Wednesday, August 4, 1999
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N E W S Wednesday, August 4, 1999 |
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weather spotlighttoday's calendar |
Problem of flooding in city
stays CHANDIGARH, Aug 3 — The problem of flooding in one of the major flood-prone zones in the city — from Government Press Chowk in Sector 18 to the N-choe in Sector 51-52 —will remain this year also in case of a heavy rainfall. The reason the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC) is yet to complete the work on laying of additional drain pipes with a view to augmenting the existing storm drainage. In fact, the work on the Rs 2.4-crore project, which was scheduled to be completed before the onset of monsoon in June this year, is going on at a snail's pace. The intermittent rain, coupled with indifferent attitude of the civic body, had delayed the work which was now slated to be completed only by March next year, according to sources. It may be recalled that during a survey by the civic body in 1997 it was found that several parts of the above zone, including the roundabouts near the Inter-State Bus Terminus, the All India Radio building, Hotel South-End, the roundabout separating Sector 43 from 44 and Sectors 21, 22 and 34 were among the over 30 "flood-prone" points of the city. It was highlighted that the topography of the area around the zone was such that it was made "flood-prone" in the case of high-intensity rainfall. The drainage of Chandigarh was designed in early fifties for half-an-inch of rainfall per hour. The civic body proposed to lay drain pipes of various dimensions — 38, 60, 84 and 96 inches —in the zone to tackle the flooding problem. The outfall was to be first connected to the N-choe near SAS Nagar before ultimately to be released into the Ghaggar. The work for lying additional pipes in the low-lying areas of Sectors 14, 15, 24 and 25, which are to be connected to the trunk drain in Sector 37, has almost been completed. Similarly, drain pipes in the low-lying areas of pocket Nos 1, 2 and 3 have been laid and the problem of flooding controlled to a large extent, the sources add. Rain in city: Torrential rain accompanied with strong winds lashed the northern and central parts of the city this afternoon, resulting in flooding of the roads due to which several hundred people were left stranded and it led to traffic chaos. On the other hand, the spell of rain was no more than a light shower in the southern sectors. In certain pockets the rain was no more than a drizzle. And not a ''drop'' of rain was reported from SAS Nagar and Panchkula. It was a unique sight for residents of the the southern sectors and SAS Nagar, who faced very little rain but rain water gushed down the city's natural gradient towards SAS Nagar, thus partially flooding roads. Starting around 4 p.m., the rain lashed the city for nearly 45 minutes. The downpour was the heaviest in the sectors north of Madhya Marg. The other sectors where it rained heavily were 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 27 and 28. The rain also brought down the late evening temperature. Earlier, when the rain stopped it was time for various office-goers to return home. Two-wheelers stopped as rain water entered the engine. The local bus service schedule went haywire. Women employees had a tough time in reaching the buses as a few of them reportedly fell in the muddy waters on the road berms. Power supply to some sectors was shut down. Several minor accidents reportedly took place as unmindful two-wheelers drivers could not apply brakes and their vehicles skidded off on the slippery roads. According to sources in
the Meteorological Department there is the possibility of
rain tomorrow also. |
Three held for rape PANCHKULA, Aug 3 — The police today arrested three persons in connection with the the gang rape of a 14-year-old girl at Pinjore on July 17. The victim, who is a resident of Dharua village near Chandigarh railway station and a student of a school in Sector 18 here, was allegedly taken to Pinjore in a car. The victim was dumped by the suspects near the local bus stand after keeping her in illegal confinement and physically assaulting her for three days. The youths arrested are Manoj Sharma alias Rinku of Pinjore, Vijay Sharma of Panchkula and Rajesh of Pinjore. They were working as apprentices at HMT, Pinjore, before being involved in the case. All the arrested boys are in between 22 and 24 years of age. The Superintendent of Police, Mr Alok Mittal, said the youths were arrested after raids were conducted at their suspected hideouts at different places. Another person, Basesar Singh, was arrested by the police yesterday. The police is in the search of at least five more main suspects in the case. According to the information available, the girl, who had gone to school on July 15, did not return home. her parents started a search for her and lodged a report with the police. During the period the girl was taken to Pinjore, where she was allegedly raped by the youths before being left here. A case under different sections of the IPC had already been registered by the police. Meanwhile, Mr H.S. Swan,
Vice-President of the state unit of the BJP, has demanded
a thorough probe into the case. He said he would talk to
the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, and the
Director General of Police for strict action against the
rapists. |
Record number of passports CHANDIGARH, Aug 3 — A record number of 12,923 passports were issued by the Regional Passport Office here in July this year. According to Mr Jagdish Chand, Regional Passport Officer, a new tele-enquiry has also been introduced in the office to facilitate applicants for fresh passports to know the exact status of their applications. Enquiry can be made on the telephone numbers 601451, 601454 and 602362. Mr Jagdish Chand said that after taking over from Mr Bhagat Ram who has been appointed First Secretary, Indian High Commission in London, an inspection of each and every section of the office was conducted. A detailed report of the pending work was prepared. The RPO now issues fresh passport immediately after receipt of police report from the Superintendent of Police concerned. Mr Jagdish Chand said that applicants must carefully fill the application form without leaving any column blank. Application form duly completed and submitted along with six copies of clear photograph, attested copies of the proof of residence and date of birth is processed immediately. The earlier practice of including the name of minor children in the passports of their parents has been discontinued and instead separate passports are issued to minor children also. Mr Jagdish Chand said that for the "Emigration Check Not Required" stamp on the passport, the applicant must submit the proof in the shape of attested copy of his degree or higher degrees or three years diploma or equivalent courses from recognised institution. Gazetted government officers, income tax payers in their individual capacity with proof of actual payment of income tax for three years are also eligible for this stamp. When applying for fresh passport after expiry of 10-year passport validity period, old copy must be attached with the application form for cancellation by the RPO. Government employees must attach the NOC while making their applications. He also cautioned
applicants against playing into the hands of touts and
unauthorised agents and should rather apply for a
passport directly. For emergencies, he said that the
applicant must attach relevant papers or documents with
the application at the time of submission. |
Dhingra is new SE CHANDIGARH, Aug 3 —
The Chandigarh Administration today appointed Mr V.P.
Dhingra the Superintending Engineer of the Electrical
Circle on current duty charge. Mr Dhingra is the
seniormost Executive Engineer of the Electricity
Operations, belonging to the Union Territory cadre. He
has been given the current duty charge following
suspension of Mr Jagdish Mitter, Superintending Engineer
of the Electrical Circle, for turning approver in the
kickbacks case. Mr Dhingra assumed the charge of his new
assignment. |
Undertrial found HIV positive CHANDIGARH, Aug 3 — An undertrial serving his sentence in Burial Jail, here, has been found to be HIV positive and following intervention from the court, he has been entrusted to the care of General Hospital in Sector 16, sources in the health sector said today. The prisoner, whose identity cannot be disclosed under the laws that provide for secrecy of AIDS patients, was reportedly suffering from TB. He was first examined by doctors at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, where he was diagnosed as a case of AIDS. After listing the precautions and required drugs, the prisoner was shifted back to the jail. The jail authorities expressed their inability to dispose of his excreta in a safe manner. Meanwhile, a relative of the prisoner filed a plea in court seeking medical facilities for him. The General Hospital authorities set up a medical board and the prisoner was finally admitted around three days ago. Sources said due to TB,
he had to be kept in a segregated cell. The excreta could
have been disposed of safely, the sources added. |
Schoolteachers to be monitored CHANDIGARH, Aug 3 — To raise the level of education in government schools, the Education Department has launched a plan to take to task teachers and principals who fail to bring about academic improvement in their respective schools within one month of the officials' visit. The Education Secretary and the Director Public Instruction have already visited seven schools on the outskirts of the city, including those located in colonies. They are closing in on problems peculiar to each school while trying to ascertain the causes of the falling standard of education in these schools. Surprise visits by officials will soon be made a regular feature in all government schools. These checks will be carried out either by the DPI or the office staff for identifying the weak points and finding means to correct these by frequently monitoring the work of the teachers and principals. In most of the schools visited by the officials, truancy has been noticed as a primary cause of the declining education standards. The students of these schools are primarily rag pickers, children of migrant labour or of Class IV employees. To build an environment of study, the principals have been instructed to keep watch on the teachers by maintaining dairies, complete with details of classwork, tests and examinations. The visits have also revealed that most of the teachers of these schools are "deficient in their study methods'' and are not up to date with the latest, while others are obsessed with improving their students and their school work. Also, there are others who are over-qualified for these schools and fail to come down to the level of the students, sources in the department add. The department plans to initiate disciplinary proceeding against teachers who are found guilty of avoiding classwork and missing classes. The overall responsibility has been put on the Principal concerned who will be solely accountable for bad results. They have been given one month's time to show improvement in the functioning of the school after which action will be initiated. In one such school, the Home Secretary specifically suggested that though it was very difficult to inculcate a higher level of thinking and education in students from the rural background, the schools could at least maintain an academic standard which would ensure for the students pass marks in examinations. The department will set
targets for all schools and the principals will have to
ensure that these are achieved. The DPI (Schools), Mr
D.S. Saroya, while confirming the visits to these schools
says, "Regular monitoring is the only tool at our
disposal to bring about an uplift of academics. Let the
results speak for themselves.'' |
2 blast accused in city Chandigarh, Aug 3 — The police has brought two of the accused in the Sector 34 explosion case to the city for further investigations. Sher Singh, a resident of Rehal village in the Jind district, and Gurbax Singh, a resident of Thaska Ali village in Kurukshetra, had been arrested by the Haryana police sometime back. The main accused, Rattan Deep Singh of Rehal village, is still at large. A powerful explosion had injured four persons, besides damaging several vehicles, in a parking lot in Sector 34 on June 30. They have been brought
to the city for further investigations, besides for their
arrest in a case registered under Sections 307, 120-B and
34 of the IPC and Section 3\4 of the Explosive Act. |
Contractor gets notice PANCHKULA, Aug 3 — The local estate office of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) has issued a show-cause notice to the sanitation contractor for doing unsatisfactory work in the town. The contractor had been given the task of looking after sanitation in Sectors 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 15 over the past two years. Sources in HUDA said the
show cause notice was issued after residents of the
sectors complained that the work of the contractor was
not satisfactory. The contractor has been asked to
explain as to why his contract should not be cancelled. |
2 more students join fast CHANDIGARH, Aug 3 — Five students' organisations, Panjab University Students Union (PUSU), Haryana Students Association (HSA), National Students Union of India (NSUI), Students Federation of India (SFI) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) burnt an effigy of the university authorities at the Student Centre on the Panjab University campus here today. A procession of about 50 students went through the corridor of the various departments of the university before returning to the centre where the effigy was hacked by the activists before being consigned to flames for the ``anti-student stand of the authorities''. The protesters raised slogans against them and against the fee hike. The idea in going round the campus was to garner support of the student community and awaken them to the ``massive hike''. Meanwhile, two more students, Hari Singh of SFI and Bhupinder Singh Bhuppi of HSA, joined the indefinite fast along with Munish Anand in a bid to intensify the campaign against the fee hike. A joint action committee comprising H.S. Lucky from NSUI, Paramjit Singh of PUSU, Chand Singh of HSA, Suresh Thakur of SFI and Amarjot Singh of ABVP has been formed. This committee will decide the future course of action. In a separate press note, the President of SFI, Baljinder Rishi, stated that the hike was a great economic burden on the students and that it was the duty of the student community to raise its voice against the decision, irrespective of their affiliations for the common cause. Meanwhile, Prof V.K. Bansal, Dean, Student Welfare, said that he had appealed to all students organisations against intensifying the stir. He is likely to call a meeting of all students' bodies very soon but whether this will be held for all organisations together or not is undecided. The PUSU has submitted a
memorandum to the Vice-Chancellor condemning the beating
up of a student who had come to seek admission. They have
recounted the event from the time the student was beaten
up till he returned. They have also suggested ways to
curb violence on the campus and have suggested that
strict action should be taken against those involved in
the case. It adds that if action is not taken, the
student community will rise to the occasion and PUSU will
protest for maintaining peace on the campus and an
academic atmosphere at the university. |
Mayor’s plea to govt CHANDIGARH, Aug 3 — The Mayor, Mr Kewal Krishan Addiwal, has urged the Punjab Government to create a quota for the ‘children of senior citizens’ for admission to various technical institutions in the ‘year of senior citizens’. In a letter to the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Mr Addiwal claimed that provision of these seats was available in the rules. In the case of Punjab, various categories of the beneficiaries under which these seats were allocated last year were defined and approved, the Mayor said. “Your approval for
the policy to be implemented for the current year has
been sought. It is here that I write to you that over and
above the existing categories, another category of
‘children of senior citizens’ is also
introduced or else, if the desired number of takers is
not available, these children are accommodated before
declaring the seats as open seats”, the letter
added. |
Park work not begun; Addiwal
concerned CHANDIGARH, Aug 3 — The Mayor, Mr Kewal Krishan Addiwal, during his visit to Sector 46, expressed concern at the non-starting of the work on a park, funds for which were made available through the MPLAD scheme in 1997. Mr Addiwal, along with
the Senior Deputy Mayor, Mr K.L. Sharma, and a former
Mayor, Mrs Kamla Sharma, also visited Sector 41 and
assured residents that their grievances would be
redressed on priority basis. |
Guide books ‘lack
quality’ CHANDIGARH, Aug 3 — Popularity of guide books is the main reason for the poor academic performance by students in villages in the periphery of Chandigarh, according to teachers. A survey of different government schools in the rural areas around Chandigarh, reveals that students generally prefer help books to textbooks. Several help books and guides are available in the market. Publishing houses have brought out such books even for students of primary classes. Teachers feel that “overuse” of these help books is affecting the standard of education and students do not work hard. If the education policy makers have to bear the responsibility for this situation, teachers cannot be absolved of the blame, says a teacher. Different publishing companies approach teachers who recommend these books to their students. It also becomes convenient for teachers since students get prepared answers, he adds. As the students get “addicted” to solved answers, small-time publishers flourish with substandard books, says another school teacher. Though the use of help books is not questioned, the quality of this material is a cause of worry, he says. Lack of academic atmosphere at home is another reason for the students opting for these books. Moreover, opportunities such as tuition, extra teaching classes and library are not available to rural students. Several primary school
teachers suggest that the authorities should not allow
the sale of help books and guides for primary classes.
Moreover, a high-level body of academicians should be
constituted to keep vigil on the quality of books in the
market. |
Helmet protesters court arrest CHANDIGARH, Aug 3 — Two separate jathas of five members each courted arrest at different places in the city as the agitation against the helmet control order entered its 17th day today. A jatha of five volunteers of the local unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal led by a former Deputy Mayor, Mr Mohinder Singh, courted arrest by violating prohibitory orders near the Punjab and Haryana High Court complex. Others who courted arrest with him included Mr Mohinder Singh Chhina, Mr Shingara Singh Komal, Mrs Jasbir Kaur and Mrs Kuldip Kaur. Earlier, dal workers took out a procession from the historic Mata Raj Kaur Gurdwara at Mani Majra and moved through different parts of the city before reaching the Sector 17 Plaza where a big rally was held. On its way, the processionists also blocked vehicular traffic near the Dhillon Theatre chowk. At the Sector 17 rally, various speakers, including Mr Gurpartap Singh Riar, Mr Manjit Singh Kamboj, Mr Amarjit Singh Randhawa, Ms Salinder Kaur and others criticised the administration and demanded immediate withdrawal of the helmet order. Meanwhile, five Sikh women —Ms Amrit Kaur, Ms Iqbal Kaur, Ms Swaran Kaur, Ms Harbans Kaur and Ms Gurdeep Kaur — also courted arrest at the Matka chowk by defying the prohibitory orders. According to Ms Harjinder Kaur, President, Sikh Nari Manch, the five Sikh women going on fast every morning would come in procession to court arrest in the afternoon. In case the order was not withdrawn immediately, the arrested Nari Manch volunteers would start fast unto death inside Burail Jail. Members of various Sikh organisations, including the Sikh Nari Manch, had gathered at the Sector 29 Gurdwara in the afternoon for taking out a protest procession. Heavy rain
notwithstanding, the procession moved through various
parts of the city before reaching the Matka chowk where
five women courted arrest. |
Donations for Kargil continue Chandigarh, Aug 3 — The Kargil conflict has not only moved young children in the country but those living abroad as well. Komal is a young handicapped girl living in Dubai and has donated her meagre savings for the welfare of the jawans injured in the conflict. Suffering from a disorder that has left her legs below the knee non-functional, she wanted to be of some help to the soldiers whom she saw fighting in inhospitable terrain on television, besides reading in newspapers about the sacrifices made by young officers. Before she came to India for a vacation with her grandparents, she had collected Rs 500, including her pocket money, which she donated for the cause. The students of Tender Heart School, Sector 33-B, visited injured jawans convalescing at Command Hospital in Chandi Mandir and enquired about their welfare. They presented 80 suitcases to the jawans. The children, accompanied by teachers, applied tilak and garlanded the soldiers. They also listened to the exploits of the injured jawans, especially to those who were yards away from the enemy posts when their limbs were blown up by anti-personnel mines. The school instituted scholarships of Rs 200 per month for 25 children of the martyrs of the conflict till they reach 18 years. A cheque for Rs 20,000, collected by members of staff, was handed over to the widow of Kargil martyr Havaldar Vikramjit Singh of Kubaheri. The members of the Indian Ex-Services League, Punjab and Chandigarh, donated Rs 7,800 towards the Army Central Welfare Fund. The donors included SAS Educational Society, Major Isher Singh, Major Gurbaksh Singh, Subedar Balbir Singh, Subedar Jagjit Singh and Lt-Col Angad Singh. The Retired Persons
Welfare Association donated Rs 5,000 towards the Army
Central Welfare Fund, according to Lt-Col B.M. Talwar,
president of the association. |
Electrical workers to help nab
corrupt Chandigarh, Aug 3 — The annual general conference of the UT Electrical Workers Union was held here today. The conference, inaugurated by Mr Bal Krishan, a senior leader of the Federation of UT Employees and Workers, paid homage to the Kargil martyrs by observing two minutes' silence. The gathering thanked the administration for giving technical scales to the field employees. They also appreciated the stand taken by the administration in "dismissing corrupt officers like K.K. Jerath" and pledged their support in bringing such officers to book. The conference expressed anguish over the non-implementation of the Supreme Court judgement of equal work for equal pay, besides release of HRA, DA and CCA to all daily wage workers. The demands discussed include grant of promotions after eight, 16, 24 and 32 years and proficiency levels after eight and 18 years, special allowance to watchmen, provision of tool bags, treating all employees sent from various departments of the administration to the municipal corporation as being on deputation and scrapping the contract system of employment. Meanwhile, the following
have been elected office-bearers of the union: President
— Mr Baljeet Singh; senior vice-president — Mr
Malkiat Singh; vice-Presidents — Mr Pawan Kumar and
Mr Anil Kumar; general secretary — Mr Rakesh Kumar
and joint secretary — Mr Dhan Singh. |
BHIIC membership from next
month CHANDIGARH, Aug 3 — The membership for the Bradlaugh Hall India International Centre (BHIIC) here will open next month. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the management committee of the BHIIC held under the chairmanship of the Administrator of Chandigarh, Lieut-Gen B.K.N. Chhibber (retd), here today. The BHIIC is being planned on the lines of the India International Centre in New Delhi. Mrs Anuradha Gupta, Honorary Secretary of the management Committee of the BHIIC, was also appointed chairperson of a sub- committee to oversee day to day construction work at the actual site in Sector 15-A on Madhya Marg. The Adviser to the Administrator, Mrs Vineeta Rai, said that the process to raise funds for the construction of the centre was being set in motion shortly. The Chief Secretaries of Punjab and Haryana, Mr R.S. Mann and Mr R.S. Varma, said that their respective State Governments were considering contributing to the corpus of the BHIIC Trust. It was also decided at today's meeting to induct Mr Arvind Chopra, son of the late Mr Ramesh Chopra, ex-President of the Bradlaugh Hall International Trust, as member of the governing body. Mr R.S. Mann wanted the BHIIC to become an institution of excellence under the private sector as distinct from State-run organisations. Agreeing with his suggestion, Mr R.S. Varma suggested that a full-time Secretary should be involved for execution of this prestigious project. Among those who attended
the meeting were Mr Vijay Chopra, Editor-in-Chief, Hind
Samachar group of newspapers; Mr Rakesh Singh,
Finance-cum-Engineering Secretary of the Chandigarh
Administration; Mr K.N. Datt, Dr M.M. Puri and Mr R.K.
Saboo |
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'Create
awareness about eclipse' Speaking at a function organised by the Haryana State Council for Science and Technology here today, he said the misconceptions about solar eclipse should be removed so that the people could enjoy the astronomical wonder with curiosity. The Director of Science and Technology, Mrs Sumita Singh, said the people had various misconceptions about the ensuing solar eclipse on August 11. Mr Ahuja gave prizes to following winners of various competitions: Quiz contest — Ashok Kumar, HVV Senior Secondary School, Bhiwani 1; Arti Balhra, Blue Bells Model School, Gurgaon 2; and Nishant Dalal, Central Senior Secondary School, Sirsa 3. Declamation contest: Arti Balhra, Blue Bells Model School, Gurgaon 1; Amita, PKR Jain Girls School, Ambala city 2; and Rekha, Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Sonepat 3. Poster making competition: Mayank Swami, Uma Bharati Public School, Rewari 1; Shivani Rana, Gita Girls Senior Secondary School, Kurukshetra 2; and Renu, Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Panipat 3. Slogan writing contest: Varender Singh, Baptist Senior Secondary School, Bhiwani 1; Vipin Singla, Gopal Vidya Mandir School, Jind 2; and Arti, Blue Bells Model Senior Secondary School, Gurgaon 3. Martyrs’
families given cheques Cheques for the amount were given to the affected families on behalf of the associations by Mr Ramesh Inder Singh, Principal Secretary to the Punjab Chief Minister. The two associations also gave bank drafts for over Rs 4 lakh to the Army Central Welfare Fund. The industries’ body had collected Rs 5.85 lakh and the traders’ body Rs 2 lakh for the families. Mr R.S. Sachdeva and Mr Jagjit Singh, former President and former general secretary, respectively, of the industries’ body, adopted for the purpose of education the children of two different families of the martyrs. The heroes whose families were present at the function were Gunner Gurjinder Singh, Lance Naik Narata Ram, Havildar Tarsem Singh, Major Harminder Pal Singh, Major J.D.S. Dhaliwal, Lance Naik Maluk Chand, Sepoy Jaswinder Singh, Captain Amol Kalia, Havildar Bikram Singh, Paratrooper Gopal Singh and Subedar Kuldip Singh. Paper-reading
contest A paper-reading contest for heads of senior secondary, secondary and middle schools was held on the occasion. The results were as follows: Ms Kamla Bains-GSSS-47 (1), Ms Santosh Kohli-GMSSS-21 (2), and Mr Bahadur Singh-GHS-40 (3). Patwarkhana
repair sought He said here today that the condition of this patwarkhana was bad and there were no doors and windows and the roof might fall any time. He said there was no arrangement of water and electricity and it was difficult for the employees to work. It was a danger to the revenue records lying here. Strengthening
of berms sought They said here today
that soil erosion had taken place on both sides of the
road during the recent rains and this might create a
danger to the road. They demanded that the PWD be ordered
to strengthen the berms immediately. |
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