Mohali, January 5
A special investigation team (SIT) under the Superintendent of Police (Detective), Mohali, has been constituted to go deep into the facts of the kidney scam that was recently busted by the Lucknow police and verify the credentials of the documents on the basis of which 227 kidney transplants of unrelated and related cases from outside the state were carried out at two local hospitals, Surya Kidney Centre, Sector 69, and Silver Oaks Hospital, Sector 63.

The SIT constituted on the basis of findings of the inquiry conducted by Civil Surgeon Usha Bansal, has been asked to submit a detailed report within the next 45 days. The SIT has been asked to coordinate with the state authorities concerned and verify the credentials of the recipients and donors and also the authorisation documents issued by the respective states. The SSP, Mohali, GPS Bhullar, said the SIT had already started the probe.

The Civil Surgeon, while examining a total of 286 cases operated in the last two years, beginning January 2010, has suggested verification of the videography of the transplants of both donors and recipients. Though the inquiry official has not found any anomaly in the processing of cases related to kidney transplants by the local hospitals, the recent busting of the human trafficking case by the Lucknow police has been taken into consideration while constituting the SIT.

A five-member team headed by the Civil Surgeon probed the cases. The probe team of health officials has pointed out that in most unrelated cases from other states, the authorisation from the Punjab State Organ Transplant Approval Committee and the state of the donor concerned had not been taken, which was necessary as per an earlier Act.

But the team members were told by the two hospital authorities that after a ruling of the Supreme Court, an amendment was carried out after which such dual approval was not required.

The DC, Varun Roojam, who was given the inquiry report by the Civil Surgeon, said the police had been asked to check if the no-objection certificates and other documents received from other states for carrying out the operations were genuine. Physical verification of the donors would also have to be undertaken.

The Civil Surgeon was marked the inquiry by the Deputy Commissioner after the DIG of Police, Lucknow, claimed of having busted a gang engaged in human organ trafficking. Four persons were arrested for luring unsuspecting donors to the two hospitals. The charge of being involved in organ trafficking was, however, denied by the authorities of both the hospitals.

According to the documents collected by the health officials from the hospitals, most of the donors were from UP and Bihar and some others from MP, Orissa and Nepal.

As per documents presented to the health officials, Silver Oak Hospital had been functioning since 2003 and Surya Hospital from 2011. Silver Oak Hospital had taken permission from the Director, Research and Medical Education, Punjab, to carry out kidney transplants. The DC said as per the inquiry report, the hospitals had received no-objection certificates from the authorities concerned in connection with kidney transplants carried out by them in the case of unrelated cases and paper work had been completed by them. On December 27, the DC asked the Civil Surgeon to inquire into the racket.

Chandigarh, January 5
Three UT Sub-Inspectors (SIs), posted as police post in charge, were suspended after they were found absent from their respective locations during a drive to check police vigilance in the wake of the rising cases of snatching and theft here today. Senior police officials suspended them during a surprise check.

Inspector Jaswinder Kaur, in charge of the Sector 43 police post, Sub-Inspector Jaspal, in charge of the Sector 61 police post, and Sub-Inspector Jaiveer, in charge of the Bapu Dham post, were suspended and transferred to the police lines. They have been summoned to the police headquarters tomorrow for a hearing.

Special nakas were set up this morning from 10 am to 12 pm. All the in charge of the police posts were issued directions not to leave their positions. However, three of them were found absent during a surprise check following which they were suspended and transferred to the police lines. The police had set up a total of 42 barriers across the city, which were randomly checked by senior police officials.

Chandigarh, January 5
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was left red-faced today when special CBI Judge Ritu Tagore pulled up its officials for arresting an accused when the specific charges did not even apply to him. The agency sleuths had yesterday arrested Dinesh Kumar, a former senior assistant with the Punjab Vigilance Bureau, for posing as a CBI official and allegedly demanding money from a Ropar resident. Dinesh Kumar was not working with the agency and could not be booked Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act as the Section was applicable only to public servants. He was dismissed from service while working with the local bodies department, Punjab, in 2010.

When this fact came before the court, the Judge asked the sleuths why he had been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act when he was no longer a public servant. The court also pulled up the CBI for producing the accused after 4 pm. The CBI was directed to produce the accused before another court.

Realising their mistake, the CBI sleuths registered a fresh case under Sections 419 (punishment for cheating by personation) and 420 of the IPC and produced the accused before the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, who sent him to two-day police remand.

Dinesh Kumar initially demanded Rs 2 lakh from the complainant and later reduced the sum to Rs 50,000. The complainant had a CBI complaint pending against him. The CBI laid a trap at the Sector 23 bus stop and caught him red-handed.

Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, which was slapped against the accused, is applicable only against public servants. But Dinesh Kumar was dismissed by the Punjab Government in 2010 and hence, the Section was not applicable to him.

Chandigarh, January 5
Thirtyseven-year-old Arshad Khan, former nominated councillor of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, died of a cardiac arrest here today. He was the first nominated councillor in the history of the corporation and was given ticket by the Congress to contest from Ward No. 26 in the elections held recently.

He was declared brought dead at the PGI emergency ward around 2 pm today. However, his medical card was made at 4.20 pm.

A doctor who examined the body said a bluish tinge was visible on the face and lips of the deceased. The body has been kept at the PGI mortuary and a postmortem is likely to be conducted tomorrow.

Arshad collapsed in his office at the IT park, Chandigarh, and was rushed to the PGI.

A close friend of Arshad said he had been suffering from a heart ailment for the last four years and was taking medication regularly. His condition started deteriorating a few days ago due to exertion and pressure of campaigning.

Several sitting and former Congress councillors, including the Mayor, Raj Bala Malik, rushed to the PGI.

“Where has my son gone? He would never leave me alone. How can he go away like this? I want to take him to Hyderabad. Please book our tickets for tomorrow,” his wailing mother Circa Khan lamented.

His burial is likely to take place in Hyderabad, his hometown.

Panchkula, January 5
Two watchmen of a company involved in installing high-tension electricity wire towers were found murdered in the fields of Khatauli village, near here, today. The deceased have been identified as Mujib-ur-Rehman (19) and his brother-in-law Ansur Ali (55), both from West Bengal.

While the cause of the murder could not be ascertained, workers at the company said theft seemed to be the motive behind the crime as some equipment was missing.

Rafi-ul-Islam, Mujib’s father, said it had only been a month since he along with his son and son-in-law had taken up the job with the company. The victims used to stay in a tent in the fields at night to look after the equipment. “When I went for work at 9 am today, I saw their bodies lying in a pool of blood. They had no enmity with anyone,” said Rafi.

Forensic experts and a police party reached the spot and took various samples. It seemed that the heads of the deceased had been smashed repeatedly with a heavy object. At least three deep injuries were found on their skulls.

Deputy manager of the company Velu Soami said they suspected no one and were yet to confirm the amount of loss. A case has been registered.

Chandigarh, January 5
The Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU), despite having 20 heating-ventilation and air-conditioned (HVAC) buses purchased a year ago especially for long routes, is using ordinary non-AC buses to ferry passengers on long routes. Interestingly, HVAC buses are run on short distances, including Ambala, Baddi and Kalka, incurring losses worth lakhs.

This is not just depriving city residents of comfortable travel to faraway places, but also resulting in losses to the CTU.

The interior layout of buses has also been designed to facilitate long-distance travel, with a separate cabin for the driver.

Around a year back, the CTU had added 20 new long-route AC-buses to its fleet and each bus cost around Rs 30 lakh.

Soon after purchasing the buses, those were idly parked at CTU depots. The CTU decided to run the buses on local routes. However, being large-sized, those were pulled back from city routes.

Official sources said after the buses were purchased, the UT Administration issued directions to the CTU, stating that the buses be run on the local routes only.

“Earlier, there were directions that the buses be run within the city. However, later, the CTU started plying the buses in adjoining areas,” source said.

CTU Workers Union secretary Ranjit Singh Hans said the CTU should ply these buses on long routes, including Delhi, Jammu, Jaipur, Pathankot, Haldwani and Manali, for comfortable travel to passengers and more income for the CTU.

“All other state transports are running AC buses on long routes. However, the CTU, in spite of having 20 AC buses, is running ordinary buses on these routes, raising suspicion on the functioning of the administration,” he said.

Jagdish Singh, former CTU Workers Union president, said past year, they approached the UT Administrator for plying the buses on long routes, but their demand was turned down.

“We had presented figures to the Administrator that these buses would earn between Rs 14 and Rs 15 per kilometre on local routes, between Rs 25 and Rs 30 on semi-urban routes and between Rs 40 and Rs 50 on long routes. Our demand was turned down,” he said.

When contacted, Home-cum-Transport Secretary Anil Kumar said the priority was to cater to passengers on local routes adjoining the city.

“There is more demand for AC buses on local routes, following which these buses are run on short distances,” he further said.

Chandigarh, January 5
It is ‘chhutti’ time for UT ‘babus’. While CITCO Managing Director DK Tiwari and UT Deputy Commissioner Brijendra Singh have already gone on leave, UT Social Welfare Director Varsha Khangwal and UT Information Technology Director Yogesh Kumar will go on leave shortly. Tiwari, who has been holding seven departments, went to Dubai for eight days on holiday from today. He would rejoin on January 12.

In his absence, Chandigarh Housing Board Chairman Satya Gopal took charge of posts of Secretary, Cultural Affairs, Science and Technology, Tourism and Environment and Forests.

SDM (East) Tanvi Garg was given additional charge of ITDC, Director Health Education, and Special Secretary, Health and Medical Education and Research.

Anil Kumar, UT Home Secretary, would also function as Chief Electoral Officer, in addition to his own duties, during the period.

The UT DC, who had already applied for repatriation to his parent state Haryana, was already on 10-day leave with LTC.

Khangwal was sanctioned 24-day leave, starting from January 9. In her absence, Tanvi Garg would hold posts of CITCO Chief General Manager.

Rajesh Jogpal would take charge as CEO, CHB, Director, Social Welfare, MD, Chandigarh SC, BC and Minorities Financial and Development Corporation, and MD, Child and Women Development Corporation.

UT’s Director Public Relations Yogesh Kumar would go on leave on January 7, 8, 14 and 15.

Balbir Singh had been given his posts of Director, Information Technology, Director, Museum and Art and Gallery, Additional Director (Administration), Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, Project Director, Beant Singh Memorial, and Superintendent, Model Jail.

Chandigarh, January 5
Elections for nine zila parishad constituencies and 15 panchayat samiti constituencies in the city will be held on January 21. With this announcement, the model code of conduct has come into effect. This time, both elections will be held simultaneously, with approximately 32,941 voters casting their vote.

Announcing this here yesterday, UT Election Commissioner Rakesh Mehta said around 18,800 voters were male and 13,600 female.

Mehta said the code of conduct would be restricted to villages and no new project or programme could be initiated or announced either by the government or the municipal corporation.

“There will be 47 polling booths, which will have two ballot boxes, one each for the zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections,” he said.

The Election Commissioner further said January 1 was the cut-off date and only voters registered before that date would be eligible to vote.

Areas under the panchayat samiti included Raipur Khurd, Raipur Kalan, Makhan Majra, Mauli Jagran I and II, Daria I and II, Kishangarh I and II, Kaimbwala, Khuda Alisher, Khuda Jassu, Khuda Lahora, Sarangpur, Dhanas and Behlana.

The election based on the 2001 Census would be conducted in all villages. Elections to the gram panchayat would be held in 2013.

• Commencement of filling papers: January 6
• Last date for filing nominations: January 11
• Scrutiny of nominations: January 12
• Last date for withdrawing papers: January 14
• Date of polling: January 21
• Counting of votes: January 23

• The expenditure limit for each candidate has been fixed at Rs 30,000. Candidates will need to maintain accounts in the manner prescribed. They will have to submit those to the returning officers concerned within a month of the declaration of results.

Mohali, January 5
The Municipal Council is planning to check the menace of stray dogs by going in for sterlisation in a big way and also asking higher authorities to provide additional staff and a cattle-catcher van.

The administrator of the civic body, JC Sabharwal, said that teams of veterinary doctors would be increased to carry out sterlisation on a massive scale. He was also writing to the higher authorities to provide a cattle-catcher van and more employees for the purpose.

He said he was aware of stray dogs menace but could not do much to get rid of them and the only way to check the problem to some extent was to control their number by going in for sterlisation.

The sterlisation of dogs was started by the civic body in 2005 to check their growing number. An eight-member team was on the job of catching stray dogs and bringing them to the cattle pound where sterlisation was carried out by veterinary doctors once a week. The Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry, had set up a team of doctors who took care of the dogs for seven days after the operations were carried out, added Sabharwal.

Mohali, January 5
On the first day of filing nomination papers in connection with the Punjab Vidhan Sabha elections scheduled to be held on January 30, no candidate filed any document in the SAS Nagar, Kharar and Dera Bassi Assembly constituencies here today.

Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner Varun Roojam said that candidates interested in contesting the elections could file their nomination papers on any day till January 12 between 11 am and 3 pm. No papers could be filed on January 8, as it was a Sunday. He said that candidates could not accompany more than five persons when coming to file nomination papers and only three vehicles would be allowed at a distance of 100 metres from the office of the returning officer.

He said that the scrutiny of documents filed by candidates would be done on January 13 and these documents could be withdrawn by January 16 except on January 15 as it was again a Sunday. He said, voters could exercise their franchise on January 30 from 8 am. to 5 pm and the counting of votes would be done on March 4.

Chandigarh, January 5
The municipal corporation (MC) is all set to organise the Rose Festival for the first time after its transfer from the UT Administration. In a meeting chaired by MC Commissioner Prerna Puri, it was suggested that Mr and Ms Rose be introduced in the fest. The festival would be held from February 24 to 26.

The 40th edition of the festival would also see concerts, musical nites, comedy shows, food streets, ‘antakshri’ and various competitions. Sources said as it was the first time the festival would be organised by the MC, the authorities planned to take support of different departments of the Administration.

These included Tourism, North Zone Culture Centre, Government College of Art, CITCO and Alliance Francaise.

It would be the first time the civic body would host such a big event. The Rose Garden was recently handed over by the Administration.

The Rose Garden was set up in 1967.

Spread over 46 acres, it had 17,000 plants, showcasing nearly 800 varieties of roses and medicinal plants.

Chandigarh, January 5
Out of the 152 contesting candidates, only a few have submitted their election expenditure so far. Though the contesting candidates have to file the election expenditure within 15 days after the announcement of the poll results, a number of them have not bothered to submit the details to returning officer.

These candidates include BJP Ram Lal, BSP Naresh Kumar, SAD-BJP alliance JS Kang and his wife Inderjeet Singh Kang, Chandigarh Jan Manch candidate pallav Mukherjee and his wife Joginder Mukerjee.

When contacted, Kang he said he would submit his expenditure details in a few days, while Pallav Mukerjee said he was yet to calculate the expenditure to submit the details.

The Election Commission had set Rs 1.75 lakh as the expenditure limit. An official said if a candidate failed to submit the expenditure details on time, he or she could be barred from contesting the next elections.

Chandigarh, January 5
Unable to devise a convincing middle path between draw of lots and the point system, the UT education department has resumed nursery admissions on a note that has left both parents and schools confused.

Twentyfive days after stalling these admissions on the pretext of a writ petition filed by parents against St Kabir School, Sector 26, the UT education department resumed the process today by asking schools to abide by guidelines issued in November and those of the Ministry Of Human Resource Development.

“They have given reference to two letters and asked us to go ahead. I am still not clear if a draw of lots is mandatory. If earlier instructions were meant to be followed, why delay or stall admissions? We were expecting some fixed criteria. They have left us confused,” said the principal of a local private school.

While a majority of private schools claimed to be confused by this single-paragraph instruction, District Education Officer Chanchal Singh explained it. He said, “They can have their own admission criteria, but should keep the spirit of the right to education by abstaining from screening and reserving seats,” he said.

Chandigarh, January 5
The All-India Central Council of Trade Unions organised a protest at Panjab University (PU) here today, demanding extension of labour laws to PU mess workers.

They claimed that the workers were being forced to work for 16 hours rather than the prescribed eight hours and were not being given DC rates.

Council president Kanwaljeet Singh said, “We just want justified wages and working conditions for mess workers, who do not even appear on the university’s priority list.”