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Budget Bonanza for city, Bansal hits a sixer
Chandigarh, February 26
A new rail link between Chandigarh and Yamuanagar has been announced. The minister also mentioned the Chandigarh-Ludhiana rail link in his budget speech. The minister today took the credit for starting the third Shatabdi Express between Chandigarh and Delhi, taking the total express trains between the national capital and the city to three. Fulfilling his promise, Bansal announced six new express trains from the city. Many long distance trains were not connected to city and the passengers had to travel all the way to Ambala or Delhi to catch the same. To improve the rail connectivity, the minister also extended long distance trains to the city. There trains will connect Chandigarh to Delhi Patna, Bangalore and Goa. A senior official of the Railways revealed that all the demands for better connectivity from the city to south and the central India have been fulfilled in the budget. The minister said by setting up a modern signalling equipment facility at Chandigarh through a public-private partnership, more employment opportunities would be generated for the youth of the tricity. The ministry will impart training to youths in railway related trades at 25 locations across the country and Chandigarh is one of them. The minister also announced setting up of information technology industry in Chandigarh. This industry will help in research and manufacturing of railway signal links and anti-collision devices.
Inadequate infrastructure
New railway line First IT railway industry in region Training centre Residences for employees Budget at a glance
Brawl between Cong workers
New trains Trains that have been extended Change in frequency
Direct trains from Chandigarh to
City’s links with major towns
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Rly Budget a high for Mohali residents too
Several residents, including area’s MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu, termed it as a “big gift” for the people of the town and the decision was being hailed by everyone. He added that with the decision, the long-pending demand of the residents had also been met. “Thousands of people go to Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar from the area daily, the train will be a boon for them”, said Sidhu. Manmant Singh, who resides in Phase 3B1, said that he was very happy with the announcement made. “Earlier, when I used to go to Golden Temple along with my family I used to go there by car. Now, we will opt for the train, as it will become more convenient for us”, said Manmant Singh. While Amrik Singh Walia from Phase 7 felt that with a large number of trains halting here at the local railway station the condition of the railway station would also improve. “Of late, only two or three trains have their stoppages here, so no attention has been paid to the facilities provided to the passengers at the station. When the trains will start halting here regularly, the authorities will have to look into the needs of the passengers”, said Walia.
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Head constable ‘manhandles’ advocate at HC
Chandigarh, February 26
The head constable has been suspended. The complainant, Rupinder Khosla, was slapped by head constable Ramesh Chand at the entry gate number 1. Ranjivan Singh, secretary, Bar Association, said the court had issued radio frequency identification (RIFD) cards to advocates for entering the courts complex, however, about 400 advocates are yet to get the cards which are to be shown at the gates. "As the advocate didn't have the card, he showed his Bar Association membership card, but the head constable misbehaved with him and slapped him," Singh said. Soon the police reached the spot and took the head constable for a medical examination after the advocates alleged that he was under the influence of liquor. An official of the GHSH-16 stated that no traces of liquor were found in his blood. His X-ray was also done to assess the injuries. The medical report is
awaited
Gates closed
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Commuters made to suffer
Panchkula, February 26 The Panchkula-Chandigarh border near the Mansa Devi Complex lights and the housing board witnessed long queues of vehicles. "We faced a tough time. This is no way to lodge a protest. As roads on the Panchkula side were blocked, those coming from Chandigarh,too, had a harrowing time," said Vishal Bhandari, a commuter. While the 500 protesters, blocking the MDC light point, demanded that the Haryana SGPC be constituted, about 250 JBT teachers, were protesting in support of their demands at the housing board light point. "I am getting late for my tuitions," said Jahanvi, a student. A parent said, "I got a call from the school authorities that the school bus was stuck in a jam. The common man is always at the receiving end," said Swati Sharma, a resident of Sector 4, Panchkula.
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Mayor turns down request of councillors
Chandigarh, February 26 The councillors said there were 26 items on the agenda which included seven to eight important issues such as house tax, defining the powers of sub-committees for primary health and recruitment of contractual workers. "We demanded a separate meeting for budget discussion ahead of the house meeting since the budget is to be sent to the UT Administration on February 28, which is mandatory under the Municipal Act. As there are so many important issues on the agenda, it will not be possible to discuss the budget proposals in detail," said BJP councillor Arun Sood. “It appears that the budget will have to be passed without discussion. Last year, a similar thing had happened," Sood stated. The budget has been approved by the Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC) and will now be tabled in the house. The councillors also pointed out that no new project had been proposed in this year's budget. City Mayor Subhash Chawla said, "The budget proposals were discussed in the F&CC meeting and BJP members had also given their consent. So, it was not necessary to hold a special meeting on the budget. All the proposals can be discussed by extending the meeting till late night." The last house meeting was also adjourned and most of the proposals were not taken up. This time, the pending proposals of the last meeting would also be tabled.
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IT professionals take up queries with IG
Chandigarh, February 26 Queries such as why the police called the parents of youngsters driving around the city late at night were posed to the IG. An employee said he was going to Kishangarh when an accident took place. He called up at 100, but the Panchkula police personnel answered the call and when he called up at 1073, the call was transferred to Karnal. The IG said he had written to the police officers of the neighbouring states to inform the Chandigarh Police Control Room on receiving such calls. He said at present there were five telephone lines that connected with the control room and they were planning to increase the number to 15. The employees said the police should check underage driving. They said the women should also wear helmets while riding a two-wheeler. The IG said school authorities should discourage students from driving vehicles. He asked the women employees to come forward and report incidents of eve-teasing. He said girls could lodge their complaint through an e-mail. "In the past two months, we have registered over 135 cases and arrested about 130 eve-teaser," he said. Á play on eve-teasing was also staged.
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Upkeep of parks not MC’s priority
Chandigarh, February 26 Due to the garbage strewn in the park, residents have stopped going for morning walks there. The area councillor, when approached, put the blame on residents for not informing them about the litter. "The area residents should have brought the matter to my notice. The garbage will be lifted form the park," said Harjinder Kaur, area councillor. The religious function was held on the night of February 24. Stink emanating from leftovers and disposable plates has worsened the situation. "It is the responsibility of the MC officials to get the park cleaned up," said a person known to the PCS officer. "It is sad that the authorities have turned a blind eye to the garbage. The host should take care of such things," said a resident. Another resident said, "The situation goes from bad to worse when stray dogs rummage through the garbage. Such functions should not be held in parks," said Renuka.
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Man crushed in drill machine at P’kula factory
Panchkula, February 26 The victim, identified as Ram Ji Dubey, was working at a fabric works factory. He is survived by his wife and three children. The victim hailed from Bihar and was putting up at Dhakoli. “The victim was working when suddenly the sweater which he was wearing touched the machine and in the process, he too was pulled in by the machine,” said Raj Kumar, a fellow worker. The workers at the factory
refused to move the body and demanded immediate compensation for the victim’s family. It is not for the first time that such incidents have taken place while working on machines in a factory. Recently, the right hand of a youth was crushed at the Mansa Devi temple after it came into contact with a dough-mixing machine. The victim, Rajesh, was rushed to General Hospital, Sector 6, Panchkula, where he further was referred to the PGI, Chandigarh.
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Boy falls to death in water tank
Mohali, February 26 He was rushed to the GMSH-16 where doctors declared him brought dead. Surjit was the youngest of the five siblings. Station house officer Samarpreet Singh said the police had not registered a case as Surjit’s father did not suspect foul play behind his death.
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PGI releases biography of founder member
Chandigarh, February 26 Horticulture department excels at flower show The PGI’s Horticulture Department shined at the Rose Festival by winning 12 first prizes and 14 second prizes in pot plants and cut flower categories. The department also participated in the 4th Panjab University Rose Festival and bagged 10 first prizes and 16 second prizes in the same categories. Free treatment for acid attack victim Mohali: In a humanitarian gesture, the Fortis Hospital has decided to bear the entire cost of treating a victim of acid attack. The victim, a 23-year-old girl from Bathinda, is presently undergoing treatment at the hospital. Despite undergoing 13 surgeries, the victim still needs a three-stage scalp reconstruction, hair transplant and eyelid reconstruction, the hospital authorities said.
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Education Dept mulls over vocational courses for pre-matric students
Chandigarh, February 26 The department officials said the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) had launched the National Vocational Education Qualification Framework (NVEQF) from Class IX onwards to strengthen this programme of developing skills and competencies among students. "Based on this policy, the Chandigarh Administration has put forward a proposal to start some of the courses offered at the senior secondary level for the pre-matric students as well," said a senior official of the department. The courses on retail, security, information technology and automobile technology have been included under the phase-I of the scheme. The officials said the department might start any of these courses on a pilot basis from Class IX onwards, and then gradually shift to the other subjects and classes. The final decision in this regard was expected in the near future, and hopefully would further strengthen the vocational education in the city, said the official. The Central Board of Secondary Education had also asked its affiliated schools to start these courses. All these courses, of 200 hours each, might be offered as an additional compulsory subject by rationalising the existing content for Classes IX and X on pilot basis, said a board circular issued last month. It has also offered necessary support and guidance for the teachers' training and other aspects for the successful implementation of these courses.
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Education department clarifies Delhi High Court's ruling on RTE Act
Chandigarh, February 26 Several private schools in Chandigarh put hold on their admission process to reserved 25 per cent of seats under Right to Education Act, citing the recent Delhi High Court judgment upholding the Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry’s stand that children below six years of age are not covered under the said Act. Talking to DPI (s) Upkar Singh, he said that soon after the Delhi High Court judgment, the education department received the official correspondence from the independent private school association, Chandigarh, raising their apprehensions. “The schools apprehended that the judgment excluded them from admitting EWS and disadvantage group students in pre-school and primary classes including nursery. However after going through it, the education department has absolutely no doubt in its mind that the private schools will have to admit EWS and other category students to their entry level classes, whether it starts from class I or pre-nursury or nursery class." Quoting para no 25 and 26 of the judgment, he said the judgment clearly validates the section 12 of the RTE act, which stipulates that if a private school imparts pre-school education, the provision of 25 per cent admission will apply from that class. According to him, the judgment pertains to the admission on rest of the 75 per cent seats, which should not be confused with 25 per cent reserved seats. Advertisement on vacant RTE reserved seats soon The education department has expedited the process to fill the reserved RTE seats, still vacant for the next academic session in several
private schools here in Chandigarh. The officials said that so far 38 schools had already furnished their details about their seats still vacant against 25 per cent RTE quota. "We have again sent the official correspondent to rest of the schools today to reply the department soon and once we get all the information, we will soon issue the advertisement to invite the deserving candidates against these vacant seats, said DEO Ram Kumar. It is learnt that
the information is also being sought from the convent schools, as they are obliged to fill
15 per cent of their seats from the economically weaker section in lieu of concessional land given
to them. As far as reply on Delhi High Court judgment is concerned, it will be sent to the private school body soon, said officials.
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Cultural fuction
Chandigarh: The teacher trainees of DEC Ed (NTT) course of DAV Model School Sector 15-A, Chandigarh, presented a cultural function, ‘Colours of India’, along with the tiny tots of GMSSS-10, Chandigarh. The show was organised as part of the ongoing teaching practice of the teacher trainees, which includes innovative teaching, classroom management, preparation of lesson plans and teaching aids. The diversity of India was showcased through dances and songs depicting the varied cultures of India. The students of pre-nursery & primary wings presented patriotic songs. Math Olympiad As many as 1000 students of the tricity schools participated in the math olympiad called ‘Math-e-Magician’ held in different schools in Chandigarh. In the final round of the exam, 570 students competed. In category A (Class I & II), Pankti Shah of Strawberry Fields World School won the first place. In category B (Class III & IV), Madhur Aggarwal of DAV Public School, Ludhiana emerged the winner. In Category C (Class V & VI), Ashutosh Singla of Bhawan Vidyalaya, Chandigarh stood first. In Category D (Class VII & VIII), Sonakshi Agarwal, Carmel Convent School, Chandigarh won the first place. In Category E (Class IX & X), Saloni Sharma, GMSSS-35, Chandigarh, won the competition. Annual Function mohali: Shemrock Wonders Pre-school, Kharar, held its third annual function in the school premises here. Tiny tots mesmerised the parents with their wonderful performances. They sang and danced to various numbers. A play to portray a mother's love was widely appreciated. The guest of honour gave parents tips on how to handle kids in the present world. Principle Monica Gupta said that school endeavoured to make each child confident enough to face today's world. Farewell party The students of Shemrock Sr Secondary School, Sector 69, Mohali, arranged a farewell party function for the outgoing students of 10+2 in the school campus. Chairman JS Bajwa and Principal Air Commodore SK Sharma graced the function. The atmosphere was thoroughly entertaining. The function began with the performance of deepshikha ceremony followed by an entertainment programme. — TNS
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Students protest over star nite
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After more than a decade, Chandigarh has emerged as a prominent city to have direct rail connectivity with important places of tourist and religious importance in Punjab, Uttarakhand, Jammu, Himachal Pardesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Goa. 
Direct trains to Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Himahcal Pradesh and Goa have been announced 
Projects that were not taken up
Mohali, February 26
“The decision is really heartening for all of us. We all know how important Amritsar and Nanded Sahib are for all of us. Introduction of a new daily train between Chandigarh-Amritsar is undoubtedly a big news and the decision of halting it at Mohali station is just an icing on the cake”, said Balbir Singh Sidhu, the area MLA. 
The incident led to resentment among advocates who then thrashed the head constable outside the courts complex.
Chandigarh, February 26