1,000 evade arrest
By Amarjit Thind
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 4 — The track record of the city police in nabbing proclaimed offenders (POs) is far from satisfactory and over the years the number of persons who have managed to evade arrest is nearing the 1,000 mark.

The oldest pending case pertains to the year 1966 and despite the best efforts of the police, the offender has not been traced so far and brought to book. In a recent case, a Jalandhar resident, who was declared PO in 1975 in a case of trespassing and theft, was caught. The latest person to be apprehended was a city lawyer who had shifted base to Kotkapura. He had been evading arrest since 1990.

Records show that Punjab with 590 tops the chart of POs followed by Uttar Pradesh (111), Haryana (60) and Himachal Pradesh (40). The least number of people wanted in the city — four — belong to Tamil Nadu.

Officials while admitting to the backlog are of the view that until certain measures are initiated, there is little chance of all of them being brought to book in the near future.

"Frankly, in most of the cases we do not even know the whereabouts of the accused. The reason is that the accused in most of the cases have managed to evade arrest by providing false addresses or had jumped bail after appearing in the trial court for a few times.''

The prolonged non- appearance invites action and as the police is unable to arrest them, the accused are declared as POs.

The lacunae in the law are often exploited by the offenders. For example, some protesters have been arrested by the police for violating prohibitory orders. Since the number of arrested persons is very large, it is not possible for the police to verify every address. Here many manage to give a fictitious address and when they fail to appear in court, non-bailable warrants are issued and the police is directed to arrest them. When an officer visits the given address he is told that nobody by that name resides there.

This is even true in intra-city cases. Since a majority of the people are tenants, it is very easy for the accused to change residence.

Similarly, the provisions for granting surety are not foolproof. In most cases the guarantor has only to pledge a nominal amount or show proof that he owns movable and immovable property and that he will produce the accused whenever directed by the court. Here, too, no effort is made to verify the antecedents of the guarantor.

After securing bail, the accused jumps bail and the guarantor, after a few dates, expresses his inability to produce the accused in court. In a majority of the cases, the court fines the guarantor a nominal amount and the accused is declared as PO.

Senior officers are of the view that if the guarantee amount is raised substantially, it would act as a deterrent. In this way, the guarantor would only stand surety for a person whom he knows very well.

Another factor that compounds the problem is that of resources. It is not possible to carry out raids to nab such persons from other states. Besides logistics, the state police has to be informed and in all it is a time consuming affair. For the police every criminal, whether involved in a heinous crime or a petty one, has to be nabbed and the same procedure has to be followed.

The effectiveness of the recommendations of the quarterly meetings between neighbouring states is also marginal. Every time it is advocated that there should be better coordination but it remains on paper only or rather fizzles out without support from the officials at the thana level.

It would be easier if there was coordination between the police departments and the local police would be ideally placed to trace out the criminals of other states who have taken refuge here and vice versa.

However, the connivance of lower level staff in not apprehending some of the offenders cannot be ruled out, the officers add.

New OPD block at PGI nearing completion
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 4 — A modern Outdoor Patients Department (OPD) block is nearing completion at the PGI here. The OPD will have all medical facilities, including operation theatres, and will be spread over nearly 2.75 lakh square feet.

The building is scheduled to be completed by the end of September and the shifting of the OPDs may take a couple of months after that. Once that is done, it will reduce the rush of patients in the main hospital, that will house only indoor patients. Prof B.K. Sharma, Director, PGI, says between 3,500 and 4,000 patients visit various OPDs daily, besides their attendants.

The new block, built at a cost of nearly Rs 22 crore, will be entirely air-cooled. Some important areas like the minor operation theatre, essential laboratories and X-ray department will be centrally air-conditioned. It will be separated from the main hospital, reducing the inflow of patients.

A free bus service between the present hospital and the new block will be available to ferry patients, doctors, paramedics, medical technologists and nurses. A link road connecting the OPDs and the main hospital is also being constructed.

The building is located where the command hospital was once located. The entry to the new site will be from the road dividing sectors 11 and 12. The existing entry to the PGI from the same road will be relocated to facilitate easy movement of traffic.

The new OPD will have four inter-connected blocks, five storeys high. It will have a 5,000 square feet cafeteria, a milk bar, a chemist shop and a PCO\STD booth. The registration of patients will be computerised and each person will have a number. This will remove congestion, Prof Sharma claims.

The parking area can accommodate 270 cars and 500 two-wheelers. This will be spilt into two sections, one for patients and the other for staff and faculty.

On the medical facility front, it will contain diagnostic services like routine X-ray and ultra-sound test. Patients requiring CT scan and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) will have to visit the main hospital.

All laboratories have been planned in the new OPD block. samples of blood will be collected for testing and the reports will also be available here.

Physiotherapy and occupation therapy are also planned inside the building. A day care centre with six operation theatres and 45 recovery beds has been planned. This will reduce the rush for surgery as several surgeries do not require more than a day of hospitalisation, the director adds.

Six lifts have been planned. Patients will have a choice of ramps, staircase or lifts.

Electioneering picking up
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 4— With a week still to go for the formal notification of the election process for the lone Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat, electioneering has started picking up here.

The announcement of Mr Krishan Lal Sharma, Vice-President of the all-India Bharatiya Janta Party, as the party candidate in place Mr Satya Pal Jain, member of the previous two Lok Sabhas, has evoked mixed response here.

In fact, it will be after almost three consecutive Lok Sabha elections that two of the candidates — Mr Harmohan Dhawan and Mr Satya Pal Jain — will be missing from the list of contestants. The third, Mr Pawan Bansal, is still within a chance of getting the party ticket. In fact, Mr Bansal was elected to the 11th Lok Sabha while Mr Jain succeeded him in the 12th and 13th Lok Sabhas. Mr Dhawan was a member of the 10th Lok Sabha.

The changing political scenario notwithstanding, there is no let-up in the enthusiasm of a number of old and new hands from jumping into the election fray here. Among the old hands, the Bhaujan Samaj Party (Ambedkar), Lok Shakti and Bahujan Samaj Party have already announced their candidates from here. Mrs Sapna will be the BSP (Ambedkar) candidate while Mr Ravi Kansal has started his election campaign as the nominee of the Lok Shakti party. Mr Mata Ram Dhiman of the BSP, who will be supported by the local unit of the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal, will be formally launching his campaign on August 10 when the BSP supremo, Mr Kanshi Ram and the SHSAD chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, will address a joint rally here .

Others to contest from here include a model, a former Miss Chandigarh, Ms Palac Shri; and a former Haryana Minister, who has floated a new political outfit here.

The Rashtriya Raksha Dal, a new political wing of the Ex-Services League, is also all set to join the election fray here. The Dal will hold its formal meeting on August 7 to decide about its new team.

The local units of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) and the Samata Party, alliance partners of the BJP at the Centre, have also welcomed the grant of party ticket to Mr K.L. Sharma as both these units had expressed their reservations about their supporting the previous incumbent, Mr Satya Pal Jain, in case he contested again.

Tree guards, but no saplings to guard
By Prabhjot Singh
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 4 — Since beginning of April, hundreds of quadrangular grey-coloured tree guards started appearing on almost all major roads maintained by the Engineering Department of the Chandigarh Administration. Interestingly, more than 90 per cent of these tree guards had neither any tree nor any sapling to guard. And hundreds of these cement structures along Uttar Marg were erected in the high-security zone, inside the barbed wire fencing area of the VIP sectors, including Sectors 3, 4 and 5, in defiance of the logic of protecting saplings from stray cattle and vandals.

Investigations made interesting revelations. This is not the first time that the horticulture wing of the Engineering Department has taken up plantation along major roads of the city, including Uttar Marg, Madhya Marg, Dakshin Marg and outer Dakshin Marg.

If one looks back at the old records of the horticulture wing, similar exercises had been undertaken more than once in the past with lot of fanfare and publicity. For example, the official plantation along outer Dakshin Marg during the past 10 years, if official figures are to be believed, has been so much that by now it should have been a thickly populated forest.

A few years ago, the Engineering Department organised a series of functions of making the city green. One of these functions, in fact the first of the series, was on outer Dakshin Marg while the other was held on Uttar Marg, just opposite Rock Garden.

It was during this programme that the department not only went in for plantation of saplings but also provided tree guards. Now after a gap of a few years the same exercise is being repeated.

Interestingly, the horticulture wing has gone in for erection of tree guards in areas which are fenced with barbed wire with tents of security guards inside. In a way, there is hardly any chance of a stray cattle or a vandal damaging the saplings in this high security zone.

A survey of the roads where these tree guards have been erected also speaks volumes of the neglect of the area, besides the trees and plants growing there. Some portions of outer Dakshin Marg have been left out because of slush there. In some other areas, the congress grass has overgrown these guards.

Scientifically speaking, areas infested with such heavy growth of weeds like the congress grass, the chances of survival of a sapling are remote. Tree guards alone cannot protect saplings. This is why, in spite of the claims of planting thousands of saplings during vanamahotsava every year, this prestigious road has very low density of tree cover.

The situation in other areas is no different. Even portions of Dakshin Marg are bald and without the expected level of tree cover.

Little or no attention has been paid at the time of erection of these tree guards. In a planned city like Chandigarh, these guards have been haphazardly erected. They are not equidistant and at places there are big gaps.

Though officials maintain that there is nothing unusual in such type of an exercise, they could not justify the erection of the guards before plantation of saplings. The fact is that orders for these tree guards were placed out of the funds earmarked for the horticulture wing last year. To prevent the money from lapsing, these purchases were ordered before the end of the last financial year.

Even after placing the order, the erection work could have been delayed till the vanamahotsava plantations. The officials may deny that, but the fact is that the plantation of saplings started only after Chandigarh Tribune started making enquiries. Otherwise from the first week of April till the middle of July, nothing had been done.

Official version

The Engineering Department of the Chandigarh Administration says that it had identified 3,522 gaps on all major roads of the city where plants were missing. To fill these gaps, it was decided to go in for tree guards and fresh plantation. As a result an order for procuring 3,226 tree guards was placed. Of these 2,600 tree guards were received until July 31.

Since the department had given the contract for both the supply and erection of tree guards, the contractor fixed the tree guards even before the planation was done. Until July 31, the department claims, it had planted 1,787 saplings in these gaps. The remaining plantation, it said, would be completed by August 14.

The department officials did not agree that plantation after erection of tree guards creates any major problem. One side of the quadrangular tree guard is removed and plantation is done. The removed side is then fixed back.

A school with a difference
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 4 — Students attending an unrecognised school in Janata Colony despite the presence of an adjoining government school comes as a surprise. Students attend classes though they are aware that they will receive no certificates.

The day of these students begins with rag-picking, polishing shoes or similar jobs. Money for meals is ensured and the day meanders into three-hour classes in the afternoon.

The school offers no degree to students. Children feel that the teaching in the government school is uninteresting and holds no hope for the future. “Our madam here teaches us English which can help us in getting better jobs,” a girl student says.

The school is run by Yuvsatta, a social organisation. An important part of it is the theatre group, “Aasha.” Zulfiqar Khan, a theatre personality, trains students.

The school is run in the building of a government school which was abandoned a couple of years ago. Filthy rooms now wear clean looks and the class echoes with fun.

The social group also runs training classes in stitching. “It is better to learn some trades which can help us in self-employment,” a girl student says.

Children attending classes receive a scholarship of Rs 100 a month from the Aruna Asaf Ali Children Fund. “We do not come here for money alone. With education, I may get a job in the house of some rich educated family looking for decent employees,” another student adds.

Students call for strike
Stir against fee hike continues
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 4 — As the tussle between the students' organisations and the Panjab University authorities continues with four students — Munish Anand, Hari Singh, Bhupinder Singh and Anil Kundu — sitting on an indefinite fast at the Student Centre and the Students Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU) sitting on an indefinite dharna outside the Vice-Chancellor's office and giving a call for a strike beginning tomorrow to oppose the fee hike, student activity in most departments continues unhindered.

The students, though appreciative of the cause of protest and the stiff stand of the students' organisations, are not willing to be associated with them. However, most of them are ready to boycott their classes in an effort to contribute their mite to the protest.

Aarti Sharma, a student of psychology, says:``I am willing to skip classes if that is what the kind of support the organisations are expecting from students. I am clear headed about the fact that processions and rallies are not for me.'' Her friends, Shikha Bansal and Sonia Kapoor, are keen on lending support and are daring enough to add that they would not mind accompanying the students if the procession has some girls also.

Also, the heavy deployment of police on the campus has discouraged students from accompanying the activists in their protests.``Though I feel very strongly about the fee hike, I am unwilling to join these students in their protest because anything can happen anytime. I am not game for surprises and hence am content watching from the sidelines.''

Meanwhile, after the third day of the indefinite fast the university authorities have given a positive signal by inviting the students organisations for a dialogue. The Dean, Student Welfare, Prof V.K. Bansal, says:``I will discuss the fee-structure with the representatives of the various organisations and am willing to consider the hike where it is unreasonable. I have discussed with the authorities and I am convinced that being rigid will not solve problems though no commitments can be made for the time being.'' A meeting of the DSW with the various students' bodies has been fixed for tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the students organisations have emphatically stated that they are unwilling to consider any withdrawal of the agitation till the fees is brought down to 25 per cent. They added that during their protest last time, they were sweet-talked into breaking the fast on the assurance that the fee-hike would not cross the 25 per cent limit and that they would not give in this time.

Activists of the five organisations — Panjab University Students Union, Haryana Students Association, National Students Union of India, Students Federation of India and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad — visited all hostels in an effort to mobilise the student community to come forward and join them in their protest.

Also, activists of SOPU are protesting against denial of provisional promotions to B.Sc and M.Sc students and the false implication of their president, Mr D.P.S. Randhawa. The PUSU, in a separate memorandum to the Vice-Chancellor, has demanded provisional promotion to science honours students with reappears, provision of improvement to these students and division of the rent of a hostel room between the two occupants rather than charging full rent from each of them.

Warrants for co. officials
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, Aug 4 — Arrest warrants have been issued against a chairman and four directors of Surbhi Forests India Ltd, a Mani-Majra based agro- forestry company for allegedly duping its investors to the tune of over Rs 90 crore.

According to the information available, the company, after attracting investments from gullible investors, did not pay the amount after the maturity period. Several cases under Sections 406 and 120-B of the IPC have been registered against the directors of the company in the past.

The arrest warrants have been issued by the Judicial Magistrate (First Class) against Ms Usha Kiran Chaturvedi, chairman, and Ashwani Kaushik, Prem Parkash, Jyoti and Vijay — all directors of the company. The police has written to airport authorities all over the country not to allow the suspects to leave the country without its permission as they are reported to be holding Indian passports.

Shortfall in sanctioned staff
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 4 —The government-run technical institutions are facing an acute shortage of teaching staff, with the shortfall in the sanctioned staff varying between 30 per cent and 48 per cent.

In Punjab Engineering College, there are 19 ad hoc employees against 69 vacant teaching posts in a sanctioned staff strength of 162 which includes professors, assistant professors and lecturers. Besides, there is a ratio of 60 and 40 between the teachers and the guest faculty. There are vacancies of nine professors, 20 assistant professors and 40 lecturers in the college and three members are drawn from the panel of guest faculty against every vacancy. Each department has its own independent guest faculty comprising 10 members.

There are six vacancies in a sanctioned staff strength of 20 teachers in the Government College of Education, Sector 20. The Principal of the college, Mrs S. Tangri, says that an arrangement of five teachers has been made while there is still a vacancy in English. These teachers have been appointed from various schools against the vacant posts of two science teachers, one English teacher, one maths and one economics teacher. "We cannot have a vacancy in our college because the number of students comes down in the same proportion against every vacancy,'' she adds.

In the Chandigarh College of Architecture, Sector 12, with a total strength of 23 members on the teaching faculty, the Principal, Mr I.J.S. Bakshi says that 12 teachers are in place and work carries on with the help of 23 panelists of the guest faculty. "There are no vacancies in any particular subject because most on the guest faculty are competent enough to take up any aspect of architecture," he informs.

In Government Home Science College, Sector 10, there are 37 sanctioned posts while 11 in different subjects are vacant. There are vacancies in physics, chemistry, hygiene, physiology, fine arts, clothing, sociology, dance and home management while there are two vacancies in English.

The Principal, Mrs Usha Dhawal, says, "Ours is a small college with very few funds, out of which, we are paying two part-timers and five teachers on contract. These teachers are employed for two to three months at one time because of paucity of funds. They are granted extension if the need arises.'' The basic problem being faced by the Principal is that most of these are single posts with no scope for distributing work of the vacant post among the other faculty members taking the subject.

Dera Bassi municipal limits extended
From Bipin Bhardwaj
From Our Correspondent

DERA BASSI, Aug 4 — The Government of Punjab has extended the limits of the Dera Bassi Municipal Council (MC). The decision has been taken on the basis of a resolution submitted by the MC to the Secretary of the Local Government, seeking extension of the jurisdiction of the municipality.

Earlier, the government had proposed to merge about 15 villages on the outskirts of the municipality in the civic body. But sarpanches and residents of the villages filed objections on the proposal and authorities put off the plan.

The limits have now been extended from JMA industries to Bhushan Industries on the Ambala road, from Modern Bricks to the Bunga Nihal Singh road in Saidpura on the Barwala road, from Mount Shivalik Breweries to Bhankharpur-Mubarikpur intersection on the Chandigarh road and from the railway line to Chhater Sian Rice Mill on the Ambala road.

According to Mr Jai Kishan Sharma, Executive Officer, the limits of municipal council in Mubarikpur were left as it was. The decision has been implemented and all rules and bylaws have been applied to the new areas since July 31.

Residents of these areas will be provided all basic civic amenities. To provide better roads, water and electricity to residents, would be given preference. Other facilities would also be taken according to the priority, said Mr J.S. Dalli, President of the MC. Rs 10 lakh would be spent on installing lightpoles with sodium and mercury lamps in the town soon, he said.

Mr Paras Jain, a local councillor, has appreciated this step of the government. He said that the development of the area would be possible with an increase in municipal revenue after extending its limits.

Meanwhile, the Dera Bassi Industrial Association has criticised this decision of the government, saying it was unnecessary harassment of industrialists.

"This decision is just to make money in the name of development. Hardly any development work has been done within its limits since 1992 by the MC. Now, by increasing the limits, the government has taken more than 10 industrial units in its jurisdictions," said Mr Kewal Garg, President of the Dera Bassi Industrial Association.

Instead of taking inhabited areas under its jurisdiction, the government had taken barren land under the municipal limits, which amounted to victimisation of industrialists, alleged Mr Garg.

Rape case suspect surrenders
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, Aug 4 — Amit, another suspect in the gang rape case of a 14-year-old girl at Pinjore on July 17, today surrendered before the duty magistrate here today. He has been sent to judicial custody.

The father of Amit, Janak Raj, an employee at HMT, Pinjore, who was accompanying the boy, alleged that the police was falsely implicating his son in the case. He alleged that one of the main accused, also named Amit, who was the son of an SDO in HUDA, was not being arrested by the police.

He said the role of his son was that he had taken Vijay, another main suspect in the case, who had brought the girl to Pinjore, to Kali Mata Mandir at Kalka as Vijay had told him that he wanted to marry the girl. Using this information, the police was harassing his family, he alleged.

He said other main suspects, Ladi and Ravi alias Billa, were yet to be arrested by the police. Meanwhile, Manoj Sharma alias Rinku, Vijay Sharma and Rajesh, who were arrested by the police yesterday, were today remanded in judicial custody till August 18.

7,992 new voters in Kalka segment
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, Aug 4 — At least 7,992 new voters have been added to the electoral rolls of the Kalka assembly segment of the Ambala parliamentary constituency in the recent exercise undertaken by the district election office to revise the voters' list.

According to the information available, in the old voters' list, which was revised in 1998, the number of voters was 1,90,524. While 60 per cent of the new voters are in the Panchkula subdivision, the rest are in the Kalka subdivision. At least 60 per cent of the new voters were in the age group of 18 to 30 years who would be casting their vote in the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

In view of the increase in the number of voters in the assembly segment, the election authorities have recommended an increase of four more polling stations in addition to the existing 286 polling stations in the urban and rural areas. The new polling stations are two each in Panchkula urban and rural areas.

At least 80 sets of the voters' list, polling station-wise, have been printed for being made available to the members of the public after payment of certain amount of money. The political parties are entitled to free sets of the voters' list, says an official of the district election office.

The election office has asked the police authorities to provide information about the sensitive polling booths before the same were forwarded to the Election Commission.

City crime rate falls: IGP
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 4 — The crime rate graph in the city has registered a downfall in the past two months due to certain preventive measures initiated against anti-social and suspicious characters by the police, said Mr S.K. Singh, IGP, during an informal interaction with mediapersons at Police Headquarters here this noon.

Cases against 2,646 persons have been registered in various parts of the city, villages and colonies, following a special drive launched by the police at the directions of the IGP. The greatest achievement of the drive has been that no heinous crime like murder, robbery or dacoity has taken place.

Refuting allegations that the crime graph had dipped due to non-registration of cases, the IGP said he had yet to come across any complaint from members of the public or from various others fora in this context. "I keep on meeting people, including shopkeepers and professionals, and have so far met more than 1,200 persons but have received no complaint. On the other hand, I have tried my best to implement certain suggestions mooted by them," he added.

Referring to complaints of rude and aggressive behaviour at the police stations, the IGP said he had posted women police officers, who had undergone a 15-day course in public dealing with special emphasis on courteous behaviour, as duty officers in the police stations. These officers would be assisted by women constables and would listen to and deal with any grievance.

He also said that the SHOs had been made accountable for any acts of indiscipline and rude behaviour of their staff. Some officers had been warned in this context in wake of recent incidents involving personnel from their areas.

Also, to strengthen the functioning of the control room, more vehicles had been procured and additional staff deployed. With the purchase, the number of vehicles had now risen to 25 from the previous 14. The number of personnel on duty at check-posts at all entry points to the city too had been increased.

He ruled out any specific militant threats on the eve of Independence Day but said that the police had taken all precautions. He said a close watch was being kept on guest houses, hotels and other places of transit and shelter. The Centre had okayed the proposal of providing four companies of paramilitary personnel in this period.

Mr Singh said other achievements during this course were the setting up of the Quick Reaction Team and the formation of the Crime Stoppers Cell. The latter had already started yielding results as a wanted criminal was arrested after information was received through this cell.

He said to ensure better transparency in the lower-level working, a committee of eminent citizens had been formed at every 'thana' level. Members of the committee would meet once a month to review and suggest ways to make functioning of policemen public friendly.

Councillors undecided on strategy
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 4 — Even as the BJP has announced the candidature of Mr K.L. Sharma, party vice-president and spokesman, from the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat, a group of independent councillors in power in the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC) is yet to decide its poll strategy.

The group, having eight councillors expelled from the BJP, who are considered close to the former MP, Mr Satya Pal Jain, are yet to make up their mind about their future political action.

However, there is disappointment among the ruling group on the denial of ticket to Mr Jain, who retained the seat twice. This is contrary to the party's stand that sitting MPs will be renominated from their seats, councilllors of the group feel.

The Mayor, Mr Kewal Krishan Addiwal, when contacted, said though no poll strategy had been worked out, a decision in this regard would be taken in day or two. He hinted that Mr Sharma could not take the support of his group for granted.

The former president of the local unit and a former senior deputy mayor, Mr Prem Sagar Jain, stated categorically that the councillors would not do anything which went against the interests of Mr Sharma.

Neglected garden attracts few visitors
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, Aug 4 — Topiary Garden in Sector 6 here appears to have lost its glory. Once a favourite place for strollers, the garden known for its 29 different animal topiaries today attracts few visitors.

Spread over an area of six acres, the garden was the first one to be set up in the town in 1986 by the horticulture wing of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA). Lack of upkeep of the garden has forced the visitors to frequent other well-maintained gardens in the area.

Till the early nineties the garden remained the venue of the famous annual Spring Fest before the venue was shifted to Yavanika in Sector 5. The state of neglect of the features in the garden can be gauged from the fact that a water fountain — installed in 1993 — has been lying unoperational for the past one year. The equipment of the fountain lies damaged at some places.

Ms Veenu Sharma, a resident of Sector 9, who used to often visit the place, lamented that dry water body of the fountain presented a poor picture. Other gardens like Nirjhar Vatika and Yavanika were now her favourite places for strolling.

Another visitor to the garden, Mr Vinod Chadha, said all the decorative lights along the paths were not functional and soft music piped through the speakers installed below the decorative lights was seldom played.

Though lawns had been mowed, a water body with an artificial small bridge was full of wild grass. It appears that the water body had not been cleared of the wild growth and algae for long. A channel to bring water to the water body has been covered by wild growth and the motor used to lift the water back is reportedly lying unoperational.

Visitors while demanding more attention of the authorities towards the upkeep of the garden feel that some new features should be added to the garden. Official of the horticulture wing say that there are only five gardeners to look after the garden.

Price monitoring cell set up
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 4 — With a view to evolve a suitable mechanism and monitor the prices of essential commodities in the city, the UT Administration has set up a "price monitoring cell".

The idea is to have as many meetings as possible and there is provision of at least one meeting in one month. The committee is expected to keep watch on the prices of essential commodities.

Sources pointed out that a close watch on the prices of essential commodities was a significant step, particularly towards the welfare of jhuggi-dwellers and labourers.

The cell has been set up under the chairmanship of the Deputy Commissioner. The members include the SDM(Central and South), the Secretary of the market committee, and the Deputy Director of the Food and Supplies Department.

The official work will also be carried out in the Department of Food and Supplies.

The committee is also expected to suggest remedial measures, take the necessary steps and report the matter to the Administration. Such steps are necessary for accountability, sources add.

SNIPPETS

More PU results out
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 4 — Panjab University has declared the result of MA I and II (Gandhian and peace studies) and MA I (geography) examinations, here today. Copies of the result gazette will be available at the new enquiry building for consultation by students on all working days.

Candidates who have applied for admission to MA I of ancient Indian history, culture and archeology, economics, geography, history, philosophy, public administration, psychology, sociology and political science courses on July 23 and could not appear for interviews on July 28 and 29 are required to appear before the Joint Admission Cell on August 7 betwween 9.30 am and 1.30 pm at Arts Block IV, PU.

The final merit list will be displayed on August 12 instead of August 6 in respective departments. Candidates who are offered admission will be required to deposit their fee on August 13. The admissions will take place in Arts Block IV (first floor).

‘Quality important for food industry’
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 4 — The need for building up quality and safety management system is important specially for the food industry right from the stage of raw material procurement and production till the product reaches the consumer, says Dr D.R. Kohli, Deputy Director-General (North), Bureau of Indian Standards. He was inaugurating a two-day training programme on implementation of food safety and quality management system in food industry here yesterday.

He informed the participants that the hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) was a process control system designed to identify and prevent microbial and residual pesticides and pathogens and other hazards in food production. The system emphasised prevention of problems during production rather than inspection of the end product. Adoption of these systems would enable the company to compete effectively in national and international markets.

The programme is being conducted by Ms Shashi Sareen, Additional Director, and Mr D. Jha, Additional Director, BIS. They had been trained and recognised by the National Sanitation Foundation, USA, and the Quality Assurance Services, Australia.

Arrests, stirs over helmet continue
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 4 — Two more jathas of five members each courted arrest as the agitation against compulsory wearing of helmets by both women drivers and pillion riders of two-wheelers entered its 18th day today.

Members of the local unit of Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) took out an anti-helmet procession from the Bapu Dham gurdwara which moved through various parts of the city before reaching the Sector 17 Plaza where a protest rally was held.

Several workers then went towards the Punjab Civil Secretariat in defiance of the prohibitory orders and five of them — Ms Nirmal Kaur, Ms Kuldip Kaur, Mr Gurcharan Singh Bedi, Mr K.S. Chadha and Mr Kashmira Singh —courted arrest.

Mr Gurpartap Singh Riar, President of the local unit of SAD, said that a big procession would be taken out from gurdwara Khuda Ali Sher tomorrow in continuation of the agitation.

Meanwhile, the Sikh Nari Manch joined by several other Sikh organisations took out a procession from the Sector 20 gurdwara. The procession moved through Sectors 20, 33, 21, 22, 23 and 24 raising slogans against the Chandigarh Administration and injustice done to Sikh women. Five persons — Ms Gurbux kaur, Ms Amarjeet Kaur, Ms Salinder Kaur, Mr Swaran Singh and Mr Surinder Singh, who started 24-hour chain hunger strike at the Sector 34 gurdwara in the morning — courted arrest later in the day at the culmination of the protest procession.

Procession by hotel workers
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 4 — Members of the Hotel Workers Union marched in procession in Sectors 35 and 22 here yesterday in support of their demands.

According to a press note, out of 24 hoteliers, 12 had accepted their demands and signed agreements for five years. The union, after waiting for a long time, had issued notices for strike, stating that the workers would not be responsible if they went on strike during parties.

The press note alleged that while the hoteliers had raised their rates in menu and tariff, the demands of the workers had not been met.

The main demands of the workers included revision in wages and annual increments.

Engineers' ultimatum on cases
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 4 — The Association of UT Power Engineers has served an ultimatum on the Chandigarh Administration to withdraw the false cases registered against power engineers, failing which the engineers would resort to work to rule.

The association, in a memorandum submitted to the administration, today alleged that no action had been initiated on the representation submitted on July 1. The administration has made no efforts to examine the details of the FIRs registered against power engineers. It also condemned the administration for keeping 'innocent' officers in jail for the past two months.

Judge records evidence
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 4 — The Sessions Judge, Mr B.S. Bedi, who held court at the high security Burail Jail, today recorded the examination-in-chief and cross-examiantion of Mr Gurpreet Singh, an employee of Ranbaxy Laboratories, in the ongoing Beant Singh assassination case.

Although Gurpreet admitted that he knew Navjot Singh, one of the suspects in the case, he expressed his inability to recoganise the handwriting of Navjot Singh on loose papers and his diary. He also did not own the statement typed by the CBI and attributed to him.

The CBI dropped Gurpreet Singh as a prosecution witness as he was considered to have turned hostile. The CBI has examined 92 prosecution witnesses. It has lined up some 400 witnesses in the case.

‘Shift apni mandi’
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 4 — The Residents Welfare Association of the Customs Colony, Sector 37-C, has demanded the shifting of the “apni mandi”, which is held near the colony every Saturday.

In a representation to the Mayor, Mr Kewal Krishan Addiwal, the association alleged that the “apni mandi” had become a source of nuisance as the farmers bringing their produce urinated and defecated in the open.

New PDCC press secy
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, Aug 4 — The President of the Panchkula District Congress Committee, Mr R.S. Chauhan, has appointed Mr Ravinder Rawal the Press Secretary of the Panchkula DCC, according to a party press note.