Mohali, October 15
In a major setback to Fauja Singh Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, a Chandigarh-based company headed by Quark City chairman F Fred Ebrahimi, the district administration has decided to cancel the company’s ownership of 1,124 acres valued at about Rs 300 crore.

The Mohali administration has declared that the company acquired “surplus” land in Parol, Majrian and Nagal villages located on Chandigarh’s periphery in violation of the Punjab Land Reforms Act. The company is accused of acquiring land beyond the permissible limits of 7 hectares (approximately 32 acres).

In accordance with the Punjab Land Regulation Act, Mohali Deputy Commissioner Parveen Kumar ordered that the surplus land be handed over to the revenue department by the month-end, failing which the tehsildar (agrarian) would initiate action to take over the land. The Collector has also written to his counterparts in other districts of Punjab to declare the land owned by the company as surplus.

While handing down the orders on a petition moved by Ravinderpal Singh Atwal against the company under Sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 of the Punjab Land Regulation Act, the Collector declared that 1,124 acres and nine kanal (4,500 sq yards) of land in Parol, Majrian and Choti Bari Nagal villages was surplus. However, the company has been allowed to retain 7 hectares of land under Section 4(2)(D)(1) of the Punjab Land Reforms Act.

On July 21, 2010, the petitioner had moved the court of the Collector, stating that on a special leave petition (SLP) moved by him, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had in 2009 directed the government to take action against the company under the relevant Act. Before deciding on the matter, the Collector had directed the company to present its case and file a declaration about the status of the land and any exemption from the state government.

Representatives of the company had stated that they had moved an SLP in the Supreme Court against the High Court, but the court did not grant it stay.

Such a large chunk of land cannot be purchased as per the provisions of Section 4 of the Punjab Land Reforms Act. For exemption to purchase land above the permissible limit, the government has to issue permission under the Punjab Land Revenue Act.

Chandigarh, October 15
In a unique reflection of Hindu-Muslim amity, Muslim artisans are giving final touches to effigies of Ravana effigy for Dasehra celebrations in the city.

Work is being carried out in a hurry to prepare effigies of Ravana and his brothers Meghnad and Kumbhkaran. Though effigies of Ravana are set afire in various parts of the city, the fact that Muslims prepare one of the biggest effigies of Ravana sets it apart from the others.

The effigy of Ravana, to be erected in Ramlila Ground, Sector 27, is about 65 ft high. Muslim artisans from Baghpat and Meerut in UP come especially to the tricity to prepare the effigies. The tradition has not been broken for the last several decades and Mohammad Chiraguddin from Baghpat, who heads the team, is the third generation of Ravana effigy-makers in his family. They bring along the material with them. Chiraguddin’s children are also learning the art alongside their studies.

He said the cost of making an effigy of Ravana had shot up.

Aftaab, another craftsman in Sector 29, said he looked forward to be in the city as people here celebrated the festival lavishly. ‘‘They do not mind spending a few thousand rupees on getting the effigies made. We have our own professions in Meerut, but those are not so lucrative. We get good money here for our hard work. I have been coming here for 20 years now,” he said.

Chandigarh, October 15
In the latest turn of events reflecting the empty coffers of the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB), the board has sought a bailout package worth Rs 3,000 crore from the UT administration to tide over the current financial crises.

It has asked the administration to be ready with the amount if Parsavnath Developers won the case in court for a refund and compensation worth Rs 1,696 crore. In addition, Rs 360 crore has been sought for the same developers as the amount already spent by the board.

The development follows the recent letter of the chairman to the Adviser stating that “the situation is so precarious that very soon the CHB might not be able to even pay salaries to its employees”. The huge financial losses incurred by the CHB, particularly in handling the finances of the Pride Asia project, were cited as the main reason for the “uncomfortable situation”. A lackadaisical attitude of the finance department in handling the finances was also pointed out as another major reason for the state of affairs.

A senior official said: “We have informed the administration to be ready with the amount (Rs 1,696 crores) if the developers won the case.” The CHB has listed another Rs 400 crore as administrative charges incurred on account of handling various accounts.

At a high-level meeting recently, the board was assured that the administration would come forward to take over the projects of slum rehabilitation and underpasses. Mohanjit Singh, chairman of the CHB, confirmed the submission of the “rehabilitation plan for the board” to the administration. He refused to divulge details. He said the board employees needed a reassurance from the administration that their service interests were secure.

Chandigarh, October 15
The Chandigarh Housing Board, which has been lately shouting itself hoarse about empty coffers, has perhaps forgotten about the lakhs of rupees that it has collected as interest on the initial amount deposited by applicants in the special housing scheme for UT administration employees.

Till date each applicant who has applied for either a category A, B or C house has paid between Rs 70,000 to Rs 1.75 lakh as initial deposit for the housing scheme. Over 7,400 applicants have deposited the respective amounts with the board since March 2008.

To make the matters worse for the UT employees, most of them have got their applications financed through various banks. As a rule all of them have also paid six months’ interest to the bank in advance on the amount they have taken individually. Till now, on an average, an employee applying for a category B apartment has already paid Rs 40,000 as interest to the bank, which gets deducted every month from his salary.

Sources said officials had received nearly 346 applications for category B (two bedroom) apartments and 250 applications for category A (three bedroom) houses. The remaining (and the maximum number of) applications are for category C (one bedroom) flats.

“The CHB has obviously earned double the amount of money from us in the form of initial deposit as well as interest on that amount for more than two years now”, said an administration employee.

“The delay in holding a draw of lots is only proving beneficial for the board as it’s earning interest on our hard earned money”, said another employee, criticising the inordinate delay in conducting the draw.

What is even more shocking is that till now the officials have not decided on the number of houses that are to be constructed under the scheme.

Chandigarh, October 15
Adorning a permanent smile on her face, she is a source of joy for her classmates and an inspiration for her two siblings who are also visually impaired like her.

Meet Asmaa, a first-year BA student at the Government College for Girls, Sector 11, whose ambition to earn an MEd degree despite her disability and her positive attitude towards life makes each day an act of exemplary courage.

Her father, Aziz Ahmed, earns a living by selling earthen pots and vessels in Manimajra. Initially apprehensive to send his young daughter to college alone in a local bus, he is now is relieved after sensing her determination. “She is the most regular student in her class,” said a teacher of the college.

Smilingly, she narrates her experience of celebrating the White Cane Safety Day at the blind school last year on October 15. She may not have ever seen the celebration but enthusiastically tells this reporter that the function to mark the event this year is not being held in Sector 26 but in Sector 46.

“Our principal at the school for the blind school in Sector 26 describes me as well as my younger brother and sister as the three pillars of her school. We’re all toppers and our father has never stopped us from pursuing our studies,” said Asmaa.

A bright and intelligent girl, she has grown fond of her new college. “She doesn’t hesitate in asking us questions in class whenever she is unable to understand a point”, say her college teachers.

“The college is amazing and I love my teachers. I had never thought college teachers could be so affectionate and caring,” says Asmaa.

When asked about her aim in life, she swiftly replies: “I want to earn a MEd degree after graduating and aspire to become a teacher.” In the latest class tests conducted by the college, Asmaa scored 14 in certain subjects out of 20, with 15 and 16 in others.

Chandigarh, October 15
The court of chief judicial magistrate Jasbir Singh Sidhu today issued arrest warrants for Gaurav Shalin, who had allegedly manipulated admissions of students to the PGIMER, on an application moved by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The case has been adjourned to October 29. The CBI said in the application that it had Gaurav’s Mumbai address but he could not be traced there.

The CBI then issued notice under Section 161 of the CrPC through his brother-in-law and his wife for joining investigation but Gaurav did not join the investigation.

The investigating agency had booked Gaurav Shalin under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 419 (punishment for cheating by personating), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document) of the IPC.

It had been alleged that Gaurav Shalin had got two doctors — Amit Musale, who was pursuing MD from department of pharmacology, and Sujoy Sonawan, pursuing MD from department of paediatrics — admitted to the PGI using fraudulent means.

He has been allegedly manipulating admissions to MD courses in the PGI and other medical institutes of the country on the basis of impersonation and forgery of documents.

COMMUNITY

Misbehaviour by cop’s son
DSP for strict action against SHO, probe officer
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 15
The DSP (crime) today recommended strict departmental action against the police station-3 SHO and the investigating officer of yesterday’s incident of road rage and subsequent harassment of a woman at the hands of boys, including son of ADGP Mohammad Mustafa, for going “soft” on the accused.

Satbir Singh, who is officiating charge of central sub-division, in his report to the UT SSP has recommended stringent departmental action against SHO Mahavir Singh and investigating officer sub-inspector Sukhchain Singh.

Sources said Satbir in his report maintained that the SHO kept him in the dark about the incident and also failed to take appropriate action against the son of a senior Punjab police officer, who allegedly threatened the policemen on duty as well as complainants at the police station.

A group of youths, including Akeel Akhtar Mustafa, the son of ADGP (internal vigilance cell) Mohammed Mustafa, had a verbal duel with a couple near museum roundabout and later at the police station following an incident of road rage. The matter was, however, resolved when both parties reached a compromise.

It all started when a Skoda car, in which three friends of Akeel, brushed with a motorcycle on which a boy and a girl were riding. The boys allegedly passed lewd remarks on the girl following which she called the police.

Chandigarh, October 15
Gender disparity was eloquently juxtaposed in a poignant Punjabi play “Jhalli Kithhe Jaave” presented by the North Zone Cultural Centre (NZZC) in collaboration with the Sur Sanjh Cultural Society at the Randhawa auditorium here yesterday.

Based on an Urdu classic by Pakistani playwright Sahid Nadeem, the play was scripted and adapted for theatrical presentation by Arvinder Kaur Dhaliwal and staged to perfection under the able direction of acclaimed actor director Rupinder Rupi.

The play highlighted the plight of a woman whose husband goes abroad for green pastures.

Family members of Harnam, the groom of young illiterate bride Bhagan, force him to leave for Dubai on the fake visa provided by an agent. Toiling and working hard, he keeps on sending money to his joint family and letters for his wife, but no one reads those letters for her. Failing to get the love of her husband and family, she falls sick. Her worries increase as she delivers a baby girl. The family treats the girl child as harbinger of curse.

Panchkula, October 15
The soulful strains of devotional music presented by Muzzafarpur-based vocalists “Vashisht Bandus” at a musical soiree organised by NZCC at the Mata Mansa Devi Shrine submerged audience in devotion in the ongoing Navratra fair here today.

Led by Rambhadra Sharma, co-artistes, Neeraj Sharma and Pankaj Sharma, opened up with a bhajan “Paana prabhu toh karma bhajan..” and doled out more like “Arre kuchh soch,” “Laaj rakh meyya,” “Jinka Uncha bhavan..” and classic devotional utterances of Saint Kabir, Meera and others before concluding with “Japte jaana harinaam”.

Chandigarh, October 15
The UT education department has declined extension in recognition to Strawberry Fields World School, Sector 26, following the failure of the school management to remove certain anomolies in its functioning.

According to sources, the school has been penalised for keeping “ineligible” teachers not having BEd degrees and shortfall in seats for the economically weaker sections(EWS). “The school has not removed all anomolies in the three-month time given to it,” the sources added.

Now, the Chandigarh administration would write to the ICSE regarding the factual position for further action, the sources stated.

Recently, in a letter issued to the school, the education department had stated that the irregularities/failures on the part of the school clearly showed that the said school failed to comply with the norms. “The non-compliance is of a serious nature and the same cannot be condoned, especially when the school is charging students hefty fee. Prima facie the recognition cannot be extended, rather it needs to be withdrawn. However, keeping the future of students in mind, the school should be given three months to rectify things.”

The inspection committees of the UT education department conduct checks on various schools to find out the fulfilment of various parameters for recognition.The department grants the schools provisional recognition based on the findings of the inspection committees.

School director Atul Khanna, when contacted, denied having received any communication from the administration on the issue. “We have clarified all points raised in the previous notice of the administration, including the issue of ineligible teachers and EWS quota, and there is no rationalisation in denying extension in recognition, as the education department was granting provisional recognition to all schools,” Khanna added.

Several other schools in the city are also reportedly functioning with certain shortcomings and it is being alleged that the administration has singled out Strawberry School for the violations.

Chandigarh, October 15
The Central Bureau of Investigation has begun a probe into the allotment of land to the Durga Das Foundation for a kindergarten school in the city seven years ago for a price less than the prevailing one, causing a loss of approximately Rs 2 crore to the state exchequer.

The CBI has seized records pertaining to it from the Estate Office.

Sources close to the agency said a complaint that was filed in this connection a couple of months ago alleged the land was allotted for Strawberry Fields, Sector 26 while extending “favours” to the foundation. The probe was initiated after examining the complaint.

Confirming the registration of a preliminary investigation of the matter, CBI DIG, Chandigarh Mahesh Aggarwal said the agency had received the complaint a couple of months ago and had been examining it before launching the probe recently.

On the role of former deputy commissioner RK Rao and his questioning during the probe, Aggarwal said, “We’ve just begun the probe and nothing can be said at this juncture. If need be, during the course of the investigation we’ll call the officials concerned, whose role emerged in the probe, for questioning”.

A city resident, Manpreet Singh Sandhu, had lodged the complaint accusing the UT administration of “favouring” the Durga Das Foundation, causing a loss to state exchequer of about Rs 2 crore, while other schools were denied benefits on similar grounds.

The administration had allegedly allotted a site measuring 22,830.888 square yards with a floor area ratio (FAR) of 0.25 and permissible ground coverage of 15 percent at a premium of about Rs 2.05 crore at the rate of Rs 900 per square yard to the Durga Das Foundation in 2003. Besides, administration officials also reportedly charged only 50 percent of the price of land (Rs 1,800 per square yard), while introducing a clause regarding utilisation of lower FAR of 0.25 instead of 0.50.

It was further alleged in the complaint that the FAR was supposed to be paid in one go but the administration not only allowed them 10 installments against the policy of one shot payment but also rescheduled the entire premium and gave them an additional six years to pay back the money.

Chandigarh, October 15
Having realised loopholes in the present system of awarding provisional affiliation by inspection committees to various courses offered by allied colleges, Panjab University has now resolved to streamline the entire process.

As a part of this reformation, the university would serve a notice to the colleges well in time, so that they get ready for inspection. The university, however, has also decided to tighten the noose on members of the inspection committees, who visit these colleges to check the ground reality.

Certain fellows at the university Senate meeting held on October 10 highlighted the practice of non-uniform fine being charged from certain colleges, which in certain cases are waived off later. The fellows also alleged that the members of the inspection panels nominated by the university often get “influenced” and “lured”.

Dearth of teachers and infrastructure was also debated at the Senate meeting, in which the members gave several examples of colleges that have no teachers. The members claimed that such colleges are still pleading for affiliation or in other cases are blatantly defying the orders of PU and are admitting students, despite non-fulfillment of criteria for affiliation.

The fellows, including principals and faculty members of several affiliated colleges, have reportedly also complained to the PU authorities that the committees either delay the process of granting affiliation or despite anomalies award affiliation to the colleges.

“The PU Senate members had objected to the non-uniform fine being imposed on several affiliated colleges by the inspection committees for non-compliance of mandatory conditions of affiliation. It is following their request that the process of streamlining has begun,” said a senior functionary of the university on the condition of anonymity.

“Once the process is rationalised and with proper supervision, it would not take much time to apply for affiliation and also to grant affiliation to the colleges. The colleges will be able to prepare well for inspection before the committee visits. The inspection committees, on the other hand, will not impose any non-uniform fine or have to waste their time,” he added.

Chandigarh, October 15
The next UGC-NET for junior research fellowship and eligibility for lectureship will be held on December 26.

The candidates will have to first register online at www.ugc.ac.in before October 25 and the last date for the submission of printout of the online application form (two copies), attendance slip and admission card is November 1.

The procedure would be available on the UGC website and the printout of the online application form (two copies), attendance slip and admission card should be submitted to VK Walia, coordinator, UGC-NET, department of zoology, Panjab University, from 9 am to 5 pm on all working days.

Chandigarh, October 15
Panjab University has notified the schedule for the annual examination (theory and practical) to be held in April-May 2011.

The practical examination of undergraduate classes will be conducted from March 10 to March 26, 2011, before the theory examination. BEd practical will be held from April 23 to May 12, 2011. All undergraduate annual system examinations-BA, BSc, BCom, BBA, BCA, BPEd (four years), Prak Shastri and Shastri both at affiliated colleges and in departments of Panjab University will be held from April 2, 2011. The examination for MA, MFC, MSc (TYC) annual system, BLib and information science, MCom (annual system for DCS candidates only) will be held from April 15, 2011. The examination for Acharya Parts I and II, diploma in statistics, MIL, diploma in Guru Grantha Acharya and all annual PG diplomas at affiliated colleges and in the departments of the university will be held from April 22, 2011. The examination for BEd, MEd, BEd (yoga), BPEd (one year) (annual system), MEd (guidance and counselling), MEd, career-oriented programmes (add-on courses), certificate, diploma and advanced diplomas at college level for BA, BSc, BCom (I, II and III) will be held from May 14, 2011. Panjab University has also fixed the last dates for receipt of examination admission forms and fee. The last date for receipt of forms for private candidates without late fee is November 12 and for receipt of forms for college and correspondence candidates without late fee is December 13. Next year, last date for receipt of admission forms will be for July 27. — TNS

Mohali, October 15
To explore the diversity and rich history of German language and to bring together the natives, German language learners and aficionados of the language celebrated the German Language Day at Paragon Senior Secondary School, Sector 71, Mohali, and Vivek High School, Sector 38. Painting competition was also organised and best of the three students in each school were given prizes. The students performed skits, sang German songs and presented their views on Germany to mark the occasion.

At Paragon Senior Secondary School, a cultural programme was held to mark the German Language Day celebrations. The programme conducted by the students was conceived in Hindi and German. A painting competition with the theme “Paint Germany” was organised, in which about 150 students from the tricity participated.

Surinder Maken, director, Goethe-Zentrum, Chandigarh, briefed about the project “Schools: Partners for the future” (PASCH). PASCH is the brainchild of German ex-Foreign Minister Steinmayer.

At Vivek High School, Sector 38, Dr Mathias Makowski, head, language department, Goethe Institute, Munich, Germany, gave away the prizes and inaugurated “German Room”, designed especially for German classes.