Thursday, June 24, 1999
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N E W S Thursday, June 24, 1999 |
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Safer ride
to school CHANDIGARH, June 23 — A blanket ban on the movement of cycle rickshaws on the roads opposite the Sector 17 market; strict check on school buses; ban on unauthorised use of red lights atop private or government vehicles; zebra crossing outside schools. These are among the several new traffic regulations that will be enforced in Chandigarh from Friday (June 25). This has been done after the Supreme Court vacated the stay it had ordered on a judgement of the Punjab and Haryana High Court last July, the SP, Traffic, Mr Balbir Singh, said this evening. The stay will, however, will remain on a few points of the judgement of the high court. The order of the high court to provide parking space for cycles and rickshaws which will not be on the main roads is still under stay. The other directions that will remain under stay are: Due parking space for vehicles in sectors and no vehicle parking elsewhere and one-way traffic system in Sectors 24 and 17 as also for inter-sector and intra-sector movements. The new regulations include proper maintenance of school buses, their fitness certificates, pollution checks and proper permit. The driver of such a bus must have five years' experience and must not have been challaned more than three times. The bus must not exceed a speed of 50 km per hour (kmph). All children will have to be dropped inside the school compound. It will be mandatory for each bus to have a trained conductor who will wear a prescribed uniform. No school bus will carry children more than 1.5 times its capacity. For example, in a bus of 50-seat capacity, not more than 75 children will be allowed. The rule will also apply to other modes of transport like taxis, auto-rickshaws and cycle rickshaws, being used to ferry children to school. The system of one-way traffic outside select schools has already been enforced. The ban on cycle rickshaws on the road opposite Sector 17 has been enforced but the Chandigarh traffic police is seeking a clarification on the use of other roads in Sector 17 by rickshaw pullers. The police is also seeking a clarification if women driving two-wheelers will have to wear helmets or not. Also on the clarification list is the order on punching driving licences for each violation. ''We are wanting know if the punching has to be done at the time of the challan or at the time of punishment from court,'' the SP said. No vehicle will be
allowed the use of red light on top without permission.
Vehicles that do not stop at zebra crossings outside
schools will be challaned as per the provisions of the
Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. No vehicle will be driven by
anyone not possessing a valid driving licence.
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Kids
contribute mite for soldiers CHANDIGARH, June 23 — Even as city residents have come together to support the troops fighting infiltrators in Kargil by organising supplies and blood donation camps, it seems that children too have not remained unaffected by the fighting on the border. That children can also comprehend the hardships being faced by our troops can be gauged from the fact that a group of six children — studying in prenursery to class 6 — of Sector 10 are going door to door soliciting donations. The group comprising Jayesh Bakshi and Bikramjeet Singh, both from St John's, Sector 26, Gursimran Ahuja, Sacred Heart School, Taru Bakshi, Carmel Convent, Ratika and Sahej, both from Vivek Preparatory, started collecting donations for two hours since yesterday and have so far collected over Rs 1,000. Talking to TNS, the children said they wanted to do something for the soldiers fighting for their country. They made charts with slogans like "Our troops need more warm vests and warm socks" and "Do something for those fighting in Kargil." "The response has been good and no one has turned us away," they chorused. The brainchild behind the show is Poonam, who has started a 'Different Indian Campaign', for people to share the grief of those who fight, die or get injured in the line of duty and help their bereaved families. The children are doing a
great job, she added. |
Waiting
for an epidemic! PANCHKULA, June 23 — Thousands of slum dwellers in the Indira and Rajiv labour colonies here are leaving no stone unturned to create ideal conditions for the outbreak of an epidemic. Paying scant attention to consumption of safe potable water, the slum dwellers have "unauthorisedly" punctured a water supply line passing precariously close to a dirty water nullah. A network of pipes has been laid unauthorisedly by the the residents — living close to the water supply line — to carry water from the punctured points to their tenements. The less fortunate one, however, have to carry the water in buckets. This is happening right under the nose of the authorities The illegal action of the jhuggi dwellers, who have punctured the supply line at a number of places to "steal" water from it has attracted little action from the public health wing of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA). This is despite the fact that at least two confirmed cases of cholera had recently been reported from the colony. Even the PGI authorities had asked the district health authorities to check the unhygenic conditions prevailing around the sources of drinking water in the labour colonies to prevent the outbreak of water-borne diseases. Keeping this in mind the health authorities have written to the district administration and to HUDA to adopt immediate measures so that the water supply was not contaminated. Some of the water samples, taken in and around the colony by the Health Department have been found unfit for human consumption. The worst trouble spots identified by the Health Department are the sections of the supply line where it comes almost in contact with the dirty water nullah which carries sewage and faecal matter discharged from Mani Majra and the colony itself. When the discharge in the nullah rises the sewage enters the supply line through the punctured holes. The intensity of the potential health hazard can be gauged from the fact that most of the punctured points on the supply line leak and when the supply line is dry the sewage is sucked into it. Sources in HUDA say that as per the HUDA by-laws no person is authorised to puncture a water supply line and any violation attracts a heavy fine and even registration of a police case. But in this case the HUDA officials appear to have turned a blind eye to the illegal act of the slum dwellers. The residents of the
colony lament that they are forced to steal water from
the supply line as a number of requests to HUDA to
provide proper source of drinking water have not been
heard. A number of application for water connections are
reportedly lying with the office concerned of HUDA. |
Delay in
circulation of minutes CHANDIGARH, June 23—The minutes of the Senate meeting of Panjab University, held on March 26, are now likely to be circulated to the branches concerned and among the Senators in the first week of July, more than three months behind schedule. Regulation 21 of the Panjab University calendar in the chapter pertaining to the Senate states that “the Registrar shall within one month after the meeting, send to each member of the Senate, a copy of the minutes of the proceeding as approved by the Chairman’’. Also, decisions like affiliations to colleges, adoption of the UGC letter dated December 24, 1998, in toto and granting of affiliation to various under-graduate courses are yet to be implemented. The decision of remuneration charges to part time lecturers in affiliated colleges was also taken at the meeting. Besides, there are resolutions stating that the senior-most teacher should be appointed officiating principal in the absence of the regular one and the regulation stating the appointment of part-time faculty being kept to the minimum and in no case exceeding five per cent of the total strength of the wholetime teachers. Moreover, they should be appointed for a period of one academic year and their appointment renewed for another year after which the post should be converted to wholetime. The approval of these decisions is crucial since the new session is scheduled to start soon. The Deputy Registrar (Colleges), Mr SK Pandhi, says, “Though I have not received any decision of the Senate, these will be sent to the colleges concerned as soon as they are received in my branch which is likely to be soon.’’ The Deputy Registrar (General), Mr SK Sharma, contends, “Usually the rule is adhered to but sometimes their circulation and implementation is delayed on account of unavoidable circumstances and this happens to be one of those times which can’t be helped.’’ Since the approval of the proceedings was coming in instalments, the Registrar, Prof Paramjit Singh, could not circulate these to the branches concerned and among the Senators. He assured that the cyclostyled proceedings would be made available during next week to the members. “There is always so much to do that sometimes the approval of the minutes of the meetings takes some time while we insured that urgent issues are immediately taken up and approval sought,’’ he adds. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof M.M. Puri, stated that in spite of knowledge of the regulation in the calendar, the prevailing circumstances provided no opportunity to the authorities to lift their heads from the vital issues at hand.” The month of April and May was taken up by the anxiety of the examinations to be conducted in view of the non-cooperation shown by the managing committees of private colleges. Once that was sorted out, the organising and holding of examinations kept us pre-occupied. Approval of the minutes during this time was low priority though approval has been granted to all issues now and it is only a matter of time before the minutes are circulated.’’ However, this logic holds little water as far as the Senators go. Mr Kehar Singh contends, “The Vice-Chancellor agreed in principle that the minutes would be circulated before the next meeting of the Syndicate. However, he has failed to honour his commitment which does not behove him.’’ Another Fellow, Prof
I.M. Joshi, opines that the following of the regulation
in the calendar is desirable but delay due to unavoidable
circumstances is pardonable. Mr Charanjit Chawla,
says,``The approval should have been done timely to
ensure work in colleges was not held up. It is important
that the authorities work within the specified framework
to avoid constitutional crisis.’’ |
'Nation
comes before families' CHANDIGARH, June 23 — Some officers of the Indian armed forces who fought in the Kargil-Dras axis are in the city to meet their families and friends. In an upbeat mood the officers, who refused to be named for security considerations, stated, "Everything is fine and the morale of the troops high", even though they are woken up by the booming sound of the Guns being fired or the shrieking sound of enemy shells falling near our positions. "Weather conditions also keep on changing, but we are prepared for all this and things have improved with a fresh supply of snow boots and warm clothing", they added. They, however, refused to divulge anything about operational details or the time taken to clear all the areas of the infiltrators. Some officers stated that though there was hardly any contact with the outside world, save a few telephone calls or letters to the families, the mood in most camps is ignited by singing patriotic songs, catching up on sleep and watching TV wherever possible. On the other hand, the wives are anxious most of the time and the routine is paath and television news, but no serials. "But we are proud of our heroes, since they are contributing so much for the country", one young bride added. Commenting on the buoyant mood of the forces present at the front, fighting the infiltrators, the officers said that they are not really receptive to the presence of the politicians who come to visit the area. "It is the country and the people we are laying our lives for, not for any individual or any single political party", he said. "And we also know that the blessings of our country, especially our families and our friends, are with us and we have to honour that responsibility", he added. The atmosphere in their homes is that of tears, joy, happiness, ecstasy and that of pride and hope of a "better tomorrow." "It is only now that I have stepped out of the house, ever since my husband left for Kargil. I have to keep abreast of all that is happening there and it is only through the news channels. So my in-laws, my parents and me take turns to watch different channels, in order not to miss out on anything", said a newly-wedded wife of an Air Force officer. She could not stop asking her husband to pinch her to make her believe that he was actually present by her side. The officers, meanwhile, maintained that it was the country that came first for them and which needed them the most at this time. "We are obviously not getting the comforts of a house, but this is what we were trained for and this is what the country expects of us. Our lives are indebted to our country", the officers said. And with these officers
now ready to leave, it is with a prayer on the lips and a
flutter in their hearts that their families are bidding
them adieu. "All my three sons are at the front, and
I pray not only for these three but for all the others
who are fighting it out to save our lives", said a
retired Army officer's wife. |
Helmetless
car driver challaned CHANDIGARH, June 23 — A car driver was shocked to receive a police intimation slip that he had been challaned for driving without helmet. The slip issued for
visible violation against his car number has been sent to
Mr Kuldeep Singh Pawar's Sector 16 residence. He has been
asked to contact the DSP traffic for allegedly driving
without a helmet and crossing a traffic light when the
signal was red. The violation, according to the slip, was
allegedly committed on May 2. |
JEs an
aggrieved lot CHANDIGARH, June 23 — Junior engineers working in the departments, boards and corporations of Punjab are an aggrieved lot in the absence of avenues for promotion besides being discriminated vis-a-vis pay scales as compared to their counterparts in other departments. This was stated by Mr Amar Singh Randhawa and Mr Satnam Singh Dhanoa, Convener and Secretary-General of the Joint Action Committee of Junior Engineers, respectively, at a press conference organised here today. Representatives of the committees of the Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh units were also present. Condemning the government and various pay commissions for downgrading their lot in every report they alleged that this had not only led to heartburning and despair but had also resulted in stagnation with JEs retiring in the same capacity even after putting in more then 30 years' of service. They had resorted to a 10-day-long agitation in 1978 and the then Minister for PWD had given a statement on the floor of the House that the demands of the agitationists would be met. They had pursued the matter with successive governments but to no avail. This was despite the fact that the departmental Chief Engineers had recommended that the demands raised by them were genuine. While their counterparts working in the Soil Conservation Department, who had been placed in the initial scale of Rs 7, 220 to Rs 11, 660 , they were given a much lower scale even though they performed the same duties. Similarly, they should be brought under the assured career promotional scheme and be promoted after putting in four, nine, 14 and 18 years of service. Now they were putting in more then 35 years of service in the same post while their counterparts in other departments had availed of four to six promotions. Other demands highlighted by them included raising the educational level of entry for diploma courses from matriculation to plus two, granting them gazetted status on the pattern of states like Bihar, Maharashtra and West Bengal, enhancing the local travel allowance and stopping the direct recruitment to the posts of SDOs and SDEs. They demanded that the service rules applicable to them had been framed in the pre-independence era and in view of the changed ground realities they should be drawn up afresh. The issue of grant of pension was also highlighted by those present. A rally in this context
is scheduled to be held on June 27 near the Nehru Park in
Sector 22. |
Cess on
fossil fuel recommended CHANDIGARH, June 23 — Imposition of "cess" on fossil fuel, levying of parking fee, construction of an additional Chandigarh Bypass Expressway connecting a point near Ambala to Bharatgarh in Ropar and introduction of 'park and ride' at mass transit interchange locations are among the major recommendations in the final technical report submitted by the Craphts Consultants on 'Comprehensive transportation plan for Chandigarh Complex and Development of Mass Transportation Related Options'. The report was submitted to the Chandigarh Administration early this month. Among other recommendations made by the consultancy include widening all corridors like Himalaya Marg, Purv Marg, Madhya Marg and Udyog Path, besides developing a scientific and standard traffic signage for the city with a certain degree of emphasis on places of tourist interest. It also recommended development of a signal system in a synchronised fashion particularly along the major arterial where traffic rotaries were replaced by traffic signals. The report also recommends improvement of intersection geometry of six more intersections, including the Housing Board Chowk on the Chandigarh-Panchkula road. The report further recommends that building cycle tracks should be given a serious thought for segregation of space. Cycle tracks running parallel to major arterials may have to make use of the surface level intersection. Electronic variable message signs can be installed at the Sector 17 and ISBT parking lots for better parking management. Besides these, provision of a second entry to Chandigarh railway station from Panchkula is among the major recommendations of the final technical report. Based on preliminary feasibility study already completed and recommendations accepted by the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA), the report also recommends construction of Chandigarh Bypass Expressway connecting a point near Ambala to Bharatgarh in Ropar district to provide smooth passage to vehicular traffic heading for Himachal Pradesh. The report says that given the size and the character of Chandigarh, sound investment on proper mass transit system, 'monorail', has been recommended for the Chandigarh complex. Report said it would be the only prophylactic against excessive parking demand. This would also prevent unproductive use of costly urban land. The report says at that all areas inviting heavy parking demand, a 'parking fee' or 'fine' should be imposed to discourage parking in the general way. Parking on streets should be banned and SAS Nagar and Panchkula should adopt this plan seriously. Another significant recommendation is provision of multistorey parking lots for Sector 43 in Chandigarh at the second Inter-State Bus Terminus and Sector 62 of SAS Nagar, besides suggesting a similar facility for Sector 5 of Panchkula. The report also wants that sufficient land should be acquired around the railway station which will be the nerve centre for monorail, bus and rail travel and may need sufficient parking facilities. The report has taken note of congestion on Madhya Marg because of traffic on Transport Chowk and Grain Market, besides the use of this important corridor for goods transportation through rail. The study recommends shifting of the transport area near the stockyard or goods area in Industrial Area as proposed by the Northern Railway. An important recommendation pertains to levying of "cess" on fossil fuel. The report says that Chandigarh being an administrative city with a high level of female literacy, behavioural pattern of travel is expected to change sooner than expected, provided the services ordained are adequately exciting, modern and endowed with a sense of novelty and pride. Towards generation of
revenue for meeting the installation and maintenance of
the new mass rapid transportation system, a
"cess" or tax will have to be levied on petrol
and diesel within the study domain, the study says. This
should be uniformly applicable to Chandigarh, Panchkula
and SAS Nagar. |
Scheme to
protect agricultural land PANCHKULA, June 23 — As part of the annual flood protection measures in the district, a scheme to protect the agricultural land in Kona village in Pinjore from Sirsa nadi, a rivulet of the Sutlej, is being executed at a cost of about Rs 4. 80 lakh. An official of the district administration said initially four projects worth Rs 20. 23 lakh had been approved by the State Flood Control Board but paucity of funds, only the work at Kona village was being executed. The other works had been identified in Khol Fetah Singh village, protection of Mogi nand village from Nadha choe and protection of Rattewali village from Tangri river. Besides, works worth Rs
26 lakh on at least five other protection sites at
Shamtoo, Dhandaroo, Natwal, Bataur and Bhud villages,
which had been approved in a meeting of the State Flood
Control Board last year are in progress. |
Olympic
boy of Chandigarh CHANDIGARH, June 23 — A city student has been selected for the International Chemistry Olympiad to be held next month. A student of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 46, Vikas Bansal has been selected for the Olympiad to be held at Bangkok (Thailand) from July 4 to 11. Placed eighth in the JEE, Vikas was selected to be part of the four-member team following a training camp organised at Mumbai from June 7 to 20. It is for the first time
that India is participating in the International
Chemistry Olympiad. Students from 70 countries are
participating in the mega event. |
Havildar
cremated with state honours LALRU, June 23 — Mr Nirmal Singh, a Havildar of the 66 Engineering unit in the Indian Army, was cremated with state honours, in his native village Dhiremajra, near here, today. Nirmal Singh was killed in a blast in Bhatinda while under training. He was to join his unit in Kargil after training. The dead body, wrapped with the national flag, was brought to his native village by the Army with bugles sounded the last post. He was also given a guard of honour. At the cremation ground, Gurjant Singh, the only son of the martyr, lit his pyre. He is survived by his mother, Mrs Amar Kaur, wife Mrs Karnail Kaur and daughter,Ms Manpreet Kaur. Besides the villagers, Lieut-Col A. K. Sharma, Capt. Sanjay Hooda and the Niab Tehsildar, paid their obeisance. The Colonel said that
the bereaved family would be given all the benefits
according to the Army rules. He also assured the family
that the son of the deceased soldier would be recruited
in the Army. |
SNIPPETS Blood for Kargil soldiers CHANDIGARH, June 23 — A total of 211 units of blood was donated at a camp organised by the Friends Blood Donors and Welfare Association here today. The camp was in aid for the brave soldiers who have been injured while fighting in Kargil. It was presided over by Brig Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri (retd), the hero of the battle of Laungewala in 1971. PPSA to donate two days' salary DERA BASSI, June 23 — The members of the Punjab Police Service Association (PPSA) held a meeting under the presidentship of Mr Harinder Singh Chahal here today. The association decided to donate two days' salary to the families of Kargil martyrs. It paid homage to the soldiers who had sacrificed their lives for the motherland and prayed for the immediate recovery of those injured in Operation Vijay. The association also assured Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister of Punjab, and Mr Sarabjit Singh, Director-General of Police, that the Punjab Police was ready to make sacrifices for national security. Fear among residents SAS NAGAR, June 23 — Residents of Phase VII here have accused the police of failing to stop incidents of house breaking in the area. They say during the past two months there have been five cases of house breaking in the pocket extending from house numbers 820 to 920. It seems there is a gang of three or four persons which generally operates between 1 am and 4 am. The residents say there is a sense of fear and insecurity in the area. The police has been approached on a number of occasions but till date not a single case has been solved. Dairy, flour mill demolished SAS NAGAR, June 23 — Under its anti-encroachment drive, the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) demolished a dairy and a flour mill near Yadavindra Public School here today. The structures were brought down by about 40 men of PUDA and police officials in about two hours after it started its work at around 11.30 am. According to officials, the two structures, which had been there for about three years, had been raised illegally on PUDA land. The two pieces of land had been usurped by a person, who had allegedly been charging rent from two persons for use of the place. Meet
on passenger services CHANDIGARH, June 23 — A two-day workshop-cum-consultation meet will be organised by Consumers Forum, Chandigarh, in collaboration with Consumer Co-ordination Council and Friedrich Naumann Stiftung, New Delhi, on citizen charter on passenger services in Northern Railway on June 28 and 29 at Hotel Metro, Sector 35, here. While Mr Aslam Mehmud, Chief Commercial Manager (NR) will inaugurate the workshop, Mr Bejon Mishra, Programme Adviser, Consumer Co-ordination Council, Delhi, will deliver the keynote address. Lt-Col Sarwan Singh, Secretary General, Consumers Forum, will present a synopsis of survey report on existing services of Northern Railway. All the divisional
railway managers of NR will participate along with the
staff in the workshop. Besides, the report on prevalent
services by users and providers, group discussions on
users expectations and role of railway service providers
will also be held. |
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