Chandigarh, July 24
Two persons were killed in road accidents in the city today. A 14-year-old girl was killed near Sector 11 here this afternoon. She was on her way to her house when a Maruti car hit her from behind when the driver swerved the car to save a stray dog.

The driver, Harpal Singh, a junior engineer in the PWD (Mohali), was also injured.

The girl was walking on the pathway when the car knocked her down and rammed into a tree.

The victim was rushed to the Multi-Speciality Hospital, Sector 16, from where she was referred to the PGI. She succumbed to her injuries at the PGI in the evening.

The driver has been arrested under Section 304-A of the IPC.

In another incident, Bhag Singh (65) was killed when an Opel Astra car hit him on the road separating Sectors 49 and 50.

He was taken to the GMCH where he was declared brought dead.

The driver, Parminder Kaur, a resident of Mohali, has been arrested.

Panchkula, July 24
An autorickshaw driver allegedly stoned his wife to death near Mansa Devi temple here this afternoon.

The police is yet to establish the motive behind the gruesome act. The accused was identified from his wallet that he dropped during the incident.

According to the police, the accused, Ashok Kumar, a resident of Chandigarh, had left his house with his wife Sukhi (44) last night.

They were spotted sitting along the road. He hit his wife and then fled towards the dense growth behind the power house in Sector 5 of Mansa Devi Complex.

The police and residents chased him, but he was able to dodge them.

An eyewitness said the couple reached the spot around 12 noon. While the man kept sitting along the road, the woman was seen plucking hemp leaves. After a few minutes, she returned and started talking to him. The accused suddenly picked up a heavy stone lying on the road and started hitting her on the head until she fell unconscious. He then fled towards the jungle area.

The police found the wallet from the spot containing an address of Kumhar Colony, Sector 25, with a photograph of the accused.

Chandigarh, July 24
Leasing out built-up space to non-IT companies by the DLF in the IT park has come under the scanner. The department of information technology has issued a notice to DLF developers, seeking a status report on non-IT activity in the IT park.

The department has also written to the estate officer to initiate action against the real estate developer for violating the terms and conditions of the Chandigarh Sales of Sites and Allotment Rules. As per the allotment rules, the built-up space can be leased out to those companies that deal with IT and IT-enabled services. “Any violation of the allotment rules would be viewed seriously,” secretary, IT, Sanjay Kumar, said.

The developer has been leasing out space at a rate of Rs 35 per sq ft. Another Rs 10 per sq ft is charged for air-conditioning and maintenance services. It provides clean and workable environment at much cheaper rates in the glass and steel facade building.

The DLF has developed around 8 lakh sq ft of space and auto giants like Hyundai Motors and some other non-IT companies have been leased out space.

However, the manager (building services), DLF, Sudhnashu, denied the violation. He said no non-IT company had been leased out space in the complex.

The estate officer, R.K. Rao, however, said action was being initiated against the developer.

The director, IT, M.S. Brar, said the estate office had been asked to initiate action under the rules that state that the built-up space could be leased out to IT and IT-enabled 
companies.

The developer had signed an MoU with the Chandigarh administration to create infrastructure there.

The issue has also attracted the attention of the Chamber of Chandigarh Industries Association and Chandigarh Industrial Association. In a memorandum to the UT administrator and other UT officials, the associations pointed out industrialists who had got their sites converted under the industrial conversion policy were facing competition from the DLF.

“The DLF has been given land at extremely subsidised rate for specific IT promotion in Chandigarh. But the premises are being used for commercial activity in a big way.

Chandigarh, July 24
In a classic case of putting the cart before the horse, the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) today announced July 30 as the date of draw for its mega housing project in Sector 63 even as it is yet to remove objections to the layout plan of the scheme by the UT's department of urban planning.

According to sources, the preliminary draw of lots will be held at the auditorium of Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32. All applicants without the consideration of the eligibility would be included in the draw of lots and applicants twice the number of dwellings units would be shortlisted.

Earlier, this month the department had objected to certain technical flaws in the scheme and asked the CHB to submit a fresh layout plan. While the board is struggling to revise its layout plan, the announcement of the date has come as a surprise to the applicants. The draw would be meaningless as the project cannot take off till the layout plan is approved by the administration.

Over 21,000 applicants had applied for the scheme comprising 1,976 dwelling units. However, the department had put a spanner in the project by pointing out several flaws in the layout plan. They included more coverage of the floor area ratio (FAR) to construct more than required flats leaving less space between different blocks and absence of the greenbelt. Besides, several openings on the V-3 road were another irritant as only opening was allowed under the rules, the sources asserted.

Official sources, however, claimed that the board was in the process of removing the objections of the department. The preliminary draw was being held to comply with the two-month deadline. The two-month deadline had already expired on June 30 and the board did not want to be embarrassed by inconvenient queries by the applicants, the sources added.

Mohali, July 24
The MC has demanded a grant of Rs 9.75 crore from the government for carrying out development works in the town and has urged the authorities concerned to direct the GMADA to give 75 per cent of the fee collected by clearing building plans to the civic body to increase its revenue.

The demand for the grant was made in a letter by the council president, Rajinder Singh Rana, to minister for local government Manoranjan Kalia yesterday.

Rana said development was suffering due to a shortage of funds. An additional sum of Rs 7.50 crore was required to improve the condition of roads and another Rs 2.25 crore to sink nine tubewells in various areas to meet water shortage.

Giving details of the budget amount, he said during 2007-08, the MC had a budget of Rs 25.69 crore, out of which Rs 6.59 crore was spent on the salaries of staff, Rs 6 crore on clearing power bills for tubewells and streetlights and Rs 1.14 crore on contingency expenses.

The MC was left only with Rs 11.96 crore for development works. This amount was too little to carry out proper development.

He said apart from the VAT amount given by the government to the civic body in lieu of octroi, it had no major source of income.

Chandigarh, July 24
Panchkula deputy commissioner, HUDA chief administrator, municipal council executive officer and public health chief engineer are in the dock for persisting insanitary conditions and potholed roads in Panchkula.

They were today asked to appear in person before the Punjab and Haryana High Court on July 29. The directions were issued by a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Mahesh Grover while taking up public interest litigation for better sanitation.

The orders were issued after the perusal of a 54-page report submitted to the court by Panchkula-based high court advocate A.R.Takkar. Telling photographs depicting the appalling sanitary conditions in the area were annexed to the report.

As the petition filed by Sector 6 (Panchkula) resident Dr O.P. Munjal came up for hearing, Takkar handed over the report, emphasising on the need to adopt remedial measures to prevent the sanitation situation from worsening.

Takkar was only recently appointed as court commissioner by the Division Bench. He was asked by the Bench to prepare a first-hand report on conditions prevailing in different areas of Panchkula before the judges could order further action in the matter.

Taking up the petition, the Bench, in the open court, appreciated the vast efforts put in by Takkar to gather the information after personal visits to the areas.

The report clearly stated the roads connecting Panchkula with Chandigarh and Punjab were more or less in good condition. But, the court commissioner found out that the inner roads of Industrial Area I, laid several years back and seldom re-carpeted, were pathetic with cracks and potholes. These continued to pose permanent hindrance in mobility even though the industrialists had talked the matter over with the authorities concerned more than once. The condition of the roads itself explained the reason behind two-wheeler accidents often reported from there, he said.

Referring to residential sectors, Takkar submitted that except for new Sectors 26 and 27, all other sectors had apparently been ignored by authorities concerned and the sanitary conditions there continued to be unbearable.

It was added that the absence of consistency in adoption of remedial measures manifested itself on roads, drainage and sanitation system.

There were apparent errors in planning and implementation by HUDA and the municipal council. In the process, the ugly side of Panchkula was brought to the fore, especially after heavy rainfall.

He also took note of the absence of solid waste management mechanism. The refuse, he added, included plastic and non-biodegradable stuff. 

Chandigarh, July 24
Finding your way in a new city or neighourhood will now become easier. MapmyIndia, a leading GPS navigation and digital mapping company, has now launched its GPS navigation device in the city.

The device, that can be kept in car, will show the position of the car through satellite and guide the driver. Launching the device - MapmyIndia Navigator - here today, Rajesh Mehta, vice-president, sales and marketing, MapmyIndia, said: “With this new in-car GPS navigation device, travelling anywhere in the country will become comfortable, easy and secure.

This sleek, satellite-connected, handheld device is pre-loaded with highly detailed maps of 174 cities, including Chandigarh, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Panchkula, Mohali etc. MapmyIndia Navigator can pinpoint your exact location on a digital map and leads you to your destination with voice-guidance. The two variants of product are available at Rs 17,990 and Rs 20,990. “The device was adjudged the Geospatial Product of the year 2008 for its innovative features,” Mehta further said. “These are available at General Motors and Ford India besides major car accessory shops,” 
he added. 

Thieves are making easy money by stealing wrought-iron covers of drains and large manhole covers in the streets. These stolen things are valuable on the scrap market.

Although we don't get to hear much about such thefts from the media, city property is being bought and sold frequently. This not only causes administration to shell out hundreds of thousands of rupees to replace the missing covers, the lives of motorists and cyclists are put at risk.

The administration should press scrap dealers to refuse stolen material marked as city property. Police should also take appropriate steps.

Rajesh Krishan, Chandigarh

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Chandigarh, July 24
Keeping their words, Panjab University authorities today cracked the whip against the students who were found involved in ragging in boys’ hostel number 7 on the campus on Tuesday night.

As many as 11 students of second year from the UIET, PU, who were involved in the ragging incident, were suspended today with immediate effect from 
the hostel as well as the department.

The anti-ragging committee, headed by Prof S. K. Kulkarni, today decided to suspend the students after a meeting held today. The decision was taken after the warden submitted a detailed report on the 
incident.

The committee also called in the four first year students who were ragged in the hostel by 11 seniors from the UIET for their statements.

The committee members also called in all the senior students involved in the matter for their side of the story. After hearing both the sides, the committee decided to suspend the students.

Now the committee will meet after ten days to decide further course of action in this regard. 

Chandigarh, July 24
SOPU activists of Panjab University today protested in front of dean, students welfare, office regarding the problem faced by the students for hostel accommodations.

The students alleged that meritorious students were denied hostel accommodation. They also demanded vacation of the academic staff college as well as Sports Hostel and increase the number of seats.

DSW assured that new list would be sent to departments and meritorious students and SC and ST students would be accommodated on priority basis.

Chandigarh, July 24
The city is all set to have a community radio station within few months for the government schools as the ministry of information and broadcasting, New Delhi, directed the UT education department to send a letter of intent for setting up of a community radio station at State Institute of Education (SIE), Sector 32.

The State Institute of Education, Sector 32, had prepared a proposal earlier on the directions of education department and sent it to the ministry of information and broadcasting. The ministry recently sent a letter to director, public instructions (schools), regarding the sending of letter of intent for setting up of the radio station at SIE, Sectror 32.

The letter stated that the central government had to issue a license for setting up of the radio station.

The ministry directed that with in 30 days of the receipt of the letter, the department must apply in the prescribed format and with the requisite fees for allotment of frequency and the clearance of wing of the ministry.

The ministry also sought a detailed plan of action for involving community in the program. The ministry has assured the department that with in the three months of receipt of all clearance, the radio station should set up.

Chandigarh, July 24
Even though they can’t see, still they can very well comprehend movies through emotions and voices. They were clapping, laughing loud, jumping on their seats and enjoying every bit of the movie. These were the visually challenged children of the Institute for Blind, Sector 26, who were shown a movie, ‘Janne Tu Ya Janne Na’, by a local computer manufacturer firm here today at DT Cinema at IT park in Chandigarh.

“People give money, clothes and other required things as a charity to the institute but I wanted to entertain them and wanted to take them for an outing. Though many people think that visually challenged children can’t go watch a movie but I disagree with this as they can very well interpret movies,” said Akhil Verma, president of the firm. He believes that visually challenged children are living a better life than others as they are quite satisfied with their lives.

All the 140 students of the institute went for the movie and were very delighted after watching the movie at the multiplex as it was a good change for them.

“The movie was a great learning experience for us. We learnt many things like one cannot forget one’s culture,” said Asma, an elated student of the institute.

“We have watched a few films like ‘Black’, ‘Pyare Mohan’ and ‘Partner’. In future, we would like to watch ‘Singh is King’ as Akshay Kumar is playing a lead in this flick,” said Halima.

“We study from 8 am to 2 pm. Luckily, today we got a chance to thrill ourselves and to skip the class,” quipped Amoth, another student. 

Panchkula, July 24
Barely a week after income tax raids were conducted on them, the management of Swamy Devi Dayal College of Engineering and Technology education group is once again in the eye of the storm. However, this time the issue is of illegally charging “penalty” from students for completing their short attendances and allowing them to appear in their exams.

About a dozen students from the college were prevented to appear in the exams and not issued admission slips. However, later the management relented, but not before the students deposited handsome amount to compensate their absence from classes and that too without any receipt.

The students of a dental college associated with this group were allegedly issued roll numbers to appear in the examinations of Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS), even as they did not attend the required 75 per cent of lectures during the session.

According to the Medical Council of India and Dental Council norms, a student is required to attend at least 75 per cent of classes to become eligible to appear in the examinations. In some cases, universities grant permission to condone 5 per cent of lectures also.

At least one dozen students were standing in front of cashier in the college in the afternoon to collect their roll numbers to obtain no dues certificate as the exam was to be started at 2 pm.

“While the penalty between Rs 5,000 to 49,000 was charged from the absentees, no receipt was issued for the same,” said a student.

The principal of college Dr N.C. Rao said he was on leave for last few days and could not comment on the issue before reaching the college. However, chairman of the college Roshan Lal Jindal, denying any irregularity, said students were charged for dues pending against them before issuing admission cards on the day of examinations. 

Chandigarh, July 24
The Bench of Chief Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Mahesh Grover today issued notice for August 26 to the UT Administration, the finance secretary, Chandigarh Housing Board through chairman and chief executive officer, while dealing with a bunch of petitions against retrospective hike in the conversion fee of land use of industrial sites for commercial purposes in Industrial Area I-II.

The petitioners had earlier also sought directions to the authorities concerned for declaring illegal, mala fide, ultra vires of Article 14 and 19 (i) (g), the Administration action in refusing approval to their application for conversion of land use.

The petitioners, Messers Bhushan Powers and Steel Ltd. Industrial Area I, Chandigarh, had also prayed for directions to respondents to accord approval to their applications for conversion of land use, as the same were submitted well within the prescribed time. 

Chandigarh, July 24
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed Royal Sundram Alliance Insurance Company to pay a compensation of Rs 25,000 to a resident of Sector 24 for unfair trade practise.

The forum also asked the firm to pay a claim of Rs 1.20 lakh along with Rs 5,500 as cost of litigation.

The petitioner, Bhupinder Suri, stated that his wife had got an insurance policy issued from the firm on September 9, 2004.

The policy was renewed on August 29, 2005, for another year. On February 8, 2006, the petitioner’s wife experienced chest pain and difficulty in breathing. She also suffered from fungating ulcer for three-four months and was admitted to hospital for treatment.

The firm was apprised of the matter and a request for cashless treatment was sent by the hospital to the firm, but it was rejected. During the course of the treatment, his wife died of cardiac arrest on February 16, 2006. The petitioner had spent about Rs 1.20 lakh on the treatment and asked the firm to issue a claim, but it was repudiated on the grounds that the petitioner’s wife was already suffering from the disease.

In its reply, the firm pleaded that the policy was obtained from Chennai by the State Bank of India for the benefit of its credit card holders. Since it was a pre-existing ailment, cashless facility could not be provided.

The claim was submitted late and was in violation of the terms of the policy and therefore, it had rightly been repudiated. 

Chandigarh, July 24
The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) directed the applicant, R.S. Ranga, to participate and co-operate in the inquiry proceedings by submitting reply to the charge-sheet filed against him during his tenure as senior regional manager in the Food Corporation of India (FCI).

Ranga was charge-sheeted seven years after retiring from the post in Haryana. The applicant challenged the charge-sheet before the tribunal.

Disposing of the application filed by R.S. Ranga, presently working as managing director of the Haryana Warehousing Corporation Bay in Panchkula, the CAT headed by Shyama Dogra and Tarsem Lal observed: “We don’t find violation of any principle of natural justice in issuance of charge-sheet to the applicant nor was any speaking order to be passed by the respondents while issuing rejection letter regarding supply of preliminary inquiry. We find no satisfactory reasons made out by the applicants to quash the charge-sheet at this stage.”

Ranga stated that he retired from the FCI as senior regional manager on February 7, 1997, and was shocked to receive a charge-sheet on February 23, 2004. He appealed before the tribunal that the charge-sheet, served under Rule 8 of the All-India Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1969, deals with major penalties. Ranga added that the charges framed against him relate to the period when he was working as senior general manager in the Haryana region. Furthermore, it relates to incidents which took place in years 1994 and 1996 with regard to awarding of contract to handling and transport contractors in Ambala Cantonment and Shahabad. He alleged that the charge-sheet was served in gross violation of the procedures laid down in the Vigilance Manual issued by the Central Vigilance Commission. Through a representation on July 29, 2004, the applicant requested for dropping of charge-sheet as the same was highly belated and had been issued in absolute contravention of the Vigilance Manual. With no response forthcoming, the applicant addressed another letter dated February 13, 2005, to bring forth his earlier requests and for dropping the inquiry.

In reply, the Vigilance Bureau, declining the request, asked him to submit a written statement to the charge-sheet within 10 days.

Chandigarh, July 24
A local court today sent Jaswant Singh and his son Sunil in one-day police remand for allegedly murdering his daughter Promila.

The prosecution sought the remand as the police was yet to recover the spoilt clothes of the two accused.

The accused, in their statement before the police, had stated that while burning the face of the deceased, their clothes had got spoilt which they had hidden somewhere in Karnal. These clothes were yet to be recovered.

The Chandigarh police had found body of the 17-year old girl from a mango garden in Sector 52 on Sunday. The body of the deceased was completely battered.

Chandigarh, July 24
High drama was witnessed outside the District Courts, Sector 17, this evening when parents of a girl, objecting to her inter-religious marriage, attempted to persuade her to change her statement in the court. Ridwana, who married Vijay Kumar on June 19, was literally ‘gheraoed’ by her parents and other relatives when she was leaving the court after recording her statement. The parents surrounded the police gypsy in which Ridwana was travelling and they kept on pressurising her to state in the court that she was a minor.

According to the police, Ridwana’s father Abdal Latif, got a complaint registered at police station in Industrial Area yesterday stating that his daughter was a minor and the said marriage was illegal. However, Ridwana decided to depose before the local court today and recorded her statement under Section 164 of the CrPC. She stated that she was an 18-year-old adult and had got married to Vijay at her own sweet will and was not forced to do so.

Ridwana sat in the vehicle while her mother tried to persuade her to retract from her statement and accept that she was a minor. However, the girl paid no attention to her.

Talking to the Tribune, Ridwana said, “I have married the boy I loved and no one can stop me from doing so as I am an adult. I had told my family that I wanted to marry Vijay, but they didn’t agree which forced me to take this extreme step. I went to Haridwar and followed all Hindu customs and will not look back now.”

A number of court employees and lawyers, who were going back from work, gathered there. All efforts of the family turned futile and the girl drove off in the protection of the UT cops. Sources in the police confirmed that the girl was sent to her in-laws place while the boy was underground.

Chandigarh, July 24
The administration has told the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) to get a case registered against a Ludhiana-based construction firm for allegedly submitting a fake bank guarantee to apply for the construction of small flats under the rehabilitation project.

According to sources, the UT finance secretary, who also holds the housing department's charge, has asked the board to get an FIR registered against the firm for misleading the board.

Recently, the board had rejected the bid of the firm for allegedly submitting a fake bank guarantee for bagging the project. The rejection of the bid means that the board would have to invite the tenders again which could delay the project, the sources added.