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Low collector rates hit Haryana exchequer
Panchkula, November 15 The collector rates of property were revised in June this year and increased by over 50 per cent from the rates prevailing in 2004. However, the collector rate of property is still at least six times lower than the market price. Since stamp duty is paid at the rate of eight per cent of the collector rate and not the market price, the government is losing crores of rupees as revenue.
For proof, check this out. The market price of a 10-marla house in Panchkula is anywhere between Rs 70 lakh to Rs 90 lakh. However, the collector rate as notified by the Panchkula Administration is Rs 14. 63 lakh and the stamp duty payable is Rs 1. 17 lakh. If the collector rates were at par with the market prices, the state exchequer could have earned Rs 5.60 lakh to Rs 7. 20 lakh as revenue. Similarly, the market price of an SCO in Panchkula is anywhere between Rs 5 crore to Rs 7 crore. As compared to this, the collector rate varies between Rs 87.50 lakh and Rs 1 crore. The stamp duty payable on the collector rate is just Rs 7 lakh to Rs 8 lakh. But if the collector rates were at par with the market rate, the stamp duty would have been Rs 40 lakh to Rs 56 lakh. Thanks to the spiralling prices of property in this township, buying/selling of property in Panchkula is considered to be the best investment in Haryana. Thus, inspite of the prices of property increasing each month, there has been no decline in the sale/ purchase of property. The low collector rate, as
The financiers from Haryana and Punjab are investing their money in property in Panchkula, Chandigarh and Mohali. The tricity — well planned, with better infrastructure and civic amenities than other cities in Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, is attracting investment in property, thus ensuring that property prices here are among the highest in the country. It is because of the ever- increasing market prices of the property — commercial as well as residential — that Chandigarh Administration has increased collector rates by 60 per cent for a second time this year.
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Religious fervour marks
Guru Nanak’s birthday
Chandigarh, November 15 Nagar kirtan processions, prayers, langars and distribution of ‘Karah
prasad’ dominated the day’s proceedings. The holy Guru Granth Sahib was also carried in a procession on a float, decorated with flowers in various sectors. In the city today, various gurdwaras were decked up with lights and people also lighted candles and burst crackers on this joyous occasion. The markets were flooded with people making purchases. Meanwhile, the Panthak Vichar Manch today distributed fruit on the occasion of Gurpurb at the Old Age Home, Sector 15. Meanwhile, the General Manager, Spice Telecom, Mr Mukul Khanna, claimed that there was an overwhelming response over the average SMS transactions. He said Gurpurb greetings were at peak from 8 am to 10 am. On the pious occasion, Mata Tripta Ji Charitable Trust, Chandigarh, organised a free medical camp at the Gurdwara in Sector 38-B, Shahpur, where more than 350 persons were examined by doctors.
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Lakhs visit Nadha Sahib
Panchkula, November 15 The devotees started queueing up at the gurdwara in the wee hours and by the afternoon, the number had swelled to several lakhs. The local administration and police had made adequate arrangements. The police was deployed at various places near the gurdwara, with cops in plain clothes posted near the premises to keep a check on miscreants. Nakas were laid at two places from old Ghaggar bridge to the gurdwara on NH- 73 so as to control the heavy flow of traffic. After the parking near the gurdwara was filled to the brim, the police started diverting the vehicles of devotees towards Chowki village near North Park resorts. The police enforced one-way traffic on the road leading to the gurdwara from Majri chowk. The heavy vehicular traffic towards Barwala, Naraingarh and Yamunanagar, was diverted from the new Ghaggar bridge to the NH- 73, beyond the gurdwara. Elsewhere in the township, devotees thronged the Sector 7, 12 and 15 gurdwaras, and paid their obeisance. Guru ka langar was organised on the occasion. Devotee dies of heart attack At Nadha Sahib gurdwara, a devotee hailing from Delhi, died after suffering a heart stroke.
Fortyeight-year-old Kartar Singh was reportedly standing in the queue to pay obeisance, when he suffered a stroke. He was rushed to the hospital, where he died.
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Security lax even after bank robbery bid
Chandigarh, November 15 A visit to bank squares in Sectors 17 and 34 this morning revealed that nothing much had been done by the police to prevent the recurrence of the Sunday night incident in which the robbers managed to break into the Sector 34 branch of a nationalised bank with the help of gas-cutters. Shopkeepers said they had not witnessed an increase in police activity. “Even regular police personnel were missing this morning, perhaps, because of Gurpurb,” a Sector 34 shopowner said on the condition of anonymity. Senior police officers, when contacted, tried to justify the “inaction” by claiming that the issue could not be taken up this morning because of Gurpurb. They added that a meeting was likely to be held tomorrow to discuss the issue of security around the banks. A senior police officer said the possibility of a subsequent joint meeting with the bank
authorities could not be ruled out. The officer, however, failed to explain the failure on part of the police to issue precautionary instructions to banks and other authorities after the Jalandhar bank robbery. Sources in the Sector 9 police headquarters, on the other hand, admitted that the police continued to sleep over the matter. Though an attempt to loot the Sector 31 branch of another nationalised bank was made about two months ago, nothing much had been done. It did not even react to the Jalandhar bank robbery, even though the Mohali police directed the stepping up of vigil outside the financial institutions. Meanwhile, the Chandigarh police today claimed that it was zeroing in on culprits. Though senior officers refused to comment on the investigations, the sources said the police was trying to trace the culprits with the help of LPG cylinders left behind by them.
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PU lad Bollywood’s new sensation
Chandigarh, November 15 The resounding voice of the high pitched number ‘Ishq Khudai’, a hit from Rudrakash, and ‘Rabba’ from Musafir was found sitting nostalgically in the serene environs of PU, near Gandhi Bhavan, opposite the Department of Indian Theatre by this correspondent. “I have not come to the city in connection with any performance. I just stopped over on my way to Jalandhar because of an urge to have a look at the nursery that chiselled my raw talent into something that is being appreciated now,” he said. He was a student of the Department of Theatre in 1995 before he went to Dubai where he served as a Radio Jockey and a singer at a hotel until December 1999. “I collected enough money to struggle for my career in Mumbai. I had no work initially so I started lending my voice to the cartoon channels. I did not ever have enough courage to go to the music directors because I feared outright rejection going by the fact that they are always busy with offers,” he said. When asked how he managed to get a foothold in the Bollywood, Krishna said: “I dared to approach Sanjay Dutt with a recording of my numbers. I was told he is a great fan of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. I requested him to hear my songs. He called me up to say he was impressed with my imitation of the famed Pakistani singer and took me to the Rudraksh producer. Public response to my song ensured that I had finally landed in Bollywood”. Krishna has lent his voice to a number of popular films released recently, including Rudraksh, Deewar, Rakht, Musafir, Karam, Dus, Ashiq Banaya Apne and Shadi Number 1, besides others. Certain forthcoming ventures include Zinda and Bekhabar. He has worked with a number of leading lights of the film music world, including Adesh Srivastava, Shanker-Ehsaan-Loy, Himesh Resmamaiya and Vishal Sekhar. Krishna remembers the time he spent at Panjab University. “ The biggest asset that I gained from the Department here was self confidence. The expressions I learnt in acting have come very handy in my music as well. This is evident from the very large number of my fellow students in the Bollywood, in different spheres of production” Krishna did his matric from Kendriya Vidyala, Sector 31, and his graduation from the local GGDSD College. “It is wrong to tell youngsters wanting to go to the film world that they were treading in a bad world and the struggle was largely endless and fruitless,” he added.
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1 killed, 1 hurt in mishap
Chandigarh, November 15 Sources in the police, said the accident occurred at 12:45 pm when Narinder Singh of Sector 56 was hit by an Enfield motor cycle (PB-11-Z-0911) while he was crossing the road. He suffered head injuries besides other multiple injuries while Harpreet Singh (aged about 30) of Sector 27, the motorcycle rider, was also seriously injured in the mishap. They were taken to the General Hospital Sector 16. Judging the critical condition of Narinder Singh, doctors at the General Hospital referred him to the PGI, where he succumbed to injuries at around 5 pm. The SHO of the Sector 39 Police station, said the condition of Harpreet was stable and he was unfit to record his statement. A case of causing death due to rash and negligent driving has been registered against the motorcylist.
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Two cyclotrons to be commissioned
Chandigarh, November 15 Stating this while speaking to media persons here today, Mr R. K. Bhandari from the Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Kolkata, said a super-conducting cyclotron being set up in the country would be the seventh of its kind in the world. At present, there are only two cyclotrons in the country. The cyclotron, he said, would cost about Rs 90 crore and over 75 per cent of the components were indigenous. It would be used for research in material sciences and have applications in a host of areas, including medicine, defence and space. He was here to deliver a talk on 'Applications of Cyclotrons' at the Centre for Research in Industrial and Rural Development, here. A cyclotron is a machine used to accelerate charged particles to very high velocities. The second cyclotron is being imported from Belgium and would cost Rs 80 crore. This machine, Mr Bhandari said, would be used solely for medical purposes and isotopes produced by it would be used to treat ailments like heart disease, lung problems and cancer. At present, isotopes were being imported, which have technical as well as financial implications, he added. Stating that controlled use of radiation was extremely beneficial for mankind, he said in order to conserve our precious resource, planning in this direction seriously was needed. He added that we were already using radiation for preserving seeds, spices, preventing sprouting in onions and potatoes besides preserving meat products and fruit. Prof I.M. Govil from the Centre of Advanced Studies at the Department of Physics, Panjab University, here, said they were collaborating with PGIMER here to put up a proposal to the government for setting up a Centre of Medical Cyclotron and Applied Research here. Earlier, chairing a session on the "Role of Technology in Poverty Alleviation, Agriculture and Industrial Development, Cyclotron, PET-CT Scan and Super Computer", the Haryana Governor, Dr A. R. Kidwai, said India was making new forays on technological fronts. He said it was the right hour to collaborate with other agriculturally developed countries by adopting and exchanging their technologies of modern agriculture, production of seeds of early variety and plants for the prosperity of the nation. He said not only was scientific infrastructure and technical manpower in India cheaper than in other countries, there was also availability of highly skilled and experienced technicians and engineers in the country. Eminent scientist Professor Yash Pal said it was high time India took the lead in various scientific ventures and not just followed the developed world. He said that we must look for new innovations and ideas and not just have the tendency to follow others. The Chairman of the Punjab Farmers Commission, Mr G.S. Kalkat, talked about the need to accelerate crop diversification programme. He said under the programme, the farmers needed to look beyond vegetables and fruit crops and they should be encouraged to go in for soyabean and maize production. He said that hybrid variety of maize was being developed, which would produce more yield than water-guzzling paddy. The Director-General of Pushpa Gujral Science City, Dr S. Khandpur, gave an overview about the features and facilities in science city and discussed its role in the socio-economic development of the region. He said the City set up in the rural hinterland of Punjab in Kapurthala was a Rs 100-crore joint project of the Centre and the state.
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Artillery jeep expedition flagged off
Chandigarh, November 15 The regiment is observing its reunion from December 7 to 9, 2005 at the School of Artillery in Deolali. The celebration will be a mega event with a large number of serving as well as retired gunners from across the country expected to be present. A large number of adventure activities by artillery units and formations have been planned to mark the occasion. One of the most audacious exercises towards this end is a jeep expedition across the nation by an artillery unit of the Western Command. It is being led by Col K.D.S. Sahney and comprises JCOs and eight other ranks, a statement issued here said. The expedition has been conceived with the aim of travelling across the length and breadth of the country, meeting the maximum number of serving and retired gunners who may not be able to join in the reunion. The jeep expedition will link up Army Headquarters, all Command headquarters and Artillery regimental centres. It would traverse a distance of approximately 5,000 km through 11 states over 22 days and culminate at Deolali on December 6.
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What brings you to Chandigarh?
I am in Chandigarh to attend a seminar on “construction technologies from Germany” being organised by the Dr Heinisch Building Group Solutions Limited, a sister concern of the MHI. How do you foresee the Indian real estate sector scenario in the near future? The Indian real estate sector is set to be revolutionised with major Indian and foreign players entering the real sector in a big way in the wake of ever-increasing demand. Of course quality is the buzzword for the middle and upper middle classes. What is the speciality of your company? The MHI group aims at environment-friendly, cost-effective and time-saving construction technologies that will go a long way in raising the quality of life and transform the construction scenario in India. The endeavour is to suggest solutions for housing for rapid urbanisation, ecological buildings and earthquake resistance technologies. What are the expansion plans of your company in India? As part of our expansion plans, the group has set up consultancies in New Delhi and Chandigarh for diversified building projects—from multi-stroeyed housing to underground construction and commercial buildings to hotels. — Pradeep Sharma
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Society members join hands against Administration
Chandigarh, November 15 Office-bearers of at least 11 cooperative societies, which are at the draw of lots stage following the completion of the construction, had been meeting for the past couple of days to chalk out the future course of action. The Administration is not allowing the draw of lots for societies having substitute members. The Administration was urged to allow the draw of lots in the public interest without levying any charges as the members had already paid the dues. Hundreds of substitute members were confused on the issue of ownership rights of the dwelling units. This was despite the fact that they had paid all instalments, including the cost of the land to the Chandigarh Housing
Board (CHB). When the CHB accepted the land cost from the substitute members, there was no logic in not accepting the ownership rights of these members, a society office-bearer said. The substitute members had been allowed by societies by following a proper procedure, the member claimed. Even the Supreme Court had ruled that the cooperative society was an autonomous body in its internal functioning, he added. Calling upon the Administration to come out with a substitution policy at the earliest, the members felt that hundreds of them had taken loans from banks and financial institutions and had suffered on two counts. Even after paying the dues, including penalties in certain cases, the substitute members had not got possession of the flats. Also, a majority of the members were living in rented accommodation due to the unsurety.
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Rare coin found
Mohali, November 15 “These are not coins in the real sense. These are, according to the information I have been able to gather, temple tokens which were given as gifts to temples by kings, but these are not older than the 17th century. There is some information available on these on the Internet and are known as Rama tanka,” said Gurpreet, an avid coin collector. The first of such coins surfaced early this month at Manali where a youth from Chakki held a Press conference claiming the coin was found at the banks of the Beas river. The figure 517 is inscribed on one side of the coin with the names of Ram, Lakshman, Janki, Jabal and Hanuman in Devnagiri script enclosed in the circle. Ram has a trishul in his hand while Lakhsman is shown with a bow. Gurpreet owns an identical coin. “But I don’t even remember where I got it from. I have a collection of over 100 rare coins and this is just one of them,” he said. “However I realised its importance when I read in the papers that this coin is worth crores, I checked on the Internet. I did find someone looking for a coin offering to pay $ 3000. But on other sites it was almost worthless,” said Gurpreet who is an IT professional here and has been collecting coins since childhood.
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MC team to inspect roads
Chandigarh, November 15 Roads, which are in poor condition, will be inspected by the chairperson of the committee and estimates put for recarpeting of these roads. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Mrs Harpreet Kaur Babla, councillor, and attended by all committee members, including Mrs Amar Kulwant Singh, Pardeep Chhabra, H.S. Lucky, Balraj Singh, Vijay Singh Rana, P.C. Sanghi, Surinder Singh and other officials of the Municipal Corporation. The committee passed the agenda, including RCE for purchase of Bolero LX (Diesel) for use in the roads division, RCE for purchase of Tar boiler of 500 lt capacity, RCE for purchase of 1 Tata tipper box for use in road division no. 2 MC, and RCE for purchase of Ambassador Grand, 1800153 car for use in the Commissioner, MC Chandigarh office, etc. Other items on the agenda were RCE for construction of road in front of plot near school in pocket no. 2 and 3, Manimajra, recarpetting of ITBP/IB colony, Sector 32-A and renovation of community centre, Ram Darbar etc.
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Telecom officers meet Rodrigues
Chandigarh, November 15 The officers submitted a memorandum to the Governor asking him to intervene and take up the matter with the higher authorities, including the President and the Prime Minister. It has been pointed out that the ITS represents over 2200 Group ‘A’ officers of the Indian Telecom Service meant for framing and implementing government policies and managing the Telecom sector. At least 70 officers are posted in Punjab and the UT. The association has sought a high-level independent committee to look into the genuine concerns which include their placements, absorption and promotions. The association has also sought “ordering an investigation as to how the posts of telecom professionals in DoT are perpetually kept vacant while the outsiders are being posted systematically”.
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MC’s techno touch to musical fountain
Chandigarh, November 15 A spokesman of the MCC said here yesterday that this system had reduced operational voltage from 230V to 24V. The electro-mechanical switching system has been replaced with solid-state system and incandescent lamps with high-intensity coloured light-emitting diode (LEDs) lamps. These lamps of Red/Yellow, Green and Blue colours would not fade and no coloured filter was required to replace on these lights, he said. These lamps not only save the energy but also give bright lighting effect on dancing fountains, pleasing to the evening walkers, in the garden. The total load of the light system has been reduced from 6300W to 250W saving more than 95 per cent of power. Moreover, all the mechanical contacts of the switching system have been replaced by solid-state relays, thus removing all the transients while switching and the reaction time of operation is fully synchronised with the beats of the music providing a perfect sound, light and water musical system.
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New Punjabi daily launched
Mohali, November 15 The daily has been launched to try and make a Punjabi language newspaper number one in the region, Chairman of the trust Joginder Singh told reporters here. “The other missions include reviving the Sikh dignity and spreading the philosophy and teachings of Guru Nanak Dev, whose birth anniversary was celebrated today”, he said. Asserting that he would not be towing the line of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on any issue, Mr Joginder Singh added that he would not appear before the SGPC. “I have full faith in Akal Takht but not the clergy that runs it,” he said adding that the newspaper would be balanced in its approach. Mrs Jagjit Kaur, wife of Mr Joginder Singh told mediapersons that the newspaper would have 20 pages with a four page city pullout.
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Deep complex residents write to Patil
Chandigarh, November 15 The residents have been sitting on a chain fast for the last 108 days. Mr Jagtar Singh Benipal, president of the Deep Complex Welfare Association, said the government should understand the problem of the residents. Highlighting their issue, he said the land which the government proposed to acquire, was purchased by middle class families out of their hard-earned money. On one hand, the Administration had announced plans to rehabilitate slum dwellers, but on the other hand it was uprooting people who were living on their own land. The residents lamented that on December, 1992, the Administration had constituted a high-level committee to examine the suggestions necessary to extend the lal dora of UT villages.
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Jagannath yatra from Nov 19
Chandigarh, November 15 On November 19, the yatra will start at 12.30 pm from Piccadily Hotel, Sector 22, and pass through Sector 17-18, 18, 19, 19-27, 20-20, 20, 21, 22, 22-23 before culminating at Hare Krishna Dham, Sector 36-B, Chandigarh. On November 20, the yatra will begin at 12 noon from NAC Market, Manimajra and pass through 7, 7-8, 8-17, 9-16, 10 and 10-5 before concluding at Shiv Mandir, Sector 9, Panchkula.
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3 booked for land fraud
Panchkula, November 15 The fraud came to light when Mr Nishan Singh who was buying the land got the registered documents examined at the tehsil office. He was told by revenue officials that the land did not belong to any of the accused. The accused had already got an agreement to sell the land prepared which was given to the police and they were arrested. The land in the alleged fake deal is located in Mauli village near Raipur Rani.
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19.93 pc rise in UT’s revenue collection
Chandigarh, November 15 The substantial increase in revenue collection has been possible only because of various effective steps taken by the department, the Deputy Commissioner-cum- Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Mr R.K. Rao, said here today. While elaborating further, Mr Rao disclosed that the collection under the state Excise Act from April 1, 2005 to October 31, 2005 is Rs 65.43 crore against a collection of Rs 55.04 crore for the corresponding period of 2004. Thus an increase of Rs 10.39 crore has been registered. The collection under the Sales Tax Act is Rs 305.84 crore against collection of Rs. 254.40 crore for the corresponding period of 2004. Thus there is an increase of Rs. 51.44 crore, which is 20.22 per cent above the corresponding year’s collection. The records of the department, namely, basic data of registered dealers, daily collection register of all revenue receipts and returns etc have been computerised, which will bring transparency, expedite assessment work and facilitate traders in their routine jobs, Mr Rao added.
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City ayurveda college to go global Chandigarh, November
15 Talking about the E-Consultation programme, Dr Naresh Mittal,
Vice-President of the institutes informed that as part of the
E-Consultation programme, any person from any part of the world may
mail his/her query concerning any ailment ad its treatment in ayurveda
and the doctors will counsel the patient through the Net. According
to Dr J.L.N. Sastry, the Administrator of the hospital, all queries
would first be scrutinised, registered and then sent to the specific
departments. He added that the answered queries would be checked again
by him and only then be mailed back to the person. In addition to
the above, Dr Mittal said the college would also dispense medicines
through its website to all those interested in procuring them from the
institute. Also a number of Charak camps are being organised in as
many as 20 villages by the Dabur Dhanwantry hospital. From January,
the hospital will also start the 24-hour casualty service in the
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Star Kid Talent Search winners Chandigarh,
November 15 From the city, three kids have
been selected for the scholarship. Rudraksh, Ritika, and Sukriti
Sachdeva were each presented with a scholarship at an awards ceremony.
The ‘Star Kid Talent Search’ is an annual community initiative
driven by Tata AIG Life. This year saw a total of 36 Star Kids across
the country, with scholarships worth Rs. 18 lakh being awarded to
school kids from the age group of four to nine As many as 100 finalists were shortlisted from each city
out of which three Star Kids were awarded the scholarship of Rs 50,000
each. Through this talent search Tata AIG Life has reached out to over
4, 00, 000 children across 1311 schools in 12 cities. In the city the
‘Star Kid Talent Search’ initiative has drawn the participation of
more than 100 schools across the city. |
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