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PGI, technicians harden stance
Chandigarh, April 22 On the other hand, the technologists remained largely unconcerned to the problems and rather imposed new demands for joining the duty. The PGI administration is ready to recruit new persons on a contract basis to keep itself running. The technologists, after paralysing the premier health institute for a week, have now demanded that the services of ad hoc technologists should be restored and only then will they join duties. Today many patients had to go back without a test as most of the technologists of the haematology department are on strike. Sheela Devi from Jagadhari, who comes for her treatment at the PGI, said doctor prescribed G6PD test, but she was turned away from the counter at new OPD. She was told that this test would not be carried out due to strike. Irritated Sheela said it's the patients who were at the receiving end and not the hospital and demanded that the PGI administration should take disciplinary action. According to Dr K.K. Talwar, director, PGI, "As an office-bearer, each person has some responsibility. Many times, these employees strike for trivial issues, blocking essential services. This is unacceptable." Says Dr Talwar, "We do not want them to suppress their rights but it's the patients who suffer during strike. The employees must understand that in hospitals, the patients hold priority. There is no place for strikes or unions as far as essential services are concerned and they must be totally done away with.” AK Gupta, deputy director, administration, said, “We are going to appoint technologist on contract basis as we can't remain mute spectators to the problems of our patients.” Meanwhile, the authorities have written to the centre seeking permission to invoke ESMA against
them.
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Reinstatement only on merit: K.K. Talwar
The PGI said regular employees would not be paid for the strike period while the contract of those on ad hoc not be reviewed if they went on strike. The PGI issued statement saying appeals were made to employees that they should not go on strike but the ad hoc employees never heeded.
The ad hoc technicians were engaged on to tide over the situation arising out of vacancies. This was a stop-gap arrangement till the recruitment process was completed. These ad hoc appointments were reviewed every three months and on the basis of the reports of conduct submitted by their respective HODs, the extensions were considered by the administration. The request for the reinstatement of the services of the employees, whose services were not extended, had not been received individually and they would have to be decided considering the facts and circumstances on merits. In order to strengthen the system and in the larger interest of the institute, further decision on this issue would be taken, said Talwar.
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Meanwhile, trees cut in Punjab Raj Bhawan
Chandigarh, April 22 The canopies of all Ashoka trees have been chopped off during the past few days in what engineers of the Administration describe as a “beautification drive”. Earlier, the neighbouring Haryana Raj Bhavan had not chopped but pruned a large number of trees on its premises. Though the tree lovers swear that denying the tree of its green canopy is like denying a human of his or her limbs, the Administration has no logical reason to reason for pruning or chopping its beautiful green and well- groomed Ashoka trees. Now, bland stems, deprived of total green cover, stand out perhaps protesting mutely to the treatment meted out to them by the horticulture wing of the engineering department. No tree can survive if it’s deprived of its green cover. Official of the forest department of the Administration stated that there
was no need of seeking permission from the forest ministry for pruning of trees. He said recently the department had pruned more than 100 mango tress in the industrial area to improve their condition under the green action plan of the city. Official in the Administration
stated that the reason of pruning Ashoka trees on the premises of the Punjab Raj Bhawan was to give them a proper shape. He said in order to keep the ornamental trees in shape, it was essential to ensure
timely trimming of such trees. He added that if these trees were not given proper trimming in time, these would develop into shrubs. He further said if these kinds of trees were in the residential or roadside areas, these had to be pruned so that it would not develop
like a shrub but become straight pointed tress, which is the beauty of Ashoka
plantation.
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UT paradox
Chandigarh, April 22 As part of the Earth Day celebrations, the Administration has issued windowpane stickers exhorting the public to “say no to polythene”. The stickers, however, are made of plastic. Other than the Chandigarh Administration, the logo of a daily newspaper also appears on the sticker. The stickers were distributed today in the university as part of the Earth Day celebrations. Interestingly, it was a student who noticed the irony and reported the Chandigarh Administration’s thoughtlessness to TNS. The transparent stickers, fabricated to be stuck on the inside of car’s panes, could have been printed using paper also. The stickers are also affixed on vehicles across the city.
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Half-burnt body of woman found
Chandigarh, April 22 Ruling out the possibility of robbery behind the murder, as assailants did not take away the victim’s jewellery, the police is yet to ascertain the motive behind the killing. Investigating officials, however, believed that the victim was acquainted with the assailants, who defaced her body to conceal the evidence. The police is working on several theories, including the possibility of illicit relations and rape as motives behind the killing. The body was found lying face down on a heap of smouldering sugarcane. The victim’s face was burnt beyond recognition while her left arm and shoulders were also charred. A deep stab injury mark was found on her abdomen. Blood was found splattered near the body where heavy broken concrete slabs were lying. The police said the exact details of injuries inflicted upon the victim could only be ascertained in the post-mortem. The police found victim’s burnt sandals from the ashes. A couple of broken bangles were found near the body indicating that a struggle took place. The murder came to light when Rohit Sinha of Deep Complex, who was passing through the dirt track, noticed the body and informed the police at 8:30 am today. A police team comprising the DSP (South) Jaswant Singh Khaira and the SHO of the Sector 31 police station inspector Bhupinder Singh reached there. Experts from the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory (CFSL) were called there for spot inspection to gather vital clues. The UT SSP S.S. Srivastva reached the spot and after inspection told mediapersons that the murder was committed after mid-night and the assailants threw the body in the fire. He asked the investigating officers to videograph the entire scene and the victim’s post-mortem. The SSP said, if need be, they would be a facial reconstruction of the victim’s face done to establish her identity. It was only after the arrival of the SSP that the informer was called to the spot.
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Engg dept’s kickback case
Chandigarh, April 22 The material witness, A.K. Dadwal, working as SDO in the municipal corporation (MC), produced the evidence in an attempt to establish the alleged connivance of former SE K.B. Sharma and middlemen in getting orders from private companies. Dadwal’s statement was recorded in the court of additional district and sessions judge Raj Rahul Garg, wherein he placed on record the measurement book showing the records as evidence. The Vigilance Bureau had registered an FIR against, the former SE, K.B. Sharma, XEN Harsh Kumar, then SDO Gurpreet Singh and three middlemen, Sunil Kalia, Suresh Sharma and Dinesh Sharma in 1998. Deposing before the court, Dadwal said, “The three middlemen were regular visitors in the office of K.B. Sharma.” Dadwal stated that the former SE K.B. Shrama had placed supply order of electrical goods to a few firms. These firms were registered with director-general supply and disposal. Dadwal cited an example, where Sharma had given an order worth Rs 2 lakh to a private firm for some electrical goods. Sharma had gone to Delhi to inquire about the quality of goods. Dadwal added that when the goods were delivered in the office he checked the quality and found them to be of inferior quality. He mentioned about the alleged discrepancies in the measurement book. Dadwal further alleged the accused Sharma of tampering documents. He stated that Sharma was suspended after the case was registered against him. The former SE was subsequently reinstated. During the cross-examination, the defense lawyer asked him about the suspension of the prime witness A.K. Dadwal by the administration. Thereafter he was reinstated within three days after the officials concerned withdrew the suspension orders. In all there are 30 witnesses in this case out of which two have turned hostile. Dadwal has supported the statement that was recorded before the Vigilance Bureau.
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Dadumajra solid waste processing unit
Chandigarh, April 22 Serious violations like changes in the building plans and excess coverage area have led to the rejection of the case. This means that the developer of the plant can only start operations after getting clearance from the Chief Administrator’s Plan Approval Committee (PAC). The PAC is responsible for clearing the building plans and issuing occupation certificates. Trial runs of the plant have already been conducted in the hope of starting early operations. Being developed at a cost of around Rs 23 crore on 10 acres of land through a public-private partnership venture between the municipal corporation and the Jaypee group, the project has been already been running behind schedule. The waste so treated at the plant is to be converted into alternate fuel pallets for use in the developers’ cement plant in Himachal Pradesh. The full-scale operation schedule has been postponed three times on different counts. Pradeep Chhabra, mayor, said trial runs of the plant were being conducted before starting full-scale operations. “I will take up the matter with the administration so that operations start by the scheduled date”, he said. Submitting of the building plans and their approvals was being taken care of by the developer of the plant, said officials in the MC. Sources said the rejection came after officials of the administration visited the spot to ascertain whether the developer had gone by the approved building plan. On the basis of the inspection report, the PAC rejected the request for issuing the completion certificate. Now the developer has to submit a revised building plan and the entire process will have to be repeated, said an official. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had allotted the pilot project of the garbage-processing unit to Chandigarh. The plant designed to process the entire quantity of municipal solid waste generated in the city to produce fluff/pellets will produce Refused Derived Fuel (RDF). The land had been given to the company in 2006.
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Sporadic incidents of fire due to hot weather
Chandigarh, April 22 Sources in the fire department said a car caught fire in Sector 3. It was brought under control immediately before it could spread further. Similarly, in Sector 17, an electric wire caught fire following a short circuit. Rest of the fire incidents were reported form the jungle areas in the city, including the open area in Attawa, Khudda Lahora village, the green belt along the road dividing Sectors 47 and 48, Faidan village, bamboos leisure valley near DAV College, bushes in the open area near the Sector 39 grain market, the jungle area besides the Sector 42 stadium, the jungle area near the barrier between Sector 56 and Phase VI, Mohali, and in dumping ground in Sector 40. Fire officials said all the incidents were minor and the fire was brought under control by the fire fighters.
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Helping people attain ‘moksha’
Chandigarh, April 22 Over the past 13 years, this cop has reportedly performed the ‘pind daan’ and done ‘asthi visarjan’ for over 8,300 bodies. All his weekly off days are spent in collecting the ashes from the crematoria in Chandigarh, Panchkula, Ambala and Panipat, and then carrying them all the way to Hardwar for the religious rites. What is admirable is the fact that he does this social service with his own meager earnings. Though sometimes his associates help him financially in this service, he has never sought any donations for this work. “I have always believed that who-so-ever comes on this earth, should do some good during his lifetime, so that at the time of death he or she is proud of having lived a rewarding life. Every time I go to Hardwar to perform the last rites, I feel that the dead whose rites I perform are blessing me,” he says. Sham Lal says that the turning point in his life came in 1995, when he lost his wife. “I was very much in love with my wife, Pratibha, who died during child birth. I was devastated after her death and would just go and sit in the cremation ground for hours. As my grief subsided, I realised that many a time close relatives of the deceased do not collect the ashes and perform the last rites. It was then that I decided to do the ‘pind daan’ of these ashes,” he says. It’s been 13 years, and Sham Lal says that his trips to Hardwar have increased in frequency to twice a month. “Only last week, I carried five sacks of ashes to Hardwar for performing the rites of 400 bodies. Earlier, I would carry the ashes in a bus, but now I have to hire a private vehicle and then carry them so that they can be flown in the Ganges. It is sad that not only the poor, but also the rich people do not collect the ashes of their loved ones as they have no time to go to Hardwar,” he rues. Sham Lal says that each trip to Hardwar costs him Rs 15,000. “Since my salary is too meager, I started working as an astrologer. Whatever my clients pay me for this work, I use this money for this service to humanity. There are times when money is a constraint, but then some good Samaritans step in and help me do this social work,” he says.
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Police removes protesters from Sector 17
Chandigarh, April 22 The police officials uprooted the tents of the
protesters and bundled up their belongings. The SHO of the Sector 17
police station, inspector Kulwant Singh Pannu, warned the unemployed
youths and the lecturers that he would not allow them to sit there
without permission. He told them that their belongings would be taken to
Sector 25 and they should erect their tents there. Repeated pleas of the
protesters against their removal from Sector 17 did not move the cops,
who were adamant on implementing the orders. Unable to endure the
displacement in such a manner, one of the protesting unemployed youths,
Ranjit Singh of Khunankalan village in Amritsar, broke into tears. He
told The Tribune that the authorities concerned were gagging their voice
by shifting them to a secluded place infested by rodents and venomous
reptiles besides stray animals. Rakesh Kumar, president of the
unemployed PTI teachers, said they had been sitting on a continuous
dharna for the past over 330 days. Aman Bal, a member of the union,
said the girls accompanying them to dharnas would find it difficult to
stay at the rally ground during nights. He, however, stated that they
would not leave the city without getting jobs for all.
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Man jumps off PGI’s 3rd floor, hurt
Chandigarh, April 22 According to the police, the victim, Chaman Lal of Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh jumped from the waiting hall of the female medical ward after breaking the windowpane at 5:15 pm. He broke his hands, besides suffering other multiple injuries and fell unconscious. Chaman Lal’s 18-year-old daughter, Geeta, suffering from jaundice, was admitted to the PGI a few days ago. She was undergoing treatment and her father was frustrated over her prolonged treatment. The police has registered a case of attempt to suicide under Section 309 of the IPC in this regard.
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Pelican’s Death
Zirakpur, April 22 The incident took place last week. A zookeeper, in a fit of anger, beat up the bird with a stick. He had been given the charge of bringing out the birds and leading them back in their cage temporarily. Sources said it seemed he was having trouble pushing this particular bird into its cage and he hit it. The bird stopped taking food after the incident and died after a
few hours. A postmortem showed the bird had a broken back and had sustained many other injuries due to which it died. The employee has been chargesheeted and suspended. According to chief wildlife warden M.P. Rai, an inquiry had been marked into the incident and its report was awaited.
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Army panel an eyewash
After the anomalies of the sixth pay commission, the three services chief met defence minister and submitted a detailed modified proposal for the preview. Government in turn constituted a four-member committee of IAS officers to look into various aspects of injustice done to the armed forces. The hardship of Siachen and desert of Rajasthan, which takes heavy toll even during peacetime, is beyond the imagination of the officers sitting in the South Block. The MPs will themselves decide the rise in their salaries. If MPs can decide about their own pay and allowances, a norm beyond justification, why can’t the government accept a representative from the armed forces to argue their own case? Dr Dua in one of his editorials had propagated the case for a separate pay commission for the armed forces. What to say of a separate pay commission, even a representative from the defence services has not been nominated to be the member of the preview committee to look into the injustice done to the forces. The applications for the release will keep pilling up at the respective headquarters and the recommendations of the four-member committee will remain only eyewash till they are heard at the right level. Wg Cdr J.S. Bhalla
(retd)
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news@tribuneindia.com or, write in, at: Letters, Chandigarh Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh – 160 030
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GMSSS-16 wins Indo-Swiss Friendship Quiz
Chandigarh, April 22 The participants of winner team were Arshee Khosla, Prachi, Snobhit and Apoora where as St John’s team included Karan Koura, Tejarav, Harjas Singh, Siddharth. STEPS, a society under the aegis of Chandigarh Tourism, organised the final round of Indo-Swiss Friendship Quiz and an art exhibition based on the theme ‘Indo-Swiss Friendship’, at GMSSS-16 and Art Gallery, Sector 10, respectively. The ambassador of Switzerland, Dr Dominique Dreyer, presided over the quiz competition. The final round was conducted where four final teams from St John’s, GMSS-16, GMSSS-37, GMSSS-35 participated. Each team consisting of four students faced 12 rounds. The ambassador while addressing the gathering emphasised on strengthening the relationship between the two countries. Later, he gave away the prizes to the winners and mementos of Switzerland to the participants. He also felicitated the participants with goodie bags sponsored by the Switzerland Embassy, New Delhi. Later in the noon, the ambassador visited the Art Gallery and inaugurated the art exhibition and painting exhibition by the students of the College of Arts, students of GMSSS- 16, St. Johns, GMSSS- 35 and GMSSS- 37. Dr Dominique Dreyer appreciated the efforts of the students who gave such a beautiful expression through sculptures made by the students of College of Art. In this category, Manjeet Singh won the first prize and the title of his sculpture was ‘Weaving the threads of friendship’. The second prize was won by the Gurpreet Dhuri and his title was the ‘Seeds of friendship’. The third prize was won by Sareen Singh with title ‘Childhood blooms in a World of Peace and Friendship’ and consolation prizes were won by Joginder Pal and Amrit Singh. In the painting competition, Siddharth, Prabhjot, Harleen Kaur and Arpan Vadhera got first, second, third and consolation prizes, respectively. The best paintings from four schools are exhibited at the museum.
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Earth Day Celebrations Khushboo wins declamation contest Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 22 Simran Raina got second place while Shiva Rana stood third. Pradpti Dash won consolation prize. DAV-15: The NSS volunteers from senior and junior wing of DAV Model School-15, Chandigarh, today celebrated Earth Day in the school premises under the guidance of programme officer M.L. Bali and Rashmi Puri. The volunteers Akshita and Yanganag shared their views on this special day and also recommended various ways to save earth from pollution. Sharda Sarvhitkari School-40: Sharda Sarvhitkari Senior Secondary School, 40-D, organised a havan in the school premises. Principal Kanwar had question-answer session with the students. GMSSS-32: Earth Day was celebrated in the school campus. Navdeep Kaur gave a speech on the importance of the day. Students also participated in poster making and slogan writing competition organised by the Eco-Club of the school. DPS-40: Delhi Public School, Sector 40, Chandigarh, today celebrated Earth Day. Dr R.K. Kohli, a renowned ecologist and head of the department, environmental science, Panjab University, was the chief guest. The assembly began with a special prayer to mother Earth. The students then presented a talk show. The other highlights of the assembly were a dance performance choreographed on the song, ‘Taaron mein saj ke …’ and a group song ‘We are the world…’ presented by the school choir. AKSIPS-45: Members of the Eco-Club of Ajit Karam Singh International Public School-45 celebrated Earth Day with great enthusiasm. The day started with the inauguration of the Herbal garden in the school premises by Dr Anita Gayatri of Sri Dhanvantry Ayurvedic College and Hospital, Chandigarh. The show started with a talk on the importance of various medicinal herbs in our daily life by Dr Gayatri. Meanwhile, Earth day was also celebrated at Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Sector 23-A, and Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 44-B.
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PU Notes
Chandigarh, April 22 Brushing aside the propaganda of losing Chandigarh if PU is made central university, PUTA president Prof A.S. Ahluwalia clarified that Panjab University would continue to the serve region and that there was no point in linking the future of Chandigarh with that of Panjab University. He questioned, “If Punjab government perceives no cultural or political threat to its provincial character on the arrival of central university in Amritsar or Bhatinda, how come extending central university status to PU would undermine Punjabiat in
the region. More than 500 visitors signed the visitor’s book on the site of chain
fast now running for the last 16 days. FILM: Natural History Museum, Sector 10, and Panjab University, Chandigarh, jointly organised an interactive film show on ‘Earth and Environment in the Cyclorama Gallery on Earth Day’ on Tuesday. EARTH DAY: Centre for Adult, Continuing Education and Extension, Panjab University, celebrated Earth Day in Government High School, Kaimbwala, Chandigarh. More than 60 students, teachers and parents from the village participated. Principal of the school, D.P. Sharma, welcomed the participants and appreciated the efforts of the centre for celebrating the event in the village school. Dr Parmjit Singh Kang, project officer from Panjab University, delivered a talk on saving the mother earth from various kinds of pollutions and misuse.
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Govt schools to collect fee for April
Chandigarh, April 22 The DPI (S) S.K. Setia said since the procedure of accepting the
fee through e-Sampark centres is under progress, the students’ fee and funds should
be deposit as per earlier practice. “Due to some administrative reasons, we have instructed all school heads to collect the fee and funds for the month of April as per earlier procedure. The
modalities are being chalked out to streamline the process of depositing the fee and funds through e-Sampark centres and it will take a month
or so. The school authorities are busy making computerised data of the students’ antecedents which is a time consuming exercise,” he said.
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Students clean Sukhna
Chandigarh, April 22 The students picked up litter alongside the lake. Around 300 kg of waste was collected in an hour from the sides of lake. Later, students were taken on a trekking tour of Botanical Garden, where in a formal function three best eco-clubs of the city (for the year 2006-07) were honoured. Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 46-D, was adjudged first and got Rs 10,000 as prize money.
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Nod to construction of residential colonies
Chandigarh, April 22 The directions were issued by the High Court Division Bench of Chief Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Jaswant Singh. Appearing before the Bench, state Advocate-General Hardev Singh Mattewal said the Punjab Pollution Control Board’s communication dated January 17, 2006, on environmental guidelines for setting up colonies by promoters would be withdrawn without further loss of time. The matter pertains to a public interest litigation filed by Dharam Chand of Mubarakpur village near Dera Bassi. He had sought directions against allowing the setting up of housing colonies in violation of norms prescribed in the communication under reference. After hearing the arguments, the Bench asked the state to file the affidavit before May 1 when the case was scheduled to come up for further hearing. Allowed to sit in exam Taking up a petition by a city-based “day-scholar”, alleging the holding back of roll number on the ground of “not clearing his hostel dues”, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the authorities concerned to allow the petitioner to sit in MA part one Punjabi examination held today. Petitioner Jaswinder Singh, a student of Sector 26 SGGS Khalsa College, had earlier contended his roll number had been issued by Panjab University. But, it was not released on ground that he had not cleared his hostel dues. His counsel GPS Bal contended the petitioner, a Kansal village resident, was never in the hostel. Taking up the matter, High Court Division Bench of Justice Ashutosh Mohunta and Justice Kanwaljit Singh Ahluwalia issued notice of motion to the respondents for May 6. The Judges held: “Prima facie we are not inclined to believe the story as put forward by the petitioner. However, as the petitioner’s examination is to be held today itself and the contents of the roll number have already been issued by Panjab University, we permit the petitioner to appear in the examination”. The Judges added: The superintendent of the examination centre is directed to permit him to sit in the examination provided he has been found eligible by the university… The order shall be subject to the final outcome of the writ petition.
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Consumer Court
Chandigarh, April 22 Stating Travels private limited and Blazeflash couriers limited as deficient in services, the forum has asked them to pay the amount jointly along with Rs 5,500 as cost of litigation. Sudhir Kumar stated that he had applied for visa to Germany as he had to attend the International Orthopaedic Conference for which the complainant had deposited Euro 630 (Rs 36,150) as registration charges with the organisers of the conference. Sudhir Kumar stated that he had handed over the visa application form duly completed along with his valid passport and expired passport besides other relevant documents to Sector 35- based G-19, Travels private limited. He added that he was assured by Mandeep Gill, proprietor of G-19, Travels
private limited, that visa documents would be sent to Delhi through Blue Dart Courier Company which was an accredited courier company in handling passports. Kumar maintained that he was supposed to leave for Germany on September 10, 2007. On inquiring about it, Gill informed him on August 27, 2007, that the passport along with other documents was lost in transit by Blazeflash Couriers Limited through which the documents were sent to Delhi. Sudhir Kumar alleged that Gill had not disclosed the contents of the consignment to the Blazeflash Couriers Ltd because as per the terms and conditions printed at the back of the receipt dated August 23, 2004, the Blazeflash Couriers Ltd do not courier passports. He averred that due to deficiency in service on the parts of the opposite parties, he could not attend the conference in Germany. The courier company and the travel agency did not appear before the forum.
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SHO’s Suspension
Mohali, April 22 SSP R.S. Khatra said he had brought to the notice of the DGP that the reasons for which the SHO had been suspended were not correct. He said he had checked and verified the references made in the suspension orders and sent a report to the DGP that the SHO had not shown any dereliction of duty and was innocent. He added that the complaint, which had been made the basis of suspending the SHO, had nothing to do with him. “The requisite action on the complaint had already been taken,” said the SSP. He pointed out that he had requested the DGP to review his decision regarding the SHO’s
suspension. Balwinder Singh, a resident of the area, had complained to SSP Khatra that a part of his land had been grabbed by certain persons and his servant had been kidnapped. The complaint was given in the first week of March but no action had been taken on it either by the SSP or the SHO. An explanation had also been sought from Khatra why no action was taken in the case. |
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Quasi-judicial powers allotted
Chandigarh, April 22 |
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