NEIGHBOURHOOD

Sale of mangoor fish continues despite ban
Attar Singh
Tribune News Service

Rajpura, June 10
A junior engineer and sub-divisional officer of the Punjab State Electricity Board have been booked after two persons, including a minor, were electrocuted.

Anand (11) and Gurpreet (28) came in contact with live wires that were hanging loose over a shop on Sunday evening. Anand had gone to retrieve a ball from the rooftop and following a screeching sound, Gurpreet rushed to the spot to save Anand.

The duo came in contact with 11 KVA wires that were inches above the shop’s roof.

Taking a serious view of the negligence, residents lodged a protest in this regard and a case against SDO Lakhwinder Singh and JE Devraj was registered under Section 304-A of the IPC.

While Gurpreet was an electrician and son of an employee of the electricity board, Anand was the son of a migrant labourer putting up temporarily in 
the city.

Patiala, June 10
Even as the Punjabi University authorities have engaged security staff on the campus, there is no let up in the supply of narcotics to students by outsiders.

Recently, some students, who were allegedly under the influence of intoxicants, were apprehended by the security staff. However, after interrogation it was revealed that they were not university students and had to gone to the campus due to easy availability of drugs there.

Fearing the incident would bring a bad name to the university, the incident was swept under the carpet by the authorities concerned.

Sources reveal that student politics is more about the supply and demand of drugs and less about any meaningful issue.

Outsiders not only frequent the campus but also visit hostels with ease. Alarmed, authorities are trying hard to curb the menace on the campus.

A source said students from the science faculty were far more prone to drug abuse than those of other faculties.

Besides, syringes, needles and other paraphernalia used by drug addicts can be found near the university velodrome, which is popular with drug addicts.

Recently, some boy students were allegedly found supplying drugs to the girls hotels on the campus run by the university at Bathinda, sending alarm bells ringing among the university top brass here.

The university authorities, taking cognizance of the incident, sent a senior official to Bathinda, who later tried to address the problem by taking strict measures in the vicinity of the girls’ hostel there.

The authorities are keeping an eye on fresh students, as it is felt that they were more susceptible to the lure of drugs.

The authorities have already tightened the noose against outsiders and have asked students to keep their ID on them.

The security staff have been asked to keep vigil on students entering boys’ hostels and chemist shops on the campus.

Baddi, June 10
To ensure social and health security to industrial workers, the government of India has started several welfare schemes, mainly implemented through Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), said Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Oscar Fernandes while laying the foundation stone of the first 100- bed ESIC Model Hospital in Himachal Pradesh at Baddi today.

Elaborating, Fernandes said the government was providing medical facilities to workers, from primary health care to super-specialty treatment, through the ESIC. It was simultaneously focussing on preventive medicine. He said health services through the ESIC were being upgraded to meet international standards. About the ESIC hospital at Baddi, the minister said to provide better services to the beneficiaries attached with it, it would have all amenities. At present, 1,800 employers cover 55,000 employees in the industrial areas of Baddi, Barotiwala and Nalagarh.

Giving detail of the ESI Scheme in Himachal, he said the scheme, started in some areas of Solan was being extended to 77,000 employees in 2992 factories and establishments in the state.

Prabhat Chaturvedi, director-general, ESIC, welcomed the chief guest.

Chandigarh, June 10
The Ball Badminton Sports Promotion Association today held a felicitation function, here, to honour the men and women team, which emerged winner during the 29th North Zone Ball Badminton (Men & Women) Championship. The championship was held at Sundernagar (H.P.) from June 7 to 9.

Sixteen teams had participated in this championship. The Chandigarh men and women team after winning all the league matches won the finals too. In finals, Chandigarh men's team beat HP team 29-17-29-22 and women’s team beat Haryana 29-22-29-22.

Shiv Kumar and Mohany were declared best players of this tournament. S.K. Setia, DPI (S) and also patron of the association, distributed prizes to the winners. Ravinder Talwar, secretary general of the association and H.S. Lucky, president of the association were also present on the occasion.

Winners: Men: Shiv Kumar (captain), Sandeep Chaudhary, Jatinder Kumar, Sunil Kumar, Anil Kumar, Gurpreet Singh, Amandeep Singh, Simardeep Singh. Women: Karuna (captain), Mohani, Garima, Harsh, Preeti, Bhaviya, Divya and Prabhjot. 

Chandigarh, June 10
Good knocks by Abhishek (88, 14x4s, 1x6) and Shubham (62, 7x4s, 2x6s) enabled CCA-Guru Nanak Public School Academy to beat Vivek High School by five wickets in the Chandigarh Inter-Academy under-15 Cricket Tournament for Mount Shivalik Trophy.

The tournament is being conducted by DP Azad Cricket Academy at St Stephen's School ground in Sector 45 here.

Chasing a victory target of 237 set by Vivek High School Academy, GNPS Academy made 242 for the loss of five wickets. Needing three runs for win in five overs, Jayant (8 not out) hit the winning stroke as he lifted T.P. Singh out of the ground for a straight six.

Abhishek and Naveen flayed the Vivek School bowlers.

Later Shubham was in total control of the situation as he contributed magnificent 62. His knock was studded with sweetly-time seven fours and two big sixes. Jaskaran's 16 contained three fours.

Arjun was the most successful bowler for Vivek Academy as he bagged two for 38.

Earlier, Vivek High School Academy won the toss and elected to bat. They piled up a good total of 236 for 8 in stipulated 35 overs. Suryansh topscored with 77 runs.

Besides, hitting three sixes, Suryansh reached the boundary 10 times. Shivam (32), Manik (26) and Parnav (20) were their other main scorers.

Hitesh Bhutani and Jayant got two wickets each for 45 and 27 runs, respectively.

GNPS Academy and Mohali Cricket Academy have so far two wins each to their credit.

Tomorrow, in a crucial match, Mohali Cricket Academy will take on APJ Academy of Kharar in the last pool ‘B’ league programme.

Brief scores: Vivek High School Academy: 236 for 8 in 35 overs (Suryansh 77, 10x4s, 3x6s, Shivam 32, 5x4s, Pranav 20, 4x4s, Manik 26, 5x4s, Vikram 17, 2x6s, 1x4, Dhruv 15, 2x6s, Hitesh Bhutani 2 for 45, Jayant 2 fof 27, Ksitij 1 for 28, Naveen 1 for 29, Shubham 1 for 40).

CCA-GNPS Academy-36: 242 for 5 in 30.3 overs (Abhishek 88, 14x4s, 1x6, Naveen 44, 9x4s, Jaskaran 16, 3x4s, Shubham 62, 7x4s, 2x6s, Jayant not out 8, Arjun 2 for 38, Suryansh 1 for 13, Dhruv 1 for 16).

Mohali, June 10
The Punjab Small Industries and Exports Corporation (PSIEC) has allowed industrial plot holders across Punjab to have ATMs and cafeterias for their employees. A notification in this regard has been issued by the corporation to all industrial units based at PSIEC industrial focal points.

In Mohali, this move will apply to all ventures running in Industrial Area Phases VII, VIII A, VIII B and Focal Point, Phase IX.

The industrial unit owners will be allowed to use some space on the premises to open canteens and ATMs without having to pay any conversion charges.

The move is likely to benefit a large number of call centres in IT City in Phases VIII A and VIII B. Sources in the PSIEC said this move would meet the long standing demand of the call centers and service sector ventures.

Call centre employees, including a large number of women, would be happy with the government’s decision. Since a majority of call centre workers work through the night, the need for a canteen and ATM facility within the premises was being felt.

Welcoming the move, Vikas Verma, telecom consultant for Mohali industries, said, “Employees of call centers do not have to go out of the premises for withdrawing cash. Also, a cafeteria within the premises improves the work environment.”

The other industrial areas from Phase I to Phase VI are under the jurisdiction of the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority. GMADA chief Vivek Pratap Singh said in order to bring parity with the facilities being provided by PSIEC, a similar move could be considered for industrial units functioning in Phase I to Phase VI. “If we get a representation from the industrial unit owners in these areas, we will take it to the board for a decision,” he said.

Chandigarh, June 10
Owners of industrial plots below two-kanal size are up in arms against the Chandigarh administration over giving them unfair treatment while allowing conversion of plots under the conversion policy.

The administration has disallowed conversion of plots below two-kanal on the basis of recommendations of sub-committee constituted by the administration and has started refunding the conversion fee deposited by plot owners.

They lamented that after sitting on the conversion fee of plot owners, the administration had refunded the money in violation of the terms and conditions of the policy.

Moreover, the sub-committee constituted to look into the issue of allowing conversion to plots below two kanal held a number of meeting with industrialists and discussed various norms.

“The sub-committee has reached the conclusion that the FAR of 1.5 instead of two could be allowed along with a maximum height of 15 metres. It is surprising that suddenly the administration decides not to allow conversion of small plots,” said Industries Association of Chandigarh president Madhu Sudan Vij.

The stakeholders rued that while on one hand the administration was issuing notice of misuse to small plot owners, on the other it was not allowing them to convert to do clean activity.

A number of stakeholders had started demolishing their old structures presuming that they were being allowed conversion.

“If the nodal agency does not inform the applicant within 15 days, the permission is deemed granted,” said a stakeholder.

Besides, confusion over the conversion fee continues to irritate applicants.

Lack of coordination between the finance department and the estate office over the finalisation of the conversion rates has sent industrialists into a tizzy.

Even as the single-window committee of the administration meets here on March 27 to consider the conversion applications, the applicants will be in the dark about the rate at which their plots have been converted.

In fact, the statements of top administrative functionaries have further added to the confusion.

While the administration said the conversion fee had automatically gone up from Rs 20,000 per sq yd to Rs 35,000 per sq yd since the last auction of commercial property held on December 17, 2007, on the basis of formulae incorporated in the conversion policy, the officials said the average price of auction(s) of commercial property held in the last three years decided the rates for conversion.

With the increase is 50 per cent of the average auction price achieved in the last three years, the new rate comes out to Rs 35,000 per sq yd.

While finance secretary Sanjay Kumar was on leave, deputy commissioner R.K. Rao was not available for comments.