Chandigarh, June 21
Paucity of funds with the administration is set to spell doom on several ongoing projects in the city.

Important plans for the upgradation of road network and health infrastructure, improving educational facilities and housing for government employees have been put on hold.

Interestingly, the UT is a revenue surplus city. But the finance ministry, in the total allocation of the UT for the financial year 2008-09, did not sanction sufficient funds. As a result, the administration has come out with a prioritisation of development works that the engineering department has been asked to focus on.

Sources reveal that against a requirement of Rs 20,212 lakh for the ongoing and new projects, Rs 7,968 lakh has been sanctioned for the development works being carried out by the engineering department. “The UT should have put up its proposals properly before the Centre”, observed an official.

Following a meeting chaired by the UT adviser, the finance department has told the engineering department to spent less funds on renovation, addition or alterations in government houses. Priority has to be given to the construction of new houses and renovation of type 7 and above categories. The limited funds have to be spent on renovation.

“This was being done to ensure proper utilisation of limited resources and to ensure that higher type of houses do not consume most budget as has been happening in the past”, finance secretary Sanjay Kumar has observed in a communication to the engineering department.

Basic amenities in villages would get a step-motherly treatment as new works of rural sewerage and water supply have been put on hold as Rs 276 lakh have been sanctioned against the requirement of Rs 395 lakh.

As far as improvement of road and traffic management was concerned, the works which could be delayed were completion of route no 2 between Panchkula and Hallomajra, providing traffic lights, widening of road between Sector 39 and water works, construction of rotary between Sectors 51 and 52, carpeting of rotaries, widening of roads in southern sectors like the roads between Sectors 31 and 47, 48 and 49, 52 and 53, 53 and 54.

Similarly, a project to provide facilities for physically challenged persons in police station, district courts and government printing press, Sector 18 are among the new projects likely to be hit. In the Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park, there are insufficient funds available for the ongoing works like carpeting of roads and providing outfall for sewerage disposal in Phase II.

In the health sector, a multi-storied OPD block of the Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, which was supposed to strengthen the city’s healthcare infrastructure is far from over. The administrator had laid the foundation stone of the project in April, 2006. Similarly, the blocks E and F of the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, is yet to take off due to insufficient funds.

Mohali, June 21
It’s an irony that while Delhi and London will celebrate Kapil Dev’s historic victory of the 1983 World Cup, his hometown, the City Beautiful, has no such plans. Chandigarhians seem to have forgotten the euphoria that had captured the streets of this city 25 years ago.

“It was a night like never before. In fact, it was a Divali in June,” says Kapil’s guru D.P. Azad. However, 25 years later Azad feels let down as no plans have been made to recall the glorious night.

“The Chandigarh administration, the PCA or the Haryana Cricket Association has so far not announced any plans to celebrate the day,” he says. “With his extraordinary feat, Kapil wrote history,” he said, adding that though only four days are left for the silver jubilee, no one here, except the television channels, is talking about it. Azad, to whom Kapil gave 90 per cent credit of the historic win in his autobiography — Straight From The Heart — said, “I am disappointed”.

Getting nostalgic, the septuagenarian coach recalled the day with a sparkle in his eyes. “It was unforgettable. Though I could not contact my disciple during the World Cup, I was sure something big was going to happen. I along with my sports journalists friends, including Samuel Bannerjee, Sushil Bali and others, watched the match at Chandigarh Press Club with a promise that if India won, a “scotch party would be thrown”.

And when that moment came it was total madness on the streets, he recalled. “Hordes of people gathered at Kapil’s Sector 16 residence, and also at mine,” he said, admitting that he got drunk on the heady combination of scotch and happiness.

Though many celebrations happened then, the “indifference” today hurts “me”, he says.

Echoing similar sentiments, another close associate of Kapil, Sushil Kapoor, said, “When he made it to the Indian squad in 1978, the administration felicitated him for the singular honour and later on when he broke Richard Hadlee’s highest Test wicket record, again a function was held at Tagore Theatre but today nothing is planned,” he regretted.

Though disappointed, both Azad and Kapoor and perhaps many more of Kapil’s fans have plans to celebrate the day in their own way. “Damn the administration, for me it will be scotch again and a party at my academy,” said a spirited Azad.

COMMUNITY

NGO for discounts to power-friendly tourists
Aarti Kapur
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 21
Conserve energy at your hotel suite and get a discount on your expenses.

The IDMA Foundation for Sustainable Development, an environment NGO, is planning to submit a proposal to the Tourism Department of the Chandigarh administration for giving concession to those tourists who help save energy by its minimum use and keep their rooms clean.

Under the proposal, if any tourist during his stay in any hotel, voluntarily keeps his room clean and helps save water used in laundry and electricity, the hotel should offer discount to the person.

The project coordinator, IDMA, Sumit Saini, who is preparing the proposal, revealed that during her fortnight stay in Tokyo recently, where she had gone to attend the East Asia Future Leaders Program, she found that such offers were given to tourists who made the minimum use of water and electricity and kept their rooms clean.

Sumit remarked that such incentives could be given to tourists here also and to those who took initiative in keeping the city clean. She said this step would greatly help in avoiding wastage of scarce water and power in our country. By this method the administration and the hoteliers could save the resources of the city.

She said if we implement such projects in our city, tourists coming from abroad and other parts of the country would be highly impressed by the concern shown by the local residents to conserve energy and save environment and would try to pursue them in their regions also.

Sumit added that besides she was also going to propose to make the citizens aware about the utilisation of household garbage, which could easily be used as fertiliser for kitchen gardens. She said the disposal of garbage was the major problem faced by the people living in urban areas. She said the administration would have to organise some training courses for the citizens of the town to make them aware about the utilisation of the garbage in their houses.

She opined that if this was made a mass movement the environment of the town would automatically remain clean and tidy.

She also remarked as children were the best publicity managers they should be encouraged to convey the message of avoiding use of plastic bags, which obstruct the free flow of sewage water and also were not eco-friendly.

Chandigarh, June 21
UK-based musician and voluntary organisation - Mukhtar Sahota and Internalmusic - are set to launch a music video on the ‘girl child’ awareness campaign, in association with the Europe-based Rajdulari Foundation.

They are even ready with a slogan for the project - ‘Her unborn voice… through the sound of music’.

Mukhtar and his brothers, with their band the ‘Sahotas’, have to their credit hit numbers like ‘Teri meri gal ban gaye’, ‘Hass hogiya’, ‘Dil vich tu vasdi’ and ‘Mahi di udeek’.

Talking to the Tribune over phone from England, Mukhtar says he is already in touch with four acclaimed Punjabi singers. Once the modalities are worked out, the crooners will feature in a song and its video. Lending the music to the lyrics will be Mukhtar himself. In fact, he is producing and arranging the music for the album.

Not willing to limit the campaign just to “Indian in general and Punjab in particular”, Mukhtar says they are keen on releasing the album globally as the problem is worldwide. “Not just India, we will make waves in UK, Canada, America and Europe as well,” he asserts.

“It may not sound music to your ears, but a recent report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says up to 50 million girls and women are missing from India’s population as a result of systematic gender discrimination. Otherwise also, there are 775 females per 1,000 males at birth in Punjab. The immense problem needs to be tackled in infancy,” he adds.

Mukhtar and his wife Saj inform that they will soon be landing in Punjab for ensuring smooth take-off of the project. Hailing from Jalandhar, Saj says: “In a month’s time, we will be touring different parts of the state for promoting the project and to raise sponsorship for generating awareness.” The funding, she adds, will go towards the costs of production, duplication and video expenses.

As a part of the campaign, associate Rajdulari Foundation, “in all fairness to the fair sex”, has already launched a blog to generate opinion against the issue. It is aimed at providing a platform to the youth in this part of the region for openly discussing ideas and reactions.

Actively associated with the blog and the mission are renowned citizens like senior Punjab and Haryana High Court advocate Manmohan Lal Sarin, who believes, “Laws alone, and even ban on sex-determination tests, can’t curb the problem. The need of the hour is to generate awareness and opinion against the hazard by involving the youth, as there is no point in talking to the elders at this stage.”

Chandigarh, June 21
In the era of retail revolution, Chandigarh is finally moving with the times. In fact, obsolete building bylaws governing commercial buildings are becoming a thing of the past as is evident from major relaxations granted by the Chandigarh administration to the commercial establishments.

The administration bonanza would prove to be a shot in the arm for the traders, fighting with their back to the wall in the wake of the entry of major retail chains in the city. The "trader-friendly" changes, coupled with proper maintenance and beautification of the markets, would go a long way in tackling the onslaught of the big corporates on the small traders, Charanjiv Singh, president of the Chandigarh Beopar Mandal (CBM), told Chandigarh Tribune here today.

The administration yesterday allowed permission to cover rear courtyards of showrooms in Sectors 7 and 26 and bay shops throughout the city besides allowing basements in the showrooms and bay shops. Permission of depression on the ground floor of SCOs and SCFs for the provision of mezzanine floors and stairs from the front side of SCFs were other changes permitted by the administration.

With the retail revolution and shopping mall-cum-multiplexes set to invade the city in the backdrop of the conversion of large-sized plots in the Industrial Area here, the changes were the need of the hour. The relaxations were being granted in phases so that they did not disturb the distinct character of the city, official sources said.

A high-powered committee of the administration, comprising, among others, DC RK Rao, had been examining various issues involved in allowing changes in the building bylaws governing the commercial buildings in the city. Some of the issues had been hanging fire for the past several years.

Meanwhile, Diwakar Sahoonja, CBM spokesman, demanded the use of the first floors of the SCFs and SCOs for general trade. Permission to have a box- type structure on the rear side of the SCOs and SCFs in the Phase I sectors (Sector 1 to Sector 30) and permission to have either the basement or basements in the single storey booths were other demands aired by Sahoonja.

Zirakpur, June 21
“The municipal council elections is neither personal nor political, it’s only for development of the Zirakpur,” said former president and independent candidate Narinder Sharma.

N.K. Sharma got a shot in the arm when two Congress and one independent candidate withdrew their nomination papers in his support here. Narinder Sharma welcomed those candidates on their joining the group.

Congress candidate Pradeep Sharma withdrew his nomination in favour of Sham Lal from ward number 2; Pawan Sharma withdrew his candidature in favour of Narinder Sharma from ward number 6 and Hanumant Bahuguna from ward 12 also withdrew his form in favour of Sharma group candidate Jagtar Singh Tiwana.

N.K. Sharma said, “It will be a great support for my group that these candidates joined with their majority. I am thankful to them and we will win the election with great margin.”

He said he would always be indebted to the people of the area for their support during election. He also inaugurated the election campaign office in Ward 13, and addressed a rally here.

Hinting at Captain Kanwaljit Singh, Sharma said during Vidhan Sabha elections people supported him heartedly but after becoming the legislator, he did not even bother to thank the people.

Later on, he addressed another rally in Ward 1 in support of his candidate and said the agenda of this election was development. He also said some people trying to campaign that without government help development did not possible. He said for the planned development, funds were already available.

Zirakpur, June 21
Punjab cooperation minister and SAD general secretary Captain Kanwaljit Singh today unveiled the party’s seven-point programme for the all-round development of Zirakpur. The programme would aim at removing social inequality and unemployment, making women self-reliant, helping the poor and elderly.

Speaking at an election rally, which was held on the occasion of the inauguration of the SAD-BJP combine's main election office for the Zirakpur MC elections, he said the seven-point programme would be implemented after the elections. While elaborating the programme, he said focus would be on the development of infrastructure in the city while generation of employment opportunities would be second on their agenda. He further said he would ensure that blue cards were issued to those who had been left out of the scheme of providing ration at subsidised rates. All elderly would get old-age pension, he added. Besides, small traders and shopkeepers would get a number of benefits. Women would be encouraged to become self-reliant through Mai Bhago Istri Shaktri Scheme and the Shagum scheme for Dalit girls would be implemented effectively, he went on to add.

President of the local BJP unit Sushil Garg expressed confidence that the alliance would win all seats in the forthcoming MC elections.

Garg alleged that former president of the Zirakpur MC Narinder Sharma and his team had demanded the BJP tickets for the elections this time, but the party high command flatly refused them saying that there was no place for ‘rebels’ in the party.

Chairman of the Punjab State Cooperative Bank Limited Jasjit Singh also spoke. 

Zirakpur, June 21
Over 4,500 residents of ward Nos. 9, 10 and 11 are waiting for the authorities to act on their long-pending demands of constructing a sports stadium, a hospital and a school. The residents rue that they do not even have the bare minimum facilities generally provided by the MC.

The residents of ward No. 9 complain that they have not been getting the benefits of various schemes introduced by the Punjab Government from time to time. “The state government had introduced the atta-dal scheme, but in our village, this scheme is only for those families, which have more members with voting rights.

The dharamshala and stadium are still incomplete and in a bad condition," says Babbu, a resident of Bhabat village. "The roads, too, are congested. During rainy season, the drains overflow and water enters our houses," he adds.

In the absence of a hospital or dispensary in these wards, the patients have to go all the way to Chandigarh or Panchkula. "During emergency, it's always risky for the patients," says Mohinder, a resident of Badal Colony. “It would help the residents, if there is a proper medical centre in Zirakpur."

“There are no shelters at the counters for depositing electricity bills,” rue residents of ward No. 11. “We have to brave scorching sun and rains while waiting to deposit the money,” they add.

There has been some development, but it has been largely unplanned. The residents have made an appeal to various candidates to complete the pending projects before taking up the new ones.

Chandigarh, June 21
"Jis din se chala hoon meri manzil pe nazar hai, Aankhon ne kabhi meel ka pathar nahin dekha," is a veritable depiction of serene and simply innocent Ishmeet Singh Sodhi.

The winner of coveted title of Amul Star Voice Of India, Ishmeet Singh maintains that he is not afraid of any competition, reiterating the Olympian spirit that the greatest thing is not winning but fighting well. “I leave all the results to Almighty Vaheguru," he says, talking to The Tribune at Hotel Mountview. “I have grown fighting and winning competitions only.”

Ishmeet is in city for a performance at the Kalagram tomorrow.

“To be in the top seven of the ongoing competition ‘Jo Jeeta Wohi Super Star’ is really rejuvenating as it has put me again in the limelight after a gap of six months. This is really a challenging test of our aesthetic potential,” he says. In the instant programme, 50 per cent assessment will be done by the judges and the rest through public voting.

He, however, favours the reality show competitions, which provide a platform to the budding artists.

Now settled in Bombay, he is learning classical music from Ustad Qadir Mustafa and also concentrating on his academic studies.

“There are certain offers for playback singing, but I have so far recorded a Gurbani album. A new album is ready to release in July. I have recorded a song with Alka Yagnik for film ‘Sat Sree Akaal’. I hope to achieve my ultimate goal of becoming a playback singer in Bollywood”.

Chandigarh, June 21
Rubbi, the main accused in the ‘fake visa case’ seems to be too smart for the Chandigarh police, as even after a lapse of nine days, she is still missing.

The anticipatory bail plea of Rubbi was rejected by the court yesterday, leaving no other way out for the accused, according to sources. For the police, Rubbi’s arrest is crucial to crack the ‘fake visa racket’ in which she reportedly took Rs 65,000 from people on the pretext of sending them to Lebanon.

Rubbi, kingpin in the case, was involved in trapping victims from parts of Punjab, using fake passports and forged stamps on their visas. Rubbi is in regular touch with her associates, using two mobile phone connections. The police has even informed her lawyers, maintaining that there is no option left for her but to surrender before the police.

The Tribune highlighted that the mobile tower location of Rubbi indicated that she was openly roaming in the tri-city, but the police so far has failed to trace her whereabouts.

According to the sources, Abdul Samad, husband of Rubbi, was running his own printing press and the passports were printed in the press. Even the stamps that were used in the passports were forged.

The police last week raided the rented accommodation of Rubbi in Vishnu Gardens, Delhi. The police had even sealed the residence and directed the owner not to open the house without the permission of the police. The rented accommodation in Delhi was said to be one of the places, from where the accused were operating, said the sources. 

Chandigarh, June 21
In a classic example of putting cart before the horse, Panjab University is on a course-adding spree, however, without completing the necessary formalities.

The university recently announced two new self-financing courses, BSc (hons) in electronics and MSc (hons) in electronics, in the department of physics from the coming session, but failed to frame the guidelines as to how the admissions would be made.

As the admission date for BSc electronics draws near, the students are getting panic as they feel they have been deprived of the admission in the said course.

According to sources, the university did not announce the starting of the course in time and nor did it bother to advertise about the same, as is done in all such cases.

It was later decided that the criterion for admission to the course would be made on the basis of the marks scored in CET examination conducted by Panjab University.

Surprisingly, CET examination, which was held in May this year, is conducted for admission to medical courses, including MBBS, BDS, BPharmacy and homeopathy, and others like BSc (biotech), and is, therefore, predominantly taken by only medical students.

As a result, non-medical students, who are busy with other entrance examinations such as AIEEE and IIT, usually do not take CET.

This year, unaware of BSc (electronics) course being started by PU, the non-medical students did not appear in the test, but are now feeling cheated and deprived of a course meant for them.

“When the university authorities did not mention it in the information brochure of CET, how does the university expect the students to know,” said an agitated parent.

“For all first-time courses, the university admits students on the basis of merit or conducts a separate entrance test. But in this case, neither there was any information nor any separate test, then how can they make admissions,” asked Rajesh, another parent from Himachal Pradesh.

Vice-chancellor Prof R.C. Sobti, admitting the slip-up, said the admissions should have been made on merit basis and added, “Nevertheless, the matter has been referred to the board of control of the department and will be decided in a day or two.”

Chandigarh, June 21
Teachers and students from the departments of Languages and Laws today sat on fast demanding central university status for PU. Among the teachers were Pankaj Malviya, department of Russian, V.K. Alankar, department of Sanskrit and Vijay Kumar, department of physical education. Among the students were Abhishek Vashisht, Devender Singh, and Bajrang Pratap, all from department of Laws.

“PU’s alumni must be in millions and all of them feel that PU cannot withstand the severity of current financial crisis without compromising its avowed purpose of achieving excellence in higher education. No politics can survive by relegating higher education to the last priority on the agenda of development,” said Prof Malviya.

Prof V.K. Alankar, while regretting the indifference of politicians, said not to accord central status to PU is an insult to the people of entire north-west region to which PU has served all these years. “The issue of excellence in higher education leading to regional development should not be allowed to become a victim of petty politics,” said Prof Alankar.

Mohali, June 21
Chandigarh Group of Colleges, Landran, has been given approval to open Institute of Hotel Management (IHM) at Mohali.

Chandigarh College of Hotel Management and Catering Technology has become the first private college in Punjab which has got approval from the National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology, New Delhi, an autonomous body under Ministry of Tourism.

Passing of the project to open CCHMCT, Landran by the ministry of tourism has put Mohali on the international map in the field of hospitality industry.

Contact no. 0172-2743980,2742609
Website: www.dacvhd. com <http://www.dacvhd. com/>

Chandigarh, June 21
In a significant decision, the Chandigarh administration yesterday decided to have a fresh look at the contentious issue of the conversion fee chargeable under the conversion policy. The conversion fee is charged from the stakeholders opting to convert their industrial plots into commercial establishments in Industrial Area, Phase I and II, here.

All other issues related to the conversion policy will also be reviewed. For the past few days, traders have been raising a hue and cry over the rate of Rs 72,000 per sq yard, calculated as conversion fee. Intervening in the issue, UT Administrator SF Rodrigues today convened a meeting of senior officials to find a permanent solution to the controversial issue.

Different bodies of traders have been lamenting that ever since the launch of the conversion policy in 2005, the stand of the UT officials has been changing on it. On the other hand, the criteria for allotting land to private builders remains fixed and was based on realistic market forces. The Tribune had highlighted the manner in which the decision on the issue had been pending for long due to lack of coordination.

Sources said the UT Administrator expressed serious concern over the stalemate on the issue. The issue of calculating the conversion fee based on the last three auctions was discussed threadbare and various options of giving relief to the stakeholders were debated. Though there is no official confirmation on the fee that would be levied, indications are that it could be rolled back in near future.

The finance department has reportedly been asked to work out some formulae in line with the existing policy so that conversion fee was well along the expected lines.

Earlier in the day, a delegation of industrialists led by MPS Chawla called upon the UT finance secretary to express its concern on hike in the conversion fee. “We were given a patient hearing by the finance secretary and assured of some solution after weighing all the pro and cons”, said Chawla.

The industrialists said the conversion rates had to be realistic and could not be over and above the commercial value of the property in question.

The rates needed to be revised in the light of several representations of the traders from time to time.

After The Tribune highlighted the confusion over the nodal agency for accepting the conversion applications, the CHB today stopped accepting the applications and building plans and directed the same to the estate office.