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Cable sabotage troubles city viewers
Chandigarh, June 14 Cable network owners confirmed minor cable connection trouble in certain other areas also. Beside frequent small incidents of tampering with the cable connections, the last week of May witnessed a major sabotage in which nearly all the portions in the city and Mohali were blacked out. Though the supply was restored the following day, it continues to be irregular till this day. The ‘vandals’ tamper the optic fibre which is the lifeline for the cable network. The fibre is a very delicate component where a slight tampering can damaged the entire supply. Services of a special agency have to be engaged for the repair work. The extent of damage, as more than 10 spots were detected, was a clear indicator of the sabotage being a planned exercise. The disruption in the relay of pay channels is more pronounced since yesterday afternoon. The offices of the cable operators are flooded with complaints from the local residents, since yesterday evening. “We have no reply except telling them that we were not receiving the normal supply from the Siti Cable who were the main suppliers” said Mr Rajesh Sharma, owner of a cable network in Sector 37. Mr Sandeep Bansal, Managing Director of the Siti Cable Network, accepted the trouble in the network. “We have called for an engineer from Delhi who is looking into the trouble along with his team. The problem basically persists because of the large-scale damage to the entire network at different places”. Mr Bansal said “the network was committed for customer services. Once we have a complete report on the cable network lines, we shall rectify the errors. We will even go to the extent of replacing the entire network cable, incase necessary.” A cable operator based in Sector 38 (West) said that during the last interruption period different teams were constituted in alliance with the Siti Cable to look for trouble spots all over the city. The cables had been spoilt at more than 10 places. Mohali is connected through the supply line to Southern sectors so it invariable gets affected incase of any tampering. Mr Rohit Singh, a business executive, said “I am usually late from my office in the evenings. I like to switch on a music channel and relax for some time when I reach home. It is really very irritating from the past some time to witness blank on the screen stare at you”. It was pointed out by an operator that “the cable operators will have to organise a team to keep a tab on the cable connection. We will have to talk to police officials and explore possibilities where they can help us”. An official at the Siti Cable said the supply was normal since evening. However, the entire network, subsequently, will be scanned closely.
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Jhuggi dwellers pelt HUDA staff with stones
Panchkula, June 14 Tamil Raj, Duraiswamy, Amrik Singh, Singharam, Mani and Resham Singh were injured. Tamil Raj is admitted to the General Hospital, Panchkula, while the others were discharged. The demolition drive in Sector 20 was launched by the enforcement wing of HUDA led by five Junior Engineers at around 7.30 am today. About 30 policemen and Duty Magistrate, M.R. Marriya were also present. The drive began amid mild protests by residents and the local councillor’s husband, Mr Krishan Nanha. They claimed that there was a stay order against the demolition of 60 jhuggis but were able to produce documents for stay on two jhuggis only. Mr Nanha was accompanied by councillors from other slum areas, Mr Dalbir Singh, Mrs Kasturi Devi and Mr Gomti Prasad. When about six jhuggis had been demolished, the residents charged with lathis and began pelting stones on the HUDA staff. As the officials ran for shelter, the jhuggi dwellers charged at some of the staff members who were waiting in a tractor near the spot. The drive was stopped briefly and more police force was called. Estate Officer S.P. Arora and DSP Hemant Kalson, along with about 30 more cops, reached the spot. As the councillors intervened and claimed that there was a stay against the demolition of 60 jhuggis, HUDA officials gave them time for bringing the stay order. In the meantime, the rest of the jhuggis were demolished.
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Admn allows relaxations in hotel buildings
Chandigarh, June 14 The Hotel Association of Chandigarh has said the changes will not help as so many riders have been put. "This was impractical and done as half measure," said Mr Ashok Bansal general secretary of the association. While pointing this out he said while use of basements had been allowed but the provision it said no lifts would be allowed. How, did it matter if a lift went down into the basement , he added. Meanwhile, the Administration claimed to have made a whole lot of changes following a request by the Hotel Association of Chandigarh. The relaxations would be subject to certain conditions and would also remain within the parameters of the building byelaws. This decision was taken in a meeting held recently with the Administration and representatives of association under the chairmanship of UT Administrator, Gen. S.F. Rodrigues (retd). The Chandigarh Administration had firmly decided not to grant any permission, whatsoever, to compromise on the arrangement of light and ventilation in such buildings for the convenience of the tourists. The Chandigarh Administration had now allowed coverage of courtyard in the second floor of the hotels in various sectors subject to light and ventilation and other byelaws. Similarly glazing of compulsory verandahs on first and second floor, both on the front and rear sides of SCOs and lodging-cum-restaurant sites in Sector 22 A, B and C, along the building lines of these sites, was also allowed on the condition that it was to be converted uniformly by the entire row. Mr Bansal said this was absurd to ask the entire row to get their verandahs covered. The Chandigarh Administration had to allow bigger-sized windows on the rear façade of the hotels in Sector 35-B and C subject to concept approval and uniform adaptation by the entire row. Mr Bansal added getting an entire row of building owners to agree for such a change was impossible. In case of basements the area would be counted towards FAR. This facility would be allowed subject to the conditions that two stair cases serving as exits were provided in the basement storey, no passenger lift terminated in the basement, no kitchen, tandoor etc. was installed in the basement and conditions relating to public health, fire safety, ventilation and other such things in the architectural controls or zoning controls were observed. The provision of a cut out of the maximum size of 4'-6" x 4'-6" with a flap door on top of it within parapet height along with the provision of cat ladder would be allowed in all SCOs, SCFs, and hotel sites subject to the approval of the Chief Administrator and that the opening so created would remain within the parapet heights. The finishing of roof surface through layers of consolidated earth and coatings of bitumen would be replaceable with modem water proofing and insulation materials duly certified by BIS, subject to the prior approval. Additional advertisement space for fixing neon signboards in lodging-cum-restaurant and hotel buildings would be provided for in the architectural controls applicable to these sites, by the Department of Urban Planning. The request of the association for full coverage of basement within the plot area was under the consideration of the Administration. For the thorough examination of this request, the Administrator had directed to constitute a technical committee.
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Suicide case: boyfriend’s arrest stirs debate
Chandigarh, June 14 The Chandigarh police booked Rakesh, the boyfriend of Chandni, and Sumidha, his friend, on the charges of abetment to suicide under Section 306, IPC, yesterday. The case was registered following a statement by Nidhi Dubey, sister of Chandni, after Chandni committed suicide by drowning in the Sukhna Lake on Saturday. The SSP, Mr Gaurav Yadav, when asked on what grounds the police had registered a case against Rakesh and Sumidha, he said the proximity factor of Rakesh and Sumidha in the period preceding the suicide raise suspicion that something provocative might have happened during that time, which forced Chandni to take such an extreme step. On the basis of law, no police official could explain how Sumidha could be booked as she was just the new girlfriend of a youth. Was it not overstepping the line? Senior police officials admit in private that the case of Sumidha is being reviewed and the police had no plan to arrest her yet. Her father had turned up at the police station today and presented his case. The DSP (Central), Mr P.K. Dhawan, said the case was filed on the basis of statements given by Nidhi and friends of Chandni, who stated that Chandni was depressed over the indifferent behaviour of Rakesh. Nidhi told the police that about two weeks ago she came to know that Rakesh was going around with Sumidha. Both are working with a private cellular service provider. As Nidhi was also working in the same office, she procured the details and duration of their telephonic conversations, she realised that both of them were having an affair. The DSP added that Rakesh used to see Chandni even after the fact came to light that he was having an affair with another girl. The police is now trying to get the details of the call durations of Chandni and Rakesh to establish the fact. Chandni went to the lake around 2 pm, leaving Rs 250 and her mobile phone at her friend’s house. The was reportedly going around with Rakesh for the past many years and they had been childhood friends. However, according to information provided by Nidhi, Rakesh had been avoiding Chandni for the past more than two weeks and she was disturbed due to that.
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Chandigarh to host IT show in July
Chandigarh, June 14 This will be the first mega international IT show in the city that is tipped to be next IT destination after Bangalore and Hyderabad. This will enable the technology and service providers to get a first hand assessment of the viability of Chandigarh as their future destination. About two hundred delegates are expected from top IT companies of the world, said the Director IT, Chandigarh Administration, Mr Vivek Atray, while announcing the show named “e-revolution”. We will make it annual fare like the “IT.com” held in Bangalore, he said. The participating companies will be Infosys, Dell, Wipro, Oracle, TCS and IBM, among others. The show, “e-revolution” will be about attracting projects and investments to the region and creating employment and export opportunities, said Mr Atray. The two-day show will be held on July 15 and 16 and will be jointly hosted by the Department of IT, Chandigarh Administration, NASSCOM, Government of India run Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) and the Chandigarh IT Club. Cybermedia events will be hosting and managing the show. The primary business theme will be “ICT: the new frontier for business and government”. It will touch upon the partnership and collaboration between industry and government in various spheres of IT applications for social and economic progress. Technology issues like networks, connectivity, last mile issues, bandwidth and wireless solutions are among the challenges that will be discussed. Besides having expert panelists, the show will also create valuable opportunities for informal exchanges between interested parties. Mr Atray said that the Chandigarh Administration was ready to offer another 200 acres of space adjoining the existing IT park. For the existing park five companies — Outer bay, Renal, IBM Daksh, Net solutions and Versa are soon moving into the IT park.
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Flat allottees waiting for construction to start
Mohali, June 14 Housefed had allotted over 650 flats of various sizes to successful applicants in April last year. Housefed had promised that the possession of these flats would be given to the allottees by March 2006. However, even one year after the allotment of flats, construction is yet to begin at the site. The Housefed complex was to come up on over 11 acres of land in Sector 79. Mr B.S. Jattana, MD, Housefed, stated that a part of the 11 acres that had been allotted to Housefed by the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) was under litigation. “The Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed the acquisition of parts of land in Sector 76 to 80. A small pocket of this land falls in our area. Till the land is clear of all litigation, we cannot start construction here,” he said. Mr Jattana added that Housefed had written to PUDA asking if construction could be started on that part of the 11 acres that was not under litigation. “But we were told by the Additional Chief Administrator, PUDA, Mrs Raji P. Srivastava that construction could not be allowed in view of the High Court orders,” he said. Mr Jattana added that following the litigation by farmers against the acquisition of their land, PUDA had specifically asked Housefed not to undertake construction. Sources pointed out that PUDA had allotted plots to over 4,000 persons in these sectors. “These persons have been waiting for plots for over four years. Since PUDA has not been able to give plots to these applicants, it would have been unfair on our part to allow construction on Housefed land a part of which is also under litigation,” said a PUDA official. The allottees who have been waiting since February last year when they had applied to Housefed are, however, impatient to see their flat come up. Property dealers add that despite the fact that construction at the site is not likely to start soon, there is already a premium at which these flats can be re-sold. Moreover Housefed had offered 96 flats of 2200 square feet each. Flats in this size are not easily available. Another 96 flats of 1500 square feet, 140 flats of 1100 square feet 200 flats of 750 square feet and 100 flats of 550 square feet were allotted to the successful applicants.
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EPFO ‘violated’ rules for seniority fixation
Chandigarh, June 14 These AFPCs lamented that while preparing the seniority list, the directions of the Supreme Court vide writ
petition 1595 of 1979, had been ignored. This had affected their seniority and promotion to the next post of Regional Provident Fund Commissioner-II. (RPFC) As per the rules, there is 50 per cent quota for direct recruits from the UPSC and the remaining quota for the promoted persons in the cadre of APFC. The Supreme Court, in the case of Narinder Chandha and others v/s Union of India and others, has observed that in the case of promoted persons the uninterrupted, ad hoc service till the regularisation of service and the period of officiating service will be counted for seniority and in the case of direct recruits, the seniority will be counted from the date of appointment. The EPFO head office issued the seniority list of APFCs on April 5, 1999, violating the standing regulations for seniority fixation. The EPFO, in an order dated April 5, 1999, had regularised the APFCs who were already promoted and were continuously officiating against the yearwise vacancies available in accordance with the EPF Staff (fixation of Seniority) Regulation, 1989. In a draft seniority list of the APFCs, issued on September 30, 1999, the EPF Staff (fixation of seniority) regulation, 1989, and the Supreme Court directives were not followed. A number of representations by the promoted APFCs were ignored by the office, they alleged. The EPFO head office did not issue the final seniority list till date. On the other hand, the head office promoted directly recruited APFCs to the post of RPFC-II, many of whom did not have the minimum five years of service period, prescribed under the rules for promotion. The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), in its judgment dated April 29, 2004, directed the EPFO to grant seniority to the promoted APFCs from the dates when the vacancies were available and to promote the eligible APFCs to the post of RPFC-II from their due date of promotion within four months. An appeal against the CAT order has been filed in the Kerala High Court.
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Employees move CAT against notification
Chandigarh, June 14 On the basis of the notification, the employees had been asked to give their option within a month or their service would be terminated. The employees lamented that they could not be covered as the cut-off date for asking the option was 1996 and they had been recruited in 2004. After hearing the applicant, the tribunal issued notice to the Chandigarh Administration for July 21 and granted an interim stay to the employee till the next date of hearing. The problem began in 1995 when the Municipal Corporation was created. The administration decided that the employees who were working with the administration till March 23, 1996, would be considered for transfer to the corporation. However, the employees lamented that the administration was following pick and chose policy in the matter. Around 88 employees of different departments approached the tribunal in 2001, stating that their consent had not been taken while transferring them. The CAT directed the administration to treat the transferred employees on deputation and seek fresh options from them.
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Senior citizen alleges building bylaw
violation
Chandigarh, June 14 In his missive to UT Finance Secretary S.K. Sandhu and Deputy Commissioner-cum-Estate Officer R.K. Rao, Mr Ram Singh Gill (75), resident of Sector 16, has said despite his earlier complaints, the construction of projections/cantilevers in the front and rear of a building under construction in the plot adjacent to his house has not been checked. These, he alleged, were violative of provisions of the Punjab Capital (Development and Regulation) Building Rules, 1952, as also the office order dated May 15, 2002, issued by the Administration. He and his family have been living in the house for the past over 33 years. In his complaint, he has also claimed that the Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed that all constructions within 10 feet of the common boundary wall on the other side should be demolished.
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Flag march by MCC officials
Chandigarh, June 14 The march was carried out in Sectors 15, 19 and 22. The authorities have warned the shopkeepers to remove the encroachment material in case the orders were not followed. Mr O.P. Popli, Additional Commissioner of the corporation, said the time limit for the shopkeepers in different markets ended yesterday evening. They have now been given the last chance. Markets showed a marked improvement in clearance of the encroachments in the corridors in majority of the places, however, encroachments still remained in certain quarters.
TNS
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Boy falls into ditch, dies
Panchkula, June 14 The victim was reportedly playing near an eight-foot-deep ditch when he fell into it. His playmates informed his parents, who rushed him to a hospital, where he died. In another incident, an eight-year-old girl, Shivani, received head injuries when she was hit by a vehicle at Old Panchkula today. The vehicle, a DCM Toyota, was reportedly on the wrong side when it hit the girl. She was admitted to the PGI, Chandigarh.
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PSIDC panel to form joint core group
Chandigarh, June 14 Also on the agenda was a comprehensive review of various courtesies since extended to state government by the PSIDC and adopting a ‘pragmatic strategy’ to create positive awareness in the top echelons of state’s political establishment about the role played by PSIDC in industrialisation of Punjab. The PSIDC had made large financial sacrifices on behalf of the state in achieving the objectives set forth for the PSIDC by the state government, said the president, Mr
A.K. Sharma.
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Rodrigues for upgrading airport
Chandigarh, June 14 Special emphasis was needed to develop the city as a base to export vegetables to Jammu and Kashmir, Uttaranchal, Himachal, Punjab, western Uttar Pradesh and north Haryana. This would send a message to our farmers that “we are serious about changing our cropping pattern”, he said.
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Former MLA’s son missing
Mohali, June 14 It is learnt that Vikramjit Singh, a resident of Phase VII here, had gone to Hemkunt Sahib along with his friends. On the way, the group reportedly stopped at Rishikesh. He had gone near a river to click some photographs. It is reported that he slipped and was swept away by the strong current.
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Chief of ST panel discusses quota policy
Chandigarh, June 14 The representatives of different SC/ST associations raised issued like special recruitment drive to fill the backlog, direct recruitment and the promotion of SC/ST in the region. While taking up the issues with the managements concerned, the director looked in to the rosters being maintained by the regional offices.
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Speaker to interact with kids
Chandigarh, June 14 A cultural programme to mark the end of the 15-day workshop will be held in the evening on the club premises.
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4 stolen cars recovered, kingpin in custody
Chandigarh, June 14 The recovery became possible after the arrest of Bhim Singh Dhanak, the kingpin of the gang, by the Hisar police about two months ago. After getting the information of his arrest, the local police procured production warrants to arrest him, said the SHO of Sector 26 police station, Mr Jarnail Singh. Bhim Singh Dhanak (40) is a resident of Patan village in Hisar district in Haryana. The SHO further added that the local court remanded Dhanak in police custody till June 15. During the interrogation Dhanak told the police that about the stolen vehicles. Following the information, a police team was sent to Happar, Mainpur and Itawa in Uttar Pradesh. The team recovered two Scorpio Jeeps, one Tata Indigo car and a Tata Sumo jeep. Their modus operandi was that one member of the gang parked his vehicle near to the vehicle they wanted to steal. They had an electric drill machine powered by a battery. They used to insert the drill into the keyhole and opened the door. Thereafter they broke the steering wheel lock in the same fashion and ignited the engine with the help of wires they had with them, said the SHO. About the gang, the SHO said, they were involved in stealing more than 150 vehicles, in which 16 vehicles were suspected to be stolen from the city. The gang was active in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Chandigarh. They had been stealing vehicles from 1990 to 2002. It was about 10 months back that the gang became operational again. Out of the 17 members of the gang, two had been murdered; four are lodged in different jails in Hissar and Delhi. And the remaining 11 members are still at large.
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Murdered man was scrap dealer
Panchkula, June 14 Police say that the victim, 40 years of age, was a scrap dealer in Raipur Rani. Two men had approached him on June 11, claiming that they wanted to sell him scrap in Morni. He went with them, taking along Rs 20,000. However, when he did not return home, his family members started looking for him. His brother-in-law Jeevan said that they even went to Morni but could not find him. “We inquired from villagers by showing around his photographs, but no one claimed to have seen him. It was only later when we met the police that we knew that his dead body had been found,” he said. Jeevan said that the two persons who had taken away the victim had also come to their shop earlier to sell scrap. “These two persons, along with five others had sold us some scrap on June 3. They had then promised to sell us more scrap, but instead they killed Krishan Kumar,” he said. The police say that there are several injury marks on the face of the victim, and a muffler was tied tightly around his neck. This muffler could have belonged to one of the accused. Police say that they will get computer sketches of the accused made and try and arrest them soon.
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Timer system stolen from light points
Mohali, June 14 Mr Avtar Singh, traffic police in charge, Mohali, said the Municipal Council operated these timer systems through a private operator. “The systems would be replaced within a few days but till that time our traffic policemen would be directing traffic at these light points,” he said. Residents, however, complained that many times in the day the lights were not manned by policemen, specially in the afternoons, when it was very hot and the policemen were sitting under the shade of trees nearby. The on-off and timer systems costs over Rs 1.25 lakh. Sources added that the systems that had been stolen were of no use to anyone since these could be re-sold.
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2 held for selling ration rice
Chandigarh, June 14 Pushpa Sharma, of Mauli Jagran, had sold the rice at the rate of Rs 10 per kg to Satpal Sharma, owner of Durga Floor Mill, Papliwala town. The rice was to be sold to the poor people at the rate of Rs 3 per kg. Pushpa Sharma is running a depot in Mauli Jagran. A team of Food and Civil Supplies officials from the Industrial Area, led by Inspector Kamal Kailash, raided the premises of Durga Floor Mill and seized 13 quintals of rice. Pushpa Sharma had reportedly procured 30 quintals of rice from the department of which she sold 13 quintals to the mill. A case has been registered.
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Husband, in-laws booked
Chandigarh, June 14
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Travel agent held
Mohali, June 14 Mr Rakesh Agrawal, SP, said here today that Gogi was earlier arrested by the Rajpura police on the charges of cheating and was then handed over to the Mohali police in another case where he had allegedly duped a person of Rs 20 lakh on the pretext of sending him abroad. The SP said he was let off on bail by a Kharar court.
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Two cars stolen
Chandigarh, June 14 Ms Jaswinder Kaur, a resident of Sector 36, lodged a complaint that her Maruti car (CH-03-K-5756) was stolen from her residence yesterday. Similarly, Mr Paramjit Singh of Phase I, Mohali, reported that his Maruti Car (CH-01-H-6617) was stolen from PGI yesterday. Two separate cases have been registered in different police stations.
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Power tariff hike shocks industry
Mohali, June 14 Expressing resentment against the power tariff hike, Mr Gurmeet Singh, president of the association, appealed to the government to either withdraw 10 per cent electricity duty on industrial consumers or keep it at 5 per cent as at present. He said that the hike should be made with immediate effect and not from April 1. He said that the increase in tariff had propped up electricity duty to 10 per cent. The net increase worked out to about 56 paise per unit and that, too, with retrospective effect from April 1. The Punjab Government had recently increased electricity duty by 5 per cent from March 1. He said that the industry expressed its anguish over the increase in power tariff. He said that the Congress government had promised to facilitate accelerated industrial growth in the state but this hike negated the promises made by the Punjab Government. The hike would have disastrous consequences, especially when the industry was reeling under the severe impact of recession and of availability Central Government’s concessions to industries in neighbouring states of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. The power board had passed the burden to the industrial consumers instead of reducing its losses through some effective measures.
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Projects worth 188.2 lakh approved
Chandigarh, June 14 It was decided in the meeting that two JCB machines would be procured for disposal of garbage and waste from the UT villages. Another agenda item to install solar street lights in the UT villages was also passed. During the meeting, progress of different projects was reviewed.
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