Mohali News - Fortis plans Rs 3,000 cr investment in Punjab in next 10 yrs

Hospital chain Fortis Healthcare plans to invest Rs 3,000 crore in Punjab in the next 10 years for augmenting and expanding medical services in the state.

 

Fortis has submitted a proposal 'Fortis Strategic Health Plan' to the state government to upgrade healthcare services in the state through PPP model, offering to invest Rs 3,000 crore over the next 10 years.

 

"In order to make Punjab a role model for other states, particularly in the field of medical facilities, we have submitted an exhaustive plan to improve the healthcare facilities in the state through public-private-partnership (PPP) model," Fortis Healthcare CEO and MD Shivinder Singh told PTI.

 

The plan includes revamping Baba Farid University and Guru Gobind Singh Medical College at an estimated expenditure of Rs 800 crore.

 

Also, the company proposes to set up a medical research centre 'Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences' in Mohali with an investment of Rs 340 crore.

 

Fortis is also planning to set up two medical education hubs in the state, one at Mohali and other one at Ludhiana, with a total investment of Rs 1,500 crore.

 

Under the proposal, Fortis also suggested setting up five nursing colleges in state, one cancer institute and research centre at Mohali, one civil hospital each in Bhatinda, Badal and Hoshiarpur.

 

The healthcare chain has asked for certain concessions from the state, which includes providing land at notional prices for project development in case of greenfield ventures wherein the entire capital expenditure will be borne by the Fortis Group.

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Panchkula News - ISBT in Panchkula soon

In A meeting held on Wednesday, officials of the Haryana Urban Development Authority, Urban Local Bodies Department and Panchkula Administration, decided to set up an Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) in Sector-1-A, Panchkula.

 

Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Chander Mohan chaired the meeting.

 

Mohan said that with the construction of the proposed ISBT at Panchkula, not only the people of Haryana but also the people from the adjoining areas like Chandigarh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand and Uttar Pradesh will be benefitted. The current bus stand in Sector-5 will be utilized for local purpose, said Mohan.

 

It was also decided that all the community centres of Panchkula, which are being maintained by the HUDA, would be shifted to the Municipal Council, Panchkula.

 

The linking of Sector 24 and 25 with a bridge over River Ghaggar was also decided in the meeting.

 

While all the lights in the Panchkula markets will be replaced with high mast lights, the HUDA will carry out all the repair and maintenance work of the main roads in Panchkula.

 

"To overcome the problem of stray animals, the committee decided to set up a joint cattle pound for Pinjore, Kalka and Panchkula on a 12-acre land in Pinjore town. The proposal for shifting dairies from Panchkula town had also been agreed in principle," said a spokesperson.

 

It was also added that the Municipal Council would now get rent for Vita booths set up in the parks and the slaughter house would be transferred to the Municipal council within a period of two months.

 

Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Urban Local Bodies,S C Choudhary, Commissioner and Secretary, Town and Country Planning Department, D S Desi, Director, Urban Local Bodies, Mahavir Singh, Deputy Commissioner Panchkula, R K Kataria, Chairman Municipal Council Panchkula, Ravinder Rawal, Executive Officer MC, Panchkula, O P Sihag and other senior officers were present in the meeting.

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Campaign to save girl child in Punjab

Based on the thinking that both a woman and trees nurture  families and planet earth, respectively, without any reciprocity, a novel campaign to save both is being launched in Punjab on Wednesday.

 

The campaign, 'Nanhi Chhaaon' (Little shadow) is being undertaken jointly by the Punjab government, the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) and a corporate house to highlight why the girl child and environment need to be protected for the future.

 

Saplings of trees will be distributed to women along with holy water from the 'sarovar' (holy pool) around the 'Harmandar Sahib' (Golden Temple) - the holiest of Sikh shrines in Amritsar - and other SGPC-controlled gurudwaras to be planted in their homes. These will be called 'buta prasad' (offering of saplings).

 

The first saplings would be given away Wednesday from the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar.

 

The campaign is the brainchild of Ranbaxy Laboratories chairman Harpal Singh.

 

The focus on the girl child is being stressed as Punjab has one of the worst sex ratios in the country - an alarming 800 females per 1,000 males.

 

A state government spokesman said Monday that the campaign is aimed at generating awareness against female foeticide and also the declining tree cover in Punjab.

 

The plan is to get the saplings planted at home either by a bride who comes into her new home or by the mother who gives birth to a girl child or by daughters.

 

The saplings selected for the campaign would be of the plants and trees mentioned in Sikh religious scriptures. These would particularly include 'Neem' and 'Ber', which are suitable for the environment.

 

Punjab's Environment and Non-Conventional Energy minister Bikram Singh Majithia said that women have a special place in Sikh scriptures and they could lead a fight against female foeticide and also to protect environment.

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Punjab's nod for Panjab University's central status

The central university status for the Panjab University (PU) seems to have moved an inch closer with the Punjab government reportedly favouring the move albeit with a few conditions attached regarding the institute's management.

 

Sukhbir Singh Badal, Member Parliament and President, SAD, has mentioned that he will take up the matter with the Chief Minister immediately and will urge him to write to the Central Government in this regard. He was here to plant saplings on Panjab University campus along with Vice-Chancellor, Senior University functionaries and students on Monday.

 

Badal affirmed that he was in favour of University getting central support but added that his party's sole concern was safeguarding the interests of Punjab and Punjabis.

 

He shared his concern for the cause of education and informed that the Akali Government was committed to support education and stated, "Right from primary education to higher education, the government had initiated steps to secure financial, infrastructural and quality education," and mentioned that his dream was to make Punjab green and number one in term of over-all development.

 

While talking to the Pioneer Badal recalled his days as a student of the Panjab University and shared that the environment in university was the best as comparable to other top class universities of the world.

 

He also emphasized the need for constant updation and upgradation of technology to meet the ever-changing requirements and avowed that colleges in Punjab which are affiliated to Panjab University would continue to remain affiliated to the university. However, this would also mean that the 40 per cent grant, which Panjab University gets from the Punjab government, would also be withdrawn.

 

It is to be noted that the university gets 60 per cent of its budget deficit from the central government and the rest from Punjab. It must be mentioned here that over the past few years, the Punjab government had frozen its grant to the university at Rs 16 crore instead of 40 per cent of the deficit.

 

The PU Teachers Association had been demanding the status for the past two months. The central status university will mean higher salaries to teachers and the increase of retirement age from the current 60 years to 65 years. It means that there would be a huge budget for the university. Research students' stand benefited and the cost of forms and prospectuses will be uniform like in other central universities.

 

Earlier on two occasions, when Punjab Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal had visited the university, he was also requested to clear his government's stand on the issue.

 

Immediately after the centre has announced that there would be two central universities in Punjab, including one world-class university in Amritsar, Badal had categorically stated on the campus that if the central status to PU would mean cutting on one university in Punjab, it would not be acceptable.

 

However, Pawan Kumar Bansal, local parliamentarian and Minister of State for Finance, had recently said that he had already received a positive feedback from the Punjab Government. He told the Pioneer, "Once Punjab government conveys its formal decision, I will take up the issue in the monsoon session of the Parliament and I am sure that the status would be awarded."

 

The central university status for PU would imply that the state government's commitment of contributing the 40 per cent share in the university's annual deficit would no longer be applicable and the centre would meet the entire deficit.

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Chandigarh News - Chandigarh's Kala Gram to be modelled after Dilli Haat

New Delhi's Dilli Haat, a replica of a village marketplace where artisans display and sell their wares directly to customers, is going to be an inspiration for Chandigarh's Kala Gram that houses India's biggest sculpture park.

 

"We are developing one part of the Kala Gram on the lines of Dilli Haat. We will construct around 70-80 shops. These shops will be given on very nominal charges to artists, artisans and painters to showcase and sell their creations," R.T. Jindal director of north zone cultural centre (NZCC), told IANS.

 

"Our aim is to recognize, preserve and to spread our rich traditional arts and crafts of the region, and to generate financial support to artisans and craftsmen. By allotting them shops, we will remove the middlemen between them and their customers," said Jindal.

 

We will also provide accommodation and food to the artisans coming from other states at economical prices, he said.

 

"Basic aim of Kala Gram is to popularize our dying area-specific crafts, artefacts, handicrafts, handlooms, and to promote traditional culture through folk songs and dances. We will make Kala Gram the cultural hub of North India. This will also promote tourism in the region and thereby adding to the revenues of administration," said Jindal.

 

It was allotted land in 1995 and was inaugurated in 2000. It has been set up collectively by the Chandigarh administration and NZCC, which has its head office in Punjab's Patiala city and its sub office here.

 

Kala Gram also has the India's biggest sculpture park, an open-air theatre and a hostel for the artists coming from outside the city.

 

"There is the India's biggest sculpture park with over 200 sculptures on display. There are sculptures made of wood, stones, metals, ceramics and terra cotta, based on different themes. We invite sculptors from different states of the country and conduct workshops in sculpture making," said Yashwinder Sharma, programme officer, Kala Gram.

 

"The first phase of Kala Gram's planning has been completed and now we have entered the second phase of our planning. In the second phase, we have plans to build an indoor auditorium, air-conditioned market, arrangements of open craft stalls and classrooms for slum kids. We have got approval on all these and are now working on these concepts," he said.

 

Kala Gram has tie-ups with various cultural academies in various states and artists from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir come here to perform on regular basis.

 

"There is an impetus on the promotion of folk dances and folk art. We also take our teams to other places to perform and put emphasis on the healthy exchange of art and culture with different states," said Sharma.

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Chandigarh News - Singapore students in Chandigarh on educational trip

A 34-member delegation of students and teachers from Singapore arrived here Sunday on an educational trip.

 

The delegation from Yishun Secondary School, Singapore, which comprises of 29 students and four teachers and a parent of a student, is visiting Chandigarh under a knowledge exchange programme of the administration here.

 

"This educational trip of Singapore's teachers and students is the result of the student and faculty exchange programmes organised by the education department, Chandigarh," said S.K. Setia, director public instructions and education.

 

"Students and teachers from Chandigarh earlier visited Singapore to gain the knowledge of education system (there)."

 

"During their three-day stay in Chandigarh, the delegation members will interact with teachers and librarians. They will share the 'teach less learn more' (TLLM) technique that they follow in Singapore," said an official of the education department.

 

"Teachers from Singapore will demonstrate information technology techniques to teach some topics that are common to both Singapore and Indian mathematics syllabus. They will also demonstrate some interactive methods to make studies a fun filled activity," said the official.

 

The delegation will leave for Agra Wednesday. They will also visit the Indian parliament complex and Gandhi Smriti in New Delhi before returning to Singapore Aug 30.

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Abhinav Bindra gets Rs 3.9 mn Volvo

India's only individual gold medal winner at the Beijing Olympics, shooter Abhinav Bindra, was on Saturday gifted a Volvo car worth Rs 3 9 million by the Swedish car manufacturer.

 

The keys of the Volvo S-80 car were handed over to Bindra at a ceremony here by Volvo-India managing director Paul de Voijs.

 

"I am grateful to the company for honouring me with this car," Bindra said.

 

Incidentally, Bindra's industrialist father AS Bindra was the first buyer of a Volvo car when the Swedish car manufacturer started direct sales in India last year.

 

Volvo chose Chandigarh to launch its cars in India given the craze among customers in Punjab and Chandigarh to buy high-end luxury cars.

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Chandigarh News - PU to get central varsity status soon: Pawan Kumar Bansal

The central university status for the Panjab University (PU) seems to have moved an inch closer with the Punjab government approving the much-awaited status, albeit with a few conditions attached regarding the institute's management.

 

On Saturday, Pawan Kumar Bansal, local parliamentarian and Minister of State for Finance, said at a function at the PU that the university would soon be awarded the central status and he had already received a positive feedback from the Punjab Government. He told the Newsline, "In my communication with Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal, the response regarding the central status has been positive so far. Once Punjab government conveys its formal decision, I will take up the issue in the monsoon session of the Parliament and I am sure that the status would be awarded."

 

A top official of the state government said the government would soon convey to the Centre that it has no objections to the PU getting the central university status. It only wants that the state's stake in management of the institution remains unchanged, he added.

 

A senior official of the state government told, "A decision has been taken that the PU can be awarded the central varsity status. The state government, however, wants that the status of PU's senate, syndicate and affiliated colleges remains unchanged. Soon we will convey the decision to the Centre."

 

University sources claim that Badal would make a formal correspondence to the PU in this regard on Monday during his visit to the institute for a function.

 

The central university status for PU would imply that the state government's commitment of contributing the 40 per cent share in the university's annual deficit would no longer be applicable and the Centre would meet the entire deficit.

 

Of late, the university has been facing a financial crunch because the Punjab government has not paid its entitled share to the institution.

 

Sources claim that once the Centre provides the entire funds certain changes would take place in the institution including increased retirement age for the faculty, better infrastructure and more funds for research work. President of Panjab University Teachers' Association, Ronki Ram said, "We appreciate the steps taken by every one including PUTA leadership, V-C and the state's ministers in this regard."

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Chandigarh News - Cash-for-judge scam: High Court judge goes on leave

Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Nirmal Yadav on Friday proceeded on leave after her name figured in the stunning cash-for-judge scam.

 

A notice put up by the high court outside her court on Friday said that her cases stood transferred to Justice S.D. Anand.

 

Punjab and Haryana High Court judicial registrar G.K. Khanna told IANS here that he got to know about Justice Yadav going on leave only on Friday.

 

Justice Yadav's name figured in the scam involving high court judges and some senior lawyers of the city.

 

Her decision to go on leave came a day after the high court's administrative committee, headed by Chief Justice Tirath Singh Thakur, met in Chandigarh on Thursday.

 

Court sources said that the committee discussed whether cases be withdrawn from Justice Yadav or she be asked to proceed on leave.

 

The sources revealed that Justice Yadav told the committee, which comprises senior most judges of the high court, that she had nothing to do with the scandal.

 

The scam relates to the delivery of Rs1.5 million in cash at the residence of another high court judge, Nirmaljit Kaur, here Aug 13 by an assistant of former Haryana additional advocate general Sanjeev Bansal.

 

Kaur called the police after the packet containing the cash was delivered. This led to a case being registered against Bansal and others. Four people, including Bansal, have been arrested.

 

Bansal and others have admitted that the cash was to be sent to another judge and not to Nirmalijit Kaur. They said the money went to her house erroneously.

 

Police investigations have found that the money was related to a property deal that a number of people, including the judge, had clinched last week in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh's Solan district.

 

Those arrested have told the police that even after erroneously sending the money to the house of the wrong judge, another packet containing the same amount was later sent by Bansal to the judge concerned.

 

The scam has not only embarrassed the high court but virtually divided the judges as well as lawyers.

 

Sixtyfive lawyers, including some senior ones, on Wednesday filed affidavits before a local court to defend Bansal when he was produced in the court after his arrest.

 

Bansal, who is considered close to top politicians from the region and also to some judges, was forced to quit as Haryana's additional advocate general after the scam broke out.

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Chandigarh News - PGI's Sreenivas Reddy awarded Bharat Jyoti

Dr Sreenivas Reddy, Assistant Professor, Department of Cardiology, PGIMER was awarded Bharat Jyoti Award for meritorious achievements and services in cardiology by the India International Friendship Society.

 

Dr Reddy youngest member of the faculty of PGIMER, is a Research Associate in stem cell therapy project in acute myocardial infarction sponsored by Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Information Technology, Government of India from August 2007 to January 2008.

 

He was bestowed with the award during a conference on 'Economic Growth and National Integration' organised by the society in Delhi by the chief guest Mr Rajasekharan, former Minister of Planning, Government of India.

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Chandigarh News - Biocon proposes R and D centre in Punjab

Bio-technology major Biocon has proposed to set up a research and development (R and D) centre in Punjab with an investment of nearly Rs 1 billion and having an employment potential for about 200 scientists, an official said on Thursday.

 

The proposal was discussed between Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Biocon chairperson and managing director Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw at a meeting here on Wednesday evening.

 

Badal said Punjab had taken major initiatives for the promotion of biotechnology in the state including the setting up of National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, Bio-Processing Unit and Biotechnology Park in the Knowledge City at Mohali near Chandigarh, said a government spokesperson.

 

He assured Mazumdar-Shaw that the state government would extend full support to Biocon for setting up its R&D unit in Punjab.

 

Mazumdar-Shaw emphasized the need to chalk out a joint action programme to involve state's industry with universities to work together for overcoming all the practical hardships being faced by both the sectors in the field of Bio-Technology.

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Mohali News - Mohali gets Biotech institute, bioprocessing unit

The Union Cabinet today okayed setting up of a National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute and a bioprocessing unit in Knowledge City at Mohali in Punjab at a cost of Rs 380 crore by 2012-13.

 

"Both will be autonomous institutions under the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology," Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told reporters after the cabinet meeting.

 

"The central institute will have a major role in implementing relevant biotechnology programmes in the state and generating the required human resource," he said.

 

This is expected to give a push to need-based research in agriculture biotechnology, food science and technnology and nutritional science and technology to address the problems of the state and the country.

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Chandigarh News - Biocon proposes R and D centre in Punjab

Bio-technology major Biocon has proposed to set up a research and development (R and D) centre in Punjab with an investment of nearly Rs 1 billion and having an employment potential for about 200 scientists, an official said on Thursday.

 

The proposal was discussed between Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Biocon chairperson and managing director Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw at a meeting here on Wednesday evening.

 

Badal said Punjab had taken major initiatives for the promotion of biotechnology in the state including the setting up of National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, Bio-Processing Unit and Biotechnology Park in the Knowledge City at Mohali near Chandigarh, said a government spokesperson.

 

He assured Mazumdar-Shaw that the state government would extend full support to Biocon for setting up its R&D unit in Punjab.

 

Mazumdar-Shaw emphasized the need to chalk out a joint action programme to involve state's industry with universities to work together for overcoming all the practical hardships being faced by both the sectors in the field of Bio-Technology.

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Law officer in custody in Chandigarh's cash-for-judge scam

A former additional advocate general of Haryana, Sanjeev Bansal, was in the custody of the Chandigarh Police Wednesday in a cash-for-judge scam that rocked the city last week.

 

The police said they arrested the former law officer, who is known to be well connected to politicians and judges, when he came to the Sector 11 police station here after 2 a.m. accompanied by some senior advocates.

 

Bansal, whose supporters say he surrendered to the police, is one of three accused in a case registered in Chandigarh Sunday after a packet with Rs.1.5 million in cash reached the house of newly appointed Punjab and Haryana high court judge Nirmaljit Kaur in Sector 11 here last week.

 

'Sanjeev did not surrender before us. Rather he was brought to us by some advocates and arrested by us. We cannot divulge anything more as this is a very sensitive issue and requires thorough investigation,' Additional Superintendent of Police Madhur Verma told.

 

According to the complaint, an assistant (Munshi) of Bansal, Prakash, delivered the money at the residence of Nirmaljit Kaur, a sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Aug 13 night.

 

On seeing the cash in the bag, the security guard called the judge who was in the house. They stopped Parkash from leaving and called the police, said a police official.

 

The Chandigarh Police had registered a case last week against three people, including Bansal and Prakash, following a complaint that cash had been delivered at Nirmaljit Kaur's residence, said the official.

 

'We registered a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act against Bansal, his munshi Parkash and a Delhi-based hotelier, Ravinder Singh,' said Verma.

 

'The police arrested Parkash for further questioning Aug 16, but Sanjeev Bansal and Ravinder absconded,' Verma said.

 

Bansal, 43, who is close to many senior Congress politicians and bureaucrats, was appointed additional advocate general when the Bhupinder Singh Hooda's government came to power in Haryana in 2005.

 

He resigned from the post of additional advocate general Monday after he was booked by the police. The Hooda government was embarrassed that his name figured in the cash-for-judge scam.

 

Punjab and Haryana High Court chief justice Tirath Singh Thakur is seized of the matter.

 

Parkash told the police that Bansal sent him to deliver the money and that the money had come from Delhi. Bansal claimed the money was to be given to a property dealer Nirmal Singh in Sector 18 and not to the judge.

 

However, investigating officers found that Bansal had spoken to some high court judges before and after the money episode last week.

 

Pankaj Bhardwaj, a lawyer at whose residence the money was allegedly to be delivered, said he did not know anything about the money deal.

 

'I do not know anything about the money involved in the case. Sanjeev Bansal had called me and said that he was sending some property documents for my scrutiny. He did not say anything about the money.'

 

The Chandigarh Police are tightlipped about the source of money and the telephone calls made by Sanjeev Bansal. It is believed that many top officials are involved in this case.

 

Parkash, who was a Home Guard volunteer with the Chandigarh Police, was arrested Aug 16. He was produced in court Tuesday. His police remand has been extended to three more days, said the official.

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Chandigarh News - Kapil may get his home ground for ICL this year

The Indian Cricket League (ICL) has moved a step closer to signing up the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium as one of the venues for its next edition. Having been turned down last year, ICL chairman Kapil Dev met UT Advisor Pradeep Mehra with a fresh proposal on Tuesday. The UT Administration may give its nod this time.

 

Kapil Dev has been very keen to host ICL matches at the stadium where he learnt his first cricketing lessons and went on to lead the Indian cricket team.

 

The ICL will send a formal proposal in this regard to the Administration in a couple of days. The proposal will have a blueprint of sprucing up and enhancing the stadium's infrastructure attached to it. Officials said the Administration would then decide on the terms and conditions of the deal, and also the date when the stadium could be given to the ICL.

 

The ICL matches were held at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium last year after the UT Administration had said no to the Sector 16 stadium.

 

"We were never against the ICL. There was a big communication gap last year," said I S Sandhu, Director Sports, Chandigarh Administration. "Kapil Dev had presented a proposal according to which the ICL wanted to establish an academy and have the stadium for a long period. Moreover, they wanted it urgently, while we had an international match coming up (India-Australia ODI). We could not accept the proposal then," he added.

 

A formula may be worked out in favour of the ICL this time. "The UT Administration is open to every cricket body that wants to conduct matches at the stadium, be it the Haryana Cricket Association, the ICL or the Punjab Cricket Association. But, they should adhere to our terms and conditions. We will examine the ICL's proposal. If it is found satisfactory, ICL matches will take place at the stadium," said Sandhu.

 

Kapil also looked pleased after the meeting with the Advisor. "I am very happy at their response. We will draw up the proposal in the next couple of days and if everything goes well, you will see the ICL conduct its next edition at the stadium this year," he said.

 

"This stadium and the city have always been close to my heart. I lived and learnt cricket here. It has been my dream to have the ICL matches played here. I am sure the standard of cricket will improve in the city and the region. It will be good for the stadium as many international stars will come and play here," Kapil added.

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Chandigarh News - Rotary Club ties up with PGI to help the visually impaired

The Rotary Club of Chandigarh in association with the Advanced Eye Care Centre of the PGI launched the 'Gift of Sight' project here today. Under the project, the Rotary Club will spend over Rs 19 lakh to restore eyesight to about 160 poor patients who require complicated vitreoretinal surgery.

 

Addressing mediapersons at the PGI, Director PGI Professor K K Talwar said, "PGI receives approximately 50,000 to 60,000 patients every year pertaining to retinal diseases. Of these, around 1500 patients have to undergo complicated vitreoretinal surgeries. These surgeries require costly disposables as well as consumables. Unfortunately, these diseases are commonly seen in the poorer sections of the society. These patients cannot afford the surgery and loose their vision for the want of surgery."

 

Rotary Club has come forward to financially support patients so that they can be operated in time to save their eyesight. "Many patients including children have to live with blindness for the rest of their lives because of economic reasons. We thank Rotary Club for their support," added Prof Talwar.

 

Also present on the occasion were former Rotary International President Rajendra K Saboo and the head of the Advanced Eye Care Centre, Prof Amod Gupta. He highlighted the complications of the vitreous and retinal disorders which lead to blindness in a considerable number of patients.

 

Rotarian Arvind Mehan, during whose presidentship the project was launched last year as part of club's Golden Jubilee celebrations, said that the Rotary Club of Chandigarh had entered into a twin club agreement with the Rotary Club of Coral Gables, USA, which led to the idea of starting this project in collaboration with PGI.

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Chandigarh News - Panjab University to build 4 hostels in its South Campus

Four new hostels will come up in Panjab University's South Campus in Sector 25 soon. A decision in this regard was taken at the Syndicate meeting held in the university on Tuesday.

A committee set up for the purpose had earlier approved of only two hostels, but later gave its nod to all four.

The Syndicate also discussed a letter issued by AYUSH regarding disaffiliation of the Ayurvedic College in Sector 46. AYUSH, which grants affiliation to all Ayurvedic colleges, has reportedly found several discrepancies with the college.

The syndics decided that proceedings for the disaffiliation would begin the moment the university received a letter in this regard.

The Homeopathic College in Sector 26, too, faces disaffiliation if it is found to be not fully complying with its agreement with PU.

The Syndicate also decided to award a doctorate degree to actor Dev Anand.

In another significant decision, it announced to set up a radio station in the Department of Mass Communication.

The implementation of 7 per cent OBC quota was also approved and all departments were asked to provide the list of students seeking admission under the category.

Another proposal floated by Prof V K Mahajan regarding re-employing the professors who retire at 62 years of age for another year was also approved.

A proposal to have additional 20 seats in vocal and instrumental disciplines at the music department was also approved.

The Syndicate also decided to increase the charges of academic forms by 10 per cent.

Decisions at a glance
* Ayurvedic College, Sector 46, and Homoeopathic College in Sector 26 may lose affiliation
* 7 per cent OBC quota to be implemented
* A radio station to be set up at the Department of Mass Communication
* Recruitment of three professors approved
* 10% hike in charges of forms

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Panjab University to give medal in Abhinav Bindra's name - Chandigarh Pulse

To honour shooter Abhinav Bindra for his Olympic gold medal at Beijing, the Panjab University has decided to set up a medal and a cash award of Rs.100,000 in his name at its forthcoming convocation ceremony.

"The award and the medal has been announced by R.C. Sobti, university vice-chancellor, in recognition of the victory and honour which Chandigarh lad Abhinav Bindra has brought to the city and to the whole nation," said a varsity spokesman.

Sobti has conveyed his congratulations to the Bindra family for having motivated Abhinav in sustaining his interest and focusing on his sport, which has made him the number one in the whole world.

Interestingly, Abhinav Bindra did not study at the Panjab University and not in any of the colleges affiliated to the university.

He had done his schooling at St. Stephen's School, Chandigarh.

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Ice-man brand or shooting star?

India consumed a massive 770 tonnes of gold last year. But rarely has the yellow metal shone brighter than it did on Monday, when Abhinav Bindra shot his way to glory in Beijing.

The report from the Walther Compressed Air-based Rifle, which costs Rs 1.5 lakh, has just created a new brand icon. Sports management firms predict there will at least three to four brands queuing to sign up Bindra.

With an expected payout of around Rs 1 crore per brand, the CEO of Abhinav Futuristics, a PC peripherals distributor based in Chandigarh, could net Rs 3-4 crores.

His ice-cool demenour could well define a niche for brands to tap into, brand managers say.

Anirban Das Blah, vice president, Globosport India, says, "Brands, which want to showcase their Indian-ness or national pride like a Tata Steel or Maruti, could be interested in him now." But Vineeta Bangard, COO, Percept Talent Management, thinks that it would be Bindra's youth which brands would latch onto.

"He is good looking and speaks well. He is young so he could attract youth-centric products such as, say, clothing apparel, watches and eye-wear."

But the worry for those plonking in money is longevity of recall: whether a niche sport such as shooting can create enough excitement to keep brand Bindra glowing bright even when the hype dies down after a couple of months.

Experts say that this will depend entirely on how Bindra seizes the moment.

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Shooting star Abhinav Bindra turns into Indian icon

Abhinav Bindra's historic triumph at the Beijing Olympics today has turned him into a national sporting icon with awards and accolades pouring in from all over the country.

Bindra, who went into the final after finishing fourth in the qualifying round scoring 596 out 600, shot 104.5 in the final to notch up a total of 700.5 to upset his fancied rivals.

Lauding Bindra for his historic feat, President Pratibha Devisingh Patil said the Chandigarh lad has "realised the dream of a billion Indians".

"I am extremely delighted and proud to hear today that you have realised the dream of a billion Indians by winning the Olympic gold medal in the 10-metre air rifle at Beijing," the President said in her message.

"Your achievement is even greater as India has not won a gold at the Olympics after a very long gap of 28 years, but also because you have become the first ever Indian to win a gold medal at the Olympics in an individual event," she added.

"Your achievement should inspire confidence amongst all Indian sportspersons that they can achieve of any sport. It will inspire our youth to take up sports as a full time career. I wish him well for the future." Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi also praised the ace shooter.

Sports Minister MS Gill was effusive in his praise for the 2006 World Championhip winner with his ministry announcing a reward of Rs 30 lakh.

"Every Indian is walking taller today. It is a great achievement in the history of Indian sports. It will give confidence to all the Indian sportspersons in every disicpline, " Gill told mediapersons at Beijing.

Railway Minister Lalu Prasad announced a free lifetime train pass by first AC (including Shatabdi and Rajdhani).

The cash registers have been ringing for Bindra with several states announcing cash awards. His home state Punjab announced a whopping amount of Rs one crore as reward while neighbouring state Haryana awarded Rs 25 lakh.

Bihar (Rs 11 lakh), Karnataka (Rs 10 lakh), Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh (Rs 5 lakh each) all chipped in with their contributions.

Even the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) jumped on to the bandwagon, announcing a reward of Rs 25 lakh.

Bindra's victory has scripted a new epoch in the history of Indian sports and will surely inspire future generations of sportspersons to scale new heights.

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Chandigarh News: Haryana supports naming Chandigarh airport after Bhagat Singh

Haryana Chief Minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda Saturday said that Haryana fully support the naming of the international airport of Chandigarh as Shahid Bhagat Singh International Airport, Chandigarh.

 

 The Chief Minister was addressing the media persons after inaugurating the Advance Hernia Surgery Centre and Advance Piles Surgery Centre of Diwan Hospital at  Ludhiana.

 

 Hooda said that it was a matter of pride that when today we were celebrating the 66 anniversary of Quit India movement, the International Airport of Chandigarh and two states of Haryana and Punjab was named after great martyr Bhagat Singh. He said that belonging to a family of freedom fighters, he was personally feeling happy on this development. He said that he had never raised objections or opposed the naming of International Airport of Chandigarh as Shahid Bhagat Singh International Airport, Chandigarh.

 

 Speaking on the facilities extended to the freedom fighters in Haryana, he said that the State Government had increased their pensions and they were also given Dearness Allowance.  He said that the families of freedom fighters should be given the status of families of Nation and they should be honoured on the occasion of Independence Day.

 

On the question of Separate Shiromani Gurdawara Parbhandak Committee, he replied that the committee which had been constituted under the chairmanship of Agriculture Minister, Harmohinder Singh Chatha had been told to submit its report within fifteen days. Any decision on this issue would only be taken after studying and analyzing  the contents of this report, he asserted. 

 

To improve the sex ratio, the Chief Minister said that several schemes were being implemented for the welfare of girl child so as to prevent the heinous practice of female foeticide. As a result of the strenuous efforts of the State Government, the sex ratio of female had increased from 819 per 1000  males to 867  per 1000 males and this had further been  improving.

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Chandigarh News: Residents’ panel criticise decision to abolish nominal fee on transfer of ownership of flats

The Chandigarh Social Welfare Council, today criticised the Chandigarh Administration's decision to turn down the proposal of the Estate Office to charge a nominal fee for the transfer of ownership of cooperative group housing society flats by General Power of Attorney holders (GPAs) holders.

 

In a joint statement issued in Chandigarh, S S Bhardwaj and Satish Chander Sharma, Co-Chairman and General Secretary of the Council, flayed the Administration for hefty charges on the GPA as unearned profit for transfer of flats in Cooperative Group Housing Societies and for having dismissed all pleas of the holders of GPAs in society flats for rationalising the charges for transfer of the flat in group housing societies.

 

"The council took very serious view of the decision taken by the officers of the Finance department in deference to the views of the Registrar of Cooperative Societies, who had opined that Rs 10,000, Rs 20,000 and Rs 30,000 should be paid respectively for first, second and third transfer. It seems the Administration in its zeal is bent on breaking the rules that are contradictory, illegal and discriminatory," said the Council.

 

General Secretary Satish C Sharma said that the rule that is drawn from the Chandigarh Sites and Building Rules, 1960, to form the basis of the proposed unearned profit is sub rule 8-C of the Act.

 

However, this application is in isolation of the Rule 8. Rule 8 is not for House Building Cooperative Societies Act.

 

"Occupiers of flats in these societies neither own a site nor a building. Land is allotted to a Society as per the 'Land to Cooperative House Building Societies Scheme', 1991, for construction of dwelling units for its members. The sub-rule 8-C provides for registration of sale deed/transfer. The Punjab Cooperative Act, 1960, is applied to Chandigarh. If the rule is implemented, then Punjab will have resorted to its application to garner resources for its development programme," he said.

 

The council said if the Administration does not revert its decision, the members will be compelled to launch an agitation for the dues of GPAs holders.

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