SPORT

Shiva Sangwan makes it to two finals
Our Sports Reporters

Chandigarh, March 28
Shiva Sangwan made it to two finals in the under-10 and under-12 sections of the CLTA monthly tennis tournaments played here at the CLTA courts, Sector 10. In girls under 16, Neha Singh takes on another spirited city player, Satvika Saboo, in the final to be held tomorrow.

Results, all semi-finals: Boys under 10: Chaitanya b Amit Chauhan 9-6; Shiva Sangwan b Chaitanya 9-6;

Under12: Vijayant Malik b Andrew Roy 9-0; Shiva Sangwan b Dipender Singh 9-4;

Under 14; Sanam K. Singh b Manjot Singh 9-1; Dilpreet Singh b Simervir 9-3. Under 16; Harneet Singh b Karan Patnaik 9-3; Jitin Bishnoi b Simranjit Cheema 9-5.

Girls; under-12: Taskeen Bains b Nimisha 9-0; Mehak Singh b Hana Kumar 9-4.

Under 16; Neha Singh b Gungeet Bains 9-0; Satvika Saboo b Simer Singh 9-1.

PU employees’ festival

The 10th Physical Fitness Festival for Panjab University Employees began here today at university grounds, with events organised in cricket, football, volleyball, tug of war and athletics categories.

Results: Science department b Arts department by six wickets. Brief scores; Arts deptt- 102 runs for nine wickets in 20 overs :Science deptt; 103 runs for four wickets in 13 overs.

Volleyball: Science deptt. b Administrative office 2-0 at 25-23, 25-19.

Football; Science deptt b Administrative office 9-0.

Schedule revised

The UT Cricket Association has revised the schedule of some of the matches in the ongoing UT summer league cricket meet, as the ground of the Punjab Engineering College was not available for almost a month due to the forthcoming examinations.

According to Mr S.S. Bawa, Secretary of the UT Cricket Association, the ‘A’ division match between Industrial Cricket Club and Chetna Cricket club which was to be held on March 31, will now be held on April 29 at the same venue. The other teams affected due to the above change are, Punjab Employees, Prudential CC, Bedi XI, PGI, Elevenstar, FCI, Stadium XI, DYFI, Indo-Dutch, Phoenix XI, MSWS, City XI, Connect and HT XI. 

Panel set up on golf course
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, March 28
The task of shortlisting of parties for designing of the Golf Course, scheduled to come up in Sector 3, has been assigned to a four-member committee. This was decided at a meeting held in this regard, here today.

Comprising the Administrator, Haryana Urban Development Authority, Mr Shrikant Walgad, the other members include the senior architect, Superintending Engineer and the Chief Town Planner.

After witnessing presentations of over 15 companies, the committee will shortlist a few companies based on its requirements after which a final decision will be taken at the level of the government. 

ADMINISTRATION

Admn fails to curb power theft menace
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh March 28
Power theft continues right under the nose of the Chandigarh Administration as hundreds of kundis are putting load on the power supply system of the city. A scheme to have regular power connections in slums have failed badly as no more than 20 per cent of the jhuggis have such connections.

The scene in rehabilitation colonies is no better. Records of the latest rehabilitation colonies in Mauli Jagran and Sector 52 show that no more than 35 per cent of the residents have regular power connections. All others are using illegal power without any curbs.

Sources say the Electricity Department is turning a blind eye to the various cases of power theft. Officials are aware that no more than 1700 power connections have been released to almost 5,000 beneficiaries in these two rehabilitation colonies. No FIRs have been lodged by the police for theft of power.

Sources say the very concept of paid power is alien to them. In the past engineers have suggested that on the line of rate fixed for rehriwallahs, a flat rate be levied for jhuggi dwellers also.

On the other hand, enforcement is lax as no concerted drive has been launched to remove the kundis. Knee-jerk reactions in the past have yielded nothing. In some cases full-fledged distribution boxes and thick cables of power from the overhead lines have been found in jhuggi colonies.

Sources say in certain cases the Administration has also been delaying matters. In the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Colony residents have been wanting regular power connections but the case has become a victim of red tapism.

Encroachers challaned
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 28
In the joint drive undertaken by staff of the Municipal Corporation and the Estate Office, encroachments were removed from the verandahs outside Manchanda Book Depot and two other book shops in Sector 19 and the folding beds on which they had displayed the school bags were also confiscated.

As many as 90 challans were issued in Sector 19 and other parts of the city.

Later in the evening, the UT Adviser to the Administrator, Ms Neeru Nanda, accompanied by the MC Commissioner, Mr M.P Singh, visited the residential area in Sector 21, from where the motor mechanics had been recently removed following the Punjab and Haryana High Court directions. Though the area has been cleared off the encroachments, the mechanics pleaded before the Adviser that their work is suffering and that they should be allowed to operate from here for the next 2- 3 months till the booths are allotted to them by the Administration.

But their request was turned down and the Adviser assured them that the work of allocating booths is being pursued effectively and the same will be made available to them shortly.

Order on NOCs causing harassment
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, March 28
An order by the outgoing estate officer of the local estate office of the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) restoring powers of the assistant estate officer (AEOs) for issuing No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) in registry cases before relieving his charge is causing harassment to the applicants. The powers were withdrawn from the AEOs by the Estate Officer, Mr G.S. Ghuman in November 1998.

Sources in the estate office said the authority had given power to issue the No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) and No-Dues Certificates (NDCs) to the AEOs under the relevant provision of the Punjab Regional and Town Planning Act, 1995. The power to issue the No-Dues Certificates were transferred to the AOs. but the issuing powers for the NOCs remained with the AEOs.

When Mr Ghuman was transferred he gave back the powers to the AEOs. The sources said the AEOs concerned had reportedly asked the higher authorities for clarification on this issue. Till the issue was not clarified the work of issuing NOCs was likely to be affected. 

‘Spend before the year ends’
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 28
The last senior officers conference (SOC) of this financial year held at the UT Secretariat yesterday focused on spending of the non-plan budget and various departments were asked to spend the remaining budget as per norms before the financial year draws to a close.

The SOC was informed that about 99 per cent of the non-plan budget was spent. This was also the first SOC Ms Neeru Nanda chaired as Adviser to the Administrator. The SOC is held once in two months to review the progress of various works.

The discussions revolved round the plan and non-plan expenditures. The Joint Secretary, Finance, Mr K.A.P. Sinha, was asked to inform the Finance Secretary, Mr Rakesh Singh, on audit objections.