16102024-CT-01.qxd 10/16/2024 12:05 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune GOVERNOR PRESIDES OVER CULTURAL CENTRE MEET AKSHIT, ARMAAN HOLD ON FOR CITY, KERALA IN LEAD HARYANA OPEN AT P’KULA TO BEGIN TOMORROW Kataria will give away awards to folk artistes during Craft Fair to be held from Nov 29 to Dec 8. P4 Akshit, Armaan help UT reply strongly against Kerala's first innings 384 in Col CK Nayudu Trophy match. P4 Stakes will be high as top golfers will play in TATA Steel Professional Golf Tour of India Haryana Open. P4 » » MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 34°C | MIN 19°C YESTERDAY MAX 33.3°C | MIN 19.5°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 5.50 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6.26 AM » WEDNESDAY | 16 OCTOBER 2024 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST TWITTER/THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Little impact of protest by PGI resident docs WHAT’S ON CHANDIGARH Fashion & Lifestyle Exhibition: Exclusive collection of designer suits, handlooms, handbags, jewellery and more, Himachal Bhawan, Sector 28, on till October 19 APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 15, 40, 46 and 52 Mohali: Phase 11 Panchkula: Sector 25 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com INBRIEF SEC 56 RESIDENT ROBBED OF CASH Chandigarh: Ashwani Kumar of Sector 56 reported that Kirandeep, alias Kaka; Kamaldeep Singh, alias Gopi; Chanchal and others broke the glass of his car and also robbed him of Rs 30,000 at gunpoint near the Sector 41 petrol pump. The police have registered a case. TNS YOUTH ARRESTED WITH HEROIN Chandigarh: The police have arrested a 19-year-old youth with 13.58 gram heroin. The suspect, Harish, a resident of Phase-II Ram Darbar, was arrested near his house. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered against him at the Sector 31 police station. TNS Most of them take part in demonstration during off-duty hours, no new registrations at OPDs Other hospitals in city function as usual Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 15 Ten doctors observed hunger strike and around 400 staged a demonstration in the PGI complex on a 12-hour protest call (from 9 am to 9 pm) given by the Association of Resident Doctors today. Most of the doctors, however, took part in the protest only during off-duty hours. The Emergency, Advanced Trauma Centre and other important departments functioned as usual, while the OPD service was curtailed. The doctors didn’t leave their patients stranded and attended to them as usual. The new registrations at the OPDs remained suspended and the timings for follow-up patient registrations was cut by an hour, from 8 am to 10 am. As the doctors had announced their strike in solidarity with the resident doctors of Kolkata hospitals two days ago, there was lower patient turnout than usual in OPDs. A few patients from far-off places, who were unaware of the strike, were inconvenienced. They could not register for OPDs due to curtailed service. A 31-year-old trainee doctor was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9. The agitating doctors are seeking justice for the deceased doctor as well as enhanced security for the medical staff in hospitals. Deepankar Sharda Tribune News Service Patients in the new OPD of the PGI on Tuesday; and (right) volunteers from Vishav Manav Ruhani Kendra shift medical stocks. TRIBUNE PHOTOS: PRADEEP TEWARI/SHEETAL 80% DOCTORS REPORT FOR DUTY According to the PGI authorities, 80 per cent resident doctors reported for duty, demonstrating dedication to patient well-being. The Outpatient Department (OPD) managed a total of 4,852 patients, the Emergency OPD admitted 148 new ones and the Trauma Centre OPD saw 22 new cases. Twelve procedures were performed in the Cath Lab, five women underwent delivery and 152 patients received day care chemotherapy. The Emergency staff treated 314 patients, while the Advanced Trauma Centre doctors attended to 227 cases. May release funds for dues, says Centre Protesting hospital attendants, others yet to decide on ending strike active consideration of the ministry and in consultation with the department of Expenditure, GOI.” The PGI authorities have informed the hospital attendants, sanitation attendants and bearers, who have been protesting near the Administrative Block for the past six days, about the ministry’s response. However, they are yet to decide on whether to end the strike. Deputy Director (Adminis- Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 15 The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has communicated to the PGI Director, Prof Vivek Lal, that the demands of the protesting hospital attendants are under consideration. Responding to the letters sent by the institute dated October 10 and 14, the ministry stated, “…the matter of release of funds is under 76.93% turnout in Mohali tration) Pankaj Rai said around 100 students of various government colleges helped the PGI staff in continuing patient care and essential medical services. Apart from students, NGOs, including Vishav Manav Ruhani Kendra, SUKH Foundation and Rotaract, assisted in manual and administrative works to support the faculty in this challenging period. Volunteers of the Vishav Manav Ruhani Kendra loaded and shifted medical stocks from one place to another near the Nehru Hospital entrance. A group of girls from the Postgraduate Government College for Girls, Sector 42, were walking back home after doing an 8 am-1 pm shift. They guided patients to doctors’ rooms turn by turn. It was their first day at the hospital and they were all ready to help the staff, if need be in the following days. Home Secy not to be CITCO chief Sheetal Graft case evidence indicates corruption in UT Estate Office Tribune News Service MAULI JAGRAN MAN STABBED Chandigarh: Sunil of Mauli Jagran alleged that Sameer, alias Pali, a resident of Rajiv Colony, Sector 17, along with others stabbed him at the Mauli Complex. He was admitted to the Government hospital, Sector 32. TNS Lakra new UT Finance Secy Chandigarh, October 15 The Union Cabinet has approved the appointment of Diprava Lakra, a 2005-batch Punjab cadre IAS officer, as Finance Secretary of Chandigarh. The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet approved the Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) proposal for Lakra’s appointment yesterday. Lakra has served as Secretary, Finance, Punjab; Deputy Commissioner of Bathinda and Municipal Commissioner in Jalandhar. The Punjab Government had recommended the names of Basant Garg, Diprava Lakra and Daljit Singh Mangat, all from the 2005 batch, for the post. The Finance Secretary’s post fell vacant on June 18 after Vijay Namdeorao Zade’s tenure ended. Zade, a 2002 batch Punjab cadre IAS officer, had joined the UT administration in May 2021 for a three-year tenure. His tenure was extended by one month in May 2024 due to the Lok Sabha elections, as he was also the Chief Electoral Officer for Chandigarh. — TNS Voters at Government Elementary School in Shatabgarh, Dera Bassi, on Tuesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: RAVI KUMAR PAGE2 Chandigarh, October 15 For the first time, the UT Home Secretary will not hold the charge of Chairman, Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation Limited (CITCO). According to a notification issued by the UT Administration, the Chairman of CITCO will be appointed by the UT Administrator from among officers of the administration. The post has been held by the UT Home Secretary, a Haryana cadre IAS officer, since the inception of CITCO in 1974. At present, the post of chairman has been held by AGMUT cadre IAS officer Ajay Chagti. PU debars homoeopathy pupils from exams Only Homoeopathic Medical College affiliated to university has 200 students Akashdeep Virk Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 15 The future of around 200 students pursuing Bachelor of Homoeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) at the Homoeopathic Medical College, Sector 26, is at stake with Panjab University deciding that they will not be allowed to take the university examinations. The college has been debarred from university work such as appointment as examiners and superintendent of examination centres, etc. The notice, issued a few days ago, mentions that the university had gone through various communications regarding “non-eligibility” of the college prin- cipal and the assignment of officiating charge to the senior most faculty member of the college. The principal, Ankit Dubey, had assumed charge on March 9, 2022. “The college should obey the set of rules and regulations. Despite repeated reminders, they have not been assigning the charge of officiating principal to the senior most faculty there. We have proceeded as per the provisions in the PU Calendar only,” said the Dean of College Development Council, Professor Sanjay Kaushik. The university on April 29 had conveyed to the college regarding the ‘non-eligibility’ of Dr Ankit Dubey as principal. The Panjab and Chandigarh, October 15 While services at the PGI were affected due to the ongoing strike by contractual employees and resident doctors, other government hospitals across the city continued patient-care facilities as usual today. The functioning at the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32 (including the South Campus at Sector 48); Government Multi-Speciality Hospital, Sector 16; and Mani Majra Civil Hospital remained majorly unaffected. These three medical facilities cater to a large number of patients from the tricity areas. “The patient turnout at the PGI is completely different in comparison to other government hospitals of the city. We majorly cater to patients from the tricity and see a major workload during the OPD timings. The strike at the PGI has no effect on other hospitals, so far,” said a senior faculty member of the Sector 32 hospital. Hospitals across Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh have been asked not to refer patients to PGI. THE TRIGGER “The college should obey the set of rules and regulations. Despite repeated reminders, they have not been assigning the charge of officiating principal to the senior most faculty there. We have proceeded as per the provisions in the PU Calendar only,” said the Dean of College Development Council, Professor Sanjay Kaushik. Haryana High Court, acting on a writ petition filed by Dubey, had issued a notice of motion and ordered that the process of fresh recruitment would be kept in abeyance. On June 11, the university asked the college authorities to assign the charge of officiating principal to the senior most faculty member, to which, the college replied that the management committee president was out of station. On June 20, the manage- c m y b ment secretary told the university that the meeting of the governing body could not be held due to a lack of quorum and hence, charge of officiating principal could not be assigned to the senior most faculty member. In August, the university sought the seniority list of the faculty but no reply was sent by the management. In September, the Affiliation Committee of the university “reiterated the non-satisfactory reply from the college regarding assignment of charge of officiating principal and asked them to reply within three days from the date of issue of letter”. The college informed the Affiliation Committee that the secretary of their management committee be allowed to do correspondence with the university, but the university says that the college was still silent on assigning the charge of officiating principal. Dubey said, “We are in touch with the university authorities and have been trying that nothing goes wrong for the students. My appointment is being wrongfully questioned. I hope that we will soon reach a way out.” Amit Sharma Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 15 The transcript of a purported conversation between the CBI complainant and the UT Estate Office employee, who was allegedly caught taking bribe yesterday, has pointed towards ‘widespread corruption’ within the department. The suspect, Satpal, had told the complainant that he acted as a liaison for officers in the department to get bribes in lieu of doing various works. Satpal, a dealing assistant in the Colony Branch of the Estate Office, was nabbed on a complaint filed by Narayan Swami of Bapu Dham Colony, Sector 26. The complainant had stated that the suspect had told him that he was living in his house illegally. Narayan had told the suspect that he had a 2013 court order in his favour and submitted the same to the Estate Office for the issuance of rent receipt. The complainant alleged that the suspect was demanding Rs 2.50 lakh to sort out the matter. According to the CBI FIR, the recorded conversation between the complainant and the suspect confirmed the bribe demand. During the conversation, the suspect mentioned that Sanjiv, in charge of the Colony Branch, was handling the complainant’s case. The suspect had claimed that he collected bribe on behalf of officers of the Estate Office. The CBI has said that Sanjiv’s involvement will be investigated as part of the ongoing inquiry into the corruption allegations. EXCERPTS OF CONVERSATION Suspect: Meri Baat Sunn Le.. Ye toa mae direct aa gya… kisi or ko agar mae bolta na toa Rs 3.5 lakh ki demand karke vo 3 mere ko de jate (I’ve come to you directly. If I had told someone else, the demand would have been Rs 3.5 lakh, and I would have received Rs 3 lakh) Suspect: Vo apne aap bta denge ki DC office mae baitha hain..ki matlab yh hi kaam krwata hai.. mae hu dealing hand pe (If you had asked around, you’d know that I’m the one who handles such deals and gets the work done) Complainant: Acha dealing hand pe ho aap (Ok you are the dealing hand) Suspect: Haan… dealing hand pe matlab yeh hota hai ki koe bhi afsar kisi ka bhi kaam ayega mere through hi lega apke woh (Yes, I’m the dealing hand, which means that if any work has to be done, officer will deal through me) Complainant: Acha (Ok) Suspect: Payment direct nahi lenge vo (The officer won’t accept payment directly) Suspect: Payment mae he lunga… payment mae he leke dunga (I will collect the payment on their behalf and pass it on to them) SECOND ARREST IN LESS THAN 3 MONTHS This is the second instance of an Estate Office employee being nabbed by the CBI in a graft case. On July 22, the bureau caught Raj Kamal, a Dealing Assistant at the Estate Office, Sector 17, for allegedly accepting Rs 20,000 in bribe. He was accused of demanding graft from the complainant in lieu of partly waiving the dues pending against his booth in the Sector 46 market.
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