Chandigarh, July 8
The Modi government's first Railway Budget has left city residents disappointed. Union Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda neither announced any new train nor any new project for the city in the budget presented today.

The city residents, who were expecting new trains and more funds for a facelift for the Chandigarh railway station as announced by former Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal while presenting the 2013 budget, said they were upset as they were expecting an action plan for speeding up the pending projects.

Figure this out: The semi-high speed rail project between Chandigarh and Delhi, which was announced today in the budget, was already part of the interim budget of former Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge presented in Parliament in February 2014.

A senior railway official said at present the trains were running at a speed of 110 km per hour and for the semi-high speed trains, which run between 160 and 200 km per hour, the authorities would have to strengthen the tracks for safety purposes. The official said after the execution of the semi-high speed rail project, the travel time from Chandigarh to Delhi would be around two hours.

An express train from Ferozepur to Chandigarh, which was announced in today's budget, was plying till last week as a special train. Sources in the Railways said due to the timing of the train (7.30 pm from the city), there was not much response for this special train.

City railway station to be made world class

In the budget, the minister announced that 10 stations would be made world class, Chandigarh being one of them. Interestingly, in 2013, former minister Bansal had already announced that Chandigarh would be developed as a world-class station where state-of-the-art facilities would be provided.

In the budget, a railway university was announced by the minister for skill development, but he failed to mention about the fate of old training centres announced by former railway ministers.

In the 2013 budget, Bansal had announced setting up of a training centre at Chandigarh for the youth in which the railway authorities were to impart skill training related to the Railways to open more employment avenues for them. However, so far no action plan has been announced by the higher authorities. 

Another project announced by the former Railway Minister was regarding setting up of the first railway-related IT industry of the region at Chandigarh on 400 acres of railway land available in the city. The main focus of the industry would be to manufacture railway signal links and anti-collision devices. According to the records of the Railways, only 5 per cent of the tracks in the country are equipped with signals.

Demand for new trains ignored

* Residents of Uttarakhand had demanded a holiday train from Chandigarh to Ram Nagar. Earlier, a special holiday train was introduced by the Railways, but as the time and day of its plying was not suitable for the passengers, it was withdrawn by the ministry.

* The demand for running a direct train to Patna from the city has not been considered by the ministry.

* The demand for a direct train from Haridwar to Chandigarh is also pending.

Trains announced in interim budget yet to start

* Jaipur-Chandigarh intercity (daily) via Jhajjar

* Ram Nagar-Chandigarh express (weekly) via Moradabad, Saharanpur

Chandigarh, July 8
In yet another twist to the rape case involving UT constables as the accused, the victim’s cousin has now alleged that he was sexually harassed by policemen on Sunday night.

Her cousin, Vinod, staying in Sector 46, claimed that he was sexually assaulted and thrashed by the policemen who also threatened to implicate him in a false case. The victim, Vinod Kumar, has addressed a complaint to UT SSP Sukchain Singh Gill, stating that he was sexually harassed at the Sector 34 police station.

The complainant said he was riding back home on his scooter from Khuda Lahora, when he was signalled by two boys for a lift. Vinod said he dropped one of them in Sector 44 and his friend in Sector 45. Vinod claimed that when he stopped in Sector 45 to drop his friend, two-three policemen reached near him and asked about his credentials. The victim claimed that one of the policeman recognised him to be the cousin of the Khuda Lahora rape victim. Following that, the policemen started abusing and thrashing him, he alleged.

Vinod alleged that the policemen took him to a forest area where they removed his clothes and made attempts to sexually harass him. When he objected, the policemen allegedly took him to the Sector 34 police station. Vinod said they told him that he was brought to the police station for triple-riding and not carrying a valid driving licence. Vinod alleged that a policewoman present at the police station spitted at him before thrashing him. The victim claimed that he was let off late at night and went home with his neighbour Sukhdev Singh.

Mohali, July 8
A 29-year-old Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) activist, Gurjant Singh, alias Jenta, was murdered by some youngsters, also supporters of the Akali Dal, last night.

Around 10 youngsters, who were carrying pistols, axes, swords and other sharp weapons, attacked the victim when he went to a car service centre at Kambali Road near Phase XI here at around 8.45 pm last night. Old rivalry is belived to be the reason behind the murder.

The victim was accompanied by his friends Major Singh and Kuldip Singh and uncle Prem Singh at the time of the incident.

“The murderers attacked the victim and threatened his friends not to come to his rescue by brandishing pistols,” said SP (City) Swarndeep Singh. The attackers cut the right arm of the victim. Deep cut marks were seen all over the victim's body, including the face. Jenta was taken to the GMCH, Sector 32, Chandigarh, from where he was referred to the PGI. He succumbed to his injuries there.

Giving details, the SP said Jenta, a resident of Seau village, went to the car service station last night with his friend Major Singh. Later, he called his uncle Prem Singh and Kuldeep Singh there.

“Jenta and Major Singh were lying on cots when the attackers, who came in two cars, attacked Jenta. Both Jenta and Major tried to run away, but the attackers caught hold of Jenta and attacked him with sharp weapons. Jenta’s uncle Prem Singh and Kuldip Singh tried to intervene, but they were shown pistols,” said the police. The police have registered a case of murder against Kuldip Singh, Roda, Dalli and Kamaljit Singh, all residents of Dharamgarh village, Harpreet Singh Toor of Bakarpur village, Rupinder Singh of Landran village, Dalbir Singh, Gaurav of Patiala, Lucky of Khuda Lahora and some unidentified persons.

“A case under Sections 302, 148 and 149 of the IPC and Sections 25,51 and 59 of the Arms Act has been registered against the accused at the Sohana police station,” said SP Swarndeep Singh.

Old rivalry behind murder?

Old rivalry is believed to be behind Jenta's murder. “Jenta and most of the attackers belonged to the Akali Dal and were part of the election campaign of Prem Singh Chandumajra during the recent Lok Sabha elections,” said the police.

On the polling day, Jenta and some of the attackers had a scuffle in front of Chandumajra’s office at Sector 70 following which Jenta had brandished a revolver at them. A case was registered against Jenta and his two friends, Gaggu of Sohana village and Neetu of Bhua Garhi village, at the Mataur police station on a complaint of Sukhpreet Singh.

Criminal background

The victim, Jenta had been facing at least three criminal cases.

ASI suspended

Mohali SSP Inder Mohan Singh Bhatti has suspended an ASI, Balbir Singh, for dereliction of duty and initiated departmental proceedings against munshi Harpreet Singh, who was on night duty. “The action has been taken as both officials were found guilty of dereliction in duty,” said the SSP. After getting information about the murder at around 10 pm last night, the officials allegedly did not bother to act till this morning. According to sources, the police reached the spot this morning at around 10 am. 

Chandigarh, July 8
A majority of the northern sectors in the city went without power for around five hours today after a technical snag occurred in the power supply line from Nalagarh to the 220 kV substation in Kishangarh. As there was no power supply, traffic signals in these parts were non-functional, leading to traffic chaos. Commuters were stuck in traffic jams in various parts of the city.

Parts of Sectors 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 26, Mani Majra, Daria village and the Industrial Area were mainly affected due to power cuts. Residents called up the UT Electricity Department’s helpline number and area complaint centres to know the status of the electricity. Officials received around 240 calls from various parts of the city today.

UT Superintending Engineer MP Singh said there were two power supply lines from Nalagarh and officials had repaired one supply line and restored power supply to a majority of the affected sectors. There was a fault in another supply line, but the officials had shifted the load to the line repaired by them. Powergrid officials were trying to rectify the fault in the other line, he said. Another official said the fault occurred around noon and the power supply was restored in a majority of the areas by 5 pm. Parts of some southern sectors also went without power for over an hour due to shifting of load.

14 traffic intersections go without power

As major parts of the city went without power for five hours today, 14 traffic intersections failed to function, adversely affecting traffic in the city. Chaos was witnessed in some parts of the city following the power failure. There are 70 traffic intersections in the city. All of them rely on power as they do not have a battery back-up. DSP (Traffic) Kamaldeep said the traffic police were immediately pressed into service to clear the traffic chaos.

Chandigarh, July 8
The UT Estate Officer today ordered the demolition of a building in Sector 17 after declaring it unsafe for use, both commercial or residential. The SCOs (Nos. 125, 126 and 127) are located a short distance form the building of the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) that had collapsed following a devastating fire on June 8.

Confirming the orders, Estate Officer Mohammed Shayin said based on the structural stability report of the National Institute of Technical Teachers Training (NITTR), Sector 26, the building had been declared unsafe and could fall anytime. It had therefore been decided to demolish it.

The Estate Office has been asked to coordinate with the owners of the building to get the structure demolished without any delay.

The Estate Officer has passed the orders while acting on the recommendation of SDM (Central) Danish Ashraf. The SDM had heard a complaint filed by the Estate Office under Section 133 of the CrPC against the owners of the building for declaring it unsafe after it suffered structural damage in a fire. The building houses office of Punjab Alkalies and Punjab Sugarfed. Despite concrete falling off the building and structural safety of the RCC pillars being declared within the danger zone by experts from PEC, two Punjab government offices, Punjab Alkalies and Punjab Sugarfed, continue to function on the upper floors of the building. The building is located on the other end of the block near the CITCO office.

Mohali, July 8
The spouses of some women chairpersons of zila parishads were left embarrassed when they were stopped from attending a state-level meeting while accompying their wives, headed by the Punjab Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Sikandar Singh Maluka at Vikas Bhawan, here today.

The husbands were clearly told that they could not attend the meeting as per the orders of the newly appointed minister.

Earlier, the husbands of women chairpersons/zila parishad members used to attend such meetings.

“Usually most of the women zila parishad members are mere rubber stamps and their husbands use to look after their entire office and field work. They used to take part in all the meetings,” said husband of a women chairperson.

Giving this plea, the husbands, around six in number, tried to convince the minister to allow them to attend the meeting but in vain. They (the husbands) were clearly asked to wait in an adjoining room.

“The meeting was meant for chairpersons of zila parishads with the minister in which several important issues including increasing the efficiency of the department and giving more powers to zila parishad members and chairpersons were discussed. We did not allow any outsiders as per orders of the minister,” said an official.

Mohali, July 8
The District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Mohali, held a meeting with newly enrolled para legal volunteers (PLVs) of the district here today.

At the meeting, held in the District Courts Complex, Tarntaran Singh Bindra, Chief Judicial Magistrate-cum-Secretary, DLSA, apprised the PLVs of their duties. They were told about various schemes of the Punjab Legal Services Authority. He also distributed relevant literature to them so that they would be able to spread awareness among the masses more effectively.

The PLVs showed keen interest in enlightening needy persons about their rights.

The PLVs were requested to hold seminars at conspicuous places to create awareness. They were also asked to make people aware about the toll-free helpline number 1968 of the Punjab Legal Services Authority, which is available 24x7.

Panchkula, July 8
Original records of licensing branch were stolen in Panchkula. Following the incident, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Hema Sharma has got an FIR lodged against the license clerk Krishan Kumar in this regard. A case under section 381(theft by clerk) has been lodged at the Sector 5 police station.

It was after a resident asked the authorities to issue him a duplicate license as he misplaced the same and the fact came to light.

Meanwhile, Kumar has also been dismissed from the services.

The police said, “We have lodged a case and our investigations are on. As the data was since year 2008, we need to know what all entries and records were there in the registers.”

Panchkula, July 8
The employees of PNB today gave an ultimatum to the bank management that they would go on a country wide protest tomorrow if no action is taken by Tuesday night. A meeting in this regard would be held at Mumbai tomorrow.

A major penalty against the erring officials of the Punjab National Bank (who were allegedly held responsible for suicide of their sector 20 branch manager, Ajay Sehgal) is on the cards as the GM (HRD) Sushma Bali, bank’s investigating official, submitted her fact-finding report to the bank’s corporate head office at Delhi.

The investigating officer recorded the statements of all the officials who were present in the meeting wherein the victim was allegedly harassed.

Talking to Chandigarh Tribune, President of PNB officers association, Rajinder Wali said, “The GM has submitted her findings and if no action is taken against the accused, we will go on a country wide protest tomorrow. We have our meeting where we would decide the next course of action.”

Sources said the target of Sector 20, Panchkula branch, was set for around 120-140 crores which Sehgal had to accomplish. It was also told that despite the fact, targets of many branches in Chandigarh and Panchkula would remain unaccomplished still Sehgal was harassed. “There are many branch managers who fail to accomplish the target. In a meeting on April 22, Sehgal had pointed the accused that they are giving wrong figures and misleading the higher authorities. Since then they were after him,” said an official.

Sehgal had joined PNB in August last year and was groping with staff problem as well. There were only eight persons in his staff.

“Sector 20 is one of the biggest branch as it is highly populated and considering loans and deposits the target set was about 120-140 crores,” said an official.

Panchkula, July 8
The freezers of the mortuary of Panchkula were made functional today by the general hospital authorities. It was after Chandigarh Tribune in its columns highlighted that how the kin of the dead were being made to shuttle with the bodies. Dr Sunil Gambhir, head of postmortem department at the hospital said, “All the four freezers have been made functional. They were got repaired today.”

Yesterday Chandigarh Tribune reported how the bodies were being sent to Government Multi Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, for storage as the freezers were out of order putting kin of dead people to lot of harassment. 

Chandigarh, July 8
A day after a Haryana Government official’s car was snatched by four youths in Sector 43, the UT police have released sketches of the accused today. 

Chandigarh, July 8
Patients awaiting their turn outside the doctor’s room at the PGIMER’s new OPD, the ordeal seems unending. During the waiting period, which may stretch to several hours, an already ailing patient has to be brave, to bear the excessive heat since neither the air-cooling design of the New OPD building nor the fans seem to be serving any purpose.

A visit to the New OPD block today revealed that patients were sweating it out as the temperature in the waiting areas was at least 10 degrees higher than that of outside the building. Overcrowding in waiting areas at each of the OPDs, special clinics and a handful of fans spoke volumes of the adverse conditions in which patients avail the health services at the institute everyday.

Amarjeet, a patient, who was waiting in one of special clinics for his turn at around 12pm, said, “I feel that the long waiting for consultation will be less painful for most of the patients if they are protected from the excessive heat. In winters, the problem does not arise as much.”

Air-conditioning project only on paper

The ordeal is expected to continue throughout the summer season this year, since the project for centralised air-conditioning of the building is yet to take off. Though the long-pending proposal has been approved recently by the Standing Finance Committee of PGIMER, detailed planning and implementation may take another year, officials said.

“We are planning the air-conditioning of the building. It is an official process and proper planning and budgeting needs to be done,” said Manju Wadwalkar, the official Spokesperson of the PGIMER. 

Chandigarh, July 8
A day after a Panjab University (PU) student was injured after bricks started falling off the roof of a bus queue shelter in Sector 15, the UT Administration today swung into action and ordered a survey of around 175 old brick-structured shelters across the city.

The Administration has barricaded the unsafe bus queue shelter.

The Administration has passed an order for demolishing nine bus queue shelters, which are unsafe. Demolition of two such shelters in Sector 15 has begun. The remaining shelters are in Sectors 21, 28 and 26 (on Madhya Marg), Dadu Majra and Dhanas.

UT Chief Engineer SK Chadha, who took stock of the condition of various bus queue shelters in the city today, said they have decided to raze around nine bus queue shelters. “However, it is yet to be decided whether we will replace them with steel structures that have come up in the southern sectors of the city or re-construct them,” he added.

Sources said after the survey, a report on each bus queue shelter would be prepared on the basis of which it will be decided whether the queue shelter has to be demolished or repaired. A large number of old brick structures have visible signs of deterioration, the sources added.

Pooja (25), an MA final year student of the university, was injured when around eight bricks fell on her. She was rushed to the GMSH, Sector 16, from where she was discharged after administering first aid.

Mohali, July 8
In the case of alleged sale of drugs in the New Nabha Jail, the Punjab ADGP (Prisons) Rajpal Meena has entrusted an inquiry to DIG (Prisons) LS Jakhar here today.

If any jail official is found involved in the illegal activity, a strict action would be taken against him, said the police authorities.

Yesterday, a New Nabha jail inmate Dheeraj Batta, alias Dheeru, had stunned the local court by placing a packet of heroin before the judge, claiming that he bought it from the Nabha jail for Rs 1,500. Dheeru was brought to the Mohali district courts for a hearing in a case of causing hurt. He had also claimed that the drug was being sold in the jail under the patronage of certain senior officials.

Meanwhile, Mohali SP (City) Swarndeep Singh said they would soon seek production warrant of Harpreet Singh, who was booked at the Mataur police station on Dheeru’s complaint. “We have begun investigations and the role of jail officials is also under scanner,” he said.

Chandigarh, July 8
Panchkula lad Shubham Goel has clinched the 50th All-India Rank (AIR) in the CBSE Joint Entrance Examination (JEE–Mains), the results of which were announced here today.

While Shubham Goel bagged the first state rank in Chandigarh, he was followed by Hardik Verma, who bagged the second spot and secured AIR rank 65.

The third spot was bagged by Ritwick Chaudhary, his AIR is 74. All the three boys figure among the top 100 rankers in India.

Chandigarh, July 8
All seats of BSc, medical and non-medical streams, were filled on the second day of counselling of the undergraduate courses in a majority of colleges in the city today.

In fact, only reserved seats have been left for the BCA course in four government colleges of the city. While in MCM DAV College, Sector 36, the admission for all courses except BA was completed.

College officials said the cut-off percentage for various courses reached a record high. For BBA I, the cut-off was 85.8 per cent while the highest percentage recorded was 93.3 per cent. While for BCA I, the cut-off and highest percentage were 78 per cent and 96.2 per cent, respectively.

Similarly, the cut-off for all postgraduate courses broke all the previous records and scaled a new high.

The cut-off for MA I (English) was 79.6 per cent, while it was 77.13 per cent for MA I (Sociology).

At SD College, Sector 32, all seats of B.Sc general and vocational (medical) and B.Sc general and vocational (non-medical) were filled today.

On the second day of BCA counselling in government colleges, 39 reserved seats and 9 general seats were only left.

The coordinator Renu Arora of BCA government colleges revealed that it has been decided that on July 12, the last counselling of the remaining seats will be conducted of all categories.

Chandigarh, July 8
Even as there is no clarity on the increase in the number of seats for the MBBS course at the GMCH-32 from 50 to 100 — 12 days after the first counselling — the Director-Principal of the institute said the stance will be clear by July 10.

Led by Chandigarh MP Kirron Kher, as many as 30 parents of MBBS aspirants had met the Union Health Minister in New Delhi yesterday.

“We hope to get clarity on the issue by July 10,” said Dr Atul Sachdev, Director-Principal, GMCH-32.

Disappointed over the Medical Council of India’s (MCI) decision of declining 50 additional seats to the GMCH-32 due to a few shortcomings, the parents gave a representation to Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan.

Pointing out the shortcomings, the MCI had on June 23, rejected the GMCH’s request for increasing the seats to the MBBS course from 50 to 100 this year, leaving scores of students in the lurch as they had left admission options in other colleges in the hope of securing a seat in the GMCH-32. 

Chandigarh, July 8
Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh, has invited applications for BEd admissions at five PU-affiliated colleges in Chandigarh.

These colleges have 570 BEd seats. The admissions to BEd (general), BEd (yoga) and BEd Special Education (mental retardation) at the Brahmrishi Yoga Training College, Sector 19-A, Dev Samaj College of Education, Sector 36 B, Government College of Yoga Education and Health, Sector 23, Government College of Education, Sector 20-D and Regional Institute of Mentally Handicapped, Sector 31, would be done through centralised counselling.

Those who aspire to take admission in these colleges can apply online from July 8-16, 2014.