& V I C I N I T Y
Monday, March 22, 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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Monday, March 22, 1999 |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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Living under shadow of
death Consumer
cases: just speed missing
Tribune staffer still in
ICU |
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  Fashion Fiesta being held at Panchkula on Sunday. — A Tribune photograph Models wish cricketers good luck PANCHKULA, March 21— Glamour, music, dance and a riot of colours, in the backdrop of a windy, moonlit night marked the ‘Fashion Fiesta’ organised today at the lawns of a restaurant in Sector 5 here. |
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SJOBA rallyists brave rough
terrain PU
reader joins ICDS sub-group |
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Housing society men submit
memo ‘Student-industry
tie-ups required’
Bad
phones, rude staff
Mattewal
is Chairman of Bar Council A
good teacher is a good learner
Government
plans board to help disabled |
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Living under
shadow of death CHANDIGARH, March 21 — Residents of government flats in Sector 35-A are a worried lot. They have been living under the “shadow of death” for the past several years on account of the dilapidated condition of their flats. Residents say that large concrete flakes have been falling on the ground from staircases and balconies of a block of flats (from house no 501 to 511) for the past many years, posing a danger to them. For the fear of getting injured, they did not let their children play outside their houses. A visit to flats today showed that the houses were in a hopeless condition. It seemed that the authorities had not bothered to repair the flats despite repeated representations to them. A resident, Mr Pradeep Bhasin, while showing the dilapidated condition of flats to a TNS team, said they and their guests could not sit in front of and at backsides of their houses as concrete portions of staircases and balconies fell to the ground regularly. For the ground-floor residents, particularly children, it is a “prison-like” situation as everytime they venture out they have to be careful to avoid concrete chunks. For the fear that balconies may not cave in, upper floor residents dread venturing into balconies. Another resident, Mr Vinod Sharma, informed that the stairs and balconies of the opposite block were only repaired when a child was injured when a concrete chunk fell on his head a couple of years ago. It seemed that authorities concerned work up only when a mishap occurred, said Mr Bhasin, wondering whether the authorities wanted this to happen again. Demanding immediate repair of the balconies and staircases, Mr Bhasin alleged that authorities seemed to be having “wrong priorities” on their agenda. While nothing was done regarding the dilapidated condition of flats, the authorities replaced the electrical wiring and provided two tubelights and one exhaust fan to each allottee. The amount the authorities spent on providing electrical gadgets could have been spent on repairing the flats, he added. Meanwhile, the dilapidated condition of the flats could be gauged from the fact that when the TNS team was being shown the condition of staircase of house no 501 and 502, a large blister and an iron rod fell from the top floor. Anup, a small kid, who was
coming to his house on the ground floor had a narrow
escape. Residents said this was not an isolated case but
an everyday phenomenon.
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Consumer
cases: just speed missing CHANDIGARH, March 21 — The Consumer Protection Act (CPA) has become a classic case of good intention but bad implementation.The CPA was enacted as a special legislation to provide speedy and effective relief to consumers. But the intended benefits are not really reaching the consumers. Most of the time, in cases where the outstation opposite parties are involved, the order in favour of the consumer remains only on paper. This has proved true in cases relating to car and finance companies who have their head offices at places such as Mumbai and Madras. Chandigarh Tribune spoke to a cross-section of people to ascertain how the implementation of the orders can be made speedier and more effective. Ms Shashi Kanta, member, District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-I, asserts that execution of orders gets delayed because of want of adequate particulars of the opposite parties such as the names and addresses of the directors of companies. To curtail the period of disposal of cases, the opposite party should be refrained from seeking adjournments on technical grounds so as to have their reply within a short period. Mr H.S Ahluwalia, President ( Complaints), Consumer Forum, a voluntary organisation in Chandigarh says that the consumers, who mostly belong to the middle class families, should be encouraged to file complaints in whatever language they feel comfortable and not necessarily in the legal language, the judges of consumer courts should also discourage the opposite party from engaging the services of advocates. With regard to effective execution, Mr Ahluwalia said that an order issued by the local consumer court should be honoured in any part of the country. And in case jurisdiction is pertinent then the place where the complainant is residing should be considered and not where the opposite party is based. Referring to cases of refund of money paid for booking Fiat Uno or Peugeot cars, he said that the arrest warrants issued by the local consumer courts are not being executed in Mumbai because of lack of jurisdiction. “An independent and self-sufficient enforcement agency on an All- India basis should be created under the direct control of the judges of the consumer court,’’ suggested Pankaj Chandgothia, a consumer activist. He said that this would avoid dependence on civil courts and the police, who more often than not neglect to enforce the orders of the consumer forum as these come on the lowest priority for them. Mr Mahinder Singh Rangi, a consumer and former Superintendent of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, maintains that to provide the consumer immediate relief, the settlement in most cases should be done there and then. There is need to add another provision to ensure that the opposite party makes the payment immediately after the judgement. This will considerably decrease the pendency in litigation, he opines. Similar views were expressed by Mr Surinder Cheema, a Sector 17 shopkeeper, who feels that the courts should by and large try for an amicable settlement. If this does not work out, they should try and settle the dispute in lesser hearings. Though the Act provides a period of 90 days from the date of filing the case for a decision, but even this period is not being adhered to and decisions are being delayed, much to the inconvenience of the people. Mr Ashok Dutt says speedy verdict is must for people who come to the city for a short while on deputation or otherwise to file their complaints. In most cases, by the time the judgement is executed the person leaves the city without seeing the case come through with the judgement. Hence, cases relating to such people should be given top priority as compared to the permanent residents. Mr K.L Talwar, a government employee, also favours the amendment of the present Act to make the consumer-trader coordination healthier. The Act should also contain some provision so that consumers who have problems with small shopkeepers in rehri markets, who do not give bills can also approach the courts to redress their grievances. Mrs Sunaina Mehta, managing partner of a company, says a court should adhere to fixed deadlines for completion of pleadings and implementation. “The nexus of the subordinate staff who allegedly connive with the opposite party to delay the matter by recording wrong dates/ proceedings in the case files also needs to be checked and the guilty should be brought to book,’’ adds Mrs Mehta. Mr R.P. Bajaj, president
of the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-II,
while elaborating upon the difficulties in implementing
the judgements, said that the enforcement agencies such
as the police should give preference to the arrest
warrants issued by the courts in case of disobedience of
orders by parties located beyond the jurisdiction of the
forums. The Act already provides for the arrest and
punishment of the offending parties but the onus to
present them before the court lies on the police. |
Ring, ring
at wrong place... CHANDIGARH, March 21 — In a hard hitting order, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-II comprising its President, Mr R.P. Bajaj, and members, Mr H.S. Walia and Mrs Kamlesh Gupta, has held the officials of the Telephone Department guilty of connivance with certain private individuals in the matter of granting a phone connection. They observed that “the connivance not only caused injury, harassment and inconvenience to the complainant but also loss to the department as the dues remained unpaid. The matter needs to be inquired into by the General Manager, Telecom, to fix the responsibility on the guilty official who brought bad name and caused loss.” The complainant, Mrs Janak Gupta, had applied for a telephone connection in 1991. After she received the advice note in 1995, she applied for change in address for the installation. However, the department installed the phone at the old address against the instructions of the complainant and in her absence. When the complainant came to know about this from the telephone directory, she represented to the department about the wrong installation and further requested for installation at house No: 123, Sector 21, Chandigarh. The Telecom Department did not accede to her request on the plea that the telephone had already been disconnected on August 26, 1996, for non-payment of several bills. In reply, the department accepted that the telephone had been installed at the wrong address and pleaded that the connection could not be given at the new address of the complainant as there were outstanding dues against the said telephone. While allowing the complaint, the forum held that the complainant did not avail of the telephone facility at shed No 3126 as it was installed there contrary to her instructions and she cannot be legitimately asked to pay the dues. The non-payment of those dues is no reason to refuse the installation of the telephone at the new address. The forum directed the
Telephone Department to install the telephone at the new
address of the complainant without compelling her to pay
the arrears of the bills for the period the telephone
remained illegally installed. It further imposed
consolidated costs of Rs 7,500 on the department. |
Tribune
staffer still in ICU CHANDIGARH, March 21 — Mr Sanjeev Bariana, Staff Correspondent of The Tribune, continued to be under observation for the second day today at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the PGI. Mr Bariana had received a serious head injury following an accident on March 19 on the road dividing Sectors 33 and 34. He was riding his motor cycle (CH—01—N—4715), a black coloured Suzuki Shogun, when the accident occurred close to midnight. The police is yet to make a final assessment of how the accident could have taken place. This morning, the Home Secretary of UT, Mrs Anuradha Gupta, called upon the parents and relatives of the injured Mr Bariana. Yesterday, the Director of PGI, Prof B.K. Sharma, and the Director Principal of the GMCH, Sector 32, Prof V.K. Kak, had called upon them. Meanwhile, anybody having information about the accident can contact the Sector 34 police station (telephone number 602963). Sub Inspector Nirmal Singh
is the investigating officer. Information can also be
passed on at The Tribune office (telephone numbers
655066—072). |
Abducted
girl handed to parents CHANDIGARH, March 21 — Thanks to alert residents of Sector 16, a teenaged girl who was abducted yesterday by four youths from here house at Uklana Mandi in Jind district, was today handed back to her parent. The girl, aged about 17 years, was seen roaming aimlessly in Sector 16 this morning by some residents of the Sector, who asked her about the place she had come from. The girl said that four youths had forcibly dumped her in a car in Uklana Mandi last evening. The men had left her in Sector 16. Later, the Sector 17
police was called. The Jind police was informed and the
girl was handed over to her parents. |
SJOBA
rallyists brave rough terrain CHANDIGARH, March 21 — The 1999 SJOBA Thunderbolt Sub-Himalayan Rally comprising 47 participants which included four jeeps, 15 cars, 17 mobikes and 11 scooters covered a stretch of nearly 289 km finished in the afternoon at St. Johns High School, Sector 26. The total competitive section was 97.3 km. The rally organised on an annual basis has assumed importance during the past few years, with the participants coming from as far as Delhi, Amritsar, Rohtak. This year, the route was changed to give new exposure for the rallyists. The rally was flagged off at 7 AM by the SSP, Chandigarh, Mr CSR Reddy, from the school. The first competition leg started from Karondia near Jayanti Majri towards Khuda Lahora (near PGI side) and from Karondia to Kona the 7.4 km stretch was to be covered in maximum 12 minutes. It was a rough terrain with many choes giving a harrowing time to the drivers. The vehicles first flagged off with gap of every two minutes, were Jeep category and the four participants came in Maruti Gypsies. The first one to pass were the team of Sandeep Sharma and Kuldeep Dhaliwal driving white Gypsy. It DNC 7534 and crossed at 7.30 a.m. from the first checkpost and the duo of Sanjay Sikand and Rashid Raza in HR 29747 followed them. Then came Ravi Sodhi and his partner in the black Gypsy while the last one to pass were Vishal Gupta and Manu in a Gypsy at 7.36 a.m. Then came the fleet of 15 cars which included three Maruti 800, five Maruti Zens, five Maruti Esteem, one each Ceilo and Opel Astra. In the two-wheeler category mobikes came first with Yamahas and Shoguns dominated the scene. The last ones to enter the rally were eleven scooterists having LML and Bajaj brands. A few rallyists in the two-wheeler category had pillion riders with them. This could have slowed down speed. The 7.8 km transport section from Kona-Mandana and the 23.8 km stretch from Mandana to Masulkhana in the semi-hills were quite difficult stretches. They passed through Nisari and Gunaie villages and the competitors were given maximum time limit of 30 minutes. The Masulkhana-to-Garkhal route of 20.4 km was again a transport section with the Jangeshu falls making a scenic backdrop. Passing through Jagjit Nagar, it reached Garkhal in leg six of the rally. From here, the Garkhal-Dharampur competitive stretch of 11.6 km started. Its time limit was 14 minutes. The seventh leg ended at Chail after the transport section of 64.3 km from Dharampur. The return route of the Himalayan rally took off at Chail. The 26.6 km run to Gaura was to be completed in the stipulated 30 minutes. The Gaura-Bhojnagar transport route comprised a long 44.4 km. In the 11th leg, 27.9 km the Bhojnagar-Mallah stretch was to be covered in 42 minutes. This was the last competitive section. The results of the rally will be declared on March 24. According to sources,
barring a few minor accidents where the rallyists
suffered some injuries, the rally was a success. Only 32
participants could finish one rally. Ravi Sodhi and his
partner were out from the rally and a tyre of Aman
Monga’s car burst.
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PU reader
joins ICDS sub-group CHANDIGARH, March 21—A reader of public administration at the Department of Correspondence Courses in Panjab University, Dr Vijay Rattan is also a leading expert on Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) in the country. He has been nominated as member of a sub-group to prepare a revised draft of core syllabi of the ICDS training, by the Union, Ministry of Human Resource Development’s, Department of Women and Child Development. The draft will be prepared keeping in mind the concepts contained in the project UDISHA, the World Bank assisted ICDS training programme in India, according to an official communication from New Delhi, received here today. The other two members of the sub-group are Mr Nagendra Nath, Joint Director of the National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development and Mr J.P. Bernard of Bangalore. These will look into
management issues involved in the programme and suggest
ways to strengthen the ICDS training component from the
management angle. The sub-group will hold meetings,
workshops, interact with experts, professionals,
government officials, and visit ICDS projects and
training centres across the country. |
Housing
society men submit memo CHANDIGARH, March 21 — Nearly 100 members of the Silvertone Cooperative House Building Society today submitted a memorandum to the Registrar, Cooperative Societies-cum-Deputy Commissioner, Mr R.K. Rao, demanding his intervention to sort out the longstanding issues within 15 days so that the earnest money amounting to 25 per cent of the cost of the land is deposited with the Chandigarh Housing Board in time. Earlier, members of the Sangharsh Samiti of the Silvertone Cooperative House Building Society held a meeting before taking out a procession to the office of the Deputy Commissioner. Mr T.C. Arora, President of the Samiti, said that the Deputy Commissioner assured the samiti that a decision would be taken soon to appoint an administrator so that the members could get their earnest money deposited with the Board in time.Mr Arora said that the Deputy Commissioner was also apprised about the alleged financial irregularities in the society. On the other hand, Mr S.R. Kaushal, President of the society, in a letter to The Tribune claimed that Mr T.C. Arora and associates, “the self-styled leaders of the Sangharh Samiti have no legal sanctity.They have no authority, competence or jurisdiction. The Chandigarh Administration, Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Department of Cooperatives and the Chandigarh Housing Board and members of the society recognise the managing committee led by Mr S.R. Kaushal as its President”. The society has already
served a notice to him for the deposit of Rs 1,76,800
with interest which he has illegally collected from the
members. |
‘Student-industry
tie-ups required’ CHANDIGARH, March 21—A UGC sponsored one-week refresher course on ``Foreign Trade : Procedure and Practice’’ , conducted by the University Business School, concluded at the ICSSR complex in Panjab University, here today. As many as 25 teachers from Hyderabad, Gurdaspur, Coimbatore, Khanna and local colleges attended the course which deliberated on the various aspects of foreign trade. Participants were given lectures by experts from the industry, government and various academies. A discussion on current international trade scenario was also held during the course. Also, in the second phase, a practical training workshop was organised for the participants to acquaint them with the procedure of foreign trade. The teachers and the delegates analysed the problems of the recently introduced management courses in colleges. The discussion led to conclusion that interaction between students and industry should increase and summer trainings should be organised for the students to help them in the final placements. These recommendations will be forwarded to the UGC for implementation. The Dean, University Instructions, Prof I.B.S. Passi, in his valedictory address, highlighted the importance of quality, technological improvements and development of information technology and stressed that overall efficiency in productivity should be increased. He added that the increased number of holidays did not permit development of technology He advised teachers to encourage students to learn a foreign language. The chairman, Prof R.P.
Gupta, welcomed the guests to the session and the course
was coordinated by Dr Suresh K Chadha. |
Government
plans board to help disabled CHANDIGARH, March 21— With a view to stop discrimination against the disabled, the Punjab Government will constitute a high-power board. Stating this at a seminar, “In the light of PWD Act, 21st century and disabled,” Mr R.L. Kalsia, Director, Social Security, Women and Child Development, Punjab, said the board would have the judicial powers to tackle the problems related to the disabled, who form an important part of society. He assured that the Punjab government would implement the PWD Act, 1995, in an effective manner, which would go a long way in the rehabilitation of the disabled. Mr Kalsia further said there would be many amendments in the Equal Opportunities Protection of Rights and Full Participation Act, 1995. Mr Ajit Sailani, Chairman of the association, demanded rapid implementation of the PWD Act in the state. He complained that the provision of 3 per cent reservation of jobs in government and semi-government organisations was not being implemented effectively. Criticising the Health Department, Mr Sailani alleged that it had failed to launch any programme for the prevention and cure of disability. He said the department had not collected any data regarding the number of disabled in the state. Mr Harbhajan Singh Batalvi, Additional Station Director, All India Radio, Jalandhar, demanded that the reservation for allotment of houses should not be less than 10 per cent. He said children of the handicapped should enjoy facilities and concessions being enjoyed by the children of ex-servicemen and freedom fighters. Mr Balwant Singh, President of the association, said the disabled were being treated in different government offices as third-class citizens. The seminar was part of an
awareness campaign launched by the Physically Handicapped
Association, Punjab, in connection with the ongoing
tercentenary celebrations of the Khalsa. |
A good
teacher is a good learner CHANDIGARH, March 21 — Students should try and grab all opportunities that come their way, but should also keep a balance between studies, sports and extra-curricular activities. This is what Brother C.D. Abreu’, Principal of St John’s High School, Sector 26, has to say to the students of today. He is of the view that students should believe in themselves. According to him, those who do so will not have to depend on tuitions. They know that by doing self-study they can produce better results. In an interview with Chandigarh Tribune earlier this week, he said, “a teacher must realise that teaching is a 24-hour job, as a teacher not only influences the values of a student in class but also at home”. A good teacher is a role model for his students in behaviour, speech and action. Those who consider teaching a pastime are doing the kids a great disservice, he feels. To be a good teacher, one has to be a good learner. His advice to the parents is to keep in touch with the school authorities to know about a child’s progress and enforce regularity and discipline. Brother Abreu’, who took over as Principal of St John’s High School in July 1996 had joined the Christian Brothers in 1979 after two years of congregational training. A science graduate with honours in physics, he began his teaching career in 1985 at St Augustine, Bombay. He later did his B.Ed from North Eastern Hill University and taught in Regina Mundi School, Goa before coming to Chandigarh. His association with the brothers dates back to his school days. He did his entire schooling from St Patrick’s, Asansol. He was impressed with the brothers’ way of life particularly their special work — Christian education of boys with special care for the poor. Striving to make St John’s a place of adventure and creative thinking for a child, the brother strongly believes in gradually doing away with the school bag.The Creative Learning Integrated Programme (CLIP), initiated last year in KG and Class 1 to replace books with lesson and worksheet booklets, will be extended to Class II this year. “The whole idea of the programme is to make learning joyful by tapping the creative instincts of the child without the pressure of books and examinations”, he explains. According to him, books limit students but worksheets prepared by teachers help assess them properly. He admitted that the programme had not been successful at many places because of the enormity of work it involved, but said a good teacher motivation could yield desired results. The programme, tailor-made for children can be very satisfying for the teacher as the extent of how much students have grasped can be known. This also reduces the burden of homework. Talking about the evaluation system, Brother Abreu’ says that it still remains traditional where a child is tested for his ability to cram and reproduce the same within three hours. But are they ever tested for their ability to apply what they have learnt?, he questions. The need in this age of computers is to set them thinking so that they may form their own opinions and inculcate right values. The principal feels that the curriculum should be revised every 5 years to incorporate the latest changes particularly in computers and science and technology. Presently the NCERT revises its curriculum every 10 years and by that time some more changes take place. He says, “We are learning what happened in history, but not what it has to teach us.’’ This is because of the system of evaluation which emphasises on how much you know. The emphasis should be more on logic and reasoning. Expressing satisfaction with the CBSE as a board, he lauded the board for its innovation of also taking into account the personality profile of the child. This is in addition to the birth certificate and mark-sheet provided by them. The accountability of school based evaluation will encourage all round development of a child. The school, under his
leadership, opened its doors to the economically backward
two years back by starting a special kindergarten section
for them. The school not only provides quality education
but also books and uniforms. A squash court, the plan for
which has already been approved, will also be coming up
shortly in the school premises. |
Bad phones,
rude staff MULLANPUR-GARIBDASS, March 21— Telephone subscribers at Mullanpur-Garibdass are harassed lot due to an alleged indifferent attitude of the authorities towards the telecom problems in the area. The local exchange has more than 300 connections but telephones remain out of work at most times. The subscribers in the area complain of illbehaviour by the staff at the exchange. According to Mr Naresh Kumar, a local resident, the Telecom employees do not attend complaints. Mr Roshan Singh, a resident of Sangariwala village revealed that he received bills despite his telephone not functioning from December till March due to maintenance work undertaken by the department. The exchange, functioning from a rented building, is in a neglected state. It seems to be a dumpyard as telephone cables, poles and other material are kept there. Overgrown grass on the premises gives it an ugly look. Problems at the exchange
are because of its inability to handle the telephone
traffic. The residents demand expansion of the present
exchange. Mr Diwan Singh, the local Sarpanch, said that
the gram panchayat was interested in providing
“shamlat” land to the Telecom Department for
building a new exchange in the village.
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100 and
still going strong CHANDIGARH, March 21 — Mr M.S. Kohli is all set to join the rare club of people to have witnessed three centuries. Born in the 19th century, he has almost lived through the 20th century and is keenly looking forward to enter the 21st century. Born in Adiyala village in Rawalpindi (Pakistan) on December 28,1898, Mr M.S. Kohli moved to England in 1955 after retiring from the Defence Accounts as an Accounts Officer at the age of 56 in 1954. “Since then I have been living in England. At present I live by myself. I do my own shopping. I cook for myself. Twice a week, an English maid servant visits me for two hours each to do laundry and cleaning. She cooks breakfast for me on these days. Otherwise, I manage my affairs on my own,” says Mr Kohli, who has a sharp memory and a big family of sons, daughters, grand children, great grand children and great great grand children. Today was a special occasion for the family. The 100th year in the life of Mr Kohli was celebrated at a special function organised at the Sector 24 Yatri Niwas where his great great grand children presented him a plaque to felicitate him on the occasion. “Is it Gudo,” he said recognising the youngest daughter of former Punjab Chief Minister, Giani Gurmukh Singh Musafir. Then he met Mr Gian Singh, younger brother of Giani Gurmukh Singh Musafir. “Giani Gurmukh Singh Musafir had been my best friend. We became friends when we were students of sixth standard at Rawalpindi. I did my Matriculation from Government High School, Rawalpindi, in 1919 before joining service. “I believe that destiny guides human life to a great extent. While I joined service in Defence Accounts, Giani Gurmukh Singh Musafir became a teacher. When my first child, a son, was born I named him Jaidev Singh. Less than three months later, Giani Gurmukh Singh Musafir was also blessed with a son. He also named his son, Jaidev Singh,” he recalls. Mr M.S. Kohli was the fifth son of his father. “In fact at the time of my birth, my parents wanted a girl child. But I came. Subsequently, I had a sister also. I had four elder brothers. Incidentally, my father was also the fifth son of his father.” Today, all his three sons — Dr Jaidev Singh, Mr Jaswant Singh and Mr Balbir Singh - and one of two daughters - Mrs Swaran Kaur - along with their families were here to participate in the celebrations. His fifth child, a daughter, had died. His eldest daughter, Mrs Swaran Kaur, lives at SAS Nagar here. All his sons are now settled in Canada. He says his routine includes reading, writing, and sleeping a lot. “I feel that social evils like telling lies, cheating, minor thefts, concealing things, etc., etc cannot be completely wiped out but can be reduced. I am convinced that no useful purpose is served by reciting slokas from Vedas, Granths, Quran, Bible and other such scripture unless one follows their teachings sincerely. How does it help a man to do ‘path’ or ‘pooja’ everyday without shedding his bad habits? ‘Path’ or ‘pooja’ make you a better person only if you give up your bad habits and make an attempt to do things for fellow human beings. “I also strongly feel about man-woman relationship and love. It does not diminish with age. It is rather an instinct like any other human instinct. One must not try to curb or curtail it on the pretext of getting old,” he says. After his wife died in 1977, Mr Kohli married an English woman a couple of years later. She was then 70. After living with him for more than 15 years, she also died. Mr Kohli floated a trust to run a home for the aged and the old here in India. Two beneficiaries of the home were also here to present him a bouquet and a plaque. “The older people must live a normal and happy life,” has been his motto. In fact, he had been trying for a similar home in Chandigarh also. But in the absence of any support from the Chandigarh Administration or the Punjab and Haryana Governments, his efforts did not succeed. Ultimately, he found some support and started one such home in Himachal. When he celebrated his birthday in England on December 28 last year, a group of his select friends, both English and Indians, joined him. After staying here for some more days at SAS Nagar, he plans to return to England. Though he used to frequent
India earlier, but now age appears to be catching with
him as he is not certain when he will visit Chandigarh
next. |
City models
contest outsiders’ claim CHANDIGARH, March 21 — Reacting to the “outside” fashion models’ claim that Chandigarh models are “not professional”, the Chandigarh Model Association (CMA) said that it was from city that girls like Gul Panag, Manpreet Brar, Poonam Dhillon, Sonu Walia, Priya Gill and Doly Minhas made it big in the fashion industry. The press note issued
today by Jonita Doda, president of the CMA, said,
“There is a big misconception that Delhi girls are
better models because they get more exposure and money.
Indian beauty is the same. Being from Delhi or Chandigarh
hardly makes any difference”. |
Models wish
cricketers good luck PANCHKULA, March 21— Glamour, music, dance and a riot of colours, in the backdrop of a windy, moonlit night marked the ‘Fashion Fiesta’ organised today at the lawns of a restaurant in Sector 5 here, to celebrate choreographer Jeet Brar completing a decade in the fashion world. The models, led by Shweta Menon and Shefali Talwar, began the fashion round with ‘Chic Millennium’, a collection of sequined evening gowns and starry head gear, complete with robots dancing in the background. It was the ‘Victory’ round, in which dressed as cheer-leaders, the models wished the Indian cricketers good-luck for the World Cup. It went down very well with the audience. Lively music, bat and ball on the stage teamed with short strappy dresses in pastel shades had men in the audience screaming for more. The 11 rounds of today’s show, choreographed by Jeet Brar and presented by students of a fashion institute in Chandigarh, were punctuated by dance items by MTV’s official dance troupe, Dynamite, and performances by pop star Piyush Soni. The evening was not only about shimmering dresses, welltoned bodies and beautiful faces, but also about living with and singing with Piyush. The crowd welcomed the popular ‘Chokra’ number, especially when Soni invited persons from the audience to join on the stage. But with his Punjabi ‘Teri Chaal Mastani’, he had hordes of boisterous boys and paunchy men joining him in a dance on the ramp, that seemed to almost give way underneath their weight. In the hand-woven silk saris round, which had the models sashaying down on the ramp in breathtaking kanjeevarams, tanchois and jamavaars, it was the turn of the women to gape. From Western wear to ‘jungle-wear’ to saris and gajra, the fashion show today presented a whole range of beautiful clothes. It was the awesome presence of Shweta Menon and Shefali Talwar on the ramp which drew whistles and sighs from the crowd. The guest of the evening, the king of comedy, Jaspal Bhatti, looked quite agog seeking the beauties of the fashion world. He seemed to have a dead-pan expression seeing the huge ‘uncles’ trying to match their step with Piyush Soni. Pallab Bose, the compere
of the evening, was as chirpy and engaging as always |
Discussion
on arthroplasty CHANDIGARH, March 21 — The two-day 18th North Zone Indian Orthopaedic Association conference drew to a close at the PGI here today. Prof O.N. Nagi, Head of the Orthopaedic Department, PGI, explained the modifications that have been carried out while doing total knee arthroplasty. This is specifically useful for Indian patients who present themselves to doctors in the late stage of joint diseases and deformities. Delhi-based Prof P.S. Maini, answered queries about the controversies around hip arthroplasty. Prof Simon Frostick from Liverpool , UK, gave his opinion on total shoulder replacement. Dr Bhaskaranand from Manipal, opined that reconstruction of thumb in born defects was promising. A press note said that the
international faculty appreciated the paper presentation |
Ru-ba-ru
with Amritpal CHANDIGARH, March 21 — At a “Ru-ba-ru” session in Punjab Kala Bhavan, Rose Garden, Sector 16, today, a select audience interacted with television and film personality Amritpal. Amritpal has been in the city for the shooting of Lekh Raj Tandon’s television serial “Kahan Se Kahan Tak”, in which he is playing the role of a Pakistani soldier. Talking about his role in the world of films and television, he said that for almost seven years — from 1965 to 1972 — he had been associated with Punjab’s well-known theatre person, Gursharan Singh. It was after acquiring a diploma in Fine Arts, that Amritpal did the job of a producer in Doordarshan and thus landed in Bombay, where he got associated with Balraj Sahni and his Indian People’s Theatre Association, where the artistes started the Punjabi Kala Kendra. Besides acting in serials like “Om Namay Shivaya” and films like “Ek Chadar Maili Si”, Amritpal has also played the lead role in a Czech film, “A Bitter Autumn with Scent of Autumn”. He has also directed Balraj Sahni in Punjabi play, “Kanak di Balli”. Speaking on the occasion,
Mr H.S. Bhatty, Secretary General, Punjab Arts Council,
announced that the council was planning to build a
cultural complex at Punjab Kala Bhavan “which would
not only promote the performing arts but also other
literary activities”. |
Mattewal is
Chairman of Bar Council CHANDIGARH, March 21 — Mr H.S. Mattewal, Advocate-General, Punjab, has been elected Chairman of the Bar Council of Punjab, Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, a statutory body constituted under Advocates Act. The Advocates-General of Punjab and Haryana are ex-officio members of this body by virtue to their appointment. It is for the first time that the Advocate-General, Punjab, has been elected as its Chairman unanimously. The name of Mr H.S. Mattewal was proposed by Mr M.C. Berry and seconded by Mr A.P.S. Deol. Mr H.S. Mattewal was
designated senior advocate by the Punjab and Haryana High
Court in 1987. In 1990 during President’s rule, he
was appointed Advocate-General of Punjab and worked
during the tenure of three Governors — Gen O.P.
Malhotra, Mr Virendar Verma and Mr Surinder Nath. Again
in October, 1998, he was appointed Advocate-General by
the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal. |
Drug
targeting ‘crucial’ for TB CHANDIGARH, March 21—The sixth Chandigarh Symposium on New Biology, which was inaugurated yesterday, saw discussions by resource persons on drug targeting, herbal drugs, vaccines, intellectual property rights and patenting, at the Department of Biotechnology, Panjab University, here today. The Director of Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, Dr CM Gupta, said drug targeting was important for treatment of malaria and tuberculosis. It was an improvement on the conventional methods. It had no side-effects and increased efficiency as the effect was specific and localised. Dr D. Balasubramanian of the Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation spoke on molecular changes in the human eye lens during ageing and cataract. He said cataract would be due to hereditary factors, high sugar levels, light-mediated damage to lens cells and molecules, environmental factors like smoke and heavy metals and deficient diet. Even though India is sitting on a gold mine of well-recorded and well -practiced knowledge of traditional herbal medicine, it had been unable to capitalise on its herbal wealth, Dr VP Kamboj, stated while delivering a lecture on “Herbal Medicine : a perspective”. He added that three of the
10 most popular medicinal plants in developed countries
were available in India, yet the market share of India in
export of these drugs was dismal because of export of
crude drugs. |
4 lakh
visit temple PANCHKULA, March 21 — Around four lakh devotees have so far visited the Mata Mansa Devi temple during the ongoing Navratra mela which began at the temple on March 18. The temple authorities expect at least 15 lakh devotees during the eight-day mela. Compared to other days,
more than one lakh devotees paid their obeisance to the
deity today. A spokesman of the Mata Mansa Devi Pooja
Sathal Board, said Rs 7 lakh had been offered till
yesterday evening. Offering made in form of article
include 26 gold items, 196 silver items, 12 fans and
different food items. |
Shobha
yatra marks Ram Navami CHANDIGARH, March 21 — As part of the Ram Navami celebrations, various functions were organised in the city today. Residents of Audit Colony, Sector 41, organised a colourful shobha yatra on the occasion. "Jhankies" depicting the lives of Lord Rama, his wife Sita, and Hanuman were the highlights of the yatra. Sri Ram Janmotsva was celebrated at the Sector 22 Nehru Park this evening under the aegis of the Sri Ram nam Sumrin Satsang. Recitation of sunder kand path and Tulsi Ramayana by Sunil Dhyani, collective aarti by hundreds of devotees and discourses by Swami Gursharna Nand and Swami Sakshi Narain were the highlights of the programme. Prof. Sham Sunder gave a
brief account of the activities of the organisation. |
Humanists
plan a ‘different India’ CHANDIGARH, March 21 — “The humanist movement is one that would provide a platform where leaders would work for a new world”, said Mr Pawan Gandotra, a ‘humanist’, here today. He talked about’ A Different India’ one-year campaign, that the humanists plan to organise from May 1999 to May 2000. While an impatient lot of representatives of various social organisations wanted Mr Gandotra to spell out the manner in which they would benefit from this movement, he said, “We do not have any ready solutions or any ready answers. The movement simply has an ideology of changing the world. Now we need to fight for another freedom”. On the issue of the empowerment of social organisations, he said, “Without political power, we cannot do much. So there is also a plan to have a political humanist party”. In the same breath, Mr Gandotra added, “If I get political power tomorrow, there is no guarantee that I would remain a humanist”. Without touching on the
more tangible social issues related to women, children or
the Dalits, Mr Gandotra added, “We have a mission
statement that can be referred to. Otherwise, there are
various processes and practices in this worldwide
movement which will go in the making of a better society,
where humans will not be dehumanised”.
|
Scribe’s
murder condemned CHANDIGARH, March 21—The local Journalist Association has strongly condemned the murder of Delhi-based cartoonist Irfan Hussain and journalist Anil Rattan during the past one week. At a meeting here last
evening, the members of the association took serious note
of the attacks on mediapersons in Delhi and the failure
of the Delhi police to solve these cases. |
‘Dharam
sammelan’ starts today CHANDIGARH, March 21 — A six-day “dharam sammelan” will start at the Sector 20 Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math from tomorrow under the guidance of President Acharya of All-India Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math Trindandi, Swami Sreemad B.B. Tirtha Maharaj. During the sammelan, there will be discussion on various issues, including is spiritual master indispensable to attain God, and modern human civilisation and real progress. The Director of the PGI, Prof B.K. Sharma, Deputy Commissioner R.K. Rao, local MP, Mr Satya Pal Jain and Mr Justice A.S. Garg of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the Local Government Minister, Mr Balramji Dass Tandon, are among the special invitees to the sammelan. A big sankirtan procession
with deities on a decorated chariot will be organised on
March 27 at 3 p.m. The procession will move through
Sectors 20,21 and 19 before terminating at the Sector 20
math. |
‘Chetna
yatra’ reaches city CHANDIGARH, March 21 — The ‘Netaji Chetna Yatra’, which took off from Jammu on March 18 reached Badheri village here today. The participants of the ‘yatra’ were welcomed by a large number of residents of the village, where a number of speakers, including Mr V.P. Saini, convenor of the Netaji Research Foundation and Mr Sohan Singh of the Indian National Army addressed the gathering. According to Mr Saini, the ‘yatra’ will culminate in a rally at Shahid Bhagat Singh Park in Delhi on March 23, in which, besides other people members of the families of Shahid Bhagat Singh and members of the Indian National Army will participate. The rally is being
organised with a view to spreading in the message of
Netaji and to unveil the mystery surrounding his death. |
‘New
policy bad’ CHANDIGARH, March 21 — The new excise policy of Chandigarh has drawn flak. Yuvsatta, a social
organisation, while protesting against the increase in
number of pubs in the city, said that the whole policy
was aimed at raising revenues and ignored liquor’s
effect on the law and order situation and health of the
people particularly the young. Other organisations which
opposed the policy were the Defence Sectors Welfare
Association, International Drugs Eradication Alliance,
Indian Council of Social Welfare, Welfare Association,
Sector 15, Peoples Action Front, the Lawyers for Social
Reforms and the Vir Deva Foundation. |
‘Avoid’
wasteful expenditure CHANDIGARH, March 21 — The local Grahak Panchayat observed Consumer Day by organising a function at Gandhi Smarak Bhavan here today. Addressing the gathering, Dr Bajrang Lal Gupta, President of the panchayat pointed out that we must put three questions — what, where and why — before purchasing anything to avoid wasteful expenditure. Money should be spent on utility items, he stressed. Mr Manohar Lal Gupta, former member, State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission Punjab, dwelt upon difficulties faced by members of consumer forums while adjudicating disputes. Mr Jag Bhushan Garg, President State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission Chandigarh, opined that the Grahak Panchayat should also provide legal aid to the consumer. Mr Justice M.R Agnihotri
and Mr Justice A.L.Bahri also addressed the gathering. |
Blood
donation camp CHANDIGARH, March 21 — Close to 100 units of blood were donated during a camp organised by the Uttarakhand Yuva Manch at the Garhwal Bhavan in Sector 29 here today. This was the sixth blood donation camp organised by the manch. The Advisor to the UT Administrator, Mr Jagdish Sagar, while inaugurating the camp said that Chandigarh was an exemplary city where voluntary blood donation was one of the highest in the country. Meanwhile, at a separate
blood donation camp jointly organised by Lions Club,
Kansal and KRIBHCO a total of 47 units of blood were
donated. The camp was held at the Government Medical
College and Hospital (GMCH) Sector 32. |
Freeing man
from problems CHANDIGARH, March 21 — Scientology is the study of knowledge. With the help of this science most of the conflicts of the mind and soul can be resolved to make a man free from problems, says Ms Alka Madaan, a practitioner of scientology, at a seminar-cum-presentation by “Parsang” at the seminar hall of Punjab Book Centre here today. She said that the goal of
scientology was to make the individual capable of living
a better life in his own estimation and his fellows. Dr
Nachhattar Singh of Panjab University presented a keynote
address. |
Procession
by Sai Baba’s devotees CHANDIGARH, March 21 — The Sri Sai Baba Temple Committee, Sector 29, took out Sai Baba’s palanquin in Chandigarh and its adjoining areas here today. Though the palanquin is taken out on Ram Navami, this time it was taken out earlier so that maximum devotees could participate in the procession. The ceremony started with
priests performing a “Mangal Snan”. Langer was
also organised on this occasion. |
CHANDIGARH, March 21 — Two brothers, who had allegedly fraudulently deleted the name of their mother while claiming compensation for their agricultural lands, have been booked by the police for cheating. Jarnail Singh and Karnail Singh got a sum of Rs 12 lakh as compensation a few years ago when land of Khumbra village that fell under Chandigarh was acquired a few years ago. When they filled in compensation forms, the brothers presented forged documents, claiming that they were the joint owners of the land. The mother had lodged a complaint with the Land Acquisition Officer (LAO). The original revenue records were checked and it was found that the mother of the two men, was also a share-holder. The LAO, Mr Ashish Kundra, ordered registration of case of cheating and conspiracy against the brothers. Injured: A couple and their three-year-old son, travelling on a scooter, were hit by car (CH-01-K-7847) on the road dividing sectors 9 and 10 on Saturday evening. The injured Mr Ram Sanjeevan, an employee of Punjab Engineering College, was driving a scooter (CHC-7530) when the car hit the scooter and sped off. The police has registered a case. Woman hurt: Mrs Manvir Sahi, of Sector 34, was injured when a truck hit her Maruti Zen, near the S.A.S. Nagar barrier. She has been admitted to the PGI. Cars stolen: Two cars — a Maruti 800 and Maruti 1000 — have been stolen from Sector 17 since Saturday. Mrs Karamjeet Kaur, a resident of Phase II, S.A.S. Nagar, alleged that her grey-coloured Maruti 1000 car (PB-10-L-7896) had been stolen from Sector 17. Meanwhile, a Maruti car (PCR-8666), owned by Mr Rajiv Khosla of Sector 47, was stolen from Sector 17. In a separate incident, Mr Naresh Batra alleged that the keys of his car were snatched by Vineet Batra and he was threatened with dire consequences. A case under Sections 379 and 506 of the IPC has been registered. Theft: A sum of Rs 5,000 and some gold jewellery were stolen from the Sector 23 house of Mr Anand Rawat while he had gone out. Meanwhile, in a separate case, Mr Varinder Singh of Panchkula district, was nabbed by the police while carrying 11 bottles of liquor. Separate cases have been registered. DERA BASSI Arrested: The local police has arrested Surjan Singh, charged with an attempt to outrage the modesty of a 30-year-old widow, who was her neighbour. Earlier the police had
registered a case under Section 354 of the IPC against
the suspect on March 19. After furnishing a bond of Rs
5,000, he was released on bail. |
Need to make women economically self-reliant This refers to the news item “Women speak of rights, rape, politics, morals”. International Women’s Day was celebrated in Chandigarh and many other parts of the country with seminars, workshops, cultural functions etc. Various social organisations and political parties held functions in which a number of problems confronting women were discussed. On this day, women get a chance to interact and discuss their problems and rights. But most of the time the celebrations turn out to be formalities. There is a need for genuine work to be done in the direction of progress for women. The position of women in India is far from satisfactory. We talk about women’s equality, liberalisation and freedom, but all that is rubbish even after 52 years of Independence as women continue to be suppressed in our male-dominated society. A large number of women and girls continue to be exploited mentally and sexually. In rural areas, girls cannot go to colleges for higher studies in cities because of unsecurity. This is the reason there has not been much rise in literacy level among girls in rural areas. However, despite steps by the Supreme Court to stop exploitation of women, murders, rapes, dowry deaths, and various other crimes against women continue. Development of women should be given priority. Awareness programmes should be started among women, to enable them to fight for their rights. All steps to educate women should be taken so that they acquire a respectable position in society. The government should provide training to women to make them economically self-reliant. Complaint centres at state and district headquarters should be set up so that women could report in cases of harassment. Women should actively participate in politics for the betterment of the democratic system. Sunil Kumar Dogra Honour for UT It came as a pleasant news to us that Ms Kiran Bedi is going to be the new IGP, Chandigarh. Though Chandigarh is one of the best cities to live in India. Ms Bedi a Magasaysay Award winner, is going to make it a still better place. Ms Bedi is a diligent, honest, daring, intelligent and result-oriented officer. We look forward to Ms Bedi playing a big role in problems related to traffic, corruption and law and order in the city. We, like thousands of residents of Chandigarh, feel honoured to have her in our city. Dr Amarinder Singh Laudable experiment This refers to the news report “Misprints in Class XI English paper” (March 7). The Chandigarh Education Department has introduced a new system of having a common paper for Class XI for all 100-plus government schools in the Union Territory, discarding the previous practice that each school would have its own paper. This has ignited fire in the hearts of teaching community. Teachers are protesting that the English paper had a large number of misprints. Maybe, but what is the guarantee that the paper would have been misprint-free had it been printed by individual schools? Under the new system, “tuition traders” will have to work, prepare their lessons and actually teach. Some teachers hold extra tuition groups in their houses where they concentrate only on what they have included in the question paper, charging hefty fees. This amounts to fleecing and cheating. Another hallmark of the system is that the answer sheets would be collected at one place, given fictitious roll numbers and sent for marking to various schools. this had made the task of easy-going “cheaters” further difficult. This step would prepare students better for Class XII examinations, to be conducted by the CBSE and for higher studies. Kudos DEO, DPI (Schools) for this experiment. S.S Jain Welcome step Apropos of news item ‘Loudspeakers, blaring music banned’. The SDM concerned deserves praise for this step. The loudness created by hi-fi speakers in vogue these days is a health hazard. Recently when Daler Mehndi had his musical evening, he used mountain-sized loudspeakers. Those sitting in the shamiana could not hear the voice of the singer properly, rather the ears were getting hurt and it was only in the morning that they heaved a sigh of relief. It has been scientifically proved that noise which is loud and more than the required level is very harmful to the ears. At the time of Jagratas, people living nearby are big sufferers. The organisers should see to it that kirtans etc. are played only at the desired volume and there should be total silence between 10 p.m and 6 a.m. I hope the SDM’s order will be implemented in right earnest. Ujagar Singh Bad roads I wish to highlight the pitiable conditions of roads in sectors 32,33,34,35,46 and 47. Roads here are full of "craters" and broken at several places, besides being bumpy. These need urgent repair, which is long overdue. An occasional patch work is generally carried out in areas where VIPs live. The roads are vehicle-unfriendly as ditches dug here by telecom, water supply departments etc. are left unrepaired for months together, making these accident-prone. Tarundeep Aggarwal Speed-breakers The Chandigarh Police should take immediate steps to provide speed-breakers within sectors of the city to check reckless driving. All educational institutions — government as well as private — must be instructed to make provision for speed-breakers near their complexes as can be seen on the Panjab University campus. Crowded sectors like 22,21,20,15 etc. need to be provided speed-breakers on a priority basis. Subhash Chand
Rattan ‘Bheera’ marg! It would be better if the Chandigarh Administration renames Madhya Marg as “Bheera Marg”. This way people will reconcile to the ground realities on this Marg, and drive cautiously, bringing down the accident rate. Dr T.M Aggarwal |
| calling |
Chandigarh Exhibition Ground THE Chairperson of the Chandigarh Housing Board and the Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation, Mrs Meenakshi Dutta Ghosh, will relinquish charge here on March 31, the last day of the current financial year before taking up her new assignment in the Union Government as Joint Secretary, Family Planning and Health. Mrs Ghosh has a busy week ahead. Besides taking up the project of Chandigarh Exhibition Ground, which has been languishing for the past four years, she will also oversee draw of lots for the new LIG scheme floated by the Board. The draw of lots will take place on March 31. The major project, however, will be the Chandigarh Exhibition Ground. It was planned during the tenure of Mr Vinod Duggal, the then Adviser to the Administrator of Chandigarh. Mr S.D. Sharma, an eminent architect, who won the design contest, has now signed a contract with the Chandigarh Housing Board to start work on this prestigious project. Mr Sharma, who has designed several prestigious projects, including new Paediatric Ward and Emergency Ward at the PGI, besides designing NIPER at SAS Nagar, hopes to complete the work on this project in time. The exhibition ground becomes all the more important as it will be close to both the Northern Region headquarters of the Confederation of Indian Industry and the PHDCCI office. Besides, the exhibition ground is close to the Industrial Area. Once completed, the focus of all exhibitions and shows will shift from the Sector 17 Parade Ground to this new facility. Kiran Bedi The first woman officer in the Indian Police Service (IPS), Ms Kiran Bedi, is all set to take up her new assignment on April 2. She will relieve the present incumbent, Mr Ram Pal Singh, who will go back to Delhi before getting his next assignment. For Kiran Bedi, posting in Chandigarh is a dream come true. In October last year, while addressing a meeting of Rotary Club at Panchkula, she expressed a desire to head the Chandigarh Police. What changes she brings in the local police to make it more credible in the eyes of general public remains to be seen. Sentinel learns that she may bring with her some police officers — of the rank of Inspectors and Deputy Superintendents - on deputation from the Delhi Police. In the past there has been perhaps only one instance when an Inspector from the Delhi Police joined here on deputation. His application for permanent absorption in the Chandigarh police was not accepted by the Union Home Ministry. Ultimately, he went back. Meanwhile, Mr N.S. Randhawa, Senior Superintendent of Police (Vigilance and Headquarters) has got selection grade. He also belongs to the UT cadre. Collector Mr Balvinder Singh Sarhadi of Patiala, in a letter to Sentinel, has claimed that he had a unique collection of currency notes. The currency notes in his collection bear numbers like 111111, 222222, 333333, 444444, 555555, 666666, 777777, 888888, 999999. Moreover, he claims he also has a currency note of seven-digit number. Normally, a currency note has a six-digit number. One of currency notes in his possession has a number 1000000 which has seven digits. This currency note, he says, is one in 10 lakh currency notes. Painting Kalaniketan, an Aurangabad-based Child Art Institute, has decided to organise a postal drawing-painting programme for school children of third to 10th standard. Both boys and girls from all over India are free to join this course which will start in April. Since the school children have holidays at the end of their annual exams, they can benefit from this course by sitting at home. The object of the postal course is to promote art in children and develop painting skill in them. During the programme, colour combination and painting techniques will be taught. The course will be of six months. At the end there will be a postal test. Every participant will get a certificate. Interested children can write to Director, Kalaniketan Child Art Institute, Post Box No 146, Kalaniketan Building, Near Nehru College, Narli Bag, Aurangabad — 431001 for prospectus and admission forms by sending a self addressed and stamped envelope. Falling prices The Chandigarh police has its own ways of proving its success. In order to ensure that the total value of stolen property in the Union Territory of Chandigarh does not cross a particular limit set by the officials at a certain level, the officials manning a police station have arrogated to themselves the power to assess the value of a stolen article. A journalist whose stereo was stolen from his car parked in designated car parking lot in Sector 17 had this experience when he went to lodge a report at the police station. After having asked him to submit a complaint of theft in writing, a police official asked him to collect the copy of the FIR later in the day. However, before leaving the police station the journalist told the official that the stolen stereo was worth Rs 7,000. When he went to collect copy of the FIR he was surprised to find that the value of the stolen stereo had been mentioned as Rs 1,000. When he asked the police official to make the necessary correction, he refused, claiming that the police officials had their own ways of mentioning the value, irrespective of the actual cost of the item. He cited the example of a theft of Tata Sumo. The police official mentioned its cost as Rs 1 lakh as against owners claim of Rs 2.5 lakh. The insurance officials took objection to this, saying that the value mentioned by the police would then be taken into account while calculating the value of the stolen item at the time of payment of claim. Brown bread The brown bread is certainly a welcome addition to the breakfast table. Knowing the consumers' liking for the brown bread and the health experts' preference for it as compared to the maida bread, a bread manufacturing company has started marketing the brown bread to the city without taking proper precautions for maintaining its quality like leaving excess moisture to give additional weight to the product. Complaints of early development of mould (fungus) showed that the company could not take care of the quality even in the winter months. The situation will be more difficult in the summer months and consumers will have to be more cautious and will have to be careful to consume the bread early. Who bothers! While there are increasing reports from the Ministry of Telecommunications highlighting the facility of the call identifying equipment being installed at telephone exchanges to check the menace of obnoxious and unwanted calls, the officials at the helm of affairs in the city's telecommunication circle appear to be determined not to allow the use of the facility. No wonder applications seeking use of the facility by the local subscribers are pending with the department officials for the past several months without their clearance for installation of the facility at the subscribers' end. It is surprising that the officials are not showing any seriousness in clearing the demand for the facility in spite of the fact that quick work will make the department earn service charges from the consumers/subscribers. Not upright The electricity department of the Chandigarh Administration is, perhaps, waiting for mishaps to happen before taking care of a large number of its poles on the roads between various sectors, particularly between Sector 3 and 10, 4 and 9 and 5 and 8. Some of the poles have already lost. Their upright position and have tilted towards roadside and can pose a danger to any passerby or passing vehicle. The fact that some of these poles have been somehow made to stand with the help of stones or other material shows that the officials of the department are aware of the danger that they can create for the people. Indian Army heritage For the first time a number of seminars of Indian Army heritage are being organised at various army commands in the country. The HQs 2 Corps of the Western Command will organise a command level seminar at Ambala Cantt; on March 24 which is supported by the Environment Society of India (ESI). Prof D.C. Bhattacharaya, former Chairman of the Department of Fine Arts, Panjab University, Maj-Gen; Rajinder Nath (retd) and ESI President S.K. Sharma will address the participants. Another unit of the Western Command is conducting an ECO-adventure safari in the interior of the Garhwal Himalayas covering a distance of 500 km, also with the support of the ESI. A team of 20 jawans of 9 Jammu & Kashmir Light Infantry (9 JAK LI) will cover a distance of 300 km on motor cycles at the height of 10,000 ft., winding through Yamuna, Bhagirthi valleys and link up with Ganges valley through Uttar Kashi-Chakon-Chirbatakhal-Srinager (UP). In the second phase the team will start rafting down the Ganges and reach Rishikesh on March 28. From Rishikesh the team will again be flagged off and cover the distance on bicycles. The team will climb up to Chamba, Dhanaulti, Mussoorie and finally descend into the Doon valley and terminate at Dehradun on March 31. During this eco-adventure
exercise the team will create awareness among the
villagers and school children on the theme "Keep our
water resources clean", hold medical camps on the
prevention and control of water borne diseases, and
distribute posters, booklets and folders to the village
panchayats and schools. |
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