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City gets two new trains
Chandigarh, February 12 The demand for running a direct train to Patna from the city has not been consider by the Railway Ministry. Of the 16 trains announced in last year's budget, when local MP Pawan Kumar Bansal was the Railway Minister, though 15 are on track, the major issue of upgrading infrastructure, setting up IT industry on railway land and a training centre for the youth are yet to take shape. Expressing satisfaction over the announcement of a semi-high speed train project between Chandigarh and Delhi, a city resident, Kapila Dutta, said he hoped the project did not hang fire like other projects. According to the announcement made by Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge, the possibility of running a semi-high speed project (160 to 200 km per hour) on the existing route from Chandigarh to Delhi would be explored by the Railways. A senior railway official said at present trains were running at a speed of around 110 km per hour and to adopt the semi-high speed project, the authorities would have to strengthen the tracks. He said once the project was implemented, the travel time from Chandigarh to Delhi would be around two hours.
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MC acts tough, to attach property of tax defaulters
Chandigarh, February 12 The Joint Commissioner said the order had been passed to attach Plot No. 73, Industrial Area, Phase I, as property tax of Rs 1.70 lakh had not been paid by the owner. “The MC staff concerned has been directed to seal the property,” Gupta said. The Joint Commissioner said the owner of the property, Amarjeet Singh, and others failed to appear for personal hearing at the MC several times following which the property was attached. The decision to attach the property had been taken under Section 138/2 of the Punjab Municipal Act (implemented in Chandigarh) which states that "any sum due on account of tax payable under this Act may be recovered, together with the costs of recovery, by the attachment and sale of a defaulter’s immovable property". Gupta said a list of 40 more defaulters had also been prepared who had failed to appear for personal hearings. “The properties of the defaulters will be attached in the coming weeks,” Gupta said.The commercial property tax is one of the main sources of income of the MC. There are over 2,200 defaulters who have not paid property tax, amounting to several crores, ever since the tax was introduced in 2004. Lack of stringent action against the defaulters and an outdated collection system were resulting in revenue loss to the civic body. 40 properties to be attached In the coming weeks, the civic body plans to attach around 40 properties of the defaulters who have failed to pay commercial property tax .
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Man held guilty of raping daughter
Panchkula, February 12 The accused, Uma Shankar, a resident of Fatehpur village in Sector 20, was arrested in August last year for raping his eldest daughter. The victim was rescued by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) after it received a letter from her regarding the crime. Shankar was booked under Section 376 (rape) of the IPC. The quantum of sentence will be pronounced tomorrow. The victim had recorded her statement before the magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC and before the police under Section 161
The public prosecutor had moved an application for treating the panel of advocates of the DLSA, which initiated the case, as material evidence. The application was allowed. Advocates Manbir Singh Rathi and Shalender Kaur of the DLSA had given evidence before the court stating that they received a letter from the victim that she was being repeatedly raped by her father for the past five years. As Shankar was trying the exploit her sister also, the victim decided to write to the DLSA for help. In August 2013, the DLSA had gone to the victim's residence after informing the police about the incident. The SHO of the Sector 20 police station and the Deputy Commissioner of Police also reached there and recorded the victim's statement. She had told them that after her mother went out for work, her father used
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Minutes of CHB meeting tampered with
Chandigarh, February 12 The add-ons made in the minutes of the meeting of the board of members of the CHB, held in September last year, has increased the fiscal liability of the board. The CHB authorities have initiated a probe into the matter to find out how the changes were made before sending the minutes for approval of the Chandigarh Administration. The glaring anomaly came to light when the approved minutes were circulated among board officials. CHB Chairman Satya Gopal said the matter was being probed to arrive at the truth. According to the terms and conditions agreed upon by the Administration, the CHB authorities and the CHB Employees Union, the board was to contribute Rs 125 crore for the pension scheme while the EPF contribution of the employees was to be diverted for the purpose. In all, around 500 employees are to get pension. Sources said the clause that the board would contribute to the pension scheme from its profit was the bone of contention. Incidentally, the profit of the board was dipping as there was no auction of the past five years.
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Probe report bares the ugly side of Football and Hockey Academy
Chandigarh, February 12 In October 2013, former Sports Secretary-cum-Finance Secretary VK Singh had marked an inquiry following serious allegations by parents against officials of the UT Sports Department. Primarily, the complaint was regarding the age determination test of players. However, during the inquiry, several other loopholes came to light. The report has stated that the academy "suffers from both systemic and self-centered problems". The report has highlighted the approach of the Joint Director, Sports, in running the academy and has blamed him for adopting a self-centered approach. It has mentioned that the Joint Director, Sports, should not handle the academy single-handedly. "Multiple cases of interference by the Joint Director in the induction of players, adopting a pick-and-choose policy in expelling players on the age criterion as well as in the selection of districts and centers for conducting trails have come to light. The coaches are rarely consulted by the Joint Director," the report states. "He often issues show-cause notices and transfers or humiliates coaches who raise their voice against him," the report states. Substandard material The report has also made a mention of studs (football shoes) of size 10. Footballs, kits of players and the kit of the hockey goalkeeper were found to be of poor quality. Suggestions given in the report *
Coaches should be involved in the process of selection, planning, training and exposure programmes for players. *
The Joint Director, Sports, should not be an autocrat. * Players should be provided quality sports equipment after consulting coaches.
Age determination The report has suggested that on the issue of age determination, the benefit of the doubt should be given to the players. They should be admitted to the academy rather than being rejected. Poor condition of rooms The SDM has also highlighted the bad condition of hostels where the players live. Most of the rooms are damp and the washrooms not properly maintained. Almirahs in the rooms were found broken.
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Construction work on Jagatpura bridge to begin in two days: DC
Mohali, February 12 He said all formalities had been completed in this regard. “The tender was passed and a sum of Rs 3.40 crores was allotted for the project,” said Sidhu, adding that the new bridge will be completed within six months. Notably, almost four months have passed when the administration had stopped using the old bridge over the ‘nulla’, seeing its dilapidated condition, in the first week of October, last year. Since then the residents of Jagatpura and nearby villages were facing lot of difficulties to reach Chandigarh and Mohali, which is on the other side of the ‘nullah’. Though the administration had constructed a makeshift soiled bridge to facilitate the commuters and light vehicles, the residents of Jagatpura started constructing a bridge along the original site in January after collecting funds from the people. “Our bridge is close to completion and would be thrown open soon,” claimed the residents. On the other hand, the administration issued a caution not to use the bridge constructed by the residents. “That bridge is unsafe as per our experts,” claimed the deputy commissioner. “I cautioned the people, especially the four-wheelers not to use the bridge as it is unsafe,” said Sidhu.
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3 left in fray for post of president
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 12 On the last day of filing of nominations, former CBM president Charanjiv Singh and general secretary Anil Vohra filed their nominations. On February 10, Ravi Prakash Kansal had filed his nomination. Grain Market Association chief Bhim Sein Garg proposed Charanjiv's nomination and it was seconded by Naresh Mahajan, the president Sector 23 Market Association. Later, Anil Vohra also filed his nomination papers. Chairman of the Election Committee Satpal Gupta today announced the code of conduct, which will remain in force till February 21.
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British MP visits skill development centre
Mohali, February 12 She praised the facility created in collaboration between European car company Volkswagen and the Rayat Bahra group for training semi-literate unemployed youth in the latest car technologies. She said such centres could help to curb the problem of unemployment in developing economies like India. She interacted with the students undergoing training at the skill development centre and the faculty provided for the purpose by leading automobile companies of the country. She said the training provided by multinational companies like Volkswagen at such centres could help
Indian youth in getting employment in Western countries. The skill development centre at Kharar had been recognised by the AICTE for imparting academic and vocational training to help semi-skilled labour to acquire formal degrees in auto-electrical and electronics.
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Modi’s ‘Chai pe charcha’ draws tepid response in city
Chandigarh, February 12 Merely 50-60 people attended the main programme organised at Hariyali Dhaba in Sector 34 for two-way communication with Modi on good governance. The majority of them were either BJP workers or mediapersons. Only BJP President Sanjay Tandon and some BJP workers were present at the end of the programme. Gurdarshan Singh, one of the participants, said the voice was not clear and the television screen should have been installed outside as seating arrangements were not adequate inside the eatery. Shivram Yadav, a rickshaw puller, who stayed at the venue for full two hours, from 6 pm to 8 pm, too lamented the poor seating arrangements. BJP leaders stood in front of the screen, which hindered the view, and the audio quality was also poor, he said. Representatives of the Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG), the organisers, said there were some restrictions on installation of the television screen in the open. The response was equally poor at four other places where the 'Chai pe charcha' was held, including Khudda Lahora near PGIMER, Unique Food Shop at Sector 34, Dayaram Yadav Tea Stall at Sector 47 and Shambhu Tea stall at Sector 40. Earlier, the organisers had decided that only one person from Chandigarh would give a suggestion to Modi. Sushil Jain, a member of the BJP's trader cell, was shortlisted but when he started giving suggestions on good governance, the signal went off.
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Eco-sensitive tag for bird sanctuary
Chandigarh, February 12 The sanctuary, also known as Parrot Park, is spread over an area of 1.8 hectares in the heart of a bustling residential area in Sector 21.The decision was taken during a meeting between officials of the ministry and the UT Administration in New Delhi. Confirming the development, UT’s Chief Conservator of Forests-cum-Environment director, Santosh Kumar, said, “The ministry has approved the proposal wherein restrictions were imposed on activities such as bursting of fire crackers, no-honking zone within 100 metres from the sanctuary’s boundary on all sides.” “Activities such as new construction, digging of deep bore wells, expansion of the road outside the sanctuary and mining would not be permitted within 100 metres from the sanctuary’s boundary,” said Kumar. Officials of the UT Forest Department said the population of parrots inhabiting the sanctuary a decade ago was more than 10,000, but now, it was around 2,000. Besides parrot, a large number of woodpeckers, owls, sparrows, pigeons etc also dwell here. The officials claimed that the declining population of parrots was due to the high levels of noise pollution in the residential area. Noise pollution has been a major cause for the decline in the population of birds in the last 10 years. The sanctuary was set up in the 1980s and was first noticed by the UT Forest and Wildlife Department in the 1990s. The department named it Bird Sanctuary in 1998 and also marked a specified area for it. The sanctuary is governed by the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
No decision on ESZ around Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary With Haryana yet to identify eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) around the area falling under its jurisdiction, no decision could be taken on the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary. Ministry officials on Wednesday directed Haryana to submit its proposal at the earliest. Sources said in the coming days, Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh will hold a meeting on the issue. Last year, Chandigarh had submitted its proposal to identify an area ranging from 2 km to 2.75 km around the sanctuary as ESZ. Of the total catchment area of Sukhna Lake, 29 sq km falls in Chandigarh, while 10.22 sq km is in Haryana and 2.77 sq km is under the jurisdiction of Punjab.
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Residents face trouble in getting HSRPs
Mohali, February 12
They complain that they have to wait for hours for getting the job done. The worst affected are women and senior citizens as there are no separate queues for them. Some of them complain that their “whole day is wasted” in the punishing exercise. Vehicle owners say that first they have to fill a form and then stand in a queue at the district administrative complex in Phase I for depositing the HSRP fee. This takes up a lot of time as the queue is often long. After getting the customer’s copy of the fee deposit receipt, they are told to come after 10 or 15 days, depending on whether the vehicle is a four-wheeler a two-wheeler. Manjeet Singh of Kharar complained that he had come at 9 am to get the HSRP affixed to his vehicle but had to wait for several hours to get the new registration plate. Later, he had to again stand in a queue to get the sticker of the laser branded identification number. He said his work was completed only around 2 pm. He said people were sometimes seen quarrelling with the employees concerned at the HSRP affixing location in Phase VIII. Tempers often ran high when the employees tried to oblige someone, making those in the queue wait even longer. District Transport Officer Karan Singh said a schedule based on registration numbers for getting HSRPs affixed was made public but residents did not act accordingly. Most people tended to do their work at the last minute which leads to a rush. Owing to shortage of space at the Phase VIII location too many counters cannot be put up. He said he had directed his gunman to help women and senior citizens.
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Postal services hit as staff go on two-day strike
Chandigarh, February 12 Around 1200 employees working in the 40 post offices of the city went on strike today. Around 1500 employees of the postal, income tax, central excise, central ground water board and survey of India departments are observing two-day strike. General Post Office Association general secretary Raspal Singh said no mail was distributed in the city today. Even the urgent office works also suffered due to strike. He said about 90 per cent of the employees of the rail mail service were also on strike. Raspal Singh said the majority of the postal offices located in the market places of the city were also closed. Merely seven daily-wagers were to manage the distribution of posts of the whole city today. The president of the body, Rajiv Kaushal, said Groups C and D employees had joined the strike. The government was not accepting their long-pending demands. Therefore, they went on strike, he said. Employees demanded revised wages for the central government employees with effect from January 1, 2014. They also demanded that the wages should be revised every five years. Their other demands included removing the restriction imposed on appointments on compassionate grounds and filling vacancies. The Income Tax Employees’ Federation claimed that all the 260 Group C and D employees went on strike in support of their demands. The Central Underground Water Board Employees’ Association also supported the strike.
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Chandigarh, February 12 Jail officials said the strike had ended but the inmates were clearly told that their demand was not justified. They were told that the norms will be followed before issuing parole. Proper verification is needed before letting off the convicts, so that they can be tracked. The officials said the reason given by an inmate seeking parole would be verified from the area concerned before release. — TNS
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AAP interviews ticket aspirants for city LS seat
Chandigarh, February 12 AAP senior leaders at Delhi interviewed seven ticket aspirants from the city, namely HK Arora, a businessman, Ram Lakhan Mittal Kasiwal, an advocate, Prof KK Garg of Punjab Engineering College, Meena Sharma, who runs an NGO, Palwinder Singh Bajwa, a Sector-18 resident, Munish Raizada, an NRI, and Pawan Handa. Sources said more interviews of ticket aspirants were likely. Party may field Kapil Dev Sources said senior AAP leadership was planning to field cricketer Kapil Dev for the seat. A senior party leader said though Kapil Dev has not evinced interest in joining the AAP or contesting on the AAP ticket from Chandigarh, some party leaders and workers in the city want the AAP to field Kapil Dev. — TNS
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Rock Garden in need of repairs
The world-famous Rock Garden is in need of urgent upgrade. This could be attributed to the civic body’s apathy. Though many works —installation of CCTV cameras, dustbins, artistic walls, raising of compound walls, beautifying the art gallery, furnishing the hall, glazing of the verandah and extension of the director’s office room — have been approved, they are yet to see the light of the day. The visitors have often complained about the lack of cleanliness and stench emanating from the washrooms on the premises. With the Rock Garden being an iconic landmark and a major tourist destination, the authorities concerned should look into the issue at the earliest. Vineet Kapoor, Panchkula Spurt in snatching cases
There has been a considerable spurt in the number of snatching cases in the city. The scenario has worsened to such an extent that snatchers are blatantly targeting women in broad daylight. Pedestrians, particularly women, feel unsafe on the roads. To keep the snatchers at bay, women should not wear gold jewellery and carry money or mobile phones in their bags. Women should remain cautious when venturing out. In case of an emergency, they should raise an alarm and note down the registration number of the vehicle. The police should be deployed in civil clothes at vulnerable spots to deal with the problem. People should also remain vigilant and take initiatives to curb snatching cases. Dr Shruti K Chawla,
Chandigarh
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the tribune cognizance scrapbook competition 2013 Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 12 The jury—Shashi Banerjee of Bhavan Vidyalaya, Panchkula; Ranjeet Bedi of Gian Jyoti Global School, Mohali; Monika Chawla, principal, St Joseph’s Senior Secondary School, Chandigarh; Taruna Vashisht, principal, Bhavan Vidyalaya, Chandigarh; Vandana Saxena, principal, Tribune Model School, Chandigarh; Reema Dewan, principal, Delhi Public School, Chandigarh; and Harpreet Taneja of Garden Valley International School, Machhiwara—were the guests of honour. The Tribune felicitated them for the time and energy they spent on judging the best scrapbooks out of the thousands that were received by the organisation from various cities. The students who received the first prize are Pramiti Kaur (Class V) of Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, Chandigarh; Ujjwal Sood (Class VI) of St John’s High School, Chandigarh; Anuj Kalsi (Class VII) of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Mani Majra; Ekampreet Kaur (Class VIII) of Garden Valley International School, Machhiwara; Navkaran Singh (Class IX) of BCM Arya Model Senior Secondary School, Ludhiana; and Rahat Kaur (Class X) of The Senior Study-II, Amritsar. The second-prize winners are Anushka Sharma (Class V) of Little Flower Convent School, Panchkula; Sukhdeep Singh (Class VI) of GGSVM Senior Secondary School, Ratwara Sahib; Mankeerat Narang (Class VII) of YPS, Mohali; Prakriti Vohra (Class VIII) of DAV School, Mohali; Dyuti (Class IX) of Delhi Public School, Chandigarh; and Gursimran Kaur (Class X) of St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar. The third prize went to Gurjot Singh (Class V) of Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School, Amritsar; Jasnoor Kalsi (Class VI) of DAV Public School, Ludhiana; Sahibnoor, (Class VII) of St Anne’s Convent School, Chandigarh; Gursimran (Class VIII) of Lord Mahavir Jain Public School, Ambala; Diksha Sapra (Class IX) of Guru Harkrishan Senior Secondary School, Amritsar; and Suman (Class X) of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Chandigarh. The students who got the fourth prize are Prabhjot Kaur (Class V) of GGSVM Senior Secondary School, Ratwara Sahib; Esha Jain (Class VI) of Kundan Vidya Mandir, Ludhiana; Divya Sharma (Class VII) of Edustar Adarsh Senior Secondary School, Kurali; Jaiyta (Class VIII) of Carmel Convent School, Chandigarh; Mansi (Class IX) of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Mani Majra; and Harshita Jain (Class X) of DAV Public School, Ludhiana. The Tribune’s national head of circulation, Ameet Sharma, and head, circulation, Mukesh Kalkoti, along with other representatives of the organisation, distributed the prizes. A cultural programme was also organised on the occasion. A dance performance by the group Confused Beat Crew, headed by Naveen Arya, was the highlight of the day. A solo dance performance on the song “Mera Joota Hai Japani” by Manishikha of Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, Sector 26, was also enjoyed by the gathering. “Shiv Vandana” by Kaosheen of Sacred Heart School and bhangra by students of St Joseph’s Senior Secondary School, Sector 44, kept the audience spellbound. The event was compered by Purnima Prakash and Rajesh Ahuja.
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Give admission to petitioner by Feb 17, GMCH-32 told
Chandigarh, February 12 The petitioner, Jasmine Kaur, was seeking admission to the MBBS course in the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, under the NRI quota. She had earlier challenged the definition of "Non-Resident Indian" to the extent it required the parents or grandparents of the candidate to own immovable property in their name in the city for at least past five years. The petition was partly allowed vide judgment dated September 27, 2013, whereby the condition was held to be unconstitutional. Her claim for admission, however, was disallowed. Aggrieved, she filed an appeal seeking admission to the MBBS course in the current academic session under the NRI quota. The appeal was allowed vide judgment dated January 13. Jasmine Kaur submitted the certified copy of the judgment along with the fee payable by an NRI candidate. The demand draft, however, was returned by the Chandigarh Administration and the Director Principal. Following this, Jasmine Kaur filed a contempt petition before the High Court, which was listed before Justice Grover. High Court acting on contempt petition The petitioner is seeking admission to the MBBS course under the NRI quota. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had allowed her previous appeal. She, however, was denied admission. Following this, she filed a contempt petition.
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One Billion Rising gains momentum
Students take part in a flash mob at the PGGCG-42 in Chandigarh on Wednesday. Tribune photo: S Chandan
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190 units of blood donated
Chandigarh, February 12 More than 190 units of blood were donated by the staff and students with the help of a team of doctors from the PGI. Principal Dr JS Raghu, who inaugurated the camp, appreciated the youngsters for coming forward in large numbers for the noble cause. RP Kaushik, a faculty member, donated blood for the forty-ninth time.
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Students root for women empowerment
Chandigarh: St Teresa Convent School organised various activities for the students. The Class I students recited poems on "Nari Shakti". Students of Class II expressed their views on the same topic during declamation. The Class III and IV students wrote essays on woman empowerment. Save oil, urge children Oil Conservation Week was celebrated at Government High School, Hallo Majra. A rally was organised by Eco Club of the school. Students made various informative posters on ways to conserve oil. The rally was flagged off by the headmaster. Cross-country held A cross-country run was organised at Kids-R-Kids School. Children held placards promoting the "TEAM--Together Everyone Achieves More" spirit. The event aimed at urging people to take part in the democratic process by voting in the upcoming elections. Anmol shines in poetry Anmol Prashar, a Class X student of Banyan Tree School, secured the second position at an inter-school creative writing competition held at DAV School, Sector 8. Many students from various schools of the tricity took part in the event. Anmol was awarded for writing a poem on the spot. Saupin's students win Prabhnoor Kaur of Saupin's School, Sector 32, won the first prize in English poetry writing competition organised by the Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi. Noopur, meanwhile, bagged third prize in Hindi poetry writing. Noopur also won a consolation prize in the Essay Contest and Symposium on Swami Vivekananda. Students' council inducted Panchkula: Bhavan Vidyalaya held its investiture ceremony in the school auditorium. The new students' council was inducted on the occasion. The ceremony commenced with the lighting of the lamp by principal Dr Shashi Bannerjee. Children exhibit talents Mohali: Senior and junior club competitions were held at St Soldier School. The event aimed at harnessing the hidden talents of the students. The clubs provide a platform to the students to explore and exhibit their potential to the fullest, said the school authorities. Tiny tots enact stories A story-telling competition was held at BMD Public School, Sector 63. Tiny tots of the nursery wing enacted stories both in English and Hindi. Principal Navneet Kaur appreciated their effort. — TNS
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MBBS students stage protest
Chandigarh, February 12 According to a recent decision, an MBBS one-year internship has been extended to two-years and the students will also have to serve in rural area for one-year. Akash Deep Singh, an MBBS student, who was among the protestors stated that at the time of admission the course was of five and half years and suddenly the MCI had decided to extend the duration of the course, which is unfair as nobody had a clue that the degree will be prolonged. Another student stated that as compared to other undergraduate professional courses MBBS would be the longest. “The MCI will have to revert their decision or else we will intensity the protest,” he added. GMCH-32 students expected to get support from other medical students studying in the vicinity of Chandigarh. Tejasav Sehrawat, another MBBS student, stated if the government is going to extend the course then many students who are still in school and aspire to be a doctor will plan to join other professions that are more lucrative and of relatively short period. “The decision is going to discourage many medical students as spending over 7 years for a MBBS degree, which till now could have been procured in 5 years is illogical,” he said. The doctors practicing in the city also believe that the decision is going to affect the number of students planning to join medical field.
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This revelations have been made in a fact-finding report submitted recently to the Chandigarh Administration by the Subdivisional Magistrate (South).
Chandigarh, February 12