The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

Display of cultural heritage
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 19
An exhibition and annual function was held at Shivalik Public School, Sector 41, here today. The social sciences exhibition saw jubilant children displaying their creativity and encyclopaedic collection.

The classrooms were converted into exhibition galleries, displaying rich cultural heritage of the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, among others.

The handicrafts, folk dances, occupation and economic resources of these places were presented. Traditional folk dresses and glittering accessories added to the performance. Regional dishes were also available to the visitors. The art and craft exhibition was a big draw on the second day as well.

Meanwhile, the cultural items began with Saraswati vandana followed by folk dances of Himachal, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab.

Baby animal safari: It was an unusual “hands-on experience” for the tiny tots of Ashiana Public School, Sector 9, as they went around a specially created “baby animal safari” on the school premises here today.

Aimed at giving first-hand experience to the students working on a project of domestic and pet animals for the past three months, the school brought in piglets, calves, buffaloes, horses, chicks, bunnies, goats, parrots, ducks, puppies, among others, to recreate a safari.

Different zones were decorated to create jungle cut outs of wild animals. In the background, recorded sounds, typical of the jungle, played to bring it to life.

The children fed these animals with fruits, vegetables and leaves. A monkey show was organised much to the delight of the kids which was followed by pony ride.

According to Principal Lalita Prakash, “Children have an insatiable appetite to learn and experience new things and an open mind while the adults create fear in their minds. Letting the children interact with the animals and experience things around them is the best way of guiding them through the learning process.”

Saupin’s kids enthrall
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, December 19
The Kindergarten Celebrations, celebrated by Saupin’s School, Panchkula, was a kaleidoscope of colour and gaiety. The celebrations were held at Tagore Theatre, Chandigarh, this evening.

The parents and guests were enthralled by the adept performance of the little artistes as they staged western dances to the tunes of “Mummy Darling” and “Mulberry Bush”. Later, the students also presented an item depicting a typical rural Punjabi wedding , which was accompanied by a bhangra and giddha performances.

Two plays “The Shoe maker and elves” enacted by students of UKG and “The Enormous Turnip” performed by students of LKG also enthralled the audience.

Mr Manoj Yadav, SP, Panchkula, presided over the function. He appreciated the efforts of the students.

NSS camp
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, December 19
A 10-day NSS camp of the Dev Samaj College of Education was inaugurated by the DIG, Mr Ajay Kashyap. The programme coordinator, NSS, Panjab University, Dr C L Narang, was the chief guest.

The camp started with blood donation on the college campus in which students as well as staff members participated. The principal has herself donated blood more than 35 times.

CONSUMER COURTS
Forum penalises insurance co
Directs the co to pay Rs 1.60 lakh
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, December 19
The Consumer Forum-II has directed the branch manager of the National Insurance Company to pay a sum of Rs 1, 60, 500 to a city resident, Vikas Sarin, as assessed by a surveyor. The forum-II has also directed the company to pay Rs 1,100 as compensation for causing harassment to him.

The complainant, Vikas Sarin, of Sector 24-D, stated in a complaint that he had insured his Maruti car with the National Insurance Company Limited, Sector-35, through its Branch manager for Rs 90, 000 covering the risk of theft and under the act bearing policy valid up to June 1, 1999.

On December 19, 1998 at about 11 a.m the said car was stolen from the parking area of KC Cinema, Sector 17, Chandigarh and the complainant’s father immediately reported the matter to the police in Sector 17, who registered a case on that very day.

On December 22 a claim was lodged with the insurance company. The police recovered the car in a totally damaged condition on December 30, 1998.

The company deputed a surveyor who surveyed the vehicle assessing the loss at Rs 90, 000. On the asking of the insurance company, the complainant secured an estimate for its repair running to the tune of Rs 2, 13, 796,74 in January, 1999, but the insurance company as per their letter dated March 16, 1999, repudiated the claim on the ground that the loss of vehicle was due to accident and not by theft.

The complainant says that the repudiation was illegal and amounted to deficiency in service. The request made by the complainant for reconsideration of his claim fell on deaf ears. Therefore he had filed a complaint requesting that the insurance company be directed to pay the amount assessed by the surveyor, costs spent by the complainant on alternate conveyance, compensation for harassment, costs of the case.

The insurance company, in its reply, said that the claim of the complainant was considered in the light of the terms and conditions of the policy and a bonafide decision was taken. As the loss had occurred for the reason beyond the risk covered by the policy, it was rightly repudiated. As such there was no deficiency in service on the part of the insurance company.

The forum said in its order that the insurance company could not escape its liability to indemnify the insured. The forum said that the claim was nothing but grave deficiency in service on the part of the insurance company.

The court therefore allowed the complaint with costs of Rs 1,100 and directed the insurance company to pay the sum of Rs 1,60,500 assessed by the surveyor in his report on February 3, 1999. Though the sum assured was Rs 2, 40, 000 but the surveyor had assessed the loss at Rs 1, 60, 500.

The court saw no reason to allow higher amount particularly when there was no evidence by the complainant to counter the report of the surveyor.

Confusion among land owners
Tribune News Service

SAS Nagar, December 19
Confusion prevailed among certain land owners of Sohana village who had got a stay from the Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding dispossession of their land when officials of the engineering wing of the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) went there to demarcate the land for the proposed five new sectors.

Mr Devinder Singh, a land holder, who own pockets of land in the proposed five sectors, alleged that the PUDA officials who had come to demarcate land damaged the standing crop and trees.

CULTURE

I have a passion for acting

WHILE the city has grown on all fronts and in every respect, it has little to offer to theatre freaks like Anmol Gill. In fact theatre and acting don’t seem popular with the city folks.

Though I am pursuing engineering, acting has been a passion with me. However, it remains that lack of any professional training except the Department of Indian Theatre, Panjab University, provides no option to those who want to pursue it as a hobby.

Theatre is gradually dying a gradual death with most youngsters opting for more paying professions which leave little time and energy to pursue your heart’s desire and the situation becomes more acute with the absence of academies which train interested candidates.

The culture prevalent in the city is also responsible to a certain extent to the indifference to theatre, which has failed to make it on the priority list of entertainment for the public. TNS

New singing boy on the block
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 19
The day brought yet another singer to the horizon of Punjabi pop. Gippy Grewal, as this 20-year-old boy is called, is already riding high with his maiden audio cassette entitled ‘Chak lai’. The music album, which has a blended recipe of music, was released today by the singer at the Chandigarh Press Club in Sector 27.

Accompanying the young singer was his music director Atul Sharma, who informed that Gippy had the right talent and the right inclination to be successful in the current scenario. He said the boy possessed the talent which is required by the fluid world of Punjabi singing. As for Gippy, who is a former student of Government Model School, Sector 16, life has never been the same.

Although apprehensive with the way his track fares in the flooded market, the boy looked poised. He talked of his talent and said it was the current wave of music which inspired him to hone his talent.

The album has lyrics by Simpy Grewal, Lally Grewal, Swaran Sivia and Binder Sandhu.