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No road tax to
be levied on
school buses
Chandigarh, July 16
Secretary State Transport Authority (STA) M P.S.Shergill confirmed the development. The “waiver” has been given as the buses can only be used to ferry children. School buses in Chandigarh are not issued Contract Carriage Permit and are issued private service vehicle (PSV) permit. Certain previous orders of the Secretary, Transport, have been quoted while clarifying the issue with the RLA. The “waiver” would benefit the operators of about 250 school buses which ply in the city. However, the buses which ferry children from Mohali and Panchkula would have to pay the counter-sign fee and the road tax of the respective state. The counter-sign fee is charged from vehicles registered with other states. The school buses registered with the respective state transport department of Punjab and Haryana have to pay around Rs 820 as the counter-sign fee for a period of five years. However, no road tax is levied on the buses which enter the city and are registered in Punjab or Haryana. Sources in the Chandigarh Administration said the issue of exempting road tax on the school buses had been lingering for a long period. Though the Secretary Transport had passed orders to exempt all categories of school buses from road tax, officials in the RLA had been creating hurdles in the implementation of the orders. Objection was raised on some clauses in the agreement signed between the bus operator and the Transport Department. On a representation of the Chandigarh School Bus Operators Welfare Association to the Secretary, Transport, the State Transport Authority clarified the issue with the RLA. The operator would have to pay the registration fee, permit fee and passing fee. Earlier, an operator of a 50-seater school bus with PSV permit had also to pay Rs 4500 as road tax for an year. The bus operators also lamented that the auto-rickshaws were plying school children on contract carriage permit. On the issue of discrepancy in the charging of road tax by the Punjab and Haryana Transport Department, Mr Shergill told Tribune that the issue was being taken up with the respective state transport. “ We would request them not to charge road tax from school buses on the pattern of Chandigarh. A number of buses from Chandigarh enter Mohali and Panchkula to ferry school children,” he said.
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Mohali man posing as journalist held
Chandigarh, July 16 Mr Paramjit Singh in his complaint to the police on July 11 had alleged that Grover had tried to blackmail him posing as a Punjab Today news channel journalist. He alleged that Grover demanded Rs 50,000 from him for not airing a news that could damage his reputation. Giving Details, SHO of Sector 36 police station Inspector Ishwar Singh Mann said Grover posing as the president of the Punjab and Haryana Journalist Association had sent a registered letter to Mr Paramjit Singh in June stating that he (Grover) had received a complaint from one Avtar Singh of Deoan village in Mohali against the latter leveling charges of corruption and supplying women to senior officials for seeking favours. Grover then demanded money from Mr Paramjit for not telecasting the news. Mr Mann said in investigation it was found that the so-called letter from Mr Avtar Singh was forged. Meanwhile, Mr Paramjit Singh verified Grover’s
antecedents from the news channel. He, thereafter, filed a complaint with the police and also wrote a letter to Capt Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister, Punjab. The police, acting on Mr Paramjit’s complaint, contacted Punjab Today officials, who told it that Grover was not working with the news channel. The police today arrested Grover from Beant Singh Samadhi, Sector 42.
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Plan for motorised rehris hits
roadblock
Chandigarh, July 16 The MCC has been delaying the issuance of the licence for the past two months. The
clarification they are asking from the State Transport Authority is whether a four wheeled motorised ‘rehri’ can be given a licence under the Motor Vehicles Act or not. However, officials at the STA office stated that no such clarification had been sought. It may be mentioned here that the MCC had in one of its house
meetings a few months ago cleared the issue of introducing motorized ‘rehris’. The fact that it was not clarified whether a licence can be issued for such ‘rehris’ before bringing such an item into the house and clearing it has irked many. The harassed applicants, too, are an angry lot now. They allege that on the one hand the MCC officials challan their already existing ‘rehris’ harassed, but on the other they are not issuing licences for the new ones.
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Medicos protest against quota
Chandigarh, July 16 With candles in hands, doctors marched towards Sector 17 Plaza peacefully and later urged the passersby to join in. Together they formed two circles as a mark of solidarity to the cause of India’s future.
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Fighting for his pension
Mohali , July 16 Baba Kartar Singh now has no source of income or money for medical care and is being looked after by his son ,Mr Sarandev Singh, in the family’s rented accommodation here. The Union Government authorities have also failed to take action on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding his pension plea. The court had disposed of Baba Kartar Singh’s writ petition in 1992, with the “direction to the Union of India to consider the claim of the petitioner for the relief sought within six months”. The Baba, a veteran Leftist who had been the president of the Punjab unit of AITUC for many years, recently wrote to the Secretary, Union Ministry of Home Affairs, seeking the release of the pension. Copies of the letter were sent to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh. He said in his letter that he was employed as a store issuer in the Machine Reconditioning Shop (Loco Workshop) at Moghalpura ( Lahore) and was dismissed from his job without assigning any reason. He had distributed a paper, Lal Dhandora, of the underground Kirti Party and also organised a demonstration for the introduction of the DA system in 1940. Mr Ram Nath Sharma, secretary, Freedom Fighters Memorial Committee, Amritsar, who underwent six years’ imprisonment during the Independence movement , had certified the Baba’s statement regarding his being a freedom fighter which was submitted along with the pension documents. Mr Sharma had been in charge of the Kirti Party and also of the Trade Union-State Party (Railway Section). Baba Kartar Singh says in his letter that his pension claim was rejected because of delay. The application was required to be submitted on or before March 31 , 1982, while he had applied on October 20, 1990. He says that in the Kartar Singh Gill case, it had been held by the Punjab and Haryana High Court that the pension could not be denied merely on the ground of delay. The letter says that during the Prime Ministership of Mr Chander Shekhar it had been decided that fresh applications for the grant of the pension should be considered irrespective of delay. Besides, the Union Minister concerned had, during a freedom fighters’ conference in Sarabha Nagar, Ludhiana, announced that all fresh pension applications would not be rejected due to delay. The letter says the Centre has considered hundreds of claims for the pension even after March 31, 1982. Baba Kartar Singh mentions a shocking experience. He says that in May, 1993, he visited the relevant Central Government office in Delhi carrying High Court orders. The dealing clerk said the case could be cleared if the Baba gave him the pension arrears. The Baba says that as a Comrade and freedom fighter he could not grease the palm of that greedy official , and he came back.
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Greater Mohali Development Authority opposed
Mohali, July 16 In a press note issued here by the chairman of the federation, Mr Hardev Singh, it is said that PUDA employees were experienced and competent to handle all works for which the GMDA was being formed. In fact, PUDA employees could handle the works more efficiently as they had the knowledge of the ground realities of the area. He said that for the development of Patiala, a special authority, Patiala Development Authority, was formed but all the works of this authority were being looked after by PUDA employees. Work of heritage nature like development of Baradari Garden was completed to the satisfaction of the Chief Minister. He said that if the government went ahead with its decision nearly 200 employees would be adversely affected. He said that in the past four years the government could not materialise the acquisition of an inch of land anywhere in the state and as such no planning and development could be carried out. As such, it was not inefficiency on the part of PUDA employees which had resulted in non-deliverance of goods to the public. Representatives of different unions of PUDA employees had yesterday held a protest outside the building against the Punjab Government’s decision to form the Greater Mohali Development Authority. Employees leaders had said that it was strange that when a development authority in the form of PUDA already existed where was the need to set up another authority in the same area.
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Showroom allottees given notices
Chandigarh, July 16 The allottees who had sublet their shops or have undertaken building violations have been asked to explain the present status of their showrooms. Documents like lease agreement, sales tax details and other evidence indicating that the traders are still doing business from the showrooms have been sought by the Estate Office. There are nearly 50 showrooms owned by the Chandigarh Administration in Sector 17. The Administration is also losing lakhs of rupees every year by not collecting the lease money from the allottees of showrooms and booths in the commercial centre. As many as 50 showrooms and booths in the Bridge market were given on the lease in early 70s to attract shopkeepers. “At that time the city was being developed and there was need to set up business activity. The showrooms and booths were given on a lease for five years”, said a senior official. Some of the allottees were paying the present lease money of Rs 37,000 per month. From few hundred years, the lease money was increased by the Estate Office to Rs 14,000 per month in 1992 and later to the present rent amount. Nearly three years ago, the Estate Office made a proposal to transfer the properties in the name of the allottees for about Rs 2 crore for a showroom. “The shopkeepers refused to accept the price stating that it was too high. They demanded some concession on the ground that they were the original allottees and had played a key role in the development of the sector”, said the official. The notices were also issued in December last year. The issue was raised again when the ground floor of a showroom (SCO 51, Sector 17) was auctioned in March , 2006, for about Rs 5 crore. The total auction price of all the three floors could work out to about Rs 10 crores, said the senior official. According to the sources, some of the allottees had either sublet their premises or had done major building by-laws violations in the shops.
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Minister seeks more investment in R & D
Chandigarh, July 16 Emphasising on the role of technology in propelling the economic and social growth of the country, Mr Sibal said an effective partnership between the academia, industry, state and research and development (R & D) had to evolve, so that benefits of growth trickled down to each link in the social chain. The minister said that the challenge was to combine research with high quality human growth for industrial development. “ The need of the hour is to ensure that more investment is made in R & D, if India has to emerge as a global leader. India spends just 0. 9 per cent of the GDP on R & D. While 0. 8 per cent of this is spent by the state, only 0. 1 per cent is spent by the industry. The USA spends $ 224 billion in research, as compared to just $5 million in India. Mr Sibal pointed out that academia was at the heart of creation of intellectual property so sufficient funding had to be given to academic and research institutions by the industry. Among others who spoke on the occasion were Dr Gurpreet Dhillon from Virginia Commonwealth University, Mr Anil Nayar, Corporate Director, Bharti Airtel and Mr Adesh Gupta, Chairman, CII northern region.
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The fight for justice to continue
Chandigarh, July 16 Today the family is fighting a case against the private doctors and a hospital in the city for negligence leading to the amputation. The issue for this intense and resolute mother is not one of compensation but of justice. “We have not given up. We will fight to the very end. Whether we win or lose, we will leave no stone unturned in our efforts and if I go, my son will continue the fight after me. Justice will be served, I am confident.” The fight has been a long and arduous one for it has not been restricted just to fighting the case as much as it has been to keep Abhishek’s spirits buoyed. “I took my son for the fitting of his artificial leg at a place where Army personnel, who were using artificial limbs, came for their physiotherapy. I wanted him to be surrounded by people who looked at life positively and in the eye despite the seemingly insurmountable problems.” The strength ironically comes from the boy himself who has resolved to reach the answer to his one simple question. “I just want to know how is it possible for a guy to get a leg amputated from a simple plaster after a fracture,” he asks, determination writ large on his face. No surprise that this young boy received the “Johnian of the Year” award in 2004 from his school, for his fighting spirit, one he continues to display. “I remember coming out of watching ‘’Rang De Basanti’’, crying and thinking is this how justice will have to be served? Let it take time but I know the truth will prevail. I am clear, let the fight go on for there be light at the end of it all,” says Anuradha. Today, Abhishek is 18 and studying commerce at DAV-15 and is still passionate about sports, just as he was three years ago. Yes, of course, he has his bleaker days but he is much stronger, more resolute than ever before and he now knows what he wants to do with his life-study law.
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Questions raised on conduct of officials
Chandigarh, July 16 The members, in a statement, claimed that despite directions of the court, Mr S.K.Bansal, Inspector Grade-I, and Ms Deepak Vishishat, Inspector Grade-II, in connivance with former Administrator of the society did not forward the approved allottee members list, which had been certified by the competent authority. The society again sought stay from the high court on July 13, after the Secretary Cooperation passed an order to conduct the election on the basis of unapproved allottee members list. “The unapproved list had deliberately been provided by the officials of the Cooperative Societies,” said Mr Kartar Singh, one of the members. It may be mentioned that Mr Madan Gopal and other original allottees of the society had challenged the May 3, 2004, order of the Joint Registrar Cooperative Societies in the Punjab and Haryana High Court vide CWP-7739, 2004. The court had directed the administration to decide the case within two months. After hearing the affected allottee, the Secretary Cooperation passed the orders on June 6, 2006, which have been challenged and stayed by the high court. Lamenting that despite the society members giving in writing to the Secretary that officials in the Cooperative Societies would submit the illegal list and conceal the true facts, no attention was paid by the officials of the Chandigarh Administration. The society has demanded that erring officials in the office of the Cooperative societies be transferred out and disciplinary action be taken against them. It may be mentioned that the Secretary Cooperation while reserving his orders on an earlier appeal had reportedly asked the office of the Registrar Cooperative Societies to provide the approved membership list of May 7, 2003 .The approved list had been cleared by the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB). It may be mentioned that after probing the matter in 2003, the Chandigarh Administration had cancelled membership of five Punjab-cadre IAS officers and a few influential persons who had been wrongly made members of a cooperative housing society.
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Shoppers resent encroachments
Panchkula, July 15 While HUDA has been removing these encroachments time and again, the shopkeepers come up with them, just hours after the anti- encroachment drive. The encroachments have virtually taken over the verandahs of the market, thus making it congested for the shoppers. The encroachments are not just restricted to the verandahs meant for shoppers, but are extended to the parking spaces in front of the shops . From daily-needs goods like buckets to racks of chips and other ready-to-eat food, setting up of eatable stalls by sweetshops, the wares are displayed right up to open space in front of the showrooms. Owners of tea stalls have also encroached upon the verandahs. Residents have been complaining to the authorities against the encroachments as they face difficulties in walking during the rains and sweltering heat. Mr B.B. Kochhar, president of the Sector 7 Market Welfare Association, alleged that certain HUDA officials were hands in glove with local shopkeepers and the encroachments had become a source of income for them. He, however, held HUDA responsible for the problem for not amending the building by-laws for the shopkeepers of the market. Repeated representations to the top-level officials of HUDA and district administration on the issue have proved futile. He further added that HUDA had failed to provide basic civic amenities to the shopkeepers. Enquiries by The Tribune team revealed that majority of the shopkeepers had rented their verandahs to the vendors. Some of the shopkeepers are reportedly paying “monthly advance” to certain employees of the HUDA enforcement team for providing them information in advance before launching anti-encroachment drive in the market. Enquiries also revealed that some of the shopkeepers, being politically well connected, have been pressurising HUDA officials and defying the norms with impunity. However, Mr S.P. Arora, Estate Officer of HUDA, denied that any of the HUDA employee was hand in glove with the shopkeepers. He said HUDA had been launching drives to remove the encroachments time and again, but the encroachments reappear within hours after the drive.
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Leadership development camp
Panchkula, July 16 The BJP and the BJYM workers also expressed concern over the serial bomb blasts in Mumbai and Srinagar. Earlier, Mr Ravinder Sehgal, district president of the BJP, inaugurated the camp and stressed the need of better leadership to run the country. Those who spoke on the occasion included Mr Dharamvir Mirzapur, a member of the BJP’s national working committee, Mr Virendra Singh, secretary-general of the Haryana BJP, Mr Pradeep Aggarwal, state convener of the Social Organisation cell of the party, and certain other party workers, informed Mr Deepak Sharma,
district president of the BJYM.
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BJP condemns Mumbai blasts
Chandigarh, July 16 Mr Vinay Katiyar, MP, and Mr Satya Pal Jain, national general secretary of the BJP, and Mr Yash Pal Mahajan, president of the local BJP unit, were present at the demonstration. Addressing the gathering, Mr Jain said the Congress government at the Centre was adopting a lenient attitude towards terrorists. Meanwhile, the CPM also staged a protest at Tribune Chowk yesterday.
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100 cartons of liquor seized
Chandigarh, July 16 Giving details, sources in the Chandigarh Traffic Police said nakas were set up at five different points in the city. Around 10:45 pm the cops intercepted a Mohindra Jeep (CH-23-(T)-5931) for allegedly being driven with lights on high beam at the traffic lights point on the road dividing Sector 31 and the industrial area near Kalibari. The vehicle was impounded when its driver, Sunil Kumar of Sector 32-D, failed to produce the documents of the vehicle. The search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 100 cartons of Silver Peg whisky. Asked about the permit, the driver failed to produce the valid permit. Subsequently, Inspector Darshan Kumar Walia informed the police station concerned. The police arrested Sunil Kumar after registering a case under the Excise Act. The traffic police booked 106 motorists for driving with lights on high beam, 17 for drunken driving, besides issuing 95 miscellaneous challans. The nakas were set up at Kala Gram, near the CRPF camp, near Kalibari and the industrial area, Hotel South End road and at Kaimbwala village from 9 pm to midnight.
TNS
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Two cops suspended for manhandling scribe
Chandigarh, July 16 ASI Sikander Singh and Constable Parminder Singh were placed under suspension for misbehaving with Daljit Singh, the cameraman. An inquiry had also been marked, which would look into the role of the two policemen in the incident. Around 11:30 pm yesterday, Daljit Singh was passing by a liquor vend when saw the policemen taking away some persons from the liquor vend. As the persons were being forcibly pushed into a police vehicle and there was public resentment, he began capturing the incident on his camera. Annoyed at this, Mr Sikander Singh came to him and asked him not to cover the incident. In reply, Daljit Singh said it was his duty and the policeman should mind his own business. Following this, Mr Sikander Singh pushed and slapped Daljit Singh before trying to snatch the camera. The ASI maintained that during the commotion, some onlookers intervened and thrashed him. He subsequently called the police control room, seeking help and demanding additional police force. A police team reached the spot, swooped down on Daljit Singh, snatched his camera and threw it away. In the process, Daljit Singh also lost his mobile phone. Policemen bundled him in their truck and took him to the Sector 36 police station. He alleged that policemen kicked and slapped him. He claimed that at the police station, he was allowed to make a telephone call only after repeated requests. Mediapersons assembled at the police station and condemned the incident. After a few hours, DSP (South) K.I.P. Singh reached the police station and assured the mediapersons of action against the guilty. Mediapersons held a meeting at the Chandigarh Press Club here today and condemned the incident. They decided to take up the issue with Senior Superintendent of Police Gaurav Yadav.
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Conman dupes businessman
Chandigarh, July 16 If the allegations of his victims are to be believed, the conman first identifies his victim and then gets his visiting cards printed, before striking. He simply approaches his victims while they are driving and win their confidence by telling them that he had found their visiting cards and belongings lying on the road. Mr Amritpal Singh of Sector 33, while sharing his experience told the Chandigarh Tribune that he fell prey to the conman on Friday and was duped of Rs 3500. Mr Amritpal Singh, a businessman, claimed that when he was near the traffic lights on road separating Sectors 33 and 45 in his car, he was intercepted by a clean-shaven man in his mid-20s, who showed him his visiting cards, saying that he had dropped his cards and cash on the road. “As he was well mannered and he showed me at least my four visiting cards, I believed him. The man told me that he had seen my cards and some Rs 500 notes, falling on the road. He convinced me that a boy had just picked up the notes and I could get these from him. Before departing, he also suggested me to give Rs 10 to the boy as a reward.” Mr Ampritpal Singh claimed that when he went back there was no one on the road. At that time, he realised that the man had befooled him and on checking his wallet, he found that all his Rs 500 notes amounting to 3500 missing. He claimed that this was not the only incident. One of his acquaintance told him that his customer, a resident of Sector 33 was also duped in a similar manner about 15 days ago. The victim was allegedly stopped at a petrol station by a man bearing the same appearance. He first showed him his visiting cards and won his trust. He then told the victim that he had dropped his cards and cash behind him and began telling him how he had dropped his belonging from his wallet. In the meantime, before the victim could realise what was happening , the man took away notes from his wallet. The victim has not reported the matter to the police.
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Two booked for assault
Dera Bassi, July 16 According to the police, Mr Bahadur Singh was constructing a wall of his house when he entered into an altercation with Karamjit Singh and Dharam Singh. Mr Bahadur Singh, his son, Gurdip Singh, and daughter, Sukhdeep Kaur, were later thrashed by the duo. The injured have been admitted to the local Civil Hospital. A case has been registered.
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Theft reported from Silver City
Zirakpur, July 16 Mr
Rajpal, a resident of the Silver City, reported that he and his wife had left the home around 1 p.m. to visit his
relatives. When he returned around 4.30, he noticed that his house had been broken into and household items had been stolen. A case has been registered.
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Two truck drivers booked
Lalru, July 16 According to the police, the booked drivers included Balbir Singh, driver of truck no PCX
2187, and Gurmit Singh, driver of truck no PCT 9811. A case has been
registered.
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Bank celebrates silver jubilee
Chandigarh, July 16 Mr K. Naveen Kumar Hegde, Regional Manager, Chandigarh, inaugurated the function and highlighted the achievements of the bank. He laid emphasis on better customer service to improve business. Mr A Padmanabh Shetty, Office Director also spoke on
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