Industrial Area roads belie MCC claim
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 10 — Contrary to the claims of the the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC), roads in Phase II of the Industrial Area continue to be in poor condition.

Entrepreneurs of the area allege that despite the fact they contribute to the coffers of the Chandigarh Administration and the MCC by way of various taxes, the provision of basic amenities, including the roads, seems to be the last on the agenda of the authorities concerned. Repeated representations to the authorities have fallen on deaf ears. Even patch work is not being done regularly, they complain.

A random survey of the area revealed that with the exception of the main road dividing the Industrial Area, a majority of the roads were in very bad shape. It seemed that they had not been recarpeted for the years together, with the result they had developed potholes.

The potholes, which are not visible due to the standing rain water and mud on roads, have become a major cause of accidents as the vehicles, including rehris and rehras, carrying heavy load.

Some of the roads, it seemed, had not been carpeted since the time they were first laid. The road in front of the Plot Nos 826-829, which had developed big potholes and was covered with mud is a driver's nightmare. The stagnant rain water, an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes, is an invitation to the disease.

The condition of the road in front of Plot Nos 65-72 was no better. If the potholes on it had made it unsafe for driving, particularly during the night, the sewerage was also chocked. Road berms were damaged and virtually invisible.

But what irks the entrepreneurs most is the fact that repeated representations to the administration and civic body had failed to improve things. The stock reply of the middle-rung civic body officials is that the estimates were being made and work would be started soon, alleged Mr Rajeev Gupta, Secretary of the Federation of Small Scale Industries.

He also alleged that the only thing the MCC had done for the past over three years was the dumping of heaps of gravel on the road sides.

1965 war hero's wait for assistance
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 10 — "The nation seems to have forgotten the sacrifices made by soldiers in the previous wars and this rankles those who are destitute and unable to fend for themselves in the dusk of their life," says jawan Kaka Singh who was declared fully disabled in 1965.

The tall, well-built but totally blind soldier lives at his native village, Zirakpur, near here, with his unemployed son and has been running from pillar to post for the past two and a half decades to get his due from the state government. His son does odd jobs to feed both of them.

While lauding the efforts initiated by the Central and state governments to give liberal ex gratia and other financial assistance to the heroes of Kargil, he said the government should also take some strong measures to give the veterans of previous wars the benefits and assistance that was promised.

''Many ex-servicemen have died living in the hope that they would some day get their due. Their families are still putting in efforts in this regard,'' he added.

While official apathy was to blame for the condition a majority of the ex-servicemen were in today, surprisingly, the public had not reacted to it the way it had done in the case of the Kargil conflict, he said.

''Had this sentiment been there at that time, I think we would not have been left to ourselves and in abject penury," he reasoned.

He said disabled soldiers should be given an amount not less than Rs 20 lakh, besides a pension of Rs 15,000. Their children and dependents should be granted free education till graduation, free travel, medical facilities and other allied benefits. Those who had been promised war jagirs should be given 20 acres of land or money in lieu.

Kaka Singh said these benefits, if accepted, by the government would in no way compensate the loss of not seeing the beautiful world for the past 34 years. The government should adopt a new policy for the affected persons of the 1962, 1965 and 1971 wars.

He was with the 51 Engineering Unit and lost both his eyes in a bomb blast during the Indo-Pakistan war in 1965 in the Khemkaran sector. After being admitted to Military Hospital, Dehra Dun, he was discharged from his unit at BEG, Roorkee, in 1970.

The spirited ex-serviceman said he had met all the Chief Ministers of Punjab during these years. ''I sincerely hope that the nation would still be so concerned for those who fought and made the supreme sacrifice for the nation 30 years hence?'' he added.

Crushers violating norms
From Bipin Bhardwaj
From Our Correspondent

ZIRAKPUR, Sept 10 — As many as 19 stonecrushers are still functioning in the newly formed nagar panchayat area here in violation of the norms. The continuous crushing of stones along the National Highway is in violation of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) rules, besides being a health hazard for people.

Trucks parked near the crushers for loading cause inconvenience to the traffic on National Highway-22 here.

As per the norms of the PPCB, a stonecrusher should be at a distance of 1.5 km from the highway and 500 metres from the village residential area.

According to a Supreme Court ruling, "There should be no mining and stone crushing operations within a distance of one kilometre from the lake or service reservoir and 500 meters from human habitation." The Supreme Court has also said that the existing crushers should be 250 metres away from the 'lal dora' of the village. The crushers should be operated 500 metres away from the village human habitation, the ruling of February 18, 1998, states.

According to sources, out of 22 stonecrushers in Zirakpur, 19 are still functional. The first crusher was set up in 1972 and in the absence of any checks, the number went on increasing over the years. A majority of the units came into existence in the eighties.

Besides this, 25 stonecrushers are still functional at Mubarikpur and another six have been closed for various reasons. These are located on the Dera Bassi-Ramgarh road. This road used to be a state highway but due to a lack of upkeep, it now functions as a link road due to an alleged negligence of the state government.

Sources alleged that crusher owners connived with officials of the Punjab Public Works Department (PWD), not to allow notifying the road as a state highway to circumvent the norms laid down by the PPCB.

The crushers in the area of the nagar panchayat have become a health hazard for residents. A majority of the crusher owners have not installed pollution control devices in their units. The dust emitted from these units forms a dusty layer over every article in a large area which remains, especially in houses and shops. Commuters on this road have to drive through a thick dust cloud.

The trucks which come for unloading sand and gravel remain parked here, leading to congestion on the road. Continuous plying of loaded vehicles have damaged the road badly. Heavy traffic on this road has also damaged the railway bridge on a level crossing, says the gatemen manning the crossing.

Not only humans, but the dust also damages crops and vegetation in the surrounding areas. The problem becomes acute in summer when there is no rain to settle down dust particles.

Mr Varinder Sidhu, General Secretary of the Zirakpur Stone Crusher Association, said that 24 members of the association have collectively purchased 30 acres near Sanoli village to set up their units which will be equipped with pollution control devices and as per the norms of the PPCB.

The association has also asked the Punjab Government to declare the place a crusher zone. But the government is reluctant to provide other basic amenities to the proposed crusher zone. A case is pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding the issue, said Mr Sidhu.

"We are ready to shift to the stonecrusher zone in Sanoli village if the government provides roads, electricity and other basic amenities to the units. Rather, we will feel secure there," said Mr Krishan Pal Sharma, a stonecrusher owner.

The Deputy Commissioner of Patiala, Mr Jasbir Singh Bir, expressed his ignorance on the issue. On the other hand, Mr Surjit Singh, Administrator of the nagar panchayat, said the issue would be tackled once offices of the newly set up body came up.