Articles by Sanjeev Verma
Over 12,000 NDPS samples pending in forensic labs
The Punjab government’s efforts to curb drug menace notwithstanding, the constantly rising narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances (NDPS) cases and resultant 12,782 NDPS samples pending examination before its two forensic science laboratories pose an alarming situation.
Updated on Nov 06, 2014 04:55 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Chandigarh
Govt authorities increasing needless litigation: HC
Noticing that a large number of employees are forced by the government authorities to approach courts even in similarly placed cases already decided by the courts earlier, resulting in sheer wastage of court time, the Punjab and Haryana high court has ordered that authorities should look into such matters in light of the earlier precedents.
Updated on Nov 02, 2014 06:32 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Chandigarh
'Analysts must be qualified as per advancements in science'
Mandatory qualification for the recruitment of chemical analysts in Punjab’s chemical laboratories is not commensurate with the advancements in science and coming up of new subjects for analysing, specifically cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Updated on Oct 30, 2014 02:16 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Chandigarh
Drug testing: Chemical analysts must be qualified as per advancements in science, says HC
Mandatory qualification for the recruitment of chemical analysts in Punjab’s chemical laboratories is not commensurate with the advancements in science and coming up of new subjects for analysing, specifically, cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Updated on Oct 29, 2014 09:44 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Chandigarh
Merger with Sun Pharma: Ranbaxy moves HC for nod
Moving closer to finalising the biggest merger of two Indian medicine companies, Ranbaxy Laboratories has moved the Punjab and Haryana high court to get sanction for its scheme of amalgamation with Sun Pharmaceuticals.
Updated on Oct 21, 2014 09:12 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Chandigarh
'124 illegal stone-crushers in Rupnagar'
The Punjab government's own official records reveal that as many as 124 stone-crushers have been functioning illegally in Rupnagar district right under the nose of the authorities. Though 29 of these non-registered units have applied for registration, there are 95 such crushers that have not even bothered to seek registration.
Updated on Oct 19, 2014 07:36 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Chandigarh
PRTC to sell Rs 250cr assets to pay retirement dues
In what would come as relief to hundreds of retired employees of the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC), the Punjab government has taken a decision to allow the PRTC to dispose of its assets worth Rs 250 crore to be able to pay off liabilities of pension and other retirement benefits.
Updated on Oct 12, 2014 01:10 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Chandigarh
Huge bungling alleged in HUDA EDC collection
Terming collection of over Rs 17,000 crore External Development Charges (EDC) by the Haryana government from plot/flat owners and builders across the state as “big scam” and “manipulation of accounts”, a Chandigarh based advocate has moved the Punjab and Haryana high court seeking probe from CBI or an independent agency.
Updated on Oct 10, 2014 11:01 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Chandigarh
High court disqualifies five HJC MLAs who ‘merged’ into Congress
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday not only held the switchover of five Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC-Bhajan Lal) MLAs to the Congress in 2009 as unconstitutional but also disqualified them as members of the legislative assembly on the grounds of defection.
Updated on Oct 10, 2014 02:19 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Chandigarh
High court larger bench to ascertain validity of Punjab’s policy
Raising eyebrows over the validity of enactment of the Punjab Laws (Special Policy) Act, 2013, to regularise illegal colonies, the single-judge bench of the Punjab and Haryana high court has referred the matter to a larger bench to ascertain whether the policy framed within the “avowed object of providing succour to residents of unauthorised colonies actually benefits the colonisers”.
Updated on Oct 08, 2014 09:41 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Chandigarh
Drug pangs of Punjab: Punjabi NRIs part of well-knit narcotics circuit
It is an open secret. Acknowledged for their enterprising skills the world over, some Punjabi NRIs, mainly in Canada and the UK, are spreading the illicit multi-crore drug racket in the international market through hawala transactions, also harming the socio-economic fabric of their own motherland.
Updated on Oct 01, 2014 04:33 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Jalandhar/moga
Drug de-addiction centres across Punjab under great strain
A visit to drug de-addiction centres of Punjab reveals the scourge of sweeping substance addiction that does not discriminate between class, caste or creed, and has become an immense leveller.
Updated on Sep 30, 2014 07:58 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Amritsar/jalandhar
No brides for men married to substance abuse in Punjab
The evidences of the adverse impact of drug abuse have started to stand out from the past with more crime, domestic violence, widows, orphans, and addict women; and worst that substance abusers and men of their families are not getting brides.
Updated on Sep 29, 2014 04:45 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Amritsar/jalandhar
Tarn Taran village in search of cure for drug addiction
Kafan nu jeban ni hundian. Chitta bechde ne eh maut de vepari, te bhul gaye ne eh ke kafan bi chitta hunda ae. (The shroud does not have pockets. These merchants of death, who sell white powder or heroin, have forgotten that the colour of shroud is also white).
Updated on Sep 28, 2014 07:34 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Havelian (tarn Taran)
Punjab home secretary summoned over ‘pick and choose’ policy
Taking up petition highlighting that the Punjab government had adopted a ‘pick and choose’ policy for granting premature release to prisoners, the Punjab and Haryana high court has summoned the Punjab home secretary to explain as to why contempt proceedings may not be initiated against him.
Updated on Sep 13, 2014 09:07 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Chandigarh
HC sets aside acquisition of ancient temple land
The Punjab and Haryana high court has set aside the land acquisition notifications issued by the Chandigarh administration in 2004-05 to acquire 13 kanal and 10 marla land in Behlana village, on which there is a five-century-old temple of Lord Raghu Nath.
Updated on Sep 07, 2014 11:34 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Chandigarh
HC stays Amritsar college move to admit ‘ineligible’ NRI candidates
The Punjab and Haryana high court has stayed the decision of Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Amritsar, to fill its 11 MBBS NRI seats under the Sikh minority quota by conducting its own exam so as to admit ineligible candidates who could not otherwise qualify the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT)-2014 by securing 50% marks.
Updated on Sep 06, 2014 03:02 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Chandigarh
Artist moves HC, as UT fails to pay for 1968 sculpture
Harbhajan Kaur Sandhu, 79, a renowned sculptor from Muktsar, while delivering a sculptured portrait of late Dr MS Randhawa in bronze to the director of Government Museum and Art Gallery at Chandigarh in 1968, had never thought that she will even have to knock the doors of the Punjab and Haryana high court in the dusk of her life to get her due.
Updated on Aug 31, 2014 12:34 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Chandigarh
HC: No relaxation in eligibility criteria for NRI aspirants
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday quashed the petition seeking relaxation of eligibility percentage for non-resident Indian (NRI) MBBS aspirants in Punjab medical colleges from 50% to 45% in qualifying All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT)-2014.
Updated on Aug 26, 2014 01:41 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Chandigarh
High court unhappy over poor implementation of govt policies
Expressing its displeasure with the government authorities in forcing citizens unnecessarily into avoidable litigation even for seeking benefits of the schemes which the government professes through its policies, the Punjab and Haryana high court has said that it defeats the very purpose of public welfare schemes.
Updated on Aug 24, 2014 11:49 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Chandigarh
HC relief for divorced, estranged wives
In a landmark judgment, the Punjab and Haryana high court has ruled that without adequate provision for maintenance, including right to residence in a shared household, an action for ejectment by husband or father-in-law against estranged/divorced wife or daughter-in-law is impermissible.
Updated on Aug 23, 2014 10:30 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Chandigarh
High court pulls up Amritsar police for ‘high-handedness’
Shaken up by the Amritsar police’s alleged highhandedness and misbehaviour with the court-appointed warrant officer to ensure release of a detenue from over-one-monthold illegal police custody, the Punjab and Haryana high court has ordered the police officials, including Amritsar police commissioner and SP (detective), to be present in the court on Friday for explanation.
Updated on Aug 22, 2014 08:28 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Chandigarh
HC wants policy for second-hand car bazaar in 3 months
Dismissing the petition filed by Chandigarh second hand car dealers’ association seeking preferential rights in allotment of sites, the Punjab and Haryana high court has granted three months’ time to the UT municipal corporation to come up with a comprehensive policy for site allotment to such car dealers in Sector 7 for carrying out business on Sundays.
Updated on Aug 21, 2014 11:32 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Chandigarh
DoB in school board certificate can't be changed in disparity to school records: HC
The date of birth mentioned in the school education board certificate cannot be changed to the convenience of a student if the board merely reproduces the same birth details as the student had submitted at the time of admission to the school that is carried during the entire schooling period.
Updated on Aug 17, 2014 11:30 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Chandigarh
New categories of quota open healing wounds: HC
In a judgment with wide ramifications, the Punjab and Haryana high court has ruled that reservation granted to a particular category may not be necessary "for all times and for all places". Justice K Kannan remarked that every new category of reservation takes a slice from the limited pool of resources of aspiring and meritorious candidates.
Updated on Aug 15, 2014 07:52 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Chandigarh
Medical admission row: HC upholds Punjab govt criteria for 85% state medical quota
The Punjab and Haryana high court has upheld the Punjab government’s March 7 notification laying down the requirement of having passed Class 12 from a school in Punjab, apart from residential status of the state, for admission to MBBS/BDS courses within the 85% state medical quota.
Updated on Aug 13, 2014 07:24 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Chandigarh
Gurgaon SEZ land: HC directs Haryana to file comprehensive reply
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday directed the Haryana government to file a comprehensive affidavit, including the site plan depicting the acquired as well as released land in Gurgaon wherein finally 1,383 acre land was handed over to Reliance Ventures Ltd (RVL) in 2007 for developing a special economic zone (SEZ).
Updated on Aug 13, 2014 07:24 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Chandigarh
Permanent lok adalat can pass order even if parties refuse settlement: HC
Unlike the lok adalat, the permanent lok adalat has the power to pass an award even if one of the contesting parties declines to negotiate for settlement, the Punjab and Haryana high court has ruled.
Updated on Aug 12, 2014 07:58 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Chandigarh
MBBS row: Vacant NRI seats to go to general category
Dashing the hopes of the Punjab government to reduce the eligibility for NRI-quota MBBS aspirants from 50% to 45% marks in the entrance test, the Medical Council of India (MCI) has categorically said “there is no scope of deviation” from its regulations.
Updated on Aug 09, 2014 10:44 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Chandigarh
Vacant NRI seats set to go to general category
Dashing the hopes of the Punjab government to reduce the eligibility for NRI-quota MBBS aspirants from 50% to 45% marks in the entrance test, the Medical Council of India (MCI) has categorically said “there is no scope of deviation” from its regulations.
Updated on Aug 08, 2014 10:33 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjeev Verma, Chandigarh