Chandigarh, November 29
Waking up from deep slumber, the municipal corporation today removed a tent pitched on the rear side of the house of former Punjab DGP Shashi Kant, which was being used as a temporary shelter for his security guards.

Shashi Kant, who had earlier maintained that there was no “encroachment or any kind of illegal activity”, was left with no other option today when a municipal corporation team, led by Kashmira Singh, Superintendent, Enforcement Wing, reached his residence (house number 1258) in Sector 18. MC officials told the occupants of the house to remove the tent.

MC employees and Shashi Kant's security staff removed the tent. Shashi Kant's security staff used to stay in the tent. While removing the tent, four folding beds and 10 trunks were found inside it.

Chandigarh, November 29
The Chandigarh Administration has kept on hold approval of the revised building plans of the Chandigarh Club and the Golf Club till the clubs pay the revised lease money, which runs into crores of rupees.

The approval of the building plans has been put on hold by the office of the UT Chief Architect.

The decision was taken after the management of the Chandigarh Club applied to the plan approval committee (PAC), Upper, for nod to a revised building plan. The Finance Secretary, in a recent inter-departmental communication to the Chief Architect, had stated that nod to building plans be stopped till the lease money was cleared.

While the Administration has already directed the management of the Golf Club to pay over Rs 9 crore as lease money for the five-year period, ending March 15, 2013, a decision on the revised lease money of the Chandigarh Club is in the final stages.

Sources said under the revised "zoning plan" of the Golf Club, approved in 2008, building violations were compoundable subject to the payment of a fee. “The compoundable violations will be regularised under the approved 'zoning' once the lease money is paid," said an official of the Union Territory.

In case of the Golf Club, the UT estate office has asked the club to pay a lease money of Rs 13.44 lakh (which comes to Rs 1.61 crore annually) as the rent for the constructed building and another Rs 10,000 per acre per annum for 130.6 acres of open land being maintained as the "greens".

The lease money of the Chandigarh Club is being worked out.

Though a lease money of around Rs 5 lakh per month had been calculated, a report on the nature of violations at the Chandigarh Club had been sought by the Administration.

The sources said the management of the Chandigarh Club had applied for a nod 
to a revised plan as the unapproved structures were spread over 1.5 acres.

Sandeep Sahni, president of the Chandigarh Club, said, “The decision of the Administration had been conveyed to club. We are taking up the matter with the Administration.”

Chandigarh, November 29
Young classical musician Shubhendra Rao gave spell bound performances in three different places today. The event was organised by SPIC MACAY -The Society for Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth. The performance of Shubhendra Rao, known for playing sitar, held at St Stephens School, Chandigarh, followed by another performance at the music department of the PU. His last performance of the day was at Command Hospital, Chandimandir.

A protégé of the world-renowned sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, Shubhendra has established himself not only as a master of his instrument but also as a thinking musician. He has performed at major music festivals and concert halls like Broadway and Carnegie Hall in New York, WOMAD festival in Guernsey, UK,

In November 2007, he was presented with the Youth Icon for Classical Music award by Zee Television Network.

Chandigarh, November 29
The statement of another beneficiary in the PGI paper leak case was recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC before the Magistrate today. Venkatesh B, an MBBS doctor, told the Magistrate that he passed out in 2011 and hailed from Hyderabad.

He was junior to Dr Gangadhar Reddy, the prime accused in the scam, after Gurivi Reddy. Venkatesh is the second beneficiary doctor to have recorded his statements before the Magistrate.

On November 26, another beneficiary Krishna Reddy from Andhra Pradesh, had recorded his statements before the Magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC. Both the beneficiaries were likely to become prosecution witnesses for the CBI at a later stage of the case, sources said.

While recording his statement, Venkatesh told the Magistrate that he was contacted by Dr Reddy as they stayed in the same apartment in Andhra Pradesh. He was assured of clearing the exam.

He had struck a deal for Rs 40 lakh with Dr Gurivi Reddy and Dr Gangadhar Reddy and had paid the amount through a cheque. He was then brought to Chandigarh to appear in the exam according to Gurivi Reddy’s plan.

The CBI has so far questioned four beneficiaries in the case. Sources said Venkatesh’s statement would be a crucial evidence.

Gurivi Reddy had planted as many as eight decoy candidates during the exam. They were given the job of leaking the paper through Bluetooth and other devices.

The paper was to be e-mailed to Dr Gangadhar Reddy and the solved paper was to be sent back to the beneficiaries. The CBI had arrested 15 people, including eight decoy candidates and seven other accused in the case.

Mohali, November 29
The countdown for a 10-storeyed building to be built in just 48 hours at the Synergy Thrislington, Phase 1, Industrial Area, began at 4.30 pm the moment Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal launched the unique project here today.

The ground floor was ready in just 52 minutes. By 8.30 pm, almost three floors had been completed.

“The aim is to complete the building in 48 hours, which seems unbelievable, but with this technology it is possible. We are showing the construction process to people here,” said a visibly elated Harpal Singh, CMD, Synergy Thrislington, the brain behind the project.

The official, who was present at the site, claimed that it would take about one hour and a half to complete each storey.

In the first of its kind project in the country, named ‘Instacon’, as many as 200 highly skilled workers, with the help of three cranes, would work round the clock to achieve the feat. The construction is being videographed. More than 200 tonne of steel would be used in the construction of the building. Steel floors and insulated walls are put together to construct a floor to the building. The ground floor would be furnished completely within the set timeframe.

Appreciating the concept, Sukhbir Badal said it was a revolutionary technology. “Such a concept of rapid construction will definitely help in the progress of the state and the country,” said Badal.

Harpal Singh said all the major parts of the building were manufactured in the factory, pre-fitted with floors, water supply, wirings, sanitation, air conditioning ducts, etc. “These parts are then placed on state-of-the-art vehicles, which transport them to the site. More than 80 per cent of the work is done in the factory. Concrete is used only in the foundations and three-inch floorings in this nut-and-bolt structure. Materials like bricks, sand or gravel are not used,” said Harpal Singh, adding that the façade of the building is double-skinned PUF panel that ensures thermal insulation.

This construction mechanism has been approved by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Structural Engineering Research Centre (CSIR-SERC), Chennai. The model has also been cleared for the Zone V seismic area.

The technology would help in saving energy in comparison to the traditional method of construction. One can start getting revenue from an investment within days. The cost is almost the same as incurred using the conventional techniques, claimed Harpal Singh.

Chandigarh, November 29
“We keep on reading and hearing about accidents and pass them off as they cannot happen to us. But the truth is that road accidents can happen to anyone,” said Jasraj Bhatti, late Jaspal Bhatti's son.

Still trying to come to terms with the tragedy involving the road accident that claimed his father Jaspal Bhatti’s and event manager Navneet Joshi’s life last month, Jasraj Bhatti said fastening of seat belts on the rear seats should also be made mandatory.

Jaspal Bhatti’s family joined the Chandigarh traffic police in promoting road safety during the inauguration of an updated version of the website of the traffic police at the police headquarters today. UT DGP PK Srivastava launched the updated website of the Chandigarh traffic police. The website has been created by Harman Sidhu, chairman of an NGO.

“I was the only person in the car that day, who was wearing a seat belt so I survived. Two hours before the mishap I was sitting on the rear seat and my father swapped the seats with me. Both my father Jaspal and close friend Navneet could not survive the mishap. Had the seat belts been compulsory while sitting on the rear seat, things might have been different today,” said Jasraj Bhatti.

UT DGP said they would send a proposal to challan the offenders for not wearing seat belt while sitting on the rear seats. “We were working hard for the movie and my father could not see the premiere of the film. Traffic is a very serious issue and we will make a short advertisements, promoting road safety,” said Jasraj.

Chandigarh, November 29
For the past three years, November was considered as the driest month as per the Met department's records. Following the same pattern this year also, the month had received 0.1 mm rainfall today. The highest rainfall recorded in November was in 2009, which was recorded at 14.8 mm. In the past two years, the Met department had recorded minimal rainfall in November due to which the period of dry months extended from October to November.

Met department Director Surinder Pal Singh said October had been considered as the driest month of the year but due to delay in rainfall this year the dry period extended to November. He said even though the city had received rainfall today due to which there was dip in the temperature but there was no hope for more showers in the coming weeks.

The reports of the Met Department revealed that due to snowfall in the hills, the city had received rainfall which would cause a dip in the mercury level by four to five degree celsius in the coming days. The officials said the change in weather condition was attributed to the combined affect of the weather systems (western disturbance), prevailing over Jammu and Kashmir.

Panchkula, November 29
A sambar died after a speeding car hit it near the Suraj cinema in Sector 1 here this evening. The Bolero vehicle, which hit the sambar, overturned and its three occupants, a woman, her daughter and son, got stuck inside. Later, the Panchkula police arrived at the spot and it rescued the three.

The car driver, Jaiveer Singh, was reportedly driving at a neck-break speed and in a bid to overtake another car he lost control over it and hit the sambar.

Mohali, November 26
Mohali has its fair share of beggars and others without a roof over their heads. But surprisingly, it seems nobody wants to make use of the municipal night shelter for the homeless.

With the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) failing to allot land for a “raen basera" for those without shelter, the Municipal Corporation has provided the facility, abiding by the directions of the Supreme Court passed in this regard.

In February, the civic body renovated a few rooms lying vacant at the sadar octroi naka adjoining the fire brigade office in the Industrial Area, turning these into a night shelter equipped with beds, bedding and the water and toilet facilities for 15 persons. The civic body spent about Rs 10 lakh on the shelter. Since the shelter was set up 10 months ago, no homeless person, including beggar, has availed himself of the facility. Over the period, three or four persons, who had come to the town on personal work, have stayed in the shelter from time to time. A beggar who was staying in Phase XI here was brought to the shelter by civic body officials following complaints by shopkeepers that he was creating unhygienic conditions in the market.

Interestingly, the man disappeared from the "raen basera" within a few hours of being brought there. Corporation officials say beggars generally have their "addas" in the town such as places of worship and markets and at night sleep in places like shop verandas or bus queue shelters. These persons without shelter are usually unwilling to leave their "addas" and go to the "raen basera" for the night.

During a survey carried out in 2010 on the directions of the Supreme Court, the civic body had identified 34 persons who did not have any kind of shelter of their own. Poor people were found sleeping on the roadside and in bus queue shelters in different parts of the town, including the industrial area. Some of the identified persons were rickshaw-pullers while others were beggars. The civic body had earlier written to the GMADA authorities for providing land for the “raen basera".

It is learnt that the civic body had asked the development authority to transfer land measuring 1.61 acres, which it had vacated from encroachers, to the civic body for the construction of the building. It also wanted GMADA to construct the building.

Panchkula, November 29
Finally, the Panchkula Administration has woken up and got the encroachments made outside bureaucrats’ houses cleared in Panchkula this evening. A joint team of the Municipal Corporation (MC) and the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) visited the encroachment spots highlighted by Chandigarh Tribune and removed a temporary toilet and tents.

A temporary toilet, which was constructed near Haryana Assistant Director General of Police (ADGP) MS Mann’s residence in Sector-6, Panchkula, has been dismantled and even the tent pitched outside former Punjab Chief Secretary Jai Singh Gill’s house in Sector 6, Panchkula, has been removed.

“Rules are rules. Whosoever the encroacher may be, we have to take action. No one is entitled to defy the Punjab and Haryana High Court orders and that is the reason, we took this necessary action,” said OP Sihag, Executive Officer of the Panchkula Municipal Corporation(MC).

Earlier, Haryana Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Urban Local Bodies, Ram Niwas had pulled up the officials over the issue. 

Chandigarh, November 29
Were you present at the site of the said accident? Has the CTU conducted any inquiry regarding the subject of accident? If yes, who conducted the said inquiry and what are the findings thereof?

The complainant’s lawyer in the Anupama death case has shot a detailed list of questions, including the above-mentioned ones, to the CTU in response to the CTU General Manager’s contention during the previous hearing that “Anupama had tried to board the bus while it was running and due to her own negligence, she fell and suffered an injury.”

While supporting all the 36 questions raised by Anupama’s counsel, 14 to the CTU and 22 to the PGIMER, the UT consumer forum has directed both the CTU and the PGIMER to file word-to-word reply to each of the questions by December 18.

During the last hearing, the PGIMER had claimed that owing to a heavy rush of patients, Anupama was taken up for surgery only in the night of July 19 while she was admitted to the hospital on July 17, since there were eight other patients lined up for "serious open fracture surgeries" prior to Anupama.

Countering this statement, Anupama’s counsel, Pankaj Chandgothia has asked, “Who decides about the urgency of operations required and on what basis? Should Anupama have not been given preference for operation over all other patients of “open fracture surgeries”, since in addition to having an “open fracture” she had infection/sepsis/gangrene also?”

Anupama, a student of Government Model School Sector 18, died on July 24, after she was brought to the PGI on July 17 when her leg was crushed under the rear tyre of a CTU bus.

Her parents alleged that Anupama died due to negligence on the part of the hospital staff. Following Anupama’s death, an internal inquiry was conducted which gave a clean chit to the doctors involved in her treatment.

Following this, an external probe committee was constituted to look into the matter. The report of the committee, however, is yet to be submitted.

Chandigarh, November 29
The South Indian languages such as Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil have lost their charm as there are no takers for these languages for the last many years. The university has now decided to keep these courses in abeyance.

The Academic Council of the university has recommended that the upgradation of syllabus and examination relating to the traditional languages such as Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali should be kept in abeyance as there are no students for these subjects for the last many years. The council has also included Arabic language, which, too, failed to attract the young generation.

VK Tewari, PU Dean, Languages, said before taking the decision a survey was conducted to know the popularity of these subjects among the students. “Although there are no takers for these subjects for the last many years, yet we scrutinised the records from 2009 onwards and found that not even a single student had opted for these subjects,” Tewari said. Tewari further said the subjects could be revived if required and the council had decided not to scrap the subjects permanently rather recommended to keep them in abeyance. “If students want to learn the languages then the courses can be revived,” Tewari said.

Panjab University Teachers Association (PUTA) president Mohammed Khalid said there were neither students nor teachers for the subjects. “The teachers, who taught the languages, retired over a decade back. Moreover, the students never showed any interest to learn these languages,” Khalid said.

The decision taken by the Academic Council will be tabled before the Syndicate for its final nod. 

Chandigarh, November 29
Many organise seminars, some put up hoardings to sensitise people about HIV but the students of the Centre for Social Works of Punjab University have innovated a new way. Around 11 PU students and two faculty members underwent the HIV test at the PGI to send a message among youths and encouraging them to undergo the HIV test before getting married. This is a part of the campaign to mobilise youngsters against AIDS.

With an aim to set an example for others, the first year students of the Social Work Department voluntarily underwent the HIV test today. Aditya Kaushik, one of the students who underwent the test, said he wanted to send a message and everyone should opt for the test for a safe future. “The reports will be kept confidential and there is nothing to worry about,” he said.

Ankush Sharma, another student, said HIV Counselling and Testing (VCT) was one of the key strategies in the HIV prevention and control programmes, however, the utilisation of the service was very low. The students have planned to mobilise youngsters in the university about the VCT.

It was not only boys but the girl students also volunteered for the HIV test. Aakriti Negi, said girls should come forward to join the campaign for spreading awareness regarding the disease. Besides the students, faculty members Gaurav Gaur and Prashant Sharma also underwent the HIV test.

Gaurav Gaur said the country should focus on reducing HIV related stigma. “ The rural people with low socio-economic position and youngsters should be given priority while designing, expanding and implementing the VCT services,” Gaur said. Gaur along with the students of his department has begun a signature campaign to help the HIV positive people in getting their right of having insurance benefits. 

Students of Gurukul School during an interaction in Panchkula on Thursday. A tribune Photograph

Doon International School, Mohali, celebrated its ninth annual festival on Thursday. S Sikander Singh Malluka, Education Minister, Punjab, was the chief guest. CS Mann, managing director of the school, welcomed the chief guest. The annual report of the school was presented by the student council.

International Informatics Olympiad-2012

IT Department of DAV School, Mohali, organised the 9th International Informatics Olympiad-2012 in association with the Computer Literacy Foundation, New Delhi . Dr Rosy Sharma, principal of the school said the computer technology had made the teaching-learning process more interesting.

Painting competition on energy conservation

A painting competition on the theme of "Energy Conservation", conducted by the Ministry of Power and Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Government of India, was organised at Gian Jyoti Public School, Phase 2, Mohali, on Thursday. The students presented many drawings on the theme. Shreya Attri of Class V and Mansi of class IV stood first and second respectively.

Students attend exhibition

Students of Saupin’s School, Sector 70, Mohali, attended the exhibition, hosted by the Indian Army at Dussehra Ground, Mohali. The exhibition showcased an array of weapons and communication technologies possessed by the Indian Army. The students of classes IV and V availed the opportunity and observed the working of tanks.

Gurpurb celebrated

Pathfinder High School, Sector 69, Mohali, celebrated the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. A 'langar' was organised for the students and staff of the school. The orphan children of Gur Asra Orphanage joined the the gurpurb celebrations.

Sweaters distributed

It was a moment of great pride for the students of GSSS, Dhanas, when their school was selected by BKW Charitable Trust for the donation of sweaters on Thursday. DR BKN Walia former Director, PGI, and chairman of the trust distributed about100 sweaters to the poor and needy students. He asked the students to concentrate on their studies.

Interactive session held

A lecture-cum-interactive session on the theme of “Social Etiquettes and Peer Pressure” was held for the students of Bhavan Vidyalaya, Sector 15, Panchkula, by Dr Manisha Sahni, director of Health Plus. The session highlighted the acceptable behaviour that youngsters needed to exhibit at public places. She said a child should decide what is right or wrong.

Fancy dress competition

A fancy dress competition was held by the pre-primary wing of DC Model Senior Secondary School,Panchkula, on Thursday . The theme for the competition was "Nature and Mythological Characters. The students left the judges perplexed as all the performances were equally good. Principal Usha Gupta appreciated the efforts of the students and asked the teachers to make the best of their efforts by improving their skills.

Prize distribution function

A valedictory and prize distribution function was held on the premises of Moti Ram Arya Senior Secondary Model School, Sector 27 A , Chandigarh, on Thursday . The event was organised to sum up the week long activities that were held in the memory of the death anniversary of former president Hardayal Mahajan. Honourable president of the school, Anil Mahajan, gave away the prizes. — TNS