Chandigarh, July 7
Three schoolchildren escaped with minor injuries in a road accident after a car rammed into the autorickshaw carrying them at traffic lights point on the road dividing Sectors 36 and 37 here early this morning.

Kritika

The car dragged the autorickshaw to a distance of about 50 ft before coming to a halt. Both vehicles were badly damaged. Vinayaka Gupta of Class VI, Kritika Kalia of Class VIII and Pushpam of St. Anne’s School in Sector 32 as well as the autorickshaw driver, Ajay of Colony No.5, were rushed to the Sector 16 Multi-Speciality Hospital. They were discharged after first-aid.

According to eyewitnesses, the accident took place at 7 am when a Honda City car (CH-03-R-2835) driven at high speed, rammed into the autorickshaw (CH-03-M-2578).

Vinayaka

The car was coming from the Batra Cinema road while the auto from Sector 37. The auto was reduced to mangles with the impact of the collision. Its engine came off and it broke into parts. The fuel tank was burst.

The car went out of control and climbed on to the footpath near a police assistance booth. The front portion of the car was badly damaged. The auto driver fell unconscious while the children fell on the road.The police reached the spot at 7:07 am and shifted the victims to the hospital in an ambulance.The traffic police, which begins work at 8 am, reached there soonafter.

Vinayaka, who was in shock, could not figure out what had happened. She suffered a nasty cut on her right arm and received two stitches and an internal hip injury. Kartika and Pushpam sustained minor injuries on the face.

The auto driver injured his hands and feet and had a head injury too. 

Chandigarh, July 7
The explosion in the number of vehicles in the tricity notwithstanding, the Chandigarh administration has been doling out concessions to developers of multiplexes, not making it mandatory for them to make provision for adequate parking area in proportion to the area covered by these multiplexes in the Industrial Area here.

Once commissioned, these multiplexes would trigger not only traffic chaos but also make these inaccessible to emergency services, including fire.

While multiplexes are nearing completion, there are no signs of parking facilities at any of the three complexes. Against the norm of parking space for three cars for every 1,000 sq ft of covered area, the administration has approved building plans of three multiplexes where only skeletal parking facilities would be available.

For example, Fun Republic, the first multiplex of the city, has parking facilities for 300 cars in the 90,000 sq ft complex. But the Centra Mall in Phase I, measuring 1,O2397sq ft, will be able to park only 100 cars. Similarly, another mall in the area will have a provision for parking of 100 vehicles in the new complex with a covered area of more than one lakh square feet.

Sunita Monga, chief architect, said: "We are aware of the parking problems likely to emerge at multiple shopping centres. Sites have been identified for special parking in Phase I and II.”

Centra Mall is approximately in a one-acre (1,02397 square feet) corner plot. It shares a boundary wall with a German company alliance, Groz Bekket.The company has repeatedly highlighted the problem it expects to encounter once the multiplex becomes operational. There is a main road in the front and on its right side, which obviously cannot be theparking site.

Chandigarh, July 7
Even after eight days of the fire in the Sector 17 telephone exchange which virtually crippled the telecom services in the region, the public sector telecom behemoth Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited(BSNL) is yet to get its act together.

With the restoration of the services taking its own time, BSNL customers, including landline and internet users, are at their wits' end. Besides, with leaselines yet to be set right, the functioning of the banking industry is in a shambles.

In fact, the worst sufferers seem to be internet users. The devastating fire had "corrupted" the user names and passwords of a number of internet users virtually cutting them from the rest of the world. With the internet helplines yet to be functional, the users are a harassed lot.

Sources said the banking transactions in the MICR house manned by Punjab National Bank had been affected adversely with the clearance of cheques worth over Rs 1,000 crore being held up. In fact, the staff of Haryana Raj Bhavan are yet to get their salaries due to snag in the leaselines. Similarly, a section of the pensioners of the Punjab government are yet to get their salaries.

Banking sources said the speed of the alternative leaselines of the private telecom providers was "too slow" to cope with banking requirements of the general public.

Chief general manager (telecom) of the Punjab circle Rajendra Singh conceded that there were problems in the restoration of leaselines. However, the mobile and broadband services had been restored to a large extent. These services, including the landline service, were expected to be fully restored by tomorrow, Rajendra Singh claimed.

Chandigarh, July 7
It was as if she was looking for a reason to celebrate this auspicious day. And Hasina, the 13-year-old slum child, suffering from rheumatic heart disease, was reason enough for her.

“I have led a very lonely life. It’s my pleasure to bond with someone in some way, on a day so rare. Today is the seventh day of the seventh month of 2007. I am told it’s a blessed day,” said a beaming Sanyukta Khanna, who, at 91, is the oldest among inmates housed in the old-age homes in Chandigarh.

A resident of Satya Sai Old Age Home in Sector 30 for eight years, Sanyukta, in a rare display of generosity, today donated Rs 10,000 -- her bit -- for Hasina’s surgery. And for several reasons, she stands out among scores of donors, who came forward for the cause of the child, featured in these columns yesterday.

To begin with, Sanyukta is herself at an advanced stage of breast cancer. She is also suffering serious cardiac complications. And while most other donors come from complete, happy families, that have care and affection to show, Sanyukta carries on her slender shoulders the burden of a painful past.

A firebrand social activist of her times, wife of a successful former bureaucrat in the Rajasthan Government and a celebrity in her own right, she now leads a nameless life, with no family support worth the name. Her husband and only son have been long dead. Her grandsons are busy leading their lives in Europe.

Back in Chandigarh, she is all by herself; her dignity being her only companion. “Glory of the past is like a sweet memory, which stays by my side all the time. I was the first woman to discard the veil (purdah) in Rajasthan, as also to drive a car in that orthodox society,” Sanyukta recalls with pride. At one time, she was working closely on several social projects with Maharani Gayatri Devi at Jaipur. She was also heading about 50 voluntary organisations in Rajasthan.

“But those were sunshine days when everything was working out well. Ever since my husband passed away, life has been revealing its bitter side,” says the otherwise cheerful lady, whose brother stays in this very city.

After her husband and son died, she started staying with her brother in Chandigarh. All he offered was the annexe in his three-kanal Sector 9 house, on rent.

“Finally, Sanyukta was fed up with the life of indignity. She saw the advertisement of our old age home and called us. Since that day, she has been with us. No one comes to see her,” said A.K. Ummat, founder-trustee of the old age home, who also donated Rs 10,000 for Hasina’s surgery, due t be held on July 11 at the PGI. Funds for the operation are still short. Donors can send the cheques favouring the Youth Technical Training Society to room number 13, Karuna Sadan, Sector 11-B, or call 2747329.

Chandigarh July 7
The government has a social responsibility to provide health care and education infrastructure to all in the country and this is must also to sustain the pace of growth which India has achieved during the recent years. This was stated by Dr G. K. Chadha, member, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, here, today.

Dr Chadha, a visiting fellow at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, UK, and professor of economics and vice-chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, was here to attend the Institution Foundation Day of the PGI. Expressing concern over the gap between different sections in society, the professor said India could become an international superpower competing with US and China only if the disparity of growth between the rural poor and urban rich decreased.

The world is unipolar today and in the next six years it would be bipolar with two super powers, including China and USA, and by 2025 India would be able to join them making the globe tripolar provided we could set up substantial public institutes to supplement the needs in the education and health care sectors, claimed Dr Chadha.

About the disparity among the urban as well as rural population, Dr Chadha said the per capita expenditure on education in the top 5 per cent people in urban India comes to 40.48 per cent against a mere 0.33 per cent by the 5 per cent people in the bottom income group. Similarly 45.99 per cent of total expenditure on health care from comes from just 5 per cent people in the top income group and just 0.48 per cent is the contribution of 5 per cent people on the bottom.

The situation in the rural area is grimmer as 39.07 per cent of the total expenditure is made by top 5 per cent people against 0.46 per cent by 5 per cent on the bottom. In health care also, the top 5 per cent people spend 50.41 of total expenditure in rural areas against 0.48 per cent by 5 per cent people on the bottom, added the economist. 

Chandigarh, July 7
In an unusual development, the Army has issued a warning to the presiding officer and judge advocate for certain irregularities in the conduct of proceedings during an ongoing general court martial (GCM) which was trying a Major at Tibri for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman officer.

In his orders read out in open court, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 15 Infantry Division, Maj Gen K.M.S. Shergill, the court’s convening authority, warned the judge advocate, Maj A.K. Panwar to ensure correct interpretation of legal provisions. The judge advocate is the legal adviser to the court.

The order stated that the court’s presiding officer, Col Rupinder Singh is equally and personally responsible for the correct conduct of proceedings. All relevant transactions have a bearing on the case and are required to be recorded in the proceedings, the GOC directed.

The convening authority’s orders come in response to a petition moved by the accused’s defending officer, Lt Col Mukul Dev before the higher authorities. He had raised several allegations which included that he was not allowed to move to the trial location and nor was he allowed to inspect the court record as entitled.

He had also alleged that submissions and statements of the defence were not being recorded and several provisions of Army Rules were not being complied by the court, thereby suppressing the defence.

He had also pointed out that he was issued a caution by the court on a complaint by the complainant women officer without his comments being sought on the matter. He had further alleged that the judge advocate was tainted and lacked basic knowledge of law.

The GOC observed that the absence of the defence counsel and defending officer had prejudiced the defence. He also directed the court to record precisely and in sequence the transactions taking place during the trial.

The convening authority also set aside the caution awarded to the defending officer by the presiding officer, observing that the action of the court was illegal and against the principles of natural justice. The GOC warned the presiding officer to be more careful while dealing in such matters.

On the issue of the allegations against the judge advocate, the GOC observed that the GOC, 12 Corps, has already taken action against him in a case pertaining to irregularities in recruitment. He, however, deferred the matter to the deputy judge advocate general, Western Command, to deal with this issue.

Meanwhile, the court, on objections raised again by the defence, admitted to the proceedings of the trial being tampered with. The court directed that the original page (No. 5) as well as the tampered page (5-A) would both be placed on the record.

The original page did not contain the charges against the accused and the defence had objected as to how the accused was arraigned when the proceedings did not reflect any charges against him.

Chandigarh, July 7
The direct train between Chandigarh and Amritsar does not have many takers. It seems that the railway board has failed to gauge the expectations of the people while starting the train on a trial basis from July 1.

Sources said around 100 passengers boarded the eight-coach train daily from Chandigarh. The link express, which has eight coaches, joins the Hardwar-Amritsar Jan Shatabdi at Ambala for onward journey to Amritsar.

A senior official of the northern railway said it was too premature to comment on the success of the train.

The train starts from Chandigarh at 4.45 pm and arrives at 12.15 pm. Due to wrong timings, a similar train between Kalka and Amritsar had failed earlier. Ideally, the train should start early in the morning and return by night as most of the rush was of tourists.

J.S. Bhogal, a member of the Zonal Railway Users Consultative Committee, said no initiative had been taken by the Akali government in Punjab to promote the train. He said since Amritsar had been declared a heritage city, a special train should be run between Amritsar and Chandigarh. Two trains should run between Chandigarh and Patna and Chandigarh and Hazoor Sahib.

Chandigarh, July 7
Commuters and motorists on the Chandigarh-Ambala highway were an inconvenienced lot following a demolition drive along the highway undertaken by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for acquisition of land to carry out the four-laning project of the Zirakpur-Ambala highway.

A team of the NHAI and local administration officials launched the demolition drive as part of the acquisition project for four-laning of the Zirakpur flyover.

Following a warning by the authorities concerned, a large number of shopkeepers could be seen demolishing their encroachments from shops. Though the authorities had announced the diversion plan for motorists, in the absence of adequate publicity, scores of motorists and commuters took to the highway, creating a traffic jam.

The authorities want the four-laned road to be 45 metres as per the NHAI guidelines. Shopkeepers’ request for reducing the road width to 40 metres had been rejected by the authorities.

The area MLA, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, visited the town and assured a delegation of shopkeepers that he would take up their demands with the authorities concerned.

Chandigarh, July 7
Hot and sultry conditions continue as rain skipped the city and most other parts in the northwestern metereological zone. Except a few places in Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, no rain was recorded anywhere in the region. The city, which witnessed above normal rainfall in June, has been recording below normal rainfall for this part of July. Last night, it recorded a trace.

However, by June 26 Chandigarh had received 172.4 mm rainfall — 76.6 mm above normal. This figure was more than the rainfall recorded in June 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Good overnight showers were reported from Rohru, Palampur and Pandoh in Himachal and Hisar in Haryana, which respectively recorded 22.7 mm, 7.5 mm, 1.0 mm and 0.7 mm downpour throughout last night.

The absence of rains had led the mercury to hover above the normal mark at many places, including Chandigarh.The city recorded the maximum temperature at 35.4 degrees celsius.

As per the forecast, moderate to rather heavy rain or thundershowers are likely to occur at many places in Haryana and Himachal, while light to moderate rain or thundershowers will occur at a few places in Punjab in the next 24 hours.

The temperature hovered one degree above normal at Patiala at 38.3 degrees celsius, while Amritsar registered 36.6 degrees declsius. Ludhiana had a maximum of 36.4 degrees, a degree below normal. Ambala recorded 37.8 degrees, two degrees above normal.

In this situation, when there is a parked vehicle B, car C has right of way. If going forward will cause car C to swerve or slow down, then car A must wait. In car C, make no hasty assumptions, as every car driver A is not a saint! It may be wise for car C to move to the left a little, to be on the safe side, and to make more room for car A. When an opportunity presents itself, it is good driving to help other drivers in this way.

Right of way when there is a parked vehicle.

‘Neither a hare nor tortoise be only drive straight and steady’

I agree with Kuldeepak Sharma's views expressed by his letter ‘Monsoon threat’ that the Chandigarh administration and the municipal corporation are never serious about maintaining the roads, especially the inner ones. I have time and again sent e-mails to the mayor and the administration. Once I handed over one such complaint to mayor Harjinder Kaur during a religious function held adjacent to my house recently. I informed her that the inner roads in our sector are in bad condition. Because of uneven levelling and lack any gully between H No. 1215 and 1232, water stagnates on these roads even after the slightest showers. On one of my complaints, the previous mayor had deputed an AE from the public health department, who assured me that at least two gullies of the Letter Box pattern will be provided in a week or so. But nothing has been done so far despite various reminders. When PWD workers carry out repairs on roads , they never bother to ensure proper levelling. Similarly, parks in the sector have been unattended to for years together. It is requested that both the Chandigarh administration and the MC gird their loins to preserve the city’s image.

Kanwar S.S. Walia
Chandigarh

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Chandigarh, July 7
A laptop and two vehicles were stolen from the city during the past 48 hours.

A Sector 20-based shopkeeper, Samreen Sharma, reported to the police alleging that his laptop was stolen from his shop on Thursday. A case of theft has been registered.

Ranmeet Singh of Sector 15 lodged a complaint with the police alleging that his Maruti car (CH-32-(T)-5031) was stolen his residence on Thursday night. In another incident, Amit Thakur of Shanti Nagar, Mani Majra, lodged a complaint with the police alleging that his Bajaj Discover motorcycle (HP-37-5587) was stolen from his residence during the intervening night of the July 5 and 6.