. Batta was in coma since then and died this morning. The two brothers Rajesh and Gaurav Kukreja were returning home after having dinner with Surinder Batta after midnight when the accident took place on the Phase 3B2 and Sector 71 dividing road. According to a relative of Batta family, Surinder was working with the Punjab State Electricity Board at Rajpura and lived with his parents in Sector 11, Panchkula.
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3 BRD CSD switches over to smart cards
Chandigarh, February 9 Inaugurating the system, Air Officer Commanding, 3 BRD, Air Cmde S.P.S. Virk said the use of smart cards would eliminate fraudulent sale and purchase of CSD items. Monetary limits on purchase set by Army Headquarters can now be effectively enforced and authorised personnel will be able to purchase items only on production of smart cards. Meanwhile, the NCC has also initiated the process of issue of smart cards to entitled NCC employees other than regular service personnel. According to recent communiqués from the NCC Directorate General, Whole Time NCC Officers, Associate NCC Officers besides under officers, sergeants and instructors employed on whole time basis are entitled for issue of smart cards. There is, however, restriction on purchase of liquor by some of the aforementioned categories.
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Tibetans’ new year celebrated
Chandigarh, February 9 Celebrations this time were low key owing to tsunami tragedy. All students got together to celebrate the Losar. Tibetan students also prayed for tsunami victims.
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Applications for Jamnalal Bajaj award invited
Chandigarh, February 9
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Complaint of nuisance
Mohali, February 9 The complainant said that the neighbour threw a bottle of an intoxicant into his house after consuming its contents on Monday night. Earlier, on Saturday he abused him and later threw stones at his house and broke windowpanes. The complainant approached the police along with other residents of the area.
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BJP holds rally
Chandigarh, February 9 Addressing the rally, Mr Yash Pal Mahajan, president, alleged that the Congress appointed Governors had a history of dismissing the democratically-elected governments run by opposition parties. About Chandigarh, Mr Mahajan alleged that all sections of the society were feeling harassed by the policies of the Congress led Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC).
TNS
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2 killed in mishaps on Kalka road
Panchkula, February 9 In less than 12 hours after the death of a scooterist Suresh Kumar, a resident of Himshikha colony in Pinjore, in front of the office of the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Kalka, a cyclist lost his life on this highway in Chandimandir this morning. The cyclist, Narinder Kumar (30), a resident of Chandikotla village, was hit by a car (HR-02A-9222). A tailor by profession, Narinder Kumar was going towards Panchkula when the accident occurred. The police has sent the body to General Hospital, Sector 6, for postmortem. A case of negligent and rash driving has been registered against the car driver at Chandimandir police station. No arrest has been made. Earlier after another accident, body of a scooterist, Suresh Kumar, reportedly remained lying unattended last evening on the highway, just opposite the office of the Kalka DSP, for hours, exposing the indifferent attitude of the police. Suresh Kumar was crushed to death by a Tata Sumo (HR-68-7791) near Dhiman Furnitures in Kalka. The Tata Sumo rammed into the scooter (HR-49A-0579) leaving the scooterist dead on the spot. The body was later removed by the police and sent to the Civil Hospital for postmortem. The police has also registered a case of rash and negligent driving against the driver of the Tata Sumo. No arrest had been made. Meanwhile, the police has arrested Hardeep Singh, a resident of Sector 10, Panchkula, for his involvement in a hit and run case. Hardeep Singh had left Jitendra Singh injured when his Esteem Car (MH-14D-4780) knocked his motorcycle at the local bus stand in Barwala village, on February 5. The police has also impounded the vehicle involved in the crime.
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In-laws booked on Chhabaria’s complaint
Chandigarh, February 9 The son-in-law claimed that it was Bhalla and his son Vivek who had attacked him with iron rods near Bus Stand, Sector 17, on Monday. Chhabaria, accompanied by his father JK Chhabaria a resident of Jalandhar, had yesterday made a representation to the SSP after which the police had registered an FIR against Bhalla and his son.
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Six held for gambling
Dera Bassi, February 9 They were arrested near Parmar petrol station and three from the Mubarikpur petrol station, late last night. The police raided hideouts of satta players in Zirakpur and Mubarikpur, and Vinod Kumar, a resident of Kathgar village, Munna Singh from Kundi village in Panchkula, Surjit Singh and Jaswinder Singh from Mubarikpur Camp and Subhash Shaha and Jasbir Singh of Mubarikpur village Cases under the Gambling Act were registered against them at Dera Bassi police station.
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299 cases of liquor seized
Panchkula, February 9 Acting on a tip-off, a team of the department with the assistance of the police laid a trap at the Sector 7-18 roundabout this afternoon and stopped the truck (HR-20A-3699) and after conducting a search found 299 cases of liquor in it. While talking to the Chandigarh Tribune, The officials said the driver was transporting the liquor from Mani Majra to Rajasthan. The police after registering a case under the Excise Act against Ram Bhagat produced him before the Excise and Taxation Commissioner. He was later remanded to police custody.
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Servant held for theft
Chandigarh, February 9 The theft was discovered by Ms Tinu
Dhillon, a resident of House No. 168, Sector 8, when she opened the safe after a gap of over a week. She reported the matter to the police suspecting the role of her domestic help,
Naresh. The police arrested Naresh late last night. A local court remanded him in police custody for one day.
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Man consumes poison, hospitalised
Panchkula, February 9 According the hospital sources, Sudhir consumed the substance following altercation with his family members. He was removed to the hospital where his condition is said to be stable.
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Biz Clips GAME SHOW: Bonn, a nutritional food provider, and Spice Telecom, launched a game show titled “Glucobon Mobile Tombola”, here on Wednesday. For the first time, the traditional game of tombola was given a touch of technology. The participants have a chance to play via SMS and win prizes worth Rs 11 lakh. TNS Blood donation Camp: Airtel celebrated it’s third anniversary in Punjab by organising a blood donation camp at its office. Mr Vinod Sawhny, CEO and Director-Mobility, Bharti Mobile, inaugurated the camp by donating-blood. As many as 109 employees of the Airtel team donated blood at the camp organised in association with Chirag Blood Bank in a joint venture with the Blood Bank society, Chandigarh. TNS BANK INAUGURATED: HDFC Bank on Wednesday inaugurated its 13th branch in the Chandigarh region in Sector 46-D will be the bank’s 156th branch in north India and 439th across the country. It was inaugurated by the Executive Director of the bank, Mr Bharat Shah, he said. TNS
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