Tuesday, June 1, 1999
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N E W S Tuesday, June 1, 1999 |
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VDS
extended till June 15 CHANDIGARH, May 31 — In view of the good response and pleas by various welfare organisations of the city, the UT Electricity Department has extended the simplified Voluntary Disclosure Scheme (VDS) for 15 days. Consumers willing to avail themselves of the benefit of the scheme can now submit their forms till June 15 at their bill collection centre concerned. The scheme was to have expired tomorrow. According to officers at the department 4, 000 forms had been accepted till late in the evening yesterday while the exact number received today was yet to be determined. Meanwhile, the rush at the collection centres in the city, especially in the colonies, was unmanageable. A large number of consumers could be seen awaiting their turn in the scorching heat. Their problem was aggravated due to the non-availability of drinking water and lack of shelters. The main grouse of people at collection centres was that they had to await their turn in at least three queues to get the needful done. While one queue was to get the requisite disclosure form, another was to get the load checked while it was only at the third counter that the deposit for the regularisation load extension was accepted. Since no special arrangements had been made to deal with the rush by requisitioning additional staff, people jostled with one another in the queues and exchanges of hot words between the staff and the public were common at many centres. The lack of regulation resulted in the blockade of corridors of the centres, adding to the problem of other consumers who visited in connection with some other work. Many consumers were seen complaining about the harassment and the long wait in absence of more counters. The centres at the colonies and villages were the worst affected as a majority of the people could be seen seeking clarifications from the harried staff on how to fill in the forms. Their plea was that the department could have printed bilingual forms, both in English and Hindi, for the sake of convenience. Meanwhile, a statement by the Chandigarh Administration urged the people to avail themselves of the benefit of the extended scheme as it already stands notified to include the case of legal heirs, change of ownership of property and tenants. The people should avoid last-minute rush. After the closure of the scheme, load surcharge at the rate of Rs 750 per kw for single phase connection and Rs 1, 500 per kw for three-phase connection shall be levied. The connections of the defaulters are liable to be disconnected following checking in this regard by the department officials. The unauthorised load of air-conditioners each of 2.5 kw rating in houses can be regularised by making a nominal payment of Rs 180 as security and Rs 200 as service connection charges whereas, load surcharge of Rs 4,500 for this unauthorised load shall be levied in case of three-phase connection, when detected, after the expiry of the scheme. A deputation of
residents led by Mr Mohinder Singh, a former deputy mayor
and sitting councillor, met the Adviser and urged her to
extend the date of the VDS. She assured that it would be
done. Similarly, a deputation of the Traders Association,
Sector 17, also met the Chief Engineer in this context. |
J-K
insurgency claims another local lad PANCHKULA, May 31 — The insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir has claimed yet another life. The 36-year-old Indo-Tibetan Border Police Deputy Commandant Joy Lal was a resident of Sector 6 here. He was reportedly killed following an explosion of an improvised explosive device (IED) en route to Jammu from Srinagar. Two jawans, one from Haryana and the other from Almora , who were accompanying him also died. The deceased is the eldest son of Mr H. Lal, former Haryana bureaucrat and Mrs Shashi Lal, former lecturer of English at the Government College for Girls, Sector 11. He is survived by his wife, Geeta, a four-year-old son and a two-and-a-half year daughter. According to Vivek, a childhood friend of the deceased, he was a jovial and warm person and very confident. He was liked by everyone and was the life of any party. A great personal loss not only for the family and relatives, but all his friends as well. A large number of family members, relatives and friends were present at the grief-stricken house. The father, mother and wife were in a state of shock were being consoled by relatives, while the younger brother of the deceased was seen attending to visitors. Family members said he was coming back from Srinagar after completing his temporary assignment when the vehicle he was travelling was reportedly blown up by insurgents. Ironically, he was to to have proceeded on leave yesterday and was expected to reach the city today. Joy Lal graduated from the Government College for Men, Sector 11, before doing his post graduation in psychology from Panjab University. He joined the Mass Communication Department but following his selection to the ITBP, he left it midway in 1988. He underwent his training at the ITBP Officers High Altitude Defence and Survival Academy, Mussourie, and was posted to various high altitude and plain areas. He was at present posted at Amritsar and had been temporarily sent to Srinagar for an assignment. The high point of his career was when he was selected for taking part in the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Bosnia, family members added. The family received news
about the incident late last night. The details available
were sketchy and more information would be available only
when the body, accompanied by officers, arrives tomorrow
morning. The body which was expected to reach the city in
the evening could not reach as the vehicle carrying the
body developed a snag. The cremation is likely to take
place at noon tomorrow. |
New IGP
takes over today CHANDIGARH, May 31 — The new Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Chandigarh, Mr S.K. Singh, a 1970-batch IPS officer, will take over tomorrow morning. According to information available at Police Headquarters in Sector 9 here, Mr Singh will be travelling by road and is expected to reach here by 9.30 a.m. Mr S.K.Singh is presently posted as Joint Commissioner, Vigilance and Media, with the Delhi Police. He will relieve Mr Asad
Farooqui of the charge here. Mr Farooqui was handed over
the charge by Dr Kiran Bedi on May 18 following her
transfer to Delhi. Dr Kiran Bedi was transferred
following orders of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)
after a major controversy had broken out between her and
the Chandigarh Administration. |
Another
reshuffle in city police CHANDIGARH, May 31 — The Chandigarh Police authorities today ordered another minor reshuffle, while two constables, who were dismissed for allegedly accepting bribe a month ago, were re-instated. This was the third reshuffle in 11 days. Today could possibly be the last day for Mr Asad Farooqui to officiate as Inspector-General of Police (IGP). Mr J.S. Cheema, posted in the CIA wing, has now been posted as Station House Officer (SHO), Sector 36. He replaces Mr B.S. Chadha, who has been made in charge of the Motor Transport (MT) section. Mr Chaddha replaces Mr Prem Singh Malik, who has been shifted to the CIA wing. Mr Yashpal, who was transferred from the Railway Station police post to the police station, Sector 11 some days ago, has been transferred again. He has been made in charge of Police Post, Sector 24. He replaces Mr Jarnail Singh, who has been posted as Additional SHO, Sector 11 police station. The first reshuffle took place on May 20 to appoint DSPs in place of two suspended DSPs. In another reshuffle on May 27, an SI was appointed in charge of a police post after his reinstatement. Some inspectors, including two SHOs, were shifted the same day. After seeing today's transfers, it is evident that most of the inspectors shifted in the last two reshuffles have completed just an year in their present postings. In some cases, the tenure was less than an year. Meanwhile, the Chandigarh Police authorities today re-instated two constables, Lakha Singh and Anil Kumar. They were dismissed from service on April 26 after they were caught allegedly taking bribe from a truck driver. Dr Kiran Bedi, the previous IGP, had dismissed them after they were found guilty by the inspector who reached the spot following a telephonic complaint by a city resident. These constables, on a motorcycle (CH-01-G-9775), were allegedly taking money from passing truck drivers near the poultry farm in Industrial Area, phase I. They were attached with the Police Control Room (PCR). Mr Surinder Singh,
driver of a truck (RPK-487), reported that the duo had
taken money from him. Acting on a telephone call, a team
of the PCR, led by Inspector Bakshish Singh, swung into
action. The constables were arrested under sections
13(1\A) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
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Sites’
transfer disallowed CHANDIGARH, May 31 — The Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC) has decided to rescind a resolution approving the transfer of sites on a friendly basis in Mani Majra. At a meeting here on May 28, the House of the civic body was of the view that no such transfer on a friendly basis should be allowed as the government was losing revenue on account of stamp duty. It may be recalled that the erstwhile Notified Area Committee at a meeting on March 19, 1987, had accorded approval for granting permission for the transfer of commercial and residential sites at a fee of Rs 30 and Rs 10 per square yard, respectively. The Commissioner had also approved the transfer of plots after the receipt of the full payment of friendly/family basis on specified rates. The third meeting of the MCC on April 23 also okayed the decision. However, when the issue
was discussed at a meeting of the finance and contract
committee it was recommended that the decision be
rescinded immediately, which the recent meeting of the
House did. |
Objections
delay lake wet dredging CHANDIGARH, May 31 — The start of wet dredging of Sukhna Lake would be delayed by several months following objections raised by the Department of Forests and Environment. The Engineering Department of the Chandigarh Administration, which was planning to start the wet dredging this summer, may not be able to do so until after end of Monsoon. The Administration had invited the Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) for negotiations after accepting its tender in April this year to undertake the work to be carried out in two phases . In fact, the DCI was the only government or public sector undertaking to submit its tender. Early this month, DCI officials visited the city and held negotiations with the Engineering Department after a thorough inspection of the site. But objections raised by the Forest and Environment Department forced the Engineering Department not to award the work to the DCI till the "green signal" came from the Ministry of Environment and Forests. The Engineering Department in consultation with the DCI proposed to construct two bundhs — one inside the present water body and the second in the silted portion which now forms a part of the reserve forest. While the Forest and Environment people have no objection to the bundh inside the water body, they have raised objections to the outer bundh. The bundhs, say engineers, are necessary so as to avoid total draining out of the lake for dredging. By using the two bundhs, the water would be rerouted within the bound area to minimise its loss in the dredging process. It was in 1991 that a notification under Section 4 of the Indian Forest Act was issued to declare the silted portion of the lake with thick vegetative growth as "reserve forest". But since Section 4 only indicates intention of the government or the state to declare a particular area as reserve forest, the Administration notified nearly 260 acres of Sukhna Lake and its surrounding areas as "reserve forest". It may be mentioned here that the initial area of the lake was 2.24 square kilometres. At present, the area of the water body is only 1.5 square km, meaning thereby that 0.75 square km of the erstwhile water body has been redefined as a "reserve forest". Under the Indian Forests Conservation Act, even the entry to a "reserve forest" is restricted what to talk of taking machinery inside for wet dredging. But since Sukhna Lake is an important feature of City Beautiful, the Ministry of Environment and Forest may permit "wet dredging" as a deeper lake with more water will have more fish and water life, besides being a home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. There are a couple of solutions to this problem, say experts. One is to offer an equal piece of chunk of land to be notified as reserve forest and the other could be temporary diversion. The ministry could agree to either of the suggestions or some other alternative so as to preserve not only Sukhna but also the flora and fauna it holds in its lap. In the Budget last year,
the Administration had earmarked Rs 2 crore for the
Environment and Ecology head which was basically meant
for wet dredging of the lake. A similar provision has
been made in the current Budget also. The money of last
year has already been withdrawn and deposited with the
Engineering Department to undertake the wet dredging. |
First-aid
camp concludes CHANDIGARH, May 31 — The five-day first-aid and home nursing camp for students of rural schools concluded at Government High School, Sarangpur, here today. During the camp, 500 students from 12 schools were given training, which included stopping profuse bleeding, handling fracture cases, treating snake bite and giving artificial respiration. The experts also imparted training in carrying the wounded on stretchers, controlling high fever and reading the thermometer. They informed the students of the various pressure points in the body and taught them various types of bandages and knots to ensure that they could cope with any situation. Mr D.S. Mangat, DPI (schools and colleges), gave away certificates to the participants. Speaking on the occasion, he lauded the efforts of the Principal, Dr Brij Shukla, in bringing about significant improvement in the functioning and results of the school. The members of the Parent-Teacher Association, the village panchayat and the sarpanch of the village appreciated the efforts of the school authorities in inculcating virtues of regularity and punctuality among the children, who had started coming to school on time and in the proper school dress. A community lunch was also organised. The participants
admitted that with the camp, they were better prepared to
handle cases which required immediate medical attention
before rushing them to hospital. "From our village,
it takes time to reach the hospital and this can prove
fatal in some cases. At least we have an idea about how
we can help in such a situation," says Ram Kumar, a
student who attended the camp. |
2 more
polling booths on anvil SAS NAGAR, May 31 — The draft electoral rolls for the Kharar constituency will be published on June 20. The local SDM, Mr O.P. Popli, said today that the necessary corrections, if any, would be carried out after the publication. He said two new polling booths would be opened in Phase XI, one each at Aanchal Preparatory School and Playway Public School. Earlier, all booths for Phase XI were located in the Government Primary School building and some voters had to go to Phase X to cast their votes. He said steps would be
taken to ensure "hat polling booths were located at
convenient places. Earlier, in many cases voters living
in a particular phase had to go to another phase to cast
their votes. |
SDM finds
five absent from duty SAS NAGAR, May 31 — Two government veterinary doctors and three other officials were found absent from duty during an inspection of the local SDM in Landran and Bhagomajra villages, near here, today. Mr O.P. Popli, SDM, said Dr Raghunath Vats and a pharmacist, Mr Reet Rajinder Singh, were found absent from duty at the veterinary hospital, Landran. At the Bhagomajra veterinary hospital, Dr Ravinder Singh was found absent. Earlier, on May 13 too, this doctor was found absent. Mr Popli said during the inspection, Mr Prem Bansal, a sanitary inspector at the Primary Health Centre, Bhagomajra, was also marked absent. Besides, the Public Health waterworks in Landran was found locked at 10.15 a.m. and the tubewell operator was not on duty. The SDM said he would
recommend action against these officials by the
departments concerned. |
Functions
mark ‘No Tobacco Day’ CHANDIGARH, May 31 — "The bottomline in the use of tobacco has to be drawn by its consumers. We must learn to say no to tobacco today because tomorrow might be too late," Ms Vineeta Rai, Adviser to the Administrator, stated at a function in Panjab University to observe "No Tobacco Day" here today. Ms Rai added that the use of tobacco was suicidal and anti-social but has caught the fancy of the youth owing to attractive advertisements and packings. Moreover, peer pressure is a major cause of tobacco addiction among the youth. "In common jargon, smoking is associated with being 'cool' and creates the image the youth wants for himself. He is mocked at if he fails to tow the desired line of action. This usually propels him in the direction of taking to tobacco," she said. She explained that many students were drawn towards tobacco to relieve pain, soothe nerves, cope with stress and reduce weight, without giving thought to the long-term consequences of its use. It could lead to cancers of all kinds and morbidities, which caused greater suffering with passage of time. Speaking of statistics, Ms Rai informed the gathering that use of tobacco caused over one million deaths in a year and over the next two or three decades, the number was expected to rise to over seven million. She also said India was the third largest producer of tobacco. The use of tobacco had increased from 46 per cent to about 63 per cent among men and was on the rise among women, she stated. She said passive smokers were prone to developing respiratory problems and this was a major cause of asthma. She released a souvenir titled 'Leave the Pack Behind' on the occasion, besides awarding prizes to 64 students who had secured positions in the essay-writing and painting competitions, held on April 22 and 29, with tobacco as the theme. As many as 1,400 students had participated in the contests. The students of DAV Public School, SAS Nagar, staged a play on the ill-effects of tobacco and how innocent children were lured to it. The protagonist, a student from a village, was shown blowing away his mother's hard-earned money in smoke and finally falling prey to the addiction of tobacco. After highlighting the consequences of tobacco, the students of Paragon Senior Secondary School, SAS Nagar, presented 'bhangra'. Earlier, Ms Rai had a look at the paintings displayed at the auditorium, depicting consequences of smoking. The function was organised by Generation Saviour Association. Another function to mark "No Tobacco Day" was organised by the Indian Council for Environmental Education, a non-government organisation, at DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8. The President of the society and the Principal of the school, Mr Ravinder Talwar, spoke on harmful effects of smoking. He said the use of tobacco not only damaged health but was also a health hazard to non-smokers, who inhale the fumes by being in the vicinity of the smoker. Keeping this in view, some countries had become vigilant regarding the ill-effects of using tobacco and were trying to disseminate the knowledge. Mr Talwar stressed that efforts must be made "to leave this fruitless habit", which was the cause of eight million deaths every year in the country. Following the talk, he released a poster saying "Cigarette smoking is injurious to your family — prevention is a must". The poster portrayed a man tied to a burning cigarette, whose family had turned its back on him and the claws of the cigarette were shown moving towards him. Framed posters will be
put up at no cost in the 54 schools running environment
clubs set up by the administration. The idea is to catch
the attention of the students and help spread the
message. |
Summer
schools begin today CHANDIGARH, May 31 — With all government schools of the city closing down on June 1 for summer vacation — though many private schools have already closed — a large number of summer schools are scheduled to begin tomorrow. Quite a few summer schools in the city, which are taking classes in theatre, music and dance are already underway and even due to end soon. Others have been organised keeping in mind children of both private and government schools and are starting on June 1. The Punjab Arts Council (PAC), Sector 16, is starting its ‘Integrated arts appreciation workshop’, for children from lower economic strata”. The workshop will be an amalgamation of theatre, music, painting and folk-dance. Interestingly, while almost all workshops are laying stress on the productions to be held at the end of each workshop, the PAC workshop, designed into 10 stages, plans to stage a workshop only if “the students would like to prepare a production”. Indira Holiday Home, Sector 24, will kick off its dance, music, fine arts and literature workshop on June 2. Mrs Surjeet Kaur, a product of the Indian Theatre Department, Panjab University, and who has been holding such workshops for the past five years, said her workshop would also include activities like painting, clay modelling and mask-making. Her workshop will conclude with two productions, “evolved solely by children”. Renowned Bharatnatyam dancer Suchitra Mitra, will also start her dance workshop tomorrow for both boys and girls in Sector 35. Meanwhile, DAV Public School, Sector 8, has already started ‘The Art of Living’ workshop for six days, aimed at freedom from stress and tension, enhanced productivity, greater creativity and self-confidence and better inter-personal relationships. The course open to people who are above the age of 18, is a 20-24 hour workshop. Hans Raj Public School, Sector 6, Panchkula, has also started a summer workshop, divided into several groups with arrangements for trekking and picnics. The school has also provided for a separate workshop for girl students on public speaking. Said Mrs Poonam Katyal, whose eight-year-old has been attending this workshop, “My son is very shy and I am quite happy the way this workshop has shaped him. A ninth-grade student, Chhavi, who is attending a theatre workshop in Sector 24, said, “I had attended a different workshop last year, but this one is certainly better and I have made a whole lot of new friends. It is a nice feeling to be on the stage after the workshop is over”. Another theatre workshop organised by Ravinder Pal Kalra of Gulmohar Arts, at Gandhi Smarak Bhavan, Sector 16, has arranged a tete-e-tete with popular Punjabi Sufi-pop singer, Hans Raj Hans, on June 3. “This will give kids a chance to be with the celebrities and such interactions would be great learning experience for them”. DAV Model School, Sector 15, has a mural workshop in progress which has been organised by Roshan Ansal. The workshop will be on till the end of June. The SAS Nagar-based
Thespian Theatre Group is also organising a theatre,
dance and painting workshop from June 1 to July 4 at the
Phase II Radha Krishan Temple. |
10-hour power failure in
Zirakpur areas ZIRAKPUR, May 31 — Residents of Zirakpur and its surrounding areas witnessed a 10-hour power failure today. A number of consumers said that the area was facing irregular power supply and low voltage despite the PSEB authorities' claim of better power situation. On an average, electricity remained suspended for more than six hours a day. Residents of more than 40 villages are facing regular power cuts, causing a lot of inconvenience to them. According to residents, the power situation has deteriorated since the inauguration of the 66-KV substation at Bartana. Consumers apprehend damage to their electric gadgets in the absence of stable voltage. Consumers complain that fans and air-coolers do not function. Mr Balbir Chand, a resident of Bhabat village, said that the maintenance staff did not respond to the complaints lodged over the telephone. When contacted, Mr K.K.Goyal, Executive Engineer, Zirakpur circle, said that overloading was the main cause of low voltage. The Electricity Department had launched a drive to check this menace. More than 100 consumers, both commercial and residential, were identified as defaulters, consuming power more than the sanctioned limits. In a three-day drive in the Zirakpur circle last week, it was detected that an industrial unit at Bhabat village was consuming a load of 23 KW whereas it had been authorised for one KW. He revealed that action would be taken against the defaulters. All supplies would be disconnected and fine imposed on them. The recent power cuts
were due to some maintenance work going on at Mubarikpur.
Eucalyptus and poplar trees near the transmission lines
were also lead to power failures as the supply got
disrupted due to short circuit caused by branches, he
added. |
Woman
crushed to death CHANDIGARH, May 31 — A woman riding on the carrier of a cycle pedalled by her male companion was crushed to death, while a scooter parked on the road side was broken into pieces by a speeding oil tanker on the Zirakpur-Chandigarh road this evening. The scooter owner also received injuries. The driver and the cleaner of the tanker fled, leaving the tanker behind. The police is yet to establish the identity of the woman, while her male companion, who was pedalling the cycle, is reportedly missing. According to sources, a grey-coloured scooter (CH-01-K-7210) was parked on the road side. The driver of the scooter, Tejinder Pal, a resident of Ram Darbar, was about to start the scooter when a cycle came. At that very moment an oil tanker ( CH-01-D-9424) went out of control and banged into the cycle crushing the woman's head, killing her on the spot. A tyre of the tanker went over the scooter breaking it into pieces and injuring the scooterist. The driver and his helper fled the scene. The police has established the identity of the tanker owner and is questioning him about the driver's identity. The oil tanker was attached with a petrol station along Madhya Marg, Chandigarh. Meanwhile the man , who
was pedalling the cycle, could not be traced and was
there no trace of another body, thus lending a mystery
angle to the entire gruesome episode. Establishing the
identity of the woman would depend upon the statement of
the missing man as the woman's face was badly crushed,
police authorities said. |
SNIPPETS Students
organise langar LALRU, May 31 — Students of the local Industrial Training Institute here today organised a langar to mark the beginning of their next academic session. This was the first time that a langar was organised by students, teachers and some prominent persons of this village since the establishment of the institution. Students of the institution were seen stopping vehicles and pedestrians and urging them to participate in the langar. Sweet dish (halwa) was served to those who could not join the langar. Hundreds of persons, particularly poor and labourers working in various industrial units, enjoyed the langar. 17 endorse decision CHANDIGARH, May 31 — Seventeen members endorsed the decision of the Panjab University Syndicate members regarding the immediate removal of 19 superannuated persons from their respective posts, according to the decision of the Syndicate meeting of February 19, in a joint press statement issued here today. The members flayed the “uncalled for, illegal and unethical decision of the Vice-Chancellor to adjourn the Syndicate meeting held on May 25 without any provocation’’. They also charged that the VC had intentionally misled the press against the decision of the Syndicate, which is a statutory body of Panjab University under an Act of Parliament. The members at the meeting also decided to approach the Chancellor to apprise him of the various violations of the PU calendar ``being committed by the VC and high-profile officials of the university, and also with regard to the illegal termination of a Principal’’. In a separate statement, Dr PP Arya, former member of the Syndicate, said the decision of the Syndicate to remove the 19 superannuated persons should be honoured and the issue settled immediately. Rally by students CHANDIGARH, May 31 — About 600 students of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 46, participated in a rally on ''Keep our water resources clean'' under the national awareness campaign. The students carrying placards with slogans passed through the sector spreading the message. After the rally, an exhibition of utility items made out of waste materials was inaugurated by Mr S.K. Sharma, President of Environment Society. Essay writing and poster-making contests were also held on the occasion. Kerosene shortage alleged CHANDIGARH, May 31 — Mr Sat Pal, President of the Janata Rehri Market, Mani Majra and Vice-President of the Samajwadi Party, today alleged that there had been an acute shortage of kerosene in the township for the past over five days. In a statement here, he alleged that women had to stand in long queues to get their quota of kerosene. The commodity was being sold on the black market. He also said that the
roads of Mani Majra were in bad shape though the monsoon
was round the corner. |
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