IG prefers independent probe
Suspension of DSPs, other cops
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 11 — The Inspector-General of Police, Dr Kiran Bedi, today said that an enquiry by an independent body with a police official co-opted on it was the ideal way to handle with the case of suspension of two DSPs and and three other personnel of the Chandigarh Police.

On the other hand, the Chandigarh Administration when contacted said no thought had been given to the angle of a re--enquiry as the enquiry conducted by the Legal Remembrancer, Mr Sanjiv Kumar, was sufficient.

The previous enquiry had not questioned the past IG, the SSP, who ordered the enquiry, or the SP who was conducting the first enquiry, Dr Kiran Bedi added while furthering the demand of a re--enquiry. On registration of a criminal case, Dr Bedi added, more details were being sought before any case was registered against one DSP and an inspector of the force. The enquiry had recommended registration of a criminal case against the two.

The IG refused to elaborate about the source of the details. She said the five policemen were on leave and their leave periods had been approved by the SSPs concerned . Lost files were reconstructed through other sources where records were available, she said.

The Administration on its part said that the five suspended policemen stood suspended. The Administration added that there was no need to take the versions of the IG, the SSP or the SP as this was a fact finding enquiry working on a limited scale. Besides this case was more than 16 years old and the present incumbents and the immediate past incumbents could not have commented on the issue.

A case could be registered by the Vigilance Department also if the Chandigarh Police delayed registration of a case, Chandigarh Administration officials clarified while adding that the policemen definitely had the right to appeal in courts or elsewhere.

Dr Bedi while talking to The Tribune claimed that the punishment handed down to the five policemen was disproportionate. One had to see the mala fide, if any, before handing down punishment. She said that she was not against an enquiry nor was sitting in judgement about the the merits of the enquiry. Dr Bedi clarified that she was resenting the way in which she was by--passed on the issue of suspensions of policemen. " Hierarchy has not been followed while passing the orders." In the present enquiry "certain things are missing " she said while refusing to elaborate on the "certain things".

Even in the case of DSPs they should have discussed and taken into account the respect for the head of department. The head of department had to be trusted, she added.

Career fair an eye-opener
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 11 — "It was a great learning experience for us'', is how most visitors put what they felt of the Career and Education Fair '99 which concluded at Hotel Shivalikview, here today. The fair was an eye-opener for students unsure about careers they could choose once their bent of mind and interests were taken into consideration. The fair was also for parents who wanted to be selective about how their children should choose their professions. It was also for professionals, contemplating a career-switch to pursue careers of their choice. It provided ample learning opportunity to those who visited for the sake of curiosity alone.

It was like a ball for students of all ages who thronged the venue in large numbers. The fair gave them enough food for thought. Sunita, a final year student of commerce, says, "I will complete my graduation this year and one can't help wondering what will be next on the agenda. I came here to find the options I could pursue after doing B.Com. However, while hopping from stall to stall, I landed up at the stall of the territorial army and I am taking back lot of information about this.''

"We came looking for something on fashion or law but have changed our course of action after speaking to those at the stall of the Air Hostess Academy. We have now decided to appear for the interview they are conducting. In Chandigarh, we could never think that something like this could come our way. But now it has, and we want to make the most of it,'' Navjot Kaur and Inderjit Kaur, students of Class XII, said.

Nipun Mehair, a college student, opines, "Gathering information on all kinds of careers helps even if you choose to pursue what you have set your eyes upon. I have come here with no specific vocation in mind. I am going to leave the fair a wiser man. However, I wish all kinds of careers had found representation in the fair, especially the career in industrial business, since all are pursuing careers in this field.''

Pursuing her MCA at Panjab University, Sarika, says, "We have so many dream careers when we finish Class X, Class XII and finally graduation. Slowly, the charm of pursuing them wears out for want of guidance and we are left with something we had never thought of pursuing at all. Fairs like these take us nearer to achieving our goals but these are few and far between.''

"I'm not here to inquire about any particular career. I thought of going around these stalls with a view to determining what setting up an institute entailed and what queries arose in a particular trade. I deal in handicrafts and at a later stage, I may participate in such a fair with all that I have to offer,'' Mrs Neeta Raina, says, carrying a number of pamphlets gathered from various stalls.

Mr Y.K. Anand, of the field of technical education, said "This fair has helped me decide how multimedia can help in group interaction sessions. Moreover, it has been a learning experience for teachers who are now better placed to guide students according to their aptitudes and tastes. The parents, too, have profited from the experience and have a broader perspective than before.''

Indu Sharma, who is back in India after a long time abroad, also doing her graduation, expresses her happiness at the way the fair has been organised and managed. "I don't know much about the courses available. This has been a great opportunity for the likes of I, who are new to the educational system of the country and the options available here.''

A student of Class X, Sunny, wants to join the field of engineering but came to the fair with nothing specific in mind. He remarked that the fair was a sea of knowledge.

Water facilities inadequate
From Our Correspondent

MANAULI (SAS NAGAR), May 11 — The drinking water facilities in several government schools in the periphery are inadequate to quench the thirst of students in the scorching heat.

Most of the schools have no arrangement for drinking water. At Mullanpur-Garibdass village, there are three schools. Of these the senior secondary school has rural water supply system, while the two primary schools have no such facility.

The senior secondary school has a tank to store drinking water but students complain of non-availability of water. Water supply remains for a few hours and water is not supplied during school hours.

Low pressure creates water scarcity in the school. The storage tank is made of plastic and water remain hot, making it almost unused. Due to lack of sufficient water pressure, the water tank also remains practically empty.

The primary schools have no water arrangement on the premises. Several teachers agree that lack of water facilities at schools leads to several problems. Students have to go out of the campus to drink water.

The situation at the school at Bartana village, near Zirakpur, is no different. Students say there is no provision of drinking water. A teacher at the local school says they send the students to their homes to fetch cold water. Lack of water further creates problems for girl students as toilets have no water.

Schools at Manauli village have a different story. The main problem of the village is of dirty water. The untreated sewage passes through the village and it has also severely affected the underground water. Both the primary and senior secondary schools have hand pumps but the water is not worth drinking.

No purchase by government agencies
Wheat price high in market
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 11 — No government agency has purchased any stocks during the present wheat procurement season due to the high prices prevailing in the market. While the official price is Rs 550, the going rate has been between Rs 560 to Rs 600 per quintal with some high quality wheat even going for Rs 700 per quintal.

The arrival of wheat at the Sector 26 grain market has slackened with farmers busy making preparation for the transplanting of paddy. According to figures available with the Market Committee, as many as 1.16 lakh bags of wheat have been received till April at the mandi, as compared to 1. 28 lakh bags last year, indicating the bumper crop this year. Each bag contains 95 kg of wheat.

Still the arrival, due to the record yield, has been higher during this period and has been recorded at 42, 211 bags during the first nine days itself. As many as 19, 594 bags were received last year during the corresponding period.

Another reason given by the authorities for the slackening of arrivals at this time is that the procurement season was delayed by the unseasonal rains last year and the farmers were wary of bringing their produce to the market. They waited till the weather cleared up and in the process delayed the season which had carried on till the first week of June.

A unique feature of the market is that the procurement season, albeit at a much lesser scale, carries on throughout the year with farmers bringing wheat and selling the produce at the prices prevailing during the "off season". A majority of the larger farmers and commission agents, who have the capacity to store wheat make a killing by selling their stocks at higher rates to the traders during the "off season". Many farmers also buy wheat for the purpose of seed during this time. Most of the wheat in the market is procured by millers, roller flour mill owners besides city residents who buy their stocks of the foodgrain for the year.

Sources in the market committee said in view of the high prices the government agencies, Punsup and FCI, had not procured any stocks. Inspectors from both agencies regularly come but do not make any purchases as they cannot buy stocks priced above Rs 550.

Last year, more than 1. 50 lakh bags of paddy were purchased by the FCI in view of the lower prices.

The prices are going to be on the high side from now onwards as only quality wheat will arrive which would be bought either by the individual customer for his personal use or lapped up by the millers, the sources added.

Meanwhile, the commission agents are gearing up for a bumper season of sunflower with some early harvests already making their appearance in the market.

Dry spell takes its toll on grapevines
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 11 — For residents of the city, who have grown grapevines in their houses, these fruit berries have literally turned sour as the current spell of dry weather has wreaked havoc with the crop.

The sensitive creeper, fondly grown for its sweet fruit as well as its quality of saving space, can be seen with the usual thick foliage, but what is missing this year is bunches of grapes, which usually start appearing after April 15, when the fruit starts setting in after a spell of flowering.

During a survey by the TNS, it was observed that barring one or two places, no grapevine in the city was bearing fruit — not even a single bunch. Even if the vines had a little quantity of fruit, it had either dried up at the initial stage after flowering, or the fruit was abnormally small in size.

“I have not seen such a phenomenon, during the past 10 years, since I started growing grapevines in the backyard of my house. Usually, I had been getting a good crop from pearlet variety of the fruit, even as there was little rain in the past, but this time not a single bunch can be seen dangling on the creepers, in spite of a number of precautions like timely sprays” complained Mr Gurmeet Singh, a Sector 19 resident.

A worried Gurmeet Singh, however, could not point out the exact reason behind the problem. “Even the horticulture experts, I have contacted are a divided lot.”

Some say it is due to natural alternate cycle, according to which if the fruit is in abundance during a season, it would not be as much the next season, and some say it is a result of the current spell of dry weather.

According to a senior UT Horticulture Department officer, the problem gripped the vines at the flowering stage due to sudden rise in temperature around March 15.

“A sudden rise in the temperature hindered the process of pollination, which could not take properly. Secondly, what might have affected the fruit adversely at the initial stage could be an unusual spilling over of winter this year, and subsequently a rise in the mercury all of a sudden.” he opined.

Mr Satish K. Narula, a horticulturist, said the sudden rise in the temperature might not had a devastating effect on the fruit. What could have damaged the process of setting of fruit, could be the lack of humidity in the air. “Besides, what could have damaged the fruit, particularly in the residential areas, was lack of care.”

What happens normally, is that owner forgets the mandatory precautions like spray of Bavistin, which results in ‘die back’ disease on the vine and it starts rotting from tip to stem in a phased manner. It is also possible that ‘die back’ does not damage the fruit in one season and it could show its adverse effects all of a sudden after three to four years, he said, while stressing upon a proper after-care of the fruit.

“Another common problem afflicting vines in houses is that the gardeners, not knowing the proper method, dig up ground around the root of the vine, damaging the capillary mechanism of the plant and hindering the flow of water to upper parts, which eventually affects the fruition process in the plant, and can even damage it forever,” he said.