You’ve resigned, PGI cardiology head told!
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, February 17
It was a prank that left Dr Anil Grover confounded. This evening, the Head of the PGI’s Cardiology Department was informed that he had resigned even though he knew nothing about it.

In fact, Dr Grover was told that he had submitted the resignation on his letterhead and the copies had been forwarded to newspaper offices even though he had no reason to even consider resigning from his post.

It all started with a fax message forwarded to newspaper offices in the city. A single-page note without the sender’s name and phone number stated that Dr Grover was submitting his resignation from the post of Additional Professor and Head with effect from July 16, 2004, due to personal reasons.

The note, dated February 16, added that the resignation included a three-month notice period. It concluded that the charge of the Cardiology Department could be taken away from him as early as the next day “if it was administratively contingent”. The letter, addressed to the PGI’s President, bearing number Card / 04 / 342, was also signed.

Dr Grover was informed about the letter by reporters who called him up for comments. “I am shocked,” Dr Grover asserted. “Someone has played a prank,” he said, adding that “I am completely unaware of it”.

SPORTS

Haul of medals for Army Sports Institute pugilists
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, February 17
The pugilists of the Army Sports Institute (ASI), Pune, stole the limelight by clinching a haul of medals, including five gold and two silver medals, to emerge overall champions with 47 points in the 11th All-India Invitational AK Misra Memorial Boxing Championship that concluded at the Sector 10 rink hall.

Former champions Assam Rifles had to remain satisfied with runners-up trophy with 24 points.

Siddharth Verma, winner of gold medal in the featherweight class, was elated as he was adjudged the best boxer of the meet. Kamaldeep Singh of the Punjab Police received the best loser’s trophy.

The boxers who did the ASI proud were D. Kannan (bantam), Dileep Puri (light fly), C. Kuttapa  (light welter), Mahinder Thappa (middle) and Gurmail Singh (heavy). H.K. Beliwal (fly) and Ajit Pal Singh (welter), both of the ASI, finished runners-up in their respective categories.

Ravi Gill of Andhra Pradesh and Gurmail Singh (ASI) performed well. Gill adopted long-distance single attack, while Gurmail resorted to combination of left and right. Gill also had tendency to lean forward which resulted in injury to Gurmail as soon as the final bout in heavyweight category started. Gurmail got a cut on the eyebrow and referee Shiv Singh stopped the bout. The points till that stage were in favour of Gurmail. He was declared the winner.

Avhishek Sah of Delhi performed well against H.K. Beliwal in the flyweight class. Another close and split decision was witnessed in the welterweight final between Suranjit Singh of Assam Rifles and Ajit Pal Singh of the ASI. Suranjeet won the top position.

Meanwhile, Arjuna award winner Raj Kumar Sangwan said there was a need to introduce professional boxing in the country to raise the standard of the game and popularise it at the grassroot level.

Once ranked fourth in the world and Asian gold medalist Sangwan of Bhiwani was of the view that if some prize money would have been at stake in the AK Mishra All-India Boxing Championship, it could have attracted more boxers.

Results (all finals): light flyweight (up to 48 kg): Dileep Puri (ASI) b SB Thappa (AR) on points. Flyweight (48 to 51 kg): Avhishek Sah (Delhi) b  H.K. Beliwal (ASI) on points.

Bantamweight (51 to 54 kg): D. Kannan (ASI) b K Phillip Singh (ARC) on points.

Featherweight (54 to 57 kg):  Siddharth Verma (Mah) b Jagdish Singh (ASPT) on points.

Lightweight (57 to 60 kg): G. Satya Raju (Signals) b Hari Krishan Nayal (AR) on points.

Light welterweight (60 to 64 kg): C. Kuttapa (ASI) b S. Ningihow Singh (ARC) on points.

Welterweight (64 to 69 kg): Suranjeet (AR) b Ajit Pal Singh (ASI) on points.

Middleweight (69 to 75 kg): Mahinder Thappa (ASI) w/o Jagtar Singh (PP).

Light heavyweight (75 to 81 kg): Ram Singh (PP) b Shahi Kumar Thappa (AR) on points.

Heavyweight (81 to 91 kg): Gurmail Singh (ASI) b Ravi Gill (AP) on points.

Super heavyweight (above 95 kg): Jitender Kumar Singh (ASPT) b Shailendera Yadav (Trenz Club, New Delhi) on points.

Athletics meet

The two-day annual athletics meet of the DAV College, Sector 10, began here on Tuesday on the college premises. Mr D.R. Gupta, director of the DAV Education Committee, inaugurated the meet.

He said a DAV sports institute would be established shortly. Earlier, Principal of the college S. Marriya said DAV College had also won the overall PU sports trophy in the men section. The students of the college also took part in an impressive march past.

Results: 400 m — Harmel Singh 1, Harish Singh 2, Inder Mohan 3; triple jump — Harkiran Singh 1, Harish 2, Deepak 3; shot put — Ramandeep 1, Lakhwinder 2, Rao Birinder 3; discus throw — Rao Birinder 1, Lakhwinder 2, Harkirat 3; javelin throw — Lakhwinder 1, Harkirat 2, Rao Birinder 3.

Hockey tourney

SAI north zone hockey team bagged the All-India SAI Inter-Regional Women Hockey Tournament held at the South Centre, Bangalore, from February 2 to 9. The team comprised mainly the girls from SAI STC, Sector 18. According to Mr Jaswinder Singh, a SAI hockey coach, in the final, they overpowered east zone 3-2. In the league matches, north zone beat central zone, 5-2. It beat west zone in the semifinal 5-2.

YPS athletics meet

The 25th annual athletics meet of the Yadavindra Public School, Mohali, began on the school premises here on Tuesday. At the opening ceremony, students of all five houses participated in a march past.

The oath-taking ceremony was conducted by sports girl captain Kanwalpreet Kaur Baidwan and sports boy captain Ather Nissar. Later, Mr Harish Dhillon, Principal, declared the meet open.

Results (house names given in brackets): 1,500 m: girls (above 15 years) — Kanwal Preet Kaur (Tagore) 1, Isani (Ranjit) 2, Geetika Mann( Patiala) 3.

Boys (above 16 years): Tejinder Singh (Patiala) 1, Ankit Sethi (Tagore) 2, Mahip Singhari (Aitchison) 3.

ADMINISTRATION

Huda cancels auction of shopping mall
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, February 17
The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) today decided to cancel and re-auction one of the shopping malls. The shopping mall (SM-5) will be re-auctioned by HUDA soon.

This decision was taken by senior HUDa officials with the consent of Mr Dheer Pal Singh, Chairman of the HUDA and Town and Country Planning Minister, Haryana. According to sources in HUDA, the earlier auction was cancelled as a financially sound party assured HUDA to give higher bid in the fresh auction.

However, HUDA have claimed that auction had been cancelled due to certain technical faults. The authorities claimed that the SM-5 would be given to the party offering bid more than Rs 25.5 crore and deposit Rs 3 crores as earnest money.

If the bidder fails to deposit the money, the earnest money deposited by him would be forfeited.

The first-ever auction of the shopping malls by the HUDA had drew an overwhelming response with netting Rs 49.66 crore through the auction of two sites in Sector 5.

The auction, which was held under the chairmanship of the HUDA Administrator, Mr C.R. Rana, drew a good response with the 26 bidders participating and evincing keen interest in the auction. The reserve price was fixed at Rs 11 crore and the intending bidders were required to deposit Rs 5 lakh to participate in the auction. The auction of the shopping mall( SM-5) was auctioned for Rs 25.5 crores to the Hari Colonisers. 

Commercial property made leasehold
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 17
The Chandigarh Administration today passed an order effecting the sale of commercial property in the city on leasehold basis. The terse two-line order was circulated among senior officers of the administration tonight.

The order will hamper economic activity in the city, as owners will now be mere tenants of the administration, paying ground rent on annual basis.

Around two years ago, the administration had decided to auction all property in the city on freehold basis. The new policy comes as a surprise and may discourage buyers, as they will be required to pay 2.5 per cent of the total cost of the plot as ground rent money every year. For instance, if the plot is sold at Rs 2 crore, the bidder will have to pay around Rs 5 lakh per annum for 33 years.

This additional expense will add to the running costs of the business. Bidders can at best be tenants and not partners or part-owners, who can swell their property at will. Industry watchers says leasehold system will reduce the cost of commercial property by around 50 percent.

Last month the administration had decided to give major properties like shopping malls and an 11-storey tower on leasehold basis. Today’s order will cover all kind of commercial properties, sources said adding that adjoining towns of Panchkula and Mohali will be the main gainers.

Official sources in the administration said the move was aimed at keeping some source of revenue for the government in the long run. The land in Chandigarh was running out fast and in the long run the administration would make money through ground rent.

The first auction of the newly re-imposed “control raj” is scheduled for February 27, when shopping malls in Sectors 44 and 70 and other properties will go under the hammer.

Liquor ahatas to be removed
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 17
The Chandigarh Administration is finally working to remove the liquor shops and ahatas functioning from tin sheds in various places across the city. The Administration has invited bids from property owners to take commercial property (commonly called showrooms) on rent, specifically to house liquor shops. The Administration is working out the modalities as the showrooms belong to private parties and taking them on rent so far has been the prerogative of the wine traders. Now also the Administration intends to ask the wine traders to sign an agreement with the property owner.

Well placed sources said the Administration will invite bids from property owners in consultation with wine traders. At present 16 shops running from tin sheds have been targeted.

The rent will be fixed for one year and the next year fresh bids can be invited.

Tin sheds will not be allowed once the Administration finalises its scheme.

Opening of liquor vends and ahatas in tin sheds has been ticklish issue. The Chandigarh Administration has come under criticism from residents. People living in the southern parts of the city have been protesting against makeshift liquor sheds located on land of the MC or the Chandigarh Administration.