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Mayor puts spanner in water meter plan
Chandigarh, September 11 Though the Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC) of the corporation had passed this agenda and referred it to the House three months ago, yet, being a policy matter, it is still hanging fire as the Mayor is not allowing it to be tabled in the House for discussion. As per the proposal, which was tabled at the F&CC meeting, the corporation was to install water meters in Mauli Jagran, Vikas Nagar, Indra Colony, EWS houses, rehabilitation colonies, villages and Mani Majra and recover installation charges from consumers in four easy instalments. The total expenditure, likely to be incurred as per the proposal of the department, was approximately Rs 1.5 crore for providing pipe and other material to install the meter. The agenda clearly stated that the corporation had to install water meters in the city according to the memorandum of agreement signed between the Government of India and the Chandigarh Administration in 2006, under JNNURM projects. The corporation has two projects, amounting to Rs 20.26 crore and Rs 36.72 crore, for providing SCADA system and tertiary treated water supply lines under the Ministry of Urban Development. It was discussed that for installing water meters, consumer would have to pay Rs 700 to 800 per house. Officials informed the members that due to non-metering of water supply in the villages and colonies, public health department was unable to recover the operational and maintenance charges. BSP councillor and member of the F&CC Jatinder Bhatia said it was strange that when the agenda had been referred to the House by the F&CC, why the Mayor was not giving her approval. MC Additional Commissioner P K Sharma said they had sent the agenda to the Mayor for approval but she had not given green signal to it so far. He said they would again send it to her for allowing it to be tabled in the House.
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Rain damages bridge on NH-73
Panchkula, September 11 While hundreds of vehicles were stranded on both sides of the bridge, the traffic was diverted to other routes to avoid chaos on the road in the afternoon. The police had deputed three personnel on the bridge, following which one-way traffic was restored on the bridge from both sides in a regulated way. PWD Executive Engineer Ramesh Goyal said the problem had arisen due to the ageing of the bridge. Most of the bridges on this highway were very old, and during the rainy season, the concrete of these bridges gets loose, and at bridge of Kot Billa, a patch of concrete around 16 sq feet had been found missing in the morning, he said. As soon as the damage to the bridge was noticed around 10.30 am, the damaged portion of the bridge was closed to the traffic, said Goyal. While the bridge was not closed completely and traffic was being regulated, it would take at least a week to repair the bridge before it is thrown open to the traffic completely, he said. Another bridge nearby Matttanwala village is already being repaired for the past one year and work on it is expected to be completed by the end of October. At Panchkula, the road leading to the Patiala Temple from Mata Mansa Devi Temple caved in, as continuous rains in the region washed away a part of hillock being dug in the area. The hillock was being removed to make way for the new three-storeyed langar hall building. Following this, the shrine board has closed the road and served a show-cause notice to the langar committee. The closure of the road, however, would make things difficilut for the shrine board, which is busy in making arrangements for the Navratra fair to begin on September 19. This was the main exit route for the devotees who, after paying their obeisance at Mata Mansa Devi temple, prefer to visit the temple. “The langar committee was served a notice a fortnight ago, warning it to take precautionary measures, as it was noticed by the shrine board officials that the digging of the hillock was being done very close to the hillock, which could prove detrimental to the road laid on the hillock,” said DP Dattana, chief executive officer of the board.
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Swine Flu
Chandigarh, September 11 The first three students, who tested positive for swine flu, were of the same section of Class X. However, this time, it’s a student of Class VII B. The student suspected to be suffering from the flu is in Class X. With the infection now spreading to other classes, the education department is considering closing the school for some days. However, it could not be confirmed, as the school principal could not be contacted. UT nodal officer for swine flu HC Gera said he would visit the school tomorrow and assess the situation. “The entire family of the student has been home quarantined and their health is being monitored. The situation can only be assessed once we visit the school,” he said. Though the school authorities are mum over the future course of action, a senior faculty member said panic had gripped the teachers and the students, who are planning to go in for check-up. Meanwhile, two more persons have been reported with swine flu-like symptoms, including a journalist from a news agency and a doctor from GMSH-16.
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Cash-for-Job Scam
Chandigarh, September 11 The startling fact that has brought the role of one of the external agencies involved in the recruitment came to fore during the police investigation. According to sources, the revelation hints that the accused not only had access to the list of selected candidates, as was thought earlier, but their marks as well. “It was revealed during investigation that these people had only chosen those who did not have a good rank in the exam. With this fact coming to fore it seems that contrary to the prior belief that the list of selected candidates was leaked from the education department, it now seems that they had full access to the marks of the candidates, which were incidentally in possession of an external agency. If this has happened, we may have much more to deal than what appears on surface as it might involve some other people too,” said a highly placed source. The police is finding it hard to get the details of the text messages allegedly exchanged between the DPI and the accused as, according to sources, the phone of the former was not under surveillance in the cyber crime cell at that time. In this backdrop, DPI Samwartak Singh was served a questionnaire of around 25 questions today, a majority of which comprised those related to his interactions with Jolly. It has also been learnt that the DPI has asked for about four days to furnish the answers.
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KV-29 expels students
Chandigarh, September 11 This morning, a phone call from the school informed the parents about the boys’ expulsion from the institute. “Without even a single day’s notice, the class teacher called me and said that there was no need to send my son to the school anymore,” said Jaiprakash, father of one of the boys. After the school’s inquiry committee concluded that the boys indulged in “immoral activity inside the school toilet”, a memorandum and a TC, issued by Principal Samarjeet Kaur, were sent to the parents of both boys. Meanwhile, the TC in the mid-session has put up a question mark on the future of both boys. The parents alleged that the school staff that “scared” the boys off has not been acted against, while the decision had put their children’s future in jeopardy. Jaiprakash said, “The TC mentions the reason for leaving as ‘disciplinary grounds’. Which school will accept our children now? My son has been in the school for the past four years and maintained good studies record. Even if he
committed a mistake, at least one chance should be given.” “All we want from the school authorities is at least one year for our children. Kicking them out right now will ruin their lives forever. If nothing is done soon, I will approach court,” said Jaiprakash. “None of the boys were put through any counselling session. Even if the kids were at fault, the psychological tension for them hasn’t been less in the past two weeks.” School Prinicpal Samarjeet Kaur said, “Yes, both the boys have been expelled. We have given them TCs.” On being asked if the decision will damage the students’ career, she said, “Ask the parents about that. They (boys) will have to pay for what they did. The findings of the committee revealed that the boys were mistaken. We had to be strict. It’s my final decision.”
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1984 Riot Victims
Mohali, September 11 Reason, a number of victims have not been able to get the red cards, a mandatory document required to get compensation. “Getting compensation comes later. Getting a red card made is a cumbersome process involving official rigmarole,” said Manjeet Singh, a riot victim. For many like Manjeet Singh, a resident of Balongi, who saw his two brothers being badly injured 25 years ago during the riots in Delhi, struggle to get compensation is far from over. Gurcharan, one of the Manjeet’s brothers, who was thrown inside a burning truck by a mob, died a few months back and the other one, Tejinder Singh, is suffering from spine injury. Despite showing all the relevant documents and several rounds to the tehsil office, Manjeet has not been able to get the red card. “I applied for the card two years back. We are called and then humiliated saying that the documents are not genuine,” said Manjeet. This is not an isolated case. HS Kohli, a resident of Dera Bassi, got a query from the district administration only after his plight was highlighted in the media. “The government should verify all the claims at the earliest so that the victims do not have to suffer,” he said. The Centre and the state governments should ensure that unlike in the past, the compensation amount should reach the victims and not lost midway. The government should take action against the bogus beneficiaries and the government officials who verified the fake claims. Jaswant Kaur Sarna, member of the Danga Peerat Association said around 300 claims were pending with the administration. The disposal of claims was slow and many families were yet to get possession of flats from GMADA in Phase XI, she said.
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Relief for 95 families in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, September 11 The Chandigarh administration had recently sent their cases to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for approval. In fact, the MHA had reportedly given recommendations for the relief and rehabilitation package in January, which was approved by the Cabinet under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Official sources said the relief would be provided to the “eligible” families after a formal communication from the MHA. The administration also reportedly “processed” certain other cases, besides these 95 cases, which would also be compensated according to Centre’s instructions, sources said. It had been a long and arduous journey for the riots victims in their pursuit for getting relief package. The receipt of the mandatory “red card” for becoming eligible for the relief was a Herculean task with the bureaucratic rigmarole delaying the issuance of the card. The alleged delay in the verification of claims of the riots victims had allegedly held up the forwarding of their cases to the Central Government. Persistent efforts by the Chandigarh-based 1984 Sikh Migrants Welfare Society saw the disbursal of compensation to about 200 families, who moved to Chandigarh in the backdrop of the countrywide riots against Sikhs following the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Terming the Rs 2-lakh compensation as “meagre”, Harjit Singh, president of the society, demanded formulation of a special housing scheme for the riots-affected families besides the other compensation. “The notification for the disbursement of the compensation should be issued immediately as the relief had already been much delayed,” demanded Harjeet Singh Minhas, an advocate, who had been taking up the case of riot victims at various fora.
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MC seeks police action against encroachers
Mohali, September 11 In a communication to the SP (Traffic) yesterday, the MC authorities have urged him to take action against persons who had failed to vacate roadside footpaths despite several attempts by the MC. Action was sought against Assa Ram and Harpal Singh who had encroached upon a footpath near Silvi Park in Phase X for selling fruits, Kishan Pal for selling fruits on a footpath near Majestic Hotel and some women who sell fruits on a footpath near the Phase XI chowk. A copy of this letter was also sent to the Deputy Commissioner. An employee of the tehbazari wing said it was difficult to stop some persons from encroaching footpaths due to political pressure. The residents moving on the main roads face problems as these encroachments prove to be traffic hazard. Political leaders had told the MC employees not to seize fruits of the offenders. It was easy to seize illegal ‘rehris’ but difficult to remove roadside vendors as they sell fruits by spreading sheets and made very little use of other items like baskets. The MC is also ready to issue notices to shopkeepers who had encroached upon market verandahs, putting shoppers to inconvenience. Though the tehbazari wing of the civic body does carry out drives to remove encroachments, but habitual offenders are back as soon as the MC employees leave the area. MC executive officer Amna Kumar Goyal said the MC had carried out a survey and identified areas where shopkeepers misuse verandahs. Notices would be issued under Section 173 of the Punjab Municipal Act from next week. Shopkeepers have encroached upon market verandahs in almost the entire town and persons frequenting the markets have to walk in the open during scorching heat as well as in the rainy season. Heated exchanges between shopkeepers and tehbazari wing officials are often seen when they go to remove encroachments. Shopkeepers also level allegations that the MC employees adopt a pick-and-choose policy while removing encroachments.
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Forest staff stage protest
Chandigarh, September 11 The police stopped them on their way when they were about to march past to the mini secretariat. Anand Sharma, president of the Haryana Forest Employees Union, said the police did not let them meet any senior official of the department. “Our demands are genuine. Despite working in the department for the past 10-15 years, we are still not permanently employed in the forest department of Haryana,” said Sharma. Ramesh Kumar, a protestor, said, “We have also met senior officials of the department in Panchkula, but no one pays heed to our demands.” The police said the protest was peaceful and the frontrunners of the protest handed over their memorandum to the officials of the forest department and dispersed in the afternoon.
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Rain exposes MC work on road
Chandigarh, September 11 The routine works being carried out by various agencies, particularly the telecom companies, also add to the woes of the people. Barring a few main roads, which are on the route map of the VIPs, other roads remain full of potholes. An angry resident of the Sector 49 remarked, “Road repair is nothing but cosmetic patchwork, which only lasts for a few weeks at the most. Nobody bothers to take note of it and only we are made to suffer. The condition of roads in Sectors 29, 30, 41, 42, 49, 50, 51 and also in the industrial area is to be seen to be believed.” Resentment prevails among people as they are aware that the authorities tend to repair and improve only those roads which remain in public glare. Though industrialists pay a huge amount of money as developmental charges in the industrial One of the leading industrialists of the city said although this year there had been less rainfall, the roads still got submerged. The water had already started getting accumulated everywhere as there was no arrangement for proper drainage. He pointed out that waterlogging caused severe damage to roads. Another nuisance is caused by the digging work carried out by various telecom companies. These companies, however, maintain that they pay the road repair charges in advance to local authorities so that the department concerned repairs these after their work is over. But usually the damaged roads are not repaired in time. The authorities too, instead of repairing the roads instantly, keep the work pending for reasons best known to them. When contacted MC, Chief Engineer SK Bansal stated that there were no major potholes in the roads in the city, but if they received any complaints about them, they would get them repaired once the rain stopped. Meanwhile, the met department recorded 4 mm rainfall today. The department forecasts generally cloudy sky with interim rain.
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Rain brings misery for health dept staff
Mohali, September 11 Though the problem existed in several rooms but the worst affected were the rooms where staff of the Mohali civil surgeon worked. Water was leaking from the fans and the employees had to shift to the corners of the room in order to carry out their work. The office record was also shifted to places, which were dry. An employee said the problem was brought to the notice of the higher authorities but to no avail. He said the civil surgeon had visited the office but had asked the employees to bear with the situation. He said they could have been shifted to the vacant hostel rooms of the State Institute of Health and Family Welfare. The staff of the civil surgeon was working from a building, which was constructed as a residence for the SMO of the civil hospital. Civil surgeon, Dr Tejinder Gupta, said rain water leaked only from one fan and there was seepage in some parts of the building. He had asked the employees to cut off the power in order to avoid any short circuit. He said the problem was of a minor nature and the needful would be done as soon as the weather cleared up.
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Sugar quota increased
Chandigarh, September 11 The revised quantum will be effective only from September and October, 2009. All BPL card holders will draw their entitlement from fair price shops and mobile vans and in case of any problem or complaint, they can contact the District Food and Supplies and Consumer Affairs Officer, Union Territory, personally or on telephone No. 2703956.
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21 sites relieved for mobile towers
Chandigarh, September 11 Sanjay said the immediate endeavour of the operators should be to shift towers from residential buildings in lieu of these allotted sites in a fixed time frame. He also impressed upon installing Camflaws Antenna on the high buildings to cut costs and receiving instant outcomes. He also asked the Chief Engineer to work out the rents to be charged from operators for the governmental buildings. It was deliberated at the meeting that the tower would be shared by at least three mobile operators and maximum by five operators. However, no two operators of same mobile company will be permitted to function from one site. It has been emphasised on setting up of mono poles which would minimise the density of poles at a particular site. The maximum height of the pole has been fixed to 50 meters from ground level. It was also decided that only those infrastructure provider companies can apply for it who have agreement with mobile companies on sharing of minimum three cellular operators, along with the fulfilling the set parameters of the administration. During the meeting the operators apprised the administration of the illegal setting up of towers in certain locations. The Finance Secretary directed the Assistant Estate Officer (AEO) and the Chief Engineer to get them removed at the earliest.
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Airlines loss is cab operators gain
Chandigarh, September 11 Several travel agents in the city said most customers were calling endlessly for inquiries, asking for the possibility of reservations in trains and flights. Most of them are booking private taxis. “We are busy making cancellations and informing our customers about information on flights and trains. But those with urgent commitments are taking to road. Even taxi drivers have hiked their charges. Even our regular link-ups are demanding at least Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 more on the initial amount,” said Chandan, a tour and travel agent in the city. Scene at the Chandigarh railway station this evening depicted a small picture of inconvenience to passengers. A many as 100 passengers were waiting at the station with a hope to get a ticket on the last-minute cancellations in the evening Shatabdi to Delhi. “The train is full because of the weekend. Many passengers are calling for private cabs. The rush doesn’t seem to end here. They know that no tickets are available, still they are hoping for some cancellations,” said station superintendent R K Dutta. Jet Airways flights from the Chandigarh airport remained suspended on the fourth day in a row. Even today, 40 cancellations on both flights, Chandigarh to Delhi and Chandigarh to Mumbai were recorded. On the other hand, even Kingfisher’s (IT605) flight that takes off from Mumbai to Chandigarh at 5 pm was cancelled today. Also cancelled was (IT600) the Delhi-Chandigarh Kingfisher flight that lands at 10.25 am and departs for Mumbai at 10.55 am in the morning. Both these flights stand cancelled till September 17, dues to “mandatory maintenance issues” citied by airline officials. Out of total 11 flights scheduled for departure on a daily basis at the airport, five were grounded.
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Ex-servicemen wards’ scholarship enhanced
Chandigarh, September 11 According to a press release, 40 wards of ex-servicemen, who score over 60 per cent marks in Classes X and XII and continue further studies, are given one-time scholarship grant of Rs 3,600 each. The amount has now been increased to Rs 6,000 for each scholarship. Besides this, a new scholarship scheme has been introduced as per which 20 wards of ex-servicemen, who score over 60 per cent marks in Class VIII examinations, will be awarded one-time scholarship grant of Rs 5,000 each.
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3 buildings get award
Chandigarh, September 11 These buildings included Vidya Sagar Institute of Mental Health, Amritsar, designed by architect Sarbjit Singh Bahga and structural engineer VK Sood, KMG Towers at Mohali designed by architect Sangeet Sharma and structural engineer Syal & Associates and the boys’ hostel in the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak, designed by architect Hitender Singh and structural engineer Sushil Dogra.
— TNS
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‘Say no to alcohol’
Chandigarh, September 11 The students were made aware of the medical point of view of alcoholism in this interactive session by Dr K Chakravoty of the department of psychiatry, PGI. The AA members gave an overview of how they had become addicted to alcohol and ruined their college life, career and family and how the AA helped them overcome their compulsive drinking and become successful citizens who did not drink anymore. A housewife shared her experiences of how as a child she had saw her father as a drunkard and the family suffering at the hands of alcoholism and later getting married to a man who also became an alcoholic. Life was hell till she sought and got help from the AA and today her husband was a sober member of the AA. The students were made aware of seeking help for any alcohol related problem in their family, friends and call on the AA’s 24-hour helpline at 94170-37358. The students also pledged for an alcohol free lifestyle and to curb the menace of alcoholism in society.
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Price Rise
Mohali, September 11 General secretary HS Pasricha said in the recent past there had been a hike in the rate of essential commodities which had made the life of the common man miserable. The prices had risen manifold, solely, due to hoarding. As such a drive should be launched against the hoarders under the provisions of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. Members of the association pointed out that there was a delay in the reimbursement of medical claims submitted by pensioners, which created financial hardships for them. They demanded that patients above 70 years of age should be examined on priority as was being done by the PGI.
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Affected organ is now respected, not removed
Dr. Sachdeva: Live surgeries at conference like these are a combined audio-visual tutorial for students today. Many other similar technologies have made the learning process easier for the students and the teachers. Q. You have been in the noble profession since 1976. The medical profession is one where learning never ends. Has it been tough to adapt to latest equipment and techniques? Dr. Sachdeva:There used to be a saying, “Big surgeons make big incisions” but now it’s the exact opposite. Now the best doctors perform all their surgeries through a keyhole-size incision. Laser and other methods have shifted doctor’s focus. Previously doctors would just remove the affected organ, now organ is respected. Surgeries are conducted in a way that minimal tissues are affected. Q. People normally associate trust and experience with “gray haired” doctors. Do you think the younger doctors lose out somewhere? Dr. Sachdeva: Experience definitely matters. For example, where I would have seen 100 patients with a particular problem, my junior might not have even witnessed 10. But then, he may have dealt with more complicated cases. These are just attitudes that are soon changing. Q. Young doctors are drawn towards the corporate hospitals. Aren’t they going away from the reach of a common man? Dr. Sachdeva: Unfortunately, this trend is strengthening day by day. Young doctors today also dream of comfortable lifestyles. But the focus isn’t money for all. We shifted because we knew that we were working with obsolete equipment. Moving base to private hospitals was important because they had the equipment. But even so, we indulge in charitable work. Q. What changes has ENT witnessed in the last 20 years? Dr. Sachdeva: There has been enough advancement in the filed to break the common myths. Unfortunately, the uneducated, even the educated class and non-ENT doctors, suffer with these myths. For example, sinus is treatable. And so is snoring. Technology now allows us to remove brain and eye tumors from the nasal passage. In neck and head cancers, modalities have changed a lot. Knowledge and education is the only way to treat this ignorance. Q How do you propose breaking these myths? Dr. Sachdeva: Channels of education, media workshops and conferences like these also contribute in disseminating most common facts.
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Conference on head, neck malignancies
Chandigarh, September 11 His lecture focused on significance of clearance margin in head and neck malignancies. Interactive slides, full of animated images immediately attracted the attention of the audiences. Dr Atul focused on the need of taking extra care while marking the clearance margin while operating on tumours and other malignancies in the head and neck region. “There have been cases of recurrences just because while operating, a safe margin is not maintained. A doctor’s confidence should not come as a hindrance in adapting to new possibilities.
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‘Fit Nation’ campaign reaches Punjab
Panchkula, September 11 The campaign has covered various states like Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. The purpose of the campaign is to generate sports consciousness and fitness awareness in order to integrate spiritual and ethical values in sportspersons. It will conclude in Jammu on September 18. To mark the occasion, a programme was organised at the Sadbhawana Bhawan, where BK Jagbir, a boxer, spoke on the importance and techniques of enhancing the power of mind to achieve success in sports. Sarban Singh, principal secretary, sports and youth affairs, Haryana, was the chief guest on the occasion.
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From Colleges
Mohali, September 11 The programme commenced amidst great enthusiasm among the students of various streams. Popular RJ’s of the city, Satya and Sofie, kept the students on their toes by asking a medley of questions and fun activities. The event ended with crowning of Tanveer Singh as Mr Dillogical of BCA and Richa Bhatia as Ms Dillogical of BSC-IT stream. Seminar
A seminar on recent market trends, recession and its impact on the economy and industry exposure was conducted by the MBA and MCA departments of Sri Sukhmani Institute of Engineering and Technology, Dera Bassi. Students from MBA, MCA and B.Tech streams took part in the seminar. Current business opportunities, job prospects, industry trends and various other topics were discussed at the seminar. Prof Avtar Singh, chairman, and Kanwaljit Kaur, director, Sri Sukhmani group, inaugurated the seminar. Conference
An international conference on emerging trends in electronics and communication was held at Indo-Global Colleges, Abhipur, today. Many academicians, researchers, industry experts from national as well as international organisations participated in the conference. Dr D.P. Goyal, vice-chairman of the IETE, was the chief guest. He emphasised the need to keep oneself informed with the emerging trends in the field. Dr Renu Vig, head of the electronics department, University Institute of Engineering & Technology, Panjab University, was the inaugural speaker for the second session. She elaborated on embedded systems and advanced telecommunications and signal process group. In a keynote address, Prof Basudeo Prasad elaborated on the evolution of technology and its effects on human life. Urzula Razmuk from Poland gave a power point presentation on “Intelligent change transformers”. Adult learners’ week
As a part of the ongoing celebration of “Adult learners’ week”, the Jan Shikshan Sansthan, Mohali, is organising awareness programmes on literacy in different parts of Ropar district from September 9 to September 14. More than 100 persons, including local community leaders, CDPO, Block Anandpur Sahib, officials from Block Elementary Education Office, Nangal, supervisors, Anganwadi workers of Department of Social Security, Women and Child Development, tailoring and dress-making course students, officials of the Jan Shikshan Sansthan, Mohali, and local people participated in the programme. Anand Mohan Sharma, deputy director of the sansthan, said that it played an active role in the literacy programmes by providing vocational training to the neo-literates, who acquired literacy skills through the programmes run by the literacy mission.
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RTI Act: PU withdraws list of exempted items
Chandigarh, September 11 The issue came to light a few months back when Nitin served a legal notice to the university accusing it of violating the RTI Act by enlisting 48 items in the information handbook. Details regarding which could not be disclosed under the RTI Act. While the university initially disowned this list and later justified it as an explanation and simplification of one of the postulates of the RTI Act, it today withdrew the list. It has also been decided that information denied on the basis of this list should be provided to applicants at the earliest.
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Q. How has technology contributed to the medical field?
