Chandigarh, July 23
Three persons, including a driver and two college students from Vaishali in Ghaziabad, were killed while two others were injured in a freak accident involving a Tavera and an Audi Q7 car on the road separating Sectors 17 and 18 last night.

(Leftt) Kin of deceased Kuldeep at the GMCH-16.Niece and brother of driver Hast Bahadur break down at the hospital. Tribune photos: Manoj Mahajan (Right) Kin of deceased Kuldeep at the GMCH-16.

Chandigarh, July 23
The land acquisition officer (LAO) was a minion in the hierarchy of the Administration of the Union Territory of Chandigarh and could not even think of violating an unwritten code of conduct for junior officers in an administrative setup. These were the observations made by a Division Bench of the Supreme Court in its order regarding quashing the acquisition of land belonging to flying Sikh Milkha Singh and others for setting up of Chandigarh Technology Park.

The Division Bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justices GS Singhvi and V Gopala Gowda observed: “The LAO of the UT Administration was a minion in the hierarchy of the administration of the Union Territory of Chandigarh and could not have even thought of making recommendations contrary to what was contained in the letter sent by the Administrator to the petitioner, Surinder Singh Brar.”

“If he had shown the courage of acting independently and had made recommendations against the acquisition of land, he would have been shifted from the post and his career would have been jeopardised. In a system of governance which we have today, junior officers in the administration cannot even think of, what to say of, acting against the wishes/dictates of their superiors. One who violates the unwritten code of conduct does so at his risk and is described as a foolhardy. Even those constituting higher strata of services follow the path of least resistance and find it most convenient to tow the line of their superiors. Therefore, the LAO cannot be blamed for having acted as an obedient subordinate of the superior authorities, including the Administrator,” the Division Bench observed. The Bench further observed: “This cannot be a legitimate ground to approve of the reports prepared by him without even a semblance of consideration of the objections filed by the appellants and other landowners. We have no hesitation to hold that the LAO failed to discharge the statutory duty cast upon him to prepare a report after objectively considering the objections filed under Section 5A(1) and submissions made by the objectors during the course of personal hearing."

Panchkula, July 23
A female leopard has been spotted with her two cubs at Chamka village in Morni, spreading a scare among residents. The residents are forced to stay indoors after the wild cat attacked pets of the villagers.

Chief wildlife inspector Rakesh Sharma visited the area this morning. The leopard has taken shelter in the Sherawali area of the Chamka village. “I had given food to my dog outside my house last evening. When I went out after a while, the dog went missing. The leopard must have taken away my pet,” said Vidyawati, a resident of Chamka village.

The animal has also taken away two calves and a goat in the village. “We have heard the leopard growling just outside our house,” she said.

Wildlife inspector Rakesh Sharma said a trap would be laid to catch the animal. Sharma said the leopard population has increased in the area.

Chandigarh, July 23
Protest launched by the Joint Action Committee of UT Schoolteachers entered its second day today. They are protesting against the “dictatorial” attitude of the Education Department for suspending four teachers and lodging FIR against them. They shouted slogans against the officers of the Education Department while staging a demonstration near hotel Shivalik View, Sector 17, Chandigarh.

One of the suspended teachers, Swarn Singh Kamboj, said the members of the Joint Action Committee of UT Schoolteachers made it clear that they were not against the faculty development programme started by the Education Department but it simply wanted the department to postpone the programme and wanted some change in the methodology adopted in the programme. “It should have been in the form of discussion,” he said.

Meanwhile, the high power committee of Joint Action Committee of UT Schoolteachers has decided that a delegation will explain its view point to the higher authorities, local Member of Parliament, and public. The leaders stressed that Joint Action Committee of UT Schoolteachers is never against any type of confrontation with the administration but at the same time the dignity of the teachers should be maintained.

“The action of the lodging FIR against the teachers was highly condemnable. The teachers expressed their full solidarity with the Joint Action Committee of UT Schoolteachers and assured full cooperation,” said suspended teachers, Kushali ram Sharma, Shivinder Singh and Ranbir Singh. They said, “Various organisations, including UT Subordinate Services Federation and CTU Worker Union, are extending their support to the teaching community.”

In their representation submitted to the DPI (s) today, members of the Forum of Senior Citizens in Education, Panchkula, said: “The faculty development programme as undertaken by the Chandigarh Administration is a step in the right direction. A teacher should always be keen to develop his/her faculties, especially with reference to teaching learning dynamics. Even as a professionalised activity one should always be willing to sharpen his/her faculties pertaining to knowledge and skills. This is what the programme aims at. We appreciate the efforts and wish other governments to emulate it in the larger interest of quality education.”

A Chandigarh-based Youth Innovative Society too in its statement released today supported the department’s programme and asked the UT teachers to support it as it aimed at improving the academic skills of the teachers.

Punita Singh, convener of NGO Sathi, while lending her support, said: “It’s very sad to know that students are being discouraged to reach for the higher goals. If teachers will not update themselves then how will they be able to do justice in classrooms?”

Chandigarh, July 23
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today asked the Chandigarh Administration to form a committee to look into the implementation of the Right to Education Act in city schools. The committee will comprise experts from the Central Board of School Examination, UT Education Department and renowned educationists from the city.

The directions came during the resumed hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) for improvement in the education system in government schools of Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali.

As the case came up for resumed hearing, the Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Augustine George Masih observed verbally that the quality of education in the government schools was not as per the provisions of the RTE Act. The case will now come up for further hearing on August 30.

Earlier, the senior standing counsel for the UT Administration, Sanjay Kaushal, contended that the quality of education in the city government schools was satisfactory and they were performing well.

Quoting the example of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector16, the counsel said that it was one of the most reputed schools in the city. The counsel further said just a few schools were not performing well.

The High Court had earlier directed all the schools in Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana to get themselves registered with the state governments. The Act makes it mandatory for each school to get itself registered with the Education Department of the state. According to the procedure, the school has to make a self declaration before the Education Department confirming the compliance of the specified conditions.

The Act also provides that the Education Department could withdraw recognition after following prescribed procedure in case a school is not complying with the condition.

The High Court has already asked the Central Board of Secondary Education, Punjab School Education Board and the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education to inform the Bench whether the provisions of the Right to Education Act were being complied with by the schools affiliated to it.

Chandigarh, July 23
The BSNL All-India Graduate Engineers and Telecom Officer Association (AIGETOA), consisting of 12,000 direct recruit graduate engineers and account officers, today held a demonstration all over India against the unfriendly attitude of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) management.

The employees alleged that the BSNL management had hiked the salary of all absorbed employees by 30 to 40 per cent followed by the second pay revision effected from January 1, 2007, but it had discontinued the same for the qualified executives recruited after this time period.

Even the management is paying perks and allowances to the executives working on deputation, but the authorities are not contributing anything to the pension benefits of the direct recruits which is against the recommendation of the pay revision, they said.

They further alleged that the management had allowed promotion to absorbed employees to the level of Deputy General Manager (DGM) irrespective of their qualification, but the direct recruits could not get their first promotion even after working for more than 10 years.

Chandigarh, July 23
Rotary Club of Chandigarh Midtown Part of Rotary International, the world's first service club organisation, elected Deepak Sood as its new president during a function at PHD House today.

Thirteen board members were also elected.

UT Adviser KK Sharma was the chief guest while PS Jaswal, Vice-Chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala, was the guest of honor.

The club has been supporting communities by providing them essential support, skills, information and knowledge, so that they can equip themselves for a better future.

"We have been contributing to society through blood camps, AIDS awareness campaigns, disability empowerment and rehabilitation and diagnostic/ENT/medical camps. We have also set up vocational training institutes and have been extending financial help to the needy. — TNS

Chandigarh, July 23
A 50 kwp grid interactive rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant was inaugurated at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 46, by KK Sharma, Adviser to the UT Administrator, on the occasion of 'Eco Club Day' today.

A ceremonial function on behalf of Forest And Wildlife Department was organised on the school premises.

The function was attended by DK Tiwari, IAS, Secretary Environment and Forests, RP Upadhayaya, IPS, IGP, Santosh Kumar, IFS, Conservator of Forests and Dir (S&T), Kuldeep, DCF, and other senior officers of the administration also attended the function by planting saplings.

"There is a need to come forward and experience new things, so that it can be told to others. The students and teachers should take active part in plantation to make the place more clean and green," said Sharma. 

Chandigarh, July 23
With an aim to ensure discipline among the hostel residents, Panjab University (PU) is all set to hike the amount of fine imposed on the hostel residents for breaking rules.

Any student found in possession of any weapon will be fined Rs 2,000 which was earlier Rs 1,000; meanwhile, the girls making late entry to the hostel between 10.30 pm to 11 pm will be fined Rs 250 was earlier Rs 100.

The university is also going to introduce a fine of Rs 500 on the hostel residents who shift their rooms within the hostel without the permission of the hostel warden. The hostel residents if fails to vacate the hostel within three day after their examination then their room will be locked and they will be fined minimum Rs 1,000 in addition to the daily charges of room till the time the student vacates the room.

The PU has also proposed to hike the fine for keeping any electrical appliances in the hostel rooms from Rs 250 to Rs 500. “Residents are not permitted to use any kind of electrical appliance, including electric rods, iron and table fans and on being caught their appliance is confiscated and they are fined,” said an official.

The university has also decided that the hostel resident, who is a defaulter or have any record of misconduct in the university hostel, will not be eligible for food subsidy, financial assistance or scholarships.

The proposed hike in the fines to be charged from the hostel students and amendments in the hostel rules will be tabled before the syndicate in its meeting to be held on July 27.

The university is also going to hikes various other hostel fines. There are total 17 boys and girls hostels with a capacity to accommodate around 6,500 students. 

Chandigarh, July 23
Alarmed by the clash between supporters of different parties earlier this month at the help desks on the campus which left two injured, the Panjab University (PU) authorities have prepared a list of suspicious vehicles on the campus, which would be under scanner by the university security.

List of 36 vehicles with their registration number, type of vehicle and the student party they belong to, have been prepared. It has been sent to the Chandigarh police to keep a close vigil around the elections.

The PU’s security wing has prepared a list of vehicles owned by the supporters of various parties, which are being used on campus for various activities.

“A close watch on the vehicles was kept for over a month before the list was prepared,” said a university official.

The stickers of the student parties have been pasted on the vehicles to show the strength among the students on the campus.

Officials said the security at the entry gates of the university has been provided with the list of the vehicles, which would be thoroughly checked every time they enter the university campus.

The list includes vehicles owned by National Students Union of India (NSUI) supporters, eight vehicles each of Student Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU) and Student Organsiation of India (SOI) party, five vehicles of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and four of Hindustan Student Association (HSA).

The list has been sent to the SHO of Sector 11 police station. “The make (model) of the vehicle have also been mentioned in the list so that the vehicles can be easily identified,” said an official.

Interestingly, majority of the vehicles are registered in Punjab and only few in Chandigarh.

The police officials said that these vehicles would be checked anytime on the campus till the elections get over. 

Chandigarh, July 23
Department of Anatomy, PGI, organised the 6th IJ Dewan Memorial Educational Workshop on “Organs Talk: Time to take prevention” for school children at the Zakir Hall today.

The workshop was inaugurated by Prof Y K Chawla, Director, PGI.

Over 300 students from DPS, Sacred Heart, St Xavier, Chandigarh, and Sewa Smiti Little Angel Convent School, Ambala, got an opportunity to see the ill-effects of unhealthy life style like smoking, drinking alcohol, driving without helmet, consuming junk food and excessive use of cell phones on human body organs through posters and demonstrations.

Actual specimens of normal and diseased organs like cirrhotic liver, smoker's lungs, lungs affected by cancer and fatty heart were placed on display at the workshop. The main aim of this workshop was to educate the young children about benefits of healthy living to enable them to realise the futility of erratic lifestyle, which leads to an irreversible ordeal of diseases.

A booklet on healthy lifestyle was released on the occasion and was distributed among the children. Dr Chawla encouraged school children to take preventive steps towards healthy life.