& V I C I N I T Y
Tuesday, March 9, 1999
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C H A N D I G A R H & V I C I N I T Y |
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Tuesday, March 9, 1999 |
| weather n
spotlight today's calendar |
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Fire
near Mansa Devi temple |
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 Only 11 sites find buyers A
blooming business A
stinking wait for buses |
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First women cell in a
college Kar
sewa at Nadha Sahib A
benevolent ex-serviceman Women
speak of rights, rape, politics, morals CBI
opposes bail in Beant case
Rs
5.8 lakh plus seized from tax evaders Jasbir
Jassi to perform at PU ‘A
good person makes a good boss’ Potholed
Khudda Lahora roads 300
persons treated at health camp Rain,
hailstorm lower temp |
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| Training programme concludes | |
Annual function celebrated |
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Anti-encroachment
drive in Sector 28 CHANDIGARH, March 8 — Residents of Sector 28 heaved a sigh of relief following a major anti-encroachment drive by the Municipal Corporation to remove mechanics from open spaces in the sector’s market here today. As many as 130 mechanics later courted arrest and observed strike to protest against the drive. “Operation clean up,” restricted to clearing the backlanes and road berms at the rear of the shop-cum-flats, began at 7 a.m. from near the Sukhna filling station with a large number of metal boxes used by the mechanics to store their tools being carted away in a fleet of trucks. A large number of officials, including the Assistant Commissioner, supervised the operation which lasted more than four hours. A large posse of the police was present throughout the operation to prevent any untoward incident. Being quite early in the morning, the work was carried out at a brisk pace in the absence of any opposition. A large number of early morning walkers were pleasantly surprised to see men and machines removing the eyesores which were not only a cause of nuisance but were a source of harassment to the residents, especially those who lived across the sites the mechanics were operating from. An elderly person, who was watching the operation, said: “The authorities have done us a great service as for the past several years we have been running from pillar to post to get the mechanics removed but to no avail. Our representations to the authorities have finally been answered. The foul language, uncouth behaviour and lewd remarks passed at our womenfolk have seen exchange of hot words and even fisticuffs between residents and mechanics on several occasions.” Many others expressed similar views. The thoroughness of the authorities was evident as no site or material was spared. The vehicles, some of which had been rotting for years and were hardly anything more than junk, were also removed by workers. Some of the vehicles under repair were also towed away to the PWD yard of the civic body located in the Industrial Area. Most of the time was consumed by the vehicles which due to their poor state could not be towed away. Such vehicles were lifted with the help of cranes and loaded onto the trucks. Not only civilian, the government vehicles were also taken away. The vehicles parked by some of the more “brazen” mechanics in the open spaces of the mango belt adjacent to the filling station were also lifted. As the word spread about the drive, mechanics began assembling around 9 a.m. and could be seen pleading with the officials to at least allow them to remove some of the expensive tools. The request was acceded to as long as it did not interfere in the smooth conduct of the drive. Although the operation was restricted to Sector 28, many mechanics in Sector 27- C were seen removing their tools and under repair vehicles to “safer” places. The residents, also living in similar circumstances, were disappointed as the operation was not extended to cover Sector 27. The magnitude of the operation could be judged from the fact that as many as 80 workers, 20 trucks, two JCBs and three cranes were pressed into service. By the end of the operation, more than 125 tool boxes, 30 vehicles of assorted makes, 25 rusted chassis, besides six truckloads of oil drums and junk, were removed. According to officials, the drive was aimed at clearing the encroachments along the newly constructed traffic lights and slip-roads and removing the grievances of the residents who had raised the nuisance of the mechanics during the visit of the Adviser to the Administrator on February 28. The Adviser had reportedly gone around the problem areas and taken serious view of the growing number of people running their trade in the corridors of the shops, at the rear of the shops and on road berms, hampering the movement of general public. One of the officials said that the Adviser to the Administrator was witness to eve-teasing incidents when a couple of girls passing by were reportedly teased by some mechanics. This incident is said to have infuriated him and he directed the officials present to take the necessary action at the earliest. The mechanics at a meeting held later criticised the action of the corporation and alleged that even people who had been working here for the past two decades and were listed to be rehabilitated were not spared either. They demanded that licences should be given to these persons so that they could show them the cards during such exercises. Mr Ashok Sharma, President of the Mechanics Welfare Association, urged the authorities to return their tools, besides initiating urgent measures for their rehabilitation. The protesters led by Mr Devinder Singh Babla, President of the local unit of the SJP, blocked traffic for more then half an hour and courted arrest. The agitators were let off
in the evening. |
False alarm CHANDIGARH, March 8 — A telephone call to the police control room saying that a bomb had been planted at the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Sector 28 today caused panic for more than two hours. It tuned out to be a hoax call but the ITI had to be closed for the day. A team of experts was
rushed to the spot. Later, sources said it seemed that
the call was made to divert the attention of the police
from removing the encroachments from the nearby motor
market. |
Fire near
Mansa Devi temple PANCHKULA, March 8 — Goods worth lakhs of rupees stored in eight shops were destroyed in a fire which broke out in the market area near the Mansa Devi temple here this morning. At least two houses having a common wall with the shops were also gutted. The shops were dealing in cassettes, readymade garments and items of offerings for the temple. The shopkeepers suffered heavy losses in the fire as they had stored additional goods in the wake of the Navratra mela scheduled to begin at the temple on March 18. The shopkeepers claimed that the total loss was of around Rs 7 lakh. Ms Bimla Rani, lamented that Rs 30,000 which she had kept in the cash box in her shop had also been burnt. Though short circuiting is suspected to be the cause of fire, at least three LPG cylinders kept in one of the shop intensified the flame. Three fire engines — one each from Panchkula, Manimajra and Chandigarh — took two hours to extinguish the fire which broke out at around 2 am. The other shopkeepers who suffered loss in the fire are Rakesh, Ram Kumar, Som Nath, Brij Lal and Dinesh Kumar. They later gave a memorandum to the administration demanding adequate compensation. The Chief Executive
Officer of the Mata Mansa Devi Pooja Sathal Board, Mr
H.S.Pannu, said the issue of giving compensation to the
shopkeepers would have to be taken up by the board. |
Only 11
sites find buyers PANCHKULA, March 8 — The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) earned over Rs 4 crore in an open auction of commercial sites held here today. Of the 61 sites put up for auction only 11 sites could be sold off. A service shop site (with basement) in Sector 12 was sold for Rs 10.75 lakh against a reserved price of Rs 7.69 lakh. Another service shop (with basement) in the same Sector was sold for Rs 9.01 lakh against a reserved price of Rs 7.69 lakh. HUDA was able to sell a hotel site in Sector 10 for Rs 290.50 lakh against a reserved price of Rs 290 lakh. The auction which started at around 11.30 am ended within two hours. The remaining commercial sites which included SCOs, small booths, show rooms, service booths and SCOF’s in different Sectors were withdrawn in the wake of few takers for the sites. A number of prospective buyers complained the auction schedule had not been widely publicised thereby attracting few buyers. A small both site in Sector 2 was sold for Rs 6.43 lakh against a reserved price of Rs 6.39 lakh. A restaurant site in Sector 6 was sold for Rs 8.35 lakh against a reserved price of Rs 8.20 lakh. Two booth sites in Sector 8 were sold for Rs 11.38 lakh and Rs 11.41 lakh against a reserved price of Rs 11.35 lakh each. A booth site in Sector 10
was sold for Rs 8.29 lakh against a reserved price of Rs
8.25 lakh. A SCO site (with basement) in Sector 12-A was
sold for Rs 31.31 lakh against a reserved price of Rs
31.20 lakh.
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Women speak of rights, rape,
politics, morals CHANDIGARH, March 8 — International Women’s Day was celebrated today with a round of seminars, workshops and cultural functions in the city. Various social organisations and political parties held functions on a large scale. Ms Lalit Joshi Bhardwaj, President of the Chandigarh Mahila Congress, addressed the gathering at the Tagore Theatre. She asked women to fight for their rights. Prof Pam Rajput, Chairperson, Department of Women Studies, Panjab University, the chief guest on the occasion expressed grief over the rape of a three-year old in the city recently. She said that even today, the position of women was far from satisfactory. Former MP, Pawan Kumar Bansal demanded capital punishment for rapists. He said there could be no development without the development of women. The function was punctuated with a song and dance show, lapped up enthusiastically by the women who provided an ovation even when a speaker rattled out the rising figures of rape and harassment of women. The Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee addressed a women’s congregation at Indira Colony, Mani Majra. In the presence of the region’s Congress leaders, the women of the colony pledged that they would take part in the literacy and adult education programme of the administration. In another function, Yuvsatta and Maya Foundation organised the Rani Jhansi Memorial PU Inter-Departmental Debate on the topic “Women Can Change Politics”. The debate was inaugurated by Prof Pam Rajput, who stressed upon the need of more women in politics. Mr Pramod Sharma, President of Yuvasatta, said the contribution of women in politics needed to be increased for the betterment of the democratic system. The winners of the debate are Munish Anand, Department of Law (1); Ishpreet Chadha, Department of Public Administration (2); Suman, Department of Hindi (3) The women’s wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), Chandigarh, organised a seminar where Dr Upinderjit Kaur, Technical Education and Industrial Training Minister, Punjab, was the chief guest. Bibi Amarjit Kaur Bhullar, President of the wing, Mr Gurpratap Singh Riar, President of SAD, and Mrs Rupan Deol Bajaj, Presiding Officer, State Colleges and Schools Tribunal, participated in the function. At the seminar, that started well beyond the scheduled time, when women from the audience were invited to express their views, it was only older women who came forward to vociferously defend the issue of women’s rights. The Sivananda Divine Mission, Chandigarh, celebrated the day by distributing books of higher moral values to the inmates of Bal Niketan, Sector 15. Books for the library of Bal Niketan were also donated by the mission. The inmates of the Nari Niketan, Sector 26, were distributed sweets and clothes by a conglomeration of women belonging to various social organisations. Earlier in the day, various social organisations also got together to check the facilities being provided to these inmates. Women residing in Deep
Complex, Hallomajra, went on an indefinite fast to mark
the day as ‘Protest Day’ against the
“bulldozing of houses by the Chandigarh
Administration”. |
‘A good
person makes a good boss’ CHANDIGARH, March 8 — The biggest asset of a leader in any organisation is his ability to motivate and it comes naturally to a boss who is a good human being, said Ms Shreshtha Singh, an executive officer in the housekeeping Department of the Taj Group of Hotels, in her keynote address at the silver jubilee celebrations of the Food Craft Institute here today. Ms Shreshtha Singh said an efficient leader should take interest in fellow beings. More than 250 persons work directly under her. The expectations are high, keeping in mind tough competition in the industry. Talking about the future trends in the hotel industry , she said time was high for marking the priorities. A modern day customer has money but no time. The concept of “touch check in and touch check out” is fast coming up. Hotels which fail to meet the rising demands of customers will be the losers. She said there was no need for India to compare hospitality standards with other countries.”We should set our own standards.It is sad that our culture has never reflected in our hospitality industry, disappointing a lot of foreigners. They come to see what the country has to offer culturally and this extends to the hotel industry as well .The tourist market has not really been tapped,” she said. Earlier, inaugurating the seminar, Mrs Anuradha Gupta, Education Secretary, said both, education and educator were important in the process of learning.Apart from educating students, the institute should also focus on academic advancement of the faculty. We should shun mediocrity. The stress has to be on quality development,” she added. Mr Alok Shivapuri, principal of the FCI, proposed the vote of thanks. The seminar was attended
by local hoteliers, housewives and students. |
First women
cell in a college CHANDIGARH, March 8 — The first women cell in a college was set up as part of the International Women’s Day celebrations by the NSS unit of the Dev Samaj College of Education, Sector 36, here today. The cell was inaugurated by Prof Pam Rajput, Director of the Women’s Studies Centre of Panjab University. The issues raised during the discussion were discrimination against women, sexual harassment, female infanticide and obscenity in mass media. Encouragement to financial independence of women, a ban on pre-natal tests and imparting techniques of self-defence were advocated by participants. An art and craft exhibition was also organised at the college. The Principal, Dr Satinder Dhillon, said the day was celebrated to eradicate the injustice against women. Cultural programme: Students of Government College, Sector 46, celebrated the day with a variety programme comprising dances and a fashion show, here today. The audience clapped as Roopa and Pratima of BA II danced to “Uddi jab-jab zulfen teri” while in the two-round fashion show Kamaljeet was declared Miss Government College, Mandita and Sharanjit were the first and the second runners up, respectively. The prize for the best dressed girl went to Brij Bala. Mrs Shashi Satya Pal Jain, the chief guest, appreciated the performances. The Principal, Major D.P. Singh said that though women were academically better placed than most men, most of them could use some career guidance. Function held: The NSS unit of Government College for Girls, Sector 11, celebrated the day with a cultural programme and a paper-reading contest on “Status of Women in India”, here today. The programme co-ordinator (NSS) of Panjab University, Dr C.L. Narang, presided over the function and stressed the need for active participation of youths and teachers in improving the position of women in the society. The Principal, Mrs Vijay Lakshmi Tewari, stated that women were in no way inferior to men and were excelling in all fields. Talk held: The Rotary Vocational Club of Sector 18, organised a lecture to celebrate the day, here today. The Director of Art Folio, Dr Alka Pande, gave a slides-presentation, on women in Indian art through the ages. She called upon the women to be feminine instead of feminists and balance work and family life. Seminar held: A seminar on the “importance and concept of International Women’s Day was organised by the local Mahila Parishad in Sector 16 here today. Addressing the gathering,
Dr Promila Kakkar President of the parishad said society
was still gender biased which was evident from the
declining ratio of women as compared to men. She
expressed concern that in spite of a ban on
sex-determination tests such tests were being carried out
blatantly and no action was being taken by the
authorities concerned.
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Kar sewa at
Nadha Sahib PANCHKULA, March 8 — ‘Kar sewa’ at Nadha Sahib Gurdwara was launched by Baba Harbans Singh of Dehliwale, near here, today. The SGPC President , Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, and Mr Prem Singh Chandumajra, member of Parliament , were also present on the occasion. The “kar sewa” is aimed at expanding the existing building so as to accommodate more devotees. Mr Tohra in his address urged the devotees to spare their time for the kar sewa. Mr Tohra inspected a serai under construction adjacent to the gurdwara. Meanwhile, a number of
policemen led by a DSP were present on the occasion after
reports that residents of Nadha and other neighbouring
villages would oppose the launching of kar sewa to
renovate the gurdwara building. When Mr Tohra was leaving
the place some protesters raised slogans. No untoward
incident was, however, reported. |
A benevolent
ex-serviceman CHANDIGARH, March 8 — Once upon a time there lived in a certain village a retired fauji. A brave man who had lost the upper crust of his skull to a sharpnel in World War II. He was respected and loved for his bravery like no one else in the village for he was very gentle too. This is how some stories would begin whenever a Punjabi villager’s exploits are recounted by the old for the young. But here is real life story of an ex-serviceman Gian Singh or Giana to his fellow villagers. He fought bravely during the last world war and in time returned home because of an injury, the upper part of his skull was just a pulp and he had to cover it with a woolen cap. A tough soldier, he was a benevolent person and loved his own and others’ children alike. And he left a permanent mark on the history of this City Beautiful. The tall magestic pipal tree that everyone sees, standing on the Sukhna Lake was planted by Giana fauji. This is the only landmark on the beautiful lake that fives it a hoary past. The village was Bhangi Majra or Ramnangar.” I vividly remember the face of Giana fauji and can recall the day when he planted this pipal tree on village common land (shamlat). Perhaps he was keen to leave some mark on the pages of history and wished to be remembered,” recalls Dr Sher Singh, who retired as a senior medical officer of the Punjab Government. He hails from this village and was a student in the medical college, Amritsar, when their land was acquired to build the city. There are some such landmarks closeby, which help old villagers like Dr Sher Singh to relate themselves to their past. “There is an imli tree in Punjab Raj Bhavan and also a tall healthy mango tree in some of the houses of Sector 7. “In fact, I wrongly went to house number of 10 or 11 in Sector 7 while locating a friend and was surprised to see a mango tree, very healthy and possibly fruit bearing. It was here that the village boys played their evening games and it was here that those who tended the cattle came to rest. There was a village called Kalibar where Sector 8 is now. And close to the modern Golf Club too there was a Trvani — three trees in one. A pipal, a neem and a jamun”, Dr Sher Singh remincences. Dr Sher Singh, a keen student of literature and history, recalls many other events around the villages where two the Raj Bhavans and UT Guest House stand toay.” One sometimes feels sad to recall those people and places and the heavy social cost which they paid when they were uprooted, and sometimes one feels that a modern city has come up. In the place of those villages which were agriculturally not so forward,” he says. He only wishes that those landmarks, however, small, should be recorded for posterity. And Giana Fauji did not
live long either to see his pipal tree grow tall and
majestic. |
Rs 5.8 lakh
plus seized from tax evaders CHANDIGARH, March 8 — More than Rs 5.8 lakh have been seized by the UT Excise and Taxation Department under a special campaign launched last fortnight to check evasion of sales tax and passenger and goods tax. According to official sources, penalties worth Rs 5 lakh were imposed on sales tax evaders, Rs 50,000 were imposed on passenger and goods tax evaders and Rs 30,000 were imposed on those selling unauthorised lottery tickets. These amounts were seized during daily checkings conducted by parties headed by an ETO or an AETC. Heavy penalties amounting to Rs 70,000 were imposed on the owner of a mustard oil tanker coming from Bathinda. A sum of Rs 50,000 has been seized from roadways and private buses and goods carriers for causing losses to the exchequer. In some cases, cash up to Rs 15,000 has been seized on the spot for evading passenger tax. During surprise raids on various lottery stalls, Rs 30,000, earned from the sale of unauthorised tickets, have been seized. Giving this information,
the Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Mr P.S.
Gill, said that late night raids were being conducted by
blocking roads leading to UT to catch the evaders. |
Jasbir
Jassi to perform at PU CHANDIGARH, March 8 — Punjabi pop star Jasbir Jassi of “dil le gayee kudee Gujarat di” fame will feature in a show on March 12 as part of a festival being organised by the Department of Chemical Engineering and Technology at Panjab University, a press note said here today. The three-day event, popularly known as a “Cyanide”, will commence on March 10 with the ghazal performance by Arjun Jaipuri. Request stalls, games will be special attractions at the show. Other events include
debates, mock press conferences, mock rocks, stage plays
and dances, according to Nishant Gupta, coordinator.
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CBI opposes
bail in Beant case CHADIGARH, March 8 — The CBI today filed reply in the court of the Sessions Judge, Mr BS Bedi, to the bail application preferred by Nasib Singh, one of the suspects in the Beant Singh assassination case. The applicant had sought an interim bail on the ground that he was to solemnise the marriage of his daughter. He had claimed that there was no other member in the family who could perform the ceremony. Opposing the bail plea, the CBI stated that the applicant had an adult son who was living in the same house. Therefore, he could easily perform the ceremony. The CBI stated that the Chandigarh Administration had issued a notification under Section 268, Cr PC, saying that none of the suspects in this case would be taken outside the jail precincts. The reply added that there was a security hazard to the applicant if he was allowed to go outside the jail. The Punjab and Haryana
High Court has already turned down a similar request made
by Jagtar Singh Tara, another suspect in the case. |
A stinking
wait for buses DERA BASSI, March 8 — A carpet of garbage, polybags and other solid wastes covers the backyard of the local bus stand. Stray cattle can be seen basking and chewing at this place, turning the spot not only into an eyesore but also a health hazard. The Municipal Committee seems to have turned a blind to this public place. The drainage system of the bus stand has been blocked due to rubbish and the stinking water has gathered at many points of a nearby intersection. Mr Ram Dass, a local resident, says the problem becomes severe during summer as mosquitoes and flies from this stinking cesspool lead to various diseases. The eatables on the rehris and stalls near the bus stand are exposed to this filth. Passengers complain that they have to bear the stench and the stink of the place while waiting for buses. They alleged that things have always been like this at the bus stand. Mr Jagjit Singh Dalli,
President of the Municipal Committee, said that the bus
stand has been given on a contract and that it is the
responsibility of the contractor to manage its sanitation
also. He alleged that the fruit and vegetable sellers
scatter all their waste nearby which ultimately collects
on the spot. Horse cart owners functioning from the spot
are also responsible for this problem. |
A blooming
business CHANDIGARH, March 7 — A change in the lifestyle of the residents of and a high profit margin has led to a bloom in the flower business in the city and surrounding areas during the past one year. Nicely arranged colourful flowers have started appearing in every nook and corner of the city, the residents of which seem to have suddenly found themselves in love with the colourful perishables. The rising popularity of flowers as a gift item for all occasions can be judged from the mushrooming of florists in the city. During a survey, TNS found that the number of florists had witnessed a more than three-fold increase since the past one year. From about 10 the number of flower shops in different parts of the city has risen to about 35. The boom has also broken the monopoly of vendors in Sectors 34 and 35, as such shops have started appearing in almost all other Sectors, including 7, 8,9, 15, 18, 19 and 35. Interestingly, most of the flower vendors located outside places of worship who used to sell only flowers like marigold to the visiting devotees, have also jumped into this business due to rapidly increasing demand of other ornamental flowers. “Earlier, the people offered flowers on selected occasions like weddings, but nowadays, they prefer to gift flowers instead of sweets,” says Sumeet, a florist in Sector 35. He maintains that as people are fed up with conventional gift items, they have started expressing their feeling towards their near and dear ones through flowers. He says almost every second young boy or girl of the city has ordered ‘home delivery’ of a bouquet of flowers. He attributes the rise in demand, which in turn has given a fresh whiff of air to the business, to a change of attitude of people towards flowers mainly due to the television and cinema. “ Earlier, people used to view flowers as nothing but a perishable commodity, but these days even the middle class thinks these to be a most sensible thing to be gifted ,” says Mr Arun Bhatia, another florist in Sector 34. The basic change in the attitude notwithstanding, roses and gladioli are still the ‘most preferred’ varieties of flowers, he added “ Only a few want rajnigandha and zerba, though the price is almost the same as that of a rose stick.” Attributing the high profit factor to be a major reason behind the sudden increase in the number of florists, Mr Sumit said the business offered a ‘decent’ profit margin between 35 per cent and 40 per cent. “Most of people have come in the business due to this lone factor as hardly any other business offers such a huge profit these days,” he said while adding that the joining of a large number of people won’t affect the margins as the demand was bound to brighten up proportionately. The views of Mr Vishal
Sood, another florist in Sector 35 are, however,
different. He says the business is heading for a stiff
competition due to which the profits are likely to
diminish. “The effect is already there. As compared
to a profit of 30 per cent to 40 per cent, we are earning
only between 15 per cent and 20 per cent. Moreover,
people do not want to pay for quality flowers,” he
said. According to Mr Sood, the major reason behind the
“decline” in the margin is the high rate of
wastage and a sharp hike in the wholesale price of the
commodity. “While the wastage is to the tune of 100
per cent, we have to absorb the hike in the wholesale
price due to stiff competition,” said Mr Sood.
|
Champa
Mangat Rai laid to rest CHANDIGARH, March 8 — Noted educationist Champa Mangat Rai who died last night was buried at the Christian cemetery in Sector 25 here this afternoon. Her funeral procession commenced from her house in Sector 9 for the Christ Church, (CNI) in Sector 18 where a service was held. Her brother arrived from Jaipur to pay his homage. Ms Rai’s nephew was also present at the cremation ground. She was a daughter of Mr S.P. Singha, a former Registrar of Panjab University, Lahore. A large number of old-time
Chandigarh residents attended the funeral. |
Potholed
Khudda Lahora roads CHANDIGARH, March 8 — Khudda Lahora comes across as a poor cousin of the City Beautiful as far as condition of roads is concerned. Heaps of garbage on roads and potholes abound in the village located at a stone’s throw from the PGI. The village, located on the Chandigarh-Kurali road, is also situated close to Panjab University. Potholes dotting roads here have caused many vehicles to overturn. Mrs Gayan Devi, member of a local gram panchayat, said repeated pleading with the Administration had not yielded any result. On an average, there were over 50 minor accidents every months, she added. Residents resent the lack
of trollies to lift garbage. According to Mr Virender
Kumar, “We have never had a feeling of being part of
Chandigarh as no facility is being provided to the
village”. Lanes in the village are also not free
from filth. Open drain pipes have deteriorated the
condition. Children in certain localities use pipes for
defecating purpose. |
300 persons
treated at health camp S.A.S NAGAR, March 8 — The 62nd ‘Gurdeep Kaur Cheema Memorial Free Check-up Camp’ was organised by the Care Health Society of Chandigarh at Chhoti Karor village near here on Sunday. According to Dr R.P.Singh,
the Director Project of the society, more than 300
patients were examined by experts, including Dr Varinder
Sarwal and Dr Jai Singh. Free medicines were distributed
among poor patients by Mr B.S.Randhawa, the
Superintendent of Mohali Police, who was the chief guest.
|
Rain,
hailstorm lower temp CHANDIGARH, March 8 — After two consecutive days of bright sun-shine, the city and its surrounding areas were lashed with heavy rain accompanied with a mild hailstorm this evening. In the past two days,
daytime temperature had risen considerably. The
temperature had touched 32°C on Saturday and 30°C on
Sunday. Rain started off like a drizzle around 8.30 p.m.,
followed by a hailstorm around 9 p.m. |
CHANDIGARH, March 8 — The Mayor, Mr Kewal Krishan Addiwal, today formally released the list of the members of the various reconstituted committees of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC). According to the revised list, a majority of the councillors of the ruling group find places in three committees. On the other hand, adequate representation has been given to all councillors by nominating them to two panels. Mr Addiwal, who is the ex officio chairman of the finance and contract committee is not a member of any other committee. Corporation sources said the Mayor today forwarded the list to the Commissioner, Mr SK Gathwal, for intimation to the councillors concerned. A close look at the reconstituted panels revealed that during the elections to the chairman and the deputy chairman of the various committees, the ruling group and the nominated councillors would be at an advantage as compared to the opposition councillors. The elections are likely to be held on March 11,12 and 15. The following is the list of members of the committees: Water supply and sewerage disposal committee: Maj-Gen Gurdial Singh (retd), Mr Des Raj Tandon, Mr Prem Sagar Jain, Mr O.P. Goyal, Mr Raj Kumar Goyal, Ms Satinder Dhawan and Mr R.K. Aggarwal. Roads committee: Mr RL Arora, Dr IC Pathak, Air Marshal RS Bedi (retd), Ms Kamla Sharma, Mr Rajinder Kumar, General Rajinder Nath and Mr Aggarwal House tax assessment committee: Mr Jain, Mr Kanhya Lal Sharma, Mr Raj Kumar Goyal, Ms Shanta Abhilashi, Ms Sunita, Mr Harish Bhanot, and Ms Surya Pandit. Slum development committee: Ms Sharma, Ms Sunita, Mr Sharma, Mr Rajinder Kumar, Mr Gurcharan Dass Kala, Ms Harjinder Kaur and Mr Bachan Singh. Arts, culture and sports committee: General Rajinder Nath, Ms Saudamini Bambah, Mr O.P. Goyal, Mr Bachan Singh, Mr Gian Chand Gupta., Ms Abhilashi and Ms Parsann Kaur. Environment and city beautification committee: Air Marshal Bedi, Ms Harjinder Kaur, Mr Arora, Mr Gupta, Ms Sharma, Ms Bambah and Dr Pathak. Electricity committee: Mr Mohinder Singh, Mr Bhanot, Mr Jain, Ms Ranjana Shahi, Ms Dhawan, Ms Kamlesh and General Gurdial Singh. Legal affairs committee: Mr O.P. Goyal, Mr RS Kailey, Mr Arora, Air Marshal Bedi, Mr Tandon, Ms Kamlesh and Ms Pandit. Apni mandi committee: Mr Kala, Mr Bachan Singh, Mr Sharma, Mr Mohinder Singh, Ms Shahi, Mr Kailey and Ms Parsann Kaur. Councillor’s charge: The councillor from Ward No 9, Ms Harjinder Kaur, alleged today that Mr Gathwal did not turn up for inspecting the ward comprising Sectors 34, 35 and 44 as part of the special cleanliness drive. This is despite two written intimations to her by the MCC. Meanwhile, Ms Harjinder
Kaur and the Medical Officer of Health (MoH) visited the
the ward and found insanitary conditions despite the
special drive. Heaps of garbage and “malba”
were lying at different places on the V-5 and V-6 roads,
the councillor alleged in a press note. |
CHANDIGARH, March 8 —Panjab University will conduct entrance examination for Bachelor of Business Administration ( BBA) and Bachelor of Computer Application (BCA) courses offered by its affiliated colleges from the forthcoming session (1999-2000). Admissions were based on merit in the plus two examination when the courses were offered last year. Examination for both the streams will be held on May 29.The test will be based on general awareness and mathematical abilities. The university has also decided to add three new examination centres for the convenience of the students. Apart from Chandigarh, students can also offer Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana and Ferozepore, as the centres for examination. The written examination will be objective type with one mark assigned for each correct answer. There will also be negative marking with deduction of one fourth marks for each wrong answer.There will be no provision for re-evaluation. The examination for the BBA course will be held in the morning session while that for the BCA will be held in the afternoon session. The medium of the written examination will be English alone. The last date for receipt of forms will be April 9. The roll numbers will be dispatched by May 13. However, candidates who do not receive the roll numbers can contact the university office on May 26 and 27. The courses were introduced by the university following popular demand last year. A total of 26 colleges affiliated to Panjab University offer BBA courses. Of these eight are based in the city. Local colleges which will offer the courses with a maximum intake of 30 students each are Government College for Men, Sector 11; GCG, Sector 11; GCG Sector 42; GC, Sector 46; GGDSD College, Sector 32; Dev Samaj College, Sector 45; GGS College for Women, Sector 26; and DAV College, Sector 10. A total of 21 colleges are offering BCA courses. Of these five are located in the city — GCM, Sector 11; GGDSD College; SGGS College; GGS College and DAV College. Students who have passed plus two with at least 50 per cent marks from a recognised board or council can appear in the qualifying examination. Those who appear in the plus two examination in April, 1999, and still await their results can appear provisionally. The result will be published by the university on behalf of the colleges. The qualifying marks for the general category candidate are 15 per cent while that for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are 10 per cent. Candidates with equal marks will be bracketted together and anyone who has higher marks in the qualifying examination will be at an advantage. Students will have to apply directly to the respective colleges. Those who do not submit their applications by the due date will not be considered later . In case of personation in any examination, a candidate can be debarred for a maximum period of five years. Criticised: The Punjab University Students Union and the National Students Union of India in separate press releases have criticised the proposal of Panjab University to hike tuition fee from the forthcoming session. Mr Harmohinder Singh Lucky, President of the local unit of the NSUI, said the organisation would be forced to launch an agitation in case the hike was not withdrawn. Mr Lakhjeet Singh Gurone, president of the PUSU, criticised the present student body in power of being a ‘puppet in the hands of the authorities”. Blood donation camp: More than 107 volunteers donated blood in a camp organised by the Panjab University Students Union at the Students Centre here on Monday. The camp was organised in memory of Makhan Singh, a former president of the PUSU. The camp was also attended
by office-bearers of student bodies from various local
colleges. |
CHANDIGARH, March 8 — A man has been booked for allegedly stabbing his wife in a fit of rage. Mohan Singh of Dadu Majra Colony allegedly beat up his wife, Surjeet Kaur, aged about 65 years. The woman has stated that her husband used to thrash her. The incident had occurred on February 9. Her adopted son, Surjeet Singh, had gone to the market to make some small purchases, and the husband wife were alone. The injured woman was rushed to the PGI where she was later discharged. The police has registered a case under Section 326 of the IPC. Held: A man has been arrested for allegedly assaulting and threatening a resident of Khuda Lahora village. Ram Singh and Deepak allegedly beat up Sanjay Kumar. One of the assailants, Ram Singh, was nabbed by the police and booked under Sections 323 and 506 of the IPC. Arrested: A resident of Sector 28, Bhim Sain, was arrested for allegedly stealing some goods lying in a plot in the Industrial Area, Phase II. On Februray 22, the owner of the plot, Mr Manohar Salhotra lodged a complaint that some copper pipes, electronic items etc had been stolen from the plot. Bhim Sain has been booked under Sections 457 and 380 of the IPC. Motor cycle stolen: A bullet motor cycle (CH-01-S-8152) owned by Sumit Kumar of Sector 16, was stolen from his residence, the police said on Monday. DERA BASSI Arrested: The Dera Bassi police has arrested Amarjit Singh, of Barekpur village, who was involved in the death of a woman, while allegedly driving a mini-bus (PAB-8377) in a negligent manner at Devinagar village on the Lalru-Dera Bassi road, on Sunday. According to sources, the driver lost control and the vehicle plunged into a trench, resulting in the death of Bholi Devi, who was cutting wood there. In this accident six bus passengers were injured. A case under Sections 279,
304/A and 337 of the IPC has been registered against the
driver. |
PANDIT VIDYADHAR VYAS, Head, Department of Music, University of Bombay and the son of illustrious singer Pandit Narayan Rao Vyas whose phenomenal contribution in popularising classical music from the early 30’s to the 60’s stands unparalleled, presented shuddha gayaki before a select gathering at Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Panchkula. Pandit Vyas began his rendering of raga Shree, one of the oldest ragas, sung at the time of the evening. Elaborating the melodious aspect of the raga through ‘alaap’ he began a vilambit khayal in ektaal ‘‘Gadarva bajo re’’. Maintaining the purity of the raga Pandit Vyas aesthetically incorporated patterns of melody and ‘taans’ in the body of the khayal. His ‘gamak taans’ were particularly noteworthy for their purity. A drut khayal in Teentaal ‘‘A ri main to as nagin’’ brought forth aesthetic balance of melody and layakari that is the hallmark of the Gwalior Gharana. This was followed by presentation of another melodious raga, though comparatively modern, raga Nand. The vilambit khayal in Jhaptaal ‘Yaad main Kaise Bhullau’ caught the listeners swaying in sheer melody. The drut khayal in Teentaal ‘Ajahun Na Aye More Shyam’ contained appeal of a melodious lyric. The rasiks in the baithak were very appreciative of his highly seasoned gayaki. Following the tradition of Pandit V.D. Paluskar’s bhajan gayaki, who had matched the essence of a raga to the emotion of devotional songs and produced Bhakti Rasa in all his bhajans, Pandit Vyas chose to sing one of his traditional compositions ‘Thumaki Chalat Ram Chandra’ in raga Jhinjhoti. His rendering took melody to the levels of devotional heights. He was accompanied on the tabla by Mahendra Prasad Verma and on the harmonium by Murlidhar. Since big pandals stand glaringly empty in the classical concerts, humiliating the performer, small baithaks present the right ambience for such concerts. Pandit Vyas will present another concert on March 12 at English Auditorium, Panjab University. —
Vandana Shukla |
CHANDIGARH, March 8 — While tindas, a popular summer vegetable, have made their entry in different city markets, the price of mushroom has witnessed a downfall during the past 24 hours. During a survey, it was found that tindas were available in almost all city markets. The price of the vegetable was also reasonable as a kg of it was available between Rs 18 and Rs 22. According to traders, early lot of tindas, had arrived in the market for the first time yesterday. They said the vegetable was coming from beds of different choes (seasonal rivulets) falling in Patiala, Ropar and Patiala districts. During this period, mushroom has witnessed a decline in its price. A kg of the vegetable, priced between Rs 50 and Rs 60 last week, was available in the market today at a price between Rs 32 and Rs 40 a kg. The traders attributed the fall in the price of mushroom to enhanced arrivals of the vegetable in the market from Tanda in Hoshiarpur district and from surrounding areas. They, however, said the fall was a temporary one and the price of the vegetable would rise during summer. On the other hand, the rise in the price of ginger continued unabated. A kg of the vegetable available for Rs 35 a kg yesterday, was priced at Rs 40 in the Sector 20 market today. Enquires revealed that the price was going up as the arrivals of fresh crop were drying up, “Nowadays, we are getting ginger from cold storages due to which it remains priced on a higher side,” said a Sector 22 trader. Bittergourd also remained costly today as it was priced at Rs 40 a kg. Only yesterday, the vegetable was priced at Rs 30 a kg. According to traders, the price of the vegetable increased as the arrivals were almost negligible yesterday. Cauliflower, which was selling at Rs 3 a kg in the Sector markets yesterday, was available for Rs 4 a kg. The hike in the price was attributed to dwindling arrivals of the vegetable in the market from surrounding areas. On the fruit front, grapes became cheaper during this period. A kg of the fruit, priced at Rs 40 yesterday, was priced today between Rs 30 and Rs 35 in different markets. The fall in the price was said to be due to increased arrivals from Sangli and other grapes producing areas of Maharashtra. The prices of commonly
used vegetables and fruit are as following:—
cauliflower Rs 4 a kg, cabbage Rs 3, peas Rs 12, beans Rs
20, gourd Rs16, cucumber Rs 16, capsicum Rs 32,
bittergourd Rs 40, carrot Rs 8, tomato Rs , brinjal Rs
10, sugarbeet Rs 2, onion Rs 8, potato Rs 2, garlic Rs
30, lemon Rs 30, banana Rs 18 a dozen, apple Rs 40,
pomegranate Rs 50, mango(safeda) Rs 80, mausambi Rs 60,
strawberry Rs 100, kinnow Rs 40 a dozen and orange Rs 40
a dozen. |
Satya Pal Jain’s
‘assurance’ to PGI union CHANDIGARH, March 8 — The PGI Employees Union has claimed that the local MP, Mr Satya Pal Jain, has assured it that he would negotiate for a peaceful solution to their problems. In a press note issued
here today, the union said a delegation of employees had
met Mr Jain and conveyed its plan to start a jail bharo
campaign or an indefinite strike from March 12. |
Annual
function celebrated SAS NAGAR, March 8 — The local ‘Kahuta (Rawalpindi) Association’ celebrated its 52nd annual function at the Phase 3-B-I Ramgarhia Gurdwara here today. A large number of persons,
originally hailing from Kahuta and its surrounding areas,
paid tributes to those who had died during the partition
of the country. |
Slogans mar
Women’s Day celebrations CHANDIGARH, March 8 — The celebration of International Women’s Day by the Chandigarh Territorial Mahila Congress at Tagore Theatre here today seemed to be a show of strength by the Pawan Kumar Bansal-led group. The programme began with a welcome address by Ms Lalit Joshi Bhardwaj, newly-appointed President of the Mahila Congress, It was interrupted several times with “Sonia Gandhi zindabad” and “Ambika Soni zindabad” slogans. It was for the first time
that the day was celebrated on a large scale by the
Mahila Congress. Today’s celebrations, according to
Congress workers, were in a way a show of strength. |
NGOs’ training programme by Sewa Bharti
concludes CHANDIGARH, March 8 — The three-day orientation training programme conducted by Sewa Bharti for the NGOs of Chandigarh concluded today at Sewa Dham, Sector 29. The programme saw deliberations on schemes of the Social Welfare Board, pollution and its prevention, social defence and security for women, assistance to voluntary organisations for old age homes, social issues related to women with regard to AIDS, TB and other areas, medical awareness regarding drug abuse, alcoholism, blood donation and eye donation etc. Mrs Kamla Sharma, Chairperson of Chandigarh Social Welfare Advisory Board said that the programme was organised to bring NGOs and experts from various fields on a common platform for training them on various social issues. As many as 50 participants participated in the programme. Group discussions and recommendations marked the concluding session, which was chaired by Mr R.K. Mittal, advocate of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Justice D.V. Sehgal, a former judge of the high court presided over the closing ceremony. Some prominent speakers
included Mrs Rita Wahi, assistant Project Officer of the
board; Dr S.C. Jain, a PU professor; Mr Ranvir Sood, a
deputy manager of SBI; Dr Supriya, Deputy Director,
Health Services, Haryana; Dr Ashok Sharma, assistant
Professor PGI and Secretary of the Eye Bank Society; and
Mr D.C Gupta, a chief manager, of SBI. |
Monthly
‘baithak’ programme CHANDIGARH, March 8 — The Pracheen Kala Kendra will hold its 33rd “monthly baithak” programme on March 11 at its Bhaskar Rao indoor auditorium, Kendra Building, Sector-35 B when “Salil” Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, son and disciple of the Grammy award winner Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, will give his recital on “mohan veena”. The innovative instrument “mohan veena” has been specially modified and perfected by his father to suit the requirements of classical Indian ragas and the chip of the old block that Salil is, he has worked hard under his legendary father’s tutelage for more than 12 years to achieve excellence in playing this instrument. Through his numerous solo and duet performances in India and some foreign countries like the USA the UK, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and the UAE, Salil has broken new grounds by experimenting with modern fusion music, playing along with celebrated foreign guitarists such as David Heidalgo of Mexico and Australian Lawrie Minson, incorporating Indian music nuances with Australian country music. The Pracheen Kala Kendra has been rendering great service to the cause of classical Indian arts of music and dance by giving chances to the aspiring and upcoming artistes with talent and potential to give public performances along with established artistes from all over the country for the benefit of art-loving public of the City Beautiful. While as many as 32 programmes have been held at Chandigarh every month for the past two-and-a-half years or so the kendra has recently extended its scope by initiating similar quarterly baithak programme at Delhi. The first such programme was held on January 23 and 24 at Triveni Kala Sangam Auditorium, New Delhi, while the next quarterly baithak programme will be held on April 24 at Triveni Kala Sangam Auditorium when Mrs Shobha Koser, the doyen of Jaipur Gharana, will give her kathak dance recital before invited audiences of the Capital. As usual, the baithak
programme will be free of entry fee and interested
members of public can collect invitation cards from the
office of the Pracheen Kala Kendra, Chandigarh. |
Teachers
agitate for reinstatement CHANDIGARH, March 8 — Members of the Nav Niyukt Adhyapak Union staged a rally in support of their demands here today. The teachers, whose services had been terminated after 89 days, have been agitating for their reinstatement for the past many months. At a rally in front of the DPI (S), they alleged that the government had done little to re-employ more than 2, 000 teachers whose services were terminated 15 months ago. The inaction of the government had jeopardised the career of all of them, they said. Meanwhile, Mrs Tejinder
Kaur, a protester sat on a fast. |
3,100 new
assessees file IT returns CHANDIGARH, March 8 — Over 3,100 new income tax assesses have filed their returns under the “one by six” scheme of mandatory filing of IT returns in the city. According to sources in the Income Tax Department (North Western Region), the scheme which was launched by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) in 1997 with a view to spreading the tax base in major cities of the countries, has evoked a good response in the city. It may be recalled that
the CBDT has launched the scheme in 12 cities of the
country, including Ludhiana and Chandigarh, and made it
mandatory for the persons fulfilling two of the four
criteria to file IT returns. The four criteria at that
time were owning a telephone, occupation of property
above a specified area (varying from city to city),
foreign travel during the last year and ownership of a
car. |
Youth Cong adopts Badheri for
ending illiteracy CHANDIGARH, March 8 — The Chandigarh Territorial Youth Congress (CTYC), at a meeting here today decided to adopt Badheri village for their adult education programme. According to a press note,
persons below the age of 45 years would be identified for
a one-year programme aimed at ending illiteracy from the
village. The Department of Adult and Continuing
Education, of Panjab University, will be actively
involved in the programme. |
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