Body cameras for traffic cops
In order to bring transparency and accountability in their functioning, Chandigarh Traffic Police personnel will from now on wear body cameras while on duty. The traffic police have got 104 such cameras of the size of a mobile phone.
Attached to the chest of the traffic cops’ uniform, the cameras will record high-quality photographs and videos when the traffic constables stop vehicles of people who violate traffic rules.
Sometimes, people misbehave with police personnel when stopped for flouting traffic rules while at times, it’s the policemen who go overboard. In both cases, it will be difficult to hide or deny the true facts from now on.
City to get two more CNG pumps in New Year
In the New Year, two more CNG pumps will open in the city. The Indian Oil Corporation petrol pumps which have got the NOC to install CNG pumps are in sectors 17 and 37. It is learnt that 90 per cent work has been completed and the facility will start around January 20. At present there are only two CNG pumps in the city in sectors 44 and 56 and long queues of auto-rickshaws and CNG vehicles can be seen at these pumps.
Ex-councillor’s Facebook poll baffled one and all
Former BJP councillor Saurabh Joshi has started an online poll on his Facebook page asking people to vote who should be the new mayor of the city. His list includes four names — Arun Sood, Rajesh Gupta, Shakti Devshali and Davesh Moudgil. It’s a puzzle for everyone as to why Joshi is doing this when the saffron party has full majority in the municipal corporation. Interestingly, despite a BJP wave, Joshi had lost the elections.
PGIMER seeks funds from Reliance, Infy
The prestigious Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) wants top corporates to help in its bid to upgrade health infrastructure. The institute plans to set up a National Organ Transplant Centre and a Geriatrics Centre, for which it has approached Reliance Industries and Infosys, seeking nearly D1,400 crore from the two companies under their corporate social responsibility initiatives.
PGIMER director Dr Jagat Ram has written a letter to Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani asking for `800 for the transplant centre. In another letter to Infosys chairman Nandan Nilekani, he has asked the tech giant to fund the geriatric hospital and rehabilitation centre, proposed to be built at a cost of `590 crore for providing comprehensive medical care to the elderly.
Download swachhta app for free parking
As a New Year gift, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has offered free parking from December 27 to 31 to city residents who download “Swachhata MoHUA app” on their mobile phones under a special awareness drive. By showing the app on their phones, the residents will be able to collect free parking coupons from MC kiosks, which will be set up at entrances to all 58 parking lots.
Firefighters on bullets
The Chandigarh fire department has acquired state-of-the-art motorcycles for fire-fighting. The customised bullets are fitted with portable water and foam fire tenders. Seven such red-coloured ‘Fire Rescue Bikes’ have been procured at a cost of D48 lakh to put out fires in narrow lanes and congested markets. Water and foam from bullet fire tenders can be sprayed from a distance of 50 feet.
Harpreet Bajwa
Our correspondent in Chandigarh
hsbajwa73@gmail.com