Pub owners a disappointed lot
By Poonam Batth
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 16 — Pub owners in the city, who were hoping to cash in on the prolonged dry spell of weather this summer are a disappointed lot with the sales of draught beer registering a decline of 30 to 40 per cent as compared to the sales in the corresponding period last year.

Most of the pub owners attribute this to an increase in the minimum price of strong draught beer which according to the excise policy for 1999-2000 has gone up from Rs 18 to Rs 25 per mug of 325 ml. The new rates which were applicable from April 1 have brought down the sales in the ``peak season'' of April, May and June with people preferring bottle beer available at liquor shops at much cheaper rates. While the market price of light beer in bottles (650 ml) is Rs 35, it is Rs 40 in the case of strong beer and the price per bottle is even lesser if a case is purchased. However, the price of light beer, which contains alcoholic contents of up to 5.25 per cent has been reduced to Rs 15 per mug.

Mr C.S. Kaushal, a pub owner in Sector 26, reveals that following an increase in the prices of the draught beer, people have started preferring bottle beer which gives them double the quatity at a much lesser price. ``While two glasses of draught beer at any of the pubs cost anything above Rs 50, a single bottle of beer with the same quantity will be available at Rs 30 to Rs 40,'' he said.

His partner, Mr V.K. Arora pointed out that in a few pubs the sales went down considerably during the World Cup as many of the beer lovers would prefer to sit at home and watch the match in groups. This segment also went in for bottle beer at cheaper rates. He further reveals that reduction in the price of light beer has also not had much bearing on the sales since the consumption ratio of strong and light beer is almost 70:30.

One of the customers, Mr Sunil Kumar, who is a regular beer lover, says: ''With the increase in the retail price of beer at pubs, it has become difficult to afford beer.''

While the retail price of a mug is Rs 25 and 30 for light and strong beer, respectively, in Sector 17, it varies from Rs 20 to Rs 26 in other pubs. Last year these rates varied from Rs 16 to Rs 20.

The sale of strong beer has been affected by the reduction in the gap between the price of strong and light beer, which is Rs 5 this year instead of Rs 2 last year, maintains Mr Gurvinder Singh, a pub owner of Sector 35. The difference becomes pronounced in places where sales tax is charged over and above this rate.

According to him, with the minimum price of light beer fixed at Rs 15, the sales of light beer are comparatively better than the strong beer. The ratio of strong and light beer, which was 80:20 till last year has now changed to 65:35 this year. He adds that the Excise and Taxation Department has made light beer deliberately cheaper to promote the consumption of lighter drinks. Giving average figures, he says that of the 700 mugs sold last year, 560 were of strong beer and only 140 of light beer, but this year of the total about 500 mugs, 325 are of strong beer and 175 of light beer.

An official of Mount Shivalik Breweries, when contacted, confims that the sale of draught beer has registered a decline of 40 per cent during the past few months but that of bottle beer has gone up.

A survey of some of the pubs in Sectors 17 and 26 reveals that pubs which were selling an average of 650 glasses per day during these months last year were now selling just about 400 glasses. Sources say that certain pubs which are finding it hard to recover the annual licence fee of Rs 1.10 lakh are also indulging in malpractice of selling certain hard drinks in an unauthorised manner. This has also been responsible for the decline in the sale of beer.

The city at present has more than 30 pubs and granting of licences to 10 more pubs in the near future will further worsen the situation as the city is still not ready for pub culture.

Irregularities mar ICCW's programmes
By Rupesh Kumar

CHANDIGARH, July 16 — The welfare and development programmes being run by the UT branch of the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW), Bal Bhavan, Sector 23-B here, have been hampered by the apathy of its executive members, irregularities in their functioning and red tape of the bureaucrats concerned. These programmes are based on grants-in-aid by government departments and agencies.

The ICCW has been running 54 creches, with financial assistance from various agencies. These creches are located in different areas of Chandigarh. Government buildings have also been provided for these creches. There is a provision of one trained bal sevika, two helpers and a weekly visit of a medical officer in every creche.

Some of the persons incharge of these creches disclose that medical officers hardly pay the weekly visit and the creches lack health records. During visits, bal sevikas have been found absent. During eight hours of stay of children in creches, they do not get adequate exposure for their healthy growth.

A balwadi-cum-nutrition programme is being run by the ICCW in the city to provide integrated approach for development of children. Parents of children complain that shortage of bread has forced them to return to their homes empty-handed.

In some balwadis and creches, children have been living under unhygienic conditions. The absence of gardeners has resulted in the growth of shrubs. Stray dogs enjoy the comforts of life in one of the rooms of a creche in Sector 47. Some parents say several creches have charged money to purchase coolers, cooking gas cylinders and stoves.

The council is also running Special Nutrition Programme (SNP), with financial assistance from Social Welfare Department of Chandigarh Administration. Under this programme, there is a provision for nutrition bread and supplementary nutritious food for pre-school children and lactating mothers on monthly nominal charge. Many beneficiaries complain of irregularities in distribution.

The Bal Bhavan complex is in a bad shape. The open air theatre, constructed and handed over to the council by UT Administration, is in a dilapidated condition. Shrubs and lack of maintenance have aggravated the problem. The light and sound system, worth lakhs, is gathering dust and rust.

Sources say earlier cultural activists and entrepreneurs used to hire the theatre, resulting in increase in revenue of the council. They allege that the laxity in its upkeep has made the theatre non-functional.

The air-conditioned multi-purpose hall is in a bad shape. The hall, constructed and transferred to the council by UT Administration, is meant for cultural programmes, meetings and extra-curricular activities. It is also one of the sources of income for the council. According to sources, the air-conditioner of the hall has been non-functional for the last couple of months, resulting in the reluctance of entrepreneurs and organisations to hire it.

The International Dolls Museum, meant to amuse, attract and inform children, is in a sorry state. According to sources, about 250 dolls from 40 countries have been housed in the museum, which also includes a non- functional Germany-made electric train. Though the dolls have been there since 1985, nobody has changed their clothing, resulting in fading of colours.

A women's hostel for students of Nursery Teacher Training (NTT) and working girls, is surrounded by shrubs and garbage. A resident says the absence of cleanliness has made the area prone to diseases. She adds that the absence of proper fencing and broken boundary walls have made life vulnerable.

Sources point that office-bearers of the ICCW, which include the Adviser to the Administrator and Finance Secretary as the President and Vice-president, respectively, hardly visit the complex. Alleging that members do not pass the budget on time, sources say, "When the year ends, the council clears the budget to avoid audit objections."

Mr Bihari Lal, Joint Secretary of the ICCW employees union, says despite employing 235 persons, there is virtually no committee to run day-to-day functioning of the council. He alleges that neither the Honorary Secretary nor the Honorary Treasurer visit the complex.

Sources allege that a lot of irregularities have been done in inviting tenders and choosing bidders. They further allege gross violation of norms in purchase of medicines and in selection of bidder to supply nutrition items.

An employee of the Bal Bhawan in Sector 23-B says to impart computer education, an entrepreneur has been allowed to install terminals for three years. The permission has been granted on the ground that 25 per cent, 35 per cent and 45 per cent royalty of total fee charged from students will be paid to the ICCW for three consecutive years, respectively, he says. He discloses that despite the increase in the percentage of royalty, the sum paid by the entrepreneur has nosedived.

It is alleged that of around 80 life members, only 10 to 15 members attend the annual general meeting. In a meeting, it has been made mandatory for every life member to pay or arrange Rs 5,000 per year for the council, but except three members, nobody has complied with the decision.

The employees of the ICCW pose themselves as employees of UT Administration. When asked about proof, they show identity cards having superscribed logo of the Chandigarh Administration and duly signed by a former Organising Secretary of the ICCW, Mrs K. Kaushik.

Stating itself to be a part of the Chandigarh Administration, the ICCW employees union demands that salaries should be revised to bring the employees at a par with grades of UT Administration employees. Emphasising its demands, the union has added that

in 1970, under the chairmanship of Dr D.C. Pavate, the then Governor of Punjab, it was decided that the council employees would be governed by the same rules as applicable to the employees of the UT Administration.

The Honorary Secretary of the ICCW, Dr Inderjit Bhatia, showing his helplessness, says the maintenance of the complex is the responsibility of the UT Administration. Accepting that there is no chowkidar or caretaker to look after the open air theatre, he adds that the council is losing revenue due to the theatre being in a bad state.

Talking about the International Dolls Museum, Dr Bhatia says, "For its upkeep and maintenance, I have requested the UT Administration to give its management to any private organisation, but to no avail." Stating that the UT Administration should take over the complex, he alleges that despite sufficient funds, the council has not done much for the upkeep and development of the complex.

Dr Bhatia further alleges, "due to the red tape of the bureaucrats concerned, we do not get our proposal passed in time." He demands that if the Adviser to the Administrator and the Finance Secretary of UT Administration do not have ample time to look after the needs and working of the ICCW, they should resign from the post of President and Vice-president of the council, respectively.