Chandigarh, August 11
The Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) has grounded its 10-storeyed housing project in Sector 63. Now, it’s coming up with a three-storeyed housing complex spread over 40 acres at the same venue.

Talking to Chandigarh Tribune, Amar Nath, chief executive officer, CHB, said: “We have grounded the 10-storeyed project because we did not have requisite experience to implement the scheme. It was also discussed and decided that the tall buildings did not gel with the architectural plan of City Beautiful.”

He said under the new scheme the board would construct 1,590 houses. The housing complex would have different demarcations for economically weaker sections, low-income group, middle-income group and high-income group categories. The project would probably be the first initiative of the board to employ a public-private partnership for its implementation.

The price of the houses in the economically weaker sections and low-income group categories would be controlled, while the remaining categories could be expensive, sources said.

As many as 63 parties had responded to the CHB advertisement for the 10-storeyed project following which the CHB shortlisted 26 architects. Ultimately, nine parties submitted the design and it shortlisted one of the architects.

The project had invited criticism when a group of citizens had called on Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and raised objections to the changing skyline. The delegation had sought the formation of a regulatory body to retain the city’s special character. In fact, two more high-rise building projects are currently stranded at the clearance stage, one of which is the 11-storeyed building in Sector 17 and another business towers in Sector 34.

The UT administrator, Gen (retd) S.F. Rodrigues, during a recent visit to the proposed site in Sector 17 had expressed apprehensions about traffic bottlenecks at the site. He had asked officials concerned to review the necessity of the apartment Act in the city.

The Urban Planning Department had also expressed concerns over the problems the apartment rules could pose at a later stage. The administration had also drafted an architectural and urban heritage plan for the city earlier this year.

Chandigarh, August 11
The best day of the monsoon season wreaked havoc across the city and nearby areas as lightning struck at several places, leaving behind a trail of destruction.

Although from the weatherman’s point of view the day was welcome as it brought 38 mm rainfall in a single day - the highest on any given day in July - thunder and lightning ensured that the good news was accompanied with bad.

In Sectors 12, 15, 16 and 38, where lightning struck around 5.15 pm, electronic goods worth lakhs were damaged. Such was the impact of lightning that in several houses in Sector 15 regulators of fans flipped onto floors, detached as they got from their base.

Among the goods that were damaged were air-conditioners, televisions, BSNL modems, computers and computer printers.

Losses, however, could not be estimated precisely, although some residents called up The Tribune office to list the damages.

Arvind Sharma, a senior resident with the department of neurology, PGI, and resident of Sector 15-A, returned home from work this evening to find that his electronic goods were damaged soon after the lightning.

Chandigarh, August 11
The registering and licensing authority, Chandigarh, is all set to discontinue the sale of loose application forms to those applying for a driver’s licence or registration of a vehicle.

Instead, booklets containing a complete set of forms will be sold to the applicants.

Depending upon the nature of job, the booklets have been classified into 19 different categories.

While the cost of the booklet to be used for registration of vehicles will be Rs 20, that being used for getting a driver’s licence will cost Rs 10.

Around eight years ago, glossy booklets were introduced under the ‘Sahayata’ project of the Red Cross Society. But these were discontinued by the RLA following objections over the use of expensive quality of paper and practice of sponsorship.

Now, the RLA has used ordinary paper, as is being supplied by the Red Cross to print applications forms.

To make the booklets user-friendly and cheap, all application forms concerned have been clipped into one booklet.

Extra sheets of papers have been provided in the booklet where the applicant can paste necessary supporting documents.

Ankur Garg, officiatin registering and licensing authority, confirmed that the new booklets would soon be introduced.

After buying loose forms, the applicant had to buy a file cover costing Rs 5 each, which added to the cost of the complete set of application form.

However, those requiring individual forms for jobs like deposition of road tax will have to shell out more money.

Chandigarh, August 11
Live wires hanging from an electricity pole on the Panjab University campus almost cost a student her life tonight.

Earlier during the day, another student had a close shave after she received an electric shock from the same pole.

Heavy rainfall today exacerbated the situation by causing dampness in live wires.

More serious among the two is the first-year pharmacy student, Eva Rai, a resident of Kasturba hostel, who received shock around 8.30 pm after coming in contact with naked wires that, the hostellers said, had not been repaired for a long time.

Eva, who suffered repeated convulsions after stepping on the wires, was shifted to the emergency of Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, Sector 16.

She was first discharged and brought back to the hostel where she could barely get on to her feet. Her condition worsened and had to be brought back to the emergency care.

Dr Deepti, a friend of Isha Sethi, Eva’s local guardian, who reached the hostel after learning about the accident, told Chandigarh Tribune that the wires were hanging “lethally” from the pole and there was no lighting in the street to make them visible.

“Hostellers told us that this is the third case in recent months. The pole is located near the entrance to Kasturba hall, between Kasturba and Sarojini hostels.

Eva, a resident of Rampur Bushair in Himachal Pradesh, is a fresher and was strolling in the area when she was electrocuted.

Chandigarh, August 11
“Let youngsters enjoy” was the reply of UT officiating senior superintendent to police (SSP) Dinesh Bhatt when asked about youngsters indulging in obscene acts in parks.

He made the remark at a meeting with representatives of residents and market welfare associations at the police headquarters in Sector 9 this afternoon The meeting, which was organised by the police, lasted over two hours.

All deputy superintendents of police and the station house officers of the city police were present at the meeting.

Some senior citizens had pointed out the rising menace of public display of love by young couples, much to the chagrin of elderly persons and children accompanying them in the parks.

Dealing with the point with much ease, Bhatt said: “We should not impose emergency on the freedom of youngsters.”

Apprising the SSP of nuisance created by mushrooming paying guest accommodations in the city, the concerned representatives termed it a threat to the culture of the city, as they found it difficult to go to parks and other public places due to the objectionable activities of youngsters.

The residents rued that the traffic police had failed to check violations on internal roads, where young motorcyclists ran their machines at break-neck speed, making it vulnerable for others to venture out on the roads.

They also demanded strict enforcement of rules and regulations on those providing paying guest accommodations.

A specific case of Burail guest houses was raised by a resident, wherein rooms were being rented out to revellers on hourly basis without maintaining any record pf their credentials.

The senior police officials were urged to take concrete steps to curb the menace.

Similarly, residents of Sector 38 rued that youngsters who indulged in hooliganism had held their lives to ransom.

A senior citizen from Sector 35 said elderly persons had decided to act as vigilantes to tackle the problem. He asked the SSP to provide station constables at each park in the city during the morning and evening hours.

The Pracheen Kala Kendra featured the noted Delhi gharana maestro,Ghulam Sabir Khan in a captivating Sham-e-Ghazal held at the Kendra auditorium here today. With his distinctive style of expressing the delicacy and fineness of feeling with musical dexterity Gulam Sabir impressed the audience by rendering all his ghazals.

The opening spell of Adim Hashmi's ghazal 'Toot jaye na bharam honth hilayoon kaise' in raga Kirwani established credentials of the Ustad while audience keenly relished poet Hali's classic creation 'Jab tak chirag-e-Ishq mein kuch roshni rahi.'

Ghulam Sabir concluded the programme with composition of Ahmed Faraz 'Zindgi mein to sabhi pyar kiya karte hain', immortalised by legendary Mehndi Hasan.

Well known musicians Ziauddin Khan on tabla, Rauf Khan on sarangi and Danish Ali was on violin supported Gulam Sabir Khan gave audience a musical treat. The chief guest, Krishna Bhanu, resident editor, Ajit Samachar, Shimla and Kendra director M.L. Koser honoured the artists.

Earlier in an interaction with the Chandigarh Tribune Ghulam Sabir Khan opined that 'ghazal gayaki' is not merely music but a passion. He lauded the keen interest the NRI's evinced in 'ghazal' recalling his performances in UK and Middle East countries way back in 1990. 

Chandigarh, August 11
Lady Governor Jean Rodrigues today called upon Money, who was treated for rheumatic heart disease with severe mitral valve regurgitation (leakage) and moderate pulmonary artery hypertension at Fortis Hospital, Mohali.

Money is the daughter of a poor labourer residing at Fatehgarh Churian, Gurdaspur district, and the hospital had adopted her for free surgery when a report about her condition appeared in the columns of The Tribune.

The Lady Governor wished her early recovery, while presenting a basket of fruits.

Chandigarh Industrial Association president M.P.S. Chawla, who was also present, said the association had decided to bear the postoperative expenses of Money.

She will need to take blood thinners lifelong to prevent clot formation due to the presence of an artificial valve.

Chandigarh, August 11
Four persons were stabbed in two separate incidents at Hallo Majra on Friday night.

The police said all four victims sustained minor injuries and were taken to the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, from where they were discharged later.

Police station-31 SHO Har Sahai Sharma said the first incident took place around 10.15 pm when Subash Yadav, who resides at the village, was waylaid by three persons near the poultry farm chowk.

In his complaint, Yadav said he was on his way back home from Industrial Area, Phase I, where he worked, when the attack took place.

The three, two of whom were unidentified, asked him to hand over the money he had on him. On refusal, one of the assailants stabbed him.

He parried the attack with his hand but received injuries on the hand and neck.

The assailants stabbed him again and fled.

The police said the victim was admitted to the hospital and a case under Sections 324, 506 and 34 of the IPC had been registered.

The victim told the police that he recognised one of the assailants.

The second incident took place around 12:15 am when Vijay Yadav of the same village was returning home along with his friends Bhupinder and Rajesh.

He was stopped by a man in an inebriated condition near sabzi mandi in Hallo Majra and was asked to hand over a knife.

On expressing his inability to do so, the man called over his two accomplices and they assaulted him. The complainant’s friends also joined the scuffle.

During the melee, the assailants stabbed the three and fled.

The police said the victims suffered minor injuries.

A case under Sections 324 and 34 of the IPC has been registered in this connection.

The SHO said the matter was under investigation and no arrest had been made so far.

Chandigarh, August 11
The muse for Khushwant Singh’s debut narrative “Sikhs Unlimited” was, interestingly, an onion crisis way back in 1997. While an article emanated from the crisis for a newspaper, which the author subsequently used to ‘market’ his writing skills, it was a call from his more famous namesake, the eminent scholar and writer Khushwant Singh, declaring how he had never grown vegetables before that made the writing bug bite! This is how Khushwant Singh, a kinnow farmer from the heartland of Punjab in Hoshiarpur and unlikely journalist, turned author.

Today, a decade later, his book “Sikhs Unlimited” was released in the city at the UT Guest House by Punjab finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal at a function attended by authors, authors-in-waiting, friends and family.

Badal said, “We both make a living selling kinnows, so I am really happy to see this book. The pen is a powerful instrument of change and I wish I was co-authoring it with him to be there in all those moments of adventure.”

The book maps the lives of 14 extraordinary Sikhs living abroad and is not the clichéd rags-to-riches tales. “These are not the people who have made big money or drive large cars. These are the people who have achieved through their talent, business acumen or sheer determination,” says Khushwant.

What is also interesting is that it also includes Westerners who have become Sikhs as a “way of bringing the Eastern and Western Sikhs together and accepting them into the mainstream,” avers the author.

But, what really appeals to Khushwant is that each of these lives appealed to his heart and that is why they have made it to the book. This is something that even Badal spoke eloquently of.

“Sikhs Unlimited”, however, is no pontificating tale. As Neel Kamal Puri, author of “Patiala Quartet” who introduced the book, said: “It is a biography and travelogue which allows the author to make first person observations not just of a world left behind but of a new world emerging.”

Interspersed with “robust Punjabi humour” the book makes for a lively travelogue, which he likes to refer to in private as “from London to LA” (spoofing on film-maker Gurinder Chaddha’s “Bride and Prejudice”, which when translated to Hindi was called, “Balle Balle from Amritsar to LA”!)

Chandigarh, August 11
Surrogate advertising is corrupting the impressionable young minds in the country which needs to be restricted, felt the professionals at the panel discussion held at the Chandigarh Press Club here today.

The panelists included Pallav Mukherjee, municipal councillor, Hemant Goswami, president of the Burning Brain Society, Capt Balwant Gurunay, a management trainer, and Renuka Salwan, chairperson of Chandigarh unit of the Public Relations Society of India(PRSI).

The speakers pointed out that 57 per cent of the population of India was under 25 years of age which was most impressionable and the liquor and cigarette manufacturers in the country were resorting to irresponsible advertising to influence young brains, that is contributing to the increased consumption of liquor in the country.

Goswami underlined the need to de-glamorise the consumption of liquor and tobacco in the country by putting a ban on surrogate advertising.

Mukherjee pointed out the inadequacies of the system to curb surrogate advertising and asked for people's participation in bringing about the positive change in the society. "We as citizens abdicate our responsibilities and do not care for the happenings around us", he lamented.

Senior journalist Gobind Thukral asked the media to be responsible and stop publishing such advertising and refuse the bashes thrown by the liquor companies, which were receiving better coverage than the developmental stories in the newspapers. 

Mohali, August 11
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Jasjit Singh has demanded the resignation of president of the Mohali Municipal Council, Rajinder Singh Rana, for his alleged failure in providing sanitary conditions in the Shahimajra village, which resulted in the death of two siblings there.

Jasjit Singh, while visiting the village, said the conditions of the village were insanitary and the drinking water there was unsafe for consumption.

He said children had died due to diarrhoea at Madanpur village also but the council had failed to get its act together even after that.

He said the council president could have taken the steps to get Shahimajra and other villages cleaned after those diarrhoea deaths but he did not take responsibility.

The sanitation contractor was given a warning to clean the area in two days after the village lost two children. He said if timely action was not taken the disease might spread to other areas as well. He said he would try to persuade the government to give compensation to the family which had lost two children. 

Panchkula, August 11
The already divided local unit of the BJP suffered yet another setback with district unit chief Ravinder Sehgal resigning from his post.

Sources said he announced his decision to quit as president on grounds that local leaders were not cooperating with him.

He announced his decision to quit as president at a meeting of the district unit held in the presence of state unit leaders of the party and co-in charge, Haryana affairs, Harjeet Singh Grewal. The resignation, addressed to president of the Haryana BJP unit Atam Prakash Manchanda, was handed over to party secretary Kanwar Pal late last evening.

When contacted, Sehgal said he had resigned since the members of the local unit at all levels had refused to cooperate with him.

“I will give a detailed statement after my resignation is accepted,” he said.

Though it is not known whether his resignation will be accepted or rejected by the party high, the matter has brought the division within the unit right back under the spotlight.

Only last month, the top brass of the state unit had claimed to have resolved the differences within the district unit by revoking all suspensions for creating indiscipline.

Sehgal was suspended for indiscipline and served a show-cause notice on why he should not be expelled from the party. The notice was issued because Sehgal had allegedly violated the constitution of the BJP and its conventions and expelled media in charge Varinder Garg for six years. He had also unauthorisedly dissolved the local unit of the party.

Also, the notice had added that instead of resolving differences with the party high command in the state, Sehgal had gone to the media with his statements which had lowered the prestige of the party. 

Panchkula, August 11
The three-day Hayanvi folk dances festival and competitions being organised by the Harayna Kala Parishad opened to a mundane start at the Indradahnush auditorium here today. The incessant rains played the spoilsport leading to many teams withdrawing from participation, which invariably resulted in the late start of the event by over two hours.

Against the fifteen teams scheduled for competition from Hissar and Gurgaon zones for today only seven could make it to the venue, disclosed Usha Sharma, director Harayna Kala Parishad. The finalists would be chosen from all the four zones covering the state after teams from Ambala and Rohtak. As many as 32 teams from the state with dancers between the age group of 15 to 25 years are likely to participate in the state level folk dance competition, she added. The final winners would perform at a function to be held at the Indradhanush on August 13. The chief guest, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, will honour the winners of state and zonal level competitions. The respective top winners will be awarded Rs 1 lakh, Rs 75,000 and Rs 50, 000 while winners in zonal level will get Rs 25,000 as consolation prizes.

It was on October 1,1953 when City Beautiful was born. At that time UT administration was the in-charge for the development of city beautiful and it did good work.

It was a bad day when an Ordinance was passed in 1994 and the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation was born on May 24, 1994. It started working from May 19, 2005. Since then the cleanliness, roads, greenery, slums, rainwater has deteriorated and the city is no longer beautiful.

I have observed that the system is not successful even after a decade. In my opinion this system should be scrapped. In fact I strongly feel that there is no need of M.C. and we should go back to 1995 system I.E.

If we want to get back the status and development of the city then UT administration should look into all the matters. Only administration should run the show.

G.K. Chopra, Chandigarh

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Chandigarh, August 11
A Sector 22 resident was arrested yesterday on charges of duping a Shimla resident on the pretext of sending him abroad.

Sources in the economic offence wing of the police said Bhagwan Dass of Shimla had reported to the police that Deepak Arora had taken Rs 5.81 lakh from him for sending him to the UK. He said neither did he send abroad nor return the money.