Chandigarh, July 4
The Airport Authority of India (AAI) today rejected the stand of the Haryana government to frame a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) to decide the responsibilities of the Airport Authority of India (AAI) as well as Punjab and Haryana for the Mohali airport.

According to the MoU signed in January between the AAI, Punjab and Haryana for the Mohali airport, the AAI was to have a 51 per cent stake in the project and Punjab and Haryana was each to have an equal share in the remaining equity.

However, Haryana had recently sent a draft copy of a revised MoU prepared by it to the AAI listing the responsibilities of the authority as well as the Punjab government.

The AAI called a meeting to discuss the issue in which Punjab vehemently opposed the need for any fresh MoU.

Following the meeting today in Delhi, the AAI summarily decided that the original MoU would stand, and based on its parameters a joint venture company would be formed.

The AAI has also decided that both Punjab and Haryana will share the 49 per cent equity allotted to them equally and will provide money for purchase of land and other allied activities.

According to Punjab government sources, its Haryana counterparts “forgot” to mark a copy of the fresh MoU to them. They said the government was open to the idea of a joint venture which could include the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) as well as the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA).

The Punjab government is, however, keen that Haryana start paying its share in the project as its partner GMADA has already spent Rs 450 crore in acquiring land for the terminal building.

Punjab government officials who attended the meeting objected to the delay on the part of Haryana to cough up its share in the project and said the state could not demand equity without becoming an equal partner.

Director, Civil Aviation, Sandeep Prakash, besides officers from Punjab, including secretary, Civil Aviation, Visvajit Khanna and Haryana secretary, Civil Aviation, G. Prasanna Kumar, attended the meeting.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government is expected to write to Haryana to foot the bill for the expenditure already incurred by it as well as more money needed to acquire roads for the project to link the new airport with both Punjab and Haryana.

The Punjab government is expected to transfer equity to Haryana only when it coughs up its share in the project.

Chandigarh, July 4
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is ready to prepare the detailed project report for the city and its neighbouring areas. The study will be conducted keeping in mind the underground length restricted to the heritage areas.

Managing director of the Delhi Metro E. Sreedharan, in a communication to the Chandigarh Administration, has expressed the keenness to prepare the project report. Sreedharan is credited with creating a system that is a technological marvel as well as an example of successful corporate culture.

A few days ago, the administration had requested the Delhi Metro to conduct a study. UT home secretary Sanjay Kumar said that the communication from Delhi Metro had been received.

To carry out comprehensive mobility plan for the planning of the mass rapid transit system for Chandigarh and neighbouring areas, the name of the consultant would be finalised on July 7. Three companies, RITES, IDTE and Urban Mass Transit Company, have applied to the administration to undertake the plan.

The short-listed company would study various parameters like roads, public health network, population and movement of vehicular traffic and concentration of population while undertaking the study. The administration would provide support in form of data about the essential services so that the mobility study was complete in all aspects.

Based on the recommendations of an expert committee on the MRTS, the study would focus on the rail-based system on two surface corridors-Sarangpur-Khuda Lahora-Maheshpur on the east-west access and from the Motor Market to Sector 105, Mohali, via the IT park and Purv Marg.

The expert committee, while mentioning the seven-fold classification of roads given by Le Corbusier, had also suggested a bus-based transit system, which has been classified as Inter-State Modal Urban Complex.

The committee has already pointed out that due to limited flexibility, limited capacity, high costs, aesthetics and the character of the city, particularly in core areas such as Madhya Marg and Himalaya Marg, it is not in the favour of monorail option.

Chandigarh, July 4
In the backdrop of an alarming increase in HIV/AIDS cases among the youth, the administration has devised a novel way to answer the queries of inquisitive schoolchildren on the issue.

Named as “Teesra Mahayudh”, this 45-minute film will be shown in all government schools of the city. The CDs of this movie have been dispatched to all schools.

“If the Third World War is to be fought, it has to be against AIDS, not humanity,” that’s the way filmmaker V.K. Kaushik strives to attract the attention towards AIDS awareness.

It is a significant move for schoolchildren, especially those who come for evening classes of Alternate Innovative Education (AIE) centres and belong to most susceptible colonies and slum areas where the menace is shockingly high.

DPI (S) S.K. Setia believes that movies are the best medium to make the youth aware. He opined, “I have seen this film and it hits the subject matter. I have directed to send the CDs of this film to principals of all government schools and it will be shown to children,” he said.

Based on social issue like drugs, call girls and foeticide, Kaushik has submitted his work with the education department to seek the final approval before being shown to the schoolchildren.

“Sex and drugs have entered our schools and colleges and children need to be taught about sex education. At present, I am busy making another film named ‘Savera’ which is based on sex education,” said Kaushik.

His other productions include “Zindagi” which is based on drug addiction among the youth and “Doosra Dharam” which conveys the message that humanity is above all religions, a telefilm on female foeticide “Zara Socho Aap bhi aur Hum Bhi” and “Jaagte Raho”, which is again a wake up call against drugs and call girls.

Kaushik is so much obsessed with his passion of spreading awareness in the society through his art that he sold his car, house and his belongings to meet the film expenses, for which he has no regrets.

“Somehow with the help of my friends or out of my little resources, I could manage to make good lot of films for children. The only regret is that these social causes remain only a subject matter to talk about in their circle, but nobody makes efforts to come forward to help eradicate this social problems”.

When Setia was apprised of this dilemma, he immediately assured him to approach the higher authorities to find some wayout. “I will contact the higher authorities, if we could manage to finance the documentary “Savera” because eventually, it is being made specially for schoolchildren.”

Chandigarh, July 4
The administration's move to set up ultra-modern Medicity with super-specialty health care facilities on 45 acres today received a partial go ahead from the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Modifying the stay orders, the High Court Division Bench of Chief Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Mahesh Grover made it clear that the administration could go ahead with the process, but the project’s future would be subject to the decision of the petition filed in public interest.

As the matter came up for hearing, petitioner-cum-advocate Harmeet Singh Grewal asserted the criterion for allotment was tailor-made to favour Fortis.

Appearing before the Bench, Grewal stated even if others applied, they would not qualify - a contention that was opposed by UT counsel Anupam Gupta.

Grewal, in his petition, had earlier stated there was no need to set up the city as the project, in its present form, was not in public interest. He had sought directions for quashing advertisement issued by the Chandigarh Administration inviting expression of interest for setting up and developing the proposed Medicity.

It was argued that a Mohali-based super-specialty hospital's balance sheet showed cumulative losses to the tune of Rs 98.11 crore attributable to shareholders, as it was not running to its full capacity.

In any case, the city already has a well-equipped PGI, Government Medical College and Hospital in Sector 32 and General Hospital in Sector 16, besides a number of other privately run healthcare facilities.

The proposed 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, while referring to the UT advertisement.

Chandigarh, July 4
Preliminary inquiry conducted by the CBI into the elimination of proclaimed offenders in the 1991 blast case virtually indicts Punjab Vigilance chief Sumedh Singh Saini and three other cops.

Categorically accusing Saini and three others of abduction and torture, the FIR by the CBI’s SP S.P. Singh reads: “Enquiry conducted by the CBI revealed that in regard to the bomb attack on Sumedh Singh Saini, the then SSP, Chandigarh, FIR number 334 was registered at Sector 17 police station, Chandigarh, on August 29, 1991.

“On December 11, 1991, a Chandigarh Police party headed by DSP Baldev Singh Saini raided and picked up Balwant Singh Multani, son of Darshan Singh Multani, from house number 1741, Phase VI, Mohali. He was kept in illegal custody till December 13, 1991, by the Chandigarh Police…”

“He was tortured in the presence of Saini and his men inter-alia to know the whereabouts of Devinderpal Singh Bhullar. Balwant Singh Multani was also found in the custody of Police Station, Sector 17, Chandigarh, on December 17/18, 1991, in a bad condition and he was not able to walk and talk freely.

“In police records, it is shown that Balwant Singh Multani was taken to Police Station, Qadian in Punjab, on December 18, 1991, by Sub Inspector Jagir Singh and party for tracing and arresting Navneet Singh. He was lodged in the police station lockup and he escaped from custody in the night. The whereabouts of Balwant Singh Multani is not known since then.”

Elaborating on the treatment meted out to Bhullar, the FIR says: “The police party picked up Balwant Singh Bhullar and brought him, as well as Balwant Singh Multani, to Sector 17 police station, Chandigarh, on December 13, 1991.

“They were tortured in the presence of and on the orders of Saini, the then SSP, by DSP Baldev Singh Saini and his men inter-alia to know the whereabouts of Devinder Singh Bhullar. Balwant Singh Bhullar was again brought to Dialpura Bhaike on February 2, 1992, by the Chandigarh Police for investigation. His face was found swollen. He was brought back to Sector 17 police station, Chandigarh, and tortured on the orders of and in the presence of Saini. Due to torture, Bhullar lost his mental balance and was unable to walk properly and eat anything. On the seventh day, he was segregated and taken away. The whereabouts of Balwant Singh Bhullar are not known since then. Saini had informed a witness that Balwant Singh Bhullar had died a natural death and that Devinder Singh Bhullar had tried to assassinate him.”

In the end, the CBI SP asserted: “A regular case is registered and entrusted to Satish Dagar, DSP, CBI, Chandigarh, for investigation.”

COMMUNITY

Sec 63 Scheme
Pricing reasonable, says CHB
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh/Panchkula, July 4
Banks on the city’s periphery face a perpetual security risk due to the absence of adequate safety measures there.

A survey of the surrounding areas of the city has revealed that a majority of these banks neither have a security guard nor are they equipped with closed-circuit television (CCTV).

Most banks are left unguarded during night as they do not have enough security staff to man them after 5 pm.

UCO Bank’s Naya Gaon branch, which caters to four villages, does not have CCTV surveillance and, even worse, lacks a security guard to man it after 5 pm.

Bank manager Vimal Malhotra admits that security is a major concern for banks operating on the city’s periphery.

Even the firearm provided to the security guard is obsolete. And, to make the matters worse, police patrol in the area is negligible.

The branch of State Co-operative Bank at Dadu Majra does not have a security guard, let alone a CCTV.

The condition of other banks is no different, as those operating at Hallo Majra, Maloya and other neighboring villages do not have provisions for CCTV or security guard.

Under the guidelines, banks are required to hold meetings with the police every three months to discuss the threat perception and carry out drills to check safety measures.

However, the banks on the periphery have not conducted any such meetings with the police so far.

Though, some bank branches have installed CCTV on their premises, even these fail to serve the purpose as the cameras are either not properly positioned or lack focus.

According to sources, swing CCTV often fails to catch the image of a suspect as the area of focus and duration are limited.

Moreover, in most cases CCTV has not been installed at the bank entrance to capture the face of the person entering or exiting the bank premises.

Even as four incidents have been reported when visitors to local banks in Panchkula have been looted during last seven months, bankers have failed to implement measures to pre-empt any bid of dacoity.

Despite repeated warnings, many bank managements neither bothered to depute security guards nor installed any close-circuit cameras, said Panchkula SP Sandip Khirwar.

A majority of the banks which did not bother to implement the suggestions were from the pubic sector, said Khirwar.

While there was no attempt to loot the bank in the city, the visitors were looted when they were on the way to the bank to deposit money or while returning from the bank after withdrawing the cash. A person was even shot at in Sector 4, when he refused to part with the cash he had withdrawn from a bank in Sector 10.

The situation was not better in other parts of the district. At Pinjore, there are three banks. And not even a single bank is guarded. Similarly, Kalka is having 10 banks. However, a majority of them do not have security guards or CCTV cameras.

The situation did not change even after three attempts of burglary have been attmpted at a branch of Kurukshetra Grameen Cooperative Bank at Karanpur village on Pinjore-Nalagarh Road in the recent past. The locks of Punjab National Bank were found broken last week at Pinjore.

It was observed that the bank managements have a casual approach towards the safety of their staff and visitors, said the SP. Now taking initiative, the police had been deputed at various sensitive points, near the banks, said Khirwar.

Moreover, the residents have been advise to seek the security from the police while they carry a big amount, he said adding that the security would be provided free of cost to the residents.

Chandigarh, July 4
City roads are fast turning into death traps with the number of mishaps claiming innocent lives is steadily rising with every passing year.

According to figures, every second day one person dies in a road accident and at least two are seriously injured.

In 2004 and 2005, 274 lost their life in a road accident in different parts of the city. The figure reached 143 in 2006 and was 153 in 2007. This year the number of fatalities has already crossed 83, with the “transport light point” has been marked as the “most sensitive”.

Talking to TNS, SSP SS Srivastava said, “We are studying all aspects behind the rising fatalities. The majority of the accidents were witnessed at the stretch from the Transport light point to Fun Republic”.

Of the 153 road fatalities witnessed in 2007, 82 accidents occurred during the broad daylight. As for the non-fatal accidents, 248 occurred during the daytime, while 147 of the road accidents happened during the night.

This year, out of the 82 fatal road accidents that occurred till June 30, 46 accidents took place during the daytime while 36 occurred at night.

The road to Panchkula witnessed 19 road accidents, including the railway light point, Fun Republic and the housing board chowk as the most accident-prone. The jurisdiction falling under the police station, Sector 34, has witnessed 13 accidents till June 30. According to sources, over 50 per cent of the total vehicles involved in the accidents belong to other states, with the majority being rashly driven taxis and the maxi cabs.

Chandigarh, July 4
Belying tall claims of the Chandigarh administration that over 90 per cent of streetlights are functional, certain parts of the city have been reeling under darkness due to dysfunctional streetlights for days.

Most of the busy roads in the city, including Udhyog Path, Dakshin Marg, internals roads of Sectors 20, 21, 28, 29, 30, concrete road dividing Sectors 31 and 32 and most parts of the main road dividing Sectors 47 and 48 up to the Sector 39 grain market have been without streetlights for days. Complaints pertaining to dysfunctional streetlights and uprooted poles are flooding the department concerned ever since the city witnessed the first spell of rains.

Residents of Sector 50 are the worst affected as stray cattle from nearby villages add to their woes, putting their lives at risk.

According to sources in the electricity wing of the municipal corporation, most streetlights have been rendered dysfunctional during work on road widening undertaken, as underground cables get damaged during the digging. In addition to this, short circuits are a routine in the damaged junction boxes in rainy season.

An officer in the electricity wing attributes the dysfunctional streetlights to the stolen timer switches (which automatically turns streetlights on and off) installed on the poles.

He adds that almost 90 per cent of the timers have been stolen and each timer switch costs the corporation around Rs 3 lakh. Though cases have been registered, the authorities have failed to come out with a permanent solution to the problem.

He further says that only those who deal in streetlights steal such devices. A common man has no interest in the equipment as it draws a meagre amount if sold as scrap.

S.K. Bansal, chief engineer, municipal corporation, maintained that the dysfunctional streetlights fell under the jurisdiction of the administration and the corporation had nothing to do with it.

Chandigarh, July 4
Agitated shopkeepers of the Market Welfare Association, Sector 22, here today protested the manhandling of Arvind Jain, president, by the VHP supporters yesterday morning.

The entire market was closed for more than two hours with the shopkeepers demanding the suspension of police officials, who hesitated to take action against the VHP leader.

Jain said a group of VHP supporters came to the market on July 2 and threatened not to open the shops tomorrow. He informed the police, which assured him that the force would be deployed tomorrow and action would be taken against the violators.

“However, the police remained a mute spectator, while the VHP supporters’ thrashed me during the bandh, who forcibly tried to close the shops”, he said. The police, in spite of taking action against them, recorded a DDR against both parties.

Chandigarh, July 4
This coming Sunday, Chandigarh will witness a galaxy of eminent Sikh men and women being honoured for their contribution to society in general and the Sikh community in particular. Seven chosen persons of excellence will come together at the Taj to receive their awards that include the “Lifetime Service Award” for Saran Singh for publishing the “Sikh Review”. The effort behind all this is that of none other than the Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE), a US based NGO for the promotion and preservation of Sikh culture that works closely with the White House.

Chairman of the Council Dr Rajwant Singh is currently in Chandigarh to overseas preparations for Sunday’s event. Recollecting the time when the Council was founded, he says “during the Clinton administration a need was felt to start an interaction with the White House to create a mechanism for enhancing the presence of Sikhs in the political system. The first meeting of the Council was held in 1988 at the White House. About 35 Sikh personalities from different organisations came together to form SCORE. Since that time a nearness has been established between the local Sikh community and people like Hilary Clinton, Senator Edward Kennedy, Senator Richard Lugar”.

According to Rajwant, the Council members are of the opinion that there is a general feeling of cynicism in the Sikh community due to the various challenges the community faces and lack of trust in their leadership. This general sense of negativity needs to be turned around. Honouring these eminent Sikhs will provide the Sikh youth with role models.

After 9/11 when Sikhs were being attacked, Rajwant was invited by President Bush to the White House along with other leaders to discuss the tragedy facing America. “We appealed to the President to issue a statement to protect the Sikhs. Subsequently, 14 leaders were invited on September 20, 2001, to make a statement against violence and prejudice against the Sikh community as their appearance was mistaken for supporters of Bin Ladin”.

Interestingly, it was at the residence of Rajwant where Senator Hilary made a comment that she was proud to be a Senator from New York as well as from Punjab. This comment was taken up during Presidential nominee Barack Obama’s campaign and made Hilary look more a representative of India rather than America by calling her “Senator Clinton D - Punjab”. It showed Hilary and Indians in poor light. But after Rajwant and many other Indians protested, Obama had to apologise.

Those to be honoured at Sunday’s function are Rabbi Shergill, a well-known singer, an environmentalist and a social activist, Saran Singh, Editor of “Sikh Review” from Kolkata, Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal who cleaned the Bein River associated with Guru Nanak in Sultanpur Lodhi, Ranjodh Singh, head of Gurmukh Singh and Sons, from Ludhiana, Arpana Caur, an internationally renowned artist, Dr. Inderjit Kaur, head of the Pingalwara Institution in Amritsar, and the Nishkam Sikh Welfare Council, a Delhi-based NGO which has done humanitarian service since 1984. Sunday function titled “Excellence among Sikhs” is likely to see politicians, social activists, religious leaders and academicians all come together on a secular platform.

Chandigarh, July 4
Over100 delegates participated in a one-day seminar on “Tax deduction at source (TDS): Issues, problems and recent developments” organised by the PHD Chamber here today.

The aim was to bridge the information and knowledge gap on tax deduction.

Income Tax director general Vinita Chopra said TDS provisions had a far-reaching effect, touching a large number of assesses.

“In spite of buoyancy in tax collection, it has been a year of turnaround for the Indian economy because more than one-third of the total direct taxes was collected by way of the TDS. It has seen a growth of over 50 per cent over the past year,” she said.

PHD Chamber’s direct taxes committee co-chairman V.S. Wahi said retrospective amendments were important to make people contribute to the tax kitty.

He said the scope of TDS provisions had been enlarged over the years and was getting compounded, which had led to an increase in the compliance costs for the assessees.

He added that the government should consider appointment of an ombudsman for the TDS on the lines of advance ruling mechanism so that ticklish issues could be clarified and differing views leading to litigation were avoided.

A special session on e-filing of TDS returns was also conducted in which practical problems of e-filing and do’s and don’ts were discussed.

Chandigarh, July 4
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-I has sentenced the managing director of MCS Limited to two-year imprisonment for not complying with the orders of the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum.

The firm was asked to pay Rs 50,000 in compensation along with Rs 10,000 as costs of litigation.

The forum observed: “A period of three months has elapsed but the opposite party has not yet complied with the orders. Even the directions that if the order was not complied with, action under Section 27 of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 would be taken against them, bore no effect on them. We, therefore, sentence the managing director to imprisonment of two years and a fine of Rs 10,000.”

The complainant, Neena Ahuja, resident of Panchkula, had applied for 70 equity shares in ONGC held by the Government of India on March 10, 2004 and deposited the requisite amount of Rs 49,875.

Thereafter, neither the shares were allotted nor was any reply received in response to details sent by her.

Neena received a letter dated September 9, 2006, wherein she was assured that the shares had been allotted but credit of the same had not been given in the demat account due to some technical error.

She rued that her application was not declined by the firm, which suggested that she had filled out the form rightly.

She added that under the guidelines, the firm should have refunded the money deposited if the shares could not be credited to her demat account.

Subsequently, she received a letter dated October 16, 2006 that stated that the previous letter had wrongly informed him that 70 shares had been allotted to her.

In fact, the firm stated that the shares could not be allotted to her. Finally, the money deposited by her was refunded to her on September 1, 2006.

The forum didn’t not grant him any compensation. She appealed in the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and was granted compensation.

Chandigarh, July 4
The Multiplex Association of India has urged the Chandigarh administration to grant rebate in the entertainment tax to multiplexes.

In a representation to the finance secretary, the association, under the aegis of the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said most states like Delhi, Rajasthan and UP had granted a rebate to multiplexes on entertainment tax.

Punjab, too, had abolished entertainment tax of multiplexes and single-screen cinema halls.

Atul Goel, CEO of E-CITY Ventures that operates Fun Republic here, said the tax had led to limited addition to cinema infrastructure in the city.

Chandigarh, July 4
The municipal corporation today launched a 230-week training programme for sanitation workers.

During the programme, they will be imparted training in sweeping roads, self-protection, social uplift and curbing absenteeism.

MC commissioner Dr Roshan Sunkaria inaugurated the first batch of 100 sanitation workers at the state library here.

A batch of 100 workers will be trained every week during the programme.

The commissioner said health check-up camps would be organised after the completion of the one-week training and awareness would be created regarding health insurance, besides educating them about their rights to prevent exploitation at the hands of contractors.

MCC medical officer Dr G.C. Bansal said resource persons from non-government organisations would be included in the programme, which would be conducted from 3 pm to 6 pm every day at community centres nearest to the areas of the sanitation staff.

Chandigarh, July 4
The second phase of a north zone training on STI/RTI technical and operational guidelines was inaugurated by the health secretary-cum-chairman, State AIDS Control Society, Dr Roshan Sunkaria here today.

The training is being organised at Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector-32.

The National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), New Delhi, in association with the State AIDS Control Society, Chandigarh, is organising the workshop to enable state resource faculty from seven states - Rajasthan, Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir - to learn about the nationwide uniform guidelines for managing STI/RTIs.

Presence of STIs increases transmission of HIV 10 times. It is, therefore, important to know how to manage and prevent them, Dr Sunkaria said while inaugurating the second phase of training.

Appreciating NACO, Dr Sunkaria said there was a need to develop a strong mechanism by properly utilising human resource available in preventing the spread of various diseases.

He appealed to doctors to take STI/RTIs as a challenge. He also stressed the need for utilising information technology available in gathering latest information and addressing the cause.

Mohali, July 4
Unannounced long power cuts and frequent trippings has made life miserable for the past three days for the residents of Mohali in this sultry weather.

Residents complained that even inverters installed on their premises had failed because of long and frequent power cuts which had also adversely affected the supply of water making matters worse.

A.S. Kalsi, executive engineer of the public health department which provides water to the town, said power cuts were imposed during water supply hours which adversely affected the pressure of water being supplied. He said though a hotline connection had been given to the waterworks in Phase VI by the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB), the waterworks in Sector 57 faced power cuts.

Water was supplied to Phases IX to XI and Sectors 70 and 71 from the Sector 57 waterworks. He said 30 tubewells in the town also faced power cuts. He suggested that power cuts should be imposed during non-supply hours.

President of the Citizens’ Welfare Federation B.S. Tej said the PSEB had made life miserable for the residents of the town by imposing long power cuts. He said yesterday the town was provided power supply only for about two hours during the entire day. Even today the situation was not satisfactory. Frequent trippings were also being witnessed. He alleged that the power board employees had used sub-standard material in carrying out maintenance work of the system and as such it could not take the summer load. He said residents did not know whom to approach to make complaints as PSEB officials said they were helpless in the matter.

H.S. Boparai, senior executive engineer of the power board, said as the weather had become humid and there was not adequate rain, the demand for power had suddenly shot up but the supply of power remained the same. Cuts were being imposed because of the rising gap between demand and supply. He said Mohali was not the only town facing power cuts, these were being imposed throughout the state. He said power was cut five times yesterday but he could not do anything as the orders to impose power cuts were received from Patiala. He appealed to the residents to bear with the power board.

Reacting sharply to Kalsi’s compliant regarding power cuts being imposed during water supply hours, Boparai said cuts were imposed for about five hours a day and the public health department could provide the required quantity of water during the remaining 19 hours.

They should have standby arrangements in case of power failure afterall supply of water was an essential service. He said no power cut was imposed on the Sector 57 waterworks as power to it was being provided from an industrial feeder which was shut down only once a week.

Chandigarh, July 4
In the wake of yesterday’s statement by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, the Joint Action Committee (JAC), in its emergency meeting held today, thanked the CM for his announcement.

JAC heralded the CM’s announcement as a leap towards PU being a Central University, yet they felt that unless an official communiqué is not issued, the matter cannot be taken as clinched. Meanwhile, JAC decided to change the mode of agitation and instead of continuing with the chain fast, being observed for the last three months, the agitation would continue in the form of a mass dharna from 10 am to 1 pm at the same site for the next two weeks.

During these two weeks, efforts would be undertaken for early release of an official letter from the Punjab Government so that matters could be pursued at the Central level. After two weeks, the course of agitation would be reviewed, keeping in view the level of urgency shown by both, the Centre and Punjab Governments on the issue.

Those who sat on the chain fast today on the 89th day, among the teachers were Harish Kumar and Seema Rai, both from the UIET, and among the students were Hari Nath from Hindi, Sukhjit Singh from UIET and Sandeep Thind from the geography department.

Chandigarh, July 4
Besides stealing cycles from houses, water meters and chain snatching, beggars and drug-addicts have also targeting handles of benches in parks.

These kinds of benches can be found at the Sector 28 parks as the handles of the benches have been stolen and almost every new day one can encounter one or the other bench without the handles.

There are more than four parks and having almost six benches in each park. But not even a single bench has been spared without their handles.

It becomes easy for thieves to dismantle these iron handles and run away without being caught. These are easy to be broken and carried without letting anybody know. After having stolen them, the thieves sell these iron handles at a good price and most of them buy drugs with this and others like beggars find it a best way to earn money.

“I saw two children sitting on a bench who were trying to break the handles of the bench. When I went towards them they just fled,” said Desh Raj, a resident of Sector 28.

He presumes that these kids come from slums or from Bapu Dham, Sector 26, and they don’t fear stealing these handles even in the day. The residents raised the matter recently.

Moreover, it is spoiling the beauty of the park and making the park look absurd. Efforts made by the Municipal Corporation for the betterment of the parks go in drain due to these kinds of incidents. It is a demotivating factor for the MC who has done a lot of work for these parks. Not only this, in some of the parks, the grills have also been found missing.

Panchkula, July 4
The inability of the authorities to check unplanned urbanisation by reclaiming land on nullahs and encroachments on the natural course of these seasonal rivulets could lead to flooding of the city.

The obstructions in the natural course of the nullahs in surrounding areas of Punjab and the jhuggis constructed in the course of these rivulets in Panchkula could wreak havoc whenever the water comes gushing down into these rivulets from the lower Shivaliks.

All nullahs passing through Panchkula flow into the neighbouring areas of Zirakpur. Though Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) has realigned most tracts flowing in Panchkula, their natural course has been changed in Punjab. HUDA has also widened these nullahs at various places.

In Punjab, at several places, hotels, shops and marriage palaces have been built by reclaiming land and the natural course of nullahs changed. In case of heavy rain in the Shivaliks, the water gushing down these rivulets could lead to scarping of the reclaimed land, thus endangering the buildings there. This could also lead to the water flowing back into Panchkula, thus flooding low-lying areas like Sector 19, Industrial Area, Budanpur and Abheypur.

Top officials in HUDA said the matter was taken up with the Punjab Government a few years ago when Panchkula was flooded during the rains in 2005. Punjab was asked to remove encroachments on nullahs within its territory as it was leading to obstruction in the flow of water here.

The issue was then taken to court following which the Punjab government cleared the encroachments in its territory and notified the area under the Drainage Act.

However, at places where buildings had already been built, the Punjab government allowed for the course of the nullahs to be changed. HUDA officials claim that they have completed channelisation of more than 80 per cent of the nullahs flowing within its territory.

However, they have failed to check jhuggis that have come up on the nullahs, especially on the one flowing near Rajiv Colony. With families having built hutmentsthere, rainwater gushing through these could wash away these people along with their hutments. 

It was unusual to watch the otherwise suave and sophisticated academicians struggling with the Chinese cuisine during the first-ever state-level convention of academics held in Chandigarh this week. Attended by the UGC top brass, VCs and principals, the lunch hosted by Panjab University had the academics struggling with hakka noodles.

Chandigarh, July 4
There are few takers for aided schools when it comes to admission to Class XI.

Less than 10 students have opted for two aided schools DAV SSS-8 and IS Dev Samaj School-21, till today, the third day of centralised counselling for admission to Class XI at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 10, here.

Education officials, too, were bewildered at this outcome. They disclosed that one of the reasons could be that in Class XI and XII, students preferred to take private coaching rather than attending regular classes.

“They find little logic in spending extra fee at these aided schools when they are not going to attend the classes regularly. The aided schools especially DAV, has not yet agreed to frame the fee structure according to the prescribed administrative norms. IS Dev Samaj School is otherwise humble on fee grounds, but it has failed to catch the students’ attention,” said an official.

Elaborating further, the official said DAV was preferred by only those students who were into sports. “We know that they have unofficially admitted students in Class XI, but communication in this regard is under process,” informed the official.

Yet another reason is that some government schools like GMSSS-16, 35, 32, 33 or 37 have best faculties and infrastructure as compared to aided schools and that too at very reasonable fee.

However, the ongoing process of centralised admissions went on smoothly. With four city schools GMSSS-16, GMSSS-35, GMSSS-33 and GMSSS-37 having closed admissions to science stream for general category yesterday, heavy rush of admission seekers was witnessed at the counters of other schools.

Admissions in general category for science stream also came to an end in GMSSS-MHC (cutoff 75 per cent), GMSSS-19 (cutoff 74.8 per cent), GMSSS-40 (cutoff 72.2 per cent), and GMSSS-46 (cutoff 70.8 per cent).

Admissions in commerce stream for general category also closed in GMSSS-35 (cutoff 74.4 per cent).

At the end of today’s counselling session, 816 seats were reported to have been filled. The admission will continue as per schedule tomorrow in the same four slots.

Chandigarh, July 4
Panjab University officials are in a tight spot over the prerequisite qualification for BPEd teachers with NCTE (National Council for Teachers’ Education) and UGC (University Grants Commission) advocating different qualification criterion.

According to sources, both the regulating bodies i.e the UGC and NCTE have different guidelines when it comes to recruiting teachers for teaching four-year BPEd course. According to NCTE norms, a candidate should have done BPEd course with five years of teaching experience. But according to UGC guidelines, for the post of a lecturer, besides a master’s degree, MPhil or PhD is necessary or the candidate should be UGC-NET qualified.

According to official sources, till last year, even the NCTE criterion was similar to that of UGC but after a workshop-cum-orientation meet was held for three days at Gwalior, some changes in the eligibility criterion for teachers were recommended which were later taken in. Earlier, the criterion was MPEd for teaching BPEd students.

The university had formed a committee to look into the matter. One meeting of the committee was scheduled recently but in the absence of all the members, nothing came out of it. Another meeting on the issue was scheduled for today but again because of the absence of some members, the meeting has been postponed to July 11.

Apparently, the university officials seem to be in no mood to adhere to the NCTE norms, as it is the UGC guidelines, which are followed as lecturers get UGC grades.

Moreover, lowering the qualifications of teachers would be compromising on the quality of education, says a senior lecturer in physical education of the university. How can a person with a bachelor’s degree teach students of his own level, he questions.

Chandigarh, July 4
The Banyan Tree School, Sector 48-B organised a workshop on ‘Parenting and Quality Education’ on its premises here today.

Principal Ritu Mahajan welcomed the guests. The first two days will be devoted to a teachers' workshop (pre-school and primary) to enhance their teaching skills in two sessions.

R.S. Gupta, director, education, Institute for Integrated Learning Management, and V. Srivastava from Delhi spoke on the strategy to deal with children at primary level.

Srivastava apprised the teachers of creative teaching in primary classes.

C.B. Bhardwaj, assistant director, education, New Delhi, spoke on continuous quality upgradation in education. Poonam Wig interacted with the pre-primary wing and apprise the teachers of various play way methods.