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Admn to be firm with schools on fire
safety norms
Chandigarh, July 18 All schools, including government and private, are being asked to adhere to the safety standards. A fresh circular on the safety parameters would be issued to all schools. Officials in the Administration said that the major violators were those running from residential accommodation. Most of the schools running in labour colonies and villages are virtual death traps for children, it was pointed out. A random survey revealed that many of the schools running from the upper floors in haphazardly raised structures in labour colonies and villages could result in major tragedy in case of fire. Most of such schools were not even recognised. The DPI (Schools), Mr D.S. Mangat, said he would go through the guidelines issued to the schools last year. The UT Education Department would again ask the schools to stick to the guidelines. It may be mentioned
that last year the Chief Fire Officer had approached the DPI (Schools), urging him to have fire safety norms implemented in the 100-odd city schools. The DPI had issued a circular to this effect. A handful of schools had shown interest in implementing the fire safety norms. Mr D.S. Bedi, president of the Independent School Association of Chandigarh, said a meeting was being called to apprise all member schools of the safety guidelines. He said that most of the schools running from allotted land adhered to the guidelines. Surveys conducted by the Fire Department from time to time have revealed that fire-safety was a non-existent issue. There were a few emergency exits and fire extinguishers. Sand bags are also not visible. Mr U.S. Gujral, President of the Recognised Schools Management Association, said he had discussed the issue with the member schools. Around 70 schools were still running from residential premises in
the city. |
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Does admn care for fire safety?
Panchkula, July 18 Sources in the Fire Department say that most of the government buildings in the township, too, have not prescribed to any fire safety norms. A recent survey by the department revealed that Aaykar Bhavan in Sector 2, Haryana Niwas in Sector 6 and Command Area Development Authority building in Sector 2 have not installed fire yard hydrant. While notices have already been sent to Aaykar Bhavan and Haryana Niwas, a notice to have the fire-safety measures in place will be issued to CADA soon, inform officials. They say that though various high rise Cooperative Housing Societies in Sector 20 and Mansa Devi Complex, have installed yard hydrant, these are not functional. Vatrisers on each floor of a multi-storeyed building are unheard of in the township. Most of the government buildings, including the Secretariat building in Sector 1, do not have smoke detectors, which would raise an alarm in case of a fire by short circuit. Though most of the schools have prescribed to fire safety norms, fire department officials say that schools operating from residential buildings will now have to be checked and in case of violation, notices will be issued to them. Even though the department’s functioning had been transferred from the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) to Municipal Council almost a year and a half ago, administrative delay has ensured that fire services in the town remain far from satisfactory. The firemen are less than required and there are only two fire tenders catering to the township, and the surrounding towns of Barwala and Raipur Rani. The state Finance Department had reportedly sanctioned 47 new posts for fire department last year (including 26 posts of firemen; nine each of leading firemen and driver/operators; and, one each of fire officer, assistant fire officer and peon), but till date the department has been functioning with a skeletal staff of 16 (three drivers, eight firemen and four leading firemen). The government is yet to declare the results of the examination held for filling these posts. The government guidelines say that there has to be one fire tender per 50,000 population and a leading fireman, four firemen and a driver per fire tender have to be present in a single shift. The population of Panchkula town is around two lakh and only one driver and three firemen are available at a given time. The MC had sought permission to buy a small fire engine for use in case of forest fires as well as in slum colonies, where it is difficult for a bigger fire tender to reach in case of fire. The proposal was made almost two years ago, but the same has not been granted by the state government. The township has a number of high rise buildings in Sectors 5, 14 and 20, and in Mansa Devi Complex, but the urban development department reportedly has no plan to buy a hydraulic ladder for Panchkula. Though high rise buildings have come up here, in Faridabad and Gurgaon, it is proposed to buy a hydraulic ladder (which is useful in extinguishing fire in multi-storeyed buildings) for Gurgaon alone. |
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2 killed as truck hits
tractor-trailer
Mankya (Panchkula), July 18 The truck driver lost control on the vehicle and it swirled on the other side. Since it was laden with boulders, the weight prevented it from rolling down the river bed. It lay dangling on the edge of the culvert. The driver fled the spot. The police reached the spot and took out the victims from under the sand. They were taken to the General Hospital, Sector 6, but they succumbed to their injuries on the way. A few people also claimed that two children were also on the tractor-trailer and were buried under the sand, but the police found nothing as they dug the earth. Mr Naseeb, a relative of the victims, said the duo belonged to Mahadevpura village. They had gone to the river bed near Rattewali village to get some construction material. “The victims lived in a joint family and the family was planning to construct a room and extend the boundary wall of their house in
Mahadevpura. They had gone to get the material for the construction,” he said. Meanwhile, the traffic on the national highway remained suspended for almost an hour as the police tried to remove the dangling truck with the help of a crane. |
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Bansal to ensure MPs' participation in
debates
Chandigarh, July 18 Floor coordination and management in a volatile House like the Lok Sabha is a tough job and can test the skills of any veteran parliamentarian. In the given situation where a coalition rules the country with the support of several political parties, including a vocal Left breathing down the neck of the government all the time, things can be tricky indeed even for experienced parliamentarians. In the past, the post of chief whip has been held by the Congress heavyweights like Mr Pranab Mukherjee and Mr Priya Ranjan Das Munshi. Therefore, Mr Bansal feels that it is an honour which has been bestowed on him by the Congress President. "I am grateful to Ms Sonia Gandhi for entrusting this important task to me which I will strive to accomplish to the best of my abilities," he said in an interview with TNS here today. Mr Bansal says that when the two Houses of Parliament are in session, meetings are held with the UPA partners every day to ensure that Parliament functions smoothly. Frequent meetings are also held with the supporting partners of the UPA, including the Left parties, to ensure that there are no glitches. Basically, the floor coordination in the two Houses of Parliament is the responsibility of the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad. The minister played a key role recently in breaking the prolonged deadlock between the treasury and opposition benches over the inclusion of "tainted" ministers in the Union Cabinet. As chief whip of the party, Mr Bansal says he would function in close cooperation with Mr Azad. It would also be his duty to ensure that there was meaningful coordination with partners of the ruling United Progressive Alliance, supporting partners and, at times, even with the Opposition, so that Parliament functions smoothly and people's expectations from democratic institutions are fulfilled. Mr Bansal also spoke about the deepening crisis in the Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee due to a rift between him and the TCC chief, Mr B.B. Bahl, which has seriously undermined the functioning of the party and demoralised its rank and file despite the handsome victory recorded by Mr Bansal in the recent parliamentary poll. The differences between the two leaders has already led to an open demand by an important section of the party for immediate removal of Mr Bahl from the presidentship of the party. Another section of the party has come out in support of Mr Bahl. Mr Bansal felt that the controversy kicked up by Mr Bahl over his (Mr Bansal's) decision to readmit a local Congressman, Mr Devinder Babla, into the party fold during the recent parliamentary election was wholly unnecessary. "Mr Bahl never indicated to me at any stage that he was so dead set against Mr Babla. In an case, I had taken the general secretary of the AICC, Ms Mohsina Kidwai into confidence before readmitting Mr Babla into the Congress. She told me that permission from the AICC was required only in the case of readmission of MPs, MLAs and former legislators." Justifying his decision, Mr Bansal said Mr Babla had proved to be invaluable during the election campaign. He also said that nothing should be said or done which would undermined the functioning of the party and demoralise its rank and file. |
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Mi-35 copters being retrofitted with
missile-firing simulators
Chandigarh, July 18 The simulators are being procured from Israel, and would be installed in the gunships in phases at the No.3 Base Repair Depot (BRD) here, which is responsible for maintenance, overhaul and modifications of Soviet origin helicopters. A five-member team comprising officers from Air Headquarters and Mi-35 squadrons as well as the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had visited Israel about two weeks ago to familiarise themselves with the simulators and work out the modalities of executing the project, it is learnt. Sources said that the simulators would require installing an additional display unit in the cockpit and integrating it with the chopper's on-board mission computer and other related avionics. Portions of the software loaded in the mission computer would have to be copied onto the simulator's own computer to ensure compatibility of the firing simulation with the mission. "During a training sortie, the cockpit procedures carried out by the crew would be the same as firing a live missile under combat conditions," a source said. "Only, a missile would not be actually fired but the missile's firing and its flight path, right up to the intended point of impact, would be simulated and the requisite feedback would be received by the crew," he added. With the simulator, Mi-35 crew would be able to carry out a greater number of "live" missile firing exercises, which otherwise may not have been possible due to economic factors, sources said. A Mi-35 gunship carries four anti-tank guided missiles in addition to rockets and a machine gun, and is considered to be one of the deadliest attack helicopters. Over the past few months, the Mi-35s were extensively upgraded with Israeli help, which have turned them into a formidable weapons platform. Under the upgradation project, which too was carried out at 3 BRD here, the Mi-35s were equipped with TV cameras and infra-red sights for target acquisition, giving them night as well as all-weather fighting capability. Their cockpits underwent a complete transformation with the incorporation of digital electronics, mission computer, multi-display units and helmet-mounted sights. In the words of an IAF officer, the upgrade has resulted in the Mi-35 becoming "a western combat system mounted on a Soviet flying platform". |
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Tehelka chief urges scribes to guard public
interest
Chandigarh, July 18 Delivering the Vidya Sagar Memorial Lecture on "Investigative journalism in India: Potential and pitfalls" at the Chandigarh Press Club here, Mr Tejpal said the nation was passing through "abnormal
times" and the journalists would have to acquire a "moral role" to safeguard people's interests as opposed to vested interests. Expressing concern at trivial issues being taken up by both print and electronic media, Mr Tejpal claimed that the role of the media as the main source of information was undergoing a change with the advent of Internet. In this scenario, the investigative journalism should take over and expose the financial bunglings of the powers-that-be.In fact, in healthy democracy, investigating government's functioning was a must, he added. Talking about challenges before the journalists, he said that seduction and terror by the state and the business establishments posed major threats to the media.While terror could be fought, a substantial number of mediapersons succumbed to seduction, giving a go-by to their primary objective of safeguarding the public interest, he rued. Alleging vicitimisation of the Tehelka staff at the hands of various central agencies during the rule of the BJP-led NDA Government, Mr Tejpal said the support from the Indian Constitution and the public had ensured the relaunching of the Tehelka Weekly. Earlier, the Chandigarh Press Club secretary-general, Mr Ramesh Vinayak, informed that a new lecture series had been started as part of the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the club. The president, Mr Ramesh Chaudhary, proposed a vote of thanks. |
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Wake up on sleep disorders, say
doctors
Mohali, July 18 Doctors from Chandigarh and neighbouring areas participating in a CME on “Snoring and sleep disoders’’ hosted by Silver Oaks Hospital here today, pointed out that snoring and sleep disorders are prevalent in society in a large number, as nearly 30 to 50 per cent of adults and elderly people snore, whereas 20 per cent young adults and children suffer from the problem. Experts pointed out that worldover, snoring is recognised as a disorder with serious long-term implications, especially if it is accompanied by sleep disorder obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS). Sleep disorders can even lead to complications like heart failure, hypertension, familial disputes, daytime sleepiness and loss of work. Dr Ashutosh Aggarwal from the PGI spoke on the nature, types and treatment options of the OSAS, which he said, was the most serious among the sleep disorders. Dr Sandeep Maharishi from Fortis Hospital dealt with investigation of sleep disorders with special emphasis on sleep study test for diagnosing the problem. Dr Anil Bajaj of Silver Oaks Hospital gave details on the medical management of the
disease. What concerned the doctors most was the low level of awareness about the disorder in society
as well as the lack of awareness about its chances of cure. It was highlighted that with lack of knowledge about the possible cures, people, even with advanced stage of sleep disorders, do not seek medical advice. Former Director-Principal of GMCH, Sector 32, Prof VK Kak, was the chief guest and asked
the doctors to recognise the problems of sleep early and start the management process so that benefits were delivered
to people fast. |
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Fighting war of a different
kind
Chandigarh, July 18 Having had his claim for disability pension rejected twice by the Controller of Defence Accounts (CDA), Allahabad, he has now taken up the matter with Army Headquarters and the Defence Ministry.. Gurdev Singh had joined the Corps of Signals in February, 1963, as a radio operator (class-I). During his 19-year career, he saw active service during the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars as well as in various counter-insurgency operations. Due to long duty hours and nature of work, as well as constant exposure to radio equipment, his hands started trembling and he lost nerve-control in his hands. He also underwent treatment for the disorder and was subsequently placed in low medical category. A few year later, he was discharged on medical grounds in May, 1982. A release medical board attributed his disorder, Occupational Neurosis, to military service and awarded him 40 per cent disability. The disorder is also commonly referred to as writer's cramps. His first claim for disability pension was rejected by the CDA within a few months of his leaving service. He filed an appeal in 1983, and three years later received a communique from the CDA that his appeal had been turned down. With post-retirement rehabilitation difficult on account of his disability, he has since been making both ends meet by running a small flour mill along with his son. "The CDA rejected his disability pension on the grounds that occupational neurosis is an internal disease and hence not attributal to military service," Lieut-Col S S Sohi (retd), president of the Ex-servicemen's Grievances Cell, said. "The opinion of the medical board, however, is different," he said. The cell is now pursuing the matter with Army Headquarters, the CDA and the Director- General, Medical Services, for grant of disability pension to Gurdev
Singh. |
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No arrest in kidnapping
incident
Mohali, July 18 Sources in the police said that those who took Sandeep away for a few hours yesterday included a resident of Sector 21, Harjinder Singh. He along with Dhanwant Singh had earlier lodged a complaint with the Chandigarh Police in April this year that Sunny owed them over Rs 5 lakh. Another complaint had been lodged by Vinod Kumar that was pending in the Sector 31 police station. Sunny, according to the police, allegedly extracted large amounts from young unemployed boys on the promise of sending them abroad. It was also discovered today that Sandeep was actually a resident of Sector 48 Chandigarh and not Phase XI Mohali as had been claimed yesterday. Sandeep was “kidnapped” and then let off by his kidnappers in a day-long drama yesterday. The kidnappers, whom the police has booked for the crime, said that they had to “kidnap” Sandeep to extract the money that Sandeep owed them. |
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Book on call centre
trade
Chandigarh, July 18 In addition to offering readers the basics about call centres and their gradual and phased development in India, the book also focuses on the lighter aspects of the profession. It has been published by Tata McGRaw Hill. The book gives details on how to go about preparing for a job in a call centre. It covers topics like interview preparation, customer service and communication skills with practical exercises and techniques to further aid learning. Talking to Chandigarh Tribune today, writer of the book, titled, “Taking the Call, an Aspirant’s Guide to Call Centres”, Roma Chadha, said, “The book is the first of its kind, and is accompanied by a self-explanatory guide. I have put into this publication my entire experience of working with call centres across the country.” Although the book caters primarily to those interested in seeking jobs in call centres, it can help just about anyone in perfecting his/her communication skills. “I was inspired to write this book because I believed there was a demand for it. The call centre industry is expanding and people carry varied notions about it. My idea was to dispel doubts and place the reality of the industry before the readers. |
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Cong workers lash out at
Bahl
Chandigarh, July 18 Former Mayor Subhash Chawla was the first to raise his voice against “senior party leaders”, who had indulged in anti-party activities by working against Mr Bansal during election time. He said that only those present at the function were the “real party loyalists” of the Congress. “The rest ought to be ignored,” he said in an obvious reference to Mr Bahl who was conspicuous by his absence at the function attended by Congress leaders and councillors. He added that he had, along with other party leaders, written to the CTCC president, seeking the convening of a meeting to discuss the role of senior leaders who had not supported the party candidate during elections but had got no response from him. “Despite the fact that the letter said that an early meeting should be held to discuss the role of senior leaders and issues concerning the public at large, the CTCC president has chosen to stay mum,” he rued. Next in line, the President of the CTCC Mr HS Lucky, carried forward the Bahl-bashing by appealing to Mr Bansal to help those who had helped him win the election and worked for the party. “There are leaders who have stabbed you in the back. This will not and should not be tolerated,” he maintained. Other speakers, however, made no reference to the subject and proceeded with the felicitation ceremony, in which Mr Pawan Bansal was offered bouquets and shawls. Later, Mr Bansal, too, chose to address public concerns rather than publicly discuss party matters. Strongly opposing the recent demolitions carried out by the UT Estate Office, Mr Pawan Bansal said that while the Congress party was against encroachments, it was in favour of framing a proper policy to deal with the matter. Mr Bansal said that a proper rehabilitation scheme should be framed to deal with encroachments on government-owned land. “While these people might have encroached upon government land, the Administration can’t just decide to throw them out one fine day. On my part, I have taken up the matter with Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Minister for Urban Development. He has agreed to sort out the matter by convening a meeting, “ Mr Bansal stated. He suggested that the lal dora scheme should be reviewed in view of the changes in the past many years. The function was jointly organised by the District Congress Committees (Urban I, II and rural), the Chandigarh Territorial Youth Congress, the National Students Union of India and the INTUC. |
Warrants against wife, father of YAD
leader
Mohali, July 18 The police requested a local court to initiate proceedings to declare Kang a proclaimed offender. Kang’s wife Navneet Kaur, alias Neena Kang, father Dharam Singh Kang, supporters Harjit Singh of Khanpur and Jugraj Singh of Mannkhei village, are wanted in the shootout but are at large. While Harsimran Singh, alias Binny, of Kharar, believed to be Kang’s aide, was arrested last evening and remanded to two-days’ police custody by a local court, SAD state vice-president Rajbir Singh Padiala’s younger brother Tejbir Singh and Kang’ s aide Kulbir Singh, who have been in police custody since July 13, were today remanded to judicial custody till July 23. |
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Seven arrested for
gambling
Chandigarh, July 18 Rahul of Ram Darbar Phase-II and Mahabir Pradash of Industrial Area Phase-II were nabbed for gambling near Poultry Farm Chowk and Industrial Area. The police recovered Rs 1,060 and 3,100 from them, respectively. Hem Raj and Kishan were arrested from Badheri village and Bapu Dham Colony, Phase-II, Sector 26 with Rs 550 and Rs 510, respectively. Cases under the Gambling Act have been registered against them. The police has booked two brothers — Sunny and Raj — of Indira Colony, Mani Majra, for assaulting Gian Singh of the same locality. In his complaint, Gian Singh had alleged that both brothers attacked him and his brother with sharp edged weapons after entering his house on Saturday. The police has registered a case under Sections 323, 324 and 34 of the IPC in this regard. The police has booked Pradeep, a resident of Mauli Complex, for abducting a minor girl of the same locality. A case under Sections 363 and 366-A of the IPC has been registered against him at the Mani Majra police station on the complaint of the girl’s father. No arrest has been made so far. |
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