Chandigarh, June 18
Happy days are here again for the Chandigarh Industrial Tourism Corporation (CITCO) as the income from boating at the Sukhna Lake, which had gone down to Rs 3,000 due to the low water level last year, has now crossed the figure of Rs 90,000 per day, courtesy frequent rain in June.

In June last year, the depleting water level had affected the boating business at the lake badly. Last year in June, CITCO was earning between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000 per day from the boating business. However, this year as the water level has increased due to a good rainfall, the boating business has started picking up, and has crossed the figure of Rs 90,000 on weekends. On weekdays, CITCO is earning between Rs 55,000 and Rs 60,000 from boating. As it is vacation time, a large number of tourists are visiting the lake.

At times, tourists have to wait for two hours to enjoy boating. Due to a heavy rush of tourists wanting to hire a boat, heated arguments are often witnessed between tourists and CITCO employees. General Manager (Tourism), CITCO, AK Malhotra said tourists were enjoying boating throughout the day at the Sukhna Lake. Since the weather had become pleasant after the recent rainfall, tourists were hiring boats in the afternoon as well. The income of shops and food joints at the lake had also increased, he said.

Poonam Chauhan and Sunny Dhiman, a newlywed couple, who were enjoying boating at the lake, said last year the water level was so low that the boat of one of their relatives had got stuck in the lake. However, this time the lake was at its best, they said. CITCO records reveal that on an average, around 3,000 tourists come for boating on weekends and around 1,500 on weekdays at the lake.

Chandigarh, June 18
In a hit-and-run case, a 17-year-old girl riding pillion on a bike died after being crushed under an SUV at the Sector 29/30 light point yesterday afternoon. The victim, Megha, a resident of Hoshiarpur, succumbed to her injuries at a hospital late last night.

The mishap occurred at 3 pm yesterday when Megha was going on a bike along with her cousins Gaurav and Neha. A speeding Mahindra SUV hit their bike at the light point. Megha fell on the road and the wheels of the SUV ran over her, injuring her critically.

Megha was taken to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Sector 32 by the traffic police, where she succumbed to her injuries today. She was studying in Hoshiarpur and had come to her relative’s place in the city during the summer vacation. She was a student of Class XII.

On a complaint of her cousin Gaurav, the police has registered a case of causing death due to negligence under Section 304 A of the IPC at the Industrial Area police station against the unidentified accused.

DSP Vijay Kumar said the number of the SUV could not be noted down, but they were making efforts to trace the vehicle. The girl was staying in Sector 32 with her relatives.

Panchkula, June 18
The flash floods in Uttarakhand have left 30 families from Panchkula stranded in their villages near Kedarnath where they had gone to spend the summer vacation. Besides, 60 elderly couples, all members of a yoga group, from Sectors 20, 21 and 12 in Panchkula are putting up on a road at Karan Prayag near Badrinath since yesterday, which was reported in these columns today. Meanwhile, the ancestral house of an astrologer based at Sector 9 in Panchkula has been washed away due to heavy rain at Benji village near Kedarnath.

Astrologer Satish Beniwal's wife and two sons had gone to spend their summer vacation at their ancestral house on June 11. Since their house has been washed away, they have been forced to put up in someone else's hutment in a nearby village for the past three days.

Mohali, June 18
The slump in the property market in the region was evident today at an auction of commercial sites conducted by the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) as it drew a lukewarm response.

Of the 66 properties put under the hammer, only 18 could be auctioned. The sites fetched Rs 17.52 crore for GMADA. Ten booth sites of the total 23 and four bulk material market (BMM) booth sites in different areas were auctioned, which accounted for Rs 9.34 crore of the total collection.

Only three of the 14 shop-cum-office sites could be auctioned. There was no bidder for the six shop-cum-flat sites put under the hammer. Of the 20 built-up booths, only one was auctioned.

Chandigarh, June 18
Before launching its Rs 1.24-crore mobile mammography van with much fanfare two months ago, the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, allegedly overlooked blatant violations in the purchase of the mammography machine for the van in 2011.

A perusal of the tender documents and sequence of purchase events, including the pre-bid meeting, obtained under the RTI Act, reveals that the tender was accepted despite the two companies bidding for the machinery having quoted the rates of the same model of the equipment, manufactured by the same firm. The rules stipulate that the tenders should have been immediately rejected in view of pooling of tenders. Fresh bids should have been invited. However, the authorities seemingly chose to turn a blind eye despite one of the clerks pointing out the violation ahead of the opening of the price bid.

In fact, ignoring the fact that both companies, M/s ADS Medical, New Delhi, and M/s Fuji Film India Pvt Ltd, had mentioned themselves as the "sole agent" of the manufacturing company, M/s Hologic Inc, USA, in their respective affidavits, the GMCH issued the supply order and made the complete payment of Rs 1.24 crore to Fuji Film, a year in advance.

Both Fuji and ADS quoted the rates of the same model (LORAD (M-IV) MAKE HOLOGIC inc, USA) of M/s Hologic Inc, USA.

Directorspeak

"We had placed an order for a complete mobile mammography unit and not individual equipment. We had outsourced it to distributors for acquiring a full-fledged mobile mammography. There are few suppliers of the required equipment in the market; so we went in for the few available," said Dr Atul Sachdev, GMCH Director-Principal.

Chandigarh, June 18
Two girls who appeared for the Combined Entrance Test (CET) for MCA held at Panjab University (PU) on June 16 have come under the scanner as except for their names, the particulars of both of them on their roll number cards were the same. Interestingly, the photographs on the admit cards were also the same.

The girls had their roll numbers one after the other in a series. PU officials got suspicious after seeing the same photograph on the admit cards. "On checking the admit cards, it was found that all particulars, including the father's and mother's names were the same on both the cards," said an official.

Chandigarh, June 18
The Panjab University Students Union (PUSU) president, Yadwinder Singh, was today attacked near the gate number 1 of Panjab University. Yadwinder, along with his friend, was in a car when the members of another fraction of the union allegedly broke the rear windowpane and lights of the car. However, the PUSU leader escaped unhurt.

Yadwinder, in his complaint to the police, alleged that Baljeet Chaudhary, Gurinder, Harjeet and others attacked him.

“As soon I, along with my friend, passed through the PU gate, two vehicles, which were chasing us, blocked our way,” Yadwinder stated.

He claimed that the accused pulled him out of the car and manhandled him. “On seeing sharp weapons and rods in their hands, I pushed them and drove away the car,” Yadwinder claimed

He alleged that when he tried to escape, the accused broke the rear windowpane of the car and damaged the bonnet with a rod.

The student leader then drove back inside the PU campus and reached the police beat box to lodge a complaint.

Baljeet Chaudhary, who claims himself to be the chairman of PUSU, had recently announced Gurinder Singh as PUSU president replacing Yadwinder. However, Yadwinder, who is backed by former PUSU leaders, had claimed that he was the PUSU president.

The police officials said an inquiry had been initiated on the basis of Yadwinder's complaint. Meanwhile, the recordings of the CCTV cameras installed at the PU gates will be scrutinised by the police. 

Chandigarh, June 18
Raising serious concerns over the secrecy of annual confidential report (ACR) of teachers at city government colleges, a packet containing the ACRs of teachers of Post Graduate Government College (PGGC), Sector-46, was handed over at the college gate a few days ago. The UT Director of Higher Education (DHE) has marked an inquiry into the incident.

The packet containing the ACRs of the teachers was dropped at the college gate bringing the negligence of the college authorities to the fore.

UT DHE Gurpreet Kaur Sapra said she had immediately marked an inquiry on coming to know about the packet of ACRs at the college gate.

“A fact-finding committee was constituted to probe into the entire incident as to how did the ACRs came out of the college which are supposed to be confidential,” said the DHE.

“Strict action will be taken against those found responsible for the negligence,” she said.

The college principal is on leave. In her absence, Prof Manjit Brar, principal of Government College of Commerce and Business Administration, Sector 42, is the officiating principal of the Sector 46 college who stated that the ACRs were supposed to be with the college.

“I can’t comment over the issue as already an inquiry has been marked into the incident,” Prof Manjit Brar said.

Sources in the college said the packet contained three to four ACRs of the college teachers.

“It is the duty of the college to ensure that the ACRs, that are the assessment reports of the staff, are kept safe,” said a faculty member.

An in-house committee of the college is expected to submit its report in the coming few days based on which further action will be taken. 

Chandigarh, June 18
The body of a 45-year-old man, who had gone missing from his residence, was found in an old government building, which was being used by the wireless wing of Punjab, under mysterious circumstances in Sector 25 today. It was learnt that he was a drug addict.

The deceased has been identified as Anoop Kumar of Maloya village, near Sector 39. His body has injury marks on the head. A blood stained stone was also recovered from the spot.

Anoop had gone missing on June 15. The deceased is survived by his wife and two children.

Meanwhile, a decomposed body of a man, appearing to be 40 years of age, was found near the Infosys building this evening. The victim was wearing a cream shirt and black trousers. The body has been shifted to a mortuary.

Mohali, June 18
Member of Parliament Ravneet Singh Bittu and MLA Balbir Sidhu have demanded a CBI probe into the non-utilisation of various government funds from the Centre received by the state government under the social welfare schemes.

Bittu alleged that the state government has received Rs 1,700 crore from the Centre for constructing and repairing roads. "The government did not spend even a penny from the received funds on roads. We are shocked. Where did the money go," said Bittu. He visited the town to hold the District Vigilance and Monitoring Committee's meeting at the MC Bhawan in Sector 69 here today.

The Congress leaders alleged that there are several other funds worth several crores for the poor, students, patients and rural folks, which were sent by the Centre from time-to-time for public benefits.

"The public is being deprived of the benefits of these funds due to the state government's lackadaisical attitude," alleged Bittu.

Bittu, who chaired the meeting, also directed the officials of the local administration to chalk out elaborate plans to get the benefits of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme in the district.

"Just see, in the absence of any programme, the district authorities could only fetch Rs 10 lakh grant under the MNREGA scheme whereas there is a scope of getting grants of several crores of rupees by chalking out proper programmes by the administration," said Bittu.

He also demanded proper action in selling of 1,800 quintals of wheat in the open market, which was meant for the poor.

Mohali, June 18
All SDMs of Mohali district have been directed to seize diesel generators sets which are causing air and noise pollution and are being operated without clearance from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB).

During a recent survey carried out in different parts of Mohali, it was found that most of the generator sets being used in certain areas were creating air and noise pollution.

Sources said that Additional Deputy Commissioner Parveen Kumar Thind had yesterday shot off a letter to the SDMs of Mohali, Kharar and Dera Bassi, directing them to seize all generator sets which were causing pollution and to use which permission had not been sought from the authorities. He had stated in the letter that notices should be issued to the offenders before seizing the generator sets.

Thind stated in the letter that since a survey of only four areas had been completed, a survey of the remaining markets and other commercial areas should be completed as soon as possible. Notices should also be issued to all violators and shops/occupants stating as to why action under the 
National Green Tribunal Act should not be taken against them for violating the orders of the Tribunal.

Sources said during a survey carried out in the Phase II market on May 17, it was seen that 18 shopkeepers were using diesel generator sets. Fourteen of these sets were old models which created air and noise pollution. The year of manufacture was not mentioned on even a single set and 12 of these did not even bear the name of the manufacturer.

However, the position was different in the comparatively smaller market of Phase IIIA where the survey was carried out on May 14. Out of the eight shops inspected, six had generator sets. Five of these were the type which did not create noise pollution. 

Panchkula, June 18
Panchkula MLA DK Bansal yesterday met the shopkeepers at Old Panchkula and assured them that their shops would not be demolished and the matter would be taken up with the higher authorities.

Recently, HUDA had issued a notice to the shopkeepers asking them either they vacate the land or their shops would be demolished. There are around 174 shops on that particular piece of land.

Bansal said in its own order passed by HUDA in 1996, it had been mentioned that when the shopkeepers would be asked to vacate the land, an alternative site would be provided to them in Sector 20, Panchkula.

He said: “There are around 3,000 houses on the rear side of these shops where these people are living. The department will make them homeless.”

On Saturday, the authority was all set to demolish the shops at Old Panchkula, which have been occupied by the shopkeepers for the past 50 years. The department had asked for a police force comprising 250 personnel for the drive but the same could not be made available, and the drive was postponed.

The shopkeepers alleged that only two days' notice was not sufficient for them. They department had given them such a short notice and it was very difficult for them to leave a place where they had been putting up for the past 50 years.

Chandigarh, June 18
Acting on a complaint of the owner of a gas agency, the UT police has booked a couple, who owns the SCO housing the gas agency, in a case of forgery. The police has booked Narinder Pal Mehta and his wife Ramila Mehta of Sector 38 in a case under section 420, 467, 468, 471 and 511 of the IPC.

The role of certain advocates and a notary of the Estate Office, Sector 17, is under the scanner for preparing the forged documents used by the couple.

The complainant, Kuldeep Singh of Sabarwal Gas Agency, SCO number 55, Sector 47, Chandigarh, reported that Narinder Pal Mehta and his wife Ramila Mehta prepared a forged settlement deed pertaining to the same SCO on March 31 on a paper, which was signed by him when it was blank, in connivance with certain advocates.

Kuldeep has stated that he had hired the services an advocate in an ongoing case before the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and put his signatures on some blank papers in his office as those were required for a hearing of the case in Delhi. Kuldeep could not go to Delhi to attend the hearing owing to ill health.

It was alleged in the complaint that the advocate, in connivance with another advocate, prepared a forged settlement deed pertaining to the SCO while, in fact, no such settlement took place between the gas agency owner and the landlord. It was also alleged that a notary prepared a false and fabricated settlement deed on the blank paper signed by Kuldeep. The complainant was shocked to receive a notice from the court in which it was mentioned that he was willing to vacate the SCO on or before March 31 or pay Rs 25,000 as rent.

The gas agency owner paid Rs 5,000 per month as rent. The version of the complainant that the settlement deed was forged was substantiated by a report prepared by a private handwriting expert.

The case was registered after obtaining legal opinion and the role of the advocates is under the scanner, the police said.

Chandigarh, June 18
A day after a theft of Rs 3 lakh was reported in a departmental store located at a fuel station in Sector 4, the UT police has arrested an STD booth owner in Sector 8, identified as Ram Raj on basis of suspicion. The booth owner has been arrested under Section 41 of the CrPc (arrest without warrant) as the police suspect that he is hiding vital information pertaining to the identity of the thieves.

The accused had made a call to the petrol pump yesterday at 10.30 am after some hours of theft and threatened the petrol pump owner with more thefts.

The call was traced to the Sector 8-based STD booth after which the police interrogatedthe booth owner to get vital leads pertaining to the thief but he failed to provide any clue. The STD booth owner also failed to maintain a register of the clients and is not co-operating with the police following which he was arrested today.

The booth owner is a resident of Mauli Jagran, which is the same area from where the first threatening call was made to the petrol pump last month. The police said they suspect Ram knows the identity of the thief and has some involvement, leading to his being detained for questioning.

Meanwhile, the owner of the store, Nihar Mahinder Singh, met the UT IGP RP Upadhyaya and sought speedy action in the case. The complainant pleaded that the case be transferred to the crime branch.

The police said a property dealer, who has some dispute with the store owner, will also be interrogated in this regard. A police team visited the departmental store again at the petrol pump today.

The incident was reported last night at 1.30 am when two masked youths had entered the departmental store after cutting the side glass door and stole Rs 3 lakh, a mobile phone and other accessories. The owner of the store had received a threatening call last month from the thief and also yesterday after the theft was committed.

Chandigarh, June 18
A delegation of the BSP leaders, led by councillor and Lok Sabha election candidate from the city Jannat Jahan-ul-Haq, met UT Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Shayin regarding some problems faced by the city residents.

The leaders, including BSP president Jagir Singh, convener Hafiz Anwar-ul-Haq and general secretary Sanjeev Babbar, demanded that under the slum rehabilitation scheme, the allottees should be given two-room flats instead of one-
room units. The BSP leaders also demanded that the allotment process should be started immediately.

Chandigarh, June 18
A delegation of the local Congress leaders met newly appointed general secretary of the All-India Congress Committee and in charge of Chandigarh Shakeel Ahmed and secretary Kuljeet Nagra in New Delhi today.

The delegation, including councillor Pardeep Chhabra, Gurpreet Gabi and Ajay Joshi, presented a shawl to Shakeel Ahmed and congratulate him on his appointment to the post. Pardeep Chhabra briefed him on the Chandigarh Congress. He said the local Congress leaders had reposed their faith in the leadership of the local MP, Pawan Kumar Bansal. Later, the members of the delegation also met Bansal at his residence in Delhi and expressed their solidarity with him.

Chandigarh, June 18
During a special anti-encroachment drive, the enforcement wing of the Municipal Corporation today removed encroachments from different markets here. The MC staff issued 96 challans to the offenders.

The MC team removed encroachments from the Shastri Market, Sector 22, and the markets of Sector 23, 45, 48 and Mani Majra. Various items, including rehris, tables, stools, crates, "pharis", garments, cylinders, folding beds and furniture, were confiscated.

Auto-rickshaws and other vehicles were impounded in Mani Majra. The drive was carried out under the directions of Sunil Bhatia, Additional Commissioner. — TNS

Chandigarh, June 18
Panjab University (PU) has created two additional seats for the single girl child and one seat each for the cancer, AIDS and thalassemia students in various courses in the University Teaching Departments, regional centres and the colleges affiliated to the university for the session 2013-14.

PU officials said students would be admitted in each of the courses at the PU and its affiliated colleges as per the criteria approved by the PU Syndicate falling under the categories of single girl child, cancer, AIDS and thalassemia.

Two additional seats have been created for the only girl child for admission in each course of the PU and its colleges. Earlier, there was only one seat under this category. “The students seeking admission in the single girl child category will have to submit an affidavit from their parents on a stamp paper worth Rs 20 duly attested by a first class magistrate,” said the officials.

One additional seat each has been created in each of the courses at the PU and its colleges for the students suffering from cancer, AIDS and thalassemia. The claimant candidate will have to submit a certificate as an approval from the National Medical Institute like PGI, AIIMS in support of the claim.

PU officials said, “The benefit of additional seats under the four categories will not be admissible to the students seeking admission in the courses falling under regulatory agencies like Medical Council of India, Dental Council of India, Bar Council of India and National Council of Teacher Education.” 

Chandigarh, June 18
As many as 1,320 candidates from different parts of the country today appeared for the Combined Entrance Test (CET) of various postgraduate courses at Panjab University (PU).

The CET exam, that had begun on June 15, concluded today during which 12,887 candidates appeared in the entrance examination for 38 postgraduate courses. PU Controller of Examination Dr Parvinder Singh said tests were conducted for courses including MSc in Biophysics, Human Genomics, Microbiology, Geology, System Biology and Bioinformatics.

The other courses for which entrance tests were conducted included MTech (Nanoscience and Nanotechnology), ME in 
Computer Science and Engineering and Information Technology, among others. 

Chandigarh, June 18
University (PU) has changed the entrance test date for the MPhil and PhD as the dates for the Central Teacher’s Eligibility Test (CTET) and entrances were scheduled on the same day. The entrance that was earlier scheduled for July 28 will now be conducted on July 27.

The PU has already invited applications for MPhil and PhD in the faculties of Arts, Business Management and Commerce, Design and Fine Arts, Engineering, Languages, Law, and Science.

PU Controller of Examination Dr Parvinder Singh said the date has been changed on the request of the students as it coincided with the CTET. The CTET is an examination conducted by the CBSE for the aspiring schoolteachers. It is mandatory for the candidates to clear the exam to be a teacher.

The last date for submission of online application for PhD and MPhil to generate the bank challan is July 3. Meanwhile, the last date for submission of fee in any branch of the SBI is July 5. PU officials said the last date for submission of the fee details and uploading of photograph and signature along with the rest of the information on the website is July 8 and the e-admit cards will be available on the website on July 19.