& V I C I N I T Y
Monday, February 22, 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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Monday, February 22, 1999 |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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Nursing
homes to get sites Defence
studies course to continue PGI
strike ends |
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Writer
‘must feel’ strongly for others Civic
amenities lacking in Bhabbat village
Information
lacking on insurance schemes Guilty
mom on the run Veterinary
dispensaries ill-equipped Stress
on change in attitude Light
reading takes a backseat Lawyers
extend stir on chamber issue ‘Self-regulation
of society needed’ |
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Nursing
homes to get sites CHANDIGARH, February 21 — Close on the heels of permitting residential premises for use as nursing homes, subject to certain conditions, the Chandigarh Administration has now finalised a new policy under which sites can be allotted for new nursing homes in various parts of the city on 99-year lease hold basis. This scheme shall cover all those existing nursing homes in the city which otherwise do not qualify to be run from residential premises for not fulfilling any of the qualifying conditions. Further, only those trusts, societies or individuals, who are already running nursing homes within the union territory shall be eligible under “The Allotment of Land for Nursing Homes on Leasehold Basis in Chandigarh Scheme, 1999”. Further, the beneficiaries should have sufficient financial resources to pay at least 25 per cent of the advertised cost of the land, in addition to 25 per cent of the estimated cost of construction of building on the site.He must pay 10 per cent of the premium with his application to become eligible for screening and for inclusion in the draw of lots. The applications for allotment of sites shall be invited by the Estate Office and allotment shall be made by the draw of lots from amongst the list of eligible applicants to be finalised by a screening committee comprising the Chief Administrator, the Chief Architect, the Estate Officer, the Joint Secretary, Finance, and the Director, Health Services. Once the draw of lots is approved by the Administrator of Chandigarh, the allottees will have to make payment of further 15 per cent of the premium. The remaining 75 per cent of the premium can be paid within 30 days without any interest or in 10 annual instalments along with interest at the rate of 10 per cent per annum or such higher rate of interest as may be determined by the Administrator. The lease will start from the date of allotment. In addition to the premium, the allottees shall also pay rent which for the first 33 years shall be 2.5 per cent of the premium which will be enhanced to 3.75 per cent of the premium for the next 33 years. The Administration has also decided to impose a three-year condition for the completion of buildings on the allotted sites. The limit can be extended by the Estate Officer for sufficient reasons. The scheme also prohibits sale of the allotted site by way of general power of attorney. The allottee is also not allowed to make any change in the use of land other than a nursing home or health centre. The Administration is now expected to identify sites in different parts of the city before inviting applications from the existing nursing homes. A spokesman maintained that the process of allotment of sites would start within the next couple of months. The sites to be earmarked
as nursing homes would have all those facilities which
had been made mandatory for running a nursing home from a
residential area, he added. |
Defence
studies course to continue CHANDIGARH, February 21 — Panjab University’s Faculty of Arts has ushered in a new ray of hope for the survival of the postgraduate course in defence and strategic studies. A meeting of the faculty, attended by 65 members, unanimously favoured the continuation of the course. Doubts about the course had emerged during the current session with the university considering at one point of time that the course be discontinued in view of lack of infrastructure. Those who favoured its discontinuation argued that the course did not have the required staff strength and had been relying too much on guest teachers. In absence of infrastructural facilities, even students tended to be non serious ,it was argued. Many eyebrows were raised on the relevance of the subject during current times. A high-powered committee was constituted to look into the question of retaining this course. In the meeting of the faculty, Prof. Anirudh Joshi, said that the subject of Defence and Strategic Studies had vital importance in the present scenario. He said there was no rationale in discontinuing the course. Prof Charanjit Chawla suggested that since the subject was also being taught in the colleges affiliated to the university, teachers from these should also be associated with the board of studies in the subject. The Dean of the Faculty, Dr Pam Rajput, read out a letter from the head of the Political Science Department saying that there was no decision to discontinue admission in MA classes. Mr G.K. Chatrath said experts in the subject should be invited to frame syllabus. The course needed to be strengthened as the faculty was unanimous in favouring its continuation, he added. The faculty resolved that views of the members would be conveyed to the Board of Studies. The faculty also approved that the outlines for tests, syllabi and courses of reading in the subject would remain same as ever for the examination in the year 2000. All eyes are set on any formal announcement by the high powered committee which, met recently with hope being expressed that recommendations will come as a saviour for the course. Interestingly, the
university was also considering to set up a separate
department for studying the India-Pakistan relations. The
subject had cropped up in 1999. However, no formal
announcement regarding this has been made by the
university. |
Missing
murder files found CHANDIGARH, February 21 — The missing files of two murder cases that had sent shockwaves among local police circles were found in a dramatic fashion in an abandoned store room on the first floor of the Sector 26 police station yesterday afternoon. According to sources in the Police Department, one of the files pertaining to the murder of a political activist, Inder Pal Gupta, was said to be complete. The other file containing the records of a murder of Ganpat Rai in 1983 was incomplete, said a highly placed official while confirming that the files had been found. An inquiry into the episode had been ordered following reports in these columns on February 5 and 15. An inspection of the police station was carried out immediately by the SP, City, Mr Baldev Singh. Then the munshi and the malkhana (record room) munshi had given statements to the SP that the files and the FIR books were untraceable. The keys to the room where the files were found are with the malkhana munshi. During the course of inquiry, the SP had issued notices to an Inspector, who was the investigating officer, asking him about the whereabouts of the files. Yesterday when the SP came to visit the police station again, one of the lower-level policemen pointed out that a room on the upper floor had not been searched. Within minutes the two files were found. How the files, which were said to be missing till a few day ago, were suddenly found is yet a mystery. A senior police official confirmed that during the previous inquiry the munshi and the malkhana munshi had said that the files were not in the police station. Among police circles the finding of the files has been taken with surprise. Even the finding of the files may not absolve the guilty cops as no records of the case are available. The cases were never put to trial and there are no entries in the case diaries. Interestingly the finding recorded in the files may not land the perosn arrested earlier behind the bars. The police will have to start investigations afresh, if necessary. Another aspect of the
missing file case is that the Chandigarh Administrator,
Lieut-Gen B.K.N. Chhibber (retd), had ordered an inquiry
on February 16 and the Legal Remembrancer, Mr Sanjay
Kumar, was to conduct it. Now, under these circumstances,
will Mr Baldev Singh’s inquiry hold weight or not is
yet to be clarified. This will be known only when offices
open tomorrow after the weekend break. |
PGI strike
ends CHANDIGARH, February 21 — The PGI seemed to be limping back to normalcy after the two-day strike by faculty members of the institute ended here today. Patients were admitted to the emergency and general wards. Planned surgeries will be
carried out tomorrow. The OPDs will also function
tomorrow. |
Yuva chetna
yatra
flagged off CHANDIGARH, February 21 — Mr Gian Chand Gupta, a former Mayor, today flagged off the yuva chetna yatra of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) from the Sector 33 office of the BJP — Kamalam — to Fatehgarh Sahib. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Gupta hoped the yatra would strengthen cultural ties between the Hindus and the Sikhs. Led by the BJYM president, Mr Satinder Singh, hundreds of morcha activists, sporting yellow “patkas”, assembled at the party office in the morning. The activists were accompanied by a number of Nihangs. The yatra would cover Sohana, Landran and Chunni villages before culminating at Fatehgarh Sahib. It has been organised as part of the nationwide yatras organised by the BJYM to awaken the youth and tercentenary celebrations of the Khalsa. Prominent among those present on the occasion were Mr Muni Lal, MP and president of the All-India Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes Morcha, Mr Dharam Pal Gupta, city BJP President, Mr Parshotam Mahajan, senior vice-president, Ms Neena Gupta, president of the Mahila Morcha, Mr Gurdeep Singh and Mr Harbhajan Singh, General Secretary and President, respectively, of the Kisan Morcha. The yatra was welcomed at SAS Nagar by a delegation of the BJP led by SAS Nagar Mandal President Kamal Dev Sharma. Mr Sharma said the yatra
would spread communal harmony among different sections of
society. |
Writer
‘must feel’ strongly for others CHANDIGARH, February 21 — A good writer should have unfettered imagination coupled with uncommon intensity to feel situations, said Mohan Bhandari, a Sahitya Akademi award winner, during an interaction session at the ongoing Chandigarh Book Fair here today. The eminent Punjabi short story writer said it was not easy to define how a writer completed a piece of writing.The process is that of being possessed by the idea and ended with its penning down. Search for a story could be compared to a “naughty little girl” running home through narrow lanes of a village until she reached the door of its house.The search is itself a part of the process. Certain stories satisfied the writer after its completion in just one go.Others often have to be revised several times and are yet less appealing. Another quality of a good writer was compassion for fellow beings.He has to feel strongly for others and for issues. He also has to balance between feelings and what ultimately comes out on paper. Over-indulgence in representation of a personal tragedy should be avoided, he said. Replying to a question that few of the earlier winners of the akademi award were controversial, he said he was glad that his award had not generated any controversy. He thought the award was delayed but a good writer was like a “patient man standing in the queue of a depot waiting for his turn”. Writers have to stand up to the challenge of why cheap literature sold more than books of eminence. Writers have to goad people with their arguments as to why good literature had immortal value. Replying to how he felt when he was compared as the “Chekov of Punjab”, Bhandari said in a lighter vein”what problem should I have being compared to an all-time classical writer”. Mr G.S.Bhullar, Editor of
the Punjabi Tribune, presided over the interaction.Also
present on the occasion were Mr Gulzar Singh Sandhu, an
eminent writer, and Dr Kirpal Singh, an eminent Sikh
historian. |
Tips on
teaching from Britain CHANDIGARH, February 21 — The 10-member delegation from Britain was given a traditional welcome at Kailash Bahl DAV Centenary Public School, Sector 7, here today. The foreigners watched the lively ‘giddha’ presented by students with great interest. The Principal, Mrs Madhu Bahl, said that the education system adopted by India was a blend of the systems of the advanced nations. This was followed by a speech from Mr R.S. Vig, one of the principals of Lea Campus schools. He said that he had gathered that the Indian system of education was very rigid in approach and the child continued to learn without any understanding. He added, “It is very vital for India to take pride in its culture to succeed.” Mr Vig stressed the need for giving a serious thought to ‘brain drain’, to realising the child is important as a whole and that education was not only about passing examinations but about respect, community relations and civics. The teachers of local DAV schools in their interaction with the delegates said they were impressed by the foreigners’ practical approach to teaching. Mrs Sucheta Khurana and Mrs Shakuntala Mukherjee explained that the teachers spoke of taking help from psychologists which, in India, is a major stigma. “They have divided the class into four groups on the basis of the children’s IQ and the psychologists’ reading of the child. This enables the teacher to pay more attention to children who are below average and helps boost the child’s confidence.” “In the UK, during the zero period, the Principal holds a class of the teachers on the subject of child psychology, which gives a greater insight into the problems the child faces. This is practically non-existent in our system,” reveals Mrs Anjana Arun while Mrs Sukhmani Jaidka adds, “The emphasis on theory in our country makes any experimentation with the method of teaching virtually impossible.” Mrs Kavita Sharma explains that the entire thrust of imparting education is based on building confidence and self esteem in the child and small number of students enables a teacher to take a personal interest in the problems of the children. In contrast, we have 50 to 60 students in a class which should be addressed. Mrs Anju Mittal thinks education can be imparted better if the major subjects are given more time everyday than those less important. “One of the teachers I spoke to informed me that everything being informal about the system, there is no pressure on the teachers to stick to the rules laid down by the heads of the institute or on the child by the teachers since they are free to ask questions anytime,” informs Mrs Sneh Sethi. All teachers agree that
the British experience they had was an eye-opener which
will go a long way in improving the way they look at
teaching even though the interaction took place for a
very limited period. |
Living in
Chandigarh or a village? CHANDIGARH, February 21 — Can you believe a sub-sector in Chandigarh without roads? If not, visit the housing complex for Haryana Government employees in Sector 39-B here whose inhabitants are being virtually forced to live without roads and other basic civic amenities. Residents living in over 350 flats alleged that since the first batch of employees shifted to the sector in October 1995, hardly any civic amenity had been provided by the authorities concerned. And this is despite the fact that repeated reminders had been sent to them. The biggest problem for the residents is the virtual absence of internal roads. The entry to several blocks is virtually blocked, with many potholes filled with dirty water. The entry to several blocks, from house number 1269 to 80, 1377 to1384 and 1455 to 1464, is almost clogged. The situation worsened in the rainy season when the accumulated water almost cut off a majority of blocks from the surrounding area, complained Mr Rajinder Jain, Treasurer of the Haryana Government Employees Welfare Association, Sector 39-B. Mr Chander Bhan Sharma, a resident, narrated an incident from the rainy season last year, when one of his relative was “marooned” in the rain water and had difficulty in reaching his house.It was for the first time that he was embarrassed of living in a “well-planned” city like Chandigarh. As most of the streetlights, particularly in the newly-allotted blocks, do not function properly, driving during night is dangerous and thefts are common, alleged the President of the association, Mr Baljit Singh Radhu. The residents also alleged that the Haryana Government allotted houses even before the area was equipped with basic facilities by the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC). For instance, the units from house number 1455 to 1464 had been allotted without constructing the ramps and roads in front. No service lines for the electricity supply have been provided to these houses. Since the main electricity pole is situated at one end of the block, the allottees will have to bear the cost of the service lines. Apart from this, none of the five-odd parks in the complex have been developed. Construction material has been dumped in one of the parks allegedly by a contractor. The sector does not have a post office and a school. The residents have to go to the Sector 40 Post Office. Similarly, the only nearby school is in Sector 39-C and that is only up to the middle standard. The area does not have a community centre and a market. “It is a village-like existence for us with the authorities turning a deaf ear towards our genuine problems”, rued Mr Amar Singh Hira. The residents demanded more bus routes for the area since the existing bus service, besides being irregular , is inadequate. The Senior Deputy Mayor and the area Councillor, Mr Kanhya Lal Sharma, claimed that the estimates for constructing V-6 roads in the complex had been approved and the work was likely to be completed before the monsoon. He also said that he had
promised a park in the sub-sector from his area
development fund. |
Civic
amenities lacking in Bhabbat village ZIRAKPUR, February 21 — Residents of Bhabbat village, situated 2 km from here, have complained of step-motherly treatment by the Akali-BJP government in the development of the village. The village, having nearly 500 acres of land, lacks civic amenities like street lights and sewerage. The Civil Dispensary here is functioning in the Panchayat Ghar since 1972 with one doctor, a compounder and two assistants. “The panchayat is ready to provide land to new dispensary, for which it had made several written representations to the Punjab Government, but without any response,” said the Sarpanch of the village, Mr Dharam Singh. Government High School in the village has a strength of nearly 1100 students and 25 teachers. Repeated requests to upgrade the school to plus two-level have not yielded results. The issue has also been discussed with Education Minister, Punjab, Tota Singh, but no step has been taken by the department so far, adds Mr Kulwant Singh, a resident of the village. More than 200 acres of the village have been acquired by Chandigarh Aerodrome authorities. The government, however, is not paying any attention to lay sewerage system in the village . Mr Arnesh Kumar, a young man, complains that in 1993, the village panchayat had allotted 4 acres of land for a multipurpose stadium and Rs 50,000, granted by former minister Mr Harnek Singh, was spent on the construction of a stage and to fence the stadium. After that, no development work has been be carried out due to financial constraints of the panchayat. Whenever the authorities
are contacted for funds, they generally express their
helplessness. The stadium turns into a pond after rain,
he complains. The children of the village don’t have
any open space to play. |
Guilty mom
on the run CHANDIGARH, February 21 — The mother of a teenaged girl, accompanied by two men and a young girl, took the body of her daughter in a taxi and disposed of it in the waters of the Bhakra mainline canal near Ropar. Since the case came to light on the evening of February 19, the local police has been in a tizzy. The jigsaw puzzle of this mysterious case has been pieced together following versions of the taxi driver and investigations of the police. A case under Sections 201 and 118 of the IPC was registered last night in the Sector 17 police station. The woman and her companions are on the run. Taxi driver Satish Kumar had alleged that a woman and two youths hired his taxi ( CH-01-8525) from outside the General Hospital, Sector 16, on the night of February 18 saying that they had to transport a patient from Sector 23 to Ropar. While keeping the body inside the van, they had said the girl was unconscious. Along the way, the body was dumped in the canal near Behrampur village and the taxi driver sent back after threats. Police sources said after verification from Kotla Nihang village, Ropar district, it was found that the woman was living separately from her husband. Due to her allegedly “bad moral character”, the villagers had socially boycotted the woman. She used to often visit Chandigarh and even had a set of duplicate keys to a house. It was from this very house that the body was loaded into the taxi. The original keys are with a government employee. He is based in Patiala and it was through him that the investigations were completed. Residents of the Kotla Nihang village told the police party from Chandigarh that the deceased girl used to often stop her mother from going “astray”. In a fit of depression, the girl consumed some poisonous substance on February 17. Some villagers rushed her to a local doctor, who referred her to the PGI, Chandigarh. The girl, however, died on the way. The woman and her accomplices probably panicked. They took the body to the house in Sector 23. The body was kept there till the next evening. Around 10 p.m., two youths booked a taxi run by Surinder Singh. The driver, however, backed out after 30 minutes, saying that he was suspicious of the people hiring the taxi. Surinder Singh offered his passengers to any of his fellow taxi drivers. Satish Kumar jumped at the offer and reached the Sector 23 home to pick the passengers. He was asked to reverse the vehicle. One of the youths called out for the woman by the name of Jaswant Kaur, asking her to bring the girl out. The two then went in and brought out the girl wrapped in bedsheet. They explained to the driver that the girl was unconscious. Satish Kumar, the driver, told the police that he did not suspect anything and started driving. On nearing Ropar, he was asked to turn on to a link road near Behrampur village. After a few hundred yards the taxi driver was asked to stop. While Jaswant Kaur held back the driver with threats, the youths dumped the body in the canal. The driver was asked to turn back. Upon reaching the Chandigarh-Ropar road, the woman and her companions alighted from the taxi and sent back the driver to Chandigarh. The panicked driver
discussed the matter with his fellow drivers at the
taxistand and then decided to inform the police on
February 19. A police party that raided Kotla Nihang
village found the woman’s house locked. |
Veterinary
dispensaries ill-equipped ZIRAKPUR, February 21 — Villages in the vicinity of Zirakpur lack a fully- equipped hospital for veterinary care. The dispensaries in Ramgarh Phuddha and Dhakauli villages hardly meet the village requirements.Even the buildings are a picture of neglect. Built in 1986 the dispensary in Ramgarh Phuddha hardly serves any purpose, Mr Charan Singh, the village sarpanch, said. He said the administration had not bothered to keep a tab on its functioning. The residents of both the villages complained that the hospital staff came only a few times a week and that too for only three to four hours. The staff are also said to be far from sufficient. The dispensaries allegedly lack any proper arrangement to handle any serious situations. Villagers have demanded action against the staff. They also blamed the hospitals for not having enough injections and medicines. Mr Jaspal Singh says,” We have to buy medicines from the chemist.” The residents of Singhpura and Bartana villages have demanded a veterinary dispensary at their villages. According to Mr Labh Singh of Singhpura, “ it is not a child’s play to carry the ailing animal to the far-off hospitals. It consumes a lot of money and time and the worst part of it is that there is a great risk of losing the animal under such a situation”. The farmers in the area stressed the need for a good network of providing better treatment to animals. The residents of Ramgarh Phuddha complained that though the compounder reported daily at the village, yet his services were unsatisfactory. Mr Lachman Singh of
Bhabhat village said during an emergency, they have to
rush either to Chatt or Dera-Bassi veterinary
dispensaries which are at about 13 km and 9 km from here. |
Manik,
Chhavi win prizes CHANDIGARH, February 21 — Various contests marked the second day of the fete at Home Science College, Sector 10, here today. On-the-spot competitions were held in singing, mono acting, dancing and “paint your face’’. The sun shaped tattoo by Manik, a school student, won him the first prize while Chhavi with her Egyptian one was first in the girls category. The best request of the day, “O meri munni’’, came from a father for his two children, Shagun and Sahil. The singing contest was won by Abhishekh and Vicky who were jointly declared first and the second prize went to Rohit and Ravinder. Amol was given a special prize for mono-acting. In the dance contests, Sadhik was declared the best dancer while the team of Jagdeep, Amritpal, Rana and Nadeem Khan won in the category of group dance. The boy getting the maximum lollipops was declared Mr Home Science while the girl with maximum roses was given the title of Miss Home Science. They are Mr Sukhbir Singh of DAV College and Ms Dolly Arora of the host college. The rose stall and camel
rides were a major attraction for most of the students
today. The theme of the fete was “Fun and
Frolic’’ and it lived up to its name on the
concluding day.
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Plea to
save Seraiki culture CHANDIGARH, February 21 — The Federation of Migrant Groups from North-Western India, now Pakistan, today celebrated ‘Multan Day’ at the Sector 10 DAV College here. Mr Balramji Dass Tandon, Punjab Local Bodies Minister, who was the chief guest, said the Seraiki dialect, folk songs and dances were part of the Punjabi culture and heritage. These should be preserved and promoted as this would result in harmony among people of the East and West Punjab, he said. Dr M.L. Hasija, Director of Punjab Languages Department, said Seraiki was still being spoken in Bahawalpur and Multan divisions of the western Punjab, but the rich heritage was vanishing as people from the Seraiki area had been rehabilitated in different parts of Punjab and Haryana. He demanded that steps be taken to preserve the Seraiki culture and heritage. Mr O.P. Narang, the president of the Multan Sabha, highlighted the achievements of Dewan Mool Raj, a former Governor of Multan. Mr S.K. Sharma, President of the federation, urged the Governments of Punjab and Haryana and the UT Administration to take effective steps to preserve the vanishing languages, dialects and folk culture of migrants from Pakistan. Earlier, Mr Tandon released the first music album in Seraiki language, “Sawal Shah Meda Yaar”, with songs sung by Raj Kumar Chand of Delhi. As many as 25 Seraiki poets from Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh, recited poems during a ‘Seraiki Mushaira’ organised by the federation. They included Prof. Udey Bhanu Hans, Prof. Rana Partap Ghanauri, Mr Hira Nand Soz, Mr Naz Sonepati, Dr Shabad Lalit, Dr Betab Alipuri, Mr Govind Rakesh, Mr Mohinder Partap Chand, Mr Malik Raj Kumar, Mr Krishan Nanda Krishan, Mr Yog Raj, Mr J.C. Batra, Mr Atam Parkash Nandwani, Mr Bhagwan Dass Aijaz, Mrs Sushila Devi, Mr Prem Kumar Sindhi, Mr Dev Raj Dilbar, Mr Tek Chand Rajdev, Mr Purshotam Kinger and Sant Shah Singh Ji. The function was sponsored
by the Department of Cultural Affairs of Punjab and the
North Zone Cultural Centre of Patiala. |
Stress on
change in attitude CHANDIGARH, February 21 — The Bharat Vikas Parishad here today organised a seminar on “Religious conversions and social harmony”. The seminar was presided over by Justice D.V. Sehgal, former Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court. Mr Kailash Aggarwal, an industrialist, was the guest of honour on the occasion. Speaking at the seminar, Mr Kamleshwar Sinha, Associate Editor, The Tribune, said ‘Hindutva’ could not be attained by destroying mosques or burning churches. He said it is the attitude of the people which requires conversion, and not the change of religion. Mr Sinha stressed the need to differentiate between “conversions” and “convulsions”. Sardar Anjum, a noted Urdu writer and poet, and a Padmashri awardee said he was a “lover of Christ and not Christians”. “To usher in the 21st century, there is a need for international harmony today”. “People who actually understand religion treat everyone equal”, he added. Mr K.S. Arya, former Principal of DAV College, said there was social diversity in society. Mr Arya, who recently visited the North-East, Bihar, Gujarat and Orissa, gave first-hand information of the situation in the affected areas. Justice Sehgal said
removal of poverty and illiteracy were essential for the
stability of the country.
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Rock
Garden venue for marriage parties Rock Garden, which for quite many years has captivated the hearts of milliosns through the creative rock sculptures, is now offering its use as banquet hall. At a payment, a national monument can now be hired exclusively to hold private functions like weddings, birthdays or as you may like it. Such is the mania about the place that ladies are quite enthusiastic about holding kitty parties at the elegant venue as Mrs Talwar, a resident of Sector 19, plans it for next week. The Administration has thrown open the third phase of Rock Garden and its extension to the general public as per the choice of area and features. Going by the trends, quite many select the swings at the third phase while others prefer the virtual waterfall in the extended portion. The invitees amidst appreciation certainly give a chance to Mr Nek Chand to revamp his break and make creativity. With increasing popularity of the venue as banquet hall, one of the hosts laughs his way saying that, besides the garden itself, the City Beautiful can now boast of a world class banquet hall — rock banquet. Shehnais now play at Rock Garden and the ambience beats any of the well-set shamianas. As Mr Jassi, who tied his nuptial knot here in the rocks last week, says: “I felt like an emperor, attending to my guests in a fortress”. Such a feeling is obvious when one stands on the elevated parapet to cut the ceremony cake, with guests spread over evenly in the grandeur of rock settings. The royal entrance to the rock banquet cuts across the forests to the right on Uttar Marg, opposite Sector 5, a few hundred yards from the end of the lake. The general view of the banquet version makes the rock band occupy the alfresco, while the audience space generally converts into a pub. The bridge over the pond lake becomes the stage for dancing couples, whereas the indented portions form the sitting place. The open space right at the entrance forms the eating place. The fall-water gushes down the carved gullies, which looks fascinating, especially in the combination of dark night and bright lights. What Mr Nek Chand personally feels about the commercialisation of the venue is not very surprising. He feels it is the way that he would always be happy to see more and more people enjoying his creation and it really doesn’t matter if the applaud comes from guests in a private party. He offers no clarification as to why the Administration has put his world-recognised creation on hire for private shows, but inside certainly feels that the image of an international monument is at a stake. It is easy to make reservations for the rock banquet at its office in Rock Garden at an approximate cost of Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000. Well, if you think of the grace of venue you won’t find it unworthy. A general observation made around the city gives an impression that extravagant marriage parties have in recent times more or less shifted to uncommon venues. One such can be cited from the tennis courts of Lake Club adjacent to the swimming pool. It is a good choice since the lake forms the stage backdrop, besides the well-lit City Beautiful insignia on the lake island making an impressive impact. This area remains under the green carpet but for the colossal tent structures erected every now and then which also block the way to the courts and dig up holes. Shivani, a regular player at the courts, says that she is fed up with high frequency of functions held here which spoil the whole place. Trucks and tempos traverse the ground as if it was a national highway. In a running function a
cook with a catering unit made a significant statement
terming the lake as good dumping ground for whatever
wastes they are left with. He admits to the fact that a
little bit of the lake is made dirty with every passing
function. It won’t be inappropriate to say that the
tennis courts are used less for playing shots and more
for tying nuptial knots. Summit, a student of DAV
College, being a little more sarcastic, plans to send the
Administration a proposal to allow weddings and kitty
parties at the art gallery, pop and rock shows at the
lake island and star nights at the hockey or cricket
stadium. No matters the Administration has already been
working on some of his proposals. It remains to be
answered whether the Administration does it to generate
revenue or likes to be as creative as Mr Nek Chand. |
Information
lacking on insurance schemes CHANDIGARH, February 21 — Lack of information about the Army Group Insurance Medical Benefit Scheme (MBS- 95) for high-cost surgery and treatment for personnel who retired after April, 1991, has seen few availing of the unique offer, particularly at the level of Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) and other ranks (ORs). Few personnel know about the scheme and the indifference of various Sainik Boards to disseminate information about it adds to the disadvantage of the retirees. This attitude is present despite requests by the Army Welfare Fund authorities to give it wide publicity during sainik sammelans, reunions, recruiting rallies and other channels to all officers. The Army specific MBS-95 was started in 1995 and all ranks who retired prior to April 1, 1991 with service or disability pension or their widows in receipt of family pension or those who became widows while the husband was in service and are in receipt of family pension are eligible. However, there is a one-year waiting period for the date of joining and those eligible will be eligible for treatment and surgery at Army Group Insurance (AGI) approved hospitals, which are among the best in the country. Elaborating about the scheme, Col Harsharan Singh Sandhu, President of the Punjab and Chandigarh chapter of the Ex- Services League, said with a little ingenuity the personnel covered under the scheme can cut down on the cost of treatment and surgery. An effective way can be by getting all the tests done from the command hospitals and then go in for the treatment and operation at the institutions approved by the AGI. He, however, felt the need to promote such schemes more vigorously especially for the JCOs and ORs. The scheme does not cover expenditure on account of investigations, tests and post operative care and diseases caused due to nuclear, biological and chemical warfare. The scheme covers the diseases of the heart and treatment and surgery covered include angiography, angioplasty, open heart surgery, valve replacement, pacemaker implant, bypass surgery, stress thallium test and repeat angioplasty. The surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy costs in case of cancer are given. While the cost of organ will not be covered the operating cost on the donor is included in case of dialysis and renal transplant operations. Similarly, the costs of total hip/knee joint replacement, prostrate surgery (trans urethral resection of prostrate), acute phase management of stroke (cerebro- vascular accident) and lithotripsy for kidney/urethral stones are included. Those who are already members of the MBS as per earlier terms for 15 years after retirement or 70 years of age, whichever is earlier, or their widows in receipt of family pension are also eligible for life time cover benefit if they pay the additional subscription. The personnel who left service without service\disability pension, retiring personnel of the TA and the Posts and Telegraph deputationists who reverted to their parent department and did not retire from the Army are not eligible. The total benefit admissible under MBS-95 during the entire period will be Rs 2 lakh each for member and spouse subject to maximum limits. They are — heart and repeat angioplasty (Rs 1.15 lakh and Rs 85,000, respectively), cancer (Rs 1 lakh), renal transplant/dialysis (Rs 1.25 lakh), total hip\knee joint replacement (Rs 1 lakh), prostrate surgery (Rs 15,000), arterial surgery (Rs 1 lakh) acute phase management of stroke (Rs 50,000) and lithotripsy for kidney urethral stones (Rs 20,000). The subscription is as under; Year of Officers JCO/ORs retirement pre-76 Rs 2,900 Rs 1,600 1976-77 Rs 2,900 Rs 1,600 78-79 Rs 3,100 Rs 1,800 80-81 Rs 3,900 Rs 2,200 82-84 Rs 4,600 Rs 2,550 85-91 Rs 4,900 Rs 2,700 92-97 (For DSC only) — Rs 2,700. In case of extension to life for existing members of the old MBS the subscription is Rs 2,100 for officers and their widows and Rs 1,300 for JCOs/ORs and their widows, respectively. The hospitals shortlisted
by the AGI include all government medical college
hospitals in different parts of the country, PGI,
Chandigarh, the Army Dialysis Centre, Chadimandir,
Escorts Heart Institute, Batra Hospital and Dharamshila
Cancer Hospital, all at Delhi. |
Light
reading takes a backseat CHANDIGARH, February 21 — Book-lovers, who have grown up on a diet of Amrita Pritams and Gulshan Nandas, and Amar Chitra Kathas and even Enid Blytons, Hardy Boys and Tintins, can, in today’s hi-tech world, reach out to all these and much more with a mere touch of a button. TNS met a few young students at the Book Fair, in Sector 17, today, to find out if the vast world of media and the immense pressure to get “good marks and a secure job” had its affect on the reading habits of youngsters. “I like to read Panchtantra stories, ‘Tintin’, ‘He-Man’ and ‘Mickey Mouse’ comics. But I like it better when I see Mickey Mouse and He-Man on the television”, said eight- year-old Manyu, studying in class three. This view was shared by 18-year-old Disney Brar, a plus two student who reads only “competition magazines or comics like ‘Archies’ and ‘Phantoms’. I sometimes read Sidney Sheldon novels. But I see television much more than I read”. But six-year-old Ritika Jain did not seem to agree, “I do not like television. I like to read my Pinnochio and my Panchtantra story books”, she said. Interestingly, most students were found in book-stalls selling books on competitive examinations or ‘How to Do” books. “There is hardly any time left after studies to read fiction. Whenever I have the time, I try to read books on spirituality or writings on Vivekananda. Otherwise I always read books on engineering”, said 20-year-old Vijay Tyagi, a second year student of Chemical Engineering at Panjab University. His classmate, Viren Kumar added, ‘I also read books related only to my field of computers. I don’t like fiction, nor do I have the time. As a kid I used to read Hardy Boys and some science fiction. Now I buy a book only once in a while”. With most book-lovers complaining of the exorbitant prices of books and the television having taken over the habit of reading, even libraries seem to have taken a backseat. Said Gurbans Gill, a 19-year-old, second year student of BBA, Kurukshetra University, “I pick up books on quotations, idioms, or any such dictionaries. I don’t get time to go through anything else besides books on various competitive examinations. I do not frequent libraries too much”. “Books are almost out of reach for middle class people like me. Some time back I bought the first part of Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s autobiography, but the price really pinched. Otherwise I mainly read religious books, or those on philosophy”, said Manoj Kumar Bhatia, a student of journalism at the Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, and one of the few students found at a Hindi book-stall. “I have never read books in Hindi. But I read a lot of English fiction. I like to read Robert Ludlum, Graham Greene, P G Wodehouse and even Joseph Heller. Books are too expensive these days, so I go to the library”, said 20-year-old Gagan Jain, doing his second-year Chemical Engineering from Panjab University. In a country having a rich tradition of story-telling and story-tellers, in both the written and the oral form, most children said that bed-time stories were not a part of their daily routine. “Mummy does not tell me any stories, and I don’t like story books. I like only drawing books and colouring books”, said Khushdeep Kaur, a seven-year-old, reluctantly being led to the stalls by her mother. The love for language and
words definitely seems to be lost in a world where
buzzwords like ‘competitions’ and
‘careers’ have come into the fore-front.
“I like to browse only through general knowledge
books. Actually any book that would give me some
‘knowledge’, and nothing else besides
this”, said 25-year-old Arun Goel, doing his Ph.D in
Geology from Panjab University. |
Lawyers
extend stir on chamber issue PANCHKULA, February 21— The District Bar Association has extended its two- and-a-half-month-old strike till March 1, claiming that no favourable response has been received from the district administration over the issue of provision of chambers for lawyers in the judicial complex coming up in Sector 1 here. Members of the association allege that the district administration has been silent over the issue in spite of the fact that a meeting between officials of the administration and executive members of the Bar Association was held three weeks ago. Mr Raj Singh Chauhan, Secretary of the association, said the administration had asked the association to sign an agreement in which the terms and conditions for providing land for chambers had been mentioned. “After certain amendments regarding the total number of floors to be provided we submitted the papers to the district administration,” he added. Earlier the association objected to the decision of the administration to provide its members land for building chambers on their own. The stand-off between the
administration and the association ended when Mr Justice
R.S.Mongia of the Punjab and Haryana High Court chaired a
meeting in which Mr Justice G.S.Singhvi, Mr Justice
V.K.Bali and senior officials of the state government and
HUDA were present. It was then agreed that land for
construction of chambers would be provided by the
authorities, while the construction cost of the chambers
would be borne by the lawyers. |
‘Self-regulation
of society needed’ CHANDIGARH, February 21 — Janshakti, a social organisation, organised an open discussion on the “Evolving alternative India paradigm” at the Lajpat Rai Bhavan, Sector 15, here today. Speaking on the occasion, Mr P.H. Vaishnav, a former Chief Secretary of Punjab, said the vested interests had not allowed the benefits of the government schemes to percolate down to the poor. He stressed the need of self-regulation of society rather than the government-regulated society. Mr PC Suri, a former IAS officer, criticised the principle of “first past the post” which, he alleged, was leading to the divide-and-rule policy. Prof K Gopal Iyer was of
the view that market forces could not deliver goods in
India where 40 per cent of the people were below poverty
line and over 50 per illiterate. |
CHANDIGARH, February 21 —The price of pomegranate has witnessed an upward trend during the past two days in local markets. The fruit, which had been selling at between Rs 30 and Rs 40 a kg last week, was today available for Rs 50 a kg in the Sector 20 market. According to sources in the market, though there should be no hike due to the ongoing “season” of the fruit, which generally lasts up to the last week of April, the rise in the price was temporary and was an outcome of decline in arrivals from Maharashtra, the major pomegranate-producing stste during the past one week. The wholesale price of the gruit had also increased during the period. A pack of 12 fruits which was priced at Rs 100 last week was today available for Rs 150. Apple has also become costly durring the period. A kg of good quality “Kinnauri” variety was today available between Rs 60 and Rs 70. The “delicious” variety was priced today between Rs 30 and Rs 40 a kg, as compared to Rs 25 last week. The wholesale price of “Kinnauri” apple had jumped from Rs 350 to 700 per pack of 20 kg during the past one month. According to Mr Pawan Kumar, a wholesale fruit merchant, the rise was the result of non-arrival of the fruit from Kinnaur and other parts of Himachal Pradesh. “We are getting apple from cold stores only,” he said. Orange was also priced on
the higher side today. A dozen oranges which were priced
between Rs 25 to Rs 30 during the past fortnight, were
today available for Rs 50. ‘Mausami’ was priced
at Rs 60 per dozen. There was, however, no change in the
price of banana, as it was still available between Rs 16
and Rs 18 per dozen. |
Hans to
perform in city CHANDIGARH, February 21
— Noted Punjabi folk singer Hans Raj Hans will be
the main attraction at the Festival of Gardens to be held
here from February 26 to 28. He will perform at the
Sector 10 Leisure Valley, the venue of the evening
cultural programmes, on February 28. On the first day of
the festival, Prerna Shrimali will perform kathak. The
next day, Raja Reddy, Radha Reddy and Kaushalya Reddy
will perform kuchipudi.
|
CHANDIGARH, February 21 — Nearly 20 senior alumni of Panjab University were honoured at a cultural programme organised by the PU Alumni Association here on Saturday evening. Pt Mohan Lal, a former Finance Minister of Punjab, was the seniormost alumni honoured on the occasion.The list included eminent persons from all walks of life, including judiciary, art and academics. The cultural programme lasted over three hours. Teams from a number of local colleges gave their performances. Folk songs and dances, ghazals and instrumental music were the highlights of the programme. Fast threatened: The president of the Panjab University Campus Students Council on Sunday threatened to go on February 23 in the wake of non-acceptance of the demand for the withdrawal of entertainment tax for students in cinema halls. Mr Dayal Pratap Singh Randhawa, council president, said he would wait for a decision of the administration till tomorrow evening, failing which he would have no option but to go on fast. He said, however, clarified that teaching in classrooms would not be disrupted as students had already suffered on account of teachers’ strike in August. The other major demands
include reservation of tickets in cinema halls for
students, free CTU passes, opening of bus pass counters
on the premises of the university and all college
premises; exclusive buses for girl students, and railway
reservation counters on the university campus. |
CHANDIGARH, February 21 — An armyman on way to join his place of posting in Leh, hanged himself to death at a transit camp in Behlana village, near the airport, last night. The deceased, 23-year-old Manjeet Singh of the 3 Punjab Regiment, hailed from Karnal and had just returned from his village after a two-month-long holiday. He was married a few months ago and had been at the transit camp for the past two days. He used a rope to hang himself from a water tank, police sources said. * * * ** * Scooterist killed: A scooterist, Pankaj, of Sector 41, was killed following a road accident in Sector 42 last night. The scooterist collided with a light commercial vehicle (CHW-8844) driven by Raj Kumar, of district Solan. The injured scooterist was rushed to the GMCH, Sector 32, where he died after a few hours. The driver of the four wheeler was arrested. * * * * * * Booked: Three employees of the Punjab Engineering College (PEC) have been booked by the police for allegedly siphoning off a sum of Rs 1.50 lakh from the mess account of Aravalli Hostel. The three, A.C. Massey, P. Patial and Shamsher Singh, were booked under Section 408 of the IPC. A complaint in this regard had been lodged by Mr S.K. Suman, Administrative Officer of the PEC. * * ** * * * Assault: A case of assault
has been registered against four persons of Maloya
village for allegedly clashing with Mr Shrinath Yadav of
the same village. |
| write |
Unfair route to win sympathy! This is with reference to the two writeups published on the widows of the Army officers namely, Mrs Tina Whig and Mrs Savita Rana, on February 15 and 17. The articles carry certain statements which need clarification. While it is sad to know of the losses endured by the women, one has also to be aware of certain facts before criticising the armed forces in an unfair manner. Firstly, when a lady loses her husband during the service, she is accorded “Special Family Pensioners” status. This means, the ordinary family pension drawn by the officer/dependant, post retirement, is doubled. This pension commensurate is with the rank of the officer. Added to this is, the TA, DA, which make special family pension a comfortable amount. The interest generated on the gratuity, D&OP and group insurance, invested in various schemes, also enhances the monthly income of the dependant. Regarding the implementation of the Fifth Pay Commission, the case of the special family pensioners is being decided by the government. As and when the terms and conditions are decided, these will be implemented. Secondly, it is incorrect to launch acerbic criticisms against the armed forces. The widows of the armed officers get numerous facilities like, access to the CSD canteens, medical treatment in armed forces hospitals, and air and rail travel concessions of up to 50 per cent. The children of the late officers are provided education at subsidised rates in schools of the branches of the armed forces concerned. The armed forces provide resettlement facilities to widows, befitting their status and qualification. Many widows opt for teaching and Mrs Rana has acknowledged this in her statement. The armed forces, have given priority in the allotment of houses to widows in the past five years. I’m sure, the army has offered help and support in this regard to the mentioned ladies, especially Mrs Rana, through the Army Housing Board. While one is concerned about the state of the ladies, one hopes that the respective families provide them with the required support — emotional and financial. One also feels upset at the manner in which the armed forces are being ripped apart. The Army must be doing all it can — within its means and resources — to provide assistance to the ladies. By lashing out against the Army in the Press and presenting their young children via the Press, one cannot but help wondering, if the ladies are making a bid to generate sympathy. Mrs Rana has given a second interview of this sort in the past two months, and one begins to think that this might just be a bid to generate publicity and sympathy for certain interest. I request you, sir, to kindly cross check facts before publishing any writeup of this nature. Everybody has a tragic story to tell. However, by going to the Press repeatedly, the gravity of the tragedy is lessened. Each of these women is financially secure and has the support of their families. Why can’t they think of those widows who are orphaned, penniless and helpless, at the mercy of a cruel world? Widow of a young
officer Welcome move Heartist congratulations on bringing out a colourful special four-page pullout of Chandigarh Tribune along with The Tribune from February 15. Through this feature, The Tribune has come more close to the hearts of its readers. I wish The Tribune team success in the endeavour. Sanjay Khurana A unique gift Felicitations of The Tribune Trust for presenting a unique gift in the form of an exclusive pullout of Chandigarh Tribune for the residents of Chandigarh and nearby areas. All the best to The Tribune for its publication and above all for coming back once again to the Gothic-style masthead. Gurpreet S.
Malhotra Favourite newspaper Heartist congratulations for publishing The Tribune’s first daily colourful pullout. The Tribune has always been our favourite newspaper but coloured photographs used to be missing. I wish success to each member of your team, especially, the photo section. Principal Pratyush Deb, Salil Malik, Samir Jain, Karam Gupta, Usha Saini, D.R. Tayal, Gopal Mohan, Sourav Aggarwal, Sahil Sakhuja, Sahil Sahni, Amit Goyal, Rahul Chadha, Almasto Kapoor, Samarth Sagar, Tejasbie Singh and many others. Teaching in colleges I was pained to read in Chandigarh Tribune (dated 17.2.1999) the article regarding the collapse of teaching system in UT colleges. Principals of various UT colleges have voiced their feelings through your esteemed paper. It is true that teaching in colleges has deteriorated. Principals, senior profrssers and teachers should give a thought to the falling teaching standards. I give a few suggestions for kind consideration to newly appointed principals and teachers of the region. 1. Professors should do full justice to the job allotted to the. 2. Teachers should come fully prepared in the class to deliver lectures. 3. Principals should listen to the advice of senior teachers. 4. Functions in the colleges should be curtailed. 5. Teachers should take students to liberary and ask them to use good reading materials, books, magazines etc. 6. Public holidays must be restricted to 12 to 15 days. Dr K.L. Khera Good pictures We the students of St John’s congratulate you for this pullout. It has wonderful colourful pictures and its finishing makes it more beautiful. You have done a great job by bringing out the pullout. This will be of great help to children. Saurabh Arya
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Wage
board's report by March 31 PANCHKULA, February 21 — The Union Labour Minister, Mr Satyanarayan Jatia, said today that the Manisana Singh wage boards for working journalists and newspaper employees would submit its final report by March 31. Mr Jatia, who was here to attend a two-day National Working Committee meeting of the All-India Bharatiya Janata Party Scheduled Caste Morcha, said the wage boards had completed the hearings. He said the ministry would try to implement the report without increasing the time limit. Regarding the delay in the submission of the report, he said the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) and other organisations had demanded more time for recording their evidence. Mr Bangarao Laxman, Vice President of the BJP Scheduled Caste Morcha(BJPSCM), while expressing his unhappiness with the Central Government on the issue of atrocities being committed on the weaker sections, said the Centre was not paying full attention towards it. Earlier the National
Working Committee meeting passed a 16-point resolution
suggesting measures to curb violence against Dalits and
improve their social security and economic status. |
| call |
Compensatory allowance makes them happy NOMINATED members of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation have every reason to rejoice. The Administration has now brought them at par with elected Councillors as far as payment of compensatory allowance is concerned. Until recently, only elected Councillors were entitled to a monthly allowance of Rs 2,000 each. But the Chandigarh Administration recently notified the amendment to the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (Allowances of Councillors) Rules, 1996 by providing that “the nominated Councillors shall be entitled to compensatory allowance of Rs 2,000 per month from the date of assumption of their offices.” As a sequel to this decision of the Chandigarh Administration, each of the eight nominated Councillors can now look forward to payment of arrears for the past more than two years besides being assured of a monthly allowance till the completion of their tenures. Replaced Mr Sohan Lal Bansal, Secretary of the local unit of Communist Party of India(CPI) has been nominated a member of the Administrator’s Advisory Council. Mr Bansal replaces Mr Devi Dyal Sharma, who earlier was the Secretary of the local unit of the CPI. The Advisory Council held three meetings during the past one year but nomination of Mr Bansal came after the third meeting held on January 19 this year. Earlier, the Administration had renominated Mr Venod Sharma as member of the Council in his new capacity as the President of the Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee. No indecency Panjab University deserves credit for successfully evading a rowdy crowd on Valentine's day. It had witnessed indecent scenes over the past couple of years. The campus presented a scene of a holiday on February 14. Policemen relaxing at the Students Centre totally contrasted with their last year's struggle in manning hundreds of students who swarmed the campus. Manhandling of girls was also reported. As a first step the Dean, Student Welfare, Dr R.S. Grewal, refused permission to 10 odd organisations for holding a function at the centre.This was largely welcomed by students except a couple of organisations for whom it was a classic case of "sour grapes". The police and the university security played their part by effectively manning the gates. No one was allowed inside the campus without proper identification.The gate facing the PGI was completely shut for vehicular traffic.The entry to girls hostel was restricted. Young Romeos The younger generation, overpowered by the media, seems to have no choice but to follow the dictates of what is "cool and fashionable". With Aamir Khan crooning "Aati Kya Khandala" and the king of gyrations, Govinda, singing "Neeli skirt wali ladki", youngsters seem to have found their own calling. At least this was what a Tribune woman reporter experienced recently. A school bus loaded with young six-seven year old boys, at the intersection between Sectors 19 and 27, decided to emulate their heroes. Seeing some young women driving two-wheelers, these young boys stuck their heads out of the bus-window and started beckoning these women drivers while loudly singing "Aati kya...." and "Aaja Meri Gaadi Mein Baith Ja". The women drivers first
smiled at these young "Romeos" but when the
gestures turned towards being suggestive, without being
obviously understood by these schoolboys, it certainly
was cause for embarrassment. For senior citizens The Upkaar Society, Panchkula, has started a new scheme to look after the general health and day-to-day care of the senior citizens in the township. The society will take upon itself to deposit power and electrical bills, besides arrange for medical checkups in hospitals, banking operations and other related works. The society is already engaged in various social activities for the upliftment of the needy and the poor. In the last two years the society has donated wheelchairs to the Saket hospital and clothes to the needy and poor persons in the colonies. Members of the society also attend to the patients in the General Hospital, Sector 6, Panchkula and provide free medicine to the patients. To avail the benefits of the new scheme, needy persons can contact Mrs Varsha Malhotra ( 564026), Mrs Prem Kohli (561074) or Mrs Rano Mehta (561958). Low-budget train After repeated demands of a third Shatabdi Express between Chandigarh and Delhi, a demand to have a low-budget fast train without the luxurious trappings, has been put forward. A former member of the Zonal Railway users Consultative Committee, Mr Joginder Singh Bhogal, in a letter to the Union Railway Minister has said that the Shatabdi has gradually become unaffordable. A low budget train would meet the demands of middle and lower economic strata of the society that is not able to afford the Shatabdi. In the letter Mr Bhogal has demanded that the Karnataka Express between Bangalore and Delhi should be extended to Chandigarh thus directly linking the north with the south. A feasibility study for the same had already been conducted, he claimed. Further electrification of the rail tracks between Ambala and Chandigarh would meet the aspirations of the commuters of the region. Heritage The Federation of Migrant Groups from North Western India (now Pakistan) has decided to present a number of folk dances and songs to depict their cultural heritage at the Festival of Gardens to be held from February 26 to 28. The Pakhtoons from the tribal areas of Parachinar in North Western Frontier Province (NWFP) settled in Chamba (HP) in 1949 will present a number of tribal dances. The Artists of Bahawalpur Welfare Association will present "Chhej" dance and Jhang Sabha will present Gaatka dance. About 20 artists have also been invited to present "Jhimmer" dance of Multan and supported by Multan Sabha. The Mirpur (P.O.K.) Welfare Association will present folk songs of their area. Since its establishment about two years ago, the Federation of Migrant Groups from North Western India has been motivating the various associations in several parts of the country to revive their cultural traditions which had become extinct. For this purpose the Federation is supporting such associations in every way to revive their lost glory. A workshop will be held in May, 1999. Award for book Mr Arun Soni and his wife Sabhyata, both computer experts, have brought laurels to the city. Their book titled "The Brain Game-Book II" was awarded the first prize under the primary category by the Federation of Educational Publishers in India for the year 1997. The award was given to the couple at a function of the Federation held at New Delhi by the president of the federation, Mr H.L.Gupta. Every year the federation gives awards on books published by its members. "The eight-part series begins with a narration on alphabets and goes to descriptive illustrations about computers", says Mr Soni. Mr Soni has done his postgraduation in statistics from Panjab University and a diploma in system management. Mrs Soni has done postgraduation in electronics from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh. The couple is busy writing
four more books of the 12-part series. |
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