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3 sustain burns in factory fire Mohali, December 26 The fire was caused due to the accidental flaring up of a small fire lighted by the workers to keep themselves warm. However, the industrial unit, in complete violation of industrial safety norms, lacked even the basic equipment to control fire. The workers used water to douse the fire, which caused more damage. According to the Mohali Fire Station Officer, Mr H.S. Sandhu, the fire took place late in the evening at E-91, Phase VIII, Industrial Area, yesterday. The fire was caused due to a pile of dried leaves being burnt by employees for keeping themselves warm. ‘‘A group of five workers lives within the factory premises in a single room. Due to the cold, they decided to light a fire. However, when they could not light the fire easily, they put some thinner into it. The fire suddenly flared up and two of the workers received burns. Another worker sustained burns while trying to save them,” said Mr Sandhu. Sources said fire engines were called by the factory authorities, but due to a confusion in the address, these could not reach on time. ‘‘Instead of E91 they told us E191 on the telephone. We could not find it for two hours,’’ said a fire station employee. By the time the fire engines reached the industrial unit, the fire had been brought under control by factory workers. The owner of the unit, Mr Inder Pal Singh, could not be contacted, but the fire officer said there was negligible loss to property on account of the fire. The industrial unit houses many small sub-units, where ancillary work is undertaken. The unit that caught fire was involved in painting tube light rods. The victims — Sant Raj, Ramesh Kumar and Sushil Kumar — are in their early thirties. Both Sant Raj and Sushil Kumar are in the PGI, and are said to be in a serious condition. |
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No bidders for octroi collection yet again Mohali, December 26 According to the president of the council, Mr Kulwant Singh, no one came forward to take up the annual contract, as a result no bidding took place. He pointed out that the poor response was due to 15 per cent hike in reserve price of the contract. “Since the last contract was given at Rs 16.59 crore per annum, the government had according to rules increased the amount by 15 per cent and the minimum reserve price was thus fixed at Rs 19.9 crore. This is too high for the bidders,” he said. As a result the council has decided to request the local government to either reduce the reserve price of the contract or grant extension to the present contractor. “In case these two options are unacceptable to them, we should be immediately provided with 30 employees to do the job ourselves,” added Mr Kulwant Singh, while warning that the octroi income from Mohali could go down by 30 per cent in case employees were not deployed. The contract of the company that had taken up the work for this year ends on December 31, following which the council will take up the job of collecting octroi before the work is given to a private contractor. |
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Restore child to us, plead parents Chandigarh, December 26 In his complaint addressed to SSP, Chandigarh Sector 46 resident Rohtash Kumar has alleged that his family friends flatly refused to hand over the child's custody despite repeated requests through relatives and other friends. Going into the background of the case, Rohtash claimed that it was difficult for them to take care of Himanshu, born on February 16, as his wife's condition was serious. Moreover, there were two more children to take care of. Rohtash added that the "accused", close to his family, offered to look after the infant. Before taking away the child in March, they promised to return Himanshu once his wife recovered. However, in August, the "accused" tried to "postpone" the process of returning the child on one pretext or the other even though the mother had substantially recovered. In September, they "flatly refused to hand over the child", Rohtash alleged. Accusing the foster parents of threatening them, Rohtash said the "accused" told him that the child would be killed in case they asked for his custody. Expressing apprehension about the child's safety, the complainant submitted that the accused, working on a temporary basis, might kill or escape with the child. Their permanent address, he asserted, was not known. Currently, they were putting up in a rented accommodation in Sector 35. He added that adoption deed was never signed. There was no oral or written agreement with the "accused" regarding the handing over of the child on a permanent basis. Seeking intervention of the police in the matter, he said the child should be handed over to them before the "accused" could harm it. Confirming the receipt of the complaint, a senior police officer, said they were looking into the matter. He added that action would be taken in accordance with law, after verifying the contents of the complaint. |
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WHO to treat 3 m HIV patients by 2005 Mohali, December 26 Dr Chaudhury, was delivering the keynote address after inaugurating the two-day programme on “promoting rational use of drugs by involving the pharmacists” at the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research (NIPER) today. Organised by the Institute in collaboration with the DSPRUD and the India-WHO Programme on Essential Drugs, the programme is being attended by over 25 participants from various sections of the pharmacy profession. Dr Roy Chaudhury said the two areas which needed immediate attention with respect to healthcare, were family planning and the HIV. Over 30 per cent of women willing to use contraceptives were not able to get them, said the chief guest. He outlined the various anti-retroviral therapeutic agents, which were clinically proven to be effective in the treatment of HIV. He appreciated the efforts of pharmaceutical scientists and the industry for bringing down the daily cost of therapy to as low as Rs 50-60 a day. However, he also cautioned that for the drug therapy to be successful, the serious adverse effects needed to be monitored intensively. Dr V.S. Mathur, also from DSPRUD, said that the presence of thousands of drugs in the market had converted the medical environment into a therapeutic jungle and thus the need to prescribe and use a drug rationally is of utmost importance. After welcoming the guests at the program, Director of the Institute, Dr C. L. Kaul said over 50 per cent of the medicines were prescribed or sold inappropriately while an equal number of patients failed to take them properly. Dr Kaul emphasised that the commonalities between the objectives of the institute and the DSPRUD had led to this collaboration between the two organisations. He also expressed satisfaction that the department of pharmacy practice, which would interface with DSPRUD, had networked with three major hospitals in the city and this would help in achieving the objectives of improving the use of medicines. The programme ended with a vote of thanks proposed by the programme coordinator Dr Pramil Tiwari, who also heads the department of pharmacy practice at NIPER. |
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Shabana to lay bhavan stone in city Chandigarh, December 26 A 250-sq yd plot of land has already been purchased by the Aruna Asaf Ali Trust from the Chandigarh Administration at a cost of Rs 15 lakh. The building on it will cost another Rs 18 lakh, according to Ms Oshima Raikhy, managing trustee, who is also the president of the Punjab Istri Sabha Relief Trust and vice-president of the National Federation of Indian Women. According to Ms Raikhy, Bharat Ratna Aruna Asaf Ali, with her legendary role in India’s struggle for Independence and her outstanding services to the country for half a century in the post-Independence period, stands out as a model to be emulated by fellow Indians. The trust was established in her memory in 1997, a year after her death. The charitable trust works for the causes that were dear to her: relief of the poor, empowerment and organization of women, children’s development, encouragement of cultural movements and the promotion of secular ideals. Initially, the trust has, for its area of activity, the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and the Union territory of Chandigarh. As the trust grows, more states will be added. The proposed bhavan will include a library and a reading room, educational facilities for working children, creche for children of poor working women, counselling centre for family disputes, multi-use auditorium, administrative office and a dispensary and medical laboratory. How the cash-starved trust raised money for the bhavan is a story in itself. It approached the internationally renowned painter M.F. Husain last year to come to its aid and help raise some funds through the sale of his paintings. Husain agreed promptly and came to Chandigarh in February this year to paint. The masterpiece he created was auctioned on the spot for Rs 15 lakh. The entire sum was donated by him to the trust. Besides, the Chief Minister of Punjab contributed Rs 5 lakh, Haryana Chief Minister Rs 2 lakh, UT Administration Rs 2 lakh, Dr Kartar Singh Dugga, MP, Rs 2 lakh while Mrs Balbir Dhanwant, patron of the trust contributed Rs 2.87 lakh. |
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Bail denied in triple-murder case Panchkula, December 26 The public prosecutor said the two were suspects in the brutal murder of three members of a family. The case is still being investigated and no challan has been produced by the police in this regard. The two have been booked on suspicion that they might be involved in a property dispute within in the family, which is believed to be the motive for the murder. The two were remanded in judicial custody on the application moved by their defence counsel before the Chief Judicial Magistrate on December 17. Earlier, they were remanded in police custody for five days on December 12. |
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Coldest day of season Chandigarh, December 26 The minimum temperature was, however, a little higher today at 7°C against 6.4°C yesterday. The Meteorological Department has said the minimum temperature is likely to be 7°C tomorrow. Fog and mist conditions are likely to prevail, while the day is likely to be cloudy. |
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Holiday
cancelled Chandigarh, December 26 The holiday was declared within the meaning of Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act 1881. All offices will remain open on December 29, according to an official release. |
Water meter reading for
commercial users to be privatised
Chandigarh, December 26 The House has agreed to privatise water meter reading for all establishments other than residential quarters in principle. A detailed plan will be worked out subsequently. The decision will cover all educational and social institutions, and commercial and industrial establishments. Mr Rajesh Gupta questioned the authorities for “wrongfully” issueing a challan to him regarding one of his sites under construction. “I have been challaned for dumping “malba” in front of the site. The official order in my hands does not mention any specific place for disposal,” he said. Mr Gian Chand Gupta and Mrs Kamla Sharma, both BJP councillors, also spoke against the corporation action, saying that the action was a plan to defame a colleague. Mrs Harjinder Kaur, SAD councillor, also spoke against the action. The House witnessed disorder and Mr Subhash Chawla, Mayor, ordered marshals to take them out of the House. They sat outside the venue and raised slogans against the Mayor. Some members pointed out that the protest was unfounded because the ‘malba’ under question had rendered the road in front of the structure virtually useless. The corporation accepted the recommendation of the Finance and Contract Committee for a rough estimate of Rs 83.61 lakh for the construction of a 2MG capacity clear water UGR at waterworks (number II) in Mani Majra. The House has decided to request the UT Administration for allowing an open auction of the sites. The House decided to defer discussion on a question posed by Mr P.C. Sanghi, a member, regarding unsatisfactory implementation of the Garbage-Free Sector Scheme of the corporation. He hinted at lack of cooperation from the officials concerned. He was told that the matter would be taken up once again after deliberations with a Medical Officer. |
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FLASHBACK ‘03 Chandigarh, December 26 The Chandigarh Police worked out 90 per cent of the murder cases this year, 92.85 per cent cases of attempt to murder, 98.61 per cent cases of injury, 97.67 per cent cases of rioting, 100 per cent of three dacoity cases, 90 per cent of abduction cases and 94.11 per cent cases of assault on public servants. The rate of success was higher in these cases than last year, according to the data released by IG Rajesh Kumar. Contrary to it, 66 per cent of robbery cases, 28.37 per cent of snatching cases, 40.8 per cent of burglary cases, 56.2 per cent of theft cases, 41.97 per cent of vehicle theft cases, 77.5 per cent of accident cases, 43.33 per cent of criminal breach of trust cases, 69.37 per cent of cheating cases were solved by the city police this year. Except for robbery, the success rate in cases of snatching, burglary, theft and vehicle theft has increased this year. Despite all efforts by the Chandigarh Police, the success rate in motor vehicle cases has increased only by around 1 per cent from 40.20 per cent last year to 41.97 per cent this year. The registration of cases in the city has come down drastically from 4,546 last year to 3,860 this year and the rate of solving of cases has gone up from 61.87 per cent last year to 74.66 per cent this year. There has been an increase in the registration of cases of under the Arms Act from seven last year to 16 this year. The number of cases under the Excise Act has gone up from 395 last year to 702 this year. IG Rajesh Kumar attributes improvement in the performance to focus on policing and increasing professionalism, more deployment on beat duties and close monitoring of performance of officers. He says conviction rate has also gone from 63.32 per cent to 72.8 per cent this year. |
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Readers Write Sukhna Lake is a man-made silt trap. Silt entering it once has no means of getting out, whether natural or otherwise. Two-third of its water holding capacity has been lost due to silting of its bed. The situation is likely to aggravate as the crest level of the exit regulator has now been permanently raised by two feet. The damage being caused is irreversible. The most prestigious feature of the City Beautiful is, therefore, on the verge of extinction. This may yield inferior quality land which can become the breeding ground for slums. No solution is in sight and a state of helplessness prevails. The only foolproof method of preserving the lake for the coming generations is to start filling it with filtered water and thus remove the very root cause of the problem. This innovative proposal appears to be a preposterous one but is not so at all. Even the existing infrastructure of the lake is capable of doing the needful if only some changes, costing not more than Rs 40 lakh, are made in it. The advantages of this are: first, the possibility of the total quantity of silt likely to enter the lake will be reduced to the minimum possible as no superfluous water will be allowed in it as is being done at present. Second, the heavy silt will be trapped in a channel where silted water will be made to flow with subnormal velocity and then flushed out periodically. Third, the light silt will be separated by filtering only the top lawyers with a technique which has already been tested by Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, with positive results and then washed out with the help of jets of pumped water. This comprehensive and practical solution can be convincingly demonstrated with the help of a live model. S.P. Malhotra School board Chairman must restore confidence Apropos of the news item "School Board to reinstate 107 clerks" in Chandigarh Tribune dated December 10, the Vigilance Department in its report declared their recruitment purely on corruption basis. The court also decided against this recruitment whereafter the services of these employees were terminated. One fails to understand, how the board authorities consider these candidates fit for continuance in the service. Are they trying to legalise this recruitment or to secure peace at the cost of justice. The Chairman of the board must restore confidence in the functioning of the board. The law abiding segment of society, who do not believe in dharnas, expect fair deal from the board. J.S. Jawanda Exorbitant bus fares I have recently been in the southern states for 10 days. During my stay, I visited Chennai, Madurai, Rameshwaram, Kanyakumari and Thiruvananthapuram. I travelled by rail, state transport buses and local buses. The bus fare between Madurai to Rameshwaram was Rs 49 and from Kanyakumari to Thiruvananthapuram was Rs 32 and the distance was above 170 km and 100 km, respectively. The local fare was also less. It forced me to compare the bus fares with the northern states. The fare in the southern states is much less than the northern states. Interestingly, the rate of petrol and diesel is more in southern states, and still bus service is in profit there. In Chandigarh too fares of the CTU are exorbitant. It is now to know why the fares are less in southern states. M.L. Garg |
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Jet Airways clarifies Chandigarh, December 26 |
Haul of illicit liquor Mohali, December 26 Stating that more details would be given to the Press tomorrow, the DSP Mohali, Mr Harpreet Singh, told The Tribune that the man held was the driver of a Tata Sumo which was being used to smuggle the liquor. |
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