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| Friday,
June 8, 2001, Chandigarh, India
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SPECIAL STORY Chandigarh, June 7 It may be mentioned here that last year, the Union Health Ministry had scrapped the PGI's plan to buy a spiral CT scan machine after it came to know that the institute had placed an order for the machine which never existed. Soon after that once again the institute started the process afresh to procure the machine. But this time also the process has been delayed without much justification. "After approval by the Standing Purchase Committee, it should not take more than eight to 10 weeks to initiate the process," says a doctor. A CT scan machine had been a long-standing demand of the PGI Radiology Department. The department actually has two machines. However, one of the machines has been out of order now for a long time. On May 8, the second machine also went out of order for the second time this year, leaving hundreds of patients at the mercy of private CT scan operators. Considering the fact that the PGI is the only health institution in the city which offers this facility, patients often have to depend on the four private centres operating in the city. Moreover, a breakdown poses problems specially in emergency cases. Doctors also blame the long and tedious purchase procedures for causing unnecessary delays in the purchase of vital equipment. "The purchase procedure is so tedious and time consuming that between placing of the demand by the department and actual procurement, the equipment ordered gets outdated. And the PGI actually lands up buying old technology at high prices," they add. While discussions had been going on for long, the PGI Technical Specifications Committee had evaluated technical aspects of the various CT scanners and high-powered x-ray machines on January 17 last. After comparing the rates, the matter was finally approved by the Special Purchase Committee in March. Long purchase procedures followed by the institute have been forcing doctors to work without the equipment even when money has been sanctioned in the plan. Doctors allege that many times planned grant is returned and the money remains underutilised. When contacted, officials said that they had already placed an order for a new CT scan machine. This will cost about Rs 1 crore and is expected to be received soon. |
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PGI rectifying salary ‘slip’ Chandigarh, June 7 A PGI official said: “Soon after the recording of statements, the PGI will the penalise the erring officials. It will also try to get back the part of the money that was deposited with the Income Tax Department.” Meanwhile, sources alleged that the PGI officials were delaying the probe in view of a stiff resistance from the staff over the issue. In the past three months, most of the files related to the inquiry being conducted by the PGI Vigilance Department have virtually stopped moving from one table to another. After realising that they had been paying salary to a person who had resigned five years ago, the erring officials had committed another blunder by withdrawing the amount from the bank account of the nurse without her consent. The PGI Vigilance Department had recorded the statements of officials of the PGI branch of the State bank of India, who had admitted that they had made a mistake by allowing the withdrawal. In this regard, the PGI Director had asked the PGI Financial Adviser to explain the cause of the negligence. Ms Kurien had resigned from her job in April 1994 and gone abroad. She had even paid a month’s salary to the PGI for leaving before the expiry of the notice period. The Accounts Department and the Office of the Medical Superintendent did not notice that an employee who was not on their rolls was still receiving a salary. “Nobody checked her attendance records while issuing her salary slips all these years,” said the PGI official. |
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PM may intervene in Punjab-Haryana disputes Chandigarh, June 7 On hydroelectric projects and other related issues, a meeting was held in Shimla recently, where the three Chief Secretaries held discussions. The Governors of both Punjab and Haryana harp on the inter-state issues each time they deliver their customary inaugural address in the Assemblies. And each time political parties on either side make claims and counter-claims and the matter slowly fades out of the media. In this context, a senior Akali leader, requesting anonymity, told TNS today that the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, had been apprised of these issues. He was keen that the states resolve their inter-state problems among themselves. After he recovers from the knee replacement surgery, there is a strong possibility of the Prime Minister intervening to resolve the territorial and water disputes. ‘’Some ground work is in progress’’. This was revealed in the course of exchange of views on Punjab’s pending issues with the Centre. Thus, what the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash
Chautala, said at Jadiar, a village 15 km from Yamunanagar, on June 6, is significant. He wants the Centre to bring all rivers within its purview, setting up mega hydel plants to distribute power and water to various states as per their needs, enabling the state governments to focus on other social welfare projects. He also endorsed the project prepared by a former Union Minister of Water Resources, Mr
K.L. Rao, suggesting the inter-linking of all rivers. This should be considered in the larger interest of India which faced floods and drought, remarked Mr
Chautala. Both Mr Badal and Mr Chautala had jointly met the Prime Minister on the pricing of foodgrains and getting economic relief for the farmers of the two states. Therefore, the possibility of the two first reaching some broad understanding on the contentious issues without hurting the political sensibilities of their constituents in their respective states is not completely ruled out. Thereafter, the Prime Minister could be expected to step in. While Mr Chautala still has an extra mile to go, Punjab is already on the election track. Recounting what the Centre, primarily due to personal interest and intervention of Mr Vajpayee, had done for Punjab’s agriculture and economic development, the Akali leader said at the next round of talks between the Prime Minister (including the Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani) and the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, stress would be laid on issues pertaining to the Sikhs like the upkeep of gurdwaras in Pakistan. This, Punjab was keen, should be discussed with the visiting Chief Executive of Pakistan, Gen Pervez Musharraf. The earlier meeting on the Sikh agenda was inconclusive. Regarding the issue of ‘’blacklisted’’ Sikhs abroad, the earlier list of the Home Ministry had 1,700 names. Now only 198 remained to be screened. ‘’Our stand is clear. Those NRI Sikhs that the Centre perceives as a potential threat may be kept under watch. We are not pleading for the wrong people’’, he added. |
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Traffic police drives spin out of control Chandigarh, June 7 The police had launched numerous drives with much aplomb in the past few months. However, reportedly shortage of staff forced the police to go back to its normal enforcement duty and it was unable to keep up with the original tempo. During the past couple of months, at least six special drives launched by the city traffic police met with a similar fate. Over the period of the past three months, the police launched special drives to check
overspeeding, underage driving, use of black films on cars, overloading of vehicles used for commuting school children, against rickshaw-pullers and to check two wheeler drivers without helmets. Though all these drives were launched with much fanfare and publicity, after a day or two of being launched, the traffic cops were reportedly forced to go back to the normal enforcement duty or for setting up the VIP route alerts in the city. Thus, the traffic violations continued unabashed. Underage driving outside schools as well as non-compliance of the High Court directions regarding the safety measures to be adopted by school buses continued after the special drive by the traffic police was called off. Cycle rickshaws continued to ply in the city by violating the Chandigarh Cycle Rickshaw By-Laws. This was despite the fact that the traffic police had recently organised a massive rally in order to create awareness among rickshaw-pullers about these by-laws. Overspeeding by drivers, especially in the southern sectors of the city continued — because of shortage of the traffic staff posted in these sectors. This was again despite the fact that the police had recently launched a special drive to check this violation as well. The problem of parking of vehicles in most commercial hubs of the city still remained unsolved. Allegedly after 8 pm the traffic cops were rarely seen in most of the southern sectors despite the fact that they had recently launched a drive to start night patrolling. Shortage of staff also ensured that no challans were issued for crossing the yellow line at the traffic light points. As also the number of challans issued for drivers smoking or using mobile phones while on the road were also quite less for similar reasons. Police sources said that more than 50 per cent of the staff in the city traffic police was deployed for the VIP route alert each day. As a result, the traffic police personnel were deployed only at strategic points and there was little staff left for the enforcement duty. The city traffic police has a total strength of 272 personnel, including four inspectors, nine sub-inspectors, six assistant sub-inspectors, 35 head constables, 114 constables, 94 home guards and 10 women constables. Other than the VIP route alerts, personnel were deployed for duty in administrative staff, MHC staff,
computer/challaning staff, in the accident cell, as summoning staff and as reader staff. The Traffic personnel were also deployed for the 11 mobile patrols on motor cycles, two recovery vans, a crane and a Tata 407 vehicle. As against this, at least three to four route alerts were set up each day- considering the large number of VIPs from the states of Punjab and Haryana and also from the city. Each time either of the Governors or the Chief Ministers had to move out in the city, a majority of the traffic police staff had to be stationed along the route. Sources maintained that at such times only 80 to 85 personnel were deputed for the enforcement duty and that, too, at the strategic places near the traffic light points, diverting routes and slow way carriages on the Madhya Marg etc. Other than the Madhya Marg, the presence of the traffic police personnel was reportedly minimal elsewhere. The DSP (Traffic), Mr Vijay Pal Singh, when contacted, denied that they were unable to keep up with the tempo after the drive was launched. ‘‘ Whenever a drive is launched, a number of violators are challaned so as to ensure that the message goes across to the public to adhere to the rules and regulations,’’ he added. |
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Drive to check drunken driving Chandigarh, June 7 The police will challan violators under sections 185 of the Motor Vehicle Act, wherein they can be sentenced to six months of imprisonment and Rs 2000 as fine. Meanwhile, in a special drive today, the traffic police set up four nakas in different parts of the city in order to check if the residents were adhering to the rules and regulations. Cops in plain clothes were stationed at four light points in the city in order to check whether drivers were adhering to the traffic rules and regulations. The cops would inform then the cops stationed at the next light point about these violators , who were then nabbed. The DSP (Traffic), Mr Vijay Pal Singh, said that the cops in plain clothes were stationed at different places. |
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Deploy excess press staff elsewhere, says Jacob Chandigarh, June 7 The UT Secretary for Printing and Stationery, Mr
G.K. Marwah, told the Administrator that a proposal for the rationalisation of the staff in various sections had been prepared. An exercise to identify the surplus staff in each section was underway. Gen Jacob told Mr Marwah to ensure that the service conditions of the redeployed staff remained unchanged and nobody was retrenched. He also told Mr Marwah to ensure that the services of the redeployed staff were utilised productively. The Administrator said he was shocked to know that 158 persons worked in the binding section alone and the stitching and binding was done manually there. He asked the Secretary to find a way to reduce the strength of binders from 158 to at least 25 and introduce automatic binding machines to speed up the work. General Jacob directed Mr Marwah to reduce the expenditure on overheads to one third of the present. He said the press would have to be economically viable to survive. He also suggested phasing out of obsolete worker-intensive printing machines, introduction of punch-card system for taking attendance and improving the security of documents printed in the press. The purpose of the General’s visit was to review the improvements in the press since his last surprise inspection. General Jacob was happy to see that the attendance had improved, but observed that the staff strength could be reduced. The Administrator asked Mr Marwah to speed up the process of setting up a committee for identifying the old and useless machinery. Mr Gurmail Singh, Controller of Printing and Stationery, told the Administrator that an order for a scanner, six computers and eight Gestetner machines had already been placed. Gen Jacob expressed concern over the recent incident of the loss of CTU tickets worth Rs 1.20 lakh from the press. He said the security at the press needed to be tightened. He asked the Controller to fix responsibility for the earlier loss and take a suitable action. The Administrator said the press should get a punch-card attendance system within this month and suitable action should be taken against absentees. |
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Today’s MCC meeting
crucial for Mayor Chandigarh, June 7 It may be recalled that the house has been adjourned repeatedly for the past few months now because of continued disruption of the meetings. The BJP councillor had been demanding clarifications from the Mayor on some charges levelled against him. Besides the councillor on the opposition have also been demanding clarifications on the allegations Mr Goyal had made against the previous Mayors, all belonging to the BJP. During the last meeting of the House, the Mayor had announced that a special agenda would be included in the next meeting in which the much-publicised Divya Yog Temple assault issue and the illegal constructions in Mani Majra would be discussed. It is learnt that the Chandigarh Administration had taken serious note of the continued disruption of the working of the corporation and had even threatened to dissolve the House. |
SPECIAL STORY Chandigarh, June 7 According to sources, the contest for the top market post is likely to be direct with the ruling and the opposition groups deciding on their candidates. While the ruling group had decided to field Mr Charanjiv Singh, a founder member, who was general secretary in the last executive, the opposition group will field Mr Jagdish Arora. Mr Arora had unsuccessfully contested the election last time also against Mr Inder Lal Batra, who died on March 23 this year. With both the groups holding secret meetings with their supporters, the dinner diplomacy has started. The ruling group held a meeting at a local hotel last night and finally cleared the name of Mr Charanjiv Singh for the post. Earlier, the names of Mr Purshottam Mahajan and Mr
B.K. Sood were also being circulated as the possible candidates. The other group is also holding secret meetings and had already agreed on the name of Mr Arora, the sources said. It may be mentioned here that the election to the CBM chief’s post had become inevitable following the death of Batra. Since the CBM constitution nowhere mentions as to what arrangement should be made after the death of the president, the current executive had virtually become defunct. The president nominates the executive after his election. The sources pointed out that the Chairman of the
CBM, Mr Joginder Singh Sawhney, was likely to announce the schedule of the election in a few days following which the election activity would gain momentum. Though a non-political body, the political importance of the CBM cannot be denied, particularly in the context of the ensuing elections to the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh
(MCC). And with the Chandigarh Administration going in for major building bylaws amendments, the role of the CBM assumes more importance in the changed scenario. The CBM is the largest representative body of the city traders and approximately 136 members are eligible to vote for the post of the CBM president. |
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MURDER MILES Chandigarh This junction, also known as the Railway Light Point because of the traffic lights installed there, also marks the take-off point of the highway to Shimla. All these factors combine to make this road junction the busiest intersection in the city and at the same time highly prone to accidents. Two major accidents have taken place at this crossing so far this year, causing serious injuries to three persons. In one of these accidents two persons were injured when their scooter was hit by an auto-rickshaw at about 10 p.m. According to official estimates, on an average three minor accidents take place at this junction every day, mostly during rush hours (8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.). Heavy vehicles from the Transport Area and the Industrial Area, and light vehicles from Mani
Majra, Panchkula and the peripheral areas of the Railway Station, tend to mingle at this crossing. And about 50,000 vehicles leave Panchkula in the morning for the city and return to the satellite town in the evening. Buses and trucks bound for Shimla also crowd this crossing. At the same time, a large number of daily wage earners on their way to work on cycles have to pass through this point. With bus drivers unwilling to let the slow moving traffic pass, accidents involving cycle rickshaws, cycles and scooters have become a common
occurrence. A couple of weeks ago, a woman scooterist was seriously injured when her scooter was hit by a bus at this point. The scooterist was trying to overtake a long row of buses ahead of her, when she was hit. Traffic coming along the highway, not realising that they have reached city limits, often fails to slow down. Indecision on the part of some drivers about which road to take also sometimes leads to accidents. A number of traffic policemen are posted here to manage the almost chaotic traffic of buses and trucks, but things have hardly changed even though four-laning of this road has been of help to a large extent. |
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Probe
sought into overspending by PUDA SAS Nagar, June 7 Demanding a vigilance probe into the overspending, the council said work to check erosion by a seasonal rivulet, carrying sewage discharge of Chandigarh and this town, could have been done at a much lesser cost. The Quality Control and Engineering Wing of the council said that by placing stone crates on the choe bed had resulted in the blocking of the natural flow and depositing of waste material in stone voids and this deposited sullage was creating unhygenic conditions in the area. Mr A.D.S. Anandpuri, Chairman of the council, said lining in place of stone boulders could have prevented depositions and check seepage of dirty water. The council said one-month notice would be given to PUDA to explain its stand on the wastage of funds failing which a public interest litigation (PIL) would be filed in the court. Retired engineers with the council said the realignment of the |Leisure Valley choe under the recently inaugurated foot bridge was technically wrong as during monsoons the choe would revive its natural course. It
may be pertinent to mention here that Citizens Welfare Council has
already taken PUDA, Pollution Control Board, Chandigarh Administration
and other government departments to the court under the Environment (
Protection) Act, 1986, for throwing untreated sullage in the choe. |
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Orientation
programme for SBI officials Panchkula, June 7 Mr Kakkar was on his visit to the centre. Mr Kakkar also planted a sapling. Mr Kakkar urged the newly promoted officers to be good leaders. Mr
Hameda Z. Agha, DGM, informed that the orientation programme was first
of its kind, slated to make the newly promoted officers aware of their
role and responsibilities. |
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Bhagvadgita course concludes Chandigarh, June 7 The course was conducted by H.G. Kamalalochan Dasa Prabhu from ISKCON, Mumbai, “We run after the materialist world and as a result attain lust, anger, passion, ego, etc which are the route causes of all evils”, says Kamalalochan Dasa Prabhu. He appealed to the youths to adopt the path of spiritualism which was the real source of happiness and peace. The topics dealt with in the course included: “Introduction to Bhagvadgita”, “Difference between human life and animal”, “The science of soul”, “Material nature, “Time and theory of karma “, “Gyan yoga, karam yoga, dhyan yoga and bhakti yoga”, “Bhakti yoga is the supreme yoga”, “Practical application of Bhagvadgita in day-to-day life”. |
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Rain,
duststorm lash city Chandigarh, June 7 The day-time temperature was recorded at 29.6°C, 10 degrees below normal, for this time of the year. The humidity level was as high as 86 per cent, making city residents sweat. The local met office said rain had occurred due to cyclonic circulation over Haryana and Rajasthan. The
Director of the local met office, Mr S.C. Bhan, said the conditions
were nothing unusual and last summer was also like this. |
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Banda Bahadur
heritage park Chandigarh, June 7 According to a press note issued here today, eminent scholars, including Dr Gurdarshan Singh and Mr Harvinder Singh Khalsa, will deliver the lectures on the occasion. Meanwhile, a team of the Punjab Heritage Foundation, consisting of Prof G.S. Shergill, Mr Amarjeet Singh, Mr Khalsa and Mr P.L. Kaler visited historical places associated with Baba Banda Singh Bahadur in Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. The heritage foundation team visited Lohgarh-Mukhlispur, the erstwhile capital city of Banda Singh Bahadur, where he issued first Sikh coin in 1711-12, to explore the possibilities of developing them into “heritage memorials.” |
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Cop
caught with woman Chandigarh, June 7 According to sources, the constable and another person brought a woman in the house at about 5 p.m. Someone from the neighborhood informed the police control room. According
to local residents, the police constable was inside a room with the
woman while the other person was sitting outside. When the police
reached the spot, it had to knock the door for ‘‘quite some time’’
before the room was opened by the constable. A resident of the area, who claimed to have accompanied the police to the room, said that he saw the woman and the constable were in the process of putting back their clothes on. The two men and the woman were taken to the Sector 11 police station. But later they were let off after identification. Police
sources admitted that one of the two men was a Chandigarh Police
constable but denied of him being involved in any immoral act.
According to sources, the woman was known to the constable and she had
approached him for some financial help. No senior police official was
available for comments. |
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Police ‘abetting’ flesh trade Chandigarh, June 7 In a complaint to the UT Inspector-General of Police, the association alleged that the local police was in collusion with certain people involved in flesh trade. |
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‘Re-employ
sacked Home Guards jawans’ Chandigarh, June 7 In
a memorandum to the UT Home Secretary, a former President of the BJP,
Mr Jai Ram Joshi, demanded that the terminated volunteers should be
given preference in the process of recruitment which was going to be
held tomorrow. |
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FENG
SHUI TIPS Mostly, people have trees in front of
their houses. I have found many persons cutting trees because these
are near main door. They believe that having a tree in front of the
house is like having that a wall blocks good luck. They think they
have a solid good reason to get the tree cut. People believe having a tree in front of their main door will and can, block their career. I personally feel all depends on the tree. If the tree radiates beauty, there is nothing wrong with it; if it causes gloom, something should be done. One thing I am sure of. you cannot cut a tree to neutralise its influence on the house. I suggest that one should prune the tree properly so that sunshine can stream through its branches. If
one thinks that pruning is not sufficient, one can entwine fairy
lights among the branches or install outdoor spotlights that are
positioned to shine upward through the tree. One of the top remedies
is enough to neutralise the tree’s influence on the people living in
that particular house. Believe me, this works. I never want to cut
down a tree that is opposite one’s house.
Harshna Address your Feng Shui queries
to: |
Theft cases in city Chandigarh, June 7 In another case of theft, Rs 2500 and gold and silver ornaments were reportedly stolen from a house in Sector 46 yesterday. A case under section 380 of the IPC has been registered. Burglary: A wooden door, tools, machine instruments etc. were stolen between May 30 and June 6 from Phase I, Industrial Area, after breaking open the door of the plot. A case under Sections 457 and 380 of the IPC has been registered. One hurt: Ms Ajit Pal Kaur was hit by a car in Sector 38 West yesterday. The car driver fled from the spot. A case under Sections 279 and 337 of the IPC has been registered. Man assaulted: Mr Jatinder Singh was assaulted by Ajit Singh and Mastan Singh late last night. A case under Sections 323, 324, 342 and 34 of the IPC has been registered.  |
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SGPC member booked
in cheating case Panchkula, June 7 The company has alleged that the accused has lodged a false complaint that his car was stolen from the parking lot outside Pallavi restaurant. A Maruti Zen (CH-01-V-0979) was registered in the name of an alleged militant, Navdeep Singh, and Tata Sumo (HR-42D-0041) was registered in the name of Ravinder Singh. The police said that both vehicles were exchanged by their owners and had fake registration numbers. The Tata Sumo was found abandoned in Sector 27 in Chandigarh on May 28. The insurance company has alleged that the accused, Amrinder and Ravinder, had failed to pay the instalments of the vehicles and were dodging the police and financers. The Panchkula police has arrested Ravinder Singh, while his accomplice, Amrinder Singh, has absconded. A case of cheating against Amrinder Singh was registered at the Sector 5 police station here today. |
Air-India’s courtesy campaign Chandigarh, June 7 Aimed at reorienting efforts to focus on customer care and upgrading quality of service, employees in sales, reservations, airports and inflight have been directed to serve passengers with renewed enthusiasm. During the “People First” week, Air-India’s sales personnel will call on top customers for the business they have given to the airline in the past and to seek commitment for future business. |
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