Tearful farewell to Major
From Our Correspondent

AMBALA, Oct 21 — The mortal remains of Major Gurpreet Singh (28) of 11 RR (originally belonging to 10 Dogra Regiment, who laid down his life in an encounter with militants in the Kishtwar Doda sector in Jammu and Kashmir three days ago was consigned to the flames at his native village Tepla, 10 km from here, with full state and military honours today.

Senior Army officers, political leaders and civil authorities laid a wreaths on the body of the martyr. Col Prabhat Ranjan laid a wreath on the body on behalf of the Chief of Army Staff while a senior minister of Haryana, Mr Dhir Pal Singh laid a wreath on behalf of the state government. The other dignitaries who laid wreaths included Lt-Gen G.S. Sihota, GOC, 2 Corps; Brig Satnam Singh, Sub Area Commander, Mr Chander Singh, Commissioner, Ambala range; Mr Ramniwas, Deputy Commissioner, Ambala, Mr Raj Kumar Saini, a minister of Haryana, Mr Jaswinder Singh Sandhu, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Haryana, Anil Vij and Mr Nirmal Singh (both MLAs).

Around 110 senior Army officers and 450 JCOs and jawans were present at the cremation. The atmosphere at Tepla village turned sombre following the arrival of the body at the cremation ground draped in the Tricolour. A contingent of the Army saluted the body and fired in the air as the mark of respect to the martyr. The district police also paid homage by reversing the arms.

The Deputy Commissioner said that the village approach road and the school of Tepla would be named after Major Gurpreet Singh. He presented a cheque for Rs 10,000 to the family of the martyr from the Red Cross funds. He also assured that the case for job to the martyr's widow would be sent to the government.

The martyr's father Col. Inder Singh (72) recalled that Gurpreet was very fond of joining the Army since his childhood. He joined the Army as a commissioned officer after clearing the NDA examination. Harpreet Singh younger brother of the deceased performed the last rites and lit the pyre.

The Major, married just four years back, is survived by his wife and a two-year-old daughter Shareen.

Martyr cops remembered
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 21 — Police Commemoration Day was observed this morning with a solemn parade held at the Central Police Station here.

The day is being observed since 1959 in the memory of a small contingent of police personnel which was attacked by Chinese troops. As many as 10 men were killed. Since then, all states and UTs observe this day and pay homage to those valiant officers and soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for their motherland.

The names of the officers and men are read over the commemoration parade.

Today a solemn parade was held in which contingents of the Chandigarh and Punjab police reversed arms. Mr S.K. Singh, IGP, who was the chief mourner, read the names of 1,008 officers who lost their lives in the line of duty from September, 1998, to August, 1999.

He lauded the role of the martyrs who gave up their present for our future and for protecting the security and integrity of the country.

He later led the officers, both retired and serving, and other ranks in laying wreaths at the memorial as the buglers sounded the last post. Those who laid the wreaths included Mr Gurdial Singh, a former IGP of undivided Punjab, Mr B. S. Danewalia and Mr Harjit Singh, both IGPs, and Mr Sehaj Ram Sharma, former DGP.

Wreaths were also laid by officers from the ITBP, Punjab police and local police.

Chinks in liquor policy exposed
By Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 21 — The unearthing of a full-fledged spurious whisky racket in Chandigarh may have exposed some chinks in the liquor policy of the Chandigarh Administration. Notably, the aspect of taking samples for testing the quality and purity of liquor.

The policy is enforced when the vends are auctioned. Each year, the Excise Department of the Chandigarh Administration auctions the vends and claims revenue to have gone up from the preceding year. In the exercise, some basic factors are overlooked at the cost of good quality of liquor, making buyers unsure of the purchase they make. A regular consumer of liquor said he was now unsure of other brands of liquor also as there was no way to verify the authenticity of liquor.

This fact was exposed recently when liquor companies, notably the United Breweries and its sister concern Herbetsons, complained that spurious liquor was being sold at vends in Chandigarh.

At present, the Administration has allowed the auctioneers — the Excise Department — to collect samples also. So the same set of persons who are part of the auction process are vested with the powers to take samples for purity and quality of liquor. These persons have to show results in revenue generation and they are expected to show results in checking such a health hazard.

A question being asked among officials circles is how many samples were taken and how many of these failed in all these years. If samples were collected strictly, how spurious liquor was detected later, asked an official.

Also, the liquor lobby does not apply for licences under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PFA) , 1954. All this is a clear contravention of the PFA. In its definition of ''Food", the PFA clearly says '' food means an article used as food or drink for human consumption other than drugs and water''. Further it says that any person selling an item covered under this will have to obtain a licence for it.

In Chandigarh , sources said, a proposal to allow enforcement of the PFA on liquor was rejected around 5 years ago by the then Deputy Commissioner, who also held the charge of Excise and Taxation Commissioner.

So the food authorities who takes samples of all ''food'' items have been ''barred'' from taking samples of liquor. Sources in the administration say this was done with an eye on the revenue and clause was inserted in the terms and conditions of auction of vends at the behest of the liquor lobby to avoid the local health authority.

In Chandigarh, there are no more than 50 liquor vends and once again a cartel seems to be rearing its head to control the trade. This was evident the day spurious liquor was seized.Liquor contractors issued a statement saying they would stop selling the brands sold by the UB group and Herbertsons. Once again the administration has taken no official stand to stop such blackmailing tactics that prevent a buyer from getting a brand of his choice, said a buyer. In other words the company that complains against spurious liquor is at risk of getting its products wiped out from the market.

In 1996, the Chandigarh Administration had amended its excise policy and claimed that a cartel controlling the trade had been broken.

MCC panel for 100 pc hike in water tariff
Sewerage cess recommended
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 21 — At last, the finance and contract committee (F&CC) of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC) has recommended the revision of water tariff and the imposition of sewerage cess in the city.

The committee, which had been dragging its feet on these charges aimed at raising resources for the fund-starved civic body for several months, at its meeting here today, recommended almost two-fold increase in the water tariff for various categories of consumers.

According to sources, rates for the domestic consumers had been hiked from 70 paise to Rs 1.40 per kilolitre (KL). The recommended rate for the industrial consumers was Rs 6 as against Rs 3 per KL earlier.

For the institutions, the new rate would be Rs 4.5 per KL as against Rs 3 now. And the corporation would now charge Rs 200 per tanker as against Rs 50 being charged now.

The sources informed that the revision of the water tariff was inevitable as the water rates had not been revised since 1994. Since the Government of India had put on hold the clearance of the revised fourth phase of Kajauli water works till the corporation revised the water tariff, the MCC was apparently left with no alternative but to revise the water rates.

Through another resolution, the committee recommended sewerage cess at the rate of Rs 5 per connection for the residential buildings and Rs 10 for the industrial buildings and hotels.

The committee also recommended that Rs 15,000 per day should be charged from the commercial organisations and religious institutions using the Nehru Park. The government and semi-government institutions will, however, will be required to pay only Rs 5,000 per day.

The recommendations of the committee would come up for the approval at the meeting of the civic body either on October 27 or any subsequent meeting, the sources added.

Meeting: The Mayor, Mr Kewal Krishan Addiwal, has asked the officials of the corporation the give the status report of various ongoing and completed developmental work in a week.

He was addressing meetings of officials above the level of Xens here today.

The Mayor reportedly asked the officials to complete various pending works on a priority basis.

The Commissioner, MP Singh, the Assistant Commissioner, Mr RK Rao, the Secretary, Mr HR Nagpal, the Chief Engineer, Mr Puranjit Singh, and the Superintending Engineer, Mr Manmohanjit Singh, were among those present at the meeting.

Truckers’ strike hits business
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 21 — On the call of the All-India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), local transporters started an indefinite strike today in protest against the hike in diesel prices by the Central Government.

All activity came to a standstill on the otherwise busy Transport Yard in Sector 26, with very few trucks entering or going out of the city. However, there was hardly any shortage of essential commodities, including vegetables and fruits, as some of the supplies from far-off places arrived in the Grain Market here.

According to traders, the impact of the strike was "negligible" as today was the first day of the strike and most of the traders had stocked the goods well in advance in view of the strike.

Traders said if the strike continued for a longer period, there could be an acute shortage of the essential commodities as the festival season was in progress.

Mr Om Parkash Chawla, President of the Subzi Mandi Aartiya Association, said in the days to come, its impact would be felt. As fruit and vegetables come from as far as Himachal, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, its impact would only be felt after a couple of days, he added.

However, he said only about 10 per cent of the trucks, mostly to local and nearby destinations, were loaded today. Some vegetables and fruits were likely to see an upward trend in the prices in a couple of days, he added.

A trader in the Sector 26 market, Mr Raj Kumar Goyal, while criticising the strike said, most of the truck operators had already revised their tariff. The strike would hit the common man hard since the increase in freight would ultimately be passed on to the consumers.

A Sector 17 trader, Mr Ramesh Kapoor, said the strike was meaningless as the truck operators had already hiked their charges. On account of the artificial scarcity created by the strike, the consumer will be at the receiving end, he added.

The strike did not have any impact on the petrol and diesel supplies from Ambala as tankers owned by oil companies and petrol stations owners were not off the road. If the private contractors went on strike, the impact would be felt in two to three days, a petrol station owner informed.

DERA BASSI : On the first day of the nationwide strike by transporters today, the supply of various goods, particularly eatables and essential commodities, was affected in this subdivision. Loading and unloading of goods by truckers remained partially suspended.

Though a few trucks did reach their destinations, there will be no transportation from tomorrow, said a trader of Zirakpur. The effect of the strike would become visible when the goods stored in shops were sold out. The prices would then start rising, another shopkeeper added.

Meanwhile, the President of the Dera Bassi Industrial Association, criticised the government for increasing the price of diesel. He said increase in the prices of petrol and diesel would affect the industrial sector badly.

Stone crushers in Zirakpur and Mubarikpur were also affected adversely. Even the octroi collected by the Zirakpur and Dera Bassi municipalities was comparatively less.

Mr Sher Singh Sidhu, SDM, said that all protection would be provided in transporting petrol, diesel and other essential commodities. If any transporter or trucker creates nuisance, strict action would be taken against him.

SAS NAGAR : The call for a nationwide transporters’ strike adversely affected the movement of trucks, crippling business activity here on Thursday.

Truck operators condemned the hike in diesel prices, but seemed to have joined the strike rather reluctantly as they said it would affect their earnings.

Mr S.S. Sandhu, president of the Mohali Industries Association, said industry would suffer big losses due to the strike, particularly those manufacturing consumer items. As it was the festival season, he said, production had been stepped up but items would not reach their destinations. In certain units, production would be hit as materials would not reach there.

Mr Dalbir Singh Gill “adda” in charge at the Truck Operators Union premises here, said if at all the government wanted to raise the diesel prices, it could have been marginally and not drastically as at present. Mr Ranbir Singh Dhillon, past president of the union, said they could not take the risk of sending vehicles for business for fear of attacks of strikers elsewhere.

The general secretary of the LCV Operators Union, Mr Sadhu Singh, said they had to work to earn their livelihood and therefore some vehicles registered with the union were operating in local areas today. Certain LCV operators had taken loans to buy their vehicles and it would be difficult to pay back their instalments if the business suffered.

However, Mr Gurmat Singh, president of the union, said five or six vehicles were sent for business purpose in the morning but after a phone call from strike leaders in Delhi no more vehicles were operated later.

'Withdraw hike in diesel price'
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 21 — Dubbing the hike in the price of diesel by the BJP-led government as a step of political opportunism, local units of Samajwadi Party, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Janata Dal (Secular) have urged the government to withdraw the hike.

These parties have threatened to launch an agitation if an immediate rollback in the diesel price is not announced by the government, as it is 'anti-people' in general and 'anti-farmer' in particular.

Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Shivi Jaiswal, Mr Bhupinder Kakar and Major P.P. Singh said the announcement of the hike immediately after the declaration of election results was a farce. "If they had courage, why did they not announce the hike before or during elections and sought a mandate from the people on the issue," questioned Mr Jaiswal and Mr Kakar.

They expressed concern that the increase in prices would adversely affect the budget of salaried class and farmers as it would fuel a hike in rail and bus fares and transportation charges, leading to hike in prices of essential commodities. They added that the hike was the first step towards implementation of hidden agenda of the government to burden the poor and salaried class with more taxes.

They added that they would resort to an agitation if such a need was felt by local transporters. They came down heavily upon the government for claiming itself to be 'swadeshi' on one hand and encouraging foreign investment in the country on the other, as was done in the case of insurance sector.

Mr Jaiswal, Mr Kakar and Major P.P. Singh condemned 'discriminatory treatment' being given to the families of those killed in Kargil. "Though those killed at the height of the tension got handsome compensation, nowadays they, particularly lower ranks, were not getting same treatment," they alleged.

In a joint statement, local units of CPI, CPI(M) and JD(S) expressed concern over the hike, saying if the hike was not taken back, they would launch an agitation.

Master Sohan Lal, Secretary of CPI, Mr Inderjit Singh Grewal, Secretary of CPI(M) and Mr Rajinder Mohan, Secretary-General of JD(S) said bus and rail fares and transportation charges would increase. They said the government should have taken newly-elected members of the Lok Sabha into confidence before taking this step.

Schools raise bus charges
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 21 — Members of the Independent Schools Association have at a meeting held on October 18 unanimously decided to hike the transportation fee following a rise in the diesel price.

An additional sum of Rs 40 per month will be charged from each student availing himself of the school transport facility to come to their respective schools from the union territory and Panchkula. However, students coming from Punjab (SAS Nagar) will be charged an additional Rs 60 per month. The new rates will come into force with effect from November, 1999.

No power for five hours
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, Oct 21—A major power breakdown in the town led to a cut of over five hours this evening. Sources in the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam said that the breakdown was due to a snag in one of the jumpers connecting two conductors in tower No 16 in the single-line circuit coming from Pinjore.

While the repair work continued till late in the night, alternative arrangements were made from Yamunanagar (Barwala) and sectors were given restricted power supply in rotation.

Seminar on value education
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 21— “Do not invest only on the child, also invest in the child,’’ emphasised Swamini Vimalananda, Director, Chinmaya Vision Programme (CVP), at a seminar on “value education” in the CII complex here today.

Talking about the programme, she disclosed that the CVP is a comprehensive educational programme for schools which integrated the best in our culture and philosophy with academic education. The programme enshrines the philosophy of education developed by Swami Chinmayananda.

Swamini Vimalananda highlighted the need for integrated development of the child at the physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual levels. As regards culture, she said that it was the very way of life and a child should be given exposure to various aspects of culture. She emphasised on the need to inculcate among children sensitivity and commitment to all universal issues so as to make one live in harmony with creation.

In the second session, Mrs Radhika Krishnakumar, author of ‘Garden of Life’ series, said: “Value education is a fine art of enabling children to understand and develop character by learning about values”. She pointed out that it was different from other subjects as in this case, teachers had not only to make them learn but also apply the same.

According to Mrs Krishnakumar, imparting value education involved four steps — perception, habit, example and moral literacy. While at the lower stages children learnt by habit formation, in the later stages they learnt by logic. She called upon the teachers to take special care about “what we practice and what we preach”. Moral literacy was best conveyed through suitable stories taken from any religion. Value education was needed to produce fine human beings along with fine professionals. The role of parents, teachers and managements in this endeavour was also highlighted.

The two-day programme, which has been organised by Eicher School, Parwanoo was attended by principals and teachers of a few schools in the city.

After 22 years, PU to host Chemcon
By Poonam Batth
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 21 — After 22 years, Panjab University will again host CHEMCON-99 — the Indian Chemical Engineering Congress in December this year. The mega event is being organised by the Chandigarh Regional Centre of Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers in collaboration with the Department of Chemical Engineering and Technology, PU. The university had conducted these annual sessions in 1965 and 1977.

According to Prof S.K Sharma, organising chairman of the local committee, a large number of experts in the field of chemical engineering and other allied areas from industry, consultancy houses, R and D organisations, academic institutions from India and abroad will take part in the Congress.

The event, which is scheduled to be held from December 20 to 23 in the premises of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Technology, will coincide with the 52nd annual session of the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers.

The focus of CHEMCON-99 will be on the challenges the chemical industry faces in the new millennium. Experts will also take stock of the discoveries and inventions in the 20th century which heralded a change in the fortunes of mankind. He pointed out that the chemical industry is facing challenges in the areas related to chemical engineering such as safety, environmental management, conservation of natural resources, energy, economically viable and clean technologies etc.

Professor Sharma disclosed that emphasis would be on the issues pertaining to the industries from this region dealing in agro-processing, food processing, polymers, petro-chemicals, environment and energy. The programme will include seminars and plenary lectures by eminent persons who will deliver the Dr H.L. Roy, Dr N.R. Kamat and Mr C.K. Murthy memorial lectures. Parallel technical and poster sessions will be held to share research and scientific findings and developments.

A special session will be devoted exclusively to the development of chemical and allied industries in South East Asia.

The organisers have already received 300 abstracts from the participants for technical sessions. Some of the themes of these sessions are reaction engineering and thermodynamics; environmental engineering; food processing and technology; transport processes; polymer science and engineering; new frontiers in chemical engineering science; nuclear power.

The deliberations at the congress will go a long way in formulating a vision for the 21st century, says Professor Sharma.

Another highlight will be an exhibition displaying the latest in the fields of chemical engineering and allied industries, equipment, instruments, technology developments, software, technical books and journals.

The exhibition will provide an opportunity to local entrepreneurs and industry to project their services, products and technology. Focus will be on the latest development in the pollution control technology for the chemical industry.

The major exhibitors will be the Punjab State Council of Science and Technology, Punjab Pollution Control Board, Haryana Pollution Control Board and Central Pollution Control Board.

An informative souvenir will also be made available to the delegates.

The other members of the organising committee for the event are Dr D.K. Vohra, Dr V.K. Rattan and Prof Y.S. Bhatia.

Fresh guidelines on road berms
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, Oct 21 — To make residents aware of the guidelines regarding maintenance of road berms in its urban estates, the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) has announced a fresh set of guidelines.

The focus of the guidelines, said an official of PUDA, was on keeping the open spaces along roads free of hedges, fences and other type of structures for laying and maintenance of essential services.

As per the guidelines no permission for maintenance of road berms would be allowed on plots falling on the V-2, V-3 and V-4 roads. Other than maintaining lawns on the road berms, the plot owners will not be allowed to raise hedges, fences, grills and walls. Growing of flowering plants and trees has also been prohibited in the area.

The Additional Chief Administrator (ACA), SAS Nagar, Mr Dipinder Singh, said in the case of those roads which were 45-ft wide, road berms up to a distance of 6 feet from the metalled portion will have to be kept free of any encroachment.

Similarly, in the case of those roads which were more than 45-ft wide, the plot owners will not be allowed to maintain the road berms within a distance of 8 feet from the metalled portion of the road. The portions of road berms on which a footpath had been laid by PUDA, the Municipal Council or any developing agency, will not be maintained by plot holders.

The ACA said it had been observed that residents instead of raising their front boundary walls had encroached upon the road berms — in some cases right up to the metalled portion of the road. To check such a practice, construction of front boundary walls had been made compulsory.

In case permission is granted for maintenance of road berms, the residents will have to keep the area clean and it will be open to inspection by an authorised official of PUDA. The plot owner will have no right on such land.

Further a plot owner maintaining an open space in front of his plot will not object to the repair work of essential services laid underneath. No compensation will be paid for damage caused to an area being maintained by a house owner.

In the case of corner plots, PUDA has already allowed specific use of “available” green spaces after adjoining the plots after the payment of a fee.

Meanwhile, PUDA ahead with its drive to demolish encroachments raised by residents in front of their houses in this urban estate despite a persistent demand by different resident welfare associations to postpone the drive notwithstanding.

More time sought to remove hedges
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, Oct 21— A delegation of the Residents Welfare Associations of different phases, local municipal councillors and political leaders called on the additional chief administrator (ACA) of PUDA, Mr Dipinder Singh, seeking more time for the residents to remove the hedges and fences on their own before the drive was started by PUDA.

A member of the delegation, Mr Hardeep Singh, who is a member of the SGPC, said the ACA was urged to constitute a citizen’s committee to take residents into confidence before the drive was launched.

He said the attention of the officials had been drawn towards the poor conditions of other basic amenities in the township. The stray cattle menace, encroachments by slum-dwellers and proper parking facilities in the sector markets required urgent attention of PUDA, he said.

“If PUDA decides to go ahead with the drive, it should first target the bureaucrats and senior government functionaries in the township so as to set an example for others”, he added.

500 'jhuggis' demolished
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, Oct 21 — The Enforcement Wing of the Estate Office, HUDA, demolished over 500 'jhuggis' in different sectors here today. Over 15 men of the department were pressed into service for the drive which was carried out in sectors 8, 14 and 15.

According to sources, the enforcement department will bring to book erring 'rehriwalas' who are concentrated in large numbers near roadberms in Sector 16. In spite of repeated attempts by the department, this drive has met with little success with vendors returning to their places within a few days of the action.

SNIPPETS

Braham Prakash on akademi panel
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 21 — Mr Braham Prakash, a faculty member of the Government College of Art, Chandigarh, has been nominated as one of the nine eminent artists on the general council of the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, for three years. Mr Prakash, a known painter and print-maker, is a recipient of the Triennale India International award, 1982, and the national award, 1980.

CME programme on Sunday
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 21 — The department of Internal Medicine, PGI, is organising a continuing medical education (CME) programme on Sunday. It will discuss the recent advances in diagnostic and theraupatic medical disorders.

The emphasis will be on newer vaccines and chest pain among other aspects, Prof Subhash Varma, the organising secretary said.