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Cash-for-job scam
Chandigarh, September 7 With the police tracing a large number of calls to one of the accused Jolly from the official telephone of the DPI(Schools), the needle of suspicion is pointing towards the education department officials. This, coulped with the admission of Samwarthak Singh that he was "in touch" with Jolly, gives credence to the official-tout nexus. Samwarthak Singh, who is also Director (Tourism), however, conceded to senior police officials of being "in touch" with Jolly in connection with certain Tourism Department work and not in connection with teachers’ recruitment. However, he reportedly failed to specify the work for which he was "in touch" with the accused. Investigation by The Tribune revealed that Jolly apparently did not have any connection with the Tourism Department. A resident of Sector 7-B here, Jolly earlier dealt with SIM cards of a private telecom operator and was now into the readymade garments business. In fact, mystery shrouds the senior official of being "in touch" with one of the accused in the education scam, which has brought embarrassment to the administration. Jolly, who was arrested along with Hardev Singh, for negotiating a deal with a woman to get her a teacher's job in the UT education department, is reported to have been "in contact" with senior officials of the education department. While Madhur Verma, SP (City), merely said “we are interrogating both the accused and the truth would come out soon", sources said over 600 calls were made to Jolly from DPI (Schools) office. An official of the education department claimed the police today interrogated two officials, who are said to be close to the DPI (Schools). However, their involvement in the alleged scam would only been known when other evidence was matched with the call details. It may be recalled that Kamalpreet had lodged a complaint with the ADC that Jolly and Hardev had demanded Rs 4 lakh from her to give her a job. She also reported the matter to the Home Secretary Ram Niwas, who ordered SSP SS Srivastava to keep surveillance over the phone calls of the accused and arrested them on Saturday.
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MC moots house tax
Chandigarh, September 7 If the proposal is approved, the city residents who are so far enjoying stay in their houses without paying anything to the MC, would have to shell out money for it. The issue may again become a point of contention between the Mayor and the officials who are not enjoying the best of relations. Kamlesh had announced in the last house meeting that agenda of tax imposition would not be tabled in the house. Officials’ plea is that to get subsidy under the JNNURM scheme, the main criteria is to increase the revenue resources, for which they have to impose this tax on the city residents. Officials said the corporation would have to impose house tax even though the councillor may not agree on it. Referring to the instances of imposition of property tax and paid parking, an official said that earlier the house had rejected its imposition in the city, but the
Chandigarh
According to sources, two different proposals were being prepared, according to which 2-5 per cent house tax will be imposed on the residents. The proposal would initially be sent to house and the Property Assessment Committee for approval and then would be tabled in the house. Due to the sensitivity none of the councillors, who know that the imposition of the tax is inevitable at some point of time, is willing to be part of the House and the Property Assessment Committee. Sources said no councillor filed papers for chairmanship of the committee. Congress councillor Ravinder Pal Singh, who has been appointed chairman of the committee, as per official records this year, is ignorant about his appointment. Singh said he had applied for the post earlier on the request of the Mayor. Last year the committee had only two meetings and no important decision was taken. Officials said if there was no meeting soon, they would send the agenda to the Mayor.
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NCB zonal head gets 3-day police custody
Chandigarh, September 7 The CBI special court of Darshan Singh today sent him to three-day CBI custody. He would be produced before the court on September 10. Seeking a remand for seven days, the prosecution stated that keeping in view the gravity of the offence and also the position of the alleged accused, it was needed to ascertain if there was involvement of others as well from the department, as the amount of bribe was not a small one. Further, the prosecution stated that some pertinent documents had been seized from the premises of the complainant and interrogation was needed pertaining to the documents recovered. In its orders, the court stated that the investigating agency deserved an opportunity to investigate the matter and unearthed the deep-rooted conspiracy behind the whole occurrence. The court further stated that to facilitate the investigation, the police custody was justified. The CBI had arrested Sunil Kumar Sekhri yesterday from New Delhi after a trap was laid by
the agency. Sekhri was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 2 lakh from a Baddi-based industrialist. While being taken out from the court, the zonal director who was otherwise maintaining his composure broke his silence in front of mediapersons and pleaded not guilty. He claimed that he didn’t even know what was there in the packet and neither did he open it.
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Graft Cases
Chandigarh, September 7 It is not for the first time, when any NCB official has been arrested by the CBI or police. Earlier, four other NCB officials, including former zonal director, Saji Mohan, have been arrested. Ravi Kant Pawar, a former intelligence officer with the NCB, Chandigarh, was booked in a graft case on June 21, 2006, for demanding Rs 40,000 from Devinder Kumar. The court had sentenced him to one-and-half-year of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 7,500. He later furnished bail bonds of Rs 50,000 and was released on bail. The former zonal director of NCB office, Chandigarh, and deputy director at enforcement directorate’s unit in Kochi, Saji Mohan, a 1995 batch IPS officer of Jammu and Kashmir cadre, was nabbed in a club at Mumbai on January 24, 2009, by the Maharashtra Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) for allegedly trying to sell heroin in suburban Oshiwara. He was nabbed with 12 kg of heroin in a club, when he allegedly came to collect money for his earlier heroin consignments. A case of pilfering the NCB’s treasured money of Rs 13.5 lakh was also registered against Saji at economic offences wing (EOW) of Chandigarh police. Balwinder Kumar, a former superintendent of NCB office, was also allegedly involved in the pilfering of the treasured amount with Saji Mohan and a case had also been registered against him. In another case, constable and driver of NCB Paramjit Singh, was arrested on the charges of taking bribe of Rs 50,000 from Lada, wife of prime accused Lior Avi Ben Moyal.
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Tribune Impact
Chandigarh, September 7 With this move, tents will give way to more organised shelter that will not interrupt the life of residents of these VIP localities. The pilot project has been designed for the Sector 24 Judges’ Complex, which will further be extended for other sectors. Land measuring about 650 sq yard, adjacent to the office of the Directorate of Coordination Police Wireless, has been demarcated for the purpose by the Town Planning wing of the administration. According to the plan, these prefabricated structures will have five blocks, measuring 15-foot x 21-foot each which will be assembled on this land. Each block will house 16 beds on two-tier pattern (eight on one level and equal number of beds on the second level). Apart from this, a provision for separate six prefabricated toilets has also been designed as a part of the plan. The Tribune had carried out a campaign against security tents erected in the public parks adjacent to the VIP houses. These big-shots had also got the illegal electricity connection either through direct street poles or extension from their houses, without getting the extra load sanctioned. Taking cognizance of this blatant violation, the MC, Chandigarh, conducted a survey only to find around 80 such public sites which were encroached upon by securitymen by erecting their tents and demolished around 27 of
them. Home Secretary Ram Niwas said, “When I can have my security staff accommodated on my residential premises, why can’t others? Though a majority of encroachments by these security tents have been removed, the remaining ones too will be dealt with soon.” The drive has to be deferred following certain objections raised by some prominent persons which included security personnel of Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, Chief of the All-India Anti-Terrorist Front Maninderjeet Singh Bitta, family members of the ex-Chief Minister, Punjab, Beant Singh, and some judges on the removal of security tents from outside their residences. A round of the city revealed that though a majority of the bigwigs had shifted their security tents inside their residential premises, still there remained some, who violated municipal norms and did not deviate from their stand of grabbing the public places. Nevertheless, a large chunk of land in Sector 35 has been grabbed by a Punjab Armed Police (PAP) unit. Over 250 PAP personnel have been accommodated in the tents erected at the municipal land. These personnel have been attached to various IAS, IPS and ministers, living in the sector.
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Tribune Impact
Chandigarh, September 7 In the report, it was highlighted that the administration had handed over 1.67 acres of adjoining land of the exiting cemetery in 2006 to the corporation. The corporation was only to construct a boundary wall and level the soil and hand it over to the Christian community, but even after three years, the corporation had failed to do so. Even the problems of the existing cemetery ground of having no facilities of proper lighting, water supply and parking were also reported. Sunkaria said the directions had to issue to the department concerned to complete the work by the end of this week and after that, he would personally visit the site to check compilation of the orders. He also instructed the department to beautify the existing cemetery ground and provide basic civic amenities in it. He further said the department concerned had also been asked to look in to old building plan of the cemetery ground and provide the facilities as per the plan. As per the records of the corporation, rough cost estimated for the construction of high brick boundary wall amounting to Rs 4.39 lakh, which was approved on April 1, 2007. Sunkaria said they had also been going to upgrade the cremation ground of Industrial Area, Phase I, so that it would be used by public.
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Bed and Breakfast scheme still exists on website
Chandigarh, September 7 If one goes by the official website, www.chandigarhtourism.gov.in, and linkage to the “Bed and Breakfast scheme”, there exists complete information about the addresses of 25 operators, their contact numbers and the type of accommodation they offer under this scheme. On the other hand, officials claim that the scheme has been sent to the UT Administrator for final verdict on its fate. Till then, the operators still stand to be part of the scheme. Home Secretary Ram Niwas said, “Their references from the website will only be removed after we get a final nod from the higher authorities. Till that time, the operators still stand”. Questions are being raised over the tall claims of the administration about further damage-control exercise by stressing on “monitoring mechanism”, if this stale and damaging information is still part of its official website. The website is the only convenient route to know about the city. The laxity on part of the administration could well be gauged from the fact that the administration has already issued show-cause notices to many ‘‘wrongdoers’’, asking them to explain that how come they did not comply with the norms as prescribed for the scheme. Even some operators have voluntarily withdrawn their names from the scheme after the inquiries being initiated by the administration against them. Their names too exist in the website. A high-level inquiry was conducted as some were found to be on the wrong side of the law. They used to charge higher charges than what were stipulated under the scheme, offered accommodation beyond the permissible limits, entered into continuous pacts with corporate firms and accommodating outstation guests of neighbourhood marriages. Interestingly, many have even hired professional cooks, managers and supporting staff too.
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World Literacy Day today
Chandigarh, September 7 Conceived under the "community outreach" programme, the Education Department, in collaboration with the State NSS Cell and the Central State Library, has arranged to execute the scheme and deliver books and magazines at the houses of senior citizens and the physically challenged with the help of NSS volunteers. Disclosing this here today, Director, Higher Education, Ajoy Sharma, said, “Such persons required assistance and we are doing our best to reach out to them to ensure that they do not feel handicapped and that their reading habit is sustained.” Chandigarh has been divided into five zones -- North, East, West, South and Central. Every zone will have two coordinators and 12 NSS volunteers. All that the senior citizens and the disabled have to do is to tell them books or magazine they want to read at telephone no 2701269. The delivery will be made thrice a week, on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, for 15 days. Suraj P. Nagpal, State Librarian, said Chandigarh had a Central State Library, Sector 17; State Library, Sector 34; three libraries at Manimajra, one in Badheri and one reading room at Burail. Besides, the City Beautiful also has a mobile library.The total membership of these libraries is about 45,000. Out of these, about 200 to 300 members are not able to visit the libraries due to one reason or the other. Bikram Rana, State Liaison Officer, NSS Cell, UT, said the involvement of about 12,000 NSS volunteers would definitely inculcate the feeling of community service among them, he added.
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Magical spell of Mukesh numbers
Chandigarh, September 7 The musical tribute programme titled: “Tujhe mere geet bulate hain” held under the aegis of School of Hospitality and Resort Management, Singapore, (India campus Panchkula) featured amateur and renowned artistes. The progamme commenced with the veteran vocalist Naresh Jacob rendering the title song before a nostalgic number “Jaane kahan gye voh din” weaved in raga Shivranjani. Deep Kataria and Nidhi put a romantic number while Jagan Bains modulated his voice to express a lament in “Koi jab tumhara” and serene but didactic number “Ik din bik jayega”. Audience greeted with applause as Richa the gifted singer presented a song “Aaja re” in duet with her father-in-law ML Singla. Besides, veteran artistes Pawan Chopra (relative of actor Priyanka Chopra) and Jagmohan Phutela sang Mukesh numbers. It was indeed a family affair for music arranger Vevel Sharma whose music and life partner Veenu Kautish and their daughter Poorvi spelt magic of melodies immortalised by Mukesh. Jainender Singh of AIR anchored the programme with admirable competence. The chief guest RK Khattar honoured the artistes.
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Lottery worker ‘tortured’ by ASI
Mohali, September 7 In a representation to the Chief Minister and the DGP, he alleged that after conducting a raid at his shop on September 3, he was bundled in a police Gypsy, along with others, and taken to the CIA Mubarakpur. He suffered injuries on his leg and became unconscious after being assaulted at the CIA staff office. He alleged that the raid was led ASI Vijay Kumar in presence of two police touts, Rinku and Tirlok. However, Vijay Kumar denied having any knowledge about the incident. The victim further alleged that he had been dumped near Dhulkot, Ambala, and was taken by a passerby to a private hospital there. “I was assaulted and humiliated and no case had been registered against him. I want a through probe against the guilty police official”, he added.
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CityScope Letters-II
This is with reference to the article, “Stinking Politics”, by Raveen Thukral published in Chandigarh Tribune on August 31.
The Chand-Fiza episode was a nasty and grimy affair, which started with a bang but ended in a sordid manner. They both are answerable to society for the damnable act and irreparable loss they caused by their sleazy and ignoble act. The society does not need such a politician for guidance, who proved opportunist both to his state and wife Seema and after conversion and marriage to Fiza, his ladylove, who suffered the worst. Let the issue remain where it is without hype anymore. Gurmit Singh Saini Do not revive dead issues
Raveen Thukral’s article converged on two trivial and forgotten issues. While Chand-Fiza episode is a lesson on “haste makes waste”, getting soaked in melancholy, betrayal of faith and moral turpitude of a selfish opportunist politician, who exploited the sentiments of his spouse, the garbage dump of Dadu Majra gives stench of the political mess. Such incidents of amoral connotations do much damage to society. In my opinion, Islam has been misused for the purpose that ended sordid. Let us not recall such events in media and add insult to all concerned. Iqbal Kaura Petty politics
In his article Mr Raveen has touched two important issues- one is the Chand-Fiza issue, a purely personal affair and the second issue, which concerns city residents is thought provoking. While claims and counter claims by the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh officials and councillor flying thick, the Dadu Majra garbage processing plant has been overshadowed by petty politics. The plant seems to be mired in a serious controversy since its conception stage. First controversy was started when it was alleged that a visit abroad was undertaken by the then Mayor, along with a team of councillors and corporation officers, who visited some European countries to see the viability and functioning of such projects was undesirable. Besides, a team of some councillors had also visited Hyderabad to see the functioning of such a plant. It was then that the Jaypee Group’s presentation for setting up of the plant was accepted by the MC even after strong opposition from within the corporation and MoU for the pallets-to-power technology plant, considered as the first-of-its kind in the region, was signed between the Jai Parkash Associates and the civic body. SK Khosla Don’t air personal affairs
Raveen Thukral’s article described Chander Mohan’s marriage to Anuradha Bali, on conversion, as Chand-Fiza, as an issue under low profile now-hence dormant. It was reel-like real affair, which ended in desperation with a tinge of hostility leaving agonising memories. Media should not highlight such personal affairs, as it is insignificant to hear such affairs that play subverting and negative roles in society. NC Rana
Victim of politics
The metaphor “Stinking politics” is so strong that my nostrils cannot get rid of the foul smell of the rotting garbage, which MC politicians are throwing at each other, while the projects that would benefit people remain consigned to eternal limbo. As the writer has rightly pointed out in the article that the MC garbage processing plant has become a victim of politics even before it has overcome the teething troubles. It must be given a chance to work and move on. Dr SS Bhatti
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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Mansa Devi Clash
Panchkula, September 7 The DC had marked a probe to the SDM and its report will be submitted in a week. Meanwhile, Inderjeet, who was admitted to a private nursing home with a “dislocated shoulder” after allegedly being roughed up by the CEO and his supporters yesterday, was discharged today.
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De-worming campaign
Chandigarh, September 7 The second phase of the campaign was launched today by distributing tablets to the underprivileged children of Palsora Colony No 1.
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Poll Brawls
Chandigarh, September 7 After a clash was witnessed at the college on September 3, the governing body of the college through its principal, Dr BC Josan, has filed a civil suit against three student bodies for granting of perpetual injunction restraining them from interfering in any manner in the peaceful functioning of the working of the college. The suit filed in the court of civil judge senior division, Sunil Kumar, aims to restrain the students from participating in agitations, raising slogans, dharnas and rallies within 200 metre area from the premises of the plaintiff college. Meanwhile, the court has issued notices to the parties- SOPU, INSO and HSA-HIMSU, PUSU-UPSU alliance and INSO to appear in the court through their respective leaders on September 9. In the suit demanding perpetual injunction, the principal said violence was witnessed in the college on September 3 soon after the open house got over, when the student representatives of the bodies clashed with each other creating hooliganism. They attacked each other with soft drink bottles and sticks and broke the glass windows of the premises and caused extensive loss to the college property, the principal added. The principal also stated that the request to the parties through the student leaders to not to indulge in strikes, rallies had fallen on deaf ears. It was also rued that the college was left with no other option but to file the suit refraining the students from disrupting the peace of the college, which amounted to abstaining from work.
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Manav Mangal principal awarded
Chandigarh, September 7 Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Human Resource Development, presented the award. The award comprised a certificate of commendation, cash award of Rs 5,000 and a shawl. Sibal was accompanied by Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development, D Purandeswari and CBSE chairman Vineet Joshi.
— TNS
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