Chandigarh, January 10
Acting contrary to the will of the people of Chandigarh, nominated councillors have stirred up a hornets nest in the run-up to the elections to choose the city’s Mayor.

Projecting themselves as a pressure group, the councillors nominated by the Chandigarh Administration, have on their own decided to conduct a pre-election screening of the candidates, vying for the post of Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor. The nine nominated and 25 elected councillors will cast their votes tomorrow.

Going against the spirit of democracy, the nominated councillors held “interviews” of the candidates at the house of one of the nominated councillors in Sector 9 here. Questions were posed to the elected councillors, who have the mandate of the people of the city while the nominated councillors, have not come through any such “test”. Both the Mayoral candidates, Ms Anu Chatrath and Ms Harjinder Kaur are well educated women, who have been councillors and have held top posts in the MC in the past.

A senior official in the administration today said “it is an independent decision of the nominated councillors and the administration cannot comment on their action”. The only brief to the nominated councillors was to “work in the interest” of the city. Sources said some of the nominated councillors, were today asked by the officialdom about the reports appearing in the media. The main political parties have adopted a neutral approach as they need the votes of these nine.

Since none of the parties has a clear majority in the House, the votes of the nominated councillors have become important. The Congress has 12 seats, the BJP-SAD combine has nine, the Chandigarh Vikas Manch has three while the BSP has one. Since the elections were held, political parties have virtually been on their “knees” trying to please this “pack of nine”. Dinners have been hosted under the guise of “getting to know each other better”.

The conduct of the nominated councillors has thrown open a debate on whether they should have voting rights or not. In private, senior politicians say they should not vote to elect a Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor. They should be called upon to do so only in case of a deadlock. They are experienced people who can help in the development and day to day affairs.

While the bureaucracy and the politicians are being polite, the conduct of the nominated councillors has attracted criticism from the city residents. Mr K.S Lamba, a resident of Sector 37, said “Once the MC election have been held, there is no need to hold interviews. They should cast their vote in the interest of the city and not encourage the candidate to appease them”.

The local MP, Mr Pawan Kumar Bansal, treaded the cautious line saying “there was nothing wrong in the nominated councillors knowing the mind of the candidates. It is like any other election and voters want to know about the candidates and it is the right of an individual to satisfy himself”.

On the other hand, Mr Satya Pal Jain, a former MP and BJP leader, chose not to express his views on the issue saying “I will not comment”.

The sources in the political circles feel that holding series of meeting among themselves, accepting the dinner invitations of the political parties and interviewing the candidates is of little relevance in knowing the political inclinations of some of the councillors.

Talking to TNS Mr Chawla, a nominated councillor, stated that they each of them would vote according to their will.

Chandigarh, January 10
Even when a Punjab government department gives you a letter of appointment don’t be delighted that you have got a job.

Mandeep Kaur, a resident of Nangli, Amritsar, who is a certificate holder in physical education had applied for the post of a Physical Training Instructor in October 2006 in response to an advertisement issued by the Department of Education, Punjab.

“I was called for an interview in Mohali on October 16. The final results were declared on November 19 and published in the newspaper in which my name also figured,” Mandeep said.

The department sent an appointment letter to Mandeep in which she was directed to join in the office of the District Education Officer at Tarn Taran. “The appointment letter was received on December 4 and by December 8, I had completed all formalities and submitted the file in the DEO’s office on December 8. But when I went to join the next morning I was refused the jobs,” she said.

Mandeep was reportedly told by the DEO, Mr Piara Singh, that she and another candidate could not join. “He said the Director, Public Instructions, School, Punjab, Ms Harcharanjit Kaur Brar, had ordered that I and another candidate were in the waiting list,” she said.

Mandeep along with her husband has been running from pillar to post wanting to know the reason why as to she has not been allowed to join.

“How can I now be in the waiting list. I was not even the last on the merit list,” she added.

The DPI, Schools, Punjab, has since been changed and the charge is now with Mr Sadhu Singh who could not be contacted for his comments.

Panchkula, January 10
A heated argument between three call centre employees and staff at a petrol pump in Mansa Devi Complex landed the former in a soup, here today. With an intention to get even with them, the petrol pump employees, Mukesh and Anil Tewari, concocted a story and called in the police this morning.

The drama started when the two petrol pump employees informed the police that the three boys had come to the petrol station in a car around 8:30 am and had beaten them up in full public view, before decamping with Rs 10,000.

Mukesh also added that Anil was mercilessly beaten up by the call centre employees and punched on the face for resisting to give them the cash. The CIA Inspector, Mr Surjeet Singh, managed to track down the car used by the so-called culprits to loot the petrol station.

Found at the IT Park in Chandigarh, the police identified the owner of the car and the two boys who had accompanied him to the petrol station. Tarunveer of Sangrur, Rahul Kapila from Amritsar and Aseem from Faridkot, all employees at a call centre, admitted having gone to the petrol station and having a fight with the employees but denied allegations of looting the petrol station.

In a statement to the police, they said that one of them was smoking in their car at the petrol station. The staff objected to it and the boys retaliated by answering back. Soon they entered into a verbal duel which ended up in a scuffle. However, after things had cooled down, they got petrol filled in the car, paid the money and drove off thinking the matter had ended.

Convinced with their story, the police called in the owner of the petrol pump and the two employees who had alleged that Rs 10,000 had been looted. The owner confirmed that cash was not missing. On interrogation, and face to face with the call centre employees, the duo admitted that they had cooked up the story in revenge.

Addressing a press conference, the Superintendent of Police, Mr Balbir Singh said, “While charges of looting will be dropped against the three call centre employees, they will be booked for assaulting the staff of the petrol station, after a medical check-up is conducted. The petrol station employees will also be booked for lodging a false complaint."

Chandigarh, January 10
Even after two years and deposition by 60 witnesses, the Chandigarh Police has not been able to lay its hands on the killers of a retired Joint Director of the Education Department, Himachal Pradesh, Sundri Agnihotri (74).

She was found murdered in the drawing room of her Sector-21 house on December 25, 2004.

Sources in the Crime Branch of the Chandigarh Police say the case has almost reached a dead end and it seems nothing will come out of it now. The case is most likely to be marked as untraced.

Sundri had been living with her husband V.K. Agnihotri (85), who retired as Director of the Land Acquisition Department, Himachal Pradesh.

The couple had employed a servant, Prakash Lakda, about seven years before the incident. He lived in the house along with his family.

Sundri was killed on Christmas, when Prakash was apparently away along with his wife and two children to celebrate the festival with his acquaintances.

A police officer, preferring anonymity, said they had examined over 60 witnesses, including Prakash and his brother-in-law Yakub, but nothing had come out of it.

The two were arrested two days after the murder as the preliminary investigations pointed toward their involvement.

The murder came to light in the afternoon, when Mr Agnihotri noticed his wife lying motionless on the floor. The body was covered with a quilt and the victim’s throat was slit.

A piece of rope lying beside the body indicated at strangulation. He called doctors from a private hospital, who declared his wife dead.

The matter was reported to the police in the evening.

The police also failed to establish the motive behind the killing, as the family had told the police that all valuables, including the ornaments of the victim, were found in the house.

The police had arrested Yakub and Prakash on the ground that they had visited the house that day and could not explain the reason behind their visit.

The police initially believed that the two had the knowledge of the wealth of the couple and thus might have killed the elderly woman.

The role of the servant came under a cloud as he told the police that he had to collect a cooking pot from the house.

However, the police was told that he had not taken anything from the house.

He had visited the house around 2 pm but left it in a hurry despite being told that his employer was admitted to a hospital.

Chandigarh, January 10
While doling out benefits to liquor licensees, the UT Excise Department has decided to respect public sentiment regarding the location of the liquor vends in the city.

The Chandigarh Administration has also invited suggestions and criticism from the general public on the broad features of the Excise Policy for the next year.

In the draft Excise Policy released for 2007-2008, the policy makers have hinted at marginally reducing the minimum retail price of IMFL and country liquor. The price will be reduced by Rs 10, said sources.

The administration had laid emphasis on inculcating responsible drinking habits and to wean away people from hard liquor to low content alcohol, such as wine and beer. With such an aim in mind, the Excise Department proposes to reduce the licence fee of the retail vends of draught beer in a restaurant from the existing Rs 50,000 to Rs 25,000. A marginal increase in the import fee on country liquor is also proposed.

To boost the business of the licensee, the Excise Department has announced not to increase the excise duty, assessment fee, permit fee and VAT. Further, the two categories ( A and B) of liquor vends has been done away with and instead, a single category with a licence fee of Rs 25 has been proposed.

A spokesman of the administration said the Model Excise Policy circulated by the Government of India envisages unrestricted number of licences with low licence fee, and this has also been kept in view.

Under the new policy, the existing licensees will be allowed to get their licenses renewed for a year. However, for those vends functioning from temporary structures, the license will be renewed subject to the condition that they convert their existing structure as per the design approved by the Chief Architect, Chandigarh and install a pre-fabricated structure with effect from April 1, 2008.

There will be no limit in respect of number of licenses, as the market had determined that even last year’s limits were not reached. The number of licenses will, however, be carefully monitored. There would now be a cap on the number of vends, which a company or an individual can get. In order to encourage responsible drinking habits and create an environment where consumption of alcohol is subject to regulation, a bar code is proposed which will be made compulsory on all brands of IMFL, wine, beer, and country liquor.

To improve the ambiance and functioning of the ahatas, additional conditions are proposed to be made mandatory, which will include compulsory electric meters and water supply, proper system of garbage collection and disposal, a separate kitchen, tiled flooring and proper toilets.

Barun Sharma, a student of Guru Gobind Singh Khalsa College, Sector 26, has been wielding his willow in the ongoing four-day Ranji Trophy match in Dharamsala.

The ace batsman is a member of the Himachal Pradesh Ranji team, playing against the Railways in ‘Plate Group’. Barun secured a place in the team after making a brilliant 196 runs innings against Jammu and Kashmir in the inter-state cricket tournament (U-22) held recently.

Chandigarh, January 10
The night shelter —Raen Basera— at the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT), Sector 17, is now beyond the reach of people for whom it was originally built. According to the concept of the night shelter, people who had no where to go, could spend a night here by paying a bare minimum.

Today, for a night stay at this shelter, being run by the UT Red Cross, one has to dish out at least Rs 50. Such an exorbitant rate has belied the very purpose for which it was built. It is now exclusively used by people who can pay, thereby taking it out of ambit of poor and needy people, who generally look for an affordable stay.

It is now used by people other than pavement dwellers for whom it was built. It was inaugurated in September 1990 by the adviser to Administrator, Mr Baleshwar Rai to provide a roof for the homeless. the Red Cross has its own explanation for hiking the rates after a renovation last year. “Earlier, the living conditions were poor. So last year, we spent over Rs 25 lakh to provide more comforts, including filtered drinking water, geysers, coolers, clean beds, sheets, quilts and blankets. Since, there is no bar on anyone staying here, it is now mainly travelers who use the night shelter” said Ms Swati Sharma, Sub-Divisional Magistrate and Secretary, UT Red Cross.

“As we do not get any grant or assistance from anyone so we have to raise income on our own. To cope up with the expenditure, we were forced to increase the rates of the stay. Our main emphasis is on cleanliness and soon we are going to install CCTVs to keep a check on scrupulous activity taking place here”, added Ms Sharma.

The Chandigarh Administration handed over the night shelter to the UT Red Cross in 1991. Earlier, the Red Cross used to give it on contract, but after having bad experience the Red Cross decided to run it with its own resources.

On the issue, Mr Zulfiqar Khan, a theatre artist, who has been working for the welfare of slum children, says, “It seems that the Red Cross has been working on the pattern of commercial houses. ‘Raen Basera’ should be kept for only poor and needy people, who have no roof or any shelter. Charging Rs 50 for one night stay is too much. If they are targeting only travelers then the city has many ‘dharamsalas’ where the rates are much less than this night shelter. Then its better to shut it down ”.

Echoing the views, Mr Pramod Sharma, co-ordinator of an NGO, Yuvsatta, said, “Definitely, the rent is on the higher side and poor people can not afford it. The Red Cross people should charge the existing rates from well-to-do travelers for providing such facilities. But they should keep one separate portion for poor and needy, which can be provided to them on minimum payment.

Chandigarh, January 10
Price hike, corruption and development were the three main issues taken up by cricketer-turned politician Navjot Singh Sidhu in his flamboyant style while addressing a gathering in Maloya village here this evening. In his 10-minutes speech, the star campaigner of the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) reached the venue at about 7 pm.

Mr Sidhu was campaigning for Sachin Lahotia, a BJP-SAD-CVM candidate who is contesting the municipal by-elections from ward No 7, which is to be held on January 14. The December 10 MC elections for Ward No 7 were cancelled following the death of Mr Tarlochan Singh, a BSP candidate. A triangular contest is evident, with Mr Sachin Lahotia, Mr Tagteshwar Singh of the BSP and Mr Harphool Singh of the Congress vying for the councilor’s post.

Coming down heavily on the Congress, Sidhu said the party has failed to provide in over 50 years what the BJP-lead government accomplished in five years. The Congress in Punjab has brought the state under heavy debts, he added, while appealing to the public to vote in favour of Mr Sachin Lahotia.

Earlier, Mr Satya Pal Jain, a former MP from Chandigarh, also raised issues of development and price hike and highlighted the achievements of the Vajpayee government and claimed it to be people-friendly. He also said that Maloya had received step-motherly treatment under the previous municipal councilor.

Mr Harmohan Dhawan, chief of the Chandigarh Vikas Manch (CVM) and former Union Minister, projected Mr Sachin Lahotia as the best candidate to be elected as councilor. Claiming that the city’s residents have given their verdict in favour of the BJP-SAD-CVM candidates in the recent MC elections, Mr Dhawan also said that the BJP-SAD-CVM coalition has won in the MC with a majority.

Mohali, January 10
Nepotism in the allocation of party tickets by political parties in Punjab has led me to contest the elections as an Independent candidate from the Kharar constituency.

This was stated by Mr Tarlochan Singh Mann while addressing a press conference here today. He said that when the elections to the Punjab Legislative Assembly were announced, he had no plans to contest . But seeing that political parties were not interested in giving a chance to new candidates and wanted that the power should remain in the hands of their relatives or close associates made me change my mind.

He said that the Shiromani Akali Dal ( SAD) had this time fielded Mr Jasjit Singh, son of Capt Kanwaljit Singh, from the Kharar constituency even when Capt Kanwaljit Singh was himself contesting from the Banur constituency. He asked why two members from one family were contesting and others who were working for the welfare of the people of the Kharar area not given a chance.

He said if he got elected, he would make sure that the youth from the constituency got employed in the mega projects approved for the area. The Periphery Act which was ‘playing havoc’ with the lives of villagers would also be got repealed. He said that he would make efforts to check female foeticide and also encourage sports in the area.

He said that as he was living in a village of the Kharar constituency, he would ensure proper development of the area unlike persons who got elected and rarely visited the constituency because they preferred to stay in big towns.

Dera Bassi, January 10
Up in arms against the ash being emitted by a pharmaceutical unit along the Dera Bassi-Mubarikpur road, scores of residents of Ashiyana colony protested in front of the unit’s gate, here today.

Carrying some ash with them, residents raised slogans against the management of the unit. They complained that the ash and air pollution caused by the unit has been a nightmare for them over the last few decades. They lamented that repeated representations and requests to the management have failed to draw attention to the issue. TNS

Kharar, January 10
The CIA staff today arrested four members of a gang of robbers which includes a woman, involved in criminal cases different districts of the state. They recovered also a rifle, live cartridges, car and motorcycles from their possessions. The gang members were allegedly involved in robbery, dacoity and cheating cases in different districts the police said.

The four, Budha Ram of Nabha, Bhim Das of Ambala, Deepak of Sector-32, Chandigarh, and Charanjit Kaur of Nabha were arrested while they were planning to commit dacoity from Malikpur village near the SYL canal last night. While the fifth member of the gang, Joginder Singh, managed to run away from the spot taking advantage of the darkness.

The SP (Detective), Mohali, Mr Harwaj Singh, said the gang was active for the past three years in Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Patiala Amritsar and Samana.

He said after getting secret information, the CIA staff had raided the place near the SYL and arrested the accused. The were arrested under Sections 399 and 402 of the IPC and Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act. They being involved in other cases could not be ruled out, he said.

Mohali, January 10
The police has booked four residents of Phase I on charges of abetting suicide and criminal conspiracy.

According to the police, Mr Vinod Kumar Thukral, a resident of Sirhind, had complained that Narinder Kumar Narang , husband of his sister, Sushma, use to allegedly beat her, while his mother used to harass her for bringing less dowry . Mr Thukral said that on January 8, Narinder Kumar had informed him on telephone that Sushma had died.

He said his sister had got married about 14 years ago and had two daughters.

The police has registered a case under Sections 306 and 120-B of the IPC against Narinder Kumar Narang, B.L.Narang , Shunty Narang and mother-in-law of the deceased. 

Chandigarh, January 10
The local police today booked a tabla player of a gurdwara in Mohali on charges of kidnapping a 19-year-old girl of Sector 52.

The police said the father of the girl lodged a complaint alleging that his daughter was abducted by Devinder Singh of Mehrana village in Moradabad district, Uttar Pradesh. He used to play tabla in a gurdwara in Phase V, Mohali, while the girl worked as a salesgirl in a private firm in Phase VII.

The girl’s father, a resident of Sector 52, reported to the police on December 20 that his daughter had gone for work and not returned. He did not express any suspicion then. Later, his daughter rang him up saying that she had left the house on her own as they were marrying her against her wishes. She also informed them that she was marrying Devinder. It was then that the father lodged a complaint alleging that his daughter has been abducted.

Mohali, January 10
The Punjab Communications Limited (PunCom) has won a tender of the BSNL worth Rs 56 crore.

According to Mr S.P.Singh, Managing Director, PunCom, the breakthrough had been achieved by PunCom through competitive bidding in the DWDM tender of the BSNL and work orders for about Rs 56 crore are to be placed on PunCom.

He said as had been the past trend since the tendering process by the BSNL was very time consuming , the BSNL in this case subsequently might go for 100 per cent increase in the order size. PunCom would be executing this order with the DWDM equipment of Huawei.