Sandeep Joshi

The committee inspected seven fire stations in the city and submitted its report to the MC. The report highlights the "non-serious approach" of MC officials towards fire safety in the city.

The committee report says, “Phone sets are not working at the Sector 17 fire station and more wireless sets are needed to improve communication. Portable mikes are required to make announcements in case of an emergency. The existing wireless sets need urgent repairs.”

There should be three phone sets for the 101 emergency number at the Sector 17 fire station, but only one is functional. Employees of the fire arrange two sets daily for the convenience of residents. A committee member said at times employees even removed a telephone set meant for the hotline number of a bank and used it for the 101 emergency number.

The report says, “A Tata water tender, which was purchased about four years ago, is still with a temporary number. Its upper body needs to be fixed on priority and it requires a permanent number. Since the vehicle has been lying idle for the past four years, it should be got checked from an agency. Such a long delay in making it operational has caused a financial loss to the corporation. The officer responsible for the delay should be penalised”.

Exposing the functioning of officials of the Fire Department, the committee report states, “New tyres have been fitted to a non-functional tender in Sector 38 whereas a functional tender in Sector 11 has very old tyres, which need immediate replacement. It is recommended that the tyres of the Sector 38 tender should be removed immediately and fixed to the Sector 11 tender.”

The committee pointed out that some vehicles were in a good condition, but their tyres had not been replaced for a long time. There were some other vehicles which were not in a running condition, but had new tyres. The committee proposed that their tyres should be interchanged immediately.

Additional Commissioner-cum-Chief Fire Officer Sunil Bhatia said they would remove all shortcomings in fire station buildings pointed out by the committee.

Buildings need repairs

The committee report has highlighted the poor condition of fire station buildings. The report says, “Buildings need repairs and maintenance regularly. The inspection report has revealed that the boundary wall and gate of the Industrial Area, Phase I, fire station were never built. These should be immediately built to stop thefts and encroachment on land. The necessary repairs should be carried out in the existing quarters. Shutters of garages are not in a good condition in most stations. Underground water reservoirs are needed for the fire stations at Sector 38 and Mani Majra, as these do not have the water storage facility. To prevent theft of costly equipment, fencing on the boundary walls in most stations is needed. Rainwater enters the Sector 17 station. A ramp with a slope can be built near the entrance gate to stop the entry of water into the premises. There is a serious crack in the beam/projection of residential quarters of the Sector 17 fire station. Terraces/roofs of fire station buildings need repairs as these are leaking.”

Panel wants newspapers, magazines for stations

The committee has suggested that each station should be given the power to spend Rs 5,000 on emergency work. TVs in fire stations are not working. These should either be repaired or new ones installed. All stations should subscribe to newspapers and magazines. Room coolers are also needed. Swings should be installed for firemen's children. Lockers/cupboards are also required where dresses can be stored. Many stations do not have chairs, fans, dining tables, play/fitness equipment and water coolers. These should be provided at the fire stations.

Panchkula, September 10
A 12-year-old student of a government school in Devinagar here was allegedly beaten up brutally by his schoolteacher, resulting in a fracture in his right arm. The student, a resident of Nada Sahib, has been admitted to the General Hospital, Sector 6, Panchkula.

The child's father filed a complaint with the local police regarding the incident. The child's medical examination was conducted at the General Hospital, which confirmed the fracture. Doctors said the child’s right arm had got fractured.

“Students were having their meals during the recess and a child was putting his feet in my son's plate. My child complained to a woman teacher of a senior class, who was present there. However, she beat him up badly, resulting in a fracture in his right arm,” said the victim's father.

He said, “My child's right arm has got fractured and he can't even eat food properly.”

Principal of the school Malkit Kaur said, “I came to know about the issue only when the police arrived at the school. I will look into the matter tomorrow.”

Deputy Commissioner of Police Ashwin Shenvi said, “We have received a complaint. Once we get the medical reports, we will register a case. Strict action will be taken.” The in charge of the local police post, Kashmeera Singh, tried to downplay the incident, saying that it was "just a fight among students". 

Chandigarh, September 10
Nearly a month after the face-off between Deputy Commissioner Mohammed Shayin and the then Subdivisional Magistrate, Amandeep Kaur, two employees of the Chandigarh branch of the Indian Red Cross Society have been dismissed from service.

The employees, Jyoti Khanna, an accountant, and Ravinder Verma, a senior clerk, have been held responsible for a delay in depositing the cash collected daily from different sale counters of the society and for proposing payment on the basis of a bogus stock entry.

Since January, the two employees were facing disciplinary proceedings under Rule 8 of the Punjab Civil Services (Punishment & Appeal) Rules, 1970.

Incidentally, the employees were part of a group of staff members of the Red Cross which had represented to the Adviser-cum-president of the Red Cross Society against the DC's PA-cum-joint secretary of the society.

In the dismissal orders of the accountant, issued today by the DC-cum-chairman of the society, it has been stated that in the inquiry conducted by Land Acquisition Collector Tilak Raj, it has been found that salesmen and the accoutant were responsible for the delay in depositing the sale proceeds for a considerable period of time in the bank account of the society and showing huge cash in hand. The inquiry officer has pointed out two such specific instances of Rs 1,14,750 and Rs 2,47,470 that have been verified from the cashbook and the account statement. Some of the sale proceeds have been allowed to remain with the salesmen concerned for as many as 23 days.

In his defence, the accountant said he was telephonically asking the salesmen concerned to deposit the sale proceeds on the same day, but they not heeding the orders. However, he never reported the lapse in writing to the higher authorities.

“The negligence and misconduct on the part of the employee establishes that he miserably failed to discharge his duties with the result that the society has suffered financial losses in the shape of interest,” the chairman has pointed out.

In case of the second employee, Ravinder Verma, who has been dismissed from service by the secretary of the society, Balbir Singh Dhol, it has been alleged that he has failed to keep a proper check and record of the supplies received from M/s Prabh Graphics on the basis of the supply order issued to the firm and proposed payment to the firm on the basis of bogus stock entries. The society assigned the work to the employee, but he breached the trust, it has been pointed out. His only defence while admitting to the charges was that he was overburdened with work. Photocopies of forms and booklets were found to be sold to the public, which is a grave misconduct on his part. The inquiry officer has found him guilty of negligence. 

Chandigarh, September 10
The resident doctors at the PGIMER have called off their strike as the authorities have now assured them that a police post will be set up at the Emergency for the security of the doctors.

As many 1,000 resident doctors had come out in large numbers protesting against the apathy of the administration in controlling patient rush at the Emergency. Concerned about the security of residents, after the recent incident where a patient's attendant manhandled a resident doctor at the Emergency, the association of resident doctors had demanded police presence in the area.

"The authorities have assured us that a police post will be set up near the Emergency for the protection of doctors with immediate effect. They have also assured us that all our demands will be considered," said the president of the ARD, Dr Shiv Soni.

?We are also taking measures to decongest the Emergency. An electronic board has also been set up for communicating with patients at the Emergency," said official spokesperson for the PGI Manju Wadwalkar.

Miffed over the apathy of the PGIMER authorities towards handling the patient rush at the PGIMER Emergency and improving the staff strength, the ARD had started its protest last Monday by wearing 
black badges.

The chaotic environment in the Emergency area only adds to the pain and discomfort of the patients and their attendants who are already under extreme pressure due to their illnesses, the doctors had complained.

They also pointed out that there was no triage facility at the Emergency. There is absence of adequate monitoring devices, oxygen cylinders, piped oxygen, functioning suction ports, essential medications and other consumables along with malfunctioning laryngoscopes and BP instruments, they said.

The ARD had first approached the PGI Administration on August 27 with a list of the above demands. Apart from verbal assurances, the association has not been provided a resolution or a written statement of the administration's response to these demands, much less a time frame for the implementation of the same, they said.

They then took out a march on September 5. 

Chandigarh, September 10
It's not for the first time Sub-Inspector (SI) Harinder Singh Sekhon has courted a controversy. Sekhon, who has been sent to the Police Lines for his alleged involvement in a brawl outside a discotheque in Sector 35 over a month ago, was put under suspension in August, 2008, for his alleged involvement in a high-profile drug-peddling racket in the city.

Sekhon, along with four other policemen, was suspended following a communication of former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Zonal Director Saji Mohan. The NCB had arrested local drug peddler Harpal Singh, alias Raju, in July 2008. Raju had alleged he was enjoying the patronage of the Chandigarh police.

The UT police, after a departmental inquiry, gave a clean chit to Sekhon and other police personnel after the charges of their alleged nexus with an active drug mafia in the city could not be established. Interestingly, a few months later in January 2009, the Saji Mohan himself was arrested in Mumbai with 12 kg heroin.

Sekhon, who carries a stud image in the Chandigarh police, was recently in the news for walking the ramp in a fashion show held in New Delhi last month. 

Chandigarh, September 10
Despite instructions from the senior officials of the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) not to ask the beneficiaries of the Small Flat Scheme 2006 for an NOC from the Electricity Department, the officials manning the public counters at a special camp being held at the CHB office are still insisting for the document. Before handing over allotment letters of the one-room tenements, the beneficiaries are being asked to furnish the NOC.

It may be mentioned that the Secretary of the CHB, Mandeep Kaur, has clarified that barring a few cases of the beneficiaries of Sector 52, there was no need to ask for an NOC of the Electricity Department. She said the matter pertained to the allotment of the flats and they were making all efforts to do so.

Meanwhile, the employee manning the counters said the Electricity Department, while sending the complete record of the erring slum dwellers, has sought that the dues be settled by the CHB before handing over the allotment letters. There are around 3,300 persons of Colony No. 5 who have not cleared their electricity dues. Electricity dues worth more than Rs 1 crore were to be cleared by slum dwellers.

Security drill for PM's visit

In view of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to the city on September 14, the NGS commandos have been deployed on the one-room tenement complex at Dhanas. The entire complex would be sealed on September 12. Around 300 special commandos would proved security to the Prime Minister and other dignitaries on the day of the event. The CHB has been asked to handover the keys of all the flats before the Prime Minister's visit. A special weather-proof tent has been pitched at the site. The Engineering Department has recarpeted all the roads in and around Dhanas. 

Chandigarh, September 10
While the MC is all set to spend Rs 15 lakh on the ‘wasteful’ study tour of 20 councillors and five officials in Kerala and Tamil Nadu on September 18, the families of those who died in accidents involving stray cattle state that such tours are not study tours but leisure and pleasure tours.

The members of the affected families said instead of wasting public money, the Mayor, councillors and officials should first solve city problems like stray cattle menace, which claims three lives recently.

Ashwini of Sector 49, whose brother Avinash had been killed in an accident involving a stray animal, said still stray cattle were roaming on the city roads but the Mayor and councillors were interested in study tours. It would have been better if they had left for tour after solving the stray cattle problem, he added.

The family of 33-year-old Harpreet Singh Sodhi, a resident of Sector 45-C, who had died in an accident on April 6, feels that the MC should not waste public money on such tours.

Harpreet's wife Gurpreet Kaur said while on one hand the Mayor and councillors claimed that there was no special fund with the MC to help her family, on the other they are spending Rs 15 lakh on such wasteful tours.

“With these Rs 15 lakh, the MC can help the families who had lost their members in accidents involving stray cattle. It shows how non-seriousness the MC is when it comes to helping the affected families.” she adds.

Mayor, officials visit Mumbai

City Mayor Subhash Chawla, Leader of the Opposition Arun Sood, Congress councillor Pardeep Chhabra and MC officials on Tuesday went to Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, to study a food-processing plant that produces methane gas. MC Commissioner Vivek Pratap Singh said they were finding it difficult to dispose of horticulture waste and waste generated from the hotel industry. The councillors and officials would submit their report to the MC, he added. 

BJP-SAD councillors have 'double standard'

While state BJP president Sanjay Tandon had criticised such study tours and demanded that special discussions should take place before finalising such tours, some of the BJP-SAD councillors have given their verbal consent for the study tour. A BJP councillor is trying to convince all the BJP-SAD councillors to be part of the study tour. Earlier, the same BJP councillor was demanding a special meeting on study tours before finalising the programme.

Nominated councillor convincing others

Like the BJP and the SAD, a nominated councillor has been assigned the task of convincing all the nine nominated councillors to be part of the study tour. In the past, many nominated councillors had raised their voice against such "wasteful" tours. 

Panchkula, September 10
Farmers’ protest snarled up the traffic for the second consecutive day in Panchkula as around 2,000 farmers from across the state tried to lay siege to the Vidhan Sabha this afternoon.

Despite a huge posse of police present to tackle the situation, commuters were stuck in traffic jams, especially in the afternoon hours at the Sector 17/18 roundabout.

The farmers were to gherao the Vidhan Sabha, demanding an exemption from paying loans. The protestors were stopped by the police force near the Housing Board chowk and not allowed to go further.

Women commandos were also witnessed at the MDC T-point, but they were mere spectators. During the agitation, an elderly farmer fell unconscious. Officials present there took a lot of time to get water for him.

Chandigarh, September 10
The newly elected Panjab University Campus Student Council (PUCSC) president, Chandan Rana, was given a clean chit by the university authorities with regard to the complaints of rigging and Lyngdoh violations against him. The candidate playing safe during the inquiry claimed to have contested the elections independently, following which the allegations of Lyngdoh violations could not be proved against him.

Dean Students Welfare (DSW) Navdeep Goyal said the complaint was against the NSUI group. However, the candidate claimed to have contested the elections independently.

“There was no complaint against the candidate in person and it was the group that was named in the complaint,” the DSW said.

PU officials said the ballot papers neither refer to any group such as NSUI, PUSU, SOPU, INSO, ABVP, etc., nor any election symbol was allotted to any group. Also, there is no such provisioned in the university calendar.

The officials said the two elected candidates on the post of the Vice-President and the Secretary during the inquiry had also claimed to have contested the elections independently.

The PU officials said the Grievances Redressal Cell (GRC) today held a meeting and discussed the complaint lodged by some of the student groups.

“All the student groups were told that they could approach the Grievances Redressal Cell if they had any evidence in support of their allegations. But, no such corroborative evidence was provided by any group or the complainant within the specified time limit for a collective representation,” said a member of the grievance committee.

The PU officials said the six-member committee took a holistic and objective view of the facts on record. After an objective analysis of various complaints and explanations, the cell unanimously decided that no specific allegations had been levelled against the elected candidates.

“The complainants could not provide any corroborative and clinching evidence like the required bills or orders, etc., in support of their allegations,” the officials said.

They said it was observed that everything was in order and no polling agent had either lodged any complaint with regard to the alleged violations or allegations of rigging.

The complaints were found to be too generalised and remain unsubstantiated in spite of the additional time and opportunity afforded to the complainants by the GRC for doing the same. The grievances cell dismissed all the complaints and the election to the elected candidates is upheld unanimously.

Celebration time

In the evening, supporters of Chandan Rana celebrated the win by dancing on the beats of ‘dhol’ at the Student Centre.

Chandigarh, September 10
Tension between NSUI supporters and different student parties, who had complained of rigging during the recently held student elections, kept the police and the university authorities on their toes during the elections to five executive committee members elected among the department representatives (DRs).

The members of both the parties reached the Student Centre where the elections were supposed to be held and entered into an altercation. The elections for the executive committee were supposed to start at 3 pm. However, owing to the tension between both the parties and the delay in the arrival of the elected DRs, the university officials waited for over one-and-a-half hour before holding the elections.

The supporters belonging to the NSUI and the joint action committee comprising parties like PUSU, SOPU, ABVP, INSO, HAS exchanged heated arguments in the presence of the police. While NSUI supporters were segregated on one side of the student centre building, other party members were shifted to some other side.

Heavy deployment of police force was made at the Student Centre to control the crowd. PU officials also had a tough time pacifying the supporters from both the sides.

In the evening, witnessing that the situation could worsen, additional police force was sent to the spot to avoid any untoward incident.

Assuming that the student parties may enter into a clash, police force was deployed on the campus till late night to ensure peace there.

Chandigarh, September 10
Panjab University (PU) today hosted a technical meet on the ‘Role of Chemical Engineers in Defence Sector’. The meet was organised by Dr SS Bhatnagar from the University Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology (SSB UICET), under the “Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme’’ (TEQIP-II).

The director of Terminal Ballistic Research Laboratory (TBRL), Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) Dr Manjit Singh, associate director Dr Prateek Kishore, and scientist ‘F’ Dr Pramod K Soni were among the distinguished speakers. He highlighted the thrust areas for research at DRDO, which is a premier research and development organisation with more than 52 laboratories across the country, encompassing almost all research areas ranging from materials, ballistics, armaments to food technology.

Dr Prateek Kishore made an in-depth presentation on “Missile Development Programme of DRDO and its impact on Tactical and Strategic Security Environment”. — TNS

Chandigarh, September 10
The Department of Computer Science organised a seminar on diverse technologies in the area of information technology today. During the seminar, the speakers from the IT firm HCL shared their vision with students on the issue. They enlightened the students about the challenges being faced and the latest trends in IT industry.

The focus of the seminar was to make the students aware about the network programming using RHCE, MCITP, web application development using .net, PHP, hardware programming using A+ and N+, green IT, mobile application development and using android.

An online aptitude test “IT Ke Super Star” was also conducted to test the analytical skills of the students. — TNS