Clueless on dacoity
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, June 25 — The local police is clueless in a case of dacoity at a jewellery shop in Sector 9 here on June 5. At least six armed dacoits had come to the shop in the guise of customers and decamped with cash, gold and silver jewellery items worth lakh of rupees.

Admitting their failure to achieve a breakthrough in the case, police personnel say parties sent to the hideouts of the suspected bandits had met with little success. Even a dog squad, which had been pressed in to service soon after the incident, went a few yards and then lost scent of the bandits.

On the basis of the information provided by the victims the police got prepared computer portraits of two of the bandits. They say the dacoits had targeted the shop — Rinku Jewellers — located in the busy Sector 9 market after thoroughly studying the area.

All the six bandits apparently hailed from Uttar Pradesh or Bihar. While fleeing, two of the dacoits had snatched a scooter from a school-going student and had later abandoned it near the Mani Majra Housing Board roundabout.

Success is eluding the police in both cases including the earlier incident of dacoity which took place at another jewellery shop in Sector 4 on April 21.

In both cases the modus operandi of the dacoits, say the police officials, was the same. The criminals after committing the dacoity escaped one by one in different vehicles parked at a distance from the targeted shop. All the dacoits were armed with countrymade pistol.

Bundh to prevent flooding in low-lying areas
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, June 25 — To prevent the flooding of low-lying areas of the city and surrounding areas during rains, a number of preventive measures are being undertaken by the local administration.

According to Mr O.P. Popli, SDM, the preventive steps, at an estimated cost of Rs 15 lakh, include construction of a bundh near Mauli Baidwan village and arrangements for speedy drainage of rainwater from low-lying areas of Phases I, II and V.

Mr Popli said a bundh near Mauli Baidwan, which is a meeting point of a natural choe coming from Sectors 36 and 42, Phase IX and Dhikansu nullah was in the advance stage of construction and was likely to be completed before June 30. He said the cost of the project was about Rs 7 lakh. Both the nullah and the choe cause a considerable damage to populated areas and cultivable land of Sohana, Mauli Baidwan and Manauli villages due to flooding during rains.

Efforts would also be made to change the course of the choe, he added, saying that to prevent soil erosion, stones and gunny bags filled with sand would be stacked along the banks of the choe.

Similarly, arrangements were being made so that rain water did not accumulate in the low-lying areas of Phases I, II and V. For this purpose, an additional drainage pipe linking these areas with the main storm water system was being laid.

In addition, a proposal for the augmentation of the existing storm water system at an estimated cost of Rs 1.5 crore has been cleared by the authorities and work on this was likely to start soon, he added.

Mr Popli said with a view to preventing damage to Chao Majra village by a choe near it, the Drainage Department was conceiving a plan to construct a 600-foot bundh, besides constructing studs along the banks of the choe.

The department has also been directed to take steps, including construction of studs before the end of the month so that a cho on the south of Manauli village did not damage the land of the village, he added saying that similar steps would be taken at Papri and Rurka villages, which are prone to flooding during rains.

Drains to take care of rains
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, June 25 — Following complaints by residents of flooding, the engineering cell of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) has identified flood-prone areas in the township.

The engineering cell has started work on kutcha drains in at least four flood-prone areas which run through various sectors. The kutcha drains following the natural path would fall into a seasonal rivulet passing through the township. Over Rs 40,000 has been earmarked for the purpose.

Sources said the zones were identified in Sectors 10, 12, 14 and 15 which face the maximum flooding during a heavy downpour as the area is located on a descending gradient. The capacity of the storm water pipes allowed slow absorption of the rain water, resulting in flooding of certain pockets of the sectors.

For an immediate solution to the problem, keeping in mind the ongoing monsoon season, about 1.25-km long kutcha drains would be dug up to carry the rain water to the seasonal rivulet. The longest kutcha drain would run along the main road dividing Sector 15 and Industrial Area before falling into the seasonal rivulet. Another drain would run from the Sectors 10 and 14 roundabout to the Industrial Area chowk where it would join the other drain coming from the Sector 15 side.

A HUDA official said the biggest trouble spot was a row of houses in Sector 10, located in a low-lying area. Another pocket of houses in Sector 12 located near the Ambala-Shimla National Highway has been identified by the engineering cell.

If the experiment of digging the kutcha drains is successful then in the second phase, they would be converted into covered concrete drains, said the official.

Gallery cries for attention
By A Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, June 25 — The National Portrait Gallery in Sector 17 here, which houses a rare collection of paintings, portraits and sculptures, has closed its doors to visitors. The reason is that the approach road to the gallery remains encroached by the vehicles of persons visiting the adjoining Estate office and Central Library, besides other offices nearby.

An attendant at the gallery, Munish Kumar, says staff members keep on requesting people not to park their vehicles on the entrance to the gallery but no one listens. Neglect on the part of the authorities has also led the gallery to a pathetic condition.

Five to six feet of congress grass has grown on the outer walls of the gallery. the sides of the approach road are covered with heaps of waste. There is no provision of toilets and drinking water in the gallery.

The front wall, which displays the name of the gallery, has not been painted for years. It is not easy to read what is written. The board on the main road, which indicates the direction to the gallery, is not in a good condition. Many passersby were not aware of the existence of an exclusive portrait gallery. the berms on the main gate are broken.

Inside the gallery, rare photographs of the freedom struggle of 1857 have been exhibited. There are photographs of a session of the Indian National Congress, the Black law protest and the Jallianwala bagh tragedy. Also in the gallery are models of Netaji Subash Chander Bose and the Azad Hind fauj. A beautiful metal sculpture represents the martyrdom of Bhagat Singh.

Clippings from 'The Tribune' dated March 25, 1931, carrying the news of execution of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, are also kept in the gallery. A rare picture of the dead body of Kasturba Gandhi is also exhibited.

Attendants at the gallery, Munish Kumar and Satish Kumar, say there are hardly any visitors to the gallery. Efforts are required on the part of the authorities so that the public comes to know about these sculptures, portraits and paintings.

Saris, films enamour guest players
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, June 25 — "Indian films, food and people are all formidable. And Chandigarh is very beautiful, even in this hot-and-wet weather". This is the opinion of guests from Iran, the Philippines and Malaysia, who are in the city to take part in the third Asian Cup Baseball Championship, being held at Panjab University, from June 25 to 30.

A few of them were enamoured by turbaned Sikhs and even by the presence of women without purdah.

"The bazaars are highly interesting here. Never before have I come across such massive bargaining. It is the weather of the city which is slightly disturbing," said Mehrdad Hajian, coach of the Iranian team. Though most of his team members had language problems, they readily interacted with the help of their coach.

Added one of his team members, 21 years old Amir Hossein, a student of mining-engineering, "I love the open spaces in the city and this huge university is amazing. Sometimes the food is very spicy, and the weather also affects our game. Otherwise this is the first time I am playing outside my country and to be in India is great".

"The weather is a slight problem, but otherwise I like the city. Things are so cheap here, even saris are four times less expensive than they are back home. Since we use the Punjabi costumes also, I liked shopping for the same. The city is quite clean and women driving scooters and cars do not surprise me because it is the same even in Kuala Lampur, where I come from", said Mrs Sitizuraidah Mohd. Sadak, a retired government employee, who is accompanying her husband, an official of the Malaysian baseball team.

One of the guests from Philippines, Mr Hector C. Navasero, President of the Philippines Baseball Association, who visited India some 20 years ago, said, "Things have certainly changed here for the better. Even in our country there are a lot of Indian scientists and traders who own departmental stores. As far as the city is concerned, I have visited a few places, including a 'brown' lake and the awesome Rock Garden, and I quite like it. And I love to watch the Indian channels back in my country. There are some lovely belly dancers in your films who are delightful".

Indian films obviously seem to be quite a craze in most of the Asian countries. Added 25-year-old Faizal Armini, baseball player from Malaysia, said, "I have quite enjoyed my stay in the city so far, but would now like to visit Mumbai. But if you could bring Kajol and Shahrukh Khan to the city, I would stay back."

Another Hindi film fan, 23-year-old Ali Raza Al-Agha from Iran, who is pursuing a course in computer sciences said, "I watch Hindi films at home. And here in the city, I like the sari-clad women. I think it is a very pretty dress".

Most Iranians, however, refused to comment about their experience of seeing women out on the streets walking side-by-side with the men.

All the players of the three teams admitted that baseball is hardly a popular game in their home-countries and that they were used to the minimal crowds watching them play. But the players were certainly thrilled about the fact that a game, which is even unheard of in some parts of their respective countries, had given them a chance to tour other nations.

Phone services poor
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, June 24 — Telephone subscribers in several villages in Kalka, Pinjore, Ramgarh, and Barwala, who are connected with Chandigarh through the Short Distance Charging Area (SDCA) facility are a harassed lot.

They lament that several calls have to be wasted to reach one number through the Chandigarh exchange. A telephone subscriber of Khangesra village in Barwala complains that on most of the occasions a pre recorded message saying, " The lines are busy, dial after some time" is heard.

A number of subscribers lament that most of the telephone-related problems have not been redressed for days together as there is shortage of staff.

Complaints about excessive billing have also been brought to light by the villagers.