Time for plus one admissions
Carmel, Bhavan seats full, DAV College prospectus from today
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, June 9 — With the results of Class X, both of the ICSE and CBSE declared, anxious parents and students have started visiting various private and government schools in the city for getting admission in the plus one class. While a few private schools have already completed their admissions by admitting students provisionally, others will begin their admissions this week.

The students have the option of 28 Government Senior Secondary Schools, 21 private schools and DAV College, Sector 10.

Private schools like Carmel Convent, Sector 9, which give preference to their own students have made admissions against 50-odd seats in the commerce stream and 30 in the non-medical stream in April and will admit fresh students only in case of a vacancy by July 1. Bhavan Vidyalaya, Sector 27, has also admitted the students provisionally and started the classes.

The prospectus of the local DAV College, which has as many as 720 seats in various streams of plus one, will be made available from tomorrow. The students have to submit their applications within a week, following which the merit list will be displayed. According to Mr B.M. Pubial, Dean of College Admissions, the cut-off percentage for the medical stream is 60 and 78 for the non-medical stream.

DAV Senior Secondary School in Sector 15 will also start giving the prospectus from tomorrow and the last date for submission of forms is June 30. The admissions will commence on July 5. According to Mrs Rakesh Chaudhary, the cut-off percentage for the science stream this year is likely to be 80 and for the arts 50. The school offers 250 seats.

The admission forms for DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, and Shivalik Public School, Sector 41, will also be available from tomorrow. The cut-off percentages in the Sector 8 DAV will be 70 in the non-medical and 50 in the arts streams. In Shivalik, it is likely to be 75 per cent and above in case of science stream and 50 per cent in arts.

The admission process in various government model and ordinary senior secondary schools in the city will begin on June 15, when the prospectus will be made available for these schools on all days, except Sundays. The government schools this year offer as many as 2,700 seats in the science stream, 1,080 in the commerce stream, 975 in the vocational stream and more than 4000 in the humanities group. The students are required to submit their admission forms at their respective centres till June 30.

With a view to further streamline the admission process, the Education Department this year has asked students to submit one form while opting for a particular stream, indicating their preference of four or more schools on the same. However, a separate form has to be submitted if they wish to simultaneously try their luck in another stream.

In accordance with the centralised system of admissions, students opting for the science stream, both medical and non-medical, will submit their forms at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 23; those who apply for the commerce stream will submit them at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 22, and the ones applying for the humanities and vocational streams will submit them at Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Sector 18.

The interviews for admission to the science stream will commence on July 6, two days prior to the interviews for the commerce stream so as to facilitate the toppers to make a choice between the two. Earlier, students had to run from one school to another for the purpose of these interviews on the same day.

The admissions will be made strictly on the basis of merit in accordance with the percentage slots. For the science stream, interviews for candidates in the reserved category and 80 per cent and above will be on July 5, those who have scored 70 per cent and above will be interviewed on July 6 and those above 60 per cent on July 7.

The interview dates for admission to the commerce stream are July 7,8,9,10 and 12 for those above 80 per cent, 70 per cent, 60 per cent, 50 per cent and 33 per cent, respectively. The students seeking admission to the humanities and vocational groups will have interviews between July 8 and 14. These schools have, unlike the private ones, no obligation to adjust their own compartment cases and students will be admitted on the basis of their percentage. The new session will commence on July 16 and the students will have to deposit the fee on the day of the interview, otherwise the seat will be offered to the next candidate.

The most sought-after schools in this category are Government Model Senior Secondary Schools in Sectors 16, 35, 19, 37 and 10. The students can also apply for 120 seats of humanities being offered at the Sector 19 Government Senior Secondary School, the only evening school in the city.

Cholera cases in city
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, June 9 — Cases of diarrhoea in at least six homes and a confirmed case of cholera have been reported from Rajiv Colony bordering Chandigarh and Panchkula, sources in the PGI confirmed today. Twelve confirmed cases of cholera have already been reported from the city earlier.

The health authorities in Panchkula, however, maintained that two confirmed cases of cholera were referred to the PGI on May 28. Both cases were reported from Rajiv Colony.

Last year also, the authorities said, two cases of cholera were reported from the same colony. They, however, maintain that the source of the disease was outside and not the "contaminated water".

Initial reports point out that the water being used by the residents for drinking purposes may be contaminated due to the flow of sewage right adjacent to the drinking water source.

The confirmed case of cholera, six-year-old Urmilla, had reported at the PGI on May 30. She had been referred by the General Hospital , Panchkula. After the Microbiology Department confirmed it to be a case of cholera, the Community Medicine Department went for a field analysis.

The Panchkula health authorities also maintain that four-year-old Vikram, a brother of Urmilla, was also referred to the PGI as a confirmed cholera case.

Prof Arun.K. Aggrawal ,Assistant Professor, Community Medicine, at the PGI, who toured the colony and collected water samples, says a row of tenements located alongside a nullah failed the mandatory chlorine test while samples collected from houses located away from the nullah did not fail the test. Cases of diarrhoea have been detected in six homes in the colony .

It's in this nullah that sewage and faecal matter are discharged from the colony itself. At many places the supply lines and the sewage mix with each other. The infection could be due to this mixing and tubewell from where the water is sourced is very near the nullah and ground seepage could also contaminate the underground water reserve.

The PGI team also collected samples that are being screened by the Microbiology Department and results are awaited in a day or two . This will establish what bacteria are present, Prof Aggarwal said.

Suggesting an immediate solution he said distribution of chlorine tablets is a must among the community.

The residents of the colony have punctured the main water supply line which is a a little above the nullah.Taps for withdrawal of water have been fitted on to the holes made by conventional method which leave room for sewage to enter the pipelines. No action has been initiated by HUDA against the defaulters.

GMCH to computerise records
By Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, June 9 — Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, will have all records of the patients in the wards on computers that will be connected directly with the Heads of the Departments concerned for easy and accurate diagnosis.

This is part of a dedicated programme to totally computerise the functioning of GMCH.

As per the plans, all records, previous history, drugs administered, line of treatment, nature of ailment or injury to the patient and even the body diagrams that are mandatory in a large number of cases will be on the computer. This will in turn be connected with computers at the homes of the HODs, explained the Director-Principal of GMCH, Prof V.K. Kak.

As the records of the diseases of patients have to be kept a secret, certain checks will apply on who all can access them. Computers will be made available in each of the wards. A software programme that will have a body diagram, needed for most cases, will be developed.

GMCH will, however, continue to maintain paper records for medico-legal cases (MLC) as the legal system is yet to be computerised, Professor Kak said.

At the moment, the registration of patients in OPDs, emergency and laboratories are on the computer. Tests are going on to check the effectiveness of computerised billing and soon the pharmacy, the store and the procurement branches will be on the computer. "Everything will be inter-connected for easy access," the Director- Principal added.

Next in line for computerisation are the accounts, establishment and academic branches. The library will also be computerised and this will provide easy access for students and staff through the Internet. A large number of journals, and medical research papers are just put on the Internet and not published, Professor Kak said while explaining the benefits of computerisation.

GMCH is also working on a project to provide Internet to all HODs. The project costing about Rs 18 lakh is being carried out by S.A.S. Nagar-based PUNCOM, which will provide a radio link through its earth station in S.A.S. Nagar for Internet. The problem of connectivity will be sorted once the new 'B' block that is scheduled to open on June 22, is functional.

A full-fledged Information Technology Centre will be based in the new block. GMCH is trying to get the Department of Electronics (DoE), Government of India, to fund the project.

Teaching surgery on computer

In its computertisation drive, GMCH will soon reach the stage when students will be taught to carry out surgeries on graphic stimulated images on the computer screen. Same will be true for students of anatomy, who at present have to dissect dead bodies to learn the trade.

Images on the computer images are so well stimulated graphically that if a student places an incision at the wrong place the computer will tell. Visually, an affected blood vessel will also bleed. In case the "surgery " is carried out wrongly, the computer will tell the student that his "patient" is dying.

Dubious land sale alleged
From Bipin Bhardwaj
From Our Correspondent

DERA BASSI, June 9 — The management of local DAV High School has allegedly sold 10 acres and 8 biswas out of a total of 26 acres and 16 biswas donated to the school by one of its benefactors.

The land was donated to Smt N.N. Mohan DAV High School, Dera Bassi, by the donor, Mrs Shri Kaur, an issueless widow of Haripur Hinduan village, near here. The papers regarding the donation were drafted in the office of the Sub Registrar of Rajpura on July 31, 1961.

According to documents of the latest transaction, the land was allegedly subsequently sold by the then DAV School Management headed by Mr Krishan Singh Arya to Mr Yogesh Mahajan, Mr Hira Lal Mahajan, Mrs Kiran Mahajan and Mr Rajesh Mahajan, all hailing from Chandigarh. A part of the land was also registered in the name of Rama Health Care, a company owned by a BJP leader.

Sources alleged that the prime land worth several lakh rupees was sold for only Rs 6.40 lakh without the permission of the DAV Managing Committee, New Delhi, the apex body running the affairs of DAV institutions in the country. The land was sold to the buyers in parts, between January 5 to 17, 1995.

Mr Yash Pal Mahajan, present Chairman of the All-India Technical Teachers Training Institute, signed as the purchaser on the revenue records on behalf of the five actual purchasers. A sum of Rs 80,650 was spent by the school authorities on the registries made in the names of the purchasers, which was allegedly in violation of the laid down procedure.

Members of the school's managing committee alleged that Mr Arya, in connivance with the school Principal, Mrs Kamlesh Narang, passed a resolution (no. 6) for disposing the land after a meeting of the members of the local managing committee on September 17, 1990. The resolution was "arbitrarily passed without their consent" and the same was submitted in the local tehsil office, they added.

The resolution bears the signatures of Mr Arya and Mrs Narang, although signatures of all those who attended the meeting are required to approve the land transaction. They said the plea of Mr Arya and Mrs Narang was that the matter was listed on the agenda. All their pleas and efforts to get the "deal undone" have proved futile.

The sale or purchase of property needs the sanction of the committees, both local and the apex body, and a power of attorney has to be drawn up for any such deal, they add.

The only resolution listed for that day, regarding any land transaction, was the purchase of an adjoining piece of land. The resolution reads — "Considered the case for the purchase of land adjoining the existing building from Satnam Singh, Architect and Company, for the expansion of buildings of two schools and to fulfill the requirement of land for the continuance of affiliation by the Punjab Education Department and resolved to authorise the Manager of the school to negotiate with the land owners. Further resolved to sell a portion of agricultural land in Haripur to meet the cost of the land adjacent to the school at Dera Bassi."

The members of the committee alleged that Mr Arya, without discussing the issue with them, sold the land on "ridiculously low rates", causing a huge revenue loss to the DAV Managing Committee, besides bartering away the interests of the school.

They alleged that neither the amount received by selling the donated land had been deposited into the school's account nor any land had been purchased for the extension of the school building.

The members also alleged that Mr Arya went out of the way to benefit the kin of Mr Yash Pal Mahajan as he was aspiring to become a Vice-Chancellor in any of the Universities, with the help of some influential BJP politicians with whom Mr Mahajan was associated.

The members of the managing committee assert that there is no provision to sell land gifted to the school. They said that recently, agricultural land adjacent to the donated land had been sold for more than Rs 15 lakh per acre.

Sources said an explanation had been called by the committee from Mr Arya but no reply had been forthcoming from him. A sum of about Rs 17 lakh, was deposited in the school accounts in instalments by Mr Arya after the explanation was called.

Mrs Narang refused to comment on the matter. Mr Arya said that he had given a reply to the explanation sought by the apex committee. He further added that his detractors were unaware about the money which had already been deposited in the school account. "This all has happened due to a communication gap," he added.

Row over power disconnection
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, June 9 — Discontinuation of power connections in the Ropar circle with a view to checking power pilferage has led the consumers to remain without electricity.

In a recent drive to curb power theft, Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) conducted raids at several places. But the consumers alleged that the authorities took an indifferent attitude. According to Mr Ashok Kumar, a resident of Bartana village, the temporary power connection allotted to him was disconnected without any prior notice.

Residents said that they were not aware of any voluntary disclosure scheme (VDS) initiated by the board. The scheme closed in October last. They said that they constructed their houses about a year ago and were allotted temporary connections.

Mr Krishan Lal Sharma, another resident of Bartana village, said he was paying the bills since the grant of an electricity connection but board officials all of sudden raided his house and suspended the supply. A notice was handed over to him by the officials on the spot which he refused to accept. He was imposed a penalty of Rs 17,000.

Mr Sharma added that his several attempts to meet the Executive Engineer had proved futile. Whenever he went to the office, the staff present there did not allow him to meet the officer concerned.

A resident of Bhabat village, on condition of anonymity, said he was using power more than the permissible limits.

But he said that the a scheme on the lines of the VDS should be floated for the benefit of consumers.

Meanwhile, the Executive Engineer, Zirakpur division, was not available for comments.

I am still a Sonia loyalist: Buta
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, June 9 — Taking the BJP to task for ‘misleading’ people by raking up the issue of Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s nationality, Mr Buta Singh, the former Union Minister, said today that Mrs Gandhi was Indian and not a foreigner.

Mr Buta Singh, who was speaking to mediapersons here today, said that as the BJP had no other relevant issue to take up, it was misguiding the countrymen by saying that Mrs Sonia Gandhi was a foreign national and therefore had no right to hold the office of the Prime Minister. Moreover, the provisions of Article 6 of the Indian Constitution specified that any foreigner automatically attains Indian nationality if he or she married an Indian national, hence, the Congress President was not a foreigner, he added.

Regarding his ouster from the party, Mr Buta Singh, said he was ‘thrown out’ of the party by the then president Mr Sita Ram Kesri for his loyalty towards Mrs Sonia Gandhi. “Another reason was that I was raising my voice against Mr Kesri, who was harming the interests of the party,” he added and said that he still was a Sonia loyalist.

Mr Buta Singh predicted that the Congress would make a clean sweep in the forthcoming polls and no party had ever succeeded without following the policies of the Congress. “Look at the West Bengal Government. It is successfully ruling the state for many years as it is basically following secular policies of the Congress,” he added.

Commenting on the infiltrations from Pakistan in the Kargil sector, Mr Buta Singh, said the situation had apparently complicated due to failure of intelligence agencies. He said intentions of Pakistan had always been doubtful and it could even force a war on India. He, however, said no party should take political mileage out of the present situation and all parties should be taken into confidence by the government before taking any major decision on the issue.

If the Congress gives the party ticket to Mr Buta Singh, he will contest the election from Rajasthan.

When asked whether the Congress was interested in having any alliance with the Akali Dal headed by Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, he said it was for the Punjab unit of the Congress to decide.

He said the Congress was getting a good response under the leadership of Mrs Sonia Gandhi and it was sure to get a parliamentary majority. The BJP’s “blunt weapons” would no longer be useful in the coming elections, he said.

He also stressed the need to provide more facilities and teachers in government schools in villages, especially around Chandigarh, so that students belonging to poorer sections of society could get better education. He said this while addressing a gathering in Majatri village near Kharar after inaugurating the building of the local Government Primary School. The building has been constructed with foreign donation.

He said that well-settled families sent their children to Chandigarh to get better education but children of poor families and Scheduled Castes studied in government schools in villages. He said it was important that standards of government schools were improved.

He praised Mr Baldev Singh of the village who had become the Deputy Speaker of Punjab Vidhan Sabha when Mr Lachman Singh was the Chief Minister of Punjab. He has sent Rs 6 lakh for the construction of the building of this school, in the memory of his son Harinder Singh who died in the USA in June 1995.

Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo and Mr Joginder Singh Mann, both former ministers of Punjab also addressed the gathering. Mr Balbir Singh Sidhu, Organising Secretary of the PCC, demanded that the Punjab Government should name this school after Harinder Singh.

Mr Sukhdev Singh Sehbajpuri, Mr Gurmakh Singh, Mr Balraj Singh Gill, Mr Harkesh Chand and Ms Darshan Kaur also spoke at the gathering.

Flat allottees demand transparency
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, June 9 — Members of HUDA Town and Country Planning and Urban Estate Department Welfare Housing Organisation (HEWO), who have been allotted flats in Gurgaon, Faridabad and Panchkula, are unhappy with the functioning of the Managing Committee of HEWO.

The members of HEWO, who are employees of HUDA and Town and Country Planning Department, in a representation to the Chief Administrator of HUDA, have lamented that not a single meeting of the general body of the organisation has been held since its formation about eight years back.

The HEWO was allotted land at Panchkula (7.15 acres), Gurgaon ( 6.5 acres) and Faridabad (3.9 acres) in 1991. At least 320 flats of five different categories were to be constructed in Panchkula, 440 flats in Gurgaon and 280 flats in Faridabad.

The employees alleged that the Managing Committee of HEWO, had not informed them about the progress report of the construction of the flats. The members of HEWO were been allotted flats at Gurgaon, in the representation to the Chief Administrator, said the information sought by them in 1998 had not been provided and instead vague information about the costs of the flats had been provided.

They demanded details of the method of calculating the cost of land, the size of flats, the carving out of additional flats, the reasons for substantial rise in construction cost, benefit of interest, additional cost of cement and steel, cost of external electrification, besides other expenditures. They lamented that instead of bringing transparency in the functioning of HEWO, another instalment had been sought from them in April this year. The employees threatened not to pay the instalment if the information was not clarified.

The employees also drew the attention of the Commissioner of HUDA to help them so that the hard-earned money of the employees was not misappropriated and any decision regarding the flats was taken after taking them into confidence.

Delegation meets CE
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, June 9 — A delegation of the members of the Capital Project Department Works Workers Union today met the UT Chief Engineer (CE) and submitted a memorandum of demands to him.

According to Mr Sushil Kumar, General Secretary of the union, their demands included regularisation of daily wage workers and giving them CCA, HRA and DA, filling of vacant posts by promoting department employees, hiring workers on work charge basis, issuing of uniforms and bicycle maintenance allowance to Class III field staff, disbursing the bonus for 1997-98 and promotions after 9, 16, 14 and 32 years of service.

He said the Chief Engineer assured them that their demands would be looked into sympathetically. In view of the assurances the dharna of the union, scheduled to held tomorrow, was cancelled, he added.

City sealed for two hours
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, June 9 — The entire city was sealed for two hours between 6 pm and 8 pm as teams of the Chandigarh Police set up special nakas at around 70 places. The concentration was mainly on the roads leading out of the city.

Vehicles were checked and antecedents of people verified. This is new plan of the city police to conduct surprise checks, according to sources. No arrests have been made, no stolen vehicle was caught and no one was detained, a senior police official said.

Entrance test for PU courses from June 17
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, June 9 — The entrance test for admission to various courses being offered by the departments of Panjab University will begin from June 17. The test was earlier scheduled for June 6.

As per the consolidated datesheet, students seeking admission to LL.B, M. Com, LL.M, Master of Computer Applications ( MCA) and postgraduate diploma in Computer Applications will appear for the test on June 17. Those who have applied for admission in B.Lib, and Information Science and M.Lib and Information Science, Master of Mass Communication (MMC), MA ( Education), Bachelor of Physical Education, M.Ed ( Master of Education), M.Ed (Educational technology) and M.Ed (Guidance) and Counselling will sit for the test on June 18.

The entrance test for admission to two-years (honours school) courses, M.Sc (two-year courses), Bio-Chemistry, Bio-Physics, Bio-Technology, Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Microbiology, Zoology, M.Sc (Mathematics and Statistics) will be held on June 19. Paper-II of these courses will be held on June 20 and 21.While Paper-II of Physics and Anthropology will be conducted on June 19, paper-I of the Bio-Technology course will be on June 21.

The entrance tests will be conducted at 11 centres in the university and four centres in Government College for Girls, Sector 42.

SNIPPETS

Zirakpur to levy octroi
From Our Correspondent

ZIRAKPUR, June 9 — The newly formed Zirakpur Nagar Panchayat proposes to levy octroi on goods being transported through the township soon. A notification inviting suggestions and objections from the general public in this regard is expected to be issued within two or three days.

Mr Jai Kishan Sharma, Executive Officer of the Nagar Panchayat, said that the panchayat would entertain the suggestions and the objections filed by the public within 30 days from the date of publication of the notification. He said that the office of the Nagar Panchayat would start functioning shortly from the local Community Centre.

The Punjab Government had declared the township a nagar panchayat under Section 4(1) of the Punjab Municipal Act, 1911 on May 7 by merging Zirakpur, Lohgarh, Himmatgarh, Bishanpura, Bishangarh, Bartana and Dhakoli villages.

Air Marshal visits 3BRD
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, June 9 — The Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Maintenance Command, Air Marshal S.S. Gupta, arrived here this morning on a four-day official visit to 3 Base Repair Depot here. He was received by Air Commodore Arvinda Aggarwal, Air Officer Commanding, 3 BRD.

During his stay here, Air Marshal Gupta will visit and inspect various units and sections of the depot.

SAD burns effigy of Pak PM
From a Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, June 9 — In protest against the Pakistani intrusion in Kargil , the local unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), today burnt the effigy of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr Nawaz Sharif at the Sector 17 Plaza here .

Addressing the rally of around 150 party workers, the President of the Chandigarh unit of the SAD , Mr Gurpartap Singh Riar, flayed Pakistan for breaking the Simla Agreement by crossing the Line of Control (LoC) in Kargil sector.

Mr Riar commended the efforts of the Central Government to flush out the infiltrators and cautioned the other political parties, especially the Congress, against taking any political mileage.

He appealed to the Union Government that no special arrangement should be made for Sonia Gandhi’s visit to Kargil, if she intended to visit the place.

Mr Narinder Singh Minhas, Secretary General of the unit, said that the statement of the Pakistani officials saying that there was no ‘LoC’ earlier, was a shameful act.

The rally was also addressed by Mr Gurcharan Singh Kahnuwan, Mr Harcharan Singh Sahwney, Mr Mohinder Singh, Mrs Amarjit Kaur Bhullar, Smt Harjinder Kaur and Mr Mohan Singh .

‘Govt indifferent to demands’
From Our Correspondent

SAS NAGAR, June 9 — Both the Central and Punjab governments are indifferent to the demands of freedom fighters because most of the political leaders today do not have any link with the freedom struggle.

These views were expressed here today by Dr Krishan, Vice-President of the Punjab unit of the all-India Freedom Fighters Organisation, and Mr S.D. Sharma, Vice President of the Ropar district unit of the organisation.

Dr Krishan said as the former Prime Minister, Mr Inder Kumar Gujral, was a freedom fighter, he was aware of the difficulties faced by them and as such he had made certain promises. But his government fell before he could fulfil these. The present BJP Government was paying no attention to the promises made by Mr Gujral.

Both leaders said about a year and a half ago, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, the Punjab Chief Minister, had announced that the monthly pension of freedom fighters would be increased from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 and the marriage allowance for their children would be raised from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000. Both announcements had not been implemented.