Chandigarh, August 8
Unable to bear the humiliation after an anonymous letter levelling serious allegations against him rocked the House, Mayor Subhash Chawla today offered to quit the post and walked out of the meeting.

The letter was delivered at one of the opposition councillor’s house.

BJP councillor and leader of opposition Arun Sood informed the House that he received the letter through post. The letter, which is addressed to UT Administrator Shivraj V Patil, MP Pawan Kumar Bansal and MC councillors, aspersions have been raised on the Mayor’s integrity and honesty.

Arun Sood handed over the letter to the Mayor and demanded an inquiry. The Mayor lost his temper when he read the contents of the letter and offered to quit. He also walked out of the House. However, Congress councillors pacified him and advised him to start the House proceedings again. Five minutes later, the Mayor again entered the House, but the opposition councillors started targeting him.

Opposition councillors said the Mayor’s act of leaving the House was disrespect to the chair. The Mayor again left the House after being targeted by the opposition councillors. 

Chandigarh, August 8
BSP Councillor Jannat Jahan Ul Haq today targeted the Mayor and MC officials for not providing water and sewerage supply line in Deep Complex, Hallo Majra. She also boycotted the House meeting and left the House today.

Earlier, she questioned that despite the approval of UT Administrator Shivraj V Patil, MC officials were delaying laying of water and sewerage lines in Deep Complex. She also said that the matter was not taken up in the coordination committee meeting with the UT officials.

She said that yesterday, a dead squirrel was found in the water tanker sent by the MC for the area residents. She asked who would be responsible if someone died after drinking contaminated water. Then she left the House.

On her allegations, the Mayor replied that the UT had only given sanction for water but not for sewerage lines.

The Mayor and officials were regularly taking up this issue with the UT officials, but it would take time and councillors should understand the problem, he added.

While leaving the house meeting, BSP Councillor Jannat Jahan Ul Haq said that the MC had turned into a comedy circus where nobody was serious about development works. 

Chandigarh, August 8
Just about a week after the move to invite fresh applications for admissions to the MBBS course after the last date came under the judicial scanner, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today made it clear that the application forms should not have been received or entertained after the cut-off date.

As per the brochure issued by the GMCH-32, the cut-off date to receive the application forms was June 24. Allowing the petition filed by Arpit Agrawal, the high court also quashed admission notice dated August 1.

The development is significant as 13 new applications for the course cannot be accepted. Now, the admissions are to be made on the basis of the earlier merit list. The Bench also took note of the fact that the last date for the admission to the MBBS/BDS course for the 2013-2014 session was September 30, as held by the Supreme Court in its order dated July 4 passed in the Mridul Dhar’s case.

A student awaiting admission to the GMCH-32 in the second round of counselling, Arpit Agrawal, had earlier filed a writ petition in the high court, challenging the action of the Chandigarh Administration and the GMCH-32 in inviting fresh applications for the admission, even though the last date was June 24.

He also alleged that many students, whose application forms were deficient for want of documents, too had been given admission in the first round of counselling.

This was despite the fact that the brochure/prospectus specifically provided that incomplete applications were liable to be rejected and application form would not be entertained after June 24.

It was also pointed out by the student that fresh applications were not being entertained after the cut-off date for the admission against the 15 per cent all-India quota. But the Chandigarh Administration was acting arbitrarily causing grave prejudice to the petitioner and similarlysituated students for the 85 per cent quota. He added that it would also affect admissions in each category for which reservation had been provided. 

Going into the background, the petitioner asserted the controversy had primarily arisen on account the Administration’s action to invite fresh applications for the admission to 50 seats of the MBBS course in the Government Medical College and Hospital. These are additional seats available due to the enhancement in intake capacity, permitted by the Medical Council of India as a onetime measure for the academic session 2013-2014 for 32 medical colleges, government and private, throughout the country. It was also stated in the petition that other 32 colleges in India wherein the enhancement of 50 seats for the MBBS course had been permitted were following the original merit list without inviting new applications.

Taking up the matter, the high court had issued notice to the UT Administration and the GMCH-32. 

Chandigarh, August 8
The police arrested a 60-year-old tutor, Dilip Malhotra, for allegedly molesting and threatening a 14-year old girl student at his house in Sector 44 where she had come for her tuition class.

The girl is a Class X student of a private school. The tutor allegedly asked the girl to stay back for extra class ad sent the other students home. No one else was present in the house when the incident took place.

The girl reached home and narrated the incident to her mother.

The girl herself went to the Sector 34 police station where a policewoman recorded her statements and a case was registered.

The accused will be presented before a court tomorrow.

The accused has been booked under Section 354 of the IPC and Sections 7, 8 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. 

Chandigarh, August 8
After struggling for 26 years, a mentally-challenged youth, Diwankar Miglani has finally got an ID proof. He recently got his Aadhaar card in a special camp organised at a residential daycare centre, Samarth, Sector 15, by the Unique Identification Authority of India.

Diwankar’s mother Raj Miglani expressed her gratitude towards the Unique Identification Authority of India for giving her son the ID proof for which she had been running from pillar to post for the past 26 years since neither a voters’ ID card nor a driving license is issued to a mentally challenged. “I could not get a ration card made either,” said his mother.

Recently, Diwankar was taken to the Aadhaar camp organised in Sector 35 but as he became impatient during his photograph session on the computer, the staff deployed there suggested her to visit some other day for his enrollment.

Three attendants from the residential day care center, Samarth, today assisted the UID team to fulfill Diwankar’s formalities for the Aadhaar card.

Sailing on the same boat, 15 out of 28 other mentally-challenged persons who are residing in the residential care center where the camp was organised, out of which 15 have been enrolled by the UID Department. The camp will continue tomorrow for those who are yet to be enrolled. Jyoti, president, Parents Association, who runs this NGO said that mentally challenged children comprise of about two per cent of the city’s total population. It took a lot of time to register their formalities.

Dr B S Chavan, head, Psychiatry Department, GMCH, Sector 32, said these mentally challenged persons were never registered before by any authority as a result their parents and guardians used to face a lot of difficulties while operating their bank accounts.

Special camps in the region

Unique Identification Authority of India Deputy Director General Keshni Anand Arora said, “The department is planning to organise special Aadhaar card camps for the mentally challenged in the region.” She said, “The department will get in touch with all the NGO’s dealing with such members of the society to organise special camps at their door step.”

Special grant to UT Administration

Out of Rs 4.5 crore-special grant, the UID has released Rs 46 lakh as subsidy to the UT Administration for developing software to utilise the Aadhaar letter in various departments of the administration. Even the administration is pondering over the proposal to mark the attendance of the employees in various departments through Aadhaar letter. Besides, Panjab University and private colleges have also approached the UID for introducing the Aadhaar letter for releasing the scholarships to the students.

Mohali, August 8
Congress supporters along with several residents of Khizrabad village blocked the traffic by holding dharna in front of Mohali Deputy Commissioner’s Office for alleging that one of the defeated Akali panch of Khizrabad village was administered oath in yesterday's oath taking ceremony held here.

The area’s MLA Jagmohan Kang, who was leading the protest alleged that their candidate Shamsher Kaur had won the election of panch from Ward Number 2 with a margin of five votes but the administration with the hand in glove with the Akali leadership did not invite her for oath taking ceremony and instead called the losing candidate Jasbir Kaur to administer oath in yesterday’s function.

Kang alleged that the losing candidate and her supporters had forced the concerned returning officer to recount the ballots thrice during the counting of the votes but the earlier result was vindicated.

“Changing the name of winning candidate just shows the wrongdoings of administration and the state government. We demand strict action against the officers responsible for this major lapse,” said Kang.

The agitators’ also submitted a memorandum in this respect to Mohali Deputy Commissioner Tajinder Pal Singh Sidhu, giving an ultimatum to rectify the same within 15 days otherwise the residents would be forced to intensify the protest. 

Chandigarh, August 8
Traders of the city took out a car rally today demonstrating against various policies of the UT Administration. While there were no major traffic disruptions during the rally, short traffic snarls were reported in Sector 34.

Their key demands included rollback in increased collector rates, amendment in building bylaws and withdrawal of Rs 500 per square feet penalty and transfer of ease hold rights to free hold.

The Joint Action Committee for the “Safeguard of Chandigarh Citizens” included Chandigarh Industrial Association, Chandigarh Ind Converted Plot Owners Association, Chandigarh Beopar Mandal, Chandigarh Business Council, Business Promotion Council, Sector 17, Chandigarh Property Consultants Association, Chandigarh Hotel Association Chandigarh Resident Social Welfare Federation, Federation of Chandigarh Region Automobile Dealers Association, Chandigarh Citizen Council,

The rally started from the Pepsu Roadways workshop, Phase II, Industrial Area, Chandigarh crossing Tribune Chowk , Sector 31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38 and finally reached Sector 17 Plaza.

The police officials diverted some of the vehicles on a different route to avoid traffic snarls. Some of the cars were routed to Sectors 28, 27, 19, 18 from 31,32,33,34.

All the Shopkeepers who were already protesting in Sector 17 closed their shops from 12 noon to 2 pm.

Later presidents of the 12 associations of Joint Action Committee met UT Finance Secretary VK Singh. 

Chandigarh, August 8
Acting tough on the property owners who have occupied their properties without obtaining occupation certificate (OC) or competition certificate (CC), the UT Estate Office has served notices to hundreds of such property owners.

It had been noticed in the past that many property owners after obtaining conditional occupation certificate never applied completion certificate. As a result the building violations remained unnoticed by the estate office.

A senior official of the UT Estate Office said clear instructions have been issued to all officials concerned to ask for the completion certificates from the plot holders, especially those who apply for some documents to the Estate Office.

The Estate Office has also issued notices to IT companies who have occupied their premises in the IT Park without obtaining completion certificates. A number of housing societies in the southern sectors have not obtained the completion certificates.

Sources said in certain cases detected by estate office, completion certificates had been issued despite gross violations. Ranging from violation of the basement to structural changes, the violations have been lying undetected.

Recently, the Estate Office had detected that building plans were being sanctioned without checking the ground realty at the site. 

Chandigarh August 8
Management committee of the PGI Employees Union Benevolent Fund Scheme honoured 45 retired employees in a farewell function held in the Bhargava Auditorium on Tuesday.

Dr Yogesh Chawla, Director, PGI was the chief guest on the occasion. Area Councillor Saurabh Joshi and other officers also attended the function.

Dr Chawla handed over mementos, gift and cheques to 45 retired employees. Vanita Suri, Assistant General Manager, SBI, also provided gift pack to each retiree. The union had invited more than 200 faculty members and other officers of the Institute to grace the occasion. Ashwani Munjal, Chairman, Negotiation Committee of the Union, presided over the function on behalf of PGI Employees Union Benevolent Fund Scheme. —TNS

Chandigarh August 8
In a move which may lead 400 faculty of the PGI to wear black badges, the general body meeting of the PGI Faculty Association has given August 15 as the deadline to the PGI administration to pay attention to their demands. The meeting of the association was held on Wednesday.

The demands of the faculty members include housing, allowances, seniority, promotions, air conditioning of the outpatient block, parking in the institute and various other issues.

At present there are over 400 faculty members in the institute but PGI has only about 120 houses for the faculty. Due to this most of the faculty members are being forced to stay out. The funds for the construction of houses for the faculty have been sanctioned by the Government of India; however the Institute has not started construction of the houses.

Similarly, transport allowance is being given to all the central government employees and in other medical institutes, including AIIMS. The faculty is pursuing this matter for the last 2 years; however the administration has turned deaf ears to the requests of the faculty.

Another demand for adequate and safe parking arrangements for the patients and staff along with the rapid expansion of the facilities in the Institute, seemingly has gone unheard, feels the faculty association.

Previously, the Director of PGI used to chair a meeting wherein he used to listen to the problems of the faculty. However, no such meeting has taken place for almost five years.

Chandigarh, August 8
World Breastfeeding Week was observed by the School of Public Health (SPH), PGIMER, from August 1 to 7 at Sector 38.

First session was held on Augusts 3 at an anganwadi in Sector 38 followed by another session on August 8 at an anganwadi in Sector 38. The theme for the breastfeeding week this year was “Breastfeeding support close to mothers” and the main target groups were women in reproductive age groups who had volunteered to be peer counsellors for breastfeeding in the community.

The audience also included lactating and antenatal mothers. A presentation on the importance and the need for exclusive breast feeding was made by Dr Ravneet Kaur, Assistant Professor, SPH, PGIMER. The advantages of breastfeeding to a mother like contraception and reduction in incidence of breast cancer were explained apart from the benefits to the baby like better cognitive development and growth, immunity, availability of nutrients and prevention of obesity when compared to bottle fed babies. The importance of colostrum as the first immunisation for the baby was also stressed. This was followed by a video presentation on the correct technique of breastfeeding presented by Dr Jeyashree and Dr Ajith, resident doctors in SPH, PGIMER. — TNS

Chandigarh, August 8
Women in tricity now have an option of ambulatory gynaecology clinic where investigations will be performed in outpatient settings, saving recovery time post surgeries.

A one-stop clinic has been launched at the Max Super Speciality Hospital, Mohali, the first of its kind clinic for women in the tricity.

Ambulatory Gynaecology describes a method of providing care where women are reviewed and investigations are performed in an outpatient setting. In many cases treatment may also be organised at the same visit. The term “one-stop clinic” may also be used to describe this model of care. A number of gynaecological conditions are suitable for ambulatory care.

At the clinic gynaecological problems being the most common health problems of women will be solved, which can be dealt with by minimally invasive laparoscopic and hysteroscopic procedures.

Dr Seema Wadhwa, Senior Consultant, Obstetrician, Gynaecologist and Endoscopy Specialist, at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Mohali , said, “Ambulatory Gynaecology is a new concept in the field of women’s health. It replaces the traditional method of the OPD consultation and in-patient surgery with minimally invasive and day care procedures at one go. It shortens the care pathway, saves time and is cost effective for patients. Minimally invasive procedures require specialized technical skills and equipments that facilitate us to perform the surgery with the same precision as in open surgery giving the same or better results.” 

Chandigarh, August 8
Different connotations are attached to word "sati" in India. For many, it was an evil practice where women were forced to immolate on their husband's pyre. For others, sati was a woman who was devoted to her family and husband. Sati Savitri is a popular example of it.

The play, "Sati", was staged today at the Tagore Theatre as part of ongoing three-day theatre festival. The play is written by Punjabi writer Veena Verma. The play went on to lend different dimension to the word. A strange love tale of a eunuch and a normal man highlighted that being a woman was not enough to celebrate womanhood. It should be felt from inside the way the main protagonist of the play, Krishna, did in this play.

Though a eunuch, she always had a hidden desire to be a lover, a wife and a mother, but was often remembered by society that she was not meant for all these things. However, she fell in love with a man named Dev, who gets attracted towards her after seeing her beauty and accepted the way she was. Dev was forced to marry a girl whom he never liked and dissolves himself in liquor. In Krishna, Dev found his real love and she too started feeling a sense of womanhood.

But, the fate had sometime else in store for her. Due to heavy consumption of liquor, Dev dies of kidney failure and from there on, Krishna loses her senses completely. After Dev's death, she takes care of his family. Dev's real wife too starts liking her.

But laced with grief, she could not survive and died in the end. In the last scene, the villages make her tomb for people to worship her as "Sati", which she always aspired to be in her life.

The beauty of the story lies in the belief that the love is beyond physicality and gender. The play, directed by Sangeeta Gupta, was much better and staged well by the cast. Sudiksha in Sati's role was well applauded. Tomorrow the play, "Maa", will be staged. 

Mohali, August 8
To press for the demand of regularising their services, a large number of computer teachers gathered outside the office of the Director General, School Education (DGSE), and staged a protest today. 

Chandigarh, August 8
The Akshaya-Khalid group today announced its panel for the upcoming Panjab University Teachers’ Association (PUTA) elections. The group that registered win in the previous PUTA polls is highlighting its achievements, including the increase in the re-employment age from 63 to 65 years, to secure a won this year.

The group has once again fielded Mohammed Khalid for the post of president and Jayanti Dutta for the post of secretary. VK Walia of the zoology department will be contesting for the post of vice-president, Ram Mehar for the joint secretary and Kitty Sidhu will be contesting the PUTA elections for the post of treasurer.

Mohammed Khalid, who was elected the PUTA president last year and is the fray once again, said despite a new Vice-Chancellor assuming office this year and the statutory bodies--Senate and Syndicate--being reconstituted after a series of elections and nominations, PUTA kept the flame of activism alive.

“We had a difficult time explaining the pending issues that beleaguered the teaching community to the new authorities. Some important pro-teacher administrative measures were undertaken nonetheless,” Khalid said.

Khalid said if his panel won, he will focus on getting regular faculty appointed in the university. 

Achievements in 2012-13

* Re-employment: age limit increased from 63 to 65
* Around 50 new recruitments
* Speeding up of CAS promotions
* Stopping the process of re-fixation of basic pay of around 150 teachers who were asked to pay back the 'wrongly' given additional increment.
* An additional increment to all teachers put to disadvantage in the revised pay structure
* Constitution of a committee to work out the modalities regarding the regularisation of services of the ad-hoc faculty at the dental institute
* Implementation of complete ban on proxy booking of rooms in guest houses through Senators and other high-ups, due to which teachers could not avail of the facility
* A PUTA representative included in the managing committee of Ankur School

Chandigarh, August 8
Three students of SD College, Sector 32, were suspended after they entered into a scuffle on the college premises.

The brawl reportedly took place over a comment posted on a Facebook profile. The college authorities issued the suspension notice to four students; however, the suspension of one of them was withheld.

Sources said two third-year BSc students affiliated to different parties entered into an altercation at the college canteen over comments made on a Facebook profile in relation to the upcoming student elections.

An SD College Union (SDCU) member said one of the party supporters was allegedly slapped by a member of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) in the canteen. The NSUI member was accompanied by a second-year BA student and some outsiders, he said.

“The NSUI supporters were accompanied by outsiders, who fled after the incident,” said the SDCU member.

NSUI leaders, however, alleged the supporter of SDCU manhandled their party member.

Police personnel posted at the college in the wake of upcoming student elections reached the scene and pacified the students.

College principal Bhushan Kumar Sharma said all the students who were involved in the fight had been suspended till further orders.

“We wanted to send a strong message against violence on the college campus, following which three students were suspended. It is being verified whether the fourth student too indulged in the brawl,” the principal said.

Sharma said an inquiry had been marked into the incident, based on which further decision would be taken by the college. The security at the college has been strengthened following the incident.

Chandigarh, August 8
Classes were disrupted for two hours at seven private aided colleges in the city today as the teachers went on a strike to press for their pending demands.

Classes conducted during the remaining day too witnessed thin attendance as students had already left the colleges following the teachers’ strike.

The strike was observed by Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union (PCCTU). They suspendent the classes in the colleges between 10.30 am and 12.30 am. While many students, being aware of the strike, did not attend the college, those who did come left following the strike.

Aman, a student of DAV College, Sector 10, said he along with his friends preferred to leave the college as they knew students would not hang around to attend the classes after the strike ended.

PCCTU president Prof PS Gill said the Punjab Government was following anti-teachers policy and had denied pensions to the government-aided college teachers. He said the age of retirement of government employees in Punjab had been raised to 60 years, but the retirement age of the aided college teachers had not been raised by two years.

Prof Iqbal Preet Kaur, president, DAV College Teachers’ Union, and PCCTU convener, said: “The Director, Higher Education, is denying us our rights. The department must follow the Punjab Civil Service Rules as well as the guidelines of University Grants Commission as adopted by the Punjab Government. The recent decisions of the Director have been taken in violation of the rules regarding time-bound promotions and grant of increments for acquiring MPhil/PhD degrees, thus depriving the teachers of their rights.”

Chandigarh, August 8
The counselling for the 50-increased MBBS seats at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, that was earlier scheduled for today has now been postponed till August 13. The decision came in the wake of the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s ruling today making it clear that application forms should not have been received or entertained after the cut-off date.

Oblivious to the petition filed by one of the candidates in the High Court, hundreds of students had rushed to the institute for the counselling today who kept waiting for several hours before the postponement was announced.

The counselling for the first 50 seats was held on July 29. The institution had applied to the Central Health Ministry for increasing the seats and was awaiting its nod. Two days after the counselling of the first 50 seats was conducted, an approval was granted to GMCH to increase the seats from 50 to 100. The institution invited new applications through an advertisement. Then the second round of counselling was scheduled for today. As per the brochure issued by GMCH, the cutoff date to receive the application forms was June 24. Allowing the petition filed by Arpit Agrawal, the High Court also quashed the admission notice dated August 1.

The development is significant as 13 new applications for the course cannot be accepted. The admissions now are to be made on the basis of the earlier merit list. The Bench also took note of the fact that the last date for admission to the MBBS/BDS course for the session 2013-2014 was September 30, as held by the Supreme Court in its order dated July 4 passed in Mridul Dhar`s case.

A student awaiting admission to GMCH in the second round of counselling, Arpit Agrawal had earlier filed a writ petition before the High Court, challenging the action of the Chandigarh Administration and the Medical College in inviting fresh applications for admission, even though the last date was June 24.“We have received a communication from the Chandigarh Administration directing postponement of admissions till August 13,” said Director-Principal of GMCH-32, Dr Atul Sachdev.

Arpit also alleged that many students, whose application forms were deficient for want of documents, too had been given admission in the first round of counselling.

This was despite the fact that the brochure/prospectus specifically provided that incomplete applications were liable to be rejected and application form would not be entertained after June 24.

Chandigarh, August 8
A local court today released a 22-year-old engineering student on probation after convicting him in a case in which he had injured a police official.

The court released the student on a one-year probation during which he has been directed to maintain good conduct otherwise he was liable to face imprisonment, the court ruled. The court, however, acquitted the youth of the charges of attempt to murder in the case.The court convicted Punardeep Singh, a Sector 22 resident, who was booked by the UT police, in September last year for hurting a police official. The incident had occurred when the student had parked his car in the no parking area near PVR Mall in the Industrial Area and was asked to show his license by the constable for the purpose of challaning. The student went inside the car on the pretext of taking his license, but started the car instead, in an attempt to flee. As he accelerated the vehicle, the constable who was standing in front of the car was hit and dragged on to the bonnet for some time.The police had then immediately arrested the student and booked him in a case of murder attempt and assault on policeman besides rash and negligent driving.The incident occurred on September 17, 2012.The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge, Shalini Singh Nagpal today released the student on a year probation after convicting him. The court released him on probation keeping in view his past record.

Chandigarh, August 8
Desh Bhagat University and employees have contributed Rs 3 lakh in the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. Dr Zora Singh, Chancellor, Desh Bhagat University, said there had been a large-scale destruction of property and loss of lives in the Uttarakhand tragedy.