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CTU starts trial run on grid system
Chandigarh, January 16 Mr Arun Sekhri, Director of the CTU, said that the trial run had started on six different routes under the new scheme. The move received a positive response from daily commuters as was reflected from feedback received by CTU staff members from a cross-section of daily travellers. Mr Sekhri said, “We are listening to responses from the general public and are ready to make the necessary changes. We had originally proposed four buses on the Mani Majra-Sarangpur route. It has now been decided to add two more buses on the route for public convenience ensuring service at an interval of 7.5 minutes”. The Engineering Department of the Chandigarh Administration has also started work on ensuring zebra-crossings for the public safety while crossing roads for catching a bus on the new route. Mr Ram Pal Yadav, a retired bank manager, said “On road where a person was supposed to change his bus from a vertical to a horizontal route, or otherwise, he is expected to cross over to the other road. It can be difficult for people to cross roads, at several places on the major routes, including the Madhya Marg and Dakshin Marg, besides many others. The Administration should make necessary arrangements before the services commence”. The CTU will continue services of certain old bus routes for public convenience. These routes are specifically aimed at the visitors coming from outside the city for important tasks at hand. The old routes to continue as earlier include: ISBT(Sector 17)- PGI, ISBT-Punjab and Haryana High Court and ISBT(Sector 17)-ISBT(Sector 43). The CTU is receiving a heavy rush of enquiry for bus passes of the daily commuters. A senior official said that a general bus pass will cost Rs 320 per month. A special holiday pass is worth Rs 20. Employees of the UT Secretariat can get the pass for Rs 85 per month while students can get the same for Rs 60. Freedom fighters and wives of war heroes can travel free while physically handicapped and senior citizens can avail 50 per cent concession. A CTU driver pointed out that “I cannot say anything about the new route system. Credibility of the system depends only on how we are able to maintain the time gap as shown in our timing charts. In case we are able to maintain the correct timing, the flow of buses will be much faster and more regular. This definitely will have an impact on daily travellers who take their own conveyances to the office. In case of quicker and direct services they can think of discarding their private vehicles”. Mr P.K.Sharma, an employee in a showroom in Sector 17, said, “The flat rate of Rs 5 was unfair for people like him who travel for short distances(about 3 km only). The CTU can make two or three different slabs going by the distance actually travelled”.
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Cloudy weather, rain revive cold wave
Chandigarh, January 16 While the maximum temperature came down from 20 degrees yesterday to 16.4 degrees today, the minimum temperature rose from 11.4 degrees yesterday to 12 degrees today. The change in weather was largely due to drizzle which continued throughout the day. The local Met Office recorded 7.2mm rainfall today. Grey clouds were there in the sky, cooling the city. Jackets, caps and coats were out again while bonfires re-appeared by roadsides as the poor struggled to stay warm. With it the rain resulted in usual poor attendance in schools and offices, with residents preferring to stay indoors. The afternoon, too, saw the rain coming down in intervals. The intermittent rain also meant little business in city markets which were relatively less crowded. Office-goers flocking the Sector 17 plaza at lunch time and students hanging around in gardens were`ds threatened a heavy downpour. Heaters worked overtime in offices and homes as people tried to keep the cold at bay. The Director, Meteorological Office, Mr Chattar Singh Malik, said that the rain being experienced by the city was due to the western disturbance moving over central Pakistan. "The western disturbance over central Pakistan was having a fallout in this part of the continent, resulting in rain. The weather is unlikely to change tomorrow as well. More rain can be expected tomorrow," he added. While the rain has brought down day temperatures, the night temperature has shown marked improvement. The Met Office has predicted more rainfall tomorrow.
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Weather hits flights
Chandigarh, January 16 The Jet Airways flight from Delhi to the city was 40 minutes late from its scheduled time of 1.40 pm, while the Indian Airlines flight was about an hour late from its scheduled time of 1.25 pm. The Air Deccan flight from Delhi was late by 40 minutes from its scheduled time of 1.40 pm. The subsequent Air Deccan flight from the city to Jammu was also thus delayed.
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Colonisers suffer due to ‘war’ between depts
Zirakpur, January 16 At least five major colonisers, who got their projects approved from the T&CP Department, are at their wits’ end with the local Nagar Panchayat, which comes under the jurisdiction of the DLB, shoting off notices to them. Terming the construction as “unauthorised”, the letter urged the colonisers to stop the construction as the T&CP was not a “competent authority to accord technical approval to the building plans, falling within the municipal limits.” However, the builders are up in arms against, what they called the “duplication” of works by the two departments. “It is ridiculous that the T&CP, which approves the layout plan of the colony, has no competency to approve the building plans on the said area,” Mr F.S. Nagra of the Zirakpur Promoters and Builders Association, told Chandigarh Tribune here today. The association claimed that when the licence was granted by the Senior Town Planner, which was the competent authority, the builder was required to deposit the external development charges (EDCs) and develop and maintain the colony for a period of five years. Besides, the competent authority charges the scrutiny fee for granting sanction to the building plans on the said layout plan of the area. There was no need for the approval of the building plan again by the civic body, Mr Nagra reasoned. And to set the anomaly right, the association, in a representation to the Director-cum-Secretary of the DLB, has urged him to direct the Nagar Panchayat not to interfere in the constructions
The association also urged both the departments to come out with a policy to “avoid detrimental action against the builders so that their constructions were not unnecessarily hampered.” It was learnt that the Chandigarh Colonisers Private Limited, promoters of the one of the PUDA-approved colonies, were one the victims of the alleged official apathy. Despite the fact that they wrote to the Executive Officer of the Nagar Panchayat on November 7 last year regarding the approval of the building plans, the civic body was yet to receive any reply. Even the information sought by the promoters under Section 6 of the Right to Information, 2005, on November 24, 2005, asking for a copy of the building bylaws was still awaited by them.
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Woman sets herself on fire, dies
Chandigarh, January 16 Giving details about the incident, police sources said Kanta was alone in the house when she set herself on fire using kerosene. Someone from her neighbourhood noticed the smoke coming out of her house and rushed there. She was found engulfed in flames. People gathered at the spot and the police was informed about the incident around 9.55 am. A police official said by the time the police managed to reach the spot it was too late. She was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared her “dead on arrival”. The police said Kanta’s 13-year-old son was away to school and her husband, a carpenter by profession, was also not at home. Quoting neighbours, the police said there was no dispute between the couple and the victim had been under depression due to illness. The body has been kept in the mortuary of the Sector 16 General Hospital and a post-mortem examination would be conducted tomorrow. The police has initiated inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC.
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Land allotted for garbage processing unit
Chandigarh, January 16 The unit is being set up on BOT basis at a cost of Rs 23.28 crore. The project is to be set up in one year. The Central Pollution Control Board has already sanctioned another project costing Rs 9.55 crore for closing, capping and covering of the dumping ground and development of a sanitary landfill. A football ground, a hockey ground and parks will be developed here. To ensure timely completion and subsequent operation of the plant in an effective and efficient manner, the Municipal Corporation has taken performance guarantee of Rs 1.16 crore from M/s Jai Prakash Associates limited.
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Travel
agents bring misery to youths Chandigarh, January 16 The Tribune interacted with several Punjabi and Himachali youths
who had returned after being taken to Iraq by greedy travel agents to
serve the occupying forces. Obviously, these youths were not told in
advance that they were being taken to the war zone.
“First the agents took us to Kuwait and later to Baghdad in
Iraq,” said Dharmpal of Sihala village, near Samrala. “We were
promised Rs 33,000 per month as salary for driving big-sized
trolleys,” said Gurmat, a close relation of Dharmpal.
“From India, we were taken on May 18 last year. We returned to
India on December 18 through the efforts of a former Union Minister,
Mr Balwant Singh Ramoowalia,” added Dharmpal.
“Instead of giving us the promised amount, the private company
which had hired us through travel agents gave us only Rs 15,000 per
month and that too only for three months though we stayed there for
about eight months,” said Gurmat. “Each of us gave Rs 1.2 lakh to
the travel agents and their sub-agents for employment as drivers in
Dubai. It is another matter that we were made to serve the American
forces by agents,” they asserted.
The US and allied forces have hired private companies for rendering
all sorts of services to them in Iraq.
These services include the cleaning of toilets, laundry work and
the removal of cigarette butts, junk and other litter from army camps.
Private companies have further hired travel agents based in Kuwait and
Dubai to supply the required manpower, mostly labourers and drivers to
do peripheral jobs for the armed forces. Even those who were taken to
do the job of drivers were asked to clean toilets or shift these from
one place to another in army camps.
“American army commanders had told us that they were paying
$3,500 (about Rs 1,57,000) per driver hired for them by private
companies. However, the companies made a big cut from our wages,”
said Vijay Kumar, who hails from a village near Anandpur Sahib.
Drivers were asked to transport tanks and other material on trolleys
from one army camp to another. “Often, we were attacked by Iraqis
with rocket launchers while transporting tanks,” he said.
“Some of our colleagues were hurt in rocket launcher attacks and
their vehicles were also burnt,” he said. “American and allied
forces, which escorted the convoys of trolleys, used to run away in
their vehicles at the time of attack by Iraqis,” said most of the
Punjabi youths. As many as 24 have returned to India. Mr Ramoowalia
had taken up their case with Indian Embassy officials based in Kuwait.
The US forces have “outsourced” their major workload to private
companies in Iraq.
All movement of ammunition and equipment related to war is being
handled by labourers and drivers hired by private companies from
India, Bangladesh, Nepal and other Asian countries. The maintenance of
the army camps of the US forces was also being looked after by these
people, said the Punjabi youth who had returned home after passing
through one of the worst phases of his life.
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HAL accelerates Su-30 production
Chandigarh, January 16 “We are increasing our production from eight aircraft per annum to 13 aircraft,” Managing Director of HAL, Mr K.P. Puri, said. “The Su-30 production, which was earlier scheduled to finish by 2017-18 will now be over by 2014-15,” he added. He said the Defence Minister had accorded his approval for the accelerated production. The Su-30 are being produced at HAL's Nasik complex, which is the largest production unit among its 16 factories across the country. The Su-30 entered service with the IAF in 1997, with 50-odd aircraft being procured directly from Russia and another about 150 aircraft to be built in India by HAL under licence. At present, the IAF is operating three Su-30 squadrons -- the 20th, 24th and 30th squadrons. It would be the mainstay of the IAF in the HAL had commenced the indigenous production of the Su-30 in 2004.
Mr Puri said a project to carry out "block-wise" improvement of the Su-30 was also on the cards. Besides HAL, the Defence Research and Development Orgaisation and Russian firms would be involved in the project. The first meeting in this regard was held on January 6. The improvement programme involving aircraft produced in different blocks will
result in aircraft having the same configuration and capabilities. The first 50 aircraft had some deficiencies that were to be taken care of later. HAL would also complete the upgradation of the MiG-21 to the Bison configuration this year. So far 94 MiG-21 have been upgraded and work on the remaining 29 aircraft is in progress. As far as the MiG-27 upgrade programme is concerned, Mr Puri said the prototypes had already been certified and the first batch of 12 upgraded MiG-27s would be handed over to the IAF this year. Unlike other upgrade programmes, the MiG-27 upgrade is totally indigenous. The upgraded MiG-27 have a totally new cockpit, mission control computer and advanced avionics, thereby reducing the pilot's work load significantly.
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Army man’s widow moves HC over ex gratia, other benefits
Chandigarh, January 16 Petitioner Kamlesh Ghai's husband B.K. Ghai, posted at Baramula, was kidnapped by heavily-armed militants owing allegiance to pro-independence Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front militants on August 3, 1992. The militants asked for the release of 16 militants, who had been arrested by the Army, in lieu of the kidnapped MES employee. When the Union Government did not yield to the strong-arm tactics of the militants and refused to do their biding, the petitioner's husband was gunned down on September 17, 1992. Following the killing of her husband, Ms Ghai was sent condolences by the top brass of Army. In his condolence, the Commander, Headquarters 133, Sub-Area, also informed her that he had already directed the Garrison Engineer of her husband's unit to immediately initiate steps to provide ex gratia and other benefits to her. However, when the promised help did not arrive, the petitioner wrote to the Garrison Engineer, seeking financial assistance as her family was facing hardships. However, as it later turned out, lackadaisical Army authorities refused to give the ex gratia and other benefits to her, instead informing her that she would be given ordinary pension. Incidentally, the widow has three daughters and one son. In her petition, filed through advocate Hemant Bassi, Ms Ghai has claimed that despite being eligible for ex gratia compensation of Rs 7.5 lakh from the Army and another ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh from the Government of Jammu and Kashmir and other terminal benefits, she has not been given anything. The petition says that even though the Commander, Headquarters 133, Sub-Area, had directed the Garrison Engineer to release the benefits on priority basis, she has not been given the ex gratia or the pensionary benefits. So much so, even her claim has not been decided by the
respondents. Today, when her petition came up before it, a Division Bench of the High Court comprising Mr Justice J.S. Khehar and Mr Justice S.N. Aggarwal issued notice of motion for April 20.
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Chandigarh Calling
Playing for a Social Cause:
Square city:
Haryana heroes:
Lohri lookback:
Moving on:
NRI investors:
Contributors: Pradeep Tewari, Parbina Rashid, Anandita Gupta, Arvind Katyal, Pradeep Sharma and Sanjeev Singh Bariana
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Auction for octroi collection postponed
Mohali, January 16 A reserve price of Rs 22.79 crore for the auction for a period of one year was declared on the spot. Other conditions laid down for the work were also announced. The Deputy Director, Urban Local Bodies, Ludhiana, Mr S.R. Kler, and the Administrator of the civic body, Mr Darshan Singh Sandhu, had come to supervise the auction. It is learnt that the single bidder who had come to take part in the auction found the reserve price on the higher side. If a similar response was received even at the next auction, the council might have to reduce the reserve price, which is generally kept 15 per cent higher than the income of the preceding year. Last year, the civic body had fixed the reserve price for the same work at Rs 16.90 crore against an income of Rs 17.52 crore. The work was given on contract for Rs 16.91 crore. A municipal councillor, Mr Sham Bansal, had then approached a court councillor had alleged that the civic body had indulged in irregularities while giving the work on contract. Later, the council employees were able to collect revenue more than the amount that would have been given to the council by the contractor.
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BJP opposed to demolition drive in Deep Complex
Chandigarh, January 16 Chandigarh BJP secretary Ramvir Bhatti, Kisan Morcha president Mam Chand Rana, Mr Gurdeep Singh Attawa, Mr Harbhajan Singh Kajheri, Mr Bhajan Singh and Mr Shingara Singh, in a statement issued here today, stated that the city unit of the BJP would participate in a joint dharna of political parties in the complex against the proposed demolition drive on January 18. The leaders said residents of the complex had been on a dharna for the past three months, but the Congress and its local MP had not come to support them. Convener of the all-India BJP legal cell Satya Pal Jain and other party office-bearers would participate in the dharna.
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Mulajam Front flays govt
Mohali, January 16 Leaders of various employees organisations from different government departments, who had gathered at Gurdwara Amb Sahib here, said that their demands were lying pending since long. The government had stated in the election manifesto that it would look after the interests of the employees but had done nothing even though four years had passed since it resumed power in the state. The demands of the front include the implementation of the 4,9,14 promotion scale, release of bonus, an increase in medical and travel allowance, raising the retirement age to 60 years, filling of vacant posts etc.
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Save Oil Fortnight begins
Mohali, January 16 The fortnight being celebrated to enhance the awareness on conservation of petroleum products amongst the masses. The themes of the year 2006 is “Save oil and gas for better tomorrow”. Mr Kang said that natural resources should be used with lot of care and
wastage should be totally avoided. He suggested that overbridges should be constructed wherever required so that traffic bottleneck were removed which led to lot of fuel wastage. He said that even the ground water table in the state was getting low and as such wastage should be stopped because ultimately the consumer would have to bear the burden. Mr M.S. Jaiswal, State Level Coordinator (Oil Industry), Punjab, said that out of the total energy requirement of our country 40 per cent was got from oil. About 70 per cent was produced in India. He deliberated on bio diesel plants in the country. Mr Kang flagged off a vehicle carrying slogans and messages on oil and gas conservation, along with publicity material and handouts. The vehicle will move through out Punjab during the fortnight to create awareness amongst the masses.
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In the footsteps of Cariappa
Remembering the late Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa on the Army Day (January 15) every year, because he (then General) became the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army on this day in 1949, is not enough. What the Army, especially, senior officers need to do is to follow the high principles of soldiering that the Field Marshal not only preached but also practiced. An epitome of soldiering, Field Marshal Cariappa, also called “Father of the Indian Army”, was meticulous to the last detail in dress, discipline, gentlemanliness and good behaviour. And he expected every soldier to be correct in everything he did. A professional to the core, he spared no efforts to ensure that the Army measured up to its tasks, both during peace time and war. High standard of drill, according to him, was the hallmark of good discipline, He firmly believed in maintaining high traditions of the Army. Having served in 4 Guards (1 Rajput) in the 1950s in which the Field Marshal had been commissioned when it was 1 Rajput, this writer was lucky enough to know all virtues of this soldier, the like of whom the Indian Army has not produced so far. He continued to visit his battalion till quite late in his life. And each of his visits proved to be a great learning for the then serving officers. If the present-day officers practice even half of what the Field Marshal stood for to build a strong Army, the Army will, undoubtedly, regain its erstwhile standards of discipline, up-righteousness, morality and integrity.
Hall that unfolds history The Golden Arrow Division raised in 1914 has an enviable history of victories and sacrifices in both World Wars as well as in the 1965 and 1971 wars. It has a large array of gallantry awards and battle honours to its credit. To preserve the history of the division under one roof and to commemorate the sacrifices made by he valiant soldiers of this formation, a hall called “Barki-Sehjra Hall”, was constructed in the Ferozepore Cantonment a few years ago. The hall is divided into various sections, of which five need special mention. The reception and information section is where brief history of the division along with photographs of all its General Officers Commanding since 1964 are displayed. Another section, the hall of fame, contains roll of honour, photographs and decorations of all the war heroes of the Golden Arrow Division. The prepartition section brings out the history of the important battles fought by the division during World War II. The section of 1965 war brings out in detail the capture of Barki. The 1971 section depicts the 1971 war with special emphasis on the famous battle of Sehjra Bulge. The capture of Sehjra by 48 Infantry Brigade is vividly illustrated in this section.
Heart surgery stalled As per the Army Headquarters (Adjutant General’s Branch) letter of September 1, 2004, any treatment at the empanelled hospitals, costing more than Rs 1 lakh, if not provided in the agreement, can only be carried out with the sanction of Senior Executive Medical Officer (SEMO). And if it is beyond Rs 5 lakh, the sanction of the higher authorities has to be obtained. Accordingly, for open-heart surgery, the CD and report of angiography of each patient used to sent by the Fortis Hospital to the Command Hospital, Chandi Mandir. Lately, the SEMO at the Command Hospital has told the Fortis Hospital that they should not be asked for this clearance. This has put the Fortis Hospital in a quandary. The question that arises is who will give sanction for these operations now. What will be the fate of serious heart patients awaiting immediate heart surgery operations? It is time the Headquarters Western Command stepped in and sorted out this muddle to save the lives of serious heart patients. — Pritam Bhullar
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NGO honours slum women
Chandigarh, January 16 The programme originally supported by Germany-based Kim Jit Singh and Marga Buhrmann Singh, co-founders of Buhrmann Singh Creative Learning, Germany, was targeted at the slum women to make them literate and self-reliant. The function was presided over by Dr Satinder Dhillon, Principal, Dev Samaj College of Education. Also present was Dr C.L. Narang who said that such innovative methods should be used to promote adult education. Dr Dhillon also lauded the efforts of Yuvsatta and said that the people should not only discuss the problem but also find out its solution.
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Traders apprise DC of problems
Chandigarh, January 16 A press note here today said that a lot of confusion still prevails with regard to following the new tax regime and needs to be examined on priority basis for smooth and hassle free implementation by the senior UT officials. The traders have sought an extension of period time in filing the stock statement for claiming ITC uptil February 14; extension of 30 days for submission of VAT 1 form for the old registered dealers; wide publicity in local newspapers for public convenience; and a booklet out for public information as well. The delegation has been assured action on account of all issues raised in the meeting.
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Rally planned against Admn
Chandigarh, January 16 The federation has announced a massive rally to raise issues concerning the pending demands. An action commission will be formed by attempting participation from the counsellors of the Municipal Corporation, the release said. The federation also thanked the administration for expediting the transfer ownership rights by ignoring inner changes and deleting its affidavit clause.— TNS
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Fire-extinguishing ball unveiled
Mohali, January 16
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Burglars strike at Sector 10 house
Panchkula, January 16 When they returned yesterday at about 8 pm to find the house ransacked and the grills of a drawing room window removed. A forensic team examined the house.
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109 bottles of liquor seized
Chandigarh, January 16 The accused was produced in a court that remanded him in judicial custody. Sources said Jindal was booked under the Excise Act earlier also for possessing illicit liquor. In another incident, Ram Diya of Natiyan village in Rohtak district was arrested from near Dev Samaj College, Sector 46, by a police party. Sources said the patrolling party noticed the suspicious behavior of Ram Diya and stopped him. His search led to seizure of 18 bottles of liquor. A case has been registered.
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Oil and Gas Conservation Fortnight launched
Chandigarh, January 16 The inauguration function of OGCF-2006 was convened by HPCL as state-level Coordinator, U.T., Chandigarh, and the members of oil industry participated in the inauguration ceremony of the event. The Home Secretary was the chief guest of the occasion. Stressing upon the need to conserve oil and gas, Mr Mohan said that crisis had been felt at the national and international level as oil and gas, which were commonly used for fuel, figured prominently in the list of scarce resources. The scientist all over the world were working hard to find solution to meet this scarcity and find alternative means of oil and gas. The final solution was in hydrogen which would be the fuel for future generation and available abundantly in nature, he added. Mr Mohan said that although there are many apprehensions for using hydrogen as a replacement to present day fuel resources yet he was sure that the use of hydrogen as an alternate resource could play a significant role in saving scarce and important resources. However, the conservation of the natural resources such as oil and gas was of paramount importance, he emphasized. The Chandigarh Administration, had adopted various measures to ensure the conservation of natural resources and for their optimum utilisation. It had been made mandatory that the building plans should cater to water conservation and its Similarly, it had also been made essential for the installation of solar heating system wherever necessary. In its endeavour to provide a pollution-free environment in the Union Territory, several aspects of rapid transport system were also being explored. Mr V.K. Yadav, Senior Regional Manager, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, Chandigarh, conveyed that OGCF was being celebrated every year since 1991 by the Oil PSU’s to spread the message of conservation among all sections of the society through various activities. The pledge for the Oil conservation was taken by all participants which was administered by Mr Ravinder Dogra of BPC. The pledge was endorsed by Chief Guest the Home Secretary of
U.T.
Chandigarh. Students of Sanjay Public School, Sector 44, Gyandeep Model High School, Sector 20-C, and Gurunanak Khalsa Senior Secondary School, Sector 30, participated in the inaugural function. Activities such as mass rally, cycle rally, essay competition, drawing and painting competition, quiz contest, bio diesel seminar, LPG and kerosene clinic, transport and industry meets would be undertaken during OGCF.
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Cricket updates on Spice
Chandigarh, January 16 For the latest score, the subscribers can dial *555#, the general manager(marketing), Mr Mukul Khanna, said.
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