Zirakpur (Mohali), March 9
The decision of Mohali district revenue officials to register a prime chunk of land valued in crores twice on the Chandigarh-Ambala highway at Zirakpur has kicked up a major storm, with several plot owners crying foul.

First, the revenue officials registered the land meant for setting a shopping complex, Chaura Bazar, along the highway, in the commercial category and then out of the total 20 bighas, the officials recently registered around 3 bighas and 18 biswas in the agricultural category.

After exhausting all relevant channels, the affected persons today approached the Senior Superintendent of Police, Mohali, seeking registration of a case against revenue officials and those who had got the fresh land registered.

SSP, Mohali, GPS Bhullar, said he had marked an inquiry into the case, as it could lead to law and order problem.

The new owner of the land in the dispute has, meanwhile, approached the Additional Civil Judge, Dera Bassi, and got orders restraining the previous GPA holders from alienating and changing the nature of the suit property. The case has been fixed for hearing on April 17, 2010.

Explaining the lacuna in the case, the dispute has arisen as the demarcation of land had not been done and registries were done in both cases on the basis of power of attorney. First, the land was sold to two persons and the original owner cancelled their power of attorney and issued the same in the name of another person.

Chandigarh, March 9
A city-based doctor has accused a Delhi resident of duping him of Rs 41 lakh on the pretext of getting his two sons admitted in a medical institute abroad.

Sources in the economic offences wing of the Chandigarh Police said Dr Palas Ram Sharma of Sector 34 lodged a complaint alleging that he had read an advertisement in a newspaper by Piyus Bharat Saini of Old Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi, wherein he had claimed that he had expertise in getting the medical aspirants admitted in foreign medical colleges. The complainant contacted Saini, who called him to his office in Delhi, where he assured seats to his two sons in medical colleges abroad.

Sharma alleged that Saini also convinced him that he had links in medical colleges in Delhi, Jaipur and Mumbai and assured that he could secure admission for his sons in these colleges, too. After a few days, Saini sent one Ashok Kumar to Chandigarh and told Sharma to give Ashok Kumar Rs 15 Lakh so that he could initiate the process of admission of his sons.

Sharma reportedly gave the amount to Ashok along with Xerox copies of certificates, 11 passport size photographs and two blank papers signed by his sons on July 12, 2009.

On July 18, Saini again contacted him saying he needed more money for the processing fee and other charges, including the tuitions fee, visa fee and others expenses. He demanded Rs 26 lakh more and send Ashok Kumar to collect the amount. Sharma claimed that he raised the amount after selling his house and taking loans from private financers.

In turn, Ashok Kumar in turn gave him two cheques drawn on ICICI Bank, Chandigarh, purportedly signed by Saini for Rs 20 lakh and Rs 6 lakh.

Sharma alleged that after taking the amount, Saini failed to get his sons admitted anywhere and when he asked him to return his money, he started threatening him.

The police said a case has been registered against Saini under Section 420 of the IPC and a team had been dispatched to Delhi to arrest the accused. 

Chandigarh, March 9
The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation’s wait to get the Sector 26 community centre building vacated from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Police department does not seem to end.

Despite assurances from the Chandigarh administration for the last 15 years, the community centre still houses an ITBP office and a police department office. During emergency in 1984, the community centre building was handed over to the ITBP to maintain law and order in the region. In 1996, after the municipal corporation came into being, the administration allotted the labour building in Sector 26 to the ITBP.

In the last three years, MC mayors had been taking up this issue with the administration in the coordination committee meeting and administration officials had been assuring them that they will soon allot some other land for these departments, but nothing has been done till date.

Officials revealed that as the building was not vacated since long, the area councillor had been pressing upon the MC authorities to allot fresh land for the construction of the community centre in the same sector. But this proposal was rejected on the ground that assurance had been given by the administration that they would get the building vacated. Officials said as two offices are running in the building for a long time, most of the infrastructure is in a bad shape.

When contacted, Mayor Anu Chatrath said that in the last coordination committee meeting, administration officials had said that space had already been allotted to these departments in Mani Majra, where both these offices would be shifted after renovation in two months. 

Chandigarh, March 9
BJP candidate Subhash Randhawa was elected vice-chairman of Chandigarh Market Committee, election for which was held here today. Randhawa won the seat by one vote from the Congress candidate Devinder Singh Lubana.

Randhawa got the support of chairman Darshan Singh, former vice-chairman Ramvir Bhatti, Jujhar Singh Bhadheri and Desh Raj Gupta, whereas Lubana was supported by Devinder Singh Babla, Anand Singh Khajheri and Jeet Singh Behlana.

Market committee chairman Darshan Singh proposed the name of BJP candidate Subhash Randhawa and Congress’ candidate Devinder Singh Lubana’s name was proposed by Jeet Singh Behlana.

With the permission of the court, Devinder Singh Babla also came to participate in the election.

The post fell vacant after Ramvir Bhatti resigned on February 28. 

Chandigarh, March 9
Members of the Haryana Karamchari Maha Sangh today held a protest demonstration at the Sector 25 rally ground, accusing the government adopting anti-employee and worker policies.

Around 10,000 employees of 52 trade unions assembled at the rally ground under the aegis of the Haryana Karamchari Maha Sangh. The protesters said if the state government failed to address their grievances, they would resort to “chakka jam” in the state on March 31 and also launch a relay hunger strike at the residence of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Rohtak from April 7.

The employee leaders alleged that the state had gone backwards during the tenure of the Hooda government, which had been on the forefront of destroying the public sector units. The government had not been keeping the promises it had made with the people of Haryana while seeking votes.

Baldev Singh Ghangas, president of the Haryana Pradesh Maha Karamchari Sangh, told TNS that the government had promised during the elections that it would give equal scales and other benefits of the Sixth Pay Commission to the state employees in parity with the Central government employees.

The state government had withheld arrears of the employee since January 2006 and had given only 40 per cent of the amount. Regarding the rest of the amount, the government had said it would release first instalment till March 31, while the rest of the amount would be given next year. He alleged that the state governments had been befooling the employees by not giving with minimum wages.

The leaders said if the government failed to regularise the daily wage earners, they would be forced to intensify their stir and the government would be responsible of its consequences.

Meanwhile, the OSD to the Chief Ministers reached the rally venue and accepted a memorandum from the protesters.

Chandigarh, March 9
In an important decision while granting revised pensionary benefits to ex-servicemen, the Armed Forces Tribunal directed the Central government that orders of the High Court affirmed by the Supreme Court on settled issues of law be applied to all similarly placed persons so as to avoid infructuous litigation. The order would affect a large number of ex-servicemen who have been moving various courts individually to claim pensionary benefits.

Though the judiciary has settled the basic issue, the government departments concerned have not extended the benefits to all persons placed in the same category, but have instead been granting relief on a case-to-case basis only to those who have got court verdicts in their favour.

Legal experts say the implementation of the Tribunal’s order would significantly cut down the number of litigants. Besides, it would also put an end to the harassment and financial burden brought about to veterans who live in far-off places.

About 10,000 cases pertaining to armed forces personnel are pending before the courts and the tribunal and the aforementioned categories constitute a significant chunk.

The number of cases pertaining to pension fixation, grant of disability pension and release of arrears pending before the High Courts and now benches of the Armed Force Tribunal is very large. In many cases, the issue involved or the point of law concerned is the same.

The Bench, comprising Justice and Lt Gen NS Brar (retd) directed the government to grant revised pensionary benefits to the two petitioners in the case within a p Ghanshyam Prashaderiod of three months. Further, the arrears would be paid to them with 10 per cent interest per annum.

The petitioners had contended that after the implementation of the Fifth Central Pay Commission from January 1, 1996, there were certain anomalies in the pay scales of the personnel below officer rank (PBOR).

Upon the removal of the anomalies, the rationalisation of Armed Forces was carried out on the recommendations of a committee, but the same was implemented from October 10, 1997 only in respect of those who were in service on that date.

Thus, a class of PBOR retirees was created who were made to remain on the anomalous pay scales and the benefit of correction of anomalies was not given to them. 

Mohali, March 9
The Mohali Property Consultants Association yesterday called upon Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Shivraj Patil seeking implementation of the Apartment Act 1995, as applicable to Punjab.

ID Singh, general secretary of the association, said despite the Act being passed in 1995, GMADA had not implemented it. The implementation of the act would go a long way in meeting the growing housing needs of the residents.

In a memorandum to the Governor, the association also sought land for construction of property dealers office complex in Sector 62. 

Chandigarh, March 9
Even as the police is trying to establish the identity of the man who was found hanging in the jungle area near Hallomajra village on Monday, doctors said if the post-mortem was not conducted immediately, the chances of ascertaining the cause of the death would be very thin.

Sources in the police said the investigators were trying to establish the identity of the unidentified Sikh man, in his mid-thirties, and had contacted the police of adjoining places, but to no avail so far. The body has been kept in the mortuary of the Sector 16 Government Multi-Specialty Hospital for post-mortem.

Generally, the police waits for a few days, in some cases for a couple of weeks, to get the body identified before going in for the post-mortem. In this case, the doctors, after preliminary examination of the body, told police officials that they could not delay the post-mortem, as the body was in a bad shape.

The doctors told the police that the body was badly infested with maggots and had started decomposing. Also, the body had started oozing liquids and delay in the post-mortem would only lead to inconclusive reports, telling the police to get the post-mortem conducted by tomorrow.

The SHO of the Industrial Area police station said they had informed the police control room in the region, giving details about the deceased, but had not got any clue so far. “We will initiate the process of getting the post-mortem conducted by tomorrow, as we cannot delay it for long. If the cause of the death is ascertained in the post-mortem, it may dispel mystery shrouding the death, as the victim’s hands were tied, though it initially appeared to be suicide,” the SHO said. The deceased was wearing a green T-shirt on which “Blue Bird Model School” was printed. However, the name of the city was not printed on the shirt and the police has been trying to find the school, hoping it could get some leads in identifying the man. 

Chandigarh, March 9
In the first major fallout of the recent duplication of Class IX CBSE papers in various city schools, Sacred Heart School, Sector 26, is all set to re-conduct the examination for Hindi and maths.

While Father Thomas of Sacred heart claimed to have no clue about the decision, according to sources, the school has taken the “consent” of students to re-conduct exams on March 17 and 19, respectively.

The school reportedly took the decision after realising that both the papers were a replica of the ones used by a Sector 40- based school.

It may be noted that the Sacred Heart is the first school in the city to have taken a corrective step on the issue of rampant duplication.

The school’s initiative has, however, irked many parents who claimed of being forced to pay for CBSE’s blunder.

“There is nothing like consent, but the kids were forced to sign an undertaking stating that they were ready to be re-examined on particular dates. It’s not just one school where this has happened. If there was any duplication then it is board’s fault, why should our children pay for it,” said a parent.

“The board has already denied changing the allotted papers. As per its directive no school can make changes, so how can they set a new paper to re-examine the kids. The school’s intention may be good, but this is unjust to the kids,” added another.

As a part of the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation, the CBSE had announced to set papers for all major subjects of Class IX to mark uniformity. The board uploaded these papers in CDS and sent them to all schools, which were followed by a password. This password reportedly reached each school at a different time. The schools were asked to work out their own datesheets. The idea, however, backfired with many schools receiving same papers, which exchanged hands due to different datasheets.

CBSE asserted that it could not set different paper for thousands of schools, but could not justify allowing varied datesheets.

Chandigarh, March 9
The 28th annual prize distribution function was held at Government College, Sector 46, Chandigarh, here today.

Pradip Mehra, adviser to UT administrator, was the chief guest.

He applauded the efforts of faculty and students and distributed prizes.

Dr JS Raghu, college principal, read the annual report of the college and applauded the efforts of staff in guiding the students in bringing laurels to the college.

Ajoy Sharma, special secretary finance-cum-director higher education, was the guest of honour. Ten students were awarded roll of honour, 67 were awarded college colours, 38 were awarded merit certificates in extra curricular activities and 204 were awarded merit certificates in academics.

Chandigarh, March 9
Clarifying the status of salaries of contractual staff on additionally sanctioned posts created by UT education department, director of higher education Ajoy Sharma today assured nearly 60 contractual lecturers of various government colleges, who submitted a representation against disparity in salaries.

Mooting for equal salaries for nearly 272 college teachers who have been appointed by the education department to deal with extra workload, the officials also informed that the case had been recommended and forwarded to the UT education secretary.

As per the notification of Union Public Service Commission, these contractual lecturers are to be paid equal to lecturers employed against regular posts on contract approved by Government of India, claimed the teachers who came to submit the representation after the issue was highlighted by the Chandigarh Tribune on Tuesday.

Besides, the case of filling up the regular posts in colleges is also being pushed by the administration with the UPSC.

“Some clarifications are needed from the UPSC in the recruitment rules and we are now pushing the case. We need regular faculty members for new postgraduate courses,” said Ajoy.

Meanwhile, the lecturers also raised issues like re-appointment, regularisation of services, discrimination on the basis of sanctioned and posts as per increased workload with the DHE.

On the issue of relieving the contractual teachers from April to July due to lesser work, the official said it was a long practice and the administration would loose crores if this demand was considered.

“In the past there have been directions from the Centre that adhoc appointments have done damage to higher education and only permanent vacancies should be filled. The rules should be clarified from the UPSC and the qualification should be as per the UGC rules. The confusion happens when the UGC changes its qualification and the UT policy remains the same. A lot of time is wasted to amend the rules,” Jagwant Singh, general secretary, Punjab Federation of University and College Teachers Organisation (PFUCTO) said.