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Health on mind Sanjeev Singh Bariana Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 15 During the first phase, the scheme is only being tried out in Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, Sector 16. Secretary health Krishna Mohan has cleared the file and sent it to the finance department to make provision for funds. Sources said that the move to engage super-specialists has been initiated to meet the shortage of experts in different fields and due to increasing public demand. It has been decided that super-specialists in medicine and surgery will be available to the general public for three hours on at least two days a week in the afternoon. The doctors will be paid Rs 2,000 per day and the visiting charges per patient after the specified hours in the clinic will be Rs 400. The super-specialists will be engaged from the open market through advertisement in the local newspapers. They will have to sign an undertaking that they will be responsible for legal complications, with regard to any cases they handle. The super-specialists will handle all cases referred to them by the specialists of the hospital concerned and dispensaries under control of the UT health department. Specialists have been allowed to tender the services of the super-specialists even during odd hours. Sources said the administration did get feedback from the private sector before initiating the file. “It is not easy getting the private practitioners in the government set-up. We held discussions on all aspects, including the financial, before deciding on the issue. The services of the super-specialists are always a heavy requirement these days,” a senior official said. It has been pointed out that these doctors, during the visiting hours, should concentrate on attending to general public and care should be taken in avoiding too many ‘out-of-turn appointments of the higher ups’.
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Home loan at 8.5 pc
Chandigarh, June 15 There are 106 such house building societies in the city. Interestingly, a rebate of 1 per cent is further allowed to the beneficiary, provided the loan installments are paid regularly. Apart from regular members, the Housfed has requested the Chandigarh Administration to extend the same benefit to the GPA holders -- who own a substantial number of flats. “We have sought that
on the pattern of the Delhi government, some arrangements should be worked out that so that the genuine owners of the flats are able to get the loan for construction, purchase, repair of flats and repayment of loan to the banks,” said chairman of the apex body, Jai Dev Sharma. The Housefed has also urged the registrar, cooperative societies, to promote the home loan facilities being offered by the apex body. On June 5, 2007, the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) had released Rs 5 crore for home loans for the year 2006-2007. The amount is to be disbursed till March 2008, said the chairman. But before 2005, since the rate of interest offered by private banks was less, around 150 members had surrendered the loan amount taken from the Housefed. The loan is admissible to a co-applicant if the original member is not eligible.
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UT to make regular checks of public buildings
Chandigarh June 15
A decision to this regard was taken at a meeting of senior officers chaired by the adviser to the UT Administrator, Lalit Sharma on ‘the recent roof collapse incident in the Grain Market, Sector 26 and follow up action’. Others who attended included home secretary Krishna Mohan, finance secretary S.K. Sandhu, deputy commissioner R.K. Rao, municipal corporation commissioner P.S. Aujla and the SSP Gaurav Yadav. Also the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC) has been asked to purchase ambulances as soon as possible. The deputy commissioner would take immediate steps to update the disaster management plan. The necessary machinery/gadgets would be procured for rescue and the relief operations by the departments concerned shortly. The task force of employees constituted would meet more frequently. More refresher training and mock exercises would be conducted by the task force on a random basis. The meeting of the State Disaster Management Authority will be convened on quarterly basis by the member secretary. The administration would make arrangements to check the abuse of the buildings or structures and these would be removed immediately. Wherever the building is used for a licensed activity, annual inspection of such building would be made compulsory as part of the licensing by issuing executive instructions. The deputy commissioner, MCC commissioner, chairman, Chandigarh Housing Board and the chief engineer have been asked to hold meetings with people who are residing/working in buildings/markets, which are apparently unsafe. This will be done to make them understand the danger under which they are living and impress upon them to remove the building violations and take other corrective measures to make their buildings safe or shift from such buildings. Safety survey
Sources in the housing board said a private agency would be engaged to conduct the survey of all these houses. There have been complaints that plot owners had raised structures and added rooms without seeking any permission. Help of experts from Punjab Engineering College would also be taken to conduct the survey.
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Temperature cools
by 7.2 °C
Chandigarh, June 15
“Pre-monsoon showers received in Chandigarh till today are 20.2 above the normal rain we witness in June,” said Chattar Singh Malik, Met director. Comparatively speaking too, this year’s pre-monsoon showers are quite impressive. Rainfall recorded in Chandigarh till June 15 in 2004 was 34.4 mm, half of that recorded this year. In 2005, by June 15, only 3.6 mm rain had been received - a dismal figure in pre-monsoon season. In 2006, the rain till June 15 was 30.8 mm. Total rainfall in June in 2004, 2005 and 2006 was 89.2 mm, 120.6 mm and 66.5 mm, respectively. In 2005, the city had witnessed record-breaking rain in a single day on June 26 when it poured 103 mm. The Met dept is expecting more showers as June progresses this year. Normal rainfall for June is 128.6 mm that is if pre-monsoon and monsoon season has been good, as is expected this time. Significantly, last year on June 15, the maximum temperature was almost 10°C higher as compared to today.
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Flag march on PU campus
Chandigarh, June 15 A posse of 150 police personnel, including all three station house officers of the central subdivision participated in the march. The march, which began around 12 noon, lasted for about two hours and the police took a round of the entire campus. Twenty police vehicles participated in the flag march. Deputy superintendent of police (central) S.S. Randhawa led the flag march. Meanwhile, the police has not been able to trace any of the accused, including Harpreet Singh Multani, president of the Student Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU). Besides Multani, the names of Amanbir Singh of Sector 33-A, Varinder Dhillon, Nimar Sidhu and Gurpartap Singh Mann also figure in the case. The case was registered after Ajay Pal Singh Gill of Sector 16, a BA final-year student of Sri Guru Gobind Singh College, Sector 26, was thrashed by a group of at least 12 youngsters armed with swords, rods and hockey sticks. He suffered a fracture on his leg and has been undergoing treatment at the PGI.
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Plot to kill Bhaniarawala; two arrested
Mohali, June 15 Guracharan Singh, son of slain terrorist Sangat Singh Bawani, a leader of the Bhindarewale Tiger Force, and his accomplice Swaranjit Singh, a Youth Akali Dal (Badal) leader from Ropar have been arrested for plotting the murder of
Bhaniarawala. A revolver, a pistol and two grenades belonging to Sangat Singh have been recovered from the two. The weapons were hidden by Sangat Singh in the 1990s and were dug up recently by his son from near their house in village Bawani, the police said, adding that Sangat Singh had consumed cyanide when he was nabbed by the police in 1993. Addressing mediapersons here today, Mohali SSP Ranbir Singh Khatra said Gurcharan along with five members of his gang were arrested last week for attempting to loot a Kurali-based trader. During interrogation, he revealed that he and Bobby had planned to kill the baba. Khatra related that Kala was facing a trial in two cases of attempt to murder and was lodged in the high security Nabha jail in 2003. There he met Bobby who was serving a term for rape. “The two used to visit the gurdwara in the jail where they met terrorists Gursharan Singh Gama and Balbir Singh. Daljit Singh Bittu, former president of the All-India Sikh Student Federation and vice-president of the SAD (Mann) was also lodged in the jail at the time. Bira was an accomplice of Sangat and recognised Gurcharan as his son. The three motivated Gurcharan and Bobby to join the cause for which Gurcharan’s father had laid his life. The two also met Amolak Kumar, a Bihar resident, in the jail and he promised to arrange for weapons. The aim was to kill Baba Bhaniarawala,” said the SSP. Bobby came out of jail more than a year ago and Gurcharan followed him two months ago. By this time he had also learnt from Bira that his father had hidden weapons in the fields. He dug up a revolver, a pistol and two grenades and contacted Bobby to help him. According to the police, Bobby told him that these weapons were outdated and it would be dangerous to attempt a murder with them, adding that the baba’s security too had increased. Gurcharan then decided to form a gang and rob money to buy more weapons through Amolak Kumar. The gang tried to snatch police weapons on the Bhakhra canal siphon in Jhalliayan village and rob a trader, the SSP said. But they were arrested with the help of local residents. The two have been booked under various Sections of the IPC, Explosives Act and Arms Act.
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Historically, turbaned Bhagat is the real Bhagat
Chandigarh, June 15 Contrary to what some of his images suggest, Bhagat was quintessentially ramshackle, often clad in dirty attire and always turbaned. A turban in those days was part of Punjab’s culture and not essentially an indicator of Sikh identity -- something that’s clear from the group photo of the members of dramatics club taken at National College Lahore in 1921-22. The picture features Bhagat and his clean-shaven friends. Irrespective of faiths, they are all sporting turbans. Today when Bhagat’s look in the statute to be installed in the Parliament is being debated upon, his biographer Malwinderjit Singh Waraich says that a turbaned look alone will do justice to the martyr. “I build my argument on two fronts. The first is the historical front which favours Bhagat’s turbaned look. The group picture of National College is a rare image that brings alive the profile of Bhagat. My second argument relates to the source which the sculptor will consult to make the statute.” There are only three available pictures of Bhagat from which a portrait can be carved out. The first is the National College picture which has the best detail - a turbaned Bhagat with a comely demenour. The second is the picture of Bhagat’s first arrest in 1927, available in police records. “This is not in good taste as the martyr’s head is bare. The third picture shows Bhagat sporting a hat. This is a bust picture, with scant details,” says Waraich. Records show that Bhagat sported a hat only twice in his lifetime and the idea both times was to conceal identity. “The first time was when he was escaping from Lahore after Saunder’s murder. The second was when he dropped a bomb in the Delhi assembly on April 8, 1929. Earlier on April 3, Bhagat went to Kashmiri gate, Delhi and got his picture in a hat. The picture was meant for propaganda in the wake of the assembly bomb drop,” argues Waraich, commissioned by the ministry of information and broadcasting to write Bhagat’s biography. Another point is that till September 1928, Bhagat used to sport a normal shabby, turbaned look, as also clear from the account of Shiv Verma. Of his first meeting with Bhagat, Verma wrote: “I saw a Sikh youth, clad in dirty salwar kameez, wrapped in a blanket standing before me. Tall, fair, piercing eyes, he had hair all over and was turbaned.” It was in September 1928, following the decision of Hindustan Socialist Republican Army (HSRA) that Bhagat shaved off his hair to change his look. “On September 8- 9, 1928 during the meeting of HSRA, the question on Bhagat’s identity was raised for the first time. Bhagat had been designated all-India coordinator and everyone was concerned of his Sikh appearance which was recognizable. The party decided that Bhagat should shaving off his hair so that he could move around without being noticed. He was, however, allowed to retain moustaches as moustaches were a rule even in Bengal and Bihar those days. Bhagat's hair were shaved off at the party's Ferozepur headquarters which the revolutionaries often used to change appearances," says Waraich, building a strong case for a turbaned Bhagat in the statue to adorn Parliament.
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Ghaggar unsafe, but people ignore warning
Panchkula, June 15 Though officially, the flood season would begin from July 1, the staff says that the daily rainfall could bring in a heavy discharge anytime which would put the lives of people at risk. “We keep telling them that it is not safe to go down to the river bed but they don’t realise the risk involved. All they are bothered about is their rituals. Then, there are others, especially children from nearby slums, who go down to the river bed to collect coins thrown by the public as part of rituals. There are still others who collect coconuts offered as part of ceremonies,” an employee said. While the discharge was down to 209 cusecs today, the department said the maximum water flow in the Ghaggar was recorded at 1.27 lakh cusecs in 1995. Though there is no way of predicting the flow, the staff at the control room said with the advent of the rains, they discouraged people from stepping into the river bed but it had little impact.
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MC okays augmentation of streetlights
Chandigarh, June 15 Agenda items, including augmentation of streetlights on V-5 road, Sector 7-B and C for Rs 7.95 lakh; Sector 9-B and C for Rs 9.30 lakh; in the Maloya market for Rs 2.32 lakh; in the Dadu Majra market for Rs 2.42 lakh; repair of the existing streetlights on V-5 road, Sector 48 for Rs 8.27 lakh; Sector 49 for Rs 8.77 lakh; and providing streetlights on the
pingalwara road at Palsora for Rs 3.25 lakh were approved. Meanwhile, the water supply and sewerage disposal committee of the MC accorded approval to various developmental agenda items, including estimate for maintenance of providing a canal water inlet connection to booster No. 1 in Sector 43-A, for Rs 7.50 lakh. The committee has approved agenda items, including estimate for providing and laying 110 mm of PVC pipe for irrigation in the green belt of Bapu Dham Colony adjoining the transport area, Sector 26, for Rs 3.93 lakh; estimate for the work of designing, fixing, commissioning and testing of a refined gas chlorinator at Waterworks-I on the Mansa Devi road, Mani Majra for Rs 7.48 lakh, at Waterworks-II, Modern Housing Complex, Mani Majra for Rs 7.48 lakh. Besides. table agendas were also approved, including estimate for repairing toilet blocks in Sectors 14, 16, 37, 38 and 48 for Rs 7.70 lakh and estimate for the work of upgradation and improvement of the existing SWD system of the motor market area, Mani Majra for Rs 13.28 lakh. Meanwhile, a Mahila Bhawan will soon be constructed in Sector 38 by the MC. The UT administration has approved a site measuring 1.39 acres for the purpose. Mayor Harjinder Kaur, in a statement issued here yesterday, said the bhawan would have an auditorium, a seminar room and an exhibition hall.
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A date with stars
Chandigarh, June 15 An avid reader, Minissha, never fails to pick up a book while travelling. “Books teach you a lot and are a great company,” she beams. After her super girl act in ‘Honeymoon Travels’, her hands are full of projects and soon she would be seen in ‘Anamika’, an adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier’s ‘Rebecca’, ‘Shaurya’, ‘Kidnapped’ and ‘Dus Kahaniyan’. Remarking about the city, Minissha, who has been coming to city ‘on and off’, says, “I love the city simply because of chaste Punjabi-speaking people here.” Accompanying the petite actress was the ‘DON’ aka Parmeet Sethi sporting an all-new look. Better known as detective Onkar Nath after the character he played in a TV serial, the actor is playing an army officer in ‘Dus Kahaniyan’. “I play a defence personnel from Punjab having an extra marital affair in the movie,” reveals Sethi. Interestingly, Parmeet, Minissha and Amrita Singh are involved in a love triangle in the film. Talking about the movie Parmeet says, it has 10 short stories, all different from each other, woven together and has a huge star cast. From doing meaty roles in soaps to cameos in films, this Punjabi lad has done it all and is currently taking a break. “I enjoyed doing television, but the times have changed now. Television has started getting monotonous. TV is getting into rut,” he avers. However, bouncy and vivacious Amrita Singh, also a part of the unit, chose to keep away from the media.
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Tips
for
safe driving Safe driving requires you to be fully aware of factors which create accidents. You should bear in mind:
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Security up after bomb hoax
Chandigarh, June 15 Sources said following information at around 3 pm, police personnel were directed to conduct a special checking drive. The in charge of the Sector 17 ISBT police post, sub-inspector Pargat Singh, said following the information, they launched a special drive at the bus stand and checked all buses entering the bus stand. Similar instructions had been passed on to police officials posted at busy places. Deputy superintendent of police (central) S.S. Randhawa denied any information about a bomb hoax call. He said the checking was a routine matter.
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Retired officers celebrate raising day
Chandigarh, June 15 About 40 officers and their wives attended the get-together, which gave them a common platform to reminiscence their old days and bring each other up to date on personal and regimental matters. The senior-most among them was Brig S.S. Chowdhary. A number of officers also drove down from other places in the region like Patiala, Shimla, Jalandhar, Ambala and Kurukshetra to attend the meet. There are about 10 retired Assam Regiment officers settled in Chandigarh. The Assam Regiment was raised in Shillong on June 15, 1941, and has served with distinction in various conflicts and operations. At present, Brig R.N. Singh is Colonel of the Assam Regiment.
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Ensure safety of scribes, Pak Prez urged
Chandigarh, June 15 The memorandum gave a graphic description of the pitiable state of media freedom and fully endorsed the calls given by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists for prompt institution of comprehensive “safety measures” for the journalists.
— TNS
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Disaster in waiting
The two tragedies - fire in Colony No. 5 and roof collapse in the grain market, Sector 26, have failed to draw the administration’s attention despite numerous representations made by different market associations. The rehri market in Sector 19 was gutted twice - in 1981 and 1993. The administration had helped them to construct 'pucca booths'. But according to the fire department survey, the market is extremely prone to fire. There are a number of eatable shops running without the administration’s permission. They use domestic gas cylinders and not the commercial gas cylinders, which are costly. They use water directly from pipes and do not pay even a single penny but the administration does not care. The fire department has also given its report, but the administration and the MC has not taken any action. Karan, Chandigarh Readers are invited to write to us. Send your mail, in not more than 200 words, at news@tribuneindia.com or, write in, at: Letters, Chandigarh Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh – 160 030
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IAF workshop
Chandigarh, June 15
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2 commit suicide
Chandigarh, June 15 His neighbour saw his body and raised the alarm. The police was informed about the incident. Mewa Singh’s son, Amandeep Singh, told the police that his father had retired in 2001. He was suffering from depression and had been taking treatment at the Sector 32 Government Medical College and Hospital. In another incident, fed up with her prolonged illness and subsequent depression, 45-year-old Meena hanged herself at her Sector 45 residence this afternoon. Meena, a librarian posted in the education department at Solan, was alone at home at that time. The police said Meena left a suicide note in which she held no one responsible for the extreme step. The death came to light when her husband, Saroop Singh, a conductor with the Haryana Roadways, reached home and found it locked from inside. When his repeated knocks at the door and phone call went unanswered, he called up his neighbours. They broke open the door and found Meena hanging from a ceiling fan hook. Her two sons are pursuing their degrees in a private college in Punjab. She was on three-day leave and had not been keeping well of late. She was depressed over her ailment.
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Boy dies in hit-&-run case
Chandigarh, June 15 The police said the victim had been identified as Amrit, alias Sunny, of Malpur village in Nawanshahr district. He had come to visit his maternal uncle in Sector 23. The accident took place when the victim was crossing the road. A Scorpio (CH-04-4586) knocked him down, resulting in serious injuries to him. He was taken to the PGI, where doctors declared him brought dead. Eyewitnesses told the police that the victim was dragged to a distance by the vehicle. The police has arrested the driver, Brajesh Inder Singh of Sector 2, for causing death due to rash and negligent driving. The police has handed over the body to the family after a post-mortem. In a separate incident, a passenger, Rattan Deen of Sector 21, Panchkula, was hurt after falling from a CUT bus at the Sector 17 ISBT here this afternoon. The victim was taken to the Sector 16 Government Multi-Speciality Hospital. The police has booked the bus driver, Baljinder Singh, of Fatehgarh Sahib district for causing injuries due to rash and negligent driving.
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Bootleggers arrested
Lalru, June 15 The contraband was seized from a car which was on its way from Barwala to
Ambala. The contraband included 156 country liquor and English wine
bottles. The smugglers have been identified as Gurmeet Singh and Pushpinder Singh, both residents of
Tripari (Patiala). A case under the Excise Act has been registered.
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Cooperative bank branch opened
Chandigarh, June 15 The new branch of the bank will cater to the credit requirements of Dhanas, Milk Colony, Sarangpur village and the adjoining areas. The DC impressed upon the management of the bank that it should take a lead by providing timely and adequate credit facilities at competitive rates to the unprivileged. Rao advised the bank to open no-frills accounts of the underprivileged. Villagers were assured that the bank would provide guidance to them on loan schemes and formation of self-help groups (SHGs) so that the needy could get timely
financial help. On the demand of villagers, the DC directed the bank management to immediate conduct a survey of Khuda Lahora village to examine the viability of opening a new branch.
The bank has earned a net profit of Rs 3.98 crore during 2006-2007.
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The city has already recorded 63 mm rain till today - a high statistic by all standards. Last year by this time in June, Chandigarh had witnessed just half of this year’s amount. The official figure was 30.8 mm. Total rainfall for whole of June last year was 66.5 mm, a wee bit higher than 63 mm rain already recorded this year till today.
