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So, will Mohali purchases make it happen?
Chandigarh, February 20 Going through the best phase of the life, Lee will spearhead Mohali bowling attack with Indian seamer S Sreesanth and in-form all rounder Irfan Pathan. Ever since, he returned from the wilderness, Pathan has been has been in impressive form and his all round abilities make him a valuable customer. The side will, however, be depleted by the absence of star off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who has been bought by the Sachin Tendulkar-led Mumbai. The absence of Harbhajan will be a big loss to the team. Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene and wicketkeeper batsman Kumara Sangakkara, as good as any in the business, have also been roped in. The Sri Lankan heavyweights along with the local hero Yuvraj Singh, the captain and one of the five icon players, and Ramnaresh Sarwan, the batting mainstay of the West Indies, make Mohali batting too powerful. The former Australian player Simon Katich has been purchased by Mohali for US $200,000 in last minute dealings in the players auction. Blewett, the former all rounder and an excellent fielder is another good addition which is sure to gibe Pathan another option of an all rounder along with Pathan. Come April, Mohali will be in grip of a cricket fever as eight of the IPL matches will be played at the PCA Stadium between April 18 and May 23. Cricket fans will get an opportunity to see the top brass of the contemporary world cricket in these eight games. Mohali will be the venue for games against Chennai on April 19, Mumbai (April 25), Delhi (April 27), Hyderabad (May 1), Kolkata (May 3), Bangalore (May 12), Jaipur (May 14) and Hyderabad
(May 23). The pitch there favours pacers. When Mohali kicks off its campaign in the League on April 19, they it will face Chennai, the team that paid the highest price for India’s 20-20 captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. While Dhoni was bought by Indian Cements, the Chennai franchise, for a whopping $ 1.5 million, Preity Zinta’s Mohali team doled out $ 9.25 lakh for Irfan Pathan.
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Chandigarh Ungoverned
Be it the traffic lights and busy intersections in the city or market places in Sectors 17, 34 and 35, it is an organised gang that is involved in the begging operations. Small children from slum colonies, generally broken homes, are easy prey and recruited in the gang as front operatives. Daily, these children gather in the colony from where their gang leader ferries them to their ‘place of work’. While the youngest of the gang members are let off and told to gather money, the mid-operatives, who liaison between the children and the gang leaders and are referred to as “bara bhai”- generally work in the same area as roadside vendors. The moment these children make some money, these mid-operatives immediately come and collect the same from them. The practice is evident in Sector 17 where the gang works in perfect tandem. Small children seek alms while the elder girls, who are mid- operatives, work in the guise of roadside vendors, selling paranthas, posters or fashion accessories. These girls visit the children every half an hour or so and collect the money gathered by them. The child beggar is, however, allowed to enjoy the food items given to them by hundreds of visitors. The gang leader, too, remains in the same area to ensure that all is well and no harm comes to his young aides. Mani, an eight-year-old beggar, who works along with the sister,
Sita, who is four, confessed that “didi” took all the money and handed it over to ‘bara bhai” in the evening. “Once we reach home, bhai gives a share of Rs 20- Rs 50 a day to my grandmother, who stays home in Indra Colony. When our father died and our mother deserted us, my grandmother was approached by
bhai, who recruited us,” she said. The children and elderly beggars are recruited not just from the slums in the city, but also neighbouring Panchkula, Pinjore and Mohali. In the event of a police offensive against beggars in a particular area, the beggars operating there are shifted to another location.
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HC notice to health ministry, admn
Chandigarh, February 20 In his petition, advocate Harmeet Singh Grewal stated that there was no need to set up medicity as the project, in its present form, was not in public interest. He sought directions for quashing the recent advertisement issued by the administration, inviting expression of interest for developing the proposed medicity. After preliminary hearing, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Kanwaljit Singh Ahluwalia issued notices to the union health ministry and the administration. The Bench also directed against the finalisation of the process. Giving details of the project, it was argued that a
Mohali-based super-speciality hospital’s balance sheet showed cumulative
losses to the tune of Rs 98.11 crore as it was not running to its full capacity. In any case, the city already had a well-equipped
PGI, GMCHospital-32 and the General Hospital in Sector 16, besides several privately run healthcare facilities, the petitioner added. The medicity was to have a medical college and hospital, a dental college and hospital, two other hospitals, nursing college and a research centre, the petitioner said, referring to the advertisement. Quoting Medical Council of India (MCI) norms, he said rules specified a provision for 25 acres for setting up a medical college and 5 acres for a dental college. However, much less land was likely to be provided for these units in medicity. In an attempt to assert that the public-private partnership concept was not practical in its present form, the petitioner referred to the WHO viewpoint based on its experience of various countries.
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IAF steps up vigil after Pak polls
Chandigarh, February 20 “We have stepped up our monitoring of developments across the border though we have not received any directions from the governments that call for any operational mobilisation,” Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief , Western Air Command, Air Marshal P.K. Barbora said here today. Stating that the IAF was listening and watching as a standard precautionary measure, the Western Air Command (WAC) chief said the IAF was not directly concerned about the political outcome of the polls. Air Marshal Barbora, who is the first IAF officer from the north-east to rise to the rank of Air Marshal, was here on an inspection visit. Prior to taking over as the WAC chief, he was AOC-in-C, Eastern Air Command. Referring to threat perception from China, he said he did not foresee any confrontation between India and China for a long time. Minor cross-border incursions, he said, were not a cause of worry. “Real rivalry between the two countries would be on the economic front,” he remarked. On the issue of shortage of pilots in the IAF, he said with the re-introduction of Short Service Commission in the flying branch from January this year, the Air Force hopes to overcome the deficiency in five or six years. The IAF is short of about 1,200 pilots. Favourable recommendations from the Sixth Pay Commission would also help, he added. He said the IAF did not have any objection to its pilots leaving the force and joining the private sector after a certain length of service. “By that time they are no longer involved in active operational flying and leaving the service checks stagnation,” he added. Air Marshal Barbora said for the first time the IAF would be taking part in Exercise Red Flag at the Nellis Air Force Base in USA in August this year. This exercise has been the domain of NATO forces for advanced aerial combat training in near real life situation. This includes the use of “enemy” hardware and live ammunition for bombing exercises. The government had recently sanctioned Rs 80 crore for the exercise. Six Su-30 MKIs, supported by IL-78 refuelling tankers, would fly to Neveda for the exercise. It would also be the first time that the MKI version would be going abroad for an exercise, though earlier versions of the SU-30 had flown to France and the United Kingdom for joint exercises. The Air Marshal said the IAF did not have any objection to the construction of civilian enclaves at military airfields. “We are ready to share infrastructure and assets with civilian aviation agencies as long as it does not hamper the IAF’s task of safeguarding the Indian airspace and territory,” he said.
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New flat transfer policy from housing board
Chandigarh, February 20 The new mutual transfer policy will go a long way in curbing the role of property dealers who had a field day getting the sale of CHB flats negotiated. It will also ensure an end to legal wrangles in which most CHB properties in the city remained entangled due to faults in the GPA transfer policy. The board has further decided to make its records online to facilitate buyers of property who will now be able to check the status of properties online. Sources in the CHB said while GPAs taken to date will be acceptable, people will be given a period of three months to get the property transferred in their names. Meanwhile the board of directors of CHB today also relaxed the conditions of lock-in period of its properties. As per earlier provisions, there was a lock in period of 10 years, which meant the original allottes could not sell property for 10 years from the date of allotment. This system has been dispensed with, and original allottees will now be allowed to sell property before the completion of 10 years on the payment of 15 per cent transfer fee. In yet another people friendly move, the CHB decided to allow transfer of property on the basis of one surety instead of two, as in the past. It has also proposed to amend regulation 25 of the CHB Act which provides for reservation of 5 per cent in CHB schemes to defence forces personnel. The new amendment will include defence family pensioners (wife/father/mother of the defence personnel) in the quota for defence personnel in CHB schemes. The board meanwhile again reemphasized today that GPA holders will no longer be eligible/entitled to apply in CHB schemes which, officials said, sought to reach out to the shelter-less.
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HUDA to construct 27,000 houses: CM
Panchkula, February 20 The Chief Minister, who was in town to lay the foundation stone of 2,072 houses to be built at the cost of Rs 50 crore under the first phase of Jawahar Lal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission here today, said as many as 7,114 four-storeyed houses would be constructed under three phases of the mission in Sectors 20, 26, 28 and Industrial Area Phase I of Panchkula. The total covered area of each house would be 360 sq feet, which would cost about Rs 2.60 lakh each. The land would be given free of cost by HUDA. The construction of these houses would be completed by January next year, he added. Besides this, the Haryana government would construct 50,000 houses during the next three years, he said. Giving details about the facilities given by the state government to the people belonging to Scheduled Castes in the state, he said as many as 4,384 houses were being constructed by the Housing Board, out of which 1,925 houses would be built for the financially weaker and low income group. Hooda said under the integrated housing and slum development scheme, the union ministry of housing and poverty alleviation had approved projects worth Rs 238.84 crore for 12 towns of the state. The ministry had already released a sum of Rs 91.47 crore. Union housing and poverty alleviation minister Kumari Selja, who was also present on the occasion, said the Central Government was preparing a policy for the street vendors under which some facilities would be provided to them. Besides this, the inter-subsidy scheme was also being drafted for the financially weaker sections of the society to provide them subsidy on interest so that they could construct their own houses by taking loans from various banks at low interest rates. The mission had been implemented in 63 towns of the country, including Panchkula. The Central Government would give a subsidy of 75 per cent for the construction of a toilet, which would cost Rs 10,000. Similarly, 50 lakh community toilets were being constructed by HUDCO in the country. She urged the state government to prepare a housing policy for the implementation of the urban housing policy of the Central Government and draft an action plan for making the cities slum free. The Chief Minister also released a book titled Shart-Vajib-Ul-Arj. Later, he inaugurated block C of Shiksha Sadan in Sector 5 constructed at the cost of Rs 5 crore. He directed the officers to get the work of block B costing Rs 10 crore, completed by December this year. Later, he inaugurated Shiksha Sadan constructed at the cost of Rs 12 crore in Sector 5. All the offices of education department situated in Chandigarh would be shifted to the building.
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Corbusier’s office to be made museum
Chandigarh, February 20 UT Home Secretary, Krishna Mohan said that the Centre will display and exhibit the life and works of Le Corbusier so that the tourists and future generations may be able to acquaint with the rich cultural heritage of the city. The details are being chalked out. Le Corbusier’s office presently houses the UT forest department. A new building is coming up and this will house the forest department. The Centre would be focusing on preservation, interpretation, research and display of the works and legacy of Le Corbusier. It will have three sections of museum, display gallery and research and publication. Museum sections will recreate the ambience of the original Le Corbusier office. Help of all photographs and input of the people having worked in the office of Le Corbusier will be taken. Small scale movable articles like furniture, small carpets and related things used by Le Corbusier or created in his time will be restored. In display gallery various methods will be used to explain the history of building of the city during the Le Corbusier time that is from 1951 to 1965. the principles of design used in Chandigarh will also be explained so that the cultural value of the city and the contribution of Le Corbusier could be promoted. A small research and publication centre will also be developed to encourage research about the Le Corbusier and his works. Posters, printed material, publications will be maintained. Professor Kiran Joshi and VN Singh would be the nodal officers for finalizing the content and the display of the Centre. UT Chief Engineer has been asked to carry out the work with in two months. Mohan said that the Administration is continuing its efforts to preserve the cultural heritage of the city. Two tapestries lying in the premises of High Court would soon be shifted to the Chandigarh Museum and Art Gallery for restoration work to be carried out by the National Museum and INTACH under the supervision of V.N. Singh. Remaining 9 tapestries adorning the walls of High Court would also be restored in phased manner, said a spokesperson of the Administration.
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Excise policy notified
Chandigarh, February 20 Under the excise policy for 2008-2009, the administration today made it clear that the licensing system to allot vends would continue. This year again, the number of vends would increase slightly. The city would have 223 vends, including 68 vends of country liquor. Last year, there were 215 vends. All existing licensees, including those functioning from temporary structures, would have the option to get their licences renewed, for which they would have to apply in a prescribed performa. Licences shall be granted on the first-come first-served basis. Proof of residence was a must. The annual license fee of L-2 and L-14A license is fixed at Rs 25 lakh each. In case of renewal and grant of new retail licences of IMFL and country liquor to a company, the entire licence fee shall be payable in lumpsum within 24 hours from the grant/renewal of license. The individual allottee of the vend shall pay 50 per cent of the license fee within 24 hours of the grant/renewal of license and remaining 50 per cent by July 31.
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Councillor’s house surveyed for tax evasion
Panchkula, February 20 According to sources, the officials of the department took into possession certain documents for establishing alleged tax evasion. It may be recalled that a huge amount was reportedly spent on the high-profile marriage of Goyal’s son, which was attended by several VIPs of the Haryana government. The Goyal family has been asked by the department to account for the money spent on
the wedding.
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More employees covered under ESI scheme
Chandigarh, February 20 The ESIC has also decided to observe special service fortnight from February 24 during which health check up and education camps will be organised. The home secretary assured the setting up of a chemist shop run by the Red Cross Society of India on the premises of the ESI dispensary in Sector 29. The insured persons covered under the scheme have been provided with laboratory facilities free of cost through the Chandigarh Clinical
Laboratory.
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Indefinite strike by screw makers
Chandigarh, February 20 This decision was taken during a meeting of the association here today. R.S. Rathore, president of the association, said during the past three months, the prices of steel had shot up by Rs 9,000 per metric
tonne.
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Photographer with Hindi daily thrashed
Chandigarh, February 20 Sanjay Kurul reported to the police that he was taking pictures of traffic hazard outside a school in Sector 45 when the driver of a Maruti Swift car (CH-04-B-0405) stopped him from doing so. When he did not pay heed to the man, he manhandled him.
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City lacks soul
Chandigarh residents take pride in the fact that they live in one of the best-planned cities in the world, but it takes more than just architectural beauty for a city to be beautiful. Ultimately it is the soul of a city, encompassing arts, letters and cultural offerings that determine how beautiful a city is. Chandigarh is lacking on that front. Until the city achieves a vibrancy that one typically finds in an average European city, Chandigarh will remain a beautiful city without a soul. I hope the town planners and city residents take note of that. Kuldip Rampal
Readers are invited to write to us. Send your mail, in not more than 200 words, at
news@tribuneindia.com or, write in, at: Letters, Chandigarh Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh – 160 030
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PU plans to curb violence among students
Chandigarh, February 20 On June 14, 2007, two students’ organisations clashed on PU campus in which one of the students got seriously injured. Those involved were booked under Section 307, IPC. In another incident a student leader was injured in a gunshot incident at DAV College on the college campus on August 3, 2007. Four students were booked under Sections 307, 323, 506, IPC, and 23, 34, 54, 59 under the Arms Act and one of the accused was suspended from the college. On August 10, 2007, students were caught carrying sharp-edged weapons near Leisure Valley; following this a student leader was arrested under Sections 107 and 51 of the CrPC (Prevention Act). A student leader on August 20, 2007, was arrested for assault and on the same day the police arrested a student leader for man handling a policeman. On August 25, 2007, a student leader from DAV College was arrested for violence but he was later bailed out. Also it is necessary that Northern Illinois University-like incident does not occur here. With this in mind, Panjab University has come up with a programme to channelise the energy of the students in the right direction. “The students need to be involved more in extra-curricular activities like sports. There is a need to inculcate in them high moral standards”, said Prof R.C. Sobti, vice chancellor of Panjab University. Analysing the reasons for student unrest, Prof Rajesh Gill of the department of sociology, said: “Violence and aggression has become a way of making one’s presence felt. Students exhibit pride in show of strength. Politics in universities is one reason for violence. The society, parents and teachers alike, are to be blamed for acceptance of violence.” Said Dr B.S. Chavan, head, department of psychiatry, GMCH-32: “Exposure to media, violence on television; shift from joint family to nuclear setup and easy accessibility to weapons are major reasons for rise in violence.”The university plans a weeklong programme next month to address the issues of drug addiction and traffic violations in collaboration with the UT administration and the Chandigarh police. A Chandigarh marathon will be part of this endeavour. “Students, department officials, hostel staff all would be involved,” said Naval Kishore, dean students’ welfare.
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Moral values become part of school curriculum
Chandigarh, February 20 Jean Rodrigues, wife of the Punjab Governor, released a brochure detailing strategies for proceeding further and implementation of this plan. General Rodrigues said we were inheritors of a rich heritage, with a 5000-year-old civilisation, but we missed incorporating values in the present education system. He said we followed the education system of the British Raj, which was tailored to suit their needs. He said on these lines, he had asked the vice chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University to conduct a study and suggest ways and means for producing good citizens, with a sense of morality, character, commitment and social responsibility. He also informed that work on three ambitious projects, including centres for street children, mentally retarded children, handicapped and crippled children; with a vocational education system for their proper rehabilitation was also started. Another innovative programme for empowering rural women is being launched by imparting them skills in different vocational trades and marketing facility of their products, to supplement their family income. Raji P. Srivastava, special secretary, finance, who is the nodal officer of this project, gave an account of the outlines of this programme. S.K. Setia assured proper implementation of this programme.
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From Schools
Chandigarh, February 20 Inspection
Four private schools were inspected on Wednesday under a campaign started by the education department to check 15 per cent reservation for students belonging to economically backward section of society. These schools include St. Marie-46, Strawberry School-26, St Kabir School-26 and Moti Ram Arya SSS-27. All schools that had to abide by the reservation quota decision were found deficient on their part. Over 78 private schools have been given notice to abide by education dept’s decision regarding the reservation of the students. Blood donation
Blood donation camp was organised by DOEACC centre, Chandigarh, on its premises with the help of department of transfusion medicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh. Around 103 units of blood were collected. Farewell
A farewell party was organised at Saint Soldier International School by class XI students to bid adieu to seniors. Class IX students also organised a party for class X. A solo dance, group dance and modelling were the highlights of the day. Himani Mittal and Inder Pal were adjudged as Miss and Mr Saint Soldier, respectively.
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From PU
Chandigarh, February 20 Seminar
Weekly seminar on “Art as a reflection of its time” by Dr Rajinder Bhandari, chairperson, department of Fine Arts, PU, was organised by department of sociology, PU. He apprised the participants that art is a human activity which requires certain skills. While highlighting the importance of artists, he said they work with inner feelings and impulse making symbolic presentation of art. He concluded his talk with visual presentations of art in different eras. The second day of ‘Cyanide-2008’, annual fest of department of chemical engineering, PU, started with various events. Technocrats in which more than 100 teams, from different colleges, participated and 20 teams qualified for the finals. Technocrat consisted of rounds like quiz, IQ test, mathemania and group discussion. A quiz competition, “Eclectica”, was also held in which 80 teams participated. More than 55 participants displayed their mental ability in ‘visual extempore’ in which the participants had to speak after watching a visual on the screen. The fine arts’ section had competitions like paint the face and ‘Tare Zameen Par’ in which the students showcased their talent and creativity. ‘Technical paper presentation’ was done in which students presented papers with new visions and 14 students qualified for the final round.
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Denial of admission
Chandigarh, February 20 A Division Bench comprising Justice Ashutosh Mohanta and Justice A.N. Jindal ordered, “The petitioner is permitted to attend classes of second semester of MCA and also to appear in any examination which may follow, subject to the final
outcome of the writ petition.” It is pertinent to mention here that the admission was approved by the Syndicate in its meeting held on January 8. Later, a committee was formed to review the decision. It was found that she would not be able to complete the course in the stipulated time and after the committee recommended cancelling the admission, the Syndicate in its meeting held on February 12, approved the cancellation.
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Work on highway to be over by Sept-end, NHAI tells HC
Chandigarh, February 20 Taking a note of his submission, the Bench, comprising Chief Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Mahesh Grover, asked him and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to resolve all pending disputes between them so that the work of constructing the flyovers and six laning of the road was not hampered. As the case came up for hearing, the Bench also made it clear that the dispute between the NHAI and the contractor would not be allowed to turn into a cause for non-completion of the project on time. The Bench also asked the NHAI to render full assistance to the contractor, like providing bitumen and steel, after observing that the supply of material was limited due to construction activity going on all over the country. The development is significant as the Bench, on the last date of hearing, was informed that Smalkha flyover’s construction was likely to be delayed. The work of setting up flyovers at Murthal and Ganaur was also progressing at an “extremely slow pace”. The traffic flow on the expressway to Delhi is expected to improve once the flyovers come into existence. Earlier, during the matter’s morning, the NHAI authorities brought to the Bench’s notice that the State Support Agreement, given to the Haryana last year, had now been signed, but a clause non-existent in the original draft agreement had been added. The same was expected to put additional burden of Rs 6 crore on the NHAI. The Bench asked the NHAI to file a proper application in the matter so that notice could be issued to Haryana in the matter. The case will now come up for further hearing before the Bench on March 5.
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Consumer Court
Chandigarh, February 20 The petitioner, M.S. Kohli, purchased a TV from the shop of DK Visions for Rs 19,000. He was told that he would get a DVD player free of cost along with a sure-short scratch card, a travel bag, a pair of wrist watches and a gift cheque worth Rs 2,100. Kohli said on the allurement given by the appellant, he agreed to purchase the TV set and signed the hire purchase agreement to that effect with Bajaj Finance. He also gave Rs 5,000 along with eight post-dated cheques for Rs 1,750 as instalments. He said on October 10, 2006, when Kohli visited the showroom for collecting the gift cheque, he found it could only be used at a particular jewellery store in Chandigarh. When he visited the shop, he found that it could be used on the purchase of any item, the minimum cost of which was Rs 12,000.
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High Court
Chandigarh, February 20
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Chandigarh, February 20