Chandigarh, October 9
Those who got their industrial sites converted under the controversial conversion policy in Industrial Area, Phase I and II, are in for a shock.

The collector rate of the converted plots that are lying vacant have been fixed at Rs 2,05,920 per sq yard which is at par with the prime commercial properties in other parts of the city, excluding Sector 17, Madhya Marg and on the road separating Sectors 22, 35 and 34. The decision to fix the new collector rate for such plots has been taken by the committee headed by Deputy Commissioner Mohammed Shayin.

This means that for a 2,000 sq yard vacant converted plot in Industrial Area, the collector rate would be Rs 41,18,40,000 and the buyer will now have to pay a stamp duty of Rs 1,23,55,200 (3 per cent of the collector rate in case of a leasehold plot) and Rs 2,05,92,000 (5 percent of the collector rate in case of freehold plot).

Similarly, for a 4,000 sq yard vacant converted plot, the collector rate would be Rs 82,36,80,000. With this, the buyer will have to pay a stamp duty of 2,47,10,400 (3 per cent of the collector rate in case of a leasehold plot) and Rs 4,11,84,000 (5 per cent in case of a freehold plot).

Last month, the administration had increased the collector rates of commercial and residential properties by 10 per cent.

However, members of the Converted Plot Owners' Association are not happy with the decision of the UT Administration. Chander Verma, president of the association, said that when the conversion policy was made, it was decided that the factors like disadvantage of location, relaxation in floor area ratio would be considered while deciding the collector rates of converted plots in Industrial Area.

Chander Verma questioned that how the administration could finalise the rates of plots in Industrial Area at par with the SCOs in other parts of the city. In Industrial Area, owners have to provide parking on their premises but in SCOs, the Municipal Corporation provides parking in front of their showrooms. Besides, the condition of roads in Industrial Area was bad compare to other roads in the city. Verma added that for a 2,000 sq yard plot, the buyer would now have to pay a stamp duty on around Rs 41 crore, but the market rate of the similar plot is not more than Rs 30 crore.

A senior official of the UT Administration said that earlier there were collector rates for industrial plots and converted plots in which commercial activities have started. But there was no category of those plots that had been converted but no commercial activity was going on such plots as they were still vacant.

As there were no rates finalised for such plots, the estate office was finding it difficult to deal with the registration of such plots. Recently, a proposal was forward to finalise collector rates of such plots as well, the official added.

A note written on the returned letter: ‘Maut ho chuki hai’ (the person is dead). Tribune photo: S Chandan

"I got the letter back today from the Panchkula post office. When I asked the postmaster concerned why he returned the letter, he said the person whom I had sent the letter was already dead," said Syal.

He suffered a shock when he heard that Singh was no more. When Syal called to know about Singh's death, the 'deceased' picked up the phone and said that nothing had happened to him and he was alive. "He answered my call and I asked him that are you alive? He said what will happen to me… see I am talking to you and fit and fine," said Syal.

Syal retired from the power corporation and wanted to send some important income tax IT papers to Singh who deals with the pension matters too.

When contacted, postmaster at the Panchkula post office, Sector 15, Rajesh Kumar said: "We returned the letter because we were informed by the Chandigarh post office at Sector 17 that the person had died."

When contacted, senior postmaster of the Chandigarh post office Narender Kumar said: "I will check with my delivery staff as to why alive person has been declared dead."

Chandigarh, October 9
Resentment against policemen is growing. In yet another case of police personnel being assaulted, two constables of the cheetah squad of the Police Control Room (PCR) were beaten up near the Attawa roundabout in Sector 36 last night.

They were patrolling on bikes at night when they were beaten up with sticks and their uniform was torn. The police managed to nab only one of the assailants and three of them managed to flee.

The incident took place at 12.30 am when the police control room received a call of a quarrel at the Attawa roundabout. The two constables, identified as Dei Ram and Vikas, signalled a bike to stop. The motorcyclists abused the police and tried to flee. The two constables, who were also on bike, chased the two youths and a violent scuffle ensued. The youths started beating up the two constables. They also called their accomplices who also thrashed the constables with sticks.

The police reached the spot and arrested Mukesh, a resident of Kajheri. His accomplices, however, managed to flee. A case has been registered at the Sector 36 police station.

Sub-inspector Rajeev Kumar, in charge, Sector 43 police post, said efforts were on to arrest the accused.

Chandigarh, October 9
Two girls, aged 14 years, both daughters of UT police constables, became victims of eve-teasing when a youth in a Lancer car allegedly passed comments and also threatened them in the Sector 40 market today.

Chandigarh, October 9
In the name of organising five-day Mini Olympics-2012, a city-based private firm, under the patronage of the Chandigarh Olympic Association (COA), seems to have thrown all norms to wind if the opening day of the event was any indication.

The first day witnessed players from other states participating in the tourney. Schoolzworld.com, the organisers were seen charging hefty amount from the participants in the name of the entry fee and were seen conducing ‘non-affiliated’ games. The players were not even provided basic amenities like potable water on the field. The fields were not properly marked and the matches were conducted in the absence of field umpires.

Incidentally, the Chandigarh Olympic Association has not organised the Chandigarh state games since 2005, but has shown interest in supporting the private firm in organising the Mini Olympics.

When contacted, officials of the Chandigarh Olympics Association distanced themselves from the flaws and said Schoolzworld.com was organising the event.

Chandigarh, October 9
The MC and UT authorities are still reluctant to implement the house tax in the city despite the fact that the UT Administration is losing on the grant-in-aid that it receives from the Centre.

In June, a cut of Rs 10 crore was confirmed by the Union Government on the grant-in -aid under the JNNRUM to the Union Territory. The UT Administration however is adopting a lackadaisical approach and has not yet asked the municipal corporation to impose the house tax at the earliest.

The UT administration has only been issuing instructions for the past more than a year to the corporation about the imposition of house tax and sending them reminders, but no stringent action has been taken by the administration for imposition of the tax.

UT Home Secretary Anil Kumar said that the administration had asked the corporation to impose house tax as it was their duty to do so. He said that the administration wanted to give enough time to the corporation to impose it before taking any action on their own.

In April, at a joint meeting with the UT and MC officials on the budget of the corporation, UT Administrator Shivraj Patil had directed the administration to send a letter to the corporation for imposing house tax or else the authorities would initiate action on their own in this regard.

During the meeting, officials of the administration raised objection that despite a number of reminders sent to the corporation, it had not taken any action to impose house tax in the city. In August, Mayor Raj Bala Malik had assured the administration that the House Tax Committee would soon draft the slabs of the tax and table it in the general house meeting for its approval. But the fact is that till date the House Tax Committee has not asked the MC officials to prepare a draft of slabs or conduct any survey on the categories of the house in the city.

Chandigarh, October 9
Defending its stand on rounding up school students who were found in an inebriated state in the classroom yesterday, the police today said their action was never harsh and they had only acted upon the information received at the police control room.

The police had yesterday rounded up four students of Gyandeep School in Sector 20 who were found in an inebriated state inside the classroom. The police’s action has received flak from the city’s sociologists who term the police’s action as too severe. They felt that the police could have dealt with the issue in a subtle way.

The students were brought to the police station and then taken for medical examination at the Government Multi Speciality Hospital in Sector 16 where their medical examination was conducted.

“Our action was never harsh. We had received a call at the police control room that some school students are drinking inside the school premises. We then entered the school and found the information to be true. The medical examination of the students was conducted since we suspected them to be drunk. We only prepared a report and sent it to the DPI (Schools) and no case has been registered so far,” said SP (city) Desraj Singh.

Chandigarh, October 9
At a weekly crime review meeting held at the Police Headquarters here today, the police officers were taught managerial skills.

SP (city) Desraj Singh, who convened the meeting, told the SHOs to be adept in managing police station. The SHOs were directed to follow all Standard Operating Procedures and to maintain monitoring registers.

Explaining the importance of revision, the SP asked the police officers to revise all entries and to keep a track of all court cases. He told the officers to prepare themselves for every court hearing. He also asked the officers to be thorough with the case procedures.

For improving infrastructure in police stations, a weekly survey of each police station would be conducted to know its deficiencies. For better coordination and work culture, the SHOs were asked to hold meetings with the staff twice daily. The SP further emphasised that the SHO should have a sympathetic view towards the genuine problems of the staff and there should be no favouritism.

Besides, the police officers were also trained to be polite and courteous while dealing with the staff and public. — TNS

Panchkula, October 9
High drama was witnessed at the general hospital in Sector 6 this afternoon when a patient’s attendant was allegedly manhandled by a female laboratory technician here today. Yogita Gaba, a resident of Sector 7, Panchkula, had gone to the hospital to get the blood test report of her sister-in-law when she was allegedly slapped by the technician.

“Yogita had asked the lab technician to give the reports but she was asked to wait. After having waited for a long time, she asked again for the reports at which the lady technician misbehaved with her and also slapped her,” said Kishan Singh, a resident of Raipurrani, who was present on the spot.

“Later a number of other lab technicians came on the spot and started manhandling Yogita,” he added.

When contacted, the Principal Medical officer (PMO), Usha Gupta, said, "There are so many patients that the staff gets overburdened. But I have marked an enquiry to the RMO.”

Chandigarh, October 9
The visit of the Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi to Panjab University on October 11 has received strong opposition from various student organisations that feel the campus is turning into an arena for the national politics. The student organisations demanded that the permission for holding the event should be cancelled.

The event is being organised by the Panjab University Campus Student Council (PUCSC) and the National Student’s Union of India (NSUI).

Members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Student Organisation of India (SOI), Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and Panjab University Students’ Union (PUSU) criticised the university authorities for allowing the event to take place on the campus.

SFI leaders, in their representation to the authorities, opposed the “political visit” of Rahul Gandhi. “SFI also condemns the permission to conduct such a political rally at an academic institution,” SFI leader Loveneet Thakur said.

PUSU leaders threatened that if the the permission to hold the event was not withdrawn immediately, they would stage a protest against the PU authorities. “The performance by a Punjabi singer with blaring music will also be disturbing the classes as the venue is in the open and not the auditorium,” said PUSU leader Sumit Goklaney.

Chandigarh, October 9
The protesting students of the Chandigarh College of Engineering and Technology (CCET), Sector 26, have approached the UT Administration, seeking its intervention in addressing their problems. The students met Additional Secretary (Home) Prerna Puri and discussed their problems with her.

After the meeting, students said that they had been given an assurance that all the issues would be considered on a priority basis.

The students, meanwhile, boycotted the classes for the second day. After their meeting with the UT officials, students also met the college principal.

The students, after the meeting, decided to resume their classes from tomorrow if the principal addressed the students in the morning and discussed the action taken report with them.

Chandigarh, October 9
Panjab University Campus Student Council (PUCSC) president and Students’ Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU) leaders met Vice-President Hamid Ansari to press their demand for the Senate representation at New Delhi today.

Making an effort to ensure that the students get a representation in the PU Senate, PUCSC president Satinder Singh and SOPU president Manoj Lubana had a brief meeting with the Vice-President, who is also the Chancellor of the university. The student leaders also submitted a memorandum to him.

Lubana said that the Chancellor had assured them that he would be calling another meeting with the students before finalising the list of the nominated members to the Senate. “We are hopeful of getting a representation for students in the Senate as the Chancellor has again called us for a meeting,” Lubana said.

Lubana said that like the presidents of Panjab University Teachers’ Association (PUTA) and Panjab University Staff Association (PUSA) are permanently nominated to the senate, the PUCSC president should also get a permanent representation.

There are a total of 91 members in the Senate, out of which 36 are nominated by the Vice-President. Elections are held on 47 seats, while two seats are reserved for MLA’s from Punjab, one each from the ruling and the opposition parties. The remaining six seats are occupied by ex-officio members.

The final list of the nominated members would be declared during the last week of this month. The new Senate will come into effect from November 1.