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Power situation remains grim in city
Under the reforms, the UT Administration had to introduce the management integrated system and the geographical information system among other initiatives to improve the power scenario in the city. Besides, the Administration has failed to upgrade the power substation at Sectors 34, which caters to Sectors 20, 21, 22, 23, 33, 34, 35 and some of the southern sectors. The Administration started the process of capacity upgrade of the Sector 34 substation from 33 KV to 66 KV in 2007. The deadline to complete the work expired in 2010. Had the Administration upgraded the substation on time, the power situation could have been better in many sectors of the city. The UT Administration has also turned a blind eye towards kundi connections. The Administration is facing a loss of more than Rs 7 crore annually from nearly 20,000 unauthorised connections. Besides loss, kundi connections are also resulting in power shortage. When contacted, MP Singh, Superintending Engineer (Electricity) said: “We are making efforts to meet the demand and supply gap. The work on pending projects and the power sector reforms will be initiated after we get an approval from the ministry.”
Numbers of many complaint centres provided by the electricity department are out of service. Residents complain that officials don’t answer calls at the helpline no. 0172-4639999, which caters to the entire city.
Admn to conduct survey
The Administration has decided to approach the Power Grid urging it to conduct a survey to upgrade the power
infrastructure in the city. The survey will also focus on the demand for the next 20 years.
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Nod to purchase 90 MW power
Chandigarh, June 12 The UT Administration had demanded more financial power for the UT Administrator from the Ministry of Power in February this year to purchase power up to Rs 100 crore. The Administration had also sought permission from the ministry to purchase 90 MW of power, which costs around Rs 60 crore. At present, the Administrator can only grant approval to purchase power up to Rs 8 crore, but if the power purchase cost crosses the limit of Rs 8 crore, the administration has to seek permission from the Union Ministry of Power. Superintending Engineer (Electricity) MP Singh said in a communication to the Administration, the ministry allowed it to purchase power worth Rs 60 crore to tide over the power crisis. It is a one-time order and will be valid for a year, he added. Last year, the UT Administration had sought
permission from the ministry to purchase power costing about Rs 50 crore. The UT officials had to make a number of visits to New Delhi to convince the ministry officials for purchasing power. At present, Chandigarh has no power generation capacity of its own and the city gets power supply from various central power generation stations in the region.
220 kV substation
Recently, the administration got an approval from the standing committee on power system planning (CPSP) of northern region for setting up a new 220kV power substation for ensuring uninterrupted power supply. Chandigarh has only one 220kV substation at Kishangarh. The department is also planning a 220kV line from Sector 47 to Panchkula and 400/220kV substation of Power Grid for strengthening the transmission network.
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No power backup for generators
Chandigarh, June 12 The MC has only provided a generator at Kajauli water works. In case of major power failure, the city only receives half the water of total supply from the Kajauli because it has a low power generator, which can only take the load of two lines out four. Requesting anonymity, an MC official said the generator in Kajauli water works is around 50 years old. The generator cannot take the load of all four water pipelines, providing 67MGD drinking water in a day, in case of power cuts. Senior Deputy Mayor Rana Kashmiri Devi said she had taken up the issue with MC officials a number of times, but to no avail. In sector 45-D, there is no boundary wall around the tubewell. The tubewell is also not fully functional resulting in water shortage in the area, she said.
City’s water share
Chandigarh will have to part with 9 MGD (40 million litres per day) of canal water from the next year. Of it, Panchkula will get 6MGD and Chandimandir 3
MGD.
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Employee caught stealing Rs 50,000 from Mansa Devi temple
Panchkula, June 12 “The incident took place when employees of the shrine board were counting the offerings this morning. Sunil allegedly laid his hands on a wad of Rs 50,000 and tucked it in his waist,” said an official requesting anonymity. “The Home Guards volunteer sensed something suspicious and asked Sunil for checking. The wad of currency notes was recoved from him,” said the official. It is not for the first time that a person has been nabbed while stealing money from the donation box. In 2011 during Navratras, a person was caught stealing money from the donation box.
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Biker’s world comes crashing down
Chandigarh, June 12 He was quick to overcome the trauma of being run over by a car. He called his parents who rushed him to the PGIMER. He was holding his almost broken right leg when he was being shifted to the hospital. The doctors had to amputate his leg on Tuesday to save his life. Rishav was to move to the United Kingdom next month for higher studies and had asked his elder brother, who lives in Wales, to get a new motorbike for him. “My son is courageous. He did not lose hope even after the accident and managed to call us. He had severe pain in his leg, yet he held his broken leg while being taken to the Advanced Trauma Centre. He has not lost hope and believes that he will be fine soon,” said Jasvinder Singh Saini, Rishav’s father. “What was Rishav’s fault? My son will never ever be able to drive or walk freely. We have not even informed our elder son about the incident,” Saini said. Rishav had taken admission to Cardiff Metropolitan University and was preparing for flying to the UK. The accident took place around 11.30 pm on Monday when Rishav and his friend Gagandeep Singh Arora, both students of BA-I at DAV College, Sector 10, and residents of Sector 23, were going home on a motorbike. They were hit by a car near the Sector 9 light point. Rishav was riding pillion when the accident took place. Gagandeep suffered injuries on his right thigh
and underwent a surgery on Tuesday. Rishav also suffered injuries on his right arm. The accused was identified as Shammi Khakhar, a resident of Mansa Devi Complex, Sector 4, Panchkula. He fled from the spot and was arrested near Sector 7. A case of rash driving and causing hurt by an act endangering life or personal safety of others has been registered against the accused under Sections 279 and 337 of the IPC at the Sector 3 police station. The accused was later released on bail.
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Inspector’s murder
Chandigarh, June 12 The UT police is going to interrogate Basant and his accomplice Sarita separately. Police officials said Basant would be interrogated at the crime branch in Sector 11. Basant was remanded in a day’s police custody on June 10 and was sent to judicial custody by a Haryana court following which an application for production warrants was moved by the UT police. Basant and Sarita will be produced in the district court in Chandigarh on Thursday in connection with the murder of inspector Sucha Singh and fraudulently getting service weapon issued and misusing it. The runaway couple was
reportedly arrested from a hotel in the Paharganj area in Delhi by the Haryana Police. They had committed a double murder in Sonepat on April 18 when Basant shot Sarita’s husband and her mother-in-law with his service rifle. On June 8, Basant stabbed inspector Sucha Singh to death as the latter rounded him up during a routine checking.
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Valley youth gets gift of vision at PGI
Chandigarh, June 12 His elder brother, Bashir Ahmed, who accompanied him to the PGIMER, has pledged his eyes and inspired not only his family but also residents of Anantnag to come forward and donate eyes. “We understood the importance of eye donation only after Altaf’s eyes were damaged. We kept on shuttling between hospitals to find donors. It was then that we realised how donated eyes can bring about a change in the recipient’s life,” said Bashir. Altaf struggled to find a suitable donor for optical graft. His hopes dashed after undergoing cornea transplant three times in 10 years at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. His fourth transplant was successful at the PGIMER in 2004, but he failed to take precautions and the follow-up advice and lost his vision completely.
After 10 years of struggle, he managed to find a donor and underwent transplant on May 24. “Everything was dark, very dark in my life and I spent my entire teenage in the pursuit of restoring my vision. I was studying in Class XI when the incident occurred and I lost my vision,” said Altaf. “The damage needed optical graft for the transplant which is difficult to find. Patients like Altaf, who come from smaller cities, are messengers who motivate people in their cities to donate eyes,” said Dr Amit Gupta, associate professor, Advanced Eye Centre, PGIMER.
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Community centres a shambles
Mohali, June 12 Residents claim the community centres have become a safe haven for drug addicts and other anti-social elements. “Several times, we see miscreants roaming on the premises, particularly during the late hours. It’s really dangerous for people like us, who live in the neighbourhood,” said Surinder Singh, a resident of Phase VI, who resides in the lane opposite the community centre. During a visit to the community centres, it was found that both the buildings were in a pathetic condition. Besides the stolen articles, existing infrastructure, including sinks, windowpanes, railings and doors, was broken. Stray animals, including dogs and cows, were seen roaming on the premises, on which crores of rupees had been spent for construction. Earlier, both the centres were occupied by the Punjab Police, which vacated these on February 21, following an order of the
Punjab and Haryana High Court. The property, which belongs to the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), is meant for the area residents to hold functions. With GMADA officials showing no interest in the maintenance of these community centres or managing them, the space is lying unused. Former municipal councillor Kuljit Singh Bedi, who played an important role in vacating the premises from the Punjab Police by filing a case in the High Court, said it was very disappointing to see the state of the premises now. “I have written to GMADA to hand over the centres to public bodies after renovation, so that these could be used properly, but all in vain. I am unable to understand why the officials concerned are not taking interest in these properties,” said Bedi. GMADA chief administrator AK Sinha said the authority was ready to renovate and hand over the community centres to the residents’ welfare associations or other such bodies. “So far, no one has approached me. If any such association is interested in taking such an initiative, it should come forward for further talks. Meanwhile, I will ask my staff to take required action to save the property from further damage,” said
Sinha.
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Shortage of sand gravel
Mohali, June 12 Giving details, Mohali Deputy Commissioner Tajinder Singh Sodhi said that out of the four sites, two sites were above five hectare and the other two were below five hectare. Sidhu added that the detail reports of these sites had been sent to the Industry Department
for approval. “Apart from the four sites, a total of 13 mining sites are ready to be auctioned. All formalities of the 13 mining sites have been completed. These can be auctioned at any time”, said the Deputy Commissioner. Presently, the work of mining is on at three designated sites of Rampur Kalan, Khanpur Khaddar and Mirpur, all fall in the below five-hectare category. The license of the site at Chandiala (which is above five hectare) has been cancelled recently, as certain rules were being flouted there.After getting the nod for our four new mining sites and auction of 13 new sites, we will have 20 sites, which will surely solve the problem of shortage of construction material, said Sidhu. Apart from that the administration was also making an effort to streamline the sale of the construction material in the area. “We have identified a site at Sanetta village and the construction material will be sold from here. Advanced gadgets will be used to track vehicles, bringing and taking the material and for its accounting”, said Sidhu. Notably, there are several unauthorised points in the town from where the material is being sold illegally.
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UT Admn delays projects of Railways
Chandigarh, June 12 Ambala Divisional manager PK Sanghi stated that no official communication had been sent by the
UT Administration on any of the issues which was lying pending with them till date. The administration has not provided revised road widening projects to the railway authorities for allotting required land
for it. Sources said that after chalking out the projects, the administration requested the Railways to spare some land for it against which the authorities would allot alternative site to the Railways. For the commencement of the six-lane project, the administration is facing the problem of land. The railway officials had taken up the issue with the administration but nothing concrete had been done in this regard. Another project which is hanging fire is the construction of road underbridge at Mani Majra Gate Number 126 to avoid traffic chaos. Due to the delay in
the consent by the UT Administration, the work is yet to be planned by the authorities. The project which is held up by the administration is the work of road under bridge near Darua which is almost complete but the administration has not started the work of the approach road yet. The sources said that the contract for the construction of the road had already been allotted to the contractor but due to the delay in shifting of the underground sewerage system and water pipelines the work was
yet to start.
UT seeks land from the Railways
Sources said that after chalking out the projects, the administration requested the Railways to spare some land for it against which the authorities would allot alternative site to the Railways. For the commencement of the six-lane project, the administration is facing the problem of land. The railway officials had taken up the issue with the administration but nothing concrete had been done in this regard. Another project which is hanging fire is the construction of road underbridge at Mani
Majra.
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GMADA officials gear up to deal with waterlogging
Mohali, June 12 The 'water-holding' plan, as suggested by Prof Kapil Gupta from the department of civil engineering, IIT Bombay, is being implemented in Phases VII and III B2. The work order is to be given this week. Officials said the project would start soon. The IIT professor had suggested to GMADA officials that the level of parks and green belts should be lowered in order to create 'water-holding' points. This would help check rain water from entering houses and also recharge the underground water. The problem dots various parts, including Phases I, IIIB1, IIIB2, IV, VII and XI. Sources said two chambers for holding rainwater would be constructed in Phase VII and an equal number had been planned for Phase IIIB2. While one chamber in Phase VII would measure 60 X 25 ft, the other would have an area of 45 X 36 ft. Similarly, in Phase III B2, one chamber would measure 60 X 25 ft and the second one would be 40 X 22 ft. Sources said rainwater would be channelised into these chambers and later pumped out into the storm water sewer. It is learnt that in order to check waterlogging in various parts of Phase III B1, GMADA has proposed to set up a hi-tech underground reservoir with a storage capacity of 5mgd (million gallons a day) in Rose Garden. An amount of Rs 2 crore was earmarked for the project but it was reduced to Rs 1.68 crore by the technical adviser when the estimates were sent to him for approval. The adviser ruled out the construction of an underground tunnel under the project and suggested a surface channel. Sources said road gullies in Sectors 75 and 76 had been closed by GMADA in accordance with a demand made by the department of water supply and sanitation, which had claimed that 'wronglinking'of gullies had been done by the former. GMADA officials said from now on, the sanitation department would be solely responsible for flooding.
Plan drafted
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20 nurses commissioned
Chandigarh, June 12 A gold medal for securing the first position in academics was awarded to Lt Englesh. She has been placed second on the all-India merit list. Lt Kusum was given a silver medal for securing the second position. She has been placed fifth at the national level. Lt Pushpa was adjudged the best all-round cadet and Lt Manju bagged a medal for the best bed side nurse. In his address, Lt Gen Gill said nursing was a noble profession which embodied the qualities of humanism and empathy in providing selfless service towards alleviating the sufferings of the wounded and sick soldiers. Emphasising that excellence in healthcare depends on the quality of nursing care provided, he called upon young nursing officers to keep abreast of the latest trends in the healthcare delivery system in order to ensure optimum
well-being of patients. Maj Gen AK Nagpal Commandant, Command Hospital said military nursing was a challenging task which required constant selfless devotion and preparedness to meet the demands of the armed forces such as being
posted in remote areas and difficult terrain.
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PCS-HCS officers reshuffled in MC
Chandigarh, June 12 Interestingly, a few days ago Sunil Bhatia, had gone to Goa along with city Mayor Subhash Chawla to attend a conclave.In reshuffling the Establishment Branch, Enforcement, Fire Department, IT, Legal and Public Relation Departments have been given to Sunil Bhatia. Departments like MOH (Medical Office of Health), Primary Health and Education, Agenda Branch and Mechanical Wing have been given to Joint Commissioner Rajiv Gupta, a PCS officer. Whereas, Lalit Siwach has been handed over Apni Mandi, Parking Branch, House Allotment, Estate Branch and MC’s sub -office in Mani Majra.When contacted, MC Commissioner Vivek Pratap Singh said that the reshuffling had been done for the smooth functioning of the municipal corporation.
Bidda gets extension
The UT Administration has also extended the tenure of MC Chief Engineer SS Bida, whose tenure is about to end in the MC. The Administration has extended Bida’s tenure till the time the UT Administration gets a replacement.
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New block of cowshed inaugurated
Chandigarh, June 12 He further added that daily maintenance of the gaushala premises will be the sole responsibility of the Gauri Shankar Seva
Dal, including sanitation, hygiene and cleanliness.
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8-year-old boy electrocuted in Nehru Colony
Chandigarh, June 12 "Sanju was playing at home when the incident happened. Door of his house was made of iron and there was a live wire hanging on it. He touched the door and got electrocuted," said a police official here.The police has registered a case and started the initial proceedings.
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HEALTH NOTES Chandigarh: The Infusion Nurses Society on Tuesday set up a forum to improve patient care in North India. Experts stressed on safe infusion practices to provide a platform to nurses and healthcare professionals to exchange the latest know-how about infusion therapy techniques. Good and safe practices in the administration of medication and fluids through a needle or catheter can play a critical role in improving patient care in India, as per experts. Infusion therapy is complex, invasive and risk-prone, but necessary as a life-saving procedure for patients who cannot be treated effectively by oral medications. It is thus very important for nursing staff and other healthcare professionals to have adequate knowledge and skills required to administer infusion therapy, including monitoring patients, managing intravenous lines and maintaining arterial catheters. Saravjeet Kaur, governing council member and head of the INS India Forum said, "Quality infusion nursing care through skilled and competent nurses is strategic and necessary for any healthcare organisation. Good infusion practices are very important as they decrease the risk of needle stick injury, blood exposure and potential complications to patients. Inappropriate use of intravascular (IV) devices in patients increases healthcare costs and morbidity." Awareness camp
The malaria wing of the UT health department on Tuesday organised a health awareness camp at Colony No. 4, Industrial Area. Residents were apprised of the ongoing activities for the prevention and control of malaria, dengue and water-borne diseases. An appeal was also made to the general public to take precautionary measures for prevention and control water-borne diseases.
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CHANDIGARH SCAN Congress leader Prem Kumar has been nominated as the member of the Zonal Railway Users’ Consultative Committee of the Northern Railway. Kumar is the general secretary of the Chandigarh Beopar Mandal. The committee works towards improving rail services. The panel comprises one representative each from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi. Student excels
Kirti Sharma, an MBA student of the Desh Bhagat Institute of Management and Computer Sciences, stood first in the examination conducted by Punjabi University, Patiala. Kirti Sharma has done the institute proud by securing 84.9 per cent. Congratulating Kirti Sharma on her achievement, chairman, Desh Bhagat Group of Institutes, Dr Zora Singh and director general Dr Shalini Gupta said Kirti's hard work had paid off.
Plaint filed
The Chandigarh Club management has lodged a complaint with the police against the president of the Chandigarh Club Employees Union Desraj Bharti and a few members, who were suspended by the club management for removing shirts while serving food to guests in the club. In the complaint, the club management submitted that the union members had threatened to set themselves on fire. The management demanded that legal action should be initiated against the union members. The union members said they had moved the labour court demanding salary hike.
Awarded
Sarwar Beg, research fellow at the University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Panjab University (PU), has been given 'Budding ADMET Scientist Award' during an international conference 'ADME and Toxicology 2013' in New Delhi. Beg has been honoured for his research work on 'Pharmacokinetic Evaluation and IVIVC Establishment on Optimised Mucoadhesive Systems of Rivastigmine'. ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion) deals with bio-distribution of a drug and its possible toxic effects.
— TNS
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class XI admissions
Chandigarh, June 12 An official said despite increased seats by nearly 10 per cent in Class XI last year, the department was likely to face problems as a lot of students were waiting to gain admission to the government schools. “Against around 12,700 seats available in Class XI at 39 government senior secondary schools, 15,000 forms are likely to be sold. Given the limited infrastructure in schools here, it will be an uphill task for the department to accommodate rest of the students,” he said. Last year too, the department had a tough time adjusting around 1,500 students who could not get admission, even after the third round of counselling. They were later adjusted by opening new sections in as many as 14 non-model government senior secondary schools. The principal of a government school said it would be a suicidal step if the department opened new sections this year as well. He said already there was a shortage of classrooms and teachers in government schools. Adjusting more students than the capacity of the schools would lead to a major compromise with the quality of education, as was seen last year. As many as 284 students of the UT government schools failed and 860 students got compartment in the recent Class XII exams, for which several blamed the deteriorating quality of education. Another school head said that infrastructure development, especially for higher classes, was almost stagnant, despite the continuous increase in the number of students. “Chandigarh attracts students not only from Panchkula and Mohali, but also from other cities due to the reservation provisions for admission to higher education institutes,” he said. With over 1,750 prospectuses sold today, the total number of forms sold so far has crossed 13,000. As many as 450 forms were sold at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 37, 228 forms at GMSSS-10, 200 forms at GMSSS-20, 350 forms at GMSSS-46, 430 at GMSSS, Mani Majra and 120 at GMSSS-28. As far as the sale of prospectus is concerned, the department officials said that there would be no shortage as 17,000 forms had been printed in the first lot, and another 2000-3000 would be made available if required.
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college admissions
Chandigarh, June 12 The move came following a communication from the UT Administration that directed the university to give weightage on the basis of NSS certificates on the pattern of Punjab. Officials said students having an ‘A’ certificate would get two marks, those with a ‘B’ certificate will be granted 2.5 marks, and candidates with a ‘C’ certificate will be awarded three marks at the time of admission. NSS aims at developing among students a sense of participation in nation building through social work. This deepens understanding of the social environment and enriches their personality. This process of learning is not only a desirable supplement to the classroom education but develops in the student a sense of responsibility, tolerance and cooperation.
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Broadening horizons, inculcating values
Infrastructure
The college has fully computerised and air-conditioned library, Wi-Fi facility on the campus, air-conditioned seminar room, well-equipped laboratories, student centre, food court, gymnasium with latest fitness equipment, UGC resource centre and cyber cafe. To impart best technological information to students, the college has five centrally air-conditioned, well-equipped computer laboratories with 200 computers and internet facility. The college has well-maintained playgrounds and offers facilities for outdoor and indoor sports.
Hostel facility
The hostel, which houses 300 girl students, has all the modern facilities for a comfortable and peaceful student life. It is located on the college campus, providing a safe and secure environment to students. Famous alumni
Shalini Bhargava, civil servant, and Ritu Punj, ex-Attorney General, Punjab and Haryana High Court. Claim to Fame
The college organises programmes related to computer literacy and skill development for government school students. The college units of National Service Scheme and National Cadet Corps are involved in community service. Through its Rotaract Club, college gives donations, study material, etc. to slum children.
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Gogol’s play staged at Panjab University
Chandigarh, June 12 The play told the story of a small town whose Mayor receives secret information that an Inspector General is visiting the town to look into its administration. All officers, including the judge, health officers, headmaster of schools and post master, are panicked due to the visit. They, however, mistake Khlestakov, a man fond of lavish lifestyle, food and woman, to be the visiting Inspector General. The officers and the Mayor try their best to please Khlestakov with blatant flattery and bribe, and he in turn enjoys the situation and flaunts his mistaken identity to impress ladies. Later, Khlestakov leaves the town, pocketing all the bribe money. The Mayor family and colleagues are in the midst of celebrations when a letter reveals the true identity of Khlestakov. They get another shock when they come to know that the real Inspector General did visit the town for inspection. The play underlined the social absurdities, corruption, greed and insecurities, which have been throbbing under the false disguise of the system. The play will also be staged today and tomorrow.
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Banur varsity introduces marine engg
Chandigarh, June 12 Director (Academics and IT) Amardip Singh said there was a growing demand for marine engineers in India and abroad, but the supply was limited. “We intend to fill this gap,” he said. The university officials said the field provided high-paying jobs.
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FROM SCHOOLS Chandigarh: Thoda Masti Thoda Fun Summer Camp held at Saupin's School concluded on Wednesday. Over 20 children participated in several activities during this camp. The two-week camp, conducted by Rahul Gupta, trained children in dance, art and craft besides other activities Theatre workshop
Students from 48 different schools of the tricity and surrounding areas are participating in a theatre workshop at Chitkara International School. Young Actors Club of Barry John Acting Studio is organising this workshop, exposing the children to nuances of art of theatre. They are being trained in a number of activities, including stage performance and voice modulation. The final performances will be held on Thursday.
— TNS
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Chandigarh, June 12
Established in 1981, the college is one of the pioneer institutes dedicated to the cause of women education. It is a multi-faculty institute which endeavours to impart holistic education to students by instilling in them ethical and high moral values. The college provides right ambience for students to hone their latent talents. With ‘Acquire Knowledge and Build Character’ being the motto of the college, students are assured of broadening their horizons by overall development in academics and persona, while inculcating values such as courage, commitment and character.
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