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Paradise lost for shoppers
Contrary to the general perception that the high rentals for the display of mega prizes by the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh(MCC) are the main deterrent for the absence of mega fests, it is now learnt that the recession seems to have played spoilsport this time. This coupled with general "indifference" of the business community to the holding of the fests, which is set to turn the festival season a "lacklustre affair". Till about a couple of years back, the Sector 17 and 22 shopping festivals were a big hit with major corporates competing with one another to sponsor scores of prizes, including luxury cards. However, differences of opinion among the leading businessmen of Sector 17 took its toll on the festivals with two parallel shopping festivals being organised in the past. "General indifference among traders in the wake of the worldwide recession have dried up sponsorship for the shopping festivals, resulting in their quite burial," says JP Singh Kalra, general secretary of the Sector 17 Traders' Association. Since a large number of companies owned franchisee outlets in Sector 17, the firms preferred their own "gift schemes" to sponsoring prizes for the general shopping festivals. "It is better to offer various schemes on our products as it increased the business in recessionary times," a manager with a leading consumer brand told Chandigarh Tribune. Meanwhile, several prominent members of the Business Promotion Council (BPC), which organised the shopping festival in Sector 17 over the years, were themselves having franchisee of the leading brands. This could be resulted in general "disinterest" of the leading businessmen to the holding of the shopping festival now. Businessmen on the other hand blamed the recession and the civic body's high rentals for the display of prizes for the discontinuation of the shopping festivals. In fact, the shopping festival seemed to have been replaced by gift schemes of individual companies, a leading shopkeeper added.
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Architects to check revenue loss
Mohali, October 4 This order has been made applicable from October 1. Applicants are being asked to supply a copy of the map of the property concerned. As per the notification, the application has to give a certificate, wherein a mention of the evaluation of the structure and the plot has to be made. “For the convenience of applicants, architects are giving valuation certificates in the context of the prevailing collector rates and we are accepting the same”, said an official in the tehsil office here. The district administration had sought a clarification from the department concerned regarding the valuation of the properties (including the plot), but there had not been any reply. “So, we have started accepting the valuation certificate being issued by architects”, said the officials. According to the order, whenever the buyer of an urban property would present his papers for registration before the registering officer, he would have to attach a valuation certificate issued by an architect. In this manner, the stamp duty, chargeable at 8 per cent, would go up by more than 300 per cent. Officials in the district revenue department, however, believed that the evaluator would only have to give the value of the constructed part. As for the value of the plot, the collector rate of Rs 10,000 per sq yard would be used to calculate the stamp duty. A number of bureaucrats, politicians and police officials could now be in trouble if registered architects accessed urban property. Evaluating a property, including a plot, would mean that the buyer and the seller would have to show in white the actual financial transaction of a property. This could land a number of persons in trouble. According to investors, the valuer could now charge as much money he wanted to to give an under-value certificate of the property as it would be considered valid valuation of the property for the purpose of registration and charging of stamp duty.
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Bodies rot in mortuary
Chandigarh, October 4 The hospital authorities had reportedly handed over the bodies to the Seva Samiti
for cremation. Though the hospital authorities claimed that the refrigerators providing cooling to the chambers failed yesterday and the repair work had been ordered, experts claimed that it took at least three days for a body to decompose. Sources said all the five bodies were unclaimed and had been lying at the morgue
for days. They said the mortuary had 12 chambers and two had not been functioning for the past several days, while the rest were rendered dysfunctional a few days ago, but no one had bothered to make efforts for their speedy repair. GMSH medical superintendent Dr G. Verma said the chambers conked off yesterday and their repair had already been ordered.
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Film City refund issue goes to legal cell
Chandigarh, October 4 Reliable sources said that the development followed a difference of opinion by Pradeep Mehra, Adviser to the UT Administrator, on a proposal for the formation of a committee on the issue. The issue of a refund had cropped up after the Parsvnath Developers Ltd pulled out of the proposed Rs 800 crore multimedia centre-cum-film city project in Sarangpur. The company had been claiming a refund of its initial deposit of Rs 47.75 crore, along with interest. Parsvnath had got the project in March 2008
and the project was supposed to be completed in three years. The legal cell was expected to file its report at the earliest for quick action on the issue. The Adviser had objected to the formation of a committee because the project had been handed over to the company under leasehold and this did not provide for the constitution of any committee. The company, on its part, argued that it had not been offered any letter of allotment and had every right to seek a refund. It had also been pointed out that a committee could facilitate a refund. There were reports of pressure being exerted from certain quarters for the constitution of a committee to look into the refund issue.
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We care for you, if you are a VIP
Even after 10 days, the Chandigarh traffic police, which proclaims ‘We care for you’, is “looking into” the violations committed by two escort vehicles of a VIP cavalcade, which was highlighted in these columns on September 24. UT SP (Traffic) HS Doon told TNS on September 25 that he had marked an inquiry into the incident. He had added that since the vehicles belonged to Punjab, tracing those might take some time. Surprisingly, the Chandigarh police, despite using the latest technology, had failed to trace escort vehicles accompanying the VIP car (PB-12-H-6355) for the past 10 days. Police officials, only if they were willing, could have got details from the Punjab police security wing, said a police official. Another police official added that the police could have got details about the vehicles from various other sources, including the registration authority of Ropar district, had they desired so. The delay or failure in tracing the vehicles indicated to the lack of a “strong will” to proceed against VIPs. “The delay has given time to offenders to cover up the violation”, he said. Doon had said that his men might take a couple of days and submit their report this weekend. The statement was in stark
contrast to the claims of the UT DIG, who on September 24 urged city residents to use helplines for informing the police about violations. The DIG had stated that they would take prompt action on the information given on helpline. Minutes after the tall claims of the DIG, a Tribune team spotted the VIP car, escorted by two Gypsies without displaying their registration number plates on the rear. The information was immediately passed to the traffic police helpline (1073) and the cavalcade was chased for 10 minutes before it entered Mohali. The police failed to act in time. Not only this, no one from the helpline bothered to enquire about the location and the route of these vehicles even as the information was being given by calling twice on the helpline.
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Italian sweeping machines gather dust
Chandigarh, October 4 The city’s Mayor has recommended a vigilance probe into the Rs 5 crore purchase of the three Italian sweeping machines last year. City councillors now allege that the sweeping machines have become white elephants due to their whopping cost, equally expensive maintenance and inability to actually clean the city. While the city’s municipal corporation has been rocked over the last one year over the controversial purchase of the machines, councillors now allege that the cost so far incurred in the purchase and maintenance of the machines in just one year has been nearly Rs 9 crore. “That cost is enough to employ hundreds of sweepers to clean the city. If the corporation had employed 500 sweepers at a salary of Rs 4,000 per month, the expense would have been just Rs 2.4 crore annually. This would have given employment to so many people,” councillor Jatinder Bhatia pointed out. The city’s medical officer of health has now told the corporation that the sweeping machines were inefficient and are unable to sweep away leaves and stones. Even in cleaning mud and dust, the machines have a limited capacity, as they are used to European conditions. The machines have forced the corporation to spent nearly Rs 1 million on purchasing its special brooms and also used diesel worth Rs 470,000 in one year alone. Other expenses, including the salaries of the driver and helper, run into hundreds of thousands. The replacement of one broom of each machine costs Rs 19,000 and these have to be changed 4-5 times every year,” officials here said. “The operating cost of these machines is bound to go up every year. There are serious issues and objections about the utility of these machines. Officials never informed the corporation about what saving of manpower and money these machines will do. Responsibility for this lapse must be fixed,” councillor Chander Mukhi Sharma told IANS. The purchase of the machines last year was equally controversial. Top municipal corporation officials went to Italy to “inspect” the sweeping machines, at a cost of a few lakh rupees of public money, despite the fact that the same machines were being used by the local authorities in New Delhi and could have been inspected there. With Chandigarh claiming to be the greenest city in India, the inability of the Italian sweeping machines to clean falling leaves has become a major problem. — IANS
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Monkey bite cases rising
What if monkey
bites? Doctors suggest that in case of monkey or dog bite, patient should wash the wound with water and detergent soap for 15 minuets. He should apply antiseptic cream on the wound. Thereafter, he should be rushed to a doctor for administration of serum along with anti-rabies vaccine. Carelessness can lead to patient’s death.
Chandigarh, October 4 une system’s inability to combat the virus allows the latter to reach the central nervous system. Here it replicates quickly and spreads all over the brain, causing inflammation, thus affecting its normal functioning. Only vaccine can prevent the disease. une system’s inability to combat the virus allows the latter to reach the central nervous system. Here it replicates quickly and spreads all over the brain, causing inflammation, thus affecting its normal functioning. Only vaccine can prevent the disease. active. Symptoms such as those seen in encephalitis are also present, along with increasingly uncontrolled movement, confusion and delirium. Meanwhile, in this phase, animals too become mad and bite, said Dr Singh. Dr Purnima felt that awareness about rabiactive. Symptoms such as those seen in encephalitis are also present, along with increasingly uncontrolled movement, confusion and delirium. Meanwhile, in this phase, animals too become mad and bite, said Dr Singh. Dr Purnima felt that awareness about rabiactive. Symptoms such as those seen in encephalitis are also present, along with increasingly uncontrolled movement, confusion and delirium. Meanwhile, in this phase, animals too become mad and bite, said Dr Singh. Dr Purnima felt that awareness about rabies had also played a key role. Around five years ago, 90 per cent people reporting to the Rabies Vaccination Unit, applied chilli paste on the wound. Now a reverse trend could be noticed as less than 10 per cent patients indulged in the practice.
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Nari Niketan Rape Case
Chandigarh, October 4 In a letter to the UT Administrator, Abidi, who is also a member of the committee formed by the Delhi-based National Trust to chalk out a road map for securing the future of the girl and her to-be-born-child, has sought his intervention to end what they term as litany of woes of the victim, who is in need of “immediate care and reassurance”. Accusing the administration of neglecting and highlighting the plight of the vicitm, Abidi further said, “She is a person who faced abandonment by her family and alleged repeated rape by those who were hired to protect her in one such government institution followed by substitution of decision-making by the use of an expert committee, then, thankfully a reprieve from the informed judiciary. But then, as if by cruel design, further neglect by those, who are meant to be duty bearers for her care and protection”. He further said instead of accepting the opportunity to be able to give relief to the person who was harmed while under its care, the Chandigarh Administration was trying to somehow wriggle out of its role as the duty bearer. In an obvious reference to the standoff between the administration and the National Trust over the victim’s custody, Abidi writes, “Instead of addressing the tasks in hand with a sense of urgency and commitment that the situation demands, the administration is still trying to settle a battle of semantics with the trust. The trust has taken some initiative and outlined an assistance package for the person. This will be impossible to implement, if the administration does not perform its responsibility as a primary duty bearer and brings all components of care and protection together”. Maintaining that India as such has a patchy record of protection of rights of persons with disability, Abidi said since the girl was approaching her expected date of delivery, she required a care plan for the near future and a care plan in the long term, which would allow her to have sense of permanence and support to be the parent of her child. “She immediately needs a gynaecologist for her pre-natal care. This doctor will need to make a relationship with her and be able to inform the person in form that is understandable to her, about the process of delivery”. He further said the girl need a named trained caregiver, who would start forming a relationship with her and was able to communicate with her regarding her fears and beliefs about pregnancy and child rearing. This caregiver would have to be specifically trained for this role, as the current care giver training in the country did not include support for child rearing. She would need the ongoing support for child care for most of the pre-school years of the child. All this had to be done in the next few days and not weeks, if the person is to be saved further trauma and anxiety.
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Shifting of car market gets nod
Chandigarh, October 4 The meeting was attended by 140 members representing different federating associations and societies. Hitesh Kumar Puri, general secretary, briefed about the activities and achievements of the FOSWAC. The general secretary also requested the members to raise common problems concerning residents. FOSWAC chairman Sanghi said FOSWAC was an apex body of all sector welfare associations to serve as an effective set-up to solve problems of the Residents Welfare Associations (RWAs). Highlighting various achievements of the federation, he said adequate relaxations in building bylaws in marla and kanal houses had been granted by the administration. Besides, pending demands of the residents of the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) residents were also in the process of being accepted. The outstanding demand of the FOSWAC for removal of dead trees and pruning of the fully-grown eucalyptus trees has been met. The pressing demand of RWAs, Sector 7, to shift the Sunday car market from the sector has been accepted. The administration, in association with the RWAs, has also started acting tough against mushrooming of unauthorised paying guests in residential buildings, Sanghi claimed. The proposal mooted by the FOSWAC for installation of security gates in sectors is under consideration. The chairman and the general secretary explained the necessity of bringing proposed amendments of old constitution of the FOSWAC that were approved. Amendments approved include the increase of posts of office-bearers from six to 10, creation of two posts of patrons and change in the mode of election of office-bearers.
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Pharmacists’ agitation turns violent
Mohali, October 4 The agitators, who were squatting on the road, had to be pushed aside by the police to make way for the minister’s car. However, the minister’s escort Gypsy that was trailing the car hit the photographer of The Tribune, Vicky Gharu, who was clicking photographs. However, the photographer who fell on the road after being hit did not receive any injuries. The incident infuriated the agitators who caught hold of the driver. Meanwhile, the police had to intervene to
save the driver from being beaten up. Starting their agitation from Vikas Bhavan, Sector 68, pharmacists burnt an effigy of the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Rural Development Minister Ranjit Singh Brahampura.
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Collective SMS for effective policing
Panchkula, October 4 Though authorities in the Haryana police, including DGP Ranjiv Dalal, refused to divulge anything about the new technique being incorporated in the police working, sources said it would supplement the wireless system being used earlier. It would also now be difficult, if not impossible, for the miscreants to escape in case the police got information of crime within a few minutes, sources added. The encounter of two gangsters in Gurgaon, who made a family hostage, could be possible due to this service, said sources. As soon as the police control room gets information, a message will be flashed on mobile phones of all cops stationed in the district as well as neighbouring districts, providing information regarding crime in the area with details of vehicle used in crime and physical appearance
of the accused. This will help in giving little time to criminals to escape as the police personnel present in the area, whether he is controlling traffic or strolling in a park, would get alert simultaneously multiplying the effectiveness of the police in checking crimes. Incidentally, the effectiveness of this scheme -- a brainchild of DGP Dalal -- was proved on the spot when it was inaugurated by the DGP in Gurgaon. Sources said there was an incident of chain snatching in Gurgaon at the time when the DGP was inaugurating the service. The snatchers were nabbed by the Gurgaon police within ten minutes after the message was sent to the mobile phones of the cops, said sources.
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IAS officers get overview of MC working
Chandigarh, October 4 The delegation was on its induction-training programme along with two senior faculty members of the academy. During the induction training programme, participants were exposed to inputs in the areas of public administration, law, economics, management, Constitution of India, national security, information technology. Joint Commissioner TPS Phoolka gave a brief overview of the working of the corporation, including sanitation system, waterworks and other functions. SK Bansal, Chief Engineer, Dr G Dewan, medical officer health, and other senior officers of the corporation also attended the meeting.
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400 examined at medical camp
Chandigarh, October 4 Limon Dod Singh, assistant general manager, Canara Bank, inaugurated the camp. Dr V Eshwar Anand, Assistant Editor of The Tribune, was the guest of honour on the occasion. He highlighted the importance of such camps. A team of doctors from Chhuni Kalan examined more than 400 patients suffering from various eye ailments, orthopaedic and diabetes.
Environment campaign
A leading radio station claims to have received over 9,000 SMSes in support of its “Save the Environment” campaign. The marathon was kicked off by Bollywood actor Ajay Devgan and actress Bipasha Basu at Mumbai station, recently. RJ Satya is participating in the RJ Marathon to save water. RJ Dhanveer from Patiala is participating also participating in the campaign. According to a press release, the campaign will continue till each individual station gets 9,700 messages.
144 donate blood
Panchkula: A total of 144 donors participated in a blood donation camp at Sanatan Dharm Mandir, Sector 10, here, today. The camp was organised by the House Owners Welfare Association of Sector 10, said Bharat Hiteshi, chairman of the association. A team of doctors from PGI conducted the camp, he said.
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Walkathon marks World Heart Day
Chandigarh, October 4 Dr HK Bali, cardiologist from Fortis Hospital, Mohali, organised and flagged off the rally, which is an annual affair in
the city. The walkathon has become a regular feature on World Heart Day since 2008. The day is celebrated to raise awareness levels of masses regarding various heart diseases and means to prevent heart stroke and allied complications of heart. The walkathon started from Sukhna Lake early in the morning and the participants walked their way from the lake road to Bougainvillaea Garden in Sector 3. Walkathon also witnessed free health check-up, distribution of T-shirts and healthy food and lucky draws. Revealing the proportion of coronary disease, Dr Bali says that 17.2 millions of
deaths are reported every year due to heart related ailments. “Eighty per cent of such patients can be saved only if they abandon tobacco use, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity,” Dr Bali advised.
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Animal Day observed at Dadu Majra
Chandigarh, October 4 Members of the society served food to animals and also administered them with anti-rabies and vaccination shots. President of the society Gian Chand Aggarwal made an appeal to the animal lovers, volunteers and general public for taking active part in the welfare of animals. Veena Khari and Neeru Sidhu, coordinator volunteer committee, attended the function and motivated 20 persons for getting the society dogs sterilised to curb the growing population of stray dogs.
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Action sought over illegal quarrying
Nadha (Mohali), October 4 In a complaint to the SSP, Mohali, the Deputy DFO, Ropar, has stated that on September 21, Jagpal Singh had engaged a tractor-trailer to remove sand from a site near the village. Two forest officials, Charanjit Singh and Baldev Singh, had caught the tractor-trailer, but Jagpal Singh, along with some persons of the village, forcibly took away the tractor-trailer from forest officials. Earlier, forest officials had also lodged a complaint against Jagpal, but the SHO, Nayagoan, had failed to take any action.
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Pensioners
Chandigarh, October 4 Stating this in a press release here yesterday, Bahadur Singh, manch president, sought disbursement of arrears with regards to pay fixation, leave encashment, gratuity, pension and commuted pension to retired teachers and pensioners who had retired after January
1, 2006. He said many retired teachers and pensioners were now senior citizens and could not make regular visits to the offices to get their dues. He added that the arrears must be cleared before Diwali so that they could enjoy the festival season.
— TNS
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Special Fin Secy relieved for poll duty
Chandigarh, October 4 CITCO Managing Director DK Tiwari will hold the charge of Director (Higher Education) in addition to his own duties. Joint Secretary (Finance) Pirthi Chand will look after the charge of the post of Special Secretary (Finance) along with rest of the charges held by Ajoy Sharma, in addition to his own duties.
— TNS
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Nothing official about it
Chandigarh, October 4 While the Panjab University (PU) has issued circulars in this regard and notices have been put up in various departments to caution students, official trips are not being encouraged due to the pandemic. Excursions planned earlier have now been cancelled. The annulment of official trips by PU departments has failed to restrain certain others, who continue with their holiday plans. Despite the department’s denial to conduct any official trip during this Dushhera break, at least 50 students of the University Institute of Legal Studies, PU, are at present on a self-organised holiday at Goa, a place visited by foreign tourists
the most. “The department refused to send them on the trip as we wanted to take extra precaution due to the spread of swine flu. But the students decided to go ahead with their plans and claimed that there parents supported them. In such cases, the students have to exercise self-control and the department cannot do much”, said Sangita Bhalla, chairperson, UILS. “The varsity is already conducting seminars to warn students about the spread of swine flu. A student of our department has prepared an audio-visual presentation in this regard, which was shown to the students earlier. It will be repeated after this break,” she added. “The university has done its job by issuing a circular, ensuring that notices are put up on the display boards, publishing pamphlets and holding talks and seminars. At this juncture, keeping in view the spread of the ailment, the students also need to carefully make a choice”, said Prof P.S. Jaswal. Meanwhile, private colleges like the MCM DAV College have continued to organise official trips to these holiday destinations and hundreds of students have participated in those. On the other hand, there are government colleges which have chosen to refrain from such trips following directions by the UT health department. “We have not sent any trip this time in the wake of the spread of swine flu. The students feel insecure and parents have not granted permission to send them to places like Goa and Mumbai, which are frequently visited by foreign tourists”, said an official of the Government College, Sector 46.
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From Schools & Colleges
Chandigarh, October 4 Principal of the college Puneet Bedi encouraged students to donate blood and contribute to the
society. Doctors and volunteers had an interaction and discussed on this subject and this was followed by a poster-making competition on the theme “Live and
Let Live”. The volunteers visited their adopted village Badheri and planted various saplings. The volunteers of MCM inspired the children to take care of these saplings and contribute towards the development of a balanced eco-system. They also spread awareness about blood donation and deaddiction by making poster and spreading useful information about it. Meditation
and yoga
The third day of the seven-day special NSS camp in Government College, Sector-46, started with meditation and yoga exercises. Students were divided into 12 groups. The various groups performed skits, plays and also presented speeches on the social causes and evils like female foeticide, dowry, corruption, unemployment, environment protection, etc. The students were assigned “earth work”. The volunteers participated in earth work with full enthusiasm in which they did ploughing and de-weeding on the grounds of the college. In the second session, Surinder Kaur, programme officer, NSS, welcomed Amrinder Pal Singh,
chairman, Salaam Zindagi Charitable Trust. He delivered a lecture on the causes, symptoms, prevention and cure of
swine flu. He made the students participate in the interactive session in which he answered their queries regarding swine flu. Dr Baljeet Singh, programme officer, NSS, proposed the vote of thanks. Earlier, a lecture on “nature and intelligence” was delivered by Dr. Sneh Harshinder Kaur, an environmentalist and lecturer in Hindi.
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Grandparents Day at Mohali, Ambala schools
Mohali, October 4 An impressive culture programme by students of Covent of Jesus and Marry, Ambala Cantt, and ‘ putli’ dance by senior citizen Anjana Kapoor were the other highlights of the programme. The district magistrate, PS Mand, was the chief guest at the function.
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Art of Living workshop ends
Mohali, October 4
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Chandigarh, October 4
Chandigarh, October 4