NEIGHBOURHOOD

Mini secretariat project hangs fire
Our Correspondent

PRTC worker blocks the bus stand chowk after a clash in Patiala on Thursday. Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar

Patiala, December 3
Hundreds of vehicles remained stranded for almost two hours at the main bus stand here this afternoon as the operational staff of the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) blocked the entry and exit points of the bus stand.

The protest was fallout of a clash between employees of Orbit bus service and PRTC at Sangrur bus stand.

PRTC general manager Venod Jindal said the employees clashed over a dispute on timetable of Orbit and PRTC buses. It was alleged that the driver of a PRTC bus coming to Patiala from Sangrur was beaten up at the Sangrur bus stand.

The agitated drivers and conductors blocked the main entry and exit points and this led to traffic chaos on all roads leading to the bus stand. The trouble started at around 1.30 pm and serpentine queues of vehicles were seen all around the bus stand.

As the news of the traffic blockade spread, senior police officials rushed to the main bus stand to take stock of the situation.

Venod Jindal said the PRTC bus involved in the incident was of Chandigarh depot and was on its way to Chandigarh. The two parties reached the Division Number 4 police station where an agreement was reached in the evening.

The blockade delayed several buses. The passengers had a tough time as they were caught in the blockade. Traffic had to be diverted to other routes. 

Patiala, December 3
Department of social work, Punjabi University, celebrated International World AIDS Day yesterday by distributing red ribbons among students and teachers of the university.

The theme for prevention, care and treatment for 2009 is “Universal Access and Human Rights”.

The department of social work is a training hub for personals working to prevent the rising infections of AIDS and reversal of HIV pandemic in Punjab. Under Global Fund, the department is the sub-recipient and Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, is the principal recipient.

Global Fund is an international initiative to fight AIDS, TB and malaria in India. Under this fund, about 18.2 million USD has been given to Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, to enhance capacities of institutions of higher learning in India for the HIV and AIDS counselling and undertake capacity-building programmes of the counsellors under the National AIDS Control Programme (NACO) guidelines.

Prof Manjit Singh, head of social work and Dean, College Development Council, underlined the need to change the mindset of the general public to have a more humane and empathetic attitude towards AIDS patients.

Priyanka Kaushik, capacity building officer, emphasised that the orientation and sensitisation of the general public to HIV/AIDS counselling, besides capacity building of other stakeholders at all levels was important to fight AIDS.

More than 25 students took pledge to work towards reversal and halt of HIV/AIDS in the region.

Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla inaugurates a generic drug store at Ropar.A Tribune photograph

Ropar, December 3
Each district would get a Red Cross Society run Jan Aushadhi Generic Medical Stores by the end of the year. Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla said this while inaugurating a generic drug store on the premises of the civil hospital today.

She inaugurated the stores at Ropar as well as Nawanshahr today. After running the project successfully in Amritsar, these stores are being gradually opened in all districts and are run by the Red Cross Society staff. Muktsar, Tarn Taran, Hoshiarpur and Gurdaspur would have a store each by December 31, she added.

Chawla said the drug store in Amritsar had been able to sell medicines worth Rs 4.75 lakh per month. “At these stores we provide medicines on subsidised rates. The project is currently running on no profit, no loss basis. Once these units become independent it can cater to the salaries of staff members operating it,” she added.

She added that by March 31, 2010 all 310 types of medicines, listed by prominent hospitals like Apollo Group and AIIMS, would be available at these stores.

After running these stores successfully at the district level, the health department has decided to open the same at the tehsil level as well. Under its first phase, stores would be opened at Nabha, Abohar, Pathankot and Rajpura.

She also inaugurated the physiotherapy centre at civil hospital and donated Rs 1 lakh for the same. Earlier, this centre was being run in the Red Cross Society building and hence not many patients were reaping its benefit. The physiotherapy center will help patients to recuperate at fast pace. The newly installed ceragem machine was also inaugurated. This machine would be very useful for physically challenged children. 

Fatehgarh Sahib, December 3
A section of residents from Sanghol and adjoining villages met the Deputy Commissioner of Fatehgarh Sahib to complain about the surging cattle menace in their villages.

In a letter written to the DC, Sumeetpal Singh and other villagers from Sanghol rued that some villagers tied their animals in an unauthorised manner, which caused inconvenience to passersby.

Cow dung of these animals remained scattered on streets, he added.

“Villagers simply throw cow dung and urine of these animals on streets, which in turn block drains. People have forcibly occupied streets by tying their animals,” said a resident.

Residents have urged the DC to solve the problem.Some of the villagers park their vehicles on these streets making it almost impossible to commute.

People have also encroached upon streets by digging hand pumps and submersible pumps, which occupy a lot of space and cause inconvenience.

Some accidents have also been reported in the past due to illegal encroachments.

The newly-constructed streets have got damaged due to continuous stagnation of water. Despite repeated requests to village panchayat members and sarpanch, no action has been initiated in this regard. Sumeetpal alleged that the panchayat members did not ask villagers to remove illegal encroachments, as they sought votes from them during the elections.

The DC has reportedly forwarded the complaint to the officials concerned.

Patiala, December 3
Environmental experts, scientists and medical specialists have expressed concern over the ill-effects of environmental degradation resulting from agriculture residue burning.

The experts were participating in a two-day national workshop on “Health effects of particulate air pollution”, conducted at Thapar University.

Prof Ahbijit Mukharjee, director, Thapar University, inaugurated the workshop. Dr DR Sikka, ex-director, IITM, Pune, and member programme, advisory committee of the department of science and technology, was the keynote speaker.

Dr Susheel Mittal, convener of the workshop, said that besides the keynote address, 12 more invited talks were delivered by experts from the IITM, Pune, ex-chairman J&K Pollution Control Board Malvinder Singh, the ex-member secretary, PPCB, the India Coordinator, CAI Asia, medical practitioners Dr SK Chhabra from Patel Chest Institute, New Delhi, and experts from Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, and Thapar University, Patiala.

There were about 20 participants from industry, R&D establishment, academic institutions, and the Punjab Pollution Control Board.

Appreciating the work done at Thapar University under a DST-sponsored project, costing about Rs 34 lakh, Dr Sikka, in his keynote address suggested to conduct more studies on issues like ozone concentration level in the lower atmosphere and indoor air pollution in the slum areas. Dr Sikka announced that the Central government had taken some new initiatives and more funds have been made available. He told that a separate ministry of Earth Sciences has recently been created to give a special focus on such issues.

One of the participants from industry, Dr SK Gupta, chairman, Envirotech Industries, New Delhi, advised that non-motorised transport should be promoted within the municipal limits and while planning new townships, a separate planning should be done for the transport system along with urban planning.

Dr HK Parwana, India coordinator, CIA Asia, presented state-of-the-art status of ambient air quality in Delhi. She said there was a sharp dip in the levels of particulate matter in 2002 and has started increasing again and advised that it needs to be controlled. Dr CM Seth, ex-chairman J&K Pollution Control Board, advised that media should play more active role in the preservation of the environment.

Dr Seth also presided over the valedictory function and distributed certificates to participants. 

Chandigarh, December 3
Acting on a petition by a “whistleblower” for directions to the Centre and respondents to protect him from “continuous victimisation” for bringing to the fore corruption in the SAI, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the CBI to be served a notice.

Justice TPS Mann fixed January 28 as the next date of hearing. Petitioner Raj Kumar, working as a stenographer with SAI’s centre in Sonepat, said the scam, spread over two decades, was of over Rs 500 crore.

As his petition came up for hearing this morning, SAI’s reply was placed before Mann. It was asserted that “the petitioner was levelling allegations of corruption etc.to press the authorities not to proceed with disciplinary action on account of his unauthorised absence”.

Raj Kumar had claimed: “If investigations are undertaken by an independent agency like the CBI, a scam of over Rs 2,000 crore will be unearthed”.

Claiming to know the “the inside story”, the petitioner said he, being a law-abiding citizen, decided to “highlight the menace of corruption” in the SAI and its centres. He said SAI centres across India had for two decades adopted a modus operandi of purchasing sports goods and equipment at exorbitant rates through rate contract.

SAI centres invited tenders for different items, but the process was an eyewash and “mindblowing”. He said: “Surprisingly, while undertaking the process, the suppliers are asked to supply items at exorbitant rates by mentioning the range within which the good are to be procured”.

In an attempt to substantiate his contentions, the petitioner annexed a “copy of one such tender form”.

Chandigarh, December 3
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued notice of motion for January 8, 2010, to Department of Housing and Urban Development, Punjab, Public Works Department, chief administrator of Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) and its land acquisition officer to specify why the notification about land acquisition in three Mohali villages be not stayed till further orders.

The notices by the Division Bench of Justice Satish Kumar Mittal and Justice Mehender Singh Sullar were issued after the preliminary hearing on a writ petition moved by Sarbjit Singh and 38 other land owners of Ballo Majra village in Mohali district.

They were seeking directions to quash the notifications issued under Sections 4 and 6 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, on October 20, 2008, and September 11.

The state government had issued notification under Section 4 of the Act for acquiring 269.52 acres for construction of 200 feet wide road and 200 metre “mix land use” in urban estate Mohali from Sector 74 to Kharar national highway. Of this 171.02 acres were situated in Ballo Majra, 88.99 acres in Baliali village and 9.52 acres in Desu Majra-Fateh Ulapur village.

The petitioner through advocate Naresh Kaushal pointed out while 20 petitioners received notices in response to the objections invited against the acquisition, the remaining 19 were never served notices. Even those approaching the land acquisition officer (LAO) office of GMADA were never given any hearing, only their signatures were taken on a register for future contact. They have also objected to exclusion from acquisition of parts of the land belonging to some influential individuals, despite the same being within the proposed alignment of the road.

They have also referred to the Punjab government decision of September 5 on the Land Pooling Scheme, whereby the part of the compensation for half of the land acquired for residential or commercial purposes is to be given in the form of developed land to the affected land owner. The petitioners counsel submitted since the land sought to be acquired is part of urbanisation scheme, they should be provided half of the compensation in the form of developed land if the acquisition achieves finality.

Chandigarh, December 3
A US-based NRI has been booked after his estranged wife accused him of defaming her by posting obscene information on social networking sites and also of hacking her e-mail ID.

Vibha Sanan, a resident of Sector 41-A, had lodged a complaint with the police on October 6 and the cyber crime cell of the local police after inquiring into the matter had registered a case under Sections 66-A, 67-A and 68-A of the Information Technology Act on December 2.

Sanan had alleged that her husband, Rohit Chandok, a resident of New Delhi, who was presently residing in Florida, USA, had created her profile on Orkut.com and had posted false information so as to defame her. She also alleged that the accused had also hacked her e-mail ID and sent mails to her relatives. He is working as database administrator with a multi-national company in Florida.

The victim told the police that she got married to Chandok in July 2007 and left for the USA in the same month. Later, she went there to join her husband in August 2007. Chandok started harassing her mentally and physically on minor issues. Unable to endure the tortures, she contacted her brother, who arranged for her air tickets and she returned to India in August 2008.

Sanan alleged that in September her friends informed her about two profiles on Orkut.com carrying obscene and defamatory material about her. She checked and found that Chandok had created these. Later she received several e-mails from Chandok, which, too, were offensive in nature.

Sanan further reported that Chandok continued to change contents of information about her on the web page and posted photographs of her brother and a relative along with her, thus harming her image. Not only this, Chandok had even been able to hack the e-mail ID she had created recently.

Insisting on a legal action against her estranged husband, Sanan told the police that she was filing a separate complaint against her husband and his family in the woman and child support unit of the Chandigarh police for harassing her for bringing insufficient dowry. 

Mohali, December 3
Gaurav Thakhur, a 26-year-old BMS doctor, died after being hit by a canter near Jagatpura colony here this evening.

The victim, who was employed at Dhawan Hospital, Panchkula, was going on his motorcycle towards Sector 48, Chandigarh, along with the hospital’s manager when this incident took place.

The deceased hails from Himachal Pradesh.

According to the information, an ambulance of Dhawan hospital was called to take the victim to the PGI, Chandigarh. But he was declared brought dead at the PGI.

A police official said after being hit by the canter, the deceased fell on one side of the road and canter ran over him.

The other person fell on the other side and escaped with minor injuries.

The police has registered a case under Section 304 A of the IPC and identified the canter. 

Zirakpur, December 3
The police arrested Randhir Singh, a head constable with the Punjab police at Chandigarh headquarters, for allegedly posing as excise and taxation officer (ETO) and extracting money from a Chandigarh-based resident on the Zirkapur-Patiala highway.

The police has also arrested two other suspects Narinder Singh and Avandeep Singh.

The accused were produced before the local court where they were sent to a one-day police remand.

In his complaint lodged with the police on November 26, Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Sector 56, Chandigarh, alleged that after loading his canter from Chandigarh he was on his way to Zirakpur via Dyalpura village, when a Zen car suddenly came in front of his canter and a man came out of the car and asked him to show documents of the canter.

Gurpreet tried to contact his father but the accused snatched his mobile phone and called his two friends Narinder and Avandeep, who reached the spot immediately. The duo demanded money from him.

Gurpreet alleged that the accused snatched his mobile and Rs 150 in cash.

They then managed to flee from the spot.

Investigating officer stated that the accused were arrested after tracing the location of Gurpreet’s mobile phone.

The police has impounded the Zen car used by the accused. A case has been registered against the accused.

Mohali, December 3
The Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) has got a case registered against the promoter of Green Enclave, Daun village, Kharar, for promoting the colony without valid permission.

In the case registered by the Mohali police, GMADA has stated that the provisional permission granted to the promoter had been withdrawn. But despite the withdrawal, the promoter continued with the colonisation. No case was registered in 1993, when the issue was brought to the notice of the police.

ACA, Mohali, Balwinder Singh Multani, said the case again came to light when a person went to the court over the construction of a religious site in the enclave. On this, a status report was sought from GMADA. In its reply, GMADA stated that despite the withdrawal of the provisional permission, the promoter continued with colonisation.

Following this, GMADA again filed a complaint with the police and a case has been registered.

Besides, GMADA has also written to the police regarding certain commercial plots sold by Star Colony in the land that has been earmarked for the Mohali-Desumajra road. 

Chandigarh, December 3
Doaba Group of Colleges have won gold medals and retained the overall trophy in bodybuilding during the recently concluded inter-college competitions organised by Punjab Technical University.

Stating this in a release here today, Manjit Singh, executive director, Doaba Group of Colleges, said Subhash Sharma, Pulkit Sharma, Arun Kumar and Charanjyot Singh clinched gold medals in various events of bodybuilding, while Ankur Sekhri, Arun Sharma and Sidharth Sharma bagged bronze medals.

Manjit Singh announced a cash award of Rs 21,000 for winners.

Chandigarh, December 3
Fourteen-year-old Gurbani Singh clinched the 17th Punjab Open Ladies Amateur Golf Championship trophy warding off a stiff challenge from Chandigarh's Rabiya Gill and defending champion Gauri Monga from Noida on the par-72 greens of the Chandigarh Golf Club here today.

Seventeen-year-old Rabiya Gill, a Class XII student of Vivek High School, who plays with a handicap of five, continued her steady game carding a three over par 75 for the third consecutive day and almost came near to upsetting Gurbani Singh, but ended up just one stroke behind the champion. Although Rabiya tied with Gauri Monga for the second slot at 229, she was declared the first runner-up for returning a better card.

Starting the day with a three shot lead Gurbani showed signs of nerves early today, dropping shots on the second, fourth and seventh. Gauri sank a birdie on the second. But then she conceded a hat-trick of bogeys. Meanwhile, local challenger Rabiya Gill displayed fine fighting mettle making steady pars till she dropped shots on the sixth and eighth, to be joint second with Gauri at the turn, just two shots behind the leader.

Gurbani opened the lead again with a good birdie on the 11th, which enabled her to hang on to her lead. Rabiya’s birdie on the 14th put her within sniffing distance of victory but the dye was cast when she bogied the 15th, and her valiant effort thereafter was a little too late.

The Silver division saw a major turn of events with leader Manju Jakhar being disqualified due to an infringement of rules on the second day and Meher Dhillon finishing at the top.

Dalbir Sahi put her stamp on the Bronze division trophy winning from Neelu Chopra.

The daily prize for the best Nett was claimed by Rabiya Gill in the Gold division, Binny Bath in the Silver division and Neelu Chopra in the Bronze division.

The young golfers could not have asked for more. Watching them play on the final day was chairperson of the Indian Golf Union Ladies Section Soni Manjeet Singh, who had a special word of praise for Rabiya Gill and Gurbani Singh. She was also happy at the way the tournament was conducted by the ladies section of the Chandgiarh Golf Club under lady captain Pikka P Singh.

Sharing the dais with chief guest Financial Commissioner BC Gupta, were Golf Club president BS Gill, Soni Manjeet Singh, Punjab Open champion Gurbani Singh and lady captain Pikka P Singh. A special guest at the concluding function was 80 plus veteran athlete Banta Singh, who is just back after winning the 100m silver medal in the world veteran athletics meet in Finland.

Results:

Open gross: Gurbani Singh 228, Rabiya Gill 229 (better round on last day), Gauri Monga 229 and Vani Kapoor 231. Silver salver (Nett): Rabiya Gill 214.

Challenge bowl (handicap 13-24) gross: Mehar Dhillon 269, Bela Phadke 274; Nett: Binny Bath 213.

Bronze division (handicap 25-36) gross: Dalbir Sahi 319, Neelu Chopra 215; Nett: Chetna Arjun.

Junior shield: 15-17 years (handicap 0-12) gross: Gurbani Singh 228, Rabiya Gill 229; 13-14 years (handicap 0-12) gross: Gurbani Singh 228, Raksha Phadke 241; 11-12 years (handicap 24 and below) gross: Riddhima Dilawari 251.

Senior challenge (above 55 years) gross: Binny Bath 282, V Wadhawan 226.

Super senior (above 65 years) gross winner: Pramila Chari; Nett winner: Dalbir Sahi. 

Chandigarh, December 3
Balvir Kumar of SGGS College, Mahilpur, and Navjoban Kaur of GTB Khalsa College, Dasuya, have secured first position on the second day of Inter-College Athletics Meet being held on the Panjab University campus here today.

Results:

5,000m (men): Balvir Kumar, SGGS Khalsa College, Mahilpur, (16:09.2sec) 1, Inderjeet Singh, SGGS College, Chandigarh, (16:15.6sec) 2 and Rakesh Kumar, SGGS, (16:20.9) 3.

400m: Inderjeet Singh, KLSD, College, Ludhiana, (49.9sec) 1, Harpreet Singh JC DAV, College, Dasuya, 2 and Hardeep Singh, SGGS Khalsa, (50.9sec) 3.

Discuss throw: Gagandeep Singh, SGGS, (42.51m) 1, Harpreet Singh, SGGS, (41.78m) 2 and Kashish Khanna, DAV, Chandigarh, (38.26m) 3.

Long Jump: Narpinder Singh, DAV, (6.87m) 1, Navjot Singh, DAV, (6.81m) 2 and Akhil Dadwal, SGGS Khalsa, (6.46m) 3.

5,000m (women): Navjoban Kaur, GTB Khalsa College, Dasuya, (17:32.08sec NMR) 1, Rajdeep Kaur, SGGS Khalsa, (18:43.08sec) 2 and Amandeep Kaur, GGSCW, Chandigarh, (22:56.06sec) 3.

Discus throw: Priyanka (41.48m) 1, Harpal Kaur (34.52m) 2 and Khalsa College for Women, Ludhiana, (33.78m) 3.

Long jump: Shiksha, GGS, (5.43m) 1, Ramandeep Kaur, Guru Nanak Girls College, Ludhiana, (4.93m) 2 and Nisha Kumari, SHS Mem College, Chella, (4.73m) 3.

400m: Rattandeep Kaur, SGGS Khalsa (59.2sec) 1, Rajvir Kaur, GN Girls College, Ludhiana, (1:00.07sec) 2 and Rajdeep Kaur Saini, GTB Khalsa College, Dasuya, (1:01.7sec) 3.

Evening & education men

400m: Nishan Babu, MD College of Education, Abohar, (1:00.02sec) 1, Mandeep Singh, Babe Ke College of Education, Daudhar, (1:01.7sec) 2 and Pritpal Singh, JD College of Education, Muktsar, (1:02.2sec) 3.

Discuss throw: Surinder Kumar, Guru Ram `Dass Education, Jalalabad, (24.32m) 1, Harvinderpal Singh, Surjeet College of Education, Malwal, (22.85m) 2 and Parveen Kumar, Government College of Yoga Education, Chandigarh, (22.73m) 3.

Long jump: Ravi GMT College of Education, Ludhiana, (5.97m) 1, Rakesh Kumar, BCM College of Education, Ludhiana, (5.90m) 2 and Jagmit Singh, Guru Ram Das BEd, Jalalabad, (5.67m) 3.

Women (BEd)

Long jump: Bhinderjit Kaur, Dashmesh Girls Education, (4.04m) 1, Kamaljeet Kaur, DAV College Education, Hoshiarpur, (3.90m) 2 and Sukhjit Kaur, Jyoti BEd College, Fazilka, (3.81m) 3.

400m: Ravinder Kaur, Surjeet Mem College of Education, Malwal, (1:12.1sec) 1, Amritpal Kaur (1:17.6sec) 2 and Anita Jain, DD Jain Education College, Ludhiana, (1:21.6sec) 3.

Discus throw: Baljeet Kaur (20.16m) 1, Jasvir Kaur, SDS College of Education, Lopon (19.57m) 3 and Narinder Kaur, Satyam College of Education, Moga, (19.38m) 3.