SDMs to hear cases of building violations

Chandigarh, January 21

The three Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) in the city will soon get powers to hear cases of building violations and misuse of premises.

In addition to their other work, the three UT-cadre officers will have to share the responsibility of issuing notices and hearing the cases. At present, the Assistant Estate Officer (AEO) and the Land Acquisition Officer (LAO) hear such cases while exercising quasi judicial powers extended by the Estate Officer.

Estate Officer Mohammed Shayin said the redistribution of work would decrease the pendency of cases.

The Estate Officer is empowered to hear cases of violations under quasi judicial powers enjoyed under the Act. However, due to multiple responsibility, the Estate Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner in the past had distributed part of this work among the AEO and LAO.

A senior UT official said the work had been redistributed to balance load among the officers available with the UT.  
Recently, Upkar Singh had been posted as the AEO and he also holds the charge of Director, IT. The LAO also holds the charge of Director, Social Welfare.
Under the previous orders, the LAO was looking after Sectors 1 to 30 and the Industrial Area, Phase I, while the AEO was given Sectors 31 onwards and the Industrial Area, Phase II. However, now the work would be distributed among five officers. 
“Cases drag on for several years. At present, more than 1,000 cases are pending,” said an official. The cases which were pending for more than five years were under the scanner of the Estate Officer.

PINKY MURDER CASE

NBWs issued against juvenile accused for fourth time

Chandigarh, January 21

For the fourth time in the last two months, the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Anshu Shukla issued non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against a juvenile accused in the Pinky murder case.

The 11-year-old girl was raped and murdered in Palsora in 2013.

The prosecution had earlier informed the court that the accused had escaped from the juvenile home.

The same court had earlier issued warrants against the accused on November 29, 2013, then on December 11 last year and yet again on January 9 this year. Warrants were issued for the fourth time today.

While the UT police had arrested the accused in the Pinky murder case, the Mohali police had also arrested him for a murder in Dera Bassi. Several other cases were registered against him.

The case has now been adjourned to February 2.

There were four accused in the Palsora murder case: Sunita and Bhagat Singh, both residents of Palsora, and two alleged drug addicts, who were hired by Sunita to kidnap and then murder the girl.

They were Raj Kumar, alias Raja, a resident of Lal Pura in Rupnagar, and the juvenile accused from Faizabad. Raj Kumar and the juvenile accused had executed the crime.

As per the police, the two addicts had kidnapped the girl from Palsora on November 27, 2013, and kept her in the forest area near Sector 52 for at least three days. They sexually assaulted her before strangulating her on November 29, 2013, and then disposed of the body.

Chandigarh may become India’s first smart city

CHANDIGARH - Chandigarh could be the first Indian smart city as the government moves to create many hi-tech cities in the country.

Referring to the NDA's proposal to set up 100 smart cities in the country, finance minister Arun Jaitley said, "The first Indian smart city to be created probably could be Chandigarh. There are satellite cities around Chandigarh which are being created."

Elaborating on his point, he said Gandhinagar is an example of a smart city and towns like Noida and New Raipur are attracting foreign investments.

"Noida and Greater Noida on the outskirts of Delhi, New Raipur in Chhattisgarh ... these are recent experiments we have made and good experiments we have made. Foreign capital is available to them (since) we have opened up the sector," the minister said on the sidelines of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit here.


Finance minister Arun Jaitley said the first Indian smart city to be created probably could be Chandigarh.

Smart cities would be built in a way so that they have uninterrupted power, water, proper sanitation, efficient management of solid waste, decongestion of roads, last mile connectivity and effective use of ICT.

Several countries like Japan, Germany, Sweden, Singapore, Israel, UK, US, Hong Kong and the Netherlands besides MNCs have shown interest in building smart cities in India.
Smart cities to be called integrated townships
 The nomenclature for 'special townships' will be changed to 'integrated townships'. 

The state cabinet on Thursday approved a proposal to amend the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act to carry out the change in nomenclature. Mantralaya officials said the term 'integrated' would mean that the townships would be economically sustainable as 20% of the 100 acres would be utilized for economic activity. 

This is a precursor to the government creating 134 new townships across Maharashtra, which will be developed as 'smart cities'. A new set of development control regulations will be framed for these townships. "The walk-to-work concept can materialize only if we create sustainable townships," said an official. Most of these townships are being envisaged near Mumbai and Pune. 

Cities must compete with each other for 'smart city' tag

Cities trying to make it to the list of "Smart Cities" would have to compete with each other. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly said there should be competition among city authorities to assess their preparedness and capability to undertake this ambitious task. 

Sources said while chairing a high-level meeting on his flagship smart city initiative on Monday, PM said that cities where authorities and local government are serious in enacting reforms in urban governance should be selected under this scheme. So, the selection will be based on a city's performance and initiatives it has taken for good governance, cleanliness and urban reforms besides having some economic activity. 

A government release said the PM has called for identifying parameters that could be laid down for smart cities. "He asked officials to identify the basics of infrastructure, quality of life, and citizen-centric services that would be essential to cities of the 21st century. He said cities should be identified as hubs of economic activity... He said one of the aims of the smart city initiative should be to improve the quality of urban governance, thereby lending greater strength to the overall governance processes of the country," it said.

Modi has also said that focus of such cities should be on "waste to wealth" - solid waste management and waste water treatment - and government officials need to visualize "urban-dependent" population in addition to "urban" population while planning for smart cities. 

Modi has also asked the urban development ministry to convene a workshop of all central and state urban development authorities soon to focus on legal reforms related to urban development. Sources said the authorities and state government officials would be told about the criteria to select smart cities and they would be asked to provide necessary information. "Then there will be a screening or evaluation by an expert committee to include a city in the list," a source said. 

TOI has learnt that while the target is to develop 100 smart cities, government would take up a few of them. The scheme would include retrofitting in the existing cities, new urban areas, satellite towns and even a portion of the existing big cities.Government to set up 100 smart citiesNEW DELHI: Government is planning to set up 100 smart cities across the country that will provide all modern amenities, education and employment opportunities. 

Urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu said the project of 100 smart cities is in conceptualization stage and details are being worked out through discussions with all stake-holders, including state governments. 

"The cities are yet to be identified," he said. The minister said education, employment and entertainment are considered to be the key factors which forced people to migrate from rural areas to urban centres. 

"Opportunities of education, employment and entertainment are concentrated mostly in urban and semi-urban centres and these three factors are forcing more and more people to leave rural areas and migrate to towns and cities," he said. 

Naidu said Census of India has projected the urban population till 2026 and by that year, the country's urban population which was 27.8 per cent in 2001 is expected to increase to 38.2 per cent. 

The minister said in terms of the total urban population, it is at 31.6 per cent as per 2011 Census, while the World Urbanization Prospectus shows the level of urbanisation in 2011 in China 50.6 per cent, in Indonesia 50.7 per cent, in South Africa 62 per cent and in Brazil 84.6 per cent.Dec-end was deadline for smart cities planNEW DELHI: With the urban development ministry still caught up in preparing the concept note for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 100 smart cities scheme, the PMO has set this month end as the deadline to make a final presentation. Sources said the deadline is aimed at fast-tracking the scheme so that some work can start by the end of this financial year.

The ministry is staring at surrendering most of the Rs 6,274 crore budget allocated this year for the smart cities programme and a new mission for renewal of urban infrastructure in place of JNNURM. TOI has learnt that so far about Rs 800 crore from this allocation has been utilized under urban transport head and another Rs 200 crore could be used by March. 

Since the conceptualization of smart city project and the new mission to replace JNNURM are still under process, there is hardly any scope for the ministry to utilize substantial allocation. "You can't utilize more than 33% of the unutilized allocation in the last quarter," a government source said.

Meanwhile, with the government yet to finalize the new urban renewal mission, the future of about 250 unfinished infrastructure projects in big cities under JNNURM is hanging in balance. The Centre has stopped releasing any fund for these works. Sources said the ministry in its new mission proposal to the Cabinet will include the provision to provide about Rs 2,000-Rs 3,000 crore annually for such projects so that these can be completed. 

Pushing for completion of these projects, a parliamentary panel on UD has observed, "It would be a monumental waste of public money to have expended thousands of crores on incomplete projects only due to the lack of coordination and flexibility between Central and state governments. This would be a most undesirable state of affairs." 

The committee found that no urban infrastructure project has been completed in the seven mission cities of Uttar Pradesh while only 33 out of 71 projects in Gujarat, 16 out of 46 projects in Karnataka and 17 out of 50 projects in Andhra Pradesh have been completed. It has recommended completing at least all remaining projects of JNNURM within a time-bound manner and these should be funded by the Centre.Singapore offers help in Modi’s smart city projectNEW DELHI: Singapore has offered to build some of the smart cities that are on the top of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's agenda.India is keen Singapore builds another Tianjin knowledge city that can be replicated in different parts of the country, an interest that was conveyed to K Shanmugam, Singapore's foreign minister. 

In an exclusive conversation with TOI, Shanmugam said, "Singapore wants India to succeed. A strong and vibrant India is essential for peace and stability in Asia." 

The Prime Minister wants Singapore to be involved in infrastructure activities in India.

"PM talked about ports and port management, skill development, building of smart cities, rejuvenation of India's rivers and water solutions. In terms of technology and experience in water solutions, we will share whatever we have," Shanmugam said.

Modi is keen that Singapore companies which are engaged in water management in Gujarat take on water solutions in other parts of the country as well, including rejuvenation of the Ganga, he said. 

The high level of diplomatic engagement will pick up pace, he said. "Our defence minister is due to visit next month. This will be followed by the visit of Ms Sushma Swaraj also in August.

In September, our former PM Goh Chok Tong will be here. Then our two PMs will meet at a multilateral forum. Next year, our two presidents will visit each other to commemorate the 50th anniversary of our diplomatic relations as well as the 50th anniversary of the creation of Singapore state." Goh Chok Tong was a Modi favourite at Vibrant Gujarat summit.

 A bilateral core group will be tasked to work out the details of the smart city that Singapore would be required to build, Shanmugam said.

"I suggested we can take this further where a small group of ministers from both countries take up these ideas and work with senior officials to give them concrete form. PM thought this was a good idea. The team can develop these ideas and by the time the two PMs meet later this year, there can be some kind of outline." 

India's ambition is huge, he said. "The Prime Minister is thinking in terms of 100 smart cities. Obviously we don't have the capacity to do so many. We proposed that we can do one city and that can be replicated as in China, where we have the Tianjin knowledge city, and smart cities in Suxhou, Guangzhou and Szechuan." 

India's focus, at this point, he said, was internal "as it should be". Therefore, it would not be proper to expect an Indian role in say the territorial disputes in the South China Sea. But an India that is an economic power will play a balancing role in Asia. "That's what we support," Shanmugam said.

Poonam Sharma and Gurbax Rawat, elected for the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor respectively in the Chandigarh

Chandigarh - Poonam Sharma and Gurbax Rawat, defeated BJP rivals for the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor respectively in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (CMC) on Tuesday.

In the 36-member house, 26 elected councillors, nine nominated and the Member of Parliament have a right to vote. This year 33 members exercised their franchise while one member had expired, another was indisposed and yet another was out of the country.

While Ms Sharma, who is a first-time councillor polled 17 votes against 15 votes by BJP candidate Heera Negi. Similarly, Ms Rawat defeated BJP’s Devesh Moudgil, by just one vote. However, BJP candidate Rajesh Gupta was elected as Senior Deputy Mayor, indicating major cross voting. The BJP has14 elected councillors, the Congress nine, BSP two

SOME CONSOLATION FOR THE BJP

BJP candidate Rajesh Gupta was elected the senior deputy mayor by defeating Congress candidate Satish Kainth by two votes. He too received 17 votes against 15 for Kainth. Gurbax Rawat of the Congress was elected the deputy mayor, getting 16 votes to 15 polled for BJP candidate and incumbent Davesh Moudgil. Two votes were declared invalid. The Congress managed to retain the seat of the mayor for 8th consecutive year.

BSP’S JAHAN FURIOUS, MP KIRRON APOLOGISES

The House proceedings started on a rocky note with BSP councillor Jannat Jahan alleging that she had been verbally abused by senior BJP leader Harmohan Dhawan on Monday night and threatened her to vote for the BJP. A furious Jahan demanded action against the leader. “Mera kya ukhad lega... aisi ki taisi (No one can threaten me),” she said.

Reacting to this, city BJP MP Kirron Kher said she was sorry for Dhawan’s behaviour. However, Jahan was not satisfied and claimed that she would not vote for BJP candidates. At this, Kher objected claiming that Jahan’s vote be declared invalid, as councillors are not supposed to disclose the way they vote.


TENSE BATTLE, PARTIES TRADE CHARGES

As soon as the counting of votes began for the post of mayor, there was chaos in House. The Congress claimed that BJP MP Kirron Kher had folded her ballot paper in a triangular shape than folding it in a rectangular manner, in violation of rules. These polls were the first litmus test for the leader, after her election as the city MP. The BJP claimed that two votes being counted in favour of Poonam were invalid as the stamp had been put on the name and not on the box opposite the candidate’s name.

BJP councillors Saurabh Joshi and Arun Sood objected to the alleged wrong counting of votes. Following this, the presiding officer Lal and DC Shayin went out of the House for five minutes to seek legal opinion, came back and announced Poonam’s election as city mayor.

NEGI’S SUPPORTERS RAISE SLOGANS

Supporters of losing mayoral post candidate Heera Negi raised slogans against the BJP leadership. They said if Kirron Kher, Sanjay Tandon and Satya Pal Jain — had worked collectively, the party would have won.

Indian Tourism Ministry launches a mobile app to h...

The NRI Post - Largest NRI News Portal: Indian Tourism Ministry launches a mobile app to h...: New Delhi :   The Ministry of Tourism has launched a mobile application to enable its users to independently travel and experience 16 ci...

HARYANA'S WHO'S WHO OF RED BEACON USERS ANNOUNCED

Chandigarh - Haryana Government on Thursday issued notification on who will use beacon on top of their vehicles while on official duty.

Those who have been authorised to use red light with flasher included Governor, Chief Minister, former Governors, Deputy Chief Minister, Chief Justice, Punjab and Haryana High Court, Speaker, Haryana Vidhan Sabha, Cabinet Ministers, Deputy Chairman, State Planning Board, former chief ministers, Leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha and Judges of Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The dignitaries authorised to use red light without flasher included State Election Commissioner, Deputy Speaker, Vidhan Sabha, Ministers of State, Advocate General, Chief Secretary, Deputy Ministers and Chairman, Haryana Public Service Commission.Those who have been allowed to use amber light with flasher included all Members of Parliament, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries and MLAs, all IAS and IPS officers of Super Time Scale and above, all District and Session Judges of the State and all Deputy Commissioners and Superintendent of Police in the districts.

Likewise, those who has been authorised to use blue light with flasher included all Additional Deputy Commissioners, all Additional Chief Judicial Magistrates and Chief Judicial Magistrates of the State, all officers of Transport Department having challaning powers, all executive magistrates, all police officers in the field not below the rank of Station House Officer, all Excise and Taxation Officers in the districts, all District Town and Country Planner in the districts, all mining officers of Mines and Geology Department in the districts, Class-I and II officers while on election duty and vehicles escorting high dignitaries who are entitled to use red light.

Only one vehicle would be authorised to use the beacon in respect of a dignitary or senior officer except Governor and Chief Minister.However, the MPs and Members of Haryana Legislative Assembly would be authorised to use the beacon on his or her personal vehicle in case he or she has not been provided a Government vehicle, an official said.

CITCO's street food fest from Oct 26

Chandigarh, October 23

CITCO's Chandigarh Street Art and Street Food Festival will be held from October 26 to 27 at the Sukhna Lake.

Organised in association with the UT Tourism Department, the festival has been conceptualised on the pattern of art festivals being held in the US and European countries. It will be spread over the vast area adjoining the lake and also on the road leading from the Rock Garden to the lake.

The major attraction will be the special street being created on the road from the Rock Garden to the Sukhna Lake showcasing 40 forms of art and making it the largest graffiti in the country.

Besides, there are live sculpture art, sand art, 3D rangoli, face painting and tattoo-making, folk dances and music, folk singing, instrumental music performance (saxophone, accordion, cello, flute, violin and piano) at the venue.

Besides there will be folk dances performances in evening on both days.

The Street Food Festival 'Chattori Gali' will be an attraction with food all across the North India.