Chandigarh, March 31
Local colleges dominated proceedings at Panjab University’s ‘A’ division inter-college sports meets this year. Continuing its winning spree, DAV College, Sector 10, was declared general champion in men’s section ‘A’ division for the record 35th time at the annual prize distribution function of the Panjab University Sports Department at PU gymnasium hall today.

DAV accumulated 574.5 points to lift the Sir Shadi Lal Trophy. The runners-up was the local Sri Guru Gobind Singh College with 538 points who won K.K. Grover Trophy.

In the women’s section, the general championship in ‘A’ division was won by MCM DAV College for Women, Chandigarh, with 382 points while the GGS College emerged runners-up with 303 points. GGS got the PUSC Trophy.

In ‘B’ division PU inter-college meets, local colleges did not make a mark in the men’s section. GGDSD College of Hariana won the general championship to lift the PUSC Trophy while in the women’s category, local Dev Samaj College of Education for Women topped with 105 points.

PU sportspersons, who represented the country at the international level, were awarded with cash prizes. Gold medallists got Rs 2500 each while silver and bronze medalists got Rs 2000 and 1500 each, respectively.

“In this session, PU entered 56 teams in inter-university competitions. PU sportspersons bagged top four positions among 38 disciplines,” said Prof D.S. Toor, advisor to PU sports director.

Manpreet Badal, finance minister, Punjab, was the chief guest at the function.

Chandigarh, March 31
Trials to select 30 probables for a coaching camp for the forthcoming under-21 Youth National Football Championship were conducted at Football Stadium, Sector 17, here today. The championship will be held at Haldwari in Uttaranchal from April 15.

The selected players are: Naresh, Puran Chand, Ankush Thakur, Rohit Bhardwaj, Salahu Ddin Khan, Manoj, Gaurav Bagga, Kabir Dhawan, Navjot Singh, Varun Shukla, Hari Chand, Mandeep Singh, Nayan Mundari, Mohak, Sapinderjit Singh, Vineet Kumar, Manpreet Singh, Nitin Rawat, Tushar Batra, Jaswinder Singh, Lalit Joshi, Ajay Bhatt, Ashutosh Sharma, Ram Lal, Lakhwinder Singh and Vijay Bhatt. — TNS

Chandigarh, March 31
The Chandigarh area team of the Indian Air Force has lifted the Inter - area Western Air Command (WAC) Volleyball Championship 2007-08. In a keenly contested final held at 12 Wing Air Force Station here yesterday, the Chandigarh area team defeated the Adampur area team by 25-20, 25-12 and 25-10.

The championship had got underway on March 26. Air Commodore, Manmohan Sud, Air Officer Commanding, 12 Wing Air Force, had inaugurated the tournament. — TNS

Chandigarh, March 31
The selection process for class B and C non-gazetted posts in Chandigarh seems to have come under a cloud with bureaucrat-politician nexus calling the shots and ad hoc culture ruling the roost.

In fact, the Union Territory has allegedly thrown norms to the wind by bypassing the staff selection commission (SSC), apex body for the selection to non-gazetted posts all over the country.

Several Union Territories, including Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Andaman and Nicobar and Delhi, carry out recruitment for these posts through the SSC.

The credibility of selections made by the commission can be ascertained from the fact that there are very few cases of selections being challenged in court.

However, that cannot be said of those made in the Union Territory where officers on deputation from Punjab and Haryana and politicians enjoy patronage.

The entire selection system smacks of favouritism and on several occasions the recruitment has landed in courts with unsuccessful candidates crying foul.

With recruitment being carried out at the department level, transparency is the first casualty and allegations of favouritism fly high. The administration’s tall claims of transparency lose credibility in the process.

Sources in the administration, however, refute allegations of favouritism, claiming that a “fair” selection is being carried out for all these posts.

In fact, by its peculiar administrative setup, employees from Punjab and Haryana are taken on deputation on 60:40 ratio to work on certain posts for the city, a senior functionary of the administration claims.

However, functionaries fail to explain why the administration is finding it hard to entrust the job of selection to the SSC, which has an impeccable record and requisite infrastructure to conduct the selection process.

Obviously, the administration’s gesture will go a long way in allaying candidates’ apprehensions of “unfair” selections. This will also help take the workload off overworked officials of the administration, who can utilise that time in public dealing.

Chandigarh, March 31
The Chandigarh administration yesterday allowed basements in showrooms of Sector 7-C Madhya Marg on the pattern of showrooms in Sector 26, Madhya Marg.

Under the policy, extension of basement for parking beyond the built-up zone will be allowed by 10 per cent. It shall be flushed with the ground and roof slab shall be designed to take the load of fire tender.

The provision of mandatory natural light has been allowed from 1/10th of the floor area to 1/25th of floor area, subject to the condition that

the deficiency in light and ventilation shall be made up for with artificial lighting and mechanical ventilation.

The minimum clear height of a basement storey shall be 7 ft 6 inches and the maximum 12 ft, from floor to ceiling.

However, in case of services such as printing press, lifts, A.C. plants,

electrical panels, filtration plants, laundry plants or machines related

to the use of site, a height up to 16 ft and 6 inches has been allowed. No mezzanine shall be permitted.

The administration has approved two staircases preferably in opposite directions in the basement meant for parking. Modern automated laundry has been allowed in the basement of hotels, restaurants and hospital sites as an ancillary service for the purpose for which the site has been sold, subject on the condition that the effluent of the laundry shall be properly pumped up to the ground floor. The committee did not recommend toilet/kitchen in the basement.

Passenger lift has been allowed in the basements meant for parking only. The administration has approved a standardised lower ground floor level, which will be more than half of its height above the mean ground level and the rest of the height below the mean ground level. In order to address the problem of access to the parking in basement it shall be as per the norms of the National Building Code in plot size of one acre and above.

In the case of plots below one acre, a ramp and a staircase shall be scrutinised by the committee. The Administration has allowed basement under public corridors governed by architectural controls in SCOs.