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.

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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.

IIT Ropar’s new campus gets approval

The Main Building of the Transit Campus of IIT Ropar situated in Rupnagar

Ropar, October 13

The students and staff members at Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar can hope for better facilities on campus as the IIT Board of Governors has approved the master plan of the new building that is to be set up on nearly 475 acres. The first phase of construction is likely to begin within the next 6 months

The management has already finalised the consultant and the construction company for building the four-storey building that will have a provision for vertical expansion.

IIT, Ropar, the first in the region, was set up by the Ministry of Human Resource and Development in 2008. The classes for academic session 2008-2009 were held at IIT, Delhi before it started functioning at its temporary campus in August 2009, earlier occupied by Women's Polytechnic, Ropar.

While the master plan is supposed to accommodate 10,000 students, the academic block will be set up for 2,500 students in the first phase. A total of 2,15,739 square metre area of the campus comprising academic and administration blocks with accommodation for staff and faculty along with sports and hostel facilities will be developed.

While three 450-bed hostels for boys will be constructed in the first phase, a 250-bed hostel for girls will also be built. Similarly, 350 flats measuring between 600 and 1,800 square yards will be built for faculty and other staff members.

The institute offers degrees in Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.

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