Chandigarh, April 27
The Central Bureau of Investigation is all set to tighten its noose around officials of the UT engineering department’s public health wing who were embroiled in a controversy over allowing a contractor to install water tanks over and above the tender amount last year.

Sources said the CBI has sought sanction from the department to prosecute those officials who are still in service.

Confirming the development, CBI deputy inspector general Mahesh Aggarwal said, “We have sought the sanction of those still working in the department. There are others as well but some of them have retired from service. For them we don’t need any sanction”.

The matter pertains to June 2009 when the investigative agency had booked Ami Chand, an executive engineer in the public health department, along with some other officials on corruption charges as part of its ongoing two-day nationwide drive against corrupt government officials at that time.

On June 10, 2009 the CBI’s anti-corruption branch registered a case against Chand, subdivisional officer (SDO) Harjit Singh and junior engineer (JE) Gurdarshan Singh, besides a contractor, Het Ram of Esquire Construction Co, Chandigarh.

It was alleged these government officials allowed the contractor to undertake work over and above the tender amount. He was also allowed to supply materials at exorbitant rates, which were not part of the tender, it was claimed.

CBI officials had then stated the installation of water tanks, for a tender amount of about Rs 12 lakh, ended up costing Rs 88 lakh, marking a sixfold jump.

Though approval of the increased amount was beyond the financial powers of the officials, the very next day - on June 11 - the department gave a virtual ‘clean chit’ to Chand.

RK Singla, then superintendent engineer, projects in the Chandigarh public health circle, had sent a letter to the UT chief engineer clarifying that Chand had nothing to do with the case and had no role in the work regarding which he was accused of indulging in corrupt practices.

The letter had further stated all payments were made by junior engineer Gurdarshan Singh, subdivisional engineer Harjit Singh and executive engineer Agastya Kumar.

When questioned about the letter, Aggarwal said: “We had given the accused a chance to defend him and thus the letter was sent. However, at our end, after thorough investigation we have found his name still requires prosecution sanction”.

The names figuring in this case include former chief engineer Krishanjit Singh, superintending engineer SK Jaitley, executive engineer Amin Chand, retired executive engineer Agastya Kumar, executive engineer AK Duggal, SDO Rajiv Kumar (now repatriated to Haryana), SDO Harjit Singh, JE Gurdarshan Singh, JE Mohan Lal Verma, JE Vinod Pawar, JE Purshottam Kumar and clerk Suresh Pal.

Chandigarh, April 27
Private schools in the city face resumption if they do not implement 15 per cent reservation for children of the economically weaker sections (EWS) from the forthcoming academic session.

The UT Administration has asked the schools why they had not implemented the quota despite a provision for it in their allotment letters.

The schools, however, argue that 15 per cent reservation was for only those schools that were allotted land after 1996 under a special notification.

Sanjay Kumar, Finance Secretary, said: “We are only asking the schools to follow the mandatory condition of reservation for EWS students. We have given them land and expect them to share, at least, a part of the social responsibility.”

HS Mamik, president of the Independent School Association, said: “I am surprised how the administration can talk about an issue that is pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. We are arguing that the clause of reservation pertains only to schools which were given land by the administration in 1996.”

The schools allotted land in 1996 include Delhi Public School, Strawberry Fields and Ryan International, besides some others, but the administration is asking all private schools to implement reservation.

The administration has had meetings with principals in this regard and another one will be held soon. The Finance Secretary said: “The administration is only attempting to involve more private schools in education for the lesser privileged.”

A senior functionary of the education department said: “These schools are overreacting to the discussion. We are

involving them in a discussion to plan for future where they will be required to reserve 25 per cent seats for such students. All schools will be expected to reserve seats from 2011.”

Chandigarh, April 27
Pandemonium broke lose on the Punjab and Haryana High Court premises this afternoon after clerks of advocates went on a strike in protest against the alleged thrashing of their colleague by a lawyer.

The strike would continue tomorrow, too, since the Punjab and Haryana High Court bar clerks’ association has passed a resolution saying that the identity card of any clerk found working with an advocate would be forfeited. A fine of Rs 2,000 would also be imposed.

The association is demanding an apology from the lawyer and the registration of a case. A daily diary report has been lodged in this regard.

As the clerks gathered in the parking lot, the work of getting copies of judgments and even filing of applications came to a standstill. Tempers rose high as they quoted a previous example of another clerk having been victimised.

The lawyers’ body, however, said the advocate would not tender an apology as he was the “victim”. The newly elected bar association president, Gurinder Singh Attariwala, said there was no question of advocate Surinder Lamba apologising as he was pushed around by the clerk, Mohan Sharma.

He said the two were in a queue before an oath commissioner when Lamba asked the clerk to move ahead as he was talking on the mobile phone. The clerk, however, misbehaved and allegedly assaulted Lamba.

The president said he personally tendered an apology to the agitating clerks to resolve the issue, but they were adamant.

The president of the clerks’ association, meanwhile, claimed that Mohan was getting some documents testified from an oath commissioner when Lamba threw away the files the clerk was carrying as he was taking a phone call. Mohan objected to it, which resulted in his thrashing.

Chandigarh, April 27
Deprived of a formal school education, children at the Alternative Innovative Education (AIE) Centre at Government High School, Colony 4, here are on a high since they are now learning lessons through laptops.

A group of 20 students from city colleges and the PU resolved to teach 50 children between ages 4 and 9 years eight months ago and have now started laptop presentations and e-lessons for these children.

“They are fascinated and rush to touch the screens of the laptops,” Preeti, a volunteer and student of MCM DAV College-36, stated.

With the recently introduced spoken English classes, seven out of 50 children here can now understand and converse in English while all others can introduce themselves in the same language.

“These students are more eager than others to study and ask us for homework. Just by adding more fun, e-lessons, music and dance, the enthusiasm has gone up in the classes,” said Ekta, a student of GGDSD College-32.

Recruited through a rigorous process to become part of an NGO called Global Environment Concern (GEC), these students pick up AIE kids from their homes in slums and take them to the school at 5 pm.

“We wanted to add a new dimension to the AIE Centre, which we are running voluntarily in collaboration with the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. We have six specialised departments in our NGO, varying from environment division to logistics and human resource division,” said Rahul Gupta, founder of the local chapter of the GEC.

Deriving inspiration from the slum kids of Colony No. 4, the volunteers will launch Paathshaala, an international educational conference, to highlight the role of teachers in September.

Chandigarh, April 27
From “Do not fell in love without attaining the age of Majority and without getting success in pre-determined motive” to the more recent goof-up, “the slum dogs of Chandigarh, wallowing in illiteracy, poverty and ignorance”, the UT public relations department’s usage of English is getting increasingly faulty, sometimes even difficult to decipher.

Sample the latest howler: “In these days a Hindi Film Tnu Weds Manu cast Kangna, Madhwan and Director Anand Raiis is being shooted near Chandigarh”. Surprised?

Try to comprehend this: “The Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB), which has come to earn the epithet of provider of roof over the head to Chandigarhians, is set to history by bettering many times over its best, achieved way back in 1992-93”.

These are only a few lines culled from press notes issued by the UT administration’s public relations department. Needless to say, they speak volumes about the deteriorating standard of English among the city’s officialdom.

In the news release titled, ‘Bollywood Films Shooting in and around Chandigarh’, the administration’s PR officials appear to be convinced that movies are ‘shooted’ rather than ‘shot’. The word has been used a dozen times.

The press note reads: “By giving the facilities to Bollywood films and the greenery of Chandigarh and cleanliness of city beautiful, producers and Directors prefer to shoot their big banners Bollywood films in and around Chandigarh city. In these days a Hindi Film Tnu Weds Manu cast Kangna, Madhwan and Director Anand Raiis is being shooted near Chandigarh.

“This film will be shoooted in a Banglow at Chandigarh and Zirakpur next week. Every year 2 or 3 big banners Hindi films shooting take place at Chandigarh and thus the city beautiful Chandigarh has come on the world map”.

The press release then goes on to list some of the Hindi movies shot in and around the city, specifying locations. Among the howlers is this gem: “Singh is King (Vipul Shah) shooted at Behind lake, Fashion (Madhur Bhandarkar) shooted at pavement of lake”.

When contacted, UT public relations director Manji Brar Manji Brar said, “This particular press note was forwarded to us by some assistant in the home department through a clerk as against the regular practice of sending press notes through assistant PROs. We’ll ensure such a thing doesn’t happen again”.

Chandigarh, April 27
A group of allegedly harassed students of Sri Dhanwantri Ayurvedic College, Sector 46, today claimed that they were “harassed and threatened” by the college authorities for appraising the Panjab University authorities about staff crunch in their college.

In a letter written to the Tribune by a group of 20 students of the college, it was mentioned that due to staff crunch in the college, the students did not attend a single class of certain subjects ever since they sought admission in the Bachelors of Ayurvedic Medicine Science (BAMS).

The students met PU officials yesterday to bring to light the apathy of the college management and authorities in providing teachers, but the PU authorities are yet to come up with a strategy to deal with the situation.

The letter mentions, “Since November 2009, we had only three dissention classes. There are no teachers for ayurvedic portion of anatomy and the classes are being taken by pathology teacher.”

The students also mentioned that as against the required three teachers for the subjects like physiology, anatomy, ashtaang hriday, padarth vigyan and Sanskrit, there is only one teacher in each subject in the college.

Meanwhile, the matter of affiliation of the college is with the court and the university authorities did not comment on the issue.

When the reporter called up at college principal SK Thakur’s residence number, his wife told he was not available for comments. She added that her husband was just an employee and the management had to take the decisions.

Chandigarh, April 27
A high drama was witnessed at the Sector 43 ISBT when members of the CTU and Roadways Union allegedly detained a bus, saying it was being plied illegally.

The bus owner on the other hand accused CTU employees of harassing him and lodged a complaint with the authorities.

CTU employees stopped a bus scheduled to leave for Pathankot at 7.15 am, claming that the owner did not have the valid permit and had tempered with the number plate of the bus. The State Transport Authority (STA) was informed about the incident. A motor vehicle inspector reached the spot and issued a challan for using black film, wrong number plate and pressure horn to the bus owner.

The bus owner, Bakhshish Singh, alleged that he was being harassed even as he had legal documents to run the bus. He also accused CTU employees of scratching the sticker of the registration number plate of the bus. He told TNS that he could contest his case with the STA for issuing him a wrong challan for the number plate. He said his bus was fabricated as per the specifications of the government and had a certificate issued. “As the bus was not allowed to ply, I suffered a loss of Rs 15,000,” rued the bus owner.

However, president of the CTU Employees’ Union Jagdish Singh said the STA had issue a challan and they had nothing to do with it. 

Chandigarh, April 27
An acute shortage of staff in the electricity department of the UT Administration has taken a toll on the maintenance of infrastructure and power distribution even as there is no relief in sight for residents reeling under unscheduled power cuts and trippings.

The city has a sanctioned strength of 1,780 employees against which the actual strength is about 1,250. The shortfall of 530 is in the backdrop of the administration’s decision to downsize the staff strength. While the staff strength has gradually been reducing, the number of power connections in the city has doubled from 1.12 lakh to 2.25 lakh. “We have been urging top functionaries to fill vacant posts so that the power scenario improves,” UT powermen union general secretary Gopal Dutt Joshi stated.

He claimed that a significant number of these posts belong to the technical cadre, including those of junior engineer, linemen, assistant linemen and meter readers, all of who were crucial for the better maintenance and upgrade of infrastructure. “Only urgent complaints are taken up by the present staff,” he said.

Sanjay Kumar, Finance-cum-Engineering Secretary, while admitting shortage of staff, claimed that the recruitment process for both technical and non-technical posts was under way and the situation should improve.

Sources said lack of maintenance of infrastructure, especially that of transformers and distribution lines, was the major reason behind frequent trippings and power cuts.

Explaining the rationale behind frequent power cuts, an official said the decrease in the number of technical personnel resulted in more time for routine maintenance and repair jobs. Since the available staff was overburdened and was required to handle major repairs, the number of non-fatal accidents were on the rise, Joshi claimed.

The staff was overstretched as it had to ensure round the clock power supply to VIP sectors, the sources asserted.

Sources, however, said since a substantial work of the department had been outsourced, the staff crunch should not affect the normal functioning of the department.

Chandigarh, April 27
The Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC) meeting of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation witnessed noisy scenes today with some councillors, both of the ruling and the opposition parties, including the Mayor, staging a walkout to protest against what they termed as “arbitrary” way of functioning of MC officials.

The protesting councillors, who were irked by the tendency of MC officials of not implementing the decisions taken by them in the House, didn’t allow the F&CC meeting to commence and demanded answers for the MC’s “double-faced” attitude. As a result, the meeting had to be adjourned.

The issue was raised by BJP councillor Ram Lal, who said developmental works had not been initiated in Hallo Majra despite the House clearing lakhs for the same. He said instead of implementing the decisions taken in the House, MC officials followed their own agenda. He also raised the issue of the MC’s failure in implementing the e-tendering process. Councillors Pradeep Chhabra and Chandramukhi aired similar sentiments and said many developmental works were lying pending.

The cement scam also echoed at the meeting with councillors accusing officials of adopting dual standards vis-à-vis the company, which was blacklisted for its involvement in the cement pilferage. Raising the issue, BSP councillor Jitender Bhatia questioned as to how a blacklisted firm was being allowed to continue with work in the Industrial Area and Sector 47.

Accusing MC officials of adopting double standards, Bhatia said while the MC had taken over the work of laying tiles in Sector 17 and cancelled its contract with the blacklisted company, the tenders for the works in Industrial Area and Sector 47 were still with the company involved in the scam. Objections were also raised on the approval accorded by the horticulture department allowing Shivalikview Hotel management to use the green belt area (opposite the hotel) for parking without paying any tax to the MC. The protesting councillors asked the horticulture department to submit a reply as to why and how Shivalikview Hotel was extended the concession that was otherwise not available to any other hotel. They also wanted to know if the hotel had ever taken permission from the MC for booking the site. 

Chandigarh, April 27
The Chandigarh estate office has decided to introduce a booklet system for each of the five services rendered by it.

Proposed to be introduced by June-end this year, the booklet, along with an envelope, priced Rs 50, will be available at all e-Sampark centres in Chandigarh.

The booklet will comprise a checklist, office use paper, details of ownership, application form, a printed affidavit, and an indemnity bond. The applicant has to do just fill the booklet, fix the stamps, sign the affidavit and the indemnity bond and submit it to the office.

It will facilitate the applicant as all documents will be provided in a single booklet. 

Chandigarh, April 27
The much-awaited auction of the first-ever air-conditioned fish market for the city turned out to be a ‘fishy’ business for the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation as there were virtually no takers for it.

Just five bidders turned up for the auction of 12 booths and only two deposited their bids. The poor response forced the MC to cancel the auction.

Official said a new date would be finalised for the auction after making necessary amendments in the tender. There were 12 booths of three different categories varying from 22.75 square yards and 25.37 square yards for the retail shopkeepers and 47.25 square yards for the wholesalers. There was one 380.2 square feet chill room also in the market.

The authorities had fixed the reserve price for two small booths at Rs 37.5 lakh, for eight little bigger booths Rs 41.5 lakh and for two wholesaler booths at Rs 77.5 lakh annually. The reserve price of chill room was fixed at Rs 16, 666 per month. 

Panchkula, April 27
The nationwide bandh call given by various political parties, including the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), on the issue of rising prices remained partial in the town with shops and other business establishments staying open after 2 pm here today.

Rail and road traffic in the district remained normal, though private transport was off road at some places. Government offices and other establishments also functioned as normal.

Initially, shopkeepers refrained from opening shops in the early hours, fearing backlash from INLD workers. However, they relented after 2 pm.

People had to face difficulty purchasing items of daily need as markets had remained closed as per schedule on Monday.

INLD workers forced shopkeepers to close their shops in Sectors 7, 8, 9 and 16. The bandh otherwise remained peaceful and no incident of violence was reported from the town.

However, the bandh was complete in other towns of the district like Kalka, Pinjore, Barwala and Raipur Rani as markets in these towns remained closed till 5 pm.

When some shopkeepers tried to open shops, INLD supporters forced them to close their business establishments. However, the movement of rail and road traffic in the region remained normal.

Terming the bandh complete, INLD MLA from Kalka Pardeep Chaudhary said it proved that people in the state were fed up with the Congress rule at the Centre as well as in the state. He said the Congress had failed to solve the problems of people.

Ambala: The BJP-sponsored bandh against price rise failed to evoke any response here today. Shops in some markets of Ambala Cantonment remained closed briefly in the morning but reopened after an hour.

While the response in Ambala was lukewarm, the bandh had some impact in nearby towns, including Naraingarh and Barara.

BJP workers there raised slogans against price rise and the UPA government.

Balinder Singh Landa, district president of the INLD, said people were fed up with the policies of the ruling government in the state and looking for a change.

He said while farmers were getting minimum price for their produce, consumers had to pay a high price for purchasing items of daily use.

Mohali, April 27
Two tehsildars will sit twice at the Banur MC office for the convenience of residents of 28 villages that have recently been transferred from Patiala district to Mohali district.

Barring registration of property, the revenue officials will attest affidavits apart from signing the routine documents of residents.

After the inclusion of the villages in Mohali district, residents had been facing hardship in commuting long distances to the district headquarters here for routine work.

The orders to post the officials were passed by Deputy Commissioner Prabhjot Singh Mand after district planning board chairman NK Sharma brought the issue to the notice of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

While 11 of the 28 villages fall under Dera Bassi sub-division, the remaining villages come under the Mohali sub-division.

On the orders of the Deputy Commissioner, Mohali and Dera Bassi sub-divisional magistrates have directed their respective tehsildars to sit at the Banur MC office every Wednesday (for villages of Mohali sub-division) and Thursday (for villages of Dera Bassi sub-division).

Last year, the villages had been included in the district as villagers used to face hardship commuting to their district headquarters at Patiala.

Mohali, April 27
Three students, aged nine, eight and seven years, have been missing from Karoran village, Naya Gaon, since last evening.

After waiting for over a day, the families approached the Naya Gaon police station to lodge missing person’s complaint today.

The students — Dharamvir (9), a student of class V at Government School, Khuda Alisher; Pappu (8), a student of government school, Naya Gaon; and Shambu (7), a student of class II at government school, Choti Karoran — live in the same locality in Chotti Karoran.

Naya Gaon SHO Lakhwinder Singh said the three boys, believed to have gone together, were last seen by their friend Amrish around 5 pm. All belong to poor families.

The police was conducting search at different places in the region to trace them.

“Since they had told one of their friends to bring money, it is believed that they had gone on excursion,” said a police official.

Chandigarh, April 27
The Punjab and Haryana HC yesterday directed Punjab and Haryana to carry out studies on the use of pesticides on crops, vegetables and fodder at Malerkotla in Punjab and Panipat in Haryana, as part of a pilot project.

The Bench, comprising Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal and Justice Jasbir Singh, also directed Punjab to conduct a similar study in two dairy complexes in Ludhiana on the use of pesticides and medicines for the cattle. The directions came on the hearing of a petition filed by Hari Bhari National Environment Protection Society for directions to the two states to enforce the Insecticides Act for protecting life and health. — TNS

Chandigarh, April 27
Veteran journalist and former Special Correspondent with The Tribune UK Bhanot died at Gurgaon in the wee hours today. He was 71.He was cremated at the Sector 25 cremation ground here. The cremation was attended a large number of people from different walks of life.He is survived by a son and wife.

Bhanot started his career with the PTI in 1964 and joined the The Tribune in 1965. He specialised in consumer affairs. After his retirement from The Tribune in 1999, Bhanot started a monthly journal “Consumer Censor.”

This is with reference to the news “Inbreeding at PU raises eyebrows” published in Chandigarh Tribune on April 25. The first paragraph of the news says Panjab University came in for criticism on issues like inbreeding of teachers, functioning of examination system and delay in the implementation of teachers’ evaluation by the Vice-Chancellor and a retired bureaucrat apart from other speakers during a seminar.

In subsequent paragraphs, I have been quoted without mentioning any university. The news has created an impression as if I had criticised Panjab University on these counts. I wish to clarify that while making general statements about inbreeding, examination system, faculty (IITs were mentioned), school education system, modernisation of managerial system of universities, affiliating university system and encouraging good colleges to become universities, etc, I did not name any university or the state.

I also did not say anything about the teachers’ evaluation.

Panchkula, April 27
After hogging limelight at the International Mathematics Olympiad, students of Manav Mangal School have once again given a record-breaking performance in the final round of the International Informatics Olympiad, 2009, organised by Computer Literacy Foundation, New Delhi.

Vaibhav Jindal, a student of Class III, has not only bagged the first position in Haryana, but also secured third position at the national level. Chahak Garg of Class V and Himanshi Kaul of Class VI have also won the first position.

Mrudul Agrawal and Sanskar Jain (both of Class III), Navdesh Singh and Anmol Rana (both of Class VI), Vibha Talwar and Ayan Mutreja (both of Class VII), Purujit and Rajat Sadana (both of Class VIII) and Hemant (Class IX) have secured the second position.