Encroachments on road a hazard
From Our Correspondent

ZIRAKPUR June 30 — The encroachment by vendors on the government land and the haphazard parking of their rehris-pharis along the Zirakpur-Panchkula road here has made the area accident-prone. During evening fish-vendors and vegetable sellers attract a lot of people at this particular point. This adds to congestion on the road.

Residents of the surrounding villages can also be seen selling vegetable and household items in the evening. Migrant labourer women, dwelling in the jhuggis here, also sell rags to earn their bread. Besides, vendors sell fried eatables and keep these in the open on their rehris. Dust and flies make the these items unhygienic and pose a threat to the public.

Fish vendors who bring fish from nearby fish-farms and rivers and ponds, have caused the place to stink.

Residents allege that the place has become a haven for alcohol lovers who enjoy “fish-pakoras” with drinks. They create nuisance during night as indulge in fights and exchange abuses among themselves.

Jhuggi-dwellers in this place have kept different pets, adding to filth in the area. The cleanliness of this place has been completely ignored for the past many years.

Mr Krishan Pal Sharma, Secretary, Distric Congress Committee, Patiala, said the crowd in the evening creates a lot of problems for road-users. He said though the PWD (B and R) had removed rehris of vendors some days ago, they mushroomed again within a short span of time.

Meanwhile, the PWD authorities have said that strict action would be taken against the encroachments soon.

Encroachments cause fire threat
By A Correspondent

CHANDIGARH June 30 — Encroachments by sweet shop owners and fast food joint owners have become a hazard. The Enforcement Wing of the Municipal Corporation has not taken necessary steps to remove encroachments.

In violation of allotment rules, many shopkeepers and vendors use LPG cylinders, gas lights, 'tandoors' and stoves in corridors meant for passersby and customers in markets. as a result, markets are prone to fire. Despite fire having gutted many markets, shopkeepers are not bothered about fire safety norms. Markets lack fire fighting devices. Gas cylinders and cans full of kerosene oil are kept beside stoves. Electricity wires are uncovered in some shops.

The owners of fast food joints and sweet shops in Sector 34-C have become a menace to their neighbours. A shopkeeper of the market alleges, "these shopkeepers have not only encroached upon corridors but have made makeshift sitting arrangements on the space meant for parking vehicles." He adds that the market becomes so congested in the evening that nobody can move about freely.

Mr Uttam Singh, who owns a sweet shop in Sector 46, says, "I have made sitting and cooking facilities on the space earmarked for the passage of the public because of insufficient space in my shop." He adds that the Enforcement Wing of the MC has removed encroachments many times.

Mr Shailendra Sachan, who visits the market in Sector 19, demands that encroachments be removed. He also wants precautions to be taken to prevent any untoward incident and the erring shopkeepers to be punished.

Other shopkeepers in Sector 20 allege, "The encroachments in corridors and smoke from stoves and "tandoors" have weaned away our customers and have posed a threat to our health and life." they say a few months back, fire broke out due to leakage from a cylinder in a fast food shop. They add that had the fire not been extinguished in time, the whole market would have been gutted.

An official of the Enforcement Wing of the Municipal Corporation says necessary steps are being taken to remove encroachments. The Fire Wing is striving to ensure safety of the life and property of the residents, he adds. He says it is the responsibility of every person to abide by the rules and regulations of the administration and take requisite measures to prevent any untoward incident.

Mr Satish Ghatwal, Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation says besides imposing a fine of Rs 500 on encroachers, the corporation does not have any power. He discloses that though the MC is not vested with the power to do so, materials are impounded to force violators to pay fine. He admits that it is not possible to punish all encroachers everyday because of limited personnel.

Post offices in a mess
By A Correspondent

CHANDIGARH June 30 — the public has to face many problems while visiting a post office in the city. The corridor outside the post office in Sector 17 has been blocked by bicycles. shopkeepers say these bicycles belong to staff members of the postal department.

The area around the post office has been encroached upon by vendors selling socks, handkerchiefs, caps, TV remote control covers, pens, diaries, envelopes, globes, maps and fruits. Most of the visitors to the post office say the vendors create a nuisance but also offer useful services. They criticise the role of the enforcement staff. Persons buy items during lunch hours and in the evening.

Mr Avtar Singh, the postmaster, says he has written a number of letters to the departments concerned but himself took the decision to remove encroachments. He suggests the police and estate office officials work together to remove these encroachments. He claims to be unaware of the parking of bicycles in the corridor by the post office staff. He adds that he has not allowed any pheri to operate within the area of the post office but is helpless in case of pheris in the vicinity.

The parking area outside the post office in Sector 21 has been encroached upon by auto mechanics. The encroachments make it difficult for the public to reach the post office and create a nuisance in the area. The letter boxes in front of the post office are used by the mechanics to display their materials.

Some persons use the premises of the post office to rest. Mr B.K. Sabarwal, the postmaster, says the public resents encroachments but the post office has not made any complaint to any department. He says the administration is responsible for these encroachments. The staff denies having any knowledge about the men who come for a nap.

The corridor outside the post office in Sector 20 house a pan seller, some quilt makers and some rickshaw pullers in the evening. The parking area is used for empty ice-cream boxes of an ice-cream shop nearby. Visitors to the post office say the place is encroached upon by quilt makers during winter. A hand pump in front of the post office is used by rickshaw pullers as a public bathroom.

Mr R.S. Bains, the postmaster, says the encroachments cause inconvenience to visitors but the office has made no complaint to any department. He says the post office discourages encroachments but the area does not fall in its premises.

The corridor outside the post office in Sector 19 is blocked by vehicles. The postmaster says these vehicles belong to postmen. He says he has appointed special staff to discourage this but persons still park vehicles.

Cops living in inhuman conditions
By Rajmeet Singh
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA June 30 — You may expect little from “overworked” cops of the Panchkula police if you see a dark aspect of their lives. Each time they come “home” after long hours of duty, dark dingy rooms and leaking roofs of their make-shift barracks greet the cops. Booths in different sector markets in the township are being used as police posts-cum-barracks by cops.

With the onset of the monsoons, the worst affected are the booths in the Sector 7 market, housing rest rooms of cops. Leaking roofs and poor condition of the walls has made the life of the men in ‘khakhi’ miserable. The same place is being used to cook food in the absence of a separate mess.

The hapless cops are forced to spread their cots in corners of the dingy room where they to spend their night without being drenched in the rain water. Even some cots, fans and door mesh in the Sector 7 “barracks” has been donated by the Market Welfare Association.

Sources say harried cops met the Superintendent of Police, seeking measures to improve their living condition. At least two more police post-cum-barracks in sectors 6 and 9 markets also present the same picture.

Allotted to the police department by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) in early 80s, the booths have hardly been maintained. Leaking roofs of the booths have never been repaired. Dampness has set on the walls, making the booths extremely dangerous to live in. There is risk of being electrocuted due to loose electricity fittings.

Police personnel say that during rains, there is risk of rust affecting their ammunition. Besides, absence of almirahs to store important documents pertaining to cases could also be spoiled by leaking roofs. Moreover, the entrance to the police posts remain unguarded in the absence of gates.

Taking the cause of hapless cops, the President of the Market Welfare Association of Sector 7, Mr B.B.Kochhar, met senior police officials in this regard. The Superintendent of Police, Mr Alok Mittal, while admitting that the cops were living in inhuman conditions , said he had talked to senior officials of HUDA regarding the repair of the booths housing the police posts.

He said the sector 7 police post would have to be shifted to Sector 8 market if the same was not repaired by HUDA. Sources say the police department had been writing to HUDA to repair the booths for the past two years. But HUDA is yet to act.

A police post building in Sector 10 which had been completed about a year ago has yet to become functional in the absence of a power connection. A building to house the police post of Sector 6 is also coming up in Sector 1 adjacent to the local Government college. Besides the police posts also need telephone connections.

Green plants get popular
From A Correspondent

CHANDIGARH June 30 — Gone are the days when people used to border their lawns with bright flowers like marigolds, roses, vajyanti (keli) etc. It is time now for evergreens.

Be it office or residence, one can see a comparatively higher number of plants having different leaves with varying sizes, shapes and colours. What ousted the flowering plants or reduced their craze?

One reason is time. People prefer to go in for things that can save time for them. And seasonal plants require a lot of care. They need to be watered on time and pruned properly or they die. "People don't have time even to drink water. From where do they spare moments from their busy schedule to water their plants?" says Amarinder, a local resident.

Tulsi, which was grown compulsorily in every courtyard or kitchen garden, has disappeared altogether. "People no more believe in doing tulsi puja, a primary reason why it was grown in every house," says Rashim, a teacher.

Similarly, neem has been replaced by the ashoka. Plants with ornamental value are being preferred.

Lack of space also makes people go in for small indoor plants. These are used to beautify decor. They can be comfortably placed in a corner, or verandah or simply grown in hanging pots.

Seasonal plants have a short life. They need to be planted fresh every season, with the procedure to be repeated and involve expenditure and hard work. "We sell more of crotons, araucaria, arca palm, china palm, masanda, dieffenbachia etc because they need a one-time investment," says a gardener at a nursery. Plants like marigolds are bought mostly by those who are in the business of supplying them for functions.

Gladiolus has replaced marigold as it gives an elegant look to the lawn and stays fresh for a longer time. Also, the bulb of the plant can be used again in the next season, says Mr Bhupinder Singh Kohli, a resident.

Victims' identity not ascertained
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA June 30 — At least two cases in which highly decomposed bodies of two unidentified women were found in Morni last year remain untraced on police records. In both cases the victims were murdered and their bodies dumped in Morni.

According to the police records, the decomposed body of a 25-year-old woman was found in a jungle near Madana village in Morni block on August 9. The body bore knife injury mark in the lower abdomen area.

A case of murder was registered by the Chandi Mandir police after findings of the autopsy report of the deceased was revealed.

Efforts by the police to identify the victim by flashing photographs of the body to police stations in the neighbouring states have not yielded no results. The police suspects that the victim, apparently an outsider, was murdered elsewhere and the body thrown in the jungle area.

In the other case the highly decomposed body of a women was found at Barwala in Morni on July 21. A post mortem of the body had revealed that the death had been caused due to strangulation. In this case also the police has failed to ascertain the identity of the victim.

Following the two cases of blind murder a police naka was set up at Morni.

The police officials lament that as the district is encircled on three sides by neighbouring states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Chandigarh as a number of unscrupulous elements enter the district and escape after committing a crime.