Mohali, October 14
There was utter disappointment at the at the Sector 69 home of hockey captain Rajpal Singh following India’s abject defeat to the Kangaroos in the Commonwealth Games hockey finals.

“Mere bete ka akela kasoor nahin hai. Poori team hi ganda kheli (my son alone is not responsible. The entire team performed badly)” was Rajpal’s mother’s response immediately after the match ended.

Until then his parents, Harpal Singh and Parkash Kaur, kept watching in silence hoping against hope the team would make a comeback. They were joined by their elder son Gurpreet Singh, who resides in Dehra Dun, this afternoon.

Parkash said her son had called up this morning to seek his parents’ blessings. “He was confident this time they would bag the gold for the country. I too hoped my son would do it. I’m very disappointed.”

“Shameful” was the one word with which Gurpreet summed up his dashed hopes after India’s poor performance. “We were a total failure in both our defence and on the midfield. Our forward line was somehow up to mark, but all our chances were foolishly squandered”, said Gurpreet, who has been a hockey player in the past.

However, Harpal was of the view that victory and defeat are part and parcel of any game, though he could not help calling India’s defeat in the hockey final today as “shocking”.

“I never hoped we’d lose with such a big margin - it’s really disappointing. I’ll talk to my son in the evening and impress upon him to concentrate on the upcoming Asian Games in Guangzhou, China,” said his father hard trying to sound optimistic.

Power cut plays spoilsport Rajpal’s family members, who had been waiting for this event for the past one year, almost never got to see the hockey final thanks to a power outage that began minutes before the match commenced. When this reporter arrived at the home of the national hockey skipper, his mother, Parkash Kaur, was engaged in a conversation with her neighbours while his father was strolling anxiously outside the house.

“It’s an irony that while the entire country including our prime minister, Manmohan Singh, is watching the match, we’re helplessly waiting for the electricity department to restore power. I wonder whether they can imagine what a momentous this day is for us,” said Harpal.

Although the family has a power inverter the TV was not connected to it. Eventually a TV news channel came to the rescue by rigging up a direct cable connection between the inverter and the TV set, but by then the family members had missed out 45 minutes of the 70-minute match. As if the electricity department had a premonition about India’s defeat, power was restored a minute after the match ended!

Chandigarh, October 14
The team of the special crime branch of the CBI today seized some more records pertaining to the recent recruitment in the fire and emergency department of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation.

Sources in the CBI revealed that a superintendent and two other fire department officials involved in the recruitment process were being interrogated. A senior MC official, on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that the CBI team seized records related to the recruitment.

The CBI DIG, Mahesh Aggarwal, could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.

The sources revealed that during investigation, the team found flaws in the selection procedure of candidates. Records also indicated financial irregularities in the report of the recruitment committee.

Officials said as per an advertisement published on August 30, 2009, the candidates were directed to attach a stamped postal envelope with their forms. The audit record shows that the department incurred an expenditure of Rs 69,600 twice during the recruitment period on postal stationery in this regard.

The CBI is asking the officials concerned why the candidates were not disqualified on the basis of incomplete forms submitted by them to the department.

It has been pointed out that the head of the committee made a departmental noting that as only 5 per cent candidates had sent postal envelopes, the department had to pay the remaining amount. As per the recruitment policy of the department, the candidates who do not submit complete documents with the application are not considered eligible to appear in the interview.

CBI officials have questioned why the committee had audited only the expenditure on the postal stationery.

The CBI said as per the report, the department had paid Rs 60,000 for getting answersheets checked, but the marksheets had not been signed by any examiner.

The CBI has found that in order to facilitate the recruitment of a close relative of a senior MC official, the department had flouted norms. To favour the candidate, the physical test scheduled on April 26 was conducted on May 13. Also, someone else appeared in the examination instead of the applicant.

The roll numbers did not carry photographs of the candidates which is mandatory as per department rules.

Mohali, October 14
After conducting a mammoth exercise for the Aerocity draw of lots, the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) is in a mood to win over the goodwill of over three lakh unsuccessful applicants by refunding their earnest money by Diwali.

Of the total around Rs 9,400 crore collected from 3.20 lakh applicants, the authority would refund around Rs 8,500 crore to the unsuccessful applicants and banks that financed the applications.

The earnest money of 4,400 successful applicants, including those in the waiting list, would be retained by GMADA.

But GMADA officials are non-committal about any directives to the banks to refund a portion of the interest charged on the financed earnest money. “To protect the rights of over three lakh applicants, the authority should immediately start refunding the money so that applicants are somehow compensated for the six months interest charged by the banks. There are going to be litigations over the issue,” said Ajay Jagga, a consumer right activist.

Estate officer, GMADA, Balbir Singh said the refund would be effected in November. “After successfully handling the biggest draw of lots, we would soon be starting the exercise of refunding the money. We would hold a meeting with banks to pass on the instructions,” he added.

Sources in GMADA pointed out that in a recent housing scheme of Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA), banks had refunded a portion of interest to the unsuccessful applicants. “We hope that same precedent would be followed in the case of Aerocity,” said a senior GMADA official.

The authority has been under flak for encouraging betting on plots in Aerocity by relaxing the eligibility conditions. Officials admit that a majority of applicants favoured multiple applications, thereby reducing the chance of those who filed single applications. There have been widespread complaints of proxy applicants forming cartels to ensure success in the draw of lots.

“It is clear that the government is itself turning into property dealer. By not restricting one plot per family, GMADA has openly allowed betting,” said Manjeet Singh, one of the unsuccessful applicants.

Chandigarh, October 14
Home Secretary Ram Niwas today ordered the health and police department to initiate proceedings against the accused, including the head of the gynaecology department of the GMSH-16, Dr Veena Sarna, a Diplomate of National Board student (DNB), Dr Deepak Thakur, a security guard and an OPD attendant, in the Bulbul case for medical negligence and destruction of evidence.

An inquiry was conducted by the Additional Deputy Commissioner, PS Shergill, and the GMCH-32 director principal, Dr Raj Bahadur. The legal remembrancer had submitted his recommendations to initiate criminal and departmental proceedings against the accused, following which UT Administrator Shivraj Patil gave his nod on October 11.

On July 21, Bulbul had delivered near the OPD counters, leading to the death of the newborn. The UT administration today directed the police department to register criminal cases against Dr Veena Sarna and Dr Deepak Thakur for destroying and tampering with material evidence. They are accused of concealing the registration card of Bulbul and medical records. A security guard, Maya Devi, and an OPD attendant, Dharma Devi, will also face charges of criminal negligence in performance of their moral and medical duties.

It has also been decided that Dr Usha Bansal and Dr Praveena Dhiman be repatriated to their parent state of Punjab. Show-cause notices are being issued to Dr Paramjit Singh, Dr Ranjit Kaur, Dr Ashok Saini, Dr Neeraj Dhawan, Dr Dimple Dhaliwal Srivastava, Dr Jagrity Bahuguna Trigathia and Dr Parveena Dhiman, who have been accused of failing to personally attend to newborns.

Chandigarh, October 14
Harmail Singh alias Bubby, husband of councillor Sunita Chaudhary, who was booked by the police in a rape case surrendered at the court of additional district & sessions judge GC Garg today. He was sent to judicial remand soon after his arrest.

Harmail had earlier filed a bail petition that the court has sent notice for tomorrow.

The police had registered the case against him on May 20, 2009, nine months after a minor girl residing in the city’s Indira colony had accused him of raping her.

The victim, daughter of Darshni Bagh, a resident of Mani Majra, had alleged Harmail had also made an obscene MMS video clip of her in connivance with another Indira colony resident, Vijay Singh.

Soon after an FIR was registered in the case Harmail filed a bail petition before the trail court but it was declined. Thereafter he sought bail before the Punjab & Haryana High Court but his application was dismissed. The trial court then issued nonbailable warrants against him following which he deposed before the court.

The court today also issued production warrants for the other suspect in the case, Vijay, who is already in custody. The high court has asked for day-to-day proceedings to be held in the case and the police is to file a status report by November 1 this year. The victim’s father had filed a police complaint against both Vijay and Harmail, in which he stated that on October 12 last year he had gone to PGI along with his wife. “When I returned I found Vijay and Harmail at my home. Both slipped away on seeing me. On being asked my daughter told me Vijay had forcibly entered the house and raped her. I reported the matter to the police, which did not take any action on my complaint and kept on dilly-dallying over the issue”, the victim’s father said.

According to the police it received the complaint on January 12 and conducted a fresh inquiry into the episode and filed a case of rape, trespass and criminal intimidation under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code.

Chandigarh, October 14
The new terminal building of the Chandigarh airport is likely to be completed by December this year. The building will cater to around 500 passengers at a time and will be fully air-conditioned with modern passenger facilities, two aerobridges, a visual docking guidance system, escalators, elevators, baggage conveyor belts and CCTV cameras.

Director of the Chandigarh airport Suneel Dutt said international flights would also start from January. There is a plan for international flights to the Middle East, South East Asia and Europe once the new terminal building is ready, he disclosed.

The director said the new airport was likely to give a boost to the region’s economy and facilitate travel for a large number of non-resident Indians.

“The new building will have a food court, a shopping arcade, car parking, passenger baggage trolleys and a restaurant. This will not only facilitate the passengers, but also provide business opportunity for retailers.

Tenders for a few of the facilities like the airport entry ticket, new fleet of passenger baggage trolleys and improvised car parking management has also been floated to make them functional, said Dutt.

The new building will have a world-class duty-free shop, besides a restaurant-cum-bar. This has been done for the international travellers who have to check in at least three hours before the departure, he added.

Dutt said the work regarding installation of new instrument landing system (ILS) of CAT-I has started. The Airports Authority of India and the Indian Air Force have taken up the installation work.

Chandigarh, October 14
Observing that there was no evidence against constable Krishan Kumar, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) today set aside the departmental inquiry against him, on the basis of which two increments were withdrawn.

An inquiry had been marked against the constable after he was accused of going to the residence of the widow of his former landlord at Sector 41 here at an inappropriate time.

It was stated in the inquiry report, submitted on July 19, 2004, that he went to the residence of Inderjit Kaur, wife of the late Jagtar Singh, in an inebriated condition.

In his defence, Krishan said he used to go there to get back Rs 10,000, which was a part of Jagtar Singh’s medical expenses.

Pronouncing the orders, the tribunal held, “The case seems to be one of no evidence in the absence of any conclusive proof. A subsequent development was that both parties had a compromise.”

Another inquiry was marked in July, wherein the complainant did not seek action against the constable. It was concluded that a departmental inquiry was not possible.

However, a show-cause notice was issued against him on December 22, wherein he was asked to give reason for not stopping four increments.

The authorities concerned passed orders for stopping four increments of his. He was chargesheeted on July 3, 2006.

Meanwhile, the complainant filed an affidavit, seeking the withdrawal of her complaint, stating that she had repaid the money.

Krishan was held guilty on August 29, 2006, by the department and two increments were stopped on January 10, 2007. He subsequently filed a case before the tribunal.

In its reply, the CAT said the compromise was an afterthought, which had no bearing on evidence. It claimed that inquiry was just and fair, and the punishment had been rightly imposed.

Chandigarh, October 14
A senior Punjab police officer’s son was allegedly involved in a verbal duel with a couple at the Sector 3 police station here after his friends had an altercation with the couple in an incident of road rage near the museum roundabout here this afternoon. The matter was later resolved amicably, with the parties reaching a compromise.

Around 2 pm, the motorcycle which the couple was riding brushed a Skoda car in which friends of Akeel Akhtar Mustafa, son of Mohammed Mustafa, ADGP with the internal vigilance cell, were travelling. Akeel is student of BA-I at the Sri Guru Gobind Singh College, Sector 26.

The girl called the police, accusing the three boys travelling in the car of harassing her. The police reached the spot.

Meanwhile, the boys called their friends, who along with Akeel, reached the spot in four cars. Both parties kept levelling accusations against each other and were taken to the police station.

Gagandeep, pursuing LLB from a private college at Kharar, told the police that he was going from Mani Majra to drop his friend at Sector 9 when the car brushed his motorcycle.

The police said the car was being driven Ishvir Singh Sandhu, a BA-II student of the DAV College, Sector 10.

Gagandeep alleged that after the mishap, others in the car began passing filthy remarks about his friend and intercepted their motorcycle, after which a verbal duel ensued.

Gagandeep alleged that Akeel intimidated him in the presence of policemen at the police station. The matter ended in a compromise following the intervention of Ishvir’s father.

The SHO of the Sector 3 police station, inspector Mahabir Singh, said both parties reached a compromise. Since they refused to lodge a complaint, a case was not registered, he added.

Chandigarh, October 14
As a part of a countrywide project of the Union Human Resource and Development Ministry, the less privileged students from Mauli Colony are being trained in television production at the National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research (NITTTR), Sector 26.

A three-day workshop, spread over 12 hours, is being conducted by the educational television centre (ETC) at the NITTTR for nearly 35 such students on its campus.

The workshop is being organised as an experiment to launch a one-month course in television production and citizen journalism to prepare Class X, XI and XII students for careers in electronic and print media.

Right from reporting live through OB vans to handling camera, acquiring skills of television production and understanding mechanics of shooting for a television serial, the students are being taught it all.

They hail from different government schools and colleges in the city and have sought exemption from their routine classes to get this vocational and soft skills training.

Students are also provided personal laptops to have a better view of the presentations being shown to them on a main screen. Such is their enthusiasm that they ask the host institute for an extension of the workshop.

In an interaction with the Chandigarh Tribune, the students expressed delight over getting an opportunity to learn. “I wish to become a journalist and it is a great opportunity to learn about electronic media and camera techniques,” said Rohtash, a student.

“A duty which is a desire becomes a delight. We are glad that through this project we are able to train the less privileged students,” said Parijat De, director, NITTTR.

“The project has been initiated as part of a nationwide scheme of the MHRD. We are preparing to extend the course to a one-month programme, after which students will be well-equipped to do script writing, editing

and other aspects in television production and still photography,” said Dr SS Pattnaik, head of the television centre.

In this batch of 35 students, certain girls hail from Aashiana in Panchkula, while Chainmaya Mission, Chandigarh, has taken up the task of educating other students from Mauli Colony.

“We have undertaken a project for engaging the youth in meaningful activities and take care of their education,” said Dr SN Singla, former principal, Postgraduate Government College, Sector 11.

Chandigarh, October 14
The Ramlila, the epic tale of the victory of good over evil, is being told and retold for thousands of years and still continues to generate a lot of interest among the people.

Reports from various Ramlila organising committees suggest that there is a lot of rush everywhere and people come to watch live performances of characters in the epic every night.

Even in a city like Chandigarh, where people are supposed to be “quite modern and not so traditional”, Ramlila committees have reported a lot of public interest.

“It becomes difficult to provide seating arrangements for the crowds,” says Dharampal Bansal, organiser of a Ramlila at Sector 27.

He says he has seen more interest among people in the last couple of years after lack of interest for some time in the nineties. He has been organising the Ramlila for last two decades.

Munish Sharma, one of the organisers of Ramlila at Sector 29, says college-going boys come to enjoy the Ramlila. Some well-educated professionals also bring their children to watch the Ramlila.

Sameer Gupta, an IT executive working with a multinational firm, takes his five-year-old son to watch the Ramlila.

“It becomes easy to narrate the story as images of characters get registered with children,” he says.

Young people fond of ‘geris’ (rounds) late at night also spend some time watching the live performances.

“I like the role of Hanuman the most,” said Naresh Chaudhary, a college student. He enjoys performances as if the Ramayana is being enacted live.

Chandigarh, October 14
The UT IGP on Tuesday awarded 17 police officials, including two inspectors, with first class commendation certificates and cash reward for their outstanding performances.

Inspector Jaswinder Singh, SHO of police station-17, has been awarded with the certificate for arresting within a couple of hours two persons, who had allegedly stabbed a rickshaw-puller in Sector 22 a few months ago.

Inspector Partap Singh, Mani Majra police station SHO, has also been given the certificate for his outstanding performance.

Besides, sub-inspectors Ranjit Singh, Balbir Singh, Jaspal Singh and Harbhajan Singh; head constables Jaswinder Singh, Paramjit Singh, Baljit Singh and Sham Lal; constables Daljit Singh, Joginder Singh, Vikas Kumar, Sunil Kumar and Satnarayan and home guard volunteers Sukhjit Singh and Jaspal Singh have also been awarded with the certificates and a cash reward.

Meanwhile, head constable Rajinder Puri, currently working as assistant reader with UT SSP HC Suresh Kumar, and head constable Gurtej Singh, working as painter in the police, have been promoted as assistant sub-inspectors on ad hoc basis.

The IGP also provided all due benefits to inspector Prem Chand and sub-inspector Kaka Singh, who retired from the police during a police welfare function.

Panchkula, October 14
The local BJP organised an exhibition of posters depicting thousands of tonnes of food grains rotting in different official godowns and stores, here today. State BJP senior general secretary Veer Kumar Yadav and former Ambala BJP MP Rattan Lal Kataria were present on the occasion.

Yadav said while the Central government was claiming of bumper crops, lakhs of tonnes had already rotten in the ill-managed godowns of the government agencies.

Kataria said the Centre had also dithered on the implementation of the directions of the Supreme Court to distribute food grains rotting in government godowns free of cost to poor. The exhibition was displayed near Apni Mandi, Sector 5.

Chandigarh, October 14
While the UT education department is busy organising seminars to induce discipline among school students, it has failed to teach a similar lesson to its teachers.

In yet another incident, two officials of GMSSS, Sector 23, entered into an ugly spat over a stolen mobile.

Harbir Singh, a commerce teacher, and officiating principal of the school, said he left his room for sometime and on return, he found his mobile phone missing. After enquiring from peon he summoned two teachers and Gurdeep, a lab attendant, who had entered his room in his absence. Gurdeep took umbrage on being questioned and entered into a verbal spat with Harbir. The situation deteriorated within minutes and Harbir filed a complaint against Gurdeep. When contacted, Harbir outrightly denied having entered into a verbal spat with Gurdeep. He said,“Yes my mobile went missing from the school and I filed a complaint in this regard.”

The police said a complaint against Gurdeep for threatening and misbehaving with Harbir was lodged on Wednesday. But the next morning both the parties came over and reached a compromise after Gurdeep tendered an apology. According to sources, the duo also approached the education department, but the officials denied the same.

Chandigarh, October 14
It seems that the UT education department has failed to fulfil its seven months old promise of reviving the teacher feedback system in schools, which was introduced in 2008 by former DPI (S) SK Setia.

Referring to the recent incidents of students slapping teachers, a parent said, “I know what children did was wrong, but it was somewhere because of lack of expression. Teachers don’t teach properly and at times even misbehave. The child cannot voice anything in school and becomes vulnerable to commenting on social networking sites. If action has been taken against a student, one must look at reasons why teachers have lost respect.

Around 16 students of Vivek High School were suspended last week for abusing a mathematics teacher. A student who was awarded zero in school test started the ‘campaign’.

Following this various counsellors cited lack of feedback system a key reason behind such incidents.

It my be noted that the PTA associations had demanded a feedback system and the CBSE had issued a directive in this regard in January this year. It was after this that the education department promised to start the system spearheaded by Setia.

The system, which made an impact during its brief stint in various private and government schools, aimed at giving freedom to students to asses and voice their views about conduct and performance of teachers.

The system allowed students to evaluate teachers on the basis of their teaching skills, classroom conduct and approachability. Monthly meetings were held. To lend teeth to the system, it was planned that warning letters would be issued for consistent low performance and three warning letters would lead to serious action. The system was an instant hit with students, but it was shelved soon after the DPI’s exit.