India's defeat bowls out sales and schemes
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, June 16 — The ouster of the Indian cricket team from the World Cup following its failure to qualify for the semi-finals and withdrawal of attractive schemes associated with the event have not only led to a decline in TV viewership but also affected sales of various restaurants and companies in the city.

Restaurants in Sectors 17 and 35, which had installed big screens to enhance their sales and used to be jam packed when India was playing, wore a deserted look when Pakistan and New Zealand clashed in the first semi-final match today.

The few who were watching the match were only wishing for Pakistan's defeat. Mr I.P. Phull, a bank officer said, "I am imagining India in place of New Zealand and only want to see the Kiwis win the game.'' Similar views were echoed by Suresh, a professional, who was watching the match because of being a diehard cricket buff. His only wish was to see the World Cup going to the deserving team, be it South Africa or Australia but not Pakistan.

Mr Gurpinder Cheema, who is also disappointed with India's performance, despite it having some of the World's finest batsmen, was interested in only Pakistan not playing in the final. The thrill of watching India playing in the final would have been far greater than celebrating Pakistan's defeat, if so happened, he added.

A group of youngsters sitting in a popular Sector 17 restaurant, who had no interest in the semi-final match, were not disheartened by India's dismal performance in the World Cup because India defeated arch rivals Pakistan in the Super Six stage. "India has, in our opinion, won the World Cup after this victory. We only wish that our forces are able to do something similar on the Kargil front,'' said one of them. Mr Ashok Nayyar, a bank employee, said that he would only watch parts of the semi-final, unlike other days when he would take a break of few hours from work to watch the complete match when India was playing.

Depander Sharma, a student, was of the view that with the coming back of the Indian team, the craze to watch the match was no longer there but people were only curious to see who finally took the World Cup, which happened only once in four years.

He said that withdrawal of various schemes by several pizza joints and hotels which these used to offer on days when India played had also slackened the general enthusiasm among youngsters.

The eating joints offering home delivery services which were doing brisk business when families ordered food at home to enjoy the match on television along with the food, are now fast coming back to their normal routine. Mr Harvinder Singh, working in a fast food joint in Sector 10, said that after withdrawing the offer of one regular pizza free with every order of a large pizza finishing, the home delivery sales had been affected by nearly 25 to 30 per cent. "Our sales were high last month, when India was playing,'' he added. Another shop has also stopped giving a video CD free with every fourth order during the day. However, the lucky draw offering an audio system as prize will be taken out after the World Cup final.

"The sales of televisions which nearly doubled when India entered the Super Six last month have now started declining with India not making it to the semi-finals," said Mr Upkar Deep Singh, a TV dealer. Consumers who were lured by attractive schemes offered by leading companies are now a disappointed lot. The worst affected are the customers of a company which had promised cash amounts to the tune of Rs 4,000 if India entered semi-final and Rs 6,000 if it reached the final. With India's exit from the scene, all their hopes have been dashed.

Another company executive said that buyers of another brand, which had promised gifts such as washing machines and audio systems, would no longer be entitled to these prizes.

City ASI starts work on Shimla monument
By Pradeep Sharma
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, June 16— A famous landmark of Shimla,Viceregal Lodge,is all set to get a facelift as the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has started conservation work on the monument.

According to sources, the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (IIAS), which currently occupies the building, has earmarked a sum of Rs 25 lakh for the conservation and repair works to be completed in two years.

In the first phase, work on three major parts of the lodge—council chamber, public entry building and the kitchen wing—has been taken up by the Chandigarh circle of the ASI. Studies revealed that there was extensive damage to these areas and urgent conservation and repair work was needed to save the building from further damage.

It was observed that there was seepage of water from the roof top and wall in the council chambers. Dampness was also observed at many places, particularly walls of photo and periodical rooms and lounge in the upper floor levels. Vertical and diagonal cracks were also noticed at several walls of the building.

Similarly, in the kitchen wing, cracks in the different portions, seepage and dampness from the roof top to the ground level were observed. Moreover, there was the problem of water seepage from the top to the lower sections of walls in the public entry building housing main offices of the IIAS.

It may be recalled that the massive building, which was first occupied by Viceroy Dufferin in 1888 was used by viceroys and the governor-generals as summer camp from April to October. After independence, it became part of the estate of the President of India and was renamed Rashtrapati Nivas. The presidents used it as summer resort till the second President, Dr S. Radhakrishnan, handed it over to the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (IIAS) in 1964.

According to the Superintending Archaeologist, Mr C Dorjee, though the entire work was likely to be completed in two years, the work on the public entry building was likely to be completed in 15 days.

Since it would not be possible to undertake major repairs on the outer portions during the monsoon, internal repairs, particularly in the kitchen wing ,would be done in this season, he informed.

He said as per the earlier practice, minor repairs and fittings in the building would be the responsibility of the CPWD. This, however, would be done under the guidance of the ASI so that the architectural features were not tampered with.

Monuments in sorry state
From A Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, June 16 — monuments constructed by the Chandigarh administration to mark the creative spirit of modern architecture in Le Corbusier's city speak of neglect by the present administration.

These monuments symbolise the inauguration of various phases of the city's development.

One of the monuments near the passport office in sector 34 speaks its sad story of neglect. It is difficult to locate it. A passerby can notice only a small block of cement amidst wild growth of plants.

The foundation stone has been stolen. Most of the red sandstone tiles have been stolen, leaving the area full of pits filled with stagnant water. Most of the owners of the shops nearby use the place either to dump waste or to answer nature's call.

A monument in sector 35 mentions inauguration of second phase of Chandigarh by Dr. M.S. Randhawa, Chief Commissioner, on December 25, 1966. Ramkrishan runs a tea stall on its premises. He claims to be running the shop before the structure was raised. He says hardly anybody visits the structure.

It also has the office of a corporation, which is in bad condition. Ramkrishan says employees of the department come to clean the area but do not complete their job.

a few auto mechanics in the area use the place as a urinal. The officials of the administration were not available for comment.

In a state of utter neglect
By A Correspondent

Chandigarh, June 16 — The community centres and janj ghars constructed for the convenience of the citizens of Chandigarh present a deserted look . Realising the lackadaisical attitude of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh in maintaining these centres, residents now prefer to utilise the premises of private bhavans which are better equipped at comparable rates .

When this correspondent visited the janj ghar of Sector 23 it was found that the main hall badly needs to be whitewashed . The roof has fissures that leak during rains . On inspecting the kitchen adjoining the hall it seemed that the enclosed area has not been painted for ages . Black soot has deposited on the walls and roof . It was startling to find yellow liquid trickling from the tap . This liquid was nothing but water which confirmed the absence of proper arrangements for water and also that the tank requires cleaning at the earliest .

Comparatively, the rooms are in tolerable condition but they too lack fans in working condition . On having a look at the lawn , uncovered manholes were seen .

The plight of a number of community centres is pitiable . The community centre of Sectors 35 and 33 had facilities for games like judo , table tennis and badminton as also social activities such as tambola and kitty parties at regular intervals . Now , only judo classes are conducted . The Sector 33 centre speak volumes of the negligence of the authorities . There is hardly any furniture . One table ,a torn sofa , broken chairs and a useless TV set adorns the ground floor hall. The room on the first floor was locked. To add to the dilapidated state , window panes and wooden doors are also broken . Water has seeped into the walls which for long has been crying for attention .

Mr Om Prakash , an active member of this dormant club, informed that till 1997 there were around 50 members but after the charges were hiked and the facilities deteriorated , the membership dropped to 12 members in the 1999. He added that the youngsters frequenting the club had decreased considerably because of the inability of the centre to provide proper equipment for indoor games .

"Social activity is restricted to marriages and occasional visit by employees of a nearby office ``, he said

Rupinder, a former member, says that due to poor facilities he withdrew his membership and has no intention of resuming the same unless the club is upgraded, keeping in tune with the private clubs . He suggested that the Municipal Corporation should either give these centres on lease or transfer the responsibility for the upkeep to private bodies or voluntary organisations .`` What is the use of maintaining such edifices ? he questions.

The Sector 35 centre repeats a somewhat similar story . Broken windows , rusted swings , torn carpets , sofa covers and curtain paint a miserable picture . Mr K.K. Chaddha , a member of the club since 1988, disclosed that in the beginning the centre lured residents even from the neighbouring areas . But for the past two years or so only retired persons interested in playing cards frequent the centre.``

"The centre is like a body without a soul .`` he said.

If the Municipal Corporation continues to adopt an indifferent attitude , it is feared that these community centres might be reduced to mere monumental structures.

Steps to control malaria
From Our Correspondent

PANCHKULA, June 16 — The National Anti-Malaria Programme launched early this year has proved to be a blessing for the people here. In its active perusal, the Haryana Public Health Services Department has come out with a unique and first-ever four-point strategy programme to restrict the number of malaria cases with the malaria season soon to hit the town.

According to civil surgeon, Panchkula, Dr H.C. Nagpal, this four-point programme will not aim to kill the mosquitoes but will focus more upon techniques to reduce the incidents of malaria in the districts. Foremost is the larvacidal action plan in which anti-larva drugs are being put into stagnant waters forming an oil layer over it, preventing the larvas from breeding and restrict the growth of Anopheles mosquitoes which cause malaria.

The programme also enables the department to collect both active and passive blood samples from the people for data and surveillance purposes. With this the Health Department analysis the risk prone areas and then actively works for its remedies.

The third point of the programme focuses on setting up of DDC (Drug Distribution Centres) and FDC (Fever Detection Centres) in the districts. The DDC works upon immediate administration of anti-malaria tablets and the FDC then collects slides of blood samples for laboratory tests. This programme focuses more on the rural areas where information about malaria is scarce.

The last point of the programme is termed as the IEC (information, education, communication). In this the department authorities impart information about health and sanitation and broadly communicate it to the public so as to make themselves aware of health hazards.

According to the Health Service Department sources, last year from January, 1998, to May, 1998, the district recorded 48 malaria cases as compared to only four cases this year. The department attributes this to the special four-points anti-malaria programme. The department has also imported anti-malarial fogging machines from Germany called the pulse fog and Sv bollow machines.

Dr Nagpal said that all rural areas and high-risk prone urban areas of the district had been sprayed with a new drug called malathian substituting DDT. Also, the department has purchased over one lakh chlorine tablets and 50 sacks of bleaching powder to be used effectively for preventing malarial incidents in the district.

Farmers fear losing lands
From Our Correspondent

SAS NAGAR, June 16 — Farmers of Kambala village whose lands fall under the SAS Nagar railway station project are a worried lot as no notification for acquisition has been issued even though the foundation stone of the project is scheduled to be laid on June 27.

The farmers fear that the authorities concerned may unlawfully take possession of the land, forcing them to resort to an agitation.

Dr Jasmer Singh, an affected land owner, said no notice had been issued to the farmers so far and accused the authorities of giving misleading statements in this regard.

On Monday evening, a meeting of officials was held in a vacant plot of the PSIEC adjoining the village land to be acquired. It was attended by, among others, Mr Ramesh Inder Singh, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Punjab, Mr K.S. Sidhu, Ropar’s Deputy Commissioner, and Railways and local officials. No affected villager was invited to the meeting related to the project, Dr Jasmer Singh claimed.

Earlier, the foundation stone was planned to be laid in February. Meetings were held in the village between district officials and farmers to decide the compensation amount for the land. However, no settlement could be reached.

The Rs 250 crore railway line scheme will link Chandigarh and Ludhiana via Morinda. This was a long-pending demand of industrial unit owners here and elsewhere. The local station, under the plan, will cover around 38 acres of Kambala village. More land is to be acquired for the railway track.

Official sources said that a notification for acquiring the land was likely to be issued in a day or two. The due procedure for acquisition would be followed and the market rate of land would be kept in mind while giving compensation, the sources added.

However, farmers said the foundation stone laying ceremony would merely be an “election stunt”. The actual land acquisition would be delayed and the announcement of the compensation amount would be put off till after the Lok Sabha elections. A low compensation amount may have a negative effect on rural voters in the area.

Dr Jasmer Singh said under the urgency clause of Section 17 of the Land Acquisition Act, it took a minimum of 18 days to acquire land and 80 per cent of the compensation amount had to be paid before taking possession. This was not possible by June 27. It appeared, he said, that the foundation stone might be laid in the vacant PSIEC plot with the railway project making no headway till after the Lok Sabha poll.