Chandigarh, November 28
The Indian Cricket League (ICL) will put its players to a dope test and has set up an anti-corruption cell to prevent match fixing during the league starting from November 30 at Tau Devi Lal Cricket stadium in Panchkula.

Ashish Kaul, vice-president, Essel Group, said all arrangements were in place to check any illegal activity. The group has tied up with Ranbaxy Labs, which would arrange for a dope test on the players at random.

The anti-corruption cell would monitor the pavilion area for a watch on the conduct of the players during the matches.

Terming these measures as essential requirements for international sporting events, Kaul said: “We are trying to ensure the highest standards of professionalism in sports as we all know that betting and doping are common in sports events. Hence, these measures to check the menace.”

Kaul said their endeavour was to take domestic cricket to international standards. Asked what action would be taken if any player was found guilty, he said the rules would be similar to those of the ICC. “The contract of the guilty player could be nullified,” he added. 

Panchkula, November 28
Brian Lara is to the ICL what the ‘brahamastra’ was to the warriors in the Mahabharata. The Lara craze was evident from the excitement of his fans, who gathered in numbers for his glimpse at Tau Devi Lal Cricket Stadium, Sector 3, here.

As soon as the Mumbai Champs skipper arrived with his team at 3.45 pm, there was a lot of hustle-bustle at the venue. There were no police arrangements, except for a handful of private security guards.

The fans could be seen clicking Lara with their cell phone cameras. Lara and his teammates headed for the newly laid pitches before taking to the nets. It is like a dream come true to see the legend,” said a youngster.

Efforts by mediapersons to get quotes were in vain as the cricketer, with the highest Test score, refusing to say anything except ‘No’. 

Chandigarh, November 28
The Consumer Disputes Forum-I today sentenced the chairperson of the IIT College of engineering, Mani Majra, to a year’s imprisonment for not complying with the orders of the forum. The forum also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on him.

The order was pronounced on May 21 this year. The forum directed the engineering college to pay a compensation of Rs 90,000 for not refunding the security amount of students. The college was also asked to pay Rs 2,100 as litigation cost within 30 days.

The complainant moved an execution application for punishing the engineering college for not complying with the order of the forum.

Two students of the college, Kunal Kapoor from Delhi and Ajay of Mohali, had taken admission under the reserved category in IIT College of Engineering, Kala Amb, in 1999.

The college is located in Kala Amb in Himachal Pradesh while its administrative branch is in Mani Majra, UT.

During admission, the students had deposited a security of Rs 90,000 which was to be refunded within six months from the date of completion of course. Kapoor stated that this fact was mentioned in the receipt. He completed the course in 2004 and a provisional degree was issued by Himachal Pradesh University.

He alleged that after the course was completed, the fee was not refunded though he met the authorities concerned several times. He said on May 8, 2004, he wrote to the college to refund the fee but nothing was done.

Chandigarh, November 28
Prominent ready-made garment dealers of Sector 17, Jains, came under the income tax scanner with IT sleuths raiding their premises today.

Acting on specific information, a team of the investigating wing of the IT department raided Meena Bazar, showrooms of Jains in Sector 17 and the notified area committee in Mani Majra.

Another showroom on Madhya Marg -- Jain Furnishings -- was also raided.

The residential premises of the Jains in Sectors 15 and 9 of the city and in Panchkula were also raided. The palatial house in Sector 9 had recently been purchased by the Jains.

Documents pertaining to the possibility of tax evasion were seized.

Chandigarh, November 28
A local government aided school has apparently flouted provisions of the Right to Information Act (RTI) by denying information about its sports center.

City resident Satpal Kherwal submitted an application to the DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8 (DAV SSS-8), seeking details of the school hostel and the cricket-coaching center being run by the school.

He alleged that his son who plays cricket, was discriminately been ignored for growing in the game, despite his best performance, as I tried to raise voice against the system.

In her reply to the application, the principal, Dr Vibha Ray said the school does not come under the purview of the RTI Act and hence the information sought, cannot be supplied.

According to RTI provisions, any authority or body or non-government institution which is being substantially financed, directly or indirectly by funds provided by the administration, comes under the purview of this Act and is therefore bound to abide by the RTI rules and regulations.

DAV SSS-8 is an aided school and 95 per cent of the teachers’ salaries are paid by the Chandigarh Administration.

The school principal, when contacted, said she had already written to the DAV managing committee at Delhi to proceed further. “I have written to the DAV committee at Delhi to seek guidelines in this matter. As soon as I get any communication from their side, I will pursue accordingly.”

Kherwal alleged that he had noticed some serious bunglings in the cricket academy accounts in connivance with hostel warden-cum-coach, Sukhwinder Bawa, who despite being posted at Hisar had been occupying the accommodation within the school premises.

“I wanted to seek information regarding the salary given during the period 1999 to 2007, especially the house rent allowance given to the coach, which could have brought out the misappropriations,” he said. “Further, the school authorities started the DAV School Cricket Clinic Centre and Rs 10,000 per child was taken. What happened to that center and the money, no one knows”, he further alleged.

Despite repeated attempts, when Kherwal could not get the required information, he approached the Chandigarh Education Department, but it took the official concerned 29 days, only to tell Kherwal, that he would have to file an appeal against it with the DEO office. “The registrar A.L. Nanda spoke harshly every time I approached him about my submission. On the last day of 30 days’ lapse period, he only told me that I should file an appeal with the DEO office, which I did on October 17. The stipulated time period for appeal too have been lapsed still, there is no hearing from any side”, he rued.

Mohali, November 28
More than 50 land owners of Mouli Baidwan and Raipur villages here have alleged that they have not got any compensation for the loss of crop due to the laying of underground pipes for sewerage treatment plant.

One of the land owners, Pawan Sood, said the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) was to give them compensation for the land rendered useless for cultivation but all requests and representations have fallen on deaf ears. He added that the land belongs to at least 10 families who were awaiting compensation.

Underground pipelines are being laid by the GMADA for sewerage treatment plant and some part of this land has also been acquired for the purpose. “But the acquired land was never used for the purpose. Instead, fresh plans were made. However, these plans, too, were not followed and now the lines are being laid at a fresh site on our land,” he said.

He added that only 80 per cent of the land acquired in 2004 had been given to them but the rest was still pending. “The award is still to be announced,” he said.

The sewerage pipe is laid in an area of 75 feet but the land rendered useless for cultivation is over 200 feet. “There is water logging around the site due to which nothing can be planted here,” he said adding that compensation amount should be not just for the 75 feet of land but for the entire 200 feet.

Chandigarh, November 28
The MC is planning to enhance call charges of fire engines deployed during private functions and also those called out to receive emergency calls from the Governments of Punjab and Haryana.

As of now, the MC charges only Rs 100 per hour for a fire engine deployed to cover private functions like exhibitions, fairs, matches and social and religious events and also for those requisitioned by officers of the Governments of Punjab and Haryana.

It has been proposed to increase the charges to 
Rs 500 and Rs 1,000, respectively.

A crew of one leading fireman, four firemen and a driver is deputed on every engine. The computed salary of one crew for an eight-hour duty comes to Rs 1,722 while the computed salary for an hour is Rs 215. The MC argues that besides the payment of salaries, it has to bear cost of diesel and other consumable items.

The issue has been discussed and approved at a meeting of the fire and emergency services committee on October 29.

The committee has also recommended that fire engines should be provided to the Chandimandir cantonment, Chandigarh Air Force station and Chandigarh Airport free of cost as fire engines from these establishments often assist the Chandigarh fire and emergency services free of cost when the need arises.

The issue will be further discussed at a meeting of the MC house on November 30.

Chandigarh, November 28
Professor R.C. Sobti, vice-chancellor, Punjab University, released a book titled ‘Mahabharat Mein Sankhaya Darshan’, at a simple ceremony on the PU campus, held under the aegis of Swami Ram Tirath Educational and Cultural Society here today. Then maiden book written by Dr Meera Modi, a senior lecturer, Dev Samaj College for Women-45, is an exhaustive philosophical study recovering explosive truths to support the concept of existence of god, the subject to which divergent views had been ascribed from time to time. Sankhaya Darshan at one time permeated the entire Indian philosophy but when it came to Mahabharta period, it changed its entire course of thinking and reestablished its faith in existence and omnipresence of God.

Noted literary personalities expressed their views on the philosophical stand point of 'Sankhaya Darshan' and the arguments propounded by Dr Mira, Prof Naval Kishore, Dean, Satyawati, Dr Dharam Swaroop, Dr Neerja Sood, Dr Vikram Viveki, Dr Mahendra Kumar, Dr Upadhya and others graced the occasion.

Chandigarh, November 28
The illegal sale of blood at government blood banks has come to light with the police raiding a blood bank of Government Multi-Speciality Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, and finding irregularities in its stock and records.

The police has arrested a senior laboratory technician for selling blood illegally.

According to the police, two relatives of a patient lodged a complaint against Bachan Singh that he allegedly charged Rs 600 from them to issue two units of blood but issued no receipt.

Kulwant Singh, SHO of the Sector 17 police station, said Balwinder Singh and Malkit Singh, a master card holder blood donor, needed blood for their relative who is a kidney patient.

When they purchased the blood from the bank, they were not issued any receipt, the SHO said. Moreover, when the police reached the spot it found that two units of blood was short in the stock.

The money received by the lab technician had also been recovered, the SHO added.

The hospital authorities could not be contacted despite repeated efforts.

Chandigarh, November 28
The police has registered cases against 11 persons, including five women, for allegedly taking the possession of the houses of two NRIs illegally.

NRI Sukhjinder Singh Dhaliwal alleged that his tenant Kanta, who lived in one room of his house, had taken possession of his property.

She had also allegedly sublet two rooms of the house to Gurpreet Singh and Harjeet Singh, who had stolen some household items.

In a similar case, another NRI Sawtantar Singh filed a complaint that the in-laws of his son had allegedly taken possession of the upper portion of his house illegally.

He said after leaving for Canada with his son, the accused took possession of his house after breaking the locks.