Chandigarh, January 31
Dubbed as New Chandigarh, Naya Gaon’s vigorous development today came under the Punjab and Haryana High Court scanner, with the UT Administration training its guns at the Punjab Government for not taking “ground realities” into consideration.

Mincing no words, the Administration launched a scathing attack on the Punjab Government by saying, “The development plan of Naya Gaon north of Chandigarh, prepared in isolation without required consultation by a separate agency of the Punjab Government, has not taken into consideration the environment and ecological ground realities, besides important urban density considerations of Chandigarh”.

Bringing to the fore ecological concerns, the UT Chief Administrator added, “The development of Naya Gaon poses a danger to the environment and the ecology of the area. The proposed township, which includes the Tata Camelot project, is coming up in an area proposed as a protected forest area and a no-construction zone in the Chandigarh Urban Complex Plan prepared by the state governments and the UT Administration, along with the Central Government.”

Virtually rapping the state government on its knuckles for displaying insensitivity, the Administration asserted, “The decision of the government of Punjab to develop the north of Chandigarh is insensitive to the concept of the city of Chandigarh, planned as a human organism with the Capitol Complex as its head”.

The Administration made it clear that it had been taking up the issue with the Punjab Government for long. “The Administration has also been repeatedly writing to the government of Punjab to sensitise it on the implications of developing townships north of Chandigarh and requested the government to have a relook at the proposals”.

Referring to a letter written almost two decades ago, the Administration said the communication dated January 17, 1994, was forwarded to the Punjab Government “to object to the proposal of the Punjab Government to set up an urban estate at Karoran village or Naya Gaon”.

The issue would now come up for renewed hearing before the Division Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Mahesh Grover when it would take up the Tata Camelot case on February 14.

A team of the Haryana State Drug Controller Department seizes medicines at the National Skin Hospital in Panchkula on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Panchkula, January 31
A team of the Haryana State Drug Controller Department today raided two hospitals, Alchemist at Sector 21 and the National Skin Hospital at Sector 5 of Mansa Devi Complex (MDC), for violations in the sale and storage of medicines.

The team sealed the godown at Alchemist hospital, where medicines not meeting the conditions of licensing were stored. At the National Skin Hospital, the team seized medicines worth around Rs 1 lakh, which were being sold without any valid licence.

The team comprising senior drug controller Adarsh Goyal, drug controller Sarika Malik and district drug control officer Pooja Chaudhary raided both hospitals.

In the evening, the team raided Alchemist hospital and found 16 kinds of violations in conditions mandatory for a licence to sale and store the medicines. Though the Alchemist had the licence, there were violations.

One of the major violations was that the hospital had kept expired medicines at their store, some of which had expired in 2008. Though the hospital administration had kept the medicines separately, it was not mentioned in the disposal record.

Chaudhary said they checked the pharmacy and godown of the hospital and found the violations. She added that the violations included unsigned cash memos, bill discrepancies, dirty premises, loose wires and supply of medicines directly to patients from the godown.

She further said drugs needing refrigeration were found in the open and there was only one pharmacist in record for round-the-clock duty. She added that they would issue a show-cause notice to Alchemist under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act tomorrow.

The team raided the National Skin Hospital in the morning. Goyal said the hospital administration had neither a valid licence to store and sell drugs, nor any record of where it purchased the medicines and to whom it sold those.

A show-cause notice would be issued to the hospital administration, he added. Around 18 types of medicines were seized and the hospital administration failed to produce any record during the raid.

Later, the team produced the medicines seized in the court of the Panchkula CJM. After the court’s permission, it got the custody of the medicines.

Refuting the allegations, Dr Vikas Sharma of the National Skin Hospital said as per the Medical Council of India Act, any registered medical practitioner could sell medicines to patients.

He added that they had the record of the purchase and sale of medicines and would submit those to the department. He further said it was a conspiracy against him.

Chandigarh, January 31
The committee constituted for preparing the city’s master plan is dabbling with the idea of making Chandigarh a sports city. Plans are also afoot to make it a slum-free city and a walkers’ paradise.

In its status report submitted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court on the preparation of a master plan for Chandigarh and its periphery, the Chandigarh Administration said its vision included thrust on “providing adequate sports facilities to develop Chandigarh as a sports city, with its vast open spaces, energetic youth and training facilities”.

Analysing the recommendations and suggestions for the master plan, the Administration asserted that it was also trudging towards having “walkable neighbourhoods, with the potential of being developed into a pedestrians’ paradise”.

The Administration added that the tourism potential would be tapped and efforts would be made to have a slum-free city.

It also said the master plan’s vision also included preserving the universally acclaimed rich architectural heritage of the city. Special emphasis would be given to it, the Administration said. The city’s legacy of abundant

green and open spaces would be protected and enhanced, it said.

The status report placed before the Bench of Justice MM Kumar and Justice AK Mittal added that the plan of having a larger proportion of institute area and lesser commercial area had also been discussed. Also discussed was the proposal of having a commercial belt along the Vikas Marg.

The issues would now come up for further discussion as the Bench would convene on March 12 for discussing further developments regarding the preparation of the master plan.

Chandigarh’s master plan committee had already deliberated upon the feasibility of renaming streets and the problem of parking in commercial areas.

Among other things, it had also looked into the catchment area of the Sukhna Lake at Saketri, heritage buildings of the city, a policy for growth and cheap housing.

For the purpose of preparing the plan, the Administration had constituted the committee comprising experts, including the Chief Architect and the Chief Engineer. Also included in the committee were retired Chief Architect MN Sharma and architect-cum-development planner Madhu Sarin.

Chandigarh, January 31
Mayor Raj Bala Malik today pulled up MC Commissioner Prerna Puri for bringing up the Rose Festival issue at the 11th hour. Puri was seeking approval for celebrating the event a day before the meeting of the Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC). Malik asked her why the matter was not brought to her notice the previous week, when the matter was discussed.

Denying approval, the Mayor asked the MC Commissioner to discuss it with her tomorrow, before the commencement of the F&CC meeting in the morning. When contacted, the Mayor said the matter would be tabled in the F&CC meeting and the final decision would be taken by the committee.

Sources in the corporation said during the meeting with the Mayor, the MC Commissioner, along with the Chief Engineer and the SE (B&R), tabled the proposal, but the Mayor rejected it and asked the Commissioner why the matter was not brought to her notice past week, when the proposal was being discussed.

She added that the matter was referred to the Commissioner on January 23. The Mayor asked the Commissioner which department had prepared the proposal without taking her consent. She directed her to rework on the proposal and get it approved before tabling it in the F&CC meeting.

Sources stated that after redrafting the proposal by the evening, the MC Commissioner sent it again to the Mayor for her approval. The latter rejected it again, saying she would go through it first.

The sources said in the fresh proposal, the corporation had recommended that the MC organise the event by sponsoring it, as the UT Administration used to do it earlier. When contacted, Puri said the agenda item would be tabled after consultation with and approval of the Mayor.

In the recent General House, when the agenda item for celebrating the 40th Rose Festival was tabled for approval, with a proposed cost of Rs 50.93 lakh, a majority of councillors had asked why the authorities were spending such a hefty sum on the event. At that juncture, the Mayor had referred the issue to the F&CC for final approval.

Meanwhile, members of the F&CC stated that the corporation had sent it the copy of the agenda item at the 11th hour. One of the members, Rajesh Kumar, said free paid parking passes for junior engineers and information on a reply pertaining to garbage collection in the high court, issues which were not related to development, were on the agenda of the meeting.

Chandigarh, January 31
Showing increased public intolerance, the Chandigarh Police is receiving an average of 60 calls per day pertaining to small indifferences and brawls. The UT police control room number ‘100’ has been flooded by calls pertaining to brawls, with the police receiving 22,251 such calls in the past one year.

The youth, in particular, is giving a harrowing time to the police over settling personal differences and small brawls, a majority of which are not registered.

This is the highest number of calls of brawls received by the UT police control room ever. The total number of calls received at the police control room in 2011 was 63,453. The huge number of calls related to brawls is in addition to 1,241 calls of creating nuisance and another 384 of misbehaviour.

The number of calls is more than the calls of brawls received in 2010, when a total of 20,961 calls pertaining to brawls were received at the control room, while the total number of calls was 55,044.

Police officials said a majority of the calls relating to brawls resulted in compromises and FIRs had been registered only in cases where persons had been seriously injured. A large number of calls also catered to brawls arising out of family or property disputes.

Calls relating to accidents followed next, with the police receiving 13,076 such calls every year. Another 2, 858 calls complaining of noise pollution were received.

The number of calls from distressed women, complaining of eve-teasing, reached an all-time high, with the police receiving 506 such calls in 2011.

A total of 2,817 calls complaining of theft and another 136 informing that locks have been tampered with poured in at the control room. The police control room received 485 calls of snatching, in which PCR vehicles were able to chase and nab only 32 of the snatchers.

Chandigarh, January 31
PU Vice Chancellor RC Sobti’s dream project of building a Science City in Panjab University campus got a go ahead from the PU Syndicate today with the house agreeing to it in principal and demanding a detailed proposal in the next meeting.

Having faced severe criticism from several quarters for wasting campus space which could be utilised for building hostels and classrooms rather than a museum, the project which has been promised a grant of over 5 crore by Union Minister Pawan Banasal will now finally be able to take off. “This city will be the second of its kind in the country and will be a milestone in health molecular medicine and global-warming research. We have funds for it and it will go a long way in benefiting students, though its development needs to be well planned,” observed the house.

As usual while there wasn’t much on the agenda pertaining to students, the house also approved the introduction of centralised application forms for various entrance tests to be conducted during the year 2012. Meanwhile the demand of colleges to do away with B Com centralised counselling was turned down saying it was need of hour. “When entire education system is going hi-tech we can’t sit with pen-paper and manual patterns. We will improvise the software further,” the Vice Chancellor informed the house.

In the case regarding the re-evaluation of six candidates of B Sc Radio Diagnosis referred by the Director-Principal, Govt Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, the House resolved that the College constitute an appellate committee to which the cases of the two failed students be referred. The detailed recommendations of the committee along with detailed past results would then be taken up by the Syndicate.

Chandigarh, January 31
In yet another display of its lackadaisical attitude towards academic matters, the Panjab University Syndicate ended up framing four important academic committees (revising committee, standing committee, youth welfare committee, and publication bureau), in a span of just five minutes and spent about three hours arguing and levelling accusations.

While the revising committee is responsible for the scrutiny of list of examiners, the standing committee deals with cases pertaining to the use of unfair means in exams. The youth welfare committee deals with youth related activities in the campus and colleges, and the publication bureau supervises PU publications.

“It was a shock for me. It is my first term as a Syndic and I was prepared for some brain storming session on the formation committees; but GK Chatrath got up and announced the names and his supporters, who are in majority, said a yes to it. This was followed by a heated exchanged between him, Ashok Goyal and even Sobti, and that was it. Though we are an academic house, but academic discussion was last on the agenda,” revealed a first timer to the house.

As expected, the issue of constitution of committees rocked the first meeting of newly elected house where arch rivals GK Chatrath and Ashok Goyal continued their verbal spat with repeated interventions from the Vice Chancellor.

Tension started to brew when Ashok Goyal demanded an explanation on the blatant violation of protocol last year where the university continued to function without forming important committees, like revising committee which is essential in the examination process to scrutinise the list of examiners.

Supported by few syndics he demanded an enquiry against GK Chatrath who, though entrusted with the task, did not do so for the entire year.

The things however went out of control when Chatrath, ignoring the fact, stood up and proposed the names of members of committee and his supports passed them with majority within 5 minutes. Goyal, supported by Dinesh Talwar, registered a dissent. “He is not proposing but informing the house.

Can we allow one Syndic who failed to do this job last year form these committees at his home according to his whims and fancies?” he questioned in house.

Interestingly when Chatrath proposed name of his daughter Anu Chatrath for the standing or unfair means committee, Vice Chancellor RC Sobti also recorded his reservations on this issue. However, the Chatrath group claimed that the reservation was in response to the VC being disturbed over not being allowed to make committees.

“We have always authorised him to make committees and he created a mess and can’t bear giving up this privilege. The house has chosen committee members with majority and as per the PU calender,” said a member of the Chatrath group. A close associate said the he was perturbed by the manner in which these committees were constituted.

Mohali, January 31
After a hectic and tension-packed campaigning for the Assembly elections, candidates of the major parties here were comparatively relaxed today waiting for the results and each highly optimistic of winning the poll.

All three of them, Balwant Singh Ramoowalia (SAD), Balbir Singh Sidhu (Congress) and Bir Devinder Singh (PPP), said they went to bed early last evening and got up late today. It was a day to get over the tiredness and

meet personal social obligations that had remained neglected ever since the announcement of their candidatures by their parties.

“I am a master strategist and more educated, having more experience and more exposure than the Congress candidate. After minute and micro calculations, I reached a conclusion that I would defeat my nearest rival by a margin of 12,000 votes,” said Ramoowalia.

He said he had done a hectic campaigning in the area ever since his name was cleared for the SAS Nagar constituency. He used to sleep around 1.30 am and get up around 4.45 am but last night he went to sleep around 10.30 pm and got up at 8 am. Later, he went to meet singer Harbhajan Mann and a Bihar MLA, who had come here to help him and spent 21 days trying to win over migrant workers living in various colonies.

He also attended phones of his well wishers from abroad, met his supporters and party workers in his office apart from meeting mediapersons.

Hoping to win by a big margin, the Congress candidate, Balbir Singh Sidhu, said he had been sleeping only for four hours ever since he had started campaigning. He was very tired and slept at 10 pm last night and got up at 6 am taking a good eight-hour sleep, he added.

Later, he met his supporters and party workers both at his residence and in his office and thanked them for their efforts. The voting pattern at various booths was discussed. He said he already had a strong base in rural areas and his position in Mohali was equally good this time. People had come out in large numbers in Phases VII and III B2 and Matour to vote.

He also fulfilled various social obligations which he had neglected for the past many days.

Bir Devinder Singh, PPP candidate, was also in a relaxed mood today. He slept for about nine hours last night as compared to a four-hour sleep.

He met his supporters and went to pay his condolences in case of deaths and also visited families whose weddings he could not attend due to his hectic schedule.

Hopeful of winning the elections, he said “aggressive polling” indicated that people wanted a change. He said people in rural areas had acknowledged the development that he had brought about during his tenure as an MLA.

He thanked the local administration for satisfactory election arrangements and also the election commission for the proper conduct of the elections.

However, the permission given at the eleventh hour to parties to set up their booths negated the efforts to have a free and fair poll, added Bir Devinder Singh.

Mohali, January 31
Several polling stations in rural areas recorded over 90 per cent of turnout while some parts of Mohali witnessed below 60 per cent polling here yesterday. The returning officer said the exact polling percentage in the constituency was 70.56. About 66, 289 man voters cast vote while 58,309 woman voters exercised their franchise. Out of the total 1,76, 575 voters, 1, 24, 598 turned up at the polling booths.

The highest polling percentage of 93.50 was recorded at the Government Elementary School, Barhi, polling station.

The polling stations that registered over 90 per cent polling included Government Elementary School, Midde Majra (93.42); Government Elementary School, Baliyali (92. 59); Government Elementary School, Jehurheri ( 91.89); Government Elementary School, Seau (91.73); Government Elementary School, Dharamgarh (90.91); Government High School, Gobindgarh, (90.86); Government Elementary School, Raipur (90.81); Government Elementary School, Shiampur (90.45); Government Elementary School, Darari (90.40); Government Elementary School, Dhelpur (90.39).

In Mohali, certain areas witnessed a comparatively low turnout.

About 46.13 per cent polling was recorded at Millennium School, Sector 67 (left side) polling station.

Among the polling station that registered below 60 per cent turnout were Guru Nanak Public School, Sector 68, Central Side, (52.35); Government Elementary School, Phase IX, left side, (52.78); Sant Isher Singh Public School, Sector 70, central side, (53.20); Paragon Senior Secondary School, Sector 71, left side (55.22); office of SDE, water supply and sanitation, mechanical, Phase IX, right side (55.59); Government Elementary School, Phase VII, left side, (59.53), Guru Tegh Bhadur Model High School, Phase I, left side (59.70).

Chandigarh,January 31
Waking up from its slumber to the insanitary conditions created by poultry farms in the state, particularly the fly menace in Barwala-Raipur Rani belt of Panchkula district, the Haryana government has decided to regulate the former’s functioning.

Under the draft bylaws for the poultry farms, which had been playing havoc with the lives of residents, the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) will crack its whip on the defaulting poultry farms. “Once notified the bylaws will provide relief to residents who have been at the receiving end,” a senior official said.

Now, large-sized poultry farms having more than 1 lakh birds will have to seek “consent of operation” from the board under the Water Act, 1976. Similarly, the poultry farms having over 5,000 birds in a single location will have to be registered with the local bodies.

The poultry farms will have to be located at a distance of 500 metres from a residential area and 1,000 metres from the major drinking water reservoir. Besides, they will be at least 500 metres from the nearby poultry, dairy or livestock industries. As per bylaws, poultry sheds should not be located within 200 metres of public roads.

As per new bylaws, the poultry farm owners will have to raise greenbelts around the poultry farms with a minimum of two rows at a distance of less than 3 metres.

The rules laid a clear procedure for the disposal of dead birds, their feathers and litter within or outside the premises of the poultry farms. The norms also make the erection and operation of the incinerators according to the Biomedical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998, mandatory for the poultry farms.

They also advocated that proper drainage/outlet for the collection and discharge should be provided for storm runoff/discharge from the poultry farms. Specific guidelines for manure, storage, minimisation of odour and disposal of solid waste have also been specified in the bylaws.

The bylaws seems to be an off-shoot of a public interest litigation petition filed by president of the Shivalik Vikas Manch Vijay Bansal in the Punjab and Haryana High Court last year. In Barwala-Raipur Rani belt alone, there are over 150 poultry farms having nearly one crore birds.

Chandigarh, January 31
The Government Medical Speciality Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, has received flak over the deplorable working conditions from one of its former doctors, who is accused of wrong blood transfusion in the infamous Sumam case, in the written arguments recorded before the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission here today.

Dr Navdeep Kaur, the then intern at the GMSH, in her defence statement recorded before Justice (Retd) Sham Sunder, president, State Consumer Commission, revealed that the episode of wrong transfusion was a “mistake” which occurred due to the “extremely trying and deplorable circumstances” in which GMSH staff had to work.

Dr Kaur claimed, “GMSH is under-staffed and instead of recruiting full time doctors, the GMSH gives contractual appointments of three months to each doctors. With the rush of patients being huge, all norms, protocols and facilities in the hospital are severely tested if existent.

There is a shortage of every facility/implement required. In the absence of these, doctors are forced to work under extremely trying and deplorable circumstances,” she elaborated.

Sanjay Kaushal, senior standing counsel for the Chandigarh administration, could not present himself before the commission to argue on behalf of the GMSH, on account of which the case had to be adjourned to February 13, as an opportunity for oral arguments and orders.

Navdeep said she was only an intern and under training and did not receive any honorarium from the hospital and therefore she could not be held liable under the Consumer Act. Besides Dr Kaur, Dr Kirti Sood and Dr Manpreet Kaur also appeared before the commission to get their written statements recorded.

Dr Manpreet Kaur, house surgeon, relying on a RTI reply by the CPIO of Medical Superintendent, General Hospital, contended that Medical Officer Dr Neeru Kapoor and DNB Dr Ritika were the senior supervising doctors who should also be held liable for the incident.

Dr Kirti Sood, Blood Bank Lab Technician, challenged the findings of the SDM inquiry report saying she had already filed a representation in this regard with the Governor of Punjab and Administrator, UT, Chandigarh, on November 25, 2011.

It may be recalled that consumer activist Pankaj Chandgothia had filed a compensation claim of

Rs 98 lakh against the hospital and doctors for gross medical negligence and wrong blood transfusion to Suman on December 16, 2010, which resulted in the death of foetus.

Chandgothia contended that the Chandigarh administration had appointed Kavle V Parshuram, SDM, as the inquiry officer, who had submitted his report on January 3, 2011, holding the three doctors of the GMSH guilty of gross medical negligence.

While admitting the negligence of its doctors in transfusing wrong blood to Suman on December 16, 2010, the GMSH in its written arguments filed to the commission on January 17 last had denied its liability to pay compensation under the Consumer Protection Act. The written arguments stated that the three guilty doctors were liable for medical negligence as per the conclusive findings of the inquiry report submitted by SDM (South) KV Parshuram under orders by the administration.