Santa ready for trip around the world

His sleigh has been inspected, his bag of toys has been scanned, and his reindeer have successfully completed their takeoff and landing tests.

Santa Claus has been cleared for takeoff from the North Pole, Transport Canada announced Friday, and now eager present-seekers can track the man in red's flight through the skies.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (Norad) is once again providing detailed updates on Santa's movements on its website, www.noradsanta.org or by contacting 1-877-Hi-NORAD starting at 6 a.m. ET. Trackers also can send an email to noradtrackssanta(at)gmail.com.

Norad "Santa cams" are positioned around the world and this year, the command centre also is offering a Santa-tracking app for mobile devices. Tracking opportunities also are offered on Facebook, Google+, YouTube, and Twitter.

Like any pilot, Santa had to pass a series of flight and medical tests before Transport Canada cleared him for flight.

"I'm very happy Santa has passed these latest tests," Mrs. Claus wrote in a text message sent to Transport Canada. "I made sure he focused on his tasks, not emptying the cookie jar or surfing the web too much, lol."

Santa's journey is expected to be smooth as usual, said Norad Capt. Jeff Noel in an interview with Global News.

"In all the years and centuries that Santa's been on the go, there's been no responsibility whatsoever for him ever missing a Christmas Eve," Noel said.

Only Santa knows his route, so Norad can't predict when he'll hit any particular home, Noel said. But one important detail is known.

"He usually arrives only when children are asleep. So in most countries, it seems Santa arrives between 9 p.m. and midnight."

While the technology for tracking Santa evolved, the tradition is more than 50 years old.

In 1955 a Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck & Co., advertisement misprinted a telephone number for children to call Santa. The number put children through to Norad's predecessor's operations hotline. The director of operations at the time had his staff check the radar for indications of Santa so the children who called were given updates.

It became a well-received tradition.

SDO told to compensate complainant

Chandigarh, December 23
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-I has directed SDO, sub-division office, electricity department, Sector 40-B, to pay Rs 5,000 as litigation charges to a resident of Maloya village near Chandigarh.

The forum comprising president PD Goel and members Rajinder Singh Gill and Madanjit Kaur Sahota also quashed the sundry charges raised in the bills from the month of October, 2010, to June, 2011, as the respondents failed to prove any evidence.

The complainant, Lakhmir Singh, submitted that in the month of September, 2010, the said tubewell did not work due to some defect and he installed a new tubewell about 60m away from the old one, and thereafter, requested the opposite party to transfer the connection on October 1, 2010, so that he could use the new tubewell. However, on October 7, he received a provisional assessment letter with regard to illegal demand of Rs 42,195 on account of theft of energy. The opposite party again sent bill dated November 9, 2010, in which the amount of Rs 42,602 was added as sundry charges. He received another bill dated December 10, 2010, for Rs 47,148.

The counsel for the opposite party averred that the electricity connection of the complainant was checked on September 30, 2010, and the complainant was found using “kundi connection”. Accordingly an amount of Rs 42,195 was charged on account of average for the period April 30, 2009, to September 30, 2010, at the rate of Rs 882 per unit, (per month) at domestic rate as the tubewell connection was being used for cattle shed as well as for service station. The complainant was advised to apply on proper A & A Form, along with proof of ownership, and also to pay the pending electricity bills for shifting the meter. However, he shifted the meter without any approval from the opposite party. It was further averred that the amount of Rs 49,187 was still outstanding, which the complainant had not paid.

The forum further observed that the report given by the checking officer had not been supported by any affidavit. “The report loses its evidential value and is not sufficient to prove that the complainant committed any theft.”

Appoint nodal officer for Nari Niketan, HC orders UT admn

Chandigarh, December 23
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today asked the UT administration to appoint a nodal officer for Nari Niketan.

The Bench headed by Justice Surya Kant has also made it clear that the officer should preferably be a woman for looking after the day-to-day needs of the daughter of the Nari Niketan rape victim.

The 19-year-old victim was raped when she was staying in Nari Niketan. She was shifted to Sector-47 based ‘Aasherya’. She was found pregnant on May 16 last year by the Aasherya authorities. The administration moved the High Court for the termination of her pregnancy on the medical grounds.

The High Court ordered to terminate the pregnancy, which later was overturned by the Supreme Court. Later, she delivered a baby girl. Both mother and daughter are presently living in Ashreya, a UT-run shelter home.

Drunk cop suspended for creating ruckus

Chandigarh, December 23
A constable with the police control room created a ruckus at the Sector 17 police station in a drunken state here today.

The constable, Jasbir Singh, was reportedly drunk at the time he was to report at 10 am. He misbehaved with the munshi staff, who were taking morning attendance of the PCR staff.

The matter was brought to the notice of senior police officials following which the constable was taken to Government Multi Specialty Hospital in Sector 16 where his medical examination was conducted and heavy alcohol content was detected in his blood.

He was immediately placed under suspension and transferred to the police lines. DSP PCR Roshan Lal said the constable visited the MHC PCR office situated at the first floor of the police station and created a nuisance.

The police said that he had been suspended earlier too for the same offence.

Congress to finalise candidate for Mayor’s post today

Chandigarh, December 23
The Congress is likely to finalise the candidate for the post of Mayor tomorrow at a meeting to be presided over by the Union Minister and local MP Pawan Kumar Bansal for the next Municipal Corporation (MC), which commences on January 1, 2012. Party sources revealed that the final decision on the mayoral candidate would be taken with the consent of local senior leaders.

Sources in the party said that as both women candidates, who were in fray for the general women reserve seat, for the first term of Mayor includes Raj Bala Malik and Gurbax Rawat. Since they are first timers, their final selection will be done at the meeting.

The sources said that both the candidates are strong contenders for the Mayor’s post as Raj Bala Malik has a strong links in the Haryana political circle while Gurbax Rawat’s husband is holding the post of chairman of the Congress Uttrakhand Cell. The sources said that the senior leaders of the party would also meet the BSP to secure their support for the Congress. The sources said that the final decision on this issue would also be taken at a meeting to be chaired by Bansal.

Even though the BJP does not have clear majority in the House but still the party is short listing the candidates for the post of Mayor.

Ahead of polls, UT seeks tenure extension of officers

Chandigarh, December 23
Three officers on verge of transfers to their parent cadres and a PCS officer seeking repatriation, the Chandigarh Administration has pressed panic button writing the MHA to allow extension in tenure of the officers concerned, at least, for the time being.
These officers, including Ajoy Sharma, Director, Higher Education (DHE), CITCO Managing Director DK Tiwari, MC Commissioner Prerna Puri and SS Khara, Joint Secretary, finance.
Already senior officials of the UT Administration were holding a number of departments and if these officers were transferred or repatriated then the situation would become worse. Overburdened with departments, Finance Secretary VK Singh was holding the charge of 15 departments whereas the Home Secretary was heading 17 departments.
In a communication to the UT administration, Ajoy Sharma, a Punjab cadre IAS of 1999 batch, who had been on a six-month ex-India leave, had sought repatriation to his parent cadre.
Similarly, the deputation term of DK Tewari, an IAS officer of 1994 batch of Punjab cadre, who is also holding charge of the Special Secretary, health, is going to be completed on December 31.
Likewise, the Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT), has issued transfer order of the Municipal Corporation (MC) Commissioner Prerna Puri, a 2006 batch IAS officer from AGMUT cadre, to Arunachal Pradesh.
Not only IAS officers, but a PCS officer SS Khara, who is on deputation with the UT Administration, holding the charge of the Joint Secretary, finance, has also sought repatriation to his parent cadre.
A senior UT official said that as the Chandigarh Administration is already facing shortage of officers, therefore in the case of DK Tiwari and Prerna Puri, they have now sent a letter to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to allow these officers to work with the UT Administration till the time MHA does not send their replacement.
Besides, in the case of Ajoy Sharma, a senior UT official added that his wife’s study course will take time and the UT Administration cannot afford to give him more leaves, therefore, Ajoy Sharma has sought repatriation to his parent cadre.
The official further added that Khara wa going to retire next year, therefore, he had also sought repatriation as he wanted to retire from his parent cadre.

Elections in February, 2012

As the polls in Punjab are scheduled to be held in February, 2012, and the model code of conduct will be in place, therefore, it will be difficult for the UT Administration to get replacement of these Punjab cadre officers in near future.

50,000 surveyed, but no child eligible

Chandigarh, December 23
The UT education department zealously went ahead with getting over 1,500 seats reserved under the Right to Education (RTE) Act in private schools for admissions to poor children, but failed to find even a single child eligible for it. In line with gaping holes in recording the EWS status, the much-awaited child-mapping results of the education department have failed to find even a single child out a total of 50,000 children surveyed in the appropriate age group for admission to nursery in the entire city.

While the records of all sectors and a majority of colonies stands at “nil”, surprisingly in areas like Faidan, almost 95 per cent of children, a majority of who are well above 10 years of age and already studying in school, have been declared eligible.

The anomalies have left private schools up against the UT for the “sham” survey that may translate into vacant seats for them. “I checked the website today and found that the colony near my school does not have a single child who the department thinks is of the right age to be admitted to nursery. I have no choice, but to convert the reserved seats into general category as I cannot afford 25 per cent seats to remain vacant. It is no rocket science to deduce that the entire survey has been made up,” said a private school principal.

While senior officials of the education department chose to be tight-lipped, the principal of a local government school said: “Frankly, we could not visit all homes and the department left us confused. It probably knew that there were not enough children so it asked us to abstain from writing nil in the age column and put a dash or zero instead. My teachers marked the column sitting in the school only.”