& V I C I N I T Y
Wednesday, December 16, 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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Wednesday, December 16, 1998 |
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Panchayat poll date likely today CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — The dates for the conduct of panchayat elections in Chandigarh are likely to be announced tomorrow. The visit of the Election Commissioner, Mr B. Prasad has been delayed as he is not well. The authorities had earlier decided to announce the dates after his arrival but would now go ahead with the same. Chinese envoy visits city CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — The Ambassador of China to India, Mr Zhao Gang, arrived here today on a four-day visit to Punjab, Himachal and Chandigarh. Accompanied by his wife, Mr Zhao called on the Punjab Governor, Lt-Gen B K N Chhibber, this evening. |
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SP
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Panchayat poll date likely today CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — The dates for the conduct of panchayat elections in Chandigarh are likely to be announced tomorrow. The visit of the Election Commissioner, Mr B. Prasad has been delayed as he is not well. The authorities had earlier decided to announce the dates after his arrival but would now go ahead with the same. The formalities for declaring the reserved seats, both for the Scheduled Castes (SC) and women, have been completed and the seats have been earmarked in accordance with the figures of the rural population as per the census of 1991.The census will be the benchmark for this purpose. The elections to the 17 panchayats of 18 villages are to be held and the total population of the villages, as per the census, is 57, 219 while the total SC population is 11, 606. As per the Punjab Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, applicable to Chandigarh, as many as eight seats will be reserved for the Scheduled Castes and women, including a SC woman, while nine villages will be open for contests in the general category. The criteria followed for reserving the seats is by determined the total percentage of SC population out of the total population of the villages. According to sources, the SC (reserved) villages, as per the census are — Khuda Ali Sher, Maloya and Kajheri. These villages have the largest concentration of SC population. Khuda Ali Sher tops the chart with 38.15 per cent of SC population. The figure for Maloya is (29. 64 per cent) and Kajheri (25.47 per cent). According to the sources, the villages reserved for women include Maloya, Raipur Khurd, Kishangarh, Sarangpur, Raipur Kalan and Kaimbwala. The criteria followed here is reserving the seats after determining the 33 per cent of the population as laid down in the Act. The term of the present panchayats had expired in January and as per norms the elections cannot be postponed twice. The major reasons for not holding the elections were the non-clearance of the amendments regarding the reservation of seats for the Scheduled Caste and women candidates and rules pertaining to panchayat samitis. All these issues have been resolved now. While the elections to the panchayat samiti and market committee are held up, the elected members of the zila parishad are yet to be administered oath.
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Chinese envoy visits city CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — The Ambassador of China to India, Mr Zhao Gang, arrived here today on a four-day visit to Punjab, Himachal and Chandigarh. Accompanied by his wife, Mr Zhao called on the Punjab Governor, Lt-Gen B K N Chhibber, this evening. He will visit Shimla tomorrow and Amritsar on Thursday. Speaking at a function organised by the local chapter of the Indo-China Friendship Association on the Panjab University campus this afternoon, Mr Zhao traced the relations between India and China over the past 2,000 years. He said the Chinese Government attached great significance to its relations with India not as neighbours but also because of several other things as both the countries had to develop economically further. Both had to work to eliminate poverty and illiteracy. Mr Zhao said it was his second assignment in India. He had earlier served here as a young diplomat at 26 years ago. "This is the first time I am visiting Chandigarh. It is a beautiful city, well planned and clean. I am impressed by the warmth of reception accorded to me here," he added. Earlier, Major Jiwan Tewari, president of the association, in his welcome address talked about the association and its history. Raja Narinder Singh, Minister for Public Health and Civil Aviation, Punjab, who was the chief guest, said India could learn a lesson from China in controlling population. "We need cooperation from China for development of our economy and in other areas also," the Punjab Minister said. Mr Pawan Bansal, a former MP, said both India and China could play a meaningful role in further democratisation of the UN. Mr R L Batta, a vice-president of the association, while proposing a vote of thanks, talked about his visit to China a couple of years ago. Mementoes were presented
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Sector 34 carriageway undeveloped CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — The number of projects executed at a huge cost to the State ex-chequer and in violation of the "sacrosanct Master Plan" has been gradually on the rise in Chandigarh. Yet a majority of these projects remain unfinished. The oldest of them is a dual carriageway constructed in Sector 34-A. In fact, the area where this carriageway has been constructed leading to the office of the Regional Passport Office and Milkfed is to be developed as a commercial area. The area covered by the double road is to be auctioned as commercial sites. Some of these commercial sites, after auction, have already been developed. The office complex of Milkfed in Sector 34 is an example. Work on digging of a basement of another such commercial site has started recently. The development of this road and its partial maintenance during the past 20 years or more cost the State a substantial amount of money. Even after its completion, the Administration never bothered to utilise the facility till such time as buyers took possession of the sites. One portion of the road has remained closed for more than a decade now. Interestingly, at no stage was responsibility fixed for this wasteful expenditure. This is not an isolated example. Take for instance the case of a cycle track in northern sectors. A brainchild of the then Adviser to the Administrator, Mr Baleshwar Rai, work started on this project on a war-footing. But there was no provision for such a track in the Master Plan. Not only that the planning itself was not without blemishes. The track was planned in a high security zone. Starting opposite Sukhna Lake in Sector 5, the track continued upto the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium. But before it could be put to use, a portion of it was dismantled and made a portion of the extended parking area along the lake. Another segment of the track gave way during the past two monsoons. In fact, this cycling track was never fit for cycling, specially not by early morning cycling enthusiasts. Another major project was conceived when Mr SS Ray was the Administrator and Mr Ashok Pradhan was Adviser to the Administrator. This project — a botanical garden and Smriti Upavana — did not progress too far. It too was not according to the Master Plan. For the past several years, both the cycle track and the botanical garden languish for want of after care and maintenance. In fact, sources in the Engineering Department point out that work on completion of the cycle track will resume soon after a gap of several years. They are, however, not specific about its design and the tentative date for resumption of work or whether the design, as approved earlier, would be followed or some modifications made in the remaining portion.
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Houses without basic amenities PANCHKULA, Dec 15 — Imagine the plight of occupants of low income group (LIG) houses constructed by the Haryana Housing Board in Sector 26 of Panchkula who have to go in the open to answer the call of nature. The sewerage of most of the dwelling units has been choked eversince the housing board handed over the physical possession of the houses to the owners. They complain that despite of having paid through their nose the houses are bereft of the basic amenities even after one and a half years of the construction being completed. It is not only the problem of choked sewers troubling the residents. The absence of street lights discourages them from venturing out after darkness sets in. Mr M. L. Khichi, President of the Resident Welfare Association of the housing board colony, says a number of representations to the HHB to install streetlights have yielded no results. Only about 80 of the 600 houses in the colony have been occupied. Mr Khichi says a number of persons who have been allotted houses are reluctant to shift. Some of the allottees have already sold off their houses. Mr Surinder Gupta, another resident of the colony, showed to this correspondent open sewers and stormwater manholes. Only a fortnight ago, a child playing near one of the open manholes was saved in the nick of time from falling in it. The rubble generated in the construction of houses instead of being removed has been thrown in the open manholes. The road constructed by a private contractor on behalf of HUDA is of poor quality. Heaps of earth generated while constructing the roads have been thrown on road berms. The road has been left incomplete in front of house numbers 1577 and 1598 (as seen in the photo) much to the inconvenience of the occupants of the two dwelling units. Col R.S. Khokhar (retd), who recently shifted to the colony, said no site had been earmarked by HUDA for throwing garbage. He pointed out that tanks made of concrete to channelise the water of seasonal rivulets passing adjacent to the colony were death traps for unsuspecting children as they had no protective cover around them. Residents complained there was no bus service connecting the area with the local bus stand.
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'No information on train
delays CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — Official neglect and faulty SAIL rails are being blamed for the recent Khanna crash. The preliminary enquiry report on the mishap, prepared by the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety, Mr Maini, cites system failure, poor track maintenance, substandard track material and absence of basic safety equipment as some of the reasons. To make good the negligence and the faults, repair work has started along the tracks, resulting in slower and, thus, delayed trains. TNS spoke to a cross-section of Chandigarh residents to find out how the train delays have affected them and the alternative means of transport being used. "Today Delhi is like pardes for me. The number of problems that I had to endure to go to Delhi early this month for my medical check-up was unbelievable. The afternoon Shatabdi reached Delhi at 11pm, and I could not get admitted to the hospital, as it closes in the evening. To make matters worse, my return journey, by bus, was an equally bad experience. In such times everyone is out to extract money", lamented Mr Gurmit Singh Grewal, an agriculturist, who has to travel frequently to Delhi in connection with his heart ailment. Rakesh Sharma, a holiday 'planner', who runs a travel agency, said, "For the past two weeks or so, the cancellations for the Shatabdi and the Himalayan Queen have touched almost 50 per cent. Many people are also leaving a day in advance in order to reach on time". While the delay in trains is the obvious concern for most commuters, the "inadequate" communication systems that fail to pass on the correct information are proving to be highly bothersome for not only the commuters but also the families. "Now I'm quite apprehensive about the rail services. Recently, while coming back from Delhi my train was late by two-three hours. My wife panicked and tried getting information, but to no avail. Finally, she had to contact my brother in Ambala and then find out about my whereabouts. Nobody is complaining about the repair works being carried out on the tracks, but a proper communication set-up would be greatly appreciated by all", said Capt. Jaspal Singh, a merchant navy officer. At the Chandigarh railway station, the Assistant Station Master, Mr J.P. Singh, not only monitors the train operations but also looks after the enquiries, as there is no separate staff of enquiry clerks made available to him. Defending the 'communication system', Mr Singh said, "My phone is never left unanswered. And I'm attending to enquiry calls every 15 seconds". "While travelling from Chandigarh to Delhi, in the first week of December, the train was late by two hours. And the rail-journey back to Delhi was delayed by six hours. The train authorities refused to provide any extra meals even to the children and the women on board. Also, I was to attend a meeting, and the office could not procure correct information about the delay", refuted Mr Das Gupta, a senior executive with a private firm. With the disruption in the railway services "for the time being", more and more people are taking to travelling by road. A boom for the taxi-wallahs, and a time to mint money for the bus-services. Mr Kuldeep Singh Sandhu, owner of a travel agency and a fleet of 15 taxis, while disagreeing said, "there could have been a slight increase in the business, with people hiring taxis rather than relying on the Railways. But just like the commuters, we also experience our share of harassment. It might be okay if people hire these to leave them to their destinations, but what about waiting for long at the railway station to pick up a passenger, and then not being paid if the train gets cancelled?" "While coming back to Chandigarh, by bus, I was asked to buy a ticket to Jammu, though the bus was making a stop here. No reasons were given, and I had to dole out extra money because there was no other alternative for me at that time", complained Mr Grewal. But since not many choices have been left for most people, they are extensively using the alternative means of transport, like their own personal vehicles — which again is not seen as a very safe proposition by most. Remarked Ms Dolly Ahluwalia, a theatre personality, who considers Delhi to be her second home, "Last week, while travelling from Chandigarh to Delhi, my train was two hours late and no such prior information had been given. It is amazing that no systems seem to be in place during such times. It is hard to find coolies as well, in case the trains are running late! Also, during such times, being a woman means experiencing more trouble". According to the Railway
authorities at Chandigarh, the trains will start running
at their respective scheduled times in "another
three-four days". |
SP challenges house allotment
rules CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — Mr Ram Singh, Superintendent of Police (HQ), Tarn Taran, today moved a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court questioning the validity of the Punjab Government Houses (General Pool) Allotment Rules, 1983. Mr Justice VK Bali and Mr Justice Iqbal Singh, before whom the petition came up for hearing, issued notice to the state government for January 18. Mr Ram Singh stated that since he was entitled to government accommodation, he sent his representation to the Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar. He brought to the Deputy Commissioner's notice that a particular government house was vacant in Tarn Taran and it was in the illegal occupation of a local tehsildar, Mr Amarjit Singh. The petitioner had also sent in his representation to the SSP, Tarn Taran, explaining his difficulty. He was staying in a rest house with his family and the district administration had been pressing him hard to vacate it. He also urged the Deputy Commissioner that the house which was earlier occupied by the ADC, Tarn Taran, had been lying vacant and should be allotted to him. The SSP also wrote a DO letter to the Deputy Commissioner explaining the difficulty faced by the petitioner. However, all pleas of the petitioner fell on deaf ears. The Deputy Commissioner later passed an order allotting the house in question to the petitioner. On November 16 the petitioner made another representation to the Deputy Commissioner urging him to depute an officer to hand over possession of the allotted house after making an inventory. On November 19 the Sub-Divisional Engineer made a report to the Executive Engineer stating that the house in question was in illegal occupation of the tehsildar and since the same fell within the jurisdiction of the revenue authorities, nothing further could be done. The petitioner questioned the rules on the ground that as the Sessions Judge was the seniormost functionary in a district, the judge should be made chairman of the committee. Rule 3 of the 1983 rules had been tailored in such a manner as to give unbridled powers to the Deputy Commissioner in the allotment of government accommodation to various officers. Since Rule 3 gives unchecked powers to the Deputy Commissioner, it was arbitrary and was liable to be struck down. Case referred to larger Bench From Our Legal Correspondent: Mr Justice VK Jhanji today, referred three points arising from the writ petitions filed by Mr Krishan Kumar Singla, a former president of the Municipal Council, Hisar and another petition to a larger Bench, finding that the three points raised in the present petition were not considered by a Full Bench of this court in the Rajpal Chhabra case, decided by it earlier. Counsel for the petitioner contended that the case of the petitioner was covered by the Full Bench decision. While the counsel for the respondents submitted that the Bench had not considered the amendment brought in the Haryana Municipal Act in 1996. Some members of the council had brought a no confidence motion against the president. Out of the 31 elected member 21 voted in favour of the no confidence motion, which was declared to have been passed on the ground that 21 members are more than required two-thirds strength of the elected members. The removal order and passing the no confidence motion was challenged on the ground that the total strength of the council had to be put at 36 members, of which two-thirds came to 24. It was contended that the Rajpal Chhabra case had held that ex-officio Members, namely members of the state assembly and Parliament had the right to vote in to no confidence motion. It was thus contended that the resolution having been passed by 21 members was less than two-thirds. However, counsel for the respondent contended that effect of the 1996 amendment was that the three nominated persons, having special knowledge or experience in the municipal administration, ceased to be members of the committee and the right given to local MLA and MP in the election of the president and vice-president and at special meetings was taken away. Council further argued that removal of the president or vice-president of Municipal Council and vacation of the office by a no confidence motion were two different things. It was further contended by counsel that the Constitution makers never intended to give the right to vote in the election of the president and vice-president to any of the members nominated to the municipalities. Mr Justice Jhanji observed that in his opinion, the judgement in the Rajpal Chhabra case required reconsideration by a larger Bench. PSEB chief summoned A Division Bench comprising Mr Justice Jawahar Lal Gupta and Mr Justice VS Aggarwal directed the Chairman of the Punjab State Electricity Board to personally appear before the court on December 21 in a writ petition filed by one Tahira Parveen. Tahira Parveen contended before the court that she had submitted an application for installation of a domestic electric connection at her residence on February 1, 1996, with the board. She also deposited Rs 920 with the application. The board did not install the electric connection at her residence despite repeated requests. The agony of Tahira Parveen increased mainfold. On April 1 when she visited the office of the board at Ludhiana, the board officials informed her that her file was not traceable and if she deposited Rs 552, only then would her file be remade. She deposited the amount the same day. Even after a long time, the board did not take any care. Aggrieved by the inaction on the part of the board, she filed the petition.
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Villagers thwart fencing bid CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — Residents and shopkeepers of Burail village did not allow fencing of an area adjoining "phirni" of the village by staff of the Municipal Corporation here today as the land dispute issue was reportedly pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The Mayor has ordered an inquiry into the matter. According to eyewitnesses, the enforcement staff of the corporation accompanied by workers of the Horticulture Department started clearing and fencing in the area at about 9 a.m. which was resisted by the shopkeepers whose shops faced flats of the Chandigarh Housing Board in Sector 45 A. Scores of shopkeepers gathered at the site and engaged the officials overseeing the operation in a wordy duel. Realising that the situation was getting out of hand the officials asked for police help. Meanwhile, Mr Satpal Gupta, a former sarpanch of the village, arrived at the scene accompanied by the villagers and told the officials that the matter was pending in the court as the CHB had earlier tried to build a boundary wall. Not heeding to the pleas of the villagers, more reinforcements were summoned. By this time hundreds of villagers had assembled at the venue and the entire market downed its shutters. It was only after that a copy of the stay order was shown that the officials called off the drive. A deputation led by Mr Gupta later on met the Mayor and urged him to order an inquiry into the whole episode. Corporation officials, on the other hand, maintained that the enforcement staff was carrying out a routine drive and the colony residents had been complaining of the unclean surroundings as the place was being used as a junkyard by scrap dealers.
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Class IV student pulls car with
teeth CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — Speaking at the drill display on the third founder's week of Vivek High School, Sector 38, here today, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister said, "only states providing meaningful education could flourish. Vocationalisation and computerisation were a step in this direction. The need was to take education to villages and "Adarsh Model schools are my government's contribution.'' Meanwhile, students of the school presented various drills on the occasion. Boys and girls put to test their strength and flexibility. Gymnastics by the boys included the formation of a pillar and bridge. They did the hand stand, front roll and dive roll with as much ease. The girl gymnasts gracefully moved to the rhythm of the waltz with bright ribbons in their hands. In bright saffron waistcoats over white shorts and shirts, 465 students displayed warm up exercises for the game. The karate session was breathtaking as the boys jumped through a burning ring, and broke marble slabs with a single punch with their elbows and forehead. Dhruv, a student of Class IV, pulled a Maruti car tied to a rope with his teeth. Taekwon do, an exercise for strength, agility and endurance, saw Pankaj Saini break an apple on the edge of a sword with his feet. The girls presented free hand exercises done to the tune of "its my life''. Haryanvi and Rajasthani dances by students of classes I, II and III were also staged. The boys also did an exclusive dumb-bell drill. Earlier, a march past was also organised. The trophy for the best march past, was bagged by Nalanda House.
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Panel fixes criteria for
Dhanwantry college jobs CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 —A meeting of the committee appointed by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. M.M. Puri, to look into the alleged malpractices in the functioning of Dhanwantry Ayurvedic College, Sector 46, was held at the Syndicate room, Panjab University, here today. The committee members, Dr Deepak Manmohan Singh, Prof J.S. Gujral, Mr Charanjit Chawla, Prof V.K. Kapoor, Dr R.D. Anand and Prof V.K. Bansal, besides the Principal of the college, chairperson Dr R.K. Grewal decided that qualifications of those appointed before 1989 would remain the same regarding appointment of lecturers. For new appointments, a post-graduate degree has been made essential. The committee fixed 10 years, five years and three years of teaching experience for eligibility for appointment to the post of Professor, Reader and Lecturer, respectively. It has been further decided that old qualifications would apply for the staff recruited before '89 in case they wanted to apply for the post of Principal while qualifications prescribed by Central Council of Medicine from time to time would apply for those newly appointed. It was observed that the college fell way short of the required staff of 54 — comprising 14 Professors, 16 Readers and 24 Lecturers. There are only 38 staff members in the college at present. It was also added that the grades approved by the university should be implemented along with the various allowances. The practice of keeping two registers for the staff should be done away with. Earlier, while one was for the official record with qualified staff on the rolls, the other had names of the underqualified, underpaid staff which was employed by the college. Keeping in view the hardship involved and the long service put in by the Lecturers of the college, the committee decided to recognise the B.A.M.S. degree for those appointed before March '93, when the college got affiliated with the Panjab University though further promotion has been denied till the acquisition of a post-graduate degree. To keep a regular check on the working of the college, the committee has decided to appoint two observers from Panjab University on the managing committee of the college. The committee also desired two elected teacher representatives to be in the governing body to check irregularities in the admission process. The university has decided to take the admission process in its own hands and alter the fee structure as per the Supreme Court ruling. The present fee is a whopping Rs 50,000 per year for a student. These conditions apply to Ayurvedic colleges affiliated with Panjab University situated at Chandigarh and Moga. This committee was formed in response to the decision at the last meeting of the Syndicate where the issue of allotment of 40 additional seats given to the college was raised by Mr Charanjit Chawla and Dr R.D. Anand.
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General greets army personnel CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — On the eve of the historic Vijay Divas, Lt-Gen H B Kala, GOC in C, Western Command, has extended his greetings to all serving and retired personnel and civilians and their families. In a message today, he said that on this day 27 years ago the Army achieved the most spectacular victory by vanquishing Pakistan on both the Eastern and the Western fronts, resulting in the liberation of Bangladesh. The General said this was made possible by the grit, valour and spirit displayed by the three services and the overwhelming support given by the nation. While recalling the achievement, we should also remember and salute the gallant comrades who lad down their lives for the country and a noble cause. He appealed to all to rededicate ourselves to the service of the nation with a sense of dedication and commitment.
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Tips on handling media CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — An orientation programme for women councillors of Punjab today dealt with skills to handle the media. Mr Prem Kumar, former Resident Editor, Indian Express," stressed on the necessity of building up a partnership with the media and highlighting gaps in the system and working through them. Tips on framing press releases and holding press conferences were also given. Prof SC Vaidya of University Business School, Panjab University, spoke on financial management. He said self-financing was no longer a matter of choice and the need was to generate funds from within the council. The private sector should
be involved in the activities of the council to augment
resources. Reviewing tax collections would also help, he
added. Students' problems discussed CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — A press note issued by Mr Yoginder Saran, Vice-President of the Panjab University Students Syndicate, said a meeting was organised here today to discuss various problems faced by students. Meanwhile, a delegation led by Mr Binder Singh, President, Panjab University Students Union, met the Controller of Examination, Mr Sodhi Ram, and demanded the declaration of the revaluation results before the commencement of the reappear examinations.
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Tohra criticised CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — The local unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Youth Akali Dal criticised the SGPC chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, for demanding the resignation of Mr Parkash Singh Badal, as President of the Shiromani Akali Dal. In separate statements, Mr Gurpartap Singh Riar and Mr Mohan Singh Raipur Kalan, Presidents of the state Akali Dal and the Youth Akali Dal, respectively, said it was a deep rooted conspiracy to destabilise the Akali Dal government in Punjab. They charged Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra with playing into the hands of the Congress. They further said Jathedar Tohra had the habit of stabbing the Akali Dal in the back as and when party came to power in the state.
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CMC employees 'to be treated
on deputation' CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — The Union Government has made it clear that employees transferred to the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation from various departments of the Chandigarh Administration will be treated on deputation with the corporation. According to Mr Satya Pal Jain, local MP, this was stated by the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, in reply to a question by him. Mr Jain said the Home Minister told him that two conditions had been imposed for treating employees of the corporation as government employees. These conditions were that they would not be entitled to any deputation allowance and that in future the corporation would make its own recruitments. About 4,000 employees were
transferred to the corporation two years ago. |
CTU conductors defer strike CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — Members of the CTU Conductors Union today deferred their strike following an assurance from the Secretary Transport, regarding the acceptance of their long-pending demands. A deputation led by Mr Bal
Krishan, senior leader of the Action Committee of the UT
Employees and Workers, today met Mrs Anuradha Gupta and
apprised her of the victimisation of certain employee
leaders and the termination of the services of three
union activists. AIR staff stage dharna CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — The ministerial staff of the All-India Radio (AIR), construction wing (civil and electrical) today held a dharna in Sector 34 in protest against the non-implementation of their "accepted" demands by the Central Government. A press note said here today that their main demands included time-bound promotion for LDCs and UDCs, pay parity and revision of pay scales.
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New posting for Khanna CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — The former Deputy Commissioner, Patiala, Mr Vishwajeet Khanna, was today posted as Special Secretary, Science Technology and Environment, while, his sister-in-law, Ms Surinder Kaur Riar, who was Subdivisional Magistrate, Patiala, has been shifted as Administrative Officer in the office of the Director, Public Instruction (Primary), in place of Mr T.K. Goyal appointed as Administrative Officer, DPI (Schools). The government has also shifted SDM Moonak, Mr Manjit Singh Narang, and posted him as SDM, Patiala, in place of Ms Riar. The shifting of Ms Riar is part of the reshuffle of officers considered close to the SGPC President.
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Decision to immunise children CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — In the wake of reported cases of measles from certain colonies of the city, the Family Welfare Bureau of the Chandigarh Administration has decided to immunise all children from nine months to five years against the disease. According to a press note here today, 1,575 children in the above-mentioned age group were immunised by mop operation and given Vitamin-A in colony No 5 in the past five days. The help of the community leaders and various NGOs would be taken in the immunisation campaign, the press note added.
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Ward committees:
move opposed CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — The Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee has opposed the move of the ruling BJP-SAD alliance to constitute ward committees on the basis of the recommendations of Councillors. Mr Sunil Parti, spokesman of the CTCC, described the move as politically motivated and criticised the action of the Mayor in demanding the lists from Councillors. If the proposed move was carried through, the ward committees will have only nominees of the BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal, he added. Mr Parti suggested that
sector level committees, NGOs, welfare associations and
others should be consulted before forming the such
committees. Students take out procession CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — With a view to creating awareness among the public regarding the harmful effects of polythene bags, over 50 students of CL Aggarwal, DAV Model School, Sector 7, today marched in a procession in the Sector 17 market. Carrying banners, various speakers stressed the need to reduce the use of non-biogradable products as they were a serious health hazard. The procession was held under the aegis of the Indian Council for Environmental Education and Traders' Association, Sector 17.
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'Apni
mandi' for Sect 43 soon CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — With the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) deciding to field its candidate for the post of Senior Deputy Mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC), the BJP-SAD alliance is under strain once again. Mr Gurpartap Singh Riar (SAD) told TNS today that a former Deputy Mayor, Mr Mohinder Singh, would be the party candidate for the post. He would file his nomination papers on December 17, the last date for filing the papers. Mr Riar said his party would support the BJP nominee for the post of Mayor if the BJP supported Mr Mohinder Singh. "If the opposition supports us, we will support its candidate", he added. 'Apni mandi': Following the recommendation of the Apni Mandi Committee of the MCC, an "apni mandi" will be started in Sector 43 soon. According to the chairman of the committee, Mr Mohinder Singh, the Secretary, Mandikaran Board, has been asked to identify a suitable site and start the mandi at the earliest. The "apni mandi"
of Sector 37 will be shifted to Sector 38. |
Daily life on canvas CHANDIGARH: B.C. Prasad is the guest artist for the next 15 days at Indus Ind Bank Art Gallery. Residing in Ambala for the past six years, he is holding his second solo show (previous show in 1981) in Chandigarh. Prasad did his diploma in Fine Arts from Patna in 1976, plus he also underwent a course in creative painting in Baroda three years later. Currently working as a drawing teacher in Kendriya Vidyalaya at Ambala, Prasad likes to wrok with oils on a personal level. His subjects are derived from daily life happenings. He does not deviate from the colour schemes which one sees around himself everyday. There is a kind of serenity emanating from his works and they clearly show the labour that has gone to them. Creations by Prasad are simple to understand, there is no complex meaning hidden behind them. In one of his paintings he has shown the "habit" of mankind to throw the litter around the dustbin and not into it. "Public Carier" shows a bus which is carrying people around while another depicts a loaded truck. ‘Shakti’ has a Shivling which is not in the old traditional style, a flower blooming indicating Srijam and bells on top with a heavenly light often associated with religious places. ‘Winter Afternoon’ has relaxing chairs placed near a pool with a newspaper lying beside. The youngsters of today are standing on a crossroad. There is no ray of hope on the horizon. This perplexity is very well depicted in ‘Future’. The exhibition will be open till December 31. — Priti Verma
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Rape
cases: one arrested CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — The police today claimed to have arrested a member of a gang allegedly involved in the recent rape and dacoity cases here. Following a tip-off, a special team of the CIA staff laid a naka on the outskirts of Maloya village and intercepted a cyclist, identified as Pala, alias Dhania, of Kroot village of Una district and an active member of the "Dheh" community, allegedly involved in a series of dacoity and rape cases. Some gold and silver jewellery items were recovered from his possession. He is reported to have disclosed about a hideout of the gang in Punjab. A special police team has been despatched along with him to raid the hideout. Meanwhile, the CIA staff claims to have busted a gang of thieves involved in the stealing of articles from parked vehicles. With the arrest of two of the members — Arun Kumar, alias Bittu, of Ludhiana, and Rajan Sahgal of Chandigarh — eight cases of theft have been solved, the police said. Held: Sachin Sharma of Sector 15C and Jagjit Singh of Sector 16 were arrested while stealing cash from an SCO in Sector 16. The stolen cash has been recovered from their possession. A case has been registered. Bag stolen: Ms Santosh Mohant of Bhuchho Mandi in Bathinda district, in a complaint with the police, alleged that her bag containing cash, a .32 bore revolver, 11 cartridges and a driving licence was stolen when she was travelling from Bhuchho Mandi to Chandigarh in bus no HR-26-3169. A case has been registered. Car stolen: Mr Rajiv Thakur, a resident of Sector 22, reported to the police that his car (DL-2-CH-1999) was stolen from his residence. A case has been registered. Thief held: Inderjit Singh of Sector 20 was caught while stealing a bicycle from a Sector 33 petrol station. Inquiry marked: Mr CSR Reddy, SSP, has marked an inquiry into a case relating to the alleged assault on Mr Jaswant Singh, SHO of police station (North), on the intervening night of December 12 and 13 on the premises of a hotel. Mr Surjit Singh, DSP (Central) will conduct the inquiry.
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