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Monday, July 27, 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, July 27, 1998 |
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Crying for civic amenities CHANDIGARH, July 26 — Residents of the Chandigarh Housing Board flats in Sector 61 here have complained of lack of basic amenities in their sector. More traffic curbs in offing CHANDIGARH, July 26 — A respite from traffic challans on Sunday notwithstanding, vehicle owners in the city are a worried lot as more directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court are to be enforced by the police in the coming days. Shake-up in UT police on cards CHANDIGARH, July 26 — A change at the top echelons of the Chandigarh Police is on the cards as the Home Ministry is understood to have taken a serious view of "deteriorating law and order situation." |
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 New scales fail to mollify teachers CHANDIGARH, July 26 — The "modified" pay scales for the university and college teachers have failed to mollify the teachers. Dr Sansar Chandra honoured CHANDIGARH, July 26 — Eminent author, Dr Sansar Chandra, was honoured with Vidyavachaspati Award by the Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, Prayag. |
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Edict does not bother us, says Mr
Hayer CHANDIGARH, July 26 — The Sikh leaders from the British Columbia in Canada who had been excommunicated by the Akal Takht chief Bhai Ranjit Singh feel that this would not affect them in any way. Chandigarh Calling ............... 
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Crying for civic amenities |
More traffic curbs in offing |
| New scales fail to mollify teachers by P.P.S. Gill Tribune News Service CHANDIGARH, July 26 — The "modified" pay scales for the university and college teachers announced by the Human Resources Development Ministry on Saturday have failed to mollify the teachers. Consequently, the decision of the All-India Federation of University and College Teachers Organisations to cease work all over the country, encompassing 207 universities and 9,278 colleges, on August 4, persists as does its earlier announcement to launch an indefinite strike on August 11. AIFUCTO has already rejected the recommendations of the R.P. Rastogi Committee on pay scales. What has irked the federation is the manner in which the HRD Ministry, though headed by a teacher-turned-politician (Dr M.M. Joshi is a teacher of physics), had ignored the recommendations on teachers' pay scales made by the University Grants Commission. The teachers had earlier rejected the April 25 announcement of Dr Joshi, which it termed as unilateral and arbitrary since for the first time the UGC recommendations had been ignored. What was announced yesterday was no better. On July 21, a large number of teachers from across the country had assembled under the umbrella of AIFUCTO and marched in protest against the HRD Ministry's decision from the UGC office to Parliament. The July 25 announcement apparently is a sequel to the protest. A cross-section of teachers TNS spoke to express their dissatisfaction over the second unilateral announcement made on July 25. What is new about the July 25 announcement? There is hardly any modification, asserted Mr Charanjit Chawla a former general secretary of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union, who provided a comparative study of the pay scales to stress his point. A scrutiny of the pay scales showed the scales had been revised upward only in respect of principals and professors. There is no change in the scales of lecturers, senior lecturers, selection scale lecturers and readers. There are nearly one lakh teachers in this category of whom over 5,000 are in Punjab. All that the HRD Ministry has done is to "club" the scales of lecturers in the selection grade and readers to give them a scale of Rs 12,000-18,300. Even in respect of the employees in the scales of Rs 4,100 and Rs 4,850 the Fifth Pay Commission recommended a scale of Rs 14,300-18,300. Why discrimination against teachers? asked Mr Chawla. The directors of physical education and librarians in colleges have been placed in the same pay scale as lecturers in the colleges. Similarly the librarians, registrars and directors of physical education in universities have been placed in the same pay scale as readers. All pay scales are to be effective from January 1, 1996. Even in respect of principals, two pay scales have been recommended by the HRD Ministry. On the enhancement of the retirement age of teachers from 60 to 62 years, Mr Chawla said this was a good gesture. But there was a snag. The retirement of teachers in private colleges is 60 in Punjab, while for the teachers in government colleges, it is 58. Will Punjab have a second look at this also? This anomaly in the age of superannuation may lead to an agitation by government college teachers. In any case, even before the new academic year begins, the threat of a countrywide strike by teachers looms large. |
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Beat PU to introduce M.Sc (anatomy) Tribune News Service CHANDIGARH, July 26 — Panjab University will introduce a course in M.Sc (anatomy) at its affiliated medical colleges from the coming session. A proposal in this regard was cleared at a meeting of faculty of medical sciences earlier this month and subsequently by the Syndicate. The course for M.Sc (anatomy) will extend a period of two academic years of four semesters. The examination for this degree will be held in two parts — part I at the end of second semester and part II at the end of the course of the fourth semester — the faculty recommended. The examination of part I will be open to any student who can produce a certificate of having passed B.Sc (anatomy, physiology and bio-chemistry) with at least 50 per cent marks for a recognised university or any other examination recognised by the university as equivalent, or having passed the M.Sc examination with physical anthropology, zoology or human biology with at least 50 per cent marks. The candidate is also required to have attended not less than 80 per cent of the full course of lecturers in each of the prescribed papers and 80 per cent of the periods assigned to practicals, recommended the faculty. The candidate will be examined in theory papers, practicals, viva voce and thesis. One or more research papers published by the candidate as the first author in a journal of repute may also be submitted in lieu of a thesis. A candidate who has already submitted and passed in the thesis submitted for M.Sc, Ph.D in anthropology, zoology or human biology will be exempted from submitting a fresh thesis. The faculty had requested the Vice-Chancellor to make necessary arrangements to start the course from the 1998-99 session. |
| Shake-up in UT police on cards by Prabhjot Singh Tribune News Service CHANDIGARH, July 26 — A change at the top echelons of the Chandigarh Police is on the cards as the Home Ministry is understood to have taken a serious view of "deteriorating law and order situation in the union territory." Besides naming a new Inspector-General, the ministry may extend the term of the present Senior Superintendent of Police by one year in deference to its earlier decision of allowing inter-state deputation of Mr CSR Reddy to Andhra Pradesh for two years at the end of his present term on August 17. While the ministry has not decided whether to accede the request of the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, of appointing Mr Sumed Singh Saini as the next Inspector-General of Police, or send someone from the UT cadre, a decision to recall the present incumbent, Mr R.P. Singh, has reportedly been taken. The local MP, Mr Satya Pal Jain, who is supporting Mr Badal's recommendation wants that a "competent Inspector-General of Police should be posted in Chandigarh, a nerve centre of two states besides being a union territory." |
| Edict does not bother us, says
Mr Hayer by Gobind Thukral Tribune News Service CHANDIGARH, July 26 — The Sikh leaders from the British Columbia in Canada who had been excommunicated by the Akal Takht chief Bhai Ranjit Singh feel that this would not affect them in any way. "We feel hurt the way the Akal Takht Jathedar has gone about it like a dictator, but we do not bother about this," says Mr Tara Singh Hayer , Editor of Indo Canadian Times, a Punjabi weekly published from Vancouver. Mr Hayer told TNS on the telephone from Canada that this approach of the Akal Takht Chief was akin to that of those who preached fundamentalism. "The hukamnama to tell the Sikh sangat to partake langar while sitting on the floor and not in chairs and on tables as is the practice in many gurdwaras in North America and other places is meant to advance the interests of those who want to see Sikhs as backward looking people," he added. He had been critic of "Khalistanis". There was anguish in the voice of this journalist whose newspaper according to some, sell some 50,000 copies every week in North America. He claimed that this was the highest circulation for a priced publication there. The hukamnama prohibits the Sikhs all over the world to buy or read this Indo Canadian Times. It was set up in 1978 and 10 years ago Mr Hayer was targeted by extremists and was badly wounded. His lower body is paralysed and he moves with the help of a wheel-chair. The late Chief Minister, Mr Beant Singh had honoured him for his brave writings as the best journalist of the year. The Akal Takht chief yesterday excommunicated six leaders. They are Giani Harkirat Singh, a former head granthi of an important gurdwara, Mr Balwant Singh Gill, president of a gurdwara at Surrey, Mr Jarnail Singh, senior vice president of the Khalsa Diwan, Mr Rattan Singh, president of the Akali Sikh Society, Vancouver, Mr Kashmir Singh, record secretary of the Khalsa Society, and Mr Hayer. They had refused to present themselves at Akal Takht yesterday as per the hukamnanma issued on June 25. The edict that day had declared them tankhaiya. They had taken the plea that the Sikh sangat of these gurdwaras had directed them not to go to Amritsar to appear before the Akal Takht chief. They were just obeying the dictates of the sangat which is supreme as per the Guru's order and the holy Sikh traditions. Also, they said that the langar being served to the sangat while sitting in chairs was approved some 70 years ago and if at all the present Jathedar wanted to change this, he should have asked for a sarbat Khalsa and then collected the heads of the five Takhts." This is no way. The jathedar , an appointee of the SGPC President and taking a salary just had two Takht jathedars and three head granthis to pronounce an already decided dictate. He wants once again the fundamentalists to capture gurdwaras and misuse offerings," Mr Hayer said. Mr Hayer said that ever since the news reached there, many Sikh leaders had met and discussed the issue. No one felt bothered. "What is this social, political and economic boycott of those who had been serving the people for such a long time. We know how to fight the fundamentalists here," Mr Hayer said. Another argument advanced by these Sikh leaders was that the gurdwaras in Canada were governed by the Societies Act of the British Columbia and other states and no outsider could dictate to them. Their funds were exempted from some taxes and were audited by the government. Dr Bahadur Singh Sidhu and Mr Mohinder Singh Pannu, spokesmen of the gurdwaras in Lower Mainland of British Columbia feel that the elections to the Abbotsford gurdwara body slated for next month would decide the issue and tell where these forces stood. In the gurdwara, some people had removed the chairs and tables night and a court there had ordered the elections to decide the issue. They also said that the Sikhs who participated in the gurdwara reform movement of 1920s and later the freedom movement had established as far back as last century and early this century that langar could be served while sitting in chairs. But there are certainly a good number of Sikhs in Canada who are not opposed to the hukamnama. Mr Didar Singh, from the United Kingdom feels that the issue should not have bothered anyone. "We have both arrangements in some gurdwaras. You can choose to sit and eat on the floor or use chairs and tables. The point is that langar is served to all in a pangat and in a democratic fashion. No distinctions," he said. |
| Dr Sansar Chandra honoured Tribune News Service CHANDIGARH, July 26 — Eminent author, Dr Sansar Chandra, was honoured with Vidyavachaspati Award by the Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, Prayag, in recognition of his service to the Hindi literature at a simple function at his residence in Sector 19 here today. The award, equivalent to D.Litt has been given to the 80-year-old author by one of the oldest literary organisation set up by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya in 1910 for his unparalleled efforts in enriching the language with his inimitable works, including translation of plays of Kalidasa, Bhasa and Bhavbooti. In addition to authoring nearly 50 books in different languages like Punjabi, Hindi and Dogri, he has received many awards, including the prestigious Shiromani Sahityakar Award of the Punjab Government. Besides during his long career as a teacher, he has produced as many as 68 Ph.Ds and 13 D Litts. The Financial Commissioner of Haryana, Mr Vishnu Bhagwan, who was the chief guest, said there was no match to the services rendered by Dr Chandra towards Hindi literature. Dr Chandra left no stone unturned in popularising the national language in northern as well as southern states. Describing Hindi as a link, Mr Bhagwan said it was unfortunate that the language has been politicised by certain vested interests, who created many misunderstandings about it. He urged the writers to revive the glory of the language and retrieve it from the quagmire of politics. Speaking on behalf of The Tribune group of newspapers, Mr Kamleshwar Sinha, Associate Editor, lauded the efforts of the Sammelan in encouraging the authors by honouring them. He said not many people knew that besides being a writer, Dr Chandra was an accomplished astrologer. Mr Balkrishan, a former Secretary of the Publication Bureau of the Panjab University, said the award was not an honour for the writer, but adoration of literature itself. Describing Dr Chandra as a finest human being and teacher, he said during his days at the university he never missed a single period which was an example of his dedication towards his work. Others who spoke on the occasion included Mr S.S. Prince and Dr S.N. Verma, President and General Secretary of the Private Colleges Association; respectively, Mr Jagmohan Chopra, Coordinator, Department of Correspondence Studies, PU; Mr Radhe Shyam Sharma, a senior journalist; Dr Vinod Pankaj of All India Radio and eminent writer Dr Indu Bali. |
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women defy helmet order, challaned Tribune News Service CHANDIGARH, July 26 — Female drivers and pillion riders left their male counterparts behind in traffic violations if data collected after the special drive launched by the Chandigarh Traffic Police yesterday is any indication. According to figures available here today, 65 women were challaned for driving two-wheelers without helmet as against 29 men. The corresponding figure for pillion riders was 342 and 211, respectively. As many as 719 car-owners were challaned for having sun control films on the windowpanes of their cars. The number of persons challaned were 1,547. The police said 48 vehicles were challaned for unauthorisedly installing red and blue lights on them. While 17 vehicles were challaned for overspeeding, three persons were booked for playing music at a high pitch. Moreover, 34 commercial vehicles were challaned for not carrying first-aid boxes. Similarly, two school buses were challaned for overloading. As many as 11 vehicles met the same fate for jumping red lights. The police said the driving licences of 1,021 persons were punched for various traffic violations. As many as 58 persons were issued challans for miscellaneous offences like not stopping when signalled by the police, wrong number plates and not stopping at the stop-line. Mr Davinder Singh Thakur, DSP (Traffic), said after yesterday's special drive, no major drive was likely to be launched soon. He said the routine checking of the vehicles would however, continue. The Chief Traffic Warden, Mr Amar Manchanda, informed that a special drive against driving the minors (16-18 years) would be launched tomorrow. He urged the parents of the this age group of children to let their children drive only two-wheelers of 50cc capacity, as driving the two-wheelers of higher capacity, even two-wheelers without gears, was against the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act. PANCHKULA: As many as 211 persons were challaned here today for violating various t raffic rules. The police said the main emphasis was on checking of the documents of vehicles and wearing of helmets. Punjab clarification on helmets An official spokesman of the Punjab Government clarified today that Sikh women had already been exempted from wearing of helmets. The spokesman said under Section 129 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, Sikhs wearing turbans had been exempted from the use of helmets while driving two-wheelers. Further, under that section power had been conferred upon the state governments to frame rules to provide exemptions as they thought fit. He said in exercise of these powers, the Punjab Government had framed the Punjab Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989. Under Rule 193, exemption from wearing helmets had been given to the Sikh women, he added. |
| Plea
to make police humane Tribune News Service CHANDIGARH, July 26 — Dr Joginder Dayal, secretary of the Punjab State Council of the Communist Part of India, has urged the chairman of the committee for the implementation of the recommendations of the National Police Commission, Mr J.F. Ribeiro, to make the police accountable, humane and people-oriented. For the past two days, Mr Ribeiro along with other members of the committee, has been meeting senior leaders of political parties, senior police officers, civil servant and Chief Ministers of Punjab and Haryana to enlist their views to improve the functioning and image of the police in the country. Besides, Mr Ribeiro is also reviewing the action taken by the Union Territory administration, and Punjab and Haryana governments regarding the implementation of the recommendations of the National Police Commission, the Law Commission, the National Human Rights Commission and the Vohra Committee. He has also circulated a questionaire to all concerned with regard to the police functioning in the country. Dr Dayal said he had urged to improve the working conditions of the police personnel and sought eight hours' duty and allowances for over-time done by them. Modern methods of investigation should be introduced while the third-degree methods should be abandoned, he added. Dr Dayal said the nexus between the police and politicians should be broken and a national security commission should be set up to supervise the postings and transfers of top police officers in the Centre and states. Members of all political parties should be included in it, he said. The important questions in the questionaire circulated by the committee included: Do you agree that the police forces are becoming less professional and more politicised; Do you think that the investigative branch of the police should be separated from the law and order wing to ensure that investigation of crime is given exclusive and undiluted attention; Do you view the police act of 1861 as outdated and requiring replacement to meet the rising expectations of people? |
| Chandigarh Calling It is the challaning season for not wearing a helmet, for putting a black film on one's car or for using red light unauthorisedly. Authorities concerned in Punjab and Haryana as well as the Union Territory of Chandigarh have also been warning the owners of trucks, buses and cars to get their pollution level checked to escape challaning. Unfortunately, 70 per cent of the pollution is caused through State Roadways buses and equally ill-maintained fleets of "sarkari" cars and the government is not doing anything about them. Those concerned with challaning are anxious to bring to book the owners/drivers of cars who do not possess the required pollution check certificates. One wonders whether the offence is caused by not possessing the certificate or by emissions from the vehicles. Due note should be taken if the vehicles are not causing any pollution irrespective of the fact whether the vehicle owners possess the certificates or not. Otherwise, the signal would be to pay to the authorities concerned for procuring the certificate even if the vehicle pollutes the environment. It is also worth finding out why authorities in different territories have a different validity for the certificates of pollution check they possess. For example, a car owner who gets his vehicle checked for pollution control in Chandigarh is issued a certificate valid for six months. But if he happens to travel to Delhi at the end of the first three months, he is promptly challaned by the Delhi Administration which holds any certificate for pollution check valid only for three months. Interestingly, the certificate issued by the Delhi Administration described as valid for three months is also treated as invalid in the Union Territory of Chandigarh at the end of three months irrespective of the fact that it considers its own certificate valid for six months. Good show Overcrowding is an integral part of all stage shows here. The annual-function-cum-fashion show organised by the National Institute of Fashion Design at a hotel in Panchkula last week was no different. There were far more viewers than chairs and those at the rear hardly got to see the ramp — except those who made a pile of chairs to stand on. Ultimately, most people rushed forward to stand behind the chairs in the front section. But the show proper was worth all the trouble. It was competently choreographed and presented. Models were stunning; and the dresses designed by NIFD faculty and students were unique, eye-catching and even functional. The road to the hotel on the banks of the Ghaggar was too narrow to take all the traffic. There was the inevitable jam, which took long to clear. Those who dared to cross through the bed of the rivulet nearby found their vehicles stalled in the wet stand. Lucky there was no rain. Better late... While the Haryana Government had fixed the budget presentation time at 4.30 p.m. on July 21 in the State Vidhan Sabha in view of the time slot allotted to it by Doordarshan which had agreed to telecast the same for one hour on that day, a newsman remarked that this was very late for the newsmen to file stories to their papers, particularly those who had to do so for the national press. To this, a bureaucrat replied: "Don't bother about the delay of a few hours in the presentation of the budget. Remember the budget is being presented late not by four hours but by a few months as earlier the government presented a vote-on-account". Sublet houses While a large number of Haryana Government employees are in the queue for allotment of government houses, there are several others who have been allotted government houses in Setor 39 in Chandigarh and in Panchkula but are not living in these houses. Perhaps, to make up for the modest house rents being paid to them, they have further sublet these houses at market rates so that they earn not only by way of salaries but also by way of rent received on account of government accommodation allotted to them. A number of employees have in a representation to the Ministers for Public Health and PWD (B&R) given the details of houses whose allottees have further sublet their houses. In fact, the complaint is not a protest against unauthorised subletting but against the manner in which the unauthorised occupants, particularly those belonging to the police department, behave with them and others in the area. Shifting policy It was amusing to find the Finance Minister of Haryana Mr Charan Dass Shorewala, describe the revival of the new excise policy as a step towards the strengthening of the State's economy, which would now make it possible for the State Government to implement its development programmes during the current financial year. In fact, the Finance Minister of the same government led by the Haryana Vikas Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party had earlier indirectly blamed the State's excise policy for the financial crunch that the government w as facing because of the introduction of prohibition as part of fulfilment of its election promises soon after the alliance was hoisted to power in July, 1996. Thus, it was the excise policy of the government which created bankruptcy at one stage and became a source of strength at the other, thanks to its shifting excise policy. Just a favour Although the practice of having zero hour immediately after question hour in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha does not appear to have any official sanctity, this has been giving the members of the Assembly, particularly those belonging to the opposition parties, an opportunity to raise any issue of concern to the people on a priority basis. Finding the going tough, the Speaker of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, Mr Chhattar Pal Singh, told the members of the State Vidhan Sabha on Wednesday that the provision of zero hour had been allowed as a favour to the members who could use it for constructive purposes and this could be withdrawn if they so desired. This he said had not been provided in the rule book of the House. The Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, also rose to confirm that zero hour had no official sanction. Room at top Winning top positions seems to be a habit with Neha Bansal, the topper of the entrance test for MBBS conducted by Panjab University this year. Neha earned the eighth position in the Punjab medical entrance test conducted by Punjabi University, Patiala. She is placed 38th in the examination of the Manipal Academy of Higher Education, 40th in the MBBS examination conducted by Maharshi Dayanand University and 124th in the entrance test of the CBSE. She secured 92.6 per cent in her matriculation and 89.8 in her plus two examinations. No mean achievements these. Two scholarships A local girl has done the city proud by winning two prestigious journalism scholarships while studying at Columbia University (USA). Suchita received scholarships of $ 1000 for the Overseas Press Club Foundation and 3000 for the New York Financial Writers' Association. She has completed her masters degree in journalism and will continue her studies at the University's school of International and Public Affairs. Suchita did her Bachelor's degree in Mass Communication from Panjab University. She topped the university in MA (English). |
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