The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

HEALTH

98-lakh grant for Spinal Injury Centre
Tribune News Service

SAS Nagar, April 7
The Punjab Government has granted Rs 98 lakh for the Spinal Injury Centre coming up in Sector 71 here. This was announced by the Vidhan Sabha Deputy Speaker, Mr Bir Devinder Singh, during a meet-the-press programme organised by various SAS Nagar journalists’ panels here today.

Listing his achievements as MLA Kharar, Mr Bir Devinder Singh said he would continue to work for his electorate although his method of operations would have to change, following change in his position in the Vidhan Sabha. ‘‘Earlier I got a large number of positive works done by asking questions in the Assembly but now I will be continuing with my work by using other methods in tune with the demands of my Chair,’’he said.

Every phase of the township would have special locations for washermen, meat-sellers etc, he said. He also pointed out that the medical training institute in Kharar would be shifted to SAS Nagar and a new road linking Desu Majra to Kharar would be constructed, the MLA added.

Mr Bir Devinder Singh said a press club on the lines of the Chandigarh Press Club could be established in SAS Nagar provided SAS Nagar journalists united and put in a combined effort.

Stating that four new government schools would be opened in SAS Nagar, Mr Bir Devinder Singh pointed out that the Punjab School Education Board had agreed for the establishment of an Adarsh School in the township.

Answering questions, Mr Bir Devinder Singh stated that the Punjab Sports Department had decided to surrender the sports complex land opposite PCA Stadium in lieu of which 8 acres of land was being asked for from PUDA in one of the upcoming sectors in the township. He also said the Chief Minister had assured the House that Punwire employees would be taken care of by the liquidator once the liquidation process was complete.

SPORTS

Cricket tourney for under-12
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, April 7
The Chandigarh Cricket Association, affiliated with the Punjab Cricket Association, will organise the S.N. Vohra Memorial Cricket Tournament for under-12 section from tomorrow. Eight teams — MCA-A, MCA-B, St. John’s A, St. John’s B, Little Flower, Panchkula, DCCC, Panchkula, Satluj Public School and Sector 16 stadium — will take part in this five-day meet. The meet will be inaugurated by Mr Desh Prem Azad, Dronacharya awardee. The matches will begin tomorrow at 8 am.

Annual sports meet

The 23rd annual sports meet of the Dev Samaj College of Education, Sector 36, was held on the college premises here today. The meet was declared open by Ms Satinder Dhillon, Principal of the college, while Milkha Singh gave away the prizes.

Milkha Singh later shared his experiences with the students. He also inaugurated a basketball court financed under the MP Local Area Development Scheme on the college premises.

Results: 100 metres: Gurpreet Kaur 1, Harpreet Kaur 2, Aditi Bhakri 3. Tug-of-war: Section A 1, Section C 2. Sack race: Ritu Sharma 1, Manjit Kaur 2, Arvind Saini 3.

Shot put: Prerna Saini 1, Kiran Saini 2, Sunita 3. Relay race: Gurpreet, Mamta, Harpreet and Kamaldeep 1. Long jump: Neetu 1, Arpana 2, Jasveer 3.

ADMINISTRATION

Tougher law for liquor smugglers
Our Correspondent

SAS Nagar, April 7
Beware, smugglers of liquor from Chandigarh to Punjab! The law has now been made more stringent for those out to make a fast buck by such smuggling with the penalties fixed at Rs 10,000 and Rs 50,000 and even Rs 1 lakh for second and subsequent offences.

Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Jarnail Singh, Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, said smuggling of liquor from Chandigarh to Punjab had been adversely affecting the excise revenue of Punjab. Earlier, the law was a lengthy and cumbersome procedure and proved to be ineffective as a tool to check smuggling as it took years to give punishment to offenders. As such amendments had now been made in the Punjab Excise Act, 1914. A new Section — 61A — had been inserted to deal strictly with smugglers.

Mr Jarnail Singh said as per the provisions made under the newly amended Act any person possessing, carrying or transporting liquor more than the permissible limit, on which excise duty and other levies had been paid in the state of Punjab, would be liable to be penalised to the tune of Rs 10,000 by the Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner (DETC) in charge of the division.

He said any person carrying, possessing or transporting any liquor on which excise duty and other levies had not been paid to the state of Punjab would be detained along with the vehicle and the case would be forwarded along with the detained vehicle and liquor to the DETC of the division. The DETC had been empowered to impose penalty of Rs 50,000 for the first offence and Rs 1 lakh for subsequent offences. In case the penalty was not paid within one week, the vehicle would be confiscated and auctioned to realise the penalty amount within 30 days of the order. Any unrecovered penalty would be recoverable as arrears of land revenue.

Mr Jarnail Singh said in Chandigarh liquor venders indulged in unhealthy competition. They were selling liquor below the minimum sale price with a motive that maximum liquor was smuggled to Punjab.

He said liquor was quite cheap in Chandigarh as compared to Punjab as the excise duty there was low. The excise duty on a box (containing 12 bottles) of economy brand of liquor in Chandigarh was Rs 81 whereas in Punjab it was Rs 212.06.

There was a difference of Rs 12 per bottle. The excise duty on a box of deluxe brand of liquor was again Rs 81 in Chandigarh and Rs 367.31 in Punjab.

When asked why the excise duty imposed in Punjab could not be levied in Chandigarh to stop smuggling of liquor, Mr Jarnail Singh said the Punjab Government took up the case with the Chandigarh authorities every year, but no solution had yet been found.