Chandigarh, September 24
Differences between the local unit of the BJP and MP Kirron Kher over several issues concerning the city have come to the fore.

Be it the formation of a metropolitan council or giving one-time relaxation to CHB allottees for building violations, the local BJP unit and Kirron Kher have different views.

Kirron had recently opposed the proposal to set up a metropolitan council for Chandigarh.

Sanjay Tandon, president of the city BJP unit, said, he and several other senior BJP leaders were only following the party manifesto. In the recent parliamentary elections, the party had promised to strengthen the democratic system in the city and had formed a committee to explore all options such as a metropolitan committee or a Mayor-in-council for the city. The committee will submit its recommendations.

Senior BJP leader and former MP Satya Pal Jain said as the present system had failed to deliver, there was a need for a new and powerful system, in which the elected representatives would have more say.

Citing the master plan, Jain said bureaucrats, who were in the city on deputation for three years, had prepared the master plan of the city while people who were born and brought up in the city were not consulted.

“Be it a metropolitan council or a Mayor-in-council, the democratic system needs to be strengthend,” Jain said.

Former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Harmohan Dhawan said the bureaucracy was dominant in the city. To solve problems faced by city residents, there was a need for strengthening the democratic set-up, which could be achieved only by forming a metropolitan council, Dhawan said.

Chandigarh, September 24
After the Chandigarh Administration did away with the requirement of affidavits to simplify delivery of services, the Estate Office has now followed suit and people will now not be required to submit affidavits along with files relating to Estate Office works.

Mohammed Shayin, Deputy Commissioner-cum-Estate Officer, said now owners and allottees of sites and buildings in the city would not have to furnish affidavits in support of their contention for services such as allotment of sites, transfer of sites and buildings on the basis of sale deeds, grant of NOCs, permission to mortgage and sanction of building plans.

Balbir Singh, Assistant Estate Officer, said in place of affidavits, the applicants would now have to simply furnish a declaration on a plain paper with an undertaking that nothing was being concealed. In case the information was found incorrect, action under Sections 177 and 191 of the IPC, which stipulated imprisonment and fine, would be taken.

The applicant would be required to affix his or her latest photograph with signatures at the bottom of the declaration.

Last month, the UT had implemented the directions issued by the Centre to do away with affidavits and promote self-attestation of documents for citizen services. The Administration had decided to implement the orders for 217 services.

With the implementation of the orders, people will now be able to save a lot of time as earlier they had to run to notaries to get affidavits.

Chhat Bir, September 24
The tragic incident of a youth being mauled to death by a white tiger at a zoo in Delhi has put the Chhat Bir authorities on alert. The zoo has 10 tigers, housed in three enclosures.

Royal Bengal tiger Apaya, who had killed a zookeeper at the Bhiwani zoo in 2010 before being shifted to the Chhat Bir zoo. In the absence of a proper fence (below), visitors often cross the railing and the hedge to reach the boundary wall of the enclosure, putting their lives at risk. Tribune photos: Vicky Gharu

While two enclosures have a grid fence around them, one enclosure only has a 3-foot railing and a hedge.

Visitors are at times seen trying to cross the railing and the hedge to get to the boundary wall of the tigers’ enclosure.

The authorities are now contemplating to erect a net fence along the boundary wall of this enclosure, which houses four tigers.

One of the tigers in the enclosure, Apaya, had killed the zookeeper at the Bhiwani zoo in 2010 before being shifted here. The zookeeper had forgot to lock the enclosure after putting meat in it and fell prey to the animal.

“Visitors often sit on the boundary wall of the enclosure and lean over it to click photos or tease the animals, put their lives at risk,” said a security guard at the zoo. He said when asked not to do so, many visitors start quarrelling with them.

The zoo director Manish Kumar admitted that they use to deal such mischievous persons every now and then.

“All our enclosures have been designed according to the specifications and guidelines of the Central Zoo Authority. The tigers’ enclosure in question is also not an exception. We have a railing, a hedge and have raised a boundary wall around the enclosure according to the specifications. Now, we will again examine the situation and if need be, erect a net fence around it to check mischievous visitors,” said Manish Kumar.

He said security guards had been deputed near the enclosures of dangerous animals during the visitors’ timings, adding: “Though we take all precautions for the safety of visitors, they should also follow the zoo rules.”

Incidents at the zoo

• In 1999, a person, who was reportedly in an inebriated state, was mauled to death by a bear while he was trying to shake hands with the animal at the Chhat Bir zoo.
• In another incident around 20 years ago, a person had fallen into the enclosure of tigers, but he was rescued by the zookeeper.

Mohali, September 24
With five employees’ unions of various government departments staging protests and dharnas at Phase VIII, here, the town has virtually turned into a ‘protesting ground’.

Four unions — MGNREGA Contract Employees’ Union (Punjab), e-Panchayat Employee Union Punjab, ETT (TET) Pass Unemployed Teachers’ Union and Panchayat Secretary/Panchayat Samiti/Zila Parishad/Pensioners Union, Punjab — have been staging protests in front of the Vikas Bhawan, which houses the Punjab Rural Development and Panchayat Department.

Members of the Computer Teachers’ Union have been sitting on a dharna in front of the office of the Director-General School Education (DGSE), also located in Phase VIII. While the computer teachers have been demanding regularisation of their services, elderly members of the Panchayat Secretary/Samiti/Zila Parishad/Pensioners Union, Punjab, were raising slogans against the state government for release of their pension, which has been stopped for the past two months. “Besides, we are also demanding five to 10 per cent increase in our pensions and free medical facility”, said Nirmal Singh Lodhimajra, president of the union.

The members of ETT (TET) Pass Unemployed Union, which have been staging protest for the past two months, are on a protest to restart their recruitment process that had come to a halt in February.

“From spending our days and nights on a water tank to blocking traffic on main roads, we did every thing to wake up the state government from its slumber but in vain. Today, we burnt an effigy of the state government to show our protest”, said Joginder Singh, senior vice-president of the ETT Union. Members of the e-Panchayat Employees Union, which is struggling to reinstate their 387 colleagues, has cautioned the government of intensifying the protest on September 26 if their demands not met.

“We held a mass hunger strike yesterday but finished it after getting some assurance from the authorities”, said Gurpreet Singh, press secretary of the union.

Yesterday, the BKU (L) had blocked traffic in front of the Mohali DC’s office for around two hours to press for their demands. A senior police official of the Mohali police admitted that policing in the area had been affected badly due to the ongoing protests. The police was on its toes on Sunday when protesting computer teachers had blocked the Mohali-Kharar highway for around nine hours.

Chandigarh, September 24
CBI complainant Lalit Joshi today said the Sector 34 SHO Inspector Rajesh Shukla was resorting to lies to save himself from the bribery case.

Addressing mediapersons here today, Joshi said he had accompanied the CBI team when the Inspector Shukla was arrested.

Joshi claimed that Shukla had resisted the arrest and misbehaved with the CBI officials and had also called for his revolver. He also tried to flee following which the CBI sleuths nabbed him.

Joshi alleged that Inspector Shukla misbehaved with the CBI sleuths and also tried to beat them up following which they had to control him.

On September 22, the CBI had suspended Inspector Ashok Yadav, who reportedly manhandled and slapped Inspector Rajesh Shukla on September 3 after the CBI arrested him and two other policemen while allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 10,000.

Inspector Shukla, who was the SHO of the Sector 34 police station, was taken inside the Burail police post, Sector 45, soon after his arrest and slapped by CBI sleuths.

Chandigarh, September 24
The study tour, which has already generated controversy for overshooting the sanctioned expenditure and due to family members of several councillors joining the trip, is going to rock the MC House meeting tomorrow.

Though the MC has not placed the question of BJP councillor Satinder Singh in connection with the study tour in the house meeting, he and a BSP councillor, Jannat Jahan, have decided to ‘strongly’ take up the issue during the meeting.

The MC has spent Rs 28 lakh on the tour, which was scheduled from August 31 to September 9, to Port Blair, Chennai and Kolkata.

BJP councillor Satinder Singh said he had submitted his question well in advance, but the MC officials still did not submit a reply. “When the study tour can be planned within seven days, why MC officials failed to prepare a reply to my question in 15 days,” he asked. “Some councillors are exerting pressure on MC officials not to bring the answers because they will be exposed,” he alleged.

BSP councillor Jannat Jahan said the study tour exposed the double face of some BJP councillors, who were, last year, terming study tours as wasteful expenditure. But this time, they went on one along with their family members and relatives only because the destination was an island,” she said.

Jannat Jahan said there was no similarity between Chandigarh and Port Blair. “How can these councillors compare an island with Chandigarh,” she asked.

Panchkula, September 24
Putting all speculations to rest, Panchkula MLA DK Bansal is set to contest the Vidhan Sabha elections on the Congress ticket from Panchkula again. Bansal’s name was finalised in the list announced by the All-India Congress Committee this evening.

With the Congress declaring Bansal’s name for the elections, three ‘baniya’ candidates would be contesting in the poll. The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the BJP have already fielded Kulbushan Goel and Gian Chand Gupta, respectively.

The Haryana Janhit Congres (HJC) is yet to release its list but Chander Mohan is expected to contest the elections as he has already started canvassing.

Talking to Chandigarh Tribune, Bansal said: “People of the town know that I have always fought for the right thing be it any encroachment issue or other matter. Development has always been my priority.”

As the Congress declared the list quite late, the time for campaigning is less.

Bansal said he would be filing his nomination on September 26. Kulbushan Goel will also file his nomination on September 26. Gian Chand Gupta would filing his papers tomorrow, which is the first day of the Navratras.

Mohali, September 24
The Municipal Corporation has issued notices to 24 persons for resorting to encroachments here.

Uma Shankar Gupta, Municipal Commissioner, said here today that a special drive had been launched to remove encroachments. A private agency had been hired to get these removed.

The agency had identified 35 points where encroachments had been done, he said.

He said earlier it had been brought to the notice of presidents of various market associations about the presence of encroachments in their areas.

Municipal Commissioner Gupta Uma Shankar Gupta said alternative arrangements would be made for rehri and phariwalas to ply their business.

Mohali, September 24
To help flood victims in Jammu and Kashmir, Zirakpur-based Trinity Education and Research Foundation today donated medicines worth several lakhs here today.

Mohinder Kaushal, chairman, Trinity Hospital, handed over packets of medicines to Mohali Deputy Commissioner Tejinder Pal Singh Sidhu, who assured him that these would be sent to the victims by tomorrow. Lauding the efforts of the foundation, the DC said: “With such efforts, we can provide help to our brethren in the flood-affected state.” — TNS

Chandigarh, September 24
“Shree Krishna Leela”, a light and sound play on the life of Lord Krishna, was staged by the Theatre Arts Chandigarh at Punjab Kala Bhawan here today. The play was staged as part of the 7th Theatre Festival celebrations.

The play, written by Jai Parkash Bhatt and directed by Rajiv Mehta, depicted all ‘leelas’ of Lord Krishna right from his birth to Kansa Vadh, Sudama episode and the famous Gita Updesh which Lord Krishna gave to Arjun on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.

Different facets of Lord Krishna were beautifully portrayed as the artistes performed with quite aplomb. Everyone present applauded the graceful moves on the stage and their enchanting presence vehemently.

The play, which was supported with visuals and powerful soundtracks, captured the pulse of the audience as they stay glued to their seats.

The two hours forty-five minutes play proved the mastery of the director over the theatre craft as he had packed the script with meaningful dialogues and had used technology and lights to give the play a large than life pulse.

The protagonist character of Lord Krishna played by Munish Kapoor remained the show stealer.

Chandigarh, September 24
In order to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) will launch the “Swachh Bharat Swachh Vidyalaya Campaign” from September 25 to October 31 in all its schools.

While giving the details regarding the campaign, RJ Khanderao, regional director of the CBSE, said: “The CBSE has issued a circular to all its affiliated schools to take advantage of this campaign. The schools may participate in the Swachh Vidyalaya Abhiyan by taking up a programme for cleanliness during this period.”

Khanderao said: “During this week, the schools have also been given the option to fill in their sanitation status online at www.schoolsanitation.com, which is an award-winning activity. The schools with good sanitation ratings (after verification) will be felicitated as per their ratings.”

He said: “This activity is being held with an aim to inculcate the spirit of hygiene, cleanliness and aversion to unhygienic conditions in all our children from the very initial years of their schooling itself, so that every child in the country appreciate the value of good, clean and hygienic living.”

While welcoming the move of the CBSE, academician Dr Arvind Goyal said: “This policy of the CBSE will not only bring about awareness, but also practically create a neater, cleaner and more hygienic environment for the students at schools. To top it all, they will not only be rewarded for it but also get a sense of self achievement by being part of the whole cleanliness drive in various forms.”

He said creating awareness in young minds about hygiene, clean washrooms and clean drinking water area would definitely help in curbing the transmission of various diseases, which spread through contaminated water and fomites.

Panchkula, September 24
Two students from Panchkula have been selected for the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youth Programme (JENESYS), a CBSE’s initiative.

The students - Khwahish Singal and Rakshita Kochhar of Class X at The Gurukul, Sector 20, here - are among 182 students that have been selected from all over the country.

Khwahish has been selected for the cultural group on the basis of her artistic skills. She is not only a painter par excellence but is also an orator and a stage performer. Khwahish will be a part of the cultural team comprising nearly 80 students across India to visit Japan in November this year (November 11-18, 2104).

Rakshita is a state-level tennis player and has displayed her excellence in the game in a number of competitions. Tennis is Rakshita’s passion and she follows it from the heart. Rakshita will be accompanying the sports troupe from India in December (December 8-16, 2014).

The objective of the JENESYS programme is to deepen mutual understanding among young people and to establish the basis of Asia’s stalwart solidarity.

Principal Harsimran Kaur said: “It is an appreciable initiative by the CBSE, which will give an unparalleled exposure to the selected Indian students in their respective fields.”

Chandigarh, September 24
The Government Teachers’ Union, during its meeting today, demanded the implementation of the Supreme Court’s order to extend the retirement age of people suffering from locomotor disability.

The meeting chaired by union president Dr Vinod Sharma deliberated on the judgment of the Supreme Court for extending the retirement age from 58 to 60 years for persons suffering from locomotor disability (physically disabled) or cerebral palsy.

The committee welcomed the decision of the court for extending the benefit of two years in government service to the physically disabled employees.

The committee members demanded the implementation of the decision of the court in the Chandigarh Administration at the earliest. They claimed that a majority of the working employees were at the verge of retirement or were at the stage of extension of 2 years as per the decision of the Punjab Government.

The committee also demanded to fill the posts of the Group A and B category in promotions as per the notification of the Punjab Government as well as the decision of the Supreme Court.

Chandigarh, September 24
The Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, here has introduced MPhil in Psychiatry Social Work, in a first in the region (north of Delhi). It has been introduced in view of the mental health programme planned for 652 districts in the 12th Five Year Plan that will involve qualified social workers.

The hospital, despite re-advertising and extending last date of submission, could not find enough takers for its 8 seats. Students can apply for the course by contacting the Department of Psychiatry, GMCH-32, for the coming academic session.

“This course has potential, but it not gained popularity. Somehow, despite extending dates we could not find many takers,” said Dr Atul Sachdev, Director-Principal, GMCH-32.