05032024-CT-01.qxd 3/5/2024 12:22 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune MINISTER BABLI INAUGURATES SARAS MELA AT P'KULA SMUGGLER ARRESTED WITH OPIUM AT FATEHGARH SAHIB ANAJ MANDI SHEDS MAY BE USED FOR GATHERINGS Self-help groups from across the country have gathered at the mela to exhibit and sell their products. P2 A native of UP used to supply opium to clients in Ropar, Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib and Mohali. P2 Residents of Fatehgarh Sahib may rent sheds for ~25k, children can play indoor games for free. P2 » » PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 23°C | MIN 9°C YESTERDAY MAX 21.3°C | MIN 7.2°C SUNSET TUESDAY 6.24 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6.42 AM » TUESDAY | 5 MARCH 2024 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST TWITTER/THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE CHANDIGARH 103 PANCHKULA 64 BJP wins re-poll for 2 mayoral posts Uncertainty over MC meeting on budget MOHALI 96 Kuljeet, Rajinder elected Sr Deputy Mayor, Deputy Mayor I One vote invalid Sandeep Rana Sandeep Rana Tribune News Service AIR QUALITY INDEX 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD INBRIEF YOUTH ARRESTED WITH HEROIN Chandigarh: The police have arrested a youth allegedly for being in possession of 4.54 grams of heroin. Sonu of EWS Colony, Dhanas, was arrested near his house. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered. TNS HOUSE BURGLED AT SECTOR 46 Chandigarh: A theft was reported at a house in Sector 46. Jasbir Singh reported that gold and silver jewellery, a wrist watch and Rs 8,000 were stolen from his house between March 1 and 3. A case has been registered at the Sector 34 police station. TNS WHAT’S ON CHANDIGARH APNI MANDI: Sectors 29, 56 and Dhanas MOHALI APNI MANDI: Sector 71 PANCHKULA APNI MANDI: Sector 15 AAP LEADER HAS HEATED ARGUMENT WITH COPS Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 4 Recent defection of three AAP councillors to the BJP and the SAD’s lone councillor voting in its favour saw Kuljeet Singh Sandhu and Rajinder Sharma of the saffron party winning the posts of Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor defeating alliance nominees from the Congress Gurpreet Singh Gabi and Nirmala Devi, respectively, in the MC reelections today. Sandhu secured 19 votes against Gabi’s 16, while one vote was declared invalid. The vote was declared invalid as the ballot paper had two voting stamps. According to sources, one of his party councillors, who recently fell out with him, chose to make his vote invalid. However, the party denied it. For Deputy Mayor’s post, Rajinder Sharma emerged the winner with 19 votes against alliance candidate Nirmala Devi who polled 17 votes. The results were announced by newly appointed Mayor Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor, who was the presiding authority for the polls. On both occasions, the lone SAD councillor, Hardeep Singh, who had voted for the BJP in the previous Mayor’s poll, confirmed he did the same today as well. The BJP has a total of 18 votes — 17 councillors and one of ex-officio member, i.e. MP Kirron Kher. The BJP’s numbers increased from 15 AAP’s co-in charge SS Ahluwalia had heated arguments with the city police when they tried to stop him from entering the MC building after the results were declared. He alleged the police pushed him. Other leaders, including city BJP president Jatinder Pal Malhotra, vice-president Devinder Singh Babla, former president Arun Sood, city Congress president HS Lucky and youth wing president Manoj Lubana, too, had difficulties entering the well-guarded gate after the results were announced. KHER EVADES MEDIA QUERY ON LS POLL Jatinder Pal Malhotra, Chandigarh BJP chief, flanked by Senior Deputy Mayor Kuljeet Singh Sandhu (left) and Deputy Mayor Rajinder Sharma (right) at the MC office on Monday. NITIN MITTAL LONE SAD COUNCILLOR VOTES FOR BJP THIS TIME TOO ■ BJP’s Kuljeet Singh Sandhu secured 19 votes against 16 polled by alliance candidate Gurpreet Singh Gabi. One vote was declared invalid as the ballot paper had two stamps. According to sources, one of his party councillors, who recently fell out with him, chose to make his vote invalid. However, the party denied it. ■ For Deputy Mayor’s post, Rajinder Sharma emerged the winner with 19 votes against alliance candidate Nirmala Devi who polled 17 votes. Lone SAD councillor voted for the BJP this time too. to 18 after three AAP councillors switched over to the saffron party on February 19. AAP has 10 councillors and the Congress seven. The polling for the two posts started at 10 am. The voting passed off peacefully. BJP councillor Saurabh Joshi objected to PCS officer SS Sodhi, who is a joint commissioner in the MC, for being involved in the counting of votes. He said since Chandigarh, March 4 In an interim relief, the UT Administration has allowed over 1,400 contract employees of various departments to continue after March 31, but with certain conditions. In compliance with the guidelines issued by the Central Government in January, the Administration has abolished regular posts that were not filled with regular employees for more than five years. The contract employees working in more than 40 departments of the Administration against these sanctioned posts were to lose their job after March 31. Nearly 1,425 contractual employees have been working in various departments at present. According to a notice issued by the UT Department of Personnel on continuation of contractual engagement (on direct contract basis) in various departments, the department(s) may ascertain the functional requirement against vacant posts or posts which have fallen under the abolished category. The department(s) will send the proposal to the ministry concerned for creation/revival of these abolished post(s). The exercise must be completed within one week. The notice further states that the person(s) who fulfil the eligibility criteria for the post may continue to be engaged on a direct contract basis, subject to various conditions. As per the department, regular recruitment is to be done against the alive and sanctioned post(s) at the earliest; and continuation of contrac- To continue work till posts are filled SANGH’S APPREHENSION the realm of ❝Withinrequirements, functional department heads wield a significant influence that can be dangerous to an employee. The allocation for salaries from the wages head has the potential to diminish the legal standing of claims in ongoing cases of regularisation before the court. — Bipin Sher Singh, ❞ CHAIRMAN, ALL-CONTRACTUAL KARAMCHARI SANGH tual engagement may be considered till regular incumbent(s) join against the alive and sanctioned posts. In case of abolished posts, the contractual engagement may be considered till the said post is revived/created and regular recruitment is made. The engagement of the direct contractual employee(s) may be considered beyond the approved tenure, where functional requirement and administrative exigencies exist and regular recruitment is likely to take some time in spite of sincere efforts of the department. In such cases, prior concurrence of the Finance Department will be mandatory. Budget under the Wages Head has been made available with the respective department in this regard. The remuneration of the contract employee(s) will not be payable from the salary head. It will be payable/drawn from continued on page 2 HCS officer Shambhu Rathee, also a joint commissioner, is the MC secretary, he should be counting the votes. On this, Rathee said it was the Mayor’s prerogative. After winning the polls, councillors of AAP and the BJP took a swipe at one another. BJP councillor Maheshinder Singh Sidhu said, “I thank the Mayor, who belongs to the INDI alliance, under whom the BJP candi- dates have won.” Replying to him, Mayor Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor said, “We organised fair elections. I hope you (BJP) could have also got it done in the Mayor’s poll.” The elections to the two posts were earlier scheduled to be held on February 27, but a day before the polls, Dhalor (from AAP) had stated that he could not be present in the House meeting as presiding officer because he was out of station to see his ailing sister. Subsequently, the court had stayed the polls and ordered that the elections be held on March 4. Dhalor was declared the winner of the Mayor’s poll by the Supreme Court that found eight votes were wrongly declared invalid by presiding officer Anil Masih. Meanwhile, Masih today attended the MC House first time after the controversy. F&CC meet should be held first, says BJP Mayor Kuldeep Singh signs the votes during counting. TRIBUNE PHOTO: NITIN MITTAL the INDIA bloc Mayor would find it tough getting the alliance’s councillors on the most powerful committee of the MC. Free water, parking likely to be tabled at March 7 meet The first House meeting has been planned for March 7, following the budget meeting. Agenda items such as free 20,000 litre water per household per month and free parking in MC’s lots are expected to be tabled that day. Another House meeting is being planned for March 12. While AAP seems to be in a hurry calling House meetings, the BJP hopes things get delayed as model code of conduct for the LS poll is expected to be put in force soon. Jammu-based gangster shot dead in Mohali Relief for contract staff ofUT Administration Tribune News Service While speaking to the media on Monday, MP Kirron Kher abruptly left the place when she was asked whether she was going to contest LS elections again. Chandigarh, March 4 A special House meeting on budget scheduled for March 6 has been opposed by the BJP which says a meeting of , the Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC) should be held first to pass the agenda for the special meeting. Top city BJP leaders held a meeting in this regard today. They decided to take up the issue with the Secretary, Local Government (SLG), i.e. Home Secretary. “We will request him to stop this meeting as it is against the norms. The budget has always been discussed by the F&CC before being tabled in the House,” said a party councillor. City BJP president Jatinder Pal Malhotra said, “The MC has certain set of rules and it should be run as per these. It should not be run according to the whims and fancies of senior AAP leaders. I am going to take up this issue with the SLG.” However, Mayor Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor said, “The budget meeting has been called early so that the salaries of employees and other development expenditure do not get delayed. I will have to check about the rules.” Holding an F&CC meeting is not going to be a cakewalk for the new Mayor. Before the meeting, he will have to form the committee. The panel has five members and they are elected through voting in the MC House. Since the BJP has the numbers, Tribune News Service The suspects in police custody. Two arrested for robbing auto driver Chandigarh, March 4 The police have arrested two persons for robbing an auto driver. The complainant, Janak Kumar, a resident of Hallo Majra, had reported that on February 29, while he was heading towards home, three persons made him stop his auto near the Ram Darbar bus stop. The three robbed him of Rs 4,000 and documents. The police were informed about the incident and a case was registered at the Sector 31 police station. Two suspects, Sahil (27) and Sagar (32), both residents of Ram Darbar, Phase I, were arrested. The police said both accused had a criminal past. Sagar has nine cases and Sahil four cases registered against him. — TNS Mohali, March 4 Armed assailants shot dead a Jammu-based gangster, Rajesh Dogra (45), outside a shopping mall in Sector 67 here this afternoon. Around 12:22 pm, four or five assailants sprayed bullets at the unsuspecting victim, who was accompanied by two others, leaving him dead on the roadside within a matter of minutes. The police said the assailants were waiting for their target across the road in two SUVs — one carrying Chandigarh registration number and the other registered in Jammu — before firing around 10 rounds and then fleeing the spot. The police and a forensic team arrived at the spot and began investigation. Police officials confirmed the incident as the fallout of a gang war between two rival groups of Jammu. Dogra had come out of jail recently. Several cases are registered against him and one of his two accomplices, who was later Fallout of a gang war between two rival groups, say police ALL IN A MONTH ■ February 27: Bike-borne suspects fire five rounds at an eatery in Sector 79, targeting Bunty Bains, owner of a music company related to Sidhu Moosewala. Two gangsters have been nabbed. ■ February 28: The police exchange gunfire with Agra gangster Banwari Pal, a member of the Lucky Patial gang, at Chappar Chiri. He was stated to be on a recce to target a Punjabi singer. ■ February 8: The State Special Operations Cell arrests gangster Rajan Bhatti after a brief encounter in Sector 71. Bhatti, a resident of Mustfabad village in Gurdaspur, got shot in the leg. He is said to be a close associate of Canada-based terrorist Lakhbir Singh, alias Landa. A team of forensic experts and policemen inspect the crime scene near CP-67 mall in Mohali on Monday. TRIBUNE PHOTO nabbed by police. The police suspect Dogra’s accomplice, who fled the spot after the incident, might have a role in the killing. Eight FIRs are already registered against his arrested accomplice, they added. Ropar Range IGP Jaskaran Singh said, “The assailants and the victim belong to two rival gangs of Jammu. One person accompanying the victim has been nabbed while the other escaped. Their vehicle, weapons and mobile phones have been recovered.” The police were tight- lipped as to why a Jammubased gangwar precipitated in Mohali, but passed it off as a skirmish during transit. Dogra, alias Mohan Cheer, a native of Reasi, reportedly used to run a tea stall outside the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Depart- ment office in Jammu. He allegedly indulged in pilfering ration and kerosene but shot to notoriety after shooting gangster Sanjay Kumar, alias Bakra, in 2006. Dogra had murder, attempt to murder, Arms Act and Public Safety Act case registered against him. Pesticides main cause of suicidal deaths in region: PGI study Naina Mishra DISTURBING FACTS REVEALED Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 4 A PGI study has brought to light the disturbing surge in poisoning cases, with pesticides emerging as the leading cause of fatalities in the region. Pesticides are the most commonly used for intentional poisoning due to their easy availability and low-cost in stressful situations. The study sheds light on the alarming surge in poisoning cases, identifying it as the second most common ■ A staggering 90.3% of the patients had consumed poison with the intent to commit suicide. Pesticides emerged as the leading cause of suicidal deaths, constituting 61% of all poisoning cases. ■ The majority of victims consumed insecticide poison (54.8%). Among all pesticides, organophosphorus (OPC) was the poison of choice at 44% cases. ■ The study highlighted the severity of aluminium phosphide poisoning, with a disturbingly high mortality rate of 38%. cause of suicide in the region after hanging. It is aimed at understanding the socio-demographic profile and outcomes of acute poisoning patients, reported a signif- c m y b icant concentration in the 21–30 age group, with unemployed individuals, housewives and students being the most affected by this crisis. Gender-wise, the study indicates a marginally higher incidence of poison consumption among women, raising concerns about the mental health challenges faced by them in the region. In the present study, women (51.6%) slightly outnumbered men (48.4%). The reason for female dominance is attributed to increasing role of women in occupation- al activities and decisionmaking. In the present study, the main reason for consuming poison was family disputes (37%) related to poor financial conditions, extramarital affairs, marital disharmony, adolescents scolded by parents or teachers because of poor performance in studies, refusal from the parents to fulfil the demands of children like buying a phone, etc, breakups, refusal of proposal from opposite gender. continued on page 2
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