NEIGHBOURHOOD

Expel traitors, says Cong candidate
They had supported PPP, SAD candidates in Assembly polls
Our Correspondent

Fatehgarh Sahib, February 2
Kuljeet Singh Nagra, Congress candidate from Fatehgarh Sahib Assembly constituency has demanded the expulsion of those Congress leaders, who worked against the interest of the party in the Assembly elections by supporting the PPP and SAD candidates. He said these leaders had lost the moral right to be called Congressmen as they proved to be traitors.

Addressing mediapersons here yesterday, Nagra said that Lakhbir Singh Rai, former DCC president, Amrinder Singh Libra and Pardeep Malhotra all were aspirants for the Congress ticket from Fatehgarh Sahib but the party allotted the ticket to him.

He said Lakhbir Rai and Pardeep Malhotra filed their nominations but later withdrew from the contest. He said that Capt. Amrinder Singh, president PPCC, appointed Lakhbir Rai as the chairman of campaign committee for Fatehgarh Sahib and Amrinder Libra as its member. He said that he visited their houses many times to request them to campaign for him but instead of helping him all these three so called Congress leaders allegedly opposed him openly.

They supported the PPP and SAD candidates, so they are traitors of the 
party.

He said that he had written to the party high command and had been informing the AICC strict observer for the constituency from time to time in this regard. He said disciplinary action should be initiated, so that an example could be set. He declared that he would oppose these persons tooth and nail and won’t allow them to hold any office in the Congress government and in the party. 

Pvt schools oppose Haryana order
25% seats to economically weaker section students
Our Correspondent

Ambala, February 2
The Federation of Private Schools in a meeting here today opposed the order of the Haryana education department in which it directed the public and private schools of the state to admit 25 per cent students of economical weaker section (EWS) of their total strength in their institutions without charging any fees and funds from them. Around 150 schools participated in the meeting.

Kulbhushan Sharma, president of the federation, said it was not possible for the private school to provide 25 per cent share of their total seats to EWS students as most of the schools were already running in losses. He said that most of the managements of the private schools would have to shut their institutions if the government forced them to implement the order.

He said that if the government was serious to provide a better education to BPL students, It should decide on a reimbursement formula with the consent of private schools. He said that a delegation of the federation would soon meet Chief Minister Bhupender Singh Hooda to brief him of their compulsion to implement the order. Some of the leaders of the federation were of the view that the federation should challenge the order of the department in the court of law.

Chandigarh, February 2
The second-hand book market near the Sector-15 petrol station is here to stay. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has slammed shut the chapter of its shifting to a new location.

Dismissing the petition against the current location of the kiosks, offering rare and contemporary books, the high court has asserted that the Administration has not “committed any error in granting the sites for the resettlement of booksellers”.

The market was initially located near the Panjab University gate, on the road separating Sectors 14 and 15, but was relocated to its new site, near the subway at Sector 15.

Aggrieved by the action, Ashutosh Vermani and other petitioners had moved the high court against the Chandigarh Administration and other respondents.

In their petition placed before the Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Mahesh Grover, the petitioners putting up in Sector 15-B claimed the makeshift structures opposite their houses were “eyesores”. The petitioners contended these structures were also in complete violation of the area’s zoning plan.

Going into the background of the issue, the Bench asserted the booksellers dealing with pre-used books were initially “operating from the areas meant for pedestrians opposite the university gate” in the Sector 15 main market. The activity “resulted in a traffic hazard, when people stopped to buy books from them”.

The Bench added: “With the laudable objective of solving this problem, the site in question was chosen by the Administration to provide temporary structures so as to rehabilitate these booksellers and also to avoid a traffic hazard created by their activities in the previous site….

“It is evident that the site in the zoning plan originally was shown as a public space and meant for use of landscape features, educational, public and community buildings and public amenities.

“With a conscious decision, the change of land use was permitted by the Chief Administrator, Chandigarh, for resettlement of book sellers' platforms, in respect of the sites in Sector 15-A….

“On due consideration of the matter, we are of the opinion that the Administration by way of abundant caution had granted the change of land use for resettlement of the book sellers' platforms….

“The original purpose enshrined in the zoning plan gave an ample elbowroom to them to carve out such sites, keeping in view the fact that the site was originally meant for educational purposes.

“In our opinion, the sale of books by creating infrastructure for them would certainly be a step in this direction more so, when the area is surrounded by colleges and the university”.

Rohit Bajaj

Panchkula, February 2
Turning his father’s dream into reality, Rohit Bajaj, student of a local college, has made a name in roller skating. He is playing since 2001 and has won a total of 90 medals, 55 gold, 18 silver and 17 bronze. He has been awarded by the Chandigarh Administration and the Panchkula district administration.

He has been given an award of excellence by the DAV managing committee. “My father wants to see me in a garland of medals. I think he must be proud of me. I have represented the state many a time,” he said.

“It feels great to achieve new heights. Roller skating has given me a name. Now it is a part of my life. I will continue to dedicate time to it. My dream is to represent the nation one day. I hope that I will do so,” he said.

Chandigarh, February 2
The local challengers in the IPL (Indian Premier League), Kings XI (Punjab), will organise the KXIP Cup in a T20 format from February 4 at the cricket stadium of Sector 16 here.

The tournament will be played under the league format and over 70 cricketers will participate in the tourney. League match: KXI Red vs KXI Blue (PCA Stadium, Mohali), KXI Green vs KXI Grey (PCA Stadium, Mohali), KXI Blue vs KXI Grey (cricket stadium, Sector 16), KXI Red vs KXI Green(cricket stadium, Sector 16), KXI Red vs KXI Grey (cricket stadium, Sector 16), KXI Blue vs KXI Green (cricket stadium, Sector 16).