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Come June, delivery not to cost a penny
Chandigarh, May 27 Highlights *
To start at the GMCH-32 and GMSH-16 in June Having received a grant of Rs 1 crore from the Centre yesterday, the administration in collaboration with the National Rural Health Mission will implement the plan at the Government Multi-speciality Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, and Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32. Eventually it will be extended to dispensaries in Sectors 45 and 22. Any pregnant woman irrespective of her income will be exempted from registration, admissions and even referral transport charges. Basic medication will be provided free of cost. What is the most alluring aspect of it is that during the admission period, both the patient and her attendant will be given free diet. “The hospitals have been doing a good job, but it will further strengthen woman healthcare. In case of poor patients, women attendants are found sharing food of the patient, which at times leads to malnutrition. The new move will do away with this problem,” said a senior official of the health department. The project also involves the upgrade of dispensaries with Sectors 45 and 22 being the first in row. The administration plans to have operating theatres, full-time gynaecologists and paediatricians to start delivery services and ease the pressure on hospitals. The UT had for long planned to implement the system, but it was put on the priority list only after July 21 when Bulbul, a poor woman from Bihar, was forced to move about in the gynaecology department during labour. She delivered the baby near the OPD counter and the head of the baby hit the floor, causing instant death.
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Chargesheet filed against 3 in Khushi murder case
Chandigarh, May 27 The police filed a chargesheet against prime accused Sukhdev Singh, a resident of Burail, his brother Gurvinder and their servant Nand Kishore in a case of murder under Section 302 of the IPC. There are 75 witnesses in the case as per the chargesheet.Five-year-old Khushpreet was kidnapped for ransom in December last year. His strangulated body was recovered on January 5 in a pit at Phase X in Mohali. As per the chargesheet, the three accused kept the child in an intoxicated state for 14 days and killed him when he accidentally identified them as his neighbours. The brutal kidnapping and murder case that rocked the city was cracked with the arrest of two brothers on March 22. “The accused lived in the neighbourhood of the victim and had planned his kidnapping to tide over their financial liabilities. Khushpreet, a kindergarten student and son of a dairy owner, was kidnapped December 21 last year from near his house. The family, which informed the police within a couple of hours, bemoaned that the casual attitude of police officials led to the kidnappers getting away as a police trap to arrest the kidnappers failed and they fled with the ransom amount of Rs 4 lakh on December 23 last year. The boy's body was then recovered on January 5 near a pit in Mohali.
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PTU penalised for delaying result of student
Fatehgarh Sahib, May 27 Jatinder Singh, a resident of Civil Lines, Ludhiana, had lodged a complaint with the forum, wherein he had stated that he had got admission to BTech (electrical engineering) at BBSBEC and had cleared all subjects of first, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh semesters. He appeared for a re-appear of maths II, second semester, but his result, which was supposed to be declared by April or May, 2008, was not declared even after two years due to mistaken identity. When Jatinder inquired about the delay, he was told that it had been done due to investigation against him under Sections 380, 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC at the police division number 2, Jalandhar. A case was registered against some students for using unfair means during examination. After completion of the police investigation and filing of challan in a court pertaining to Jalandhar case, it was found that complainant Jatinder was not accused of cheating and was not required by the investigating agency. Jatinder then made a representation of his innocence to the authorities concerned, still the result was not declared. He even produced documents wherein his name did not figure even in the list of witnesses in the case. He stated that PTU had failed to produce any documentary evidence, wherein it showed that his name figured in an FIR. The complainant became the victim of mistaken identity. He was believed to be Jatinder Singh, with a different father’s name, mentioned in the FIR. Due to the
delay in declaration of result, Jatinder failed to appear in any of the competitive exams, due to which his future hangs in balance. While opposite parties (PTU and BBSBEC) in their reply stated that a case was registered against their student and later on the investigation agency might have declared the complainant innocent, the police took certain records in its custody, including answersheet of the
student following verbal instructions by officials of Anti Fraud Cell, Punjab Government. The forum declared that the loss suffered by the complainant could not be compensated with
money. It imposed a penalty of Rs 3 lakh on PTU and BBSBEC and asked both the parties to pay it within a month from the date of receiving copy
of the order. Meanwhile, BBSBEC and PTU’ s counsel Amarjeet Singh Dharni said they would challenge the decision in the state consumer forum.
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Bad weather grounds flights
Chandigarh, May 27 Airport Director HS Toor said flight numbers 2316 (Delhi-Chandigarh-Jammu-Srinagar) and 2634 (Srinagar-Jammu-Chandigarh-Delhi) were cancelled due to bad weather in Jammu so the connecting flights from here did not
materialise. He said the arrival time of the Delhi-Chandigarh flight was 11 am, but due to the bad weather, the flight could not take off from Delhi and around 25 passengers, who had to go from Chandigarh to Jammu, were stranded at the airport till the official cancellation was announced. Similarly, flight number 2634 could not take off from Jammu and 28 passengers, who had to go to Delhi, were inconvenienced. However, airlines staff made alternative arrangements and accommodated them in the scheduled Jet Airways flight. Shiney, a passenger travelling from Delhi to Chandigarh, told The Tribune that airlines personnel at the IGI Airport were not willing to accommodate passengers on other flights. She said she had some urgent work in the city and due to the cancellation of the flight, her plans would suffer.
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Ind-Swift surrenders Rs 55 crore
Chandigarh, May 27 Besides Rs 42 lakh were seized during the raid. Director (Investigation) RK Goyal said the documents revealed the evasion of huge amount of tax. During questioning, the promoters of the company were unable to explain the financial transactions and surrendered Rs 55 crore undisclosed income. They will have to pay 35 per cent tax on this unaccounted income till March 31, 2012, which will be around Rs 19 crore. During the raid, IT sleuths sealed 15 lockers owned by the company and its directors. Ind-Swift Laboratories recorded a turnover of Rs 714.32 crore during nine months ending on December 31, 2010, compared to Rs 579.84 crore during the same period in 2009. The company has manufacturing facilities at half a dozen different locations in the country as well as an in-house R&D centre.
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Hospital in southern sectors on fast track
Chandigarh, May 27 Paving the way for the execution of the project, aimed at taking off patient load from the PGI, Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, and Government Multi-speciality Hospital, Sector 16, the Planning Commission at a meeting in New Delhi yesterday sanctioned a token grant of Rs 50 lakh for the project. The grant, in effect, means that the Central Government was “convinced” about the need to have a hospital in the government sector in the southern belt of Chandigarh. The project will come up for regular funding in the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17), official sources said here today. Home-cum-Health Secretary Ram Niwas said the setting up of the hospital would go a long way in providing better healthcare to residents. Earlier, the special committee constituted under the chairmanship of Prof Raj Bahadur, Director-Principal of the GMCH-32, had recommended the setting up of the hospital in the southern belt on the pattern of the GMCH-32 and the GMSH-16 primarily to lessen patient load on government-run hospitals. With the Phase III sectors (Sector 48 onwards) bursting at the seams in the backdrop of the coming up of the group housing societies and housing projects by the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB), the need to have an additional hospital had been long felt.
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Residents oppose widening of road in Sec 23
Chandigarh, May 27 Area residents complained that the authorities were wasting lakhs of rupees on widening of the internal road of the area, which is already quite wide. A visit to the area revealed that the work of widening of internal road, which is 24 feet wide, has already commenced. The authorities are widening the road by eight feet. Area residents expressed surprise that instead of recarpeting potholed internal roads in the sector, MC was focusing on widening of road that was already in good shape. They said that last year, the MC horticulture department had planted trees along the same road. The widening work will also affect the green cover in the area, they added. An area resident said the labourers unloaded stones and gravel at the entrances of several houses a fortnight ago, which has literally blocked the passage of these house. Even the stacking of the concrete material along the roads is hindering the smooth movement of the vehicles. While motorists are having a tough time in negotiating vehicles on narrow stretches, bicycle riders and pedestrians are the worst affected, he added.
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Eco-cabs to ply on city roads
Chandigarh, May 27 As a traffic-regulation case came up for hearing before the Punjab and Haryana High Court Division Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ajay Tewari, senior standing counsel for Chandigarh Administration Sanjay Kaushal said they had approached the manufacturer of the eco-cabs. The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation too had written to the UT department of science and technology for 10 eco-cabs as a part of a pilot project, he added. Taking up the matter, the Bench also fixed July 15 as the deadline for the states of Punjab and Haryana to take a decision on installing speed governors on transport vehicles. The Bench also made it clear that in case of failure to take a clear cut decision in the matter, the principal secretary or the transport commissioner would remain present in the court on the next date. The issue of installing speed governors on private vehicles is also expected to come up for discussion at a later date. The Bench is currently hearing a petition filed by an NGO, Suraksha Foundation. It is seeking directions to the states of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, to prepare an implementation plan for installation of electronic speed governors within a specific timeframe for reducing the road accidents. In the petition, the foundation had earlier sought directions to the state of Punjab and another respondent to “follow the provisions of Rule 118 of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules and to direct the state to prepare an implementation plan for the installation of electronic speed limiters within a specific time frame.”
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Police proposes setting up of specialised cells
Chandigarh, May 27 Also on cards is coordinated effort between the police of the tricity for dealing with kidnapping cases. Rather, a joint investigating team (JIT) of the tricity is being constituted. The JIT for Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali will function under the supervision of the senior-most senior superintendent of police. The cell is to be provided with requisite logistical support, resources and manpower from the states of Punjab and Haryana and Union Territory of Chandigarh. A standing operating procedure (SOP) for dealing with kidnapping and ransom cases, too, has been prepared for immediate and proper action. The details of the proposals were placed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court during the hearing of a petition filed in public interest on Khuspreet’s kidnapping and murder. In an annexure placed along with the reply, the Senior Superintendent of Police has in fact asserted: “It has been observed that there is no procedure prescribed for operational part in the investigation of kidnapping and ransom cases. The absence of such procedure makes the functioning of the field staff and officials difficult and this has often led to confusion and unprofessional handling of kidnapping for ransom cases. For this purpose, a detailed SOP has been prepared for immediate and proper action.” Another annexure signed by the SSP says: “In the recent past, some of major crime incidents that have occurred in the city like the Khuspreet kidnapping and murder case and the Tanishq dacoity case have shown the growing complexity of crime, including interstate area of operation of interstate gangs and the use of technology in committing these crimes. Accordingly, in view of the changing trends of crime and criminals, it is proposed to set up a specialised operational and technical cell with requisite specially trained manpower and special equipments in Chandigarh, which will strengthen the technical support for investigation.” SSP Naunihal Singh’s affidavit adds: On the basis of the inquiry report (in Khuspreet case), departmental action has been initiated against police officials namely inspector Udei Pal, inspector Narinder Singh, sub-inspector Balraj Singh, and the same has been entrusted to DSP security. The departmental inquiry in this behalf is in progress.” Khuspreet was kidnapped on December 21, 2010, from Burail. He was later found brutally murdered on January 5 in Mohali, hardly at two kilometres from his house. After protests, the Chandigarh Administration ordered magisterial probe. His family has already returned the compensation offered by the UT Administration Seeking CBI probe in the case, city advocate Ranjan Lakhanpal submitted the police had failed miserably to solve the case. Apparently dissatisfied with the probe report, Lakhanpal sought directions to register a criminal case under section 304-A of the IPC on the allegations of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against the errant police officers.
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10 NCC shooters felicitated
Chandigarh, May 27 The cadets had bagged a total of 35 medals, which included nine gold, 12 silver and 14 bronze. Cash incentives worth Rs 1.56 lakh were distributed among the cadets, depending on their medal tally. Sarita Sharma and Anjum of Chandigarh won two gold, three silver and four bronze each. Other medal winners were Hema KC, Shikha Dhall, Gurjit Kaur, Shivendu Sharma, Angad, Anjum Moudgil, (all from Chandigarh), Raghav (Patiala), Saneshta (Hisar), and Mukesh Kumar
(Amritsar). Some of these cadets had performed commendably at the international level. Hema, Meera, Shikha, Anjum Moudgil and Aman Walia would participate in the Suhl Shooting Championship in Germany from May 30 to June 10. To hone the skills of the NCC shooters further, the cadets selected would be sent to the Army Marksman Unit at Mhow, the nodal agency for training of Army shooters in its ‘Mission Olympics’.
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Water pressure low in Sec 29
Chandigarh, May 27 This indicates that if the problem is not tackled properly, it may assume grave dimensions in the coming months. Some residents of the sector had pointed out inadequate water supply and low water pressure past month. Overhead water tanks of houses on the ground floor were not being filled. Top storeys had not been getting any water supply at all for a long period. Residents blamed the public health department for the crisis. The situation had caused resentment among residents of the sector. They were critical of the municipal corporation authorities for not informing them beforehand. When contacted, municipal corporation Superintending Engineer (public health) RK Goyal stated that the problem was likely to be sorted out by tomorrow. He added that they were monitoring the reason for the low water pressure in the sector.
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Shopkeepers observe complete bandh
Panchkula, May 27 The shopkeepers also observed complete market bandh in the town. Heated exchanges were also witnessed between members of the PBM and two shopkeepers in Sector 7 when the latter refused to close their business establishments. However, they later closed their shops. The bandh call was given by the PBM against the alleged highhandedness of HUDA officials and the ‘misbehaviour’ by HUDA employees with one of the woman shopkeepers of Sector 9 market. Kuldeep Chitkara, president, PBM, said they had a meeting with the Haryana Chief Minister and he assured them to sort out the issue. He said after this they decided to open the market in the evening, as they did not want to harass the general public. “HUDA workers attitude was negative during the anti-encroachment drive that was launched yesterday,” he added. Administrator HUDA, RK Kataria, said they were working as per their daily routine and the allegations raised against their employees were false. He said this drive would continue till the encroachments were removed from all the markets in the town.
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Rly shifts focus to religious tourism
Chandigarh, May 27 The corporation has decided to launch package tours for Vaishno Devi and on the Hardwar-Rishikesh circuit. It also plans to offer package tours for Naina Devi-Anandpur Sahib, Jwalaji and Amritsar. This will make available the option of travelling through IRCTC buses for the connecting journey from Jammu to Katra and Hardwar to Rishikesh. Sources said IRCTC's successful trial run on the Chandigarh-Katra route from January to March had led to the decision for starting other package tours. The two-day and one night package will include pick-up and dropping till home and travel in luxury buses. The IRCTC has contracts with hotels in Katra, Hardwar and Rishikesh for providing accommodation to travellers. "If we can stick to the course, we will launch the services by the first week of June. Religious tourism is our priority. We do not rule out starting tours for other locations, but that will take time," IRCTC Chandigah zone chief regional manager Aneet Dulat said. The package has been designed in such a manner that the working schedule of the passengers is not disturbed. “The package will include stay at a three-star hotel, food and travel along with the provision of darshan slips,” he said. Dulat said: “We are expecting a good response from people. The state governments do not have dedicated buses and in the absence of direct rail connectivity from Chandigarh, we had received enormous queries and demands for this route.” Three private city-based travel operators had been shortlisted for providing the bus service. The IRCTC had also floated an expression of interest to which various parties have responded.
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Lightning strikes tents of YPS students, none hurt
Mohali, May 27 Following the incident that took place on Wednesday night, all students returned home safely. The camping site is located at a height of 8-km from Dharamkot near Dharamsala. Soon after the incident, the students, along with their teachers Puneet Sandhu and Jyostna, were evacuated to a safe place till the blaze in the outhouse was not doused. Cutting short their trip, the students returned to the school on Friday evening. Narrating the incident, two of the students, Arshdeep and Navjot Kaur, said while they were in their tents, it started raining heavily and guides of the group advised them to shift to the guest house. As the weather deteriorated, lightning struck the outhouse of the guesthouse. Some eatables and old furniture of the forest department was lying in the outhouse. The students were made to call their families without telling about what all happened at Triund. It was only when the students returned this evening, their parents came to know about the incident. While confirming the incident, YPS principal Janajit Ray said the teachers and students did not panic. He said all children returned home safely.
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Chandigarh Scan
Foundation stone of alumni house of Post Graduate Government College, Sector 11, was laid today by Pawan Kumar Bansal, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Science Technology and Earth Sciences, and Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Chief Minister of Haryana. Interestingly, both of them are alumni of the college. Dr JS Raghu, principal, welcomed guests. Jagdeep Singh Cheema, president Alumni Association, sought help from the MP and CM for completing the project. Hooda announced a grant of Rs 21 lakh to start the construction of the house. Bansal, who had earlier given Rs 6 lakh from the MPLAD fund, announced a grant of another Rs 15 lakh today.
Blood donation camp
Heritage walk
More than 200 members of INTACH are expected to participate in the ‘Heritage Walk’ to begin from Open Hand Monument near the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Saturday morning. Creator of Rock Garden Nek Chand will be honoured on the occasion.
Website launched
Seminar on Hindi
A seminar on Hindi as an official language was organised by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) in Chandigarh on Friday. AB Agrawal, chairman, was the chief guest, while CD malik, joint director (Rajbhasha), was the special invitee. Agrawal said, “We should opt for Hindi by choice and not under any choice. Picking certain words from English was not wrong.”
The following have been elected office-bearers of the Chandigarh Bus Adda Majdoor Union. President: Satpal Sharma; vice-president: Charan Dass; general secretary: Raj Kumar; joint secretary: Bal Ram and treasurer: Yash Pal.
Students excel
As many as 11 students of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 33, scored 90 per marks in the class XII examination of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), results of which were declared recently, said Dr Surinder Singh, principal of the school.
Ban imposed
The UT District Magistrate has prohibited general public from forming an assembly of five or more persons, taking out processions, making speeches, raising slogans, carrying of lathis within Sectors 1, 2, 3, 6, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17 and 25, Chandigarh, except Rally Ground, Sector 25, for a period of three days.
Power cuts
Creating employment
Centum U at Mohali, an initiative of Centum Learning-a Bharti Associate Company, is making efforts to make India ‘Job-Ready’. Centum U offers UG and PG programmes aimed at creating employable workforce for the country by converging professional skills with normal degrees. “Students at all Centum U institutes, including campus at Mohali, acquire CCIE TM (Centum Certificate for Industry Employability), along with formal degrees, to be job-ready from day one,” said Sanjeev Duggal, CEO and executive director, Centum Learning.
Grant increased
The municipal council, Panchkula, has increased the amount to be spent on the maintenance of parks in different sectors of the city from Rs 60 lakh to Rs 90 lakh every year. Besides, a target has also been fixed to spend Rs 4 crore on the repair of rain shelter, bench, tower lights and parks. MC’s spokesperson in a release said tenders in this regard had been invited and the work would be started soon. He said as many as 146 Park Development Societies had already been constituted and for the remaining parks more such societies would be formed soon. In view of the increasing rate of labour, this amount had already been raised from Rs 1 to Rs 1.50 per sq m with effect from September 2010.
Bicycles distributed
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From Schools
Chandigarh: As many as 150 children from various schools of the city are enjoying various activities in a summer camp being held in DC Montessori Smart School , Mani Majra, Chandigarh. Three different workshops are being held for each participant. Pool party
The dual purpose of beating the heat and enjoying with friends before going on summer vacation was met by a ‘Splash pool party’ at AKSIPS-65 Smart School for tiny tots of pre-primary wing. The little ones had a gala time in their swimming costumes with toys, water slides, balls and toy dolphins. There were beach umbrellas and colourful hats around the pool. Various water games were organised for them. Workshop
A teacher’s training workshop was conducted in collaboration with Chandigarh Schools.com for teachers. — TNS
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Bad weather in Jammu put fliers in Chandigarh to inconvenience as two Kingfisher flights, Chandigarh-Jammu-Srinagar and Jammu-Chandigarh-Delhi, were cancelled today.
Bebo Technical Education Services Pvt Ltd (BTES) in association with the Rotary and Blood Bank Society organised a blood donation camp in Sector 34 here today. Employees and students of BTES volunteered to donate blood in an internal blood donation campaign. The drive was initiated by BTES as part of its “Corporate Social Responsibility” to assist blood banks in increasing the number of blood donations and donors in India, as there is a growing need for more donations to match the increasing demand. The four-hour camp was held on the BTES premises in Sector 34-A, Chandigarh.
To create a common platform for blood donors, three computer engineering graduates of Panjab University Kunal Kumar, Lokesh Arora and Mohsk Goyal today launched a website www.raktdaan.org at the student centre. Vipin Goyal will be acting as the administrator. Raktdaan, the web application, has been developed in combination of SMS gateway facility implying that the messages could be sent to all registered donors in case of emergency through an SMS.
Close on the heels of complaints of unscheduled powers cuts and power trippings from various sectors, residents of Sector 40-D have complained of low voltage. In a representation to Sub-Divisional Officer(SDO), residents complained that in the backdrop of low voltage, electrical appliances, including coolers, fans and tubelights failed to function. Residents held a protest outside the SDO’s office demanding electricity department’s intervention.
At least 107 bicycles were distributed free of cost among registered workers in the district by minister of state for labour and employment Shiv Charan Lal Sharma during a function organised by the Haryana Chamber of Commerce and Industries in association with the labour department here on Friday. Sharma said necessary steps were being taken by the state government to provide residential facilities to workers in the state. The state government had increased the financial assistance being given under the Kanyadan Yojna for the marriage of the daughter of labourers in the state from Rs 21,000 to 51, 000. The state government had decided to open primary school for children of industrial workers in an area where population of such children was over 100. Also, scholarship ranging from Rs 2000 to 12,000 per year would be provided to the children of workers. — TNS