Admn not likely to impose ban on soft drinks in city schools, colleges

Chandigarh Newsline

Chandigarh, August 10: Even as a number of states have put a ban on the sale of soft drinks following the report of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the UT Administration will most likely not ban the sale of colas and other soft drinks in educational institutions in the city.

   Senior UT officials told Newsline that there is no point in banning the sale of soft drinks. According to UT Adviser Lalit Sharma, instead of banning soft drinks, there should be a quality control on them. ...

   ...However, according to former MP Satya Pal Jain, soft drinks should be banned and he said that an awareness campaign should be launched to spread information about the harmful effects of the soft drinks.

   A number of states including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat have already banned the sale of soft drinks in a number of institutions whereas Kerala has imposed a total ban on the production and sale of Coke and Pepsi. The Punjab Government has also banned the sale of Coke, Pepsi and other soft drinks in the canteen of Punjab Assembly.

Delegation meets DC on merger of villages

Chandigarh Tribune

Chandigarh, August 4: A delegation of sarpanch, panch and members of the Zila Parishad, the Panchayat Samiti and the Market Committee today called upon Deputy Commissioner R.K. Rao and presented him a memorandum, addressed to the President of India, Prime Minister and Union Home Minister, expressing displeasure at the decision of the Chandigarh Administration to merge villages around the city with the Municipal Corporation.

   The memorandum was signed by 15 out of total 17 sarpanches, seven out of 10 elected members of the Zila Parishad and 11 out of total 15 members of the Panchayat Samiti. ...

   ...The memorandum also stated that though the government had been boasting of passing the Rural Employment Guarantee Bill, the UT had been left out of its purview. ...

   ...They stated that earlier four villages - Burail, Badheri, Butrela and Attawa - were merged with the MCC in 1996 but these villages never became part of the city.

   The delegation included former MP Satya Pal Jain, BJP unit president Yash Pal Mahajan, Market Committee Director Ramvir Bhatti, Maloya sarpanch Mam Chand Rana, Market Committee Kajheri vice-chairman Harbhajan Singh, Zila Parishad members Gurdeep Singh Attawa, Jai Chand, Bhajan Singh Maru, Rajinder Singh, Dharmendra Singh and Dr Hukam Chand, Hallomajra sarpanch Sukhjit Singh, Behlana sarpanch Mohinder Kaur, Khudda-Lahora sarpanch Kamlesh Sharma, Kaimbwala sarpanch Harmesh Kumar and others.

BJP opposes abolition of gram panchayats

Chandigarh Tribune
Chandigarh, August 1: The local unit of the BJP today opposed the move of the UT Administration to abolish the gram panchayats of various villages and to merge them with the Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh. The party demanded that these villages be developed as model villages instead of abandoning the basic units of rural development in the country.
Addressing mediapersons here today, Mr Satya Pal Jain, ex-MP and national convener of the legal and legislative business cell of the party, said that earlier 4 villages - Burail, Butrala, Badheri and Attawa - were merged into MC, Chandigarh, by the then Congress-led Central Government in 1996, but the experience of 10 years shows that neither these villages could become a real part of the city nor could they maintain their identity as villages.
Mr Satya Pal Jain blamed the Congress (I)-led Central Government of being anti-rural, anti-people and anti-poor. He said that though every leader of the Congress had been boasting of passing the Rural Employment Guarantee Bill, this Act has not been made applicable to the UT. This is a big discrimination and stepmotherly attitude of the Central Government with the people of this city. ...
...Mr Satya Pal Jain said that the rural wing of the BJP would be starting an agitation in all villages against the anti-rural, anti-people and anti-poor policies of the Congress from today. A delegation of panches, sarpanches and members of the zila parishad panchayat samiti and market committee will submit a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner on August 4 at 10 a.m. for sending it to the Prime Minister and Home Minister of India. ...
...Among others Mr Yash Pal Mahajan, president, BJP, Chandigarh, Mr Ramvir Bhatti, secretary BJP, Mr Mam Chand Rana, sarpanch, Maloya, Dr Tarsem Lal, sarpanch, Daddu Majra, Mr Gurdeep Singh Atwal, ex-sarpanch, Attawa, Mr Rajinder Singh and Mr Hukam Chand members, zila parishad, Chandigarh, Mr Bhajan Singh Maru, director, market committee, Chandigarh, were also present.

Bill meant to loot public

Chandigarh Tribune

Chandigarh, August 1: The Office of Profit Bill passed by Parliament is a "seal of Parliament on looting of the public exchequer by MPs and MLAs," said Mr Satya Pal Jain, former member of Parliament, while talking to The Tribune here today.

Mr Jain said the Bill passed was a gross violation of the Constitution. "We appeal to the President of India to look into the matter and seek the opinion of the Supreme Court. In case the Bill gets his approval, the legal cell of the BJP will examine the matter and might also approach the court," he said.

MPs and MLAs should not be allowed to hold any office except those concerned with parliamentary business, he added

BJP to challenge OoP Bill in competent court of law

Kaumudi Online

CHANDIGARH: A day after the Parliament gave its approval to the Office of Profit (OoP) bill, the BJP on Tuesday said it would challenge the bill in the court.

"The BJP will challenge the Bill in a competent court of law," BJP's legal cell convener Satyapal Jain told reporters in Chandigarh. ...

...Urging the President not to sign the Bill blindly, Jain appealed the first citizen to seek the opinion of Supreme Court on this issue.

BJP to challenge OoP Bill in competent court of law

NewKerela.com

Chandigarh: A day after the Parliament gave its approval to the Office of Profit (OoP) bill, the BJP today said it would challenge the bill in the court.

"The BJP will challenge the Bill in a competent court of law," BJP's legal cell convenor Satyapal Jain told reporters here. ...

BJP to challenge OoP Bill in "competent court of law"

Zee News

New Delhi, Aug 01: A day after the Parliament gave its approval to the Office of Profit (OoP) bill, the BJP on Tuesday said it would challenge the bill in the court.

   "The BJP will challenge the Bill in a competent court of law," BJP's legal cell convenor Satyapal Jain told reporters in Chandigarh. ...

   ... Describing the passage of Bill despite observations made by the President, Jain alleged that UPA government had "conveniently side tracked the president."

   The action of the government amount to putting seal of Parliament on "loots of some MPs," he said adding that the BJP was of the firm opinion that the MPs and MLAs should not be allowed to hold any office of profit.

BJP to challenge OoP Bill in "competent court of law"

Hindustan Times

Chandigarh, August 1, 2006

A day after the Parliament gave its approval to the Office of Profit (OoP) bill, the BJP on Tuesday said it would challenge the bill in the court.

"The BJP will challenge the Bill in a competent court of law," BJP's legal cell convenor Satyapal Jain told reporters in Chandigarh.

Amid stiff opposition resistance, Parliament on Monday gave its approval without any change for the controversial Bill exempting 56 posts and giving reprieve to over 40 MPs who could have faced disqualification, a measure returned by President APJ Abdul Kalam for reconsideration.

Urging the President not to sign the Bill "blindly", Jain appealed the first citizen to seek the opinion of Supreme Court on this issue. ...

BJP to challenge OoP Bill in "competent court of law"

The Hindu

Chandigarh, Aug. 1 (PTI): A day after the Parliament gave its approval to the Office of Profit (OoP) bill, the BJP today said it would challenge the bill in the court.

"The BJP will challenge the Bill in a competent court of law," BJP's legal cell convenor Satyapal Jain told reporters here.

Amid stiff opposition resistance, Parliament yesterday gave its approval without any change for the controversial Bill exempting 56 posts and giving reprieve to over 40 MPs who could have faced disqualification, a measure returned by President A P J Abdul Kalam for reconsideration.

Urging the President not to sign the Bill "blindly", Jain appealed the first citizen to seek the opinion of Supreme Court on this issue. ...

... The action of the Government amount to putting seal of Parliament on "loots of some MPs," he said adding that the BJP was of the firm opinion that the MPs and MLAs should not be allowed to hold any office of profit.

BJP urges President to seek apex court's opinion on Office-of-Profit Bill

Yahoo India News

Chandigarh, Aug. 1 (ANI): On the controversial Office-of-Profit Bill awaiting President's approval, the BJP on Tuesday urged him to seek an opinion of the Supreme Court on the issue.

Speaking to newspersons here, BJP's legal cell convenor Satyapal Jain alleged that the UPA Government had "conveniently side tracked the President" with the passage of Bill through the Parliament.

"The BJP will challenge the Bill in a competent court of law," he added.

The Parliament on Monday passed the Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Amendment Bill, 2006 or the Office-of-Profit Bill with Lok Sabha voting 230 in favour and 71 against it, without incorporating any changes.

Piloting the Bill, which was passed for the second time by the Rajya Sabha last week, Union Law Minister Hansraj Bhardwaj assured the House that the Government would appoint a committee to look into the definition of office of profit. ...

...While returning the Bill, President called for a holistic view of the entire office-of-profit controversy. He had also suggested the introduction of a uniform legislation in both the Centre and the States. He was also peeved that the Bill was passed with retrospective effect. ...

Office-of-Profit Bill: BJP to approach court

Times of India

CHANDIGARH: A day after the Parliament gave its approval to the Office-of-Profit Bill, the BJP on Tuesday said it would challenge the Bill in the court.

"The BJP will challenge the Bill in a competent court of law," BJP's legal cell convenor Satyapal Jain told reporters. ...

...Describing the passage of Bill despite observations made by the President, Jain alleged that UPA Government had "conveniently side tracked the president."

The action of the Government amount to putting seal of Parliament on "loots of some MPs," he said adding that the BJP was of the firm opinion that the MPs and MLAs should not be allowed to hold any Office of profit.