Bodies of 2 sepoys sent home
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 3 — The conflict in the Kargil—Dras—Batalik axis has claimed the lives of two more soldiers of the region. The mortal remains of two gallant soldiers of the 3 Punjab Regiment, sepoys Dharmendra Singh and Hira Singh, were received at the N. Area here this morning.

While the former belongs to Bughar village near Kasauli (Solan), the latter hails from Jhala village, Sadar tehsil, Mandi district. Both were 21 years old and unmarried.

The bodies, which were flown in from Leh here this morning, were received by senior officers of the Army, Air Force, and the civil administration of Solan district. Due to the distance, the officials from Mandi could not arrive.

According to the personnel accompanying the bodies, the deceased were part of a platoon sent to capture a ridge in the Batalik sector. As they were scaling the mountain, they came under heavy enemy fire. As the men dug in and returned the fire, these two were killed in the crossfire.

The bodies were dispatched to their native places after according them with full military honours. An Army contingent reversed arms and sounded the last post.

Wreaths were laid by Air Commodore S.K. Banerjee, AOC 12 Wing, Col Shakti Parshad, Commander N. Area, Col R.K. Sharma, Commandant (Admn), Station HQ, Col P. Datta, CO, 322 AD, Mr Ramesh K. Dhiman, SDM, Solan, Major S.S. Chauhan, Deputy Director, Sainik Board, Solan, and Mr Kanwar V. Singh, DSP, Parwanoo.

25 lakh donated for defence fund
From Our Correspondent

MULLANPUR- GARIBDASS, July 3 — That the fire of patriotism burns fiercely in the hearts of many Non-Resident Emigrates (NREs) is clearly evident in Mr Nathu Ram Puri, a resident of this village who has donated Rs 25 lakh towards the National Defence Fund.

Mr Puri, a multi-millionaire who migrated to Nottingham, United Kingdom, in the early 60s, has also announced the formation of the Puri Trust for Shaheed Jawan Family (PTSJF). The trust has been constituted to help the families of the soldiers killed in action in the Kargil sector.

The trust will also look after the welfare of the soldiers who have been disabled in the Kargil - Dras axis while fighting Pakistani infiltrators.

The large-hearted benefactor was here on a visit to his ancestral village after the present conflict and said that the Indians had been greatly disturbed by the infiltration and that he was moved by the supreme sacrifices being made by our troops.

The 16th richest Asian in the UK, Mr Puri has a fortune worth £ 85 million. Earlier in his life, he drove a truck in Punjab to make both ends meet. “My father Mr Munna Lal had 1/6th share in truck, which was going in heavy losses and I had to go in for driving the vehicle to compensate the losses”, he said.

Born on November 20, 1939, young Puri joined the Department of Laws at Panjab University but had to quit due to family reasons. After studying at a college in Ambala, he applied for diploma in air condition engineering at UK. With just £420 in his pocket, energetic Puri had dreams of achievement in a ‘foreign land’.

He joined FG Skertritt, Nottingham, as project engineer looking for designing and then was promoted as manager. Later, he left office in1975 and started his business of designing and consultancy. Afterwards, Mr Puri bought FG Skertritt company.

At present he has bought 40 odd sick companies. His business empire is spread from Asia to the USA. “I bought the sick units and want to show that even such industries could flourish with hard labour and intelligence. The main businesses are paper manufacturing, plastic manufacturing, carpet weaving, paper units among others”.

His main business centres are in China, Hungary, USA, UK and Germany. According to Sunday Times magazine Mr Puri has total assets worth £85 million.

A reader of The Tribune since his college days, he was thrilled when one of his friends settled in Canada told him about the Internet edition. “He sent me a copy of the online edition and I used to read news of India and my birthplace, Mullanpur”, he added. Puri Trust for the improvement of Mullanpur was constituted for the development of the village. Presently, a school project is going on in the village at an estimated cost of about Rs 1 crore. Previously, a cremation ground was also constructed at the cost of Rs 8 lakh.

‘‘I want to make Mullanpur, a prominent education centre in the area. I dream of setting up different educational institutes but priority should be on primary education’’.

While talking his days in Punjab, he said that there was a time when once I have to walk about 10 kilometres in the absence of money to repair my punctured bicycle.

The multi millionaire, even after 33 years of stay in the UK , has not even applied for citizenship of that country. “On one occasion Mr Kenneth Klark, Chancellor of Exchequer asked me why don’t you want citizenship my simple reply was that I am an Indian and want to live as an Indian”, replied proud Mr Nathu Ram Puri.

Fine gesture by kids
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 3 — About 10 children between 8 and 10 years of age today donated Rs 3,304 for the Kargil heroes and their families.

Led by Mr P.S. Pruthi, these children of a colony in Sector 10-A went from house to house for two days in Sectors 9 and 10 to collect the money.

These children donated this money at the Tribune Office today.

Injured troops get woollies
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 3 — The groundswell of support for the troops fighting in Kargil continues to grow as more and more organisations are joining in to contribute their mite for the welfare of the jawans.

The We Care Committee has managed the contribution of a large quantity of towels, woollen garments, warm socks, pillows and steel tea containers for the benefit of injured soldiers recuperating at Command Hospital, Western Command. A large quantity of woollen garments, worth about Rs 2.5 lakh, have also been presented for the use of jawans at forward bases.

1 lakh for equipment: Dr Y. Mehra and Mr Brij Khanna, trustees of the Dr Chhuttani Memorial Trust, today presented a cheque for Rs 1 lakh, through the committee, to Maj-Gen Virendra Singh, Commandant of the hospital. The sum would be used for the purchase of surgical orthopaedic instruments for the treatment of injured soldiers, Mr Surinder Bhakoo, Chairman of the committee, said.

Central Club relief: A draft for Rs 7,610, collected from members of the Central Club, was presented to The Tribune to be deposited with the Army Central Welfare Fund.

1 day's pay promised: Members of the Reserve Bank Ex-Servicemen Employees Welfare Association, Sector 17, have decided to donate one day's salary to the PM Relief Fund. Capt Amarjeet Kumar and Mr S.C. Pathania, President and Secretary of the association, respectively, said this was resolved at a meeting of the general body today.

Members while condemning the infiltration by Pakistan also volunteered their services to the Army for being used anywhere in the forward sector. The members also observed two minutes of silence in the memory of those who have made the supreme sacrifice.

Members of the TBRL Employees Union have decided to donate one day's salary to the PM Relief Fund. According to Mr S. K. Juneja, General Secretary of the union, the employees would also organise a blood donation camp in consultation with the Command Hospital authorities.

Members of the Chandigarh Engineers Federation and the JEs Association are donating one day's salary to the National Defence Fund. The members of both organisations would also donate blood if and when required by the Army authorities.

Members of the Punjab Civil Audit Association have donated one day's salary to the PM Relief Fund. A cheque for Rs 2. 20 lakh has been deposited, according to Mr Mahant Ram Vatsyayan, General Secretary of the association, here today.

Rs 11,000 donated: The Upkaar Society, Panchkula, has donated Rs 11,000, for the purchase of medical equipment to the Command Hospital authorities.

Meeting soldiers: Members of the Physical Handicapped Association, Punjab, today met the injured soldiers at the hospital and interacted with them. Mr B.S. Dardi, President of the association, said the morale of the troops was high even though some of them had been handicapped.

The bhog of an akhand path to be held in the memory of those who laid down their lives and the success of our forces will be held on July 25, he added.

Khadi workers’ gesture
From Our Correspondent

KHARAR, July 3 — All workers of the Kshetriya Punjab Khadi Mandal, Kharar, have decided to donate one day’s salary for the welfare of the families of the martyrs in Kargil.

According to a press note issued here today, this decision was taken in a meeting of the workers held under the chairmanship of Mr Udai Chand. The meeting also paid tributes to those who had sacrificed their lives for the nation.

Mango Mela opens in Pinjore
Tribune News Service

PINJORE, July 3 — Mango lovers thronged the famous Yadvindra Gardens here to enjoy rare varieties of mango on the opening day of the eighth Mango Mela, which began with a riot of colour at the garden today.

Entries at the mela varied from Angoori Dana, a variety weighing nearly only 15 gm a piece and Hathi Jhool, a variety weighing as much as 2 kg.

Organised jointly by the Department of Haryana Tourism and the Department of Horticulture, Haryana, mango growers and producers of mango-products are participating in large numbers in the mela. Varieties of mangoes, namely, Laila Majnu, Attal Pasand and Husaini are a special attraction.

A record 1902 entries in the display and competition section have been received by the organisers this year. A special feature of the mela will be a demonstration for housewives of mango-based pickles and jams by experts from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) and Haryana Agricultural University (HAU) and a seminar for fruit growers in which problems faced in cultivation of mango and its solutions will be discussed.

The mela was opened to the public at 6 p.m. today followed by a colourful cultural programme by artistes from the Cultural Department of Haryana and North Zone Cultural Centre (NZCC), Patiala. The garden has been bedecked for the event. Special stalls selling eatables, mango-based products and gardening equipment have been put up in the garden complex.

Mango has the status of the national tree of India and “King” of fruits grown in this country. There are 10,000 varieties of mangoes in India, out of which 1,000 are grown on a commercial basis. Dasehri, Langra, Chausa, Bombay Green, Anarkali, Malika are popular commercial varieties grown in Haryana.

Mango enjoys foremost position in the fruit industry of India, occupying an area of 2.2 million acres out of 3.16 million acres under fruits grown in this country.

In Haryana, about one-fourth of fruit acre is under mango alone. It is estimated to occupy 16,000 acres of land, out of 65,000 acres under fruits in this state. Mango grows and prospers in almost all parts of Haryana, barring hilly tracts with elevation of more than 900 metres and very hot and arid zones of the south-west Haryana.

However, the best zones for commercial cultivation of mango are the sub-mountainous tracts of Ambala. Kurukshetra, Panipat, Panchkula, Yamuna Nagar and Karnal districts. The district of Ambala (Ambwala) seems to have derived its name from this fruit.

A painting competition, rangoli competition, and mango quiz will be held for school students on the concluding day of the mela tomorrow.

School for blind has 100 per cent result
From A Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, July 3 — Even though deprived of eyes, they have scored well in the senior secondary examinations. The Institute for the Blind, Sector 26, attained 100 per cent results in the Class XII board examinations, with all students passing with the first division.

Kuljeet Singh, Harjinder Singh and Kiran Kumar, students of the institute, claimed the first, second and third positions, respectively, in the school.

"Disability never came in my way," says Kuljeet Singh, who scored 76.88 per cent marks. "I was very regular in my studies and encouraged by my teachers throughout. I used to put in four hours of regular study in the past three months. He belongs to Jagraon (Punjab). Being highly spiritual and religious, he wants to join a good raagi jatha. He plays the tabla very well.

Harjinder Singh, who got 73.55 per cent marks, was the head boy of the school and the captain of the school's cricket team. He represented his school in the North Zone Cricket Tournament for the Blind from 1995 to 1998.

The Kargil crisis has greatly influenced him and he wants to join the Army in any capacity and prove his worth to the nation. The message he wants to covey to the jawans fighting at the front is, "Aage se aage badhte rahein ."

Kiran Kumar scored 70.44 per cent marks. He is excellent in dramatics and extra-curricular activities. But he wants to pursue studies and become a bureaucrat. He is enthusiastic about playing western instruments and is also fond of chess. He is also a good poet and his poetry contains the message,"Jyoti paas nahin to kya, dil ka diya jalayenge."

The Institute for the Blind is being run under the aegis of the Society for the Care of the Blind. The middle standard examination is conducted by the Education Department of Chandigarh and matriculation and senior secondary examinations by the Punjab School Education Board at the institute.

Since 1990, as many as 76 blind students have passed the Class X examination and since 1995, 33 have appeared and cleared the Class XII examination from here.

The institute, which already has a hostel for boys is planning one for girls too. The institute plans to provide its students with computer education in the near future.

HUDA serves notices to schools
From A Correspondent

PANCHKULA, July 3 — The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) has issued notices to many government and private schools for violation of terms and conditions agreed upon at the time of allotment of sites to them.

Before 1992, sites for schools and colleges were not auctioned but were allotted by the HUDA. These were leased out for 99 years.

Under the terms and conditions agreed upon at the time of allotment, it was mandatory for all schools to take prior permission from the HUDA before upgrading classes. Sixteen schools carried on with upgradation, regardless of the terms and conditions.

The HUDA has now initiated resumption proceeding by issuing notices under Section 17(4) of the HUDA Act against the defaulting schools for violating rules. Several notices in this regard have been issued since April 2 and school authorities have been given 30 days to explain.

As per sources, the HUDA reserves the right to cancel the lease agreement and initiate resumption proceedings against schools. Some of the schools have upgraded classes till X and XII and have acquired affiliation from the CBSE, though they were allotted sites for primary schools.

The schools which have been issued notices are St Michael's School in Sector 16, DC Model School in Sector 7, Moti Ram Arya School in Sector 8, BD Kaura School in Sector 9, Andale Public School in Sector 8, Haryana Model School in Sector 10, Chaman Lal DAV School in Sector 11, Government School in Sector 19, Blue Bird School in Sector 16, St Soldier Divine School in Sector 16, Little Flower School in Sector 14, Government School in Sector 7 and Panchkula Public School.

The school authorities, on the other hand, feel that any such clause by the HUDA was not clear at the time of allotment of sites and so the matter should not be raked up. any permission required for upgradation will be sought from the HUDA, they say.

Mr Subash Sharma, Principal of Haryana Model School, says, "although the HUDA may possess the authority to initiate resumption proceedings but it should take a magnanimous view as it involves the future of thousands of students." He adds that it is not possible to ensure viability of school projects if schools are limited to the primary level.

Mr Bharat Bhushan Gupta, Principal of DC Model School, says the HUDA may be justified to issue notices but the authorities should view the issue on humanitarian grounds. He pleads that the school authorities are ignorant of any such rules and upgradation has been done on the persuasion of parents.

Quoting the zonal plan, he says under Rule 2(L-ii) and 3-A of the HUDA regulation Act, 1979, the type of building permitted on site shall be for educational purposes, throughout the day or in the evening, or for any such ancillary building connected with education.

He adds that this clause is vague and not explicit and hence does not change the purpose of allotment of sites for schools.

"There will be no alternative for students of middle and higher classes if schools are downgraded to the original level. The auctioning of sites and raising of infrastructure will take many years and put the future of many students at stake," he says.

The school authorities, in reply to the notices served to them, have appealed to the HUDA to relax this rule and have agreed to seek requisite permission from the HUDA.

The HUDA feels that if a free hand is given to the school authorities for upgradation, there will be hardly any bidders at the auction of school sites for middle, high and senior secondary level, as happened recently.

The HUDA had allotted a specified area for a specified level in order to avoid congestion, ensure proper management and provide adequate infrastructure for the students. Any further upgradation of classes can change and damage the purpose of allotment of sites, feels the HUDA.

The parents of many students are ignorant of any such technical flaw and feel the HUDA should be cooperative and flexible, keeping in mind the future of children.

More cricketers support Kapil
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 3 — More cricket officials and players have rallied round Kapil Dev who demanded snapping all cricket ties with Pakistan till that country withdrew its forces from Kargil.

Mr Surinder Singh, who runs a coaching academy at the Sector 19 government school and is also the Secretary of the Chandigarh Cricket Association, affiliated to the HCA, said Pakistan must withdraw from Kargil before we played cricket with that country.

He said, “Since Pakistan is a terrorist country, I agree with Kapil Dev that we should not play with that country till all disputes with it are resolved. I will appreciate if Rameez Raja advises his government to stop the aggression and asks for an apology for its cowardly action of torturing Indian soldiers and mutilating their bodies”.

Mr Sanjeev Mehan, Vice-President of the CCA, affiliated to the HCA, has also welcomed the statement of Kapil Dev. He said, “We are Indians first and then cricketers. There should not be any ties with Pakistan till the Kargil sector is vacated of intruders. I am against the suggestion of Rameez Raja not to mix cricket with politics.

Varinder Chopra, skipper of the HSEB cricket team, who has played cricket with Kapil, also agrees with his statement on breaking all cricketing ties with Pakistan.

SNIPPETS

Mahurat shot of serial
From Our Correspondent

SAS NAGAR, July 3 — The mahurat shot of a Punjabi television serial, “Thanedar Chattar Singh”, was taken here today.

The mahurat ceremony in Phase II was performed by Jaspal Bhatti by breaking a coconut. Produced by Pardeep Bhateja, the serial is directed by Keshav Bharata.

The serial is a satire on politics and the police and is being produced under the banner of Ugam Creations. It will be shown on Zee Punjabi channel and will have Jaswinder Bhalla and Arti Puri in lead roles.

Anthology of Momi's works released
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 3 — The Punjabi Lekhak Sabha today held the book release function of Canada-based Punjabi writer, Balbir Singh Momi, at Punjab Kala Bhawan, Rose Garden, Sector 16. An anthology of his novels, poems and various other writings, 'Balbir Singh Momi Tey Usda Rachna Sansar' was released today by Mr G. S. Bhullar, Editor of Punjabi Tribune.

Momi has not written any novel for the past 18 years but his writings in various journals are read even today.

The evening's programme began with Mr Jarnail Singh Thind, who has edited the anthology, telling the gathering the background of Momi and his writings. Mr Amrik Singh Pooni presided over the function. Also present on the occasion was Mr Gurdial Singh Arif, President of the Punjabi Lekhak Sabha.

Plan to remove congress grass
From Our Correspondent

SAS NAGAR, July 3 — A plan to remove congress grass here was drawn up today at a meeting called by the SDM with municipal councillors and office-bearers of the residents’ welfare bodies.

The SDM, Mr O.P. Popli, said the Engineering Wing of PUDA and the Municipal Council had been requisitioned for the job. Municipal councillors and welfare body office-bearers would work as volunteers.

Nearly 80 persons from the Ex-servicemen’s Corporation would also take part in the drive which would be carried out only on Saturdays.

Congress grass removal work would start from Phase VI and ultimately cover the entire town.

Meanwhile, Mr Popli said in view of the blast in Chandigarh, residents should stay away from suspicious objects. Market presidents had been asked to keep an eye on persons parking vehicles in front of shops. Besides, residents should ensure police verification of tenants and domestic servants.

ISKCON function
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 3— A seminar on" Stress management" is being organised by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness ( ISKCON ), on July 4 and 11( 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.) , at Hare Krishna Dham, Sector 36-B, here, according to Bhakti Vinod Dasa Prabhu, President of the local body of ISKCON.

Main attractions of the programmes will be presentation of scientific observations on stress, standard of life versus quality of life, significance of human birth in context of social and occupational duties as given in vedic system and practical soul meditation session.