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Dealing with MC paperwork a backbreaking task for residents
Chandigarh, May 26 n Neeraj Chopra, a Sector 46 resident, accessed the civic body’s official website to download the water connection form but the site only posted details about the documents he required for submitting the application, which he had to purchase from the MC office. These two instances amply demonstrate the municipal corporation’s lopsided approach to using information technology for public use. Instead of providing a single-stop window for depositing fees and procuring documents at offices dealing with the public people have to shuttle between different offices most of the time. “This is just stupid. Will the MC wake up and streamline the whole process? Can't there be e-filing on the MC website, as had been done by many other organizations?” asked Ashish Kishore on Facebook. Said Neeraj Chopra: “I’m surprised the MC website is just like a booklet mentioning the documents required before submitting an application for a water connection. The site doesn’t have the requisite form, which is free of cost. Despite lakhs of rupees of taxpayers’ money spent every year on the corporation’s IT wing its services are hopeless”. Computer networking, which is supposed to integrate different wings for providing hassle-free public dealing using information technology, has not really taken off in the civic body. Public dealing on core civic matters like water and sewage connections, community centres or ground booking and deposit of property tax, was expected to have become easier. With the result that even for a small task like getting the required information one has to visit the MC office. As no provisions have been made for online submission of forms by city residents, one has to travel to the office to submit them. In fact, the civic body has a separate computer cell to update its website but unfortunately it just replaces the names or phone numbers on the sites of various departments rather than making the MC’s functioning smooth and people friendly. Interestingly, in the last four years the MC authorities had been working zealously for computerization of all tasks to improve efficiency and bring transparency in the corporation’s functioning. It was proposed to computerize all land and other records and make the MC office completely paper free. However the plan remains on paper.
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IT raids on premises of pharma firm
Chandigarh, May 26 According to the officials, the search and seizure operations were still on till the filing of this report at 9 pm and they claimed that several incriminating documents had been seized and sealed. While they were not ready to reveal more details, a senior official confirmed the search operations that were led by director (investigation) RK Goyal. The company has manufacturing facilities at half a dozen different locations in the country as well as an inhouse R&D centre.
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Ex-tenant kills landlord over Rs 500
Kharar, May 26 Twentynine-year-old Sharad Kumar, alias Bhola, had rented out his shop to 25-year-old Harvinder Singh Bindu and his mother Pushpa who sold cold drinks. Sharad got the shop vacated a few months ago to start construction on it. Bindu put a temporary shop opposite Sharad’s and started selling products. Bindu had allegedly not paid the full rent to Sharad. At around 2.30 pm today, Sharad asked for the remaining amount and both had a heated argument following which Bindu, his brother Kala and Pushpa started beating him up. Bindu pulled out a sharp-edged spike used to break ice and attacked Sharad with it. He struck the spike into the victim’s chest and neck. The SHO Kharar, Harsimran Singh Bal, said Sharad did not bleed and hence people taking him to hospital did not realise that his windpipe had got ruptured. He was laid in the vehicle on his stomach, which worsened his condition. Doctors at a private hospital referred him to the PGI, but he died on the way. The victim is survived by his wife and a four-year-old son. The police has recovered the spike used in the crime and registered a case against the accused.
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8 get life term for looting, killing
Fatehgarh Sahib, May 26 The Ludhiana CIA police had arrested a gang of 18 persons in 2003 and eight of them admitted to committing two major crimes in Fatehgarh Sahib wherein they had killed four people. The police said the gang was involved in 35 heinous crimes all over Punjab from 1999 to 2003. The court also announced a fine of Rs 22,000 to each accused. State counsel in the case, Amardeep Singh Dharni, said the accused had murdered three persons at Kukkarmajra village, Mandi Gobindgarh, on July 24, 2001. In her complaint to the police, one Sukhvir Kaur stated that her husband Hardev Singh, mother Jarnail Kaur and their servant were brutally murdered using rods. The attackers also took away every household item when the family was sleeping in the courtyard of their house situated in the outskirts of the village. Sukhvir and her son Simran received serious injuries, but survived. Investigating officer Jaswinder Singh Mangat, who arrested the gang members while he was posted as CIA, Ludhiana, in charge, said accused Jagdish and Arjun, both brothers, Bikram, Sanjay, Kala, Vijay, Rajesh and Baghera were arrested from different places and admitted to killing the family members. He added that the gang members used to stay in Delhi and came in trucks to attack houses situated alongside national highway 1. Every gang member was assigned a different task, including attack on sleeping family members, looting and firing gunshots. Besides killing three persons at Kukkarmajra, they also murdered a son of a former truck union secretary in Nabipur village. Some of the gang members were arrested earlier and others were nabbed in due course of investigations. They were lodged in Ludhiana and Ambala jails, said the investigating officer.
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Government schools script success story
Chandigarh, May 26 While these ‘non-model’ schools have registered an all-time high increase of about 5 per cent in the pass percentage with 82.57 per cent this year compared to 79.93 last year, it’s the Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Khuda Lahora, which is the show stealer. The school, which figured among the poorest performers last year with a dismal pass percentage of about 35 per cent, left many model schools behind with an amazing 92.59 per cent. Out of a total of 27 students who appeared for the board examinations this year, 25 students passed and two got compartment while none failed. Last year out of 40 students who appeared for the examination, only 14 passed while eight failed and 18 students got compartment. Similarly, the GSSS (Sector 20-B), which came under severe criticism for an average pass percentage of about 55 per cent, registered 81.96 per cent this year. Meanwhile, the Government Model and Government Senior Secondary Schools in Manimajra have continued with the success story they penned last year. Contrary to their counterparts, the schools came out with flying colours last year and became a hot favourite with people queuing up for the admissions of their children. This year as well, while the Government Model Senior Secondary School (GMSSS) (MHC) secured 94.39 per cent as the pass percentage, the Government Senior Secondary School at Manimajra managed a decent 83.33 per cent where students secured as much as 95 per cent. In case of model schools, while the renowned trio of the GMSSS (Sectors 16, 35 and 37) have maintained their last year’s pass percentage, the GMSSS in Sector 37 leads the way with 98 per cent. In fact three students of the school have also made it to the IIT. “They have proved that swanky classrooms or hi-tech teaching techniques do not determine the quality of education, but it is the initiative of teachers. Our government schools have again outdone private ones, but what stands out is the success of rural schools,” said the DPI (S) Sandeep Hans.
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UT to get Rs 80 cr against demand for Rs 100 cr
Chandigarh, May 26 The meeting was attended by the Adviser to the UT Administrator KK Sharma along with Home Secretary Ram Niwas and Finance Secretary VK Singh. The lion’s share of Rs 23 crore in the enhanced Budget has been allocated to environment, particularly for creating a wildlife corridor between the reserve forest area and the regulator end of the Sukhna lake, a stretch spanning nearly 1.4 km to check haphazard construction and protection of flora and fauna. There was a record increase of Rs 210.91 crore (47 per cent) -- up from Rs 450.91 crore in 2010-11 to Rs 661.89 crore in 2011-2012 -- in the UT’s Plan Budget. While Rs 1.75 crore will go to the improvement of teaching skills of teachers of the University Institute of Engineering Technology, Panjab University, and Punjab Engineering College (PEC) University, sports and tourism sector will get enhanced budget.
How Rs 80 crore will be spent
The wildlife corridor between the reserve forest area and the regulator end of the Sukhna Lake, a stretch of nearly 1.4 km, is aimed at preventing unauthorised construction and protect flora and fauna. In the first phase, about 50 acres in Kaimbwala village to connect the land being used for agricultural purposes with the forest located behind the lake and the forest reserve.
Road and bridges Rs 15 crore
An amount of Rs 5 crore each for higher education and Punjab Engineering College University will improve the infrastructure
in colleges.
Mental health institute/GMCH-32 projects Rs10 crore
With primary education coming to the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC), the construction of schools will get an additional amount of Rs 10 crore.
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Sukhna reserve forest holds up UT master plan
Chandigarh, May 26 Presently, the UT area of 114 sq kms does not include the 25 sq kms area of the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary and also the 2.17 sq kms area of Sector 1 where Capitol Complex and Rajindra Park are located. The issue of ownership of the land needs to be clarified immediately to pave way for the finalisation of the mater plan of the city, said the UT Chief Architect in a communiqué to the UT Deputy Commissioner last month. The Conservator of Forest, UT, had forwarded the case to the administration to initiate steps to include the area in UT a few months ago. The UT Administration has also initiated steps in this direction.
Conflicting records
n While the Sukhna catchment area is not included in the map of the UT, the 2.17 sq km area of Capitol Complex is shown in the map within the 114 kms area of the Chandigarh boundary. However, records reveal that the area is not included in the UT.
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Dust storm damages mango crop
Chandigarh, May 26 Heaps of immature mangoes were seen under the trees. The fruit was expected to ripen next month but fast winds had damaged around 30 per cent of the crop. “Last year also, dust storm had wreaked havoc on the mango crop. Mango is a cash crop and we had pinned hopes on it,” said Munawar Hussain, a mango orchard contractor. He said: “Taking contract of a mango orchard is loss-making venture these days.” He added there had been 20 to 30 per cent damage to the crop on Wednesday alone, following which damaged mangoes were being sold at throwaway prices. “We did not even get Rs 5 for a kilogram. A bumper crop of mango was expected in the orchard this time, but the storms and squalls have hit the crop hard," Hussain added. “Only dasehri variety of mango is grown here. I don’t think we will get any value for the immature 200 boxes of mangoes that we have sent to the market today,” Hussain said. “Strong winds due to low atmospheric pressure are common in June but it is for the first time that such winds have struck the region in May,” said Surender Paul, director, India Meteorological Department (IMD). “The production used to be around 500 metric tonnes. However, it will be comparatively low this year. It is still May and the produce will take time to ripen, but the loss has already been clocked,” said HK Nagpal, a horticulture officer. He said this year the yield was expected to be low. However, the storm worsened the condition further. When asked if the department would recommend compensation for the contractor, he said there was no hard-and-fast rule for that.
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SSP for high-level probe into ceiling collapse
Chandigarh, May 26 The ceiling, which collapsed as soon as the SSP’s staff opened the door of his office at 8.45 am on Monday, could have resulted in serious injuries to persons present in the room at that time. Investigations have so far revealed that the false ceiling of the SSP office was constructed by a private contractor which is against mandatory rules as all other construction work in the UT Police Headquarters is done by government contractors. “It is an incident of gross negligence and I will soon be writing to the UT Administration demanding a vigilance inquiry. Somebody has been negligent as the ceiling simply collapsed,” UT SSP Naunihal Singh told Chandigarh Tribune. Sources said the false ceiling in the SSP’s office was constructed around four years ago. In the past, the police department has twice in vain written to the UT engineering department seeking repair of the ceiling. Police sources said they were investigating the identity and antecedents of the private contractor who constructed the ceiling and the terms and conditions in which the contract was executed.
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MC removes banners of Mayawati’s rally
Chandigarh, May 26 MC officials said five truckloads of banners and posters were removed as the party had not taken permission from the MC. BSP workers had put up banners and posters on the roundabout near the Chandigarh Housing Board office in Sector 9, roundabout of Sector 16 near hospital, in the Sector 14 market and near the rally ground of Sector 25. MC official alleged while removing banners from the CHB roundabout, BSP workers threatened the enforcement staff.
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New night security gate system functional
Mohali, May 26 Every third gate in each sector under the system will have a security man on duty, each gate will have three keys and gates will open on a rotational basis. The private security men on duty will have the number of the SHO concerned fed in their mobiles for use in case of an emergency. A map of the sector, with the gates installed in the area highlighted on it, will be affixed to the gate for the convenience of residents. More than 50 redesigned gates have already been put up in various parts of the town and work on the remaining is likely to be completed soon. There is a plan to instal 69 security gates. Municipal corporation assistant commissioner Parveen Kumar Thind told The Tribune that 18 security personnel had already been deployed by the contractor concerned to man every third gate in each sector at night. Each gate would have three keys. One of these keys would be with the security personnel, the second with a representative of the residents welfare association and the third with the police. Patrolling by PCR vehicles would also be intensified. June 15 was fixed as the deadline to make all gates functional, added Thind. Vishawdeep Datta, contractor concerned, said gates in Phases 2, 3A, 3B1, 3B2, 6, 7, 9 and 11 were made functional over the past four days. There was some resentment among residents when gates near their houses were closed at night and they had to cover more distance to reach their homes. However, gates would be closed on a 10-day rotation basis to decrease resentment. In summer, the gates would be closed around 11:30 pm and about an hour earlier in winter, and opened at daybreak. Datta said security personnel on duty at each manned gate was given a register to record names of persons entering or leaving late at night and numbers of vehicles. A list of persons deployed for security purposes was given to the police for verification. Security gates were earlier put up about a year and-a-half ago, but had attracted criticism from the then municipal councillors, who had alleged that the gates installed earlier were of substandard material and poorly designed. The gates were not only of poor quality, but also remained unguarded at night, defeating the purpose for which those were put up. The design of the gates was later changed by the civic body, giving a better look and more strength.
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Tricity Scan
A team from National Environmental Engineering and Research Institute (NEERI), Mumbai, and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), visited the garbage processing plant at Dadu Majra. NEERI director Dr Rakesh Kumar, while visiting the plant, said that it was rare that the management of solid waste plant was working in India. BSNL bills issued
BSNL landline and broadband subscribers of Chandigarh SSA said that their telephone bills for April had been issued. They could pay their bills at BSNL counters/authorised post offices/sampark centres and Gram Sampark centres by due date. According to BSNL authorities, those subscribers who had already paid the bills for the previous months but the amount already paid was shown in the current bill as the previous balance, the same could be ignored and the amount be paid for April only.
Student shares experience
Gurnoor Singh Bal, a class X student from KBDAV-7, Chandigarh, selected by Kennedy Space Centre (NASA), for a three- day internship programme in Orlando (USA) shared his experience with school principal Madhu Bahl. He said that meeting the world’s famous astronauts was a unique experience for him. He learnt about bridge construction, parachute landing, and had an experience of zero gravity at the space centre there.
Club opened
Under its Legal Literacy Mission, Justice Jasbir Singh, executive chairman, State Legal Services Authority, Chandigarh, opened the Students Legal Literacy Club at Government Senior Secondary School, DMC, Sector 38 (West), and named it the Mahatma Gandhi Legal Literacy Club. Students of the school were told about the scheme in details. They were also told about the role/functions of the members of the Student Legal Literacy Club.
LPG supply shifted
The Indian Oil Corporation has suspended the LPG supplies of Ram Chander and Sons till further orders. The customers of this gas agency have been attached with the following Indane gas agencies: All customers residing in Industrial Area, Phase I, Raipur Khurd, Sectors 17 to 22, 27 to 30 and Sectors 32 to 34 can book and get their gas supply with Sunshine Gas Agency, SCO 89, Sector 44-C after contacting phone Nos 6532627 and 9855424828. Similarly, customers residing in Sectors 6 to 16, 23 to 25 and Sector 35 can get their gas supplies from Numdeepmala Enterprises, Booth No. 79, Sector 16-D with the following phone numbers: 9915892529 and 9915892546.
mohali
scan Dr Jatinder Singh, chief ophthalmologist at JP Eye Hospital, performed a successful cataract and IOL implant on 68-year-old Amrinder Kaur. Singh said that the lens implant corrected the patient’s distant, near and cylindrical error and gave spectacle-free life after the cataract operation.
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‘Vitth’ depicts caste system still thriving in society
Chandigarh, May 26 Based on the all time relevant theme of caste prejudices, the play “ Vitth” traces the gap created by the centuries-old caste system in the society, which still thrives, despite credible awakening in the modern era. A Jatt girl, Preeti, falls in love with a boy from a lower caste, marries him much to the displeasure of her family. After 10 years, the family accepts the couple and invites them to a family function. But the couple is made to feel humiliated by the narrow-minded relatives but the couple boldly faces them and rejects them. Rajinder Rozy played the protagonist’s role of Preeti and the play was scripted by Dr Sahib Singh based on a story by Prem Gorkhi. Another bilingual play “ Andhey Hain Hum” brought into focus the mental blindness among human beings. Written, directed and enacted by Sahib Singh, the play illustrates the writer’s viewpoint through a soul-stirring story of two blind beggars who are disowned by their parents and earn their bread by begging at a bus stand. Vinod Kumar, Arshika and Sunny Gill played the supporting roles. “ Katha Turi Bahurangi” will be staged tomorrow.
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Bengali rebel poet remembered
Chandigarh, May 26 The musical programme included, ballet titled “ Naivedya” which was directed by Rabindra Sangeet maestro Debanjan Halder. He sang poet’s classic song “ Lawho more Sangite…”. Bablu Ganguli and Gargi Halder joined him for “Sabaar uprre manush .” composed by Bhabani Pal, which depicted Qazi Narul Islam’s ideology and contribution as a poet and patriot. Vashali Choudhry led Moushami, Kazal and other dancers in a captivating “Naivedyam” ballet based on seven songs of Nazrul rendered by Debhanjan before Gargi Halder brought alive the pathos in a Nazrul song “Nyan bharre jal.” Speakers hailed Qazi Nazrul Islam as the literary exponent of freedom struggle.
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Getting medico-legal reports countersigned a must
Mohali, May 26 Stating this here today, Minister for Health and Family Welfare Satpal Gosain, who held a meeting with senior health officials, said in cases under Sections 326 and 307 of the IPC, medico-legal reports would have to be countersigned by the senior medical officer or the civil surgeon concerned. Any person guilty of aiding the registration of false cases would not be spared, he added. He said the health department would be made more active to ensure that benefits of various government schemes reached the grassroots level. The minister further said in order to save the youth from the menace of drugs, tough measures would be taken against medical stores selling such drugs. Cases would be registered against sellers and drug users. Complaints were being received in connection with the sale of harmful drugs. A helpline would be set up for such complaints, which would be linked to the head office so that immediate redressal could be done.
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Woman alleges HUDA SDO of seeking bribe, manhandling
Panchkula, May 26 Heated arguments were witnessed when a team of the anti-encroachment wing of HUDA, led by SDO Rohtash Kumar, came to Sector 9 and pushed around a woman shopkeeper, Sangita Rani, owner of Singla department store, and also threw away some material from the shop. Accompanied by a group of shopkeepers, the woman later also got a daily diary report (DDR) registered against the HUDA officials with the local police. In her complaint to the police, Sangita alleged that the HUDA staff had demanded Rs 1,000 from her as a bribe to allow her smooth running of the shop. DK Bansal, who also sat on the dharna, apprised HUDA administrator RK Kataria about the “shockingly mindless” working of the HUDA employees. Bansal said he was shocked to hear the plight of the complainant. Sangita, in her complaint, said the HUDA SDO and another employee came to her around 12.15 pm and sought bribe. They allegedly threatened her that they would confiscate the material of her confectionary shop under the pretext of encroachment on the market corridor if she failed to bribe them. When she refused the SDO not only pushed her, but also attempted to allegedly outrage her modesty. Meanwhile, the Panchkula Beopar Mandal office holders, including Kuldeep Chitkara and Surinder Bansal, gave a call for Panchkula markets bandh on Friday.
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Powercom to set up two bill payment machines
Zirakpur, May 26 An official of the Powercom department said an ATM-like machine would be installed at Dhakoli soon and the site had been finalised near Dhakoli grid. The search for a site to set up machine was in progress and would be decided shortly, the official added. He said through these machines the power consumers would pay their bills in cash as well as cheques. The power consumers would have to feed their bill and house numbers before depositing their bills from cheques. The machine would also issue an instant receipt as they got from ATM machines, the official said. After installation of these machines, the consumers would not have to stand in long queues for hours and they could deposit their bills round-the-clock at these machines, the official added. Earlier, the electricity department had installed these machines in Mohali and Dera Bassi. Last year the department had started on-the-spot bill payment for consumers, but the residents apparently did not trust the employees, who were visiting their houses, to deposit bills. Residents said the office of the Powercom department had shifted to a place that was quite far off having poor road connectivity at Pabhat village.
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DAV schools, Bhavan Vidyalaya file lists
Panchkula, May 26 During a resumed hearing of the PIL filed by Pankaj and Sangeeta Chandgothia, the government counsel informed the court that the DEO office had called for lists of students admitted under the RTE from all schools in Panchkula district, which would be furnished to the court on the next date of hearing. The counsel for the schools sought an adjournment to address arguments against the confirmation of the interim stay order. On this, Renu Rana, civil judge, adjourned the matter to June 10 and extended the operation of the interim order, staying general admissions to 25 per cent seats up to class VIII. The education department was directed to file a comprehensive list of students given the benefit of the RTE quota. The DC was, once again, asked to give wide publicity to provisions of the RTE Act, both in print and in the electronic media. The contempt petition, wherein Chandgothias had sought proceedings against the Panchkula DC and six schools for non-compliance with interim orders of the court, was slated to come up for hearing on June 6.
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Craft institute introduces seven new courses
Chandigarh, May 26 The six-month long courses ranging from web designing, advanced web designing, dot net, PHP, tally (accountancy), core Java and advance Java aim to induct students into various computer-related vocations right after class XII. The sale of admission forms began on May 25 and the last day of submission is June 10, 2011. The courses have been introduced as art of Public Private Partnership Scheme of Ministry of Labour and Employment of Government of India.
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150 girls undergo vocational courses at Bapu Dham
Chandigarh, May 26 Lalit Joshi, chairperson, Chandigarh Social Welfare Board, was the Chief Guest on the occasion.
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Wildlife corridor Rs 23 crore
The UT Administration has taken up the upgradation of the road network, particularly in the southern sectors. A second elevated bridge connecting Hotel Taj with KC Theatre in Sector 17 is also being planned. Another railway overbridge is being planned for connecting Daria village with Raipur Kalan village.
Higher education & PEC Rs 10 crore
The 100-bedded mental health institute in Sector 32 was approved about eight years ago. The computerisation of the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, and construction of a block will pick up momentum with the hike in the budget allocations.
Construction of schools Rs 10 crore
