& V I C I N I T Y
Monday, August 10, 1998
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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, August 10, 1998 |
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Army expedition to Markha
begins |
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New road to railway station
opened CHANDIGARH, Aug 9 — The UT Administrator, Lieut-Gen B.K.N. Chhibber (retd), today inaugurated the causeway near the CTU workshop in Industrial Area, Phase I. The Administrator expressed satisfaction over the pace of development in the city since the formation of the Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh (MCC). He said out of the 18-point programme he had earmarked for the city, one point had been completed and hoped the remaining would be completed soon. He laid stress on the need to raise the level of education in government schools. The Advisor to the Administrator, Mr Jagdish Sagar, said that there was a proposal to construct three more alternative roads connecting Panchkula with Chandigarh. As the roads were to be constructed through forest land, sanction from the Central Government was required, he said, adding that sanction for one road had already been received. The Mayor, Mr Gian Chand Gupta, suggested that there should be transparency in development works. The causeway constructed at a cost of Rs 25 lakh, will help reduce traffic congestion on the Chandigarh-Panchkula road and provide facility for the residents of the southern sectors and industrialists for coming and going to the railway station. It has a flood-taking capacity of 72,000 cusecs. In morning, the Advisor
inaugurated the sapling plantation drive in Sector 37. |
Intensive care vital, opine experts CHANDIGARH, Aug 9 — Various aspects relating to the management of trauma patients were deliberated upon by experts taking part in the continuing medical education (CME) programme on "Trauma anaesthesia and intensive care'', which concluded at the PGI today. Dr G.D. Puri, Additional Professor in the Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care PGI, stressed the role of intensive monitoring of patients having serious head injuries. He said due to limited facilities, intensive care could not be provided to all such patients coming to the PGI. Some of these patients were provided artificial ventilation for one or two weeks before they were out of danger. He explained that a fall in blood pressure increased the mortality due to head injury. Early provision of support and intensive care to these patients reduced the morality. A neuro-anaesthetist from AIIMS, New Delhi, Prof H.H. Dash, explained that the lowering of temperature of these patients below the normal temperature improved their survival rate. These patients should be sedated deeply while providing them with artificial ventilation. Both these modalities decreased the oxygen demand of the injured brain and helped in better recovery, he said. Prof V.K. Khosla, head of the Department of Neurosurgery, PGI, said it was still not very clear what was the pathophysiology of the head injury but the aim of the therapy was to improve the blood flow to the brain. Dr Pathak from the PGI explained how the high pressure inside the cranial cavity of these patients could be relieved surgically. Prof Dalip Pawar, a paediatric anaesthetist, explained the special problems while dealing with the small children undergoing surgery for trauma. He claimed that regional anaesthesia could improve the outcome of such patients. In the last session of the day, management of chest injury and limb injuries was deliberated upon. Doctors said that the condition of some of the patients of limb injuries might deteriorate suddenly after 24 hours of injury and they could go into respiratory failure, which required artificial support. This condition was called fat embolism syndrome. It was informed that the intensive care unit (ICU) of the PGI was treating nearly 20 such patients every year and they required artificial respiration for around 7 to 10 days. Early detection of such cases improved their chances of survival. Sometimes patients of limb injury developed the fat embolism syndrome after surgery on the long bones of legs. Dr Sen from the PGI
described various scoring systems to grade the severity
of trauma patients. This type of categorisation helped in
predication about the outcome of such patients and the
optimum use of the available facilities, he added. |
Social safety nets 'must for
poor' CHANDIGARH,
Aug 9 — Mr Sanjeev Gupta is chief, expenditure
policy division, International Monetary Fund, Washington. |
Army expedition to Markha
begins CHANDIGARH, Aug 9 — A 22-member expedition to the remote Markha valley in Ladakh was flagged off by Lieut-Gen D.S. Chauhan, General Officer Commanding of 16 Corps, somewhere in the Northern Sector this morning. He called upon members of the expedition to do their best, in the best traditions of Indian Army and make the event a grand success as it has been organised to mark the golden jubilee of independence of the country. The Markha valley, a remote high-altitude region, lies south-west of Leh along the Markha river, a tributary of the Indus river. According to Brig R.S. Gill, Commander of the elite Fleur-de-Lis Brigade, which is behind this expedition, said it intended to foster the spirit of unity, integrity and patriotism amongst the youth of this remote valley. Besides, the expedition members will study the cultural heritage, anthropology, geology, flora and fauna of the valley. The expedition comprises five officers and 17 men. They will traverse over Leh, Stok, Markha valley and cross over at least six mountain passes with heights varying from 16000 to 18000 feet. The expedition has been
planned and coordinated by Colonel VP Gupta, Commanding
Officer of 15th Battalion of the Mechanised Infantry
Regiment. It is likely to culminate at Lachung La, along
Manali-Leh by the middle of next month. |
Admn urged to hold gram
panchayat poll CHANDIGARH, Aug 9 — The local MP, Mr Satya Pal Jain, has urged the Chandigarh Administration to hold elections to gram panchayats, panchayat samiti, zila parishad and market committees without any further delay. In a letter written to the Adviser to the Administrator, Mr Jagdish Sagar, the MP said elections to these bodies were due since long and the electorate did not want any more delay. In the neighbouring state of Punjab, elections to all these bodies had already been conducted and there was no valid justification for delaying elections in Chandigarh. Mr Jain expressed the hope
that poll schedule would be announced soon. |
YC men stage dharna CHANDIGARH, Aug 9 — Members of the Chandigarh Territorial Youth Congress led by the president, Mr Vijay Pal Singh Dimpy, staged a dharna in front of the Deputy Commissioner's residence today, demanding better services in the city. More than 400 party workers sat in the ‘dharna’. Mr Dimpy expressed concern over the skyrocketting prices of essential goods in the city. He said there was an "acute shortage of water supply and electricity, causing inconvenience to the public". Law and order, job opportunities for the youth and ration cards for all were the other issues raised by Mr Dimpy. A memorandum of demands was submitted to Mr R.K. Rao, the officiating DC. Mr Pawan Kumar Bansal, a
former Member of Parliament, addressed the workers. |
27 freedom fighters honoured CHANDIGARH, Aug 9 — A meeting of the Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee was held under the presidentship of Mr Pawan Kumar Bansal at Bedheri village. At least 27 freedom fighters were honoured on the occasion. Mr Jagan Nath Kaushal, a former union minister, was the chief guest. Mr Bansal and Mr Kaushal lauded the contribution of Gandhiji and others to the freedom struggle. A function was also held
at Kajheri village under the chairmanship of Mr Gurbachan
Singh. |
Crime file CHANDIGARH, Aug 9 — Ranvir Gupta of Sector 37 was knocked down by an unidentified vehicle on the road separating Sectors 37 and 41 here today. He was rushed to the PGI where he succumbed to his injuries. A case has been registered. Three hurt: Three persons have been injured in separate accidents in the city. Mr Paramjit Singh and a child, Ajay Kumar, both residents of Sector 61, were hurt when their scooter was hit by another scooter, whose driver absconded. The police has impounded the scooter. Both have been admitted to Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32. In another accident, Mr Munish Kumar, a scooterist and a resident of Sector 15, Panchkula, was hit by a Haryana police truck driven by Head Constable Roop Chand near the Poultry Farm in the Industrial Area. He has been admitted to Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32. Car stereo stolen:
Deepak of Sector 23, in a complaint with the police,
alleged that the stereo of his car (CH-01-M-603) has been
stolen. |
Campus beat CHANDIGARH, Aug 9 — Never have appointments in Panjab University been more controversial than in the past few months, and there is every indication of a repeat of debates at the Syndicate meeting scheduled for Monday evening. First the appointment of a Registrar was cancelled following a secret ballot. This was followed by turning down of appointments in the Department of Physics. The controversy continued in the Department of Physical Education where two appointments rejected by the Senate were found to be re-appointed cases in the department on a temporary basis. The latest was the appointment of the Director, Adult Education, rejected following a secret vote by the Syndicate, which was again unprecedented. There are several versions doing the rounds for the number of rejections. A number of Faculty members expressed concern over "politicisation of the Syndicate and the Senate where appointments were decided by the choice of dominant groups". Syndics on their part defend their opposition vehemently "for transparency and in the larger interest of the university". A Faculty member of the sciences department said: "So many rejections were in a way, cast aspersions on the selection committee. The selection panel comprises eminent scholars from their respective fields working in reputed institutions. If the existing situation continues, instead of calling experts, a candidate should be presented before the Syndicate and members must be allowed to select." A Syndic who had raised objections with regard to appointments in the Physics department which were finally rejected said: "Often appointments were not made according to the advertisements. The specialisations of experts were often different from the subjects in which the selection was to be made. We as Syndics have to ensure that the procedures were followed according to the set norms." More than a couple of Syndics expressed their discontentment at the constitution of selection committees with regard to "specific" appointments. The selection committee for the appointment of Director of Adult Education also generated debate. The proceedings of the Syndicate meeting held in July recorded" scenes where a Syndics "loudly protested and cast as persons and attributed motives to the VC's constitution of the selection committee. It further adds that in the "loud, unbridled and uninhibited din" it was decided that a secret vote must be cast to decide the issue. There is, however, agreement on the fact that in the entire process certain deserving candidates had been affected. A number of members of the teaching staff have expressed concern over the existing conditions. An observer said: "A
controversy before a person joins the department leaves a
foul odour. It is wrong to say that selection committees
were wrong on so many occasions. In physics, for example,
the members of the selection committee were scholars of
international repute". |
| H |
THE city has taken the lead over the rest of the country by establishing the first permanent Lok Adalat here. The adalat has been set up under the State Legal Services Authority. The Authority also provides and gives legal aid to persons who deserve and satisfy the criteria for legal aid. Besides, it also undertakes preventive and strategic legal aid programme. Under the Act, every person who has to file or defend a case, shall be entitled to legal services under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, provided he is (a) a member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe; (b) a victim of trafficking in human beings or beggar as referred to in the Constitution; (c) a woman or a child; (d) a mentally ill or otherwise disabled person; (e) a person under circumstances of undeserved want such as being a victim of a mass disaster, ethnic violence, caste atrocity, flood, drought, earthquake or industrial disaster; or (f) an industrial workman; or (g) in custody, including custody in a protective home within the meaning of clause (g) Section 2 of the Immoral Traffic Act, 1956, or in a juvenile home within the meaning of clause (j) of Section 2 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 1986, or in a psychiatric hospital/nursing home within the meaning of clause (g) of Section 2 of the Mental Health Act, 1987; or (h) in addition to the persons mentioned in clause (a) to (g) of Section 12 of the Act, a citizen of India whose annual income from all sources does not exceed Rs 18,000. A person desirous of any legal service or aid shall make an application supported by an affidavit to the Member Secretary, Mr S.K. Sardhana, of the State Legal Services Authority. Chandigarh girl Payal Choudhary Manchanda, Law Officer of Chandigarh Housing Board, was the lone candidate from the City Beautiful to have been selected from northern India to represent Rotary District 3080 for this year's four-member Group Study exchange programme to the United States and Canada. During her stay in the two countries, Payal made several exclusive presentations and slide shows on Chandigarh to make Americans and Canadians aware about some of its unique features created by Le Corbusier, who, according to her, combined a rationale approach with masterly, erudite and magnificent play of form in light in planning the city. The Rotarians were greatly impressed by the city's emblem — Open to give, open to receive — and its significance. The foreigners were also impressed by the city's cosmopolitan character. Nowhere else one would find, she delineated, so many groups, social institutions, sabhas, bhavans devoted to cultures of practically every state and community of the country. Besides, the city possessed various shrines, encapsulating the typical architectural styles of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Bengal and many other states in addition to similar and familiar style of north Indian places of worship. Payal is fairly well qualified to give lectures on subjects like fine art and culture because of her background as a theatre artiste. She has been actively involved with a leading professional group, "The Company" — anchored by renowned Neelam Mansingh. With this group, she has participated in the prestigious London International Festival in 1993 and East-West Theatre Festival in Tashkent in 1994. She is an extensive traveller. She has also acted in various TV serials and telefilms, including Jaspal Bhatti's "Flop Show". National awardee Ms Rajesh Choudhary, Principal of the Sector 18 Government Girls Senior Secondary School, has brought laurels for the city by winning this year's coveted national award. The award is conferred on eminent teachers by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development every year for their outstanding contribution in the field of education. An able administrator and outstanding academician, Ms Choudhary has to her credit several awards, including the State award that she won in 1993 from the Chandigarh Administration for her signal contribution in the field. A postgraduate in geography, Ms Choudhary started her teaching career in 1971 as a lecturer in a leading city model school. "It had been a long, yet soul-elating journey to the towering heights of glory", a contented Ms Choudhary beams, when asked about the award conferred on her. With an impeccable service record spanning a little over 26 years, Ms Choudhary is a rare confluence of creativity, ability, energy and, to cap it all, undying commitment of the cause. She is a never-say-tired workaholic. Wedded to the cause of education heart and soul, the unassuming Ms Choudhary feels that the role of a teacher in the present scenario is more demanding than it used to be in good old days. She strongly holds out that to achieve the envisaged goal in the field of education, a strong bond and, of course, a well-knit rapport between the teacher and the students is essential. "And with a little more effort on the part of the government to eradicate illiteracy by devising multi-pronged policies, we shall be able to create a new India, the India of Nehru's dreams" opines Ms Choudhary. In service of needy A number of non-government organisations (NGOs) and charitable trusts in the city and its surrounding areas are doing a yeoman service to help the poor, needy and lonely. For example, Sree Ayyappa Seva Samiti has invited applications from deserving Keralite students based at SAS Nagar and Chandigarh for the Smt Karthyayani Amma award under which scholarships are awarded to two outstanding students every year. The Sector 28-D Berry Sehyog Trust started by Mr K.K. Berry, a retired officer of the State Bank of India, provides financial assistance to the poor but bright girls seeking admission to higher secondary classes in Chandigarh government schools. The Trust now proposes to grant 15 scholarships of Rs 100 each to girl students who have secured 60 per cent or more marks in the last examination. For eligibility, the income of the parents of the applicant should not be more than Rs 4,000 per month. There is yet another Trust which looks after orphan boys in the age group of six to nine years. The Trust — Guru Nanak Charitable Trust for Orphans — was started by Prof M.S. Bedi who after disposing his big house in the city started this ashram at Jhanjeri, about 4 km from Landran village, near Kharar. At present, the ashram can accommodate five to six orphan boys so as to give them proper education to enable them to earn their livelihood independently. The inmates besides getting free board and lodging, also get clothes, medical aid, free water and electricity supply. A house mother and a chowkidar provides them round the clock care and attention. The Trust does not accept any donations but encourages those who want to do any voluntary work for the benefit of the inmates. Anaesthetist's role The Continuing Medical Education (CME) Programme organised by the PGI from time to time has special educative value. At the week-end, it was the turn of the anaesthesiologists to do some plainspeaking — even to the police! Prof Jyotsna Wig was right in highlighting the role of an anaesthesiologist as an anchor person in the field of trauma. She said that the role of the anaesthesiologist started from the time of the injury and continued till the time when the patient was discharged from the hospital after being in the intensive care unit or having had reconstructive surgery. Professor Wig is never tired of highlighting the role of the traffic police and the Press in educating the people by a wide public-media network and by assuring the citizen that the police will not harass him when he helps the police at the site of an accident. Anaesthesia, in common perception, makes you sleep. This professor wants to wake you up. Send positive signals After the chaos for BA I results earlier last week, students flooded the main Administrative Block of Panjab University. Tired of refusing entry in the office, the authorities put a placard saying "No result enquiry here". A senior teacher of the Department of Political Science walked upto a spokesperson of the university and said it was high time the university stopped sending bureaucratic signals. "Instead of writing, enquiry not entertained here, the card should announce the exact place where the enquiry would be answered", he pointed. Surely, treatment makes all the difference to the message. Temple to temple Strange are the ways of the Haryana Excise and Taxation Department. Quite often the norms for location of liquor vends are flouted by the officials themselves. When people protested against locating a vend near the Shiv Mandir in Panchkula the department ordered its shifting. Now Swami Krishnanand, President of the All-India Maha Sangh, has protested to the Deputy Commissioner, Panchkula, and the Minister for Excise and Taxation, Seth Siri Kishan Dass, against the shifting of the liquor vend from the Shiv Mandir to the Durga Mandir. Perhaps, the officials cannot distinguish much between one mandir and the other but they keep on waiting for the proper location of a liquor vend until the people come out with a protest. The Swami finds that people have started consuming liquor right near the gates of the Durga temple, perhaps to take water for mixing it with liquor from the temple tap. Nobody can accept having the nuisance of a liquor vend right near the temple. Quiet please! Either audiences in Chandigarh are not familiar with the do's and don'ts of listening to the classical music or invitations are sent to wrong people. This was evident during a recent concert by Grammy Award winner Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. As the maestro started off, the special invitees in the first row could be seen whispering. This naturally disturbed the wizard who has been performing in the city on a regular basis. He toned down the raga he had just begun and his tabla player — with folded hands — asked the invitees to be quiet. The whispering was toned down but the maestro was clearly disturbed. A member of the audience
remarked in a lighter vein that classical concerts must
have a system like the Wimbledon tennis tournament where
the referee says "quiet please" the moment a
player is ready to serve. Jokes apart, one wishes that
invitations are sent on the basis of the interest of the
invitee rather than his status. |
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