NEIGHBOURHOOD

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Our Correspondent

Dera Bassi, August 26
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said today the Punjab government would prepare a master plan for every constituency to ensure overall development of the state.

Addressing a public rally at Dera Bassi today, he said basic amenities such as water supply, sewerage, health and electricity would be provided to all residents of cities and villages. Rs 350 crore would be spent on the upgradation of hospitals in Punjab.

Before addressing the rally, he laid the foundation stone of new grain market at Dhanouni village that would be constructed for Rs 4.32 crore in 10 acres. Speaking on the issue of electricity, he said the state government had set up new thermal plants in Punjab that would increase the availability of power till 15,000 MW and with this, the state would become the power surplus state. Speaking on the issue of education, the Chief Minister said the state government had framed a formula through which high schools would be available within 5 kilometre, middle school in 3 kilometre and primary school in one kilometre.

He said Rs 102 croe were being spent on development works in Dera Bassi. The civil hospital would be upgraded as 50-bed hospital and two community health centres would be constructed at Antala and Dhakouli, he added. Dera Bassi would become a modern city with the facilities of sewerage and water supply within one year.

MLA Jasjit Singh Bunny presented the demands of people and thanked the Chief Minister and people. SAD general secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra said for the irrigation needs of people, a canal would be constructed.

Among others who addressed the public meeting included MLA Ujagar Singh Wadali, chairman, Punjab Mandi Board, Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, SAD leader Seelam Sohi, chairman District Planning Board Narinder Sharma, SGPC member Narmail Singh Jaula, chairman, zila parisad, Satnam Singh and BJP leader Mukesh Gandhi.

Chhat (Banur), August 26
A 12-year-old hybrid lion, Roxer, died at Mahendra Choudhary Zoological Park (Chhatbir zoo) this evening due to chronic disease.

Zoo officials said that Roxer was suffering from neurological disorder since his birth. Mammal of the felidae family, he was treated by senior veterinarians of the zoo and a team of doctors from the Indian Veterinary Research, Ijjatnagar in Uttar Pradesh. Also, doctors from Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Science University (GADVASU) were called for his treatment, but he could not be saved. He was born at Chhatbir zoo in 1998 and was kept off display area of the zoo. He was reared by zookeepers and lived for 12 years despite complications. The average life span of a lion in captivity is 16 to 17 years.

The post-mortem report revealed that Roxer died due to multiple organ failure and chronic neurological disorder. With Roxer’s death, the zoo is left with only one lion and two lionesses.

Patiala, August 26
Silver jubilee eye donation fortnight celebration kicked off today with a joint function organised by the District Blindness Control Society in co-ordination with Patiala Eye Hospital and Lasik Laser Centre and Kirtan Memorial Charitable Trust, here.

Assistant Civil Surgeon Dr Parsotam Goyal inaugurated the eye donation programme by getting filled up voluntary eye donation forms from people.

Managing director of the Patiala Eye Hospital Dr Sukhdip S Boparai said there was a need that people should come forward for the noble cause. He said eye donation could light up the lives of several blind persons. Dr Anuradha Raj and Dr M Ahuja said that corneal blindness was the biggest threat to the society and it could be reduced by way of eye donation.

Patiala, August 26
The foundation stone of media centre to house the Centre for Advanced Media Studies of Punjabi University, Patiala, was laid by Vice-Chancellor, Dr Jaspal Singh on the university campus here today. The first phase of the media centre scheduled to be completed in six months will cost about Rs 70 lakh. It will comprise an acoustically controlled state-of-the-art studio, master control room, lecture theatres, multimedia laboratory, faculty rooms, staff rooms, activity room, audio-visual and books library.

The Vice-Chancellor said, “The centre will be evolved as a monumental and one of the best media centres in the country. It will be a fully air-conditioned building furnished with latest hi-end sophisticated equipment and infrastructure matching international standards”.

Dr Jaspal Singh also announced a grant of Rs 10 lakh for purchasing new equipment for the centre so that students can be trained on the latest systems facilitating their easy absorption in production houses.

Media centre director, Dr Gurmeet Singh Maan said the centre would be further expanded and enhanced to be developed into a full-fledged production house to accommodate outsourced programmes to make the centre financially viable.

The centre, he said, had also taken a decision to start new online courses in script writing and direction to make a beginning by making an optimum use of web portals.

Ambala, August 26
DPS Public School, Ambala City, organised a quiz contest on “Indian history” here today.

Three teams of the school Yamuna, Raavi and Chinav took part. Yamuna team consisting of Aryana Khanna, Aditya Kakkar, Saksham Kalra and Sidhant Madan was declared winner. The students also presented a cultural show

School principal Bushra Abuja said one should be aware of the history of his country. She said Indian history was filled of scarifies, patriotism and communal harmony.

She asked the students to read the biography of martyrs, who sacrificed their lives for the Independence. — OC

Ambala, August 26
Students of ITI, Ambala City, led by leaders of ABVP demanded compensation for the family of Shokat Ali, a student of the institute, who was run over by a Haryana Roadways bus on August 18.

The students blocked the Model Town road, demanding a compensation of Rs 10 lakh and a government job for deceased’s kin. General manager of the Haryana Roadways informed the students that state government had decided to compensate the deceased’s family. — OC

Ambala, August 26
ICL Group of Colleges organised a soft-skill workshop at St Joseph’s School in Ambala.

Sanjeev Chadha, chairman of the ICL Group of Colleges, said: “Our mission is to empower our children to be ready to face any competition or challenge in the real world through such workshops.”

Chadha, who took a challenge to reach out to the students in the region, has conducted similar workshops for students in Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Tripura, J&K and Haryana.

He said the aim was to enhance children’s personality and infuse confidence in their abilities.

Aleksandra, a trainer from Russia, shared her expertise in memory enhancement, while Rozanska, who were from Poland focused on behavioural training. Sanjeev Chadha with seasoned professional Gagan Gill, who worked earlier with Google, Adobe, IBM, Cadance, and Quark, along with IIM alumnus Sudhir Singh, interacted with the students to help them break their mental barriers and explore their hidden potential.

Patiala, August 26
IBM Daksh selected around 40 students of the final year of BA, BSc, BCom, BBA, BCA, PGDCA and MSc (IT) as executive operations during a campus placement drive at Multani Mal Modi College.

Apart from giving employment offer to 40 students, 17 more students were selected for the campus training, after which they will be employed in the company.

Rohit Kumar Sharma, lead-HR, and Anita, assistant manager, IBM Daksh, conducted the selection process.

College principal, Dr Satish Kumar Bhardwaj thanked the representatives of IBM Daksh, who meticulously conducted the selection procedure and also congratulated the selected students.

He also appreciated the efforts of college placement cell in charges, Prof Rohit Sachdeva and Sukhwinder Kaur, in preparing the students for the campus interview and other tests.

Patiala, August 26
The College of Management and Technology organised a guest lecture on the topic ‘Rise of India as an economic power’ for MBA, BBA and BCA students on the CMT Campus here yesterday.

Dr. Baltej Singh Mann, Former Dean of Punjabi University and Guru Tegh Bahadur Chair Professor and Head, while addressing the faculty and students said India needed to focus on improving governance and infrastructure if it had to become a global power.

Mann said due to some positive economic reforms aimed at deregulating the economy and stimulating foreign investment, India had positioned itself as one of the front-runners of the rapidly growing Asia Pacific Region. "Slow agricultural growth is a concern for policymakers as some two-thirds of India’s people depend on rural employment for a living. Current agricultural practices are neither economically nor environmentally sustainable and India's yields for many agricultural commodities are low. Poorly maintained irrigation systems and almost universal lack of good extension services are among the factors responsible. Farmers' access to markets is hampered by poor roads, rudimentary market infrastructure, and excessive regulation", Mann added.

Highlighting India's huge thorium reserves - about 25 per cent of world's reserves, Mann said it was expected to fuel the country's ambitious nuclear programme under Indo-US Nuclear pact provided a fool proof legal infrastructure is in place.

Among others who spoke on the occasion included Jagjit Singh Dardi, CEO of Time TV, and Chardikala group of Newspapers, Principal Ashwani Kumar and Prof. Pawan Kumar.

At the same time, Dardi motivated the students for organising such lectures in the future also and appraised guest faculty to students. Pawan Kumar (director-placements) proposed vote of thanks to the esteemed guest and extended his own knowledge on the respective topic with the students.

Kalka, August 26
Ashima Garg, Deputy Commissioner, Panchkula, today visited Kalka regarding setting up of the purposed mini secretariat here.

Yogesh Kumar, SDM, Kalka, said the DC took stock of the panchyat land site near government school for the purposed project at Bitna village.

He said district administration had proposed to set up mini secretariat, which would include all the offices of local administration like BDPO office and judicial court.

Notably, the project of setting up of mini secretariat at Kalka has been in lurch since long due to the apathetic attitude of the local administration, as the administration has not been able to finalise the site for the project since last three years.

According to sources, the state government, four years ago, had taken an initiative to set up mini secretariat in Kalka and the then Deputy Commissioner, Panchkula, and other officials concerned had visited the Kalka Tehsil office. But the project has not seen the light of day so far.

Chandigarh, August 26
Three months after the Punjab and Haryana High Court took suo motu cognisance of a Tribune report on ecological degradation of hillocks in the city’s northern region, the state of Punjab today claimed initiation of action against 20 violators.

The Tribune expose had brought to the fore the extensive damage caused to the hillocks. It was stated that inroads had been made into Shivalik hills, hillocks had been levelled and around 40 illegal farmhouses had been sold to outsiders. Around 500 trees had been illegally felled, uprooted and sold by the local politicians-turned-realtors to remove all traces of forestland.

As the case came up for hearing before the Division Bench of Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal and Justice Ajay Tewari, Punjab financial commissioner (forest department) RC Nayyar said prosecution had been launched against 20 violators. A list of offenders was also placed before the court.

The Bench was also informed that 442 trees poles were felled and 30,000 square meters of land was broken up in the area. The action in Majrian village area was in violation of restrictions imposed under the Punjab Land Preservation Act, 1900.

Taking cognisance of the report, Justice Mehtab Singh Gill had earlier asked the state of Punjab, the chief conservator of forests, the environment secretary, the Union of India through the forest secretary and the secretary, ministry of environment, to file their replies.

In the crisp “court on its own motion order”, Justice Gill ruled: “A news item appearing in the Chandigarh Tribune dated May 26 had shown the extensive damage caused to hillocks in the northern region of Chandigarh. It has been stated that inroads have been made into Shivalik hills.

“The hillocks have been levelled and about 40 illegal farmhouses have been sold to non-locals. Thirteen persons, who own farmhouses on this land, have been identified. These 13 persons are related to high-ups.”

Justice Gill had added: “It has been revealed in the news item that during the initial probe by the administration, the names of a Punjab vigilance officer, an SDO in the public works department, private secretary to a cabinet-rank minister and a Mohali-based BJP leader have figured. The names of these culpable officials after the probe have been brushed aside under the carpet for reasons best known to the Punjab administration”.

Chandigarh, August 26
More than two-and-a-half years have lapsed since the Punjab and Haryana High Court issued notice of motion on a petition filed by Punjab Public Service Commission chairman Sanjit Kumar Sinha, but Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal have apparently not filed their replies.

The high court, during the initial hearings, had directed the state against initiating steps to arrest Sinha without intimating it. As the case came up for hearing today, only vigilance chief Sumedh Singh Saini filed a reply to controvert the allegations. Appearing on the state’s behalf, additional advocate-general Naresh Kumar Sanghi told Justice Rajan Gupta that in view of the affidavit, additional affidavits by the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister would only add on to the burden.

Sanghi said the apprehensions of arrest were misconceived and the directions to the police to inform the court before proceeding against Sinha in “any case” would amount to blanket orders. The case will now come up on October 4.

Taking up Sinha’s petition against the Chief Minister and five other respondents, Justice Mahesh Grover in 2008 had observed: “Himmat Singh Shergill, advocate for the petitioner, contends the petitioner is sought to be victimised on account of political vendetta with the change of guard in the state of Punjab.”

Chandigarh, August 26
Declaring that the Chandigarh police had failed to follow the procedure stipulated in the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 in a case of search and seizure, the court of additional district & sessions Judge Lalit Batra observed that the investigating officer had clearly violated the provisions in section 50 of the Act.

Pronouncing the orders the court stated: “It can be easily concluded that provisions of section 50 of the Act have been clearly violated and, thus, benefit qua of the said violations is to be given to the accused.”

Pointing out the loopholes in the procedure followed in a case of a Nigerian, Stanley Wiseman, who was recently acquitted, the court said: “The investigation officer was required to comply with the mandatory provisions of section 50 of the NDPS Act but he failed on his part to adopt the said course. The prosecution’s version appears to be doubtful.”

The court held it was apparently on the record that, as the spot of recovery was a thoroughfare situated near Neelam Cinema, Sector 17, in this view of the matter, the investigating officer had ample opportunity to join an independent witness to substantiate the veracity of the prosecution version.

Stating that no “sincere” efforts were made by the investigating officer to ensure an independent witness joined the inquiry, the court said: “It can be conveniently held that no independent witness was joined intentionally and deliberately despite availability. The search and seizure, before an independent witness would have imparted much more authenticity and creditworthiness to the proceedings so conducted. In other words, the legislature in its wisdom considered it necessary to provide such a statutory safeguard to lend credibility to the procedure relating to search and seizure, keeping in view the severe punishment prescribed under the Act.”

Elaborating on the matter the court observed: “The legitimacy of judicial procedure may come under a cloud if the court is seen to condone acts of violation of statutory safeguards committed by an authorised officer during a search and seizure operation and may also undermine respect for the law. This cannot be permitted. In the instant case, the alleged recovery being minor, now falling within the ambit of noncommercial quantity, the chances of plantation of the same against the accused could not be ruled out. Hence it became the bounden duty of the investigating officer to observe all safeguards provided under the Act at the time of the search and seizure.”

Chandigarh, August 26
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today submitted a chargesheet against officials of the public health and engineering department of the UT Administration in the Special CBI Court.

The case was registered by the CBI ACB, Chandigarh, on the allegation that between 2006 and 2009, executive engineer (EE) Amin Chand, SDO Harjit Singh, JE Gurdarshan Singh, all of public health wing of the engineering department, Chandigarh, and others entered into a criminal conspiracy with Het Ram, contractor of Esquire Constructions Company, and in pursuance, thereof, the said company was allotted works in public health division No. 1 and 3.

The company was allowed to execute work beyond the administrative and financial sanction and at exorbitant rates in violation of the terms and conditions of the contract agreement.

All running bills of the company were paid by the accused officials without obtaining approval from the competent authority, thereby causing loss to the department and corresponding pecuniary gain to the said contractor and themselves.

Mohali, August 26
The Mohali police has booked three retired Army officers for allegedly indulging in bogus voting during election to the Darshan Vihar Welfare Maintenance Society in Sector 68, Mohali.

Along with the three retired Army officers, a clerk of the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO) and a property dealer have been booked on a complaint filed by KS Dhaliwal, a retired colonel and a resident of Darshan Vihar Welfare Maintenance Society, Sector 68.

The complainant alleged that the accused cast bogus votes during the election held on April 11, 2010, in favour of the Balbir Singh group. An inquiry was conducted and after taking legal opinion, a case had been registered.

In the case registered under Sections 171-D, 171-F and 420 of the IPC, Balbir Singh, a retired colonel, Balwinder Kumar Chaudhary, a retired Lt Col, SS Randhawa, a retired colonel, VJS Grewal, Balbir Singh AWHO clerk, Subedar Karnail Singh, a property dealer and a resident of Pancham Vihar, Sector 68, Mohali, were booked.

Chandigarh, August 26
A 47-year-old man was run over by a speeding truck while another sustained serious injuries at the Fun Republic traffic lights point at around 11 am here today.

The deceased has been identified as Sham Lal. His cousin, Abhinav, was injured in the mishap. Sham Lal and Abhinav, both residents of Gurdaspur, came from their native place to the city on a motorcycle to get medicines from the Command Hospital at Chandi Mandir.

They were on their way back to Gurdaspur when a truck hit the bike they were riding. While Sham Lal was died on the spot, Abhinav, who sustained serious injuries, was shifted to the GMCH, Sector 32, where he is said to be in critical condition.

Meanwhile, the driver, Aslam Khan, who had managed to flee from the scene, was arrested after a brief chase. A case has been registered against him.

Chandigarh, August 26
In a shocking incident, the Chandigarh Police has arrested a city resident, Navin Kumar, for allegedly raping a mentally challanged minor girl at his Sector 35 residence here today.

The five-year-old girl is said to be a relative of the accused.

According to the sources, someone called up at the PGI’s helpline, Asha Kiran, and informed about the incident. After getting information from the helpline, the police conducted a raid at the house of the accused and recovered the child from his room. The accused was also present there.

Following the medical of the child, it was reportedly found that she was raped by the accused.

The mother of the girl is also said to be mentally challanged and both have come at the their relative’s place.

Meanwhile, the police has arrested Navin and booked him under Section 377 of IPC.— TNS

Mohali, August 26
Despite early loses, Punjab managed to pile up 257 runs for the loss of nine wickets on the first day of the semifinal match against Kerala in Buchi Babu Tournament being held at Guru Nanak College ground in Chennai today.

After winning the toss, Kerala decided to field first. Punjab opened with skipper Karan Goel and Kunwar Raina and they lost their first wicket at 11 runs when Kunwar Raina was dismissed on his individual score of four. Mandeep Singh joined Goel and together scored 65 runs for the second wicket. However, Mandeeep holed out in the deep in the last over before lunch on his individual score of 33 and the team total reading 76 for two.

Karan Goel continued to bat sensibly before he lost his cool and was caught in the deep of an apish drive after having stayed at the wicket facing 165 balls for a well made 79 runs, inclusive of seven fours and one six. Himanshu Chawla (11), Bipul Sharma (five), Perry Goel (14), Vishwas Bhalla (11) and Bharat Loomba (zero) failed to make any impact. Rahul Sharma (69 not out) and Gunjot Singh stitched a 49-run partnership for the seventh wicket. For Kerala, medium pacer Gomez two for 50 and right arm leg spinner Ramesh three for 43 were the pick of the bowlers. The match will resume tomorrow.

Brief score

Punjab: 257 for 9 in 90 overs (Karan Goel 73, Rahul Sharma 69 not out and Mandeep Singh 33; Ramesh 3 for 43 and Gomez 2 for 50).