Councillors want MC chief out
Our Correspondent

Dera Bassi, April 3
As many as nine councillors, out of 13, of Dera Bassi today held a meeting to remove council president Manjit Kaur Dally from her post. A meeting was held at the residence of Baljinder Kaur, councillor from ward number 12, who was elected president by eight other councillors.

They alleged that present council president was not interested in the development of the city despite having due funds. Councillors claimed that one more member would join their fold to complete the two-third majority, which was compulsory to remove the president from post.

Baljinder Kaur, who was elected as the leader by councillors, told no development had taken place in the city during the tenure of council president Manjit Kaur Dally.

She added that after assuming the charge of the president she would ensure the overall development of the city. Councilor Ranjna Saini and Vipin Thaman said the council president had come into minority so she should quit her post.

They said they would meet Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal regarding this issue and demand the removal of the council president.

Notably, Baljinder Kaur, who was elected as leader by rebel councillors belonged to the SAD and some other SAD and BJP councillors also include in the nine rebel councillors.

Present council president had come into minority after the death of former finance minister Captain Kanwaljit Singh when most councillors had withdrawn their support from the president.

Meanwhile, Dally said the development was no issue and many development works had taken place in the city during her tenure and these would continue with fair manner. Rebel members could not remove her because they do not have the two-third majority. She claimed she had support of 5 members, including MLA Jasjit Singh Bunny.

Filing of IT returns
Zirakpur residents demand transit office
Rajiv Bhatia

Zirakpur, April 3
Keeping in view the difficulties involved in filing of income tax return, the residents here demanded to the authorities concerned to open transit office at Zirakpur so that tax payees can deposit their returns.

Earlier the income tax payees used to deposit their returns at Rajpura and it was shifted to Mohali last year.

At present, in Zirakpur there are over 36 developers and more than 100 property consultants with thousands of salaried persons besides hundreds of traders.

Residents say there is an urgent need of an income tax return office so that everyone can file their returns without any delay.

SC Dhall, a senior banker, said the number of income tax payees had been rising every day at Zirakpur and it was very difficult for them to deposit their returns at Mohali, which was very far away. He said the authorities concerned should think about this public issue. “We are facing inconvenience during the filing of income tax return file as the brokers are charging hefty amounts to file the return,” said Jagtar Singh, a property consultant.

Wheat procurement yet to take off at Lalru
Parmod Mehta

Dera Bassi, April 3
Over 200 quintals of wheat transported by farmers to the Lalru grain market has been lying there unpurchased for the past three days in the absence of government procurement agencies. Despite the Punjab government’s assurance that wheat procurement would begin from April 1 no official of any of its agencies has turned up till now.

District mandi officer Gurcharn Singh said though agencies such as Warehousing Corp, Pungrain and Markfed had been contacted no representative of any of them had come to the grain market. “Farmers have been told to wait for some more time for their crop to be lifted. Moreover, no wheat has been procured in other markets of this block till now,” he added.

“However, all arrangements are in place for the process in all procuring centres of the district, including facilities for farmers such as drinking water and electricity,” Gurcharn stated.

Meanwhile, RR Bhardwaj, member of the state-level committee set up by the Congress to ensure smooth procurement of wheat, said all problems relating to the process, which farmers were facing, would be raised with the government.

“For this purpose a seven-member committee has been set up for each grain market of Dera Bassi and Lalru to ensure smooth procurement of wheat,” he informed. He also demanded early lifting of wheat in these markets by government agencies.

COURTS

Graft Case
PCDA officials sent to judicial custody
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 3
The CBI court today sent all five officials of the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (PCDA), who were allegedly involved in accepting bribe, to judicial custody. The matter would now come up in court on April 17.

The CBI arrested the five officials for allegedly accepting bribe from Ankur Garg, Ghaziabad-based private contractor, who was seeking payment for providing sports equipment worth Rs 85 lakh, on April 1.

Garg claimed that he had executed works pertaining to the supply of sports items to various units located under the jurisdiction of the Army’s Western Command.

He told the CBI that the accused had demanded 1 per cent of the claimed amount (Rs 85,000) for clearing his bill.

The CBI had registered a case under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 120-B of the IPC against the accused.

In the operation, that lasted about six hours, the CBI had laid a trap and caught Deen Dayal Mittal and Devki Nandan, senior auditors, while allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 45,000 as part of a larger payment.

Two assistants officers, B Venugopal and Devinder Singh Dhanoa, who were reportedly hiding in the toilet, were next to be apprehended. Senior audit officer Raj Kumar was the last to be arrested. 

HC notice to UT over property tax on gurdwara
Saurabh Malik
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 3
The municipal corporation’s move to levy property tax on Gurdwara Sri Kalgidhar Niwas, Sector 27 has now come under the scrutiny of the Punjab & Haryana High Court. In a petition filed through the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandhak Committee (SGPC), the gurdwara has sought directions to the MC for quashing the order dated January 16, 2010 passed by the latter, “whereby objections have been dismissed against the notice levying property tax of Rs 11,871”.

Directions have also been sought to the civic body and other respondents to refund the property tax along with interest at the rate of 18 per cent per annum.

Taking up the petition, justice Rajan Gupta issued notice of motion to the union territory of Chandigarh through the local bodies department, divisional commissioner of appellate authority and the municipal corporation. The case will now come up for further hearing on July 6.

Counsel Puneet Kaur Sekhon asserted the SGPC, which he said was a “purely religious body”, was using the gurdwara premises for religious and charitable purposes and “the same were exempted from the payment of property tax”. The latter was levied vide a notice dated April 1, 2007 “without considering the petitioner is a religious institution and is exempted from the levy of property tax,” she added.

Sekhon stated the ‘gurdwara sahib’ building was still under construction and was being used for providing shelter to devotees. The SGPC was currently using some of the room as a ‘camp office’ to supervise construction and other activities, she said. A temporary office of trust, created to run the ‘Miri-Piri Institute of Medical Education & Research’ in Shahabad - had also been opened till the construction commenced, she added.

“At the same time, the ‘gurdwara sahib’ has been established in the building and the Guru Granth Sahib too has been placed in the building. Daily prayers are being offered and ‘kirtan’ performed. A ‘nishan sahib’ too has been installed”, the counsel said.

Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee secretary Avtar Singh claimed the municipal corporation secretary had dismissed the objections raised by the SGPC against the action.

The petitioner filed an appeal before the appellate authority under the relevant act, but it too was dismissed. 

CRIME

Thieves strike at 2 shops
Decamp with Rs 2.56 lakh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 3
Thieves decamped with Rs 2.56 lakh from two shops in Sector 27 in the wee hours today. The police said that as per the CCTV footage, thieves aged between 21 and 25 years, came out of a car and broke open the locks of a shop in Sector 27-D. One of the thieves took out cash from the counter.

The police said that after completing their mission, they lowered the shutter of the shop and moved towards a sweets shop in the same area. When they tried to enter the shop, workers sleeping inside the shop woke up. Sensing trouble, they fled in their black-colour car.

Police officials said that the accused might be involved in another theft that took place in Sector 27-C between 4.30 am and 5 am. The owner of the shop, Rajender Prasad, told the police that both the locks of the shutter were found broken and juice packets and Rs 6,000 were missing.

Police parties have been sent to nab the accused. The police has also taken fingerprints from the shops and also collected the CCTV footage. Dog squad was also pressed into service. The shop owners of the area alleged that even though the police had set up a beat box in front of the shops, there was hardly any policeman in the area.

Arrested

The police has arrested three persons for allegedly harassing and threatening a girl of Sector 19 on Friday. The accused have been identified as Jagmohan Singh, Amanpreet of Ropar and Manjinder Singh of Sector 19.

In another incident Ram Janam of Colony No. 4 reported to the police alleging that he was beaten up and threatened by three unidentified persons near his plot no.4 on Friday. He was injured and was admitted to the Sector 32 Government Medical College and Hospital.

Theft

Madan Lal of Dhanas reported to police that someone had stolen Rs 20,000 and recharge coupons worth Rs 2.5 lakh from his shop at Dadu Majra on April 1.

In another incident, Amit Kapoor of Mani Majra reported to police alleging that someone had stolen stereos from his cars CH-04-L-2886 and CH-04-H-7888 last night.

SPORTS

Amandeep declared best athlete
Tribune News Service

Patiala, April 3
The 4th annual athletics meet of Mata Sahib Kaur Khalsa Girls College of Education was organised at the college campus today. Chairman of District Planning Committee Surjit Singh Rakhra was the chief guest. He encouraged students to inculcate sports in their daily life.

College principal Dr Santokh Singh Parmar welcomed the chief guest and apprised him about the achievements of the college in both educational and sports field.

The meet began with flag hoisting ceremony by the chief guest followed by march past by all four houses -- Bibi Bhani House, Mata Ganga House, Bibi Naki House and Mata Gujri House. Torch lighting ceremony was held before beginning of various events.

The meet included events like 200 m, 400 m, long jump, javelin throw, tug of war, shot put, sack race and many more in which large number of students of the college took part. Amandeep Kaur was declared the best athlete. Bibi Bhani House won the best march past trophy and Mata Gujri House was declared the best house.

Chess
Himal, Simranjeet lead with two points
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 3
At the end of the second round, Himal Gusain, Simranjeet Kaur, Tejas Nagpal and Ameek Malhotra were leading with two points each in the Under-17 boys and girls category in the Chess Championship, 2010, being held at St Xavier’s Secondary School, Sector 44-C, here today.

In the Under-11 boys and girls category Tarini Goyal, Anubhav Tuknayat, and Jaskeerat Singh Ahluwalia were leading with two points each.

Dr Vipnesh Bhardwaj, secretary of Chandigarh Chess Association, informed that two players from each category would be selected to represent Chandigarh at the nationals.

He said the Under-11 nationals would be held at Chennai from April 27 to May 6 while the Under-17 nationals would be held in Jammu and Kashmir from November 3 to 13. A total of 28 players would be participating in these championships.

RESULTS: Under-11 boys and girls (2 points) — Tarini, Anubhav Tuknayat, and Jaskeerat; 1 point — Kashish, Pranay, Amartya Bhattacharya, Jashan, Manav, Rishab Jain and Riplov; .5 point — Anhad Kaur and Ishaan Singh

Under-17 boys and girls (2 points) — Himal, Simranjeet Kaur, Tejas Nagpal and Ameek; 1.5 points - Gitin; 1 point — Sachleen, Arunima Goyal, Purlov, Tanya, Priyansh and Shivika Jain; .5 point — Jayendra 

Ball badminton trials tomorrow
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 3
Trials to select probables for the state team for the Sub-Junior National Ball Badminton Championship to be held from April 17 in Yamunanagar (Haryana) would be held on April 5.

Stating this in press release here today Inder Jit Puri, general secretary, Chandigarh Ball Badminton Association, said trials would be held at Shishu Niketan School ground in Sector 22. He said players born on or after January 1, 1995, were eligible to participate in the trials.

Brig GJ Singh wins golf title
Our Golf Correspondent

Chandigarh, April 3
Brig GJ Singh clinched the under-65 age-group title in the annual Defence Golf Tournament held on the par-72 greens of the Chandigarh Golf Club here yesterday. Harsh Gangwar was a close second. More than 70 golfers had teed off for the various titles at stake.

Col CS Toor emerged winner in the 65-75 age-group competition, with Col JS Kang occupying the second slot. In the contest for the above 75-year category Maj-Gen HC Sachdev was declared the winner. Brig SS Chowdhary finished second.

Amandip Dhall had the longest drive while Brig GJ Singh was the closest to the pin. Prizes were given away at the DSOI in Sector 36 here last evening.

Chandigarh Wrestling Meet
Sandeep beat Badal
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 3
Sandep Negi outclassed Badal Tomar in the 84 kg junior category (boys) of the Chandigarh Wrestling Championship held at Wrestling Coaching Centre in Sector 30 here today.

Rajesh Sharma and Charanjit Singh, vice-president, Chandigarh Wrestling Association, inaugurated the championship in which more than 100 wrestlers took part in the state meet. The final bouts would be conducted tomorrow.

Rajesh announced that Chandigarh team would be selected for the 29th Junior Boys and Girls Freestyle and Greco-Roman and 12th Female National Wrestling Championship to be held in Rohtak from April 15 to 18.

RESULTS: Sub-Junior (42 kg) — Aman bt Thomson, Amit bt Raju; 46 kg — Rohan bt Rajat, Rajpal bt Arun; 50 kg — Akash bt Sukhbir, Rizaban bt Abhishek; 54 kg — Gaurav bt Vikram, Vikram bt Sanjay, Deepak bt Mayank; 58 kg -- Narinder bt Umakant, Kuldeep bt Harshit; 63 kg — Harnek bt Prince, Hiranshu bt Ashutosh; 69 kg -- Ajay bt Harminder; 76 kg — Sarju bt Rana.

Juniors (50 kg) — Sandeep bt Pardeep; 55 kg — Ajay bt Aditya, Anil bt Gaurav; 60 kg — Vishwas bt Gaurav, Manoj bt Sunil; 66 kg — Parveen bt Dheeraj; 74 kg — Sonu bt Rohit; 84 kg — Sandeep Negi bt Badal; 96 kg — Krishn bt Sunil.