Chandigarh, May 23
The Punjab Governor and UT Administrator, Lieut-Gen J.F.R. Jacob (retd), today asked the Department of Architecture to finalise the plan for an additional block of Sector 16 General Hospital within 15 days so that construction of the new block could be started at the earliest.

General Jacob issued these orders after inaugurating the emergency operation theatre, emergency x-ray room and emergency clinical laboratory at the hospital to make the trauma and emergency wards a self-sufficient unit.

The Administrator said load of patients at the hospital was maximum and we have to take measures to handle the situation arising in the future also. General Jacob asked the Department of Architecture to plan for seven storeyed building but the construction in the first phase should be only upto four storeys.

General Jacob said the new block should have OPD facilities at the ground floor, operation theatre at the 1st Floor and at least 80 beds on 1st and 2nd floor. General Jacob also asked the Adviser, Ms Neeru Nanda, to plan for another General Hospital in the Phase–III sectors in the next five year plan and earmarked the funds for the same.

The Director Health Services, Mr Rameshwar Chander, informed the Governor that tender for the CT scan have been flouted and negotiations were on with the parties to finalise the tender so that CT scan could be installed at the hospital at the earliest. Earlier, General Jacob inaugurated Rs 35 lakh project of operation theatre, X-ray lab, and clinical laboratory at the emergency ward of the hospital.

The Governor also inaugurated the Vermiculture Project to manage the bio-medical waste of the hospital. He appreciated the concept and plan of the project initiated by Ms Neeru Nanda. General Jacob said that NGOs should be involved in this project to make it a success. General Jacob asked the Adviser to explore the possibility of starting such projects in other hospitals of the city also.

Chandigarh, May 23
In a significant move the Chandigarh Administration today notified rates to convert shops-cum-offices and shops-cum-flats (SCOs and SCFs) for more intensive use as shopping plazas and restaurants.

However, the owner shall have to remain within the zoning plans and laid down building by laws. Permission for conversion of trade will have to be obtained, where necessary.

The entire covered area proposed to be converted on the concerned floor shall be charged. In case the entire floor is not to be converted, the proportionate area of stairway, landing etc., shall be charged. In case of SCFs the above charges shall be in addition to any charges for converting the flats from residential use to commercial use.

The use of upper floor office space for purposes such as lodging house, guest house or hotel, excluding any restaurant, dining room or banquet facility, shall be considered to be of the same intensity as office use, shall be allowed without any charge, subject to the building by-laws and zoning plan and an application being made in this regard to the Estate Officer.

The Administration also allowed erection of partitions in multibay ground floor shops for the purpose of independent usage of each partitioned in accordance with the building by-laws on payment of charges as follows : Sector 17, Sector 34 and all shops along V-2 and V-3 roads — 100/- per sq. ft; Other locations in Chandigarh — Rs 80/- per sq. ft.

The entire ground floor covered area shall be charged. However, the Administration clarified, partitions required for the needs of a single user of the entire ground floor space such as office, bank, departmental store etc. shall not be subject to the above charges.

It was further clarified that the above charges are payable for relaxation/composition under the building bylaws. The declaration of a commercial building by sub-dividing it into apartments shall have to be undertaken separately as per the procedure and charges specified under the Chandigarh Apartment Rules, 2001.

The relaxation of building by-laws in commercial sites in Sector-7, Sector 15 and Sector 26 (including Grain Market) shall be allowed upon payment of charges determined at the rate of Rs. 2000/- per sq. yard of the area of the site.

Payment of charges to be made as per this order shall be as follows: 20 per cent alongwith the application submitted to the Estate Officer. Balance within 30 days of the issue of permission by the Estate Officer or in 4 annual equated instalments with interest at 10 per cent per annum, compounded annually.

Chandigarh, May 23
Orders to cancel the bar licence of a Sector 35 hotel, Monarch, was reportedly issued this evening following alleged underpricing of liquor and sales being made at costs lower than even the landed cost of liquor.

The low costs advertised by the hotel made the Excise Department sit up and solve the mystery as to how the hotel was selling liquor below the rates it was costing liquor vend owners. The bar licensees have to pay Rs 75 per bottle as assessment fee to the Administration.