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Protest by retrenched staff turns violent
Chandigarh, December 15 In an effort to disperse the protesters, who barged into the barricades, the police lobbed teargas shells, used water cannons and resorted to cane-charge leading to a bloody clash, in which several police officers were also injured. The injured were rushed to the Sector 16 General Hospital. The five seriously injured persons who were admitted to the hospital were identified as Rajpal, Raj Kishore, Rampat Sharma and Om Narain. Mr Daya Nand, one of the seriously injured, was referred to the PGI after his condition started deteriorating. Among the 15 injured taken to the hospital are the Additional Station House Officer (SHO) of the Sector 17 police station, Mr Kehar Singh and the SHO of the Sector 3 police station, Mr Balihar Singh. Several constables also sustained injuries in the incident. Mr Kehar Singh suffered a head injury after being hit by stone and Mr Balihar Singh sustained an injury on his hand in the clash. It all started when the protesting terminated employees of the Tubewell Corporation, Confed, Small Scale Industries Corporation, terminated policemen, electricity board, Infed and Hansi Spinning Mills employees began marching towards the Haryana Vidhan Sabha and the police stopped them at the Matka Chowk at about 2 pm. When the protesters tried to cross the barricade the police, in an effort to disperse them, used water cannons and tear gas shells. The winds blowing in opposite direction, however, turned the tables on the police and the policemen were caught unawares and taking advantage of this the protesters advanced towards the Vidhan Sabha. The UT Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Central, Mr S. S. Randhawa, directed the cops to stop the protesters from proceedings towards Vidhan Sabha on the public address system, but by that time the situation was getting out of control. It was only after more police force was brought in that the cops managed to bring the situation under control. The cops took 100 protesters, including the president and seven women protesters, in custody. Later in the day the police released the arrested persons on bail. Talking to Chandigarh Tribune, the UT Senior Superintendent of Police, Mr Gaurav Yadav, said a case of rioting would be registered in this regard and appropriate action would be taken against those found guilty. On the other hand, the President of the joint action committee of Haryana Terminated and Retrenched Employees Union, Mr Bharat Singh Beniwal, alleged that the police had attacked peaceful protesters. Threatening to intensify their agitation, Mr Beniwal said they would stage an indefinite dharna from tomorrow in front of the residence of Haryana Congress Working Committee President, Mr Ram Prakash. He further added that if the government did not roll back its anti-employee decision then they would be forced to self immolate themselves.
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CAT pulls up Admn on pension benefits to UT employees
Chandigarh, December 15 The Administration failed to comply with the orders despite being told twice by the tribunal to do so. Taking up the case, the tribunal comprising, Mr L.M. Goyal and Mr J.S. Dhaliwal, Vice-Chairman and Member (Judicial), respectively, directed the Administration to comply with the orders by January 16, 2006, failing which the UT Finance Secretary would be asked to appear in person before the Bench. During the previous hearing on September 29, the tribunal had directed the Administration to file its status report against each contempt petitions. A total of nine petitions had been filed in the tribunal. Passing the orders on a contempt application moved by around 54 applicants, the tribunal fixed the next date of hearing on January 16. The
applicants had stated that despite the sanction given by the Central Government, the UT Finance Department was not releasing the payment. The applicants, who were present in large number in the tribunal, lamented that they were being harassed by the dilly-dallying tactics of the Administration. During the hearing, the counsel for the Administration said the office of the Accountant-General was delaying the matter. However, the tribunal pointed out that it was the responsibility of the Administration. It may be mentioned that the Secretary, Union Ministry of Home Affairs, had given sanction to pay pension benefits on the basis of notional pay fixed on the basis of the Punjab pattern to the UT employees, who retired between January 1986 and March 1991. While in some cases the relief was given, the Administration refused to pay the relief in other cases and the applicants filed contempt cases in the tribunal against the Finance Secretary, Chandigarh, Mr S.K. Sandhu. There were around 200 employees of the Chandigarh Administration, who retired between January 1986 and March 1991. In a previous hearing, the Finance Secretary through an affidavit had stated that the Chandigarh Administration had no powers to extend such benefit and it was the Central Government which could grant the sanction as done in H.S. Dogra’s case. He stated that the Ministry of Finance vide letter dated January 11, 2005, had advised that in such judgments writ petitions be filed. The applicants stated that now the Union Government had given the sanction, but the same was not being released by the Administration.
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Rs 24.5 lakh, gold found in Sukhvinder’s bank locker
Mohali/Kharar, December 15 The police today searched three lockers held jointly by Sukhvinder and his wife Neki Nalwa jointly in various banks in Mohali. With Neki behind bars for the murder, these lockers were opened by the police today in the presence of Sukhvinder’s father and brother Rs 24.5 lakh in cash were recovered from the locker in ICICI Bank here. Wads of cash in Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denomination notes were found stuffed in the locker. The cash was taken by the police team and sealed in the bank before being taken out. The police also searched another two lockers held by the couple in the Bank of Punjab here. Fixed deposits and saving statements worth Rs 4 lakh, property documents and 1185
grams of gold jewellery worth lakhs was recovered from these lockers. The police had to break all these lockers since their keys were untraceable. Armed with search warrants from the court, the banks cooperated with the police even as the police had to melt the locking system to access the contents. Sukhvinder had been working with Quark City for the past few years and had been recently placed under suspension by the company along with 11 others following allegations of “misappropriation of funds” while dealing
with gas stations providing diesel to the company for generation of electricity within Quark City. The Quark City Chairman, Mr Farhad Fred Ebrahimi, had alleged that Sukhvinder and “his gang” had been carrying out this bungling worth “many crores” for the past six months. The police team led by DSP Kharar Raj Bachan Singh Sandhu was granted search warrants by a Kharar Court this morning. The sub-divisional Judicial Magistrate Poonam Ratti had yesterday asked Neki Nalwa and Sukhvinder’s father to be present in the court today for a hearing. While Neki objected to the search of her bank lockers before the judge, Sukhvinder’s father stated in the court that he had no objection to the search pointing out that he and Sukhvinder only held one joint account in Chandigarh in Sector 10. The rest of the lockers were in the joint name of Neki and Sukhvinder, he said. Sources added that this locker held by Sukhvinder Singh and his father in Chandigarh would be operated tomorrow.
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Court for death certificate in Sukhwinder divorce case
Chandigarh, December 15 The couple had filed a case of mutual divorce eight months ago. Today, when the case came up for hearing before the District and Sessions Judge, Mr MMS Bedi, the counsel for the petitioner, said that since the engineer was no more, the case was infructuous. The District and Sessions Judge observed that divorce could not be granted against a dead person. He said either a death certificate of Sukhwinder would have to be produced or his relative would have to file an affidavit in this regard. After the couple had filed the case, the families of the two intervened and advised them to withdraw their application. The couple was supposed to withdraw their divorce papers but then Sukhwinder was shot.
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Draw for 538 plots in Mansa Devi Complex
Panchkula, December 15 The Chief Administrator HUDA, Ms Neelam P. Kasni, led the team of senior officers, including Vineet Garg IAS, SP Arora, Estate Officer, Virender Dahiya, SDM, Vandana Disodiya, City Magistrate, Geeta Prakash and others, to conduct the draw without a break. Absolute transparency, sympathetic attention to minor inquiries by Ms Kasni, who herself conducted the marathon 10-hour proceedings, was the hallmark of the much awaited event. Though most of the lucky winners of the draw were not present, but representatives of the real estate agents were seen preparing comprehensive details . As per a general estimate, as foreseen by many property consultants the appreciation of plots could be five to six times more than the reserved price depending upon the location, of the plots. The craze for owning a house in the panoramic Mansa Devi Complex area can be gauged from the fact that applied as many as 3,228 applicants for 56 plots in 14 marla general category in Sector 2, while 4,970 contenders vied for 64 plots in sector 6 and 16,352 applications were received for 79 10 marla plots in the same sector. The break up for other plots allotted with number of applicants in shown in brackets is as follws: In sector 2 the 14 marla plots — Defence 6 (41); paramilitary 1 (4), general reserve service quota A plots 6 (32); GRSQ-B plots 1 (6); General plots 56 (3228). One kanal — defence 1 (27); GRSQ-B one plot merged with general category of 16 plots (2,258) In Sector 6 for 14-marla category — Defence 6 (100); paramilitary forces 2 (7); GRSQ 6 (36); GRSQ-B plots 2 (22); general category plots 64 (4979). One kanal — defence category plots 5 (40); paramilitary 1 (9); GRSQ-A plots 5 (85); GRSQ plot 1 (31); general plots 49 (4359). 10-marla — defence 8 (190); paramilitary 2 (19); GSRQ-A plots 8 (501); GRSQ-B plots 2 (105), general plots 79 (16,352). The Estate Officer, Mr S.P. Arora, disclosed that the plots against oustee quota had been earmarked for those applicants who had completed the official obligations while the balance are under scrutiny. These include 17 one-marla plots in Sector 2 and 16 plots in Sector 6 besides 15 ten marla plots in the same sector. HUDA authorities assured that the allotment letters will be issued at the earliest while the refunds for unsuccessful candidates will be processed on priority basis with the interest accrued there on.
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43 packets of spurious Verka ghee seized
Chandigarh, December 15 The Director, Health Services, Dr IK Walia, following a tip-off, had deputed the team to carry out the surprise checks. While two of the four shops had no stocks of the brand, Singla Departmental Store and Aggarwal Departmental Store had some stocks of the ghee which the officials claimed was spurious. The team recovered 31 packs of the ghee from Singla Stores while 12 packs
were recovered from Aggarwal Stores. Of these three packets each were taken as inspection samples. The officials of Verka pointed out that the allegedly spurious packets of Verka had a hologram different from the original. “The hologram doesn’t have Punjab mentioned with Milkfed and a star on the left side of Milkfed is missing in the ‘copy’. Also, the packaging slips out of the outer cover while the real Verka has the packaging sealed to the cardboard box. Though the colour of the packs is also slightly different, the biggest flaw is that the batch number on our packets does not tally with our batch numbers,” a Verka official explained The team of the Health Department packed the spurious ghee packets in a cardboard box, tied this box in a cloth and sealed it. “It will remain with the shopkeeper till the sample reports are not out. This process of testing the samples will take nearly a month. Till then these packets will remain with the shopkeeper as our property. Any tampering could invite trouble for him,” Dr Balbir Singh explained. The shopkeepers of the two stores refused to divulge the source of the ghee though they pledged ignorance about the “spurious” ghee in their shops.
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Government should pull out of PSUs, says US expert
Chandigarh, December 15 “Indian public companies should provide correct information in the form of their financial statements to all those concerned. It’s surprising that India, a nation that has the largest number of public companies, has very few of the companies actively being traded,” he said. Prof Parkash teaching at Oakland University, Rochester U.S.A., was at Panjab University here today to inaugurate a three-day Faculty Development Programme organised by the Faculty of Business Management and Commerce. Stating that information about the current financial status of companies in India in general and PSU’s in particular was hard to get, Prof Parkash said the market too was not strong enough to demand correct information. “In the USA the market that trades in companies is strong and is able to get information. The Sarbenes Oxley Act was passed by the US Government to ensure that the financial information disclosed by the companies meets certain standards and follow certain discipline,” he said. When pointed out that many companies in Punjab which had been declared sick continued to show “profits’ in their annual financial statements which are made public through advertisements in newspapers, Prof Parkash said, “A good financial statement has to be predictive and objective. And most companies do not follow these two rules. A truthful account of company accounts would be able to predict the future financial condition of the company. This helps both internally and externally. But I have known companies which were showing perfect health in their statements and then one day all of a sudden went bankrupt”, he said. Stressing that the government of India should pull out of the PSUs to increase competitiveness and efficiency in the market, Prof Parkash said the government should focus only on defence and infrastructure. “Instead of allowing the government to interfere, private bodies like the Indian Institute of Chartered Accountants (IICA) should be strengthened. IICA should standardise rules for themselves and participate in the implementation of these rules,” he said.
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42 challaned for violating sanitation, health bylaws
Chandigarh, December 15 According to a spokesman of the MCC, the Medical Officer for Health has deployed one Chief Sanitary Inspector and four sanitary inspectors, deployed in Sector 17, to make the public aware regarding the implementation of the Sanitation and Public Health By-laws 1999. During inspection, 25 persons were challaned for urinating at unauthorised places, 15 for littering and two for spitting in public places. The civic body has advised the general public to extend its full cooperation to the corporation for ensuring proper sanitary conditions in the city. The campaign will continue in the coming days. Anyone found committing default of the provisions is liable to be fined up to Rs 500 for the first offence. The amount of fine will increase for each subsequent default,the spokesman added. Some of the important provisions of the byelaws are: No person shall defecate at any place except at especially earmarked places for the said purpose, spit at any place or building, causing insanitation, annoyance to anyone, urinate at any place not earmarked for the said purpose, deposit/collection or disposal of any malba, garbage or any other waste material in the service lanes or road or park or any public place, allow or cause to allow any waste water except household, rainwater to be collected or thrown or spread, on any road or public place after cleaning or washing any car or jeep or any other vehicle of any description or otherwise due to the leakage of water or sanitary installation. Other provisions like the use of any house or shed or premises or any part thereof for human habitation, unless he has obtained sewer and water connection from the competent authority, collect or deposit or cause to collect or deposit cowdung from any village or cattle shed in the public places/any city sector or container provided for the collection and removal of city garbage, collect or deposit or throw or cause to be collected or deposited or throw any waste building material or malba in public places or municipal container, spread or cause to be spread any oily or greasy material on pavement, road or in any part of the verandah or any building or premises/pavement/roads, scatter or collect any refuse from any bin or container kept by the Corporation for the collection and removal of city garbage in any part of the city or collect/scatter and segregate any type of kabar or rag or waste material at any public place in any part of the city etc. No person shall deposit or leave or cause to be deposited or left any rubbish/rags/waste articles in any public place so as to create or tend to create litter/nuisance. Any contractor engaged in any type of construction/fabrication work employing 10 or more labourers will make provision for one temporary latrine for every 10 labourers. Separate latrines will be provided for women labourers. Meanwhile, the enforcement wing of the Corporation today removed illegal hoardings from outside a few shops in Sector 35.
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Villagers resent extension of Nagar Panchayat limits
Zirakpur, December 15 Demanding the inclusion of their village in the Nagar Panchayat, the villagers alleged that the notification of the Local Bodies Department was aimed at benefiting certain big colonisers and senior functionaries of the Punjab Government, who had invested heavily in the villages, particularly Peer Mashala and Gazipur, which bordered Sectors 20 and 21 of Panchkula. ‘‘We will not rest till justice was delivered to us.We plan to move the Punjab and Haryana High Court shortly for a stay on the selective inclusion of villages, which violated certain provisions of Punjab Municipal Act’’, Mr Sodagar Singh, a member of the joint action committee (JAC) spearheading the fight for the inclusion of Nabha in the municipal limits, told Chandigarh Tribune here today. Another JAC member, Mr Naresh Singh, claimed that being at the distance of about 1 km from Zirakpur, Nabha stood a better chance of inclusion in the Nagar Panchayat.‘‘The density of population, the revenue-generating potential and the percentage of the population engaged in non-agricultural vocations are the criteria, which were fulfilled by our village’’, he asserted. The inclusion of Nabha also made economic sense as besides being on the Zirakpur-Patiala road, it had two petrol stations, Coca Cola and Tata Motors godowns, several brickilns and pipe factory, which could generate revenue for the civic body, the villagers claimed. On the recommendations of the Nagar Panchayat authorities, the government had included three villages in the municipal limits. On September 8, the department had issued a notification under the Punjab Municipal Act inviting objections to the inclusion of three villages. Subsequently, Nabha and Ramgarh Bhudda had filed objections to the inclusion of three villages in the Nagar Panchayat. The objections were later reportedly rejected by the government. On the other hand, the inclusion of three villages in the municipal limits had spread a ray of happiness among residents and colonisers. Over 1,300 acres of land, including about 800 acres in Gazipur, is slated to benefit from the decision. The inclusion in the municipal limits automatically pushes up the land prices in the areas. A majority of land in these villages had allegedly been purchased by the big colonisers and senior functionaries of the Punjab Government. On the flip side,the included areas would have better civic amenities provided by the Nagar Panchayat.
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VAT implemented in UT
Chandigarh, December 15 This was communicated by the Deputy Commissioner to a delegation of the Chandigarh Beopar Mandal along with other traders from various markets. Under the VAT law, at every stage the dealer is required to charge tax on the value added after availing input tax credit paid on the purchase of the goods from a VAT dealer in UT. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr
R.K. Rao, said VAT numbers of the existing dealers had already been made available to them. In the new system, every dealer was required to show separately the tax being charged in his VAT invoice. In case of retail seller, the invoice inclusive of the tax was chargeable on the respective item. The Deputy Commissioner assured traders that all necessary assistance would be given to them. In a press note, the traders have sought that the VAT should be implemented from April 1, 2006 onwards which means in the new financial year. They have sought that the rate of taxation should be uniform. The traders have said that they were shocked to get the tax “on their heads” in the middle of a financial year and sought that it be implemented from the next financial year. The tax was supposed to have been introduced from the current financial year onwards. As Chandigarh followed the Punjab General Sales Tax Act, 1952, it was required that first the earlier Act be repealed by Parliament. The Punjab General Sales Tax was repealed by the Lok Sabha last week.
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Indian who feels at home in Britain
Chandigarh, December 15 Today, with a prospering readymade garments business under his belt, heis glad he dared to venture out. He proudly proclaims,”If Sonia Gandhi is Indian, I am a Briton to the core. I love being there and my children just hate leaving the place,” says the president of the International Punjabi Society (European Division), Dr Gujral, is in the city for a conference of the society. Having been honoured with the Commander of the Order of British Empire (CBE), the highest civilian award by the Queen for social work, Dr Gujral says,”Indians back home just want to eat, drink and make merry. Charity is the last thing on their mind if at all they think of it. However, the UK is different. People donate generously whatever they can. Even people getting pension set aside 10 per cent of the money for charity. Staying there, most Indians have also become charity-oriented.” Dr Gujral, chairman of the World Sikh University Senate, London, and president of the Nargis Dutt Society for Cancer Research and Relief, has contributed to social causes, is running educational institutions and is winner of a number of awards. He attributes it all to hardwork that is the hallmark of the Punjabi community settled in the UK. “Hard work counts very much in the UK and our people are no work shirkers because of which they are appreciated. All odd jobs have gone to the blacks now and Punjabis are higher up the ladder,” Dr Gujral explains. However, he says the Punjabi trait of running down a competitor remains universal. “During the elections to the House of Lords, for a total of 200 applications by Indians, 300 complaints were received. Had it not been for this trait, we would have 20 members representing us in the Houses,” he maintains. Mincing no words, Dr Gujral says,”Whatever progress I have made in the UK would not have been possible had I been in India. Away from our roots, we are doing whatever we can to keep Punjabiyat alive. Propagating the language, teaching it to the kids, celebrating festivals are some of our regular features.” While Punjabis are no longer looked down upon or condemned as second rate citizens, Dr Gujral admits that the Sikhs are often confused with the Taliban. “We are trying to create awareness that the Sikhs are different from the Taliban. We go to their various organisation to create awareness and have put up posters highlighting the differences between the two. The blasts and the confusion have put us in a tight spot,” he states. The Punjabi spirit of fighting back and coming out with flying colours, he says, lives on in the UK where the Indian
community realises this confusion can’t last forever. For now, it sure is a matter of concern, he concludes.
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Chief Forest Conservator to survey Pathankot div
Chandigarh, December 15 Disclosing this here today, a spokesman of the government said that to check the large scale bungling in the JBIC project of Dhar Forest range in Pathankot forest division, Mr Kuldip Singh has been directed to immediately take custody of the records, relevant documents, including the cash books relating to accounts for the year 2005-05 and 2005-06. He has been asked to submit a preliminary report indicating the nature and extent of financial and administrative burgling and fix responsibility of those involved in it, he added.
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Water supply to be hit today
Chandigarh, December 15 People should use water judiciously, the note adds.
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Proclaimed offender arrested
Chandigarh, December 15 Giving details the sources in the Economic Offences Wing said 34-year-old Rajesh Kumar Rawal was today arrested from the Sector 17 ISBT this morning following a secrete information. A resident of Solan in Himachal Pradesh, Rawal was booked by the UT police on allegation of cheating and criminal conspiracy on the basis of a complaint field by Mr Manish Kumar of Ram Darbar. The police had received several such complaints from people duped by the accused. In his complaint filed in 2003, Mr Kumar reported to the police alleging that he had given 1.80 lakh to Rawal for buying a plot in Zirakpur. He approached Rawal in his Sector 22-based office, Pace Housing Company Private Limited following an advertisement that he had came across. The advertisement claimed that residential plots at the rate of Rs 5 lakh were being booked on paying Rs 11,000. Mr Manish deposited the money accordingly only to learn that the accused had wound up his office and had fled the city. The matter was reported to the police. He was declared proclaimed offender in September, 2003, by a local court.
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Allahabad Bank turns to 12-hour schedule
Chandigarh, December 15 This facility will enable a cross-section of customers to avail of banking facilities. Gradually, the 12-hour banking facility will be extended to more branches in a phased manner. The bank achieved business growth of 24.45 per cent as on 30.9.2005 compared to same period last year, according to a press release. |
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Extension counter upgraded
Mohali, December 15 The bank’s branch and will provide facilities like online banking, ATM debit card, credit cards, flexi- fixed deposits, life and general insurance and retail loans.
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