Parking lot contractors overcharging fees
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, June 7 — The laxity on the part of the UT administration is causing hardship to the residents of and the tourists to the city beautiful as parking fees on vehicles are being overcharged by contractors here.

The parking slips used by the contractors of most of the auctioned sites do not bear printed rates for particular vehicles. The parking fees charged by contractors are not on a par with the quoted rates of the administration.

The authorised parking fee for a car or a jeep is Rs 2 for two hours and Rs 5 for a full day, while scooter parking charge is Re 1 for two hours and Rs 2 for a full day.

The parking contractors have started charging flat rates on parked vehicles. Mr Gorakh Nath Pandey, an employee of a parking owner, says, "for our convenience, we charge flat rates such as Rs 2 on a scooter, Rs 5 on a car and Rs 10 on a jeep or a Tata Sumo. whether you park your vehicle for two hours or a full day, the parking fee will be the same."

Mr Akhil Goyal, a student leader says due to this students suffer a lot as they get limited amount as pocket money. He adds that the Administration should take adequate steps to curb this illegal practice.

With no authorised parking rate for helmets, contractors charge between Re 1 and Rs 3 per helmet. A parking lot employee says, "We charge between Rs 3 and Rs 5 as parking fee on a scooter with helmet. The parking charge on a scooter varies from Rs 2 to Rs 3."

The boards at the parking sites lack proper information regarding rates. The parking rates for trucks and buses are missing at Sukhna Lake and Shanti Kunj parking sites. Contractors overcharge from bus and trucks owners. A tourist bus driver from Delhi says the bus parking fee at Sukhna Lake and Rock Garden is from Rs 20 to Rs 50.

Not only this, some miscreants have been charging parking fees from the vehicles parked in front of the Lake Club. The parking site outside the Lake Club is meant for its members and there is no parking fee.

Neither the Enforcement Wing nor the Municipal Corporation of the UT administration have come into action so far. It remains to be seen whether any change comes in their indifferent attitude or not.

SAS Nagar residents flay notification on quota
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, June 7 — Describing the notification by the Punjab Government reserving 85 per cent of seats in different technical courses for students having passed their qualifying examination from schools and colleges of Punjab as ‘discriminatory’ and ‘unjustified’ , residents of the city in general and those whose wards are studying in different Chandigarh schools have demanded the revocation of the notification.

A number of parents, while talking to the TNS, dubbed the step of the Technical Education Department, Punjab, as a ‘step-motherly treatment’ with their children. They said the lack of farsightedness on the part of the department had resulted in victimisation of their children without any fault on their part. They said the notification, knowingly or unknowingly, had rendered hundreds of students, studying in different Chandigarh schools, but biving in SAS Nagar and other satellite towns of Chandigarh falling in Punjab, ineligible for admission to technical courses.

Ms Adarsh Bala, of Phase V, said the notification was nothing but a joke with students from Punjab studying in Chandigarh and the authorities, if necessary, should have formulated a policy after giving a deep thought about its implications on students. “Have we committed a blunder by sending our children to Chandigarh, with an objective of getting good education for them,” she asked, adding that the notification should be withdrawn without any delay.

Ms Dalip Kaur, said the notification was an ‘unjustified’ step drafted by some non-serious junior official and had adversely affected the prospects of students belonging to the city and surrounding areas. She said it was good for her that she had admitted one of her sons to Dashmesh Academy at Anandpur Sahib, even as she was thinking that she would get him admitted to some Chandigarh school. “Now I think that I have not taken a wrong step, otherwise it would have been sheer loss of time and money for him,” she said. She demanded that the notification should be withdrawn without any further delay.

Mr Satish Kumar, said no such reservation should be there which created divisions. “ What is the need of reservation, when there is competition for admission. “They should either abolish the competition or should remove this type of reservation, which was depriving a section of people belonging to the state from their right to get admission into state run institutes. Moreover, there is no such reservation for other professional courses,” he said.

Mr Bhupinder, said to undo the ‘injustice’ with people of these cities, an amendment should be effected, creating a provision in it so that residents of these towns could be able to take admission to these schools. “Actually, a ridiculous situation has arisen, as a result of which students would not be able to get admission to Punjab institutes. They will not get admission to institutes in Chandigarh, as they would not have residence proof to stake their claim,” he added.

Mr Surinderjit Singh, of Phase III-B-2 said the notification had virtually left the students of the city as an ‘orphaned lot’. He said while the entire reservation process adopted by the department was wrong as it created inequality among people, the notification should be withdrawn immdiately.

Mr Sohan Lal, said he had sent his ward to Chandigarh for attaining good education, but, he would have to admit him to the local college.

Children’s summer blues
By V.S. Mahajan

SCHOOL vacation time turns out almost a nightmare for an average family which just does not have an idea how children would be kept busy during this period. In fact when both partners are working, which has now become standard norm, this confusion worsens unless parents can request some elder member to take care of children while they are away. But then it has become very difficult for a senior member to be present for this long period.

So parents are left with no alternative other than to knock at the doors of privately run so-called “summer schools for children” which generally mushroom around this period and fleece helpless parents for taking care of their wards. This system, therefore, turns out to be quite taxing for the people with fixed income and who instead of looking to a period of joy and relaxation end up with emptying their savings and then for something which hardly benefits children, particularly in these makeshift “summer schools” often housed in not congenial environs and lack facilities.

However, in an atmosphere when every parent is keen to see children taken care of during this long vacation and there is often a demand-supply imbalance, there is hardly any choice. At least parents are assured that children are not creating problems while left to themselves in homes.

This system thus raises this serious question, why don’t the schools themselves are turned into “summer schools” during the extended vacation period? There are several advantages. Foremost, children are quite familiar with the environment and thus would face no problem of adjustment for they would now, instead of attending to routine class teaching and homework, would find time for fun and relaxation as well as learn some new and useful things. Senior students would have the opportunity to learn about computers, etc. instead of rushing to ill-equipped computer shops who charge high fees for generally poor delivery.

These schools could also better plan outdoor programmes at frequent intervals which would provide a lot of fun, experience as well as adventure to children thus make these holidays a worthwhile experience.

Secondly, parents would be only too happy for they would no longer hunt for unfamiliar “summer schools.”

Thus in case regular schools are forthcoming to undertake this responsibility a heavy load would be off their minds. In fact they would even be prepared to pay higher here than what they do in case of quite a few fake “summer schools.”

Thirdly, even schools stand to gain by converting their premises into appropriate “summer schools.” They would be saving on premises which being their own would otherwise have been locked up for this period. Moreover, quite a few teachers would be willing to help when they would earn extra remuneration.

Fourthly, with extra money thus earned these schools could improve their own infrastructure and render better services to their pupils. This would help them reduce pressure on parents for contributing to the school fund.

No occupant for 15 years
From Our Correspondent

LALRU, June 7 — The houses built by the Punjab Government for the rehabilitation of people belonging to the weaker sections of society in various villages under Dera Bassi subdivision have remained unoccupied for the past 15 years due to lack of basic civic amenities.

These houses were constructed by the Punjab Housing Development Board under the 20-Point Programme of the state government in 1984 in Sarseeni, Lahli, Dapper and Chaundheri villages to rehabilitate homeless people. The houses have become a shelter for the wrongdoers and hideouts for criminals. Besides, some of the houses are being used by the local residents cattlesheds and stores to preserve fodder. A few houses have even been let out by their allottees to labourers hailing from other states.

Earlier the government had allotted these houses to the needy people of the subdivision on an annual instalment of Rs 130 each. The walls of these houses, which are in deplorable condition, have been defaced with various commercial advertisements.

The residents as well as the allottees allege that without keeping the public interest and their convenience in view, the government constructed these houses without any planning and at quite some distance from other residential areas. The houses were built in open areas away from villages and without any provision for water and electricity supply. There are no streets to reach these houses. Moreover, they lack adequate space.

Another reason for the failure of the scheme was lack of security, both of the residents and their property, as no provision for setting up police posts near these colonies was made.

The residents allege that though the government had built the houses to extend benefits to the homeless, yet the wrong decision about their location has made the scheme non-starter. “Neither the government nor the needy have been benefitted by this scheme,” said Mr Sarbjit Singh, a resident of Lalru.

Sixtysix such units were constructed in Dera Bassi subdivision at a cost of Rs 35.64 lakh. The houses were partially plastered and were without pucca floors. The doors and windows are without any shutters.

The alloment letters of these houses were handed over to residents belonging to the Scheduled Castes by Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Finance Minister, Punjab, under the same scheme at Sundran village on May 9. These houses were constructed to rehabilitate the members of the Scheduled Caste community of Sundran, Jora Kalan, Nagla and Humaonpur villages in May.

Godowns, trucks cause nuisance
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, June 7 — The unregulated and haphazard growth of godowns near Zirakpur, on the Chandigarh-Delhi highway, has led to traffic and other related problems. It is also a menace to the residents of the area.

Commuters on this road face a lot of difficulties due to wrongly-parked vehicles on the roadside. Hundreds of godowns have come up and several business establishments have constructed their storehouses.

Mr Harpreet Singh, a management trainee, says it becomes difficult to cross the road. Parked trucks and other heavy vehicles pose a threat to the lives of the passersby. Though a notice warning against the parking of vehicles on the road has been put up, hardly anyone takes cognizance of this board due to negligent attitude of the authorities and careless behaviour of the drivers, he alleges.

Vehicles remain parked near the main road for loading and unloading and while waiting for their turn at the storehouses. Mr Deep Chand of Zirakpur says risk increases at certain places on the road due to wrongly-made intrusions and intersections by the drivers of trucks and other heavy vehicles. There are at least three such spots on the main road.

The haphazard growth of godowns near Zirakpur has led to anti-social activities in the area. In one case, razors and other items were stolen from a godown a few months ago. Police sources say it is difficult for them to look after these constructions. More than two months after the case, the police is yet to find any clue. This has further developed a feeling of fear among the residents.

Last month, a major fire broke out in one of the godowns. Sources say it is tough to control fire in such bad conditions. The approach road to the area is not metalled and this does not allow smooth flow of fire tenders. Moreover, the buildings are constructed in a haphazard way. There are deep potholes near the godowns, which are dangerous for the movement of vehicles, sources in the fire control department add.

The most accident-prone spot is near the barrier on the highway. Residents of the area demand that the building, which is no more in use, should be demolished to avoid any untoward incident. They further demand that use of unauthorised intersections should be disallowed in the view of safety of commuters.

PESCO making bullet-proof vehicle
By Prabhjot Singh
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, June 7 — A bullet-proof TELCO vehicle being fabricated at the workshop of the Punjab Exservicemen Corporation here will soon be introduced in Jammu & Kashmir, Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura for counter-insurgency work. This newly fabricated vehicle will be mainly used for transportation of security personnel in these insurgency-infested States.

According to Maj-Gen U.S. Sidhu, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, PESCO, this Punjab corporation has become the only organisation of its type in the country whose bullet-proof unit has been approved by the DGQA of the Ministry of Defence.He said that trials on the new vehicle would begin soon and once these proved successful, these fabricated vehicles would start rolling out from this unit for regular supply to these States.

Talking about other activities of the corporation , General Sidhu said that a vocational centre for the rehabilitation of ex-servicemen and their families would become functional soon. Constructed at a cost of Rs 12 lakh at the Directorate of Sainik Welfare Complex, Bathinda, the new centre would provide training facilities for ex-servicemen and their families in computer education, stitching, embroidery and other areas.

The decision to start this centre and two more similar centres at Amritsar and Hoshiarpur was taken at a meeting of the Board of Directors of PESCO held here today.

Talking to The Tribune, General Sidhu said that he informed members of the board that out of Rs 15 crore order for the stitching of uniforms received , stitching of uniform worth Rs 4 crore had already been completed and a total 50 per cent of the entire work would be completed by the end of June.

Mrs Gurbinder Chahal, Principal Secretary, Defence Services Welfare Department, Punjab, informed the board that the Minister of Defence Welfare had offered to procure more orders for stitching of uniform and had asked PESCO to double its capacity.

General Sidhu said that to assist ex-servicemen in self-employment, tie-up arrangements with TELCO for financing of their vehicles was being followed. Since TELCO vehicles were now available through CSD canteens spread all over Punjab, PESCO was exploring the possibility of providing TELCO vehicles through various financing schemes to help them in their rehabilitation and economic welfare.

PESCO, General Sidhu said, had also tied up with the Punjab State Council for Science and Technology for preservation of wetlands at Kanjli and Harike. The council had already placed orders on PESCO for carrying the environment awareness programmes in these areas. The initial grant of Rs 72,000 had already been placed at the disposal of PESCO, General Sidhu added.