IT Chandigarh

Chandigarh: With orange trousers, a black T-shirt and oversized shades, Ajay Gaur is like any other trendy college student. Only he is all set to play the role of Ram in the Ramleela being staged by Garhwal Ramleela and Sanskritic Mandal.

A first-year MSc student of Punjab Technical University, Ajay has been involved in acting for some time now. “Initially I played minor roles and then graduated to playing Ram, the central character,” said Ajay. “I have also done skits at Punjab University and my acting has been appreciated,” he added.

Ajay, who wants to teach computer application in future, said his friends are his biggest support group. “They all come to watch me and encourage me. It’s not true that youngsters are disinterested in Indian culture and tradition,” he said.

Being young he knows how to draw the young generation to watch Ramleela. He has added some modern touch to the age-old Ramleela. “The script is sacred and I don’t touch it. But I have tried to make the entire narration more gripping for the audience by using special effects through a projector. We have also translated certain songs into dialogues to hold the audiences’ interest,” Ajay said.

Preeti Chauhan, a first year student of Khalsa College, plays Sita. “She will be coming for the play tomorrow. But she is an extremely talented actor and does her work with dedication,” said general secretary of the mandal Bhagawati Prasad.

The Azad Dramatic Club in Manimajra believes in encouraging young talent. “Children form the biggest chunk of our audience and they also show tremendous interest,” said president Madan Lal Acharya.
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Chandigarh: With lifestyle diseases registering a rise, Panjab University has taken a step to combat them. The varsity has developed “a series of molecules” that can help in development of drugs for treatment of pshychiatric disorders, particularly stress and depression.

Since further research was not within the purview of the university, it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Panacea Biotech’s Drug

Discovery R&D Centre in Mohali for developing the drugs.

Two teams — one led by Dean, University Instructions, Prof S K Kulkarni from the University Institute of Pharmaceutical Studies (UIPS) and the other led by Prof S V Kesar, Emeritus Professor, Department of Chemistry, PU—- conducted the research.

“Development of new drugs requires huge investments, which is not possible for universities. We will share our research findings with the company, which will carry out further research and develop a drug for commercial purposes. Another three to four years of research would be required for this.”

The aim is to make a New Chemical Entity (NCE), which will be better than the existing market products.

NCE means a chemical molecule developed by a company in early stages of drug discovery. After undergoing clinical trials, it may develop into an effective drug.
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Panchkula: Following complaints of building violations by residents, the Haryana Housing Board (HHB) has decided to conduct a survey in the HHB colonies in Panchkula to bring an end to the malpractice.

After compiling a report, HHB authorities will take strict action against violators. There are complaints that many residents have violated laws and constructed extra floors and changed designs from inside.

A senior officer of the HHB, on the condition of anonymity, said there has been more than one year that no survey was conducted in the colonies. “In the wake of increasing complaints of violations being committed by the residents, a need for the same was felt.”

Though reports of violations have been coming from every sector of the city, the initial information has shown sectors 15, 19 and 26 of Panchkula are the worst hit.

There are 6,000 houses of the housing board in at least 10 sectors of the city —- sectors 8, 18, 11, 10, 15, 6, 14, 19, 26 and 28. “Apart from other violations, the survey will look into the encroachments done on public land by these colonies,” the official said.

In the past, efforts were made to check commercial use of the Housing Board colonies with various shops opened being closed. “A regular survey in this regard is also being planed,” he added.
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SAS Nagar: The Principal Secretary, Local Bodies Department, D S Bains, reserved his decision on the show-cause notice issued to Mohali MC president Rajinder Singh Rana and the Mohali Executive Officer (EO) following a thorough argument by their counsel today.

The show-cause notice was issued to the MC president after EO Jagir Singh Thind wrote a letter to the Local Bodies Department saying that Rana transferred some MC employees without having the powers to do so and also postponed the tenders of sanitation contract twice, thus creating financial loss to the Mohali MC.

Following the letter, the Local Bodies Department had issued a show-cause notice to the MC president in June this year and he was asked to file a reply within 21 days, that why action should not be initiated against him for the misuse of his powers.

The president, however, attached a copy of the Municipal Bylaws with his reply and argued that he had full rights to transfer the employees.

He said he postponed the sanitation contract tenders to make some changes in their terms and conditions to invite more contractors to bring down the price of the contract.
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SAS Nagar: Cars and other vehicles parked on the main roads are not only a nuisance to traffic, but are also responsible for the ever increasing number of road accidents in Mohali.

The Newsline team surveyed different areas in Mohali and found that the most sensitive areas in terms of traffic congestion are Phase VII (Bank Square), the market of Phase V (opposite telephone exchange), Phase I market (near Franco Hotel) towards the DC and SSP office. One can notice cars and other vehicles parked on the roadsides any given time of the day creating problems for the free flow of traffic. Also, huge lines of vehicles can be seen near the traffic lights in Phase VII where it is very difficult to move ahead due to the cars parked on the roadside.

It is pertinent to mention here that while these vehicles are challaned in Chandigarh and recovery vans of the Chandigarh police pick the vehicles up from these places, none of the vehicles parked illegally in Mohali have

been challaned or towed away. In fact, there is no recovery van in the Mohali traffic police’s fleet.

Traffic SP Sukhwant Singh Gill, when contacted, said the traffic police would start a drive in this regard and the vehicles parked on the roadside without any specific purpose would be challaned immediately.

He said if needed these vehicles would also be impounded.

Source: ENS

Chandigarh: Residents of Ramdarbar and Hallomajra are living in constant fear, as the reserve land lying at Ramdarbar is being used as an unauthorised dumping ground. Highly-toxic industrial wastes are being dumped here without any fear of official action. Ramdarbar has a population of around 50,000 people and Hallomajra has 30,000. The road towards the Army transit camp also passes through this ground.

Many a time warning bells have been sounded. The issue had been raised in the House of Municipal Corporation by area councillor Ram Lal. Once the councillor had written a letter to the UT Home Secretary seeking official intervention. However, neither the Municipal Corporation nor the Administration took any initiative to stop the dumping of malba to bring respite to the residents.

Defending the corporation, Mayor Harjinder Kaur said the corporation had taken up the issue of unauthorised dumping with the Administration, but is yet get a constructive response.

Residentspeak:

Sharda Devi, a resident of Ramdarbar Phase II, said, “Foul smell keeps emanating from the ground and during monsoon the area becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Rohtas Singhal, another resident, said, “Authorities concerned are neglecting a big issue.”

Leeladhar Swami, a businessman, said, “The land should be used properly and the Administration or corporation should take the initiative to develop it as a green belt area.”
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