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Despite special drives, illegal hoardings dot Zirakpur
Zirakpur, December 17 Recently, the MC had conducted a drive to remove illegal hoardings and encroachments from Zirakpur and Baltana. However, things were back to square one just after a few days, much to the embarrassment of the authorities concerned. When contacted, MC officials claimed that they had removed the hoardings and they would also issue notices to the violators that are still engaged in this malpractice. On the other hand, residents of the area rue that on one side the MC authorities have been talking about the beautification of the town and on the other, they are ignoring defacement of public property by political parties, private communications and educational institutes. A survey of the area revealed that posters of various educational institutions, political parties, cultural programmes and banners of various telecommunication companies were dotting public property. Shopkeepers of the area alleged that the MC officials had adopted a “pick-and-choose” policy during the anti-encroachment drive. They alleged that the MC officials could not remove the hoardings of politicians, which were put up along the busy road sections in Baltana and
Zirakpur. |
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PSEB to hold voluntary load disclosure camps
Kharar, December 17 Executive Engineer PS Bains said commercial, domestic and tubewell connection holders would benefit from the camps. Consumers can get their power load increased at a nominal cost and their applications would be processed on the spot, he said. The documentation work involved in increasing load factor only includes an application. For tubewells, the PSEB would charge Rs 1,200 per horsepower and that of domestic and commercial connections would also be processed on almost half the actual cost,
he added. On December 19, the camp will be held at Teor village, on December 21 at Bhatheri (Morinda), on December 22 at Kalewal (Kurali), on December 23 at Khijrabad (Majra) and on December 24 at Nawanshahr Badala (Kharar). He added the PSEB regrets public inconvenience due to power cuts imposed in Kharar. “These cuts are being imposed because of the electricity poles that are being shifted for the widening of NH-21,” he said. |
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Rs 1-cr grant for Rajindra Hospital emergency
Patiala, December 17 Rakhra said a five-member committee with the Deputy Commissioner, as the head, had been constituted to make purchases of equipment and machines of immediate necessity. He said the equipment would be purchased from the market and quality of the product would be ensured without going through the cumbersome procedure of inviting tenders. He said the heads of the departments concerned would be associated with the purchase of the equipment to ensure that there was optimum utilisation of funds. The grant comes at a time when the hospital needs it the most. The Government Rajindra Hospital, which was at one point of time the premier healthcare institution of the state had fallen on bad days and the number of patients both in the indoor and outdoor wards had dwindled in view of the outdated equipment and machines. Many of the super specialists have already left the hospital or have retired leading to closure of certain super specialties like nephrology and cardiology. The reputation of the hospital had taken a beating some time back when some infants were burnt alive following a massive fire in the incubator of the Paediatrics Department. The matter is still being inquired into. Rakhra has given a timeframe of two months to the departments concerned to complete the utilisation of the grant of Rs 1
crore. |
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2 youths killed in accident
Ambala, December 17 The youths, Sanjay and Pardeep, who were relatives, were going towards Shambhu from Ambala City on their motorbike. When they were near Shambhu, a truck hit their motorbike. One of the youths died on the spot, while the other succumbed to his injuries in the local Civil Hospital. The police has registered a case against the truck driver. The bodies were handed over to the families after the post-mortem examination. |
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Office-bearers elected
Patiala, December 17 The conference was inaugurated by MC Tyagi, All-India general secretary of the sangh. Around 500 delegates from Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, HP, Haryana, Rajasthan, J&K, Delhi and Punjab participated in the
conference. Ved Prakash Gupta, adviser of PCC, addressed the conference. A blood donation camp was also organised by Dedicated Brothers Group, Patiala, in memory of late SP Sood. In the conference, Kanwar Singh (Delhi) was elected as president,
VK Bhatta (Patiala) as senior vice-president, RK Nayyar (ZO Noida) as zonal secretary, SK Singh (RO
Lukhnow) as senior additional zonal secretary, HP Gaur (CTI HQ) as zonal treasurer, Jatinder Kumar (Hapur) as zonal working secretary, RK Purbia (RO Jaipur) as zonal working secretary, Vipin Khanna (ZO Noida) as secretary finance and Rana Pratap Singh (Rajasthan) as zonal coordinator were elected unanimously for the new zonal committee. Speakers from all
northern regions condemned the FCI management for victimising employees by imposing penalties/recoveries against storage loss, transit loss, quality complaints and transfer of the employees violating the transfer policy. |
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Project PURE launched
Fatehgarh Sahib, December 17 Speaking on the occasion, he said the government had prepared a master plan for the development of tourism in the state. He said under the master plan, all religious places, heritage havelis, rivers and canals will be given importance. He said training regarding the preparation of food, hygiene and hospitality to 10 ‘dhabas’ identified by the government would be provided. Inaugurating the project at the “Mittran da Dhaba” on Morinda- Samrala highway, the minister said these dhabas would be provided with logo of “PURE” by the state government. Gabria said the profit of tourism department has increased by Rs 6-7 crore and the government had set a target of Rs 15 crore by the next year. He also pointed out that the tourist places belonging to the government would be given to private sector on lease to improve tourism in the state. |
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Newly wed found hanging
Zirakpur, December 17 The police said Rani, wife of Pawan Kumar, went upstairs for household work. Her sister-in-law, Shiksha, also went upstairs after completing her work. She called Rani many times, but she did not respond. Then Shiksha went to Rani’s room and saw her hanging from a ceiling fan. Rani’s husband, a milkman, was not at home at that time. The police said Shiksha immediately called family members and the police was informed. The police took her immediately to the Dera Bassi Civil Hospital where doctors declared her brought dead. |
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Symposium on secularism, non-violence
Patiala, December 17 Dr Jaspal Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, said, “We stand among dichotomies of war and peace, racism and human dignity, oppression, liberty and freedom. Our times are turbulent not only in terms of terror and war, but surging populations, environmental degradation, and ethnic conflicts with misery and frustration sowing seeds of discontent all across the globe.” Talking about the unjust economic, social and political order, Dr Jaspal Singh termed religious intolerance as a major cause of increasing cult of violence. He said, “Peace cannot be brought by force in a world where half of the population lives on two dollars a day, where 94 per cent of the world income goes to 40 per cent of the population and where the GDP of 48 poorer nations is less than the wealth of world’s four richest individuals combined.” Dean colleges and head of the department of social work Dr Manjit Singh said it was ironical that the great world leaders, who once advocated non-violence, peace and freedom as virtues were now feeling obligated to justify violent means to contain terror and violence. |
Unfair Trade: LIC Housing Finance told to pay Rs 50,000 fine
Chandigarh, December 17 Complainant, Prem Lata, a resident of Sector 15, Panchkula, executed an agreement with owner of House no 601, Sector 11, Panchkula, for purchasing a house worth Rs 55 lakh out of which Rs 10 lakh was given as earnest money. They contacted the company for the purpose of advancement of loan through a letter on September 13, 2008. The company sanctioned a loan worth Rs 22.75 lakh for which Rs 21, 750 was paid as processing, legal fee and for preparation of documents. The matter with regard to disbursement of the loan thereafter kept on lingering and through a letter dated January 30, 2009; the company informed that the loan could not be disbursed because of problem in the title. As the complainants were in need of money so they took loan worth Rs 20 lakh from the Union Bank of India. In their written reply the company admitted that Rs 22.75 lakh was sanctioned but it was submitted that the loan was sanctioned under the belief that the borrower would submit the documents in original at the time of disbursement. It was stated that the complainants deposited Rs 11,375 as upfront fee whereas they were required to deposit Rs 22,775 (i.e. 1 per cent of the sanctioned amount). It was pleaded that there was no delay on the part of the company to release the fund because it had to be done only after satisfying itself as to whether permission to sell the shares of the minors has been received by their guardian from the court in Panchkula which as per the orders November 1, 2008, was passed in favour of only a minor child named Ruchika. The forum in its orders stated that whenever an application is moved they proceed to sanction the loan immediately without verifying the eligibility of the applicant or the genuineness of the documents attached therewith. The purpose behind it is to swallow the process fee to which they are otherwise not entitled. The procedure adopted by the company is, therefore, totally wrong because they are acting in a reverse mode by first sanctioning the loan and thereafter asking for the documents. There is another defect in this procedure that the companies are trapping the gullible customers who are given to believe under the garb of the sanctioning order that they would get the loan and should not approach any other bank or financial institution for this purpose.
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Multi-crore
PNB, Shubham Hospital Scam
Chandigarh, December 17 Charges have been framed against prime accused Sandeep Sharma, partner in Shubham Hospital, officials of
PNB, including SN Mahajan, chief manager, RK Chaba, senior manager and Shashi Bhushan Gupta, manager. The court has also framed charges against Geeta Ram
Thakur, secretary of Bishanpura Cooperative Housing Society, Zirakpur, along with an advocate. The bank officials are in the dock for sanctioning loans worth lakhs to Sandeep Sharma, who was the partner in the Shubham hospital, Sector 20,
Panchkula, and happens to be the main accused in the scam. The police had registered a case against Sandeep Sharma for possessing a fake doctor degree. The CBI had also nailed officials of Corporation Bank, on the grounds that during August 2006 to March 2007, the bank’s main branch in Chandigarh had provided four different credit facilities to Shubham Hospital and diagnostic centre under different schemes like term, mortgage and home loans worth Rs 146.15
lakh. The bank had also sanctioned housing loans worth Rs 138.85 lakh during December 2006 to March 2007 to 12 different individuals for purchasing flats situated in Bishanpura Cooperative Housing Society,
Zirakpur, from Sandeep Sharma. Investigations by the CBI revealed that Sandeep Sharma had submitted fabricated documents like share certificates, allotment letters and no objection certificates in respect of ownership of the 12 flats. The PNB officials had sanctioned a loan worth Rs 2 crores to Sandeep Sharma without verifying documents. The court has, however, not framed charges against the officials of the Corporation Bank as of now.
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Bribe: Former SDM’s reader convicted
Chandigarh, December 17 Naresh Gupta, the former reader, was caught by the UT Vigilance Department while taking the bribe on February 28, 2006. Special vigilance court of Raj Rahil Garg will pronounce the quantum of sentence on December 19. According to the officials, Gupta was caught red handed while taking Rs 1,000 from Amarjeet Singh, who was earlier arrested for creating nuisance at a public place. The complainant was booked under Sections 101 and 151 of the Cr.PC. While being produced before the SDM, the reader allegedly refused to acknowledge the guarantors brought by Amarjeet for being released. Instead, the reader produced his two guarantors subject to payment of a bribe of Rs 2,500 to each of the guarantors. When Amarjeet went to the police station to get the money released, the reader demanded another Rs 1,000 for getting the SDM’s release order. When the vigilance sleuths conducted the raid, it was revealed that the release order had already been signed by the SDM. Naresh was then arrested and subsequently dismissed by the administration.
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High Court
Chandigarh, December 17 Otherwise also, there were no facilities to carry out tests at civil hospitals in the state. The test cost Rs 10,000 even at the PGI. Taking up the matter, the Bench issued notice of motion for January 18. Shandilya has sought directions to Haryana to take adequate preventive steps against the spread of swine flu.
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OP Mittal surrenders
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, December 17 The court has remanded him in police custody for a day. This case had shock everybody when in July this year, UT Vigilance Department, had unearthed a nexus between the lawyers and estate office employees, who were allegedly involved in issuing no-objection certificates for selling properties to people. Mittal, who was tenant of an SCF, is in the dock for illegally selling the SCF for Rs 35 lakh on forged papers, while its actual value was in crores. A criminal case, under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, was registered against OP Mittal, Harnek Singh, Jaswant Singh and JB Singh, the advocate, on the instructions of the UT Home Secretary and Chief Vigilance Officer Ram Niwas. Out of all accused JB Singh, the lawyer, who was engaged by NRI Tara Singh, is yet to be arrested. Complainant Tara Singh (65), who happens to be the owner of the shop-cum-flat in Sector 20, had engaged a lawyer based in Middlesex, United Kingdom, to get the property transferred in his name after his father’s death. According to officers, the lawyer had asked Tara to execute a general power of attorney in the name of his trusted man, Harnek Singh, a resident of Mohali, to facilitate the transfer. Tara executed the GPA on November 9, 2006, though he did not give ‘sale powers’ to Harnek.
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Restaurateur held for raising false alarm
Panchkula, December 17 The accused, Sidhrath Bhatia, has been sent to judicial custody after the local police arrested him after booking him under Sections 323, 341, 506, 182 and 211 of the IPC, the MV Act and the Excise Act on the complaint of Lieutenant Colonel Vivan Sharma. Bhatia is running a restaurant in Mansa Devi Complex. Yesterday night, Bhatia allegedly made a false telephone call to the police control room at 10.40 pm stating that two persons in a red Honda City car (CH-04H-4002) had snatched Rs 2 lakh and a gold chain on gunpoint from him. The robbers, he said, even claimed to be the accomplices of Whisky, a criminal arrested by the Chandigarh Police recently. Following the complaint, police parties on patrol duty and senior police officials, including Superintendent of Police Manish Chaudhary, DSPs and other police officials reached the spot. Bhatia, however, was under the influence of liquor and finding his story with missing links, the police got suspicious. After questioning, it was revealed that Bhatia had given the false information to the police with intent to make the police arrest the two army officers, Lt Colonel Sharma and his colleague Lt Colonle Vivaswan Suhag. Interrogation revealed that their Honda City car was overtaken and stopped by a white Hundai Getz car driven by Bhatia, who not only abused the army officers but also bit one of them, said the police. In order to evade legal action him, Bhatia cooked up the story about being robbed at gunpoint, said the police. In another development, the police has apprehended two youths, Harsh Kumar, a resident of Bitna road, Pinjore, and Robin, a resident of CRPF Himshikha Colony, Pinjore, allegedly involved in snatching a motorcycle (HR-49A-7858) near the Yadavindra Gardens. A mobile phone was also recovered from Harsh Kumar.
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Labourer killed in Industrial Area
Panchkula, December 17 The deceased, identified as Shree Ram, was a daily wage labourer. A passerby, who spotted the body, informed the police, which found the body lying in a pool of blood near the Truck Union. The face of the victim seemed hit by some hard substance, as a blood-stained stone was found near the body, said the police. Laxman, brother of the deceased, said his brother usually reached home late in the night. He had no enmity with anybody, he told the police.
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Two arrested for gambling
Chandigarh, December 17 Accident
In a hit-and-run case, a cyclist sustained injuries after being hit a truck near Hallo Majra on December 13. He was admitted to the Sector 32 Government Medical College and Hospital. In another incident, Sambit Dass of Sector 45 in a complaint lodged with the police alleged that Vikas Passi of Sector 44 rammed his Indigo car (CH 03 Z 8329) into his car near the Sukhna Traffic lights point in Phase I, Industrial Area, on Wednesday. No one was injured in the mishap. However, both vehicles were damaged. The police has arrested the accused.
Caught stealing
Subhash Chander Mahajan of Sector 40 alleged that Sukrinder Singh of Hallo Majra was caught while stealing scrap from inside plot No 40 in Phase II, Industrial Area, on Wednesday. The accused has been arrested after registering a case against him.
Bike stolen
Laxman of Dadu Majra colony reported that his Bajaj motor cycle (CH 03 V 4629) was stolen from in front of his residence on December 15. A case of theft has been registered against the accused.
Dowry
Navpreet Kaur of Sector 27 lodged a complaint against her husband Manpreet Singh Sira, his father Gudeep Singh and mother Ramanjit Kaur, all residents of Hemkunt Colony, New Delhi, for harassing her for bringing insufficient dowry. A case had been registered.
Laptop stolen
Rajnish Verma of Sector 27 reported that someone had stolen a laptop from his car (HP 63 A 0117), which was parked outside his residence. The thief had taken away the laptop after smashing the windowpane of his car. A case of theft has been registered.
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Encroachment Case
Chandigarh, December 17 He said cases should be registered against all those, who were encroaching upon government land. The DC said the anti-encroachment drive at Colony No. 5 had been successfully concluded and they had planned a major demolition drive to clear land for construction of 100 ft wide road at Colony No.5 in the next phase. He said persons covered under the biometric survey would be given alternative sites soon. “The Housing Board is also issuing regular notices to all those, who have raised unauthorised structures and it is planning a massive demolition drive in the coming week to remove all illegal structures,” secretary, Chandigarh Housing Board
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113 NRIs to tee off today
S Ratia wins S Ratia fired a net 71 card to clinch the gold and silver division title in December medal round of the Chandigarh Golf Club Ladies section here today. One stroke behind at 72 was Vijay Wadhawan. Dalbir Sahi scored a net 77 to win the bronze division title with Neelu Chopra finishing one stroke behind at 78. Fifteen ladies teed off for the December medal round competition.
Chandigarh, December 17 The USA heads the list with 62 entries followed by 18 from Canada. The other invitees include seven each from Malaysia and Singapore, five from the UK, four from Kuwait, three each from Australia and Dubai, two from Hong Kong and one each from New Zealand and Ghana. According to chairman of the organising committee CSR Reddy, this is the largest gathering of NRIs ever since the Chandigarh Golf Association in collaboration with the Tourism Departments of Chandigarh and Haryana launched the first such tournament three years back with the idea of projecting the tricity as a golfing destination. The three-day tournament will be played on the greens of Chandigarh Golf Club, SEPTA (Chandi Mandir) and Panchkula Golf Club, with Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda giving away the prizes on the final day at Panchkula on December 20. The NRI list includes over 20 top hockey players who have settled abroad. Most of them are from the PAU, Ludhiana. The NRI logging the best gross score over the next three days will be awarded the Golf Tourism Championship Trophy. Prizes will also be given to the NRI logging the best overall nett score as also to those with the best gross and nett scores on every day. Dailing spot prizes will also be given for the straightest drive and nearest to the pin. According to technical committee chairman Lt-Col BS Chahal, the tournament will be played on stableford format and Peoria scoring system will be applied. Explaining the system, Colonel Chahal said: "Prior to the tournament round the committee will select six secret holes (two par-3s, two par-4s and two par-5s). The Peoria formula will be applied once the scorecards are handed over to the scorers,” he said. On the opening day the golfers will tee off as per the draw at the Chandigarh Golf Club at 9 a.m. on December 18. But the SEPTA (Chandi Mandir) and Panchkula Golf Club rounds on December 19 and 20, respectively, will be gun-shot starts. The Imperial Golf Estate, Ludhiana, and Alchemist are the main sponsors of the tournament with Tata Motors, Vodafone and HDFC putting in their share. Others who have pooled in to make golf tourism a success are Genesis Global School, Paul Merchants, Trident Group, Toyota, Innovative Consultants, IDEA, Raffles Millennium International, Swaraj Mazda, TORO, Landsmiths and
Eicher.
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Suraj beats Nischay
Chandigarh, December 17 Suraj will face Atul Sri Patel in the final match. In the girls U-18, Gundeep Kaur and Jaspreet Kaur both from Punjab had a straight set win in the singles semifinal matches. In the girls U-14, Charvi Saxsena will face Nikita Bishnoi of the CLTA. In the boys U-14, third seed Sachin Kumar of the CLTA will face Jajbir Singh of Punjab. In the boys doubles U-18, top seed Garry S Amor (CLTA) and Sonam Phuntsok (Himachal Pradesh) will face Suraj Beniwal (CLTA) and Atul Sri Patel (CLTA). In the boys U-18 semifinal, Atul Sri Patel lost the first set 4-6 and won the second set at 7-5 and final set 6-0. Results: Girls U-14 semifinal: Charvi Saxsena (Chandigarh) beat Kavita Mishra (Maharashtra) 6-1, 6-4, Nikita Bishnoi (Chandigarh) beat Padamaja Gawande (Maharashtra) 6-3, 6-2. Girls U-18 semifinal: Gundeep Kaur (Punjab) beat Priyanka Rawat (Uttarakhand) 6-4, 6-4, Jaspreet Kaur (Punjab) beat Nandini Sharma (Chandigarh) 6-0, 6-0. Boys U-14 semifinal: Jajbir Singh (Punjab) beat Dheer Anush Bhatti (Chandigarh) 6-3, 6-3, Sachin Kumar (Chandigarh) beat Hardeep Singh Sandhu (Punjab) 6-4, 6-3. Boys U-18 semifinal, Suraj Beniwal (Haryana) beat Nischay Rawal (Chandigarh) 6-2, 6-3, Atul Sri Patel (Uttar Pradesh) beat Fatehdeep Singh (Punjab) 4-6, 7-5, 6-0. Boys U-18 doubles semifinal, Garry S Amor (Chandigarh)/Sonam Phuntsok (Himachal Pradesh) beat Nischay Rawal (Chandigarh)/ Manoj (Haryana) 4-2, 1-4, 10-7, Atul Sri Patel (Uttar Pradesh)/ Suraj Beniwal (Haryana) beat Fatehdeep Singh (Punjab)/Bhavtaranpreet Singh (Chandigarh) 4-2, 4-5 (7), 10-4. The singles final will be played at the CLTA complex. |
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Dev Samaj college emerge victorious
Chandigarh, December 17 In the vaulting horse event, Aagta Singh of Guru Gobind college bagged the first position, Harjeet Kaur secured the second position, while Nidhi Sharma of Dev Samaj College stood third. In the uneven bars category, Sarita of Dev Samaj stood first, while Aagta of Guru Gobind college and G Mrinalini Sharma of Dev Samaj grabbed the second and the third positions, respectively. In floor exercise, Aagta Singh and Kavita Srivastva won the first and the second positions, respectively, while Nidhi Sharma of Dev Samaj stood third.
— TNS |
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