& V I C I N I T Y
Thursday, February 4, 1999
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C H A N D I G A R H & V I C I N I T Y |
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Thursday, February 4, 1999 |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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Link road in bad shape Trenches
pose problems |
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Seminar
on career options in Army Punjab
sainik bhavan opened |
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Link road in
bad shape CHANDIGARH, Feb 2 — The stretch of road linking Palsora village and Sector 55 with the city and SAS Nagar is a picture of neglect owing to the alleged indifference on the part of the local Municipal Corporation. The stretch, which is part of the old Chandigarh-Kharar road, is in such a deplorable state that there is hardly any part of it which is without pot-holes and craters. As a result, the residents of Palsora village and Sector 55 Chandigarh Housing Board flats face a number of problems. The non-functioning of the street-lights on the road has made accidents a routine feature on the road. Those travelling on bicycles are the worst hit, particularly during night, as they are unable to see the pot-holes and a large number of heaps of cowdung covering berms along the road. According to Mr Balwant Singh, a resident of Sector 55, the road has not been repaired by the authorities concerned for the past two years. He said the biggest problem for the residents was the presence of garbage and cowdung on both sides of the road." We cannot even breathe properly due to a nauseating smell caused by the presence of garbage, cowdung and burning of plastic by roadside junk dealers,"he complained. Mr B.R. Rangara and Mr G.R. Thakur, chairman and president of the CHB Flats Residents Welfare Association, alleged that inspite of a number of complaints to the Adviser and the MC authorities nothing has been done to improve the condition of the road and its surroundings. "Everytime we lodge a complaint with the authorities, an eye-wash is done by doing minor repairs," they said. Mr Rangara said the residents were exposed to unhygienic conditions due to garbage and cowdung which lay unattended in front of the CHB flats. He demanded arrangements for permanent removal of garbage from the road without any delay. When contacted, Mr
Puranjit Singh, Chief Engineer of the local Municipal
Corporation assured that the road would be repaired soon.
Regarding the problem of street lights, he said it was
mainly due to shortage of staff with the civic body. |
Trenches
pose problems CHANDIGARH, Feb 3 — With different agencies entrusted with the maintenance task working at cross-purposes, residents of the government flats in Sector 33-A, are facing many problems. A visit to the sector today showed that the area within the compound had been dug up at a number of places by the Telecom and the Electricity Departments, putting the residents to a lot of inconvenience. The trenches are virtual "death traps" at night time due to the non-functioning of streetlights. According to Maninder Kaur, a resident in the flats, the leaking water supply pipes had turned these trenches into small ponds of water which had virtually blocked the entry to a block of 64 flats. Naked wires in the trenches had made the life of the residents difficult and due to this they did not allow the children to play in the open, added another resident, Ms Santosh. Moreover, the wiring inside the flats was sub-standard resulting in the frequent damage to the electric appliances, she added. What irked the residents most was that despite repeated complaints to the authorities concerned, the situation had not improved. Whenever the Public Health Wing of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC) or UT Electricity Department had been approached, their stock reply had been that it was not their job, rued Ms Mohinder Kaur. Ms Santosh also said that they had been getting muddy water for the past several days. Moreover, there was leakage in the rooms on account of substandard construction material used, she alleged. Meanwhile, residents have
opposed the construction of a proposed block in the
compound. The construction of the new block would lead to
overcrowding in the complex and leave little space for
children to play, they argued. |
PU plans
open evaluation CHANDIGARH, Feb 3 — Panjab University is considering a proposal where answersheets would be evaluated in presence of students. The entire task of conducting the examination and evaluating answersheets will be assigned to the teacher who has taught the course. A high-level committee under the chairmanship of the Dean, University Instructions has forwarded the recommendation to various teaching departments for their comments. The final approval will come after consent from the Board of Studies, sources said. In the first phase departments of Political Science and Sociology have offered to take the lead. Other departments identified for the scheme are LLM, Chemical Engineering and undergraduate and postgraduate science streams on the campus, sources said. The proposal if implemented will allow the students to see for themselves the flaws in their copies. In case students are dissatisfied with the evaluation, the matter could be referred to a moderation committee which will have specialists in the paper concerned. To ensure fair play on part of the teacher, the paper which will be set will have to be approved from the board of examination, sources said. The committee comprised, among others, the Controller of Examination, the Registrar, Prof Gopal Krishan, Dr Pushpinder Syal, Prof B.S. Brar, Prof Veer Singh and Prof H.M. Dani. Prof Brar of the Department of Political Science when asked for comments said the proposal was in a preliminary stage. He said two positive consequences would be that the declaration of results could be speeded up. This would also reduce the number of cases of students applying for re- evaluation. In fact, such cases could be eliminated completely. There was criticism over the past few years that the teaching standards were falling. This was due to the reason that students were not taking classes and as result teachers had also become casual in several cases. This system would allow seriousness on both accounts. This would allow teacher to ask more pointed questions based on classroom teaching. Students would also be forced to read the 'suggested reading' referred to by teachers. Apart from increasing attendance, there would be lesser cases of "out of syllabi" papers as teachers could maintain a diary of the chapters dealt in classes on a day to day basis, Prof Brar added. Sources, however, pointed out that there was an argument that it would be difficult to implement the scheme at the undergraduate level or in postgraduate courses which were also run by colleges. Another criticism against the proposal was that there could be chances of victimisation. Those in favour of the scheme contested that average performance of students in all papers could be taken into consideration in case of complaint of victimisation. The case could then be addressed at an appropriate redressal forum. The committee was formed after a meeting of the heads of teaching and non-teaching departments with the Vice Chancellor. It considered the problems that were arising out of delay in the declaration of results. It was found out that the current system of having external examiners did not guarantee seriousness. The panel of paper setters sent by teaching departments were often rejected. Teachers were not keen on setting papers because the effort did neither offer much remuneration nor was of any academic advantage to the teacher concerned. The teachers who ultimately ended setting up the paper often did not do a thorough job. Even while evaluating, there were cases of a teacher correcting more than 60 papers a day which amounted to"butchering". The matter had come up for detailed discussion on several occasions in the Syndicate and the Senate. Most members of the
present committee were overwhelmingly in favour of the
new scheme. After success at the campus level the
committee could study how the scheme could be extended to
undergraduate courses. |
Dharna by
powermen CHANDIGARH, Feb 3 — Members of the UT Powermen Union staged a dharna in support of their demands before the office of electricity division number 1 in Sector 17 here today. The agitators raised
slogans against the Administration for not accepting
their long-pending demands, which include scrapping the
disciplinary action initiated against the workers who
participated in the December 11 strike, grant of bonus to
all UT employees and grant of PSEB scales to left out
categories of workers.
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Seminar on
career options in Army CHANDIGARH, Feb 3 — The Punjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC) in association with the HQ Recruiting Zone , Ambala, will organise a presentation-cum-seminar on career options in the Army at the university auditorium on February 10 at 11 a.m. The presentation will be
conducted by officers from various streams and an
armament display will also be conducted on the occasion,
according to a statement by the Dean, Student Welfare,
PU, here today. |
Punjab
sainik bhavan opened CHANDIGARH, Feb 3 — Mr Gurbinder Kaur Chahal, Principal Secretary, Defence Services Welfare, today inaugurated a Punjab sainik bhavan built at a cost of Rs 1 crore in Sector 21, Chandigarh. It is the first state-level guest house for ex-servicemen. The sainik bhavan complex is a four-storeyed building with a basement. The ground and first floor are occupied by the Directorate of Sainik Welfare, Punjab. The second and third floors are meant for the rest house. She gave a cheque for Rs 1
lakh to Lt-Gen Amarjit Singh Sandhu in recognition of his
services for which he was awarded the Param Vashisht Sewa
Medal. She also gave another cheque to Col Gurdial Singh
(Mahavir Chakra) in recognition of his services for which
he had already been given a gallantry award. |
CHANDIGARH, Feb 3 — The Mayor, Mr Kewal Krishan Addiwal, here today inaugurated an exhibition, Lepakshi heritage collection '99 at Panchayat Bhavan. The exhibition has been organised by the Andhra Pradesh Handicrafts Development Corporation, a government undertaking engaged in the promotion of the crafts and textiles produced by weavers and artisans of Andhra. Mr Addiwal, who was accompanied by the Senior Deputy Mayor, evinced keen interest in the exhibits. Condemned: A former Mayor, Mr Gian Chand Gupta, on Wednesday flayed the decision of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh to fill 46 posts of firemen in one go. He alleged no decision to fill such a large number of posts had been taken by the corporation. Meanwhile, the police had
a tough time in controlling hundreds of aspirants for the
posts,who had come for physical test from far-off places. |
CHANDIGARH, Feb 3 —Most adolescents in the USA and India show preference for other activities while engaged in schoolwork, which was a part of the structured activity of these teenagers although Indians put in more time in schoolwork as against their American counterparts. This was stated by Prof Reed Larson of the University of Ilinois at a seminar on ``Adolescents and their emotions'', organised by the Department of Psychology, Panjab University. He concludes from his findings that mood swings in teenagers very considerably within a short span of time. Most experience a state of timelessness when engaged in an activity of their choice and there was a sense of merging with the activity they were engaged in. He focussed on positive and negative emotions and how these affected the thinking of teenagers. He also observed that though there was a high level of concentration and challenge in household and schoolwork, teenagers experienced low emotional and motivation levels during these activities. There was, however, a stark difference in how teenagers in India and the USA spent their leisure time. While Indian teenagers spent considerable time with their family, most teenagers in the USA spent this time with friends. Seminar : At a seminar on ``Think globally, act locally: experiences of China and India'' held at the Department of Sociology, Mr Kumud Singh, Strategic Consultant, said we need to focus on China not only from the defence point of view but also for the fact that China which faces almost the same challenges as India, makes the best out of the difficult situations. China was quick to implement land reforms, has a literacy level which has far exceeded that of India, halved its child mortality rate and reduced the poverty level considerably. Science Day: The Department of Biotechnology in collaboration with the city chapter of the Indian Science Congress Association and the Indian National Science Academy is organising National Science Day from February 26 to 28. The programme will include events such as debate, quiz, on the spot painting competition and lectures by eminent personalities on ``Harnessing Internet for biological studies''. These events will be open to students of schools, colleges and university. Lecture: The AC
Joshi Memorial lecture will be held on February 10 at the
auditorium of the Department of English. The Secretary
from the Department of Biotechnology, New Delhi, Dr (Mrs)
Manju Sharma, will deliver a talk on ``Importance of
basic research, education and training in biology''. |
CHANDIGARH, Feb 3 — Two travellers were drugged and robbed of their cash totalling Rs 25,000 after they reportedly accepted drug laced sweets from another traveller staying in Satsang Bhavan in Sector 26 last night. The two — Mr Jaswinder Singh of Faridabad and Mr Surinder Kumar of Himachal Pradesh — were staying in the Bhavan. After dinner they were offered gulab jamuns by a fellow traveller. The two became unconscious after taking the sweets and were robbed of their cash. While Mr Jaswinder Singh lost around Rs 4900, Mr Surinder Kumar lost nearly Rs 20,000. A case under section 328 of the IPC has been registered. Succumbs to burns: A Kangra-based newly married woman, who was admitted to the PGI, succumbed to her burns on Wednesday. In her dying declaration before a magistrate she has reportedly named her mother-in-law, Shanti Devi and Brother-in-law, Subhash, for having set her on fire after pouring kerosene on January 30. The deceased Suman Kumari (21), was married eight months ago to Umesh Mehta. Four injured: Four persons have been injured in separate road accidents in the city. Mr Dinesh Kumar of Ram Darbar was injured when his scooter collided with a Maruti car on the road dividing Sectors 10 and 11. Mr Kaka Singh of Sector 30 was injured when his scooter collided with bus on the Chandigarh-Ambala highway. Mr Paramjeet Singh of Sector 37 was hurt on the same highway when his scooter collided with a bus. Mr Deepak Singh of Sector 8 was injured when the handle of his scooter got locked accidentally, thus throwing him off the vehicle. Complaint: The Superintendent of the House Allotment Committee, Chandigarh Administration, Mr Surat Singh, has lodged a complaint with the police, saying that water taps, wash basins, man hole covers and other household articles have been stolen from a government house in Sector 24. PANCHKULA Booked: A municipal councillor of Kalka along with three others have been booked by the police for illegally selling liquor at Kalka and other neighbouring areas. According to the information available, a Maruti van ( HNE 6918) which was intercepted near Zirakpur was found carrying 1520 pouches of liquor and 168 bottles of IMFL. The van driver, Sandeep Kumar, on being interrogated by the police disclosed that he was working for Mohinder Singh alias Mindi, a resident of Sector 15 here. He disclosed that Mohinder
Singh in connivance with Raj Kumar Gupta, a resident of
Housing Board colony, Kalka, used to smuggle liquor from
Zirakpur to be sold in Kalka, Parwanoo, and Shimla. |
CHANDIGARH, Feb 3 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today adjourned to February 5 the appeal filed by Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, SGPC President, seeking directions for staying the operation of the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission order restraining Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta from functioning as SGPC Secretary. Mr Justice N.K. Sodhi, who handed down this order, held: "It is not in dispute that Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta, who was restrained from working and functioning as Senior SGPC Secretary Amritsar, has filed an application before the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission, for reviewing its order. This application is fixed for today. It is, therefore, necessary to wait for the decision of the judicial commission." The Judge directed that the appeal be listed for hearing on February 5 at 1.45 p.m. Earlier, counsel for Mr Tohra contended that the commission order was illegal. It was passed before the petition was amended. In the original petition, the SGPC was a party. The commission had not given to it two months' mandatory notice. The committee was deleted as a party after the order was passed. The name of the SGPC as a party in the order is a proof. Moreover, the order was passed without impleading Mr Calcutta as a party. Counsel for 10 SGPC members, on the other hand, contended that the judicial commission had not passed ex parte order, as was alleged by Mr Tohra. Parties to the case were heard and record seen. He told the court that notice was not required as SGPC was not a party. He argued that the order was passed only after a prima facie case was made out against him. He was overaged. Mr Calcutta was appointed at a meeting held on December 16, 1998, which was attended only five of the 15 Executive Members. Ten members did not attend the meeting as the SGPC had issued a press note stating that the meeting had been postponed. Contractor gets bail The High Court today granted bail to Yash Pal Saggi, an electrical cont- ractor, who was booked by the Chandigarh Administration for offences under Sections 420 and 120-B, IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act. Mr Justice R.L. Anand, who handed down this order held: "I am not convinced with any of the submissions raised by counsel for the respondents. This is a liberty matter." The Judge added: "The case of the prosecution rests on documentary evidence. Still the interest of the state can be safeguarded by imposing certain conditions on the petitioner. In view of this, the petitioner is granted bail to the satisfaction of the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Chandigarh with certain stipulations." The stipulations are that the petitioner shall not tamper with prosecution evidence directly or indirectly. He shall not exert any influence on the prosecution witnesses, so much so that he shall not enter those areas in which the prosecution witnesses reside. The Judge held that in case the petitioner tampered with evidence, the state would be at liberty to make a request to the High Court for the cancellation of the bail. "I have also taken into consideration the fact that the petitioner is a heart patient and has undergone two heart bypass operations," he observed. The allegations against
Saggi were that he had caused heavy losses to the
Chandigarh Administration during the execution of
electrification work at the Sector 32 Government Medical
College and Hospital.
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