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Girl dies of cholera in Panchkula
Panchkula/Chandigarh, July 16 A four-year-old child after battling for life for three days succumbed to cholera at PGI today. Mohammad Gulfam, father of deceased Rukhsar, said she was taken to the civil hospital, Sector 6, Panchkula, on Monday when she had bouts of vomiting and loose motions. Doctors, however, referred her to PGI. Doctors at PGI said the baby was badly dehydrated and her condition had deteriorated since her arrival.
A stool test conducted on her disclosed that she had cholera. The report was communicated to the local civic authorities. Culture tests confirmed the presence of cholera, said Manju Wadwalkar, spokesperson, PGI. In fact, hundreds of diarrhoea patients have already reported at government and private hospitals in Panchkula from its slums since the town was flooded with rain water on Saturday. At least, samples of three suspected patients of cholera have already been sent to the PGI. These were identified as Himanshu (2) and Pardeep (18) of Rajiv colony, and Rajan (9) from Mouli Jagran. More than 40 persons visited the hospital for the reasons yesterday, said Jagdish an attendant with a patient. After visiting the civil hospital, it was found that patients from Rajiv colony, Indira colony, Mouli Jagran, Industiral Area Phase II and Nada Sahib were admitted when they complained of vomiting and stomachache. Though the health authorities initiated a few preventive measures on Monday after this newspaper highlighted the post-rain filthy conditions at slums, it was too late to control the situation. Still the authorities failed to provide residents clean drinking water. Nobody bothered to repair the damaged drinking water pipelines in the locality and the children were drinking this water, said Muneer, a resident of Rajiv colony. District health officer Dr M L Garg said the teams of doctors were visiting the area. However, the condition could not improve till the drinking water pipelines passing through the nulla in Rajiv colony were not removed.
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Major demolition drive in Zirakpur, Dera Bassi
Zirakpur, July 16 A special team backed by the police spent over four hours in periphery areas, pulling down structures that had come up in violation of the Punjab Capital Periphery Control Act. The team carried on with the task despite a vociferous protest by the builder-property dealer lobby. At several places the dealers threatened to call
villagers and block the Zirakpur-Delhi highway. A wall of Swami Automobiles in Zirakpur, the gates and walls of ‘Pulse’, a discotheque in Zirakpur, a marriage palace and an under- construction school building in Dera Bassi were razed. The team started the operation with the demolition of the rear wall of Swami Automobiles and then moved on to ‘Pulse’.The disco was shut down a few months back. The situation turned tense when property dealers, including one from the N.K. Sharma group, began protesting on the ground that prior notices had not been sent to the landowners. Former president of the municipal council of Zirkapur, N.K. Sharma’s brother Yadvinder Singh Mintu, was seen arguing with the staff, questioning GMADA officials on the legality of the drive. Amarjit Singh Babbu, claiming to be a member of the NK Sharma group, said he had in his possession land documents. GMADA SDO Surinder Singh said they suspended the drive at the disco after taking note of Babbu's claims. A few kilometres from Dera Bassi, the GMADA staff demolished a private school building. On the Zirakpur-Patiala road, they removed the gate and security check post of ‘Apsara’. Sources said yesterday the team went to demolish the high-end ‘Chimney Heights’ resort owned by former Punjab DGP SS Virk’s brother. However, the Virks had a stay order from court and the team had to return without carying out any demolition.
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At last, fair price shops at govt hospitals
Chandigarh, July 16 The health secretary, Dr Roshan Sunkaria, who successfully implemented the scheme in Punjab, said the department would float the tenders shortly. As of now, Government Medical College and Hospital-32 and Government Multi- Specialty Hospital-16 have handed over the charge of running chemist shops on their premises to the UT Red Cross, which holds an auction. At the auctions hefty amounts are quoted and the successful parties, in order to meet their expenses, resort to overcharging. Now, the department will invite tenders asking for maximum rebate on the maximum retail price (MRP). In Punjab, the chemists give 85 per cent rebate on the MRP. The chemists’ association in the state had moved the Supreme Court against fair price shops but the court rejected their plea. On quality control, Sunkaria said the medicines would be got examined from reputed laboratories.The shops would provide medicine, consumer articles and small equipment like the catheter to the patients. The UT administrator had approved the scheme. Patients visiting the government hospitals have been complaining that the authorities, instead of providing quality health care to the poor at affordable rates, is busy making money by auctioning the shops to private chemists, who overcharge them.
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Fund-straved MC fails on development front
Mohali, July 16 Roads in some parts of the town are in a very bad shape and cannot be repaired due to the shortage of funds. People living in various areas are facing shortage of water but the civic body is unable to get the required number of tube wells sunk as it does have adequate funds. The council gets a grant of Rs 1.64 crore each month in lieu of the octroi income out of which Rs 1.20 crore is spent on paying the salaries of the staff and power bills for the streetlight and tube wells. About Rs 17 lakh is spent on sanitation work and paying installments for the bank loan taken for constructing the office building. Only the remaining amount is spent on various maintenance works that is far too inadequate for a town like Mohali, which is considered to be an important part of Punjab. The civic body collects about Rs 3 crore each year as income from advertisements, octroi from power, petrol and diesel and water supply bills but the amount is negligible for carrying out all-round development. Rajinder Singh Rana, president of the council, said here today that the condition of roads in the Phase- VIII and IX of the industrial area was deplorable. A few internal roads in a pocket in the residential phase X were also in a bad condition. But the council did not have funds to carry out all maintenance works in one go. Estimates for sinking of nine tube wells in different parts of the town were cleared at various meetings but again the council did not have the required money to get all of them sunk in a short time. A sum of Rs 25 lakh was needed for each tube well. Similarly, an estimate of Rs 50 lakh for providing a booster pump at the Phase X water reservoir for supplying water to residents of Phase IX was cleared but the work could not be carried out due to the shortage of funds. Rana said an additional Rs 10 crore was needed for carrying out proper development in the town out of which about Rs 7.5 crore was required for setting the roads in order. For meeting the water shortage Rs 2.5 crore was required so that tube wells could be sunk. An official of the council said the civic body was getting Rs 1.64 crore from the government since September 2006, after octroi was abolished. The fund amount had remained static over the past two years even when the rate of items like bitumen had almost doubled. As such it had become difficult for the council to work with limited funds. Municipal councillors belonging to the Opposition group kept confronting the ruling group at each monthly meeting alleging that no development work was taking place in various parts of the town. Rana, however, said a demand for more funds was made and the minister concerned had assured help in this regard.
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Charges framed against ex-supdt
Chandigarh, July 16 Additional district and sessions judge Raj Rahul Garg framed the charges against Goel. As per the prosecution, Goel, then working as a senior assistant in the UT administration, had prepared a note for approval of pay scales of laboratory attendant, junior assistant lecturer and senior assistant lecturer of Punjab Engineering College (PEC) in 1997. An anomaly committee had decided to grant salaries to the categories as per the Punjab pattern. However, Goel allegedly had forged certain documents and increased the salary due to which the administration suffered a loss of about Rs 32 lakh. The anomaly committee had decided to upgrade the pay scale after a representation for it was submitted by the lecturers to them. Interestingly, this fact came to light many years after the forging of the documents. This increase was made to the minutes of meeting of the anomaly committee. Thereafter, he got the notification issued for grant of pay scales to the senior lecturers. It was alleged that he got the notification issued without taking prior permission from the anomaly committee. The mistake was detected and a case of corruption was registered against Goel. Meanwhile, during investigation by the Vigilance Department, it came to light that one of the lecturers had bribed him. The case was registered on the complaint Upkar Singh, president of an employee union in the PEC, who alleged that
K.B. Goel had taken a bribe of Rs 30,000 for forging documents. An inquiry was marked after which FIR was lodged. The judge framed charges under Section 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC and 13 (1) (d) and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1980.The sections amounts to cheating, forging documents and criminal conspiracy.
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LPG cylinders being sold from parking lot
Chandigarh, July 16 Even as vehicles struggle for parking space, a long queue of people waiting for LPG cylinders greets the visitors particularly on Wednesday and Friday in the morning. The cylinders cannot be carried to everyone’s house because the inner roads are not wide enough. Because of this, the LPG distributors use this place to sell cylinders. Not only this, many trucks, school buses and taxis are parked here which inconveniences the nearby residents. Moreover, tyres of vehicles are also sold here, further compounding the problem. “This place was earlier sanctioned for a park but vested interests later converted it into a parking lot. Now it is being misused for selling LPG cylinders,” says Surinder Bhagat, a resident. “In fact, children’s play area had been grabbed by the taxis and the LPG distributor. Pollution and noise make our lives hell,” said Janaryan, another resident of Sector 45. “We have complained many times to the municipal corporation but to no avail,” he alleged. Area councillor Vijay Singh Rana claimed that the parking lot was never a park and it was indeed a parking area. When his attention was drawn to the sale of the LPG cylinders, he termed it wrong.
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Computer training for poor
Chandigarh, July 16 Launching the scheme, Dr Roshan Sunkaria, commissioner, MC, said preference would be given to BPL trainees for jobs of computer operators in the corporation. The corporation has recently formed Urban Poverty Alleviation and Livelihood Cell assisted by the UNDP and ministry assisted. Sunkaria further stated that the corporation would run the vocational courses in its own community centres. The training programme had been tied up with Commonwealth youth programme technology empowerment centre on wheels an initiative of Common wealth programme, which had been successfully replicated in other Asian countries and also in Maharashtra. T.P.S. Phoolka, joint commissioner, said such courses would be replicated at other places.
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Kharar MLA boycotts poll
Mohali, July 16 Addressing a press conference, Sidhu alleged that in a few cases candidates who had won the elections were shown as defeated the next day, which was unjustified. In the Gharuan zone 200 votes of the Congress supporters were rejected. Double stamping of ballot papers was done in a few cases and seals of ballot boxes were also found broken. Democratic process had been given a go by and dictatorship ruled, alleged Sidhu.
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Fire in SBI branch
Mohali, July 16 It is suspected that the fire was caused due to a short circuit in the meter box which then spread to the area below where some items and old stationery were lying.
No major loss has been reported.
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Colony No. 4 cleared of encroachers
Chandigarh, July 16 A team led by IS Sandhu, ADC, and Hargunjit Kaur, land acquisition officer (LAO), along with a police posse, swooped on the colony at 9.30 am and removed the encroachments by scrap dealers, dhaba owners and vegetable vendors. As many as five truckloads of articles were
confiscated. Some temporary structures adjoining an upcoming mall were also razed.
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Punish smokers
AS per media report, the administration claimed that Chandigarh had attained 70 per cent ‘no smoking zone’. The statement is far away from the fact. One can still find cigarette hawkers sitting near offices, schools and colleges. People daily encounter with persons smoking in the public places. If administration seriously wants to make Chandigarh 100 per cent ‘no smoking zone’, it has to take strict steps in this direction. Only fine is not enough to stop smoking. A law should be made to put the defaulters behind bars in addition to heavy fine. G.K. Chopra, Chandigarh Readers are invited to write to us. Send your mail, in not more than 200 words, at news@tribuneindia.com or, write in, at: Letters, Chandigarh Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh – 160 030
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Admn to decide college fee structure
Chandigarh, July 16 Confirming this, education secretary Sanjay Kumar further told that it would be the sole discretion of the administration to decide its own fee structure or follow the one prescribed by Panjab University. “While following the university pattern is a good idea, parity in fees is vital in public interest. Hence, every year, the fee structure will be decided by Chandigarh administration by a special order,” said the education secretary. From next academic year, however, the directorate has issued standing instructions that the payment of fees would be in four equal instalments. Further as a matter of policy, the education secretary said if there was a fee increase of more than 30 per cent in current year as compared to the previous year, this would be recoverable in easy instalments. This would be applicable to the private/aided colleges in Chandigarh too. About the hike in fee for some self-financing courses like BBA and BCA, director, higher education Raji P. Srivastava said this demand was found to be entirely untenable. “These are self-financed courses and by their very definition, have to be run on the strength of the fee charged. It is not possible to offer specialized courses at reduced prices as compared to the private colleges, because the cost incurred by both kinds of colleges are the same,” she said. Meanwhile, a section of BBA students met director, higher education, regarding increase of fee over last year from Rs 10,000 to Rs 18,000, which hit them hard because it was during the admission season that they had to pay for tuitions, coaching classes, hostels and other start-of-term expenses. “In those cases where the fee have already been deposited by students, if they request, the college will issue a temporary refund of the difference between the amount already paid and the first instalment against proper record and receipt,” said Srivastava. This refunded amount will be chargeable as second instalment along with examination fee and university charges in the month of November or December, as the case.
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Students pay price for less UT quota
Chandigarh, July 16 Punjab Engineering College (PEC) has reduced the quota of seats for Chandigarh students from 85 to 50 per cent, despite being a deemed university, and Chandigarh College of Architecture (CCA), Sector-12, and Chandigarh College of Engineering and Technology (CCET), Sector-26, do not possess sufficient number of seats to fill the gap. Counseling through AIEEE is underway at Panjab University, but the admissions are being made on merit basis on all-India level. Accordingly, students from other states consume the whole quota of seats at local technical institutes like PEC, CCA-12 and CCET-26. States like Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi had reserved 85 per cent of seats in engineering colleges for students hailing from respective states. Students of Chandigarh are left with just 15 per cent share with them for applying in these states. Since the session would get start from first week of August, hapless parents, leaving nothing to chance, are left with no choice but to get their wards admitted under management quota seats in these institutes by shelling hefty price. An 87 per cent scorer student with AIEEE rank of 61000, after failing to get admission here, approached Mullana Engineering College. “Chairman straightaway demanded Rs 5 lakh for ‘an assured’ seat in engineering. My parents cannot afford it. Isn’t it frustrating even after getting a high percentage in CBSE class XII, we are deprived of a seat at college or stream of our choice,” he said. Another parent was told to arrange Rs 4 lakh for an "assured seat” at Chandigarh Engineering College (CEC), Landran. The other option left with them is to look out for Punjab Technical University (PTU) affiliated colleges in Punjab. But Punjab Technical University (PTU) has, yet again, put off the dates of counseling for outstation candidates up till September 14 for different streams. Principal, CCET, O.P. Pabla informed that there were just 38 seats for UT students for degree courses in seven engineering streams and all seats were filled. Last admission went at 27,575 AIEEE rank. Around 30 seats were there for UT candidates at CCA-12 and all seats were filled. Last AIEEE rank considered was 2370. Principal CCA-12 Rajnish Wattas told that the government did not make efforts to raise the infrastructure. “Administration has approached the Council of Architecture and AICTE to increase the seats, but simultaneously the faculty and infrastructure also need to be raised. There is a terrible shortage of technical teachers.” Students lamented the favouritism extended to outstation students. “We have been deprived of a seat in our home town because of faulty policy. The outstation students enjoy wider choice by ensuring their seats in their respective states as well as in Chandigarh,” said a student who scored 89 per cent marks in CBSE XII, but is denied admission here.
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Hooda lays foundation of PU institute
Chandigarh, July 16 They also joined the on-going plantation movement in the university and planted saplings. The Chief Minister announced a grant of Rs 21 lakh for the university and assured support for its future development plans. In response to a question, he promised to support university’s claim for the Central status. Referring to the rich heritage and contribution of the university, Hooda complimented the university authorities for creating additional seats for single girl child, for cancer and AIDS patients and other welfare steps. The Chief Minister shared the steps taken by his government, especially for weaker sections of society, which had triggered socio-economic revolution in Haryana, including reservation of seats and scholarships in teaching institutions of the state. Haryana would open world class Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology at Kuli near Delhi in December this year. The allocations of funds for education had been increased to Rs 3,900 crore from Rs 1,600 crore, he informed. Earlier Prof R.C. Sobti, vice-chancellor, welcomed the dignitaries amid cheers. He said the university had planted around 3,000 neem saplings during the past 10 days and this movement would continue for many more days. Prof A.K. Saihjpal said the UIAMS mission was to offer management programmes in sectoral areas and streams to fulfil industry needs for specialised managerial skills. He said the institute was established as per patterns and standards of the Indian Institute of Managements in the country. “The UIAMS has been established to match and implement the higher educational policy of our Prime Minister Manmohan Singh”. It was the first department that had introduced a special financial package for SC/ST students on an experimental basis. A concession of Rs 75,000 in tuition fee was being given to the SC/ST students, he added. Prof S.K. Kulkarni, dean university instructions, presented a vote of thanks.
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Sports quota not a cakewalk at PU
Chandigarh, July 16 This year all those students who have sought admission under sports category have submitted affidavits stating that they would attend two and a half hours of practice session in the morning and equal amount in the evening. If they fail to do so, their admission would be cancelled. If the past instances are anything to go by, Panjab University has a long list of students who saw sports category as an easy opening to the university courses without having to study hard. According to sources, every year, many students get admission after producing bogus certificates or not so genuine certificates and some of them even produces certificates of some sports, which are not even approved. Prof Naval Kishore, director sports, said, “This year, we have decided to get strict with these students and we will ensure that all of them participate and play the game whichever they have opted for.”
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Toppers to be awarded laptops
Chandigarh, July 16 The students would be felicitated at a function to be held at Government Model Senior Secondary School auditorium on July 22. Two students from Government Model Senior Secondary School-16 Lakshay Manchanda, who scored 84.6 per cent marks in the Class XII commerce stream, and Abhishek Dhawan, with 96.6 per cent score in Class X have got this privilege from the urban category. In the rural category, it is Pankaj Kumar from Government Senior Secondary School, Manimajra, who scored 88 per cent marks in Class XII (vocational stream), and Vikas Sharma of Government High School, Sector 7, with 83.6 per cent in Class X would be getting the honour. The department has also decided to extend a cash prize of Rs 2,000 each to the students of Class XII and X, scoring above 90 per cent marks in the model schools’ segment.
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Gurukul students do
city proud
Chandigarh, July 16 Anshul Sood of Class VII won a gold medal in the Indo-Dhaka Roll Ball Series 08 held at Dhaka in June 8 organised by the Bangladesh Roll Ball Association. Anshul represented the team of Roll Ball Association of India which is affiliated to the Indian Olympic Association. In the academic arena, Ashita Swami of Class III excelled in the maths Olympiad by not just securing the first rank in the state but also did the school proud by securing the 46th international rank in the maths Olympiad 2008.
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Brawl in front of VC’s office
Chandigarh, July 16 The groups tried to outdo each other in rendering help to UIET students who had come to meet the VC regarding the hike in fee in the NRI category. Son there were heated exchanges. Some students scaled the gate of the VC’s office and jumped inside the prohibited area. A SOPU leader was seen holding an ABVP leader by the collar. Following the incident, Prof RC Sobti, sought a written report from the chief security officer. He said from now on student leaders with I-cards alone would be allowed inside his office. The warring students were in for disappointment when the UIET students told the media that they had not come accompanied with any party member.
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Nod to BA Hons in Education
Chandigarh, July 16 The date for applying for the course has been extended til July 24. The forms may be downloaded from the website of Panjab University (www.puchd.ac.in) . The counselling date will be held on July 25. Those who could not attend the first counselling may also report during the second counselling, according to Malvinder Ahuja, chief coordinator, Institute of Educational Technology and Vocational Education. Lecture: Rajesh Tuli, CEO CORAL Telecom, New Delhi, delivered the inaugural address at the orientation programme for MBA first-year students of the University Business School). He spoke of market trends vis-ŕ-vis global market trends. Tuli is 1982 batch MBA student of the university.
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Golden jubilee celebrations at Carmel begin
Chandigarh, July 16 This started with a short prayer service and followed by a power point presentation tracing the origin of Carmel congregation. A tableau titled Mamma Mary, reflecting life and times of school founder Mother Veronica, held everyone in its spell. To commemorate the golden jubilee, a new primary block has been constructed. All the individuals concerned with the construction and completion of the building were honoured. Before the building was inaugurated, it was blessed and sanctified by Father Premanad. Bhangra dance preformed by students enlivened the proceedings. The Carmel Ex-Students Association (CESA) announced to donate Rs one lakh to the school. The interest from the amount will be used to start an annual scholarship for the student that outperforms in all spheres.
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2 get six months in car-theft case
Chandigarh, July 16 Bajaj, who has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, was arrested by the UT police along with two others in a car-theft case in 2002. However, Bajaj was later discharged by the court after a re-investigation was conducted by the police. Bajaj had moved an application seeking re-investigation in September 2003 after which he was discharged from the case. The investigating officer further stated that it was false to suggest that Bajaj had been falsely implicated. Deposing before the court, he said: “I am not aware of the fact whether Ranjit Bajaj, accused in this case, has been discharged on his application. I was never called by seniors of my department to give any sort of evidence in favour of the accused - Ranjit Bajaj. None of my officials who were working with me when I had investigated this case were called by senior officials to re-investigate the case.” In a statement recorded before the court, the investigating officer, Rajinder Pal, stated that when he arrested Bajaj from the market of Sector 16, he recovered from his possession the registration certificate (RC) and insurance of the stolen car bearing number CH0I-0-0669 that belonged to Madan Lal Gabbas, a resident of Sector 23. The complainant, Madan Lal, had his car parked in front of the house in Sector 23 when it was stolen on the intervening night of November 8/9 in 2002. The DSP central was asked to re-investigate the case in 2002 which stated that Ranjit Bajaj was not involved in the crime.
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Bir’s repatriation may plunge admn into crisis
Chandigarh, July 16 With the UPA government fighting with its back to the wall in the wake of the July 22 trust vote, Chandigarh will have to go without a regular home secretary and other regular appointments at the senior level for some more time to come. Since the panel for the CITCO managing director was yet to be received by the administration, it would take several months for the new incumbent to join as was the experience for the appointment of the home secretary. This is despite the fact that decks have been cleared for the appointment of Ram Niwas as the next home secretary with a formal nod of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) needed for the appointment. However, with the PMO babudom busy with more pressing things, including the no-trust vote, the timing of its approval for Ram Niwas' name is anybody's guess. This obviously holds true for other appointments. It was on March 31 that the former home secretary Krishan Mohan was repatriated to his parent state of Haryana. Since then the appointment seems to have been mired in red tape in various central ministries with the functioning of several key UT departments suffering besides overburdening the finance secretary, who hold the additional charge of the home secretary. In fact, other key positions in the administration had been lying vacant for a considerable period of time now. The vacancy in the office of the home secretary has given rise to demand for the abolition of the post as without the regular home secretary the administrative functioning was going on fine. The rationalisation of work among officials was done to ensure that regular administrative work did not suffer in the absence of the regular home secretary, the sources claimed. Pleading for downsizing in the UT, RK Garg, a social activist, claimed that Chandigarh being a small city and having an elected municipal corporation did not require a home secretary. He said CITCO could be bifurcated into two parts i.e. industry and tourism department. |
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Reshuffle in CHB
Chandigarh, July 16 According to sources, at least 40 employees, including 10
SDOs and 25 JEs, had been shifted. The transfers had been ordered with a
view to comply with the guidelines of the central vigilance commission
(CVC). These employees had been working on their positions for several
years apparently violating the guidelines of CVC, the sources added. |
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