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| Saturday,
March 15, 2003, Chandigarh, India
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MC officials seize more ‘unhygienic' meat Chandigarh, March 14 The Mayor of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation today ordered the MOH wing to constitute a five-member team of sanitary officials for daily routine checking of meat shops. The decision has come in the wake of 'unhygienic' meat seized from five meat shops in the city on Thursday evening followed by continuous raids that led to the seizure of 1.5 quintals of 'unhygienic' meat, late today, evening. As per the details available, on an average of 150 goats/pigs were being slaughtered daily, in the MC slaughter house as against the estimated requirement of atleast 1200 goats/pigs. The MC records show that 70 licensed and 36 other meat shops that had applied for obtaining licence were engaged in the sale of meat in the city. "Going by the statistics, it was quite obvious that the rest of the 70 per cent requirement of city was being fulfilled from unauthorised slaughter houses of
outside areas,” said a senior MC official. The official also said that there were reports of beef being illegally brought from Saharanpur for limited customers in the city. Raids were conducted in this regard at Burail village but the persons engaged in this illegal business managed to escape just few minutes before the raids were conducted, added the official. It may be mentioned that the beef was earlier recovered from Burail village, early last year and subsequently, a case was registered against the person involved in illegal business. But after six months he got bail and was again reportedly said to be involved in the same business. Today’s raids were conducted in Janta Colony of Sector-25, Daddu Majra, Bapu Dham Colony, Sector-15 and Faidan village. One and a half quintals of meat slaughtered unauthorisedly was seized and seven unauthorised meat shops were challaned. The Mayor did not rule out the possibility of unauthorised meat being sold in connivance with MC officials. He said that the information of raids was leaked from the MC to many meat shop owners who had immediately cut the animals into pieces, making it almost impossible for the officials to check the slaughter house stamp. Mr Chawla admitted that there were major drawbacks in the meat bye-laws. “One could easily bring unauthorised meat in pieces from outside areas and sell in the city. The stamp could not be identified at all,” he added. He has demanded from the local administration to write to the Punjab and Haryana governments to shut down illegal slaughter houses operating around Chandigarh. |
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12 hotels served notices Chandigarh, March 14 Disclosing this to the TNS, Mayor Subash Chawla said that the Public Health wing has also challaned eight hotels for creating insanitary conditions. The hotels that have been served notices include -Rikhy's International, Kapil, Sher-e-Punjab Shangrila Plus, Maya Palace, Regency, Khyber, The Piccadily-35, Monarch, GK International, Lorry and KC Residency.
TNS |
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Red alert sounded in region Chandigarh, March 14 The security in the city has been beefed up with additional police force from its different units being deployed on patrolling in sensitive areas. Station House Officers (SHO), the head of the security wing, the intelligence wing and other wings have been asked to coordinate to maintain law and order in the city. DSPs and SHOs have been asked to intensify patrolling. A special watch is being kept at the railway station and bus stands in the city. A special checking would be undertaken at the Sector 17 and Sector 43 ISBT tomorrow. |
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Discos may serve liquor from April 1 Chandigarh, March 14 Liquor is allowed in the discos in Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai, so Chandigarh should also not lag behind, has been the argument of disco owners. With the city turning cosmopolitan, disco owners have been requesting the Administration for permission to serve liquor as the demand for it has been soaring. Already several checks are in place in discos as the owners do not allow entry of single males. This means a male has to be accompanied by a woman if he loves to dance. This will also prevent the disco from turn into drinking tavern. So from April 1, youngsters can have the drink of their choice when dancing. The Administration is yet to work out the modalities. This include proper lighting for bars and earmarked areas for consuming the liquor within the discos. On the other hand, there is a lobby that feels that at present with no liquor being served in the discos only a small percentage of youth drink and come for dancing. With liquor being freely available inside the discos, the percentage of drinkers will rise and also result in more brawls. In any case several of youths consume liquor on sly while sitting in the parking lots outside the discos. |
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Privatisation
of sanitation okayed Chandigarh, March 14 Disclosing this to Chandigarh Tribune, Mayor Subash Chawla said it was unanimously decided by the members of the F&CC at a meeting held here today to give the contract of sanitation work, particularly garbage collection, to a single contractor on the condition of providing employment to at least 700 local residents at the minimum wages recommended by the Union Government. The salary would have to be paid through cheque or draft. The meeting of the F&CC, that lasted for more than five hours, resulted in a unanimous view that multiple contracts of garbage collection had failed in the city, with garbage piling up, leading to unhygienic conditions. The F&CC also decided to constitute two sub-committees of councillors and technical experts to prepare bids for the contract and regular inspection of the work. It was finalised that the contractor would have to purchase five tractor-trolleys, 300 wheel-barrows and 250 handcarts within 15 days of getting the contract. Mr Chawla said, “The contractor has to ensure that a minimum of 12 handcarts are reserved for each sector, with the contractor’s name, telephone number and complaint office address written on them. The labourers engaged in garbage collection will have to be in uniform. Sweeping of V-6 roads and lanes and collection of carcasses, green hedges and dry leaves will also have to be carried out.” Ms Anu Chatrath, member of the F&CC, said the contractor would have to collect all kinds of household waste except ‘malba’ and clean all open drains of colonies and villages. “With the implementation of this scheme, about 250 labourers presently working in these areas will become surplus. However, they will be deployed in other sectors to improve sanitary conditions,” she added. Revised terms and conditions for the disposal of commercial property were also approved by the F&CC. As per the amendments, it was made mandatory for F&CC members to be present at the site of auction to ensure the smooth auctioning process. The reserve price would have to be mentioned in the advertisement prior to the auction. Mr Chawla further said the amendments also included that the bid-sheet of every auction would have to be prepared on the spot and get it approved by the F&CC. A formula was approved to increase or decrease the reserve price of the units to be auctioned. The 10 per cent increase in reserve price would be calculated on the basis of the average price of the last three years. |
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Cheers for Kaif, Dravid Chandigarh, March 14 Others gathered around the television sets placed in front of the shops as Kaif and Dravid slammed the ball hard in an attempt to pull the team out of the situation they had landed themselves in. Till about five in the evening, a large number of residents were simply convinced of the fact that there was nothing to be serious about the contest. So, while the cricket buffs sat in front of the television sets watching the game closely, others simply left the cozy comfort of their residence to enjoy the evening. The presence of so many window shoppers in Sector 15, 17 and 22 was a testimony to this effect. This was not all. For once, even the office goers did not cancel the late evening appointments. Nor did they look for excuses to rush out in the "field" for watching the match on the pretext of "some urgent work". The reason for their initial "indifference" was not hard to see. India had already made it to the semi-finals after defeating teams like Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Were scheduled to tackle Kenya in the big match before entering the finals. Victory or loss in their match against New Zealand was important for the team's confidence. Nothing else. This was not all. The Kiwis had performed "far below expectation". Had certainly not played like the team that had defeated the Indians just before the World Cup. They had managed to pile up an unimpressive score of 146. Twinkling star of the Indian team Sachin Tendulkar and Bengal tiger Saurav Ganguly would be able to bat India all the way to victory without much trouble, they were sure. Little wonder, except for the buffs, no one else was taking the match seriously. For a change, even the students went back to the study for going through their notes, instead of watching the action. But then, the things did not go the way everyone had expected. The three `S' —
Sehwag, Sachin and Saurav — walked out of the field without contributing much to the total score. As the news about their return to the pavilion reached the residents out in the offices, and in the markets, through the mobile phones, one question started bothering them — would the entire team crumble like a castle of cards? Well, they had little to be worried about as Kaif and Dravid took control of the situation. Soon after the country won its last match of the "Super Six", the residents stood up to applaud. |
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Two die as truck rams into tree Lalru, March 14 According to eyewitnesses, two truck occupants Gian Singh of Harigarh Kingar
village, Kaithal, and Karnail Singh of Budhpur village, Patiala, were crushed to death while Sukhdev Singh, truck driver, sustained serious injuries. The truck driver reportedly lost control over the vehicle while overtaking a scooter. A couple, Surjit Singh and Neena of Tarkar
village, who were on a scooter, were also injured. Their one- month-old child was unhurt. Mr Karan Sher Singh, SHO, Lalru, along with some police personnel reached the spot and extricated the bodies after breaking open the doors of the truck with the help of iron rods. As there was no crane available, it took over an hour for the police in extricating the body of Karnail Singh. Cases have been registered at the Lalru police station. |
Muharram observed Chandigarh, March 14 The day, Ashura, (tenth day of Muharram is the holiest day of the year for Shia and is observed with solemn mourning and tazia processions. A tazia is the replica of the tomb of Imam Hussain The procession started from Sector 29 and passed through Sector 27, 18, 19, 20 and Sector 30. It was lead by the president National Muslim Welfare Movement Mohammed Shakir, Chairman Gohar Ali Sabri, president Jamil Ahmad and secretary Nazmul Islam. The Chief Khalifa, Habibulla Sabri, offered Niaz. All along the way, chhabils had been set up. Kichra was distributed among the devotees and gatkha was performed by children and veterans. Mohammed Shakir, appealed to the people to maintain brotherhood, harmony and integrity. Belivers from Palsora and different sectors with Tazia also participated in Gatka in Sector 45. |
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Punjab, Haryana low in iodine Chandigarh,
March 14 A latest study conducted by the PGI’s department of community medicine indicated that the situation was under control in Himachal, Uttaranchal and Jammu and Kashmir. The study, “Tracking iodine deficiency disorders in Northern India” was undertaken in Gurdaspur district of Punjab, Sonepat in Haryana, Shahjahanpur and Nanital in UP, Kulu and Shimla in HP and Jammu among children between the 6 and 11 age-group. The PGI is one of the four centres in the country chosen by the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, to undertake the WHO-sponsored study. Earlier studies conducted in the region had indicated that there was high prevalence of goitre, deafness, squint and mental retardation, especially in the hilly region where iodine content in the soil was low as it was flushed out due to heavy rain. “We have found that though there has been a slight decline in iodine disorders in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh during the last three decades, a lot still needs to be done as the situation is not as satisfactory as in the hilly regions,” Dr Arun. K. Aggarwal from the community medicine department said. Under the study, 10, 500 children were covered in each of the eight districts. Though the most common iodine disorder was goitre, in certain endemic areas there was also high incidence of still births and abortions. “It was in 1957 that after finding evidence of goitre in Kangra in Himachal the sale of iodised salt was started for the first time in the country,” he said. There was a decrease of 13 I Q points in schoolchildren living in iodine-deficient areas. |
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WORLD CONSUMERS DAY Chandigarh, March 14 Mr V.K. Kapoor, Deputy Director General, BIS, Regional Office, says,‘‘The consumer rights movement has come a long way after the passage of Consumer Rights Protection Act-1986. The bureau has so far granted licences for over 16,000 products for 1,200 items, including 3,500 licences, for the northern region alone. We have developed quality standards for almost every product ranging from safety pin to aircraft and the service sector as well.’’ He pointed out that under the Act, the consumers had the right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices, and be assured that they would receive due consideration at appropriate forms. They had also right to be protected against the marketing of goods which were hazardous to life and property, besides to be informed about quality, quantity, purity and standards. However, it was the consumer’s duty, he said, to purchase only BIS certified products, which ensured a certain level of quality and purity. Set up in 1986, he said the BIS had developed basic standards, product specifications, codes of practices and guidelines for every kind of product, including electrical appliances, building material and other products. However, due to limited resources, he said, it initiated action mostly after getting complains from the consumers. Further, as per the Act, the state governments had been empowered to take action against the violators. The consumers, on the other hand, bemoaned the fact that despite the provision of the Consumer Protection Act, and recent amendments proposed by the Parliament, it was very difficult to get justice. There had been lakhs of cases filed in the consumer courts. In the name of simple procedures, said a bank official, these courts were now dominated by the advocates. It was almost impossible to get speedy justice in these courts, he added. The consumer rights protection groups claimed that despite increasing competition in the telecom sector, the companies still had to go a long way to ensure transparent and quality services. Admitting all faults, Mr Kapoor said,‘‘ The only way to strengthen the consumer awareness movement is by building pressure groups to force companies and different services to provide fair competition in the market. |
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Acquitted, but singed Chandigarh, March 14 The victim was rushed to the hospital by the jail authorities. Till the filing of the report, the victim was being kept under observation. Acting on the complaint of the jail authorities, the Chandigarh Police today registered a case of attempt to murder against Mohan Lal and Amit Demanty, both undertrial. According to the information available, the victim was not on speaking terms with the assailants. Reportedly they used to make snide remarks about his addiction. The assailants were the victim’s barrackmates. A police official said Mohan Lal and Amit objected to Narinder’s urinating near a makeshift kitchen. When Narinder was coming back, Mohan Lal and his accomplice threw a pan of boiling oil on the victim. |
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DEATH SENTENCE TO BHULLAR SAS Nagar, March 14 The meeting, which was held at Gurdwara Amb Sahib here, was attended among others by representatives of SAD,
AISSF, SHSAD, BKU (Lakhowal), Movement Against State Repression, Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar Defence Committee and Punjab State Human Rights Organisation. Justice Ajit Singh
Bains, Chairman of the Punjab State Human Rights Organisation, said the Delhi march would begin from Gurdwara Bangla Sahib. He said the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee had sent a letter against the holding of protest. It stated that Mr Ram
Jethmalani, former Union Law Minister, would again approach the Supreme Court in this connection. However, Justice Bains said the Supreme Court had already rejected the petition thrice, the last one being the curative petition on March 13. Capt Kanwaljit Singh, general secretary, SAD, and former Finance Minister, said the decision of the Supreme Court had created resentment among Sikhs. He said the only way out was to appeal to the President for mercy. He said he would make efforts to get a resolution passed in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha by MLAs in this regard. Mr Sucha Singh
Chottepur, MLA, said the filing of another petition would be of little help. The only solution was to use political pressure. He suggested that Mr Parkash Singh
Badal, president, SAD, should call back MPs from the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha as a mark of protest. Mr Karnail Singh Pir Mohammad of the AISSF said on the occasion of Hola Mohalla political parties should share the dais in support of
Bhullar. Among others who spoke at the meeting were Mr Inderjit Singh
Jaijee, convener, Movement Against State Repression, Mr Karnail Singh Panjoli of the
SHSAD, Mr Saranjit Singh of the BKU, Mr Satnam Singh Paonta of the Dal Khalsa and Mrs Harjinder
Kaur, former Mayor, Chandigarh Municipal Corporation. |
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Change in Mohali STD code deferred SAS Nagar, March 14 According to Mr Sanjay
Agarwal, DGM, Planning BSNL, Chandigarh, a telephonic intimation was received at 10.35 pm from the Department of Telecom, ordering that the complete change-over of SAS Nagar exchange to Kharar be postponed. However, no reason for the deferment was given by the officials. |
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Matching
Japanese kundlis Chandigarh, March 14 Dr Sharma was speaking to TNS after a three-week stint in Japan where he had been invited to conduct astrology workshops and offer counselling. He has returned with the impression that Indian and Japanese cultures have much in common. Like, they too remove shoes before entering the house and are God-fearing. Probably, Buddhism is the binding force. And so, the problems springing forth too are similar. A specialist in matrimonial counselling, Dr Sharma was primarily dealing with queries related to family life. He found that just as in our country, in the Land of the Rising Sun, women were marrying late (in their 30s) due to preference to studies and work. But, like the Bharatiya ‘nari’, the Japanese women give importance to home, husband and children. They strive to strike a balance between work and home and are fiercely loyal about commitments. But, Dr Sharma was amused to see that the looks of a Japanese belied their age. In contrast to the robust Indians, their petite counterparts look 25 even at 35 years. He found the men and women willing to follow the remedies suggested by him to tide over ‘rahus’ and ‘ketus’ and ‘shanis’ that he explained played a stellar role in “making
things right”. They were open to the healing powers of mantra recitation and curious about ‘kiya dosha’. Dr Sharma returned from the trip impressed by the Japanese respect for time and punctuality, a trait much-needed among Indians. |
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Writers
begin fast for Punjabi Chandigarh, March 14 Beginning their strike near Matka Chowk today, the writers again reiterated their demands. The first batch of writers sitting on fast include Sardar Tarsem, president of the Sabha, Ripudaman Singh Roop, poet and story writer, Sushil Dosanjh, secretary of the Sabha, Jasbir Jhajj, a poet from Rampur and Jagjit Singh Brar, a Muktsar-based writer. Prof Avtar Singh Jaura, general secretary of the Sabha, while addressing the gathering, said that despite the
submission of a memorandum to the Punjab Chief Minister and staging of dharnas in front of the houses of Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker, Dr Kewal Krishan, Education Minister, Mr Khushal Bahl and also CM’s residence in Patiala, nothing concrete had been achieved. The next batch of writers going on fast will include Karnail Singh Nijjer, Surinder Kelley and Mohinderdeep Grewal, senior vice president, vice president and secretary of the Sabha, respectively. |
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Girl died of haemorrhage, says report Chandigarh, March 14 According to the information available, the body was handed over to the victim’s family yesterday. The police suspects that the key suspect, Ram Nivas, had boarded an Ambala-bound train after killing the girl. Raids conducted at the native place of the suspect and in Ambala have failed to yield any result. |
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SC/ST body chief Chandigarh |
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2 held for
possessing snakes Chandigarh, March 14 He called up the police officials from the Sector 11 Police Station. When the police team searched the two persons, two snakes and a tortoise, banned under the Wildlife Protection Act, were recovered from their possession. A SPCA team also reached the spot and took the injured cat to their Sector 38 rescue centre. A case under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Wildlife Protection Act was registered by the police. A team of the Wildlife officials also inspected the animals seized from the two persons. |
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Man cheated of Rs 14 lakh Chandigarh, March 14 |
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International exposure via the traditional profession of astrology has made Panchkula-based Dr Prem Kumar Sharma realise that the world is, after all, a village. At least, as far as emotions are concerned. Whether in a developed society or a developing nation. Extraneous factors have a limited role to play in the emotional well-being of a person.