IT Chandigarh

CHANDIGARH: Cut fruits sold in the open by hawkers and locally-made cold drinks, ‘banta’ bottles, are being consumed by people despite the ban. Though the health officials demolished such stalls, the vendors continue with their sale.

As a part of their routine drive against the unhygienic food hawkers, UT health department demolishes the food stalls that do not abide the sanitation norms. SK Bhandari, joint medical superintendent, General Multispeciality Hospital, Sector 16, said, “The drive picks up during summers. It is not against the cut fruits sold by the vendors but the fruits and food items exposed to dust or flies as they are left uncovered.”

Quenching thirst with low-cost local drinks is an invitation to water-borne diseases. But the ‘banta’, which is banned, is being sold openly in the markets. This drink comes in two flavours — lime and orange — and is served with squeezed lemon and a pinch of salt. People drink it because it is quite cheap and satisfies their thirst. It costs just Rs 5.

Gandokh, a private practitioner, said, “The water used in this drink is not hygienic and there is a risk of infection. It can cause viral diseases, like jaundice and diarrhoea. The chemicals used in its preparation can cause stomach pain; vomiting and the colouring material can cause skin allergies.”

Jasjit Singh Ahluwalia, CMO, Punjab Raj Bhawan, said, “With the easy availability of these items, as the price is as low as Rs 5, many slum-dwellers buy these local drinks and the entire process of fixing the banta is not clean. Moreover, the non-permitted colours used can result in allergies and various other diseases.”

Source: Times of India News Service

Chandigarh, July 10
The UT vigilance department today arrested former senior officials of the administration allegedly involved in a pay scale scam. The accused were produced before a local court which remanded them in judicial custody.

Sources in the vigilance department said Jai Narain, former finance and planning officer, and former superintendent Natha Singh Deol were arrested today.

Earlier, senior assistant K.B. Goel and Jai Pal Rawat, a laboratory attendant of PEC, had been arrested. A case of cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy had been registered.

The investigating officer of the case, sub-inspector Sher Singh said the case dated back to 2003, when the PEC authorities approached the vigilance department after they noticed irregularities in the enhancement of pay scale for laboratory attendants.

The attendants of PEC had demanded a hike in their pay scale, equivalent to what was given to those employed by the Chandigarh administration.

Sher Singh said the authorities held a meeting and sent its report for consideration to the finance and planning department. It later came to light that the accused had forged documents to enhance the pay scale.

Source: Express News Service

Chandigarh: In order to strengthen and sustain the interest of trainees in the sport of Archery, the Lake Sports Complex is organising an open competition in Archery “Indian Round” in the different age groups on July15.

Archery became an official Olympic sport in 1900. Even it was employed to light the Olympic flame during the opening ceremony of Barcelona Summer Olympics in 1992.

To popularise the game of archery in Chandigarh and among the school children, the Lake Sports Complex has set up an Archery coaching and training centre. The competition would be organised in different age groups as given below:

Indian Round Boys/Girls under - 15 Years 30 meters on 122 Cm Target Face, 20 meters on 80 Cm Target Face Indian Round Boys/Girls under - 18 Years 40 meters on 122 Cm Target Face, 30 meters on 80 Cm Target FaceIndian Round Boys/Girls above - 18 Years 50 meters on 122 Cm Target Face, 30 meters on 80 Cm Target Face The competition will start at 7:00 am. Entry fee will be Rs. 10/- per head per event.

Participants may give their entries in the office of Lake Sports Complex on any working day upto 5:00 pm along with their date of birth certificate. The entry will close on July 14.

Source: Express News Service

Chandigarh: Once again it was the same old story. Lahore School’s team could not handle DAV School who beat them and took 3-0 lead in the five matches Brotherhood Cup being played here today.

In the third match of the series the visiting side won the toss and decided to bat. Both the openers Shahrukh and Zeeshan gave good start to the team and put on 58 runs for the first wicket partnership. Shahrukh was also instrumental in making 35 runs for the second wicket partnership with Arshad who was the top scorer for the team.

Arshad played a knock of 73 runs off just 70 balls with the help of five fours. With the exception of Arshad none of the batsmen were able to resist the penetrating bowling by Vipul and Anirudh. Both the bowlers ended with three wickets for 31 and 36 runs respectively. And the team was eventually bundled out for 179 runs in 33.5 overs.

Replying to the total DAV team start very badly and lost opener Maninder with just two runs on the board. But Harpreet and Shivam Pathania rescued the side and were involved in the match winning 115 runs for the second wicket.

Brief scores:
Lahore’s School Team 179 all out in 33.5 overs. (Arshad 73, Shahrukh 39, Zeeshan 20. Vipul 3 for 31, Anirudh 3 for 36).DV hool 180 for 3 in 29.3 overs. (Shivam Pathania 58, Harpreet 35, Vipul 32 no, Avinash 27 no).

Chandigarh: Counselling for all reserved categories (SC, ST, Defence, Physically Handicapped, Terrorist Victims, Sports, Military/Para-Military Forces, Freedom Fighter and Kashmiri Migrants) for BA LLB (Hons) 5-Year Integrated course at Panjab University, Chandigarh, and Regional Centre, Ludhiana, was held today at the Law Auditorium, PU campus here today.

Chandigarh: The Punjab government has decided to conduct a health survey of juvenile homes in the state after Health and Family Welfare Minister Lakshmi Kanta Chawla expressed her displeasure over the unhygienic and filthy conditions of all the three juvenile justice homes in the state.

She said today that a health survey would be conducted in all the three juvenile homes and women’s jails by the health department. Expressing concern over the deteriorating mental and physical health of the children in the homes, she said the unfortunate children required a lot of attention to improve their pathetic condition. She said to rehabilitate and re-establish young children confined to jails would be the top priority of the state government. She also said that she would herself visit and monitor the juvenile homes.

To make inmates morally, spiritually healthy and strong, the health department would organise yoga classes and spiritual discourses for them. Besides this, regular visits by a doctor, psychiatrist and a psychologist would be ensured so that a large number of their problems could be solved.

Source: Express News Service

Chandigarh: Narender Modi’s Gujarat seems to be fast catching the fancy of Punjab BJP leaders and ministers. One after the other, BJP ministers in the Parkash Singh Badal-led SAD-BJP government are visiting the state.

Industry Minister Manoranjan Kalia led the way last month; state BJP president Rajinder Bhandari too has had his share of stay in the BJP-led state and Transport Minister Master Mohan Lal packed his bags two days ago, while BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu paid his visit last month.

“Another BJP minister is planning to go to Gujarat soon, taking the number of Gujarat-touring ministers to three. Notably, BJP has five ministers in the Punjab Cabinet,” a source said.

BJP leaders seem so impressed with Modi’s “progressive” plans that some of the ongoing schemes in Gujarat have already been replicated in Punjab. Soon after his return from Gujarat, Kalia announced that Punjab would implement a land pooling scheme on Gujarat’s pattern. Now, Punjab cabinet Minister Master Mohan is eager to copy the transport model of Gujarat. Besides the transport system, sources said, Master Mohan Lal is impressed with the state’s system of checking tax evasion.
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Chandigarh: Taking a strong exception to non-compliance of court orders, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Registrar of Panjab University (PU) to appear in person on Wednesday. The court has also issued notices asking the Registrar to explain as to why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against him.

The orders were passed in relation with a petition filed by Sukhwinder Kaur who had sought directions to PU to declare her result so that she can seek admission in Government College for Girls, Sector 42, Chandigarh. Kaur was denied admission in BSc second year because her result had not been declared.

On the last date of hearing, the Court had issued directions to the Registrar to supply the result of the petitioner in a sealed cover in the Court before pronouncing it. Today, the result was produced before the High Court in a sealed cover. However, when the cover was opened, it was found that the university had not declared the result of the petitioner rather had written ‘result late as per Court orders’.

Source: Express News Service

Chandigarh: According to rough estimates, around 10,000 degrees are lying with the Panjab University (PU) and the varsity has now decided to give away the degrees. The degrees belong to students who have passed out from Panjab University or affiliated colleges but have not collected or received their degrees due to various reasons.

In a statement given in the PU Syndicate, Vice-Chancellor Prof R C Sobti said thousands of degrees are lying with the varsity as these could not be awarded to the students. He added that in order to clear the backlog, permission may be granted to award the degrees unless there is a legal complication.

“If the degrees are awarded, this would be considered as a one time exemption. From the coming session, degrees would be awarded only after all formalities are complete,” the V-C said.

The news comes as a relief to many who have been waiting for their degrees. One such student, talking to Newsline, said she has been waiting for her degree for two years. The student said she had visited a number of officials in the university and was always told that the degree would be given soon but it never came.

The V-C added, “Awarding degrees would clear the backlog in the administrative block. In fact, there are more degrees of college students lying here than the university departments. Some legal experts would be consulted to ensure that there is no complication.”

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Chandigarh: The preliminary interrogation of Balkar Singh, who was arrested by the UT Police with a stolen vehicle and has been booked in more than 30 cases under various charges, has revealed his connection with a Delhi resident, Dhani Ram Mittal.

Mittal, who claims to be a lawyer by profession, has nearly 100 cases registered against him in various states including Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi. The two came into contact with each other in Tihar Jail, where Balkar Singh, a resident of Kajheri village and owner of Sri Har Gobind Public School, Kajheri, was lodged.

Police said Mittal is an expert in preparing fake documents including registration certificates (RCs), bail bonds and court documents. He is also accused of helping nearly 30 accused in getting bail by preparing fake bail bonds and other related documents.

As per available information, Singh was arrested in New Delhi in 1990 under TADA. Mittal was already lodged in Tihar Jail under some other offence at that time. As per the confessions of Balkar Singh, he gave Mittal Rs 4,000 to prepare some fake documents for him in 1994 to get out of jail.

As per information available with the Crime Branch, there are more than 60 cases registered against Dhani Ram Mittal in Haryana under various offences. Mittal has also remained behind bars on charges of forgery and cheating in Rohtak Jail.

Speaking to Newsline, R S Siwach, Jail Superintendent of Police, Rohtak, confirmed that Mittal had been a notorious criminal. “He was in jail for a period of three to six months in Jind, Karnal and Bhiwani,” Siwach said.
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